Thailand Live Sunday 2 Mar 2014

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RT@RichardBarrow: Rally guards search bags of everyone who enters the park. The guy on the left is having his ID checked #OccupyLumpini pic.twitter.com/oWaJSyf9hf

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RT@RichardBarrow: 11:29am Rally stage has gone from Asoke intersection & street cleaners are at work #Bangkok pic.twitter.com/0amuFCNGfM

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RT@RichardBarrow: A policeman told me that Asoke won’t be fully open to traffic until tonight as theres no power for the traffic lights. Also no CCTV #Bangkok

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Phuket Opinion: Extending a helping hand at the hospital

Ms Chananan tries to make each patient as comfortable as possible. Photo: Irfarn Jamdukor

Chananan Sutsadang, 51, is a native of Bangkok. She has a BA in Business Administration from Loma Linda University and lived in the United States for 20 years before moving back to Thailand. She worked in health care and as a teacher before joining the customer service staff at Mission Hospital last year.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/708015-phuket-opinion-extending-a-helping-hand-at-the-hospital/

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CHINA
Separatists Stab 29 to Death at Xinjiang Train Station : Xinhua


Photo : AFP

Xinjiang separatists killed at least 29 people and wounded 130 in knife attacks at a railway station in southwestern China yesterday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/708017-separatists-stab-29-to-death-at-xinjiang-train-station-xinhua/

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Red Shirts leave Udon Thani for Kalasin in column of vehicles as mass rally to fight for democracy /MCOT

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PDRC protesters head for Lumpini Park
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, March 2--- The anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protesters on Sunday have left a rally site at Pathumwan intersection for the protest venue at Lumpini Park.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, together with co-leaders and Network of Students and People for Thailand's Reform (NSPTR) coordinator Uthai Yodmanee, led the PDRC supporters on a move from the Pathumwan rally site to Lumpini Park protest site this morning.

The group marched along Phaya Thai Road to Rama IV Road where Lumpini Park is located.

Meanwhile, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) staff began cleaning up of the protest venue.

In a related development, protesters from other protest venues--- Asok, Silom, and Ratchaprasong--- have been moved to join the rally at the Lumpini protest site.

However, Buddhist monk Phra Buddha Issara did not move to join the Lumpini rally site. The monk stood firm that the Chaeng Wattana stage would remain.

The move came after Mr Suthep on Friday night (Feb 28) announced an end to "Bangkok Shutdown," which started from Jan 13 in an attempt to oust the caretaker government in order to pave the way for political reform.

He said that the PDRC would relocate the protest sites to Lumpini Park on Sunday and the rally stages would be dismantled to return traffic around the capital to the public on Monday.

However, he asserted that the PDRC would continue their fight against what the group called the "Thaksin regime." (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-03-02

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RT@RichardBarrow: 12:10pm Still a large tent on Ratchadamri in front of CentralWorld. I guess road won’t be fully open until tomorrow pic.twitter.com/DYK2wYwB2i

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EDITORIAL
Surapong's appeal for UN chief to mediate makes no sense
The Nation

Foreign minister's outreach reeks of political opportunism instead of national interest

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/708023-surapongs-appeal-for-un-chief-to-mediate-makes-no-sense/

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RT@RichardBarrow: 12:25pm Walking Street has gone from under BTS Siam but some barricades still up so limited access at the moment pic.twitter.com/kFVtjTe4eL

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RT@Juarawee:Unpaid farmer from Pichit protesting at Interior Ministry went into shock due to stress & got a stroke; he’s in coma.

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RT@daveoli: Red shirt supporters and PDRC supporters are EXACTLY the same and lash out immediately against 1 iota of criticism of their respective group

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RT@Aim_NT: Royal Decree has been endorsed for senatorial election on March 30, while elected senators' term will end on Tuesday March 4. Via Ch. 3

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Irrigation dept: No more water for farming

BANGKOK, 2 March 2014 (NNT) - The Royal Irrigation Department reports that water for agriculture has been used up while water for consumption is currently in short supply. Farmers are told to save water.

Director of the Ayutthaya Irrigation Project Mitri Pitinanont said on Sunday that he had issued a ban on dry second rice cultivation from March to April as the water levels of Bhumibol and Sirikit dams were low. There was no more water for farming and only a small amount of water for consumption was left, he said.

As for the salty tap water in Bangkok, Mr Mitri explained that it was caused by inadequate water to keep sea water out of the Chao Phraya river.

The department will provide only water for consumption for farmers but will not supply water for their agricultural activities.

-- NNT 2014-03-02

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SMEs in demonstration sites slated for financial assistance

BANGKOK, 2 March 2014 (NNT) - The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank) is considering assistance measures for SMEs affected by political rallies in Bangkok’s commercial districts. The SMEs who are customers of the bank will be entitled to suspension of debt payments.

The bank would help over 12,000 SMEs in Ratchaprasong, Silom, Siam Square, the Platinum shopping center, Pratu Nam, the Victory Monument and Asok, sources said. The assistance is expected to be similar to that for the SMEs affected by political demonstrations in 2010 which included debt suspension, debt interest payments in installment for 6-12 months and a low interest rate of 4.25%.

The SME Bank’s customers who have been affected by the ongoing political protests in Bangkok own the bank 500,000 baht each on average.

Meanwhile, executive of the Center for Maintaining Peace and Order Tharit Pengdit said the center had agreed to set up a committee to help people and SMEs affected by the rallies. State-run banks would be asked to provide soft loans for the latter, he said.

-- NNT 2014-03-02

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Imam (Muslim religious leader) killed while his son severely wounded in shooting in Yi-ngo district of Narathiwat /MCOT

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Commerce Ministry: Thailand never dumps rice in Indonesia

BANGKOK, 2 March 2014 (NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce has denied the rumor of rice dumping in Indonesia which allegedly affected rice prices in the global market and upset many rice producers.

