Thailand Live Wednesday 3 Jun 2015

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Thai Embassy in Seoul warns citizens of MERS-CoV outbreak

BANGKOK, 3 June 2015 (NNT) – The Thai Embassy in Seoul, South Korea has issued a warning for Thai citizens visiting the country to beware of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) which has infected many people.

A statement released by the Thai Embassy in Seoul encourages visitors to the country to take precautions against the MERS-CoV outbreak, particularly in the city of Daejeon and surrounding areas. It recommends steering clear of crowded public areas as a way to reduce the risk of infection, along with sanitary practices such as washing hands frequently and wearing face masks.

Should any Thai national experience fever or suspicious symptoms while in South Korea, he or she is urged to seek medical attention immediately and also contact the Thai Embassy for assistance. The Embassy affirmed it will keep the people constantly updated with the situation.

Although the virus is highly infectious and can be deadly, infections have so far been found in a narrow group of people who previously came into contact with the first patients. About 25 people have been infected and two have died.


-- NNT 2015-06-03

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UPDATE:

Thailand Post: ID card now required for parcel service

BANGKOK, 3 June 2015 (NNT) – Thailand Post has enforced a requirement for customers using parcel service to present their identification card as a method to deter the delivery of illicit substances.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829936-parcel-senders-are-required-to-show-id-cards-or-passports/?p=9475424#entry9475424

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Forest reclamation causing grief
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation



Poor villagers fear their rubber trees will be felled as part of the move

BANGKOK: -- THE Royal Forest Department is now proudly implementing its campaign to reclaim land from plantations that encroached on state forests - but this has caused tears and desperation for many poor citizens hit hard by the move.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829977-thai-forest-reclamation-causing-grief/

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ALLEGED HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Manas suspended
THE NATION


Manas Khongpaen

BANGKOK: -- PRIME SUSPECT Lt General Manas Khongpaen said yesterday he would turn himself in to police in Southern Padang Besar to face justice after allegations of trafficking and trading in modern-day slaves.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829978-alleged-human-trafficking-lt-general-manas-suspended/

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Crackdown five years ago allegedly showed senior Army officer how to profit from Rohingya
BUNLUEN PHROMPRATHANKUL
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- IT WAS a crackdown on trafficking of Rohingya and other migrants, starting in Ranong five years ago, that put key suspect Lt-General Manas Khongpaen in charge, and later taught him to know how to make profit from the illicit trade of humans.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829979-crackdown-five-years-ago-allegedly-showed-senior-army-officer-how-to-profit-from-rohingya/

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56 OUT 102
Thailand slips nine places in rule-of-law global ranking
WIRAJ SRIPONG
THE NATION

INDEX ALSO POINTS TO CITIZEN'S BASIC RIGHTS BEING AFFECTED SIGNIFICANTLY

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND'S global ranking on administration by law has slipped nine places to 56 out 102 countries this year from 47th out of 99 countries in 2014, according to the World Justice Project (WJP)'s 2015 Rule of Law Index.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829980-thailand-slips-nine-places-in-rule-of-law-global-ranking/

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Famous architect offers his design for Chao Phraya promenade
Pratch Rujivanarom
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL Artist on Architecture, Sumet Jumsai na Ayudhya, has presented his plan for a Chao Phraya riverside promenade to the prime minister, while the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has agreed to permit the public to participate in the project.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829981-famous-architect-offers-his-design-for-chao-phraya-promenade/

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CDC
Drafters pressed on senators' selection
KRIS BHROMSUTHI
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- PRESSURE continued to mount on Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) members yesterday to amend the charter provision on the appointment of senators.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829982-drafters-pressed-on-thai-senators-selection/

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DIGITAL TV
All operators, bar Thai TV, pay fee by due day
Usanee Monkolporn
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Twenty-two commercial terrestrial digital-TV channels, with combined revenue of Bt3.7 billion to Bt4 billion last year, together paid between Bt75 million and Bt80 million in first-year licence fees to the broadcasting regulator on the due date yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829983-all-operators-bar-thai-tv-pay-fee-by-due-day/

