Thailand Live Monday 25 May 2015

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NLA satisfied with seminar on draft charter in northeastern region

BANGKOK, 25 May 2015 (NNT) - The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has expressed satisfaction with a seminar to listen to opinions of the public on the draft constitution in the Northeast. People's representatives who attended the seminar voiced their support to decentralization of administrative power.

The seminar took place for the second day on Sunday in Khon Kaen province. Deputy chairman of an NLA committee MD Krasae Chanawong said he was pleased with the seminar and deemed it successful. He said he would forward the opinions from this seminar to the NLA and encourage the public to send their suggestions for the charter drafting to the NLA from now until 23 July 2015.

According to MD Krasae, the seminar participants were interested in political issues the most. Most of them agreed with mixed-member proportional elections but disagreed with a non-MP prime minister.

The participants further suggested that senate members should be elected by the people and the government should decentralize powers to local administrations more. They also suggested a restructuring of the national police due to the problem of conflict of interest.


-- NNT 2015-05-25

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Survey:

Should Thailand and other SE Asian countries allow boat people temporary asylum?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827361-survey-should-thailand-and-other-se-asian-countries-allow-boat-people-temporary-asylum/

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John Nash, wife, 'A Beautiful Mind' inspiration, die in NJ
By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI


Source: AP. 1994 file photo

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — John Forbes Nash Jr., a mathematical genius whose struggle with schizophrenia was chronicled in the 2001 movie "A Beautiful Mind," has died along with his wife in a car crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. He was 86.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827718-john-nash-wife-a-beautiful-mind-inspiration-die-in-car-crash/

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UPDATE:

IRREGULAR MIGRATION
Mass Rohingya grave uncovered in Malaysia
THE NATION
THE STAR
ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Bodies of almost 100 migrants found in area close to border, where camps were 'years old.'

BANGKOK: -- MALAYSIAN authorities yesterday confirmed the "shocking" find of a mass Rohingya grave inside its territory near the border with Thailand, as nations stepped up efforts to stamp out human trafficking.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827613-mass-graves-believed-to-contain-dead-migrants-found-in-malaysia-reports/#entry9442686

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PUBLIC REFERENDUM
'Much needs to be done before referendum is held on charter'
NITIPOL KIRAVANICH
THE NATION

Politicians, academics say public forums should be conducted

BANGKOK: - EVEN though the National Council for Peace and Order has finally agreed to allow a national referendum on the new constitution, much needs to be done to educate the public about it and to work out how it should be carried out, academics and politicians say.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827719-much-needs-to-be-done-before-referendum-is-held-on-charter/

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UPDATE:

SURVEY
Most satisfied with junta : Suan Dusit poll
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- MOST people are satisfied with the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) for diffusing the country's conflicts and restoring peace and order, according to Suan Dusit poll results released yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827619-suan-dusit-poll-most-people-are-satisfied-with-peace-and-order-but-disappointed-with-economic-probl/#entry9442694

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POLITICS
Police seeking graffiti artists who defaced court signposts
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- POLICE are viewing footage from security cameras installed at the Criminal Court on Ratchadapisek Road to identify people responsible for graffiti painted on signposts outside the court.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827720-thai-police-seeking-graffiti-artists-who-defaced-court-signposts/

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KHON KAEN
Massive crowd sees off Luang Phor Khoon
THE NATION


A large number of monks and lay people yesterday move in a procession to usher the body of revered monk Luang Phor Khoon Parisutho from Khon Kaen University to Srinagarindra Hospital.

KHON KAEN: -- TENS of thousands of people yesterday packed events relating to the procession of the body of revered monk Luang Phor Khoon Parisutho when it was taken to a local hospital for medical students to study before being cremated as per his will.

The 12-lane Maliwan Road in front of Khon Kaen University, where the body had been laid in state for seven days, were jammed with congestion shortly before noon, as mourners gathered to bid farewell to the monk.

The provincial police force, and those in neighbouring provinces, deployed 1,300 officers to provide traffic support and security for the procession.

The procession comprised 15 vehicles including a white pick-up truck that carried a coffin decorated with drapes and flowers, with 109 lay people, including politicians and senior monks, present.

Many people laid personal belongings including wallets and handkerchiefs along the route so the pick-up truck ran over the items and, according to the belief, bring them good luck.

Deputy provincial police chief Colonel Suphakorn Singkhamnok said the crowd for the procession might have reached 80,000 and the total number of people travelling to Khon Kaen for the day could have hit 500,000.

