Thailand Live Thursday 20 Nov 2014

[webfact]

Two ministers added to Cabinet lineup

BANGKOK, 20 November 2014 (NNT) – Two new deputy ministers have been officially appointed to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has issued a royal command endorsing Mr Wisut Srisuphan as the Deputy Minister of Finance and Mr Amnuay Patisae as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives with an immediate effect.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha commented during his recent visit to Khon Kaen province that he had earlier proposed his nominations of Mr Wisut and Mr Amnuay to their respective posts for His Majesty’s endorsement. Nonetheless, he remarked that he would evaluate the government’s performance at the beginning of next year in order to determine whether more adjustments to the Cabinet lineup would be needed.

Mr Wisut is considered a notable figure in the Finance Ministry as his previous positions included Finance Minister’s Advisor, Acting Permanent Secretary for Finance and Director-General of the Customs Department. Meanwhile, Mr Amnuay used to serve as Deputy Prime Minister’s Advisor and Deputy Finance Minister.


-- NNT 2014-11-20

[webfact]

Over 700 motorcyclists arrested and fined in first day of crackdown on footpath riding

BANGKOK: -- The first day of the crackdown on motorcyclists riding on footpaths netted more than 700 violators, metropolitan police said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777791-over-700-motorcyclists-arrested-and-fined-in-first-day-of-crackdown-on-footpath-riding/

[webfact]

Buddha Forbids State Oversight of Temples' Coffers, Buddhist Group Claims
By Khaosod English


Soldiers confiscated nearly one million baht in cash and several firearms during a surprise raid on a Buddhist temple in Sukhotai province, 26 Sept 2014.

BANGKOK — Disciples of a prominent Buddhist saint in northeastern Thailand have denounced a proposal that would allow the state to investigate treasuries of Buddhist temples across Thailand.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777843-buddha-forbids-state-oversight-of-temples-coffers-buddhist-group-claims/

[webfact]

MOFA: German businesses keen on investing in Thailand



BANGKOK, 20 November 2014 (NNT) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that a group of prominent businessmen from Germany have expressed interest in increasing trade and investment in Thailand.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777844-mofa-german-businesses-keen-on-investing-in-thailand/

[webfact]

Thai crusade pays off as looted treasures return from US museum
PHATARAWADEE PHATARANAWIK
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- TWENTY-SIX years after the return of the Narai Stone lintel from the Art Institute of Chicago to Thailand, the US government has again officially handed over more ancient artefacts to the Kingdom.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777846-thai-crusade-pays-off-as-looted-treasures-return-from-us-museum/

[webfact]

'Police failed to do their duty in body parts case'
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- THE POLICE who briefly detained and questioned two Americans found attempting to courier human body parts via DHL should face charges of dereliction of duty for failing to charge them with filing false information during delivery registration, Lawyers' Council of Thailand chairman Dej-udom Krairit said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777847-thai-police-failed-to-do-their-duty-in-body-parts-case/

[webfact]

Gender equality 'still not substantive'
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

Experts say women in deep South still facing risks as authorities look away due to religious differences

BANGKOK: -- THOUGH senior government officials and NGOs from more than 50 countries met in Bangkok this week to review progress and renew pledges to fight for gender equality, women in the deep South continue to face more threats than Thai women elsewhere, Angkhana Neelapaijit, chief of Justice for Peace Foundation, said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777848-deep-south-gender-equality-still-not-substantive/

[webfact]

ECONOMIC
Junta adviser argues against economic stimulus
The Nation


Somkid

BANGKOK: -- The government could come under pressure to shift the economy out of idle, but gross domestic product should grow on its fundamentals, not from an injection of capital, Somkid Jatusripitak, an adviser to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777849-thai-govt-adviser-argues-against-economic-stimulus/

[webfact]

ECONOMY
Report forecasts 3.5% growth in 2015
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation


Ian Pascoe

BANGKOK: -- The economy is expected to show stronger growth of 3.5 per cent next year after stumbling at an estimated 1 per cent this year - but that is still less than its sustainable rate of 4 per cent, according to Grant Thornton.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777850-thai-economy-report-forecasts-35-percent-growth-in-2015/

[webfact]

TOT
TOT to offload all shares in dormant JVs as part of revamp
Usanee Mongkolporn
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- TOT is streamlining its organisation and will divest all of its shares in 11 joint ventures as part of its restructuring plan to improve efficiency and performance and focus on its core businesses.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777851-tot-to-offload-all-shares-in-dormant-jvs-as-part-of-revamp/

[webfact]

Superstition suspected
Kamonchanok Teekakul
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- POLICE now suspect that superstition might be behind two Americans' recent attempts to smuggle stolen human body parts out of Thailand - including a skin patch tattooed with spiritual lettering.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777852-superstition-suspected-behind-americans-attempts-to-smuggle-stolen-body-parts-out-of-thailand/

[webfact]

National parks dept 'objects' to Mae Wong Dam
Janjira Pongrai,
Wasu Vipoosanapat
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- AMID A LACK of clarity over the controversial Mae Wong Dam's Environmental Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) report, the Department of National Parks, Wild-life and Plant Conservation (DNP) has also officially objected to the dam.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777853-national-parks-dept-objects-to-mae-wong-dam/

[webfact]

Lawyer protests detention
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A lawyer representing two Myanmar men accused of killing a British couple on Surat Thani's Koh Tao in mid-September, yesterday objected to the continued detention of the duo.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777855-koh-tao-murders-lawyer-protests-myanmar-men-detention/

[webfact]

Bribe checks on land offices
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Land Department will soon ask for information from the National Anti-Corruption Commission, following a recent survey that land offices were the most corrupt, taking almost Bt2 billion in bribes.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777857-bribe-checks-on-land-offices-in-thailand/

[webfact]

Illegal resort in Srinakarind national park seized

BANGKOK: -- About 100 national park officials and army troops today (Wednesday) seized a resort found to have encroached on Srinakarind dam national park.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777858-illegal-resort-in-srinakarind-national-park-seized/

[webfact]

Bring your own umbrella is okay – officials
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Officials say tourists may bring their own umbrellas to the beach.

PHUKET: Officials announced yesterday (November 19) that tourists may bring their own personal umbrellas to the beach.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777860-phuket-officials-say-tourists-may-bring-their-own-umbrellas-to-the-beach/

[webfact]

Nation TV pushes 'Bike Thailand' agenda
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- LAUNCHED by Nation Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and its allies, the Nation Bike Thailand project aims to ensure that bike lanes materialise across the country and a national network of bicycle enthusiasts blossoms.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777861-nation-tv-pushes-bike-thailand-agenda/

[webfact]

Ebola and poor global economy cause car production to drop



BANGKOK: -- Global economic slowdown and Ebola have slashed automobile production forecast for this year to no more than two million units compared to earlier production forecast of 2.2 million units, according to Mr Surapong Paisitpatthanapong, spokesman of the automobile sector of the Federation of Thai Industries.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777862-ebola-and-poor-global-economy-cause-thailands-car-production-to-drop/

[webfact]

Info gathering in South
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Defence Minister General Udomdech Sitabutr yesterday urged officers in the South to work harder on intelligence gathering and create better understanding among the public.

This followed the discovery of banners threatening to retaliate against the authorities by killing more Buddhists. The banners were found at four locations in Pattani, as well as six locations in Yala. On Monday, similar banners were found at four sites in Narathiwat.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Info-gathering-in-South-30248151.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-20

[webfact]

Harbor Officials make urgent inspections of speedboats at Pattaya Port



PATTAYA: -- Following the recent marine incident involving a speedboat carrying Turkish Tourists, which sunk off the coast of Pattaya, Harbor officials conducted urgent inspections of speed boats at the Pattaya Port early on Wednesday Morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777864-harbor-officials-make-urgent-inspections-of-speedboats-at-pattaya-port/

[webfact]

Indian arrested following Jet Ski Crash on Pattaya Beach



PATTAYA: -- A 30 year old Indian Tourist was arrested on Wednesday evening after he is alleged to have lost control of his rented Jet Ski which left the water at high speed and hit two other foreign tourists sitting on deckchairs on the Beach.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777866-indian-tourist-arrested-following-jet-ski-crash-on-pattaya-beach/

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Four dead, 47 injured in Ayutthaya crash
The Nation



THE BANGKOK Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday confirmed that it would take care of officials who were injured in a road accident yesterday in Ayutthaya's Bang Pahan district.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777652-three-killed-30-injured-in-bus-pickup-crash-in-ayutthaya/page-3?p=8694844#entry8694844

[webfact]

Islamic State: Second Frenchman in killing video named

(BBC) France has named a second Frenchman in a video showing the killing of Syrian prisoners by Islamic State (IS) militants as Mickael Dos Santos, 22.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777868-second-frenchman-in-is-video-named/

[webfact]

Deadly snowstorm hits northern US

(BBC) A massive snowstorm has wreaked havoc in the north-eastern US and left seven people dead, five in upstate New York.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777869-deadly-snowstorm-hits-northern-us/

[webfact]

New Bill Cosby TV show scrapped by NBC

(BBC) US TV network NBC has scrapped a proposed project with comedian Bill Cosby after accusations that he sexually assaulted women resurfaced.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777870-new-bill-cosby-tv-show-scrapped-by-nbc/

[webfact]

Julien Blanc: UK denies visa to 'pick-up artist'

(BBC) Controversial US "pick-up artist" Julien Blanc has been barred from entering the UK by the Home Office.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777872-julien-blanc-uk-denies-visa-to-pick-up-artist/

[webfact]

Chinese pair with combined age of 217 are 'the oldest couple in the world'
Ping Muhu, who turned 109 this week, celebrated his birthday with wife Zhang Zinniu at his side, who is 108

CHINA: -- A Chinese pair with a combined age of 217 are thought to be the oldest living couple in the world.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777874-chinese-pair-with-combined-age-of-217-are-the-oldest-couple-in-the-world/

[webfact]

PM leans to referendum, but others dubious
The Nation

Prayut backs plebiscite on new charter

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha has not ruled out a public referendum on the new constitution, saying the decision would depend on how the situation develops, while he has already embraced public participation in the charter-drafting process.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777893-pm-prayut-leans-to-referendum-but-others-dubious/

[webfact]

PM faces anti-coup gesture in his first Northeast visit
The Nation

Five law students sneak past security in Khon Kaen to oppose power seizure

BANGKOK: -- During the prime minister's first visit to the Northeast, five student activists yesterday stole the show by making their way to the front of the stage and launching a protest against the coup and its leader, General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777899-pm-faces-anti-coup-gesture-in-his-first-isaan-visit/

[webfact]

'Hunger Games' sequel cancelled
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Special previews set for today at two cinemas in Siam Square of the latest in the series idolised by coup protesters, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1", have been abruptly cancelled.

The anti-coup movement has adopted the movie's three-finger salute as a symbolic gesture in their rallies against the military government.

At Scala Theatre, 160 seats had been booked by a group calling themselves the "Thammasat University Liberals for Democracy". They reportedly named their campaign "Raise three fingers, Net popcorn and Enter the theatre" and scheduled noon showings at Scala and Lido theatres.

On the website of Thai-language Matichon daily, the organisers noted that the cancellation, explained to them by the staff of the Apex movie chain that owns both theatres, could have followed from an anti-coup protest in front of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha during a speech he was making at a government-hosted event in Khon Kaen.

Another film, "Magic in the Moonlight" by Hollywood director Woody Allen, has been substituted for "Mockingjay", the website said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Hunger-Games-sequel-cancelled-30248173.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-20