Should A Woman Be Allowed to hold the office of President of the USA?

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PR Centers set up at 4 hospitals to help tourists affected by bombing

BANGKOK, 19 August 2015 (NNT) – The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has set up Public Relations booths at four hospitals where victims of the Ratchaprasong bomb are hospitalized to provide them necessary information and assistance. The ministry reaffirmed all of its promotion campaigns would continue as planned despite the incident.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports booths are located inside King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Police General Hospital, the BMA General Hospital and Hua Chiew Hospital.

The ministry has announced its compensation criteria for victims of the incident. Those who were killed will be paid THB300,000 baht each. The ministry will pay for all hospitalized victims but not more than THB100,000 baht each.

Police are warning Bangkokians and all tourists in the capital to be aware of the situation around them. More forces have been deployed around important locations and tourist attractions.

Despite the bomb, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has not cancelled its planned campaigns. “Way of Silk, Way of Thais for The Queen” fair is being held as scheduled from 17 - 30 August 2015 at Hall of Fame inside Siam Paragon.

Similarly, TBEX Asia 2015 will be held as scheduled. It will take place during 15-17 October this year at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, to be followed by Loy Kratong Festival in November.


-- NNT 2015-08-19

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BOMB BLAST
After initial confusion, social media users rise up
KORNCHANOK RAKSASERI
SPECIAL TO THE NATION


From top left, campaign pictures posted on social media by Jeab Bikkhun, Pim Senneam, Pariya Bhongsvej, Ngor Gonggate on Facebook, as well as the Google Thailand homepage and @Raydo_TRnews on Twitter.

BANGKOK: -- SOCIAL media usually plays a vital role in times of crisis, and the latest example was the bomb blast in Bangkok's busy Ratchaprasong junction on Monday night.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849465-bangkok-bomb-blast-after-initial-confusion-social-media-users-rise-up/

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Despite Lack of Evidence, Thai Media Points Blame at Uighurs
By Khaosod English


A group of more than 90 Uighur refugees were forcibly repatriated from Thailand to China in July. Chinese security forces placed hoods over their heads for the flight to China, where they are branded terrorists. Photo: CCTV

BANGKOK — In the horrific wake of the devastating bomb attack, the need and rush to assign blame in the absence of reliable information has proven a toxic mix for a Thai media too willing to set aside due diligence and cast its own net of suspicion.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849466-despite-lack-of-evidence-thai-media-points-blame-at-uighurs/

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Closed-door Pattaya Police Security Meeting held



PATTAYA: -- A closed-door meeting was held involving all local Police Divisions on Tuesday Morning at Banglamung Police Station to discuss the Bangkok Bomb Blast and its potential impact on Pattaya.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849467-closed-door-pattaya-police-security-meeting-held/

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Huge Security Operation launched in Pattaya following Bangkok Bomb Blast



PATTAYA: -- Within hours of the deadly bomb blast in Bangkok, Pattaya was placed on lock-down with a huge security operation launched by the Provincial Police Commander, who assures residents and tourists in Pattaya that their safety is of paramount importance.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849468-huge-security-operation-launched-in-pattaya-following-bangkok-bomb-blast/

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BANGKOK DANGEROUS
Hunt on for 'BACKPACK MAN'
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- POLICE yesterday were still hunting for a man in a yellow T-shirt who was captured by a security camera putting his backpack under a bench at the Erawan Shrine and leaving the scene shortly before the deadly bomb exploded on Monday night.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849469-bangkok-dangerous-hunt-on-for-backpack-man/

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CABINET RESHUFFLE
Somkid set to join Cabinet
WASAMON AUDJARINT,
USANEE MONGKOLPORN,
ERICH PARPART
THE NATION

Reshuffle list submitted on Monday

BANGKOK: -- PRIME Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday he had submitted a Cabinet reshuffle for Royal endorsement on Monday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849470-somkid-set-to-join-thai-cabinet/

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BANGKOK BLAST
Experts look for powder traces, ball bearings at site of bombing
Pensri Gaden,
Nitis Nacharoen
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- AUTHORITIES are still waiting for lab-test results before confirming the type of bomb that was used to stage the bloody attack in Bangkok on Monday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849471-experts-look-for-powder-traces-ball-bearings-at-site-of-bangkok-bombing/

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ERAWAN BOMBING
Relatives of deceased tell of agony and loss
Pratch Rujivanarom,
Bunchu Sritripob
The Nation



Families devastated as victims identified after Monday's drama

BANGKOK: -- SHEDDING TEARS for loved ones killed as a result of the bomb blast at Bangkok's Ratchaprasong Intersection on Monday evening, three relatives of the victims have told their stories of agony and loss.

With the smoke from the huge explosion only just having subsided yesterday, many people rushed to hospitals in the area and the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital to check on the whereabouts and condition of their kin - or to retrieve their bodies.

The latest information from the institute in the afternoon showed that 20 people had died from the blast.

