Thailand Forums - Thailand News Stories

News: Egat explains cause of blackout

Khun Don — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:35:32 GMT

Egat explains cause of blackout

Published: 22 May 2013 at 17.02
Online news: Local News

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) on Wednesday apologised for the massive power blackout in 14 southern provinces on Tuesday night and explained how it happened.

�Egat would like to apologise to the people for this incident. We have ordered an inspection of all electric power transmission lines to the South to prevent a repeat of it,� Egat governor Suthat Patmasiriwat told the media.

Mr Suthat said two 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines and two 230-kV lines were used to supply electricity from the Central Plains to the southern region. At 8am on Tuesday, one of the 500-kV lines was discharged from the system for maintenance. At 5.26pm, lightning strikes were believed to have been the cause of a malfunction in the other 500-kV line, which led to a shortfall in the grid.

As a consequence, authorities were forced to increase power transmission through the 230-kV lines, which have less overload capacity. The cables later malfunctioned due to overload.

Demand for electricity in the South on Tuesday peaked at 2,200 megawatts, while local power plants were generating 1,600 MW. Electricity supply from the four main power plants in the region -- in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Krabi and Surat Thani provinces � were discharged from the system automatically for safety reasons after the power fell below the standard 50 Hz grid frequency, Mr Suthat said.

After the blackout, Egat ordered all its power plants in the South to boost electricity generation to full capacity. That included power generation by diesel plants in Surat Thani province. Egat also bought 200 MW of electricity from Malaysia. Power supplies were restored to all households by 11pm, the Egat governor said.

The Egat board of directors on Wednesday ordered a committee be set up to investigate the power outage and report its findings within seven days, staring on Thursday.

BANGKOK POST

News: Framework for Bangkok's development

Khun Don — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:27:05 GMT

Framework for Bangkok's development
Chularat Saengpassa,
Thanatpong Kongsai
The Nation May 20, 2013 1:00 am

30206515-01_big.jpg

Sub-cities tipped to blossom in many areas

Bangkok has never stayed the same. And if a city plan can be a good indicator, the new face of the Thai capital is already taking shape.

Bangkok's latest city plan, which came into effect last Thursday, shows "sub-cities" set to mushroom across many suburban zones.

It has also identified the location of planned garbage plants and wastewater-treatment plants in a way that city officials believe will pre-empt lawsuits, protest and opposition from people who have chosen to live in those areas.

"With the identification, people will know what some empty fields will be turned into in the future. They should not complain later then if they decide to move into the zone," the city planning chief at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said.

Kriengphol Padhanarath said the new city plan was the fourth version for the capital.

"The city plan has provided framework for Bangkok's development," he said, noting its importance.

Bangkok got its first city plan in 1992, he said. During the past two decades, it has been adjusted three times to respond to changing needs and circumstances. And as Kriengphol has pointed out, it has a huge impact on people's lives.

"So, we have not introduced drastic changes. We have been trying to find a balance for all stakeholders," he said, reflecting the concept behind the latest plan. Kriengphol said this city plan, for example, offers incentives to real-estate developers to allocate areas for long-term residents around their project sites.

"They may develop flats and give some units to old residents. Or they may find a nearby plot for them. It must be within a 5km radius."

He said property owners who include public open areas in their compounds would also enjoy some incentives because such spaces were useful to Bangkok. "Otherwise, the capital would be too crowded with large buildings," he explained.

Kriengphol said to ease traffic jams, owners of buildings within a 500-metre-radius from rail-based systems' stations would be awarded incentives if their number of parking lots was higher than legal requirements. This offer is based on an assumption more commuters will agree to leave their vehicles and ride a train. For flood prevention, building owners who prepare an area to retain at least one cubic metre of water will also enjoy incentives.

"There are motivations for green buildings as well," Kriengphol said.

His deputy Panyapat Noppun said the latest city plan identified potential economic zones of the near future. "We are going to see commercial activity stretch down Kanchanaphisek Road," he said.

Kriengphol said big buildings were also stretching along rail-based systems' routes now.

Panyapat said Taling Chan, Min Buri, Wong Wian Yai and Chaeng Wattana would become sub cities very soon. "They will get the downtown atmosphere," he said.

