THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Wednesday 16 Aug 2017

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Pattaya CCTV - more than half of the council's cameras don't work

 

 

The Pattaya City council has admitted that less than half of their CCTV cameras actually work.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997338-pattaya-cctv-more-than-half-of-the-councils-cameras-dont-work/

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Hotel with unusual design isn’t falling down: experts

By Kittipong Maneerit 
The Nation

 

 

The unusual shape of a new hotel being built in Bangkok has caused panic among some city residents after rumours spread on social media that it is collapsing.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997337-hotel-with-unusual-design-isn’t-falling-down-experts/

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Yingluck judges provided with police guards

By The Nation

 

 

Police have been assigned to act as security guards for judges in the court case involving former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, said deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan on Tuesday.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997357-yingluck-judges-provided-with-police-guards/

 

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Activist ‘Pai Dao Din’ jailed for 2-and-a-half years on BBC Thai article lese majeste charge

By The Nation

 

Jatupat Boonpattararaksa or Pai Dao Din

 

KHON KAEN provincial Court yesterday sentenced student activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa to two years and six months in prison for a lese majeste charge resulting from his sharing a BBC report profiling the monarch.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997373-activist-‘pai-dao-din’-jailed-for-2-and-a-half-years-on-bbc-thai-article-lese-majeste-charge/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Judges assigned security

By The Nation

 

 

SOME RED SHIRTS ‘PLAN TO STAY HOME’ FOR YINGLUCK VERDICT DUE TO MONITORING
 

BANGKOK: -- SECURITY officers will be sent to guard judges in the high-profile case involving former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra to maintain order ahead of the announcement of a verdict.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997357-yingluck-judges-provided-with-police-guards/?do=findComment&comment=12182769

 

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Premier’s denial of missile purchase from US called ‘misunderstanding’

By WASAMON AUDJARINT 
THE NATION

 

 

BANGKOK: -- DESPITE HIS earlier denial, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday admitted that the Navy plans to purchase Harpoon Block II missiles from the United States to be installed on a newly built frigates.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997374-premier’s-denial-of-missile-purchase-from-us-called-‘misunderstanding’/

 

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Experts and officials unite to push forward reform

By THE NATION

 

BANGKOK: -- THE CABINET yesterday endorsed the new list of 11 reform committees following the promulgation of the national reform law to push forward reform agendas.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997375-experts-and-officials-unite-to-push-forward-reform/

 

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PM’s visit to Washington in October will focus on security and trade: Don

By THE NATION

 

 

AN OFFICIAL visit by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to Washington in October would raise a wide range of topics for discussion with US President Donald Trump, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said yesterday, but he rejected US pressure on the military government to crack down on North Korean front companies in Thailand.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997376-pm-prayuts-visit-to-washington-in-october-will-focus-on-security-and-trade-don/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Thai woman defends trespass at Yellowstone Park after online criticism

By THE NATION

 

 

A THAI woman has defended her walk around a fragile, off-limits thermal area at Yellowstone National Park in the United States after a video clip featuring her apparent trespass appeared online.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997377-thai-woman-defends-trespass-at-yellowstone-park-after-online-criticism/

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Prayut urges NGOs to cut criticism of flood relief plans

By THE NATION

 

 

Prime minister pushes forward with new water management agency to ensure integration of all government resources.

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged non-government organisations (NGOs) not to criticise the government’s efforts to prevent and tackle flooding, and has instructed his deputy to open talks with related agencies on setting up the new National Office of Water Resources.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997378-prayut-urges-ngos-to-cut-criticism-of-flood-relief-plans/

 

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Confusion reigns on first day of new bus system

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

 

BANGKOK: -- PASSENGERS appeared to be confused and reluctant to use the new colour-coded buses yesterday – the first day the fleet operated along eight new routes in Greater Bangkok.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997379-confusion-reigns-on-first-day-of-new-bus-system-in-bangkok/

 

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UNESCO Bangkok to carry forward legacy of Dr Kim following director’s passing

By The Nation

 

Dr Gwang-Jo Kim

 

Dr Gwang-Jo Kim, director of UNESCO Bangkok since 2009, has passed away at the age of 61

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997380-unesco-bangkok-to-carry-forward-legacy-of-dr-kim-following-director’s-passing/

 

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OPINION

What is media’s ‘super content’ supposed to look like?

By Tulsathit Taptim 
The Nation

 

“Content is king” was what people like me in the media industry were repeatedly told a few years back.

 

BANGKOK: -- It was meant to be part motivation and part words of comfort, as we were staring at a brewing “perfect storm” that was threatening to rip conventional news media outlets to shreds. You could be afraid, run and hide, the comforters said, or you could use your fear to stir yourself up and fight back.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997381-what-is-media’s-‘super-content’-supposed-to-look-like/

 

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EDITORIAL

Korea crisis or not, Prayut’s US trip a moment of truth

By The Nation

 

October meeting between the coup leader and President Trump will surely be one for the books

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has been behaving like a kid in a candy store ever since United States President Donald Trump invited Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha last April to visit him in Washington.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997382-korea-crisis-or-not-prayut’s-us-trip-a-moment-of-truth/

 

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Little girl with dice stuck inside nose hole is saved 

By Thai PBS

 

 

A four-year-old girl was rescued safely after a small cube was found stuck inside her nose, making her to breath difficultly.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997383-little-girl-with-dice-stuck-inside-nose-hole-is-saved/

 

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Customs Department to amend regulations on imported super cars

 

 

BANGKOK, 16 August 2017 (NNT) – The Customs Department has stepped up its effort to amend laws pertaining to the import of high end automobiles as well as the submission of information on 200 cars found to have evaded taxes to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). 

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997385-thai-customs-department-to-amend-regulations-on-imported-super-cars/

 

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Government keeps eye on movement of supporters of former PM Yingluck Shinawatra

 

BANGKOK, 16th August 2017 (NNT) - The government is keeping an eye on the movement of supporters of former PM Yingluck Shinawatra, who is due to hear the court's verdict on the malfeasance charge against her this month. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997388-government-keeps-eye-on-movement-of-supporters-of-former-pm-yingluck-shinawatra/

 

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Trump loudly insists both sides to blame for Virginia violence

By Jeff Mason

 

U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions about his response to the events in Charlottesville as he talks to the media in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York, U.S., August 15, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump loudly insisted on Tuesday that both left- and right-wing groups used force in the aftermath of a white supremacist rally and that all of the facts were not yet in about street clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997390-trump-loudly-insists-both-sides-to-blame-for-virginia-violence/

 

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Swiss hotel's signs for Jews spark row and Israeli complaint

 

Israel has expressed anger to the Swiss government over a hotel's sign that told Jewish guests to shower before using the swimming pool.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997391-swiss-hotels-signs-for-jews-spark-row-and-israeli-complaint/

 

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Grace Mugabe back in Zimbabwe after being accused of assault in South Africa

By James Macharia and MacDonald Dzirutwe

 

President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace attend a rally of his ruling ZANU (PF) in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe, July 29, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

 

JOHANNESBURG/HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's first lady Grace Mugabe returned home on Tuesday from South Africa after failing to turn herself in to police in Johannesburg to face accusations of assaulting a model in a hotel room.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997392-grace-mugabe-back-in-zimbabwe-after-being-accused-of-assault-in-south-africa/

 

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Thailand earns nearly 70 awards in SmartTravelAsia.com “Best in Travel Poll”

 

Photo: Tourism Authority of Thailand

 

Thailand sweeps awards across many categories in the 2017 SmartTravelAsia.com Best in Travel Poll

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997393-thailand-earns-nearly-70-awards-in-smarttravelasiacom-“best-in-travel-poll”/

 

