Thailand Live Monday 14 Dec 2015

[webfact]

PMO Min presides over opening ceremony of 40th Anniversary of Bangkok Mon Youth Club

BANGKOK, 14 December 2015 (NNT) – Prime Minister's Office Minister presided over the opening ceremony of 40th Anniversary of Bangkok Mon Youth Club titled "Mon Thai Way of Life in the Contemporary Society", held at Mahamakut Buddhist University, Nakhon Pathom.

Preluding the opening ceremony were cultural performances, including the Mon dance and Suvarnabhumi dancing art. The event, in its 40th occasion, was organized to allow the Mon Thais to meet, exchange experiences and preserve the Mon culture in Thailand's contemporary society.

The event also featured an exhibition on Mon art, culture, folk wisdom and the relationship between Mon people and the Thai public.

There were also booths selling handmade products by Mon Thais such as traditional hand woven cloth and jewelry.

-- NNT 2015-12-14

[webfact]

Two Russian fugitives wanted by Interpol 'Red Notice' nabbed after two years hiding in Phuket, Krabi

PHUKET: Tourist Police, in collaboration with Phuket Police and Interpol Thailand, this morning announced the arrest of two Russian fugitives wanted by Russian Police and Interpol Red Notice.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878298-two-russian-fugitives-wanted-by-interpol-red-notice-nabbed-after-two-years-hiding-in-phuket-krabi/

[webfact]

Department of Land Transport organizes taxis in Ratchaprasong

BANGKOK, 14 December 2015 (NNT) – 199 taxi drivers around the Ratchaprasong area have been found guilty, after officials monitored their behaviours for misconducts against passengers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878403-department-of-land-transport-organizes-taxis-in-ratchaprasong/

[webfact]

TAT grants rewards for 28 millionth visitor to Thailand



BANGKOK, 14 December 2015 (NNT) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand has granted rewards including two free return tickets for the 28 millionth visitor to Thailand, aiming to attract the lucky visitor to return to Thailand in the future.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878404-tat-grants-rewards-for-28-millionth-visitor-to-thailand/

[webfact]

SURVEY:

Do you support the UK petition to ban Donald Trump for hate speech?

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878150-survey-do-you-support-the-uk-petition-to-ban-donald-trump-for-hate-speech/

[webfact]

FUNERAL
Funeral events for Supreme Patriarch
Supinda Na Mahachai
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- GRAND CEREMONIES for His Holiness the late Supreme Patriarch's funeral and cremation will begin tomorrow for three days at Bangkok's Wat Bovoranives Vihara for devout Buddhists and members of the public to say their last goodbyes.

The public can also observe a 1,383-strong 456-metre-long funeral procession, beautifully decorated according to Thai tradition, to bring the late highly revered monk's body to the Royal Crematorium at Wat Thepsirintharawas on Wednesday. About 4,000 people are expected to attend the event.

The Office of Performing Arts will present a royal Khon performance in front of the crematorium on that day also.

Former PM's Office permanent secretary Thongthong Jantharangsu explained that tradition required a procession made up of three parts. The first was a leading parade of military officers from three armed forces. The officers will march slowly to the tune of Paya Sok, which was modified from a Thai traditional song to marching band song by HRH Prince Paribatra Sukhumbhand, the Prince of Nakhon Sawan.

The second part will be a flag-carrying honour parade of people dressed like Thai traditional angels, marching to the tune of traditional musical instruments such as victory drums and conch shell horns. They will walk ahead of a leading royal chariot, which will be |followed by the royal chariot that contains His Holiness's body in a mortuary urn and then a parade of honour items.

The third section will feature the priest's rank items and his relatives and disciples.

Members of the public members have been invited to wear mourning clothes from tomorrow for six days (Dec 15-20). Those wishing to offer "Dokmai Chan" wood flowers for cremation can place them at Wat Bovoranives Vihara and Wat Thepsirintharawas.

Both areas will feature a highly decorated Dokmai Chan-collecting arch by the Fine Arts Department. People can place the Dokmai Chan at spots set by 46 Bangkok district offices, while 874 districts nationwide will also set up such places to gather Dokmai Chan.

