Thailand Live Wednesday 6 May 2015

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Rainmaking operation continues despite the rainy season

BANGKOK, 6 May 2015 (NNT) – The Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation continues its rainmaking operations although Thailand nearly enters the rainy season to ensure enough water for agricultural purposes, confirmed Deputy Director-General Surasri Kidtimonton.

Mr.Surasri said that this year Thailand is predicted to be drier than previous years and many parts of the country are still under effect of the drought. In some areas, shortfall of rain is possible. Therefore, the rainmakers must be always alert and ready for the rainmaking operation.

People who want more water can request rainmaking operations through local authorities such as Provincial Agricultural Extension Offices, Regional Royal Rainmaking Centers, and Subdistrict Administration. Either they can drop request on Facebook and the website of the department.


-- NNT 2015-05-06

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Officials may face punishment if allow human trafficking activity to take place

BANGKOK, 6 May 2015 (NNT) – The Prime Minister has announced the degree of punishment for administrative officials in the area where human trafficking activities are taking place, while urging military and police officers to perform inspection in all areas, says a spokesman.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822910-officials-may-face-punishment-if-allow-human-trafficking-activity-to-take-place/

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Retired Army NCO falls from 7th floor balcony at Jomtien Hotel



PATTAYA: -- Police and medics were called to a Hotel close to Jomtien Beach in the early hours of Tuesday to deal with a suspected suicide.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822911-retired-army-nco-falls-from-7th-floor-balcony-at-jomtien-hotel/

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Chinese Tourist Drowns in waters off Pattaya Island



PATTAYA: -- Reports of a drowning were received by the Pattaya Sea Rescue Center at the Bali Hai Port on Tuesday afternoon, who dispatched a boat to the location to retrieve the body of a Chinese Tourist.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822913-chinese-tourist-drowns-in-waters-off-pattaya-island/

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Pattaya Tourist Police round-up Ladyboy's on Walking Street



PATTAYA: -- In response to numerous complaints from Tourists and a recent, well-publicized fight involving a Ladyboy and an Irish Ex-pat on Walking Street, Pattaya Tourist Police Officers and Volunteers arrested Ladyboy’s on Walking Street in the early hours of Wednesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822914-pattaya-tourist-police-round-up-ladyboys-on-walking-street/

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GHOST PERSON
Nine-year ordeal at sea recalled
Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Nearly a decade ago, 14-year-old Komsan Sakulchatthong left home to work in a Samut Sakhon seafood plant, where he was eventually persuaded to work on a fishing boat with the promise of a bigger paycheque.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822915-thai-man-recalls-nine-year-ordeal-at-sea/

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HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Five graves discovered at 2nd migrant camp in South
THE NATION
AGENCIES



Prayut vows tough action against local officials found linked to human trafficking, drugs or crime

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned of tough action against state officials linked to human trafficking, a government spokesman said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822744-thai-police-find-graves-at-second-migrant-jungle-camp/page-2?p=9375602#entry9375602

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LOTTO
New system will stop overpricing, allow decent income for lottery vendors
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The government will promulgate a law allowing lottery vendors to earn a higher income while cracking down on those abusing the system, to fix the problem of overpricing once and for all.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822916-new-system-will-stop-overpricing-allow-decent-income-for-thai-lottery-vendors/

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ROAD ACCIDENT
Police eye cyclists' safety
Kittipong Maneerit,
Jessada Jantarak
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- POLICE are considering measures to promote bicycling safety after two accidents claimed the lives of four riders recently.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822917-thai-police-eye-cyclists-safety/

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PETROLEUM ACT
NLA to examine findings next week
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL Legislative Assembly's panel on energy will present the results of its study on issues arising from the enforcement of the Petroleum Act of 1971 to the NLA next Tuesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822919-thai-petroleum-act-nla-to-examine-findings-next-week/

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ABUSE AT SEA
Fishing trawlers 'need proper monitoring'
Wiraj Sripong
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- ABUSE of fishery workers is found mostly in deep-sea fishing - on vessels a long way from law enforcement, rather than on boats in coastal areas, a labour rights activist has said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822921-abuse-at-sea-fishing-trawlers-need-proper-monitoring/

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INVESTMENT
Auto-makers want Thailand to become regional production centre for large trucks
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Auto companies want the government to promote investment in Thailand with a view to making it the regional centre for large-truck production, given rising demand in neighbouring countries.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822922-auto-makers-want-thailand-to-become-regional-production-centre-for-large-trucks/

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INVESTMENT
Chao Phraya riverside to become iconic upmarket utopia
Somluck Srimalee
The Nation


A perspective of the Iconsiam project on the Chao Phraya river, which also shows more new buildings springing up along the riverside area.

