Bangkok to have alcohol free zones

BANGKOK, 31 August 2011 (NNT)-Bangkok will have alcohol free zones across the city with the move determined to curb violence that often stems from binge drinking.

Deputy Permanent Secretary for Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) MD. Peerapong Saicheua will sign the memorandum of understanding with MD. Narong Sahamethapat, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health, to enforce an alcohol free zone on every public park, government building and police station.

Selling, drinking and advertising alcohol will be prohibited in these places. Alcoholic drinks can only be sold in a shop or a club. The legal age to drink alcohol is 20 years and over. Sales of alcohol will be limited to two periods. From 11.00 hrs – 14.00 hrs and from 17.00 hrs – 24.00 hrs.

Thailand to crack down on insults against the monarchy

Thailand's new government has vowed to crack down on what it described as online insults against the revered monarchy, despite widespread criticism of the country's strict lese majeste rules.

Yingluck Shinawatra won't reform strict lese majeste 

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung said insulting Thailand's royals was "unacceptable" and identified an online campaign as an immediate priority.

"The first thing I must tackle as a matter of urgency are those lese majeste websites. They are not allowed during this government," he told reporters in comments that come within weeks of the new Thai government's taking power.

"I will set up a war room, a working group to take care of this immediately, starting today. It must be done as soon as possible."

Under Thailand's lese majeste legislation, anybody convicted of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent faces up to 15 years in prison.

The laws have come under heavy criticism from rights groups, which have expressed concern that they were used to suppress freedom of expression under the last government, considered close to the establishment.

Soon after winning the July 3 election, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the rules should not be abused.
But in a sign she did not want direct confrontation with the country's powerful elites, Yingluck stopped short of saying she would reform the legislation.
Tens of thousands of web pages have been removed from the internet for allegedly insulting the monarchy in recent years.
Discussion of the monarchy's role is a long-standing taboo in politically divided Thailand.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 83, the world's longest-reigning monarch and revered as a demi-god by many Thais, has been in hospital since September 2009.

Bt8 bn sought for TAT's 'Miracle Thailand' campaign

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will ask the government for Bt8.4 billion to finance its new 2011-2012 tourism campaign, "Miracle Thailand".

The Cabinet will be asked to approve the budget by next month before the new financial year kicks off in October. This new campaign will replace TAT's long-running "Amazing Thailand" theme.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who presented her government's tourism policies to the Cabinet, hopes to boost total visitors to 30 million per year in the next four years. The private sector has predicted that the country would have more than 19 million tourists this year. The new government is also hoping to boost tourism income to Bt2 trillion per year by 2016.

TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said the country's tourism industry needed more money to achieve its goals, adding that the additional funding would be spent mostly on marketing activities both in local and foreign markets.

Kongkrit Hirankit, vice president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, has called on Yingluck to help push the tourism industry forward because it desperately needs the confidence of operators overseas.

Suraphon said tourists were returning to Thailand after the July 3 general elections, and the industry should pick up significantly if there are no threats.

"The number of international tourists at Suvarnabhumi Airport grew by 30 per cent from August 1 to 20. This is a very good sign for high season this year," he said.

In the first seven months of this year, Thailand has already welcomed more than 11 million tourists despite ongoing political activities.

However, TAT is preparing to deal with the economic slowdown in key markets like Europe and last week's earthquake in the United States, which may halt inbound traffic.

"All TAT offices in the US and Europe were told to keep an eye on the situation, but continue selling Thailand because it is still a value-for-money destination compared to other countries in the region," Suraphon said.

Meanwhile, TCT has suggested that the government and TAT focus on regional markets and reclaim visitors from key markets such as Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. Tourism authorities are also urged to capture emerging markets like India, China and Russia.

Killer of NZ croquet chief nabbed

Syrian ex-commando admits stabbing New Zealander in Jomtien after row
A former Syrian Army commando has been arrested in connection with the murder of Charles Edmund Jones, late president of the World Croquet Federation, in Jones's rented condominium in Chon Buri's Jomtien area on Monday night.

The New Zealander's body was discovered in the condominium with multiple stab wounds on Tuesday.

Provincial Police Region 2 chief Lt-General Thangai Prasajaksatru and Pattaya Police superintendent Col Nanthawut Suwanla-ong yesterday presented the suspect, 21-year-old Mohamad Shanar Ryad, at a press conference along with the victim's notebook, cell phones and wristwatch, which were reportedly stolen, as well as a pocket knife they alleged was the murder weapon.

Ryad reportedly told police he met Jones on August 19 in South Pattaya. He said Jones invited him to smoke marijuana with him in his room and paid him Bt400 to perform oral sex on him. Ryad claimed that on Monday night, Jones invited him to his room again, but the pair got into an argument, during which Jones pulled a knife on him and attempted to sexually assault him. According to police, Ryad admitted to using his pocket knife to stab the victim about 20 times before fleeing with Jones's valuables and hiding at the room of Ryad's Thai girlfriend in Soi Chalermphrakiat 19.

Thangai said police had determined that Ryad came to Thailand as a refugee with the assistance of the United Nations after serving as an army commando in Syria.

He had travelled between Thailand and Malaysia frequently over the past four years and was recently fired from his job as a cook at a Pattaya restaurant before moving in with his girlfriend, Thangai said. Police took the suspect to re-enact the crime at the Jomtien condo yesterday.

In related news, police have arrested an alleged hitman, ranked 16th on their most-wanted list of professional killers, in connection with several murders in Nakhon Sawan. The suspect had evaded police efforts to arrest him and taken a job as a security guard at Suvarnbhumi Airport before quitting work, going into hiding and seeking treatment for gout, they said.

