Thailand Live Tuesday 9 Jun 2015

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Rice in govt's warehouses to be sold to public at low prices



BANGKOK, 9 June 2015 (NNT) - Commerce Minister Chatchai Sarikalya has expressed his confidence that the government’s one-million-ton rice auction will attract a lot of bidders since in-season rice has been sold out in the market.

Rice in the government’s warehouses will be sold at low prices to the public in order to help distribute the rice. A committee may be set up to check the rice stock and demands of the market before the produce is distributed in bags.

The minister added that there were 16 million tons of rice in the government’s warehouses, including two million tons of good quality rice and lower-grade rice. The ministry would consider which rice to be sold to the public, said Gen. Chatchai.


-- NNT 2015-06-09

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Saraburi Man Arrested for Stealing Steel Plates from Army Base
By Khaosod English


Police arrest a man who allegedly tried to steal steel plates from an army base in Saraburi province, 8 June 2015.

SARABURI — Police have arrested a 34-year-old man who allegedly attempted to steal steel plates from an army base in central Thailand this morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831477-saraburi-man-arrested-for-stealing-steel-plates-from-thai-army-base/

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BANGKOK
Governor under fire as rains bring city to a standstill
Tanatpong Kongsai,
Supachai Phettewee
The Nation



BANGKOK: - PRESSURE IS building on Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra after millions of commuters in the capital suffered a traffic nightmare due to flooded roads yesterday morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831478-governor-under-fire-as-rains-bring-bangkok-to-a-standstill/

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POLITICS
PM backpedals on staying on
THE NATION

Govt wary of public opinion; Junta thinks again about push to delay election before reforms

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday backtracked on his readiness to remain in power for another two years to complete the national reform due to negative public sentiment over the last few days.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831480-pm-prayut-backpedals-on-staying-on/

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HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Trafficking activities cease amid crackdown and onset of monsoon
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THE CRACKDOWN on human-trafficking in southern Thailand and the arrival of the monsoon season have put a halt to the smuggling of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh through Thai waters, a senior navy commander-in-charge of the government's search-and-rescue operation in the Andaman Sea said over the weekend.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831481-trafficking-activities-cease-amid-crackdown-and-onset-of-monsoon/

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POLITICS
'Reform before election does not need referendum'
KRIS BHROMSUTHI
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- TWO senior members of the National Reform Council (NRC) issued a joint statement yesterday proposing "reform before election" that should take six months to a year, without the need for a referendum.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831482-reform-before-election-does-not-need-referendum/

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WORLD OCEANS DAY
50 tonnes of Thai garbage flows into sea every year
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- ABOUT 50 tonnes of garbage flows into the sea from Thailand every year, but less than two tonnes of that amount is collected later, Depart-ment of Marine and Coastal Resources chief Chonlatid Suraswadi said yesterday, which was World Oceans Day.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831483-50-tonnes-of-thai-garbage-flows-into-sea-every-year/

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Minimum wage could only rise: govt
ERICH PARPART,
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE GOVERNMENT yesterday said any change to the Bt300 daily minimum wage would see it increase, but suggested a more flexible wage policy could be introduced in the future.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831484-minimum-wage-could-only-rise-thai-govt/

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Confidence among foreign investors soars 30%
ERICH PARPART
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- OVERALL investor confidence for the next three months has declined by 14.17 per cent as the sluggish domestic economy has pulled down domestic sentiment, but foreign investors' confidence has risen by 30.01 per cent on the increased tangibility of infrastructure mega-projects, said the Federation of Thai Capital Market Organisations (FETCO).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831485-confidence-among-foreign-investors-soars-30/

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EDITORIAL
When is a right NOT A RIGHT?

WHEN YOU NEED PERMISSION TO EXERCISE IT

BANGKOK: -- The junta-backed government's repeated vows to uphold citizens' rights were not matched by its own actions last week, when the authorities ordered the cancellation of a panel discussion organised by the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831487-thai-editorial-when-is-a-right-not-a-right/

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STREETWISE
Well-being for all: How is Prayut meeting his pledge?

BANGKOK: -- A recent report in this newspaper gave me the chills. Sansiri is launching a downtown condominium project next year with a price tag of Bt500,000 per square metre or higher.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831488-well-being-for-all-how-is-prayut-meeting-his-pledge/

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Three Explosive Devices thrown at foreigners in South Pattaya area



PATTAYA: -- Police were called to the Pratamnuk Hill area in South Pattaya early on Monday Morning to investigate reports of 3 explosive devices being thrown at foreigners, thought to be living in the area, by a group of youths.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831489-three-explosive-devices-thrown-at-foreigners-in-south-pattaya-area/

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Woman dies after fall from tree in Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- A 44 year old woman died after she fell approximately 7 meters from a tree as she inspected a bird’s nest in a high branch.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831490-woman-dies-after-fall-from-tree-in-pattaya/

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Fatal Road Crash in East Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- In the early hours of Monday, a 40 year old female motorbike driver was killed in a single-vehicle road accident in East Pattaya.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831492-fatal-road-crash-in-east-pattaya/

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Tourism operators call for reopening of Trang sea

Trang:- Representatives of tourism business operators in the southern province of Trang Monday called on the provincial governor to overrule the order of Trang marine park chief to close five tourist-destination spots in the Trang sea for four months.

Some 50 representatives were led by Prateep Jongthong, president of the Trang Tourism Business Association, Banchong Naruepornmethi, president of the Tourism and Hotel Business Association, and Somchai Jianaisilp, president of the Tourism and Travel Industry Association. They met Trang Governor Somsak Hemthanon at the provincial hall to ask for leniency over the sea closure order.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831436-tourism-operators-call-for-reopening-of-trang-sea/

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Phuket disaster teams to hold tsunami drill in Patong
The Phuket News


The tsunami drill will begin in Patong at 10am.

