Thailand Live Tuesday 19 Mar 2013

[webfact]

DROUGHT
Farmers warned of low water levels
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Severe drought has hit 27,358 villages in 38 provinces, Natural Resources and Environment Ministry permanent secretary Surapol Pattani said yesterday.

Following reduced rain last year and the release of water from dams to prevent floods, reservoir levels this year were lower than usual and the authorities plan to prioritise water for consumption. So, farmers had been warned not to plant off-season rice crops, he said.


-- The Nation 2013-03-19

[webfact]

POLITICS
Yingluck's job may be on the line over two hot issues
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Just 18 months into her job as Thailand's first female prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra now appears to be facing some serious legal problems that could cost her the PM's seat.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626910-yinglucks-job-may-be-on-the-line-over-two-hot-issues/

[webfact]

Queen hails women's role in Asean
Jeerawat Na Thalang
The Nation

Her Majesty calls on Thais to reach out to their counterparts from AEC nations.

BANGKOK: -- Her Majesty the Queen urged Thai women yesterday to retain their own identity by upholding and preserving their rich cultural heritage, and at the same time reach out to understand the unique cultures of our Asean neighbours.

Her Majesty's message to commemorate International Women's Day yesterday was delivered at the Foreign Ministry by Vina Churdboonchart, acting president of the National Council of Women.

Under the theme "Thai Women Moving Towards the Asean Community", the Queen also noted that, "It is indeed appropriate that Thai women become aware of their important role when the Asean Community comes into being in 2015, as this will result in much greater contact between Thai women and their counterparts from other Asean countries."

The event, attended by leading women's groups in Thailand, also heard from Shun-ichi Murata of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. He said the UN's focus for this year's Women's Day was on the problem of violence against women, which was an intolerable barrier to empowerment and gender equality in Asean.

Although progress had been made in terms of women rights, noted Murata, countless women around the world and in the Asean region still find themselves exposed to violence - whether in their homes or in public, in times of instability or conflict.

"At its core, violence against women and girls is driven by unequal power relations, an inequality that only increases when the threat of violence forces women to live their lives in a state of chronic insecurity. Such insecurity not only violates women's most basic human rights, but also stunts the development of entire communities."

He added that many women have yet to benefit from economic growth in this region. Even as many women start new businesses, the ratio of overall economic participation has hovered consistently at around seven women to every 10 men in Southeast Asia since 1991. Women in Asean countries continue to face barriers in security and equal access to capital.

In many communities, income disparities between men and women continue to reinforce power inequalities, encouraging societies to normalise violence in the name of family order. A 2011 survey of communities in Asean revealed 92 per cent of men and 94 per cent of women agreed it is important for a man to exert power over his wife and demonstrate that he is head of the family.

Vichien Chawalit, permanent secretary at the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, said the Thai government endeavoured to empower women by giving them access to healthcare.

For instance, the government plans to implement breast cancer awareness by training of over 1 million volunteers by June this year to facilitate effective sharing of knowledge and self-examination.

In addition, the ministry aimed to ensure Thai women keep pace with globalisation and the setting up of the Asean Community in 2015, he said. The government is also tackling human trafficking, child labour and violence against women and children.

To prepare for the AEC, the government has budgeted for the launch of 22 Asean learning centres under a pilot project in border provinces. The number is set to increase to over 1,000 centres across the country in 2014. The aim is to equip over 1.2 million women with knowledge of at least one other Asean language to enable them to thrive in the Asean community, Vichien added.

Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Sihasak Puangketkeow said that although Thai women had become leaders in both the public and corporate sector, problems of unequal opportunity remained, fuelling violence and trafficking against women. He urged governments to use the Asean Human Rights Declaration to support frameworks and mechanisms that help ensure the advancement of women.


-- The Nation 2013-03-19

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Will Yaowapa steal limelight from Yingluck?
Avudh Panananda
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Pheu Thai faction leader Yaowapa Wongsawat are siblings poised to share the spotlight, but the question is whether the political stage is big enough to accommodate both at the same time.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626911-will-yaowapa-steal-limelight-from-yingluck/

[webfact]

FREE PRESS
Cancellation of talk show prompts NBTC to act
Watchiranont Thongtep,
Khanittha Thepphajorn
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Following the abrupt cancellation of a controversial TV talk show on the Thai Public Broadcasting Service, an official with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission said an NBTC sub-committee will soon draft guidelines for local TV stations to follow when they are considering the cancellation of a programme.

