Thailand Live Saturday 6 Apr 2013

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Chakri Day

Kings of Chakri Dynasty. File photo, source: Wikipedia.org

April 6 marks the anniversary of the founding of the present Chakri Dynasty of which the present ruling monarch, King Bhumibol the Great, is the ninth king.

The Chakri Dynasty was founded by Phra Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, or Rama I, who was born on March 20, 1737 with the name of Thong Duang and came to the throne on April 6, 1782. He ruled the country for 28 years.

On Chakri Day, His Majesty King Bhumibol accompanied by members of royal family presides over a religious ceremony performed to give merit to the deceased rulers at the Royal Chapel, then pays respects to His Majesty's Predecessors at the Royal Pantheon and lays a wreath at the statue of King Rama I at the Memorial Bridge.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister, Ministers, high ranking officers, students, public and private organizations and people from all walks of life take part in a wreath-laying ceremony and make merit for the great kings who dedicated the best part of their lives for the betterment of their subjects.

-- 2013-04-06

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More public cooperation sought amid worries about surge in power demand
Watchara Pussayanwin
The Nation


A staff member works inside the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand

BANGKOK: -- Energy Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal raised concern about electricity reserves on Tuesday and Wednesday, when demand is expected to rise by about 1,450MW each day.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631158-thai-energy-minister-raises-concern-about-electricity-reserves-on-april-9-and-10/

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Police, City Hall to strictly enforce alcohol-free Songkran
By English News



BANGKOK, April 6 -- Metropolitan Police Bureau and Bangkok's Bangrak district office are jointly enforcing strict measures to ensure that the upcoming Songkran Festival at Silom Road would be run safely and free of alcohol.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631159-police-city-hall-to-strictly-enforce-alcohol-free-songkran-in-bangkok/

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Pheu Thai 'confident' it can defend amendment

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The ruling Pheu Thai Party is confident that it will be able to defend its plan to amend Article 68 before the Constitutional Court, an MP said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631160-pheu-thai-confident-it-can-defend-amendment/

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UPDATE
Yala's deputy gov slain
The Nation


Officials inspect the severely damaged car targeted in a roadside bomb attack in Yala yesterday that killed two senior officials.

Roadside bomb claims Issara, provincial defence official, injures driver

YALA: -- A bomb attack in Yala yesterday killed two senior civilian officials travelling in a passenger sedan, with one of them dying instantly at the scene and a deputy provincial governor later pronounced dead at a hospital. The driver survived but was seriously injured.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631033-bomb-kills-two-top-provincial-officials-in-thai-south/#entry6275535

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Thai SkyTrain raises $2.1 billion in mega IPO

BANGKOK, April 6, 2013 (AFP) - The Thai operator of Bangkok's SkyTrain system said Friday that it had raised $2.1 billion in one of the biggest initial public offerings (IPOs) worldwide this year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631161-thai-skytrain-raises-21-billion-in-mega-i-p-o/

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13 Myanmar soldiers killed in border clash
The Nation

RANONG: -- Thirteen Myanmar soldiers were killed and two others went missing in a clash with unidentified armed forces at the border area of southern Ranong province, the same location where 92 Thais were arrested last year, a Thai military officer said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631163-13-myanmar-soldiers-killed-in-ranong-border-clash/

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Court upholds conviction of columnist in Thaksin defamation case
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Appeals Court yesterday upheld the Criminal Court's conviction of columnist Pramote Nakhonthap for defamation over an article accusing former PM Thaksin Shinawatra of seeking to change the country's ruling system.

The court agreed that Promote defamed Thaksin and his now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party in an article headlined "Finland Strategy: Plan to change the country's ruling system?" The article was published in The Manager Daily and its website.

The court also found, Pramote had urged the public to turn against Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai in the April 2, 2006 election.

The Appeals Court also acquitted Khunthong Lorseriwanit, editor and publisher of Manager Daily at the time.


-- The Nation 2013-04-06

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2 killed, 22m tabs found as agents seize craft
The Nation

CHIANG RAI: -- Laotian anti-narcotics agents yesterday seized a cargo boat on the Mekong River along with 22 million amphetamine tablets found hidden on board, after a shoot-out with the crew in which two suspects were killed and several others disappeared after jumping overboard.