The MRT Orange and Pink Lines will meet in Min Buri, raising its chance of becoming a key sub-city. The current government has vowed to complete the construction of these lines by 2019. While sprawling urban growth is expected, Panyapat is convinced Bangkok residents will still have some green areas. "We aim to give six square metres of green areas to each Bangkok resident, up from just three to four square metres."

The latest city plan recommends a green zone at Bang Khun Thieng because it has mangrove forest and is located by the seaside, he noted.

"We are going to discourage industrial and commercial activities there. There are coastal-erosion problems and risks of storm surges," he said. Kriengphol, however, reckoned that Bangkok's city plan had not been integrated with those for adjacent provinces.

"We have a designated floodway and banned construction along the floodway. But we can't be sure what lies outside Bangkok," he admitted.

Attached Images

30206515-01_big.jpg (97.5 KB)

News: Ratchaprasong ready for red's memorial gathering

Khun Don — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:53:14 GMT

Ratchaprasong ready for reds

Published: 18 May 2013 at 19.22
Online news:

Crowds are expected to peak at 5 or 6 pm Sunday as red-shirt activists gather in Bangkok to mark the third anniversary of the May 19, 2010 political violence.

Members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) are expected to begin gathering at the Ratchaprasong intersection, the capital's upscale shopping district, around noon.

Pol Maj Gen Piya Tawichai, the traffic police chief, said officers had held talks with UDD representatives and stressed the need to keep traffic moving smoothly.

There may be rallies of red-shirt supporters in other places but the groups would be small and were unlikely to cause traffic problems, said police.

The traffic police will deploy officers to help direct traffic around the affected areas and prevent demonstrators from obstructing traffic.

While Bangkok is preparing for the gathering on Sunday, red-shirt supporters in other provinces are also making plans to travel to the capital.

Around 200 supporters from Phayao set out on Saturday evening with a goal to arrive at the Ratchaprasong intersection at 6am Sunday.

At least 500 red-shirt supporters from Nakhon Ratchasima also plan to leave the province early Sunday morning to join the Bangkok gathering.

BANGKOK POST

News: Red shirts wary of 'wholesale' amnesty

Khun Don — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:59:18 GMT

Red shirts wary of 'wholesale' amnesty

Published: 18 May 2013 at 15.25
Online news: Local News

The Pheu Thai Party's decision to back a "wholesale" amnesty for all sides involved in the May 2010 violence has upset some of its red-shirt supporters as well as critics of the government.

Some red shirts see the proposal championed by Deputy Premier Chalerm Yubamrung as a betrayal because it would cover senior Democrat Party figures who were in government when the military crackdown on the Bangkok rally took place three years ago Sunday.

Others say the amnesty is simply a cynical attempt to pave the way for the return home of exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, the red shirts' patron.

As well, they say, it shows that Pheu Thai is less interested in fighting the elite establishment than in becoming part of it.

Thaksin is reported to have pushed Pheu Thai to back the reconciliation bill that Chalerm plans to introduce in the House on Thursday. The bill proposes a sweeping amnesty for everyone involved in political conflicts dating back to 2006, the year Thaksin was ousted in a military coup.

Thaksin is expected to address his supporters via a video link on Sunday when they gather to commemorate the third anniversary of the 2010 events.

Pardoning leaders on one or both sides of the political divide, as well as soldiers involved in the coup, would simply perpetuate the culture of impunity in Thailand, where senior figures rarely take responsibility for anything, say academics.

Pheu Thai earlier had favoured a limited amnesty that would cover only rank-and-file followers who had been locked up for offences deemed political.

Prominent scholars have been criticising the Pheu Thai flip-flop in social media forums. They include Nitirat Group core member Piyabutr Saengkanokkul; Thammasat University scholars Kasian Tejapira and Somsak Jeamteerasakul.

Hard-core red-shirt activists Nithiwat Wannasiri, Jittra Kotchadet and Suda Rungkuphan also oppose the Chalerm plan.

They say the party is betraying the red-shirt rank and file, as if a hundred deaths and a thousand injuries were simply the price to pay for the party’s compromise with the old establishment for the sake of its own survival.