Bundit (also known as Sathit) Tomoung, 53, was arrested while lying low in his hometown in Nakhon Sawan's Chumsaeng district, Pol Colonel Supat Pheungphuang told a press conference at Metropolitan Police Headquarters yesterday.

Halt to oil levy approved

Big cuts in petrol, diesel prices today; gasohol unaffected

The National Energy Policy Committee yesterday resolved to suspend the Oil Fund levy on diesel as well as octane-95 and octane-91 petrol, effective today.

The Oil Fund now collects Bt7.50 per litre from octane-95 petrol. This will also affect the excise tax, which is calculated on the overall price.

The octane-95 petrol price will immediately come down by Bt8.02 per litre: Bt7.50 as the contribution to the Oil Fund and Bt0.52 as excise tax. The price of octane-91 will drop by Bt7.17, and that of diesel by Bt3 per litre. After the cuts, octane-95 petrol will retail at Bt39.32 a litre, down from Bt47.34, while octane-91 will drop to Bt34.77 from Bt41.94. Diesel will cost Bt26.99, down from Bt29.99.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, chairing the committee's meeting for the first time yesterday, said that the approval of the government policy to reduce the price of petrol and diesel by lowering the levies on these fuels to the Oil Fund has been granted. The matter has now been handed to the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) for further implementation.

In addition, the meeting approved a study to be undertaken to determine what impact the levy reductions will have on gasohol, and whether the Oil Fund will be used to subsidise alternative energy prices. The outline of the intended study has been forwarded to the EPPO for further consideration.

The Energy Policy Administration Committee, chaired by Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan, also met yesterday after the meeting of the National Energy Policy Committee.

Pichai said after the meeting that the committee agreed to reduce the price of octane-95 petrol, octane-91 petrol and diesel starting at 6 am today. The resulting price reduction of these fuels across the country will follow the approval of the National Energy Policy Committee.

"The policy will wipe out Bt1.6 billion in monthly contributions to the fund," Pichai said, adding that the compensation would run up to about Bt3 billion.

Last night, a ministry caravan kicked off an inventory check for the calculation of compensation to fuel station owners.

Retailers to be compensated

To shield oil traders from losses on fuel remaining in storage that will now be sold at the new lower prices, the commission has allocated Bt3 billion to compensate filling stations. In addition, the commission has approved Bt7 million for Energy Ministry officials and provincial energy departments to inspect the inventory of 17,000 filling stations across the country from midnight last night to 6am today.

With regard to the expected loss of Bt6.16 billion from levy deductions to the Oil Fund, it is worth noting that the fund has a current outstanding balance of Bt1.06 billion. The expected cash flow to the fund is Bt15 billion, which is sufficient to subsidise gasohol, NGV and LPG to January of next year. After that period, the Energy Fund Administration Institute (EFAI) will consider borrowing from financial institutions or issuing government bonds for an amount of Bt20 billion, which will be used to continue subsidies and will need to be approved by the EPPO.

Prasert Bunsumpun, CEO of PTT, expressed his concern over the suspension of the Oil Fund levy, stressing that the inventory inspection and compensation to oil traders before and after the price changes must be transparent and fair to all parties. PTT is also concerned whether the government is able to fund subsidies for price differences between petrol and gasohol, and whether these funds come from the Oil Fund or from reduction of excise taxes. If the government is committed to fund and maintain the price differences, then PTT will go ahead with its plans to invest in alternative energy.

Accordingly, Prasert believes that the measure will not affect the financial status of the Oil Fund because it's a short-term policy. But if there is not enough money, the government will have to borrow to make up any shortfalls.

He further stated that these price reductions will not affect the consumption of LPG and NGV, because the price of these fuels is still lower. However, if the government has to cap the price of NGV at Bt8.50 per kg, then the government may have to find ways to support this low price.

Seree Denworalak, president of the Thai Tapioca Traders Association, said that the government should have measures to keep the gap between the price of benzene and gasohol at Bt6 per litre in order to ensure a stable price for cassava.

"The government previously announced that it would have some measure to shoulder the cost of gasohol and keep the retail price lower than benzene. It should urgently consider reducing collection for excise tax to help promote the use of gasohol," he said.

Seree added that the government might also provide soft loans or subsidise the retail price of gasohol for a while.

The market price of cassava is currently quoted at Bt2.20-2.30 a kilogram. If the price remains stable, farmers will not suffer from the lower price of petrol, he noted.

Broke Brit in Pattaya Fed By Thai Beer Bar Hostesses

A middle-aged Londoner wants return to England after hitting rock bottom in Pattaya. Kind Thai people have given him food everyday. He is upset with the British government for not assisting him although he has paid taxes throughout his life. He is grateful to the Thai police since they will send him back to the UK. If he has the chance he wants to return to Thailand again.

Pattaya, August 24, 2011 Police Colonel Chusak Panasumporn, Immigration Director, Chonburi, together with Police Lieutenant Colonel Prapansak Prasarnsuk, Deputy Immigration Director , Chonburi were notified of a destitute foreigner walking around beer bars near the Beach Road in Pattaya.
Upon arrival police find the foreigner: Mr Smit Chistopher Paul age 57, British citizen. Mr Smit is glad to see the police team and he gives them his passport. He tells them that he is down and out, hungry and thirsty but the beer bar women buy him food and drink. Since he ran out of money on July 2011 he had no where to sleep. He added that the persons responsible for English people in Thailand never helped him. He has been coming to Thailand every year for four years continuously, but this time he he ran out money. He says he wants to go back to his hometown to see his family, he has eight children; seven girls and one boy. He added that he will come back to Thailand again, the country he loves very much.
After investigation, Police Lieutenant Colonel Prapansak Prasarnsuk, found Mr Smit’s passport had expired. Later they took Mr Smit to the Immigration Service facilities and let him take a bath, provide him food and water. Thereafter Mr Smit’s case was handled according to the Thai immigration law in order to have him repatriated to England.
Mr. Smit was pleased to know that he would to return his home country and his family.

