Thailand Live Sunday 20 Apr 2014

[Lite Beer]

Private sector ready to cut power consumption in the South in June
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Energy commission warns that failure to cut power usage in June will lead to blackouts during maintenance period

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720033-private-sector-ready-to-cut-power-consumption-in-the-south-in-june/

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Pheu Thai wants an answer from EC on poll
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Pheu Thai Party has demanded that the Election Commission provide a clear answer on campaign expenses for the new election because their MPs, who spent funds already for the February 2 election, could lose if they face spending limits less than their rivals.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720035-pheu-thai-wants-an-answer-from-ec-on-poll/

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Thai men freed after stroll into Malaysia
Nakarin Chinworakomon

The Sunday Nation

YALA: -- Five men from Yala who reportedly got lost in the jungle and wandered into Malaysia on April 17 were freed yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720036-thai-men-freed-after-stroll-into-malaysia/

[Lite Beer]

14 Uighurs found at Sa Kaew
The Sunday Nation

SA KAEW: -- Fourteen suspected Uighur refugees were rounded up yesterday while trying to hide in a wooded area in Sa Kaew's Wattana Nakhon district.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720037-14-uighurs-found-at-sa-kaew/

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
'Very moving to see Thai prayers for Koreans in distress'
The Sunday Nation

South Korean Ambassador Jeon Jae Man writes his message

BANGKOK: -- South Korean Ambassador Jeon Jae Man speaks to Nation Multimedia Group Editor-in-Chief Thepchai Yong about the ferry tragedy near South Korea's Jindo Island and more. The following are excerpts:

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720038-very-moving-to-see-thai-prayers-for-koreans-in-distress/

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UPDATE:

Dozens affected as tear-gas canister opened during drill
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Dozens of people were affected when a tear-gas canister was opened during an explosive-items training exercise at Bangkok's Bang Phlat district office yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/719944-gas-explosion-at-royal-thai-air-force-safety-demo-injuries-more-than-40-people/page-4?p=7711196#entry7711196

[Lite Beer]

Illegal workers arrested in Sa Kaew
The Sunday Nation

Authorities yesterday rounded up 96 illegal workers in Sa Kaew.

Sa Kaew police and related agencies arrested 36 workers found in a double-decker bus at the Rong Kleu Market.

They were told the workers paid Bt2,000 per head to go to Bangkok.

Another 60 illegal workers (42 men and 18 women) were rounded up behind the market by Khlong Leuk paramilitary rangers, after they had crawled under the border fence into Thailand.

In related news, highway police arrested 15 Myanmar illegal workers following a car chase in which a worker-smuggling gang's pickup truck sped away from a checkpoint in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Hua Sai district.

Police shot at a tyre to stop the vehicle and arrested the driver, Chaweng Songsen, 34.

Chaweng told police that he was paid Bt3,000 to transport the workers to Songkhla's Sadao district, from where they would continue to Malaysia.

-- The Nation 2014-04-20

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UPDATE:

MBK executive held for killing vendor
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- An MBK mall executive was arrested for killing a street vendor and injuring a garbage collector in an alleged drunk-driving incident in Bangkok early yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/719934-vendor-killed-by-drunk-driving-mbk-manager/page-5?p=7711199#entry7711199

[Lite Beer]

UPDATE:

Two workers killed in Phuket after bungee jump sling breaks during testing
Salinee Prap
The Sunday Nation

The site of a new bungee-jumping business in Phuket, where an accident occurred during a test of its new system, leaving two workers dead and another injured.

PHUKET: -- Two workers were killed and another injured after a wire sling snapped while they were testing a new bungee-jumping system in Phuket's Muang district.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/719896-phuket-expat-describes-bungy-accident-horror/page-2?p=7711206#entry7711206

[Lite Beer]

Elephant crushes villager
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- An elephant has stomped a man to death in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Kaeng Krachan National Park.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720040-elephant-crushes-villager/

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House destroyed by explosion
The Sunday Nation

Chachoengsao: -- The police's explosive ordinance disposal team yesterday inspected the scene in Chachoengsao's Muang district where a house belonging to a fireworks business owner was destroyed and a six-year-old girl was killed in an explosion on Friday night.

As police were inspecting the house in tambon Klong Udom Chonjorn yesterday morning, the homeowner's younger brother presented them with a permit to manufacture and store fireworks.

The permit issued to the homeowner, Worawut Penjawattana, 36, expired on March 9.

The family's relatives said the some 1,000 ping pong firecrackers that exploded might not have been the cause of the explosion.

