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Info: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/899020-thaivisa-photography-competition-march-2016/

Magnitude 3.3 earthquake hit Tha Chang district’s Surat Thani



Magnitude 3.3 earthquake hit Tha Chang district’s Surat Thani province; no injuries reported.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/155960


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-21

Use of electricity to surge in April and May, says EGAT

BANGKOK, 21 March 2016 (NNT) – The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) says the use of electricity will surge exponentially in April and May, while urging all sectors to be aware of possible blackouts.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904543-use-of-electricity-to-surge-in-april-and-may-says-egat/

Water level in Mekong River rising constantly

NONG KHAI, 21 March 2016 (NNT) – According to regular reports, the water level of the Mekong River is rising constantly and it is expected that the difference between water levels on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend, could be as much as 30 centimeters.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904544-water-level-in-mekong-river-rising-constantly/

Drought poses no immediate threat to meat production

BANGKOK, 21 March 2016 (NNT) – The ongoing drought crisis in Thailand is not affecting meat production, says the Ministry of Commerce.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904545-drought-poses-no-immediate-threat-to-meat-production/

Govt invites people nationwide to follow its measure for saving energy

BANGKOK, 21 March 2016 (NNT) – The government promoting its four measures to conserve energy consumption, inviting the general public nationwide to participate in helping the Kingdom reduce energy usage.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904546-thai-govt-invites-people-nationwide-to-follow-its-measure-for-saving-energy/

WHO urges Thailand to push forward proposal on fiscal health for sustainability of health insurance systems

BANGKOK, 21 March 2016 (NNT) – The World Health Organization has given suggestions on improving Thailand's National Health System, implying the need to integrate the three existing funds into a national system, according to an official.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904547-who-urges-thailand-to-push-forward-proposal-on-fiscal-health-for-sustainability-of-health-insurance/

U Ta Phao airport ready for commercial flights

Image source: Internet

RAYONG, 21 March 2016 (NNT) - A large number of tourists have started to use the U Ta Phao International Airport in Rayong as a result of the government’s policy to develop it as the country’s third international commercial airport.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904548-u-tapao-international-airport-ready-for-commercial-flights/

A flight to Moscow was suspended after a passenger complained the plane was unsafe



BANGKOK: -- A Moscow-bound flight was temporarily suspended on Sunday after a passenger complained that he felt the plane was unsafe and refused to fly with the plane.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904549-flight-to-moscow-suspended-after-passenger-complained-the-plane-was-unsafe/

Nida Poll says people support fully-appointed Senate



BANGKOK: -- More than half of the respondents to the Nida Poll support the proposal for fully-appointed Senate and members of the National Council for Peace and Order to be named senators during the five-year transitional period.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904550-nida-poll-says-people-support-fully-appointed-thai-senate/

GLO says less lottery retailers registered to book tickets in advance



BANGKOK: -- The number of lottery retailers who have registered to book lottery tickets in advance has dropped 2,490 to 172,498 from 174, 988 due to too many retail sellers and losses incurred by new sellers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904551-glo-says-less-lottery-retailers-registered-to-book-tickets-in-advance/

Wrongly-accused cop in 2012 Phuket pub brawl with 'hi-so' victim seeks 'social justice'
Eakkapop Thongtub



PHUKET: Seeking to clear his reputation, a Phuket police officer wrongly-accused, tried and finally cleared of taking part in the infamous late-night brawl at a Phuket Town pub in January 2012 – which resulted in the hospitalization of a Phuket “hi-so” figure, as well as a well-known Hollywood actor – has filed a complaint against his fellow-police accusers.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904553-wrongly-accused-cop-in-2012-phuket-pub-brawl-with-hi-so-victim-seeks-social-justice/

Myanmar rubber worker found dead in Phuket plantation, police detain 'friend' suspect

The Phuket News



PHUKET: -- Police have detained a Myanmar national suspected of murdering his compatriot and 'friend' this morning on a rubber plantation in Mai Khao on the north of the island.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904554-myanmar-rubber-worker-found-dead-in-phuket-plantation-police-detain-friend-suspect/

Fight between Myanmar crewmen aboard Thai fishing boat ends fatally at sea off Phuket
Darawan Naknakhon



PHUKET: -- One Myanmar fishing boat crewman is dead and his “friend” being treated for a stab wound at hospital and facing a murder charge after the two got into a fight out at sea this morning off Phuket.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904555-fight-between-myanmar-crewmen-aboard-thai-fishing-boat-ends-fatally-at-sea-off-phuket/

UPDATE:

Passenger scare delays Russian plane in Thailand
BANGKOK - REUTERS

A Moscow-bound flight with 369 passengers on board was grounded temporarily at Phuket airport in southern Thailand on Sunday after a passenger refused to fly, saying that his presence endangered the aircraft.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904549-flight-to-moscow-suspended-after-passenger-complained-the-plane-was-unsafe/#entry10552179

Thailand Executives Claim They Weren’t Actually Trading
BY JACOB MASLOW

BANGKOK: -- It was recently reported the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fined several leading executives for insider trading.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904556-thailand-executives-claim-they-werent-actually-trading/