Four Thai 'red-shirt' protesters jailed for 34 years

 

Many of the red-shirts were loyal to ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra

Four protesters in Thailand have been jailed for 34 years each for their part in anti-government unrest last year.

They were among 21 people charged with involvement in an arson attack on a town hall in Ubon Ratchathani in north-east Thailand.
They belonged to the red-shirt movement, broadly loyal to ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
His sister is now prime minister, following an election win in July.
The red-shirts held more than two months of protest in Bangkok last year aimed at forcing the previous government, led by the Democrat Party's Abhisit Vejjajiva, to step down.
Sporadic protests were also held in towns outside the capital, particularly in the north-east where Mr Thaksin remains very popular.
A total of 21 people were tried over the attack in Ubon Ratchathani in May.
"Four were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, but as they cooperated the court commuted the sentence to 34 years," an official told AFP news agency.
Nine others were acquitted and the rest received shorter jail terms.
Mr Thaksin was ousted by the military in a 2006 coup, but parties loyal to him have won both subsequent elections.
A court ruling forced his allies from power in late 2008, allowing Mr Abhisit to form a government.
The red-shirts called his government illegal and, 15 months later, occupied key Bangkok streets in a bid to force him to step down.
More than 90 people died in the subsequent unrest, most of them red-shirt protesters.

Thaksin's ex-wife Pojaman cleared of tax evasion

 

Ms Pojaman is widely thought to have played a role in forming the governing Pheu Thai party

The ex-wife of ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been acquitted of tax evasion on appeal.

Pojaman na Pombejra had been facing a three-year jail term in connection with the sale of companies by her then-husband Mr Thaksin.
But the Bangkok Appeals Court found that there was insufficient evidence to support a 2008 lower court ruling.
It is the first significant court ruling since Mr Thaksin's sister became prime minister earlier this month.
Ms Pojaman was found guilty of evading tax of 546m baht ($16.3m; £9.9m) in a 1997 shares transfer in the family telecoms business.
'Close relationship' The court's dismissal of the tax evasion case may be seen as vindication for the supporters of Mr Thaksin.
They have always insisted that the charges against the former prime minister and his family were politically motivated.
Ms Pojaman is a significant figure in Thailand; she is widely thought to have played a role in forming the governing Pheu Thai party, and choosing the members of the cabinet, our correspondent says.
Despite her divorce from Mr Thaksin three years ago, many observers believe the couple still have a close relationship.
Mr Thaksin was ousted in a coup in 2006, and lives abroad to avoid a two-year jail sentence for abuse of power.
His youngest sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, came to power earlier this month but Mr Thaksin is widely seen as the governing party's de facto leader.
However, Mr Thaksin has said he will not meddle in the government of his sister but would advise her when needed.

Migrants tell of 'ruined lives'

Many people from neighbouring countries, who believe that work in Thailand is the ticket to a better life, pay to be smuggled here, oblivious to the risks of human trafficking.
They often end up in conditions that are hellish.

Many migrants seeking paid work end up enslaved in brothels, factories, homes or fishing boats. In the case of women, this can take the form of sexual slavery.

Burmese man Ye, and Sanda, a Christian woman from Chin State in the same country, were among 12 trafficked migrants who shared their bitter stories recently with Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking. Ezeilo travelled throughout Thailand for 12 days this month to assess the situation here for a report to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council next year.

After being trafficked into Thailand, Ye, who had been told he would be paid Bt4,200 a month, was forced to work on a fishing boat for free, after being told he would have to pay off debts incurred in bringing him here.

Ye told of migrants who, exhausted and unable to continue working, were simply pushed into the sea. He said he felt hopeless and hated the captain of the boat, who took advantage of him and the other workers.

Another migrant worker told Ye he had already paid off his debt but was forced to con?tinue working, and had been doing so for 10 years. Every time he tried to escape, the Thai police would catch him and return him to the boat, where his debt was topped up with a fee for his attempt to flee.

Ye worked for eight months on one boat. He was never paid for his work and forbidden to keep any cash of his own. Compared to Burma, whose government is often damned as repressive, he felt Thailand was even more like a prison. Once a worker boards a fishing boat, he said, there was often no escape.

Finally, however, Ye was able to escape. He said he could never forgive the captain. He wanted all Burmese thinking of coming to Thailand to hear his story, so they could be spared the same fate.

Sanda, the Christian Chin woman, was trafficked by a Mon couple to work at a construction site in Thailand, only to find herself working without pay in the fishing industry and sexually enslaved.

Sanda had to gut about 50 kg of fish per day for the Mon couple, but never received payment. They said her wages were taken to cover fees paid to "buy" her, and for her rent, which was Bt600 per month.

Every night when she returned to the room, Sanda said she fought the Mon man, who demanded sex. Essentially a sex slave, she fears she may have been infected with HIV.

Sanda was held for one month by the couple before another Mon man "bought" her from the couple and helped her escape. They later married. Sanda and her husband now work at different construction sites, earning Bt200 each per day. Life is a struggle as she has a lot of debt and has to support herself and her children.

Coming to Thailand ruined her life, Sanda said. Since arriving she has been looked down on as if she was not human, she said. Other migrants told her she could expect no legal protection in Thailand.

"There is no law here," Sanda said. She does not want any more Burmese people to come to the Kingdom and suffer as she has.

