วันเสาร์ที่ 31 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Rock thrower arrested

Police yesterday arrested a 25-year-old factory worker accused of being one of the red-shirt protesters who threw rocks at MPs' vehicles as they left Parliament on Monday.

Chokchai Khamleu, who is from Nakhon Phanom, admit?ted he was one of the culprits captured in photos of the drama. He said he threw rocks at the MPs' cars out of impul?sive anger and a desire to take revenge for what the "bullies" had done to "his beloved [People Power] government", as he could not accept the Democrats' government.

He said he was....

Thai police arrest alleged mastermind in shooting of US citizen

Bangkok - Thai immigration police on Thursday arrested the alleged mastermind of a murder attempt on an US citizen, a case the prime minister last week ordered the police to prioritize.

Janpen Oxley, 48, the Thai wife of British national Darren Oxley, was arrested at 7 am Thursday at Aranyaprathet on the Thai-Cambodian border.

 "Janpen asked for an entry stamp to Cambodia but when her name popped up on the computer there was an alert that an arrest warrant had been issued for her," Immigration Police Lieutenant Colonel Benjapol Lortsawat said in a telephone....

Thai FM agrees for UNCHR to meet detained Rohingyas

Thai government agree in principle on Thursday to grant the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHRC)'s access to the group of 66 Rohingya boat people being detained in Ranong. UNHCR Representative Raymond Hall made the request during a meeting with Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya on Thursday.

"The minister said he would give me a formal reply (to my request.) I'm confident it would be a positive. I believe the reply would be positive," Hall told reporters after the meeting.

The group of 66 was part of 78 Rohingya arrived in Ranong coast Monday.....

วันศุกร์ที่ 30 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Kantipak gets 10 years for car attack, out on bail

The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a young, aggressive driver to 10 years and one month in jail for slamming his Benz sedan into a crowd of people.

Kanpitak Pachimsawas was also ordered to pay about Bt3million compensation to three of his victims.

Two years ago, his luxury vehicle ran over many victims. Of them, one died and two others received serious injuries.

Kanpitak, now 22, flew into a road rage after a bus cut in front his sedan. The enraged man then forced the bus to stop, hit the bus driver with a rock and then....

Kin of Indonesian president in corruption trial

The Corruption Court is scheduled to begin the corruption trial of Aulia Pohan, father-in law to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's son, and three other former Bank Indonesia (BI) governors in Jakarta on Friday morning.

Aulia and the three other suspects, Bun Bunan Hutapea, Maman Soemantri and Aslim Tadjuddin,  - all former BI deputy governors, would face the judges together and would be tried for the same crime.

The trial will be presided by Judge Mansyurdin Chaniago, who will be assisted by judges Moerdiono, Hendra Yospin, Slamet Subagyo and Anwar. At least 13 lawyers are reported to defend the....

Court jails son of Miss Thailand for ten years

Phrakanong Court on Friday sentenced Kanpitak Pachimsawas, 21, son of former Miss Thailand, to 15 years and two months in jail on charges of premeditated-murder due to his aggressive driving which killed one and injured three others.

The penalty was reduced to 10 years and one month as the defendant had already paid some compensation to the injured.

On July 4, 2007, Kanpitak swerved his car into the footpath near a bus-stop where many people were waiting for buses after he got into an argument with the driver of bus number 513, claiming that the bus hit him and fled. One died and three others were....

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 29 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Commerce Ministry plans Bt5 taxi discounts

Consumers can expect three months of low-price shops and five-baht taxi discounts if the Commerce Ministry's latest plans to cut living costs in these tough times go through.

Ways of lowering costs would be discussed at a meeting with food and goods enterprises and taxi drivers this Friday as part of the ministry's new Blue Flag scheme, a ministry source said.

The scheme will use some of the additional Bt1 billion the ministry was allocated as part of the government's Bt116.7-billion mid-year economic injection.

If approved, the taxi start-up....

Probe questions fate of refugees in Thailand : CNN

Bedraggled, hungry and dazed, the refugees arrived on the shores of Thailand after fleeing one of the most repressive governments in the world -- the hard-line military regime in Myanmar, also known as Burma

But a CNN investigation has uncovered evidence that for hundreds of Rohingya refugees -- members of a Muslim minority group -- abuse and abandonment at sea were what awaited them in Thailand, at the hands of Thai authorities.

Extraordinary photos obtained by CNN from someone directly involved in the Thai operation show refugees on their rickety boats being towed out to sea, cut loose....

Nurses honoured for rural work

For their work in making health care services in remote areas more affordable and comfortable for people living in the Southern and North Eastern provinces, two nurses have won this year's outstanding rural nurse award from the Rural Nurse Club of Thailand.