They said police found that the blast occurred near a microwave in the kitchen where there were many battery-charging devices and three electric bicycle toys.

Police found some other 2,000 ready-made fireworks and ping pong firecrackers that didn't explode in another room.

-- The Nation 2014-04-20

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EDITORIAL
Serious thought needs to go into AEC integration
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Boosting trade is one thing, but planners also need to ponder organised crime and trafficking when devising new protocols

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720043-serious-thought-needs-to-go-into-aec-integration/

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Redshirts hunt Somchai

LAMPANG: -- About 50 red shirt supporters of the caretaker government stormed into the Lampang airport passenger terminal in search of election commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn who earlier described them rude, low and wild.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720044-redshirts-hunt-ecs-somchai/

[Lite Beer]

Lese Majeste Accusations Rise With Political Tension

By Khaosod English.

BANGKOK — The number of lese majeste accusations has surged in recent weeks, as the political battle in Thailand deepens and both sides of the divide seek new ways to take down adversaries.

In an unprecedented case this week, which critics are describing as a “new low,” parents accused their own daughter of lese majeste for posting disparaging remarks of the monarchy on social media.

Mr. Surapong Amornpat, 67, and Ms. Somchintra Amornpat, 59, reported their UK-based daughter Ms. Chatvadee Amornpat to police after the couple was reportedly harassed by others because of their daughter's comments.

Ms. Chatvadee has been living in the UK for many years and recently acquired British citizenship.

“It is a dismal and alarming sign of what the lese majeste situation has become when parents turn in their own children,” said David Streckfuss, an independent scholar and expert on Thailand’s strict anti-defamation laws.

Under Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, those found guilty of lese majeste can face up to 15 years in prison.

In addition, Article 112 states that any individual can file an accusation with the police, which critics of the law say encourages "witch hunt" behavior.

This week, a former army commander set up a Facebook group urging Thai citizens to stay vigilant in their duty to "defend the monarchy" and report any cases of lese majeste to the police.

Gen.Lt. Rianthong Nanna, who is also serving as the current director of Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, referred to his activity as a way "cleanse the trash from the kingdom."

According to Mr. Streckfuss, over the past decade it has been tpyical to see a heightened use of less majeste accusations during periods of political turmoil.

In 2010, during Thailand’s most recent instance of political unrest prior to the current conflict, the number of lese majeste charges sent to Court climbed up to nearly 500, which is more than twice that of the previous few years.

Earlier this month, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s legal representative, Robert Amsterdam, was also accused of defaming the monarchy in a Skype call he made to a Redshirt rally on 6 April in Nakhon Prathom province.

Like Ms. Chatvadee, Mr. Amsterdam also lives outside of Thailand, illustrating how lese majeste laws continue to be invoked even against those who reside outside of the country.

Thailand’s Council of Lawyers accused Mr. Amsterdam of insulting the monarchy because of comments he made urging the government to amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code. Mr. Amsterdam never directly mentioned the Royal Family.

A third case from April invovles Redshirt leader Wuthipong Kachathamkul, widely known as “Ko Tee.” Police issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Wuthipong after he allegedly insulted the monarch in an interview with the Canadian news organisation, Vice News.

Mr. Wuthipong has not appeared in public since his arrest warrant was announced several weeks ago.

This week, Redshirts in Chiang Mai attempted to turn the tables by pressing charges of lese majeste against the leader of the anti-government movement, Suthep Thaugsuban.

The Redshirt group alleged that Mr. Suthep defamed the Royal Family by citing his intention to seek His Majesty the King’s approval as part of his plan to oust the caretaker government.

The police have documented the charges, but it is not immediately clear whether authorities will take legal action against Mr. Suthep.

Although accusations of lese majeste have been on the rise, this week also saw a rare instance of exoneration.

Numerous sources estimate the conviction rate for cases of lese majeste in Thailand to be above 90 percent, but on Thursday, the Criminal Court acquitted a 65-year-old man who was arrested for selling a banned book, The Devil’s Discus, at Yellow shirt rallies in 2006.