Pichitra Bamrungsuk, the sister-in-law of 30-year-old Suwan Sathman, said she and her family had been informed around an hour after the blast that her brother-in-law had been seriously injured in the explosion at the Erawan Shrine.

"Our family was having dinner together at our home in Ratchaburi's Suan Phung district when we heard about the bomb explosion in Bangkok," she recalled.

"At first, we only heard that my brother-in-law had been injured by the bomb and admitted to Police General Hospital. We felt relieved to hear that at least he was in the doctors' good hands and we hurried to Bangkok, but when we arrived, he had already passed away," she said.

Pichitra said Suwan, who had worked for the Than Tao Mahaprom Foundation at the Erawan Shrine for more than 10 years, had planned to marry his fiancee soon.

Her family, Suwan's parents and his fiancee all broke down in tears when they saw his body at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, she added.

Suwan's family will host his funeral at his home for five days, after which he will be cremated at the nearby temple.

Also at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Wian Niseeda, father of 32-year-old Suchada Niseeda - a Standard Chartered Bank employee who died as a result of the bomb attack - said the loss of his daughter was a major tragedy for the family.

It had taken the life of his nine-year-old granddaughter's mother, he added.

On Monday night at Police General Hospital, Kanoksak Changtam said he was seeking his sister, Waraporn Changtam, who had died in the explosion.

"My sister, her husband and some of her friends walked past the scene when the bomb exploded. Her husband was injured in the blast, but she died. I got the news from her husband," he said.

After hearing the news, he rushed to Police General Hospital, but still did not know where his sister's body was.

However, amid all the destruction and sadness, many people have volunteered to work on finding and helping victims of the devastating attack.

Pei Ying, a Chinese university student, went to Chulalongkorn Hospital yesterday to try to locate a Chinese tourist who had lost contact with her relatives after the bombing.

"I found a topic on the Internet asking for help finding an old lady, Weng Da, who had travelled to Thailand |with her friends but lost contact with her family after the explosion. Therefore, I decided to help her family, because I can speak Thai and I want to help others during this situation," she said.

She said the woman's name was not on the lists of those identified as killed or injured, but she was continuing to try to match her photo with details of those caught up in the explosion.

While she had as of yesterday failed to make any progress, she said she would continue to try to find out what had happened to Weng Da.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Relatives-of-deceased-tell-of-agony-and-loss-30266919.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-19

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BANGKOK BLAST
Events cancelled after bombing
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The bombing at the Ratchaprasong Intersection in Bangkok on Monday has sent shock waves through the Thai business sector and has disrupted some events.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849472-events-cancelled-after-bangkok-earawan-bombing/

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RATINGS UNCHANGED
Ratings on Thailand unchanged after bomb attack
Erich Parpart
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The bomb attack in Bangkok on Monday night has limited immediate impact on the sovereign credit support for Thailand but downside risks caused by weaker tourism are increasing, said Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849473-ratings-on-thailand-unchanged-after-bomb-attack/

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FOREIGN BUSINESS ACT
Agency targets direct marketing firms, souvenir sellers and education consultants
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Direct marketing companies, souvenir sellers and education consultants will be next to be inspected by the Business Development Department for possibly violating the Foreign Business Act by allowing foreigners to hold majority stakes.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849474-thai-agency-targets-direct-marketing-firms-souvenir-sellers-and-education-consultants/

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BANGKOK BLAST
Economy expected to rebound
Business Reporters
The Nation


Bangkok's Khao San Road still attracts foreign visitors, despite the blast at Ratchaprasong Intersection that is expected to rock Thailand's tourism industry.

BANGKOK: -- The impact of Monday's bombing at Ratchaprasong Intersection in Bangkok will be only short-term and the government will be able to control the situation, business leaders said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849475-bangkok-blast-thai-economy-expected-to-rebound/

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South Korean visitors not discouraged by bomb attack in Bangkok

BANGKOK, 19 August 2015 (NNT) - Jeon Jae Man, ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Thailand, revealed that his country has not yet barred its citizens from travelling to Thailand after the Ratchaprasong explosion.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849476-south-korean-visitors-not-discouraged-by-bomb-attack-in-bangkok/

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EDITORIAL
Give the bombers the last thing they expect
The Nation

Thais need to be standing together in unity - and getting on with their lives

BANGKOK: -- Grief over Monday evening's horrendous bomb attack at the Erawan Shrine in the capital's Ratchaprasong shopping district is still reverberating through the country and the shock is felt around the world. The blast tore through an area of high-end malls and luxury hotels, taking the lives of at least 20 people and leaving more than 100 injured. Many of the victims were foreign tourists.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849478-thai-editorial-give-the-bombers-the-last-thing-they-expect/

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Security at Suvarnabhumi airport tightened up



BANGKOK: -- Security at Suvarnabhumi international airport has been upgraded to level three in the aftermath of two bomb blasts in Bangkok on Monday night and Tuesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849479-security-at-suvarnabhumi-airport-tightened-up/

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Somyot says Ratchaprasong bomber aided by some Thais