A well-known sculpturer, Santi Phichetchaiyakul, made a commemorative bust of Luang Phor Khoon that will be put in front of a unit that, according to a statement by Khon Kaen University's Faculty of Medicine, will preserve the monk's body for one year before it is studied by the medical student for a further two years.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Massive-crowd-sees-off-Luang-Phor-Khoon-30260850.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-25

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WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski concedes defeat after exit poll shows him trailing.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Actress, comedian Anne Meara, mom of Ben Stiller, dies at 85.

CANNES, France (AP) - 'Dheepan,' a French-made immigration drama, has won the Palme d'Or.

MONACO (AP) - Nico Rosberg of Mercedes wins Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix for 3rd year in a row.

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High household debt takes the fizz out of beer market
KWANCHAI RUNGFAPAISARN
THE NATION


Bhurit Bhirombhakdi, director of Singha Corp.

BANGKOK: -- THE BEER market is projected to surge by only 3-4 per cent to about Bt180 billion this year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827723-high-household-debt-takes-the-fizz-out-of-thai-beer-market/

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CHALK TALK
Ray of hope for Thai education system
CHULARAT SAENGPASSA

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Education's recent announcement of new criteria for teachers' Vidhayathana - trans-academic standing and competency assessment - is a good sign.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827724-ray-of-hope-for-thai-education-system/

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'Democracy is best for our economy'
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- THE FUTURE of Thailand's economy lies in stable democracy, which helps promote sustainable and fair economic development, businessmen and academics said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827725-democracy-is-best-for-thailands-economy/

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TV star meets police and pleads ignorant to nature of UFUN affairs
THE NATION


Television host Suphajon Klinsuwan, far right, yesterday meets with police officers to explain his role as an MC at a recent event in Bangkok linked with UFUN Thailand investments.

BANGKOK: -- TELEVISION personality Suphajon Klinsuwan yesterday met with police to give a statement explaining his role as an MC at a recent Bangkok event to announce the signing of contracts between UTOKEN and UDBP, both of which are associated with controversial UFUN Thailand investments currently being investigated by the police.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827726-tv-star-meets-police-and-pleads-ignorant-to-nature-of-ufun-affairs/

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UN and world community must help Asean nations cope with crisis: NSC chief
WIRAJ SRIPONG,
SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE United Nations and international community must share the burden of countries in Southeast Asia to help end boat people crisis, rather than shifting the blame to any particular countries, National Security Council secretary general Anusit Kunakorn said over the weekend.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827727-un-and-world-community-must-help-asean-nations-cope-with-crisis-nsc-chief/

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QUAKE
Quick Thai response praised by Nepalese
THE NATION



VICTIMS, GOVT ALSO EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO THEIR MAJESTIES

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND has been praised by quake victims in Nepal, the country's government and international aid organisations, over its quick response and sustainable relief efforts during the recent disaster, the Nepal ambassador to Thailand and the chief of the Thai monastic mission in Nepal told a Bangkok seminar yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827728-quick-thai-response-praised-by-nepalese/

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Thai volunteers need to learn from other nations about art of disaster relief
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE wave of volunteer spirit has been growing in Thailand since the 2004 tsunami. Yet Thais still need to learn a lot from countries with well-established and well-connected volunteer networks.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827729-thai-volunteers-need-to-learn-from-other-nations-about-art-of-disaster-relief/

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Defense chief: Iraqis showed no will to fight at Ramadi
By KEN DILANIAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Islamic State group's takeover of the provincial capital Ramadi is stark evidence that Iraqi forces lack the "will to fight," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a TV interview that aired Sunday. The harsh assessment raised new questions about the Obama administration's strategy to defeat the extremist group that has seized a strategically important swath of the Middle East.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827730-us-defense-chief-iraqis-showed-no-will-to-fight-at-ramadi/

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Polish president concedes defeat after exit poll released
By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski conceded defeat in the county's presidential election Sunday after an exit poll showed him trailing Andrzej Duda, a previously little-known right-wing politician.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827731-polish-president-concedes-defeat-after-exit-poll-released/

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Audiard's 'Dheepan' wins Palme d'Or in upset Cannes finale
By JAKE COYLE

CANNES, France (AP) — The 68th Cannes Film Festival was brought to a surprising close Sunday with Jacques Audiard's Sri Lankan refugee drama taking the festival's coveted top honor, the Palme d'Or.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827733-audiards-dheepan-wins-palme-dor-in-upset-cannes-finale/

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UK prime minister outlines who can vote in referendum
By DANICA KIRKA

LONDON (AP) — Britain's prime minister outlined who will be allowed to vote in referendum on whether or not the country should remain in the European Union on Monday, opting for rules that exclude most voters from the 28-nation bloc who live in the U.K.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827735-uk-prime-minister-outlines-who-can-vote-in-referendum/

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Flash floods in Texas, Oklahoma kill 2; 100s of homes gone
By SETH ROBBINS

SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) — Record rainfall was wreaking havoc across a swath of Texas and the Midwest on Sunday, causing flash floods in normally dry riverbeds, spawning tornadoes and forcing at least 2,000 people to flee.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827739-flash-floods-in-texas-oklahoma-kill-2;-100s-of-homes-gone/

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74 year-old Australian weds 66-year-old Thai woman

Sing Buri:- A wedding became talk of the town in the central province of Sing Buri Sunday when a 74-year-old Australian made married a 66-year-old Thai woman in an elaborate Thai traditional wedding ceremony.

