UK: Cult leader sentenced to 23 years for abuse, rape

LONDON (AP) — A cult leader was sentenced to 23 years in prison Friday for raping and sexually assaulting his female followers and keeping his daughter imprisoned in a secretive Maoist commune in London for three decades.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890867-uk-cult-leader-sentenced-to-23-years-for-abuse-rape/

Coroner: 5 dead in avalanche in British Columbia

MCBRIDE, British Columbia (AP) — A "very large" avalanche in the western Canadian province of British Columbia left five people riding snowmobiles dead Friday, the provincial coroner's service said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890881-coroner-5-dead-in-avalanche-in-british-columbia/

Evidence shows sea gypsy land claims legit, developer's land titles issued unlawfully: DSI

Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: A senior official from the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) has insisted once again that land title documents presented by developers to claim disputed land in Rawai were not issued lawfully, and that sea gypsies’ claims to the land are legitimate.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890885-evidence-shows-sea-gypsy-land-claims-legit-developers-land-titles-issued-unlawfully-dsi/

Workers from shuttered garment factory demand wages

PHNOM PENH: More than 500 garment workers from a shuttered garment factory in the capital’s Dangkor district are demanding their salaries after the firm’s owner ran away, The Phnom Penh Post reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890899-workers-from-shuttered-garment-factory-demand-wages/?p=10367131

Jokowi signs on to instagram, reaches 203k followers

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo has created an official Instagram account reaching 203,000 followers on Friday, after a series of fictitious accounts claimed to be the president on the social media platform, The Jakarata Globe reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890901-jokowi-signs-on-to-instagram-reaches-203k-followers/?p=10367171

Malaysia is at high risk from Zika virus: Health Ministry

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has issued a health alert to all public and private health facilities on the Zika virus following a World Health Organisation alarm that the virus is spreading explosively, according to New Straits Times.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890902-malaysia-is-at-high-risk-from-zika-virus-health-ministry/

Student gets six months in jail for mid-2015 graffiti protest

AMARAPURA: A court in Mandalay Division’s Amarapura Township sentenced a student activist to six months in prison on Friday for his role in a graffiti protest on the grounds of Yadanabon University in mid-2015, The Irrawaddy reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890904-student-gets-six-months-in-jail-for-mid-2015-graffiti-protest/?p=10367229

Thai-born Harvard dentist accused of welching on multi-million baht scholarship debt to Mahidol

Dr Padej Poonwithayakij (right) at his interview with Jor Kao Den TV show, hosted by by famous anchor Sorayuth Suthassanachinda (left). Photo: Padej Poonwithayakij

BANGKOK: Netizens have slammed a Thai-born instructor at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine after she was accused of skipping out on debts in Thailand totalling over THB30 million.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890906-thai-born-harvard-dentist-accused-of-welching-on-multi-million-baht-scholarship-debt-to-mahidol/

Bangkok people spending more this year on Chinese New Year

BANGKOK: This year's celebrations of the Chinese New Year will see people in Bangkok spending more to celebrate the festival with around six billion baht is projected.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890910-bangkok-people-spending-more-this-year-on-chinese-new-year/?p=10367321

NRSA member believes new charter will remove corruption from Thai society

Thammarat Thadaphrom

BANGKOK, 30 January 2016 (NNT) - A member of the National Steering Assembly (NRSA) strongly believes that the new charter will eradicate corruption practices from Thai society.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890913-nrsa-member-believes-new-charter-will-remove-corruption-from-thai-society/

Villagers demand answers from monk caught up in alleged sex scandal

KHON KAEN:-- Villagers from the district of Ban Phai in Khon Kaen have called for a monk to be expelled from a temple amid accusations he had sex with a local woman.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890916-villagers-demand-answers-from-monk-caught-up-in-alleged-sex-scandal/?p=10367402

Alongkorn: Thailand won't move forward if conflicts continue

Thammarat Thadaphrom

BANGKOK, 30 January 2016 (NNT) - A deputy speaker of the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) said yesterday that the country will never move forward should social and political conflicts drag on.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890917-alongkorn-thailand-wont-move-forward-if-conflicts-continue/

CDC: Interim charter won't replace permanent charter

Thammarat Thadaphrom

BANGKOK, 30 January 2016 (NNT) - The chairman of the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC), says the 2014 interim constitution won't replace the proposed permanent charter even if the latter is rejected by the general public.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890919-cdc-interim-charter-wont-replace-permanent-charter/

Govt: 126 laws must be amended to allow true reform to take place

Thammarat Thadaphrom

BANGKOK, 30 January 2016 (NNT) - The government has revealed that a total of 126 laws must be amended in order for true and complete reform to take place in Thailand.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890920-govt-126-laws-must-be-amended-to-allow-true-reform-to-take-place/

NLA passes Criminal Code Act into law

Thammarat Thadaphrom

BANGKOK, 30 January 2016 (NNT) - The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has given its approval to the new Criminal Code Act, passing it into law with a unanimous vote.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890923-nla-passes-criminal-code-act-into-law/

