THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Thursday 2 Mar 2017

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HOTEL DEALS: Book by March 6th to receive an extra 10% discount on our already great prices!

 

 

Continuing with 3 more Hotel Deals of the Week! Book by March 6th to receive an extra 10% discount on our already great prices!

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971383-hotel-deals-book-by-march-6th-to-receive-an-extra-10-discount-on-our-already-great-prices/

 

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Koh Phangan tourist businesses furious as warrant issued for arrest of policeman who robbed two Russian holidaymakers

 

 

Tourist operators on the holiday island of Koh Phangan are up in arms after an abduction/robbery of two Russian tourists was allegedly committed by a policeman and four underlings.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971426-koh-phangan-tourist-businesses-furious-as-warrant-issued-for-arrest-of-policeman-who-robbed-two-russian-holidaymakers/

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Background checks carried out into Brit arrested in Phuket for theft

Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

Background checks are now being carried out on British national Charlie Machin. Photo: Tatiana Motora

 

PHUKET:-- Police are conducting background checks with the Royal Thai Police, Immigration Police and Interpol into the 52-year-old British man arrested for theft by Cherng Talay Police last Thursday (Feb 23).

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971415-background-checks-carried-out-into-brit-arrested-in-phuket-for-theft/

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Reject booze tax hikes says writer "Bun-chit Fackmee"

 

Picture: Daily News

 

BANGKOK: -- A well known Thai writer and social commentator has called the rise in the taxes on beer wine and spirits as "lacking legitimacy".

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971439-reject-booze-tax-hikes-says-writer-bun-chit-fackmee/

 

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Video: Hunt down this nasty piece of work - pick-up nutter sought online

 

Picture Daily News

 

NAKHON SAWAN: -- An online hunt is underway after a pick-up driver was caught on dash cam footage driving like a complete lunatic.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971441-video-hunt-down-this-nasty-piece-of-work-pick-up-nutter-sought-online/

 

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Met office: Brace for 42 degree heat in the second half of March

 

Picture: Thairath

 

BANGKOK: -- Thai weathermen have said that temperatures in the North, Isan and the Central region will rise to 40 - 42 degrees C in the second half of March.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971442-met-office-brace-for-42-degree-heat-in-the-second-half-of-march/

 

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Manufacturers and private sector bus companies upbeat about change from minivans to microbuses

 

Picture: Daily News

 

BANGKOK: -- Parts' manufacturers and private sector bus companies have welcomed the government policy to phase out minivans for 20 seat microbuses.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971443-manufacturers-and-private-sector-bus-companies-upbeat-about-change from-minivans-to-microbuses/

 

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PM vows to get rid of underground debt problem

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha on Wednesday formally launched a comprehensive programme to tackle underground debt problem.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971444-pm-prayut-vows-to-get-rid-of-underground-debt-problem/

 

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Government spokesman hit back at Dhammakaya over the death of a temple’s volunteer

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Government spokesman Lt-Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd hit back at Wat Dhammakaya for blaming the death of one of its volunteers on blockade of the temple by government forces which has prevented the patient from being taken to the hospital for treatment within a short period of time.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971445-government-spokesman-hit-back-at-dhammakaya-over-the-death-of-a-temple’s-volunteer/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Klong Luang district police chief transferred

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Klong Luang district police chief, Pol Col Khempat Pothipitak, was abruptly transferred to an inactive post at the operations centre of Region 1 Provincial Police Bureau.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971404-top-policeman-removed-from-his-post-over-temple-operation/?do=findComment&comment=11670167

 

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Famous folk singer, Chatchai Mongkolthong died at 52 on stage

By Coconuts Bangkok

 

 

PHATTHALUNG: -- Chatchai Mongkolthong, the legendary folk singer of the south, passed away at 52 last night after he collapsed on stage at his concert in Phatthalung province.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971446-famous-folk-singer-chatchai-mongkolthong-died-at-52-on-stage-in-phatthalung/

 

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The Thai Education System is Failing it’s Students

 

BANGKOK: -- The Thai education system has recently been featured in the Economist, the article discussed Thailand’s international education rankings in the recently released Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971447-the-thai-education-system-is-failing-it’s-students/

 

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Adapting Thailand 4.0 to an uncertain world
By George Abonyi
Special to The Nation

 

For successful shift to hi-tech economy, Thai innovation must be geared to consumer demand  

 

BANGKOK: -- Thailand 4.0 is a comprehensive and ambitious long-term strategy for improving the economy’s competitive performance through innovation-driven growth. It aims at developing advanced technology and skills to produce high-value products and services for international markets. This strategy faces two important challenges. 

