Thailand Live Friday 18 Dec 2015

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LAST FAREWELL
Remains of His Holiness enshrined
Supinda na Mahachai
The Nation


HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn performs a ceremony yesterday to collect the ashes and remains of the Supreme Patriarch at Wat Thepsirintharawas, where the royally sponsored cremation took place on Wednesday. Also present were HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

BANGKOK: --THE cremated remains of His Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, the late Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, were enshrined at Wat Bovoranives Vihara yesterday in a ceremony yesterday.

HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, along with the Prince's daughters HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana and HRH Princess Bajra Kitiyabha, collected the remains from Wat Thepsirintharawas where the royally sponsored cremation had taken place on Wednesday.

The remains were then moved to Wat Bovoranives Vihara's Tamnak Phetch and people were allowed to pay their respects from 9am yesterday. Tamnak Petch will also be open to the public from 8am to 8pm today and tomorrow morning.

At 4.30pm tomorrow, HRH Princess Somsavali will - on behalf of His Majesty - perform a merit-making ceremony for His Holiness's remains before escorting them to the temple's Tamnak Doem. Built during the reign of King Rama IV, Tamnak Doem houses the relics of all former abbots of Wat Bovoranives Vihara. His Holiness was the temple's sixth abbot.

Phra Sakkayawongwisut, the temple's assistant abbot, said yesterday that HRH Princess Somsavali would also enshrine parts of His Holiness's remains in Phra Vihara Keng on Sunday.

"Once the remains are enshrined, people can come and pay their respects every day," he said.

Phra Sakkayawongwisut also said that with His Majesty's permission, some remains of His Holiness would also be enshrined at Wat Devasangharam in Kanchanaburi province and Wat Nyanasamvararam in Chon Buri province. His Holiness had been ordained as a novice at Wat Devasangharam and Wat Nyanasamvararam had been built at his initiative.

Phra Sakkayawongwisut said his temple would publish more copies of the commemorative book as all the 300,000 copies printed so far had been taken. The book highlights His Holiness's work and photographs.

His Holiness commanded respect from Buddhists not just in Thailand but also beyond, as proved by the fact that a number of foreigners joined the funeral procession on Wednesday.

"As many as 19 Sangha leaders from 13 countries also joined the ceremony," Phra Sakkayawongwisut said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Remains-of-His-Holiness-enshrined-30275167.html


-- The Nation 2015-12-18

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New Thai alcohol laws come into effect from January
BY LARRY BANKS


New laws governing the sale of alcohol in Thailand take effect from 1 Jan.

BANGKOK: -- In Thailand, companies selling alcohol, such as wine shops and beer merchants, will no longer be able to continue selling alcohol in some parts of the country from January the 1st 2016.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879421-new-thai-alcohol-laws-come-into-effect-from-january/

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British backpacker Jordan Jacobs 'found on Thai beach'

BANGKOK:-- A British backpacker who went missing for almost a week in Thailand has been found strolling on a beach, police say.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879476-british-backpacker-jordan-jacobs-found-on-thai-beach/

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TELECOMMUNICATION
900MHz bids top Bt110 bn
USANEE MONGKOLPORN,
SIRIVISH TOOMGUM,
SUCHEERA PINIJPARAKARN
THE NATION



Amid the relentless competition for licenses state coffers to swell by over Bt200 billion; Somkid say money will be used for national development; denies the price is very high

BANGKOK: -- THE combined price of the two 900MHz licences being auctioned had reached Bt119.108 billion as of 9pm yesterday, reflecting the intense competition in the mobile telecommunications sector.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879559-mobile-telecommunication-900mhz-bids-top-bt110-bn/

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CYBERSPACE
Thai Internet freedom gets thumbs down
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE NATION


File Photo

BANGKOK: -- INTERNET FREEDOM in Thailand has been ranked “not free” for the second successive year, as the Thai government has been using its power to restrict freedom of information and violating Internet user rights, according to the latest Freedom House report.

Following the unsatisfactory ranking, the Thai Netizen Network yesterday issued a statement encouraging the public to keep a check on the government and urged authorities to stop using the lese majeste law, defamation law and Computer Crimes Act to suppress its opponents online.

Freedom House, an independent American watchdog on global freedom, recently released this year's rankings regarding Internet freedom. Thailand was rated "not free", because of more frequent and tougher efforts by the government to control distribution of information on the Internet, it said.

Thai Netizen Network coordinator Arthit Suriyawongkul said this year's evaluation of violations against Internet user rights in Thailand was very disappointing. Thailand scored 32 points on the Freedom House index, with the worst score being 40. This resulted in an overall Internet freedom rating of 63, from the lowest rating of 100.

"This is the fifth year that Freedom House has studied our Internet freedom. In 2013, our ranking went up to 'partly free', then after the coup last year, for two years in a row we've been in the bottom category," Arthit said.

The report stated that this year, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) had summoned more than 400 people for interrogation on their online activities. Those summoned were frequently asked to divulge their social media account password to officers as a condition for their release.