BANGKOK: -- The Chao Phraya riverside area will be Bangkok's new upmarket lifestyle destination when a number of luxury retail, hotel and condominium projects costing more than Bt200 billion in total are completed over the next two-and-a-half years.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822923-bangkoks-chao-phraya-riverside-to-become-iconic-upmarket-utopia/

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EDITORIAL
Time to end this game of THAI MONOPOLY

CONSUMERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE LONG BEEN VICTIMS OF THE UNBRIDLED POWER OF BIG CORPORATIONS

BANGKOK: -- Users of the social media are up in arms over what they call |bullying behaviour by a retail giant. A blogger's revelations about an allegedly unfair deal between a small bakery and a massive retail chain has ignited concern that the latter's power in the marketplace is spiralling out of control. The worries are well-founded.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822924-time-to-end-this-game-of-thai-monopoly/

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STOPPAGE TIME
Take your pick: This charter or a delayed election

BANGKOK: -- The general theory of relativity should apply when it comes to whether one year is too short or too long before a general election can be held.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822925-take-your-pick-this-charter-or-a-delayed-election/

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Eighth suspect in Ufun pyramid scheme arrested



BANGKOK: -- Another major suspect in the Ufun Store pyramid scheme has been arrested by police of charge of public fraud.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822926-eighth-suspect-in-ufun-pyramid-scheme-arrested/

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UPDATE:

Sobriety checkpoints to stay around the clock to check driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs



BANGKOK: -- The Royal Thai Police has ordered all sobriety checkpoints to extend checking for drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs for 24 hours following two car incidents in which four bicyclists were killed in two separate car accidents in Bangkok and Chiang Mai provinces in two days by drunk drivers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822917-thai-police-eye-cyclists-safety/#entry9375667

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First anniversary of Thailand's most destructive earthquake in Chiang Rai



BANGKOK: -- May 5 marks the first anniversary of Thailand’s most destructive earthquake with its epicenter in Tambon Sai Khao, Parn district of Chiang Rai.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822927-first-anniversary-of-thailands-most-destructive-earthquake-in-chiang-rai/

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Peace TV to broadcast via YouTube
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- THE POLITICALLY ORIENTED Peace TV channel has delayed broadcasting news shows on the Internet to next Monday, news anchor and red-shirt leader Weng Tojirakarn said, adding that the channel will branch out into broadcasting other programmes later.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822928-peace-tv-to-broadcast-via-youtube/

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BURNING ISSUE
It's not possible to eradicate those with different views
PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK

BANGKOK: -- NOTHING could have summed up Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha's attitude toward his goal of national reconciliation than his own words in a speech made last week.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822929-thai-politics-its-not-possible-to-eradicate-those-with-different-views/

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Drug penalties 'unfair, laws need rethink'
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation



People wrongly jailed for possessing small amount of drugs, academics say

BANGKOK: -- IT IS HIGH TIME Thailand amends its drug laws so as to ease prison crowding and stop putting so many undeserving people behind bars, a recent seminar was told.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822930-thailands-drug-penalties-unfair-laws-need-rethink/

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Transport Minister Pushes for Electric Public Buses and Trains

Prakin Juntong, Thailand’s Transport Minister, is encouraging state public transport operators to switch from gas and diesel fuels to electric. The switch will help operators avoid volatile fuel prices and reduce their impact on the environment.

The State Railway of Thailand, the Transport Co Ltd and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority all serve under Mr. Prakin’s ministry and are being urged to make the switch to electric vehicles.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822905-transport-minister-pushes-for-electric-public-buses-and-trains/

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State Railway Demands Answers for Red Line Crane Tumble

The State Railway of Thailand is demanding answers from the Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) over another crane accident on Monday. This is not the first time ITD, contractor for the Red Line electric train route, has had one of its cranes topple over. Monday’s accident caused injuries and damage.

The accident took place at an ITD construction site near the Don Muang train station in Bangkok. Two cars were damaged and one person was hurt in the incident. Recently, there have been several incidents of cranes falling down.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822903-state-railway-demands-answers-for-red-line-crane-tumble/

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Irish tourist injured in Trat car crash

Trat:- A 48-year-old Irish tourist was injured when his pickup truck crashed into roadside trees in Trat’s Klong Yai district Monday after he dozed off, police said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822653-irish-tourist-injured-in-trat-car-crash/

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Rohingya Woman Flees Padang Besar Migrant Camp

A Rohinhya woman was found after she fled a migrant camp near Padang Besar. The woman, who was discovered on Monday, was allegedly tortured and detained at the camp.

Villagers in the Padang Besar sub-district found the woman, who identified herself as Rohima Khatun. Padang Besar is near the remote jungle camp where officials discovered 30 graves and 26 bodies.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822904-rohingya-woman-flees-padang-besar-migrant-camp/

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Thailand takes a hammer to the baht
Leslie Shaffer

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's baht has long out-muscled regional peers, but amid a stumbling economy, the central bank has pulled the plug on supporting the currency.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822936-thailand-takes-a-hammer-to-the-baht/

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Phuket rocked by quake in early hours
The Phuket News

PHUKET: Residents across the island were awoken by a rumbling at about 4.15am this morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822938-phuket-rocked-by-quake-in-early-hours/

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Obama administration approves first ferry service to Cuba
MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN, Associated Press

HAVANA (AP) — The Obama administration approved the first ferry service in decades between the United States and Cuba on Tuesday, potentially opening a new path for the hundreds of thousands of people and hundreds of millions of dollars in goods that travel between Florida and Havana each year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822939-obama-administration-approves-first-ferry-service-to-cuba/

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UK election hopefuls burn rubber in final campaign push
JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain's political leaders crisscrossed the country Tuesday in a frenetic last dash to convert undecided voters, with less than 48 hours to go until an election likely to produce no outright winner.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822940-uk-election-hopefuls-burn-rubber-in-final-campaign-push/

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Fingerprint ruse IDs Florida man as longtime Ohio fugitive
By KANTELE FRANKO and MIKE SCHNEIDER

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of manslaughter walked away from an Ohio prison farm in 1959, then was allowed to slip away from law enforcement in 1975 and disappeared until a ruse to get his fingerprints led to his arrest in Florida this week, investigators said Tuesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/822941-us-man-caught-50-years-after-scape/