The nationalities of the dead suspects and of the vessel could not be ascertained by press time yesterday evening.

Laotian officials said that acting on information from Myanmar authorities, they tracked the boat until it arrived at a location near jointly controlled waters off Chiang Saen district in Thailand's Chiang Rai province, Laos' Bor Kaew area and Myanmar's Pong area, 10 kilometres north of the Golden Triangle.

From a speedboat supplied by Chinese authorities, who are taking an active anti-narcotics role on the mekong River, the Laotian officials opened fire on the boat after it refused to stop and tried to flee, before the suspects returned fire. The officials later boarded the vessel and found the two dead suspects.

According to the officials, the tablets, contained in several bags and hidden among sacks of cargo, belonged to a big-time ethnic-Wa drug dealer, known as Nia, who is a native of Wang Sang in Myanmar's Wa State.

Yesterday's action follows the seizure of 21 million amphetamine tablets and 400 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice", in mid-March on a boat on the mekong 178km north of the Golden Triangle, with five Chinese and one Thai suspect arrested and handed over to Chinese authorities for prosecution. The Thai was identified as Theeraphan Sitthiya, 35, a native of Chiang Saen district.


-- The Nation 2013-04-06

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New govt committee to study country's labour shortage issues
Wannapa Khaopa
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- As a large workforce is needed to drive the government's mega-projects and the country's growing industrial sector, the authorities have started working on the output of workers to keep pace with the rising demand, Prof Pavich Tongroach, adviser to the education minister, said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631165-new-govt-committee-to-study-thailands-labour-shortage-issues/

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UPDATE

SAEN SAEB CANAL

Speeding boat driver's licence suspended
Thanatpong Kongsai
The Nation


Waves generated by a speeding boat knocks down two passengers waiting for a ferry at a pier on Bangkok

The suspension will last for six months. The boat's steersman was fined Bt5,000.

BANGKOK: -- In a widely circulated clip - titled "Saen Saeb Tsunami" - from a security-camera video feed, the speeding boat kicked up big waves that swept onto the Charn Issara Pier along the Saen Saeb. Two women waiting there were knocked down by the impact. Fortunately, they did not fall into the canal's foetid waters.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631018-bangkok-saen-saeb-tsunami-almost-pulls-passengers-down-into-the-canal/page-2?p=6275596#entry6275596

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Fidel Castro asks North Korea to avoid war

HAVANA: -- Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro called Friday for long-time ally North Korea and the United States to avoid hostilities on the Korean Peninsula.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631167-fidel-castro-asks-north-korea-to-avoid-war/

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Phuket: Kata/Karon tuk-tuk drivers: 'We will block the road'

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631036-phuket-katakaron-tuk-tuk-drivers-we-will-block-the-road/

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Parts of Silom Rd to be closed to traffic during Songkran festival, 2pm-9pm April 13-15 /The Nation

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RT @191Thailand: 8:45am Fire being reported on Sukhumwit 22 - @May_Siriwimol: ไฟไหม้แถวๆคอนโดเอื้อสมรสุข สุขุมวิท22

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RT @191Thailand: RT @rajenpalsingh: Fire getting worse at Sukhumvit Soi 22. Fire trucks arriving. Hope no one has been badly injured http://twitter.com/rajenpalsingh/status/320351694728876032/photo/1

developing: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631170-big-fire-on-sukhumvit-22-bangkok/

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Energy Minister, on PM weekly TV programme, expresses his relief after no power crisis on Friday; urges public to continue conserving energy /MCOT

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ASEAN foreign ministers meet next week to prepare for coming Summit
By Digital Media



BANGKOK, Apr 6 - Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are scheduled to arrive in Brunei next week for a ministerial meeting to prepare for the 22nd ASEAN Summit on April 24-25.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631206-a-s-e-a-n-foreign-ministers-meet-next-week-to-prepare-for-coming-summit/

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Air travellers flock to Thailand for Songkran celebrations
By Digital Media



BANGKOK, Apr 6 - At least 2.69 million tourists will arrive Thailand on 16,000 flights from next week to celebrate the water-splashing Songkran festival, according to the Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631208-air-travellers-flock-to-thailand-for-songkran-celebrations/