It also reported that the Military Court had given the longest prison term on record for online violation of the lese majeste law. Pongsak Sriboonpeng was sentenced to 60 years in jail for a lese majeste offence, commuted to 30 years, while Sasivimol, a 29-year-old woman who only uses one name, was sentenced to 56 years in prison, commuted to 28 years.

"In recent months, the junta has been trying to use the computer crime law to threaten the public or even journalists' scrutiny of the government," Arthit stated. "I insist that the use of Section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act to file a defamation case is wrong and against the original intention of the law, which was designed to be a tool to prevent online fraud," he added.

The statement also highlighted that "liking" defamatory content could not be deemed as dissemination or support for content, hence "liking" content on social networks was not a crime.

The report said that not only was the government using the law to discourage online political activities and curb freedom of expression, but the NCPO had tried to censor online materials and banned many websites, including those of the UK's Daily Mail newspaper and Enlightened Jurists' (Nitirat).

The report also raised concerns about the government's intention in establishing a single Internet gateway to control the flow of information from abroad.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thai-Internet-freedom-gets-thumbs-down-30275180.html

-- The Nation 2015-12-18

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UPDATE:

CRIME
Teens say they sold M-79 grenades on social media
The Nation

Weapons

Police also said they seized drug-taking paraphernalia

BURI RAM: -- Second Army Region deputy chief Maj-General Sakda Perunavin told the press yesterday that the teens confessed to buying the weapons and ammunition from an eastern border province supplier via social media and storing them at an abandoned house. Police are trying to locate the supplier.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879489-senior-army-officer-flies-to-buri-ram-to-investigate-illegal-arms-trade-through-the-internet/#entry10204757

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KLONG DAN
Govt urged to delay payments
Natthapat Phromkaew,
Pimnara Pradapwit
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- WICHA Mahakhun, a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, yesterday urged the government to wait for clarity on three points in the scandal-hit Khlong Dan wastewater treatment project before paying compensation to the private sector.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879560-klong-dan-thai-govt-urged-to-delay-payments/

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THAI-CHINA
Kingdom, China agree to strengthen trade, investment ties
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation


Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, right, and Wang Yong, a member of China’s State Council, met yesterday at Government House to discuss closer cooperation between Thailand and China, which are celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations.

BANGKOK: -- Thailand and China have agreed to strengthen ties in trade and investment, while the Chinese have been urged to invest more in the Kingdom, particularly in the focused super-clusters and 10 special economic zones (SEZs).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879561-thailand-china-agree-to-strengthen-trade-investment-ties/

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FEDERAL RESERVE
Thai gains seen in Fed rate increase
Business Reporters
The Nation


A currency dealer talks over the telephone as he monitors exchange rates in a trading room at the KEB Hana Bank in Seoul yesterday. South Korean shares rose 0.43 per cent as investors saw the US Fed’s rate increase as a mark of confidence in the US economy

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s export sector is expected to gain from a weaker baht and a stronger US economy in 2016 after yesterday’s increase of the US federal funds rate.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879562-thai-gains-seen-in-us-fed-rate-increase/

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Many migrants abused: panel
Visarut Sankham
The Nation

Experts seek ways to improve their lives

BANGKOK: -- MILLIONS of migrant workers in Thailand have contributed to the economy in one way or another, yet many are still subjected to exploitation, abuse and more.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879563-many-migrants-workers-in-thailand-abused-panel/

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BMA scrambles as dengue fever cases rise
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration yesterday held a meeting with officials from 10 Bangkok districts deemed at most risk of dengue haemorrhagic fever in a bid to come up with prevention measures.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879564-bangkok-administration-scrambles-as-dengue-fever-cases-rise/

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US wants Thailand to again play strong role
THE NATION


Daniel Russel

CONTROVERSIAL DIPLOMAT RUSSEL URGES GOVT TO RESTORE FULL RIGHT OF EXPRESSION

BANGKOK: -- THE United States yesterday emphasised its desire to see Thailand "successfully" reform itself so the country can once again play a strong role in the region.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879565-us-wants-thailand-to-again-play-strong-role/

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BURNING ISSUE
Guilty execs must pay price over insider-trading scandal
SASITHORN ONGDEE

BANGKOK: -- Thai investors were shocked by a statement issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on December 2 that it had imposed fines on four individuals totalling Bt33.34 million for using insider information to buy up shares of Siam Makro.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879566-thai-politics-guilty-execs-must-pay-price-over-insider-trading-scandal/

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Academic freedom ‘hit by all Thai govts’
KASAMAKORN CHANWANPEN
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- ACADEMIC freedom, be it under a military-installed government or a civilian one, has never fared well in Thailand, lecturers said at a panel discussion on Wednesday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879567-academic-freedom-hit-by-all-thai-govts/

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Future Cabinet members, PMs to be punished for failures: CDC
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE CHARTER drafters have agreed to punish the prime minister and other Cabinet members if they fail to follow their job descriptions.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879568-future-thai-cabinet-members-pms-to-be-punished-for-failures-cdc/

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EDITORIAL
Caught again, Thailand can’t keep wriggling off the hook
The Nation

Evidence of ‘slavery’ in the shrimp industry suggests an inability or unwillingness to protect rights by enforcing existing laws