Pilaiporn Kaewkiew,41, and Laddawan Lenthammi, 50, received the awards during the club's annual conference last week.

Pilaiporn has worked at Pattani'Yalang district hospital for 18 years, and Laddawan at Maha Sarakham's Nadoon district hospital for 26 .

The award is aimed at encouraging rural nurses to develop health care services to be accessible and friendlier....

วันพุธที่ 28 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Laid off to get cover for eight months

The Cabinet yesterday approved the extension of unemploy¬ment benefits for Social Security subscribers from six to eight months. However, the 2.5 per cent cut in employers' and workers' contribution to the Social Security Office fund still needs to be reviewed before it is submitted to the SSO board on February 10.

Deputy government spokesman Puttipong Punnakan said the extension would cover those who lose their jobs between December 2008 and December 2009.

The Cabinet has also approved Bt120 million for the first phase of vocational training for the unemployed, which is expected to cost Bt6.97 billion in its entirety, he said. The Office of the Permanent Secretary of the PM's Office is in....

Thai supreme court upholds 14-year jail term for British paedophile

Bangkok - Thailand's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a 14-year prison sentence for British national Maurice John Praill on charges of sexually abusing an 8-year-old boy eight years ago.

The ruling was read out to Praill, 77, at a court in Chonburi, 90 kilometres east of Bangkok.

Praiil was arrested in 2001 on charges of sexually abusing a minor at the beach community of Pattaya and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

He however was allowed to live freely in Pattaya on bail for the past eight years as he appealed the case.

Since his 2001 arrest, at least....

Vaccines and genes 'the top challenges'

Putting more effort into developing longer-lasting vaccines that require fewer injections to protect against infectious diseases and developing skills to translate and control genes to tackle neglected diseases are the main challenges for today's young scientists, this year's Prince Mahidol awardees said yesterday.

Professor Yu Yongxin, director emeritus of China's National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, and Professor Sergio Ferreira, a pharmacology researcher at Brazil's University of Sao Paulo, made the remarks at a press conference held by the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation.

The Prince Mahidol Award in the field of medicine was conferred upon....

วันอังคารที่ 27 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

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Putting more effort into developing longer-lasting vaccines that require fewer injections to protect against infectious diseases and developing skills to translate and control genes to tackle neglected diseases are the main challenges for today's young scientists, this year's Prince Mahidol awardees said yesterday.

Professor Yu Yongxin, director emeritus of China's National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, and Professor Sergio Ferreira, a pharmacology researcher at Brazil's University of Sao Paulo, made the remarks at a press conference held by the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation.

The Prince Mahidol Award in the field of medicine was conferred upon....

Burma to help Thailand on Rohingyas : Gen Songkitti

Burma's military leaders agreed to help Thailand solve the problem of the Rohingyas, an ethnic Muslim minority group from Burma, who risked uncertain passage on the high seas to seek work or asylum in the kingdom, Thai Supreme Commander Gen. Songkitti Jaggabatara.

Gen Songkitti, who has returned from Burma, said that he met Burma's Vice Chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and Army Chief Deputy Senior General Muang Aye and had discussed the Rohingya problem.

He said that Gen Muang Mye had accepted Thailand's request to help address the Rohingya issue even though the Rohingya ethnic group was not on the official list....

Nurses honoured for lives of care for the isolated rural poor

For their work in making health care services in remote areas more affordable and comfortable for people living in the Southern and North Eastern provinces, two nurses have won this year's outstanding rural nurse award from the Rural Nurse Club of Thailand.

Pilaiporn Kaewkiew,41, and Laddawan Lenthammi, 50, received the awards during the club's annual conference last week.

Pilaiporn has worked at Pattani'Yalang district hospital for 18 years, and Laddawan at Maha Sarakham's Nadoon district hospital for 26 .

The award is aimed at encouraging rural nurses to develop health care services to be accessible and friendlier....

วันจันทร์ที่ 26 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Gold shops in Yaowarat to close for two days

Gold shops in China town of Yaowarat will suspend their business until Wednesday due to changing of world gold prices, Jitti Tangsitpakdi, president of Gold Traders' Association of Thailand, said Monday. This is the first time that the gold shops closed their business during the Chinese New Year Festival, Jitti said. People usually bought gold ornaments during the festival.

"The world gold prices have been changing several times in a day. Our shops have to change the prices many times. So we decide to stop selling gold items on Monday and Tuesday," he said.

Gold markets in Asian....

Gold shops in Yaowarat to close for two days

Gold shops in China town of Yaowarat will suspend their business until Wednesday due to changing of world gold prices, Jitti Tangsitpakdi, president of Gold Traders' Association of Thailand, said Monday. This is the first time that the gold shops closed their business during the Chinese New Year Festival, Jitti said. People usually bought gold ornaments during the festival.

