Thailand Live Sunday 18 May 2014

[Lite Beer]

Many senior Lao officials killed in plane crash
Supalak Ganjanakhundee
The Sunday Nation

Rescue workers search an air force plane crash site in Xieng Khouang province in the north of Laos yesterday. Five senior officials were killed, including Lao Defence Minister Douangchay Phichit.

LAOS: -- Many senior government officials, including Deputy PM and Defence Minister Douangchay Phichit, were killed when their plane crashed in Xieng Khouang province in the north of Laos early yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/726879-lao-plane-carrying-defence-chief-crashes-thai-official/?p=7839860#entry7839860

[Lite Beer]

Acting PM to meet Senate tomorrow
The Sunday Nation

Provincial leaders and allies of the anti-government People

BANGKOK: -- But Niwattumrong insists that any and all solutions must abide by charter

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727008-acting-pm-to-meet-senate-tomorrow/

[Lite Beer]

PDRC's make-or-break bid
The Sunday Nation May 18, 2014 1:00 am

Anti-government leader Suthep Thaugsuban, centre, makes his announcement along with other leaders of the People

BANGKOK: -- Suthep promises to surrender, disperse if call for 'biggest rally' fails to oust govt

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727010-pdrcs-make-or-break-bid/

[Lite Beer]

Company tent burnt down at mine after attack on nearby village
The Sunday Nation

LOEI: -- A checkpoint tent at the entrance of the Thung Kham Co gold mine in Loei's Wang Saphung district was burnt down early yesterday but people in nearby villages engaged in a long-running environmental dispute with the company denied they did it - and suggested the incident was attempt to frame them.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727011-company-tent-burnt-down-at-mine-after-attack-on-nearby-village/

[Lite Beer]

Uttaradit at risk of landslides, quakes
The Sunday Nation

UTTARADIT: -- As well as being among 54 provinces most at risk of landslides, Uttaradit is also located on a faultline, which means that buildings higher than 15-storeys tall have to be earthquake proof, Worasart Apaipong, deputy chief of the Mineral Resources Department has said.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727012-uttaradit-at-risk-of-landslides-quakes/

[Lite Beer]

Illegal teak logs found in Mae La Noi
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Royal Forestry Department's Forest Resource Management Office 1 in Mae Hong Son yesterday joined local officials in the seizure of illegal teak logs and planks at an old corn plantation in Mae La Noi district.

Following a tip-off, the office's Forest Fire Prevention and Control Division chief Lek Wongsa led officials to the plantation in Huai Ku Pa in tambon Mae La Luang and discovered 15 teak logs and 33 teak planks.

Lek said the situation of illegal logging was severe in Mae Sariang, Mae La Noi and Sop Moei districts.

After the authority seized 744 teak logs at Ban Thung Pa Kha in Mae La Noi, the people who had the teak logs and planks might have been afraid of getting arrested and abandoned them, Lek said.

Meanwhile, Surat Thani's Khao Sok National Park and border patrol police yesterday arrested two hunters in Ban Ta Khun district along with seven lesser mouse-deer carcasses, a long-tailed boat and hunting equipment.

Amnat Chana, 41, reportedly confessed that he had hunted lesser mouse-deer and sold it to a merchant for Bt700 a carcass and that this was his seventh arrest.

Jaturong Rakkapao, 31, claimed this was his first offence.

-- The Nation 2014-05-18

[Lite Beer]

Youths held and bikes seized for racing
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- A male officer was slightly injured when police rounded up 18 youths for road racing early yesterday morning at Bangkok's Don Muang district.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727013-youths-held-and-bikes-seized-for-racing/

[Lite Beer]

Old grenades found by pipe digger in Ubon
The Sunday Nation

Three grenades were discovered while a worker was excavating soil to lay a tap water pipe on Chayangkoon Road in Ubon Ratchathani's Muang district on Friday night.

The grenades were believed to be live and could have exploded with pressure or heat.

Muang Ubon Ratchathani Police Station investigator Lt-Colonel Sittichok Piboonsaksophol said Kamol Boonme, 30, was using a back hoe on the roadside when he found the rusty grenades, which were 60mm, 81mm and 120mm in size.

The grenades were sent to an army camp and blown up.

-- The Nation 2014-05-18

[Lite Beer]

Govt 'has authority' to push for election
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- The caretaker government has full authority to push for an election and should do so with or without the blessing of the Election Commission, says the Assembly for the Defence of Democracy (AFDD).

