Global News Post: Thailand

Thai Authority Ban Pseudoephedrine, Paracetamol

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BANGKOK (NNN-Bernama) -- Thai Public Health Minister, Wittaya Buranasiri has ordered, in a ministerial notice, a nationwide ban on sales of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, which is used by illegal drug makers, as proposed by the ministry's Food and Drug Administration (FDA). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Thai News Agency (TNA) reported, under the official ban, effective April 3, those who are not legally licensed to hold the cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine are to face 1-5 jail term each and to be each fined 20,000-100,000 baht (US$645.89-US$3,229.45). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thai FDA Secretary-General Dr Pipat Yingseri said that his agency will also require small hospitals and pharmacy shops across the country to return the medicines containing pseudoephedrine and paracetamol tablets to manufacturers within 30 days. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The manufacturers must then return the banned medicines to the FDA or legal action will be taken against them if neglected. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dr Pipat said that pseudoephedrine and paracetamol belong to the antihistamines group, which causes dizziness, headaches and several other side effects, saying that the FDA was set to invite manufacturers of medicines containing pseudoephedrine for a meeting in Bangkok on Wednesday so that they will better understand why the ban is necessary. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Local media reports have said that pseudoephedrine in cold medicines were used by drug makers as a precursor of narcotics.--NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Thai Authority Ban Pseudoephedrine, Paracetamol

BANGKOK (NNN-Bernama) -- Thai Public Health Minister, Wittaya Buranasiri has ordered, in a ministerial notice, a nationwide ban on sales o...

Red Bull Co-Founder Dies in Thailand

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeCb_PuZg6xG5RfeIKxIr8S9J89nh1PWrbS995qU69J4nxlvErfnZDVGN7u6OeOlr9nprgop7oqr-JdFFUv-KFpMBRWAEaF6PL6yYmHthB-S6vJY9c6OcwtX78m97qE3GyYDqvpYcWQM/s1600/110258650_7024c7ddba_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeCb_PuZg6xG5RfeIKxIr8S9J89nh1PWrbS995qU69J4nxlvErfnZDVGN7u6OeOlr9nprgop7oqr-JdFFUv-KFpMBRWAEaF6PL6yYmHthB-S6vJY9c6OcwtX78m97qE3GyYDqvpYcWQM/s320/110258650_7024c7ddba_z.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing"><i>Red Bull – Energy Drink<o:p></o:p></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing"><i>Photo © <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/themastershakesignal/110258650/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">flickr.com/themastershakesignal</span></a><o:p></o:p></i></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">MOSCOW (RIA Novosti)--- Billionaire Chaleo Yoovidhya, one of the founders of energy drink Red Bull, died at the age of 89 in Thailand, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported on Saturday.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chaleo died in a hospital in the Thai city of Bangkok. He was the country's second richest man with a fortune of $5 billion last year according to Forbes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">His TC Pharmaceuticals company has been producing a tonic drink called Krating Daeng ("Red Bull") since 1970s using caffeine, taurine and B vitamins as ingredients.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> The drink became very popular among factory shift workers and truck drivers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In the 1980s Chaleo founded Red Bull with Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz and they started selling the drink in Austria in 1987.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Nowadays Red Bull is being sold in 160 countries worldwide and is one of the most famous energy drinks.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Red Bull Co-Founder Dies in Thailand

Red Bull – Energy Drink Photo © flickr.com/themastershakesignal MOSCOW (RIA Novosti)--- Billionaire Chaleo Yoovidhya, one of the founder...

Thai Flood Death Toll Rises Past 500

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<h2 style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal;">Thai officials say the death toll from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region></st1:place>'s most severe flooding in 50 years has climbed to more than 500.</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Authorities say the flood waters are threatening <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city>'s largest outdoor shopping zone, the famed Chatuchak market.<span>  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The Associated Press reports water has inundated a two-lane road underneath <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city>'s Mo Chit Skytrain station, one of the city's elevated train platforms. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Thailand</span></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">'s prime minister assured the residents of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> Saturday that flooding in the capital's center would be minor and brief.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">In her weekly radio address, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said a barrier of huge sandbags had been completed and drainage systems would keep the city's economic and political center mostly dry.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The flood waters have affected more than three million households across three quarters of the country's provinces.<span>  </span>The estimated financial damage is already in the billions of dollars.<span>  </span>The waters have so far inundated almost 10,000 factories, resulting in the loss of 660,000 jobs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Despite the damage, Thai central bank governor Prasarn Trulratvorakul says economic recovery is possible if the waters recede by early December and domestic spending is revived. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Thai Flood Death Toll Rises Past 500

Thai officials say the death toll from Thailand 's most severe flooding in 50 years has climbed to more than 500. Authorities say the ...