"This standard will be soon applied to all media outlets to prevent an abrupt cancellation or suspension of TV programmes like in the recent cases of 'Nua Mek' and 'Tob Jote Prathet Thai'," Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC's broadcasting committee, said.

The cases of the Channel 3 drama series "Nua Mek 2" and the Thai PBS talk show "Tob Jote" are similar in that the stations decided to cancel the shows themselves. Such actions can be allowed in accordance with Section 29 of the Act of Entrepre-neur Affairs in Broadcasting and Television of 2008, Natee said.

"However, cancellation or suspension of TV programmes widely affects viewers. The sub-panel on television programming and scheduling must therefore draft a proper guideline for TV stations to follow. The guidelines will be submitted to the broadcasting committee in the next two weeks," he said.

The latest controversy involves the Thai PBS talk show "Tob Jote Prathet Thai" ("Answering Questions about Thailand"), which was yanked from the air before it was broadcast on Friday night. The programme is hosted by Pinyo Traisuriyathamma, the outspoken executive editor of Open Books Publishing House.

The topic of the programme was the "Thai Monarchy under the Constitution" and Friday's fifth and final episode was to feature the continuing debate between Thammasat University lecturer Somsak Jeamteerasakul and social critic Sulak Sivaraksa.

On Saturday, Pinyo announced on Facebook that his show would no longer air on Thai PBS. He said his work as a journalist had been interfered with and he'd been intimidated by people in the organisation.

Thai PBS managing director Somchai Suwanban said he had decided to not air the show after a group of viewers came to the head office to request the show's cancellation. Somchai said he feared the programme's production team might be in danger so he decided postpone the broadcast pending a review by a subcommittee in charge of receiving public complaints.

Somchai added that Thai PBS was a public TV station and it has the duty to allow people to air their opinions, but now the debate has been restricted to private discussions.

The editorial team of "Tob Jote" defend their work on Facebook yesterday, saying the show was produced in a neutral manner with equal time given to both sides. They also said they believed that the content would have a positive effect on the high institution. The Facebook page has been accessed more than 600,000 times since the cancellation, the team said.

The show also came under heavy criticism during a Senate session yesterday. Appointed Senator General Lertrit Wetsawan, a former executive of Channel 5, lambasted the "Tob Jote" team, saying their ulterior motive was to topple the monarchy. He called authorities to take legal action against host Pinyo and his guests Somsak and Sulak for lese majeste offences.

Appointed Senator Wanchai Sornsiri criticised the Thai PBS management for airing the series.

"Do not think that such content in the programme is progressive or cool. It is like the saying, 'to look for lice to put on your head'.''

Other appointed senators voicing their disapproval included Trungjai Buranasompop and Pornpan Bunyaratpan. They said that the taxpayer-funded Thai PBS should produce content that benefits most Thais, such as a show about the rice-pledging scheme as opposed to talk of amending the lese majeste law, which affects only a few.


-- The Nation 2013-03-19

[webfact]

BOT alert as economy heats up
Sucheera Pinijparakarn,
Petchanet Pratruangkrai,
Nakarin Srilert
The Nation

Central bank and rating agencies watch for bubbles in real estate, SET

BANGKOK: -- Despite comforting signs of continuing growth, there were words of caution yesterday about possible overheating in the economy - and "bubbles" in the financial and property markets.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626913-bank-of-thailand-alert-as-economy-heats-up/

[webfact]

Belgian princess shows interest in micro-finance
Wichit Chaitrong
The Nation


Belgian Crown Prince Philippe and his wife Princess Mathilde.

BANGKOK: -- Visiting Princess Mathilde of Belgium showed an interest in the development of micro-finance in the country but experts told her that easy access to credit and the lack of financial literacy had led to over-indebtedness among the poor.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626914-belgian-princess-shows-interest-in-micro-finance-in-thailand/

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Thaksin's shadow looms large over Yingluck's govt
The Nation

The prime minister is not being helped by her fugitive brother's regular demonstrations that he is in charge of this administration

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626915-thaksins-shadow-looms-large-over-yinglucks-govt/

[webfact]

Erosion devours 22 per cent of coastline
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's 2,600-km coastline has suffered serious erosion, losing 79,000 rai of land, or 22 per cent, in the past 30 years, Chulalongkorn University scholar Thanawat Jarupongsakul said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626917-erosion-devours-22-percent-of-thailands-coastline/

[webfact]

Uproar over ruling on evidence from overseas
Opas Boonlom,
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Constitution Court's decision to reject witness examinations in foreign countries has caused an uproar in the justice system and courts across the country that have adopted the practice for many decades.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626919-uproar-over-thailands-constitution-court-ruling-on-evidence-from-overseas/

[webfact]

New plan for rescues in under 8 minutes
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- In a bid to reduce thousands of deaths, rescue services plan to get medical help within eight minutes to victims with severe accident and emergency injuries.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626921-new-plan-for-rescues-accident-victims-in-under-8-minutes-thailand/

[webfact]

Newsman stabbed in Chatuchak
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- A robber attacked a Thai Post reporter in Bangkok's Chatuchak district with a knife early yesterday.

Suwat Panjawong, 29, was still in the intensive care unit at Lat Phrao Hospital as of press time. Witnesses said the robber threatened Suwat for his cell phone at knifepoint, so he handed it over. The robber then demanded his bag and purse, but Suwat tried to resist.

During the pushing and shoving, the robber slashed Suwat's neck and ran off. Suwat flagged down a taxi and rushed himself to hospital.


-- The Nation 2013-03-19

[webfact]

Ex-girlfriend a suspect in fatal blast
Khanathit Srihirundaj
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Police are trying to determine if the ex-girlfriend of a man, killed in an explosion in Bangkok yesterday morning, was behind the fatal attack.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626922-ex-girlfriend-a-suspect-in-fatal-bangkok-blast/

[webfact]

Stage set for Bangkok's book fest
Wannapa Khaopa
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- People of all ages are invited to "read for life" as Bangkok gears up to celebrate its winning the prestigious "World Book Capital 2013" award from Unesco.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626923-stage-set-for-bangkoks-book-fest/

[webfact]

2 officials behind exam cheating
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- An investigation by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has suggested that two top education officials were involved in the recruitment-exam cheating scandal.

Deputy Education Minister Sermsak Pongpanich said yesterday that the two officials held senior posts at the Office of Basic Education Commission. "If so, we will launch a disciplinary probe and transfer those two officials to inactive posts," he said.

Sermsak has asked the DSI to look into why 514 people taking tests for the post of teaching assistant had earned unusually high scores in recruitment exams on suspicion that cheating might have taken place. Their scores, on average, was above 90 marks.

Sermsak said yesterday that, so far, he had not received an official investigation report from the DSI, adding that he did not think his ministry should invalidate the exam results at sites where some test-takers were found to have cheated. "I think we should take action against cheats only."

The Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commis-sion will decide on Friday on how to proceed with the results of the recruitment exams.


-- The Nation 2013-03-19

[webfact]

Senate supports voter-sponsored law bills
Khanittha Thepphajorn
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Senate yesterday voted unanimously to pass a bill that would allow 10,000 eligible voters to sponsor a law after submitting their signatures.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626925-thai-senate-supports-voter-sponsored-law-bills/

[webfact]

Thailand joins ranks of 'high achievers' in East Asia
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has made it into the UNDP's list of "high achievers" in East Asia, along with China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626926-thailand-joins-ranks-of-high-achievers-in-east-asia/

[webfact]

Corrupt Police extort cash from Japanese Tourist at North Pattaya Hotel

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626927-corrupt-police-extort-cash-from-japanese-tourist-at-north-pattaya-hotel/

[webfact]

Beach north of Phuket crawling with baby turtles
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- The beach at Khao Lampi – Hat Thai Mueang National Park has been full of life over the past month with 339 baby leatherback turtles hatching from five protected nests in the area.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626928-beach-north-of-phuket-crawling-with-baby-turtles/

[webfact]

Video of men brutally beating women draws ire of Thai netizens
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- A video clip surfaced last week showing four men brutally attacking several women, even knocking one of them unconscious.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626935-video-of-men-brutally-beating-women-draws-ire-of-thai-netizens/

[webfact]

Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,598.84, up 7.19 points /MCOT

[webfact]

Nakhon Phanom named Thailand's happiest province
By English News



BANGKOK, March 19 – The level of the Thai people’s happiness has gradually increased in the last five years with Nakhon Phanom in the Northeast hailed as the happiest province and Samut Songkram the least happy town.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626964-nakhon-phanom-named-thailands-happiest-province/

[webfact]

Chiang Mai's haze problem remains under control

CHIANG MAI, 19 March 2013 (NNT) – The haze problem in northern Chiang Mai Province continues but the situation are still under control, according to local health officials.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626970-chiang-mais-haze-problem-remains-under-control/

[webfact]

Constitutional amendment move underway
By English News

BANGKOK, March 19 – A group of pro-government Lower House MPs and senators plans to propose a bill to amend the 2007 constitution which bans politicians of dissolved political parties and the state’s authority in signing agreements with other countries, according to Senator Direk Tuengfang.

The senator from Nonthaburi and former chairman of the Reconciliation Committee for Political Reform and Charter Amendment said the group is collecting signatures from at least one-fifth of members of parliament to be submitted to the House speaker on Wednesday.

The group disagrees with Section 237 of the constitution which imposes a five-year ban on executive members of political parties dissolved by the Constitution Court for electoral fraud.

They will also seek an amendment of Section 68 which, they said, should clearly impose that any proposed dissolution of parties be made through the Attorney General Office.

Another subject of the proposed amendment is Section 190 of the constitution which requires the government to seek parliamentary approval in signing agreements with other countries.

Enforcing this constitutional provision has obstructed the government in its administration and has negatively affected the national interest, the group said.

Another proposal calls for the election of all 200 members of the Upper House. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-03-19

[webfact]

Angered by cyber attacks, PTT says Shinawatra clan holds only 0.002% of shares
By English News



BANGKOK, March 19 – PTT Plc, Thailand’s state-run oil and natural gas conglomerate, has categorically ruled out attacks against its operations on social networks, charging that widespread criticism against the enterprise were politically motivated.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626980-angered-by-cyber-attacks-ptt-says-shinawatra-clan-holds-only-0002-of-shares/

[webfact]

Squat toilets to be scrapped in a bid to end knee-arthritis, boost tourism

BANGKOK, 19 March 2013 (NNT) - The government has planned to launch a campaign to discourage squat toilets, in a pledge to end knee-related arthritis and boost tourism.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626981-squat-toilets-to-be-scrapped-in-a-bid-to-end-knee-arthritis-boost-tourism-thailand/

[webfact]

Despite persistent southern attacks, March 28 dialogue is on
By English News

BANGKOK, March 19 - Violence in Thailand's far South could be less severe if the Thai authorities gain trust among Muslim insurgent groups in future dialogues with them, the secretary general of the National Security Council (NSC) said today.

Paradorn Pattanatabut was apparently referring to frequent attacks on Thai officials and civilians in the three southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat despite a deal between the NSC and part of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) insurgent group in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 28 during which both parties agreed to the talks.

The first round of dialogue is scheduled in the Malaysian capital on March 28. Fifteen Thai officials will join the talks while the BRN group will have an equal number of representatives.

Lt Gen Paradorn said the names of 15 Thai officials will not be disclosed until Malaysian officials and the BRN group have been notified.

After the dialogue and the BRN representatives are comfortable to a certain level, Gen Paradorn said, they may send out signals to other insurgent groups. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-03-19

[Lite Beer]

Suvarnabhumi Toilets Rejigged to Showcase 'Thainess'
By Digital Media

BANGKOK: -- As a leading airport in the region, Suvarnabhumi Airport continues to renew its facilities in hopes of catering to the needs of a larger group of travellers in the near future.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626992-suvarnabhumi-toilets-rejigged-to-showcase-thainess/

[Lite Beer]

Cabinet approves Bt2.2 trillion loan bill for infrastructure projects; passes to Parliament for approval /MCOT

[webfact]

High production costs dampen February industries sentiment
By English News

BANGKOK, March 19 - The Thai Industries Sentiment Index (TISI) in February fell to 95.5, lower than January's 97.3 due to worries about higher production costs.

Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) Chairman Payungsak Chartsutipol said the higher production costs stemmed from labour wages, energy prices and material costs.

The lower TISI was also owing to the fact that some factories were closed during the Chinese New Year period and fewer working days in February.

However, Mr Payungsak said the Thai Industries Sentiment Index for the next three months is projected at 103.1, projected to be higher than the 101.5 in January, as a result of expectations of a rising total sales volume, production quantity, production costs, and business profits.

Meanwhile, Thai entrepreneurs asked the government to tackle labour shortage problems, both for skilled and unskilled workers, find measures to cope with drought, launch policies on sustainable energy management for the industrial sector, create political stability for Thai and foreign investor confidence, as well as supporting financial institutions to provide more loans with low interest rates to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-03-19