Nyheter från thailändska tidningar (Jo-Be citerar nyheter på engelska)

[JBK.Ltd.]

Govt tells rice farmers to choose another crop

The Nation October 5, 2015 1:00 am

The government has called on farmers across the country to grow plants that require less water than rice amid the ongoing risk of drought.

"Farmers, for example, can grow corn-for-animal feed and pods instead," government spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday. "This is a request that farmers can consider heeding on a voluntary basis."

He was speaking after rice farmers in Kanchanaburi expressed dissatisfaction over the government's plea that they avoid growing rice outside the rainy season. It takes farmers at least three months from when they start working on their paddy fields to harvest their crops.

The country's dry season is set to begin next month. If farmers start growing rice now, their crops risk withering from drought. Sansern said there had been significantly less rainfall than usual this year.

He said major dams had reported very low water volumes and there were areas of the country still struggling with water shortages. "The drought will very likely worsen next year and the paddy fields, in particular those in the Central region, will be affected," he said.

He explained that the government had been doing its best to help farmers such as by providing hundreds of billions baht to dig artesian wells, creating alternative jobs for farmers, making artificial rain and paying compensation for damaged crops.

"The government has also had to earmark a budget for other purposes and help people in other occupations," Sansern said.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Temple wall in Nonthaburi collapses
The Nation October 5, 2015

THE wall of a temple in Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district collapsed after heavy rains caused soil subsidence, Pak Kret district chief Wisit Puangpet said yesterday.

A 30-metre long stretch of three-metre high wall collapsed but no one was injured, Wisit said.

The wall had been partly damaged by the 2011 floods and the recent heavy rains caused the soil to become soft and saturated, which in turn caused the wall to cave into the nearby canal, he said.

Meanwhile, Maj-General Amnuay Chulanonyang, chief of the 24th Military Circle, chaired an event in Udon Thani to prepare military personnel for rescue operations in light of floods from the Mujigae storm front.

He said the storm was expected to hit the upper Issan provinces and his military unit was preparing to carry out rescue operations in Udon Thani, Nong Kai and Nong Bua Lampu.

He said the flood-prone areas were located in mountain areas where flash floods were caused by run-offs and areas along the Mekong river as the level of the river will rise after the storm.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

D-day for Bangkok local tax on oil sales
5 Oct 2015 WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS

Bangkok motorists will start paying the local development tax charged on retail oil and gas sales at the rate of five satang a litre on Oct 15.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) imposed the levy based on the 1997 provincial administration organisation law and 1999 decentralisation procedures law, which empower provincial administration and BMA to collect the tax at oil or tobacco retail outlets at not more than 0.10 baht a litre including value-added tax, effective Oct 1, 2012, said Vithoon Kulcharoenvirat, director general of the Energy.

Based on the "polluter pays" principle, the tax has already been collected in most provinces in Thailand, except in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, mainly at 0.05 baht a litre. In practice, operators or vendors pay the tax on behalf of users for fear of losing customers.

Oil retailers in Bangkok admitted the higher pump prices might affect their sales. Most energy users said they were willing to pay more. However, they would like to see BMA's clear development plans such as those on flood prevention or traffic solutions so they know where the money would be spent.

There are around 800 petrol stations in Bangkok and the tax will add 500 million baht to BMA's revenue each year. City Hall will ask operators whether they can shoulder the burden on behalf of users at a meeting on Tuesday.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/718844/d-day-for-bangkok-local-tax-on-oil-sales.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Anti-government movement protests against new drafters

October 6, 2015

Photo by Prasert Thepsri

Police clear a road in front of the Parliament after members of the New Democracy Movement finish their protest on Tuesday. The protest was against the junta's appointment of new charter drafters.

Law veteran Meechai Ruchuphan chairs the Constitution Drafting Committee that comprises 21 members.
The former CDC was dissolved after National Reform Council voted down its charter draft.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Planets in alignment this weekend
October 6, 2015

The pubic is urged to get up early from Friday to Sunday to witness a special alignment of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Mercury and the moon.