Thai Anger Grows as Floods Hit Some, Spare Others

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span>  </span><span> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Anger and frustration are rising in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:city></st1:place>'s northern and western suburbs, where successful efforts to save the city center from swirling floodwaters have led to even more misery.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In some cases, vigilante groups have broken holes in the makeshift barriers protecting central <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> to let the waist-deep floodwaters escape more quickly from their own communities.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra ordered one floodgate opened an extra meter to allow more water to drain to the sea. But city government officials warned the action could put some downtown areas at risk.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Officials said the waters should begin to recede after an unusually high tide passed Monday without forcing the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Chao Phraya</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> to overflow the barriers along its banks.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">But in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city>'s northern Laksi area, residents like Parait Pin-ngern said Tuesday the water level is still rising.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">"The water was stable and seemed to decrease around the 20th, so we came back. But today it rises dramatically," said Pin-ngern. "This time, we're almost too late to leave, as the water is one meter high in our house. This is unexpected level because this place is on a high ground.''<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">He said he was lucky to escape from his house before it was too late.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The argument over which neighborhoods to protect and which to let flood is aggravated by <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s recent history of political strife.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The prime minister and the governor of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:city></st1:place> are from opposing political parties with very different constituencies. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>

Thai Anger Grows as Floods Hit Some, Spare Others

Anger and frustration are rising in Bangkok 's northern and western suburbs, where successful efforts to save the city center from...

Thai Floodwaters Enter Bangkok’s Grand Palace

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Thai Floodwaters Enter Bangkok’s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Grand</st1:placename>  <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">By Gabby Paluch from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUaV2OaGU7P4hGQwiYZuAsiFd84Ft1-5e3g0EeAV1LC-Ijt6d8Ry9fAoJo3YcIIN-juZmpRHoHIBvwepDi7NJZ-BAlnFWROdmBmFLd__mhaSvYTMskWKgzFcBFo3JdhuT0IN86no29q0/s1600/Thai_Floods_Gabrielle_Paluch_VOA_2-resizedpx480q100shp8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUaV2OaGU7P4hGQwiYZuAsiFd84Ft1-5e3g0EeAV1LC-Ijt6d8Ry9fAoJo3YcIIN-juZmpRHoHIBvwepDi7NJZ-BAlnFWROdmBmFLd__mhaSvYTMskWKgzFcBFo3JdhuT0IN86no29q0/s1600/Thai_Floods_Gabrielle_Paluch_VOA_2-resizedpx480q100shp8.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 10px;">A girl swims in the floodwater in front of <st1:city w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:city>'s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Grand</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place> in<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 7pt; line-height: 10px;">a riverside neighborhood, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Photo: Gabrielle Paluch - VOA</span></i></div></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Thailand</span></st1:country-region><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">’s flood waters have reached <st1:city w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:city>’s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Grand</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>, a historical site that once housed Thai kings, and is now a major tourist attraction.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Thousands are leaving <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> as the country's worst floods in decades inundate parts of the capital. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Bangkok</span></st1:city><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">’s <st1:placename w:st="on">Chao Phraya</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype> spilled over into historical riverside buildings Friday, including the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Grand</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>. At the former home of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s monarchies, soldiers scrambled to pump out ankle-deep water.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">When the tides receded, the landmarks were dry and open. But after days of tourists and locals fleeing the Thai capital, the normally crowded historic district was calm.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">Two tourists from <st1:city w:st="on">Venice</st1:city> traveling together who gave only their first names, David and Eduardo, said they frequently come to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> for vacation.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">But they lamented that some places were closed due to the flooding.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">DAVID: "I want to go with the boat today but it’s not possible because the service is closed."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">EDUARDO: "It’s not possible because the market is closed!"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">DAVID: "I go to the hotel. I sleep.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The flooding has interrupted supermarket supply chains. Residents stocking up on supplies have emptied <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city>’s shelves of essentials.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">Some grocery stores are now rationing food and water as anxiety grows over more severe flooding expected this weekend.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">Nineteen-year-old James from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Britain</st1:country-region> plans to travel to northern <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region> with a friend. He says he is not very worried about the floods, but has noticed the empty store shelves.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">“It’s very hard to get bottled water though. There’s not a lot of bottled water around, so that’s a problem. But not much else,” James says.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;">With riverside neighborhoods now routinely flooding during high tide, there is concern that even higher tides in the coming days and more floodwaters from the north could worsen the situation.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Thailand</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">’s central plains have been inundated for months, closing several industrial parks, crippling manufacturing, and killing hundreds.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Foreign governments, including the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>, have warned citizens against unessential travel due to the transportation difficulties and shortages of food. ---VOA News<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Thai Floodwaters Enter Bangkok’s Grand Palace

Thai Floodwaters Enter Bangkok’s Grand Palace By Gabby Paluch from Bangkok A girl swims in the floodwater in front of Bangkok 's ...

