Thailand Live Thursday 6 Jun 2013

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Thailand set to register monkeys nationwide

CHIANG MAI, 6 June 2013 (NNT) - The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is planning to register monkeys nationwide in a bid to provide them with better care and to manage their growing population in the country.

The monkey registration proposal was introduced during the 8th meeting of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) in Chiang Mai. The proposal seeks to issue identification cards to over 50 groups of monkeys in the country.

The department elaborated that, according to recent surveys, over 500 monkeys occupying tourist places in a number of provinces have exhibited aggressive behaviors and often caused trouble for the locals and visitors alike.

During the registration process, each primate will be given a health check and their appearances will be recorded in the system.

The project is set to be piloted in the Khao Chakan area in Saraburi province, which is one of the places considered home to large monkey colonies.


-- NNT 2013-06-06

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Pichit Woman Shot Dead By 'Jealous', Drunken Husband

PICHIT: -- Pichit police received reports of a shooting and rushed to the scene to find Ms.Boosarin Indarapun, 39, shot dead by a shotgun in the back, lying lifeless on the floor of her residence.

The suspect did not flee, but gave himself in to the police, along with the murder weapon. Investigations revealed him to be Mr.Somsak Kraiwun, 50, the husband of the victim. He has been detained at Tublor police station and will be lawfully prosecuted for premeditated murder.

Initial investigations revealed Mr.Somsak to have several wives. According to the police, Ms.Boosarin was one of his newer more attractive wives and he used to get drunk and cause a scene at the house out of jealousy very often. Police say some neighbors even avoided walking past his house when he was drunk because he would accuse them of sleeping with his wife.

"Before the incident, Mr.Somsak was very drunk and a fight broke out between him and Ms.Boosarin where she forbade him to drink alchohol. Furious at his wife, he physically abused her and she fought back with a knife. Mr.Somsak then took a shotgun that was in the house and shot Ms.Boosarin to death," a senior police officer at the station said.

Source: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM01EUXlOamMyTUE9PQ

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-2013-06-06

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Major tax invoice forgery scam busted
By Digital Media



BANGKOK, June 6 – Thai police have made an arrest in a major falsified tax invoice scam and seized evidence of fake tax invoices of goods valued almost Bt3 billion.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644583-thai-police-smash-major-tax-invoice-forgery-scam/

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Emergency decree in Thailand’s South extended for 90 days
By Digital Media

BANGKOK, June 6 – Promulgation of the emergency decree in Thailand’s Muslim-predominant southernmost provinces, due to expire on June 19, will be extended for 90 days, the National Security Council (NSC) chief said.

Lt Gen Paradorn Patanatabut said the emergency decree will, however, be replaced by the more lenient Internal Security Act, in five southern districts including Mai Kaen district of Pattani, Sukhirin and Waeng districts of Narathiwat, Kabang and Betong districts of Yala.

The revised measures will be given to the cabinet next week for approval.

Lt Gen Paradorn stood firm that peace talks between the Thai government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasinal (BRN) militant movement will be held as scheduled on June 13 in an unrelenting effort to solve violence in Thailand’s deep South.

He quoted deputy prime minister Chalerm Yubamrung as saying that the government may have to find a new path to resolution of the southern problem if the June 13 peace dialogues showed no progress. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-06-06

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Country lost Bt20 bn revenue from tax evading luxury cars
PIYANUT TUMNUKASETCHAI
PRASIT TANGPRASERT
TINNAKORN CHAOCHEUN
THE NATION


Tharit

BANGKOK: -- Tax-evading luxury cars probably cost the country more than Bt20 billion in lost revenue, according to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644586-thai-govt-lost-bt20-bn-revenue-from-tax-evading-luxury-cars/

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Warning on rice policy a wake-up call for govt

The Nation

TDRI says losses from rice-pledging scheme may exceed estimates

BANGKOK: -- A warning by credit-rating agency Moody's about the government's controversial rice-pledging scheme is "worth listening to", and the loss from the scheme this year is expected to exceed estimates, a senior Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) official said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644587-warning-on-rice-policy-a-wake-up-call-for-thai-govt/

