Thailand Live Sunday 12 Apr 2015

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Gen Prayut asks Thais to preserve beauty of Songkran tradition

BANGKOK, 11 April 2015 (NNT) - The Thai Premier has called on all Thais, especially teenagers, to celebrate the Thai New Year in the most appropriate way, hoping to preserve the beauty of Songkran Festival.

To preserve the Thai culture, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said the Ministry of Tourism and Sports as well as the Ministry of Culture have been campaigning for people to conduct themselves properly and in accord with the Songkran tradition during water play.

The Premier asked that everyone don polite clothes and avoid revealing garments. By doing so, he believed foreigners would be impressed by the politeness of the Thai culture.

He also sought cooperation from holiday revelers to avoid alcohol consumption at entertainment venues. The premier also said that contaminants such as power and ice not should be used in water play.

In a bid to reinforce Thailand’s cultural heritage, water bowls should be used instead of water blasters, he said, adding that the cultural image should also be augmented through activities and performances appropriate for Songkran.

-- NNT 2015-04-11

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Koh Samui blast 'political'

KOH SAMUI: -- THE AUTHORITIES are convinced that the bomb blast in Koh Samui on Friday night was politically motivated.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816748-koh-samui-blast-political/

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Security tightened at island airport, hotels after attack
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE SUNDAY NATION

KOH SAMUI: -- HOTELS in Surat Thani's Koh Samui are tightening security measures following a bomb blast at a shopping mall on Friday night, while tourists are advised to be cautious when at public areas.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816750-security-tightened-at-island-airport-hotels-after-attack/

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UPDATE:

Police probing cause of Surat Thani co-op fire
THE SUNDAY NATION

SURAT TANI: -- POLICE ARE investigating whether the two explosions heard shortly before fire started at the Surat Thani Cooperative on Friday night was an accident or an arson attack.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816615-police-start-investigation-of-co-op-fire-in-surat-thani/#entry9296106

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Deaths, injuries down on Day 2
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- 59 PEOPLE KILLED, 765 INJURED; BIKES IN 84% OF CRASHES

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816751-deaths-injuries-down-on-day-2/

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Festivities start in Silom today, run for 3-4 days
THE SUNDAY NATION

THE BANGKOK Metropolitan Administration is hosting a grand Songkran celebration in the Silom area from today until Tuesday, which includes various Thai cultural activities like a parade of the Buddha image bathing ritual, Thai traditional performances as well as an 80-metre water tunnel.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816752-festivities-start-in-silom-today-run-for-3-4-days/

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Ban on individual cigarette sales 'would help cut teenage smokers'
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- MORE than 200,000 young Thais buy cigarettes one at a time because they can't afford to buy packs of 20, a public-health researcher from Mahidol University has revealed.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816753-ban-on-individual-cigarette-sales-would-help-cut-teenage-smokers/

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UPDATE:

Passengers stranded as charter flight to Japan is cancelled
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Some 100 people were stranded at Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport yesterday morning after being unable to board a chartered flight to Japan.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816626-asian-airs-charter-flight-with-233-passengers-stranded-at-don-mueang-airport/#entry9296134

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Police probe murder of three villagers
The Sunday Nation

PATTANI: -- Forensic police yesterday inspected the scene where three male villagers in their 30s were shot dead and another 24-year-old man was wounded at an abandoned hut in Pattani's Khok Pho district on Friday night.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816754-police-probe-murder-of-three-villagers/

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Cabinet nod for three motorways
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet has approved the proposed construction of three motorways designed to alleviate traffic problems during long holidays, deputy spokesperson at the PM's Office Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd disclosed yesterday.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816755-cabinet-nod-for-three-motorways/

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Root causes of bitter long-running conflict should not be forgotten
The Nation April

BANGKOK: -- Malay Muslims need a sense of ownership in their historical homeland in the far South

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816756-root-causes-of-bitter-long-running-conflict-should-not-be-forgotten/

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Severe Flood Damage to East Pattaya Village

PATTAYA: -- During a period of heavy rainfall on Saturday afternoon, a Government Housing Estate in East Pattaya was hit by a torrent of mud and water after a wall belonging to a neighbouring village collapsed.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816757-severe-flood-damage-to-east-pattaya-village/

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2 suspected necklace and phone thieves arrested by Pattaya Police

PATTAYA: -- A press conference was held on Saturday to announce the arrest of two men wanted in connection with a street robbery which occurred in South Pattaya on 10th April.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816758-2-suspected-necklace-and-phone-thieves-arrested-by-pattaya-police/

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East Pattaya Motorbike Theft Gang arrested by Nongprue Police

PATTAYA: -- The latest results from a Province-wide Crime Suppression Operation were announced on Saturday at Nongprue Police Station, who themselves managed to arrest a 4-man gang thought to be responsible for a spate of motorbike thefts from various locations in East Pattaya.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816759-east-pattaya-motorbike-theft-gang-arrested-by-nongprue-police/

