Thailand Live Wednesday 28 May 2014

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RT@KhaosodEnglish: Pro-coup rally in Pathumthani province thanks Gen. Prayuth for solving problems related to rice-pledging scheme (1/2) pic.twitter.com/3T3mI062bH

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Philippines, Myanmar journalists call for press freedom in Thailand
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Media organisations in Myanmar and the Philippines have issued statements calling for press freedom in Thailand.

The Myanmar Journalists Association (MJA) and the Myanmar Journalist Network (MJN) as well as the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) referred to their own history and experiences in giving moral support to Thai journalists.

"MJN is asking the Myanmar government in its role as the current chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help resolve the issue of the detained Thai journalists and arrange for their release," the MJN statement said.

"MJN will help and stand together with the Thai journalists for press freedom in Thailand. Those who have been detained must be released unconditionally. MJN strongly supports and will co-operate with other ASEAN countries to advance press freedom in the region," it said.

The NUJP said it was alarmed and dismayed by the clampdown on media by the Thai military following its imposition of martial law.

"Our concern stems from our historic experience with martial rule, when the curtailment of freedom of information preceded the wholesale trampling of other basic rights and freedoms," the NUJP statement said.

"Inhibiting free expression can never serve the cause of restoring democracy or even order.

"Only free discourse, no matter how strident it may seem, will arm a people with the knowledge essential for them to make informed choices about their future."

-- The Nation 2014-05-28

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Curfew may be lifted in Phuket and Pattaya

BANGKOK: -- The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is considering lifting the midnight to 4 .00 a.m. curfew in Phuket and Pattaya after realizing its negative impact on the country’s tourism which contribute up to 10% of GDP.

NCPO deputy spokesman Col Nattawat Chancharoen said consideration of the curfew lift came after the NCPO head Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha received complaints from the private sector of inconvenience and negative impact felt by businesses in tourist-frequented province, and dropping revenues.

The businesses include entertain places, restaurants and nightspots.

The army deputy spokesman said that Gen Prayuth has instructed his working groups on economic and security affairs to assess the situation in these tourist-frequented provinces namely Phuket and Pattaya.

He said the NCPO head indicated of lifting the night curfew to restore tourism in provinces where there is no coup resistance.

The Tourism and Sports Ministry revealed recently that although the number of foreign tourists would decline after martial law was declared, Chinese tourists who were then in Pattaya did not rush home as they were told by their government, the spokesman said.

This was obviously because the Chinese tourists did not see any harm and violence in Thailand even after the coup, he said.

He added several teams would be sent to various tourist destinations to assess the situation. If the situation in those areas is normal, the curfew may be lifted selectively, adding that decision would be expected next week.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/curfew-may-lifted-phuket-pattaya/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=curfew-may-lifted-phuket-pattaya

-- Thai PBS 2014-05-28

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to continue:

Thailand Live Thursday 29 May 2014

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/729933-thailand-live-thursday-29-may-2014/