BANGKOK: -- Royal Thai Police commissioner Pol Gen Somyot Poompunmoung said Tuesday night that the bomb attack at Ratchaprasong is not the sole work of foreign terrorist but with help from some Thais.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849480-somyot-says-ratchaprasong-bomber-aided-by-some-thais/

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Army sues Thaksin for linking coup to Privy Council
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE CRIMINAL Court has accepted a complaint against ousted and fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is accused of defaming the Army by linking it to the Privy Council in staging the coup on May 22 last year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849481-thai-army-sues-thaksin-for-linking-coup-to-privy-council/

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Bombing will not interrupt work on draft charter: NRC
PIYAPORN WONGRUANG
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE NATIONAL Reform Council will not postpone its work schedule towards the voting on the draft charter following the explosion on Monday evening, NRC whip Alongkorn Ponlaboot said yesterday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849482-bangkok-bombing-will-not-interrupt-work-on-draft-charter-nrc/

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Who Would Want To Attack A Shrine In Bangkok?
Thailand's PM suggests his "Red Shirt" political opponents may be to blame, while others point the finger at Islamist extremists.

LONDON: -- Who would want to attack the Erawan shrine in Bangkok - a site visited by thousands of ordinary Thais and tourists every day?

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849483-who-would-want-to-attack-a-shrine-in-bangkok/

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Situation under control: Foreign Ministry
WIRAJ SRIPONG
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE Foreign Ministry told foreign diplomats Tuesday that the government was able to handle the situation after the deadly blast on Monday night.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849484-situation-in-bangkok-under-control-thai-foreign-ministry/

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9 foreign nationals confirmed dead
News Desk
Asia News Network

BANGKOK: -- At least nine foreigners were among the 20 casualties in the fatal blast that rocked the heart of Bangkok on Monday night, authorities confirmed Tuesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849485-bangkok-blast-9-foreign-nationals-confirmed-dead/

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UN and foreign governments express sorrow
THE NATION


Foreigners take in the scene outside Erawan Shrine where a bomb was detonated on 17 August in central Bangkok, Thailand, 18 August 2015. A bomb exploded on 17 August near a Hindu shrine in a busy business district of Bangkok that is popular with tourists

BANGKOK: -- THE WORLD expressed its sympathies to Thailand after the Monday night explosion, which killed at least 20 people including many foreigners.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849486-un-and-foreign-governments-express-sorrow/

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FDA approves female sex pill, but with safety restrictions
By MATTHEW PERRONE

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first prescription drug designed to boost sexual desire in women, a milestone long sought by a pharmaceutical industry eager to replicate the blockbuster success of impotence drugs for men.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849488-us-fda-approves-female-sex-pill-but-with-safety-restrictions/

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UPDATE:

Man in yellow shirt is focus of Bangkok bombing probe
By NATTASUDA ANUSONADISAI and PAPITCHAYA BOONNGOK

BANGKOK (AP) — In the grainy security video, a man in a yellow shirt sits on a bench at the crowded Erawan Shrine, removes a backpack he is wearing, and leaves it behind when he walks away.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849469-bangkok-dangerous-hunt-on-for-backpack-man/#entry9751215

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Obama's Iran deal may well survive on Capitol Hill
By ERICA WERNER and DAVID PORTER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The fiercely contested Iran nuclear deal will likely survive in Congress despite unified GOP opposition and some Democratic defections, the top Senate Republican says. That would mean a major foreign policy win for President Barack Obama.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849489-obamas-iran-deal-may-well-survive-on-capitol-hill/

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Officials: Military likely to open most combat jobs to women
By LOLITA C. BALDOR

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two women have now passed the Army's grueling Ranger test, and even tougher and more dangerous jobs could lie ahead. The military services are poised to allow women to serve in most front-line combat jobs, including special operations forces, senior officials told The Associated Press.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849490-us-officials-military-likely-to-open-most-combat-jobs-to-women/

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Turkey's Erdogan takes a gamble, eyes a new election
By SUZAN FRASER

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared a shadow of his former self after his party suffered major losses in the June election — embattled and no longer in control of his political fate. His once-dominant movement was forced into the humiliating position of seeking a coalition with opposition parties intent on reining him in.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849491-turkeys-erdogan-takes-a-gamble-eyes-a-new-election/

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Elton John takes on Venice mayor over removal of books

MILAN (AP) — Elton John has slammed Venice's conservative mayor over moves to remove books from public preschools dealing with gender issues and featuring same-sex couples.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849492-elton-john-takes-on-venice-mayor-over-removal-of-books/

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Chiang Mai tourism not expected to noticeably suffer from Ratchaprasong attack

BANGKOK, 19 August 2015 (NNT) – The fatal blast near Ratchaprasong Intersection in Bangkok is not expected to have significant effects on tourism in Chiang Mai although the same cannot be said for tourism in general, according to Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association president Pornchai Jitnavasathien (พรชัย จิตรนวเสถียร).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849515-chiang-mai-tourism-not-expected-to-noticeably-suffer-from-ratchaprasong-attack/