Thailand Live Thursday 5 Mar 2015

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Vice Admiral Taratorn Thinsuwan Employs Wife and Daughter in 4 Roles

Members of the National Legislative Assembly have been asked to retroactively terminate relative-employment back to March 1^st.

Vice Admiral Taratorn Thinsuwan, a member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), has employed his wife and daughter, according to contractual documents. The employment sparked concern because the admiral’s wife has been employed for three separate roles, while his daughter has been employed for one role.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805776-vice-admiral-taratorn-thinsuwan-employs-wife-and-daughter-in-4-roles/

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German man dies in apparent suicide

Bangkok:- A 43-year-old German resident in Bangkok was found dead at his Lard Prao house Wednesday afternoon after he told his Thai wife to go to a temple to make merit on Makha Bucha Day.

The wife, Kanyakorn Huadbamrung, 21, told police that she returned home from a temple to find Helmut Alfred Breidenaged had already killed himself by covering his head with a plastic bed and lying down on his bed. She said her husband was under tension after he had financial difficulty.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805779-german-man-dies-in-apparent-suicide/

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Adelaide mum appeals for funds to bring 'trapped' father home from Thailand hospital

ADELAIDE: -- A former Darwin school teacher has been left "trapped" in a Thai hospital, with no money left to pay his bills or find a way back to Australia where he can get the treatment he requires.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805785-australian-mum-appeals-for-funds-to-bring-trapped-father-home-from-thailand-hospital/

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TAT: Domestic tourism sector may not achieve its target growth this Songkran

BANGKOK, 5 Mar 2015, (NNT) - The domestic tourism sector might grow less than 10% growth during this year’s Songkran holiday as earlier predicted, thanks to the slowing economy, says the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805791-tat-domestic-tourism-sector-may-not-achieve-its-target-growth-this-songkran/

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UPDATE:

State agencies asked to cut back on study trips abroad

BANGKOK, 5 March 2015 (NNT) – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has told state agencies to cut back on foreign study trips in order to save on budget, according to Deputy Government Spokesperson Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805496-senior-officials-should-fly-in-economy-class-pm-prayut-says/page-2#entry9147389

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Commerce Ministry to auction aged rice after legal procedures finish

BANGKOK, 5 Mar 2015, (NNT) - According to the Ministry of Commerce, degenerate rice in government stock which is currently being investigated by the officials will be put in auction when the legal proceeding is over.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805793-thai-commerce-ministry-to-auction-aged-rice-after-legal-procedures-finish/

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Danish Consulate in Pattaya closing

PATTAYA: -- The Danish Consulate in Pattaya will be closed down on 10th March 2015. According to the Embassy, the closing is part of an overall adaption of the structure and tasks of the Danish Honorary Consulates. The demand for consular services have changed, and also new communication channels and technologies as well as new requirements such as bio-metric production of passports has influenced the tasks of Honorary Consulates.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805794-danish-consulate-in-pattaya-closing/

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Good-Samaritan taxi driver widely praised

Bangkok:- Twenty years ago, Suwanchat Promchart picked up a handicapped passenger and noticed that her eyes were brimming with tears. He asked her what went wrong. Her reply prompted him to commit himself to serve handicapped passengers free of charge.

Suwanchat, who is now 38 years old, has been keeping his promise for some 20 years now.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805792-good-samaritan-taxi-driver-widely-praised/

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FEATURE
Thailand tests floating homes in region grappling with floods - TRFN
BY ALISA TANG

AYUTTHAYA, Thailand, March 5 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - N estled among hundreds of identical white and brown two-storey homes crammed in this neighbourhood for factory workers is a house with a trick - one not immediately apparent from its green-painted drywall and grey shade panels.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805795-thailand-tests-floating-homes-in-region-grappling-with-floods-trfn/

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Malaysians in IS beheading video identified



BANGKOK: -- Police have identified two Malaysians seen in an Islamic State beheading video as Mohd Faris Anuar, 20, from Gurun in Kedah and Muhamad Wanndy Muhamad Jedi, 25, from Durian Tunggal Malacca, The Star Online reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805798-malaysians-in-is-beheading-video-identified/

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Police to propose turning Taopoon casino to training field for special forces

BANGKOK: -- The Royal Thai Police is proposing the Anti Money Laundering Office (AMLO) for permission to utilise the Taopoon casino compound either a field sub-police station of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), or a training centre for special forces in its effort to stop the one influential casino back to business once and for all.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805799-thai-police-to-propose-turning-taopoon-casino-to-training-field-for-special-forces/

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Execution calls for Melbourne man Peter Gerard Scully accused of depraved acts in the Philippines
Lindsay Murdoch and Tammy Mills

SYDNEY: -- A Melbourne man accused of killing a child and orchestrating an international paedophile ring in the Philippines is facing calls for his execution.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805801-execution-calls-for-melbourne-man-peter-gerard-scully-accused-of-depraved-acts-in-the-philippines/

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Dhammakaya celebrates Makha Bucha without abbot

BANGKOK: -- Dhammakaya Temple yesterday joined tens of thousands of temples to celebrate the significant day for Buddhist faithful but without the presence of its abbot Phra Dhammachayo.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805803-dhammakaya-celebrates-makha-bucha-without-abbot/

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Siriraj Hospital runs short of blood



BANGKOK: -- Siriraj Hospital is now running short of blood in its stocks and is seeking blood donations to assist a large number of patients in urgent needs.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805804-siriraj-hospital-in-bangkok-runs-short-of-blood/

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New Google Doodle Honors Instant Noodle Inventor Momofuku Ando
Kevin McSpadden

(TIME) Peel off lid. Pour boiling water. Steep for three minutes. Stir well and serve.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805808-new-google-doodle-honors-instant-noodle-inventor-momofuku-ando/

