UPDATE:

Amnesty Bill sponsor opposes revised version



BANGKOK, Oct 25 – Pheu Thai MP Vorachai Hema, who sponsored the Amnesty Bill, said today he objected to changes to the original version by the House scrutiny committee.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/676990-govt-pheu-thai-party-play-risky-game-on-amnesty/

V for Thailand postpones rallies to mourn Supreme Patriarch

BANGKOK: -- The V for Thailand announced on its Facebook wall that it would cancel the planned rally to mourn for the late Supreme Patriarch.

The so-called white-mask group earlier planned a rally at the Ramathibodi Hospital on Saturday at 4 pm before it would move to join a rally at the Urupong Intersection.

The admin of the V for Thailand Facebook page posted that all activities would be indefinitely postpone to mourn the spiritual leader of Thai Buddhists.

-- The Nation 2013-10-25

UPDATE:

Public reaction on loss of Supreme Patriarch

BANGKOK, 25 October 2013 (NNT) – Ceremonies have been held around the country as Thai Buddhists mourn the loss of the Supreme Patriarch.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/676940-thai-buddhisms-supreme-patriarch-dies-at-100/#entry6962302

Yingluck to visit “Thailand’s Future 2020” exhibition in Khon Kaen

BANGKOK, 25 October 2013 (NNT) - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is set to take a trip to Khon Kaen to visit the Thailand’s Future 2020 exhibition, according to Pheu Thai spokesman Theerat Rattanasewee.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677076-yingluck-to-visit-thailands-future-2020-exhibition-in-khon-kaen/

Thaksin underestimates sentiment: Abhisit

BANGKOK: -- Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has underestimated the anti-amnesty sentiment and this might lead to a new round of fight, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Friday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/676990-govt-pheu-thai-party-play-risky-game-on-amnesty/#entry6962350

Narathiwat security tightened on Tak Bai incident anniversary
By English News

NARATHIWAT, Oct 25 - Security has been tightened here as today is the ninth anniversary of the Tak Bai incident to prevent any possible attacks in this restive southern province.

Capt Noppadol Thitawattanasakul, commanding the Marine Corps contingent at the Chulabhorn Camp, said security personnel have stepped up their operations including patrols and setting up more checkpoints.

As of now, he said no irregularities or violence were reported.

At Tak Bai on October 25, 2004, hundreds of men were arrested while protesting the arrest of six local men. The detained protesters were handcuffed and piled into trucks heading for an army camp in nearby Pattani province. On arrival at the camp, at least 78 were found to have died from suffocation.


Tak Bai has been a rallying cry for Muslim separatists since then and the anniversaries have often been tense.

In nearby Yala province, checkpoints have also been set up on routes leading to the Yala provincial seat to scan for any suspicious persons, as well as suspicious vehicles.

Col Pramrote Prom-in, spokesman for the Army's Region 4 Internal Security Operations Command, said the Thai government feels regret for the Tak Bai incident which occurred nine years ago and has provided a rehabilitation scheme for affected people.

He noted that ill-intended groups of persons try to use the incident to intensify differences between ethnic Malay Muslims and ethnic Thai Buddhists in the region. Col Pramote called such persons to stop instigating unrest and divisiveness.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today chaired a meeting of the defence council to follow up the situation in deep South. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-10-25

RT@Biz_TheNation: About 3,000 people were at Chulalongkorn Hospital at noon, observing the transport of the Supreme Patriarch's body to Wat Bororanives.

RT@RichardBarrow: Police ask entertainment venues to suspend all entertainment from 25 Oct to 8 Nov due to the death of the Supreme Patriarch #Thailand

RT@joecummings: Funeral bathing rites for Thai Buddhism's Supreme Patriarch at Wat Bovornives will be open to the public today from 1 to 5 pm.

2 Omani men drugged and robbed by Thai woman in Pattaya

Two Omani men were tricked by a Pattaya prostitute, who persuaded them to have swinging sex for free, but before this occurred she mixed an anaesthetic with their beer rendering them unconscious. Then she stole all of the men’s possessions and promptly fled the crime scene.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677106-two-omani-men-drugged-and-robbed-by-thai-woman-in-pattaya/

Fish die from canal pollution after Phuket SuperCheap fire
Khemin Wicheetthagoon

PHUKET: -- Around 200 fish have been found dead after pollution runoff flowed into a canal behind the razed SuperCheap fire site, but authorities say the health hazard situation is under control.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677123-fish-die-from-canal-pollution-after-phuket-supercheap-fire/

