Thailand Live Wednesday 3 Apr 2013

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POLITICS
Sponsor of constitutional change sees no role for judicial intervention

BANGKOK: -- Senator Direk Teungfung, a sponsor of the amendments to the law, has voiced scepticism that the Constitution Court would launch a judicial review of the charter change bill.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630447-thai-senator-asks-court-to-rule-on-move-to-change-article-68/#entry6266621

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Killers of marine may have made the Bacho assault in Febuary
By English News

NARATHIWAT, April 3 -- Police found key evidence indicating that insurgents who abducted and killed a marine private may have been the same group which attacked the victim's marine outpost in Narathiwat in February.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630494-marine-abducted-and-shot-dead-in-thai-south-army/#entry6266640

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PM upset with Senators’ move to block charter amendments
By English News

BANGKOK, April 3 – Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today called on lawmakers to proceed with the scheduled debate in Parliament on disagreement with constitutional amendments instead of having to seek the Constitution Court’s ruling.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630447-thai-senator-asks-court-to-rule-on-move-to-change-article-68/#entry6266663

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Pol Lt Gen Paradorn Patanatabut: no need for troop reinforcement in the South

National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general Paradorn Patanatabut has confirmed that there is no need for troop reinforcement in the South , following the recent abduction and murder of a marine in Narathiwat Province. Police Lieutenant General Paradorn expressed his confidence that the dialogue, held last month, with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) was not futile, given it was only in its early stage, adding that many more talks were in the pipeline.

He has also reaffirmed there is no need for the security force to adjust its strategy in dealing with the problems in the three southernmost provinces, nor is there a need for troop reinforcement.

Police Lieutenant General Paradorn ,however, said that the beef-up of the forces in the border areas was only meant to boost the locals' morale.

The next round of talks with the BRN is scheduled for April 29. Nine delegates from Thailand, including one from the public, will attend the dialogue.

-- NNT 2013-04-03

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Phuket Environment: Time for Racha to sink or swim?
Phuket Gazette -

SPECIAL REPORT

PHUKET: With only two weeks remaining until the deadline set by Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa to have environmental protections in place on Racha Yai Island, questions are being asked about how much has been achieved and what remains to be done to protect the popular tourist island’s pristine environment.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630516-phuket-environment-time-for-racha-to-sink-or-swim/

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BBL prepares Bt45bn cash for Songkran
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Bank has prepared more than Bt45 billion of cash to facilitate spending during the Songkran festival, the bank said in a statement.

It also announced that its 300 micro branches in shopping malls will also be open for business every day during April 12-16. Normal operations will resume on April 17.

BBL said that it will closely monitor and refill ATM cash reserves in popular venues nationwide. The bank operates 7,500 ATMs nationwide.

Customers can be confident cash will be available for withdrawals from ATMs throughout the Songkran period.

-- The Nation 2013-04-03

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Russian Purse Snatch on South Pattaya Beach

PATTAYA:--Early on Wednesday Morning Pattaya Police were called to the Yingyom Beach at the end of Pratamnuk Road Soi 5 to assist a Russian woman who was subjected to a purse snatch by 4 Thai Men, 2 of them faking a road accident to distract her while the other 2 took the purse.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630519-russian-purse-snatch-on-south-pattaya-beach/

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MPC
Policy rate maintained at 2.75%
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee on Wednesday decided to maintain the policy rate as expected, with only one member voting for a rate cut.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630521-policy-rate-maintained-at-275/

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Deputy PM Chalerm believes Senate move to block charter amendments won't lead to dissolution of Pheu Thai party /MCOT

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2 dead 5 injured in Highway 7 Road Crash in East Pattaya

PATTAYA: -- Five people were injured and two were killed in an early morning road crash on Highway 7 in East Pattaya after the driver of a pick-up fell asleep at the wheel and came off the road and rolled his vehicle which came to rest in a ditch.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630520-2-dead-5-injured-in-highway-7-road-crash-in-east-pattaya/

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FBI asks DSI for help seeking to arrest American fugitive Jason Derek Brown wanted for 2004 murder & armed robbery in Arizona /MCOT

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Govt sets out Songkran precautions for Phuket
Naraporn Tuarob


Songkran starts on April 11. Photo: Kazuhiro Nakamura

PHUKET: -- Sales of alcohol will be banned during the Songkran holiday from April 11 to 17 in the main water fight areas including parts of Patong and Cherng Talay, Surin Beach, Saphan Hin and Nai Yang Beach.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630544-govt-sets-out-songkran-precautions-for-phuket/