THAILAND: Disaster "is imminent and inevitable"

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillyTW3AJd4OJzLcAvpNSd7d6ekI09z5eoBAZjsufUzhoxTjaLmyf-b-GEjVw0TKFQkyq6cxh6VXbridvOVvRTtGUvNCb86p9Ey3tRfxwgIyp-fQEMstjj_SpNBzEP8qVxOel_8_hfvjw/s1600/thailanddisaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillyTW3AJd4OJzLcAvpNSd7d6ekI09z5eoBAZjsufUzhoxTjaLmyf-b-GEjVw0TKFQkyq6cxh6VXbridvOVvRTtGUvNCb86p9Ey3tRfxwgIyp-fQEMstjj_SpNBzEP8qVxOel_8_hfvjw/s1600/thailanddisaster.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 7pt;">Residents brace for unknown</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> </span></i></span><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 7pt;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/philiproeland/6264016524/in/set-72157627890116762"><span style="background-color: white; text-decoration: none;">Photo: Philip Roeland/Flickr</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">BANGKOK (IRIN) - The equivalent of 160,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools (400 million cubic metres of water) is set to run through Thailand's capital, which can only drain a small fraction daily, according to the government's flood relief operation centre on 26 October. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Floods will hit every area of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city>, but each area will see different levels of water," said the director of the centre, Pracha Promnok, as quoted in local media. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Run-off from flooding in the north and a seasonal high tide are expected to push water levels in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city>'s largest river above the city's 2.5m-high embankment. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The size of the population - more than eight million residents - coupled with the run-off, has made for an unprecedented and atypical emergency, said Kirsten Mildren, information officer for <st1:place w:st="on">Southeast Asia</st1:place> at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), who has worked in disasters for almost a decade. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"I cannot think of another emergency where I have seen it like this, where you have got the authorities and emergency services really battling to get the water to move around a city of this size. It is really incredible." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The government's irrigation department has been trying to spare the city by pumping the deluge around the city's perimeter through canals and selectively opening flood gates. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">While the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) in a 23 October flood update requested residents not to panic, it did little to assuage fears: "Upon assessing the situation with all indicators, BMA would like to inform that a rather serious upcoming [disaster] is very imminent and inevitable." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">These types of warnings have only amplified public uncertainty, said Bhichit Rattakul, a former governor of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> and now executive director of the Bangkok-based NGO Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Nationwide, 28 of 76 provinces have been flooded in this year's monsoon that started in late July; six of the country's major dams are at 99 percent capacity or higher, according to the national relief centre. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The airport where the centre operates has been closed, with two terminals under 80cm of water and all flights grounded. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As of 26 October, there have been 821 flood-related deaths in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Cambodia</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Vietnam</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Laos</st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Philippines</st1:place></st1:country-region>, where more than eight million people continue to be affected by severe flooding, according to the governments.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

THAILAND: Disaster "is imminent and inevitable"

Residents brace for unknown Photo: Philip Roeland/Flickr BANGKOK (IRIN) - The equivalent of 160,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools (400 mi...

Thailand: Nearly 10,000 Factories Damaged By Flood

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQ-YdXcHx8_X4MYHT99cx_I21tkcpB_4zg1jKua6OyV1K4Wj4030jNM-Pu4l7Sn9KBsW48OuRv7L5EMqdysmVsJB_s3aZLEtCrdtKrxE3h3vrFC8D8gnjgO9GbPtBv_vslDf39o-pjgQ/s1600/thaifloodsflickr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQ-YdXcHx8_X4MYHT99cx_I21tkcpB_4zg1jKua6OyV1K4Wj4030jNM-Pu4l7Sn9KBsW48OuRv7L5EMqdysmVsJB_s3aZLEtCrdtKrxE3h3vrFC8D8gnjgO9GbPtBv_vslDf39o-pjgQ/s320/thaifloodsflickr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 7.0pt;">© <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/6279842281/sizes/z/in/photostream/"><span style="text-decoration: none;">flickr.com/dvidshub</span></a></span></i><span style="font-size: 7.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">BANGKOK – Thailand’s worst flooding in memory has caused damage to almost 10,000 factories, forcing some 660,000 employees temporarily into unemployment, according to Deputy Industry Minister Suphap Kleekachai.</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Mr Suphap said that a total of 9,859 factories have closed – both inside and outside the industrial estates affected by the worst flooding -- while the disaster has affected at least short-term and perhaps longer-term unemployment for 660,000 workers who were employed by the factories. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Seven industrial estates in <st1:city w:st="on">Ayutthaya</st1:city> and Pathum Thani -- Saha Rattana Nakhon, Bang Pa-in, Rojana, Hi-Tech, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Factory</st1:placename>  <st1:placetype w:st="on">Land</st1:placetype></st1:place>, Nava Nakorn and Bangkadi -- were earlier forced to close due to the deep floodwater. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Lat Krabang Industrial Estate in Lat Krabang district and Bangchan Industrial Estate in Min Buri district are on 'high guard' to fight the deep floodwater expected to flow into the areas in the next few days. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">He said 838 factories in the seven industrial parks and estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani were hit by the flood and that 382,693 workers were unemployed which caused direct damage of nearly Bt500 billion, while indirect damage could add another Bt300 billion to the losses. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Mr Suphap said the ministry would set up a working group to inspect all factories to evaluate the damage incurred. Details and exact costs of the collective damages wil be submitted to the government for its consideration of extending assistance. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The ministry will also form a panel to rehabilitate the factories, and contact persons will be appointed to coordinate between the public and private sectors to revive the businesses as quickly as possible. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The deputy minister said the government would try its best to protect the remaining industrial estates. The managers of all the industrial estates are prepared to give maximum protection to their properties. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Meanwhile, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said Wednesday that there is no immediate impact on its ratings on Japanese automakers and suppliers after <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s floods disrupted their supply chains. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The floods have forced companies including Toyota Motor Corp.(AA-/Negative/A-1 ), Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (A /Negative/A-1), Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (BBB /Stable/A-2), and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (B /Stable/--) to temporarily suspend operations at their plants in Thailand. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The country is the largest manufacturing base in <st1:place w:st="on">Southeast Asia</st1:place> for the Japanese automobile industry. In some cases, the supply chain disruptions are also affecting vehicle production outside <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Thailand's severe floods could slow recovery in the profitability of Japanese automakers and suppliers, after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March caused production cuts in the first half of the current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2012),the rating agency said in a statement. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"However, we currently do not expect the impact of the floods to be as severe and prolonged as the production cuts that we saw after the earthquake. This is because Thai-made parts and vehicles are generally less difficult to replace than those made in other regions. Therefore, we do not expect the floods to cause protracted pressure on Japanese automakers' profitability and to have a long-term impact on their market positions," the statement said. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Nevertheless, if the floods eventually result in severe and extended production cuts that lead us to believe that they will likely impair the automakers' profitability and market positions in a serious manner over the long run, we may consider negative rating actions," the statement said. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The Associated Press news agency reports that Toyota Motor Corp. is trimming production this week at its group assembly plants in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region> due to a shortage of parts from suppliers in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>, where severe flooding has disrupted its supply chain. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">AP quoted <st1:city w:st="on">Toyota</st1:city> official Shiori Hashimoto as saying on Wednesday that <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>'s biggest automaker has suspended overtime work from Monday to Friday at four <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Toyota</st1:place></st1:city> factories and seven group companies that assemble cars and trucks. The company estimates it will lose 6,300 units due to the cutback. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">That's on top of the estimated 37,500 units in lost output through Oct. 21 from its three Thai assembly plants, which have been shut down since Oct. 10. They will remain suspended until Friday, Hashimoto was quoted as saying. -- NNN-TNA<o:p></o:p></span></i></div></div>