PHUKET: -- The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) will hold a tsunami evacuation drill and emergency-response drill in Patong on Tuesday morning (June 9).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831494-phuket-disaster-teams-to-hold-tsunami-drill-in-patong/

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BURNING ISSUE
Forest land reclamation could spark war with the poor
CHULARAT SAENGPASSA
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- THE MAIN obstacle to protecting forest land has always been the reluctance of officials to take action against powerful encroachers, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister General Dapong Ratanasuwan.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831495-thai-politics-forest-land-reclamation-could-spark-war-with-the-poor/

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Alleged South Korean 'call centre' scammers busted
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Seven South Korean men were arrested in Bangkok for allegedly running a Thailand-based "call centre" scam to dupe their compatriots over a one-month period.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831496-alleged-south-korean-call-centre-scammers-busted/

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UPDATE:

Inmate killed, 13 injured in riot at Songkhla Prison
The Nation



SONGKHLA: -- AN INMATE was killed and 13 others injured, including five guards, when a riot erupted at Songkhla Prison yesterday. About 200 inmates were reportedly angry about crowded conditions and strict rules for searches for drugs and cell-phones.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831336-songkhla-prison-riot-leaves-a-dozen-of-wardens-injured/page-2#entry9495471

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Army officers under Manas involved: report
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- SOME ARMY officers under key suspect Lt-General Manas Kongpaen are suspected of involvement in the trafficking of Rohingya and other migrants, according to a special Issara News Agency report.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831498-army-officers-under-manas-involved-report/

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'Crackdown has curbed graft'
The Nation


Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday presides over the opening ceremony at Government House of a project designed to create anti-corruption awareness among Thais.

Top civil servant among 152 facing corruption probe

BANGKOK: -- STRICT enforcement of anti-corruption measures has helped reduce corrupt practices involving central government officials over the past year, according to Pramon Sutheewong, head of a network of anti-graft organisations. But provincial procurement has worsened - due to weak enforcement of local rules and regulations.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831499-crackdown-has-curbed-graft/

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Transport 'Superboard' proposed
The Nation

Umbrella body for public transport and traffic; to coordinate 11 state agencies

BANGKOK: -- A PROPOSAL is set to be submit-|ted to the government to establish |an umbrella body to regulate |public transport and traffic poli-|cies in Bangkok and around the country.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831501-thai-transport-superboard-proposed/

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Obama: US lacks 'complete strategy' for training Iraqis
By JULIE PACE and NEDRA PICKLER

ELMAU, Germany (AP) — Acknowledging military setbacks, President Barack Obama said Monday the United States still lacks a "complete strategy" for training Iraqi forces to fight the Islamic State. He urged Iraq's government to allow more of the nation's Sunnis to join the campaign against the violent militants.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831502-obama-us-lacks-complete-strategy-for-training-iraqis/

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Supreme Court strikes down 'born in Jerusalem' passport law
By MARK SHERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Siding with the White House in a foreign-policy power struggle with Congress, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that Americans born in the disputed city of Jerusalem can't list Israel as their birthplace on passports.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831504-us-supreme-court-strikes-down-born-in-jerusalem-passport-law/

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'Napalm girl' photographer returns - with iPhone, Instagram
By TED ANTHONY

TRANG BANG, Vietnam (AP) — He stands in the northbound lane of Vietnam's Highway 1, traffic swirling around him, horns honking. He is pointing. Right there, he says — that's where it happened. That's where the screaming children appeared. That's where I made the picture that the world couldn't forget.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831505-napalm-girl-photographer-returns-with-iphone-instagram/

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Israel isn't on UN list of parties that kill or injure kids
EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest list of parties that kill or injure children in armed conflict does not include Israel — as some U.N. officials had recommended — but the U.N. chief strongly criticized Israel for the "unprecedented and unacceptable" scale of its violence against young people.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831506-israel-isnt-on-un-list-of-parties-that-kill-or-injure-kids/

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Israel reopens Gaza crossings
English.news.cn

JERUSALEM, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Israel has reopened crossings with the Gaza Strip on Monday, after they were shut down for one day, a Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831507-israel-reopens-gaza-crossings/

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NCPO to continue supporting enforcement of laws

BANGKOK, 09 June 2015 (NNT) – The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has told its subordinate agencies to continue to maintain orderliness by supporting enforcement of laws and paying attention to the plights of members of the public.

Colonel Sirichan Ngathong, deputy spokesperson of the NCPO, revealed that the agency's weekly meeting went over a report of peace and order maintaining efforts over the past week. The report indicated that peace and order maintaining forces – teams of military personnel assigned the task of maintaining order – continued to support law enforcement work by police officers and other authorities. The peace and order maintaining forces also visited residents in various localities, in order to reinforce security at the village level.

As for efforts to foster reconciliation, the NCPO continued to hold activities to seek input from all sectors, especially that on country reform.

The deputy spokesperson also reiterated that all NCPO units were to work in accordance with the policy of the NCPO chief, namely the maintaining of internal security, the enforcement of law, the driving of various works, the implementation of country reform and the modification and update of certain laws.


-- NNT 2015-06-09

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Airport taxi surcharge is expected to rise to 75 baht for normal taxis and 95 baht for larger taxi vans, recommended by a Transport Ministry committee. /Bangkok Post

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Airport taxi surcharges to be increased

Bangkok:- Transport Minister Prajin Juntong has given a green light for the increases of surcharge for taxi services at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Mueang International Airport, he said Monday.

He said the surcharges for small taxis and large van taxis will be allowed to be increased at the rates lower than the ones proposed by a special committee studying the taxi fares at the airports.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/831532-airport-taxi-surcharges-to-be-increased/