Anything & Everything About Thailand

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 24 February 2006 :-

London has no record of Ample Rich in UK, says govt

Britain has denied the existence of Ample Rich Investments as a UK-registered company, as claimed by the Democrat party, government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said yesterday. Mr Surapong said the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales stated in a letter that there was no company registered in the name of Ample Rich Investments Ltd over the past 20 years.

''A search made this day of the Index of Limited Companies, including overseas companies registered during the last 20 years, has failed to reveal any trace of a company registered in the name of Ample Rich Investments Limited.''

Mr Surapong said a well-wisher had faxed a copy of the letter to him and he did not see the original copy or examine its authenticity.

The letter was given at Companies House in Cardiff on Feb 16 and signed by T Cosh-Tullett, the registrar of companies.

Companies House, an executive agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, registers all limited companies in the UK and holds the latest company information, including records and director reports.

However, a caveat in small print at the end of the letter said that although no record had been found relating to the company during the last 15 years, the office is not able to warrant the accuracy and the completeness of its search.

Mr Thaksin earlier denied the existence of a UK-registered Ample Rich Investment, accusing his critics of trying to confuse the public.

Mr Surapong said the letter along with other evidence would be used by the government in the joint parliamentary session set for March 6 to clarify the issues raised by its critics.

However, the government had no information to explain why the same address is shared by offshore firm Winmark and Ample Rich Investments, a company founded by Mr Thaksin and involved in transactions of Shin Corp shares in the tax-haven British Virgin Islands.

[U-Need]

By MICHAEL CASEY, AP Environmental Writer

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A coral reef spanning several hundred acres and teeming with fish has been discovered off the coast of Thailand and should be given protected status, the World Wide Fund for Nature said Wednesday.

Tipped off by local fishermen, WWF divers in January found what they say is a healthy, 667-acre reef in southern Thailand with over 30 genera of hard corals, and at least 112 species of fish.

Among the fish species identified, the WWF said, was a type of parrot fish first discovered in Sri Lanka and never before seen in Thailand, and a species of the sweet lips fish previously only found in the Similan Islands.

The reef is off the coast of Khao Lak, a popular tourist destination on the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand.

"I believe discussions with fishermen over a wider area will lead us to discover even more important reefs, not yet mapped or protected by the authorities" said Songpol Tippayawong, head of the WWF Thailand Marine and Coastal Conservation Unit, in a statement.

"This reef is easily accessible to dive operators from nearby Khao Lak, and if managed properly can become a prominent local dive site while also contributing an important source of income to the local community," he said.

WWF said that it was working closely with Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Department of National Parks, local communities and dive operators to ensure that the reef is properly managed, which could lead to it being included in a marine national park.

Sombat Poovachiranon, a marine biologist with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, said the reef was not on any of his department's maps.

"We are looking forward to doing a survey in the area," Sombat said. "It's quite a large area. In my opinion, this should be a marine protected area. But we have to talk to the local communities first."

The discovery is a dose of good news for the state of reefs, which have been battered by overfishing, development and more recently the 2004 tsunami, which heavily damaged them in Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India.

A United Nations report in December found that close to a third of the world's corals have vanished, and 60 percent are expected to be lost by 2030. More than a third of all mangroves have disappeared, with the rate of loss greater than that of tropical rain forests, the report found.

A report released Monday from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network found that most coral reefs in the path of the December 2004 tsunami escaped "serious damage" and should recover in less than 10 years, though much will depend on local government's protecting marine ecosystems.

The report found that reefs in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand were hardest hit by massive waves with damage reaching up to 30 percent in some places. But much like earlier studies, it found that human activities like illegal fishing and climate change pose the greatest risk to the future of these reefs.

[U-Need]

Bangkok Post ONSIRI PRAVATTIYAGUL

Showbiz princess Kataleeya ''Maem'' McIntosh is set to return to Bangkok in mid-March from her hiatus in Michigan with her four-month-old son Siri ''Mac'' Krachangnate.

''We are very happy and very much in love. Maem is devoting everything to our son. She's a terrific mother,'' her partner Songkran Krachangnate told a press conference yesterday.

Mr Songkran said a wedding would follow in May but added that the details are not ready to be revealed yet.

The press conference was prompted after months of speculation and some of Miss Kataleeya's family photos being leaked and disseminated on the internet.

''We've been meaning to introduce our son to the public. Unfortunately, pictures which we don't know how got out have been circling the web,'' he said.

Following her pre-marital pregnancy admission on Sept 2 last year which stunned the public, Miss Kataleeya left the country to stay with her aunt in Michigan in the United States where she gave birth to a son.

There have been no formal statements from Miss Kataleeya and Mr Songkran until now.

Asked whether she will resume her show business career upon her return, her actor brother Willy said the ball is not in her court now.

''I don't think it's up to her. It's up to the public whether they want to see her working again,'' he said.

[U-Need]

153 words
24 February 2006
English

Bangkok Post:

-- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Thursday met Privy Council Chairman Prem Tinsulanonda in what was seen as an attempt to bolster his legitimacy during a crisis that threatens his political life.

The Nation:

-- In a last-ditch effort to salvage his political future, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has returned to his old ploy of offering populist schemes, like those which helped install him as the government leader five years ago.

Sing Sian Yit Pao:

-- The strained relations between China and Japan see little sign of improvement despite a wave of recent visits by Japanese officials.

Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai, a heavyweight in the Japanese cabinet, ended his China visit on Thursday, seeking to ease the current situation by maintaining prosperous trade ties.

[U-Need]

2/24/2006

BANGKOK, Feb 23 (AFP): Leading Spanish firms today pressed Thailand for contracts with the kingdom's 44-billion-dollar public works project in a bid to boost bilateral trade, officials said.
"Spain has a lot to offer. Trust our companies. You will not regret it," Pedro Mejia Gomez, vice minister of tourism and commerce, told a Thai-Spanish business forum, which drew 31 Spanish firms and over 110 Thai firms.
Last year Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra unveiled the 1.70 trillion baht (44 billion dollars) plan to upgrade Thailand's infrastructure, including mass transit, broadband Internet access, healthcare, water and defence.
The Thai government is seeking foreign bidders for the project and will likely award contracts by the end of September.

[U-Need]

379 words
24 February 2006
09:51
English

TOP STORIES

- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra met Privy Council chairman Prem Tinsulanonda in what was seen as an attempt to bolster his legitimacy during a crisis that threatens his political life (BANGKOK POST)

- The military is worried violence could erupt at Sunday's anti-government rally at Sanam Luang, Defence Minister Thammarak Isaranguru said (THE NATION)

- Thaksin will release an open letter to Thai Rak Thai Party MPs and members in a bid to fend off criticism of his leadership style, government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said (THE NATION)

- The Thammasat University student body aims to collect at least 80,000 signatures in its campaign to kick-start the impeachment process against Thaksin (BANGKOK POST)

- Hundreds of copies of an anonymous eight-page pro-government newspaper were dumped in downtown Bangkok (THE NATION)

- Britain has denied the existence of Ample Rice Investments as a UK-regisitered company, as claimed by the Democrat party, government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said (BANGKOK POST)

- While authorities in Narathiwat conducted yet another parade of young men they alleged to be sympathisers of Muslim militants, two men, including a village headman, were gunned down in the troubled province (THE NATION)

BUSINESS

- Panthongtae Shinawatra, the son of the prime minister, committed three "minor" securities violations related to his holdings in Shin Corp, the Securities and Exchange Commission said on Thursday (BANGKOK POST)

- Although the index of the Stock Exchange of Thailand closed higher on Thursday, business leaders found it hard to predict how severely the outcome of Sunday's mass rally against Thaksin would hurt the economy (BUSINESS DAY)

- A Commerce Ministry committee will consider on Monday whether five companies involved in the Shin Corporation sale breached the Foreign Business Act (BANGKOK POST)

- Business leaders say political uncertainties will undermine economic growth, with some arguing that Thaksin should dissolve Parliament and hold early elections to clear the situation (BANGKOK POST)

[U-Need]

379 words
24 February 2006
09:51
English

TOP STORIES

- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra met Privy Council chairman Prem Tinsulanonda in what was seen as an attempt to bolster his legitimacy during a crisis that threatens his political life (BANGKOK POST)

- The military is worried violence could erupt at Sunday's anti-government rally at Sanam Luang, Defence Minister Thammarak Isaranguru said (THE NATION)

- Thaksin will release an open letter to Thai Rak Thai Party MPs and members in a bid to fend off criticism of his leadership style, government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said (THE NATION)

- The Thammasat University student body aims to collect at least 80,000 signatures in its campaign to kick-start the impeachment process against Thaksin (BANGKOK POST)

- Hundreds of copies of an anonymous eight-page pro-government newspaper were dumped in downtown Bangkok (THE NATION)

- Britain has denied the existence of Ample Rice Investments as a UK-regisitered company, as claimed by the Democrat party, government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said (BANGKOK POST)

- While authorities in Narathiwat conducted yet another parade of young men they alleged to be sympathisers of Muslim militants, two men, including a village headman, were gunned down in the troubled province (THE NATION)

BUSINESS

- Panthongtae Shinawatra, the son of the prime minister, committed three "minor" securities violations related to his holdings in Shin Corp, the Securities and Exchange Commission said on Thursday (BANGKOK POST)

- Although the index of the Stock Exchange of Thailand closed higher on Thursday, business leaders found it hard to predict how severely the outcome of Sunday's mass rally against Thaksin would hurt the economy (BUSINESS DAY)

- A Commerce Ministry committee will consider on Monday whether five companies involved in the Shin Corporation sale breached the Foreign Business Act (BANGKOK POST)

- Business leaders say political uncertainties will undermine economic growth, with some arguing that Thaksin should dissolve Parliament and hold early elections to clear the situation (BANGKOK POST)

[singrakthai]

Originally Posted by U-Need

本報訊】前天下午4時半，女模特兒哦小姐（化名，18歲），到泰文歷里紐報向媒介申訴，她說她和著名男歌星 逸甲叻（又名德）相戀同居，後來懷孕。但對方始亂終棄，不承認是孩子的父親。去年12月27日，她產下男嬰 他那促（小名儂丁）。

why won't BIGASS wanna marry her and has her child???? *sigh*


WHY?!!!!!!!!!!

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 24 February 2006 :-

PM's sister 'cheated at school'

Sukhothai University has disqualified the sister of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from enrollment, after an investigation found Yaowares was using fake evidence to back up her application.

Khunying Kasama Worawan Na Ayudhaya, permanent secretary at the education ministry, said she has not received a formal report, but denied there was any pressure on the ministry or school to inspect applications from the families of prominent politicians.

Mr Thaksin's son Panthongtae, accused yesterday of false reporting in the 73-billion-baht sale of the family's Shin Corp, was kicked out of Ramkhamhaeng University several years ago during a scandal on exam cheating.

Democrat Party deputy leader Alongkorn Polabut said this morning that Ms Yaowares, who serves as president of the National Women's Council, falsified documents and then had her status revoked by the school, whose formal name is Sukhothaithammatiraj University.

[U-Need]

BANGKOK, Feb 24 (TNA) – Last Update : 2006-02-24 / 13:35:35 (GMT+7:00)

Supreme Commander Gen. Ruengroj Mahasaranond on Friday admitted he was concerned a third party would instigate a confrontation between the anti-government and pro-government groups of people at a mass rally planned for this Sunday at Sanam Luang.

Speaking before attending a meeting of security agencies chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Pol. Gen. Chidchai Wannasathit, he said he did not worry much the rally would escalate into violence because police would be able to keep peace and order.

What he was concerned was the third party’s attempt to instigate the confrontation between the opponents and supporters of the government at the rally.

He said the military was always ready to supervise the demonstration if the police were unable to do that.

“I want to repeat military personnel are neutral. We won’t take any side. Any personnel, who want to join the rally, can do it because it is a personal right under the democratic system. But they have to do it on their behalf,’’ he said.

On a pledge by Maj. Gen Chamlong Srimuang, Chairman of the Dhamma Army Foundation, who is a former senior military officer, to join the Sunday’s rally, he said he felt nothing about the move because it is his personal right.

However, he was still confident the demonstration would not escalate and drag on. (TNA) – E005

[U-Need]

Originally Posted by singrakthai

why won't BIGASS wanna marry her and has her child???? *sigh*


WHY?!!!!!!!!!!

Reasons:
但男歌星反而向媒介說她作風不正，說她拍攝X級片和裸體片......It is an ego thing besides, he is never short of willing beau beside him.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 24 February 2006 :-

PM requests audience with HM the King

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has requested for a meeting with HM the King following his speech which was seen as a strong hint of a House dissolution, intelligence sources said Friday.

The request comes two days before a mass anti-Thaksin rally at Sanam Luang which could attract more than 100,000 people dissented with Thaksin.

Thaksin on Thursday met with Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanond, reportedly seeking advice on the political crisis.

The sources said that schedule for Thaksin has not yet been fixed.

Thaksin Friday made a speech which was seen as a hint that he was about to dissolve the House of Representatives to seek a fresh mandate.

The prime minister was addressing a meeting of over 10,000 officials of cooperatives from around the country at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Chaeng Wattana.

"I would like to thank all of you to come here to provide me moral support ... You don't have to worry about me. I have volunteered to work for the people. As long as the people want to use me, I'll go on working. If not, I'll stop," Thaksin said.

"You have seen me here for five years. If you are bored of me, you can send me home. If you want to continue using me, please vote for me and I'll go on working. It will be simply like that."

The assembly roared with cheers for him.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 24 February 2006 :-

Embattled PM sees Prem : Visit seen as attempt to bolster legitimacy

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday met Privy Council chairman Prem Tinsulanonda in what was seen as an attempt to bolster his legitimacy during a crisis that threatens his political life.

The two met for about 40 minutes at Gen Prem's Si Sao Theves residence after plans were leaked to the media on Wednesday night by a source close to Government House.

Army sources close to Gen Prem said the leak was intended to portray the meeting as an attempt by the prime minister _ besieged by the parliamentary opposition and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) _ to boost his image.

''The prime minister's aide called and asked for a meeting, and also asked for the meeting to be kept a secret. But the news was leaked from Government House.

''So the prime minister intended to exploit the meeting. No matter what he does now, it will be interpreted that he is acting on the advice of Gen Prem,'' said the source.

Corroborating this line of thinking was a report, from a source close to Government House, that the prime minister talked of his meeting with Gen Prem at a meeting with permanent secretaries of various ministries, which took place afterwards.

The source said Mr Thaksin raised the issue of Gen Prem's former secretary, Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang, joining the PAD rally on Sunday.

Gen Prem mainly listened to Mr Thaksin and answered when he was asked for opinions, the source added.

After the meeting Gen Prem saw the prime minister off at his car without giving an interview.

Mr Thaksin refused to discuss the details of the meeting, telling reporters: ''It was a talk between phu-yai [seniors]. You don't have to know.''

The meeting took place amid debate over how the prime minister might get himself out of the current political impasse. Suggestions include dissolving the House or stepping down as head of government.

Rumours were circulating that Mr Thaksin would dissolve the House. One report said the dissolution would be announced on Sunday, while another said it would take place on March 5.

Both government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee and Prime Minister's Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva said that dissolving the House was one option being pondered.

But both indicated that it was unlikely to be adopted at this point.

Mr Suranand said that if the House dissolution took place it would come after the joint parliament sitting, starting on March 6.

He said the size of Sunday's anti-Thaksin rally would not determine whether Mr Thaksin would step down.

He said Mr Thaksin should first be given a chance to speak in parliament on March 6, before any talk of dissolving parliament.

''The joint session will be a fair playing field since both Mr Thaksin and the opposition will have a chance to speak on the same stage. Everybody needs to hear Mr Thaksin out,'' he said.

Mr Surapong said he hoped the government's explanation during the joint session of parliament would help the public as well as the PAD understand the government, and change the minds of those calling on Mr Thaksin to resign.

He said the prime minister would write an open letter to Thai Rak Thai party MPs and members to provide facts and clarify any misunderstandings that have arisen, including those over the sale of Shin Corp by his family, and the allegation that the Telecommunications Operation Act had been amended to help along the Shin Corp share sale.

Mr Thaksin said the letter was meant to explain facts to the public.

''It is nothing special. Most allegations [against me] are attempts to confuse the issues by linking different stories together. I am the victim of a smear campaign,'' the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, party spokesman Sita Divari said after a Thai Rak Thai meeting that no pro-Thaksin rally would be held on March 3, as earlier reported. He said speaking in the joint House-Senate session would be more appropriate.

Thai Rak Thai yesterday called an extraordinary meeting, with all core members attending. Chachoengsao MP Wuttipong Chaisaeng, chief of the meeting, said MPs agreed the prime minister should not dissolve the House or resign, but fight his way through the crisis. However, sources claimed that many party big guns see dissolving parliament as the best solution.

[U-Need]

CHONBURI, Feb 24 (TNA) - Last Update : 2006-02-24 / 12:48:19 (GMT+7:00)

The supreme court in Thailand's eastern seaboard province of Chonburi has postponed its verdict on an appeal by Somchai Kunplome--also known as 'Kamnan Poh'--against a corruption conviction until next month, as the defendant failed to appear in court citing health problems.

Mr. Somchai, Mayor of Chonburi's San Suk Municipality, was given a five-year and four-month prison sentence by the Choburi lower court in 2003 after finding him guilty of corruption in a Bt93.5 million (US$2.25 million) purchase of a 140 rai parcel of land (2.5 rai = 1 acre) in Chonburi's Banglamung district to create a garbage dump site in 1992-93.

The land in question was found both to be part of a forest reserve
and its sale price was both prohibitively expensive and far above market value at that time.

Three other defendants in the case were also found guilty of corruption, while the fourth defendant was acquitted.

The Appeals Court later in 2004 upheld them lower court verdict.

Despite a confirmation by Mr. Somchai's son on Thursday the he would appear in court Friday morning, he failed to show up, sending a lawyer in his stead.

Sa-nga Tanasanguenwong, Mr. Somchai's lawyer, told the court that his client was suffering from a severe apoplectic stroke and asthma; so he was medically unable to be present to hear the verdict. A medical document certifying his illness was presented to the court.

The court later decided to postpone delivery of the verdict until March 23 at 9:30 a.m.

Kamnan Poh, one of Thailand's best-known "influential figures'' -- a Thai expression for some considered to be 'excessively rich' or having extra-legal connections and influence -- was also sentenced in June 2004 to 25 years in jail for alleged involvement
in the murder of his rival Prayoon Sitichote, who was killed by an unidentified gunman in March 2003.

Also convicted in the same case was Mr. Somchai's associate Passakorn Homhuan, who was also handed a 25-year sentence.

Both were released on Bt10 million (US$250,000) bail and their verdicts are being appealed. (TNA)--E009

[acmilan]

Financial Times
Thailand PM Thaksin dissolves parliament
By Amy Kazmin in Bangkok
Published: February 24 2006 11:41 | Last updated: February 24 2006 11:41

Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s once popular prime minister, has dissolved parliament in a bid to defuse the political crisis triggered by his family’s Bt73bn sale of Shin Corp, the telecommunications empire he founded.


Mr Thaksin’s decision to call for a snap election three years ahead of schedule comes ahead of a planned massive anti-government rally that many government officials, business executives, and political observers have feared will result in violence and bloodshed.

Analysts said Mr Thaksin probably calculated that he would be in a stronger position going into new elections if he dissolved parliament before the rally, rather than allowing his critics to display both the breadth and depth of popular opposition to his rule.

“This is like a chess game now, with Thaksin trying to do everything to regain ground, regain credibility and release pressure,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a Chulalongkorn University political science lecturer.

Mr Thaksin won a landslide re-election victory just one year ago, when his Thai Rak Thai (Thais love Thais) party captured 75 per cent of parliamentary seats. But the prime minister has faced mounting calls for his resignation, since his family’s January sale of their 49 per cent stake in Shin Corp to Temasek, the Singapore government’s investment arm.

While Mr Thaksin declared the Shin Corp sale would end the persistent conflict of interest allegations that have dogged his tenure in office, the Shinawatra’s massive tax-free windfall, and the sale of one of Thailand’s largest companies to the arm of a foreign government, galled many Thais. Some Thais were already disillusioned with the premier and his authoritarian style.

“People who had been conditional supporters of him really just got a bad feeling in their stomach, and that has spread a lot further and broader, than just the chattering classes of Bangkok,” said Chris Baker, a Bangkok-based political analyst and author of a book on Mr Thaksin’s political and business career.

Mr Thaksin is scheduled to address the nation in a televised address on Friday night.

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/97299298-a5...0779e2340.html