Mr Chalerm, the party's most strident supporter of Thaksin, has made no secret of his determination to bring the former premier home. He reportedly has called meetings with provincial governors and senior police officers nationwide to prepare the way for a smooth return of the fugitive politician, who was convicted in absentia of abuse of power while in office.

Mr Chalerm's campaign appears to have gained the upper hand over one backed by Pheu Thai MP Worachai Hema, who had proposed a bill granting amnesty to rank-and-file members on both sides of the political conflict.

However, Mr Worachai is modifying his position and says he has 150 signatures to support introducing a "wholesale amnesty bill" at a parliamentary meeting on Thursday.

An earlier "amnesty for all" bill was advanced by Gen Sonthi Boonyaratklin, who led the coup that overthrew Thaksin in 2006. It would have let everyone off the hook, including soldiers.

Mr Chalerm is also reportedly planning to visit Udon Thani on Friday to explain to sceptical northeastern red shirts why his amnesty proposal is necessary.

Critics are afraid that such an amnesty would only reinforce the culture of impunity in Thai politics.

"It is inappropriate, if not unwise, to make a move during the mourning and commemorations of those who died and injured," wrote Mr Somsak on his Facebook page.

"Thaksin should make clear his position on the matter when he speaks at the videoconference Sunday night."

He added that the ball was now in Thaksin's court and the Thai public would now see the true nature of their exiled leader, whether he cared only for himself or for his comrades in arms.

Banjerd Fungklinchan, the father of a man killed on April 10, 2010, cautioned that Pheu Thai should not think only about its majority votes without hearing the voices of those who lost loved ones in 2010.

"The UDD core leaders have previously announced they could exclude themselves from amnesty so this amnesty would be for whom? How can we forgive before seeing justice is served?" he asked.

"Our beloved leader Khun Thaksin has lived abroad cosily and comfortably so he should not rush to come back. He previously announced that if it was still impossible for him to return home, he could stay away."

But if the politicians intend to work only for their own convenience, the relatives of the dead and the injured would still fight for justice, said Mr Banjerd.

Somchai Homlaor, a member of the Law Reform Commission and the now-defunct Truth for Reconciliation Commission, said the Pheu Thai move was not in line with the TRC recommendations.

It had said that amnesty should be considered thoroughly and details of who did what should be differentiated.

"There must be a real process with some specific timeline that leads to true reconciliation — say those involved in the political turmoil must concede to their guilt, apologies must be made to the victims' families and the general public, and certain information about the incidents must be shared with the public," said Mr Somchai

"Otherwise there is no learning and forgiving as conflicts still remain."

However, he believes there will still be some time for Pheu Thai to reconsider and make the right decision on amnesty and reconciliation, as the actual consideration of the bills would not take place until the next House session in August.#

BANGKOK POST

News: Anti-govt 'Thai Spring' website opened

Khun Don — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:47:36 GMT

Anti-govt 'Thai Spring' website opened

Published: 16 May 2013 at 16.30
Online news: Local News

A new website has been launched, Thai Spring, where people can voice their opposition to the Yingluck Shinawatra government, popular columnist Pol Gen Vasit Dejkunchorn said on Thursday.

Pol Gen Vasit, a former assistant director-general of police, made the revelation at a press conference. He was accompanied by former senator Kaewsan Atipho.

Describing himself as a person who adheres strongly to the principle of a democratic administration under the monarchy, and who has experienced many political eras in Thailand, Pol Gen Vasit said he was aware there are groups people trying relentlessly to undermine the highest institution in the country.

Those people have a plan to take over Thailand and change its administrative system, and he would not stand by and allow this to happen, he said.

"In the past, we've had many weapons to fight them. Today, we have another weapon where the people can express their dissatisfaction through social media.

"It is a website, , where they can sign in and express disapproval of the prime minister's speech in Ulan Bator.

"More than 10,000 people have signed on to the website so far to express their opinion that in delivering that speech the prime minister acted wrongly.

"A show of force in this manner is more effective than calling for the people to go out to Sanam Luang," he said.

Pol Gen Vasit called for the government to review its role, otherwise the "Thai Spring" movement would develop, in the same way that the "Arab Spring" phenomenon had led to anti-government protests by huge numbers of people.

Mr Kaewsan said he believes the present government lacks the legitimacy to administer the country.