The Fine Arts Department has also designed tailpots in two patterns to present to senior monks who attend the funeral; one featuring the late patriarch's initials under the three-tier royal white umbrella will be made in 50 tailpots for senior Thai monks. Another20 tailpots, slightly different in shape, will be for Chinese and Vietnamese monks.

For the general public, the department has produced 3.65 million souvenir bookmarks, in 16 patterns. These have already been sent to all |districts offices in Bangkok and 76 provinces.

This afternoon, Wat Bovoranives will host a charity event attended by at least 400 monks from around the country, as well as Thai monk envoys to 13 nations, abbot assistant Phra Theppariyitiwimol said.

For the souvenirs for His Holiness's funeral, Wat Bovoranives has prepared a talipot fan and a sack for senior monks who attend today's charity event, Wat Bovoranives abbot assistant Phra Soponkhanaporn said.

Souvenir coins depicting a portrait of His Holiness were also made by the Fine Arts Department's Office of Traditional Arts. The Treasury Department got permission for 300,000 coins to be sold nationwide, the monk said. Earnings, after deducting of expenses, would go to the temple to fund the Somdet Phra Sangharaj Wat Bovoranives Vihara Foundation.

Some 100,000 copies of funeral souvenir booklets about His Holiness's life have been printed to hand out to guests who attend the funeral on Wednesday. Another 200,000 copies of a photo compilation edition will be handed out on the same day to people placing Dokmai Chan at designated spots nationwide, abbot assistant Phra Sakayawongwisut said.

HM the King has had a 1.25-metre-tall statue of His Holiness made. It will be enshrined at the temple's 100th year anniversary pavilion.

Royal Schedule for the Supreme Patriarch funeral:

On December 15 at 4.30pm, HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, on behalf of His Majesty the King, will preside at the meritmaking ritual for the funeral at Tamnak Phetch of Wat Bovoranives Vihara.

On the morning of December 16, following a robeoffering ceremony of 10 monks, His Holiness's body in the mortuary urn will be taken to a royal chariot. The funeral procession will form at 8am from in front of the temple and march for 3.7kms through Phra Sumen Road, Phafa Lilat Bridge, Lan Luang Road, Krung Kasem towards the Royal Crematorium at Wat Thepsirintharawas.

On December 16 at 5.30pm, HRH the Crown Prince, on behalf of the King, will preside over the cremation.

On December 17 at 7am, HRH the Crown Prince will also preside over the ritual to collect ashes and bones of His Holiness.

On December 19, HRH Princess Somsavali will preside over the enshrinement of His Holiness's ashes and bones at Tamnak Phetch, after which public members will be allowed to pay respect from 8am to 2pm.

On December 20 at 10.30am, HRH Princess Somsavali will preside over the enshrinement of other parts of His Holiness's ashes and bones at a pavilion of the temple.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Funeral-events-for-Supreme-Patriarch-30274841.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-14

[webfact]

The heavy burden of farm life after pledging scheme
Piyaporn Wongruang
The Nation


Son's daugther Walisa Sukcharoen makes maximum use of the 3-rai plot of farmland her father has given to her, growing high-priced riceberry variety.

This is the first part in a series of articles on the rice-pledging scheme

BANGKOK: -- A cool wind blew over Tao Poon village in Ratchaburi's Photharam district, bringing with it light rain that fell on rice fields. Seeing the rain, 66-year-old Son Sukcharoen rushed to spread a plastic sheet over his harvested rice so it didn't get soaked with water.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878406-the-heavy-burden-of-farm-life-after-rice-pledging-scheme/

[webfact]

NCPO widens the net over Rajabhakti FB posts
The Nation

Second arrest made as family searches for detainee's whereabouts

BANGKOK: __ Another suspect was taken into military custody yesterday as authorities intensified their operation against alleged anti-junta individuals who posted, shared or just clicked "like" on Internet posts about the Rajabhakti Park scandal, while police set up a working group to hunt for more suspects.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878407-ncpo-widens-the-net-over-rajabhakti-fb-posts/

[webfact]

UPDATE:

Two Russians arrested, set to be deported
Salinee Prab
The Nation, Phuket



Lack of link to Interpol hampering foreign probes

PHUKET: -- POLICE have arrested two Russians in the tourist provinces of Phuket and Krabi in response to arrest warrants issued by Russia.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878298-two-russian-fugitives-wanted-by-interpol-red-notice-nabbed-after-two-years-hiding-in-phuket-krabi/?p=10189066

