People pay respect to His Holiness' cremated remains

BANGKOK: -- Many people visited Bowonniwet Vihara Rajavaravihara temple on Monday to pay respect to the ashes and bones of the cremated Supreme Patriarch, His Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara Somdet Phra Sangharaja.

The temple was crowded with people who had heard the news that the cremated remains of His Holiness were enshrined there until December 24, 2015. The cremated remains will then be enshrined at Thewa Sangkharam temple in Kanchanaburi province.


-- NNT 2015-12-22

Thai Union Group takes over German seafood producer
Thai PBS

THAILAND -- Thai Union Group, the country’s leading seafood exporter, has recently acquired the majority shares in Germany’s Rugen Fisch AG,leading canned seafood producer in Germany, in a strategic move to consolidate its market share in Europe.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880518-thai-union-group-takes-over-german-seafood-producer/

UPDATE:

FISHERY
Fishermen to petition against 'harsh' law
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- REPRESENTATIVES of fishermen nationwide will today petition the government to review the Fisheries Royal Ordinance bill introduced last month, which they say is “too strict”.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880495-fishermen-to-petition-govt-over-harsh-new-law/#entry10219142

UPDATE:

LOST AT SEA
Kasetsart rector Bodin rescued after 20 hours lost at sea
WIMOL TABKONG,
APICHART HONGSAKUL
THE NATION



HUA HIN: -- Bodin was among a fleet of 50 competitors to ride jetskis from Toey Ngam Beach in Chon Buri's Sattahip district to Ao Khao Takiab in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district on Sunday morning when he went missing at sea.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880346-missing-kasetsart-designated-rector-rescued-from-sea-off-pranburi-coast/#entry10219146

POLITICS
Activists seek to postpone meeting with police today
VISARUT SANKHAM
THE NATION

Met lawyer at Thammasat to seek a delay, Sirawith says he has an exam

BANGKOK: -- ACTIVISTS summoned in relation to the Rajabhakti Park scandal are trying to postpone their meeting with police.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880563-activists-seek-to-postpone-meeting-with-thai-police-today/

UPDATE:

MISS UNIVERSE 2015
Beauty wins in a tuk tuk
THE NATION


Miss Thailand Aniporn Chalermburana-wong shows off her ‘tuk tuk’ dress that won the Best National Costume award at this year’s pageant.// EPa

LAS VEGAS: -- WHEN THE Miss Universe Thailand organisation announced in October that a bizarre tuk-tuk costume, complete with headlights, handlebars and the national flag, was selected as the Thai national costume for the Miss Universe pageant, social media users responded with derision and laughter.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880353-tuk-tuk-wins-best-costume-at-miss-universe/#entry10219159

UPDATE:

SURAT THANI
Koh Tao ruling imminent
The Nation

KOH SAMUI: -- A team of lawyers representing two Myanmar migrant workers accused of the rape and murder of a female British tourist and the murder of a male British tourist on Koh Tao is anxiously awaiting the verdict. The ruling will be read on Thursday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880411-koh-tao-verdict-expected-on-dec-24/page-3?p=10219164#entry10219164

NEW CHARTER
Charter can gain public support without help: Meechai
KASAMAKORN CHANWANPEN
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- CONSTITUTION Drafting Commission chairman Meechai Ruchupan declined to confirm yesterday whether the new charter draft would be cleared by a super-body helping the country’s transitional period.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880564-thai-charter-can-gain-public-support-without-help-meechai/

All eyes on tax reforms, govt investment
BUSINESS REPORTERS
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND is heading into 2016 with a tax-reform and investment-stimulus agenda as various government ministries are set to implement measures to drive the national economy amid increased global uncertainties.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880565-all-eyes-on-tax-reforms-thai-govt-investment/

True confident of dominance in five years
USANEE MONGKOLPORN
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- AFTER ADDING a 900MHz licence to its wireless broadband portfolio, True is brimming with confidence that it could vault itself to the top of the market within five years.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880566-true-confident-of-dominance-in-five-years/

Police nab 110 foreigners in overstay, criminal cases
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- THE Immigration Police Bureau yesterday announced cases of foreigners caught for overstaying their visas and committing crimes.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880567-thai-immigration-nab-110-foreigners-in-overstay-criminal-cases/

Security officials meet with Prawit in Hat Yai
The Nation

HAT YAI: -- Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan chaired a meeting in Hat Yai yesterday with national security officials from 14 southern provinces to discuss implementation of National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) policy.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880568-security-officials-meet-with-prawit-in-hat-yai/

Panel proposes axing party-list MPs, expert doubts CDC will support it
KASAMAKORN CHANWANPEN
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE political reform panel under the National Reform Steering Assembly (NSRA) proposed yesterday that party-list MPs be cut from politics to prevent influence from financiers. Chairman Seri Suwanpanont met Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) yesterday to submit the plan for consideration and inclusion in the new charter.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880569-panel-proposes-axing-party-list-mps-expert-doubts-cdc-will-support-it/

BURNING ISSUE
The best New Year’s gift for Thai people
CHULARAT SAENGPASSA

BANGKOK: -- PRETTY SOON, Thailand will enter a new period of “Seven Dangerous Days” with all the usual huge publicity to remind motorists they should help to promote road safety.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880570-the-best-new-years-gift-for-thai-people/

Four NRSA panels offer their proposals on reform
Wasamon Audjarint,
Jakrawan Salaytoo
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) met at Parliament yesterday to listen to reports from its panels on politics, national administration, law and justice process and local governance.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880571-four-nrsa-panels-offer-their-proposals-on-reform/

EDITORIAL
Preah Vihear the hold-out issue with Cambodia
The Nation

Thailand’s military government should resolve the temple dispute before politicians get their hands on it again

BANGKOK: -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's visit to Thailand last week signalled a normalising of bilateral ties, but it would be an exaggeration to say our relationship has been fully restored.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880572-preah-vihear-the-hold-out-issue-with-cambodia-thai-editorial/

STREETWISE
Crackdown needed to change public perception on corruption
Achara Deboonme

Last year the Bank of Ayudhya led the corporate pack in the battle against corruption.