The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand reported that the alignment will take place before daybreak. "If you look towards the east, a crescent moon will be seen right along an alignment of Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury. The sight should be clearly visible if the sky is not obscured by clouds or haze."

Saran Potyachinda, the institute's deputy director, said the public should be able to view this planetary alignment from October 9 to 11. It is similar to the one that occurred in June but this time will occur just before dawn. "It's a good opportunity to be able to observe four planets in our solar system with our own eyes, all in the same direction, at the same time," he said.

The four planets are Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus. Saturn should be visible too, but only in the early evening of October 9.

Venus will be beside the crescent moon, and below that will be Mars, followed by Jupiter and Mercury. On October 10, Mars and Jupiter will be situated right along the crescent moon, and on the last day, on October 11, the moon will be situated right along Mercury.

During that time, Jupiter and Venus will be easily observable as they will be the brightest objects in the night sky other than the moon. Mercury will be a bit difficult to observe as it is situated a little above the horizon, and the incoming sunlight might distort visibility. If the weather is clear, though, the alignment should be visible throughout Thailand.

October is the month when the sky clears as the cooler season approaches and is the best time to observe the celestial sky. For astronomical information, the public may look up www.Narit.or.th or the organisation's Facebook fan page at NARITpage.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Rama 4 attack sparks security demands in Bang Rak
The Nation October 6, 2015

RESIDENTS in Bangkok's Bang Rak district called for tighter police security yesterday following the July 25 robbery in which financial analyst Saritaporn Santimethaneedol, 30, eldest daughter of former deputy minister Sarit, was seriously injured when walking along Rama 4 Road at 4pm.

Silom-based restaurant owner Maitree Chaikaew said he was shaken by this news and had once seen a passerby being mugged on the Rama 4 footpath. He said police should patrol the area more at night. Masseuse Prapai Darayon said she wasn't surprised by the news as she often heard about people getting mugged in the area and was careful when walking in the area. She urged police to patrol the area more and install more lights.

Police issued an arrest warrant on August 13 for a Thai male aged 25-30 and offered a Bt20,000 cash reward for anyone who can provide information leading to his arrest. The superintendent of Bang Rak, Pol Colonel Nakhon Thongpanich, who joined investigators' meeting yesterday, said that since the suspect's sketch was published, many people had called Bang Rak Police at (02) 235 9123-4 to provide information - but so far nothing has panned out.

Acting city police chief Sanit Mahathaworn said yesterday that police should be able to arrest the suspect within this week as security camera footage shows the man quite clearly. Police also checked the whereabouts of a man in Min Buri yesterday. They have beefed up security in risky spots in that area by adding security cameras and dispatching 14 police for foot patrols.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Distraught woman jumps safely from 16th floor
6 Oct 2015 WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS

A woman with history of mental illness who threatened to jump from the 16th floor of a Bangkok high-rise waited until authorities arrived with an air mattress before taking the plunge.

The unidentified 28-year-old Nonthaburi native sat on a window sill in her top-floor Lumpini Ville condominium on Sukhumvit Soi 77 for two hours before safely leaping to the cushion. She suffered only bruises and was taken to Kluanamthai 1 Hospital.

The woman's mother said the incident began when her daughter ransacked their apartment while she was at the market and tried to bite her face and arm upon her return, claiming the woman was not her mother.
The older woman left and the daughter locked the door, went to the window and swung her legs outside. Her mother then called police.

According to the mother, the 28-year-old took diet pills and began to develop a mental problem five year ago. She was treated for mental illness at Srithanya Hospital in Bangkok for two months after she tried to commit suicide once. But her mother said her daughter had stopped taking medicine in recent years. She began to show signs of stress, however, when she resigned from work two days ago.

A video clip below, uploaded to YouTube by Jor Sor 100 traffic radio, shows the moment the woman jumped safely from her room.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Prawit: Submarine purchase 'still on'
7 Oct 2015 WRITER: WASSANA NANUAM

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon denied Tuesday that the navy's submarine procurement project was being suspended or stalled.