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STOPPAGE TIME
After all these years, Thaksin should have known better
Tulsathit Taptim

BANGKOK: -- It's up to democracy to prove itself. Having to do that is probably what differentiates the system from, say, dictatorship. The latter relies on perhaps one or two men, whereas a whole lot more need to function properly for democracy to really work. Which is why the latest whining from afar by Thaksin Shinawatra about anti-democracy plots in Thailand continues to ring hollow.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829984-after-all-these-years-thaksin-should-have-known-better/

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EDITORIAL
Can Sepp Blatter restore Fifa's battered reputation?
The Nation

Fans around the world will be hoping that football, not money, wins this epic contest

BANGKOK: -- They say football is a game of two halves, meaning you can never be sure of the result until the final whistle blows. The game being played by Sepp Blatter, president of Fifa since 1998, is a case in point.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829985-can-sepp-blatter-restore-fifas-battered-reputation/

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Health Ministry takes precautions against MERS



BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry has taken precautionary steps to prevent the spread of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus into this country following an outbreak of the disease in South Korea.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829986-thai-health-ministry-takes-precautions-against-mers/

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UPDATE:

Police legal department to review decision to strip Thaksin of his rank
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- NATIONAL police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang said yesterday he would get the police legal department to check the decision to strip former PM Thaksin Shinawatra of his rank as a police lieutenant colonel was legitimate.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829939-police-panel-fulfils-its-job-to-strip-thaksin-of-his-rank-with-unanimous-vote/#entry9475485

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Prayut allays fears over charter provision
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday urged the public not to envision anything insidious in the draft charter's provision for a non-elected PM.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829987-prayut-allays-fears-over-charter-provision/

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Army chief assures the army will not protect wrongdoers



BANGKOK: -- The army will not protect Lt-Gen Manas Kongpaen or anyone suspected of involvement in wrongdoings but will give him a chance to defend himself, said Army Commander-in-Chief General Udomdej Seetabutr on Tuesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829988-thai-army-chief-assures-the-army-will-not-protect-wrongdoers/

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Sriwara orders inquiry into bombs found in parking space
Supachai Phettewee
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- METROPOLITAN Police Commissioner Lt-General Sriwara Rangsipramanakul has ordered a probe into a plastic bag stuffed with explosives and ammunition that was found in his reserved parking space at his office's compound yesterday morning, an informed source said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829989-sriwara-orders-inquiry-into-bombs-found-in-police-parking-space/

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Blatter says he will resign as FIFA president
DANIELLA MATAR, Associated Press
GRAHAM DUNBAR, Associated Press

ZURICH (AP) — The end for Sepp Blatter came suddenly, just days after he had seemingly solidified his hold on FIFA.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829991-blatter-says-he-will-resign-as-fifa-president/

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Homes and public structures in Chiang Rai damaged by rainstorm
The Nation



CHIANG RAI: -- Local officials yesterday inspected the damage Monday night's storm did to over 100 homes and public structures in Chiang Rai's Phraya Mengrai district.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829992-homes-and-public-structures-in-chiang-rai-damaged-by-rainstorm/

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BURNING ISSUE
Well-intended support for coup not in society's best interest
PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK

BANGKOK: -- THE presence of military rule over the past year is just a tip of the iceberg. Beneath it are millions of Thais who support military rule - who beg or even demand a military takeover. They now want the junta, known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), to stay longer than their promised road map to return power to the people next year.

Thus, the struggle is not just to overcome military dictatorship, but to win back the hearts and minds of the millions who reportedly support authoritarianism over democracy.

The millions of these authoritarian-minded citizens, the junta-supporters, want to be ruled in a climate of ersatz peace. They have mistaken the rule by law for the rule of law. They, in effect, forfeit their citizenship to be subjects of a military ruler - and this is not the first, second, third, or even fourth time in the history of Thailand that they have done this.