Thailand: Nearly 10,000 Factories Damaged By Flood

Thai PM Warns Swollen River Could Flood Inner Bangkok

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bangkok residents are bracing for rising flood waters that the prime minister says could inundate low-lying areas in the coming days.  Although most of the capital is still dry, the prime minister is urging people near the city’s Chao Phraya river to move to higher ground.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A surge of flood water from the north and east is expected to arrive in Bangkok Thursday, straining the city’s flood barriers and drainage canals.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In a televised address Tuesday evening, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announced parts of central Bangkok could soon be under water.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She says, despite efforts to divert and drain flood waters away from the capital, the volume of water is more than they can handle.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She says if flood barriers collapse or the coastal tide is higher than expected, inner Bangkok will be flooded. She says, because  different areas of Bangkok have different heights, flooding in the capital would range in depth from a low of 10 centimeters up to one and a half meters.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One test will be whether flood barriers around the perimeter of the city’s more heavily populated areas can successfully divert flood waters away from the downtown. If the barriers hold, communities outside the dikes are expected to be under as much as 1.5 meters of water.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The other worry is the Chao Phraya river that runs through the heart of the city to the Gulf of Thailand.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Run-off from northern flood waters already has raised the river to its highest level in years.  At high tide during the expected flood surge, Thursday, authorities say the river could rise above flood walls that line its banks, spilling into the city.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The prime minister warned residents living along the river to move to higher ground.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She says the areas of highest risk in Bangkok are those along the Chao Phraya’s banks, including those along and outside of flood prevention walls.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The prime minister’s comments came just hours after flood waters entered Bangkok’s main domestic airport, Don Muang, forcing authorities to cancel all flights.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The airport was also being used as the government’s flood relief and command center and to house thousands of flood evacuees.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They were being evacuated further south, but the prime minister Wednesday said authorities will  continue to use the airport to coordinate flood prevention and relief efforts. ---VOA NEWS</span></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>

Thai PM Warns Swollen River Could Flood Inner Bangkok

Bangkok residents are bracing for rising flood waters that the prime minister says could inundate low-lying areas in the coming days. Alth...

