Thailand Live Thursday 8 May 2014

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Fast and Furious: Patong joy ride in boss’ car ends in crash
Phuket Gazette


The joyrider knocked a motorcyclist off his bike before slamming into a power pole near the Patong Municipality building. Photo: Patong Police

PHUKET: -- A drunk driver injured a Phuket motorcyclist early yesterday morning during a high-speed joy ride in his boss’ Toyota Fortuner; the ride ended abruptly when he slammed the SUV into a utility pole.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724524-fast-and-furious-patong-joy-ride-in-boss-car-ends-in-crash/

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Traffic police today advised motorists to keep off Sukhumvit road from 10.30 a.m onwards when anti government protesters led by PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban began marching out of Lumpini park using Sukhumvit road to mustering point at Onnuch BTS station.

From Onnuch protesters will use the inbound traffic of Sukhumvit road to march to either Ploenchit to Rajdamri road or Ratchaprasong intersection to Wireless road to return o Lumpini park. As traffic jam is expected along the way the march goes, traffic police advised motorists to use Rama IV or Phetchaburi instead.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/40246/


-- Thai PBS 2014-05-08

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Constitutional Court judge's house bombed



BANGKOK: -- The home of one of the 9-member panel of the Constitutional Court judges Suphot Khaimuk was bombed Thursday morning but nobody was injured.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724527-constitutional-court-judges-house-bombed-bangkok/

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Thai rice promotional event to be organized in Japan

BANGKOK, 8 May 2014 (NNT) - The Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) will take part in the Thai Festival in Shibuya District of Tokyo, Japan, next week from May 15th - 19th, in the department’s bids to expose Thailand’s Jasmine fragrant rice in the Japanese market.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724529-thai-rice-promotional-event-to-be-organized-in-japan/

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Phichit holds "happiness fair"

PHICHIT 8 May 2014 (NNT) — Phichit province is holding a “happiness fair” aimed at bringing joy and happiness to the locals.

Governor of Phichit Surachai Kan-asa presided over the opening ceremony of the “happiness fair”. The aim of the fair is to enhance the quality of life of the locals through health improvement activities, propagate His Majesty the King’s sufficiency economy, and to conserve the environment.

The project is also in support of another campaign called “Taphanhin To Green Society”, which aims to make Thaphanhin, a municipality in Phichit province, a greener and more environmentally conscious society.

Organic vegetables are available for purchase at the event. The fair is a collaboration between local government officials and the Tahaphanhin municipality.


-- NNT 2014-05-08

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Bangkok Money Expo 2014

BANGKOK, 8 May 2014 (NNT) - Thailand’s biggest finance and investment event kicks off today, at Challenger Hall 2-3, Impact Areana, Mueang Thong Thani.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724532-bangkok-money-expo-2014/

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Finance Ministry to step up loan shark eradication measures

BANGKOK, 8 May 2014, (NNT) -The Finance Ministry has instructed the Revenue Department to urgently inspect loan shark operations, particularly those placing advertisements on social media.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724534-thai-finance-ministry-to-step-up-loan-shark-eradication-measures/

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Thailand to become ASEAN food hub



BANGKOK: -- The private sector says Thailand has strong potential to become an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) food hub, claiming the kingdom has only to improve its material production technology.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724536-thailand-to-become-asean-food-hub/

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Immigration clarifies Phuket visa run 'crackdown'
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Myanmar is happy to receive tourists paying for in-out visas at its Kauwthaung checkpoint opposite Ranong. The reception in Ranong may not be so welcoming if Immigration suspect you're not just a tourist.

PHUKET: -- Immigration officers in Ranong and Phuket have clarified the current situation on visa hops that has caused so much concern recently.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724558-immigration-clarifies-phuket-visa-run-crackdown/

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Minister Chatchart praised Ms Yingluck



BANGKOK: -- Caretaker Transport Minister Chatchart Sitthiphan praised former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra as “a prime minister who will always remain in his heart”.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724567-minister-chatchart-praises-ms-yingluck/

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Former photo editor of the Korea Herald dies in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Kim In-su, a longtime photo editor of The Korea Herald and The Herald Business, died Monday in Bangkok, Thailand. He was 58.

He died of a heart attack in the Thai capital, where he was visiting family who live in the country. He had a chronic heart problem and had undergone heart surgery a few years ago.

A native of Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Kim joined Herald Corp., publisher of The Korea Herald and vernacular daily Herald Business, in 1989 as a photo journalist. For nearly a decade from December 2002 till April 2012, he ran the joint photo desk of the two papers as editor.

Since January this year, he served as a senior member of the organizing team of the annual Herald Design Forum.