These people express intolerance in ways that one would not even expect the junta leaders to do.

On May 22, Poomrat Raengsiwit, one of the students who protested against the first year under military rule in front of the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre, was arrested. He later wrote on prachatai.com online newspaper that one pro-junta bystander shouted to police: "Officers! You have guns. Why don't you use it to shoot them?"

On Twitter, another junta-supporter under the account @Rang70 tweeted yesterday against anti-coup pro-Thaksin Shinawatra red shirts saying: "…red buffaloes should be destroyed, made to be extinct" because they are a disgrace to Thailand.

After being heavily criticised, the Twitter user later defended himself by saying he was not calling for a genocide but wanted to change the minds of red shirts, who are "stupid".

Long after junta leader cum Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is gone, these people will continue to demand dictatorship over democratic government because they have little tolerance, perseverance and have lost faith in democratic processes, and hold little regard for the majority of the people, who they regard as stupid, less educated and less moral than they are.

The path to true democracy in Thailand lies not in trying to eradicate authoritarian-minded people, but in engaging them in debate and dialogue in the hope that they become more open-minded and democratic.

Meanwhile, those who support democracy must not be arrogant or adhere to the narrow belief that the majority can do whatever it likes without listening to the voices of the minority.

Given such a predicament, it is clear that we must not sprint to oust a dictator - but endure a long-term struggle to convert millions from being "fodder" for future military interventions, as well as those who subscribe to a very narrow interpretation of what constitutes democracy.

This requires perseverance, tolerance and a deep well of optimism that people will be able to recognise that supporting authoritarianism, no matter how well-intended, is not in the best long-term interest of society.

It is hoped that those Thais can eventually become masters of their own destiny, freed from the bondage they choose to impose upon themselves and others.

There is a limit to what heroic acts can achieve. Democracy cannot be sustained by a few brave individuals while the majority choose to demote themselves into mere political spectators or cannon fodder for military rule. There is a time and place for heroic acts of defiance, but Thai society itself cannot keep democracy afloat without the true participation, tolerance and contribution from the majority of its people.

The article was adapted from part of a speech given by the writer at the Oslo Freedom Forum on May 26, in Oslo, Norway.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Well-intended-support-for-coup-not-in-societys-bes-30261480.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-03

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Congress sends NSA phone-records bill to president
By ERICA WERNER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress approved sweeping changes Tuesday to surveillance laws enacted after the Sept. 11 attacks, eliminating the National Security Agency's disputed bulk phone-records collection program and replacing it with a more restrictive measure to keep the records in phone companies' hands.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829993-us-congress-sends-nsa-phone-records-bill-to-president/

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US-led coalition doubles down on IS group strategy
By LORI HINNANT and JAMEY KEATEN

PARIS (AP) — The U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State is doubling down on its strategy to fight the extremists, insisting on staying the course it set last year despite the radical group's recent conquests on both sides of the border between Iraq and Syria.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829995-us-led-coalition-doubles-down-on-is-group-strategy/

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Over 400 still missing from capsized cruise ship in China
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN

JIANLI, China (AP) — As the Eastern Star cruise ship listed heavily amid pounding rain on the Yangtze River, tour guide Zhang Hui told a colleague, "Looks like we are in trouble."

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829996-over-400-still-missing-from-capsized-cruise-ship-in-china/

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FBI behind mysterious surveillance aircraft over US cities
By JACK GILLUM, EILEEN SULLIVAN and ERIC TUCKER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scores of low-flying planes circling American cities are part of a civilian air force operated by the FBI and obscured behind fictitious companies, The Associated Press has learned.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829997-fbi-behind-mysterious-surveillance-aircraft-over-us-cities/

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Key questions: Why did Blatter resign and what now for FIFA?
By ROB HARRIS

LONDON (AP) — Sepp Blatter and his mentor Joao Havelange have run global's soccer's governing body since 1974, handing out power to national federations and regional chiefs who awarded the men with loyalty.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829999-key-questions-why-did-blatter-resign-and-what-now-for-fifa/

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BMA inspects flood wall around Siriraj Hospital in preparation for rainy season

BANGKOK, 3 June 2015 (NNT) – Bangkok City Hall is carrying out an inspection of the flood wall around Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok in preparation for influxes of rainwater during the rainy season.

