Why Are You Even Here? The Surprising Attitudes of Some Expats in Thailand

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Official: 2 dead in movie theater shooting, including gunman

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana (AP) — A gunman opened fire at a movie theater in Lousiana on Thursday night, killing at least one person and injuring at least six others before shooting himself, officials said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842900-us-2-dead-in-lafayette-louisianna-movie-theater-shooting-including-gunman/

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SAMUT PRAKARN: -- Two people died in a predawn fire which broke out at a four-storey commercial building in Samrong Nua district of Samut Prakarn province.

One victim died when she jumped out from the balcony of the building which houses Saha Mongkol Insurance Co’s branch office in the Thippawal housing estate.

Another man died from suffocation when he was trapped inside a room of the building which was engulfed when the fire started at 4 am Friday.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/119910

-- Thai PBS 2015-07-24

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Culture Ministry establishes 'Center of Thai Inspiration'

BANGKOK, 24 July 2015 (NNT) - The Ministry of Culture has established the Center of Thai Inspiration or ‘Ban Dan Thai Center’ in the compound of Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center in Bangkok.

According to Permanent Secretary for Culture Apinan Poshyananda, the new center's objectives include giving advice on developing souvenirs highlighting creative cultural concepts for industrial production and managing cultural attractions for the businesses.

He said it is the new agency's policy to deploy Thailand's leading designers to inspire business operators across the nation, to create value added products featuring the uniqueness of Thai culture.

According to the official, starting from this coming August 7th, the Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center will organize presentations about designing souvenirs with Thai uniqueness.

The event will showcase prototype signature souvenirs from the 77 provinces of Thailand. In addition, the exhibition will host a seminar on designing Thai souvenirs by the nation's leading artists and designers.

Interested individuals can attend the event free of charge.


-- NNT 2015-07-24

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The Charades of Donald Trump and Alexis Tsipras
The GOP candidate and Greek leader have undermined global debates about economics and immigration.
MOISÉS NAÍM

NEW YORK: -- Donald Trump and Alexis Tsipras couldn’t be more different. The sexagenarian Trump is an unabashed capitalist while the 40-year-old Greek prime minister joined the Communist Party as a teenager and since 2009 has led the radical-left Syriza party. The ostentatious American parades his multiple mansions and his fortune, which Forbes had the temerity to value at a meager $4 billion despite Trump’s claims that it “is in excess of TEN BILLION DOLLARS.”

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842904-the-charades-of-donald-trump-and-alexis-tsipras/

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SET down 3.66 points at opening /Bangkok Post

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Trat holds a workshop on mushroom growing during rainy season

TRAT, 24 July 2015 (NNT) – The Agriculture and Cooperatives Office in Trat Province is holding a workshop educating farmers about growing various types of mushroom. The move is expected to generate a decent amount of supplementary income during the rainy season.

The workshop is being held at the OTOP Center in Nam Chiew Sub-district, Laem Ngob District. A large number of local agriculturalists are participating in the workshop. Thailand has a total of 647 strains of edible mushrooms. As the plants are rich in protein and iron, some mushrooms are also used as medicine or extracted as color dye.

Mushrooms are also natural digestive agents, helping other crops to grow. They act as indicators of environment quality. Famous mushrooms being featured at the course are hard mushroom, white mushroom and black mushroom. At the workshop, officials demonstrated how mushrooms are grown on a log which is fit for household consumption. Growers can use multiple logs to mass produce mushrooms for commercial purpose.


-- NNT 2015-07-24

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkish state-run TV: Turkish jets strike at IS targets across border in Syria.

