/Featured Quiz4 October - Weekly Featured Quiz - General Knowledge

[webfact]

NBTC urges people to use digital TV coupons before end of May

BANGKOK, 27 January 2015 (NNT) - The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) suggests people check whether their digital TV coupons have been sent to them yet and reminds them to use theirs before the coupons expire on 31 May 2015.

Secretary-General of the NBTC Thakorn Tantasit said those who had not received a digital TV coupon could log onto the website http://digital.nbtc.go.th to check the coupon's status by using their 11-digit house registration number. If they were eligible to receive a coupon, the website would give them a 13-digit tracking number which could be used to track their coupon at the Thailand Post's website, said Mr Thakorn.

Those who are eligible for the digital TV coupons but have not yet received it can contact a post office in their area to get their coupon in person. The coupons in the first lot will expire on 31 May this year.

People can also check their coupon status by calling NBTC hotline 1200 and the operators will check it for them immediately.


-- NNT 2015-01-27

[webfact]

Thai ex-PM impeachment could appear 'politically driven': US envoy
Bangkok, Thailand | AFP |

BANGKOK: -- A top US diplomat Monday said Yingluck Shinawatra's impeachment could be perceived as "politically driven" after meeting the former premier in Bangkok as the most senior Washington official to visit Thailand since the coup.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795159-thai-ex-pm-impeachment-could-appear-politically-driven-us-envoy/

[webfact]

PM wears khaki to note his role as a government official
The Nation


PM IN KHAKI Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha gestures while talking to reporters yesterday at Government House. The premier, who retired as Army chief last year, wore a khaki uniform for the first time in line with the protocol for civil servants

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha "made a fashion statement" yesterday, appearing in his official khaki uniform for the first time.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795161-pm-prayut-wears-khaki-to-note-his-role-as-a-government-official/

[webfact]

US: Impeachment 'politically driven'
The Nation

Top official urges military govt to lift martial law, introduce inclusive reforms

BANGKOK: -- The United States yesterday branded the former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra's impeachment as being "politically driven" and called on the junta to lift martial law as well as push for "inclusive" reform toward democracy.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795159-thai-ex-pm-impeachment-could-appear-politically-driven-us-envoy/#entry8991275

[webfact]

CONSTITUTION WATCH
CDC move to tighten govt asset, tax declarations
KRIS BHROMSUTHI
THE NATION

KEY INDEPENDENT AGENCIES TARGETED AGAIN

BANGKOK: -- THE CONSTITUTION Drafting Committee (CDC) yesterday inserted an article that requires commissioners of independent organisation to reveal their assets publicly.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795163-cdc-move-to-tighten-thai-govt-asset-tax-declarations/

[webfact]

Big changes backed for state enterprises
Warin Trino
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The State Enterprise Policy Commission or 'Superboard' gave a green light yesterday to a reform plan for state enterprises through a centralised structure in a bid to tighten operational efficiency and good governance.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795164-thailand-big-changes-backed-for-state-enterprises/

[webfact]

Credit union calls for new DSI probe
The Nation


Victims of the Klongchan Credit Union embezzlement case rally in front of the Department of Special Investigation office in Bangkok yesterday, calling for a new set of investigators. The victims, who lost Bt16 billion in savings

Agency agrees to set up new team after slow progress on Klongchan fraud case

BANGKOK: -- VICTIMS OF the Klongchan Credit Union embezzlement case submitted a plea to the Department of Special Investigation yesterday asking that a new set of investigators replace the incumbent team because of its slow progress and alleged inefficiency.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795166-credit-union-calls-for-new-dsi-probe/

[webfact]

OBITUARY
Veteran sculptor succumbs to heart disease
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- AFTER SUFFERING from heart disease for 13 years, veteran wood sculptor Saiyart Semangern died yesterday aged 70. His funeral was held at Wat Bumpen Tai in Bangkok's Min Buri district.

Named winner of the 2008 Silpathorn Award by the Culture Ministry, Saiyart was praised for his unique wooden sculptures and customised furniture made from recycled wood in both rustic and refined styles.

One of his trademarks was the use of an age-old technique of joining sections of wood without nails by using wood reclaimed from buffalo carts, ploughs and rice barges.

Saiyart's frail heart had long troubled him - he had stopped breathing for six minutes during his first operation a decade ago.

"I've made peace in my mind, but at the same time I have to fight to stay alive," he said in an interview in 2006.

Born in Ayutthaya, he was interested in carpentry as a child and graduated in construction from Uthenthawai College in 1963. In the 1970s, he worked overseas with the renowned firm Castellini and realised that Thailand had great potential to revive its old woodworking traditions.

He returned home to devote his time to his passion for art and crafts and began to exhibit his sculpture and furniture at home and abroad.

"The thing I'm proud of most is being Thai. Our country has a long history and rich culture, and we have all the resources, but we tend to look elsewhere. I was determined to carry on the local traditions."