The defendant said he had never read the book, and did not realise it contained material offensive to the Thai Royalty.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1397912635&section=11&typecate=06

-- Khaosod English 2014-04-19

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Bangkok celebrates Rattanakosin’s 232nd year anniversary at Sanam Luang

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Culture is hosting a three-day event to mark the 232nd anniversary of the Rattanakosin era this year.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720048-bangkok-celebrates-rattanakosins-232nd-year-anniversary-at-sanam-luang/

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UPDATE:

Phuket officials order a halt to deadly bungy jump
Phuket Gazette -

The bungy jumping tower, built to 54 meters, was illegal according to the Chalong Municipality. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: Officers have ordered a halt to any further development of the illegal bungy-jumping site in Phuket where two men died and one was seriously injured Friday night.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/719896-phuket-expat-describes-bungy-accident-horror/page-2?p=7711371#entry7711371

[Lite Beer]

UPDATE:

First bodies pulled from submerged Korean ferry

JINDO , South Korea - Divers retrieved more than a dozen bodies Sunday from the submerged South Korean ferry that capsized four days ago with hundreds of children on board, opening a grim new chapter in the search and recovery process.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/719186-ferry-carrying-470-passengers-sinking-off-south-korea/page-2#entry7711401

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RT@ChadapornLin: Anti govt protesters to march to Rama III, Charoenkrung, Chan and Narathiwat roads before returning to Lumpini Park

[Lite Beer]

Talks on holding senate session to officially axe Nikom continue

BANGKOK, 19 April 2014, (NNT) - The discussions of the Senate concerning a special senate session to officially impeach Senate President Nikom Waitratchapanitch have ended without a conclusion.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720051-talks-on-holding-senate-session-to-officially-axe-nikom-continue/

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Facebook ‘Nearby Friends’ Will Track Your Location History To Target You With Ads
by Josh Constine (@joshconstine)

Facebook says it’s not using its new Nearby Friends feature to target ads yet, but after I asked why it’s tracking “Location History” it admitted it will eventually use the data for marketing purposes.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720056-facebook-nearby-friends-will-track-your-location-history-to-target-you-with-ads/

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Going through hell for leather: Thailand's dog meat trade

BANGKOK: Dog leather ... it's soft, fine-textured and readily distinguishable from other leathers due to its foul smell and scars, says Chanin Chitkomut, who encountered the product several years ago.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720060-going-through-hell-for-leather-thailands-dog-meat-trade/

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French journalists free after 10-month Syria hostage ordeal

PARIS: Four French journalists taken hostage in Syria last year were freed on Saturday after a 10-month ordeal in the world's most dangerous country for the media.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720061-french-journalists-free-after-10-month-syria-hostage-ordeal/

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Phuket: Chinese tourist dies snorkelling off Racha Yai
Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: Chinese tourist Ting Hong, 29, died while on a snorkelling trip off Racha Yai yesterday (April 19) around 3pm after she was found lifeless in the water.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720062-phuket-chinese-tourist-dies-snorkelling-off-racha-yai/

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Phuket Opinion: Now not later

PHUKET: It’s the same old story, year after year. As the seasons change, problems arise and then, when the season changes again, the problem disappears until the following year.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720066-phuket-opinion-now-not-later/

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Police identify two suspects from CCTV footage in French murder probe in Phuket
Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: Police are inspecting CCTV camera footage from the scene where French tourist Fabrice Boigeol was found murdered on Friday (April 18), and believe they have identified two suspects.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/719885-police-suspect-french-national-murdered-in-phuket/page-2?p=7711734#entry7711734

[Lite Beer]

Police identify two suspects from CCTV footage in French murder probe in Phuket
Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: Police are inspecting CCTV camera footage from the scene where French tourist Fabrice Boigeol was found murdered on Friday (April 18), and believe they have identified two suspects.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/719885-police-suspect-french-national-murdered-in-phuket/page-2?p=7711734#entry7711734

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Songkran Festival reveler shot in North Pattaya

PATTAYA:--As the Pattaya Songkran Festival was beginning to wind-down on Saturday evening, Pattaya Police were called to the North-end of Pattaya Third Road to investigate a shooting.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720067-songkran-festival-reveler-shot-in-north-pattaya/

[Lite Beer]

Fourth officer charged in US Navy bribery scandal

A fourth US Navy officer has been charged with leaking information to a foreign defense contractor in exchange for cash and other gifts in a widening bribery scandal, officials said Thursday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720072-fourth-officer-charged-in-us-navy-bribery-scandal/

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Khunying Jaruwan needs more time to prepare documents

BANGKOK, 20 April 2014 (NNT) – Bangkok senator-elect Khunying Jaruwan Mainthaka needs more time to prepare documents in order to defend herself against a complaint made by the June 24 Democracy Group.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/720077-khunying-jaruwan-needs-more-time-to-prepare-documents/

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Suthep leads PDRC protesters on march through Charoen Krung, Asiatique areas, asking more people to join mass rally; security tightened /MCOT