[webfact]

SMALL SCHOOL
Dedicated teacher makes all the difference at a small, rural school
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation
Chiang Mai



Willingness to work hard and teach kids after hours paying off in the far North

CHIANG MAI: -- IN A REMOTE corner of Chiang Mai province, a 50-year-old teacher has proven that the key to tackling illiteracy is "dedication", which she found can overcome all imaginable problems like limited resources and the lack of teaching staff.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878408-dedicated-teacher-makes-all-the-difference-at-a-small-rural-school/

[webfact]

Myanmar garments to get US boost
KHINE KYAW
MYANMAR ELEVEN
YANGON



YANGON: -- GARMENT factories in Myanmar stand to benefit the most from the United States' decision to ease restrictions on trade with Myanmar, which was considered by local business leaders the first step towards the eventual lifting of sanctions.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878409-myanmar-garments-to-get-us-boost/

[webfact]

Ranger killed by bomb planted in his mother's grave in Yala, father also hurt
Nakarin Chinworakomon
The Nation



YALA: -- A CONCEALED bomb was detonated at a graveyard in Yala's Muang district as a paramilitary ranger and his father prayed at the grave of his mother yesterday morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878410-ranger-killed-by-bomb-planted-in-his-mothers-grave-in-yala/

[webfact]

NEW ZEALAND
NZ simplifies its visas for foreign students
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- New Zealand is trialling a new type of visa for international students that makes it simpler to progress from one programme of study to another.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878411-nz-simplifies-its-visas-for-foreign-students/

[webfact]

NJ SPELLING BEE
The best Spelling Bee of the year 2015 has been crowned
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- A student from the Triam Udom Suksa School has beaten more than 10,000 high-school competitors to win the national NJ Spelling Bee 2015.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878412-the-best-spelling-bee-of-the-year-2015-has-been-crowned/

[webfact]

Charter to propose impeachment motion in lieu of no-confidence debate
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The chairman of the political-reform committee of the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA), Seree Suwanpanont, yesterday defended a proposal to remove no-confidence debates in Parliament.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878413-thai-charter-to-propose-impeachment-motion-in-lieu-of-no-confidence-debate/

[webfact]

CDC plan for court presidents to have special powers opposed
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Former Sukhothai Thammathirat University rector Yuthaporn Issarachai has opposed a proposal to give presidents of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the Administrative Court special decision-making powers in the event of a national crisis or political impasse.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878414-cdc-plan-for-court-presidents-to-have-special-powers-opposed/

[webfact]

Asean awaits - nervously - a new Myanmar
Kavi Chongkittavorn
The Nation
Yangon

YANGON: -- After a successful election early last month, which handed down a landslide victory to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy, there is a growing sense of anxiety within Asean about what kind of a new Myanmar is emerging.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878415-asean-awaits-nervously-a-new-myanmar/

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Financial crimes are a national scourge
The Nation

"Social justice" starts with ending undeserved immunity

BANGKOK: -- Thailand is unfamiliar with crackdowns on insider trading. In fact, financial crimes are not commonly heard of here, and major cases dating back two decades can be counted on one hand. This has arguably made perpetrators love this country, so an ongoing investigation into a high-profile case a good sign, something that should be welcomed.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878416-financial-crimes-are-a-national-scourge-thai-editorial/

[webfact]

CHALK TALK
Collaborative learning enhances school as a learning community
Dr - Ing Priyakorn Pusawiro
Learning scientist Computer Engineering Department
King Mongkut's University of Technology Thon Buri

BANGKOK: -- IN SCHOOLS, activity theory and learning community play an important role in new pedagogical practices that promote the use of technology in education.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878417-collaborative-learning-enhances-school-as-a-learning-community/

[webfact]

Undercover Pattaya Police Officer Seriously hurt during drug sting



PATTAYA: -- On Sunday evening a Pattaya Police Officer was seriously hurt during a drug sting operation which took place in Central Pattaya.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878418-undercover-pattaya-police-officer-seriously-hurt-during-drug-sting/

[webfact]