Bangkok Governor M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra personally inspected the recently completed flood wall in the vicinity of Siriraj Hospital. The top of the flood wall stood three meters above mean sea level. Although City Hall officials believe the height of the flood wall would be adequate for keeping out floodwater, they were concerned with the low water level in the Chao Phraya River at present.

To prevent a weakening of the flood wall due to the low water level, officials were reinforcing the bases of the flood wall with large stones.


-- NNT 2015-06-03

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Commerce Minister: Export promotion plan completed

BANGKOK, 3 June 2015, (NNT) - Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikalya has said the plan for export promotion has been completed.

According to him, the plan focuses on exporting auto parts & auto equipment to Latin America, North America and Africa, electrical appliances to the Middle East and ASEAN. Precious gems exports, on the other hand, will be focused on wealthy nations.

General Chatchai said the ministry also have plans to discuss Free Trade Agreements with India and the European Union by the end of this year.


-- NNT 2015-06-03

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One million tons of rice in government stockpile to be auctioned off this month

BANGKOK, 3 June 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce will auction off one million tons of rice this month and will sign government-to-government contracts for the sale of two million tons of rice to China within July.

General Chatchai Sarikulya, the minister of commerce, has given his approval for the Department of Foreign Trade to announce the auctioning of one million tons of rice within the government's stockpile. The one million tons of rice consists of both quality rice and substandard rice. Bids are expected to be submitted starting in the middle of this month. The minister believes the entire one million tons will be sold out due to high demand from the market following the end of the off-season rice cultivation period. Since the beginning of the year, close to three million tons of rice has been released from the government's stockpile.

As for the G2G rice deals with China, Gen. Chatchai disclosed that a contract of sale for 1 million tons of new rice and one million tons of old rice will be signed in July. In the meantime, Thailand has already delivered 400,000 tons of rice to China under a previous contract for the purchase of one million tons of rice that was signed last year. Another 100,000 tons will soon be delivered in accordance with this contract.

Gen. Chatchai said the Ministry of Commerce will also bid for the sale of rice to the Philippines this month.


-- NNT 2015-06-03

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UK roller coaster crash leaves 4 seriously injured, 12 stuck

LONDON (AP) — One roller coaster car slammed into another Tuesday on one of Britain's biggest amusement park rides, leaving four teenagers seriously injured and stranding passengers 25 feet (8 meters) in the air, officials said.v

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/830014-uk-roller-coaster-crash-leaves-4-seriously-injured-12-stuck/

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Obama signs bill remaking NSA phone records program
ERICA WERNER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress approved sweeping changes Tuesday to surveillance laws enacted after the Sept. 11,2001 attacks, eliminating the National Security Agency's disputed bulk phone-records collection program affecting millions of Americans and replacing it with a more restrictive measure to keep the records in phone companies' hands.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/830016-obama-signs-bill-remaking-nsa-phone-records-program/

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Rural road networks improved for Border SEZs

BANGKOK, 3 June 2015 (NNT) – The Department of Rural Roads takes the initiative to support investment atmosphere in the special economic zones (SEZ) by developing rural road networks nationwide.

Director-General Daroon Saengchai said the department has drawn up 17 projects with a total investment of 8.68 billion baht to facilitate easier access to the special economic zones. The projects can be divided into road construction that is directly connected with the zones and the ones that support future trade and investment expansion of the SEZ.

The Department also unveiled projects to renovate 25 roads leading to various special economic zones.

So far the government has designated special economic zones in 10 border provinces of Tak, Sakaeo, Trat, Mukdahan, Nong Khai, Songkhla, Kanjanaburi, Chiang Rai, Nakhon Phanom and Narathiwat.


-- NNT 2015-06-03