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ANALYSIS
Is Plodprasop a liability for govt?
Attayuth Bootsripoom
The Nation



Even govt backers are uneasy over his aggressive handling of critics

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi has become the government's weakest link, thanks to his outspokenness and stubbornness.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644588-is-plodprasop-a-liability-for-thai-govt/

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EDITORIAL
A cancer that erodes morality and wellbeing
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Corruption infects Thailand at every level, causing harm to the individual citizen, the national economy and our business environment; our very future could lie in the balance.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644589-corruption-a-cancer-that-erodes-morality-and-wellbeing-thai-editorial/

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PM's defamation case against 3 Democrats to go ahead
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Police have decided to press charges against three Democrats for allegedly defaming Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra over their comments related to her private meeting with businessmen at the Four Seasons Hotel in February last year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644590-yinglucks-defamation-case-against-3-democrats-to-go-ahead-meeting-at-hotel/

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BURNING ISSUE
Thawil case snares govt in its own intrigues
Attayuth Bootsripoom

BANGKOK: -- The government has been caught in a dilemma with the Central Administrative Court's order to reinstate Thawil Pliensri as secretary-general of the National Security Council.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644591-thawil-case-snares-thai-govt-in-its-own-intrigues/

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Injured man dies after cop tells ambulance to move
THE NATION


A screen grab from a video clip that went viral on Facebook shows a traffic policeman apparently ordering medics to clear away as they try to revive an accident victim.

BANGKOK: -- A man seriously injured in a motorcycle accident yesterday died shortly after medics attending to him were ordered by a police officer to move their ambulance to ease a traffic jam, according to a Facebook complaint that linked to a widely viewed video.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644592-injured-man-dies-after-bangkok-cop-tells-ambulance-to-move/

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Hungary, Thailand agree to cooperate on water management
Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Nation
Budapest

BUDAPEST: -- Thailand and Hungary have agreed to cooperate in water management of the Danube and Mekong rivers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644593-hungary-thailand-agree-to-cooperate-on-water-management/

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Mine closed after rockslide
The Nation



PHETCHABURI: -- Department of Primary Industries and Mines chief Saneh Niyomthai yesterday ordered the indefinite closure of the mine in Phetchaburi's Khao Yoi district where a rockslide killed three male workers on Monday.

After the rockslide, locals have also called on authorities to close the mine, on grounds that it caused environmental problems, including damage to their homes from limestone blast debris.

Khao Yoi district chief Wisa Pulsirirat said Saneh visited the scene yesterday and ordered the mine to be indefinitely closed. He said Saneh had also allowed representatives from the Council of Engineers and the Engineering Institute of Thailand to join a fact-finding committee to determine the incident's cause. Wisa said Saneh had also ordered a probe into whether the engineer on duty at the mine when the rockslide occurred had been reckless, leading to others' deaths.


-- The Nation 2013-06-06

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Teachers Commission prepares tablet bid
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The business organisation of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel wants approval from the commission for its plan to enter a bid for this academic year's Prathom 1 and Mathayom 1 tablet-computer project and to invite a Chinese company to fund this bid.

Permanent secretary for education Panita Kambhu Na Ayutthaya said the business organisation board met yesterday and approved in principle the plan proposed by organisation director Sommart Meesilpa, who also submitted the names of three Chinese companies as candidate for the organisation's bid partners. The organisation will now talk with the three companies before deciding which would be its partner, then request the board's approval at its next meeting.

Yesterday's board meeting also aired the organisation's plan to penetrate the nine other Asean countries by opening more printing houses and Suksapanpanit bookstores in the region.


