UPDATE:

Prayut discusses rail plans and agriculture trade with Abe
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday met with his Japanese counterpart, PM Shinzo Abe, to discuss cooperation on rail development and agricultural trade, during his visit to Japan.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808661-thai-japanese-prime-ministers-discuss-cooperation-in-rail-and-agriculture/#entry9187376

Bid to allay fears over rumours of attacks
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- Authorities closely monitoriong situation; Security stepped up at key locations around the country

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808773-bid-to-allay-fears-over-rumours-of-attacks/

Police bust car-theft racket
KHANATHIT SRIHIRANDEJ

THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- Suspects targeted rental car services, and planned to sell stolen veicles in neighbouring countries, police reveal

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808774-police-bust-car-theft-racket/

Locals cold to garbage-powered electricity
JITIMA JANPHROM
THE SUNDAY NATION

KHON KAEN: -- THE FIGHT against plans to build a garbage-powered electricity-generating plant in Khon Kaen's Phu Wiang Municipality has continued unabated. This plan was meant to be among various garbage-disposal methods to be used to help alleviate the problem of overwhelming waste in the municipality's 24-rai dump, located in Tambon Ban Reu.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808776-locals-cold-to-garbage-powered-electricity/

'Two-thirds of MPs must back charter amendment'
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE NEW constitution should only be amended if two-thirds of MPs vote in favour of an amendment in order to make altering the charter harder, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808778-two-thirds-of-mps-must-back-charter-amendment/

DSI probe into cooperative unveils fishy land deals
PIYANUT TAMNUKASETCHAI
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE DEPARTMENT of Special Investigation's examination of financial transactions relating to the Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative embezzlement has found that up to three land plots covering as much as 1,000 rai (395 acres) were bought using stolen money and then transferred to other people in a bid to avoid detection.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808779-dsi-probe-into-cooperative-unveils-fishy-land-deals/

Petition to PM on Narong
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Supporters of sidelined Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Narong Sahametapat will petition the prime minister this week to inform him in writing about the problems in the ministry, a leader of the group said yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808780-petition-to-pm-on-narong/

Art market in Bangkok
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- A government art market featuring art for sale, ballroom dancing and an outdoor movie screen, will run at Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem area in Bangkok until March 29, the PM's Deputy Secretary General Renu Tangkajiwangkoon said yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808781-art-market-in-bangkok/

'Human traffickers' nabbed
The Sunday Nation

SURAT THANI: -- Provincial Police Region 8 yesterday announced the arrest of two suspected human traffickers in Surat Thani. Their gang reportedly had 121 bank accounts with money transactions worth Bt31 million.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808782-human-traffickers-nabbed/

Govt report card on April 10
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will detail to the public his government's performance in its first six months in office on April 10, a government spokesman said.

The event will be held at the Santi Maitri Building at Government House and it will be televised live.

The prime minister will be the main speaker at the event and his five deputy PMs may help him answer questions on certain issues, the spokesman said. Prior to Prayut's announcement, the various government ministries will hold separate press conferences to report their achievements.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Govt-report-card-on-April-10-30256034.html

-- The Nation 2015-03-15

People in North upset about smog's impact on their health
AYUTHAI NONNITIRAT,
STANLEY BENNETT
THE SUNDAY NATION

CHIANG MAI: -- HAZE IN the northern province of Chiang Mai was still visible yesterday, although the tiny particle dust count was down and closer to Thai safety levels.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808783-people-in-north-upset-about-smogs-impact-on-their-health/

UPDATE:

Police arrest activist during his protest walk
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- An activist was arrested yesterday during his protest march from Nonthaburi to Bangkok.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808640-police-detain-activist-on-anti-coup-walk/page-2#entry9187440

EDITORIAL
PM needs to take a blow on the chin and move on
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Forget fussing over the US reaction to the coup, people just want him to get the job done quickly and to be open to public input

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808784-pm-needs-to-take-a-blow-on-the-chin-and-move-on/

Four of 20 allegedly illegal land plots were investigated by the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Justice on Friday. Officials believe the plots were illegally developed or obtained from illegal land-title deeds.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808764-deputy-permanent-secretary-of-justice-investigates-alleged-illegal-land-plots/

Scientists just caught a giant, 800-pound stingray in Thailand. And according to researchers, the car-sized sea creature may just be the largest freshwater fish on record.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808765-giant-800-pound-stingray-caught-in-thailand/

Pattani Bomb Targets Buddhist Monks, Injures 6

BY Khaosod Eng.