Malaysia Hands Over US$1 Million to Thailand

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt;">By Jamaluddin Muhammad <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">BANGKOK</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-Bernama) -- <st1:country-region w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:country-region> today handed over US$1 million <span> </span><span> </span>to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region> as the latter battles the worst flood in decades. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman gave the money to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the Flood Relief Operations Command Centre at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Don</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Muaeng</st1:placename>  <st1:placetype w:st="on">Airport</st1:placetype></st1:place> here. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"<st1:country-region w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:country-region> hopes the assistance will contribute to easing the hardship faced by the people of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region>," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The minister said the Thai premier appreciated <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s assistance and gave an indication that floods in the northern and central regions would recede in two weeks. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Also present at the ceremony was Malaysian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Thailand Nazirah Hussain. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Speaking to Bernama later, Anifah said the Malaysian Government would monitor the critical flood development and was willing to extend further assistance if the need arose. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He said the Malaysian Government was also willing to assist Malaysian manufacturers based in this country, whose businesses were affected by the floods. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The assistance may include tax exemption, among others," said Anifah, adding that Malaysian companies should also help the Thai Government and its people in addressing the current flood woes. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">During the brief visit, Anifah also met one of the badly-affected Malaysian companies, Aapico, which manufactures automobile components and estimated its damages at more than RM200 million, as a result of the floods. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On Asean assistance to member countries facing this kind of crisis, the foreign minister hoped the setting up of the Asean Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Assistance could be materialised at the Asean Summit in <st1:place w:st="on">Bali</st1:place> next November. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">About one-third of the country remains inundated, with 2.4 million people from more than 10,000 villages in 28 provinces in the northern and central regions, reeling from the after-effects of the disaster. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The flood struck the country in stages from July 25, resulting in the loss of 356 lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Over 14,000 factories with employed more than 660,000 workers are badly hit by the floods. According to the National Economic and Social Development Board, damage to the industrial sector is estimated at more than 100 billion Baht (about RM10 billion), and agricultural sector at more than 40 billion Baht (about RM4 billion), as a result of the crisis. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Centre for Economic and Business Forecast at the <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Thai Chamber of Commerce</st1:placename> estimated losses could hit 500 billion Baht (about RM50 billion), if the flood hits <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city>'s suburbs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">About 10 Malaysian manufacturing plants involved in automobiles component and electrical and electronic sectors were affected by the flood.--NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Malaysia Hands Over US$1 Million to Thailand

By Jamaluddin Muhammad BANGKOK (NNN-Bernama) -- Malaysia today handed over US$1 million to Thailand as the latter battles the worst...

Thailand: PM Assures Public That Government Will Devote Full Effort To Tackling Flood Problem

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">BANGKOK</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-TNA) -- Prime Minsiter Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday reassured the public that the government would do its utmost to tackle the flood problem and it was prepared to take care of flood victims.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Ms Yingluck addressed the nation on her weekly programme "Yingluck Government Meets the Public" via National Broadcasting Television (NBT), Channel 11 and Radio Thailand stating that 56 provinces were affected by the flood and among them, 10 provinces were badly hit: Nakhon Sawan, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Lop Buri, Ang Thong, Sing Buri, Chai Nat, Uthai Thani, and Chachoengsao.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The most critical situations were Nakhon Sawan, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ayutthaya</st1:place></st1:city> and Pathum Thani.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">She said the government was trying to drain floodwater into the sea as quickly as possible while important areas and strategic locations would be protected, including business areas, industrial estates, airports, flood victim shelters, major cities in provinces and inner Bangkok.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The government's Flood Relief Operations Centre has assigned the armed forces, police and relevant agencies to cooperate in addressing the flood problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The government has drained floodwater into the sea with three channels, in the Chao Phraya River, fleet of ships will push water to the sea; on the eastern side of Bangkok, flood water would be diverted from Nakhon Nayok and Bang Pakong Rivers, also dredged seven main canals in which three canals have been completed and could facilitate the water flow. On the western side of <st1:city w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:city>, the water would be drained into <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Tha</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Chin</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> but because of the winding of river, shortcut would be dug to speed up the drainage," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As for <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> protection, she said, the government has built three rows of flood prevention dykes with reinforcements and more height having been added. One additional row between Klong Rapeepat and Pratunam Pra-in for 24 kilometers was expected to be completed soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">At Ban Phrao water sluice gate, which had ruptured, Ms Yingluck said repair work was expected to be finished today but she asked for cooperation from residents not to dismantle the dyke, and asserted that the government would give its full effort to help the flood victims.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The government had received more than Bt400 million in donations which would later distributed to help all the victims, she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The premier said that many foreign countries - <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">South Korea</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Laos</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Denmark</st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United  States</st1:country-region> - have offered assistance particularly the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> which proposed to send 28 helicopters to help search for victims, perform evacuations and transport heavy equipment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">She urged the public to have confidence in the government and asked them to join in fighting the problem and overcoming the difficulty together. -- NNN-TNA</span></div></div>

Thailand: PM Assures Public That Government Will Devote Full Effort To Tackling Flood Problem

BANGKOK (NNN-TNA) -- Prime Minsiter Yingluck Shinawatra on Saturday reassured the public that the government would do its utmost to tackl...

