Thailand Live Thursday 13 Aug 2015

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Thais turn out in force to honour Her Majesty
THE NATION


On the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty the Queen's birthday

BANGKOK: -- ON THE occasion of Her Majesty the Queen's birthday and Mother's Day yesterday, Thais nationwide united to wear blue symbolising the Queen's birthday colour and make merit or engage in social activities, while people also expressed gratitude to and went out with their mothers.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and his wife led Cabinet members, state officials and members of the public to offer alms to 84 Buddhist monks at Bangkok's Klong Padung Krung Kasem, close to Government House.

The canal area also saw a commemorative parade organised by the Culture Ministry, and an event titled "Industries Creating Mother's Day Gifts" was held for the public to attend.

The prime minister and his wife also signed a well-wishers' book for Her Majesty at the Royal Palace, which was also signed by thousands of Thais wearing blue.

Prayut later presided over a candle-lighting ceremony at 19.19 - 7.19pm - to mark the Queen's birthday at Sanam Luang, with similar activities held at the same time at various provincial city halls.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhum-bhand Paribatra, meanwhile, led officials and members of the public to offer morning alms to 184 monks at the Bangkok City Hall plaza.

The city has also joined with the Foundation of King Rama IX, The Great to host evening musical and cultural performances at Sanam Luang since August 8, with the series of events culminating tonight.

National police chief General Somyot Pumpunmuang led officers and their family members to offer morning alms to 84 monks at the police headquarters in Bangkok.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan led military officers, state officials and board members of the Five Provinces Forest Foundation to express allegiance in front of the Queen's portrait during a ceremony at the 1st Infantry Regiment, King's Own Bodyguard.

Kalasin Governor Puchong Pothikutsai led blue-clad members of the public to release 500,083 fish into the 70-rai (11-hectare) Nong Waeng pond in Somdet district, while Army officers and state agencies in Sa Kaew's Aranyaprathet district hosted a merit-making to offer food to 84 monks and grant five cows - saved from the slaughterhouse - to five poor farmers.

People also performed good deeds to mark the occasion. Dr Anant Sripanaskul opened his private clinic in Khon Kaen's Muang district to provide free ultrasound tests and medicines to the public until noon.

In Roi Et province, 70-year-old villager Mul Meunhawong rode his bicycle on a 90-kilometre round trip from his home town in At Samat district to Muang district's Somdet Phra Srina-karin Park to sign the well-wishers' book for the Queen.

Atthapol Srisantithorn, 31, a shoe-shop owner in Nakhon Ratchasima's Phimai district, revealed the 7,500 images of Her Majesty he had collected since 1999.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thais-turn-out-in-force-to-honour-Her-Majesty-30266464.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-13

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Skepticism over 'crisis' panel
Wasamon Audjarint
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Experts warn of 'state within a state'; ask who will have authority to determine 'time of crisis' proponents see it as a meaningful provision in charter to deal with issues cabinet cannot

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847922-thai-politics-skepticism-over-crisis-panel/

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Thaksin could sue over stripping of police rank: Wissanu
ANAPAT DEECHUAY
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- FORMER prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra could file a lawsuit against the Royal Thai Police if he is dissatisfied with the government's decision to strip him of his police rank, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam suggested yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847923-thaksin-could-sue-over-stripping-of-police-rank-wissanu/

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FACE-OFF
Reform before poll divides NRC
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) has scheduled completion of the new charter by next week, after which the National Reform Council (NRC) will vote on it. But along the way, the call for "reform before an election" has become louder, igniting support as well as opposition, even within the body. The Nation's Kasamakorn Chanwanpen talked to both sides within the NRC to gauge the views of the reformers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847924-reform-before-poll-divides-thailands-nrc/

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Action urged on rights abuses
THE NATION

NHRC TAKES ISSUE WITH NINE VIOLATIONS AGAINST COMMUNITIES

BANGKOK: -- IN RESPONSE TO THE rise in violations of community rights under moves to manage natural resources over the past six years, the National Human Rights Commissioner (NHRC)'s sub-panels will soon submit a report asking the authorities to solve problems urgently, NHRC member Niran Pitakwatchara said yesterday. The authorities referred to in the report are the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government and related agencies.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847925-action-urged-on-thai-community-rights-abuses/