Gen Prawit said he had asked the navy, which plans to buy three Chinese submarines valued at 36 billion baht, to rework its funding plan and explain to the public why the vessels are necessary. He said the scheme would be submitted to the cabinet for consideration "when the time is right".

Gen Prawit said that, as defence minister, he backs the navy's plan to have a submarine fleet to help with its missions. The navy's project was on the cabinet agenda last week but withdrawn amid a report the Defence Ministry wanted the navy to spread payments for the submarines over 10 years rather than seven.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/720708/prawit-submarine-purchase-till-on.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

B25m in meth seized in Chon Buri
6 Oct 2015 WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS

Two drug suspects -- Supoj Taengchang, 38, (right) and his younger sister, Saithong Taengchang (left)-- are taken to a police press conference at Provincial Police Region 2. (Photo from Provincial Police Region 2 Facebook page)

Two alleged members of a major northern drug network were arrested and narcotics worth some 25 million baht seized in Chon Buri, police said on Tuesday. Supoj Taengchang, 38, and Ms Saithong Taengchang were taken to a police press conference at Provincial Police Region 2 on Tuesday.

Officers recovered 108,000 speed pills, 1.7kg of crystal methamphetamine, a 9mm pistol and 18 rounds of ammunition.

The arrest came after an informant posing as a customer contacted the pair to buy 2,000 speed pills. When Mr Supoj showed up in tambon Nongree in Chon Buri's Muang district, officers arrested them, said Pol Maj Gen Chettha Kamolwattana, investigation commander at Region 2 police.

Mr Supoj claimed the drugs belonged to Ms Saithong, his younger sister. He then took police to her house in Bang Bung district where a large quantity of ya ba and ya ice were seized. Police investigators said the pair were members of a major drug network in the North operated by a woman known only as Jae Yai.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crime/720224/b25m-in-meth-seized-in-chon-buri.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Let there be light

PHOOWADON DUANGMEE - THE NATION October 7, 2015

The Shan community of Mae Sariang fetes the end of the Buddhist Lent with midnight alms giving and traditional dance on October 26-28. Photo/Phoowadon Duangmee

The Shan community of Mae Sariang fetes the end of the Buddhist Lent with midnight alms giving and traditional dance
A unique Tai Yai festival that marks the end of Vassa, the Buddhist Lent, Ork Wa returns to the northern province of Mae Hong Son at the end of this month for a celebration that's as old as time itself.

Honouring the return of the Lord Buddha to Earth after three months spent with his mother in heaven, the celebration is unique to the Shan-speaking community of Mae Sariang, where the people light fires to illuminate the Buddha's path.

Dancers dressed as half-bird, half woman move in front of the burning firewood to percussive beats, transporting the visitor back some 100 years though thankfully still keeping one foot in the present, all the better to snap plenty of photos..

"The King Kala bird, a half-bird, half-woman, was the first to see the Lord Buddha returning," explains Praphan Wiriyaphab, a Shan resident of this quiet riverside town. "A bird of joy, she performed a beautiful dance for the Lord Buddha in order to show her respect."

This year, the Ork Wa Festival is being celebrated from October 26 to 28 and coincides with one of the best times to visit the Northern Province. The heavy rain is gone, and the winter is about to come. The villagers are full of hope and in the mood for celebration, as their rice paddies are bursting with flowers and young grains.

The first day of the Ork Wa Festival are mostly focused on preparation. Locals clean their homes and build small castles from bamboo sticks outside the fence, adorning the finished edifices with colourful paper and lights.

On the second day, the artisans get together at the temples to make traditional paper crafts. At night, as the full moon rises over the timeworn pagoda, the traditional Shan cultural shows get underway and authentic food is served. Incense, burning candles and the heady scent of jasmine and marigold bouquets waft through the night air.

Shan women - young and old - wear their best longyis and bright blouses as they make their personal contributions to the festivity. But while the visual interpretation of the Ork Wa Festival is often flamboyant the spiritual meaning is profound.