Kim's body will be taken to Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Thursday morning, where a funeral altar will be set up. The funeral cortege is due to leave early Saturday.//The Korea Herald


-- The Nation 2014-05-08

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Snatchers snitch on sex drug seller
Phuket Gazette


Mr Rawiwong with the horde of more than 10,000 pills illicitly offered for sale. Photo: Patong Police

PHUKET: -- Using a tip-off from recently arrested bag-snatchers, police raided a Phuket pharmacy on Tuesday evening, seizing more than 10,000 pills of drugs being sold illicitly.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724570-phuket-snatchers-snitch-on-sex-drug-seller/

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UPDATE:

FCCT condemns attack of German journalist

BANGKOK: -- The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) issued a statement on Wednesday condemning the assault of a German photojournalist allegedly by guards of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724470-german-reporter-attacked-by-pcad-at-constitutional-court/page-5?p=7791161#entry7791161

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EC to ask caretaker government for meeting on May 14 to discuss draft royal decree on new election date /MCOT

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Two dead and three in quarantine as Indonesia MERS fears build



JAKARTA: -- Three residents of Pekanbaru, Riau were placed in quarantine because they showed symptoms of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) after two men died, likely from the infection, in Denpasar, Bali, and Medan, North Sumatra, according to Riau Health Agency head Zainal Arifin.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724572-two-dead-and-three-in-quarantine-as-indonesia-mers-fears-build/

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Narathiwat authorities integrate security measures to provide improved safety for teachers as new school year starts May 16 /MCOT

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Violent Thailand clashes feared in 'final all-out battle' with government
Lindsay Murdoch
SOUTH-EAST ASIA CORRESPONDENT FOR FAIRFAX MEDIA

BANGKOK: -- Bitterly opposed Thai political groups are set to rally in Bangkok, stoking fears of violent clashes, as the crippled Pheu Thai government pushes ahead with plans for an election in July.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724581-violent-thailand-clashes-feared-in-final-all-out-battle-with-government/

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Former parliament president says charter court can be removed



BANGKOK: -- Former parliament president Dr Ukrit Mongkolnavin says people who are unsatisfied with the Constitutional Court's ruling against the former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra could gather 20,000 signatures to push for the removal of all the judges.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724587-former-parliament-president-says-thai-charter-court-can-be-removed/

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Gunfire heard at Lumpini Park, panicking demonstrators

Gunfire was heard twice at the Lumpini Park Thursday, sending demonstrators to run for cover. Nobody was injured.

The gunfire was heard at 11:40 am while Suthep Thaugsuban led demonstrators to march out of the park.

Security guards believe an assailant fired from a taxi that drove past the fly-over over the Saladaeng Intersection.


-- The Nation 2014-05-08

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BOT: Thais are more cautious with spending

BANGKOK, 8 May 2014 (NNT) -- Thais are more cautious with spending due to the on-going political turbulence. Though exports have started to expand but their pace is not strong enough to be an engine of growth for Thai economy, said the Bank of Thailand's governor.

The governor, Prasarn Trairatvorakul, said at the opening ceremony of Money Expo 2014 on Thursday that local consumers have spent less because of the bleak outlook of Thailand, while the caretaker government does not have enough power to do anything to boost the slowing down economy.

The tourism sector, a key engine of Thai economic growth, is also affected by lower public spending and the political turmoil. The only growth was seen in the export sector; however, its momentum was not high enough to overturn the situation.

Prasarn said the ratio of household debt to GDP has been rising, followed by a decrease in savings in the household sector. Investment has been significantly on a decline, and the manufacturing sector has also imported less in both raw materials and machines.

However, Prasarn expressed his hope that if the political situation improves within the latter half of this year, Thai economy would turn around in 2015.

-- NNT 2014-05-08

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POLITICS
Court's decision is negative to economy: Moody's
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The most recent political developments, culminating into the Constitutional Court's decision yesterday, add further downside risks to the Thai economy, said Moody's Investors Service.

"The ruling is credit negative because it threatens to prolong the country's political crisis, which has lasted for six months and makes a near-term compromise solution unlikely. It also heightens the risk of violent clashes between opponents and supporters of Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party. Both would negatively affect investor and consumer confidence and increase the downside risks to Thailand's growth outlook for 2014-15," the rating agency said in a report released today.

The court on Wednesday ordered caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine of her cabinet members to step down on the grounds that their 2011 decision to transfer Thailand's national security chief was unconstitutional. The ruling settles allegations of an abuse of power in relation to the transfer of then-National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Thawil Pliensri to an advisory role in 2011 and replacing him with a relative of Yingluck.

