Thailand Live Friday 19 Sep 2014

[webfact]

16th Music in the Garden

BANGKOK, 19 Sep 2014, (NNT) - In an ongoing promotion of unity and harmony in the community, the Government Public Relations Department (PRD) held its sixteenth weekly ‘Music in the Garden’ event in its auditorium at Soi Ari last night.

This week the event was held under the theme “Pan Tai Norasingh”, referring to a royal barge helmsman who gave up his life to take responsibility for his mistake when he served under the monarch in the early 17th century.

As the name implies, the concert highlighted and promoted valor, sacrifice, and unity through exquisite melody performed by such figures as famous country singers Winai Panrak, Sodsai Rungphothong, M.R. Jirakom Kittiyakon and the PRD’s all-star singers.

The event also featured a play on Pan Tai Norasingh himself, celebrating his honest life, a shining example to all to follow.


-- NNT 2014-09-19

[webfact]

Sungai Kolok-Nakhon Si Thammarat train derails at Tha Maenglak station - Songkhla's Chana station; train service suspended /The Nation

[webfact]

Thai stock index opens on Friday at 1,590.79, gains 6.56 points /MCOT

Defence volunteer wounded in bomb ambush of Yala teacher protection unit; M-79 grenade attack on border police base in Than To district, no injuries reported /MCOT

[webfact]

English tourists don't want to go to Scotland "whatever the result of the vote"

LONDON, England - English tourists are cancelling holidays to Scotland because they fear "ill feeling" towards them after the referendum, it emerged today.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761675-english-tourists-dont-want-to-go-to-scotland-whatever-the-result-of-the-vote/

[webfact]

South-bound trains cancelled after local train was derailed in Songkhla

SONGKHLA, 19 September 2014 (NNT) - The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced that train services to the three southernmost provinces have been suspended after a local train went off the line.

Local train No. 452 running between Su-ngai Kolok and Nakhon Si Thammarat was derailed in Songkhla province on Thursday afternoon, causing injuries to seven passengers. Most of them have returned home after receiving treatment.

Railway workers have started restoring the damaged train and repairing the tracks. The entire process is expected to take three days or longer. Authorities have also found out that several push pins that were used to hold the railway tracks in place have been removed, causing the train to derail. However, they are unsure at this point to conclude that it was a possible attempt by a third-party to instigate unrest within the area.

Meanwhile in Yala province, a number of special express train services have been cancelled including trains No. 38, 169,170, 171 and 172, running between Bangkok and Su-ngai Kolok in Narathiwat and between Bangkok and Yala Province.

Passengers who have reserved their tickets will receive a full refund upon their return of the tickets. For more information, they are encouraged to call Hotline 1690.


-- NNT 2014-09-19

[webfact]

DNA tests from British victims don't match with suspects
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Sept 19 -- Pol Gen Jaramporn Suramanee, adviser to the Royal Thai Police, on Thursday went to Ko Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand off the southern province of Surat Thani, where two British tourists were brutally murdered earlier this week to conduct detailed investigation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761691-dna-tests-from-british-koh-tao-victims-dont-match-with-suspects-update/

[webfact]

President Barack Obama decides against imposing sanctions on Malaysia, Thailand over human trafficking /AP

[webfact]

State media still unsure if women should be blamed for violence
By Todd Ruiz



BANGKOK: -- When Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha apologized for his backward remarks about women risking violence by wearing swimwear, it was respectably unqualified. He said "I'm sorry" instead of the usual "I'm sorry that you misunderstood."

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761694-state-media-still-unsure-if-women-should-be-blamed-for-violence/

[webfact]

Koh Tao seeks budget to install CCTVs, lighting for higher security

SURAT THANI, 19 September 2014 (NNT) – The mayor of Koh Tao has requested a budget for the procurement of CCTV cameras and additional street lamps as part of a measure to increase tourist safety following the recent murder on the island.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761697-koh-tao-seeks-budget-to-install-cctvs-lighting-for-higher-security/

[webfact]

Flooding remains in many Thai provinces
By Digital Content



CHIANG RAI, Sept 19 -- A border market in Mae Sai district here is temporary closed due to flooding while many other provinces are still inundated.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761698-flooding-remains-in-many-thai-provinces/

