Thailand Live Monday 20 Jul 2015

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Ratchaburi develops ties with Japan's Kitakyushu

BANGKOK, 20 July 2015 (NNT) - Ratchaburi province strengthens relations with Kitakyushu city in Japan in the hope to develop the province as an environmental city.

Deputy Governor of Ratchaburi Ronnaphob Ruengphairote and entourage have officially visited Kitakyushu. They were welcomed by Kitakyushu Mayor Kenji Kitahashi who led them to see the city's environmental development projects, industrial waste disposal as well as the local people's way of life.

Kitakyushu used to be polutted but now it is a pollution-free, green city and an important economic town of Japan. Kitakyushu will be used as a model for creating an industrial town in Ratchaburi with a majority of investment from a group of investors from Kitakyushu.


-- NNT 2015-07-20

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SURVEY:

Should Coffee Houses and Fast Food Restaurants be allowed to Charge an Overstay Fee?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841707-survey-should-coffee-houses-and-fast-food-restaurants-be-allowed-to-charge-an-overstay-fee/

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British retired pilot dies in his South Pattaya apartment



PATTAYA: -- Police and medics were called to a South Pattaya apartment complex in the early hours of Sunday after a British man died while in the presence of his girlfriend.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841748-british-retired-pilot-dies-in-his-south-pattaya-apartment/

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Kenyan Runners dominate the Pattaya Marathon 2015



PATTAYA: -- The 24th Pattaya Marathon took place on Sunday Morning and this year’s race was once again dominated by the Kenyans who took the top 7 places in the male race and 1st place in the female race.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841749-kenyan-runners-dominate-the-pattaya-marathon-2015/

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Cash-strapped farmers forced to watch crops wither away
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM,
PAKAWAN ROJANASINGSAWAD
THE NATION


A farmer in Ayutthaya province looks sad as he sees his paddy dying due to the shortage of water after the government told farmers to stop diverting water from a nearby irrigation system to their fields.

AS THE Chao Phraya River Basin runs out of water for farmland, rice farmers are running out of cash.

BANGKOK: -- Without water, farmers can do nothing but leave their plants to wither. Without crops, they have no source of certain income.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841750-cash-strapped-thai-farmers-forced-to-watch-crops-wither-away/

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Angry fishermen call for rules delay
THE NATION



Hundreds protest over new rules to overhaul the fishing industry and avoid a ban by the EU

BANGKOK: -- SEVERAL HUNDRED fishermen along Thailand's coastal provinces have urged the government to delay new rules and regulations to crack down on so-called illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing practices as required by the European Union, which last week told Thai authorities the country has not done enough to solve the IUU issue.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841751-angry-thai-fishermen-call-for-rules-delay/

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Prayut urged to reshuffle the Cabinet to get public back on his side
PIMNARA PRADUBWIT,
PRAPASRI OSATHANON
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha should reshuffle his Cabinet, especially his economic ministers, to regain the faith of the people after the government's failing performance dented its popularity, the spokesman of the National Reform Council (NRC) whip said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841752-prayut-urged-to-reshuffle-the-cabinet-to-get-public-back-on-his-side/

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New assembly law 'will hinder but not stop dedicated protests'
WASAMON AUDJARINT
MARISA ISHIKAWA
THE NATION



Big rallies will still occur but groups may be limited in how they stage demonstrations, veterans say

BANGKOK: -- THE PAVEMENT in front of the Tourism and Sports Ministry in Bangkok was glazed as usual by a hot, strong noon sun. What was unusual however was a group of activist occupants hanging fabric banners which read "Who killed the Andaman [sea]?" on both sides of the pavement.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841753-new-thai-assembly-law-will-hinder-but-not-stop-dedicated-protests/

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'Krabi's economy will die'
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE NATION


Akradej Chakjinda, left, and other activists from the Protect Andaman from Coal Network, have been on hunger strike since July 10 in front of the Tourism and Sports Ministry in protest over the proposed Krabi coal-fired power plant.

Tourism on Andaman coast will be ruined if Egat coal plant goes ahead: protesters

KRABI: -- THE upcoming bid to find a builder for the Krabi coal-fired power plant - before completion of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - is seriously wrong, the Protect Andaman from Coal Network has said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841755-krabis-economy-will-die/

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Hoteliers predict Chinese tourist rush to continue
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- HOTELIERS predict that tourist arrivals from China will continue to increase by up to 25 per cent a year over the next three years with a huge number of young Chinese travellers descending on the Kingdom.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841756-hoteliers-predict-chinese-tourist-rush-to-continue-in-thailand/

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College courses to tackle skilled-worker shortage
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- THAILAND is facing a shortfall of 400,000 skilled workers each year, mainly in management, information and communications technology and hospitality, according to Virachai Techavijit, honorary adviser to the National Legislative Assembly's committee on education and chairman of Regent's International College (RIC) in Bangkok.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841757-college-courses-to-tackle-thailands-skilled-worker-shortage/

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Bangkok malls hit their stride
KANG SOON CHEN
ASIA NEWS NETWORK


Supaluck Umpujh

BANGKOK: -- AMONG the small circle of mall developers in Bangkok, the default motto has been "the more, the better". In a city already teeming with over 120 malls, International property consultant CB Richard Ellis says one million square metres of retail space is expected to be completed here this year. Bangkok ranks eighth among the top retail target markets in Asia-Pacific, according to its report.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841758-bangkok-malls-hit-their-stride/

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REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
US political posturing kills Thai-US relations
Kavi Chongkittavorn
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The latest strong condemnation by Washington of Thailand's action over the Uighur illegal immigrants has dampened any future amelioration of Thai-US relations.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841759-us-political-posturing-kills-thai-us-relations/

