3 Things that will make your relationship successful in Thailand

[Lite Beer]

Reds rally against Democrats in Yasothon
The Nation on Sunday

YASOTHON: -- Pro-government red shirts gathered to protest against a rally held by the opposition Democrat Party in Yasothon province yesterday. Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva led the rally. Red shirts from nearby provinces met at the local office of Pheu Thai MP Piyawat Pansaichua in Yasothon.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637301-reds-rally-against-democrats-in-yasothon/

[Lite Beer]

FUGITIVE FORMER PM
Thaksin meets Iraqi PM amid row on status
The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Discusses business as senators file case accusing him of violating charter

Fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra has posted a note on his Facebook page describing his recent trip to Iraq, touting his success in promoting Thai-Iraqi relations and urging Thai ministers to quickly respond by strengthening business ties.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637303-thaksin-meets-iraqi-p-m-amid-row-on-status/

[Lite Beer]

My speech in Mongolia summed up lessons learnt, Yingluck says
The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday defended a speech she made on Thai democracy and the 2006 coup during her recent trip to Mongolia, saying she had simply offered lessons learned from the country's recent past.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637304-my-speech-in-mongolia-summed-up-lessons-learnt-yingluck-says/

[Lite Beer]

Outcome won't affect talks: negotiator
The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Whatever the outcome of today's general election in Malaysia, Thailand's ongoing peace talks with southern separatists are unlikely to be affected, said an academic who is part of the Thai team of negotiators.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637305-malaysian-election-outcome-wont-affect-talks-negotiator/#entry6370131

[Lite Beer]

Very few cases in South end in rulings
Thoranit Pirunla-ong,
Pares Lohasan,
Narong Nuansakul
The Nation on Sunday


Attorney-General Julasing Wasansing

BANGKOK: -- Of 907 national-security cases prosecuted in the nine years since the violence in the deep South flared up, only 31 have received a final ruling in the Supreme Court, according to a study released by the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637306-very-few-cases-in-south-end-in-rulings/

[Lite Beer]

Surapong off to Washington to meet Kerry
The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul will officially visit the United States next week to introduce himself to his counterpart, Secretary of State John Kerry. Matters to be discussed during the visit include a framework for bilateral cooperation on issues ranging from terrorism to transnational crime and human trafficking.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637309-surapong-off-to-washington-to-meet-kerry/

[Lite Beer]

Hailstorm 'worst in eight years'
The Nation on Sunday

Following downpours in Chiang Mai, hailstones hit Doi Inthanon on Friday, in what was seen as the worst hailstorm in eight years.

Doi Inthanon National Park deputy chief Jiradet Meemak said the hailstorm also caused a blackout from Friday until yesterday morning. So far no injuries or property damage had been reported, he said.

Meanwhile, Chiang Mai Lychee Farmer Co-op president Adulchai Inthakhao said the rainstorm over the last few days had caused damage amounting to about 30 per cent of total lychee production in Fang, Chai Prakan and Mae Ai districts. He said the change in climate - from extreme heat in April to rainstorms in early May - would lead to a smaller lychee harvest this year.

-- The Nation 2013-05-05

[Lite Beer]

Drug suspects killed in shootout
The Nation on Sunday

CHIANG RAI:-- Five drug suspects were killed yesterday in a gunfight between a smugglers' caravan and the Pha Mueang Task Force in Chiang Rai's Mae Fa Luang district.

Following the 2.30am gunfight on Ban Alae forestland in Tambon Mae Salong Nok, the officers waited until morning to clear the area. They found the bodies of five suspects killed in the shootout and seized at least four guns, along with 7,000 yaba pills and Bt1 million in cash. The six-strong caravan was smuggling the pills from Myanmar to Thailand, said officers.

Meanwhile, in Nakhon Phanom's Ban Paeng district at 9.30am yesterday, police arrested three Thai men in a Toyota pickup truck that was carrying 31,425 yaba pills.

-- The Nation 2013-05-05

[Lite Beer]

Crackdown on vendors continues
The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Following the re-organisation of Bangkok's Khlong Lot Market area, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is now setting its sights on reorganising the famous Pak Khlong Talad area, so that vendors will only be able to sell goods at night, said deputy governor Police General Assawin Kwanmuang, yesterday.

He said he would dispatch officials to discreetly inspect other areas such as Saphan Lek, Khlong Tom and Sanam Seupa, to glean some ideas on how to put the plan into action.