Locals leave their fire sticks burning all night outside their fences while torches and oil lanterns illuminate the path for more than 400 monks who come in the night for almsgiving.

The midnight almsgiving is unique to Thailand's North - where people are faithful believers in Phra Oppa Khud, a legendary monk. The monk in question, it's said, is wise and powerful. He lives in his own place for most of the year, and only visits the people once - at Ork Wa - to receive alms.

Legend has it that Phra Oppa Khud always arrives in the middle of the night as a novice in disguise. Those giving him alms are rewarded with good karma. Visitors are encouraged to take part even if they are not believers and inevitably return from the walk along the river with full hearts if heavy eyes.

The festival culminates on the third night with a long and colourful procession into the heart of the Mae Sariang, which glows in darkness, a clear sign of its act of virtue. The festival encompasses much more too from Lanna-styled drumming, kickboxing and outdoor cinema.

Let the beat and the lights guide you.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

With no sign of govt stimulus, property industry prepares sales campaigns
Somluck Srimalee - The Nation October 7, 2015

Property firms are preparing to launch promotional campaigns to drive sales in the remaining months of the year while Cabinet approval of a stimulus package for the real-estate market is delayed.

"We want the government to be clear on whether it will launch the measure or not," said Thai Condominium Association president Prasert Taedullayasatit, after the Finance Ministry failed to propose such a stimulus to the Cabinet yesterday.

"If not, that will clear the way for property developers to do their business and people will decide whether or not to buy homes. Customers have been delaying the transfer of their homes for the last two weeks, since the Finance Ministry announced its plan to launch the measure."

He added that even if the government does not initiate measures to boost the property market, real-estate firms would strive to do it themselves with promotional campaigns. However, clarity on the government's policy on this issue is still needed.

Among the firms planning promotions is AP (Thailand). Its "Final Call" campaign offers discounts of up to Bt4 million per unit, depending on price. The event runs from October 10-18 for all sizes of homes. Raimon Land has unveiled its annual "Space Matters" campaign across five residential projects, offering customers discounts of up to 18 per cent on selected units, running from October 8-18 at all of its sales offices.

Ananda Development's "Super Deals" campaign offers booking fees of only Bt1 per unit. The promotion runs from tomorrow until Sunday at the 33rd "House and Condo" show at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok. Other firms are also holding special promotions at the show, such as free stays for the first two years and free transfer and mortgage fees.

Tritecha Tangmathithum, deputy managing director of Supalai, said it didn't matter to his company whether the government launched market-stimulus measures, as the firm was attracting customers by waiving transfer and mortgage fees.

This final quarter of the year should see residential transfers to customers worth Bt120 billion, Bt80 billion of which is condominiums and the rest detached houses and townhouses, according to the Thai Condominium Association.

Prasert said: "If there are no government measures, the property market will still grow by 10 per cent this year compared with last year. But the government should still make its intentions clear so buyers stop delaying home transfers."

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Erawan bomb blast
Police close to wrapping up case against suspects, hunt on for others
THE NATION October 8, 2015

Police escort Erawan Shrine bombing suspects Bilal Mohammed, above, and Mieraili Yusufu to the Military Court yesterday to seek permission for their fourth round of 12-day detention.

POLICE have almost completed their investigation into the Erawan shrine bomb attack and may wrap up their enquiries next week, National Police Chief Pol General Jakthip Chaichinda said yesterday.

Jakthip said he would meet with Metropolitan Police chief Pol Lt-General Sriwara Rangsiprammanakul next week to decide if the case against Bilal Mohammed and Mieraili Yusufu could be wrapped up. Police believed they had enough evidence to incriminate the two men, Jakthip said.

Meanwhile, investigators were hunting for the remaining suspects, including red-shirt fugitive Odd Payungwong.
Jakthip said police would not summon other red-shirt guards for questioning but they had not ruled out political motives in the attack.

Police are hunting for Zubair Abdullah, the "suspect in the blue shirt" whose image was captured by security cameras at the Sathorn pier after the initial bomb attack. Jakthip said he had resorted to a special search system to track down the suspect.