Farmer Joe loses water-tight 30-year lease in Thailand

His children are in government care in Britain and his land has all but already been gobbled up by his Thai wife.
Legendary turkey farmer Joe Stanyer, who used to supply Thailand’s best hotels with their Christmas bird, has now been told that the last patch of land he has in Hua Hin, which he acquired on a 30-year lease, was also obtained illegally.




This story could suspend one’s belief so much so that even social workers from Redbridge Council in Essex want to check it out.
And to do so, while Britain seems to be plummeting into a double-dip recession, they say they have announced that they are sending over a case officer to investigate.
They may be suspicious that 'Farmer Joe' far from being impoverished 'Farmer Joe' is making hay in Thailand, so social security sleuths are expected any day from the land of Wayne and Sharon.
Once Joe Stanyer, 58, was a prosperous business man.  His turkeys sold every year under the ‘Farmer Joe’ brand in Bangkok and he continued to expand until the giant CP group, to cut a long story short, put him out of the running.
His wife left him and then sold most of the 22 rai turkey farm - bought in 2000 for 2 million Thai baht and held in her name - and did not pay him a penny. That left him with a small 6 rai patch of land on which he had built the family home.  To safeguard this he took out a 30-year lease from his wife at a cost of 436,000 Thai baht.
But now his wife wants this land too and has taken him to court to prove successfully, it appears, that the lease he signed is void.  Joe Stanley insists that another land-use clause was illegally added to the lease prior to the hearing.



Now Mr. Stanyer has had to sign a new lease, and pay up another 300,000 baht plus 12,000 baht each month for the 6 rai on which his only remaining asset in Thailand – stands.
“Actually I signed a new  lease but I did not know what I was signing. The lawyer, whom I had known for 25 years, just told me to do it,” said Joe.
"I thought the original lease was water-tight, but it was tampered with".
The courts have yet to look at the fact that even under Thai divorce laws he is entitled to 50 per cent, but worse, it seems, the land on which he built his house, could be still taken from him, because his wife built up a debt on a car in his name on which, he says, she refused to keep up payments, and the company has a lien on the land.
During the middle of this saga Stan fled with his kids, Stanley, 11, Rick,5, and Nanilee, 10 back to Britain and he had no choice but to leave them in council care, while he returned to battle for his livelihood.
At the moment with new lawyers he is suing his old lawyers for malfeasance and his wife for his share of what is due from the marriage.
Social services officers, who seem not to believe this sort of thing could happen in a real world, might perhaps take a dip in the Sofitel, to soothe their nerves after hearing Joe’s tale.
Meanwhile Joe’s wife Nonkarn Yanachot (left with daughter from previous marriage) claims: “Joe never took care of the children and I”.
I am not going into he details of claims and counter claims involving meat cleavers.
But Britain's Social Services want to visit her too and the former farmer's wife will be able to show a strong portfolio.
 Meanwhile any chance of Joe getting anything soon are unlikely. He went to Prachuap Khiri kan Court today to say that he did not know what he had signed (the lease).
You will have to go to the appeal court said the judge.

More Thais getting overweight

BANGKOK, 21 August 2011 - The Department of Health reveals that Thais tend to consume fattening and unhealthy food, causing a large number of them to be overweight.

Despite various campaigns by the government encouraging people to eat healthy food and exercise more, the Department of Health reveals that more Thai have become overweight.

According to a survey in 2010, 40 percent of Thai women have a waistline measuring more than 32 inches, which is the standard; while a quarter of Thai men have waistline over the normal size of 36 inches.

The Department said many people were still leading an unhealthy lifestyle; working under stress, eating junk food, and doing less exercise. It added this lifestyle not only would get them fat, but also diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The Department expressed its concerns that multi-national food producers had been publicizing unhealthy food to Thais. The Department will continue publicizing about the importance of exercise and how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

PM will brief the press twice a week

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra appears to have found one way to deal with the media's difficult political questions - by scheduling media interviews twice a week.

"I don't think I will have to give an interview every day. Twice a week is fine unless there is a hot issue, because ministers will give interviews to the media daily," she told reporters yesterday during a visit to press centres at Government House.
Yingluck has been criticised for failing to give reporters clear answers, instead seeming to avoid questions by saying all details will be given or explained by the ministers involved.
Most of her replies have been along the lines of "everything goes in line with prescribed procedures", "let involved people or agencies answer the questions or give the details", or "it involved details that I did not know about".
However, Yingluck yesterday seemed to answer reporters' questions more than on previous days since she took office. She was asked several questions related to several matters.
Normally, an uncomfortable Yingluck finished the news conference quickly, as reporters were not as interested in policy matters as they were in her brother, fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Again yesterday she was asked whether she was uncomfortable being asked about Thaksin. She said she felt pressure but time would tell how she worked for the people.
She said she had not talked to her fugitive brother lately and refused to reply but walked away when asked whether she would ask Thaksin to avoid making moves that would affect her position as prime minister.
She insisted it was not a mistake to choose Surapong Towichukchaikul as Foreign Minister. She thought it was fine that Surapong used an interpreter when giving interviews to foreign media. He would want to make his message clear.
Reacting to the opposition Democrat Party's movement to impeach Surapong for helping her brother, Yingluck said her government would clarify the issue.
When asked to elaborate, she said: "We will certainly clarify that. Surapong will clarify it in detail. He followed legal processes. Meeting with diplomats is common for the Foreign Ministry.
"We also have policies to promote international relations. This is a big matter. Could you please give us some time? We want to do our best, and we can explain everything," she said.
To cut off the conversation, Yingluck told the questioning reporters, "Oh my! I don't want to take away other ministers' chances to answer to the media.
"You might also feel bored of my face," she said before leaving quickl

Fire safety checks ordered after condo blaze

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday instructed all district directors to check the safety standards and fireresponse plans of buildings across the capital after a blaze broke out at the luxury Le Raffine condominium on Wednesday.

The Khlong Toei District Office has sealed off the 18th floor of the building on Sukhumvit Soi 21 pending an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

"The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will set up a panel to inspect the condo structure and review the repair plan," said Pinit Lertudomthana, head of the building control division at the BMA's Public Works Department.

Representatives from the department, Engineering Institute of Thailand and the district office would sit on the committee, he said.

Amornrat Krittayanawat, director of Khlong Toei district, said the fire did not cause structural damage but gutted the insides of two units.

Deputy Governor Malinee Sukvejvorakij said an inspection showed the firesprinkler system at Le Raffine was in working condition but would not go off until the heat rose to 65 degrees Celsius.

"That's why it failed to control the flames from the very beginning," she said.

The owners of the burnt units had received temporary housing from the management of Le Raffine, she added.

Students found 'addicted' to football gambling

Many Thai students are addicted to laying bets on football games, with some female students paying their debts by providing sexual favours, research findings revealed yesterday. It was also found that newspaper columnists conjecturing on the winning scores influenced the gambling habit among youngsters.

The questionnaires were completed by a sampling group of 18 students aged between 15 and 25 over June and July. It was found that most of these students had been placing bets on football matches for eight years.

Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University lecturer Thanakhom Photchanaphithak, who disclosed the findings, said many of the students had placed bets to make money to buy alcohol or luxurious goods. They admitted that staying up late to watch football matches ruined their health and some of the female respondents confessed to having sex in order to pay off their debts.

"It is the speculation by newspaper columnists that influences students' gambling habits," said Wiroj Srihirun, a lecturer with Siam University.

Meanwhile, the National Press Council of Thailand said it was difficult to control the media though the council had the right to admonish any member of the press suspected of promoting gambling. Meanwhile, an activist said the Gambling Act 1935 did not include football gambling and should be amended.

Defence minister defends Thaksin's visit to Phnom Penh

Defence Minister Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapa came out on Wednesday to defend the visit of ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to Cambodia, saying Thaksin's visit is personal and did not represent the Thai government.

Thaksin, brother of PM Yingluck and ex-economic adviser to Cambodian government, will visit Cambodia this Friday to meet with leaders and investors in Phnom Penh.

A Pheu Thai source has claimed Thaksin will discuss an oil-and-gas concession in the Gulf of Thailand where claims overlap.

Yingluck had earlier claimed her brother did not represent the Thai government.

Thaksin, expected to be in Phnom Penh for two days, will take some foreign investors to meet and play golf with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Defence Minister Tea Banh to make the business deal.

Yutthasak claimed Thaksin's visited to Cambodia was to meet the business community, and was not involved with the Thai government.

The minister said he will visit Thai-Cambodian border Friday and will stay on Thai soil to view areas under supervision of the 2nd Army Area Command.

He also denied a Cambodian report that an unmanned Thai spy plane had crashed in Cambodia.

The 2nd Army Area Command asserted that Thailand's armed forces do not have such aircraft and the crash site was reported to be some 20 km from border, so it was impossible that this country's aircraft would proceed that far into Cambodian airspace.

Politics on two wheels in Thailand's capital

BANGKOK, August 16, 2011 - They zip through the traffic-choked streets of Bangkok, but the capital's motorcycle taxis are more than just a means of transportation -- they are also a potent political force.

Thailand's motorbike taxi association president proudly displays a stylised portrait of his hero, fugitive former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, emblazoned on the orange vest that marks him out as a "moto" driver.

"We miss Thaksin, 100 percent," Chalerm Changthongmadan said of the former billionaire tycoon, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and whose sister Yingluck Shinawatra is the new premier after storming to victory in a July 3 election.

Thaksin is adored by many poor and working class Thais for his populist policies while in power, such as microcredit schemes and cheap healthcare, and the motorcycle taxi riders are among his biggest fans.

Officially, there are a little more than 100,000 motorcycle taxis in Bangkok, but Claudio Sopranzetti, researcher in anthropology with Harvard University in the US, believes there could be around 200,000.

Sopranzetti said that after Thaksin took power in 2001 he moved to formalise the motorbikes as part of efforts to combat "dark influence, which basically meant a fight against different kinds of corruption and local mafias".

He said the taxis, which are estimated to generate a total 100 million baht ($3.3 million) a day, were originally run by police-backed local mafias.

But these forces were pushed out as Thaksin sought to register each driver and equip them with the orange vests that have become their uniforms.

In the five years since his ouster, however, the taxis' "protectors" have crept back into the picture, he said, extorting an estimated 1,000 baht a month on average from drivers, who earn about 300-1,000 baht a day.

With about 70 percent of taxis tapped for a slice of their income, the bikers are keen to see an end to the corruption.

"We can only wait for the new government to order the police to stop backing up mafia, then we can live," Chalerm said.

The bikers do not just nip through Bangkok's congestion carrying passengers -- they deliver documents, food and act as a kind of neighbourhood watch on the street corners from which they operate.

"The city would not function without them," Sopranzetti said.

But he said the motorbike taxis are also a political entity -- with around 80 to 90 percent linked to the pro-Thaksin "Red Shirt" protest movement. Many hail from Thailand's rural northeast -- the heartland of Thaksin supporters.

Of those, he said around 20 to 30 percent were "in the middle of the movement", whose Bangkok rallies in April and May last year ended with an army crackdown and more than 90 people dead.

"When there was a situation of violence in the city, their knowledge of backdoors and shortcuts got really, really important," he said of the protests against a government that the Red Shirts saw as undemocratic after it came to power following the removal of two Thaksin-allied administrations by the courts.

During the demonstrations, which brought key areas of Bangkok to a standstill, the bikers acted as "fast moving troops", according to Chalerm.

"When the leaders were surrounded by police, we would go to them and help them," he said.

Fellow biker Suksomboon Makadee recalls riding at the head of a "Red" convoy with a giant Thai flag flying two metres above his motorbike on April 28 last year.

"My flag was shot, riddled with holes," he told AFP during a break from his work.

If Thaksin, who lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption, were to return, Suksomboon said he would lead a group of motorbikes to the airport to welcome him back to Thailand with a fanfare.

"We love and respect Thaksin. He is not my relative but I love him because he helped to improve our lives," he said.

Yingluck has pledged to relaunch many of Thaksin's policies and her Puea Thai party's election campaign included promises for a rise in the minimum wage, although the motorbike taxi drivers are self-employed.

Puea Thai spokesperson Prompong Nopparit said the government would "bring the old policies back and we will make them better this time".

He said the focus would not just be on the cost of living, but on Thailand's "mafias" -- a target familiar from Thaksin's years in power and well known to Bangkok's motorcycle taxi drivers.

Japan allows Thaksin visit

Thaksin to hold news conference, give lecture; Surapong says he'll consider returning ex-premier's passport

Japan has granted a special entry permit to fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra for his high profile visit to the country, Thani Thongpakdi, spokesman for the Thai Foreign Ministry, said yesterday.

Thani still had no idea when Thaksin would go there and what kind of travel document he would use.

Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul expressed his appreciation on learning his former boss would be able to go to Japan.

"I'm glad former prime minister Thaksin will be able to enter Japan. The decision to issue a visa for the former premier is purely at the discretion of the Japanese authorities," Surapong told Kyodo News by telephone.

Thaksin, who is believed to be living in Dubai, contacted the Japanese consulate-general in the United Arab Emirates to ask for permission to enter Japan. The Japanese Foreign and Justice ministries are now arranging his permit, according to Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.

Thaksin needs special permission to visit Japan since the country's immigration control and refugee recognition law prohibits any foreigner who has been sentenced to a prison term of more than one year from entering the country.

Thaksin was sentenced to two years for abuse of authority in granting permission to his wife to purchase a piece of land from a stage agency while he was holding a position in government. He was ousted by a military coup in 2006 before the conviction.

Thaksin, who was invited by the Japan, China, Asean Institute of Economy and Culture, plans to hold a news conference and give a lecture during his visit. He also plans to visit areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Japan would be the first country Thaksin would visit after the new government led by his younger sister Yingluck was formed. Unlike the previous government under Abhisit Vejjajiva, the new government under the Shinawatra clan has no policy to block the movement of the former premier in foreign countries.

Thaksin was banned from entering many countries during Abhisit's government. Germany was the first country to lift the travel ban on him and he reportedly visited the country on August 5, just before the formation of the new government.

The new government reportedly would facilitate his travelling and activities abroad by issuing him a new Thai passport that was revoked a few years ago during Abhisit's administration.

Yingluck said her government has no policy on the matter but the Foreign Ministry has the authority to issue the document. The ministry would do its job for the benefit of the people in according with the rule of law, she said. The ministry would consider all passport requests equally, she said.

Surapong said he would consider returning Thaksin's passport according to the ministry's regulations.

The ministry's 2005 regulation on travel documents would not authorise officials to issue a passport to a person who is serving a sentence for a crime or is freed on bail if the court, governing officials or police do not allow the person to have a passport.

Thaksin offers to be trade Ambassador

BANGKOK, 14 August 2011 (MMT) - Ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has offered to help promote the country's economy as the trade ambassador according to a Pheu Thai Party MP.

Pheu Thai party list MP Thanik Masipitak said Mr.Thaksin had expressed his wish during their meeting in Dubai.

The MP claimed the former premier was very concerned over the plight of the Thai people and would like to utilize his business knowledge and his negotiating skill to help boost foreign investment in the country.

He added that Mr.Thaksin expects to encourage foreign investors to spend 250 billionTHB in the short term and one trillion within four years.

Mr.Thanik said Pheu Thai was ready to return justice to Mr.Thaksin and detained red shirt members. However, he denied that the party had planned to offer the former premier political privileges now that his sister Yingluck Shinawatra had become the premier.

The MP insisted that the party simply wanted to disclose the truth and to do away with unjust treatments which have brought difficulties to Thaksin and his supporters over the past years.

Dogs saved from dinner tables, but still in danger

The lives of almost 2,000 dogs have been saved just in time, before they were to be transported to a neighbouring country to be cooked and eaten.

But although they have been saved from dog-trader gangs, no one can guarantee they will be safe and survive in their crowded cages while a shortage of food threatens their lives.

Some of the animals were reported dead or injured. The rest are at Nakhon Phanom Animal Quarantine Station.

They looked exhausted after they were moved from the small cages to be put in the station's only big cage. But that cage, which has a maximum capacity of 500 dogs, now has to house 1,800. They have inadequate food and water, as the station does not have the budget to feed such a huge crowd of dogs.

Nakhon Phanom Governor Rerngsak Mahawinijchaimontree said his team cooperated with animal-control staff and police to arrest the gangs on Thursday night.

He said they arrested Montree Thanklang, 45, a Nakhon Phanom resident, and Pan Hai, 30, a Vietnamese, while they were in a truck containing 600 dogs passing through the province's Na Thom district. Four other trucks containing 1,200 dogs were seized while they travelled through Si Songkhram district, where police arrested Noppadon Chaiwangrot, 40, a Sakon Nakhon resident.

Rerngsak said police were told that Noppadon had earlier released 600 other dogs into a forest.