[webfact]

Night crime simulation at Sairee beach to look for clues



KOH TAO: -- Thai police conducted a two-hour crime simulation at the scene before dawn Friday where the two British tourists were killed to look into the exact time of the crime and wrap up evidence to support their earlier investigations for analysing who is or are real murderers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761699-koh-tao-murders-night-crime-simulation-at-sairee-beach-to-look-for-clues/

[webfact]

UPDATE:

26 Out of 32 Scottish Regions Finish Voting for Independence, 45.7% Say Yes, 54.3% Say No

EDINBURGH, September 19 (RIA Novosti) – With 26 out of 32 Scottish council areas having finished voting in the independence referendum, 45.7 percent of Scots are in favor of separating from the United Kingdom, while 54.3 percent are against.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761622-counts-start-in-scottish-referendum/page-3#entry8407304

[webfact]

Trains between Songkhla and the far South are suspended for 3 more days as railway staffs need more time to remove a derailed train and repair the track. /Bangkok Post

[webfact]

Scottish voters reject independence from the rest of UK, official results show by margin of almost 10 percentage points /MCOT

[webfact]

Scottish referendum: Scotland votes no to independence

(BBC) Scotland has voted to stay in the United Kingdom after voters decisively rejected independence.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761704-scotland-votes-no-to-independence/

[webfact]

PHUKET: Meteorologists say haze is 'normal'
Eakkapop Thongtub


Residents concerned over the haze covering Phuket.

PHUKET: -- The Meteorological office yesterday (September 18) advised residents of Phuket not to be concerned about the thick fog circling the sky.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761715-meteorologists-say-haze-covering-phuket-is-normal/

[webfact]

Vietnamese extortion gang sought by police

BANGKOK: -- Bang Yai police in Nonthaburi province are hunting a Vietnamese extortion gang after they rescued a Vietnamese victim from a deserted shop house safely.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761716-vietnamese-extortion-gang-sought-by-thai-police/

[webfact]

Appeals Court upholds 11-year sentence for human rights activist Somyot

BANGKOK: -- The Appeals Court on Friday upheld the prison term of a human rights activist and magazine editor Somyot Preuksakasemsuk who was earlier sentenced to eleven years in prison on less majeste charge.

The Appeals Court rejected his claim in the appeal that he did not write the two articles by himself with reason that he continued to allow the publication despite defamation contents.

The court said since he had been in the prison for a year on another defamation case against the former assistant army chief Gen Saprang Kslayanamitr, his prison term will count from last year onwards.

Somyot said he would appeal to the Supreme Court.

He was later escorted back to prison.

Somyot was in 2013 sentenced to eleven years’ imprisonment for less majeste.

His sentence drew protest from the European Union and from numerous human rights groups, including the Amnesty International , which designated him a ‘prisoner of conscience’.

Somyot is a member of the Red Shirts, a movement supporting former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was removed from power in 2006 by a coup d’etat.

In 2010, Somyot, then the editor of the magazine Voice of Thaksin, published two articles under a pseudonym critical of a fictional character interpreted by the court as representing the monarch.

The magazine later went out of business.

Somyot was arrested and imprisoned.

On 23 January 2013, the Criminal Court convicted him of lese majeste and sentenced to a total of eleven years in prison: one year for a suspended sentence for a defamation charge, and five years each for the two counts of violating Article 112, the lese majeste law.

The judge stated, “The accused is a journalist who had a duty to check the facts in these articles before publishing them. He knew the content defamed the monarchy but allowed their publication anyway”.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/appeals-court-upholds-11-year-sentence-human-rights-activist-somyot/


-- Thai PBS 2014-09-19

[webfact]

SCOTLAND
Scotland's next step? No independence but more powers
Agence France Presse


Photo : EPA

Edinburgh - Scotland may have rejected independence but will now be handed new powers by Britain which could amount to effective home rule -- though experts warn that agreeing these could be messy.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761704-scotland-votes-no-to-independence/page-2#entry8407930

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Police continue search for murderers of British tourists
By Digital Content