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727014-govt-has-authority-to-push-for-election/

[Lite Beer]

Phuket sea gypsies offered free land in relocation deal

Phuket Gazette -

Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa inspected the site of the new sea gypsy village today. Photo: Saran Mitrarat

PHUKET: The provincial government has organized 50rai of land for the sea gypsy families living on Koh Sireh who are being sued by a private developer for allegedly squatting on private land.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727016-phuket-sea-gypsies-offered-free-land-in-relocation-deal/

[Lite Beer]

Africa leaders declare 'war' on Nigeria Boko Haram

African leaders meeting in Paris have agreed to wage "war" on Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamic militants.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727017-africa-leaders-declare-war-on-nigeria-boko-haram/

[Lite Beer]

China evacuates workers after Vietnam deadly riots

At least 15 foreign-owned factories have been torched in Vietnam in recent days

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727021-china-evacuates-workers-after-vietnam-deadly-riots/

[Lite Beer]

UPDATE:

PDRC to pursue acting PM and 11 ministers to force them to resign

BANGKOK: -- The People’s Democratic Reform Committee will set up teams to pursue acting caretaker prime minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan and his 11 ministers “everywhere they are” to demand them to quit.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727010-pdrcs-make-or-break-bid/#entry7840165

[Lite Beer]

Kim Jong-un’s ex-girlfriend appears on television nine months after reports she'd been EXECUTED

North Korea:-- Kim Jong-un's ex-girlfriend appears to have risen from the dead with reports she was seen on North Korean state television for the first time since she was reportedly executed in 2013.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727040-kim-jong-uns-ex-girlfriend-appears-on-television-nine-months-after-reports-shed-been-executed/

[Lite Beer]

6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia: USGS

JAKARTA - A 6.2-magnitude quake struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra Sunday, with no immediate tsunami warning issued.

The quake hit at a depth of nine kilometres (six miles), just over 300 kilometres west of the coastal city Banda Aceh.

-- The Nation 2014-05-18

[Lite Beer]

Pattaya to Clamp Down on Vendors and Peddlers on Beach Road

PATTAYA – May 16, 2014 [PDN];- at 13.00 pm. There had been a conference with the peace preservation and administrative department at Pataya City Hall. Mr.Anupong Putthanawarat- chief of the peace preservation and administrative department- chaired the conference and there were Pattaya’s members and those involved also attended the conference.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727042-pattaya-to-clamp-down-on-vendors-and-peddlers-on-beach-road/

[Lite Beer]

UPDATE:

China evacuates 3,000 nationals from Vietnam after deadly unrest

BEIJING - China has evacuated more than 3,000 of its nationals from Vietnam following a wave of deadly anti-Beijing unrest, state media said Sunday, as Vietnamese civil society groups called for renewed demonstrations in several cities.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727021-china-evacuates-workers-after-vietnam-deadly-riots/#entry7840801

[Lite Beer]

PDRC meeting with unions of state enterprises to delegate tasks for new operation; to meet with retired senior civil servants in afternoon /MCOT

[Lite Beer]

Book suggests missing Malaysian airliner accidentally shot down

Sydney - The first book about missing flight MH370 suggests it may have been shot down during a military exercise and the accident is being covered up, it was reported Sunday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727056-book-suggests-missing-malaysian-airliner-accidentally-shot-down/

[Lite Beer]

Audit Office wants all peace-keeping expenses properly accounted

BANGKOK: -- The National Audit Office has asked acting caretaker prime minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan to instruct the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (Capo) to keep all the expenses related to peace-keeping activities properly accounted in compliance with regulations.

In the letter addressed to Mr Niwatthamrong, Ms Prapee Angkeenan, the acting auditor-general, said that initial finding showed that the National Police Office had asked for 1,978 million baht budget from Capo for its peace-keeping operations and the NAO was concerned that the additional budget might duplicate with the NPO’s normal budgetary allocation for peace keeping.

The NPO’s budget sought from Capo comprises 1,444 million baht for the police force deployed to maintain peace mostly in the form of allowances – 700 baht a day for each policeman which includes 300 baht for food; 534 million baht in management expenditure.

The 534 million baht management expenditure includes 59 million baht for field uniforms, 47 million baht for office equipments, 208 million baht for bullet-proof helmets, 18 million baht for digital binoculars and three million baht for CCTV system.

According to the NAO, Capo has disbursed altogether 2,747 million baht to 10 governmental agencies involved in peace keeping during January 22-March 22.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/audit-office-wants-peace-keeping-expenses-properly-accounted/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=audit-office-wants-peace-keeping-expenses-properly-accounted

-- Thai PBS 2014-05-18

[Lite Beer]

UPDATE:

PDRC holds meeting on 'final battle'
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, May 18--- The People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) group on Sunday has met with labour unions of state enterprises and retired senior civil servants to map out an overall plan for the anti-government operation.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727010-pdrcs-make-or-break-bid/page-3?p=7841137#entry7841137

[Lite Beer]

Govt owes disaster-hit farmers THB 5 billion

BANGKOK, 18 May 2014 (NNT) - Farmers affected by natural disasters from April 2013 – May 2014 are urging the government to pay them long-overdue compensation totaling over five billion baht. Those in drought-prone areas are told to brace for extended dry season conditions this year.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727066-govt-owes-disaster-hit-farmers-thb-5-billion/

[Lite Beer]

Army keen to beef up security in southernmost provinces

BANGKOK, 18 May 2014 (NNT) - The army has stressed on the necessity of increasing security in the southern border provinces for safety of the local people amid unrest.

