Thailand Live Tuesday 11 Feb 2014

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Princess Sirindhorn monitors progress of royal projects at a northern school

ฺCHIANG RAI, 11 February 2014 (NNT) - Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on February 10 visited Wat Mae Kham Witthaya Sangha Pracha Upatham (วัดแม่คำวิทยาสังฆประชาอุปถัมภ์) School situated in the compound of Mae Kham Monastery in Mae Chan District, Chiang Rai Province. The school is in the provincial group of Phra Pariyattitham schools aimed at providing general education for novice monks.

The aim of Her Royal Highness’s visit was to observe royally initiated projects designed to develop children and youths in remote rural areas which the school has adopted since 2010. As part of the projects, novices are trained to grow organic crops for use as ingredients in their lunch and to sell surplus products to the school’s cooperative. They are also given vocational training in such fields as sculpture, painting, and repairs of electrical appliances and motorcycles, during school holidays. The skills are expected to help them in acquiring jobs after finishing the school.

During her visit, the princess found the royal projects were progressing well while novices also gained higher-than-average results in their Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET), both at the MS 3(Grade 9) and MS 6 (Grade 12) levels. The royal projects allow students to have nutritious food for lunch and milk on a daily basis, resulting in their proportionate growth in weight and height. The School currently has 215 students, mostly hill tribes. After finishing Grade 12, the students usually leave the Buddhist monkhood to further their studies at the university level or to make a living.


-- NNT 2014-02-11

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UPDATE:

RICE-PLEDGING SCHEME
Threat to block rice storage
Petchanet Pratruangkrai,
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung
The Nation


Rice farmers and Cabinet ministers meet yesterday at the Commerce Ministry

Farmers walk out as talks fail to fix payment crisis; want to seize PM's assets, warehouses

BANGKOK: -- Frustrated by the government's failure to find a solution for their debts - caused by the pledging scheme - rice farmers threatened yesterday to lay siege to state rice warehouses nationwide.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703475-thai-farmers-threaten-to-occupy-all-rice-warehouses-after-talks-with-govt-fail/page-3?p=7421561#entry7421561

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POLITICS
Sonthiyarn arrested; first rally leader to be detained
The Nation


Sonthiyarn

BANGKOK: -- Sonthiyarn Chuenruethai-naitham, owner and director of T-news agency, yesterday became the first anti-government protest leader to be arrested. He was having a meal alone in the Central Lat Phrao shopping complex when apprehended by police.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703579-sonthiyarn-arrested;-first-rally-leader-to-be-detained/

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POPULIST POLICY
Auction to select new tablet-computer supplier
Supinda na Mahachai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- An e-auction will soon take place to select a new supplier for the One Tablet Per Child project, which has run into serious problems this academic year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703580-one-tablet-per-child-auction-to-select-new-tablet-computer-supplier/

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POLITICS
Talks the best way out of this mess: EC
CHANIKARN PHUMHIRAN
THE NATION

Somchai offers to mediate negotiation between govt and PDRC so that a new poll can be held and a lower House formed

BANGKOK: -- IN ANOTHER effort to overcome the political deadlock, the Election Commission has offered - again -to mediate talks between the two warring parties.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703581-talks-the-best-way-out-of-this-mess-thai-election-commission/

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US WATCH LIST
Labour Ministry compiles human-trafficking report
Thammarat Kijchalong
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Labour Ministry is compiling a report on the human-trafficking situation in Thailand in a bid to remove the country from a US watch list.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703582-us-watch-list-thai-labour-ministry-compiles-human-trafficking-report/

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Home tourism 'to endure Bt30-bn loss if protests affect Songkran'
Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit
The Nation



Big drop in Thais travelling outside home provinces

BANGKOK: -- The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) projects that if political chaos continues through the Songkran Festival, the domestic tourism industry will lose more than Bt30 billion in revenue in the first four months of this year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703583-home-tourism-to-endure-bt30-bn-loss-if-protests-affect-songkran/

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PART 2
Fixing corruption in our govt system must be a top priority
Special to The Nation



BANGKOK: -- If Thailand is to compete with China and its rivals in Asia and elsewhere, fixing the corruption within our government system must be the priority.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703584-fixing-corruption-in-our-govt-system-must-be-a-top-priority-thai-opinion/

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Red leader spearheads rice-purchase plan
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Red Sunday group leader Sombat Boonngam-anong will raise funds to help buy rice from the stockpiles of the troubled pledging scheme. Sombat said yesterday that two bank accounts would be created, one by the Mirror Foundation and the other by the Duang Prateep Foundation, to help buy unsold rice from the government's inventory.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703585-red-sunday-group-leader-sombat-spearheads-thai-rice-purchase-plan/

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'Gang of four' former MPs now leading mobile protest marches aimed at putting further pressure on the government
HATAIKARN TREESUWAN
THE NATION

THIS IS not the first time that protesters have used a "marching around" strategy to put pressure on the government.