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No price limits on property ownership in Indonesia by foreigners



INDONESIA: -- The Jakarta Globe reported that the Indonesian government will not set a minimum value on homes that foreigners will be allowed to purchase, citing Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, the minister of land and spatial planning as saying on Wednesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842907-no-price-limits-on-property-ownership-in-indonesia-by-foreigners/

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VN woman seeks lawsuit after 9 years living with HIV misdiagnosis, discrimination



VIETNAM: -- A woman in Vietnam's northern province of Hung Yen says she will sue a local hospital that allegedly misdiagnosed her as HIV-positive nine years ago, according to Thanh Nien News.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842909-vietnamese-woman-seeks-lawsuit-after-9-years-living-with-hiv-misdiagnosis-discrimination/

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand, Myanmar ink visa exemption deal next week

BANGKOK: The foreign ministries of Thailand and Myanmar will next week sign a visa exemption agreement in Chiang Mai next week.

Read more: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842911-thailand-myanmar-ink-visa-exemption-deal-next-week/

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Predawn fire in Samrong Nua kills two persons

SAMUT PRAKARN: -- Two persons died when a fire broke out at a four-storey commercial row house building in Samrong Nua district of Samut Prakarn province on Friday morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842912-predawn-fire-in-samut-prakarn-province-kills-two-persons/

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UPDATE:

Official: 3 dead in movie theater shooting, including gunman

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana (AP) — A gunman opened fire at a movie theater in Lousiana on Thursday evening, killing two people and injuring at least seven others before shooting himself, officials said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842900-us-2-dead-in-lafayette-louisianna-movie-theater-shooting-including-gunman/#entry9655598

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National police chief comforts former Pheu Thai MP over tycoon's car crash death



BANGKOK: -- Royal Thai Police commissioner Pol Gen Somyot Pumpanmuang today comforted former Pheu Thai party's Nakhon Sawan MP not to worry much about the investigation into the suspicious death of the construction tycoon by his advisor with promise to look into the case with justice.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842915-national-police-chief-comforts-former-pheu-thai-mp-over-tycoons-car-crash-death/

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkish government confirms its warplanes struck IS targets near border in Syria.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Defence gets access to evidence for DNA tests in Koh Tao murder trial - lawyer

BANGKOK:— A Thai court has given defence lawyers access to evidence for DNA testing in the trial of two Myanmar workers accused of murdering two British tourists in Thailand, a defence lawyer said on Friday.

Read more: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/838898-koh-tao-trial-opens-for-2-accused-of-killing-british-tourists/page-179#entry9655687

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Cleric suspected of child abuse in US jailed in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An American clergyman suspected of child sexual abuse in Pennsylvania has been sentenced to an Australian prison for molesting three children in Melbourne more than 30 years ago.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842916-cleric-suspected-of-child-abuse-in-us-jailed-in-australia/

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Customs Department to provide customs charge paying service through credit and debit cards

BANGKOK, 24 July 2015, (NNT) - The Customs Department will start offering customs charge paying service through credit and debit cards at the customs office in Suvarnabhumi International Airport from September 1st, 2015 onward.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842919-suvarnabhumi-customs-to-provide-duty-charge-paying-service-through-credit-or-debit-cards/

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Unusual car crash closes to conclusion



BANGKOK: -- Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Sriwara Rangsitpramakul today summoned a meeting with police investigators handling the car crash incident which killed the multi billionaire construction tycoon in order to piece together all their findings to determine if the car crash was an accident or was intentionally staged to make it appear a normal crash to cover up murder.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842920-thai-tycoons-death-unusual-car-crash-closes-to-conclusion/

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Monsoon trough leaves Thailand, rainfall continues in upper regions

BANGKOK, 24 July 2015 (NNT) - The Meteorological Department has revealed that the North and Northeast of Thailand will continue to have more rainfall than other regions of the country.

According to the department, the monsoon trough, which has already left Thailand and is now moving across Vietnam and Myanmar, will continue to bring rain to the upper part of Thailand.

Only 30% of the Central Plains will experience rainfall today and tomorrow, while around 20% of Bangkok and its vicinity are forecast to have wet weather conditions. The amount of rain will be less so in the East Coast.

The southern provinces will certainly experience lower rainfall, although scattered thundershowers could be seen mostly in the upper part of the South.


