webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Thailand Live Tuesday 15 March 2011 News, Bits and Tweets with webfact Keep up to date with live updates from the news, hour by hour. For breaking news,national, regional and international news updates on a daily basis only, this thread is closed to commentary so that those who wish to follow the news can find it here... Commentary is still open for Thailand news in the relevant thread posted in News Clippings. FOLLOW US: You can also follow us on - Twitter: http://twitter.com/georgebkk - Google Buzz: http://www.google.com/profiles/thaivisa - Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThaiVisaNews - Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/564113621/ - Breaking News via SMS text messages to your mobile phone or handheld device To subscribe dial *424010011 on AIS, One-2-Call, DTAC or True Move networks 14 days complementary subscription for Thaivisa members. If you have questions about the Breaking News SMS service, email: sms [at] thaivisa.com ________________________________________________________________________________ Thailand's current weather and forecasts: http://weather.thaivisa.com/ ________________________________________________________________________________ Related topic: Thailand Live Monday 14 Mar 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Nearly 20,000 cars converted to gas during Jan-Feb 2011 BANGKOK (NNT) -- The number of cars installed with gas engines during January and February this year has risen by almost 20,000 due to expensive oil, according to the Department of Land Transport (DLT). As a result of fluctuations and steady increases of petrol prices, DLT Director-General Tienchote Chongpeepien stated that more car owners had opted to install compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) engines to their vehicles in order to cut costs. During the first two months of this year, 1,948 oil-consuming cars were converted to CNG while another 17,035 were converted to LPG. When combined, the number was higher than the same period of last year by 7,932 units or 27.37 percent. As of 31 December 2010, more than 189,000 cars with CNG engines and over 666,000 others with LPG were recorded in Thailand. In a bid to ensure maximum safety of cars running on gas, Mr Tienchote recommended owners to receive engine conversion and examination services from experts, who had been authorized by the DLT. At present, there are 843 licensed operators on engine installation and 215 on engine inspection and testing across the country. -- NNT 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Provinces Face Drought Crisis Severe drought has spread to several parts of the country, with people and livestock suffering from its effects as reservoirs dry up. Local residents in all 18 districts of the northeastern province of Kalasin are now running short of water for consumption as water levels in many natural sources are rapidly depleting, forcing most rice farmers to delay planting. The provincial administration has asked locals to use water prudently, especially for rice farming in Muang, Kamalasai, Rong Kham, Yang Talat and Kong Chai districts. Drought continues to affect vast areas in Surin province, with a continuous drop in water levels at all 18 reservoirs, especially Ampuen Reservoir, where the water level has dropped to the lowest level in 20 years. So far, ten of Surin's 17 districts have been declared drought-stricken areas while the provincial administration has provided water trucks to help those affected. In Maha Sarakham province, the drought situation has dramatically affected the agricultural sector. Governor Thongthawee Pimsane has declared six districts drought-stricken areas while ordering district chiefs and relevant agencies to closely monitor the situation so that help can be quickly provided to villagers affected. The drought situation is also worsening in Nakhon Sawan province, especially in Kroke Phra district, where agricultural products and livestock are being badly affected. Cattle are suffering from lack of water and food. In Chantaburi's Muang district, a large number of migratory white egrets were seen looking for food in a deserted rice field. Villagers said they had never seen the white egrets before and predicted that the migratory birds have fled drought-stricken areas. -- Tan Network 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 NEW! Follow thaivisa.com on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/564113621/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Internet 'Mr. Angry' takes on Thailand’s jet ski scammers Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 2 Killed, 4 Injured In Robbery Of 2 Narathiwat Gold Shops Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Four Romanians Arrested In Phuket In Bt100m ATM Scam Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Thailand to rethink plan to build 5 nuclear plants Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Positives, negatives to Thai economy expected to balance out Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Thai Govt fears lies and distortion in censure debate Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Scientists puzzled by Japan earthquakes Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Japanese firms operating in Thailand not affected by quake Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 EDITORIAL Thailand's Cigarette tax scandal blown out of proportion Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 National fingerprint database key to identifying Christchurch victims By Mayuree Sukyingcharoenwong The Nation The Thai police force's assistance with the identification of victims killed in the recent earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, has proved to successful thanks to the high standards sustained by Office of Forensic Science, commander Pol LtGeneral Jarumporn Suramanee said. A key factor attributing to the success is the national database of fingerprints, which helped identify the six Thai nursing students. New Zealand and many other countries do not have such a database because it is considered a violation of privacy. The physical structure of the disaster is also key to the efficiency of identification teams. Identifying victims was easier this time because