SURAT THANI, Sept 19 -- Police on Friday continue hunting for the murderers of two British tourists on a southern Thai island resort after DNA tests on the female victim identified as Hannah Victoria Witheridge did not match any of the suspects police interrogated earlier.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761699-koh-tao-murders-night-crime-simulation-at-sairee-beach-to-look-for-clues/page-3?p=8407994#entry8407994

[webfact]

52 foreign firms allowed to invest in September
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Sept 19 -- A total of 52 foreign firms with a combined investment of about Bt44 billion have been allowed to invest in Thailand in September, said Pongpun Gearaviriyapun, director general of the Business Development Department.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761719-52-foreign-firms-allowed-to-invest-in-thailand-in-september/

[webfact]

NCB warns customers of fraudulent scams online

BANGKOK, 19 September 2014 (NNT) - The National Credit Bureau (NCB) has warned the public to be aware of online fraudsters who claim that they are able to remove names of debtors on the NCB’s blacklist.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761721-thai-national-credit-bureau-warns-customers-of-fraudulent-scams-online/

[webfact]

Interior Ministry to overhaul Thailand's waste management system

BANGKOK, 19 September 2014 (NNT) -- The Ministry of Interior has plans to overhaul Thailand's waste management system to deal with the rapidly increasing amount of waste in big cities across the nation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761722-interior-ministry-to-overhaul-thailands-waste-management-system/

[webfact]

Thailand organizes World Spa and Well-Being Convention

BANGKOK , 19 September 2014 (NNT) - The Thai Spa Association, along with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Thailand Exhibition and Convention Bureau, has organized the World Spa and Well-Being Convention as a way to create business opportunities and connect people in the industry across the region.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761723-thailand-organizes-world-spa-and-well-being-convention/

[webfact]

Smog covers southern Thai provinces
By Digital Content



SATUN, Sept 19 -- Thick white smog, believed caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia, has covered a number of southern Thai provinces, causing poor visibility and preventing small boats from leaving shore, officials said Friday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761725-smog-covers-southern-thai-provinces/

[webfact]

SRT starts repairing damaged rail line in Songkhla

SONGKHLA, 19 September 2014 (NNT) -- The State Railway of Thailand has expressed confidence it will finish the repairs to the damaged rail line in Chana district within three days.

The derailment of a southbound train yesterday has caused damages to about 100 meters of the rail section in Chana. SRT executives are today visiting the scene of derailment to investigate the cause of the accident.

All the derailed cars are expected to be cleared out of the track today, to open ways for repairs. Authorities said they need three days to fix the track and expect the service to resume by next week.


-- NNT 2014-09-19

[webfact]

Thailand loses another great artist

BANGKOK: -- National Artist Prayat Pongdam passed away Friday morning at the age of 79 from heart failure.

One of Thailand's great printmaking pioneers, his rooster was reprinted on a Thai postage stamp. Prayat was also among the six Thai artists who created the illustrations for His Majesty the King's book "Mahajanaka".


-- The Nation 2014-09-19

[webfact]

KOH TAO'S MURDERS
More evidence found : Jaramporn

BANGKOK: -- Police on Friday claimed that several pieces of evidence have now been found at the scene where two British backpackers were brutally beaten.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761699-koh-tao-murders-night-crime-simulation-at-sairee-beach-to-look-for-clues/page-3?p=8408344#entry8408344

[webfact]

PHUKET: 2 Burmese die, 2 injured in crash
Eakkapop Thongtub


Two Burmese died and two were injured when they ran a red light this morning (September 19).

PHUKET: -- Two Burmese died and two were injured when they ran a red light and crashed into a tree early this morning (September 19) in Thalang.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761737-phuket-2-burmese-die-2-injured-in-crash/

[webfact]

Tougher inheritance tax laws to be applied against the wealthy

BANGKOK, 19 September 2014 (NNT) - Finance Minister Sommai Phasee stated that a proposal has been made to extend the inheritance tax against people who have transferred their assets to their beneficiaries two years before their death.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761748-tougher-thai-inheritance-tax-laws-to-be-applied-against-the-wealthy/