Thailand Seeks United States Help To Deal With Floods

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span>  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 8.0pt;">By Jamaluddin Muhammad <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">BANGKOK</span></st1:city><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-Bernama) -- <st1:country-region w:st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region> has sought help from the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United   States</st1:place></st1:country-region> to deal with its critical flood situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Foreign Minister Dr Surapong Tovichakchaikul said today, <st1:city w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:city> had requested <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> to send its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to facilitate disaster relief and emergency assistance. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"FEMA's experience in dealing with disaster, coupled with its technological expertise, could facilitate our response to the flood situation now," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">FEMA, an agency of the US Department of Homeland, is widely known for its capabilities in coordinating response to disasters, ranging from flood, hurricane to nuclear threats. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Justice Minister Pol Gen Pracha Promnok, who is also Flood Relief Operation Command director, said the Netherlands Government had also sent experts to help <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thailand</st1:place></st1:country-region> address its flood problem in the long term. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">On the flood situation in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city>, Pracha said the floodwater run-off from the northern and central regions was expected to reach the capital tomorrow, adding that the authorities were confident the city would be safe as the situation was under control. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He said the run-off water level from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Chao   Phraya</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> would be between 2.3 and 2.4 metres, lower than the 2.5 metre-high floodwalls in the capital. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Therefore, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> is safe," he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Royal Irrigation Department Director-General Chalit Damrongsak said the run-off flow would be 3,600 cubic metres per second, lower than the earlier projection of 3,800 cubic metres per second. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Bangkok Metropolitan Authority yesterday gave an assurance that the <st1:city w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:city> floodwalls were strong as they were made of reinforced concrete as compared to temporary floodwalls made of sandbags which have been breached in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ayutthaya</st1:place></st1:city>, Nakhon Sawan and Phatum Thani. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Pracha said the flood situation in the capital was stable now although it faced threat of floodwater run-off, rain and high sea tide between today and <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Sunday. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He said no new area had been affected by the floods, apart from parts of eastern <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> in the district of Ladkrabang, Sai Mai, Jarakhea Yai, Nongjok, Minburi and Pravate. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The <st1:placename w:st="on">Suvarnabhumi</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">International</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Airport</st1:placetype>, which is located in eastern <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city>, is currently, safe from the floods. --NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Thailand Seeks United States Help To Deal With Floods

By Jamaluddin Muhammad BANGKOK (NNN-Bernama) -- Thailand has sought help from the United States to deal with its critical flood si...

Thailand's Flood Death Toll Reaches 261, 2.3 Million Affected

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">BANGKOK (NNN-Xinhua) -- Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported on Sunday that flooding situation still continued in 30 provinces, making flood death toll 261 with four missing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Wibul Sanguanpong, director-general of the department, said those 30 provinces still facing floods included Sukhothai, Phichit, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Nayok, Kamphaeng Phet, Tak in central region, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Roi-et, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram in northeastern region, Prachin Buri in eastern region and northern Chiang Mai provinces. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Approximately 2.34 million people in 10,130 villages have been hit by flood waters. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In one of the most affected Ayudhaya, an ancient city in central plain, authorities have begun to evacuate patients from Ayutthaya Hospital, where flood waters rose over two meters high. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Most of the 600 patients were being evacuated to the city hall while those requiring intensive medical care would be flown to hospitals in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bangkok</st1:place></st1:city> by helicopters, according to the department. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The country is among the South East Asian countries -- <st1:country-region w:st="on">Cambodia</st1:country-region>, the <st1:country-region w:st="on">Philippines</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Vietnam</st1:place></st1:country-region>, which have been lashed by tropical storms and heavy monsoon-triggered rains. Since July 25, the country continues to suffer from widespread floods, which was said the worst since 1995. – NNN-Xinhua<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br />
</span></div></div>

Thailand's Flood Death Toll Reaches 261, 2.3 Million Affected

BANGKOK (NNN-Xinhua) -- Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported on Sunday that flooding situation still continued in 30 p...

Thailand: 17 Bangkok Locations Submerged After Heavy Rain Overnight

Thailand: 17 Bangkok Locations Submerged After Heavy Rain Overnight

BANGKOK (NNN-TNA) -- Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra inspected the flood situation at Ratchadapisek Road after more than 100 mill...

Thailand: Heavy rains return Northern provinces to critical flood-stage

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><span>  </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">CHIANG MAI (NNN-TNA): Flooding in northern <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Thailand</st1:country-region></st1:place> is critical again after heavy overnight rains caused land and rock slides to block roads in Lampang and elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Rescue workers also directed traffic after slides blocked the Lampang-Phrae road at Ban Pha Lad, eight kilometers from the Lampang provincial seat, leaving only one lane passable for inbound and outbound traffic.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In addition, a Lampang-Bangkok flight was cancelled Monday, unable to take off due to the flooded runway.-NNN-TNA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Many routes including the Chiang Mai-Hot, Chiang Mai-Mae Sariang (Mae Hong Son) were flooded as the water level on the roads continued to rise, with the strong currents making the roads inaccessible to all kinds of vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Tourists and residents alike were stranded at Hot in Chiang Mai, with hundreds of vehicles unable to move along roads that were underwater.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In the central <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">province</st1:placetype>  of <st1:placename w:st="on">Pathum Thani</st1:placename></st1:place>, flooding remains critical, with the Mon community at Chiang Rak Noi subdistict under two metres of floodwater. The authorities cautioned residents that the floods could continue for at least three months.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Pathum Thani Provincial Adminstration Organisation strengthened its temporary dyke with 80 cm to 140 cm of added earth as the water level in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Chao Phraya</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">River</st1:placetype></st1:place> is still high and shows no sign of receding.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Lampang <st1:placetype w:st="on">Airport</st1:placetype> has been flooded, with 100 metres of runway under one metre of water. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Lampang aeronautical communications center Monday morning instructed pilots of a 70-seat Bangkok-Lampang flight to divert to Chiang Mai for an alternative landing there instead. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Passengers on-board the diverted flight were transported to Lampang by surface. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The Lampang-Phayao road at Ban Dong subdistrict office in Mae Mo was hit by landslide while the municipality was flooded with forest runoff.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Thailand: Heavy rains return Northern provinces to critical flood-stage

CHIANG MAI (NNN-TNA): Flooding in northern Thailand is critical again after heavy overnight rains caused land and rock slides to block ...