Poll indicates public objection to blanket amnesty for politicians
By English News



BANGKOK, Oct 25 – More than half of the Thai people disagree with a proposed blanket amnesty for leaders and politicians involved in the 2010 political unrest, according to an academic poll released today.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677125-poll-indicates-public-objection-to-blanket-amnesty-for-politicians/

Political Rallies Suspended After Supreme Patriarch's Death

BANGKOK: -- The death of the Supreme Patriarch, the spiritual leader of the Thai Buddhists, has caused political groups to suspend their scheduled rallies, as the nation begins its 15 day mourning period.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677126-political-rallies-suspended-after-supreme-patriarchs-death/

3 dealers involved with drug kingpin Ye Say arrested in Nonthaburi; 5.3 million meth pills, 2 cars, 6 mobile phones, other assets seized /MCOT

Anti-narcotics Police confiscated three million pills of methamphetamine

SARABURI, 25 October 2013 (NNT) - Anti-narcotics police have confiscated more than three million methamphetamine pills being smuggled from a neighboring country into Thailand by a huge trafficking ring.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677127-police-in-saraburi-seize-3-million-yaba-pills/

SET index closed at 1,454.88, down 11.44; Bt19800(sell). Bt/USD30.96; GBP50.10; AUD29.54; EUR42.66; CAD29.53; HKD3.98; SGD24.93; JPY31.78

Banks to close on Dec 30
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Bank of Thailand has announced that December 30 would be an extra New Year holiday, which would extend the holiday period to 5 days.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677139-banks-in-thailand-to-close-on-dec-30/

Japanese Businessman Plunges To His Death

By Khaosod Online

CHONBURI: -- A Japanese national has reportedly jumped off the balcony of an apartment building in Chonburi province to his death.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677141-japanese-businessman-plunges-to-his-death-in-sri-racha-district/

Drunken Russian goes on temple smashing rampage in Phuket, tries to hot-wire truck
Eakkapop Thongtub


Oleg Fomenko was arrested.

PHUKET: -- Russian man Oleg Fomenko was left feeling rather embarrassed after he went on a drunken escapade early on Wednesday morning – smashing an abbot statue at Wat Karon and using a crowbar to smash the window of a truck he tried to steal.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677164-drunken-russian-goes-on-temple-smashing-rampage-in-phuket-tries-to-hot-wire-truck/

RT@RichardBarrow: UPDATE: Northern Line will now re-open on 1 Dec - RT @kapookdotcom: ร.ฟ.ท. เลื่อนเปิดใช้รถไฟสายเหนือเป็น 1 ธ.ค. 56 เหตุซ่อมรางไม่ทัน

RT@RichardBarrow: Bank of Thailand has announced that all financial institutions will close on Mon 30 Dec making it a long weekend from 28 Dec - 1 Jan

5.3 million meth pills seized in drug suppression operations
By English News

NONTHABURI, Oct 25 - Three drug traffickers allegedly involved with drug kingpin Ye Say were arrested with 5.3 million meth pills seized.

National Police Chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew said that the drug suppression unit arrested three drug dealers aged 18 to 21, one an ethnic Hmong.

Some 5.3 million meth pills, two cars, six mobile phones and another 15 tangible assets were seized in a rented house in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district.

Gen Adul said the drug suppression unit had monitored the dealers’ movement for some time. Police intercepted two suspects on Tiwanon Road as they attempted to transfer a large box from a pick-up truck into a sedan. Some 800,000 meth pills were found in the box.

The suspects confessed there were another 1.5 million meth pills at their Pak Kret house. Another dealer, meanwhile, called the two while they were in detention and said another lot of 3 million meth pills would be delivered to clients in Petchabun province. The police then arrested the third accomplice, following the tipoffs.

Police said all the detainees were linked to Lt Col Yi Say's drug trafficking network and that there were some 12 million meth pills produced in this lot, with some already distributed.

Meanwhile, the authorities also seized nearly 30,000 meth pills, with a street value of more than 5 million baht in an unrelated operation. A 25 year-old Lao dealer was arrested at a hotel in northeastern Nakhon Phanom province. He confessed he was hired by a Lao drug lord to transfer the drugs from the Lao PDR across the Mekong River into Thailand. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-10-25

to continue:

Thailand Live Saturday 26 Oct 2013

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/677230-thailand-live-saturday-26-oct-2013/