Ms Yingluck, although properly appointed under a royal command, had served as a puppet for a defacto prime minister, he said, referring to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mr Kaewsan said the government was trying to use the dictatorship of a majority to amend the present constitution and to pass laws to clear a group politicians and their families of all wrongdoing.

Ms Yingluck's speech in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, had isolated democratically minded Thai people from the rest of the world, he said.

BANGKOK POST

News: Court accepts petition against Abhisit

Khun Don — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:45:05 GMT

Court accepts petition against Abhisit

Published: 16 May 2013 at 18.03
Online news: Local News

The Constitution Court on Thursday accepted by a vote of 7-2 to consider a petition for it to rule on whether Abhisit Vejjajiva has lost his status as a Democrat Party list MP after being dismissed from military service.

Pimol Thampithakpong, the court's spokesman, said the petition was filed by 134 MPs including House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont.

In the petition, the court is asked to rule whether Mr Abhisit has lost his MP status under Sections 102(6) and 106(5) of the constitution after he was dismissed from military service by an order of the Defence Ministry.

The order takes effect retroactively from the date when Mr Abhisit applied for a job as a lecturer at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy in 1987.

The ministry based its decision on a defence panel ruling which found Mr Abhisit had used a fraudulent document when he applied for the lecturing job, a position that exempted him from military conscription.

The two judges who voted against accepting the petition were Nurak Mapraneet and Chat Cholavorn.

The court issued an order for Mr Abhisit to submit a defence statement in 15 days.

Mr Abhisit said he was ready to defend himself.

BANGKOK POST

News: Dems plan major rebuild in 3 months

Khun Don — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:43:16 GMT

Dems plan major rebuild in 3 months

Published: 16 May 2013 at 14.41
Online news: Local News

A major reform of the Democrat Party, to revamp its internal structure, attract new supporters and position the party as a viable alternative to the current government will be ready in three months, ahead of an expected snap election, party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Thursday.

He said the reforms would position the Democrat Party to serve either as a strong opposition or as the core of a future government, whatever the political situation and regardless of the current conflict.

Mr Abhisit told a press conference on Thursday this was agreed on at a meeting of the party's executive committee on Monday.

He was accompanied at the press conference by party secretary-general Chalermchai Sri-on and deputy party leader Alongkorn Ponlaboot, who put forward the proposal that the party should be reformed.

Mr Abhisit said the party believes a snap election may be called late this year, even though the governent's four-year term does not end until mid-2015. Therefore, the party needs to prepare.

Under Mr Alongkorn's proposal, which was adopted, it was agreed that the Democrat Party as a whole should be reformed. The party must be restructured to improve its administration and solidarity, and must open itself wide to encourage people of all walks of life to join and to work for it.

A working group would be assigned to work out lines of reform, particularly on the structure of the executive committee and working areas.

The working group will compile opinions drawn from all the party's resources, complete its work in 30 days and forward its suggestions for changes to the executive committee, he said. The proposed changes may also include party regulations.

The executive committee will consider and then forward the proposals to a meeting of MPs, and then to a party general assembly, in order to reach agreement on what reforms should be implemented and how. This should take about three months, Mr Abhisit said.

The Democrat leader said although there are many different opinions on this matter, the party is determined to go ahead with the plan.

All the opinions, no matter how different, were aimed at ensuring change in the party, he said.

The reform process would not be allowed to affect the party's responsibility to work in opposition, to monitor the government's performance and to present itself as the people's choice in the future.

Mr Abhisit said the reform process should be considered an internal affair, to strengthen the party's mechanisms, and should not be seen as reflecting internal conflict.

The party's goal is to expand its support base from 11-12 million voters to 15-16 million voters, he said.

BANGKOK POST

News: 2010 Violence: Abhisit, Suthep report to DSI-More charges

Khun Don — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:07:20 GMT

Abhisit, Suthep report to DSI

Published: 14 May 2013 at 12.05
Online news: Local News

Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban on Tuesday morning reported to Department of Special Investigation (DSI) investigators to acknowledge charges in two more cases stemming from the political violence in 2010.

Mr Suthep iwas director of the then-Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) which commanded the military crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Last year, the DSI charged Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep with authorising the killing of anti-government red-shirt protesters by soldiers during the April-May 2010 violence in Bangkok.