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U.S. cities step up removal of Confederate statues, despite Virginia violence

By Chris Kenning

 

Protesters gather below a monument dedicated to Confederate Major John B. Castleman while demanding that it be removed from the public square in Louisville, Kentucky. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston

 

(Reuters) - Undeterred by violence over the planned removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, state and city leaders across various U.S. southern states said this week they would step up efforts to pull such monuments from public spaces.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997394-us-cities-step-up-removal-of-confederate-statues-despite-virginia-violence/

 

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Britain seeks Brexit without borders for Northern Ireland

 

FILE PHOTO: A police vehicle stops traffic beside a sign for customs and excise on the motorway approaching the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, near Newry, Northern Ireland July 13, 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - There should be no border posts between Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland after Brexit, Britain said in an early attempt to resolve one of the most complex aspects of its European Union exit.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997395-britain-seeks-brexit-without-borders-for-northern-ireland/

 

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Tillerson raps some U.S. allies for religious freedom violations, slams IS

By Yeganeh Torbati

 

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson adjusts his glasses as he delivers remarks on the 2016 International Religious Freedom Annual report at the State Department in Washington, U.S. August 15, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. allies including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain did not uphold principles of religious freedom in 2016, while Islamic State has carried out "genocide" against religious minorities, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997396-tillerson-raps-some-us-allies-for-religious-freedom-violations-slams-is/

 

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War room 2.0? U.S. Air Force upgrades Middle East command centre

By Phil Stewart

 

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber arrives at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar April 9, 2016. REUTERS/U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Terrica Y. Jones/Handout via Reuters/File Photo

 

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar (Reuters) - With its wall-sized screens simultaneously showing America's air wars in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, this war room at the heart of America's biggest military campaigns is already something of a technological marvel.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997397-war-room-20-us-air-force-upgrades-middle-east-command-centre/

 

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Falling tree kills 12 at Catholic festival in Portugal

By Axel Bugge

 

Firefighters cover victims of a tree that toppled into worshipping crowds during a religious festival in Funchal, Madeira island, Portugal, August 15, 2017. REUTERS/Duarte Sa

 

LISBON (Reuters) - A tree toppled into a crowd of worshippers during a major Christian festival on the Portuguese island of Madeira on Tuesday, killing 12 people and leaving 50 injured, officials said.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997398-falling-tree-kills-12-at-catholic-festival-in-portugal/

 

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Banish Bannon? Trump weighs his options as top aides feud

By John Walcott and Jeff Mason

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump (L), seated at his desk with National Security Advisor Michael Flynn (2nd R) and senior advisor Steve Bannon (R), speaks by phone with Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. January 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - For months, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser and his chief strategist have battled for influence behind the scenes, and their feud may force another shake-up at the White House.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997400-banish-bannon-trump-weighs-his-options-as-top-aides-feud/

 

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MRTA: construction of 4 mass rapid lines go as planned

 

BANGKOK, 16 August 2017 (NNT) – The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) of Thailand confirms that all constructions for the four mass rapid lines had proceeded as planned. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997401-mrta-construction-of-4-mass-rapid-lines-go-as-planned/

 

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Iranian court freezes assets of more than 150 BBC staff

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - More than 150 Iranian current and former BBC staff and contributors have been barred from major financial transactions in Iran, an Iranian court order seen by Reuters showed, in a fresh step against foreign media seen as hostile to Tehran.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997402-iranian-court-freezes-assets-of-more-than-150-bbc-staff/

 

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Lincoln Memorial in Washington defaced with expletive

 

Tourists walks past a papered-over column where a vandal scrawled obscene graffiti in spray paint on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, U.S. August 15, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Lincoln Memorial in the U.S. capital was spray painted with expletive graffiti that was discovered on Tuesday, days after violence broke out in Charlottesville, Virginia, over an American Civil War-era monument.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/997405-lincoln-memorial-in-washington-defaced-with-expletive/