Thailand Live Monday 23 Dec 2013

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POLITICS
Bangkok overrun by huge protest
The Nation



Yingluck takes train from Udon to Nong Khai while mob rallies, including outside her home

BANGKOK:-- THAILAND'S VAST urban/rural divide was never more obvious than the contrasting images from the two major events yesterday - Bangkok overrun by a massive anti-government protest and the caretaker prime minister greeting admirers on a tour of the far Northeast.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691211-bangkok-overrun-by-huge-protest/

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Thai opposition protesters rally to heap pressure on PM
by Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI

BANGKOK, December 23, 2013 (AFP) - Tens of thousands of Thai protesters rallied Sunday in their latest attempt to oust the prime minister, paralysing central Bangkok and vowing to block parties from registering for hotly disputed polls.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691211-bangkok-overrun-by-huge-protest/#entry7194199

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SOUTH CRISIS
24 hurt as three bomb blasts strike Songkhla
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THREE bomb attacks yesterday rocked Songkhla's Sadao district, wounding 24 people including two Malaysian tourists.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691213-24-hurt-as-three-bomb-blasts-strike-songkhla/

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POLITICS
Huge crowd at gates of BTS stations
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THE NUMBER of passengers using the BTS Skytrain yesterday was so great that operators at BTS stations such as Mo Chit, Siam, Asok, Sala Daeng, Chidlom had to open the gates and allow travellers to pass through without buying a ticket.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691211-bangkok-overrun-by-huge-protest/#entry7194215

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'Budget woes' if govt delayed
Wichit Chaitrong
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- IF A NEW government cannot be formed within one year, Thailand could face problems with its budgetary spending as a caretaker government would have no authority over the budget for fiscal 2015, Budget Bureau director Somsak Chotrattanasiri said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691215-thai-budget-woes-if-govt-delayed/

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COURT
Bail hopes rise for woman in forest case
The Nation

48-year-old jailed for 15 years for picking mushrooms

BANGKOK: -- A BAIL release application for Daeng Sirisorn, a 48-year-old Kalasin woman sentenced to 15 years in prison for forest-reserve encroachment after she went mushrooming with her husband, would be submitted tomorrow, according to her lawyer.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691216-bail-hopes-rise-for-kalasin-woman-jailed-for-15-years-for-picking-mushrooms/

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ANALYSIS
Resignation of Thai Airways' president no shock as dark skies loom
Achara Deboonme,
Vipaporn Jitsomboon
The Nation


Sorajak Kasemsuvan

BANGKOK: -- Sorajak Kasemsuvan's resignation as president of Thai Airways International last week was no surprise, given external and internal pressure he has had to endure throughout the past 14 months.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691217-resignation-of-thai-airways-president-no-shock-as-dark-skies-loom/

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BANKRUPTCY
Slowdown sees rise in personal, business bankruptcies
Somluck Srimalee
The Nation
Khon Kaen

BANGKOK: -- Bankruptcy cases, both personal and commercial, have shown signs of rising due to the economic slowdown this year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691218-slowdown-sees-rise-in-personal-business-bankruptcies-thailand/

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BUSINESSMAN OF THE YEAR
Tos Chirathivat boldly leading central retail chain overseas
Business Desk
The Nation


Tos Chirathivat

BANGKOK: -- The Chirathivat family has continued to strengthen its retail empire ever since the first Central store opened in 1957, but overseas expansion has become remarkable only recently thanks to the vision of Tos Chirathivat from the clan's third generation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691219-tos-chirathivat-boldly-leading-central-retail-chain-overseas/

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EDITORIAL
The open secret about our reform failures
The Nation

What reforms will mean for our children
Most politicians don't want reform and can't be relied on to make necessary changes

BANGKOK: -- Some think the question why "reform" has never succeeded in Thailand is the toughest question. It depends on how we look at it, because while "reform" is so hard to implement here, the answer to that question is the simplest. We have never succeeded simply because "reform" often comes from the top down. Most reformist measures we have had have been meant to solve political bickering or put a break on a power play. There has been hardly a reform that truly affected the people.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691220-thai-editorial-the-open-secret-about-our-reform-failures/

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Tourism association concerned over prolonged protests
By English News



BANGKOK, Dec 23 - The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) today expressed concern that Thai tourism industry could be hit in the first quarter of next year if political demonstrations are prolonged.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691221-thai-tourism-association-concerned-over-prolonged-protests/

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'We have right to freeze assets'
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE DEPARTMENT of Special Investigation had the authority to issue summons and freeze assets of 38 protest leaders, DSI chief Tarit Pengdith insisted yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691225-dsi-chief-tarit-we-have-right-to-freeze-assets-of-protest-leaders/

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Australian govt awards scholarships to 17 Thai students
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- EACH YEAR, the Australian government offers Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships to high-achieving students, researchers and professionals from around the world to study in Australia's world-class education institutions, or to undertake professional development programmes. The scholarships are globally competitive and merit-based.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691226-australian-govt-awards-scholarships-to-17-thai-students/