The new charges came after the Criminal Court ruled in two cases, finding the death of 14-year-old Kunakorn "Nong Isa" Srisuwan premeditated murder, and the wounding of van driver Samorn Maithong a case of attempted murder.

The court ruled Mr Samorn was seriously wounded by military gunfire as he was driving a van into the army's restricted zone near a military checkpoint at the Ratchaprarop Airport Rail Link station on the night of May 15, 2010.

The court said young Kunakorn and the taxi driver, 44-year-old Phan Khamkong from Yasothon province, were hit by bullets fired by troops attempting to stop Mr Samorn�s van.

DSI chief Tarit Pengdith said both Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep cooperated well with investigators from the DSI, police and the prosecution.

He said the two new cases would be merged as one because they occurred on the same date and at the same time.

BANGKOK POST

News: Last 'Death Railway' Brit dies

Khun Don — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:20:18 GMT

Last 'Death Railway' Brit dies

Published: 13 May 2013 at 14.39
Online news: Local News

The last British prisoner of war to work on the construction of the World War II "Death Railway" between Thailand and Myanmar has died, aged 99.

500643.jpg
Reg Twigg, the last British survivor to have worked on the Death Railway, is pictured returning to the Bridge on the River Kwai. His memoir, which he did not live to see published, reveals the story of how he survived the ordeal. (Photo: Andrew Lownie Literary Agency)

Reg Twigg, a former private in the Leicestershire Regiment of the British Army was one of 60,000 Allied POWs and 250,000 Asian labourers forced by the Japanese army to endure horrific living and working conditions during the construction of the railway track between Thailand and Myanmar, then known as Burma.

Twigg, who spent three years constructing the jungle railroad, was waiting for his book Survivor On The River Kwai to be published when he died last week.

The Daily Mail has published extracts from the memoir, which will be published posthumously.

The book details Twigg�s journey from the fall of Singapore in 1942, to �three years of hell� in camps along the River Kwai, building the notorious railway that claimed the lives of 16,000 allied POWs and at least 90,000 Asian civilians.

Twigg explains how he learned to use the jungle to survive � trapping and eating lizards and making snake soup � and documents the brutality of Japanese soldiers.

Twigg was taken prisoner on the morning of Feb 15, 1942 and spent seven months in Changi Prison, Singapore, before being �packed, standing room only, into boiling, stinking cattle trucks� for three days and nights�, then marched through the jungle at riflepoint and onto bamboo boats to riverside camps.

He recounts incidents in which fellow POWs were beaten to death for standing up to Japanese soldiers.

�The guards watched us constantly. If we weren�t �speedo� enough, they�d slap us around the face: three, four, five times,� Twigg recalls. �Show defiance and the slaps become punches� then the boots go in. You curl up on the ground. The rifle butts slam into your head and if you�re lucky, you�ll pass out. If not, it�s back to work.

�By the end of the first week [in captivity], I�d come to a decision: escape was impossible, but I was going to survive. Darwinists call it the survival of the fittest; I�d call it survival of the most selfish bastards imaginable.�

Twigg explains how he began to focus on the jungle as �a fascinating new friend�, in his bid to endure the ordeal of living and working on the Death Railway.

�The floor was alive. Frogs the size of guinea pigs struck up their interminable noise along the river bank as soon as night fell,� he says.

�Centipedes were six inches long. I never counted the types of snake: some were poisonous, especially the ones with bright colours, and you learned to watch out for them and keep away.

�The brown, sluggish river drew everybody like a magnet. We�d soak in it after a gruelling day�s work. We drank it, boiling it at first when we had the opportunity but afterwards not giving a damn. We bathed in it, peed in it, relaxed in it and cooked our rice with it. We lived alongside it, built bridges across it. And buried our dead along its banks.�

After the war, Twigg returned to Britain and worked as a warehouseman until his retirement. Survivor On The River Kwai is published by Viking.

BANGKOK POST

Attached Images

500643.jpg (16.5 KB)

News: Thailand still a 'coup-prone country', new book claims

Khun Don — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:32:34 GMT

Thailand still a 'coup-prone country', new book claims

Published: 10 May 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Thailand has made poor progress making the transition from military to civilian rule and faces a "high risk" of future coups, the co-author of a new book on democratisation in Asia says.