Police would also issue more arrest warrants soon, he added.

Jakthip vowed to fairly distribute Bt10 million in rewards for anyone with information leading to the arrest of suspects in the case. Police are also checking the route of a huge amount of money they believe is being transferred into Thailand from foreign countries.

Meanwhile, two other suspects, Mohammed and Yusufu, were yesterday taken to the Military Court to seek the court's permission for their fourth detention round from October 8-19. Police said they had yet to complete the investigation and the court granted them permission to extend the detention. The suspects were taken back to Nakhon Chaisri's temporary remand facility.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Missile fragments found in bodies of victims
Agencies October 8, 2015

File photo shows flowers and mementos left at the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 are seen near the settlement of Rozspyne in the Donetsk region. //Reuters

Shrapnel from a Buk missile was found in the bodies of victims from the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash, according to a Ukrainian investigator that was formerly part of the international team researching the cause of the disaster.

The revelation comes just one week before the Dutch Safety Board releases their final report on the July 2014 Boeing 777 crash in eastern Ukraine. Vasyl Vovk worked on the case for nearly a year, up to June 19, the Joint Investigative Team confirmed to broadcaster NOS, but it criticized Vovk for not exercising caution with his statements, reported nltimes online.

He was among Dutch, Australian and Ukrainian experts that pulled apart multiple samples of Buk missiles to determine if the forensic evidence found with the plane wreckage and in the bodies matched the material used to make the weapons.

Vovk said the fragments were consistent with a match, and that they were handed over to specialised experts for comparative analysis.

"Nobody disputes that the Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down by a Buk missile from a Buk system, which was delivered from Russian Federation territory. And then after the crime, in that same territory, there was a block with the help of terrorist fighters," he said, referring to the Ukrainian separatists.

Vovk did not directly say who shot the plane down, but he did say that he finds it hard to believe that soldiers would have launched the missile without any orders from higher authorities.

"The Russian Minister of Defense must have known about it," he added.

The JIT does not deny the volume of evidence seemingly indicating that a Buk missile brought down the plane. "But however much is pointing in one direction, we can not exclude [researching] other scenarios," the JIT wrote in a statement.

The Dutch Public Prosecutor previously revealed that there was evidence the plane was brought down by a Buk missile strike, and called on people in the Ukraine to come forward with any testimony or evidence about the launch.

The plane was carrying 283 passengers and 15 crew members when it left Amsterdam on July 17. It was flying over a conflict zone in Ukraine when it fell from the sky on its way to Kuala Lumpur, killing everyone on the aircraft.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Foreign Ministry shifts gear as smog tightens grip on South
THE NATION October 8, 2015

THE FOREIGN Ministry is exploring all possible means, including diplomacy, in its bid to tackle the spread of haze into southern Thailand from agricultural fires in neighbouring Indonesia.

"We would like to assure people living in Thailand's South and anyone affected by the haze that we are doing our best," Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai said yesterday, as smog levels continued to threaten the health of residents as well as disrupt flights in many southern provinces.

Indonesian Ambassador Lutfi Rauf separately confirmed that he would meet with Thai officials at the Foreign Ministry at 11am today. Don said his ministry would express concern about the smog's impact during the meeting.
He added that he would also seek the cooperation of haze-affected neighbours such as Malaysia in joining discussions with Indonesia.

Flights to the southern provinces of Songkhla, Krabi and Phuket were delayed amid thick haze yesterday.
Several planes were forced to circle for 20 minutes to an hour before landing as they waited for improved visibility.
Visibility on roads was also significantly reduced, with motorists in Songkhla saying they could see no more than 200 metres. In Phatthalung province, road visibility was down to less than 500 metres.

The level of particulate matter up to 10 microns in size (PM10) also rose beyond the safe limit of 120 micrograms in many parts of the South. Phuket recorded levels of 163 micrograms while Krabi saw 130 micrograms. Complaints of eye irritation, skin irritation and respiratory problems have risen dramatically across the region in recent days.