Moody’s recounted that Wednesday's ruling marks the third time in six years that the judiciary has ousted a Thai prime minister including the court's late 2008 verdicts on Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat.

"Thailand's political crisis is increasingly challenging the country's strong credit fundamentals. The government’s robust financial position - underscored by low funding costs, a favourable debt structure and limited external vulnerabilities - supports our stable outlook on Thailand's rating. But a continuation of political turmoil would erode the country's core credit strengths," it said.

Thailand’s real economic growth has already been negatively affected, with the economy expanding only 2.9 per cent in 2013 - far below the 2012 level of 6.5 per cent and weaker than an average of 3.8 per cent of the past 10 years.

Moody’s noted that the most recent developments add further downside risks to its growth forecasts of 2.7 per cent in 2014 and 3.2 per cent in 2015.

-- The Nation 2014-05-08

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RT@BPbreakingnews: The cabinet assigns caretaker DPM Phongthep Thepkanchana to take over job of Pol Gen Pracha Promnok and Surapong Tovichakchaikul.

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Jatuporn, Weng to opt out from next election

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/724610-jatuporn-weng-to-opt-out-from-next-election/

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Thailand: Travel Advisories Update - Gov Australia

The following Travel Advice has changed or been added since our last update ( 7 May 2014 18:26:59 EST):

* Thailand
http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Thailand

Current Advice Level: "High degree of caution"

Change Summary:
It contains new information in the Summary and under Safety and Security: Civil unrest/Political tension (on 7 May 2014 the Constitutional Court of Thailand removed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and a number of cabinet ministers from office. The decision is expected to lead to intensified protest activity. A large-scale anti-Government rally is planned for Friday 9 May, starting in Lumpini Park and moving to nearby roads and intersections, including the Rachaprasong and Pathumwan intersections.

A large-scale pro-Government rally is planned for Saturday 10 May in the Thawi Wattana District in the outer west of Bangkok. You should exercise vigilance as the security and political environment remains volatile, particularly in Bangkok and surrounding areas). Australians should continue to avoid all protest sites and surrounding areas, political rallies, marches and processions, political events (including polling stations when elections are rescheduled) and large-scale
public gatherings due to the risk of further violence. We advise Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Thailand overall due to the possibility of civil unrest and the threat of terrorist attack.

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600,000 meth pills seized in latest drug bust

CHIANG RAI, 8 May 2014 (NNT) – A twenty-four year old man has been arrested in Chiang Rai while trying to smuggle illicit drugs to the capital city.

Chiang Rai police announced in a press conference that they had apprehended a 24-year-old man identified as Nattapol Aa-rin, who was attempting to smuggle drugs out of Chiang Rai, but was arrested at a checkpoint in Phan District.

Authorities found 300 bags containing 600,000 pills of methamphetamine in the truck. The man confessed that he was going to deliver the drugs to a drug ring in Bangkok.

Police said further investigation would be launched in order to find the supplier.


-- NNT 2014-05-08

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Ayutthaya launches a road map to prevent earthquakes

AYUTTHAYA, 8 May 2014 (NNT) - Ayutthaya Province has come up with a road map to withstand future earthquakes that may be caused by the Sri Sawat and the Three Pagodas Pass fault zones in Kanchanaburi Province.

Ayutthaya Provincial Governor Witthaya Piewpong has sent an urgent letter to warn all Chief District Officers and local administrative organizations in the province that the old capital of Siam may be affected from future earthquakes.

He said that the province is prone to earthquakes as the Kanchanaburi fault zones may trigger an earthquake and send aftershocks that could severely damage building structures.

Therefore, Mr. Witthaya has ordered related officials to inspect certain areas that are susceptible to danger such as historical sites, temples, high-rise buildings, fuel depots, and large industrial factories. The governor has also instructed related agencies to come up with a contingency plan and an evacuation plan so that procedures could be done smoothly.


-- NNT 2014-05-08

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Suranand re-appointed as PM's secretary general

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet Thursday re-appointed Suranand Vejjajiva as the PM's secretary general, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana said.

Suranand automatically lost his post of PM's secretary general after the Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday to remove prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office.

The Cabinet also re-appointed Pol Maj Gen Thawat Boonfuang as deputy PM's secretary general, Phongthep added.


-- The Nation 2014-05-08

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Cabinet assigns new caretaker PM Niwatthamrong to oversee finance ministry /MCOT

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Bank of Thailand admits politics drags Q1 economy into the minus sphere, hopes economy will recover, peace will be restored /MCOT

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Professor Colin Pillinger, best known for his Beagle 2 Mars mission, dies in Cambridge aged 70 /BBC