"The more coups in the past, the more likely coups will take place in the future, so Thailand is a high-risk, coup-prone country," Democratisation and Civilian Control in Asia co-author Aurel Croissant said yesterday.

Thailand has experienced 18 coups since 1932. The book ranks Thailand fifth in the world for the number of coups staged between 1946 and 2010.

Ecuador topped the list, followed by Bolivia and Syria.

Speaking in Bangkok, Mr Croissant said the three factors that make Thailand vulnerable to coups include the lack of a strong civil society, legitimacy questions about the government and "a lot of coups in the past".

The book is based on research conducted in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

South Korea and Taiwan have made the greatest progress over the past five decades in making the transition from military to civilian rule, while Pakistan and Thailand have made the least, the research concluded.

Thailand's most recent coup was in September 2006, when the military overthrew prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

"The most important thing is to have a strong civilian consensus between political actors that they will not seek the army's support," Mr Croissant, also a political scientist at Heidelberg University in Germany, said.

Thailand, like other countries in the region, has yet to develop firm institutions for democratic control of the armed forces, he said.

The military has not been turned into an effective tool for the protection and security of citizens.

There might be some moves toward civilian control of the army, but such moves are never easy, Mr Croissant told the "Democratic Control of the Military: Thailand in Comparative Perspective" forum at Chulalongkorn University's Institute of Security and International Studies.

He said the military still poses a danger to democracy as it has the power to overthrow the government, so reforming the armed forces requires a process of trial and error.

Military reform is dependent on the growth of democracy, the economic and social climate, as well as regional and international conditions.

Chulalongkorn University associate professor on political science Panitan Wattanayagorn said democratic control of the military has rarely been seen in Thailand. But under certain governments headed by civilians, including Anand Panyarachun and Chuan Leekpai, efforts were made to gain more control over the military, he said.

Mr Panitan said civilian control of the armed forces was gradually increasing, but still required structural changes.

He said the presence of the Internal Security Operations Command was an indicator of the push towards reforming the role of the military and bringing it under civilian control.

He added that any move to allow greater civilian control of military reshuffles might be delayed until the Pheu Thai government succeeds with its proposed charter amendments.

BANGKOK POST

News: PM website hacked

Khun Don — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:59:06 GMT

PM website hacked

Published: 8 May 2013 at 17.31
Online news: Local News

The website of the Office of the Prime Minister was hacked on Wednesday, with an abusive message pasted next to an altered photograph of a laughing Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The message cast aspersions on Ms Yingluck's intelligence and her sexual morality.

It appeared on the cabinet list page http://www.opm.go.th/opminter/mainframe.asp.

The PM's Office's website was hacked to display a message and photo by the well-known Unlimited Hack Team, who denied responsibility.

At the end of the page was a message in smaller letters saying "I know that I am the worst Prime Minister ever in Thailand history!!!" and the name "Unlimited Hack Team!!!". It has been responsible for numerous attacks, most recently on Channel 3 TV's website and the Culture Ministry's home page.

The PM's Office's site was hacked at around noon Wednesday. Technicians struggled to deal with the problem. The website was still offline at the end of the business day on Wednesday.

Information and Communication Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap said he had been briefed about the attack on the website. The ministry is to work with police to find the hacker.

He said the ICT Ministry had dispatched a computer security team to collect digital evidence to track down the hacker.

"It is hard to estimate how long it would take the team to find the hacker because it depends on complexity and size of the computer system of the PM's Office," Gp Capt Anudith said.

"It might have been done by some teenagers... or maybe it was for political purposes,'' said Suranand Vejjajiva, the secretary-general to the PM's Office.

"Hacking a website is easy... but don't forget that checking who did it is not hard either," he told reporters.

"If we find them, they will be charged under the Computer Crime Act," he said, referring to a contentious law that rights groups say is sometimes used to muzzle online dissent.

"Unlimited Hack Team" announced on its Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon that it did not break into the website of the PM's Office.

According to the announcement, no members of the team did anything to the site. Unlimited Hack Team believed that the site was breached by another group of hackers who wanted to put blame on the team.