the disaster did not cover a wide area and the casualties were not as far flung as they were during the 2004 tsunami. He said the Thai team, comprising seven officers including himself, was armed with fingerprint data of the six victims - all found dead - along with other things such as DNA, physical build and dental records. Teams from other countries were not that efficient in identifying victims because they had to rely on latent fingerprints collected on the site. Initially all the teams worked together and later focused on their own citizens once all the bodies were found and recovery operations had been completed. Jarumporn said he was discussing the possibility with Chulalongkorn University of developing an iPhone application that scan fingerprints and verify them realtime. The Thai team will remain in New Zealand until all the identification is completed. Their return date has not been fixed yet. The commander said the Office of Forensic Science often helps out with general police cases, such as the recent shooting of a Thai Airways pilot and the driveby killing a boy by a drug gang in Ayutthaya. -- The Nation 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Lighter penalties for minor copyright offences By The Nation Lighter penalties will be imposed for people convicted of copyright infringements. Offenders will be subject to a minimum fine of Bt80,000 - down from Bt200,000, and they would be able to pay via public service instead of only being ordered to pay a fine, the Department of Cultural Promotion said yesterday. The change is part of looming amendments to a 2008 law. It was prompted largely by a case in which a garbage collector was jailed for selling movie CDs he scavenged from rubbish. In the existing law, people guilty of copyright offences face a fine from Bt200,000 to Bt1 million. But the minimum penalty will be reduced to Bt80,000 in the upcoming amendment draft. It will allow courts to rule on a casebycase basis, and for offenders to do public service, depending on their financial status, instead of solely having to pay money or serve a prison term, as under the law requires. Vendors who still sell copyrightprotected material after permits expire or are not renewed will also face a lighter minimum fine - Bt40,000 instead of the existing Bt100,000 - or a maximum rate at Bt50,000. The daily fine of Bt10,000 throughout a period of violation remains. The department is working with other agencies and copyright owners on whether it can issue temporary permits to vendors at charity or cultural events without prior consent from copyright owners. A final decision on this and other conditions will be made by the Culture Ministry late this month, and the amendment, if approved, may be left to the next government, permanent secretary Somchai Sianglai said. -- The Nation 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Thai health team to arrive in Japan today By The Nation A threemember medical team from Thailand will arrive in Japan early today, as part of a contingent of teams ready to be dispatched, the Public Ministry said yesterday. The 17 teams will be made up of psychiatrists, doctors and nurses for emergency services, and are ready to respond to any request for help from Japanese officials. The first team's main gaol is to take care of Thai nationals based in Japan. Permanent secretary Phaijit Warachit said they would stay for an initial 10 days. Equipment will also be sent for the team, which consists of two doctors and a male nurse from Rajvithi Hospital, through regular diplomatic channels. There have been no reports yet of Thai nationals based in Miyagi or Fukushima prefectures being killed or injured, although about 600 Thais were listed as working in that area, which has one nuclear power plant. Teams of health officials specialising in restoration measures, outbreak prevention and disease surveillance will be ready to assist soon. The Public Health and Disease Control Departments had been assigned to oversee their work, the ministry said. -- The Nation 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Thai pilgrims join thousands at Dalai Lama teaching By THE NATION Dharamsala, India Up to 5,000 Buddhists and other visitors, including over 100 Thai pilgrims, turned up for an annual dharma teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharmasala in northern India yesterday. Organised by the Bangkok-based Sathirakoses Dharmapradipa Foundation, the teaching entitled "37 practices of the Bodhosattava", marked the foundation's attempt to familiarise Thai Buddhists with Tibetan Buddhism through its Thai-Tibet Programme, led by Apaporn Kumjarean and Tenzin Losel. The teaching took place at the Numgyao Monastery next to His Holiness' palace. Beginning his talk in English before switching to the Tibetan language, the Dalai Lama said he travelled to Thailand for the first time in the mid-1960s and was totally impressed with the vinayana, or discipline, of Thai monks and the ubiquity of Buddhist temples and statues. "I was very impressed to see thousands of monks in Thailand, and the monks had good discipline," he said, "Thais and Tibetans are followers of the same teacher, the Shakyamuni (the Lord Buddha)." The Dalai Lama described the birth of Prince Siddhartha and his quest for the cause and effects of suffering to illustrate the relation between happiness and suffering. Self-scrutiny, the training of one's mind and understanding one's true self were among the ideas discussed by the Dalai Lama. "To understand what causes suffering, you need training in morality, wisdom and concentration. Concentration will make you see your mind more clearly. The untrained mind is like muddy water; you can't see it clearly. The study and practice of dharma leads to a meaningful life. "The mind tends to follow your habits. You need to make an effort to cultivate the mind to experience compassion. Put an effort into developing compassion and you can focus your mind on meditation," he said. The all-day teaching attracted a gathering in Dharamsala of Tibetans and Buddhists from all over the world - from South Korea to Vietnam. The Dalai smiled and laughed at times during his sermon. At the end of the morning session, he greeted Thai pilgrims who presented him with a giant thangka-like painting and other offerings. The teaching