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Annual Nervousness: This is how joyful a military draft can be
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- Early April is the time of year when healthy Thai men, aged 21 to 30 and having never attended the Ror Dor military school, need to participate in the military draft. Since the process involves drawing a colored card that dictates one’s exemption from or admission to the military, there is quite a bit of anticipation surrounding the process.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631210-annual-nervousness-this-is-how-joyful-a-thai-military-draft-can-be/

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PM expresses sorrow on bomb attack that killed Yala dept govt asserts officials have good morale, to instruct DPM Chalerm visit South /MCOT

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Norwegian Drowns In Waters Off Jomtien Beach

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631215-norwegian-drowns-in-waters-off-jomtien-beach/

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Democrat Party celebrates 67th anniversary today. Abhisit insists party philosophy - respect of freedom and free market - remains applicable to situation. /The Nation

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BIRD FLU
WHO alerts globe on flu spread in China
The Nation

World Health Organisation has closely monitored the spreading of influenza A(H7N9) virus in China.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631225-bird-flu-w-h-o-alerts-globe-on-flu-spread-in-china/

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PM orders better protection for officials, public in southernmost provinces
By Digital Media

BANGKOK, April 6 -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday ordered security agencies to provide better protection for officials and public in the southernmost provinces, after a Yala deputy governor killed in a roadside bombing by presumed insurgents.

Yala Deputy Governor Issara Thongthawat died at the hospital after a roadside bomb was detonated as his car traveled along Yala-Betong Road in Bannang Star district on Friday afternoon.

Ms Yingluck expressed sorrow at the loss of Mr Issara and said that she has ordered security agencies to step up measures to ensure the safety of officials and residents in the three southern border provinces.

She also instructed authorities to be more alert for possible attacks and provide moral support to officials who are working in the areas.

The premier said that the death of Mr Issara and the murder of a marine private, Ma-ila Tohlu, in Narathiwat were outrageous actions which may affect the officials' morale.

She vowed that the government would facilitate their work by providing more modern equipment to assist their mission.

Meanwhile, Ms Yingluck said that the peace dialogue between the National Security Council (NSC) and insurgent groups would continue as it was one of the means to solving the violence problems in the southern provinces.

She added that Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, who oversees security affairs in the deep South, should visit the southern region and asserted that he has already prepared for the trip.

Mr Chalerm has never visited the far South. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-04-06

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Two men nabbed on separate terror charges in South
By Digital Media



NARATHIWAT, April 6 - Two Muslim men were arrested separately in this southern province on Friday in connection with an attack on a military base in Bacho district on February 13 and a fatal explosion in Rueso district on March 29, police said.

Bacho district police arrested Havali Tokae, 23, and charged him with attacking a military artillery unit on February 13. An arrest warrant was issued for him following the attack.

Havali was arrested at his house in Saiburi district. He denied all charges.

In another case, police searched a house in Rueso district and apprehended a 45-year-old man for allegedly setting an explosive on Pupo-Bucho Road on March 29, killing Pol Capt Sivach Sriuppayo.

The suspect denied the charges, but a DNA test confirmed his involvement in the violence. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-04-06

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Foreign Man found dead in suspicious circumstances on Pattaya Highway 7

A foreign man whose age, name, and nationality cannot be confirmed at this point, was found dead in the middle of the Pattaya-bound carriageway of Highway 7 in East Pattaya on Friday Night and he is not thought to have been killed in a road accident.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631246-foreign-man-found-dead-in-suspicious-circumstances-on-pattaya-highway-7/

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RT@RichardBarrow: Pictures: Contestents from Miss Grand Thailand 2013 (Thai Rath) buff.ly/Z81KnV

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Battle lines drawn over new Phuket bus service
Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: Tuk-tuk and taxi drivers in the southern beach resort areas of Kata and Karon yesterday vowed to stage protests if the new Phuket bus service from the airport is launched.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631260-battle-lines-drawn-over-new-phuket-bus-service/

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Police find key evidence which may lead to arrest of assailants in Friday's bombing which killed 2, incl. Yala deputy governor MCOT