-- The Nation 2013-06-06

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Road map for a low-carbon Thailand
Patcharee Luenguthai
The Nation


Bundit Limmeechokchai, associate professor at Thammasat University

Joint Thai-Japanese study points the way forward for sustainable energy and the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions

BANGKOK: -- Following global policies and actions to avoid catastrophic climate change through greater practical methodologies, a joint "Road Map for a Low-carbon Thailand towards 2050" initiative is aimed at contributing to widespread climate-policy planning in the Kingdom.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644594-road-map-for-a-low-carbon-thailand/

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Tax break for donation to restoration efforts
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Thais can now get tax deductions if they make a donation to support the Fine Arts Department's restoration of ancient sites, according to a Cabinet resolution on Tuesday.

Government Spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi said that to help support the restoration of historic sites, antiques and art objects, the Cabinet had approved two related ministerial regulation drafts.

The special tax reduction could be up to two times the amount of the donation but, when combined with the deduction from a taxpayer's donation to schools' educational and sport activities, should not exceed 10 per cent of the person's assessable income after splitting expenses and tax deductions.


-- The Nation 2013-06-06

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Thailand Tourism Festival 2013 kicks off at Impact

BANGKOK, 6 June 2013 (NNT) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand is hosting the Thailand Tourism Festival 2013 : TIF 2013 at Impact Mueang Thong Thani until Sunday to promote domestic tourism.

Deputy Prime Minister Yukol Limlaemthong, who presided over the launch of the festival, asserted that tourism is considered by the government as a major driving force for the country's economy. He said this was the reason for the government's support of the festival, held this year under the theme "Falling in love with Thailand - center for AEC tourism market". Mr. Yukol added that the TIF 2013 will help with Thailand's integration into the ASEAN Economic Community, and with meeting the 2 trillion baht of revenue target for year 2015 set by the government.

The TIF 2013 is open daily from 10 am until 9 pm, until Sunday. The event features a multitude of domestic tourism activities and packages that visitors can enjoy, as well as presentations of the distinct cultures from different regions of Thailand.


-- NNT 2013-06-06

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Florida woman, 84, scoops $590m lottery win /BBC

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PM orders report on extent of rice pledging losses by Friday

BANGKOK, 6 June 2013 (NNT) – Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ordered the Ministry of Commerce to report the extent of losses incurred from the rice pledging scheme by Friday, after Moody's ratings agency asserted Thailand is suffering a 200 billion baht per year loss from the pledging program.

Ms. Yingluck yesterday (June 5) called a meeting of all agencies involved with the rice pledging program, after an outcry by the Opposition over the alleged 200 billion baht loss and Moody's indication that it will downgrade Thailand due to accumulated losses from the pledging program.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan said the prime minister was very concerned with the issue and has told responsible agencies to report all figures related to losses from rice pledging within 1-2 days. Mr. Niwatthamrong asserted the project has not been experiencing the alleged loss of 260 billion baht, and the losses were only in the tens of billions of baht. He added that the budget to run the program until the end of this year, set at 500 billion baht, will not be increased.


-- NNT 2013-06-06

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Transport Co., Ltd to install on board TV

Bangkok, 6 June 2013, (NNT) -- The Transport Company Limited has announced an installment of Video On Demand on board its 165 buses, preparing for the arrival of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

The announcement, part of the company's campaign to provide entertainment on board its vehicles, was presided over by Deputy Transport Minister Prasert Jantaruangtong.

During his speech, Mr. Prasert praised the company for its paving the way for other transportation providers to follow , adding that the project is in line with the government's AEC preparation policy.

The ambitious project provides a touch screen TV on the back of each seat of the Transport Company's 165 class-1 buses, allowing passengers to have access to movies, information graphics, and news during their journey. The class-2 buses will be equipped with a common but larger screen TV.

According to the company, the project will begin its initial phrase next month; it is expected to be completed by January next year.