NLA accepts Human Trafficking Criminal Procedure Act

Suwit Rattiwan

BANGKOK, 30 January 2016 (NNT) - The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has voted 175-0 with 3 abstentions to accept in principle the Human Trafficking Criminal Procedure Act.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890924-nla-accepts-human-trafficking-criminal-procedure-act/

Legal charges to be filed against former advisor to Marketing Organization for Farmers

Suwit Rattiwan

BANGKOK, 30 January 2016 (NNT) – Royal Thai Police are investigating “Dejcharas Charnrat”, also known as “Dr. Dej”, former advisor to the director of the Marketing Organization for Farmers (MOF), who allegedly used the name of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to make money by selling the government’s rice.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890925-legal-charges-to-be-filed-against-former-advisor-to-marketing-organization-for-farmers/

Go-Go Dancer Shanked by Corkscrew in Chonburi

By Chayanit Itthipongamaetee
Staff Reporter

Police believe Nikom Jummanee stabbed Pornchita Saosa in the neck Friday night with this corkscrew.

CHONBURI — A go-go dancer was stabbed and seriously injured by a colleague early this morning in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890928-go-go-dancer-shanked-by-corkscrew-in-chonburi/

Phuket police arrest suspect in Kathu knife attack

Darawan Naknakhon

PHUKET: A man has been arrested and charged for attempted murder following a knife attack on Wednesday night in the Ket Ho Community of Kathu.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890929-phuket-police-arrest-suspect-in-kathu-knife-attack/

Late-Night Pub at Pattaya Port raided by Police

PATTAYA: Just before Daybreak on Saturday, over 50 Pattaya Police Officers conducted a raid on a pub located at the Bali Hai Port area, which was full of customers, some underage and others who later failed drug tests.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890931-late-night-pub-at-pattaya-port-raided-by-police/?p=10367584

ARE 91% OF FACEBOOK USERS REALLY UNHAPPY WITH THE THAI GOVERNMENT?

BANGKOK: Doing the social media rounds at the moment is the results from an online poll which claim to show 91 percent of Facebook users are unhappy under the present Thai government.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890932-are-91-of-facebook-users-really-unhappy-with-the-thai-government/?p=10367623

Tainted meat check stepped up as demand increasing during Chinese New Year

BANGKOK: The Department of Livestock Development has detected more than 40 pig farms in the central and northeastern regions that use harmful addictive to feed their animals so they could fetch higher profit for the meat they sell.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/891007-tainted-meat-check-stepped-up-as-demand-increasing-during-chinese-new-year/?p=10368745

TAT plans to promote Chinese New Year celebration an international event

BANGKOK: In an effort to boost tourism revenue, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says it will promote Chinese New Year celebration in Thailand an international event with 13 provinces across the country hosting the celebrations.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/891008-tat-plans-to-promote-chinese-new-year-celebration-an-international-event/?p=10368765

Corkscrew fight outside Pattaya Go-Go Bar

PATTAYA: In the early hours of Saturday, a worker at one of Pattaya’s oldest Go-Go Bars, was attacked by a work colleague with a corkscrew and sustained serious stab wounds to her neck and arms.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/890928-go-go-dancer-shanked-by-corkscrew-in-chonburi/page-3#entry10368789

Race to find vaccine, as mosquito-born Zika virus grips Americas

The race is on to find a vaccine, as the mosquito-born Zika virus takes hold in the Americas.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/891011-race-to-find-vaccine-as-mosquito-born-zika-virus-grips-americas/

CAR: UN official emotional as new child sex abuse allegations revealed

European soldiers and United Nations peacekeepers are facing fresh accusations of child sexual abuse in Central African Republic.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/891013-car-un-official-emotional-as-new-child-sex-abuse-allegations-revealed/

First part of new space ‘data highway’ blasts off from Kazakhstan

A new space “data highway” has taken a giant leap forward.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/891014-first-part-of-new-space-data-highway-blasts-off-from-kazakhstan/

Private gun adverts to be prohibited on Facebook

Private firearms transactions coordinated on Facebook or its Instagram photo-sharing service should become a thing of the past under new measures announced by the world’s biggest online social network.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/891015-private-gun-adverts-to-be-prohibited-on-facebook/

Son of France FM Fabius indicted on forgery charges – media reports

Thomas Fabius, the son of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, has been indicted on charges related to forgery, according to French judicial sources – the news agency AFP reports.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/891017-son-of-france-fm-fabius-indicted-on-forgery-charges-media-reports/

33 migrants drown as boat hits rocks, sinks off Turkey coast

SUZAN FRASER, Associated Press


ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A boat smuggling migrants to Greece slammed into rocks off the Turkish coast Saturday and capsized, killing at least 33 people including five children, as the choppy Aegean Sea continued to claim asylum-seekers' lives this month at an appalling pace, officials said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/891018-33-migrants-drown-as-boat-hits-rocks-sinks-off-turkey-coast/