"Every time Unlimted Hack Team hacked a website we'll come out to claim responsibility," the announcement said. "People should wait for police to find the perpetrators and punish them."

Unlimited Hack Team has been around for a while. According to a lengthy video posted on YouTube, the "team" comprises two young men, who use well-known exploits and scripts to break into websites from a regular Windows Server PC.

The team posted a list of instructions, dated last New Year's Eve, on "how to avoid being hacked by the Unlimited Hack Team" but it appeared it was not taken seriously by administrators of sites including the Culture Ministry, TV Channel 3 and, now, the PM's Office.

The incident comes days after Ms Yingluck filed a defamation case was filed against Chai Rachawat, a cartoonist for the Thai Rath newspaper, for allegedly comparing her with a prostitute on his Facebook page.

His post apparently took aim at the premier's appearance at a democracy forum a day earlier in Mongolia, where she gave an unusually fiery speech condemning the 2006 coup that toppled her brother Thaksin as premier.

Since then debate has flared over what is an acceptable level of criticism of Ms Yingluck.

On Sunday, ICT Minister Anudith told reporters that websites that allow criticism of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will be shut down. His comment led to criticism from the opposition saying such action is a violation of democratic principles.

On Tuesday, Gp Capt Anudith backed down and said any such decision lies with the Criminal Court.

BANGKOK POST

News: Bribe-soliciting policeman sacked

Khun Don — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:23:17 GMT

Bribe-soliciting policeman sacked

Published: 7 May 2013 at 12.08
Online news: Local News

A traffic policeman has been dismissed after he was caught on camera taking bribes from motorists in Bang Na, deputy metropolitan police chief Anuchai Lekbamrung said on Tuesday.

Pol Maj Gen Anuchai named the officer as Pol Snr Sgt Maj Niphon Sokhai.

In the four-minute video clip, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Niphon is seen under the Bearing skytrain station furtively taking bribes from motorists and bikers instead of issuing them tickets.

The video was uploaded to YouTube by "Ekkaphan Bas" who explained that the clip was recorded on Sunday. There were two policemen - one was waving at cars and motorcycles to get them to stop and the other was "looking to steal" their money.

The officer was also seen giving change to some who gave them large banknotes.

Here are some of the popular comments on the video on YouTube:

"Police should prevent motorists from violating traffic laws, not just wait for them to break the law first."

"Tickets cost about 400 to 1,000 baht but some of us earn 300 baht a day. This is why we've to give bribes. Don't blame us because this is how the society works."

"Police have the duty to protect the law and wrongdoers have no right to negotiate."

"If all officers stick to just issuing tickets (without exploiting people), people would be afraid of breaking the law."

"Some police are tempted to take bribes because their wives are playing illegal shares, their mothers are addicted to gambling and their children are playing online games."

BANGKOK POST

News Update: King and Queen to appear Sunday: King, Queen miss coronation ceremony

Khun Don — Sat, 04 May 2013 09:58:14 GMT

King and Queen to appear Sunday

Published: 4 May 2013 at 11.41
Online news: Local News

Their Majesties the King and the Queen will appear at a ceremony to commemorate Coronation Day in the Amarin Winichai Throne Hall Sunday, according to an announcement by the Royal Household Bureau.

Their Majesties will leave Siriraj Hospital in the morning for the Grand Palace and at 10.30am they will go to the Amarin Winichai Throne Hall for the ceremony.

His Majesty will light candles at the ceremony which will be attended by 20 monks. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will also be present at the ceremony.

BANGKOK POST

News: Thailand remains top on USA's world 'dirty dozen'counterfeiters list

Khun Don — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:05:38 GMT

Thailand remains on 'dirty dozen' list

Published: 1 May 2013 at 21.21
Online news: Local News

WASHINGTON - Thailand has been put at the top of the list of the world's worst violators of intellectual property for another year.

496892.jpg
Music, movies and counterfeit goods are still on sale in blatant quantities, so Thailand will stay on the Special 301 Report of the world's worst pirates of intellectual property, as compiled by the US Trade Representative. (File photo by Patipat Janthong)

The annual Special 301 Report by the US Trade Representative places Thailand on the ``priority watch list'' with nine other countries for the seventh consecutive year.