"Police believe all the dogs would have been transferred to a ship waiting in Ban Phaeng district of Nakhon Phanom before going across the Mekong River to be sold in Vietnam, where lots of dogs are ordered to be cooked as famous exotic dishes."

He said police pressed charges against the suspect under the Animal Epidemic Act 1956 that prohibits relocating animals to zones at risk of epidemics without permission.

Previously, the province's authorities raided a place that housed dogs before they were traded in Na Wa district in June.

Reportedly dogs price can bring prices of Bt500-Bt1,000. Most dog traders have been reported from Tha Rae district in Sakon Nakhon. They travel to villages to barter goods, especially plastic buckets - each bucket costs only Bt50-Bt100.

The Animal Guardians Association has urged Rerngsak to seek better ways to help them.

To help the dogs in terms of donations, adoption or providing them shelter, people can contact the governor, the quarantine station or the association.

Drugs, violence sadden Her Majesty

Drug abuse, the violence in the South and environmental decay are the major concerns for the new government to address, Her Majesty the Queen said in her birthday speech yesterday. She turns 79 today.

Her Majesty also mourned Her Royal Highness Princess Bejaratana Rajasuda, who died on July 27, while honouring all 16 people killed in| three Army helicopter crashes last month.

She outlined a plan to ereact a 32-metre-tall Buddha statue at a Kanchanaburi temple in memory of the giant Buddha statues destroyed in Afghanistan a few years ago.

Speaking at Dusitdalai Pavilion in Chitralada Palace before tens of thousands of officials and attendants, the Queen bestowed a motto for Mother's Day, which marks her birthday, calling on all Thais to unite as a nation for common prosperity, as expressed and encouraged in the national anthem.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, in her birthday and welcome speech, praised the Queen's dedication and many projects that improved people's lives, while emphasising the government's appreciation of her good deeds and its loyalty to her and the monarchy.

The Queen cited the numerous irrigation and agricultural projects initiated by His Majesty the King to increase crop yields, maintain soil fertility and neutralise soil conditions.

"The soil-conditioning project has turned more than 100,000 rai of acidic land [mostly in the South] into fertile areas or farmland," she said.

"The Royal Project has reached its 42nd anniversary and proved a success in encouraging hilltribe people to stop growing poppies and turn to planting fruits and plants that bring them income, while preventing their traditional mobile farming practices, which degraded soil fertility," she said.

The Queen called on anti-narcotics authorities to step up suppression efforts and urged the new government to continue with a project called "Mother of the Land Fund" from the previous government, which was promoting a no-drugs campaign at the community level in 12,189 villages.

"The manufacturers of the drugs, along with traders and dealers, are acting like murderers killing their own children. This is very worrying to me," she said.

The insurgent attacks on Buddhist monks in the South during morning alms walks were troubling, and a violation of the freedom of religious belief for Thai Buddhists, she said.

The Phra Phuttha Metta Prachathai Trailokkanart Khanthararat Anusorn Buddha statue would be installed on an 8-metre-high pedestal to be built at Thip Sukhontharam Temple in Kanchanaburi's Huay Krajao district, she said. This project, which will take about four years to complete, was launched by the late abbot of Chana Songkram Temple in Bangkok, Somdej Phra Maha Theerajarn.

Thailand: Nock-Ten tropical storm death toll reaches 22

BANGKOK, THAILAND -- The death toll in Thailand's storm-triggered flash floods has reached 22 following the latest fatalities, officials said Wednesday.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said the Nock-Ten tropical storm has affected 22 provinces in Thailand's North, Northeast and Central Plains, the Bangkok Post reported.

The highest number of deaths was reported in Mae Hong Son, where seven people have died, Director-general Wibul Sanguanpong said. Six deaths were reported in Phrae, while Sukhothai had 4. Meanwhile, Chiang Mai and Nakhon Phanom reported two fatalities each and Udon Thani, one. One person has been reported missing as well.

The Nock-Ten tropical storm has affected at least 1,371,137 people, as it has triggered several flash floods throughout the country. In addition, 619,723 rai of crop fields have been damaged, Sanguanpong stated.

As of Wednesday, flood waters were still affecting 411,585 people, inundating the provinces of Phrae, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Tak, Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya and Mukdahan.

No room for Red Shirts in new Thai cabinet

BANGKOK, August 10, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand's new Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra finalised her new cabinet on Tuesday, leaving out controversial leaders of the "Red Shirt" protest movement which helped propel her to power.

Yingluck took office on Monday with a vow to reunite the troubled nation after years of turmoil following the ouster of her brother Thaksin, including mass street protests by his Red Shirt supporters last year that turned deadly.

Several Red Shirt leaders were elected as lawmakers with Yingluck's Puea Thai party but missed out on cabinet appointments that could have angered Thaksin's foes in military, government and palace circles.

The finance minister's post went to Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, a former secretary general of financial watchdog the Securities and Exchange Commission.

General Yuthasak Sasiprapa, a close ally of Thaksin, was tapped as defence minister -- a key role for the new ruling party, which has endured difficult relations with the military following its overthrow of Thaksin in 2006.

Yuthasak was a deputy defence minister under the former billionaire telecoms tycoon-turned-premier Thaksin, who lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail sentence imposed in his absence for corruption.

The foreign minister's job went to Surapong Tovichakchaikul, 58, a relatively unknown lawmaker with Yingluck's Puea Thai party. The line-up was announced after receiving approval from Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Yingluck, a 44-year-old political novice, was elected as Thailand's first female premier in a parliamentary vote on Friday.

She swept to an election victory last month with the support of her brother Thaksin, who is hailed by many rural Thais for his populist policies while in power but loathed by the Bangkok-based ruling elite.

Yingluck, a businesswoman described by her brother as his "clone", faces the tough challenge of bringing unity to the politically volatile kingdom.