Under the brand Saiyart Collection, his furniture and sculptures were highly coveted by collectors.

In his native Ayutthaya, he found a trove of material in unused old rice barges. He also collected other discarded wooden products as well - high chairs, tubs, dilapidated animal sculptures, house pillars and even dead trees.

"Wood is a natural element that for all time has lived rooted in the earth. I believe humans are also a product of the soil. My task has been to bring the value of the material to light. Simply choosing the used material to be re-born as artwork requires imagination and innovation."

While his son Dusit is carrying on the craft, Saiyart acknowledged that woodwork was a dying art. Though his work wasn't cheap, being a woodworker wasn't as rewarding as pursuing other fields of art. So Saiyart had yet to fulfil his ambition to build a museum, and his hefty medical bills endangered his dream.

"Young people these days only think about how to get rich quickly. They lack one significant virtue in life: being diligent. It's time-consuming to accomplish just a single artwork. A painter can paint, dry the piece and then sell it. But being a woodworker is arduous," he once told The Nation.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Veteran-sculptor-succumbs-to-heart-disease-30252701.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-27

[webfact]

Govt eyes loan of Bt40 bn for drought jobs
Erich Parpart
The Nation

Ministry hopes short-term measure will help farmers through the dry season

BANGKOK: -- The finance Ministry may borrow Bt40 billion to provide temporary work for farmers during the dry season, Deputy Finance Minister Wisut Srisuphan said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795167-thai-govt-eyes-loan-of-bt40-bn-for-drought-jobs/

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Govt must respect the right to political asylum
The Nation

Thai fugitives fleeing politically motivated lese majeste charges have the right to sanctuary abroad

BANGKOK: -- Political asylum" is defined as protection afforded by a nation to foreigners who flee political persecution in their own country. The right to political asylum has been recognised for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Greece.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795169-thai-govt-must-respect-the-right-to-political-asylum/

[webfact]

STREET WISE
No country for old men - and reform must tackle that too
Achara Deboonme

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok is quieter than usual. Despite the larger number of vehicles, traffic is light after 10pm. On weekends, shoppers at malls start to flee home from 8pm.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795170-thai-opinion-no-country-for-old-men-and-reform-must-tackle-that-too/

[webfact]

The state of the pivot: A missed American opportunity
Curtis S Chin
Special to The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Just days after US President Barack Obama delivered his annual State of the Union address, the American public may well have been surprised to find the US leader in Asia, namely India, for a landmark visit following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to the United States last September.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795171-the-state-of-the-pivot-a-missed-american-opportunity/

[webfact]

Prayut dismisses rumor of THAI going bankrupt

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha today denied rumor that Thai Airways International, the country’s flag carrier, is going bankrupt but admitted that it is undergoing financial rehabilitation to lower cost and increase income.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795172-prayut-dismisses-rumor-of-thai-going-bankrupt/

[webfact]

Two arrested for Phuket pharmacy robberies
Nattapat Tuarob


The duo look less than dynamic as Gen Patchara examines their gun, a replica.

PHUKET: -- Police caught two robbers today (January 26) just hours after they robbed a pharmacy in Patong at gunpoint in the early hours of the morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795175-two-arrested-for-phuket-pharmacy-robberies/

[webfact]

Electronic monitoring effective for minor offenders, Justice Ministry says
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- No violations by offenders wearing electronic monitoring (EM) bracelets have been identified since the system was introduced in March last year, a senior Justice Ministry official said on Monday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795176-electronic-monitoring-effective-for-minor-offenders-thai-justice-ministry-says/

[webfact]

NRC's reform blueprint 'could take 6 months'
NITIPOL KIRAVANICH
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL Reform Council (NRC)'s committee on a vision towards Thailand's future yesterday adopted a "cross-cutting reform" strategy for better and more coordinated work between areas of reform and related agencies.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795177-nrcs-reform-blueprint-could-take-6-months/

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Unusual circumstances open door to unusual occurrences
CHULARAT SAENGPASSA

BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL Legislative Assembly (NLA)'s decision to impeach former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra last week was stunning in that it marked several firsts for the country - not all of them positive.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795178-unusual-circumstances-open-door-to-unusual-occurrences/

[webfact]

Small schools to be merged instead of shut down
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Education Ministry has decided to merge hundreds of small schools in the country instead of shutting them down, Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary-general Kamol Rodklai said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795179-small-thai-schools-to-be-merged-instead-of-shut-down/

[webfact]

Demand for Narong's transfer
The Nation


Dr Narong Sahamethapat

BANGKOK: -- The Rural Doctors' Society (RDS) yesterday demanded that Dr Narong Sahamethapat be removed from his post as Health Ministry's permanent secretary.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795180-demand-for-narongs-transfer/

[webfact]