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Land Trasport Department strictly controls quality of public bus services

BANGKOK, 11 April 2015 (NNT) – The Land Transport Department is exerting its efforts to control the quality of public bus services to ensure passengers’ safety during Songkran holidays.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816760-land-trasport-department-strictly-controls-quality-of-public-bus-services/

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US Capitol lockdown lifted after man fatally shoots himself
KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A precautionary lockdown of the U.S. Capitol was lifted after about two hours Saturday following a suicide by a man carrying a protest sign.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816761-us-capitol-lockdown-lifted-after-man-fatally-shoots-himself/

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Minister: Shooting of black man by white officer racist
BRUCE SMITH, Associated Press
PHILLIP LUCAS, Associated Press

SUMMERVILLE, South Carolina (AP) — The death of a black man shot in the back while fleeing a white police officer was the act of a racist cop, a minister told hundreds of mourners who gathered Saturday for the funeral of Walter Scott.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816762-minister-shooting-of-black-man-by-white-officer-racist/

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Exhibition honours Polish couple who saved Jews at Warsaw zoo
VANESSA GERA, Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — It was World War II, Warsaw was under German occupation, and the wife of the director of the Warsaw zoo spotted Nazis approaching the white stucco villa that she and her family inhabited on the zoo grounds.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816764-exhibition-honours-polish-couple-who-saved-jews-at-warsaw-zoo/

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NYC woman pleads not guilty in fake-marriages case
JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York woman is accused of having fake marriages with 10 men as part of an immigration scam, including one who was deported in 2006 after a Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation into threatening statements against the U.S.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816765-nyc-woman-pleads-not-guilty-in-fake-marriages-case/

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Bangkok: – Employment Department director general Sumet Mahosot has stepped forward to ask for job transfer in a gesture of taking responsibility for the work-related suicide of his subordinate.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816769-employment-chief-to-take-responsibility-for-subordinates-suicide/

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Chiang Rai: – The authorities have seized 20 million baht worth of ill-gotten gains from a drug gang led by ex-police officer.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816768-ill-gotten-wealth-of-drug-gang-seized/

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NRA leaders warn members of looming gun-control efforts
ERIK SCHELZIG, Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Leaders of the National Rifle Association on Saturday cited the new Republican majority in the U.S. Senate as evidence of the gun rights group's political clout, but warned of looming gun-control efforts in the final years of Barack Obama's presidency.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816776-nra-leaders-warn-members-of-looming-gun-control-efforts/

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Fire destroys plant, ten houses in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- A massive fire burned down a cloth dyeing plant near the Phokaew community on Soi Phraram 2 in Bangkok's Chomg Thong district at 2:30am Sunday.

The blaze spread to engulf ten houses in the community before fire fighters could control the blaze two hours later. No casualty was reported.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Fire-destroys-plant-ten-houses-in-Bangkok-30257920.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-12

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UPDATE:

Surat Thani tourism association says car bomb has no impact

Surat Thani Tourism Promotion Association chairman Anek Nurak said Sunday that the car bomb attack at the CentralFestival Samui and the fire at the Surat Thani Cooperatives late Friday night have so far had no impact on tourism in the southern province.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816750-security-tightened-at-island-airport-hotels-after-attack/#entry9296584

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Phuket Gov orders Super Cheap stores checked after second fire in 2 days
Eakkapop Thongtub

Firemen douse the remaining ember of the Super Cheap fire in Kokkloi.

PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has ordered fire safety checks on all Super Cheap stores after a second store in the chain in two days went up in flames.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816786-phuket-gov-orders-super-cheap-stores-checked-after-second-fire-in-2-days/

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RT @RichardBarrow: Silom Road #Bangkok closes to traffic at noon & #Songkran fun is from 3pm-9pm every day until Tuesday (Pic Nation) http://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/587077613933342722/photo/1

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RT @RichardBarrow: If you visit the Grand Palace, ignore this guy trying to sell sarongs. You can borrow for free inside #Bangkok http://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/587092223663063040/photo/1

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RT @RichardBarrow: The usual scammers are telling tourists that the Grand Palace is closed today. Don’t believe them! #Bangkok http://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/587096271183314944/photo/1

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Thunderstorms warned around country

BANGKOK: -- The Meteorological Department early Sunday issued its eighth thunderstorm warning, saying northeastern, eastern, northern and central provinces could Sunday experience thunderstorms because of influence of a high pressure mass from China.

The statement said southern provinces may experience thunderstorms from Sunday to Tuesday.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Thunderstorms-warned-around-country-30257924.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-12

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Kocsis Szabolcs Laszlo, a 41-year-old Hungarian national, was arrested in Phuket on March 15 for alleged dope smuggling. The man was presented to the press in Bangkok after his arrest.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/816814-hungarian-national-arrested-in-phuket-for-smuggling-dope/