Assawin said he had informed the "Thesakij" Law Enforcement Office to notify all 50-district offices that selling goods on the pavement every Monday would now be prohibited - even in areas where the law had been relaxed to allow vendors. He said the plan would pave the way for easier street cleaning and would show the public that there would be no vendors opening stalls on pavements during Mondays.

-- The Nation 2014-05-05

[Lite Beer]

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Falling for a fake
Pakorn Puengnetr
The Nation

Asst Prof Jessada Denduangboripart gives details about his findings in a recent Kom Chad Luek television interview.

BANGKOK: -- Asst Prof Jessada Denduangboripart, the scientist who proved that the GT200 explosives detector was a fake, looks back on the reasons why Thailand fell for the scam

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637307-falling-for-a-fake/

[Lite Beer]

-- The Nation 2013-05-05

[Lite Beer]

Panel proposed for PM's libel case
The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Police are considering setting up a committee to work on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's libel case against cartoonist Chai Rachawat.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637037-yingluck-sues-thai-rath-cartoonist-for-defamation/?p=6370199#entry6370199

[Lite Beer]

RT@191Thailand: Car fire this morning at the Laksi intersection - RT @maNnUuTt: รถเก๋งไฟไหม้ บริเวณแยกหลักสี่ ตอนนี้เพลิงสงบ pic.twitter.com/zKq0jnsx03”

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: 5 May: Weather for Bangkok - Hot with max temp of 35-38°C. Scattered thundershowers with isolated gust mostly in upper & eastern areas.

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: Hottest place in #Thailand yesterday was Kanchanaburi at 39C. Hottest in #Bangkok was 37.3C. Highest rainfall was in Nakhon Sawan at 75.9mm

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: According to press release from the Royal Household Bureau this morning, doctors are asking the King to cancel all activities & rest instead

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: As Coronation Day is on a Sunday this year, Monday will be a “substitution day” & a public holiday. Banks, post office & Immigration closed.

[Lite Beer]

Doctors advise His Majesty to cancel all activities

Doctors who have been treating His Majesty the King at the Siriraj Hospital have advised His Majesty to cancel all activities for the time being, the Royal Household Bureau announced Sunday.

The bureau announced that the doctors had performed an x-ray examination on His Majesty's chest and found that the lung infection has subsided. His Majesty could sleep well but His Majesty did not have much foods.

The bureau said the King was still fatigued and the doctors were still giving His Majesty intravenous antibiotic medicine to complete the dose.

As a result, the doctors advised the King to take a break from activities for awhile.

-- The Nation 2013-05-05

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Opinion: Don’t ignore the signs of suicide
Phuket Gazette - Sunday, May 5, 2013 8:40:00 AM

We should all be aware of the signs of suicide and be prepared to lend a helping hand. Image: Gazette Graphics

PHUKET: Mankind, the first of nature’s creations has so “fully evolved” that some of our number willingly end their own lives.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637316-phuket-opinion-dont-ignore-the-signs-of-suicide/

[Lite Beer]

Phuket bike burner confession treated as ambiguous, police continue search
Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: A man who rambled while confessing to police that he had burned several motorbikes in Phuket has been arrested while police continue their investigation and look for accomplices.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/636285-phukets-serial-bike-burner-enjoyed-it/#entry6370419

[Lite Beer]

Thailand Removed from FATF Public Statement on Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism

The Ministry of Justice of Thailand has received a letter from the President of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), informing that Thailand has been removed from its public statement categorizing the country as a jurisdiction with insufficient progress in addressing the deficiencies of its Anti Money Laundering/Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Strategy.

The FATF public statement aims to caution its Member States to increase their scrutiny in engaging in financial transactions originating from or flowing to country listed therein.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the removal of Thailand from the FATF public statement resulted from the country’s significant progress in complying with FATF’s recommendations, specifically by enacting the Anti-Money Laundering Act (No. 4) B.E. 2556 (2013) and the Counter Terrorism Financing Act B.E. 2556 (2013), both of which recently came into force on 2 February 2013.

FATF experts will once again visit Thailand in May 2013 to confirm whether the country has strictly and concretely addressed its deficiencies and complied with FATF’s recommendations.

If the experts find that Thailand has not made satisfactory progress on the matter, they may recommend that the country be relisted on the FATF public statement. Thailand is therefore highly committed to continuously tackling other existing deficiencies.