Only one-third of children turned up at the Phuket City Municipality's nursery yesterday, as parents took precautions against the smog. "Most children have fallen sick, so the parents have kept them at home," a nursery teacher said.

Elsewhere, Satun Primary Education Office chief Nisit Chaiphak said he had instructed the directors of 161 primary schools in the southern province to temporarily close if the smog level worsened.

In Trang province, shops on Pakmeng beach were all shuttered as tourists stayed away. Local entrepreneurs are complaining about the economic impact of the haze. "My friends and I reckon we will have to close our shops until the smog eases," said Wanna Suansri, a shop owner in the smog-blanketed province of Phatthalung. "Even when we open, there's no customers anyway."

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Cambodia raises textiles minimum wage 9.4% to $140
8 Oct 2015 • WRITER: REUTERS

Garment workers look at shirts at a clothing stall after their lunch time in Phnom Penh Oct 8. Cambodia agreed on Thursday to raise the minimum wage for workers in its crucial textiles and footwear sector to US$140 per month from next year, short of the figures demanded by powerful trade unions long at odds with the government over pay. (Reuters photo)

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia agreed on Thursday to raise the monthly minimum wage for its crucial textiles sector to US$140 (5,033 baht) from next year, short of demands by trade unions long at odds with the government over pay. The decision was made in a vote by representatives of the government, factories and unions, with the majority supporting an increase to $135 a month from $128. The government then raised that to $140.

Pay for the 600,000 people who work in mostly Asian-owned factories, churning out clothes and shoes for the likes of Gap , Nike, Adidas, H&M and Inditex has been a thorny issue in impoverished Cambodia. The $5 billion sector is Cambodia's most important but strikes in recent years have worried brands enticed by lower costs than powerhouse China.

Major unions had been seeking a minimum wage of $160 a month, having scaled down an initial demand from $177, and threatened strikes. It was unclear if they would follow through. "This figure is reasonable and acceptable. Even it's not acceptable to all, we have no choice," Labour Minister Ith Sam Heng told reporters.

He said Prime Minister Hun Sen took the decision himself to raise the agreed wage by a further $5. Textiles growth has been one of Hun Sen's top achievements, but his government has clashed repeatedly with unions and its violent crackdown on strikes has seen union support shift towards his political opponents.

Ath Thon, president of the 78,000-strong Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers' Democratic Union, chided factories and some unions for siding with the government. "We will have meetings with our colleagues about what to do next," he said. "We didn't succeed in votes because most people have political leanings toward the government and companies."

The government has a tricky balancing act to keep Cambodia competitive, and stable. Though its wages are low, it faces strong competition from neighbouring Vietnam, which last year shipped $31 billion in garments and shoes for the same brands that use Cambodian factories.

Vietnam's textiles exports to the United States, Cambodia's biggest market, will be tariff-free once a Trans-Pacific Partnership agreed on Monday comes into effect. "If the industry starts to suffer, then I think a huge part of the responsibility has to be borne by the unions themselves," said Ken Loo, secretary-general of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia.

"From past experience, buyers won't accept (higher) prices."

 

[EV]

Denne rök skapar diplomatisk konflikt
Rök och smog från bränder i Indonesien sprider sig över grännländarna . Presidenten har länge avist
erbjudande om hjälp , nu kryper han till korset .
Röken har lett till att planet på väg till Phuket har tvingas vända .
For att dyrka palmolja brännes regnskogen när , och processen med att bränna ner regnskogen har
länge varit tradition på flera ställen i värden , efter som det är billigare och snabbare än att skära ner
skogen manuelt

 

[Norrbaggen]

Tack för ett stort jobb med nyhäterna Jo-Be

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Tack för ett stort jobb med nyheterna @Jo-Be

Uppskattas väldigt mycket!! Tack så mycket! Jo-Be

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Haze hits Phuket tourism
Writers: PRATCH RUJIVANAROM, VISARUT SANKHAM
THE NATION October 9, 2015

Thailand offers to help Indonesia as annual fires cause flight delays

THE PROLONGED haze is hitting Phuket's tourism hard, with tourist operators on the island complaining about flight delays and holiday cancellations. The problem stems from agricultural fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia.