-- NNT 2013-06-06

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2 Indian Medical Students caught-up in Pattaya Jet Ski Scam

PATTAYA:--Late on Wednesday Night, Pattaya’s Tourist Police dealt with two Indian Medical Students who were forced by a group of 5-6 Jet Ski Operators to hand over the equivalent of 45,000 Baht in cash for minor damage the pair were alleged to have caused to Jet Ski’s they had rented earlier in the day.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644615-2-indian-medical-students-caught-up-in-pattaya-jet-ski-scam/

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,510.28, down 12.38 points /MCOT

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2010 political protest fatalities case goes to Attorney General this month
By English News



BANGKOK, June 6 – Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will wrap up the case on fatal shootings in the 2010 political upheaval in Bangkok to the Attorney General this month, a senior official said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644619-bangkok-2010-political-protest-fatalities-case-goes-to-attorney-general-this-month/

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Thailand’s peak power consumption lower than predicted
By English News

BANGKOK, June 6 – Thailand’s power consumption at its peak on May 16 was only 1.8 per cent higher than last year, much lower than the original forecast of 4-5 per cent, according to a senior official of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT).

Chanyong Wangchanpong, director of EGAT’s System Control Department, said the highest electric power use was 26,598 megawatts (MW), an increase at only 1.8 per cent, mainly due to the economic situation and early rains.

Next year’s peak consumption is predicted to expand by 4-5 per cent, he said.

He said that EGAT has planned to install additional 500-kilowatt electricity lines nationwide to prevent power failures and to prepare the country for the ASEAN Grid – a power interconnection for the Southeast Asian region.

The entire power system must be revised to boost its efficiency while construction of a power plant in the South is necessary to cope with expanded power consumption there by 6-7 per cent a year, he said.

The latest demand at peak period was 2,400 MWs but the production capacity is 2,100 MWs, he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-06-06

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Feature

Tourism imperils way of life for Thai sea gypsies

by Daniel Rook and Apilaporn Vechakij

PHUKET, June 6, 2013 (AFP) - They roamed the seas off the Andaman Coast for generations, but Thailand's sea gypsies say their traditional way of life is under threat and their homes at risk from a tourism boom.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644652-tourism-imperils-way-of-life-for-thai-sea-gypsies-feature/

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Police pin down suspect in Phuket elephant smuggling ring
Phuket Gazette


One of the baby elephants under investigation. Photo: Kritsada Muenhawong

PHUKET: -- Police have identified a prime suspect in an illegal elephant smuggling ring that led to the recent DNA testing of two baby elephants in Phuket (story here).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644657-police-pin-down-suspect-in-phuket-elephant-smuggling-ring/

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SET clarifies recent Thai stock index drop in tandem with world markets, only 6.6 in total, affirms strong fundamentals /MCOT

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36-year-old man with 2 kilograms of 'crystal meth' arrested

CHIANG RAI, 6 June 2013 (NNT) – The police have made an arrest of a man travelling from Chiang Rai northern province to Bangkok with nearly 2 kilos of crystal meth or “ya ice”.

According to the police, the man was arrested not long after the bus he was taking from Mae Chan district, Chiang Rai, was intercepted for inspection. The police who were acting on an intelligence tip, then searched the tour bus and its passengers to find 4 cereal boxes packed with nearly 2 kilos of ya ice in a baggage compartment.

The drug belonged to a 36-year-old passenger who confessed that he took the drug from the Thai-Myanmar border and intended to deliver it in Bangkok.

-- NNT 2013-06-06

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Phuket crackdown on foreign guest reporting pays off
Naraporn Tuarob

PHUKET: -- A drive to get hotels and guesthouses on the island to conform with the law and report details of foreign guests staying with them is paying off, say Immigration Police.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644671-phuket-crackdown-on-foreign-guest-reporting-pays-off/

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Commerce minister: Rice pledging scheme continues, losses lower than Bt260 billion
By English News

BANGKOK, June 6 – Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom has categorically ruled out the government’s Bt260 billion loss in the rice pledging scheme and promised to give a full explanation to the public tomorrow.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/644674-commerce-minister-rice-pledging-scheme-continues-losses-lower-than-bt260-billion/