Thailand Live Thursday 25 Apr 2013

[Lite Beer]

Campaign to reduce plastic bag use launched.
By Digital Media

BANGKOK, April 25 - Thailand's Department of Environmental Quality Promotion (DEQP) is campaigning to convince the public to use fewer plastic bags when shopping at convenience stores, targeting all Thais to use at least one less plastic bag every day.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635137-public-encouraged-to-reduce-plastic-bag-usage-by-1-bag-per-person-per-day/#entry6337008

[Lite Beer]

Army chief warns wrongdoers in Thailand's South.
By English News

PATTANI, April 25 - The arrest of a Muslim kindergarten teacher in this southern province was due to her suspected involvement in the Jan 24 bombing of a ranger outpost here, the Thai army chief said today.

He said the female teacher was questioned after the authorities found that her mobile phone number has been used to detonate the bomb.

Fatimoh Sohman, 23, a tadika or kindergarten teacher, has been detained in connection with the blast, compelling a group of Muslim students to press for the army's assurance on justice for her.

Gen Prayuth said the teacher was interrogated for allegedly supporting the insurgency movement in the South.

"Avoid violating the law if you don't want to be questioned. It's not right to get involved in wrongdoing and put pressure (on the authorities) for release, "he said sternly.

The army chief made a trip to the southern province today to boost the morale of government officials and meet with community leaders.

His visit is just three days before the 9th anniversary of the Krue Se incident in which 32 suspected Muslim insurgents who took refuge in the mosque were killed after a seven-hour siege by Thai government soldiers. The incident took place on April 28, 2004.

A growing sense of anxiety has arisen and the authorities have been instructed to be on full alert.

The army chief said he is always concerned by the southern unrest, and not only during the Krue Se anniversary nervousness. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2013-04-25

[Lite Beer]

B1bn Patong Tunnel payout ‘not enough’, say residents
Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: Residents of the Baan Mon community yesterday continued their opposition to the proposed 6-billion-baht Patong Tunnel project, urging officials to choose a route that would not go right through their neighborhood.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635168-b1bn-patong-tunnel-payout-not-enough-say-residents/

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Police nab serial snatch thief after hot pursuit
Phuket Gazette -

Boonserm Chaluaysri (seated), 22, reportedly committed 20 bag snatches within the past two weeks. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar

PHUKET: Thalang and Phuket City Police have arrested a bag snatcher who reportedly committed 20 snatch thefts within two weeks, and three yesterday in the hours before his arrest.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635172-phuket-police-nab-serial-snatch-thief-after-hot-pursuit/

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Thong Lor police officer wanted for cruel sexual assault of Laotian worker



BANGKOK: -- At 1pm yesterday, a Thong Lor police officer suspected of a brutal rape fled the Thong Lor station right before Samut Prakan investigators raided his workplace to execute an arrest warrant against him.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635205-bangkok-police-officer-wanted-for-cruel-sexual-assault-of-foreign-worker/

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Army chief urges the public to stop criticizing GT200 fraud

BANGKOK, 25 April 2013 (NNT) – Thailand's army chief general Prayuth Chan-ocha has asked the public to stop making comments or criticisms about the controversial bomb detector GT200 procurement.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635208-thai-army-chief-urges-the-public-to-stop-criticizing-gt200-fraud/

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Manchester United Legends coming to Pattaya for Charity Event

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635204-manchester-united-legends-coming-to-pattaya-for-charity-event/

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Kittiratt deplores lack of power to take monetary action
By Digital Media



BANGKOK, April 25 – Deputy Prime Minister/Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong insisted today that the policy interest rate must be reduced to tackle the swift surge of Thai baht, but said that his ministry lacks the power to take action.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635213-finance-minister-kittiratt-deplores-lack-of-power-to-take-monetary-action/

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TAT to open up new third language schools

BANGKOK, 25 April 2013 (NNT) -The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is set to open new language schools in major provinces across the country in a bid to shore up the nation’s lack of skilled tour guides.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635216-t-a-t-to-open-language-schools-in-a-bid-to-shore-up-thailands-lack-of-skilled-tour-guides/

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UN's deputy chief in Thailand
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations will arrive in Thailand on Sunday April 28 April to participate in the 69th Commission Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

As part of his visit to Thailand, Eliasson will participate in two field visits. The first will be to the Klong Bang Bua urban resettlement project in Bangkok where he will be briefed on the urban resettlement programme, implemented by the Community Organizations Development Institute (CODI), which assists poor communities to develop their upgrading plans in close collaboration with their local governments, professionals, universities and NGOs.