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Package rates slashed in bid to boost outbound tourism in low season
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- HUNDREDS of travel operators are cutting overseas package rates by up to 50 per cent in an attempt to boost outbound tourism in the current low season, with Europe, Japan and China expected to be popular destinations for Thai travellers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847926-package-rates-slashed-in-bid-to-boost-outbound-thai-tourism-in-low-season/

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Yuan fall not ending soon, analysts say
REUTERS, THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- AFTER Tuesday's devaluation, the Chinese currency could be heading for an overall decline of almost 10 per cent because of the pressure from government circles, said a Reuters report quoting sources involved in the policy-making process.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847927-yuan-fall-not-ending-soon-analysts-say/

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AIS and DTAC to share some telecom towers
USANEE Mongkolporm MONGKOLPORN
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- ADVANCED INFO Service and Total Access Communication (DTAC) will share some of their telecommunication towers to strengthen their nationwide service. The companies will jointly disclose details of the plan tomorrow.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847928-ais-and-dtac-to-share-some-telecom-towers/

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Family of 3 killed in East Pattaya Road Crash



PATTAYA: -- A family of 3 were on their way to see relatives to celebrate Mother’s Day on Wednesday Morning but all lost their lives as their car collided head-on with a truck in East Pattaya.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847929-family-of-3-killed-in-east-pattaya-road-crash/

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Thai Fisherman stabbed by Cambodian on Jomtien Beach



PATTAYA: -- In the early hours of Wednesday, a 32 year old Fisherman was stabbed in his stomach and neck by a member of a Cambodian gang who attacked the Thai man following a problem with a fishing rod.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847930-thai-fisherman-stabbed-by-cambodian-on-jomtien-beach/

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TELL IT AS IT IS
China's currency devaluation: Thailand's economic nightmare?
Pornpimol Kanchanalak
Special to The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Yesterday, the People's Bank of China cut the value of its currency for the second day in a row. Analysts now estimate that the yuan has depreciated more than 3 per cent against the US dollar, having already dropped 1.8 per cent when China "threw a curveball" the day before. Most media called it a surprise move, but observant economists had seen it coming for quite some time.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847931-chinas-currency-devaluation-thailands-economic-nightmare/

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EDITORIAL
Living in the shadow of nuclear atrocity
The Nation

Why we must keep alive the memory of events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago

BANGKOK: -- Seventy years ago this month, atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in what turned out to be the final days of World War II.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847932-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-living-in-the-shadow-of-nuclear-atrocity/

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Thailand Not Tilting Towards China, Away From US: Expert
A Japanese scholar sees more continuity than change in Bangkok’s foreign policy.
By Prashanth Parameswaran

WASHINGTON: -- Thailand is not shifting its foreign policy dramatically towards embracing China at the expense of the United States, a leading Japanese scholar said Wednesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847933-thailand-not-tilting-towards-china-away-from-us-expert/

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BURNING ISSUE
Removing intervention is the way to police reform
ATTAYUTH BOOTSRIPOOM

BANGKOK: -- DURING several political crises in the past, the police have often been accused of allowing themselves to be influenced by politicians. So, the police force has become a target for reform.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847934-removing-intervention-is-the-way-to-thai-police-reform/

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New reform plan for police to be considered
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE POLICE force could be facing big changes as the Cabinet will soon consider a detailed reform plan, which includes a provision allowing police to choose their own leader and splitting duties with other agencies such as local administrative bodies.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847935-new-reform-plan-for-thai-police-to-be-considered/

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BORDER ECONOMY
Laos, Thailand seek bilateral cooperation at SEZs
Vientiane Times/ANN

BANGKOK: -- Laos and Thailand are seeking bilateral cooperation at special and specific economic zones (SEZs) along the border of the two countries.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847936-laos-thailand-seek-bilateral-cooperation-at-sezs/

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Officials: At least 13 dead in China port explosions
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN

TIANJIN, China (AP) — Huge explosions sparked overnight at a warehouse for dangerous materials in the northeastern Chinese port of Tianjin killed at least 13 people, injured hundreds and sent massive fireballs into the night sky, officials and state media outlets said Thursday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847937-officials-at-least-13-dead-in-china-port-explosions/