BANGKOK: -- A group of fast-moving protest teams were set up by the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) to march across Bangkok and occupy state agencies that remain in operation, as ordered by PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703586-gang-of-four-former-thai-mps-now-leading-mobile-protest-marches/

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POLITICS
DSI to name 'suspects' funding rallies
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE DEPARTMENT of Special Investigation will today release the names of people suspected of helping to fund the People's Democratic Reform Committee's anti-government movement.

DSI chief Tarit Pengdith said the list would be separated into three groups. The first is 58 people regarded as suspects after being charged in connection with DSI special cases. |The others are 31 people still under DSI investigation and an unknown number of people under investigation by the police Special Branch.

Tarit said officials had used emergency decree powers to suspend those under investigation from making financial transactions but their assets had not been frozen. "Those two groups of people are not yet suspects," Tarit said.

"They will be invited to explain suspicious financial transactions. If they can clarify suspicions, then there is no problem."

Anti-Money Laundering Office secretary general Pol Colonel Sihanart Prayoonrat said the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order would summon all people suspected as financing PDRC rallies for questioning. He said people who failed to show up would face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to Bt40,000. If there was sufficient evidence against them, they would be charged in accordance with the emergency decree.

Sihanart said police told the CMPO they were working on 119 cases in connection with election obstruction and 80 cases involving poll officials neglecting their duty. Arrest warrants had been issued for 37 people in relation to these.


-- The Nation 2014-02-11

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Abhisit sets conditions for contesting election
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has hinted that the party will take part in a new election if the Yingluck government accepts four proposals.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703587-abhisit-sets-conditions-for-contesting-election/

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UPDATE:

Somchai says he met Thaksin in Myanmar
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Ex-premier Somchai Wongsawat on Monday confirmed he had met his brother-in-law Thaksin Shinawatra in Myanmar last week.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703478-thaksin-makes-merit-in-myanmar/page-4?p=7421656#entry7421656

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TABLETS
Activist alleges collusion in tablet procurement
Kamolthip Bai-ngern
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- An anti-graft activist claims he has uncovered numerous alleged irregularities in procurements for the government's problematic One Tablet Per Child project.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703588-one-tablet-per-child-project-activist-alleges-collusion-in-tablet-procurement/

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Land prices to continue to rise in Bangkok
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Despite the current political turmoil, the demand for prime land in Bangkok's central business district for investment remains robust, according to CBRE.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703589-land-prices-to-continue-to-rise-in-bangkok/

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Tesco Lotus to maintain clothing prices despite rise in output costs
Matavee Tunrungwetjarun
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Tesco Lotus says it will try not to raise its clothing prices even though garment-production costs have risen.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703590-tesco-lotus-to-maintain-clothing-prices-despite-rise-in-output-costs/

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Phuket Passport Office reopens, issues plea for patience
Suthicha Sirirat


There were long queues at the Passport Office. Some had to be turned away.

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Passport Office reopened yesterday (February 10) after a lengthy closure due to the activities of Phuket’s anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protesters.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703591-phuket-passport-office-reopens-issues-plea-for-patience/

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Thai Opposition Turns to Farmers as Political Stalemate Lingers
By Chris Blake and Supunnabul Suwannakij

(Bloomberg) Thailand’s opposition movement is reaching out to rice farmers to break a political stalemate as the nation awaits official election results, seeking to turn a source of support for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703625-thai-opposition-turns-to-farmers-as-political-stalemate-lingers/

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Bangkok populace, protesters donate almost Bt20 million for farmers
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Feb 11 – Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban announced last night that the anti-government movement would seek at least Bt20 million donations from the Bangkok citizenry to relieve the plight of farmers who are demonstrating in the capital.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703630-bangkok-populace-protesters-donate-almost-bt20-million-for-farmers/

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Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,293.46, gains 2.80 points /MCOT

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Democrat party leader says new election should stop
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Feb 11 – Thailand's Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has called on caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to accept the fact that the Feb 2 general election was unsuccessful and that new balloting should be called off.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703587-abhisit-sets-conditions-for-contesting-election/page-2?p=7422259#entry7422259

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Suvarnabhumi airport to get new terminal in 2017
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Feb 11 – The Airports of Thailand (AoT) plans to go ahead with the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport so it can take 60 million more passengers when completed in 2017, according to its president Makin Petplai.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703632-suvarnabhumi-airport-to-get-new-terminal-in-2017/

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RT @RichardBarrow: Immigration at Chaeng Wattana is still closed - Foreigners told to use offices at Lad Prao & Suksawat instead http://t.co/5jT2o7BsqO

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NSC chief: Suthep will be arrested at suitable time; No foreign forces involved in violent incidents /MCOT

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Daily Weather Forecast For Thailand 11 February 2014

General Situation
The moderate high pressure from China covers Northeastern of Thailand and the South China Sea. Cool to cold weather and temperature decreases by 2-4 degree Celsius over the areas.