BANGKOK: -- It was the first to announce a policy of declining New Year gifts from well-wishers. This applied to directors, executives, branch managers and employees in general. These individuals are barred from receiving valuable gifts and bank clients are advised against making such offerings.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880573-crackdown-needed-to-change-public-perception-on-corruption-thai-opinion/

3 Million Baht’s worth of counterfeit bags seized by Police in Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- On Monday Night a team of specialist Police Officers from Bangkok conducted multiple raids on shops and street vendors in Pattaya in search of branded counterfeit items. The operation led to the arrest of 3 people and the seizure of approximately 3 Million Baht’s worth of counterfeit items, mostly lady’s handbags.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880574-3-million-bahts-worth-of-counterfeit-bags-seized-by-police-in-pattaya/

District Officials hunt for underage drinkers and late-opening pubs in Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- By orders of the District Chief, Khun Chakorn, a group of over 50 district officers and army personnel converged on the Jomtien area in the early hours of Monday in search of late-opening pubs and socially unacceptable behavior.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880575-district-officials-hunt-for-underage-drinkers-and-late-opening-pubs-in-pattaya/

Farmers are banned from pumping water from irrigation canals



BANGKOK: -- Governors and community leaders in 22 provinces in the Chao Phraya river basin have been told by the Irrigation Department to stop pumping water from irrigation canals into farmland and to ask their people to use water sparingly throughout the dry season next May or July.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880576-farmers-are-banned-from-pumping-water-from-irrigation-canals/

Strict security upgrade for all Thai airports
BY LARRY BANKS


Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand.

BANGKOK: -- Businesses and administrators at airports throughout Thailand will soon come under a comprehensive security programme which aims to bring procedures up to international standards.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880577-strict-security-upgrade-for-all-thai-airports/

Government's achievements presentation to be cut short to one day



BANGKOK: -- The government has decided to cut short the time to announce its achievements for the past year from three days starting Wednesday to only one day for fear that the prolonged announcements will bore the audience, the government spokesman, Maj-Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Monday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880578-thai-governments-achievements-presentation-to-be-cut-short-to-one-day/

UPDATE:

Government denies accusation of abetting slave labour in seafood industry



BANGKOK: -- The government on Monday dismissed as groundless an allegation by a foreign news agency that Thailand abetting slave labour in shrimp peeling business and the product are bought by seafood processing factories for overseas export.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880422-thai-government-says-its-not-ignoring-shrimp-sheds-slavery/page-2#entry10219250

UPDATE:

Surin beach restaurants bestowed New Year reprieve


Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Armornwat has confirmed that the demolition of the buildings along the Surin beachfront will not happen before New Year’s Day. Photo: Saroj Kueprasertkij

PHUKET: -- Vice Governor Chokdee Armornwat has confirmed that the demolition of the buildings along the Surin beachfront, on Phuket’s west coast, will not happen before New Year’s Day.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880378-surin-beach-demolition-stalled-yet-again/#entry10219256

UPDATE:

Authorities deny labour report
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM,
JIRAPONG PRASERTPOLKRANG
THE NATION



STATE OFFICIALS IMPLICATED IN ABUSE AS GOVT ANNOUNCES SWEEPING REFORMS OF SHRIMP INDUSTRY

BANGKOK: -- THAI authorities have labelled an Associated Press (AP) report on the use of forced labour in the Thai shrimping industry as "incorrect and misleading".

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880422-thai-government-says-its-not-ignoring-shrimp-sheds-slavery/page-2#entry10219260

Thai rice exports expected at 9m tonnes next year
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THAILAND will strive to ship out 9 million tonnes of rice worth US$4.78 billion (Bt172 billion) next year, versus the almost 10 million tonnes expected this year, according to the Thai Rice Policy and Management Committee.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880579-thai-rice-exports-expected-at-9m-tonnes-next-year/

Thailand poised to cash in on historic WTO deal: KRsearch
ERICH PARPART,
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- A HISTORIC World Trade Organisation deal that will abolish developed countries’ subsidies on agricultural exports for developing countries by 2018 could benefit Thailand’s economy because of a consequent increase in fair trade, said the Kasikorn Research Centre.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880580-thailand-poised-to-cash-in-on-historic-wto-deal-krsearch/

After Victory in Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi Quietly Shapes a Transition
By THOMAS FULLER
NEW YORK TIMES

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar — Since her party’s thumping election victory last month, Myanmar’s democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has said little and made few public appearances. So when she emerged recently in her constituency, she was mobbed by reporters and photographers, eager for some hint about how her party will govern after the new Parliament is seated next month.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880581-after-victory-in-myanmar-aung-san-suu-kyi-quietly-shapes-a-transition/

Fate of Taranaki man facing drug charges in Thailand still up in the air

WELLINGTON: -- A Taranaki man remains locked up in a Thai jail after being caught with drugs last December.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880582-fate-of-new-zealand-man-facing-drug-charges-in-thailand-still-up-in-the-air/

Blatter and Platini launch an appeal against their eight-year bans from football
By Seamus Kearney



"Never in my life, never in my life, would I offer money to get something"

ZURICH: -- They have been slapped with an eight-year ban from football, but Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have already vowed to launch an appeal.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880583-blatter-and-platini-launch-an-appeal-against-their-eight-year-bans-from-football/