The situation escalated last year when more than 90 people, mostly civilians, were killed in clashes between the army and Red Shirt protesters.

Khmer envoy is the first to congratulate Yingluck

You Ay, the Cambodian ambassador to Thailand, on Tuesday became the first foreign envoy to meet and congratulate the newly-endorsed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The envoy was among eight ambassadors lining up to meet the first female prime minister of Thailand at the Pheu Thai Party headquarters.

You Ay also presented to Yingluck official congratulatory notes from Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen and Foreign Minister Hor Nam Hong.

The ambassador was quoted as telling the PM that both countries should separate political conflicts from economic cooperation and that they should strengthen all aspects of cooperation.

Yingluck told You Ay that her policy would create peace and reconciliation between the two countries and that the countries would cooperate more under the framework of Asean and Asean Economic Cooperation.

Under the government of Yingluck's predecessor Abhisit Vejjajiva, Thailand and Cambodia have had rocky relations on all issues, with border conflicts escalating several times into clashes resulting in deaths of both soldiers and civilians.

However relations between Cambodia and Yingluck's brother, convicted exPM Thaksin, are much better. Cambodia's PM Hun Sen once appointed the exiled Thaksin as his government's economic adviser. Abhisit government was furious and ordered withdrawal of its Thai and Khmer ambassadors and downgraded diplomatic ties.

After You Ay, it was turn of Indonesian ambassador Mohammad Hatta who read out congratulatory message from his President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Thailand and Indonesia have enjoyed strong relations and cooperation for a long time and last year celebrated the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. Hatta also said his president is looking forward to meeting Yingluck at the Asean Summit to be held in Bali in November.

Indonesia would like to invite Yingluck to make an official visit to the country, Hatta said.

After that Yingluck met with the ambassadors of Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Chile and Panama.

Hospitals warned to brace for runoff from the North

Staff ordered to try to keep working
Public Health officials warned 124 hospitals in 13 provinces in the Chao Phraya-Pasak River basin to brace for runoff from the North yesterday, as floods ravaged the upper part of Thailand.

Permanent secretary for Health Dr Paijit Varachit, who inspected Nakhon Sawan's Chumsaeng Hospital and Sing Buri's Inthaburi Hospital yesterday, said staff at 124 hospitals were ordered to implement four plans from the ministry.

The hospitals were in Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Chai Nat, Lop Buri, Sing Buri, Angthong, Nakhon Pathom, Suphan Buri, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Bangkok.

The plans were: to prevent hospitals from being flooded, if possible, so they can continue serving people; assist patients to stockpile resources, such as of oxygen and food to last about one week; transfer seriously ill patients; and adjust services in the face of floods. This involves setting up medical units in a city's four corners and dispatching mobile medical teams. Paijit went on to say that 80 mobile medical teams sent to 15 flood-hit provinces found 10,000 people sick with flood-related illnesses, such as Hong Kong foot, flu and rashes.

Some 23 people had been killed in eight provinces, seven of them in Mae Hong Son, he said. Six medical facilities were also submerged.

The ministry had dispatched 91,000 sets of medical supplies to the flood-hit provinces and prepared another 500,000 sets at a central agency just in case, he said.

In Sukhothai, Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation chief Preecha Doungboonma said that from Monday up till yesterday more than 76,200 residents in 536 villages and nine districts had been hit by floods with two people killed, while 180,984 rai of farmland, 10 schools and eight temples were damaged. Floodwater about 50cm-deep remained as time of press in Sawan Khalok, Sri Samrong and some parts of Mueang districts, he said.

Overflows from the Thung Thalae Luang in Mueang district, which was four million cubic metres beyond its 32 million cubic metre capacity, also caused a 1.5m-deep flood to 30 homes in tambon Ban Kluay.

Sukhothai Governor Jakkarin Plianwong estimated flood damage of at least Bt500 million and said that the volume of water over the past two days was about 2,500 cubic metres per second, compared to the previous flood in early August, which was 1,800 cubic metres a second.

With runoff from Phrae having passed, it was expected that, if there was no more rain, the situation should be stable in two to three days before returning to normal.

In Phitsanulok's Bang Ra Kham district, runoff from Sukhothai caused extensive flooding of riverside homes. People could only use boats for transport, while the Yom River, at time of press, was at 8.5 metres - beyond the critical point of 7.15 metres, and continuing to rise by 10-15cm per day.

In Phichit's Pho Prathap Chang district, some 100 houses and 10,000 rai of farmland in tambon Wang Chik were submerged, while 50cm of water on roads meant small vehicles could not pass.

Another 100 houses at Ban Noen Yung Thanon in tambon Rang Nok were cut off from the outside world by torrential floods.

In Lampang, provincial governor Uthan Chavamethee yesterday declared 13 districts as flood disaster zones, as 495 villages in 85 tambons were hit by floods and currently recovering.

In Mae Prik district, 70 riverside houses in Ban Wang Samran were under about 1.5 metres of water.

One man was reported missing in flooding in tambon Thung Pheung in Jae Hom district seven days ago.

Phrae province estimated the Nock Ten storm-triggered flood damage in eight districts at Bt200 million-300 million. AIS Co is due to deliver 20 boats to the Phrae governor tomorrow morning to assist flood-affected residents.

The Udon Thani Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office yesterday concluded that the Nock Ten storm caused 143,809 rai of farmland and 1,257 fish ponds to be submerged and affected 51,327 households in 1,110 villages in 14 districts. HRH Princess Bajra Kitiyabha graciously delivered relief bags to two monks and 492 flood victims at Ban Wanglao in Na Yung district yesterday afternoon, before also visiting two very sick female residents at their homes.