Noel Sunder led a traditional khan mark or dowry procession to the house of Pemikar Mueansri in Tambon Tonpho of Sing Buri’s Mueang district to ask for permission from the woman’s parents to marry his bride.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827741-74-year-old-australian-weds-66-year-old-thai-woman/

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Nakhon Pathom police chief, 9 other officers transferred
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Nakkhon Pathom police chief and nine other senior officers, including the five top officers of Mueang Nakhon Pathom police station, were transferred to inactive positions at the Royal Thai Police head office Sunday night.

Police spokesman Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri said the officers were transferred because a Special Branch police officer was shot and killed in a gambling den in Nakhon Pathom.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Nakhon-Pathom-police-chief-9-other-officers-transf-30260869.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-25

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Cruise liner harbour planned at Krabi, Samui
The Nation

KRABI: -- The Harbour Department is searching for suitable sites in Krabi and on Koh Samui for building harbours for cruise liners to dock, Jula Sukmanop, the department chief, said.

He added that it is quite difficult to find suitable locations because the harbour would be located at a deep sea with a lot of space on the shore.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Cruise-liner-harbour-planned-at-Krabi-Samui-30260870.html

-- The Nation 2015-05-25

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Officials: $1M spent on medical care for jailed Chicago teen

CHICAGO (AP) — A talented teenage basketball player unable to post bond on a low-level burglary charge ended up ingesting screws, needles, a 4-inch (10-centimeter) piece of metal and other objects while behind bars, leading the jail to spend more than $1 million in medical care on him.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827756-17-year-old-us-prisoner-is-trying-to-eat-his-way-out-of-jail/

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NLA to convene on Thursday to deliberate bankruptcy bill

BANGKOK, 25 May 2015 (NNT) – National Legislative Assembly President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai has scheduled an NLA session on May 28-29 in order for the draft bill on bankruptcy to be deliberated in its 2nd and 3rd readings.

The session will commence at 10 am on Thursday, May 28, at the Parliament. In addition to the 2nd and 3rd readings of the bankruptcy bill, the NLA will also consider extending the deliberation time for the draft law on the establishment of a ministry of digital economy and society, the draft law on suppression of terrorism funding, the draft law on suppression and prevention of money laundering, the draft law on the determination of urban planning and use of space, the draft law on working capital, and the draft law on town and country planning.

Furthermore, the NLA will go over the annual report by the Political Development Council, the operational report by the Election Commission, and the operational report by the Office of the Auditor General.


-- NNT 2015-05-25

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Commerce Minister attends APEC’s MRT meeting

BORACAY ISLAND, 25 May 2015, (NNT) -The Minister of Commerce General Chatchai Sarikalya, attended the 21st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting over the weekend, in the Philippines. During the meeting, General Chatchai discussed the formation of a Free Trade Agreement with APEC member countries.

According to the minister, this year’s theme is “Creating equality in trade, Creating a better world”, with the APEC trade ministers actively supporting several goals, such as regional economic integration and the establishment of a free trade agreement in the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) region in 2020. This initiative is also known as the APEC Bogor goal which was begun in 1994.

Gen. Chatchai said a feasibility study concerning FTAAP negotiations is currently being conducted and is expected to be completed by next year.

The meeting has shown the commitment of APEC members to creating sustainable wealth and economic equality among the member countries.


-- NNT 2015-05-25

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Filipina in UAE death row for killing employer who tried to rape her

DUBAI: -- An overseas Filipina worker (OFW) was sentenced to death by a United Arab Emirates (UAE) court after being convicted of killing her employer last December, according to INQUIRER.net.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827781-filipina-in-uae-death-row-for-killing-employer-who-tried-to-rape-her/

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SET up 3.41 points at opening /Bangkok Post

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Copyright Control Officer assaulted by shop owner in Central Pattaya

PATTAYA:--A man claiming to be in charge of copyright control for a number of well-known clothing brands, was assaulted by a shop owner on Friday Night.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/827780-copyright-control-officer-assaulted-by-shop-owner-in-central-pattaya/