Director-General of the Department of Foreign Trade Surasak Reingkhrua on Sunday confirmed the ministry had not sold Thai rice under the rice subsidy program at less than normal value in Indonesia and other countries as the rumor said. Thai rice currently sold in Indonesia was more expensive than other rice and had better quality, the official said.

Mr Surasak stated further that Indonesia had not bought rice from Thailand since 2013 due to the country’s higher rice production. Before that, Thailand had exported higher-priced rice which Indonesia could not produced by itself such as jasmine rice, sticky rice and broken sticky rice.

The official reiterated that the ministry sold rice from government warehouses at the prices in line with the market and quality of the produce. The average price of Thai rice is around 440 USD/ton, higher than rice from Vietnam and India, Thailand’s competitors, who sell their grains at 400 USD/ton and 419 USD/ton respectively.

-- NNT 2014-03-02

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Chiang Mai Uni under siege from 'bizarre' Chinese

CHIANG MAI: Chiang Mai University will this week start charging tourists to visit its campus after a series of bizarre incidents in recent weeks involving Chinese visitors who have swamped its grounds.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/708055-chiang-mai-uni-under-siege-from-bizarre-chinese/

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RT@RichardBarrow: 2pm Bomb squad at National Stadium checking for any bombs or weapons left behind. Sniffer dog just found some drugs pic.twitter.com/dWsi1Nv18b

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Muslim religious leader shot dead in Narathiwat
By Digital Content

NARATHIWAT, March 2--- An imam, or Muslim religious leader, was killed and his son was severely injured in a shooting attack in the restive southern province of Narathiwat.

The victims were identified as Kori Dolo, an imam of Kuyi mosque in Tapoyo subdistrict, and his 17 year-old son, Aris, according to Pol Col Suthon Sukwiset of Yi-ngo police station.

The fatal assault occurred Sunday morning on a road in front of Baan Balukasano School in Yi-ngo district when Mr Aris rode a motorcycle to send Mr Koro, the pillion passenger, to a nearby school.

En route to the school, two men wearing safety helmets followed and approached the victims. A gunman, who was riding pillion, then fired several times at the victims and sped away.

The 62-year-old Muslim religious leader died at the scene while his son was seriously wounded and sent to Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Hospital.

Initially, the police presume that the attack was carried out by an ill-intentioned group, with the aim of creating daily unrest and instigating conflicts in the region. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-03-02

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POLITICS

Anti-government campaigners move to Lumpini Park


Suthep's Facebook

BANGKOK: -- Rally leader Suthep Thaugsuban spoke to anti-government protesters at new rally site at Lumpini Park on Sunday.

All rally sites; Pathumwan, Rajprasong, Silom and Asoke, were dissolved except that at the Government Complex on Chang Wattana road. Lumpini, starting on Monday, will be the main rally site for People’s Democratic for Reform Committee (PDRC).

Suthep together with co-leaders and Student and People Network for Thailand’s Reform (STR) coordinator Uthai Yodmanee, led the protesters from the Pathumwan rally site to Lumpini Park this morning.

They marched along Phaya Thai Road to Rama IV Road where Lumpini Park is located.

In a related development, protesters from other protest venues--- Asok, Silom, and Ratchaprasong--- have been moved to join the rally at the Lumpini protest site.

However, Buddhist monk Phra Buddha Issara did not move to join the Lumpini rally site. The monk stood firm that the Chaeng Wattana stage would remain.

Suthep on Friday announced an end to "Bangkok Shutdown," which started from Jan 13 in an attempt to oust the caretaker government in order to pave the way for political reform.


-- The Nation 2014-03-02

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RT@RichardBarrow: 2:40pm Democracy Monument is open to traffic but you can no longer exit towards Phan Fah pic.twitter.com/NsN0yEeUy4

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RT@BPbreakingnews: Raymond Mark Cambell, 64, from Canada is announced dead at a hospital after jumping from the fourth floor at Suvarnabhumi airport: Police.

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Royal decree endorsed for March 30 election

His Majesty the King has signed a royal decree for holding a senatorial election on March 30 to elected senators whose tenure expires on March 2.

-- The Nation 2014-03-02

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Traffic Police Chief Pol Maj Gen Jirasant Kaewsaengek announces that Monday will see the re opening of roads at Ratchaprasong, Pathumwan and Asok intersections

-- 2014-03-02

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RT@Aim_NT: The turnout for the MP election in 5 provinces today was 10.20% with 9,835 voters. Via @Daratv pic.twitter.com/cXEniYZIGS

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RT@RichardBarrow: 4:20pm Ratchaprasong nearly fully open. Still dismantling tent in front of Central World. Open tomorrow for sure pic.twitter.com/NvotPWmjeF

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Pheu Thai Party’s spokesman says armed PDRC guards violate section 63 of constitution

BANGKOK, 2 March 2014 (NNT) – Mr. Promphong Nopparit, spokesman of Pheu Thai Party, said that PDRC guards did not respect laws and harmed people and officials like fascists.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/708075-pheu-thai-partys-spokesman-says-armed-pdrc-guards-violate-section-63-of-constitution/

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RT@RichardBarrow: 4:35pm On lower Ratchadamri, alongside Lumpini, they are spray painting pitch numbers for a new walking street pic.twitter.com/uQfn6Pa8Ss

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RT@Aim_NT: Today's vote turnout in Petchaburi, Rayong, Petchabun, SamutSongkram, SamutSakhon respectively. Via @Daratv: pic.twitter.com/BVSRFkYx1X