PATTANI – Police say four security officers and two civilians were injured by a homemade bomb that targeted a group of Buddhist monks in the southern border province of Pattani this morning.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808787-pattani-bomb-targets-buddhist-monks-injures-6/

A Privy Councillor observes water management at Bhumibol and Sirikit Dams

TAK, 14 March 2015 (NNT) - Privy Councillor Palakorn Suwannarat, accompanied by the Secretary General of the Royal Development Projects Board, visited two national dams in Tak Province to monitor water management efficiency during the prevailing drought.

Their first stop was Bhumibol Dam which is now storing water at 42% of its full capacity of about 13,460 million cubic meters. It is now releasing 19% of the remaining water at a speed of 7 million cubic meters per day.

As for the water situation at Sirikit Dam, the dam reserves water at 56% of its full capacity and is able to release 38% of the water or 2,540 million cubic meters. Most of the water is released to agricultural lands along Nan River and the Chao Phraya Basin.

-- NNT 2015-03-14

Commerce Ministry: Quality to be strong point of Thai rice industry

BANGKOK, 14 March 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce is poised to opt out of the rice mortgage or price guarantee policies but will instead promote the quality as the selling point of Thai rice.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808788-commerce-ministry-quality-to-be-strong-point-of-thai-rice-industry/

Americans returning from Africa for Ebola monitoring

ATLANTA (AP) — Public health officials said Saturday that a number of Americans will return from West Africa to be monitored after possibly being exposed to Ebola.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808789-americans-returning-from-africa-for-ebola-monitoring/

AP Analysis: In fractured Israel, all electoral bets are off
By DAN PERRY

JERUSALEM (AP) — Deeply divided and foul of mood, Israelis are headed toward what seems like a referendum on their long-serving, silver-tongued prime minister, the hard-line Benjamin Netanyahu.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808790-ap-analysis-in-fractured-israel-all-electoral-bets-are-off/

Iraqi Kurds claim Islamic State group used chemical weapons
By VIVIAN SALAMA

BAGHDAD (AP) — Kurdish authorities in Iraq said Saturday they have evidence that the Islamic State group used chlorine gas as a chemical weapon against peshmerga fighters, the latest alleged atrocity carried out by the extremist organization now under attack in Tikrit.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808791-iraqi-kurds-claim-islamic-state-group-used-chemical-weapons/

Aid workers say 8 people confirmed dead in Vanuatu cyclone
By NICK PERRY

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — At least eight people were confirmed dead in Vanuatu after a massive cyclone tore through the tiny South Pacific archipelago, and the death toll is likely to rise much higher once communications are restored with outlying islands, aid workers said Sunday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808794-aid-workers-say-8-people-confirmed-dead-in-vanuatu-cyclone/

Bangkok:- The so-called “Chao Phraya Landmark” project will affect 268 families living along the Bangkok’s only river.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808793-bma-to-discuss-how-to-help-268-families-facing-eviction/

One dead, four seriously injured in three vehicle smash north of Phuket
Eakkapop Thongtub

PHANG NGA: Two elderly German tourists are in critical condition having survived a three-vehicle smash in which one Thai man was killed and two more Thai cheauffers and another unidentified passenger were seriously injured last night just north of Phuket.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808803-one-dead-four-seriously-injured-in-three-vehicle-smash-north-of-phuket/

RT @RichardBarrow: International Kite Festival on Cha-am Beach, Phetchaburi looks like fun. I’ll be heading there 28-29 March #Thailand http://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/576927521704263680/photo/1

Bangkok: – The registrations of new businesses have risen 16 per cent in February and the collapsed businesses increase by 73 per cent due to tightening control of lottery vendors.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808814-business-dissolution-increases-by-73-per-cent/

UPDATE:

Bangkok: – Huai Kwang police have arrested four of the eight-member gang involve in a scam to fraudulently rent vehicles before selling as spare parts or sending to neighbouring countries.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808774-police-bust-car-theft-racket/#entry9187868

Muslim Cleric Describes Traumatic Thai Police Raid in Deep South

By Khaosod Eng.

PATTANI — A Muslim cleric in the restive province of Pattani says he was mistreated by Thai police who claimed to find several assault rifles at his religious school last month.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808820-muslim-cleric-describes-traumatic-thai-police-raid-in-deep-south/

UPDATE:

Foreign Tourist Assaults Waitresses & Police in Pattaya

By Khaosod Eng.

CHONBURI - An intoxicated Dutch tourist was arrested in the resort town of Pattaya last night after assaulting several waitresses and a police officer.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808502-dutchman-goes-berserk-hitting-police-thais/page-4?p=9187960#entry9187960

Bangkok:- Tourism and Sports Minister Korbkarn Wattanavrangku shed her tear of joy when she chaired the opening ceremony of a new Bangkok landmark on the Chao Phraya river bank.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/808859-tourism-minister-sheds-tear-while-opening-new-chao-phraya-landmark/