Police bust two suspects in B5mn meth deal
Kritsada Mueanghawong

PHUKET: -- Police arrested two key members of a major drug-dealing ring run by an inmate at Yala prison, after the pair confessed to their roles in moving about 5 million baht worth of ya ba (methamphetamine) from Chiang Rai to Southern Thailand.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895223-police-bust-two-suspects-in-b5mn-meth-deal/

Deputy PM satisfied with THAI's performance

BANGKOK, 16 February 2016 (NNT) - Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has expressed satisfaction with the Thai Airways International (THAI)'s improving performance and instructed the company to develop a long-term plan for the next five and 10 years.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895278-deputy-pm-somkid-satisfied-with-thais-performance/

Man Seeks Freedom for Brother Convicted of His Crime
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Somphob Kanokmusikkul, in yellow second from right, meets officials at Ministry of Justice on Monday to ask the case for which his brother was convicted be reopened because he committed the crime.

BANGKOK — A Bangkok man is fighting to get himself convicted of sexually abusing a child five years after he says his brother was made a scapegoat and imprisoned for the crime.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895279-bangkok-man-seeks-freedom-for-brother-convicted-of-his-crime/

Chinese Uighur was tortured into confessing role in Bangkok bomb: lawyer
BY AMY SAWITTA LEFEVRE

BANGKOK: -- A Chinese ethnic Uighur man arrested in Thailand over a bombing that killed 20 people in Bangkok last year denied on Monday charges of murder or involvement in the attack, retracting an earlier confession his lawyer said he was tortured into making.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895280-bangkok-bombing-chinese-uighur-karadag-tortured-into-confession-lawer-says/

Say Goodbye to Bangkok’s Flower Market
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Vendors sell flowers on Valentine's Day, Sunday, at Bangkok's Pak Khlong Talad.

BANGKOK — It was a blue Valentine for Bangkok’s Pak Khlong Talad yesterday, as the historic flower market sold its final roses for the holiday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895281-say-goodbye-to-bangkoks-pak-klong-talad-flower-market/

Nok Air sacks a pilot and suspends two other pilots for two weeks



BANGKOK: -- A pilot of Nok Air airline was sacked and two other pilots were suspended from work for a week following a protest by a group of pilots on Sunday which forced the airline to cancel nine domestic flights resulting to passengers being stranded at Don Meuang international airport.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895283-nok-air-sacks-a-pilot-and-suspends-two-other-pilots-for-two-weeks/

UPDATE:

Protesting monks disperse but warn they will return if their demand is not met



NAKHON PATHOM: -- Thousands of Buddhist monks who rallied at Buddha Monthon in Nakhon Pathom on Monday dispersed in the evening after Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan agreed to accept their five-point demand, including the endorsement of Somdet Phra Maharatchamanglacharn as the supreme patriarch, for consideration.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895137-monks-rally-at-buddha-monthon-in-support-of-sangha-supreme-council/#entry10426199

Mr Boonsong and his 21 associates may face 20 billion baht in compensation for fake G-to-G rice deals



BANGKOK: -- Former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom and 21 individuals who include commerce officials and businessmen involved in the fake G-to-G rice deals are to face a lawsuit demanding hefty compensation amounting to 20 billion baht for damages from the fake rice deals.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895284-fake-g-to-g-rice-deals-boonsong-and-21-associates-may-face-20bn-baht-in-compensation/

Many foodstuff commercials on digital TVs carry illegal contents



BANGKOK: -- Many commercials of food supplements and health products which were broadcast on digital and satellite TVs in the past six months were found to have contents deemed illegal.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895285-many-foodstuff-commercials-on-digital-tvs-carry-illegal-contents/

UPDATE:

Man confesses he learned the trick from movies in cutting up the body of his wife



CHIANG MAI: -- A man who was arrested by the police for killing his wife and cutting up her body into six parts confessed to police interrogators that he learned the trick from the movies and that he acted out of jealousy.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895129-chiang-mai-woman-found-quartered-in-bedroom-on-valentines-day/page-2#entry10426212

Paiboon asks the DSI to probe the conduct of Somdet Chuang



BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation was asked today to investigate the conduct of Somdet Phra Maharatchamangalacharn, the acting Supreme Patriach and head of the Sangha Supreme Council over the council’s recent ruling not to defrock Phra Dhammachayo, abbot of Wat Dhammakaya.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895286-paiboon-asks-the-dsi-to-probe-the-conduct-of-somdet-chuang/

Academic proposes sustainable solutions to rubber price drop

BANGKOK, 16 February 2016 (NNT) - An academic have suggested that the government decrease Para rubber growing areas and promote other economic crops in an effort to tackle the problem of rubber price drop in a sustainable manner.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895287-thai-academic-proposes-sustainable-solutions-to-rubber-price-drop/

PM calls on Thai people to learn from past lessons to reform country

BANGKOK, 16 February 2016 (NNT) – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called on the Thai public to understand and learn from past lessons in order to reform the country.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895288-pm-prayut-calls-on-thai-people-to-learn-from-past-lessons-to-reform-country/

NRSA: Oil Fund must be reformed

BANGKOK, 16 February 2016 (NNT) – The National Reform Steering Assembly has determined that the Oil Fund must be reformed to ensure transparency and energy stability.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895289-nrsa-oil-fund-must-be-reformed/

Transport Min discusses aviation problems after Nok Air pilot strike

BANGKOK, 16 February 2016 (NNT) – The Ministry of Transport has met with related agencies and airlines in a bid to address issues in Thai aviation while ordering Nok Air to explain the recent strike of its pilots which led to several flight cancellations.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895290-thai-transport-min-discusses-aviation-problems-after-nok-air-pilot-strike/

