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News
| News Article: Court rules 3 years in jail for Thaksin's wife Pojamarn |
On July 31, the Criminal Court sentenced former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's wife to 3 years in prison for tax evasion over a 546 million baht transaction, and falsifying statements, and the same for her adopted brother, with no probation.
The court also reprimanded her that her high position in society and politics meant she should have been a role model.
The Shinawatras are so extremely rich, and had such a firm grip on power, but blew it all due to greed -- corruption and tax evasion -- like they can never have enough money and power, and never graduated to moral leadership class.
It appears that the former Prime Minister's power has waned.
Last month, the court sentenced a few o [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: 15,000 Free WiFi Zones for "Hotspot Capital" |
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) together with ISP True Corporation, have launched a program to provide 15,000 free WiFi hotspots with a focus on 10 major Bangkok areas, valid for one year thru June 2009.
However, the free version is just 64 kbps, which is fine for many mobile applications. (True offers much higher public WiFi speeds for its subscribers, as covered on the ThailandGuru.com website section on Internet.)
You can sign up at www.truewifi.net and renew every 3 months.
The stated objective is to encourage people to enjoy Bangkok's parks and other conveniences instead of travelling and wasting petrol as well as electricity s [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Taxi fares to rise about 10% starting this week |
Taxi fares will go up approximately 10% for typical rides, though it can be more or less depending on how far you go. The changes are as follows:
1. The 35 baht initial charge will stay the same, but will get you only 1 km instead of 2 km.
2. Each subsequent kilometer will cost half a baht more, which means:
5 baht per km instead of 4.5 baht per km for 1+ to 12 km
5.5 baht per km for 12 to 20 km
6 baht per km for 20 to 40 km
8.5 baht per kilometer for 40 to 60 km
Taxi rates have not changed since 1997 despite inflation and fluctuations in fuel prices.
However, most taxis are fuelled by liquified natural gas, not the usual petrol of ordinary cars.
more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Inflation in May, June, and projections |
Due mainly to the rise in oil prices, inflation in May hit a 10 year high at an annual 7.6% rate, but in June it's expected to be 8.3% and peak sometime in the third quarter of the year. Again, this is NOT inflation per month, which is less than 1%, but what the inflation rate would be per YEAR if every month of the year was the same.
Source: The Nation [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Mobile phone ban while driving - stricter enforcement starts today |
Starting Thursday, May 8, 2008, the ban on mobile phone use without a hands-free device while driving will be more strictly enforced.
This is a long awaited and unusually high profile announcement, including discussions on how they are using digital photography technology to catch drivers.
Today, the first day, while driving to work on the expressway, I saw several police vans on the expressway just driving up and down, perhaps taking photos out of the backs of the vans facing drivers.
You are prohibited from having a mobile phone in your hand while your car is running, including when stopped at a traffic light, or even stopped on a minor road with your engine on. You simply cannot pick up your phone. [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Property transfer taxes set to practically 0% |
In April, the new PPP government reduced the Property Transfer Fee for buying/selling condominiums, houses and land from 2% to 0.01% and the Specific Business Tax for property transactions from 3% to 0.1%.
Therefore, the most tax you would pay would be just 0.11% for transfer.
Before, transfer tax would take a significant chunk of seller profits, resulting in higher selling prices to buyers, and add a complication in negotiations between seller and buyer about who would pay the transfer fee.
This is part of an economic stimulus package for which we can thank the new PPP government.
With the overseas economic slowdown in 2008, and given Thailand's heavy dependence on exports (about 68% of G [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Queen Sirikit Center to be demolished, replaced, plus park |
The Queen Sirikit Convention Center located on Asoke-Ratchadapisek Rd. near Rama 4 Rd. and beside the tobacco monopoly will be demolished and replaced with another convention center about twice its size, a little over 100,000 square meters of floor space which will accomodate much larger events including industrial exhibitions, according to current plans. Bids are going out.
The old tobacco monopoly will move, and that 300 rai (120 acres, half a square kilometer) and will be converted into something else. It is a "green zone" so the park may be expanded. Highrises are banned in that area.
Bangkok currently has two other large exhibition centers, the largest and nicest being Muang Thong Thani down the expressway [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Foreign Business Act pending revisions |
As noted over the past several months, changes to the Foreign Business Act were left to the next elected government, which is now here, and it is nearing completion. The main parties, including the PPP, are considered foreigner friendly. However, here are some of the pending issues, in opinion from The Nation:
EDITORIALS
Foreign business act needs more clarity
Government's plan to amend the law should be fair to overseas investors and local industry
Published on April 4, 2008
The Samak government plans to review the Foreign Business Act, which governs foreign businesses in Thailand. The Commerce Ministry is studying the details of a legal blueprint before forwarding its conc [ more .. ] |
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| News Article: Capital controls removed by Bank of Thailand |
The controversial capital controls, put into effect in December 2006 by the military government, have been removed. Allegedly, Thaksin can be thanked for the removal of capital controls via advice to loyalists and nominees. Many foreigners bringing money into Thailand will be thankful, though we have yet to see what all the effects will be in the few days starting March 3.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008...s_30066898.php
Thai Central bank removes capital control
The governor of the Bank of Thailand said Friday the central bank will remove the controversial capital controls on short-term capi [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra returns to Thailand |
The former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted by the military in September 2006, returned to Thailand this morning.
His first stop was at court, which released him on bail for the corruption case of the Ratchadapisek land purchase and concealing his assets in the publicly listed property company SC Asset.
As of the time of this writing, he was scheduled for a press conference at the Peninsular Hotel at 1pm.
Anyway, it's an eventful day and the Thai press is covering it closely. [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Bar closings set to 2am |
The current PPP government's time setting of 2am will be more popular than midnight or 1am as under some previous "social order" campaigns. We shall see how it affects some places which have been staying open until sunrise, some of which don't even start up until after 2am when other places close!
http://www.ssbkk.com/vb/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=12
2AM BAR CLOSING
Apirak asked to help
Chalerm wants checks against young patrons
Published on February 26, 2008
In his first inspection of the Bangkok Metro-politan Administration, Interior Minister Chal-erm Yoobamrung yesterday as [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Subway expansion, Samak pushing for |
The Nation is calling it a pipe dream, but Samak wants to expand the subway from its present 20 km to more than 100 km, and convert the private sector concession to a state run enterprise in order to do this.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30066374
Samak highlights his pipe dream on megaprojects
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Monday outlined his policies to more than 800 top officials and vowed not to initiate a purge in the bureaucracy.
Samak instructed the bureaucrats to accord him due respects and protocals at official functions but not in an excessive manner as if he an [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Changes in heads of Investigations (DSI) and Narcotics (ONCB) |
The press made a big story over the transfer of the head of the Department of Special Investigations (DSI), Sunai Manomai-udom.
He had been moved there during the military dictatorship, when the DSI was leading investigations of Thaksin and his wife.
The current PPP government moved him over to acting secretary-general of the newly-established Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption, which is not such a bad place to be for the former judge. He didn't seem upset at all.
Replacing him at the top of the DSI is a guy who was currently the deputy secretary-general of the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB). This may play in with the newly announced resumption of the war on drugs.
more .. ] |
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