Commander of the Fourth Army Area Command Lt.Gen.Walit Rotchanaphakdi and his entourage on Saturday traveled to an army base in Pattani province to meet with army units in the area and receive briefings on their operations. The army units included the Anothai Special Command, the Southern Border Provinces Army Medical Center and the Royal Development Project Coordination Center.

The commander reiterated that the Fourth Army Area Command needed to increase security measures in the restive region with a focus on offensive strategies until the situation improved.

-- NNT 2014-05-18

[Lite Beer]

Several provinces still facing severe drought

NAKHONRATCHASIMA, 18 May 2014, (NNT) - Officials have confirmed that artificial rain making is being carried out in the Northeastern region, while Nakhon Ratchasima authorities are releasing water from local reservoirs to assist the area’s agricultural sector.

Officials in the province report that numerous farmers have made official complaints about the area’s drought situation, saying that their farmlands have been greatly affected by water shortages, especially those properties in Pimai District where rice plants are withering in the extreme heat. In response, officials promised to release water from the local dam to assist the farmers.

Meanwhile in Buriram Province, Royal Rain officials continue to conduct an artificial rain making operation, in their bid to replenish the water supply in regional reservoirs as well as to provide assistance to the seven drought hit provinces in the region. These areas include Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Surin, Srisaket, Roi Et, Mahasarakham and Khon Kaen.

Officials said that, since last month, a total of 130 cloud seeding flights had been conducted, but the amount of water generated is still rather low. Nonetheless they vowed to continue the operation until end of this month.

-- NNT 2014-05-18

[Lite Beer]

Officials are working around the clock to repair rail track in the South

NARATHIWAT, 18 May 2014, (NNT) - The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is working around the clock to repair rail tracks in the south after separatists on May 14th detonated a bomb damaging the tracks in Narathiwat Province. The authority estimates the restoration process will be completed by the beginning of next month.

Narathiwat Province has deployed a group of fully equipped civil engineers and rail workers to restore the tracks, on the bridge linking Joe Ai Rong and Ra Ngae Districts.

Authorities reported that several sleeper supports have been replaced under the tracks, while estimating that all routes using the tracks should be able to resume services on June 1st.

In a related development, the 45th squadron Patrol Rangers were able to apprehend four men suspected of being involved in the bombing of the tracks. Officials said the suspects activities would be investigated and they would be released if they were deemed innocent.

Meanwhile, an explosion took place in Mayor District of Pattani Province in an attempted assassination of local officials. Authorities said there were no reports of casualties, although one of the Deputy Provincial Governors was among the officials targeted in the attack.

-- NNT 2014-05-18

[Lite Beer]

Firefox risks irrelevance as mobile browsing booms
By Gregg Keizer

Computerworld - Mozilla's Firefox is in danger of becoming irrelevant as more browsing originates on smartphones and tablets, statistics from a Web measurement vendor show.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727069-firefox-risks-irrelevance-as-mobile-browsing-booms/

[Lite Beer]

Three Russian Men Arrested in ATM Fraud

PATTAYA – May 17, 2014, [PDN]: At 16:30 hours yesterday, the police officers arrested three Russian men at the Lumpini Condominium room, Bang Lamung, Pattaya for using fake electronic cards to withdraw cash from several ATM machines in Pattaya area.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727073-three-russian-men-arrested-in-atm-fraud/

[Lite Beer]

RT@thegrugq: On the left, Thailand's Miss Universe, on the right, Thailand's Miss Tiffany's [most beautiful ladyboy] pic.twitter.com/8ecFz94HoU

[Lite Beer]

Thai Immigration: Border insecurity mounts as tourist visa abuse is targeted

BANGKOK: -- The chief of the Immigration Bureau said abuse of tourist visas by South Koreans, Russians and Vietnamese working illegally in Thailand was the main motivation for cracking down on cross-border visa runs

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727092-thai-immigration-border-insecurity-mounts-as-tourist-visa-abuse-is-targeted/

[Lite Beer]

UPDATE:

Suthep To Surrender if Final "Last Battle" Fails

By Khaosod Eng.

BANGKOK — Leader of the anti-government protest movement Suthep Thaugsuban has said he will turn himself in to the police if his upcoming "final fight" against the government fails.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727010-pdrcs-make-or-break-bid/page-4?p=7841646#entry7841646