"The world gold prices have been changing several times in a day. Our shops have to change the prices many times. So we decide to stop selling gold items on Monday and Tuesday," he said.

Gold markets in Asian....

Women die while goals not achieved

More than half a million women over the world every year die during pregnancy or childbirth, and over 90 per cent of these largely preventable deaths occur in developing countries, a United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem) report revealed last week.

"This is the most off-track of all (the eight) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," the report cited.

This information is shown in MDG 5 with its target of improved maternal health.

Maternal deaths between 1990 and 2005 have seen a less than 7 per cent decrease - a reduction in the maternal mortality ratio from 430 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 400 in....

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 25 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

In women's issues, the goals of 2000 lag badly

More than half a million women over the world every year die during pregnancy or childbirth, and over 90 per cent of these largely preventable deaths occur in developing countries, a United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem) report revealed last week.

"This is the most off-track of all (the eight) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," the report cited.

This information is shown in MDG 5 with its target of improved maternal health.

Maternal deaths between 1990 and 2005 have seen a less than 7 per cent decrease - a reduction in the maternal mortality ratio from 430 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 400 in....

Bird flu claims fourth human victim in China this month

Beijing - A 31-year-old woman died of bird flu in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, becoming the fourth death from the disease in the country this year, state-run media reported.

The woman surnamed Zhang, a resident in the regional capital Urumqi, died early Friday, Xinhua news agency quoted Wang Xiaoyan, deputy director of the regional health department, as saying.

 People who had close contact with Zhang have not shown symptoms of infection yet, Wang said.

 The woman in Urumqi's Toutunhe district, fell ill on January 10 after she bought a live....

SCORPION QUEEN RULES

Thailand's Scorpion Queen Kanchana Ketkaew set a world record by spending 33 days and 33 nights covered with 5,000 scorpions, it was announced yesterday.

Kanchana, whose latest stunt at Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum in Pattaya made it to the Guinness Book of World Records, had previously been the first person in the world to set a record of having a scorpion in her mouth for two minutes and three seconds.

Kanchana told a press conference at the museum yesterday that she was very happy with the latest record. She revealed that she....

วันเสาร์ที่ 24 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Pulo welcomes government policy for deep South

A long -standing Malay-Muslim separatist group said on Saturday it welcomed the Thai government's policy for the Muslim-majority south, saying it "represents a genuine step towards reform and change in the region".

In a statement sent to The Nation, Kasturi Mahkota, the foreign affairs chief of the Patani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) said the policy "could lay the foundations for a political settlement of the conflict."

Moreover, according to the statement, representatives of the Patani Malay Movement, a loose coalition of separatist leaders, have "agreed to form a special body to engage in....

Bomb, gunfight injure two rangers in Narathiwat

Narathiwat - Authorities detaind two men in connection to a Friday roadside bomb attack followed by a gunfight that resulted in the injuries of two paramilitary rangers in this southernmost province.

The attack took place in Narathiwat's Sri Sakorn district at around noon Friday when a squad from Ranger Unit 4502 was conducting routine patrol in this highly contested district.

The bomb was set off manually via an electrical wire that was tied to a five kilograms explosive and run into the wooded area about 150 metres from the roadside. The insurgents were targeting a sixman patrol....

Two injured as container ships collide in heavy fog

Poor visibility caused by thick fog led to the collision of two container ships in the Chao Phraya River at the Wat Bangnanok pier in Bang Kor Laem district, early Saturday morning.

At least one container from one of the ships fell on cement-laden barges pulled by a tugboat and sank in the river, injuring two crew from a river barge.

Marine police temporarily closed the river to commuter traffic to allow the police to inspect the scene. The injured crewmen were slightly injured and sent to hospital.

According to the initial police investigation, thick....

วันศุกร์ที่ 23 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Thailand says 126 Rohingya boat people "escorted" to sea already

Bangkok - A group of 126 Rohingya boat people whom the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) wanted to access to determine whether they needed protection has already been pushed back to sea by Thai authorities, officials said.

 "These people have been escorted out of Thailand," said Thai Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Thani Thonpakdi.

 On Tuesday the UNHCR requested access to 126 Rohingyas, members of a Muslim minority group from the North Arakan State in Myanmar, and said they should be kept in custody in southern Thailand to determine whether they were in need of international....

Health Ministry to use helicopters to evacuate injured in disasters

The Public Health Ministry plans to use helicopters to evacuate victims with serious injuries incurred in natural disasters and fires in a bid to reduce the number of fatalities and disabilities, Deputy Minister Manit Nopamornbodi said yesterday.

"We know that using a helicopter to transfer patients from a disaster or accident site to hospital is expensive, but it is worth it to save people's lives and reduce the number of disabilities," he said at a press conference after meeting with the Public Health Ministry's committee for emergency medical services.