"Ten countries - Algeria, Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, and Venezuela - are on the Priority Watch List," the report said. The "USTR will seek to engage intensively with these countries, as appropriate, during the coming year."

In theory, presence at the top of the watch list can bring punitive trade retaliation including special duties and sanctions. In practice, this never has happened.

Thai officials were disappoined but not surprised by the decision. Patchima Thanasanti, head of the Department of Intellectual Property, said before the report came out late Wednesday that the US was unhappy with IP protection in Thailand.

"The United States views that the problem has not declined for the past five years and that Thailand has no serious law to protect intellectual property," she was reported as telling Thailand-Business-News.com

She predicted there could be a comprehensive law to protect intellectual property by next year.

The USTR remained concerned, as it was last year, that Thailand has failed to pass laws protecting intellectual property.

"Thailand remains on the Priority Watch List in 2013," it states in the section on Thailand. "The United States is prepared to review that status if Thailand makes significant progress in passing key legislative initiatives.

It calls for more crackdowns on open sales of copyright and counterfeit goods, "and to impose deterrent-level (prison) sentences".

According to the US agency, Thailand should:

- end piracy of cable and satellite signals

- make landlords liable for sales of pirated and counterfeit goods in or on their property

- put a stop to the rapidly growing problem of copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting on the internet

- stop "camcording", or recording of motion pictures inside cinemas using video cameras or smartphones

- stop the leaking of test results and marketing plans for drugs, pharmaceuticals and chemicals for agricultural use

- hold more discussions with "stakeholders" (i.e. drug companies) on medical patents

BANGKOK POST

Attached Images

496892.jpg (69.8 KB)

News: DSI clears soldiers in 2010 clashes

Khun Don — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:27:21 GMT

DSI clears soldiers in 2010 clashes

Published: 1 May 2013 at 18.09
Online news: Politics

The chief of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said on Wednesday that military officers ordered to crack down on red shirt protesters in 2010 could not be held responsible for the deaths of civilians killed as a result.

496861.jpg
Armoured personnel carrier smashes through defence lines build by red-shirt protesters during their takeover of central Bangkok in 2010. (Bangkok Post file photo)

Tarit Pengdith announced the decision after a meeting with DSI officials in charge of investigating the 91 deaths during the red shirt street protests in April and May of 2010.

He said the meeting concluded the soldiers at that time were just doing their duty as assigned by their superiors. As a result, they will not be held accountable and will be protected by Section 70 of the Criminal Code, which states that those acting on orders by their commanders are immune from prosecution.

On May 14, the DSI will summon former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy prime minister at the time, Suthep Thaugsuban, to acknowledge additional lawsuits against them.

The new charges came after the Criminal Court ruled in two cases, calling the death of 14-year-old Kunakorn "Nong Isa" Srisuwan premeditated murder, and the wounding of Samon Maithong a case of attempted murder.

�The death of Kunakorn Srisuwan was in the same incident that killed (taxi driver) Phan Kamkong and seriously injured Samon Maithong, the van driver. All of them were affected by the same military operation, (and) as a result the three cases are merged into one case," Mr Tarit said.

�So we need to summon Mr Abhisit and Mr Suhtep to hear the additional charges so that the accused can understand charges and facts" of the cases, he said.

The Criminal Court ruled last December that Kunakorn was killed by a military gunshot on Mor Leng Road in front of the OA cinema, about 20 metres off Ratchaprarop Road, on May 15, 2010.

The court said Mr Samorn was seriously wounded by military fire as he was driving a van into the army's restricted zone near a military checkpoint at Ratchaprarop Airport Rail Link station.

The court ruled last September that taxi driver Phan Kamkong had been shot and killed by troops near the Airport Rail Link as well.

The DSI chief also said his agency is preparing to arrest three suspects believed responsible for killing Gen Romklao Thuwatham during unrest near the Democracy Monument in 2010.

Investigators would soon present evidence to the public prosecutor to ask the court for arrest warrants for three unidentified men whose images were in photographs of the crime scene.

Gen Romklao, then a colonel, was killed in a grenade attack on April 10, 2010, while he and troops were trying to reclaim an area occupied by red shirts near the Democracy Monument.

BANGKOK POST

Attached Images

496861.jpg (65.9 KB)