Justice Minister Police General Pracha Promnog is scheduled to meet the FATF President in June 2013.

FATF is tasked with combating money laundering and terrorism financing worldwide. It has developed a series of recommendations that are recognized as the international standard for combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

This task force also monitors the progress of its members in implementing necessary measures, reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and counter-measures, and promotes the adoption and implementation of appropriate measures globally.

Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations Department, Office of the Prime Minister

[Lite Beer]

Immigration chief highlights Rohingya plight in Thailand
Phuket Gazette -

Immigration Bureau chief Pharnu Kerdlarpphon expressed concern over the number of Rohingya refugees in Thailand. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: Immigration Bureau Commissioner Pharnu Kerdlarpphon, in Phuket for a closed-door meeting of high-ranking officials, has expressed his concern for the growing number of Rohingya refugees being detained in Thailand.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637326-immigration-chief-highlights-rohingya-plight-in-thailand/

[Lite Beer]

RT@ChadapornLin: Rain throughout Bkk this morning; let's hope it cools down the city

RT@ChadapornLin: 15-20 cm flooding reported in Chinatown at Chalermburi intersection for 200 m

RT@ChadapornLin: Coronation Day event televised via TPBS

[Lite Beer]

Five dealers held, 9,500 pills seized in Phuket bust

Naraporn Tuarob

PHUKET: Police climbed up a drug dealing ladder over the past week to arrest four drug dealers and seize 9,458 methamphetamine (ya ba) tablets.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637352-five-dealers-held-9500-pills-seized-in-phuket-bust/

[Lite Beer]

Governor proposes solution for Rassada water pollution
Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: After inspecting the site in Rassada where highly polluted wastewater is pumped directly into the Bang Yai Canal in Phuket Town , Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut has drawn up a plan to solve the problem.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637354-governor-proposes-solution-for-rassada-water-pollution/

[Lite Beer]

RT@ChadapornLin: HRH the Crown Prince to preside over Coronation Day event in HM the King's stead due to HM the King's illness

[Lite Beer]

Academics fear Thais lose jobs to foreign workers after AEC

BANGKOK, 5 may 2013 (NNT) - The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) warns that Thai workforce in the service sector might face fiercer competition in the job market after the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. The institute suggests the government set a clear limit of foreign workers allowed to work in Thailand.

Director for research on labor development of the TDRI Yongyuth Chalaemwong said Thai workers in 32 types of hospitality business, such as tourism, hotels and restaurants, might be affected by the AEC as there was an agreement that allowed hiring of foreign workers who did not have high standards. Such agreement might cause an influx of foreign workers into Thailand and decrease employment opportunities for Thai people, the director said.

To help decrease unemployment in the country, Mr Yongyuth said the service sector should hire more workers who held a bachelor’s degree since joblessness among this group of people was increasing. He also suggested the government implement clear strategies on labor issues especially the strategies on foreign worker management. The quantity and quality of foreign workers must meet Thailand’s labor standards so that they would not take jobs from the locals, the director said.

-- NNT 2013-05-05

[Lite Beer]

SBPAC to hear locals’ opinions on BRN demands

BANGKOK, 5 May 2013 (NNT) – Civil society will be allowed to engage in discussion and express opinions regarding the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN)’s five demands.

Following the recent emergency meeting on a terror attack in Pattani on Wednesday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has assigned the Committee to Mobilize Policy and Strategy to Solve Problems in Southern Border Provinces to seek views from the locals on the BRN’s demands.

In response, National Security Council secretary-general Lt Gen Paradorn Pattanathabutr disclosed that the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) has started to gather civil society opinions whether or not they truly wish such demands to be met.

The national security chief expressed his belief that clarity of the issue will be seen before the third round of peace talks between the government and the BRN takes place.

-- NNT 2013-05-05

[Lite Beer]

French expat, 26, found hanged in Phuket
Phuket Gazette -

Police believe the Frenchman died about seven days before his body was found. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: The body of a 26-year-old French expat was found hanging in a rented Rawai house on Tuesday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637367-french-expat-26-found-hanged-in-phuket/

[george]

THAIVISA ON MOBILE DEVICES

Thaivisa.com releases updated version of Thaivisa Connect Forum App for Android

Download it here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quoord.tapatalkthaivisa.activity

iOS and Kindle versions: http://apps.thaivisa.com