UTCC cuts Thai GDP forecast to 4.3%

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9 July 2013, 22:34

(9 July) Mr. Thanawat Polvichai, director of The Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting at University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, revealed that the centre has cut Thai GDP growth in 2013 to 4.3%, from previously forecasted at 5%, citing a slowdown in national consumption and political instability, along with the undulated global economy.

China′s economy also influences the decreasing of Thai′s exports and Thailand lost approximately 300 billion Bahts in exports to China this year. Chinese economy grows only at 4%, less than predicted earlier at 7% by Thailand Ministry of Commerce.

Many believe that the Monetary Policy Committee would still hold the national interest rates at 2.50% during their meeting this Wednesday.

Mr. Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan, deputy prime minister and Minister of Commerce, said his ministry will keep the export forecast at 7-7.5%. Nonetheless, the ministry will closely consult with private sectors.

Mr. Chartsiri Sophonpanich, chairman of Thai Bankers′ Association and chairman of the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce Industry and Banking (JSCCIB), said that the JSCCIB would keep its GPD forecast at 4-5%.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and other ministers have met with businessmen and businesswomen on Monday (July 8th). The meeting was aimed to look for long term strategies for sustainable development in the export of agricultural and food products.

Father Confesses To Killing And Burying His 'Missing' Son

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Khaosod English

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9 July 2013, 19:56

(9 July) A man in Chiang Rai province has confessed to police that he killed and hid the
body of his son, whom his wife has reported as missing to the police just a month
ago.

On 3 June, Ms. Chaliao Singhachu reported to police that she
had returned from a trip to find that her son Mr. Surapong Singhachu, 28, had gone
missing. 2 days later Mr. Kampon Singhachu, Ms. Chaliao′s husband, notified the police that he had
already got in touch with his son who was reportedly away in another
province.

However, the
police officers became suspicious and had been investigating the case throughout the previous month.
Mr. Kampon eventually told police he had killed Mr. Surapong and faked the story to cover his
crime.

Today Mr.
Kampon led the police to the forest near his village in Wiang Pa Pao district to identify the spot
where he had buried the remains of his son. Mr. Kampon said he had burned Mr. Surapong′s body and
scattered the bones and ashes around the forest. The police retrieved more than 20 human bones in
the area, which would undergo identification procedure.

The suspect told police that Mr. Surapong was a drug addict.
He said he had scolded his son about his drug habit many times, but Mr. Surapong refused to quit. On
the day the crime took place, Mr. Kampon said, his wife was not home and he got in fights with Mr.
Surapong over his addiction.

According to Mr. Kampon, Mr. Surapong became very violent,
even beating him with a belt, so he fought back and Mr. Surapong fell backwards, his head hitting
the room wall. Once Mr. Kampon discovered that his son was dead, he said, he panicked and quickly
burned the body, then hid the remains in the secluded spot.

Police have charged Mr. Kampon with murdering and hiding the
body of the victim. Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Viral Ad Campaign Lands Thai Star In Trouble

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Khaosod English

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9 July 2013, 16:35

After the spreading of the video clip, in which the famous
actress Susharat ‘Aom’ Manaying has angrily shouted at her fans during the filming of a show in a
shopping mall, Aom has recently spoken out and apologised.

The video was
later revealed to be a viral advertisement campaign. It is understood that the clip would be
included in advertisement for candy bars Snickers. Snickers commercial has previously featured
seemingly angry celebrities.

However, the revelation came after Aom was
already widely criticized by many who mistook her acting to be genuine gesture of rude
arrogance.

On her Instagram page, Aom cited that she and other actors
wanted to apologise. The event was part of the acting and she was very sorry she may have been over
acting. She was too excited as there were many people around and begged us not to be mad at
her.

On Monday, she later declared on “Tuen Ma Kui” (Wake Up Talk) on
MCOT Channel 9 that she was sincerely sorry and thank you for all the supports from her
fans.