The easterly wind still covers the country with the humidity from the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It is expected to strengthen during 12-14 February. More rain in the Northeast, the East and the South will be expected with stronger wind wave about 2 meters in the lower Gulf. All ships should proceed with caution.

Weather Forecast for Thailand from 6.00 a.m. Tuesday to 6.00 a.m. Wednesday.
Northern Thailand Fog in the morning and thick patches in some areas. Upper part: Cold, minimum temperature 12-14 degree Celsius. Lower part: Cool, minimum temperature 16-18 degree Celsius. Maximum temperature 30-35 degree Celsius. Cold to very cold on mountaintops. Minimum temperature 4-8 degree Celsius. Westerly winds 10-20 km/hr.

Northeastern Thailand Light fog in the morning, dropping 2-4 degree Celsius and isolated rain. Upper part: Cold, minimum temperature 14-15 degree Celsius. Lower part: Cool, minimum temperature 16-19 degree Celsius. Maximum temperature 31-34 degree Celsius. Cold on mountaintops. Minimum temperature 6-12 degree Celsius. Easterly winds 10-30 km/hr.

Central Thailand Cool with fog in the morning, dropping 1-2 degree Celsius and isolated rain. Minimum temperature 17-22 degree Celsius. Maximum temperature 33-36 degree Celsius. Cool to cold on mountainous areas. Minimum temperature 12-17 degree Celsius. Southerly winds 10-25 km/hr.

Eastern Thailand Partly cloudy with fog in the morning, dropping 1-3 degree Celsius. Isolated light rain along the coast. Minimum temperature 19-24 degree Celsius Maximum temperature 32-35 degree Celsius. Cool to cold on mountainous areas. Minimum temperature 12-18 degree Celsius. Southeasterly winds 10-30 km/hr. Wave height below 1 meter.

Southern Thailand East Coast Partly cloudy with light fog in the morning and isolated light rain. Minimum temperature 19-22 degree Celsius. Maximum temperature 30-33 degree Celsius. Surat Thani Northward: Southeasterly winds 10-30 km/hr. Wave height below 1 meter. Nakhon Si Thammarat: Southward: Easterly winds 15-30 km/hr. Wave height about 1 meter.

Southern Thailand West Coast Cool with light fog in the morning. Minimum temperature 21-23 degree Celsius. Maximum temperature 32-35 degree Celsius. Northwesterly winds 10-30 km/hr. Wave height below 1 meter.

Bangkok Metropolis and Vicinity Partly cloudy with isolated light rain. Minimum temperature 20-23 degree Celsius. Maximum temperature 33-34 degree Celsius. Southeasterly winds 10-30 km/hr.


-- NNT 2014-02-11

weather forecasts for all Thai provinces: http://weather.thaivisa.com

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GPF denies purchasing rice pledging bonds

BANGKOK, 11 February 2014 (NNT) — Secretary General of the Government Pension Fund (GPF) Sombat Naravuthichai affirmed that the GPF has not bought any rice pledging bonds from the caretaker government.

Mr. Sombat stated that he had never been offered by the current government to buy any rice pledging bonds. Moreover, if indeed the government did attempt to persuade him to do so, the GPF would have to consider various external risks apart from the potential benefits.

The Secretary General went on to say that managing investments include many factors that need to be considered. Furthermore, he said, the law and his organization’s reputation are two important factors that must be taken into great consideration as well.

Mr. Sombat pointed out further that the GPF has long term investment plans. Therefore, its investment funds have been tied up in various stock markets — both domestically and internationally. According to Mr. Sombat, the GPF does not have a sufficient amount of cash-in-hand to invest in short term prospects.


-- NNT 2014-02-11

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Farmers to check rice stockpiles in all government warehouses today



BANGKOK: -- Leaders of farmers in the northern and western regions will start checking rice stockpiles in all government warehouses today to find out if any of them went missing or how much rice are still good and how much are rotten.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703647-thai-farmers-to-check-rice-stockpiles-in-all-government-warehouses-today-feb-11/

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'Paradon' to apprehend ‘Suthep’ should opportunity arise

BANGKOK 11 February 2014 (NNT) — National Security Council (NSC) Secretary Lieutenant General Paradon Patanatabutr has assured that he will arrest Suthep Thaugsuban whenever opportunity arises.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703653-paradon-to-arrest-suthep-should-opportunity-arise/

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NACC set to charge PM over rice scheme late Feb

BANGKOk, 11 February (NNT) - The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is expected to press charges against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for her role in alleged irregularities in the rice-pledging scheme late this month.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703651-nacc-set-to-charge-pm-yingluck-over-rice-scheme-late-feb/

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Gun n' roses found in abandoned Phuket cop chase car
Eakkapop Thongtub


Police check the Yaris car after the smash.

PHUKET: -- Police yesterday morning (February 10) found a bizarre juxtaposition of items in the back of a car whose driver abandoned it after an epic police chase and crash in Phuket Town.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/703657-gun-n-roses-found-in-abandoned-phuket-cop-chase-car/