-- NNT 2015-07-24

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10 rescued from sinking speedboat

PATTAYA:--Ten tourists had to be rescued after their Koh Larn speedboat began taking on water.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842943-10-rescued-from-sinking-speedboat/

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Australian Ambassador pays official visit to PM's Office



BANGKOK, 24 July 2015 (NNT)-The Australian Ambassador has visited the Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office M.L. Panadda Disakul, saying he hopes the political situation in Thailand will return to normal soon.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842949-australian-ambassador-to-thailand-pays-official-visit-to-pms-office/

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Min of Commerce to continue palm oil price intervention scheme

BANGKOK, 24 July 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce is poised to continue its intervention scheme to prop up palm oil prices, despite a recent oversupply.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842970-thai-commerce-min-to-continue-palm-oil-price-intervention-scheme/

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MEA announces power outages across Bangkok this weekend

More info: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842974-mea-announces-power-outages-across-bangkok-this-weekend/

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Imitation Phuket monk faces fraud, encroachment charges
Eakkapop Thongtub


Officials speak to Adul Phongsuwan at his make-shift monastery

PHUKET: -- A man who has been pretending to be a monk is likely to face charges of fraud and encroachment after he was found to have tried to fraudulently obtain money from the government and also set up make-shift monastery on a beach in Koh Sirey.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842976-imitation-phuket-monk-faces-fraud-encroachment-charges/

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Thailand indicts 72 human trafficking suspects ahead of U.S. report
BANGKOK | BY AMY SAWITTA LEFEVRE

BANGKOK: -- Thailand on Friday indicted 72 people suspected of involvement in human trafficking, just days before the United States issues its latest assessment of the country's anti-trafficking efforts next week.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842998-thailand-indicts-72-human-trafficking-suspects-ahead-of-us-tip-report/

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Pheu Thai’s ex-spokesman and another MP to serve one-year jail term



BANGKOK: -- Former Pheu Thai party spokesman Prompong Nopparit and former Pheu Thai MP f Udon Thani Kiat-udom Menasawat are to spend one year in prison after the Supreme Court upheld the Appeals Court’s guilty verdict for defaming Mr Wasant Soipisut, former president of the Constitutional Court.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/843003-pheu-thai-ex-spokesman-prompong-another-mp-to-serve-one-year-jail-term/

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Jealousy possible motive behind Phuket man smashing car windscreen
Eakkapop Thongtub


The man prepares to throw the rock.

PHUKET: Police are currently looking for a man who was caught on CCTV smashing a windscreen of a parked Toyota Yaris with a rock in Pa Khlok last night (July 23). Police believe it could have been due to a fit of jealousy.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/843006-jealousy-possible-motive-behind-phuket-man-smashing-car-windscreen/

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Supreme Court acquit Abhisit, Suthep and Ong-art of defamation charges



BANGKOK: -- Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and two party executives, Suthep Thuagsuban and Ong-art Klampaibul have been cleared of defaming former Thai Rak Thai executive Dr Prommin Lertsuridej by the Supreme Court.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/843008-supreme-court-acquit-abhisit-suthep-and-ong-art-of-defamation-charges/

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UPDATE:

Human trafficking gang prosecuted in southern court



SONGKHLA: -- A total of 72 suspects in the trafficking of Rohingya illegal migrants into the country from Myanmar faced prosecution in the Nathawi provincial court in Songkhla province today.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842998-thailand-indicts-72-human-trafficking-suspects-ahead-of-us-tip-report/#entry9656489

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UPDATE:

More than 100 suspects face Thai human trafficking charges
THANYARAT DOKSONE, Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's state prosecutors recommended charges against more than 100 people, including a Thai army general, in a multinational human trafficking scandal that came to light after dozens of bodies were discovered in the country's south earlier this year, a spokesman said Friday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/842998-thailand-indicts-72-human-trafficking-suspects-ahead-of-us-tip-report/#entry9656496