Three killed, 118 injured by explosions in Thailand

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">BANGKOK (RIA Novosti)- A series of explosions blasted on Friday night in Thailand's town of Sungai Kolok killing three people and injuring 118, the local media reported on Saturday.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Three bombs hidden on parked motorcycles exploded within 30 minutes in the center of Sungai Kolok, located in the tourist area of Thai-Malaysian border about 800 km south of Bangkok.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A motorcycle packed with explosives blasted at about 7 p.m. local time near one of the offices. The explosion killed one office worker and injured more than 20 people in the street.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Fifteen minutes later, a second motorcycle blasted about 300 meters away from the first explosion between a bar and Thai telecommunications company office. Several dozens of Thai and Malaysian people were injured.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At 7:20 p.m., a car exploded in front of the Merlin Hotel. The blast killed a Malaysian tourist and injured several dozens of people, damaged cars and a facade of the building.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Police and security forces cordoned the town and arrested two suspects, reported Bangkok Post.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mobile communication in the area was switched off in order to prevent the further bombings as militant separatists often use mobile phones to activate the remote detonators.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The triple bombing is the second act of terrorism in the last six years happened in the tourist area in the south of Thailand.</span></div></div>

Three killed, 118 injured by explosions in Thailand

BANGKOK (RIA Novosti)- A series of explosions blasted on Friday night in Thailand's town of Sungai Kolok killing three people and injur...

Thailand: Reporters Urge Pm to Act on Threat against the Media

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Journalists-Peril-Media-Studies-Woodhull/dp/0765804417?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Journalists in Peril (Media Studies Series)" height="320" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0765804417&tag=glob036-20" width="214" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=glob036-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0765804417" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />BANGKOK (NNN-TNA) -- A group of television channel 7 reporters on Thursday submitted an open letter to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra after a female television reporter was threatened by some supporters of the ruling Pheu Thai Party and the Red Shirt movement after she asked questions that the prime minister refused to answer. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The reporters' move came after messages were distributed online with the name and picture of a female reporter of television channel 7, inciting hatred among the recipients and urging them to act against her wherever she is seen. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The media group said the action was considered a threat to freedom of the press and the work of the media. They urged the prime minister to take action against the movement as the threatened reporter reaffirmed that she is impartial. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Upon receiving the letter, the prime minister said she would follow up the case and said she welcomed the media to work freely. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said the party disagreed with the action and is now investigating the origin of the message but said a third party may exploit the situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr Prompong said he would coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology to block the dissemination of such messages. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In other incident, two men were hurt by some Red Shirt activists gathering outside the Parliament compound during the third day of the government's policy statement delivery after the pair laid a wreath protesting the work of House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranond. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the injured, identified as Yuthabhum Tanleng, 34, was harmed when the Red Shirt protesters grasped the wreath, forcing him and a friend to run for their safety. -- NNN-TNA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>

Thailand: Reporters Urge Pm to Act on Threat against the Media

BANGKOK (NNN-TNA) -- A group of television channel 7 reporters on Thursday submitted an open letter to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra a...

Thai PM Sets Priorities For New Government

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660033; font-family: 'Lucida Calligraphy';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: 'Lucida Calligraphy'; line-height: 115%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">By Ron Corben</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yingluck-Shinawatra-Premi%C3%A8re-diriger-Tha%C3%AFlande/dp/6130198647?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Yingluck Shinawatra: Première femme à diriger la Thaïlande (French Edition)" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=6130198647&tag=glob036-20" /></a><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=glob036-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=6130198647" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has outlined the policy priorities for her new government in a major speech before parliament.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But Ms. Yingluck’s address was overshadowed by her elder brother, deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who spoke about his own future plans during a news conference in Japan.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In her first address before parliament, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the priorities for her administration will be reconciliation, economic development and crackdowns on narcotics and corruption.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">She promised an increase in the minimum wage, a boost for university graduate salaries and higher prices for rice farmers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Narong Phetprasert, vice dean of the faculty of economics at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, says the policy address was fair, but it fell short on out solutions to Thailand’s underlying economic and social problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“She does not understand the policy of the [Pheu Thai] Party in the real terms. It means that she sometimes she doesn’t understand what is the meaning of the policy because she is not the one who wrote the policy," he said. "If the policy is the way to solve the problem, we need to identify what is the main problem of our country.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Tuesday’s address was considered a milestone for Ms. Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party, but its impact was overshadowed by a new controversy involving her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The former prime minister was deposed in a 2006 coup and remains in self-exile to avoid a two-year jail sentence for abuse of power.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Mr. Thaksin told reporters Tuesday that his sister’s policies will take time to take effect. He also said he is not planning to return to Thailand anytime soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">"My plan going back to Thailand, I have no plan. You know whenever reconciliation happens, then that might be. But if reconciliation is not there, I don't want to fuel any more conflict. I just want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” Thaksin said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Media reports in Thailand and political observers in Bangkok have suggested that Mr. Thaksin is interested in returning to Thailand, possibly as early as November to attend his daughter’s wedding.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But the former prime minister is already sparking a political rift in parliament, where his opponents are accusing the foreign minister of illegally lobbying Japan to grant him a visa for this trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Rules normally prevent granting visas to fugitives, but officials say Thai and Japanese diplomats discussed granting him a visa, allowing his visit to go forward. Democrat Party leaders say the new foreign minister, a Thaksin ally, was responsible and have asked the election commission to remove him from his post.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In turn, the ruling Pheu Thai party is demanding the election commission dissolve the Democrat Party because of false accusations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660033; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The dispute demonstrates that Mr. Thaksin remains a polarizing figure in Thai politics. Street demonstrations, sometimes deadly and violent, in recent years, have pitted Mr. Thaksin’s largely working class “Red Shirt” supporters and business allies against the military leaders, conservative elite and urban middle class.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Thai PM Sets Priorities For New Government

