UPDATE:

Nine more victims of AirAsia crash identified

JAKARTA: -- The National Police’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team on Sunday successfully identified nine bodies onboard doomed AirAsia Flight QZ8501, which crashed into the Java Sea a week ago, according to The Jakarta Globe.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789175-prayers-held-as-weather-blocks-divers-from-airasia-site/#entry8894841

NRC will consider setting up a National Virtue Assembly

BANGKOK, 5 January 2015 (NNT)-The National Reform Council (NRC) is meeting today to discuss the raising of moral standards in society and to determine a reasonable rate for mobile phones.

The NRC will consider setting up a national virtue assembly. The role of such an assembly would be to promote good governance and virtues in the country.

It will also look into a report that was commissioned to identify the cellular cost per second of mobile phone use, at the same meeting. On Tuesday, the NRC will look at a feasibility report on the efficiency of solar roof panels for homes and other buildings.

It is also expected to consider creating a consumer protection organization independent of a government agency.


-- NNT 2015-01-05

Two senior CSD officers escorted to court for detention request

BANGKOK: -- Phaholyothin station police today escorted two Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police officers to the Criminal Court for permission to detain them for 12 days.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789230-two-senior-csd-officers-escorted-to-court-for-detention-request/

Probe into military crackdowns on red-shirt protesters in 2010 faces delay after discovery of new evidence, anti-corruption agency said. /The Nation

Condos/property development along mass transit lines under construction still popular this year;Nonthaburi (Purple Line),Thon Buri (Blue Line) set to operate by 2017. / The Nation

42 people were killed, 301 injured in 287 road accidents nationwide on Jan 4, adding up the road toll to 302 deaths and 2,843 injuries from 2,733 accidents. /Bangkok Post

Theatre group in junta crosshairs for 'defaming' Thai royals

Bangkok, Thailand | AFP |

BANGKOK: -- Forced overseas to avoid arrest for defaming the Thai monarchy, members of a theatre group say the ruling junta has mired the kingdom in a witch-hunt as it ramps up prosecutions under the country's notorious lese majeste laws.

Two people are already in custody for roles in a performance of "The Wolf Bride" -- a satire set in a fictional kingdom -- which sparked a cascade of complaints for allegedly slandering Thailand's royal family.

Police are hunting at least six others for violating "112" -- the feared article of the Thai criminal code which carries up to 15 years in jail for each count of insulting, threatening or defaming the king, queen, heir or regent.

Of those on the wanted list, at least two have fled Thailand, joining dozens of academics, activists and political opponents of the coup in self-exile amid a surge in "112" cases since royalist generals seized power in May.

"There's a fog over the kingdom," a member of the activist "Prakai Fai" (Sparking Fire) theatre group at the centre of the controversy told AFP from outside of Thailand, requesting anonymity.

"But we have to accept that Thailand still has laws that block critical opinions, laws that shut people's mouths."

The Wolf Bride was performed in October 2013, several months before the coup, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of a student uprising at Bangkok's liberal Thammasat University.

Student Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Porntip Mankong, 26, face jail after pleading guilty to a breach of article 112 for their roles -- as an actor and co-producer respectively.

They have been in custody since their arrest in August.

The case is just one of many driven through by a junta which says it must champion the monarchy -- led by revered but ailing 87-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej -- while simultaneously reshaping Thailand's political landscape.

- 'Informer state' -

But the military has led Thai society down a dark path, according to the Prakai Fai member, deliberately blurring the lines between political dissent and perceived attacks on the monarchy.

"Anyone can report on anyone else. It (112) is being used as a tool to get rid of opposition."

Taking their cues from the junta, groups of royalist volunteers are scouring social media for potential violations -- joining the ranks of state-trained "cyber-scouts" who patrol the Internet.

The self-appointed Rubbish Collectors' Organisation and the Royal Monarch Alert Protection Network, which complained to police about The Wolf Bride, both have hotlines to report possible breaches of the law.

In this atmosphere of surveillance, lese majeste charges and convictions are rising.

The Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights said 18 new arrests have been made since the coup, echoing Amnesty International who describe the number of new charges as "unprecedented".

Those figures came before the arrest of several senior police officers -- including relatives of former Princess Srirasmi -- in a corruption probe.

Many of them have been charged with royal defamation while Srirasmi has been stripped of her title, a royal name she acquired through her marriage to the Crown Prince.

Recent 112 convictions include a taxi driver jailed for two and a half years after his passenger recorded their conversation on a mobile phone, while a complaint has been levelled at a prominent historian for a speech on a Thai king who ruled more than 400 years ago.

"We can expect more and more cases," says David Streckfuss, a Thailand-based analyst, who has written widely on lese majeste.

"The most disturbing thing is it has spurred on citizens to make complaints," he said, adding the kingdom was now an "informer state".

- 'Never go back' -

The army says it was forced to seize power to end protests against the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra -- the sister of billionaire tycoon Thaksin.

