Thailand Live Tuesday 20 Aug 2013

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RT@tulsathit: RT @lekasina: turmoil in Parliament pic.twitter.com/56rNpJv4fG

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Democrats oppose Senate Speaker as chair of House-Senate joint meeting

BANGKOK: -- The Democrats and some senators opposed the chairmanship by Senate Speaker Nikom Wairatpanij as the House-Senate joint meeting for the second reading of the Constitution amendment bill got underway this morning.

They argued for more than a hour that this constituted a conflict of interest.

They said that as the meeting will today discuss the election, qualifications and authority of senators, House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont should take the chairmanship position rather than Nikom.

Some also attacked Nikom and the whips for unfair allocation of debate time.

Pheu Thai MPs and some senators rebutted the opposition. Nikom insisted that he would continue to chair the meeting and vowed to do the job fairly.

-- The Nation 2013-08-20

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Copper thief copped at Phuket checkpoint
Phuket Gazette -

Mr Eakkapan indicating the 100,000 baht of copper wire that he stole. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar

PHUKET: Police arrested a man carrying 100,000 baht worth of stolen copper wire concealed in fertilizer sacks at a routine checkpoint in Thalang yesterday .

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662075-copper-thief-copped-at-phuket-checkpoint/

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Baht weakens on poor outlook

BANGKOK: -- Thai baht on Tuesday opened 0.54 per cent weaker from the previous closing, to 31.53 per US dollar.

According to Bank of Thailand’s data, at 8.26am, the dollar/baht level was 0.67 per cent weaker from the end-July level.

Baht also weakened against the euro and Japanese yen; down by 0.59 pe rcent from the previous closing to 32.27 per 100 yen and down by 0.52 per cent to 42 against euro.

Treasurers attributed the weakening to poorer-than-expected economic figures in the first half.

-- The Nation 2013-08-20

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Public Health Min launches “Good Health Starts Here” campaign

BANGKOK, 20 August 2013 (NNT) – The Public Health Ministry has launched a campaign called “Good Health Starts Here” with an aim to raise public awareness regarding health and diseases.

Speaking after presiding over the opening ceremony of the campaign, Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong said the “Good Health Starts Here” campaign helps inform people of health problems and encourage them to keep themselves healthy. He further revealed that about 400,000 people in Thailand die each year. 30 percent of the number or around 120,000 deaths were caused by non chronic diseases and accidents.

As a result, he said the ministry has come up with a project to educate people regarding the issue and to keep them in good health. He added that not just doing the exercise will keep them healthy, but food that people consume as well can determine their health conditions.

Lastly, he said, the ministry has set a target that in the next 10 years, all Thais will have good health with an average life expectancy of 80 years.

-- NNT 2013-08-20

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Dozens of Rohingya escape detention in Thailand: police

BANGKOK, August 20, 2013 (AFP) - Dozens of Muslim Rohingya boat people from Myanmar escaped Tuesday from a Thai immigration centre, police said, as a rights group called for all of them to be freed from detention.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662081-dozens-of-rohingya-escape-detention-in-thailand-police/

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Monk arrested for stripping stolen vans at temple
By Coconuts Bangkok

SI RACHA: -- Three men and a monk were caught stripping parts from a stolen van at a temple on Monday afternoon

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662085-si-racha-thai-monk-arrested-for-stripping-stolen-vans-at-temple/

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Hotel-Style Renovation For Chonburi Police Station
by Khaosod Online



PATTAYA: -- Saensuk Police Station in Pattaya, Chonburi Province, had gained much of the attention, after it had been renovated with vintage style furniture, a spacious lobby, and good looking and polite receptionists.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662088-hotel-style-renovation-for-saensuk-police-station-in-pattaya/

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Egyptian protests to slightly affect Thailand's tourism industry



BANGKOK, 20 August 2013 (NNT) – The Tourism and Sports Minister says the current protests in Egypt may have a slight impact on the tourism industry of Thailand but not the whole picture as Thailand sees at least 84,000 tourists each day.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662090-egyptian-protests-to-slightly-affect-thailands-tourism-industry/