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971448-adapting-thailand-40-to an-uncertain-world/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Minister laments poor Thai scores in PISA tests
By The Nation

 

 

SCORES OF Thai students in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have not improved in 16 years, Education Minister Theerakiat Jareonsettasin said, calling it a failure of previous attempts to solve problems.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971447-the-thai-education-system-is-failing-it’s-students/?do=findComment&comment=11670188

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‘Safety zone’ in South only a pipe dream without BRN agreement
By DON PATHAN
SPECIAL TO THE NATION
YALA

 

 

YALA: -- IT WAS billed as a significant step – some even called it a breakthrough – but the announcement on Tuesday that the Thai government and Malay Muslim separatists from the far South has agreed on a “safety zone” is still a pipe dream because the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the group that controls virtually all of the combatants on the ground, is not onboard.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971449-‘safety-zone’-in-south-only-a-pipe-dream-without-brn-agreement/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Death penalty upheld in British backpacker case

The Nation

 

Zaw Lin (R) and Wai Phyo (Win Zaw Tun) (L)

 

 

‘solid’ evidence two Myanmar men killed britons on Koh Tao, rules Court of Appeal

 

KOH SAMUI: -- The Court of Appeal has upheld the death penalty against two Myanmar migrant workers for one of the most shocking crimes in Thailand’s history – the violent murders of two British backpackers on the resort island of Koh Tao.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971395-appeals-court-upholds-death-penalty-for-koh-tao-murders/?do=findComment&comment=11670195

 

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Single surviving giant stingray to be released back into Mae Klong River
By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE NATION

 

The file picture from October last year shows one of the giant freshwater stingrays swam in the pond at Samut Songkhram Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Centre.

 

SAMUT SONGKHRAM: -- THE LAST surviving giant freshwater stingray of those rescued after the mass deaths of more than 50 of the rare fish in the Mae Klong River in October will be returned to its natural habitat this month.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971453-single-surviving-giant-stingray-to-be-released-back-into-mae-klong-river/

 

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Foreign Ministry reassures on issuance of e-passports as deadline looms
By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THE ISSUANCE of e-passports for Thai citizens will continue as usual, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday after reports that passports would be unavailable within three days after the contract with a consortium of outsourcing companies expires.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971454-foreign-ministry-reassures-on-issuance-of-e-passports-as-deadline-looms/

 

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Livestock agency imposes controls for veterinarians for ‘last-resort antibiotic’
By PUNNEE AMORNVIPUTPANICH
THE NATION

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THE LIVESTOCK Development Department (LDD) is imposing strict controls on the use of colistin, or the “antibiotic of last resort”, on farm pigs in order to prevent deadly bacteria from developing resistance to antibiotics.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971455-livestock-agency-imposes-controls-for-veterinarians-for-‘last-resort-antibiotic’/

 

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Govt will attract sport tourists to stimulate tourism

 

BANGKOK, 2 March 2017 (NNT) - The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is urgently stimulating the tourism revenue growth by attracting sport tourists while leading Thailand as the hub of gems and jewelry of the world. 

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971456-thai-govt-will-attract-sport-tourists-to-stimulate-tourism/

 

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Education minister opens vocational boot camp

 

BANGKOK, 2 March 2017 (NNT) – The Ministry of Education has introduced an Education to Employment Vocational Boot Camp campaign to improve students' skills during school break. 