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Science: Thailand ties India for 2nd-shortest penises
By Coconuts Bangkok



BANGKOK: -- Though they were recently found to be winning at infidelity, Thai men came up short in a scientific study of penis length, tying with India for second place in the short-penis rankings.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805831-science-thailand-ties-india-for-2nd-shortest-manhood/

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Australia police charge 6 with smuggling drugs from Colombia

SYDNEY (AP) — Australian police say six men have been charged in Sydney with drug smuggling and that more than 580 kilograms (1,280 pounds) of cocaine and methamphetamine have been seized in Colombia and Australia in a joint Australian-Colombian law enforcement operation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805833-australia-police-charge-6-with-smuggling-drugs-from-colombia/

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Martial Law Invoked to Bust Pattaya Alcohol Seller
By Khaosod English


Papitcha Khanyot, 49, was arrested by soldiers for selling alcohol on a Buddhist holiday. 4 March 2015.

CHONBURI — A local military unit in Pattaya invoked martial law to detain a woman who defied the nationwide ban on alcohol sales during a Buddhist holiday yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805846-soldiers-arrest-pattaya-woman-for-selling-alcohol-to-foreign-tourists/

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Scholars condemn Somsak’s dismissal



BANGKOK: -- A group of Thai studies scholars in the United States issued a statement yesterday condemning the dismissal of a leading historian Dr Somsak Jeamteerasakul by Thammasat university saying it was an example of alignment between the National Council for Peace and Order and Thammasat University.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805849-scholars-condemn-somsaks-dismissal/

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UPDATE:

Tropical storm to make landfall in Thailand

BANGKOK, 5 March 2015 (NNT)-The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has issued warnings for people in 40 provinces against a tropical storm which is likely to take place during March 5-10.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805593-thailands-weather-bureau-warns-of-tropical-storms/#entry9148341

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Bloomberg: Thailand has one of the lowest unemployment rates

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, with only 0.56 percent of the people unemployed compared to India's 9.4 percent and the Philippines’s 6 percent, said a Bloomberg article.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805872-bloomberg-thailand-has-one-of-the-lowest-unemployment-rates/

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Agriculture Ministry brushes aside plan to give senior farmers extra money

BANGKOK, 5 March 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has denied rumors that it is going to offer money to senior farmers in its second phase of economic stimulus plan.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805873-agriculture-ministry-brushes-aside-plan-to-give-senior-farmers-extra-money/

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Will Bangkok return to East Venice?

Bangkok:- Can Bangkok return to its old reputation as the Venice of the East with clear, beautiful canals coming back as major parts of people’s lives?

Prime Minister Prayut Jan-ocha has lately expressed keen interest in reviving more of the Thai capital’s canals as transportation routes. If canals spring back as major transportation channels, trade and houses can be expected to blossom along the way too.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805874-will-bangkok-return-to-east-venice/

[thai tech]

Size matters: Phones as big as they can get for easy use



NEW YORK (AP) — There was a time you could count on phones getting larger each year. Samsung’s runaway success with the big-screen smartphone even spurred Apple to release a supersized model last fall. But if phones get any bigger will they be too hard to use?

That’s the worry of some smartphone makers, and the reason why many of the new models this year didn’t grow. LG even shrank the G Flex 2 to a 5.5-inch screen, as measured diagonally, compared with 6 inches before.

So, how much does size matter?

Read more: http://tech.thaivisa.com/size-matters-phones-as-big-as-they-can-get-for-easy-use/6269/

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Podo lets you take selfies without looking like a fool



Thankfully, the phenomenon of people taking photos of themselves using a selfie stick is about to come to an end.

Whilst the selfie stick might have been the cultural craze of 2014, using one is never a good look and if the truth be told, selfie stick users never look anything other than ridiculous.

The good news is that thanks to a new wireless camera called Podo, no longer will you have to witness those narcissistic types who feel it necessary to try and snap a photo of themselves from the most flattering angle possible.

Read more: http://tech.thaivisa.com/podo-lets-you-take-selfies-without-looking-like-a-fool/6186/

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Activists urge NLA to revise public gathering bill

BANGKOK, 5 March 2015 (NNT) – The State Enterprises Workers' Relations Confederation (SERC) has submitted a letter to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) requesting that law makers revise the bill pertaining to public gathering regulations

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805877-thai-activists-urge-nla-to-revise-public-gathering-bill/

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Finance holds back land and house tax bill



BANGKOK: -- The Finance Ministry has held back its much criticised land and house taxes bill for more inquiries.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805879-thai-finance-ministry-holds-back-land-and-house-tax-bill/

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Australian attempts suicide in Phuket hotel room
Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: An Australian man was taken to hospital yesterday (March 4) with a throat injury he sustained in what is believed to have been an attempted suicide. Police believe the suicide attempt was made due to stress.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805886-australian-attempts-suicide-in-phuket-hotel-room/

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Sweden's top diplomat in Hong Kong insults bar staff

HONG KONG: -- Sweden’s top diplomat in Hong Kong, a 19-year veteran in foreign affairs, has apologised for verbally abusing staff at the exclusive Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Central during a heated argument over a table.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/805890-swedens-top-diplomat-in-hong-kong-insults-bar-staff/

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UPDATE:

Three Thai Teens Arrested for Murder of Myanmar Migrant Worker Thet Soe on Koh Samui

The three murder suspects re-enact the crime on Koh Samui on 3 March 2015. Photo Khaosod

KOH SAMUI Three local teenagers have been arrested on Koh Samui for the murder of Burmese migrant worker Thet Soe on the Thai island last Friday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/804294-22-year-old-burmese-man-found-dead-on-koh-samui/page-2?p=9148619#entry9148619