He said the ministry had asked the Defence Ministry and....

Police nab red shirt protester for violence at Parliament

Police arrested on Thursday a 25-year-old whitesmith who was accused of being one of the red-shirted protesters throwing rocks at MPs' vehicles leaving Parliament on Monday.

Admitting that he was the culprit captured in a photo, Nakhon Panom native Chokchai Khamleu said he did that out of impulsive anger because he wanted to take a revenge for the bullies done to "his beloved (previous) government" and he could not accept the Democrat-led government.

He said he was not hired by anyone to join the Monday rally and he had joined most red-shirted....

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 22 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

PHM, predicting surge aged population surge, wants more funding

The Public Health Ministry will ask the National Health Security Office to allocate special budget to provide health care services for elderly people after learning the nation's aged population will soar to 13 million in the next sixteen years, Health Minister, Wittaya Kaewparadai said yesterday.

The Health Ministry found that 80 percent of six million elderly people are now suffering with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, paralysis, stroke, pulmonary troubles, and cataracts, he said at the "Primary Health Care Service : The Alliance to develop aged care system" conference.

NHSO's current budget comes from the universal health care scheme, providing....

PHM, predicting surge aged population surge, wants more funding

The Public Health Ministry will ask the National Health Security Office to allocate special budget to provide health care services for elderly people after learning the nation's aged population will soar to 13 million in the next sixteen years, Health Minister, Wittaya Kaewparadai said yesterday.

The Health Ministry found that 80 percent of six million elderly people are now suffering with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, paralysis, stroke, pulmonary troubles, and cataracts, he said at the "Primary Health Care Service : The Alliance to develop aged care system" conference.

NHSO's current budget comes from the universal health care scheme, providing....

Malaysia raises health alert on dengue

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's health ministry raised a health alert following an increase in the number of cases and deaths caused by the mosquito-borne dengue fever, news reports said Tuesday.

Records released by the ministry showed 3,211 dengue cases were reported with eight deaths nationwide during January 4-17. The figures were double the 1,514 cases and four deaths recorded in the same period last year.

 "It is worrying. This is not the responsibility of the Health Ministry alone. The cooperation that we are getting is not good enough to make the measures more....

Heavy fog diverts airliners from Bangkok airport

Bangkok - Thick fog diverted 11 flights from Bangkok's international airport Thursday, forcing them to land at the Thai capital's domestic airport as well as farther afield in Chiang Mai and Phuket, airport officials said.

The fog, which reduced visibility to 800 metres, blanketed Suvarnabhumi Airport from 7 to 8 am, but lifted about 9 am, allowing traffic to resume, airport director Serirat Prasutanond said.

Of the 11 airplanes forced to land elsewhere, nine were diverted to the nearby Don Mueang Aiport, two to Phuket Airport in southern Thailand and one to Chiang Mai Airport in the far north.

The....

วันพุธที่ 21 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Police under the cosh

While most people see the police force as friendly, they also think it is a political tool. Reform is needed say the public: political interference and nepotism should be eradicated and there should be continuous assessment of officers' performance from within and outside the force.

These are the findings of an Abac Poll about the police's image and national politics conducted on 2,231 residents of Bangkok and surrounding provinces this week. About 40 per cent of respondents said they had used a police station's services in the past six months.

Of those who had positive experiences, 83 per cent described the police as "being friendly", 57.2 per....

Cambodia marks 30th anniversary of ousting of Khmer Rouge

Phnom Penh - Cambodia on Wednesday marked 30 years since the downfall of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime with a carefully choreographed stadium ceremony organised and dominated by the country's powerful ruling party.

A crowd of more than 40,000 at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium cheered throughout the ceremony, which marked the 30th anniversary of the day Vietnamese-led forces invaded Cambodia and ended the Khmer Rouge's bloody four-year reign.

The president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), Chea Sim, said during his speech the invasion "saved the nation, fatherland and people from the harsh....

UN asks Thailand for access to Rohingya boat people

Bangkok - Amid reports that the Thai navy forced hundreds of Rohingya boat people out to sea last month, leaving up to 500 missing, the United Nations on Tuesday asked the government for access to 126 surviving boat people now in Thai custody.

"We have asked the Thai government for access to two groups totalling 126 Rohingya boat people who are in custody in southern Thailand in order to assess their situation and determine whether any of them are in need of international protection," said a statement issued by United Nations High commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

 Last week the UNHCR expressed strong concern over....

วันอังคารที่ 20 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Chao Dai fish banned after 100 get sick

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a nationwide ban on the sale of Chao Doi canned fish products, which had been donated to flood victims in the South but caused hundreds to become sick from apparent food poisoning.