The Shinawatra clan have won every election since 2001.

King Bhumibol, who endorsed May's coup but has no official political role, is seen as a unifying figure in a country beset by division.

Observers say the recent political turmoil is fired by the concern of competing elites over the kingdom's future once Bhumibol's reign ends.

The lese majeste law, one of the most draconian of its kind anywhere, prevents that uncertainty fanning out into open criticism of the monarchy.

But it also smothers debate on the validity and application of the legislation.

Even the details of cases are difficult to report, obscuring much of the legal process from the public, while judges -- and now military courts -- have discretion over convictions and sentencing.

Domestic and foreign media, including AFP, routinely self-censor all reporting linked to the Thai monarchy to avoid falling foul of the law.

Police say many scenes in The Wolf Bride appeared to be defamatory.

"But we cannot tell you what they were," national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri told AFP.

A Red Shirt intellectual, Jaran Ditapichai, who commissioned Prakai Fai for the Thammasat University commemorations, concedes he is unsurprised to have also been accused of violations of 112.

Speaking to AFP from France, where he has been granted political asylum, he said such legal moves aim to denigrate political opponents of the junta and send a clear message to the Thai public.

"When you are charged with 112 you can never go back to Thailand," he said.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-01-05

UPDATE:

Speed detectors to be deployed on city streets



BANGKOK: -- Speed detectors will now be deployed by the Metropolitan Police Bureau in its effort to reduce traffic-related deaths and serious injuries on Bangkok streets.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789071-metro-police-to-install-new-speed-detectors-this-year/#entry8895111

Abu Dhabi sandstorm leaves 500 passengers stuck in Phuket: VIDEO
Nattha Thepbamrung

PHUKET: -- Some 500 airline passengers scheduled to fly out on two Etihad Airways flights are currently stuck in Phuket because of a massive sandstorm that has also caused fog in Abu Dhabi, their destination.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789246-abu-dhabi-sandstorm-leaves-500-passengers-stuck-in-phuket-video/

Southern violence claims almost 4,000 people in 11 years



BANGKOK: -- Unrest in the three insurgency-plagued provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat and some districts of Songkhla have claimed the lives of more than 4,000 people throughout the past 11 years of violence.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789247-violence-in-southern-thailand-claims-almost-4000-people-in-11-years/

Temperature slightly increases in upper part of Thailand

BANGKOK, 5 January 2015 (NNT)-the temperature in the upper part of Thailand has increased by 1-3 degree Celsius, the Meteorological Department said.

According to the Department, the rise in temperature is due to the weakening high pressure system in this region. However, the weather generally remains cold with poor visibility in some areas.

The temperature has been forecast to go as low as 5-10 degree Celsius on the mountain tops in the North.

In the Isan region and the Central plain, the temperatures will be around 13-17 degree Celsius and 16-17 degree Celsius respectively.

People have been urged to be mindful when traveling. The lower region, from Songkhla province down toward the southernmost provinces, will experience precipitation due to the northeastern monsoon in the Gulf of Thailand.

Fishermen have been advised to remain ashore as sea conditions are not ideal.


-- NNT 2015-01-05

PDRC wants prime minister to be elected MP
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Jan 5 -- The People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) on Sunday proposed that any prime minister after the national reform is completed must be an elected member of parliament, saying it opposes a proposal by some members of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) favouring a non-partisan candidate to become prime minister in case of a political deadlock after a future general election.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789250-pdrc-wants-prime-minister-to-be-elected-mp/

Thailand's narcotics law to be amended
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Jan 5 -- Coming to the opinion that Thailand has too many narcotics laws related to punishing offenders, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) will meet later this week to consider options for revising punishment so that it could become more realistic, ONCB Secretary-General Permpong Chaovalit said today.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789257-thailands-narcotics-law-to-be-amended/

Gov't opening more public complaints outlets
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Jan 5 -- The government of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha will open more channels--including counter services at shopping malls--for accepting complaints from the Thai public following its success in resolving peoples' problems in the past six months, said Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office Panadda Diskul.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789258-thai-govt-opening-more-public-complaints-outlets/

Jay-Z and Beyonce pet baby tiger in Phuket (PHOTOS)
By Coconuts Bangkok



PHUKET: -- Baby animals, Thai traditional costume, and taking in the sights and sounds of a Muay Thai event were all things the A-list family chose to embrace on their vacation in Phuket.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789260-jay-z-and-beyonce-pet-baby-tiger-in-phuket-photos/

Rock star Pete Doherty checks out of rehab in Chon Buri
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- Rock star Pete Doherty has checked out of a rehab center in Chon Buri after apparently beating his heroin addiction.
Doherty checked out over Christmas and is now supposedly recording new music with his band mates from The Libertines at a secret location in Thailand.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789261-rock-star-pete-doherty-checks-out-of-rehab-in-thailand/