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971457-thai-education-min-opens-vocational-boot-camp/

 

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UK PM May's Brexit plan suffers setback in parliament

REUTERS

 

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May n London, Britain, February 23, 2017. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's upper house of parliament defeated Prime Minister Theresa May's government on Wednesday, voting in favour of a change to her Brexit plan that says she can only trigger exit talks if she promises to protect the rights of EU citizens.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971458-uk-government-defeated-on-brexit-bill/

 

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Canada, U.S. join forces on tackling border asylum-seekers

 

By David Ljunggren

REUTERS

 

The former border crossing used by refugees as they walk from the United States to enter Canada at Emerson, Manitoba, Canada February 25, 2017. REUTERS/Lyle Stafford

 

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian and U.S. officials are working on a plan to tackle asylum seekers crossing into Canada illegally, with American officials keen to discover how they entered the United States in the first place, said a source familiar with the matter.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971459-canada-us-join-forces-on-tackling-border-asylum-seekers/

 

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Syrian government forces enter Palmyra, drive back Islamic State - monitors

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO: Syrian army soldiers stand on the ruins of the Temple of Bel in the historic city of Palmyra, in Homs Governorate, Syria April 1, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki/File Photo

 

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russian-backed Syrian government forces and their allies fought their way into Palmyra on Wednesday, driving back Islamic State militants who have held the historic city since December, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971460-syrian-government-forces-enter-palmyra-drive-back-islamic-state-monitors/

 

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Exclusive - Trump administration has found only $20 mln in existing funds for wall: document

By Julia Edwards Ainsley

REUTERS

 

A view of a section of the U.S.-Mexico border fence at El Paso, U.S. opposite the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico February 2, 2017. Picture taken from the Mexico side of the U.S.-Mexico border. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s promise to use existing funds to begin immediate construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border has hit a financial roadblock, according to a document seen by Reuters.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971461-exclusive-trump-administration-has-found-only-20-mln-in-existing-funds-for-wall-document/

 

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Trump aide 'inadvertently' plugged Ivanka products - White House

By Emily Stephenson

REUTERS

 

White House Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., February 23, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House told a government watchdog agency that Kellyanne Conway, a senior aide to President Donald Trump, acted "inadvertently" when she publicly endorsed the clothing and jewellery line of Trump's daughter, Ivanka, according to a letter the administration released on Wednesday.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971462-trump aide-inadvertently-plugged-ivanka-products-white-house/

 

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France's Fillon denounces probe, fights on for presidency

By Chine Labbé and Marine Pennetier

REUTERS

 

Francois Fillon, former French prime minister, member of the Republicans political party and 2017 presidential election candidate of the French centre-right, arrives at tourist office in Meaux, France, February 27, 2017. REUTERS/Lionel Bonaventure/Pool/Files

 

PARIS (Reuters) - Conservative Francois Fillon promised on Wednesday to fight "to the end" in France's presidential election despite a deepening financial scandal, but his campaign suffered new blows as a top aide resigned and a party backing him suspended its support.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971463-frances-fillon-denounces-probe-fights-on-for-presidency/

 

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Canadian bacteria-like fossils called oldest evidence of life

By Will Dunham

REUTERS

 

Haematite tubes from the NSB hydrothermal vent deposits in Quebec, Canada that represent the oldest microfossils and evidence for life on Earth are pictured in this undated handout photo obtained by Reuters March 1, 2017. The remains are at least 3,770 million years old. Matthew Dodd/University College London/Handout via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Microfossils up to almost 4.3 billion years old found in Canada of microbes are similar to the bacteria that thrive today around sea floor hydrothermal vents and may represent the oldest-known evidence of life on Earth, scientists said on Wednesday.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971464-canadian-bacteria-like-fossils-called-oldest-evidence-of-life/

 

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U.S. judge approves release of Florida nightclub shooter's widow

By Lisa Fernandez

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO -- Investigators work the scene following a mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando Florida, U.S. June 12, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo

 

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - A judge cleared the way on Wednesday for the widow of the gunman who killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, to be released from jail and also appeared to throw doubt on the strength of the government's case against her.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971465-us-judge-approves-release-of-florida-nightclub-shooters-widow/

 

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Two British medics who joined Islamic State killed in Iraq - BBC

REUTERS

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Two British medics who abandoned studies in Sudan to join Islamic State with a group of other students have been killed in fighting in Iraq, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/971466-two-british-medics-who-joined-islamic-state-killed-in-iraq-bbc/