FDA secretary general Dr Pipat Yingseri said: "I have ordered provincial public health officers across  country to pull all [Chao Doi] canned fish products off the shelves that are being sold in local  markets."

The food-watch agency is studying the legal process on whether to charge the company for violating  the law by illegally producing canned fish....

Cambodian court sets date for first Khmer Rouge trial

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's UN-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal on Monday announced a mid-February starting date for the first of five trials of the genocidal regime's former leaders.

 Kaing Guek Eav - known by his revolutionary name, Duch - will appear before the court on February 17 to face charges of crimes against humanity and breaches of the Geneva Conventions.

 The 66-year-old former mathematics teacher was the chairman of the Khmer Rouge's S-21 torture facility in Phnom Penh and was indicted last year for crimes against humanity.

 He is....

Captain named suspect in Indonesian ferry disaster

Jakarta - Police have named the captain of a passenger ferry that sank off the Indonesian province of West Sulawesi a suspect for negligence in the accident that left more than 220 people missing and believed dead, officials said Monday.

Only 35 people including the captain were known to have survived, and nine bodies were found after the accident, leaving more than 220 others unaccounted for.

 South Sulawesi police spokesman Heri Sabuansuari said the captain, identified only as Sabir, was a suspect for negligence that caused loss of life.

 If found guilty, Sabir could face to a maximum of five years....

วันจันทร์ที่ 19 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

What makes patient Subin outstanding

Subin Noksakul, who has been a kidney disease patient for 15 years, was named yesterday as outstanding health volunteer in this year's Dr Sa-nguan Nitayarumphong Awards.

He was cited for his attempts to encourage final stage patients to fight the illness,and for lobbying the government to cover the high costs of medical treatment for chronic kidney disease.

"I have suffered from chronic kidney disease for a long time and I can overcome my illness. So I want to bring my experience to help other people suffering the disease like me," he said. Subin....

Tourists flock to national parks

Thousands of tourists chose 10 of the national parks across country as their destination to celebrate the New Year holidays, the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department said yesterday.

The 10 national parks were Doi Inthanon, Huai Nam Dang, Doi Pha Hom Pok, Doi Suthep Pui, Khao Yai, Kang Krajan, Erawan island, Surin island, and Similan island.

Doi Inthanont, the highest mountain in the country located in the northern province of Chiang Mai, was the favourite destination for nearly 70,000 tourists over the past five days.

The northeastern Khao Yai was the second....

Asean secretary-general backs Thailand's hosting of summit

Thailand should be given a chance to host the 14th Asean Summit as the country has currently returned to normalcy, Asean Secretary General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan said Saturday.

"It is the first opportunity for Thailand to show that it has stability to host a successful summit," Surin told reporters after a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.

He said that Thailand has assigned 27 Feb to 1 March as the Asean Summit dates and almost all of the 16 countries have agreed. "Thailand is waiting for a positive answer from one dialogue partner," he said,....

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 18 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Buildings of medical units to be renovated for easy access

In the near future, the elderly, the handicapped and patients with chronic diseases will have easy access to treatment because the Public Health Ministry plans to renovate 10,000 primary healthcare units across the country, a senior health officer said.

The ministry is also asking the government to approve a budget of Bt1.3 billion for the reconstruction of 2,000 primary healthcare units nationwide.

According Dr Komart Jungsathiansab, director of the Ministry's Society and Health Institute, the buildings housing most primary healthcare units were not easy to access for the elderly and handicapped.

At present, most primary....

Death toll in boat sinking in Philippines hits 46; eight missing

The death toll in the sinking of a passenger vessel off the northern Philippines has risen to 46 while eight people remained missing, the coast guard and police said Thursday.Forty-five people survived the accident Sunday off the coast of Ballesteros town in Cagayan province, 420 kilometres north of Manila.

The MB Maejan was already near the dock of nearby Aparri town when it capsized when huge waves battered it and strong currents dragged it away.

The coast guard said search operations for the eight missing were continuing despite bad weather.

Local....

Death toll in boat sinking in Philippines hits 46; eight missing

The death toll in the sinking of a passenger vessel off the northern Philippines has risen to 46 while eight people remained missing, the coast guard and police said Thursday.Forty-five people survived the accident Sunday off the coast of Ballesteros town in Cagayan province, 420 kilometres north of Manila.

The MB Maejan was already near the dock of nearby Aparri town when it capsized when huge waves battered it and strong currents dragged it away.

The coast guard said search operations for the eight missing were continuing despite bad weather.

Local....

Fire victims decline pub operator's aid

Relatives of many Santika inferno victims yesterday refused offers of financial help from the pub's operator, fearing they will forfeit their right to sue for compensation.

The blaze, which gutted the nightclub during a countdown party, killed more than 60 revellers and injured hundreds more.