By Ron Corben Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has outlined the policy priorities for her new government in a major speech before ...

Yingluck Shinawatra Elected Thailand's First Female PM

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">By Ron Corben from Bangkok</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thailands-Beaches-Islands-Travel-Guides/dp/1848360916?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thailand-History-Politics-Geography-ebook/dp/B005ERYFMS?ie=UTF8&tag=glob036-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Thailand: History, Culture, Politics, Science, Geography, and More" height="320" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B005ERYFMS&tag=glob036-20" width="306" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=glob036-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B005ERYFMS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=glob036-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1848360916" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />The Thai parliament has elected Yingluck Shinawatra, to be the country's first woman prime minister during a special session of the House of Representatives. The rookie politician’s first challenge is to ensure stability with the selection of a new Cabinet and making good on election promises.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yingluck, a 44-year-old former businesswoman, was elected Friday as the nation’s 28th prime minister during a special session of the House of Representatives.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont announced the outcome of the vote in the House chamber - 296 to 3 with 197 abstentions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Video footage of parliament vote</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><object data="http://serve.a-widget.com/service/getWidgetSwf.kickAction" height="300" id="kickWidget_45137_301823" name="kickWidget_45137_301823" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480">     <param name="movie" value="http://serve.a-widget.com/service/getWidgetSwf.kickAction"></param><param name="FlashVars" value="affiliateSiteId=45137&widgetId=301823&width=480&height=300&playOnLoad=0&varsToAppendToLinks=http%3A%2F%2Faffiliate.kickapps.com%2Fservice%2FgetFeed.kickAction%3FmediaId%3D1616171%26mediaType%3Dvideo%26as%3D45137&autoPlay=0&mediaType_mediaID=video_1616171&revision=178" ></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent" ></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" ></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" ></param></object></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">What lies ahead?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party commands 265 seats in the 500 member House of Representatives, with coalition partners lifting the government’s hold on the chamber to 300 seats. Her election comes a month after national elections led her Pheu Thai Party to victory.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Party leader Yongyuth Wichaidith, said Friday that public confidence in the government resides in its ability to deliver policy programs.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">“It depends on us. If we can work to the best of the people and to the well being of the people and the security of the nation it means it’s OK. It depends on us, not depend on [any] other factor,” said Yongyuth Wichaidith.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Key challenges</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But analysts say Yingluck faces key challenges as she prepares to oversee a new administration. She is the younger sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and now lives in exile because he faces a two year jail term for corruption in Thailand.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=glob036-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0043XXAFW&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Media reports say both Thaksin and his former wife, Pojaman na Pombejra, are said to be closely advising Yingluck on selecting Cabinet members.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thaksin remains a divisive figure in Thailand’s political landscape. The urban middle class had accused him of abuse of power and human rights abuses while in office. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">His popularity was built on populist economic policies while in power.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Red Shirt movement</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over the past two years Thaksin supporters, led by the ‘red shirt’ movement staged protests against the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, that saw the worst political violence in 20 years and dozens killed in clashes with security forces. But the red shirt movement also played a key role in Pheu Thai Party’s election win and is pressing for Cabinet posts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Outgoing government leader, the Democrat Party’s Abhisit, said the new government needs to urgently address national problems as well as help avoid a return of political extremism in the country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We will continue to be a responsible and constructive opposition. But it’s now in the hands of the government and I cannot speak for them - particularly the need to strike a balance - which I recognize of accommodating their base - the red shirts and making sure the country doesn’t go down an extreme path,” said Abhisit Vejjajiva.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Campaign promises</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sunai Pasuk, the Thailand-based representative for Human Rights Watch, says although her party has a strong position in parliament, Yingluck faces the challenge of delivering election platform promises such as higher minimum wages and prices for rice farmers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=glob036-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1857333144&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>“In economic terms, in the provision of social welfare and all these issues will come back to challenge the integrity and credibility of the government. So if there is anything that may challenge the stability of the Yingluck government it is her own policy promises - whether her government can fulfill those promises or not. That will be a major test for her to face,” said Sunai Pasuk.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yingluck will announce her Cabinet in the coming days before the full list of officers is forwarded to the Thai King for endorsement, enabling the new administration to sit down to work. (VOA News)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></div></div>

Yingluck Shinawatra Elected Thailand's First Female PM

By Ron Corben from Bangkok The Thai parliament has elected Yingluck Shinawatra, to be the country's first woman prime minister during a...