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Prayut lays down the law on water
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha has given an urgent order to the public and private sector to conserve water as the country is braving a water shortage crisis, Deputy Government Spokesman Maj General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841761-prayut-lays-down-the-law-on-water/

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Four teams to probe death
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- POLICE have formed four teams to reinvestigate the death of a construction magnate after his family claimed his car crash was not accidental.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841762-four-thai-police-teams-to-probe-death-of-a-construction-magnate/

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Doctor warns against swallowing santol seeds



BANGKOK: -- As santol fruit (krathorn in Thai) is flooding the market, consumers of the tropical fruit are told not to swallow its seeds as they may puncture or clog up their intestine.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841764-thai-doctor-warns-against-swallowing-santol-seeds/

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ANALYSIS
Anti-graft bodies 'needs to work better with other state bodies'
PIYAPORN WONGRUANG
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- FOR YEARS Thailand has put its hopes on the National Anti-Corruption Commission in its battle against fraud, but since the problem has grown more convoluted, the anti-graft body - in its current form - may not be up to the task.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841765-thai-analysis-anti-graft-bodies-needs-to-work-better-with-other-state-bodies/

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Borwornsak says the charter draft is satisfactory
KHANITTHA THEPPHAJORN,
OLAN LERTRUDTANADUMRONGKUL
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE charter draft is satisfactory but it is not perfect, the chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841766-borwornsak-says-the-thai-charter-draft-is-satisfactory/

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Egat to begin bidding for coal power plant to 'save time'
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE NATION


Anuchart Palakawong Na Ayutthaya

KRABI: -- A COAL-FIRED power plant is urgently needed in Krabi to ensure power stability in the South and it is normal practice to initiate a bidding process to build such a plant before the |environment impact assessment is completed, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) claims.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841767-egat-to-begin-bidding-for-krabi-coal-power-plant-to-save-time/

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Polish Man Found Dead with Throat Slashed in Bangkok Hotel

BANGKOK – A Polish National has been found dead with a severe knife wound to his throat in the bathroom of a luxury hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 23 in Bangkok late Friday night.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841768-polish-man-found-dead-with-throat-slashed-in-bangkok-sukhumvit-soi-23-hotel/

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Pentagon chief Carter in Israel seeks deeper military ties
By ROBERT BURNS

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Sunday he has no expectation of persuading Israeli leaders to drop their opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, but will instead emphasize that the accord imposes no limits on what Washington can do to ensure the security of Israel and U.S. Arab allies.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841769-pentagon-chief-carter-in-israel-seeks-deeper-military-ties/

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70 years after WWII, Japanese company apologizes to US POWs
By ANDREW DALTON

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Saying they felt a "deep sense of ethical responsibility for a past tragedy," executives from a major Japanese corporation gave an unprecedented apology Sunday to a 94-year-old U.S. prisoner of war for using American POWs for forced labor during World War II.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841770-japans-mitsubishi-makes-prisoners-of-war-apology/

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Merkel rules out 'haircut' for Greece, open to other relief
DAVID RISING, Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday suggested that Germany would show flexibility in negotiating how Greece deals with its massive debt, but again ruled out writing off part of the money.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841774-germanys-merkel-rules-out-haircut-for-greece-open-to-other-relief/

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Coroner: Man drowns in Los Angeles pool owned by Demi Moore
TAMI ABDOLLAH, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 21-year-old man accidentally drowned in the backyard pool of a Los Angeles home owned by actress Demi Moore on Sunday morning, coroner's officials said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841776-man-drowns-in-demi-moores-swimming-pool/

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Trump basks in McCain takedown, says rivals envious of rise
By JULIE PACE

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans' swift condemnation of Donald Trump's disparaging comments about Sen. John McCain's military service marks a turning point in the party's cautious approach to the billionaire-turned-presidential candidate.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841777-trump-basks-in-mccain-takedown-says-rivals-envious-of-rise/

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UK's Cameron offers plan to counter attraction of extremism
By DANICA KIRKA

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister David Cameron is launching a five-year plan to defeat Islamic extremism, saying it is time to counter the ideology that has attracted so many young people to the Islamic State group.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841778-uks-cameron-offers-plan-to-counter-attraction-of-extremism/

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In an IS training camp, children told: Behead the doll
By ZEINA KARAM and BRAM JANSSEN

SANLIURFA, Turkey (AP) — The children had all been shown videos of beheadings and told by their trainers with the Islamic State group that they would perform one someday. First, they had to practice technique. The more than 120 boys were each given a doll and a sword and told, cut off its head.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841779-in-an-is-training-camp-children-told-behead-the-doll/

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Myanmar's strongman gives rare BBC interview

By Jonah Fisher

BBC News, Nay Pyi Taw

Is Senior General Min Aung Hlaing the most powerful man in Myanmar?

Read more: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841771-myanmars-strongman-gives-rare-bbc-interview/

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AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd released on bail in New Zealand

SYDNEY (AP) — AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was released on bail on Monday a day after he was arrested in New Zealand on a charge of breaching conditions of his home detention sentence for threatening to kill a man who used to work for him.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841780-acdc-drummer-phil-rudd-released-on-bail-in-new-zealand/

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Czech tourists missing in Lebanon believed kidnapped

BEIRUT: -- Security forces have yet to find any clues indicating where the five Czech tourists who disappeared in east Lebanon Saturday might be, but preliminary information suggests the incident was a kidnapping.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/841782-czech-tourists-missing-in-lebanon-believed-kidnapped/