The pub operator has set up a temporary centre to hand out cash at Bt10,000 to each injured victim and Bt20,000 to the family of each deceased victim.

Before getting the money, the recipients must sign a piece of paper and be photographed, but some people are....

วันเสาร์ที่ 17 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Govt urged to revoke Traffic Victims Act

Health advocates yesterday called for the government to revoke the Traffic Victims Protection Act, saying it fails to cover all the hospital bills of patients and most of them end up going broke.

"Most traffic victims did not receive as much compensation as they need to pay for medical treatment while staying in the hospital and finally they become bankrupt because they don't have enough money to pay the hospital. The blame is on the ineffectiveness of this act," said Dr Paiboon Suriyawongepaisal of Ramathibodi Hospital.

Paiboon, who conducted an evaluation of the....

Alcohol firms 'also responsible' for road accidents

Even though the number of people killed on the roads during the New Year holidays declined during the past four years, drunk driving remained the main cause of fatal accidents and injuries during this period.

As the key player in supporting the road accident reduction project, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation's director Dr Suppakorn Buasai talks with The Nation on why so many people continue to die or are injured during the holiday period.

As your organisation has done so much....

Children find out what it's like to sit in the hot seat, despite tight security

Many parents attending the National Children Day's celebrations at Government House were upset yesterday when they were barred from taking pictures of their children sitting in the prime minister's seat.The new ban on family photography inside the Thai Ku Fa building was due to tightened security measures around Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

A woman was also prevented yesterday from handing a gift box to Abhisit due to security concerns. Abhisit proved popular with children, however, and many queued up for his autograph.

Motorcycles used in motorcades for state visitors were also....

วันศุกร์ที่ 16 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Health volunteers to be paid expenses next year

The Public Health Ministry plans to ask the Cabinet for Bt4 billion to improve the lives of 830,000 health volunteers across the country, the new minister, Witthaya Kaewparadai said yesterday.

"This project is an urgent policy for this government, " he said at a meeting with top health officials on his first day as public health minister.

He said health volunteers dedicated themselves to work for the ministry without receiving payment since a project was set up 30 years ago. They had to use their own money for travel costs and other expenses to provide primary....

Navy denies ill-treatment of Rohingya migrants from Burma and Bangladesh

Navy chief Admiral Kamthorn Phumhiran on Friday dismissed a BBC report claiming Thai military had ill-treated the Rohingyas from Burma and Bangladesh who sought work or asylum by pushing them out to sea and setting them adrift.

"The Royal Thai Navy did not badly treated the Rohingyas. There was no setting them adrift as alleged," he said.

Under the military convention, the navy is obligated to rescue enemies from a sunken ship, he said, arguing there is no reason to mistreat the migrants landing on the Thai shore.

In the incident in question, the navy was notified by marine park rangers about the....

Laos hosts 17th Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum

Parliamentarians from 22 Asian countries gathered in Vientiane, Laos, on Monday to attend the 17th annual Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), a get-together founded by former Japanese prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, media reports said."The Asia-Pacific region has more than half the world's population and is rich in natural resources," said Thongsing Thammavong, chairman of the Lao National Assembly and the chair of the forum.

"This rich region can help overcome the world's economic problems," said Thongsing in his opening remarks, as reported by Radio Laos in a broadcast monitored in Bangkok.

Nakasone, who founded the....

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 15 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Sukhumbhand vows to probe fire-truck scandal

Democrat Party candidate MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the likely winner of yesterday's Bangkok governor election, promised to investigate the city's fire truck procurement scandal and consult with lawyers and agencies for ways to cancel the Bt6.7 billion purchase contract.

He will study the budget requests for this fiscal year and will discuss with the Bangkok Metropolitan Council about changing some details. He also will resolve problems with the management of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

As of 9.48 pm, Sukhumbhand had collected 903,413 votes, almost double the tally of Pheu Thai Party candidate Yuranan Pamornmontri, the first....

Sukhumbhand vows to serve all sections

Democrat Party candidate MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra humbly accepted congratulations yesterday on his possible victory in the Bangkok governor elections after exit polls showed he was ahead of other candidates.He said he would like to wait for the official count before making any comment. But if he wins the election, he would serve all sections of society as Bangkok governor, he said.

Meanwhile, Pheu Thai candidate Yuranan Pamorn-montri thanked all those who voted for him. He vowed to continue playing a political role even if he lost the battle.

Yuranan was placed second in exit....

Thai PM launches review of emergency law in South

Bangkok - Thailand's new government has launched a thorough review of the use of martial law in the country's conflict-ridden deep South where some 3,500 have been killed over the past four years and will decide on its extension within three months.

"I will ask the people involved to now run a systematic review of the various laws, so the next time they ask for an extension it will not be automatic," said Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, addressing an audience at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand Wednesday night.