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Phuket airport 'tax' on Chinese is no more
Naraporn Tuarob

PHUKET: After a deluge of complaints, Immigration officers at Phuket International Airport have stopped levying their informal “tax” on Chinese arrivals, which at one time was as much as B200 per person, cash only, in baht or yuan.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662094-phuket-airport-tax-on-chinese-is-no-more/

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POLITICS
Democrats want answers on new clocks
The Nation

Photo : Prasert Srisueb

BANGKOK: -- Democrat partylist MP Watchara Pechthong on Tuesday demanded that Parliament secretary general Suwichag Nakwatcharachai provide documents on the procurement of 200 luxurious clocks worth Bt15 million.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662103-democrats-want-answers-on-procurement-of-luxurious-clocks-worth-bt15m/

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SET index closed at 1,370.86, down 27.62; Bt/USD31.49; GBP49.17; AUD28.32; EUR41.90; CAD30.28; HKD4.05; SGD24.53; JPY32.3

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Easy Pass system under maintenance
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Chavalit Wattanakul, the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat)'s deputy governor for construction and maintenance, on Tuesday said that the Easy Pass system needs fixing, which could take 3-6 months.

He said the processing system is slow, as the number of vehicles using the automatic cards increases by 20,000 per month.

The number has been rising as the deposit of Bt900 was waived.

"We have received complaints, covering slow refilling service as well as incorrect indication of the remaining amount stored in the cards. We can assure all here all that despite the incorrect indication, the value of money in the cards is correct. The processing system is just slowing down," he said.

The system can accommodate 500,000 trips a day, but now it has to accommodate nearly 700,000 trips.

Chavalit said that after the fixing, the capacity will be raised to a million.

The expressway system now accommodates a total of 1.8 million trips a day.


-- The Nation 2013-08-20

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UPDATE:

TAJIKISTAN
PM promotes Thailand's water management efforts
Piyanart Srivalo
The Nation

Tajikistan - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has called for all stakeholders to team up together to resolve the world's water problems.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/661997-thailand-tajikistan-agree-to-boost-trade-investment/#entry6736581

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Thai private sector demands gov’t economic stimulus
By English News



BANGKOK, Aug 20 – Thailand's private sector today called on the government to urgently stimulate the national economy and speed up its budget spending in light of the declining gross domestic product (GDP).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662134-thai-private-sector-demands-govt-economic-stimulus/

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RT @tulsathit: Debate has resumed. With Democrats keeping firm focus on House speaker Somsak's role in brief police presence in Parliament.

RT @tulsathit: Democrats are seeking to show TV clip that they claim police presence was pre-planned.

RT @tulsathit: Somsak, somewhat inexplicably, is not allowing showing of the clip.

RT @tulsathit: Somsak has allowed showing of the clip now.

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RT @tulsathit: The clip's been shown. Dems say it showed mobilization was after 2 pm, long before turmoil in the assembly hall.

RT @tulsathit: Pheu Thai now showing clip of assembly hall turmoil, "justifying" Somsak's call for parliamentary police to maintain order.

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Airport Rail Link needs more trains to accommodate rising passengers volume, Transport Minister sais /The Nation

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Thai court jails ex-cop for murder of Canadian tourist

BANGKOK, August 20, 2013 (AFP) - A Thai court on Tuesday sentenced a former policeman to nearly four decades in jail for shooting dead a Canadian tourist during a scuffle in a sleepy northern resort town.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662135-thai-court-jails-ex-cop-for-murder-of-canadian-tourist-leo-del-pinto/

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Thai opposition MPs in parliament brawl with police

BANGKOK, August 20, 2013 (AFP) - Thailand's parliament briefly descended into chaos Tuesday as opposition lawmakers brawled with police during a debate on controversial proposals to amend the constitution.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662145-thai-opposition-mps-in-parliament-brawl-with-police/

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to continue:

Thailand Live Wednesday 21 Aug 2013

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/662225-thailand-live-wednesday-21-aug-2013/