Thailand Live Thursday 29 Aug 2013

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Finance Minister admits talks underway for raising alcohol tax

BANGKOK, 29 August 2013 (NNT) – Finance Minister Kittirat Na Ranong has admitted there has been discussion among the Cabinet members on the raising of taxes on liquor, although enforcement of the new taxation rate will not be carried out any time soon.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664202-thai-finance-minister-admits-talks-underway-for-raising-alcohol-tax/

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Officials To Rein In Illegal Van After Numerous Crashes
By Khaosod Online



BANGKOK: -- In the wake of the van accident which killed 9 victims in Chachoengsao Province, the Department of Land Transport promised a more serious curb on vans that pick up passengers without proper license like the one involved in the latest fatal crash.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664205-thai-officials-to-rein-in-illegal-van-after-numerous-crashes/

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SURFING IN MID-AIR
NBTC greenlights Wi-Fi on Thai Airways flights
Usanee Mongkolporn
The Nation

Watchdog yet to decide on mobile voice service

BANGKOK: -- Soon passengers of Thai Airways International will be able to surf the Internet on board, after a working panel of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission concluded that the carrier could offer in-flight Wi-Fi.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664207-nbtc-greenlights-wi-fi-on-thai-airways-flights/

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Blair confirms visit to Bangkok
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, who is also a deputy prime minister, said yesterday that former British leader Tony Blair would definitely deliver a speech in Bangkok next Monday despite protests against him this week.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664208-tony-blair-confirms-visit-to-bangkok/

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Kratom may be taken off narcotics list
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung
The Nation



Justice minister pushes for legalisation of the herb, citing medicinal properties

BANGKOK: -- The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) is responding positively to the proposed legalisation of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), which is currently on the narcotics list.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664209-kratom-may-be-taken-off-narcotics-list-in-thailand/

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Democrats to go for major reform
Chanikarn Phumhiran
The Nation

Move aimed at dealing with current reality in the country, says Chavanond

BANGKOK: -- The opposition Democrat Party will soon embark on structural reform, party spokesperson Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664210-thai-democrats-to-go-for-major-reform/

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Outflow of funds over, says Kittiratt

Sarun Kijvasin,

Varin Trino

The Nation

Minister expects market to settle; BOT chief says foreign investors lack information

BANGKOK: -- The flow of "hot money" out of the country is almost over, which should calm the stock market, according to the finance minister, while the Bank of Thailand governor has urged authorities to conduct roadshows to improve foreign investors' understanding of emerging markets' economic fundamentals.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664211-outflow-of-funds-over-says-thai-fm-kittiratt/

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Govt stands firm on rubber price
The Nation


Crowd-control police take part in a drill yesterday in preparation for a possible operation to reclaim the railway and road sections in Nakhon Si Thammarat occupied by protesting rubber farmers.

NAKHON SI TAMMARAT: -- Despite growing pressure from rubber farmers, the government has refused to bow to their demand that the rubber price be pegged at Bt92 per kilo.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664212-thai-govt-stands-firm-on-rubber-price/

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TELL IT AS IT IS
The long-term damage done by populist policies
Pornpimol Kanchanalak


Rubber farmers block a main road and railway line in Nakhon Si Thammarat province yesterday in a bid to force the government to raise domestic prices for rubber.

Like drug addicts, sections of the Thai population are addicted to the government's freebie handouts; the long-term consequences will weaken the whole country

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664213-thai-opinion-the-long-term-damage-done-by-populist-policies/

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EDITORIAL
Food waste statistics leave a bad taste
The Nation

We should be ashamed that, globally every year, an area of land three times the size of Thailand is used to grow food that is simply thrown away

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664214-thai-editorial-food-waste-statistics-leave-a-bad-taste/

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PM announces plan to link up all surveillance cameras
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung
The Nation


Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra speaks after watching a presentation on a centralised closed-circuit television system at the Foreign Ministry yesterday.

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is moving to reduce redundant purchases of surveillance cameras nationwide by setting up a national centre that can link all airports, tourism destinations, the restive South and border provinces.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664215-pm-yingluck-announces-plan-to-link-up-all-surveillance-cameras/

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Complaint accuses 2 Democrats of tarnishing country's image
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The lawyer of the red-shirt Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship yesterday filed a petition asking the Ombudsman to launch an investigation against two Democrat MPs for allegedly assaulting and intimidating on-duty police officers at a House of Representatives session.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664216-complaint-accuses-2-democrats-of-tarnishing-thailands-image/

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Democrats to join 12 anti-govt groups to block amnesty bill
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Democrat Party will join 12 other political groups in their efforts to try and stop the government from passing the amnesty bill, MP Nipit Intarasombat said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664217-thai-democrats-to-join-12-anti-govt-groups-to-block-amnesty-bill/

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UPDATE:
Probe ordered after visa slips' theft
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul has ordered a probe into the operations of Thai embassies across the world after the recent disappearance of 300 visa slips from the mission in Kuala Lumpur. He added that any officials found involved in this irregularity would be punished.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/663955-mfa-to-quickly-solve-the-missing-visa-stamps;-500-stickers-disappear-from-thai-consulate-in-lao-pdr/page-3?p=6765939#entry6765939

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DSI to probe citizenship, bomb-detector scams
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation's Special Cases Committee yesterday resolved to take up the GT200 fake bomb-detector case as well as probe alleged corruption by officials in Chiang Mai's Mae Taeng district. In the latter case, officials are accused of illegitimately granting Thai nationality to some 850 immigrants whose Thai status had been revoked.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664218-dsi-to-probe-thai-citizenship-bomb-detector-scams/

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Video clip on South clash 'not new'
Nakarin Chinworakomon
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A video clip circulating on Facebook purporting to show a recent attack by officials against innocent civilians in fact contains old footage of an operation conducted on May 20, 2011, said Colonel Pramote Phrom-in, spokesman for Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 Front.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664220-video-clip-on-south-clash-not-new/

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Obec chief faces probe over exam cheating
Supinda na Mahachai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Chinnapat Bhumirat, secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission, is facing another negligence probe involving alleged cheating in the exam for assistant teachers across the country.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664222-obec-chief-faces-probe-over-exam-cheating/

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Phuket BMW driver caught with 10,000 Xanax pills
Eakkapop Thongtub


34-year-old Warawut Kulphan was caught with 10,000 Xanax pills.