Thailand's three southernmost provinces - Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala - have been under emergency decree....

วันพุธที่ 14 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Appointment of four Revenue deputies was criminal offence: NCCC

Permanent secretary of Finance Suparat Kawatkul and four former officials committed criminal offences in unlawfully appointing four deputy director generals for the Revenue Department, according to a ruling by the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC).

In a majority vote, the commission also found Khunying Tipawadee Meksawan guilty of a grave disciplinary offence for related wrongdoing while serving as secretary general of the Office of Civil Service Commission (OCSC) in 2001.

By law, a guilty verdict from the NCCC in such cases requires that officials be dismissed or fired within 30 days.

"The NCCC issued the resolution on....

Ramos Horta skeptical about true peace

Genuine peace in the world is attainable - but perhaps in a hundred years or more - and people will have to keep on working on it, said President of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta, in Bangkok yesterday.

"Maybe in a hundred years. Maybe in a 1,000 years, but at least not in my short life," said Ramos-Horta, who is on an official visit to Thailand and gave a special lecture at Ramkhamhaeng University after receiving an honorary doctorate in political science.

The former freedom-fighter turned head of state of the small Southeast Asian nation which attained independence in 2002,....

Owner of Santika pub surrenders to police

The major owner of the Santika Club - scene of the New Year's Eve fire tragedy - surrendered at Bangkok's Thong Lor police station yesterday afternoon after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Wisuk Setsawat initially denied two charges of reckless?ness resulting in others' deaths and injuries and allowing peo?ple under 20 to enter the club. He was later released on bail of Bt1 million.

Deputy national police chief General Jongrak Juthanont said police set the bail at Bt1 million because 66 people had died and many others were injured, although in less dra?matic cases bail....

วันอังคารที่ 13 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Health minister to push medical malpractice victims' bill

Accelerating enforcement of the medicalmalpractice victims' fund bill, increasing allowances and developing careers for medical workers, and upgrading primary care units as community hospitals for rural areas - all are urgent agenda items for new Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai.

Witthaya said he would speed up the medical malpractice victims' bill following its study by the Office of the Council of State during the year. The bill would reduce possible legal conflict between doctors and patients. It could also help patients receive compensation immediately for medical malpractice by doctors, he said.

"Most doctors, especially in rural areas, will not provide....

วันจันทร์ที่ 12 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Cambodian premier says he will attend Asean summit

Phnom Penh - Cambodia's prime minister will attend next month's summit of the Association of Sout East Asian Nations (Asean) in neighboring Thailand despite hinting last week he would boycott the meeting, media reports said Monday.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said last week that attending this year's series of Asean meetings would be too costly and time consuming, but Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told The Phnom Penh Post newspaper that the premier definitely would attend.

 "I would like to confirm that Prime Minister Hun Sen will attend the Asean meeting in Hua Hin, Thailand, from February 27 to 28 and March 1,"....

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 11 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

"I have no regrets" : FM Kasit

Newly appointed Foreign Minister, Kasit Piromya, thanked former prime minister, Chuan Leekpai, on sunday for his "valuable" advice that helped him make the transition from being a political activist to a minister in the current government.

Speaking on World Beat with Suthichai Yoon, Kasit said Chuan reminded him he no longer has the luxury to comment on any theoretical matters because he is confined to the international relations of Thailand.

"What you used to say as an antiThaksin protestor you cannot say as the foreign minister," Kasit quoted Chuan as telling him.

"But fundamentally, I'm still the....

East Timor president opposes international sanctions on Burma

Bangkok - The US and European Union should review their policy of imposing economic sanctions on Burma as the country's pariah military regime is key to the future stability of any elected government, East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta said Sunday.

"If we aren't pragmatic about it there will be no solution (in Burma) in the immediate term or long term," said Horta, who was in Bangkok over the weekend at the invitation of the International Peace Foundation.

 Horta, the 1996 Nobel peace laureate, reiterated his controversial stance against economic sanctions on Burma and Cuba, which he had made known at the United Nations and....

วันเสาร์ที่ 10 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Thailand shifts 14th Asean summit venue to beach resort

Thailand will host the 14th summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations on February 27 to March 1 at its Hua Hin beach resort, shifting the venue from Bangkok to avoid anti-government protestors, the prime minister said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said it was necessary to hold the summit in Hua Hin, 150 kilometres south-west of Bangkok, "to preserve our image." 

The anti-government Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) has vowed to block the summit in a tit-for-tat move against the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which scuttled plans to hold the summit last year when Thailand....

วันศุกร์ที่ 9 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Foreign workers face tougher times in Singapore

Singapore - Foreign workers in Singapore are complaining of salary arrears, with an increasing numbers of them out of work under the impact of economic downturn, according to a news report Monday.