Foreign Affairs Ministry deputy permanent secretary Vitavas Srivihok met with Indonesian Ambassador Lutfi Rauf yesterday to discuss the issue. Vitavas said Lutfi said he was sorry and explained the Indonesian government was now taking harsh legal action against those behind the fires.

"During the meeting we told the ambassador that Thailand is ready to provide assistance," he said. Lutfi said the Indonesian government was trying its best to extinguish the fires. "The Indonesian authorities are applying many measures to put out the fire as our first priority," the ambassador said.

"We have been irrigating water to the burning peatland, making artificial rain and also water bombing the fire from above. More than 8,000 military personnel were called to the fire-extinguish operation." He said there were 184 fire cases and 223 individuals and companies are involved in them, with 78 suspects detained.

"We are working with international partners especially within the Asean framework to relieve the haze situation," he said.

"We have already received some help from Malaysia and Singapore, but we need to make sure that the help from outside meets the needs on the field, otherwise the help will be useless." He said Thailand offered help Indonesia and asked what help it needed.

The Indonesian government was very appreciate of the offer and he would pass it on to Jakarta. Lutfi said Indonesian authorities were seeking more and bigger aircraft to carry out the water bombing. The aircraft should be able to carry more than 25 tons of water.

At least three flights from Phuket to Bangkok were delayed yesterday morning due to the thick haze that affected visibility at Phuket International Airport.

All the flights were scheduled to depart Phuket before 8.20am, said an airport officer who joined an emergency meeting chaired by the provincial governor. The affected carriers were Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia and Thai Airways International.

The haze also affected a Silk Air international flight and a Jet Star international flight, with both having to circle the airport two extra times before being allowed to land. Bangkok Airways has advised its passengers to contact its call centre on 1771 to check the status of flights especially those flights departing the South of Thailand and travelling to the South.

At 8am yesterday, an air-quality check showed the amount of particulate matter up to 10 microns in size had reached 210 micrograms in the Phuket city municipal area. The safe limit is 120 micrograms. Kannapat Wongtikied, who runs the Phuket Sunny Hostel in Muang district, said about 20 per cent of room reservations had been cancelled in the wake of the haze.

"Several guests here have also cancelled their one-day trip-tour package. My business income has been falling by about 60 per cent," she said. She said some guests cut short their stay. "One couple initially booked seven nights but they left for Myanmar after just two nights because of the haze," Kannapat said.

Auraiwan Phuthong, who runs the Phong Phang restaurant in the same district, said she handed out masks to her employees and her customers to help them cope with the haze. "The number of customers has significantly dwindled. My income has dropped by about 30 per cent already," she said.

Phuket resident Phongpol Ratchapol said he wore a facial mask when outside, while locals plan to rally in front of the Phuket City Hall today and lodge a protest letter against the Indonesian government. Suratin Lian-udom, a former mayor of Tambon Rassada Municipality, will reportedly lead the rally.

 

[JBK.Ltd.]

Stray bullet may have hit 16-year-old, police say
THE NATION October 9, 2015

A 16-year-old schoolgirl is believed to have been hit by a stray bullet while she was travelling in a car driven by her mother in Bangkok's Bang Chan area on Wednesday, police have said.

Police yesterday found a spent 9mm cartridge near Soi Suan Sayam 6 and checked security-camera footage in the area for clues, while forensic officers conducted a ballistics test on the actual car at the scene. The bullet pieced the car's front window and hit the girl in the right shoulder as she sat in the front passenger seat.

Witnesses saw five youngsters in a pickup and a sedan stopped at the mouth of Soi Suan Sayam 6 moments before the attack. They said a woman riding a motorcycle with a child passenger stopped and spoke to the group, before a gunshot was heard.

The shooter has been described as 165-170 centimetres tall with a tattoo on the left arm.