Mick Jagger makes way for Obama in Cuba



HAVANA: -- The stage is set but the Rolling Stones’ groundbreaking concert in Cuba has been delayed because another big name is arriving there on Sunday – President Obama.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904558-mick-jagger-makes-way-for-obama-in-cuba/

Abdeslam planned to 'restart something' in Brussels – Belgian Foreign Minister
By Joanna Gill | With APTN, GERMAN MARSHALL FUND



BRUSSELS: -- Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said that Paris attacks suspect Abdeslam told investigators he was planning to ‘restart something’ in Brussels. He added it maybe the reality as security forces found ‘a lot of weapons, heavy weapons’ during the operation which led to Abdeslam’s arrest on Friday in the Belgian capital.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904559-abdeslam-planned-to-restart-something-in-brussels-belgian-foreign-minister/

Turkey says ISIL member carried out Istanbul suicide bombing



ANKARA: -- The Turkish government says the suicide bomb attack in Istanbul on Saturday was carried out by a member of the self-proclaimed Islamic State organisation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904560-turkey-says-isil-member-carried-out-istanbul-suicide-bombing/

FlyDubai flight recorders 'badly damaged' could take weeks to decode
By Joanna Gill



MOSCOW: --Trying to make sense of the tragedy, mourners gather outside the airport in Rostov-on-Don where a FlyDubai flight crashed overnight on Friday killing all 62 people aboard.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904561-flydubai-flight-recorders-badly-damaged-could-take-weeks-to-decode/

Kazakhstan diversifies economy to survive oil and gas slump



"The situation has changed. As far as I can see, there's support coming from the city council as well as the central government, in order for my products to get access to a big supermarket"

ASTANA: -- Kazakhstan’s economy depends on oil and gas and the slump in the industry has put its economic resilience to the test.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904562-kazakhstan-diversifies-economy-to-survive-oil-and-gas-slump/

Spain student bus crash victims 'all young foreign women'



VALENCIA: -- It has emerged that all 13 people killed in Sunday morning’s coach crash in northern Spain were young foreign women.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904563-spain-student-bus-crash-victims-all-young-foreign-women/

Obama arrives in Cuba for what he calls a 'historic visit'
By JULIE PACE and MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN

HAVANA (AP) — Stepping into history, President Barack Obama opened an extraordinary visit to Cuba on Sunday, eager to push decades of acrimony deeper into the past and forge irreversible ties with America's former adversary. "It is wonderful to be here," he said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904564-obama-arrives-in-cuba-for-what-he-calls-a-historic-visit/

Israeli police: Arson in West Bank likely not Jewish crime
By ARON HELLER

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police said they do not believe an arson attack on a Palestinian home Sunday was carried out by Jewish attackers. The house that was set ablaze belonged to a key witness to an arson attack by Jewish perpetrators that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents last year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904565-israeli-police-arson-in-west-bank-likely-not-jewish-crime/

Steps Obama has taken to ease US restrictions on Cuba
By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON: -- President Barack Obama aims to use his historic trip to Cuba starting Sunday to further his bid to restore ties after a half-century of acrimony. Though his visit will be one of the most visible symbols of the new approach, Obama has been rolling back restrictions on Cuba, punching hole after hole in the U.S. trade embargo.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904566-steps-obama-has-taken-to-ease-us-restrictions-on-cuba/

Migrants keep arriving in Greece despite deal to return them
By DEMETRIS NELLAS and DOMINIQUE SOGUEL

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Hundreds of mostly Syrian asylum-seekers continued to arrive in Greece by sea Sunday despite the start of an international agreement to send migrants back to Turkey.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904567-migrants-keep-arriving-in-greece-despite-deal-to-return-them/

UPDATE:

Paris attacks suspect reported to be planning new acts
By LORNE COOK

BRUSSELS (AP) — The top suspect in last year's Paris attacks told investigators after he was captured that he was planning new operations from Brussels and possibly had access to several weapons, Belgium's foreign minister said Sunday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904559-abdeslam-planned-to-restart-something-in-brussels-belgian-foreign-minister/#entry10552252

Suspected MH370 debris arrived in Australia for verification
Source: Xinhua

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian officials said on Sunday that two pieces of suspected debris of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have arrived in Australia for verification.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904568-suspected-mh370-debris-arrives-in-australia-for-verification/

DPM Tanasak meets with tourism, sports, and culture reform committee



BANGKOK, 21 March 2016 (NNT) – Deputy Prime Minister Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn has told the tourism, sports, and culture reform committee to formulate development plans to be handed on to the next administration.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904571-thai-dpm-tanasak-meets-with-tourism-sports-and-culture-reform-committee/

Disabled Brit, 79, jumps to his death from Pattaya condo
Thaivisa Reporters


Image: Khaosod.co.th

PATTAYA: -- An 79 British man was found dead after jumping from the 10th floor of a condo in Na Jomtien on Saturday night, Thaivisa News reports.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/904573-disabled-brit-79-jumps-to-his-death-from-pattaya-condo/