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ELECTRICITY
No brownout or blackout: EGAT
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Expecting the new power peak of 26,600 megawatt on April 5, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand reassured the public that there will be no power brownout or blackout on the day.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630553-no-brownout-or-blackout-on-april-5-e-g-a-t/

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Crocodile owner lets his pets inside to enjoy the air conditioning
By Coconuts Bangkok



PHITSANULOK: -- Two crocodiles in Phitsanulok have found a new way to escape Thailand’s astounding heat: Stay in their owner’s air-conditioned office.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630555-phitsanulok-crocodile-owner-lets-his-pets-inside-to-enjoy-the-air-conditioning/

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UPDATE:

Phuket: ‘Missing’ German tourist found on Koh Phangan
Claire Connell

Benjamin Jürgs has been found on Koh Phangan.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630481-phuket-family-call-for-news-of-missing-german-man/?p=6267161#entry6267161

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SET index closed at 1520.52, down 30.02; Local gold: Bt/USD29.25; GBP44.07; AUD30.50; EUR37.34; CAD28.68; HKD3.76; SGD23.48; JPY31.1

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BMA-issued fire extinguishers found sub-standard

BANGKOK, 3 April 2013 (NNT) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMC) has urged the City Hall to recall nearly 100,000 fire extinguishers it has distributed to various households following reports of explosion of the device.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630560-fire-extinguishers-distributed-by-bangkok-administration-found-to-be-sub-standard/

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CRIMES
Police adopt scientific approach to fighting crime
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) plans to apply research findings to its crimeprevention plans.

It will take about two years for the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) to complete the studies on which the MPB will base its new approach.

"We have decided to turn to research in a bid to analyse problems and tackle their causes," Metropolitan Police Commissioner LtGeneral Kamronwit Toopkrajang told a seminar yesterday.

He said the application of research findings would replace outdated methods currently used by police.

"We believe the use of research will help lower the number of crimes and the cost of police operations, while allowing police to deliver better performance," Kamronwit said.

-- The Nation 2013-04-03

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Tharit: Thailand region's No 1 terror target
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tharit Pengdit Wednesday claimed Thailand ranked number one in the region in terms of being at risk of terrorist attack - and number five in the world - according to studies in England and the US.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630564-tharit-thailand-regions-no-1-terror-target/

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Petrol/gasohol prices up 40 satang
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- PTT takes the lead in raising the retail prices of petrol and gasohol prices by 40 satang per litre, effective on April 4.

E85 price will be raised by 20 satang per litre.

Diesel will remain unchanged at Bt29.99.

Under the adjustment, gasohol 95 will be retailed in Bangkok at Bt39.43 per litre, gasohol 91 at Bt36.98, E20 at Bt34.48 and E85 at Bt22.88.

As of April 2, Dubai crude oil rose 1.05 per cent from the previous day to US$108.20 per barrel.

All eyes are on the European Central Bank’s meeting on April 4 as well as the negotiation between Iran and 6 superpowers over a nuclear enrichment programme.

-- The Nation 2013-04-03

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Constitution Court accepts complaint against charter amendment
By English News

BANGKOK, April 3 – Thailand’s Constitution Court today voted three to two to consider a petition by 40 senators seeking to stop proposed legislations to amend the charter.

The court, however, did not issue an injunction on the senators’ request for a halt of the parliamentary debate of the charter amendments.

Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn led some 40 Upper House members petitioning the court on Tuesday, charging Parliament Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont and 312 supporters of the bills to rewrite some sections of the Constitution with breaching the Constitution.

They also called on the court to dissolve the political parties which endorsed the amendments. The ruling Pheu Thai party is the driving force behind the move while allied parties include the Chatthaipattana, Phalang Chon, Mahachon and New Democrat Parties.

The senators asked the Constitution Court to suspend deliberations of the bills to amend Sections 68 and 237 of the charter.

According to the proposed bills, Section 68 of the charter is rewritten to entitle the Office of the Attorney-General to initially examine complaints deemed detrimental to the constitutional monarchy, and Section 237 which relaxes the rules for a party’s dissolution or banning of party executives due to violations of the election law by party candidates

The court instructed the senators to make 312 copies of the complaint to be delivered to the 312 supporters of the bills, who were instructed to answer to the court within 15 days after receiving the documents.

A vote on the first reading by the joint parliamentary session is due tonight. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-04-03

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to continue:

Thailand Live Thursday 4 Apr 2013

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630663-thailand-live-thursday-4-apr-2013/