Ministry of Science and Technology seeks to eliminate mosquito-borne diseases

BANGKOK, 16 February 2016 (NNT) - The Ministry of Science and Technology is accelerating its efforts to utilize research developments regarding the elimination of mosquitoes to reduce the number of mosquito-borne dengue fever infections.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895291-thai-science-min-seeks-to-eliminate-mosquito-borne-diseases/

'If you lose, you can always move,' Phuket Gov tells sea gypsies


Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada holds up his phone showing a map of the development planned to be built on 19 rai at the sea gypsy village in Rawai. Photo: Darawan Naknakhon

PHUKET: -- Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada today (Feb 15) announced that 45 rai in Rassada, north of Phuket Town, has been allocated for sea gypsies in Rawai to move to if a court judgement rules against them, forcing them to vacate land claimed by private developers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895292-if-you-lose-you-can-always-move-phuket-gov-tells-sea-gypsies/

Evidence from UK's National Crime Agency 'critical' in sentencing Koh Tao killers to death
Staff writer



BANGKOK: -- Buzzfeed News reporting has found that the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) provided supposedly ‘critical’ evidence to the Thai police in a murder investigation without seeking written assurances that it not be used to sentence the suspects to death.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895293-evidence-from-uks-national-crime-agency-critical-in-sentencing-koh-tao-killers-to-death/

British grandfather fighting for his life after mysterious attack in popular Thailand beach resort


Attacked: Nigel Holmes with daughter Amanda Hunt. Image source: Mirror

Nigel Holmes, 66, from Poole in Dorset, was visiting his girlfriend in the popular beach resort of Pattaya when he was set upon

LONDON: -- A granddad is fighting for his life after a mysterious attack in Thailand where he suffered a bleed on the brain and required major surgery.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895295-british-grandfather-fighting-for-his-life-after-mysterious-attack-in-pattaya/

UPDATE:

Video: Cargo ship slams into riverwalk in Bangkok

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/894969-singapore-registered-freighter-hits-embankment-in-phra-pradaeng-district/?p=10426267#entry10426267

Syria hospital and school strikes kill 'up to 50' – UN



BEIRUT: -- The United Nations says up to 50 people have been killed in missile attacks on hospitals and schools in northern Syria.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895296-syria-hospital-and-school-strikes-kill-up-to-50-un/

Russia presses air blitz in Syria to dictate peace terms
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV

MOSCOW (AP) — Moscow joined the fight in Syria to return to relevance in international diplomacy. It has succeeded by anyone's measure — and Russia hopes to use its air power to dictate the terms of a cease-fire and prospective peace talks.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895297-russia-presses-air-blitz-in-syria-to-dictate-peace-terms/

Germany's ruling coalition clashes over refugee integration



BERLIN: -- Germany’s ruling coalition is clashing over how best to integrate the more than one million refugees the country has welcomed in recent months.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895298-germanys-ruling-coalition-clashes-over-refugee-integration/

UPDATE:

Pilots demand laser ban after UK flight incident



"...both pilots could be blinded and that aircraft could end up off the runway with injuries not only to the crew but the passengers..."

LONDON: -- The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) is calling for tougher legislation to crackdown on the use of lasers after a laser beam forced a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for New York to return to London after dazzling the co-pilot.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895153-virgin-atlantic-vs25-returning-to-heathrow-after-suspected-laser-incident/#entry10426317

EU reform draft to avoid Brexit
Produced by Beatriz Beiras

BRUSSELS: -- Britain’s place in the EU has always been the uncomfortable seated elephant in the room for the country’s Conservative party so David Cameron’s decision to deal with the issue once and for all has long been awaited.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895299-eu-reform-draft-to-avoid-brexit/

EU lift majority of sanctions against Belarus



BRUSSELS: -- EU foreign ministers decided Monday to lift asset freezes and visa bans against Belorussian president Alexander Lukashenko and 169 other individuals including three companies. The arms embargo will remain in place as well as restrictive measures on four people.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895300-eu-lift-majority-of-sanctions-against-belarus/

Violence escalates in Israel and West Bank



JERUSAELM: -- The Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 25 people were wounded in clashes with Israel Defence Forces at a refugee camp near the West Bank city of Ramallah. The IDF raided the camp to make an arrest.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895301-violence-escalates-in-israel-and-west-bank/

Ex-Russian athletics' anti-doping chief Nikita Kamayev dies of 'heart attack'



"He complained of heartache after a skiing session. He has never complained about heart problems, at least to me"

MOSCOW: -- The former executive director of Russia’s anti-doping agency RUSADA has died two months after resigning his post over a cheating and corruption scandal.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895302-ex-russian-athletics-anti-doping-chief-nikita-kamayev-dies-of-heart-attack/

Traffic Crackdown in Pattaya begins



PATTAYA: -- Another parade of Police took place on Pattaya Beach on Monday afternoon and this time it was organized to mark the start of a crackdown on those who break traffic laws.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895303-traffic-crackdown-in-pattaya-begins/

Over-charging Pattaya Lottery Vendor in drunken encounter with rogue 'Police Officer'



PATTAYA: -- In the early hours of Tuesday, a 25-year-old Thai Lottery Vendor reported the theft of tickets by a man claiming to be a Police Officer, in Soi 7 off Pattaya Beach Road.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895304-over-charging-pattaya-lottery-vendor-in-drunken-encounter-with-rogue-police-officer/