Expressway to Pattaya to be canceled after consulting with communities
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- An expensive infrastructure project is abandoned in response to strong objections from affected communities.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795181-bangkok-expressway-to-pattaya-to-be-canceled-after-consulting-with-communities/

[webfact]

Thailand’s long legs come up short
By Coconuts Bangkok


Miss Thailand, Pimbongkod “Ellie” Chankaew. Photo: T-Pageant

BANGKOK: -- Another year, another Thai beauty returns to the kingdom uncrowned.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795183-miss-universe-pagent-thailands-long-legs-come-up-short/

[webfact]

Mystery over death of Irish man in Thailand

BURIRAM: -- QUESTIONS have been raised over the circumstances surrounding the death of an Irish man in Thailand.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795185-mystery-over-death-of-irish-man-in-buriram/

[webfact]

Eurozone looks for dialogue after stunning Greece elections
By RAF CASERT and PAN PYLAS

BRUSSELS (AP) — For a man long seen as the eurozone's worst nightmare, Alexis Tsipras has had a smooth first day as prime minister of Greece.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795186-eurozone-looks-for-dialogue-after-stunning-greece-elections/

[webfact]

Snowstorm threatens to paralyze the crowded Northeast US
By MEGHAN BARR

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 35 million people along the Philadelphia-to-Boston corridor rushed to get home and settle in Monday as a fearsome storm swirled in with the potential for hurricane-force winds and 1 to 3 feet of snow that could paralyze the Northeast for days.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795188-snowstorm-threatens-to-paralyze-the-crowded-northeast-us/

[webfact]

Kurds celebrate ousting Islamic State fighters from Kobani
By ZEINA KARAM

BEIRUT (AP) — Jubilant Kurdish fighters ousted Islamic State militants from the key Syrian border town of Kobani on Monday after a four-month battle — a significant victory for both the Kurds and the U.S.-led coalition.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795191-kurds-celebrate-ousting-islamic-state-fighters-from-kobani/

[webfact]

Drone crashes at White House; hobbyist says it's his
By JOSH LEDERMAN and JOAN LOWY

WASHINGTON (AP) — A two-foot-long drone apparently flown by a hobbyist crashed on the White House grounds Monday in an extraordinary, if unintended, breach that raised fresh questions about the president's security — and a growing threat from the sky.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795193-drone-crashes-at-white-house;-hobbyist-says-its-his/

[webfact]

US announces charges in New York Russian spy ring case
TOM HAYS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Three Russian citizens were charged Monday in connection with a Cold War-style Russian spy ring that spoke in code, passed messages concealed in bags and magazines, and tried to recruit people with ties to an unnamed New York City university, authorities said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/795195-us-announces-charges-in-new-york-russian-spy-ring-case/

[webfact]

Phu Phra Bat Park nominated for Unesco Heritage Site list

LOPBURI: -- The Culture Ministry has decided to nominate Udon Thani's Phu Phra Bat Park as a Unesco World Heritage Site and will put the plan up for consideration at Parliament tomorrow.

Situated in Ban Phue district, the park features ruins and objects dating back to pre-historic times as well as to the Dvaravati, Lopburi, and Lan Xang periods.

The 1,200-acre site is located in the lush Phu Phra Bat Buabok Forest Park, where there are many peculiarly shaped rocks owing to slow-moving glaciers millions of years ago. Also, many of the ruins and objects - such as a rock shaped to look like a stupa and another chiselled to the shape of a foot - were not made entirely by hand.

Visitors can also admire the pre-historic paintings, sandstone images and idols. The Fine Arts Department declared the site a historical park in 1991.

Once the proposal is approved in Parliament, the Culture Ministry will submit the nomination to Unesco's World Heritage head office in Paris on February 1, before preparing for the final presentation on December 1. Unesco will announce its decision on June 1 next year.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Phu-Phra-Bat-Park-nominated-for-Unesco-Heritage-Si-30252736.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-27

[webfact]

822 children caught hand-foot-and-mouth disease in just 19 days since start of year

BANGKOK, 27 Jan 2015, (NNT) - 822 children have fallen ill with hand-foot-and-mouth disease in just 19 days since the beginning of the year, says the Ministry of Public Health.

According to health officials, the figure was not out of the norm for the cold season, when the disease is easily spread, although it was significant enough to prompt the Public Health Ministry to warn the public to exercise caution.

People are urged to wash their hands often and to keep children's toys and bedrooms clean. Infected children must take leave from school to avoid spreading the disease. Schools are being asked to send children with symptoms home.

Health officials said that although easily transmitted, hand-foot-and-mouth disease generally does not cause severe symptoms in those infected; patients usually have a hard time eating and swallowing.

-- NNT 2015-01-27

[webfact]

Bitcoin Prices Soar 19% on the Week
BY JACOB MASLOW

Bitcoin prices are on the rise. Over the last week, the prices of bitcoin rose by 19%.

Full story: http://www.streetwisejournal.com/bitcoin-prices-soar-19-week/5291/