Human torso found at reservoir in Korat



NAKHON RATCHASIMA: -- A human torso was found inside a black plastic bag part dumped at Huey Ban Yang reservoir in Muang district of Nakhon Ratchasima.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878419-human-torso-found-at-reservoir-in-korat/

[webfact]

PM gags justice minister and deputy defence minister



BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has ordered Justice Minister Paiboon Kumchaya and Deputy Defence Minister Udomdej Seetabutr to stop commenting on the Rajabhakti Park scandal in a bid to put an end to their war of words.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878420-pm-prayut-gags-justice-minister-and-deputy-defence-minister/

[webfact]

Watch out for meteor shower on the night of December 14



BANGKOK: -- The biggest meteor shower of the year will grace the sky and can be seen with naked eyes in every part of the country from the night of December 14 until the next day, said the National Astronomical Research Institute.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878421-watch-out-for-meteor-shower-on-the-night-of-december-14/

[webfact]

Prominent intellectual Anderson dies aged 79
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Benedict Anderson, a prominent intellectual keen on Indonesia and Thailand, has passed away at the age of 79 in Java, Indonesia, the country he loves most.

"This is to inform you that Ben Anderson has passed away in Java: the land and its people he loves most," according to his close student and friend former rector of Thammasat University Charnvit Kasetsiri Sunday.

Anderson passed away on Saturday night of sleep apnea - a common disorder in which a person takes one or more pauses in breathing or has shallow breaths while sleeping - after a dinner with friends in a Surabaya hotel in Indonesia. His death was regarded among academics and intellectual as a great loss for Southeast Asian studies.

Born in 1936 in China's Kunming to an Anglo-Irish father and English mother, Anderson was known as one of the Western academics who had deep knowledge of Southeast Asia. He was brought up in California, but studied in Eton College and later the University of Cambridge after he moved to Ireland.

His graduate work in politics at Cornell University detailed the political situation in Indonesia, the country where he was banned from entering for years during the Suharto regime.

One of his best books, "Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism", was translated into more than 30 languages around the world, according to Charnvit, who edited and published the Thai version of the book in 2009.

In the book he interpreted how and why modern states have been able to mobilise popular attachment and participation in nation building.

Although Anderson has done a lot of work about Indonesia, his works about Thai politics and society were intensively studied among Thai academics and students to explain "nationalism" and the notion of state building in Thailand. Anderson was always seen in Bangkok and other provinces of Thailand discussing Thai society during the transition period.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Prominent-intellectual-Anderson-dies-aged-79-30274840.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-14

[webfact]

Defeat for Marine Le Pen – exit polls



PARIS: -- Defeat for France’s far-right National Front party in three key target regions according to exit polls. Leader Marine Le Pen lost out to the Republicans and centre-right allies who took 57.5 percent of the vote in the northern region compared to Le Penn’s 42.5 percent.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878422-defeat-for-marine-le-pen-exit-polls/

[webfact]

Paris remembers one month after the attacks in the French capital



PARIS: -- Paris was in sombre mood on a dull December day. It is one month since the City of LIghts suffered its darkest day since World War 2.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878423-paris-remembers-one-month-after-the-attacks-in-the-french-capital/

[webfact]

Voters in Central African Republic decide on new constitution



BANGUI: -- Voters in the the Central African Republic have cast their ballots in a constitutional referendum considered crucial to restoring peace in the country.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878424-voters-in-central-african-republic-decide-on-new-constitution/

[webfact]

Deadly blast in Pakistan kills at least 10



PARACHINAR: -- A bomb blast has targeted a crowded clothes market in Pakistan. Sources vary as to the number killed in the explosion which happened in the northwestern city of Parachinar near the border with Afghanistan.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878425-deadly-blast-in-pakistan-kills-at-least-10/

[webfact]

Gambian president declares country Islamic republic



BANJUL: -- The president of the Gambia has declared his country an Islamic Republic.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878426-gambian-president-declares-country-islamic-republic/

[webfact]

Paris climate deal welcomed, but critics warn of challenges ahead



PARIS: -- The reaction overall to the Paris climate deal has been positive, in particular from the summit delegates. They claim it heralds the beginning of a historic transformation of the world’s fossil fuel driven economy.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/878427-paris-climate-deal-welcomed-but-critics-warn-of-challenges-ahead/