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Bus Stop falls onto Swedish Tourist on Jomtien Beach



PATTAYA: -- On Saturday afternoon, Police and Rescue Services were called to Jomtien Beach following reports of a Bus Stop which had fallen onto a foreign tourist.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691227-bus-stop-falls-onto-swedish-tourist-on-jomtien-beach/

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Three arrested in East Pattaya Maprachan Reservoir Murder case



PATTAYA: -- Three men were arrested on Sunday in connection with the murder of a 30 year old man at the Maprachan Reservoir in East Pattaya which occurred on Saturday and is thought to be related to the sale of illegal drugs.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691228-three-arrested-in-east-pattaya-maprachan-reservoir-murder-case/

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Uncle wanted in connection with sexual assault of 10 year old niece in East Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- Over the weekend the 39 year old Father of a 10 year old girl reported the alleged sexual assault of his daughter by a family member.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691229-uncle-wanted-in-connection-with-sexual-assault-of-10-year-old-niece-in-east-pattaya/

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Record drug bust in Krabi nets 48K meth pills, B17mn assets
Phuket Gazette


Police said the suspects regularly received shipments of 200,000 meth pills to distribute throughout Southern Thailand. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

KRABI: Police in Krabi province, across the bay from Phuket, have arrested three suspects and seized more than 48,000 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) in what is being hailed as the largest drug bust in Southern Thailand.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691230-record-drug-bust-in-krabi-nets-48k-meth-pills-b17mn-assets/

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LinkedIn goes Thai

LinkedIn is now available in Thai! Thai is the second local language feature that LinkedIn has launched in Asia Pacific this year, following the launch of Tagalog in June. The other Southeast Asian languages available on LinkedIn are Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691238-linkedin-goes-thai/

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RT @RichardBarrow: 8:35am Protesters marching to Din Daeng police station (Pic @olan_nna)

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RT @Ryn_writes: Protesters at gate 5 blowing whistles at Ch3's helicopter, thinking it was police's that will drop YL (slide down the rope) at the stadium.

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RT @RichardBarrow: Political parties have all week to register. If blocked, they must lodge complaint with Din Daeng police.

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Yingluck No1 Pheu Thai party list candidate;8 parties sign in to register party-list election candidates,14 parties notify police to reserve their rights /MCOT

Anti-government protesters block entrance of Thai-Japanese Stadium to protest registration of party-list election candidates /MCOT

Protesters are in front of Din Daeng police station and condemn against 23 political parties which try to sign-up for the election. /Bangkok Post

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Election Commission will not draw lots to distribute party-list candidacy No.after protesters swarmped Thai-Japanese Stadium-the candidacy registration site /The Nation

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RT @RichardBarrow: 8:48a Protesters at Din Daeng police station (Pic @satien_nna) http://t.co/SXPEI6BK8A

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Pheu Thai Party registered caretaker PM Yingluck as its 1st party-list candidate /The Nation

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Registration site targeted
The Nation

Suthep warns of week-long protests in capital, 'people's revolution' if PM stays

BANGKOK: -- Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary-general of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), yesterday vowed to disrupt the February 2 general election, and began by mobilising protesters last night to blockade the Thai-Japanese Stadium to prevent party-list candidate registration, which is scheduled to begin there today and to end on Friday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691244-bangkok-party-list-candidate-registration-site-targeted/

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Eight parties submit party-list applications

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Eight political parties registered their party-list candidates Monday morning because their officials managed to enter the Thai-Japanese Stadium before protesters besieged the stadium.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691244-bangkok-party-list-candidate-registration-site-targeted/#entry7194664

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EC urges blocked parties to file complaints with police
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Election Commission secretary-general Puchong Nutrawong issued a letter on Sunday night informing political parties whose representatives arrived but could not enter the registration site of party-list candidates by 8.30am to file complaint at Din Daeng police station.

The parties were urged to file the complaint at the police station or at the Central Investigation Bureau before 8.30am. They would then be entitled for the number draw, Puchong said.


-- The Nation 2013-12-23

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Yingluck registered as Pheu Thai No-1 party-list candidate
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Pheu Thai Party has registered caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra as its first party-list candidate, Channel 3 reported.

It was earlier reported that Pheu Thai representatives entered the candidate registration site since Sunday night but it was later confirmed that they entered the compound at 4 am Monday.

The Election Commission said its officials could enter the compound by 50 per cent but they were ready to receive applications from political parties.


-- The Nation 2013-12-23

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UPDATE:

PDRC protesters block Din Daeng police station

BANGKOK: -- Hundreds of People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protesters this morning besieged the Din Daeng police station after learning that some political parties have successfully registered their party-list candidates to contest in the February 2 election at the station, instead of the main registration venue they blocked.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691244-bangkok-party-list-candidate-registration-site-targeted/#entry7194792