PHUKET: -- Police manning a checkpoint just south of the Heroines Monument last night (August 27) as part of a continuing drive against a variety of crimes, stopped a BMW car and seized 10,000 Alprazolam pills – better known as the anti-anxiety drug Xanax.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664224-phuket-bmw-driver-caught-with-10000-xanax-pills/

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English Tourist stabbed in the neck by drunken Thai Man in South Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- A 53 year old Englishman was seriously injured in a drunken knife attack off Walking Street in South Pattaya, early on Wednesday morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664226-english-tourist-stabbed-in-the-neck-by-drunken-thai-man-in-south-pattaya/

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Photographer abducted, robbed and dumped in East Pattaya street



PATTAYA: -- In the early hours of Thursday Banglamung Police were called to Soi 43 off the Sukhumvit Road in East Pattaya where a motorbike taxi driver had spotted a handcuffed man who was appealing for help.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664227-photographer-abducted-robbed-and-dumped-in-east-pattaya-street/

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Thai stock index opens on Thursday at 1,283.00, up 7.24 points /MCOT

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Govt continues oil subsidy as Syrian war escalates
By English News

BANGKOK, Aug 29 – The Thai government will spend Bt7 billion from the Oil Fund to peg gasoline and diesel prices in light of surging oil prices due to the conflict in Syria, according to Energy Minister Pongsak Ruktapongpisal.

He expressed concern that the Syrian war could escalate if the US and its allies attack, while Iran and Iraq may retaliate, leading to oil shortages and skyrocketing oil prices.

Thailand’s oil reserves are at 5 per cent, sufficient for 36 days, as required by law but the Dubai oil price could shoot up to US$120 per barrel if the Syrian war drags on.

Bt7 billion from the Oil Fund would last until October, he said, indicating that the burden of the Oil Fund should be alleviated by reducing the subsidy for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and increasing the price of LPG by Bt0.50 per litre, from Monday, would be inevitable.

He said the gradually rising LPG price is aimed at lessening the burden of the Oil Fund which has spent Bt140 billion for subsidies in the last 5-6 years.

LPG in Thailand is cheaper than in neighbouring countries, leading to smuggling along the border, he said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-08-29

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Feature
Thai village under siege from marauding monkeys
by Apilaporn VECHAKIJ

KHLONG CHAROEN WAI, August 29, 2013 (AFP) - In one Thai village homes are raided, property is pinched and locals are attacked by dastardly gangs operating beyond the law -- but the perpetrators are monkeys, not men.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664239-thai-village-under-siege-from-marauding-monkeys/

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Myanmar is allowing foreigners holding its visas to freely travel to country via 6 entry channels /The Nation

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BAAC poll reveals that the happiness index of Thai farmers have increased

BANGKOK, (NNT) – The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives (BAAC) revealed the results of its poll stating that the happiness index of Thai farmers have increased to 89% in June 2013 from 76% in January 2013.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664254-baac-poll-reveals-that-the-happiness-index-of-thai-farmers-have-increased/

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Army ranger shot dead in Pattani; durian farmer killed in Narathiwat /MCOT

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Chinese tourists rob Singapore Airlines of tableware

SINGAPORE: -- In the latest controversy involving Chinese tourists - a group of mainland travelers have upset Singapore Airlines staff by refusing to hand over 30 sets of stainless steel tableware during a recent flight, Chinese media reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664256-chinese-tourists-rob-singapore-airlines-of-tableware/

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NIDA poll finds most people support drive to have all senators come from election

BANGKOK, 29 August 2013 (NNT) – The NIDA Poll has revealed that the majority of the public support the drive to have all senators come from election, while also finding that the public viewed that those with close ties to members of parliament should not run for the Senate.

The National Institute of Development Administration's poll agency indicated that 63.65% of the 1,249 people surveyed said that every senator should be elected. 25.78% said half should be elected and the other half should be appointed.

Asked whether family members of MPs or those with close relations to MPs should be allowed to run for the upper house, 65.65% of the respondents said they should not, fearing that it would allow for biased actions and facilitation of benefits to a senator's own group. 25.38% said they should be allowed to do so.

47.4% were in favor of allowing senators to serve more than one term, in order to allow for better continuation of work. 45.8% did not favor this, saying it would prevent other quality candidates from taking up Senate seats.


-- NNT 2013-08-29

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Chuan declines invitation to join political reform forum

BANGKOK, (NNT) – Former Prime Minister Democrat Party Advisory Chairman Chuan Leekpai has reiterated that he will not attend the upcoming political reform forum, quipping that the government should reform itself first.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664257-former-prime-minister-chuan-declines-invitation-to-join-political-reform-forum/

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Portable Flood Wall a benchmark for improved flood management schemes in Ayutthaya

BANGKOK, 29th August 2013 (NNT) – Portable Flood Wall is a benchmark for improved flood management schemes in Ayutthaya.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/664258-portable-flood-wall-a-benchmark-for-improved-flood-management-schemes-in-ayutthaya/