took place just days after his announcement on March 10 that he had plans to step down and hand power to an elected leader. His decision has added a fresh twist to the upcoming election on March 20 of a new prime minister for his exiled government. The Thai pilgrims were also scheduled to meet Tibetan Buddhist monk Samdhong Rinpoche, the current prime minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, now finishing his second full term. -- The Nation 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Cabinet okays healthcare budget By The Nation The Cabinet has approved Bt145.94 billion for the universal healthcare scheme, making the perhead coverage Bt2,895.60, when the 2012 fiscal year begins in October. The budget also covers disease prevention and treatment for chronic kidney failure. However, the Budget Bureau claims that the Bt145.94 billion requested by the National Health Security Office was Bt3.4 billion over its estimate. Yet Marut Masayavanich, deputy government spokesman, said yesterday that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had instructed the bureau to see if it could cut other allocations to find funds to support the universal healthcare scheme. -- The Nation 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Police to get 10 new stations in Bangkok metro area Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Bangkok Police lose battle to regain protest site from PAD Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Floodhit families still waiting for assistance By The Nation Some 20,000 families affected by last year's flooding in Songkhla's Hat Yai district have not received the Bt5,000 in assistance money yet. Though the Hat Yai Municipality had announced that it would be handing out funds in two rounds to some 30,000 out of 50,000 families affected, about 15,000 to 18,000 families have not received the money yet. Chavalit Tantiphokin, a resident at Wat Koh Seu commuity, lamented that people whose houses had not been flooded had already received the money, while his house was still chestdeep in water and he had yet to get any assistance. Hat Yai Mayor Prai Pattano said the authorities were checking the victims' name list for the third round, and the number of those entitled should go down to 13,000 from 18,000 due to repetitions. -- The Nation 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 EC can issue poll laws, if needed By THE NATION Disagreeing MPs might cause disputes and obstruct changes to election laws, House Speaker Chai Chidchob warned yesterday. However, it was up to the majority whether to pass the laws or not. Moreover, the Constitution also offered a solution in that the Election Commission could issue poll regulations in the event the legal amendments were not finished in time, he said. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said last week he would seek to dissolve the House by the first week of May. Changes to election laws to bring them in line with the recent amendments to the Constitution needed to be expedited as the law required an election within 60 days of Parliament being dissolved. Government chief whip Witthaya Kaewparadai said he was not worried that Chart Thai Pattana and Bhum Jai Thai parties disagreed with the House dissolution. He believed coalition parties would agree in the same way. However, unless the laws were passed, Abhisit was still authorised to dissolve the House and the EC could issue regulations. - Pheu Thai deputy leader Plodprasop Suraswadi said the party supported House dissolution, although the decision was late, as it is a solution to the political "gridlock". "The government must not use any state power to interfere in the election making it not free and fair. It must not use the government's budget to draw votes or benefit in the election campaign," Plodprasop said. -- The Nation 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Ministry sets up seed R&D centre By The Nation The Agriculture Ministry recently set up Thailand's first seed research and development centre in Phitsanulok, which has produced the muchneeded goodquality soybean and greenbean seeds. Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut said yesterday that nine coops from the North had joined the centre's seedproducing network and were expected to produce 5,000 tonnes of soybean and 1,700 tonnes of greenbean seeds for farming during the 2011-2013 period. This project is expected to help Thailand save money - as it currently imports soybean seeds worth Bt50 billion per year and seeds account for 15 per cent of the production cost for farmers. The project should also help support the ministry's policy to promote the farming of other crops during the offricegrowing season. -- The Nation 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 Singer gets jail term, ordered to repay loan By The Nation The Provincial Court in Loei yesterday sentenced former singer Nathan Oman to a year in jail and ordered him to repay the Bt702,800 he had allegedly taken from Sitthiporn Khotudom. Despite maintaining his innocence all along, Nathan, who appeared pale and thin yesterday after being held in detention since February 28, finally confessed to cheating the woman. The court initially sentenced him to two years in jail and then halved the sentence due to his confession. The court also ordered Nathan to repay the money he owes. -- The Nation 2011-03-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 BURNING ISSUE Votes should not be tinged in red or yellow Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Bhum Jai Thai and Chart Thai Pattana unveil alliance Follow this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Meteorological Dept reports of thunderstorms and strong winds throughout country /TAN_Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Official death toll in tsunami, earthquake is now at 2,414; thousands more missing, Japanese police say - AP /RT @BreakingNews Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Thai stock index opens on Tuesday at 1,007.16, down 15.73 points /MCOT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Japanese PM Kan says, fire at number 4 reactor at Fukushima No 1 atomic power plant; Radiation level is at level where it poses threat to human health Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts