Thailand Live Wednesday 20 Mar 2013

[webfact]

Phuket Russians targeted in Thai New Year crackdown
Phuket Gazette


Kathu District Chief Weera Kerdsirimongkol. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Kathu District Chief Weera Kerdsirimongkol, who took up his position in Phuket less than a month ago, will target Russians, Nepalese and Vietnamese working illegally in Phuket, starting on April 14, the first day of the Thai new Year, he told a Provincial Hall meeting yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627233-phuket-russians-targeted-in-thai-new-year-crackdown/

[webfact]

Commerce Ministry to step up clampdown on copyright violation before Songkran

BANGKOK, 19 March 2013 (NNT) – The Commerce Ministry will step up the clampdown on copyright violations ahead the annual Songkran holiday arrives in mid-April.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627255-commerce-ministry-to-step-up-clampdown-on-copyright-violation-before-songkran/

[webfact]

Chavalit denies being asked to join Cabinet
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh Wednesday denied that he had been approached to join the Yingluck Cabinet, saying he can work for the country without holding any position.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627260-chavalit-denies-being-asked-to-join-thai-cabinet/

[webfact]

Eight arrested with drugs valued at Bt140 million
By English News



BANGKOK, March 20 -- Six suspected drug dealers were arrested while delivering illicit drugs in Bangkok's Thawi Watthana district with 400,000 methamphetamine pills and 7 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine or ice with a street value of Bt140 million.

Pol Maj Gen Chanthep Saesawet, Deputy Commissioner of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau told a news conference of the arrest of the six men in Thawi Watthana district.

Apart from the drugs, two cars, two motorcycles and 10 mobile phones were seized from the group, believed to be members of a Shan ethnic drug ring in Bangkok's Bang Khae district.

Police said the leader was an inmate in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat who masterminded the operation from his jail cell.

According to investigators, the drugs were transferred from Chiang Rai and kept in the Bang Khae area before delivery to the southern provinces.

The men were to be paid Bt80,000 for each delivery.

Meanwhile, railway police arrested a drug dealer at Hua Hin station on a Bangkok-Butterworth express train bound for Malaysia.

Pol Maj Gen Thanang Buranond, commander of the Railway Police Division told reporters that the dealer, identified as Anan Tevasuk, was arrested with 50kg of ice valued at Bt70 million.

The suspect was under police watch on the Bangkok-Butterworth train. When it arrived at Hua Hin station in Prachup Khiri Khan, police identified themselves and asked to search his two bags. They found the drug cache in the two bags.

Mr Anan told police he was hired by a dealer in Chiang Mai to deliver the drugs to customers in Songkhla's Hat Yai district. He received Bt50,000 in return. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-03-20

[webfact]

Phuket police arrest 25 illegal immigrants in Chalong
Nattha Thepbamrung


Some of the Sri Lankans sit in Chalong Police Station, contemplating how much money and effort they have wasted.

PHUKET: -- Twenty-five illegal immigrants, originally from Sri Lanka, were rounded up this morning in Chalong.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627264-phuket-police-arrest-25-illegal-immigrants-in-chalong/

[webfact]

Economic ministers resolve not to issue any special measure in response to baht appreciation; will let currency move in tandem with market /MCOT

[webfact]

SET index closed at 1543.67, down 24.58; Bt/USD29.08; GBP43.79; AUD30.07; EUR37.37; CAD28.15; HKD3.74; SGD23.10; JPY30.4

[webfact]

House panel wants to hear from DSI chief again over 'men in black'
Prapasri Osathanon
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A House committee Wednesday unanimously resolved to summon Department of Special Investigation chief Tarit Pengdith to repeat his statement to the committee about the operations of the so-called "men in black" during the 2010 political riots.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627279-house-panel-wants-to-hear-from-d-s-i-chief-tarit-again-over-men-in-black/

[webfact]

Myanmar abolishes dollar surrogate

YANGON, March 20, 2013 (AFP) - Myanmar on Wednesday announced the abolition of its US dollar proxy currency, in the latest step towards economic normalisation as the impoverished former pariah opens to the world.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627292-myanmar-abolishes-dollar-surrogate/

[webfact]

Popular Phuket restaurant owner killed in car crash


Archara Khanchanakub.

PHUKET: -- Archara Khanchanakub, co-owner of popular Cherng Talay restaurant The Slug and Lettuce, died in a car crash this morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627294-popular-phuket-restaurant-owner-killed-in-car-crash/

[Lite Beer]

INFRASTRUCTURE
Chadchart vows transparency in Bt2-trillion spending
Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation

Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt, left, raising his hands, defends the transparency of the investment.

BANGKOK: -- Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt today fielded a long list of questions while giving testimony regarding the government's Bt2-trillion infrastructure investment plan to the House Committee on the Economy.

The testimony came a week before the borrowing bill is due to undergo parliamentary scrutiny on March 27-28.

"Not all the projects will be implemented at once. Some were initiated in 2005, like the second phase four-lane road project, and delayed due to insufficient funds," Chadchart said. "The borrowing bill is being pursued as we want to put all projects through thorough screening. Throughout the seven-year [implementation] period, this will place binding commitments on all parties. Like members of an orchestra, all will be playing from the same score."

Present at the hearing were representatives from the Fiscal Policy Office, National Economic and Social Development Board, Budget Bureau, Public Debt Management Office, Office of Traffic and Transport Policy and Planning, Highways Department, Thailand Development Research Institute and Krung Thai Bank. The committee is chaired by Democrat MP Chanin Rungsang.

Chadchart noted that unless they get underway now, improvements to the rail network could be forced to wait another 10 years.

Responding to criticism that, in the absence of proper screening of projects, the bill is tantamount to a blank cheque, Chadchart said that all projects require approval by the NESDB. The government could not immediately come up with the full details of all projects to be implemented during the seven-year period. Yet, these projects are under the government's broad strategy and some are in line with its original schedules, he said. For example, the Blue and Orange mass-transit lines, included in the plan, would be put up for bids next year as scheduled.

He insisted that details of all projects would be ready for screening, saying that the borrowing bill itself runs for over 200 pages.

The representative of the Fiscal Policy Office said that if any changes are made to the projects annexed to the borrowing bill, parliamentary re-screening would be necessary. Meanwhile, there will be no funding for projects that fail to win NESDB approval.

-- The Nation 2013-03-20

[Lite Beer]

Tourist cop charged with murder after Phuket shootout

Tanyaluk Sakoot

PHUKET: Tourist police officer, Sen Sgt Maj Pinchai Piyadilok, was today (March 20) charged with two counts of murder and one of attempted murder after two people were shot dead and another seriously injured in a shootout earlier in the day.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627187-tourist-police-hit-in-phuket-town-shootout-killing-two/?p=6223533#entry6223533

[Lite Beer]

RT@ChadapornLin: PM to leave for New Zealand and Papua New Guinea tomorrow and return on Monday

[webfact]

to continue:

Thailand Live Thursday 21 Mar 2013

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/627409-thailand-live-thursday-21-mar-2013/