RT @RichardBarrow: Please note, the “Concert in the Park” in Lumpini this Sunday is CANCELLED http://bangkoksymphony.org/V5/Concert%20in%20the%20Park/concertinthepark.html #Bangkok #Thailand

Thai Billionaire’s Debt Spree Evokes Asian Crisis Memory
By David Yong

A borrowing spree by Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont that raised debt to almost six times equity is adding to mounting corporate liabilities and reviving memories of the 1997 Asian crisis.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783755-thai-billionaires-debt-spree-evokes-asian-crisis-memory/

RT @RichardBarrow: Join “Bangkok Wild Watch” today at Lumpini Park from 7am to noon #Bangkok #Thailand http://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/543578101016322048/photo/1

RT @Aim_TH: . Gasohol 91 is the cheapest and most popular but the Energy Ministry has floated the idea to scrap it: Dr Anusorn Sangnimnual.

RT @Aim_TH: Energy Ministry's stat first half of 2014: Thais use 22 million liters of benzene/ gasohol a day. Over 90% is gasohol.

RT @RichardBarrow: A PTT gas station in Saraburi has opened a 20B air-conditioned toilet - http://m.pantip.com/topic/32972973 #Thailand #ttot http://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/543591808731992064/photo/1

The Pirate Bay is back online…kind of

After being taken offline earlier this week, The Pirate Bay has been brought back to life by the team behind another popular file sharing site, iSO Hunt.

Read more: http://tech.thaivisa.com/pirate-bay-back-kind/

Chinese Couple, Throwing Hot Water And Threatening to Blow Up The Plane Force Return To Bangkok

Charles Liu

BANGKOK: -- Raucous behavior by some Chinese passengers on-board a Thai airliner from Bangkok to Nanjing resulted in some tense moments for passengers and a return to Don Mueang Airport in the Thai capital.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783791-chinese-couple-throwing-hot-water-and-threatening-to-blow-up-plane-force-return-to-bangkok/

UPDATE:

Thai flight forced to return by unruly Chinese passengers

Bangkok | AFP |

A low-cost flight carrying passengers from Thailand to China was forced to return to Bangkok after a Chinese passenger threw hot water at a cabin attendant, the airline said Saturday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783791-chinese-couple-throwing-hot-water-and-threatening-to-blow-up-the-plane-force-return-to-bangkok/#entry8796757

Govt. to forge forward with its human trafficking eradication campaign

BANGKOK, 13 Dec 2014, (NNT) - The Government has invited various international human rights watch organizations to observe Thailand’s current anti-human trafficking measures, after the United States dropped the country to Tier 3, the lowest ranking for its efforts to tackle the issue.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783794-govt-to-forge-forward-with-its-human-trafficking-eradication-campaign/

2 more districts in Loie Province declared cold disaster zones

LOIE, 13 Dec 2014, (NNT) - Officials have declared 2 more districts in Loie Province cold disaster zones; meanwhile, the Public Relations Department (PRD) handed out donated blankets and stationary to locals and students in cold struck areas in Nan Province.

The donation caravan, which left Bangkok for Nan since Thursday, arrived at its destination in Bor Klua District yesterday: officials planned hand out the donated blankets to various schools in the area today.

Meanwhile, Phu Kradueng and Phu Ruea Districts of Loie have been declared as cold disaster zones after the temperature in the areas has dropped to 9 degree Celsius, affecting more than 130,000 residents. Although the local administration officials have distributed about 16,000 blankets to the locals, many of the cold victims are still in need of winter clothing.

The Department of Meteorological has recently predicted that temperatures in Thailand’s Northern and Northeastern Region would further drop by 2-4 degrees Celsius in the next few days, as a result of the high pressure trough from Vietnam and Laos.

-- NNT 2014-12-13

Financial institutions Act passes third hearing by NLA

BANGKOK, 13 December 2014 (NNT) – The financial institutes bill has passed the third hearing by the National Legislative Assembly by a vote of 174, with four abstentions.

NLA Vice President Surachai Liengboonlertchai presided over the meeting to deliberate the financial institutions act, which had already been approved by the NLA's extraordinary committee on the draft bill, chaired by Mr. Siriphon Yotmuangcharoen. The NLA's main body agreed to further process the draft of the bill as there were no changes made in Articles one, two and three.

No NLA member had requested amendments to the draft, the meeting therefore resolved to make the bill into law, by a vote of 174 with four abstentions.

-- NNT 2014-12-13

Geminid Meteor Shower at the Stonehenge of Thailand



Venue: Mor Hin Khao, Phu Laen Kha National Park in Chaiyaphum

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783795-geminid-meteor-shower-at-the-stonehenge-of-thailand/

UPDATE:

Phuea Thai proposes new charter do away with Constitutional Court, banning of party executives

BANGKOK, 13 December 2014 (NNT) – The Phuea Thai Party has proposed doing away with the Constitutional Court and the banning of party executives who were not directly involved with wrongdoings from politics, during a meeting between party representatives and the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783729-pheu-thai-against-granting-amnesty-to-those-accused-of-lese-majeste/#entry8796924

UPDATE:

Government launches tough suppression on human trade

BANGKOK, 13 December 2014 (NNT) -- The Thai government has vowed to step up its cracking down on human trafficking, with focusing on officials involved with those rings.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783794-govt-to-forge-forward-with-its-human-trafficking-eradication-campaign/#entry8797101

BANGKOK: -- Her Royal Highness Princess Srirasm, the Royal Consort to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, has stepped down from her royal title.

According to an announcement signed by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and published in the Royal Gazette dated December 11 and released Friday, the Royal Consort has formally requested resignation from her royal noble title from His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn. The resignation was referred to His Majesty the King and was royally permitted.

Meanwhile Daily News Online reported that after her resignation from the royal title, the Crown Prince has bestowed on her the title of “Thanphuying” and was given the new name of Thanphuying Busaba Suwadi.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/77259

-- Thai PBS 2014-12-13

She has also divorced from the Crown Prince with the presence of the privy councillors as witnesses

Eight dead, 100 missing in Indonesian landslide

Eight people are dead and 100 missing on Indonesia's main island of Java. Photo Jose Javier Martin Espartosa.

INDONESIA: A landslide triggered by torrential downpours has killed at least eight people and left 100 missing on Indonesia's main island of Java, an official said today (December 13).

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783814-eight-dead-100-missing-in-indonesian-landslide/

Samui Times readers invited to turn the Expat Food Shop into their own Fantasy Food Shop

KOH SAMUI: -- The opening of the Expat Food Shop has been a bit of a dream come true for many Brits and other expats living in Koh Samui, and although some goods can be found in other places there is no other place that has so many imported goods under one roof.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783817-samui-times-readers-invited-to-turn-the-expat-food-shop-into-their-own-fantasy-food-shop/

Man faces deportation as UK wife's salary too low

A man faces deportation from the UK after a judge said his British wife's salary was not high enough.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783820-man-faces-deportation-as-uk-wifes-salary-too-low/

Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn divorces his wife
Bangkok, Thailand | AFP |

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's crown prince has divorced his wife, in a dramatic fall from grace for a senior princess at a time of heightened anxiety over the health of the country's revered but ailing monarch.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783827-crown-prince-maha-vajiralongkorn-divorces-his-wife/

RT @RichardBarrow: Over 2,000 runners are taking part in the U-Tapao Ripley’s Run today. There are many foreigners here too #Thailand http://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/543657576039059456/photo/1

Facebook may add a “dislike” button

Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, says that the company is considering ways in which they could implement a “Dislike” mechanism. At a recent event in California, he said that it’s one of the features most often requested by users, who have repeatedly said there should be a way to express dissatisfaction about posts.

Read more: http://tech.thaivisa.com/facebook-may-add-like-button/

Message of triumph: Tsunami documentary to be screened in Phuket

Alasdair Forbes

PHUKET: Among the many events being staged on the island and in Phang Nga to mark the 10th Anniversary of the Asian Tsunami on December 26, are a number of personal efforts to create memorials.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783830-message-of-triumph-tsunami-documentary-to-be-screened-in-phuket/

PM positive on White School project

BANGKOK, 13 December 2014 (NNT) – The Prime Minister of Thailand has reiterated that the White School project will make the younger generation become more honest and will help tackle the nation's corruption issues.

The Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has mentioned about the White School project: ‘Grow up good’ curriculum in his televised broadcast program.

He said that the project will implement five core principles of honesty to teach the students, including "honesty" which is to uphold the truth and goodness, "social responsibility" which is to think and act for best benefits of the public first, "social fairness" which teaches not to discriminate any person and "sufficiency living" which is to live moderately and uphold His Majesty’s Sufficiency Economy principle in their daily lives.

The Prime Minister stated that this curriculum will instill morality to children starting from kindergarten to high school students to have the right morals for the materialistic world and a capitalist trend. He said that this will be the foundation to fight against corruption.

-- NNT 2014-12-13

Joint effort to stamp out drug trafficking underway

BANGKOK: -- Drug traffickers are now increasingly using Mekong river to smuggle drugs out to other parts of the world as the river flows through many countries in the Indochina region.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783833-joint-effort-to-stamp-out-drug-trafficking-underway/

Prayut to introduce CoST system to tackle corruption efficiently

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha reiterated his government's strong determination to rid corruption off the Thai societies with call for all people to help.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783834-prayut-to-introduce-cost-system-to-tackle-corruption-efficiently/

Child abuser from North Yorkshire flees to Thailand
by Megi Rychlikova

A British man is on the run in Thailand from a six-year prison sentence for sexually abusing children during riding lessons.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783845-child-abuser-from-north-yorkshire-flees-to-thailand/

UPDATE:

17 dead, nearly 100 missing in Indonesian landslide: official

JEMBLUNG, Indonesia, Dec 13, 2014 (AFP) - Torrential downpours triggered a landslide on Indonesia's main island of Java, killing at least 17 people and leaving nearly 100 others missing, with persistent rain hampering rescue efforts, officials said Saturday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783814-eight-dead-100-missing-in-indonesian-landslide/#entry8798091

Angelina Jolie diagnosed with chicken pox

Los Angeles - Hollywood star Angelina Jolie revealed she has been diagnosed with chicken pox, and will withdraw from her public events schedule until cured.

"I just wanted to be clear and honest about why I will be missing the ’Unbroken’ events in the next few days, which is that I found out last night that I have chicken pox," Jolie said in a video released by Universal Pictures Friday.

"So, I will be home itching and missing everyone and I can’t believe it ’cause this film means so much to me."

The 39-year-old actor/director got caught in the Sony email-hack scandal when several exchanges were published recently from a producer disparaging her talent.

Her latest directorial outing, "Unbroken," will premiere December 15 in Los Angeles.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Angelina-Jolie-diagnosed-with-chicken-pox-30249775.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-13

Palace Gives 200 Mil Baht To Ex-Princess

By Khaosod Eng.

BANGKOK — His Majesty the King has granted 200 million baht to the Crown Prince's wife after she relinquished her royal status in an announcement late last night.

According to a statement released by the Royal Household Bureau today, King Bhumibol has agreed to bestow the money to Srirasmi as requested by her husband, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn.

"His Majesty the King showed kindness by bestowing a sum of 200,000,000 baht [to Srirasmi] to assist her cost of living and her family," the statement says.

Srirasmi, who married the Crown Prince in 2001, resigned from her status as a member of the Royal Family on Friday night, following the arrests of many of her relatives on corruption and lese majeste charges.

Read more: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1418468706&section=11&typecate=06

-- Khaosod English 2014-12-13

UPDATE:

English Child Abuser Hiding In Thailand
Published by Stickboy BKK

BANGKOK: -- An English judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of a convicted child abuser on the run in Thailand from a six-year prison sentence.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783845-child-abuser-from-north-yorkshire-flees-to-thailand/#entry8798445