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Jimmy Carter says he has cancer, revealed by recent surgery
By KATHLEEN FOODY

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Jimmy Carter announced he has been diagnosed with cancer in a brief statement issued Wednesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847938-jimmy-carter-says-he-has-cancer/

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IS affiliate in Egypt releases image of slain Croat captive
By BRIAN ROHAN

CAIRO (AP) — A Croatian hostage abducted in Egypt by Islamic State militants has been beheaded, according to a gruesome image circulated Wednesday online — a killing that, if confirmed, would be the first of its kind involving a foreign captive in the country, undermining government efforts to project stability and buttress an economic turnaround.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847939-is-affiliate-in-egypt-releases-image-of-slain-croat-captive/

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Email troubles persisting, Clinton camp reassures backers
By KEN THOMAS and LISA LERER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Try as she might to focus on the policies she wants to enact if elected president, Hillary Rodham Clinton just can't dig out of her inbox.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847940-email-troubles-persisting-clinton-camp-reassures-backers/

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Greece debt crisis: Varoufakis says bailout 'won't work

LONDON: -- Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has said the latest Greek bailout deal "is not going to work".

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847941-greece-debt-crisis-varoufakis-says-bailout-wont-work/

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Trump touts 'militaristic' policies, gets panned by general
By Tal Kopan and Eugene Scott, CNN

Washington (CNN)Donald Trump touted his foreign policy chops Wednesday, saying even as the "most militaristic" person in the world, he had the "vision" to oppose the war in Iraq.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847942-trump-touts-militaristic-policies-gets-panned-by-general/

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North Korea vice-premier Choe Yong-gon 'executed'

BBC: -- South Korea's government says it is monitoring reports that North Korea's vice-premier Choe Yong-gon was killed in May on the orders of Kim Jong-un.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847943-north-korea-vice-premier-choe-yong-gon-executed/

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Keystone XL: US review taking 5 times longer than average
By JOSH LEDERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas has dragged on for nearly seven years, more than five times the average for such applications.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847944-keystone-xl-us-review-taking-5-times-longer-than-average/

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OPINION
What hope for Thai democracy when tyranny rules at university?
TITIPOL PHAKDEEWANICH
Special to The Nation

Outdated hazing rituals expose Thailand's abiding societal schism

BANGKOK: -- These first few weeks of the new Thai university year again bring into focus the euphemistically titled tradition of "rub nong" - (welcoming the newcomer). These rituals, with a well-established format that plays on the naivete of first-year students, are a thoroughly dehumanising group induction into university life.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847945-what-hope-for-thai-democracy-when-tyranny-rules-at-university/

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Chad leader: Boko Haram has new leader ready to negotiate

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Chad's president says Boko Haram has a new commander willing to negotiate with Nigeria's new government.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847946-chad-leader-boko-haram-has-new-leader-ready-to-negotiate/

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HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - Texas executes man who struck and killed police lieutenant with SUV during 2009 chase.

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Texas inmate executed for killing police officer in chase
MICHAEL GRACZYK, Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Texas inmate Daniel Lee Lopez got his wish Wednesday when he was executed for striking and killing a police lieutenant with an SUV during a chase more than six years ago.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847949-texas-inmate-executed-for-killing-police-officer-in-chase/

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UPDATE:

PM: Revocation of former PM Thaksin's police rank receives green light

BANGKOK, 13 August 2015, (NNT) - Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has indicated that the Ministry of Justice has decided to revoke the Police Lieutenant Colonel rank held by ex-Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, deeming that Mr. Thaksin had violated the 2004 Royal Thai Police's revocation bill.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847853-pm-says-thaksins-police-rank-case-is-now-over/page-2#entry9728974

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UPDATE:

17 dead, 400 hurt as huge blasts hits China's Tianjin

TIANJIN, China - A series of massive explosions at a warehouse in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin killed 17 people, state media reported Thursday, as witnesses described a fireball from the blasts ripping through the night sky.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/847937-officials-at-least-13-dead-in-china-port-explosions/#entry9729150