The second site visit will be to the Historic City of Ayutthaya World Heritage Site. Eliasson will be briefed on Historic City of Ayutthaya World Heritage Site, the 2011 flood in Thailand and the Project "Development of a Flood Risk Mitigation Plan for Ayutthaya World Heritage Site".

-- The Nation 2013-04-25

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Motorbiking Thieves Preyed On Pattaya Tourists

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635220-motorbiking-thieves-preyed-on-pattaya-tourists/

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UPDATE
Police officer accused of sexual assault still at large
Parinya Iamtan
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Metropolitan Police chief Khamronwit Thoopkrajang transferred on Thursday a police officer accused of raping a Laotian woman to an inactive post pending a probe, which could result in his dismissal from the civil service.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635205-bangkok-police-officer-wanted-for-cruel-sexual-assault-of-foreign-worker/#entry6337509

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BANGKOK METROPOLITAN ADMINISTRATION

BMA defends purchase of trash bins
Tanatpong Kongsai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Thursday insisted the 35,000 rubbish bins it has purchased for Bt70 million were "good value for money" because each Bangkok resident disposed of approximately 1.2 kilograms of refuse per day.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635224-bangkok-administration-defends-purchase-of-trash-bins/

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Commerce Minister admits strong baht affects Thai exports by Bt500 billion; export growth this year may sink below 5% /MCOT

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BTS extension line fare to drop by 5 baht

BANGKOK, 25 April 2013 (NNT) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced plans to reduce the BTS Skytrain’s fare on the extension lines to 10 baht.

Deputy Bangkok governor Amorn Kijchawengkul said the flat 15-baht rate on the extension lines running from On Nut to Bearing and Taksin to Phetchakasem will be revised down in a bid to attract more passengers.

The Traffic and Transportation department is in the process of fine-tuning the skytrain’s ticketing software. The fare adjustment is expected to be fully implemented in time for the school opening on May 17.

Mr Amorn said the number of daily passengers on Sukhumvit Line is estimated at 120,000. With the reduced fare, the skytrain is set to see the number surge by 10,000 per day.

He added that the construction of much-awaited rail services to Bang Wa station will complete by the end of this year.


-- NNT 2013-04-25

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SET index closed at 1574.25, up 20.40; Bt/USD28.99; GBP44.58; AUD29.78; EUR37.72; CAD28.19; HKD3.73; SGD23.27; JPY29.08

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Protected wild animals seized at Chon Buri snake farm
By English News



CHON BURI, April 25 - Local authorities seized an undisclosed number of protected wild snakes today at a snake farm in Sattahip district after local residents reported to authorities that tourists from abroad came to consume the reptiles and their byproducts.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635230-protected-wild-animals-seized-at-chon-buri-snake-farm/

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Thai censors drop ban on border row film

BANGKOK, April 25, 2013 (AFP) - Thai censors will allow a documentary about a border row with Cambodia to be screened, a culture ministry official said Thursday, in a U-turn after banning the film as a threat to national security.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635240-thai-censors-drop-ban-on-border-row-film/

[Lite Beer]

Drunk Beach Ruffian ‘Jack Soi 6’ Stabbed In Fight
A 35-year-old man nicknamed “Jack Soi 6” was stabbed during a drunken brawl on Beach Road near Soi 6. He was drinking with friends and boasted that no one dared to fight him. So an irritated group of nearby drinkers beat and stabbed him.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635251-drunk-beach-ruffian-jack-soi-6-stabbed-in-fight/

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to continue:

Thailand Live Friday 26 Apr 2013

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635354-thailand-live-friday-26-apr-2013/