Workers from China and Bangladesh used the Manpower Ministry to intervene and negotiate their salary disputes with employers, the Straits Times reported.

 It said 171 of the Chinese had decided to go back to work, 53 were going back to China and two others were taking their claims to the Labour Court.

 Some volunteers helping foreign workers said they were seeing more....

วันพุธที่ 7 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Plan ahead for crisis, health groups warn govt

Health policy-makers urged the new government yesterday to launch a rescue plan for the two million people expected to be laid off by the end of next year. They also want the health system "protected" from being savaged by economic turmoil.

Thailand's International Health Policy Programme director Dr Viroj Tangchareon-satient said the global slowdown was already hurting the Kingdom, and would have an adverse impact on people's health, especially the poor and unemployed.

To mitigate these impacts, Viroj told the recent National Health Assembly, relevant agencies had drafted three urgent measures for the government....

Yuranan flies TRT colours Bangkok governor candidate

Yuranan Pamornmontri, from the Pheu Thai Party, is now doing his best to capitalise on the huge support base of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai (TRT) and People Power parties.

Most politicians from these two banned parties have joined Pheu Thai.

Yuranan yesterday launched posters calling on people who felt upset by the dissolution of these two political parties to vote for him.

"Please show how you feel at the polling booths this Sunday," he said. The actor and would-be politician said former heads of Thai Rak Thai backed him.

The poll for....

Cambodian leaders cautiously welcome new Thai government

Phnom Penh - Cambodian foreign affairs officials on Wednesday welcomed the ascent of a new government to power in Thailand but said it needed to take immediate action to resolve an ongoing border dispute between the two countries.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Kuy Kung said the new government was likely to improve relations between the two South-East Asian neighbours despite Thai prime minister-designate Abhisit Vejjajiva's history of strong rhetoric over the Preah Vihear temple dispute.

"We continue to have a good relationship with Thailand, and this will improve with the appointment of Abhisit Vejjajiva as....

วันอังคารที่ 6 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Indonesia is home to smoking volcanoes and tranquil beaches alike

Surakarta, Indonesia - The show starts at 5:30 a.m., but it is still night on Penanggungan, a 2,700-metre mountain on the Indonesian island of Java that serves as an auditorium for a daily performance.

Spectators gather on a platform staring in awe at the stage consisting of three volcanoes called Bromo, Batok and Mahameru.

 To the audience's left is an enormous floodlight - the sun - which is not yet alight and although Java is a tropical island, the night- time temperatures can fall to a cool 8 degrees Celsius. Luckily, onlookers can rent warm jackets from....

Thai Muslims warn of "unexpected" incidents in response to Gaza

Bangkok - Hundreds of Thai Muslims on Tuesday staged a second day of demonstrations outside the Israeli embassy to Bangkok, warning of "unexpected" incidents around the world unless Israel ceases its attack and occupation of the Gaza Strip.

About 700 members of the Muslim Group for Peace rallied in front of the embassy wearing "Stop Gaza Slaughter" T-shirts and waving banners reading "Boycott Israel" and "Israel is the Real Terrorist."

"Muslim Group for Peace and Thai peace lovers severely condemn the barbaric behavior of Israel and call for Muslim leaders to get involved and solve the problems in order to stop Israel....

วันจันทร์ที่ 5 มกราคม พ.ศ. 2552

Laos approves feasibility study on a new airport for capital

Bangkok - Laos has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean firm Boon Young to conduct a feasibility study on their construction of a new international airport for the capital Vientiane, officials confirmed Tuesday.

The agreement was signed on December 5, said Radio Laos in a broadcast monitored in Bangkok. The designated site for the new airport, to be built in 2015, is in Saythany district, about 40 kilometres east of the capital.

Wattay International Airport, Vientiane's current facility, is situated on the northern outskirts of the capital.

"The old airport is too close to the capital. In....

Petty thefts on the rise

There has been a surprising increase in thefts nationwide in this year's third quarter, a report from the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) showed. Motorcycle thefts alone stood at 5,036 in just three months

"So far, only 18.5 per cent of the cases have been solved," NESDB deputy secretary-general Suwannee Khamman said yesterday.

NESDB was reporting on the country's social situation over the three-month period starting from July.

Suwannee said the thefts had increased because more people were willing to buy stolen vehicles.

"They can be sold either as a whole or....

Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in good health

Rangoon - Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed a New Year's Day visit Thursday by her personal doctor and she was in good health, officials said.

Doctor Tin Myo Win visited Suu Kyi at her lakeside home - where the Nobel laureate has been kept under detention in near complete isolation since mid-2003 - briefly on Thursday afternoon, a government official confirmed.

 "This visit is just a regular visit for January. Her health is good," said an official who was briefed by Tin Myo Win just before the meeting.

 The....