Road mishaps now claim 302 lives and 2,843 injuries in six days



BANGKOK: -- Total death toll in six days of the "seven dangerous days" now stands at 302 killed and 2,843 people injured in 2,733 accidents.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789277-six-days-of-the-seven-dangerous-days-claim-302-lives-and-2843-injuries/

UPDATE:

LEGISLATION
Punishments for drug offences to be reviewed

BANGKOK: -- An anti-drug government agency will meet this week to consider options for reviewing punishments in drug-related cases to make them more realistic.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789257-thailands-narcotics-law-to-be-amended/#entry8895720

OPINION: Coming to terms with 'climate change' in Phuket
The Phuket News


Tens of thousands have recently been displaced by floods in Thailand's Deep South, despite a relatively dry year for the rest of the country. Photo: AFP

PHUKET: -- Despite persisting downplay of climate change, reputable scientific data suggests that weather patterns on the planet are indeed fluctuating from the “norm”.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789282-coming-to-terms-with-climate-change-in-phuket-opinion/

Former actor rear-ends Honda Jazz with his Lamborghini
By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- A former actor who was convicted of raping a 16-year-old in 2004 was back in the spotlight yesterday when his Lamborghini rammed into the back of another car.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789291-former-thai-actor-rear-ends-honda-jazz-with-his-lamborghini/

Army tells public not to panic over tanks, weapons movements

BANGKOK: -- The Army Monday warned the people not to panic when they spot tanks and military equipment on roads in the night.

The Army announced that tanks and other equipment will be relocated from several camps in various provinces to the Second Cavalry Division in Bangkok Monday night for a show on National Children's Day on Saturday. The equipment will be transported back to their bases Saturday night.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Army-tells-public-not-to-panic-over-tanks-weapons--30251197.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-05

UPDATE:

Justice Minister denies rumors of calls for three chief army leaders to call it a day

BANGKOK: -- Justice Minister and Deputy Supreme Commander Paiboon Kumchaya has brushed aside rumors that the government has demanded that three military leaders step down from their positions, saying it was a hoax.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789177-general-chavalit-confirms-rumour-of-early-retirement-of-three-top-officers/#entry8896066

Thailand Asbestos ban delayed; Cabinet say 'not enough evidence'

BANGKOK: -- An article from The Bangkok Post explains on the issue involving asbestos. On the 23rd of December the cabinet had rejected a Public Health Ministry's proposal to disallow the material of asbestos, which is a type of mineral that has been linked to some serious health issues which include lung cancer, saying that there is not enough evidence of asbestos-related diseases in Thailand to forbid the mineral. Anti-asbestos groups have damned the cabinet decision to delay banning asbestos.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789301-thailand-asbestos-ban-delayed;-cabinet-say-not-enough-evidence/

MOAC Dept Min: Rubber price recovered from crisis

BANGKOK, 5 January 2015 (NNT) – The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives has stated the rubber price situation has passed the critical point, while the government is promoting domestic rubber consumption and rubber market management.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789308-moac-dept-min-thai-rubber-price-recovered-from-crisis/

Young tourists performing yoga at sacred temple criticised in Thai media
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- Foreigners showing a total lack of regard towards local customs strike again.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789309-young-tourists-performing-yoga-at-sacred-temple-criticised-in-thai-media/

Obama tests his sway against a GOP-run Congress
By JOSH LEDERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama this week will test whether he still has the sway to keep Washington focused on his own priorities, even as a new Republican-run Congress descends on the Capitol eager to take him on.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789312-obama-tests-his-sway-against-a-gop-run-congress/

Thais, Norwegians Raise Money For Evicted HIV Patients in Chonburi
By Khaosod English


A group of Thais and Norwegians who raised money for the Glory Hut Foundation visit the charity's facilities in Banglamung district, 4 Jan 2015.

CHONBURI — Thai and Norwegian business owners have raised nearly 100,000 baht to assist 48 HIV positive patients facing eviction from their homes in Chonburi province.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789316-thais-norwegians-raise-money-for-evicted-hiv-patients-in-chonburi/

Man stuck on cliff rescued



PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: -- A 38-year-old man from Kanchanaburi stuck on a cliff at Khao Tamong Lai national park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province since yesterday evening was rescued this afternoon.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789318-man-rescued-from-cliff-in-prachuap-khiri-khan/

UPDATE:

Only 4 provinces without accident death toll after 6 days

BANGKOK: -- After six days of the seven-day monitoring period for road accidents during the New Year holidays have passed, Trang, Narathiwat, Singburi and Nakhon Phanom became the only four provinces without deaths from the accidents.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789277-six-days-of-the-seven-dangerous-days-claim-302-lives-and-2843-injuries/#entry8896529

Phuket hotels warned about thief posing as maid
Saran Mitrarat


CCTV images provided by police of the wanted woman.

PHUKET: -- Police in Patong are looking for a Thai woman, aged between 40 and 50, who is wanted for a spate of thefts in hotels and guest houses along Nanai Rd.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/789326-phuket-hotels-warned-about-thief-posing-as-maid/

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