BANGKOK: -- Thailand is under an unwelcome international spotlight once again amid revelations about working conditions in its seafood industry. This time, though, the clamour for a boycott of Thai fishery products in the West might be heeded.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879569-caught-again-thailand-cant-keep-wriggling-off-the-hook/

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Pattaya Press President helps Street Dog involved in knife attack



PATTAYA: -- A street dog was viciously attacked with a knife and suffered severe facial injuries but thanks to the kindness of the Pattaya Press Association President, he was sent to a Dog Hospital in East Pattaya and is now recovering.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879570-pattaya-press-president-helps-street-dog-involved-in-knife-attack/

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Two 18-wheel trucks involved in East Pattaya Road Crash



PATTAYA: -- Two trucks were involved in a road crash on the notoriously dangerous Highway 36, which runs along the Eastern outskirts of Pattaya, on Thursday afternoon, leaving one of the truck drivers injured.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879571-two-18-wheel-trucks-involved-in-east-pattaya-road-crash/

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Govt confirms water management plans underway

BANGKOK, 18 December 2015 (NNT) – Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chatchai Sarikalya said the volume of water in major dams is relatively low, compared to last year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879572-thai-govt-confirms-water-management-plans-underway/

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44 Lao women seized from border karaoke bars in Ubon



UBON RATCHATHANI: -- Forty-four Lao women, some of whom aged only 15, were rounded up at seven karaoke bars which serve as a front for prostitution along the Thai-Lao border in Khong Chiam district of Ubon Ratchathani Wednesday night.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879573-ubon-ratchathani-police-raid-karaoke-bars-rescue-44-lao-women/

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3 former senior pollution control officials jailed 20 years in Klong Dan graft scandal



BANGKOK: -- Three former senior officials of the Pollution Control Department responsible for the notorious Klong Dan waste water treatment project in Samut Prakan were on Thursday sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Criminal Court.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879574-3-former-senior-pollution-control-officials-jailed-20-years-in-klong-dan-graft-scandal/

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Frenchman Found Dead with Throat Slashed in Udon Thani

UDON THANI – Pol Maj Gen Peerapong Wongsaman, the Udon Thani police chief, has told reporters that a French National was found dead with a severe laceration to his throat at a dormitory room in Udon Thani on Thursday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879575-frenchman-found-dead-with-throat-slashed-in-udon-thani/

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UPDATE:

British tourist Jordan Jacobs found in Thailand: police
Rohan Smith

SYDNEY: -- MISSING British man Jordan Jacobs has been found after disappearing in Thailand almost a week ago.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879476-british-backpacker-jordan-jacobs-found-on-thai-beach/page-3?p=10204836#entry10204836

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US attorney: Man who bought guns used in San Bernardino attack charged with terrorism counts

DETROIT (AP) - Volkswagen hires compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg to handle emissions-cheating claims

PARIS (AP) - Court spokesman: IMF chief Lagarde to stand trial over 400-million-euro arbitration ruling

PARIS (AP) - IMF chief Lagarde to appeal order to face trial, denies wrongdoing in French arbitration case

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2016 could be warmest year on record according to UK's Met Office



LONDON: -- More sunshine and warmer temperatures in 2016 than this year. That’s according to a new global temperature forecast from the UK’s Met Office. This year has already been provisionally declared the warmest on record due to a combination of global warming and a strong El Nino.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879576-2016-could-be-warmest-year-on-record-according-to-uks-met-office/

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WhatsApp returns to Brazil after brief suspension



BRASILIA: -- Popular phone and tablet programme WhatsApp has been restored in Brazil after being banned for 12 hours.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879577-whatsapp-returns-to-brazil-after-brief-suspension/

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'I want a fairer Europe,' British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tells euronews



"I want to see a more democratic Europe, a more socially just Europe, a fairer Europe"

LONDON: -- British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has told euronews that he wants to see a “fairer” and “more democratic” Europe, which the UK remains a part of.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879578-i-want-a-fairer-europe-british-labour-leader-jeremy-corbyn-tells-euronews/

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US justice catches up with Martin Shkreli to charge entrepreneur with fraud
By Robert Hackwill

NEW YORK: -- It appears karma may have caught up with US entrepreneur Martin Shkreli, who has been arrested on fraud charges. In 2015 he became the internet’s most hated person when he bought a 62-year old drug with anti-HIV applications, long available as a generic, and bumped up the price by more than 5000%.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879581-us-justice-catches-up-with-martin-shkreli-to-charge-entrepreneur-with-fraud/?p=10204868

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The fifth anniversary of the Arab Spring marked in Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid



SIDI BOUZID: -- It is five years ago that Mohamed Bouazizi, a vegetable-seller in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid set alight to himself. His anger had been building after years of police harassment. The Arab Spring was born.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879582-the-fifth-anniversary-of-the-arab-spring-marked-in-tunisian-town-of-sidi-bouzid/

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Turkey and Israel to restore full diplomatic relations
By Robert Hackwill



ZURICH: -- A secret meeting in Zurich on Wednesday has led to a preliminary agreement between Turkey and Israel ending a long dispute.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/879583-turkey-and-israel-to-restore-full-diplomatic-relations/