When the host asked if she knows the clip would be released on the
internet. Aom replied “Yes, because viral advertisement is aimed to be on the internet. However, I
do not know about the editing and the releasing processes in details. I?ve talked to the production
team and they have been supportive. I am sorry that I did not think of the fans? feelings
through”

“I heard of the negative responses and I was upset about it,
because since I have been working as an actress, I have never face any issue that I have to get
myself ready”

Once asked about her future career, Aom replied that “I may
be more cautious before taking another offer. I must consider what really suits me. However, this
event has made me realise how nice my fans were, they were all protective and love me. I support
them and they support me too.”

In an interview, Aom also insisted that she
cannot measure feelings with money. “In fact, I cannot really be determined about the money figure,
but about feelings, it is quite sensitive for many people”

“(Teary eyes) I
will feel bad if I have made other people feel bad”

Editorial 9 July 2013 : From Egypt to Thailand

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Khaosod English

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9 July 2013, 15:53

The recent unrest in Egypt have gained much of public interest in Thailand, perhaps
more than any other coups that have taken place in recent years.

The reasons behind this public
interest is two-fold. Firstly, it is due to the effect of globalization which has succeeded in
making the world a smaller place. Events that take place half the world away now seem much more
relevant to us in Thailand.

Secondly,
many Thai experts have compared the Egypt Coup to the situation in Thailand, particularly to
criticise the government′s role in exercising its power.

This is peculiarly interesting, if all sides of
facts are being considered.

The uprising
of millions of Egyptians, which led to the coup d?etat and the ending of the short-term ruling of
the elected Egyptian government, brought various responses from global community. Some raises
concerns about the unfolding crisis, while some goes as far as disagreeing with the seizure of power
by armed means.

One who
wishes to compare the Egypt coup to Thailand should not bring up just some facts to use against
others, but he or she must consider all sides of facts, in a broad terms and with degrees of
impartiality.

The
accusation about an abusive and violent government may resonate more with the Thai government under
Former PM Abhisit Vejjajeeva which authorized the military operation to end the mass protests in
2010 – with real weapons and real ammo. The crackdown left nearly 100 people dead and more than
2,000 injured. What′s worse, it also left a scar in Thailand.

To criticize and to cautiously remind someone of
the right thing is what one ought to do. However, in the meantime, to expect such warnings to be
taken seriously, one needs to apply the same ideal to everyone, particularly on one′s self before
anyone.

To criticize
the government and to remind it not to overstep its boundary of power is certainly a good thing. But
such criticism must be applied to all governments – no matter who′s in power. All factions
should be treated by the same principles.

Only then, the rest of the society will lend you
their ears.

'Penis Massage' Gang Arrested For Stealing From Tourists

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Khaosod English

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9 July 2013, 09:43

The suspects showed police how they committed the crime during a crime scene rehearsal.

(8 July) Pattaya police arrested 4
individuals who confessed to conning foreign tourists into their penis massage
service and stealing from the victims.

The police were informed about the
crime by 3 tourists from India. They told police they were duped into penis massage by 3 women at a
room in Soi Sukhumvit 40, Central Pattaya, and later realized that their wallets were missing when
they returned to their hotels.

The 3 Indians said they have lost
around 2,350 US dollars in total to the suspects.

Penis massage, known in Thai as
nuad krapoo, involved rubbing the customers? genitalia and arousing them sexually. Some
of the performers also offer sexual intercourse for an extra price.

The police later sought for the 3
suspects, and received tips from local informants that 3 ladyboys who matched the wanted profile
were seen soliciting their sexual service to 2 other foreign tourists in Pattaya. Believing that the
suspects were about to scam yet more victims, the police raided the room.

Inside the room, the officers found
the 3 suspects, identified as Ms. Dusadee Surisang, 30, Ms. Prakai Prasitnork 37, Ms. Praewpan
Khaosum-ang, 24, as they performed their trade on the 2 foreign tourists on a bed. Mr. Sutat Prompakdee, 39, was also
found hiding under the bed. The 4 were arrested and escorted to police
station.

The 4 suspects confessed to stealing from the 3 Indian tourists. They explained their tactics to
police that while Ms. Dusadee, Ms. Prakai, and Ms. Praewpan distracted the victims by performing
sexual acts, Mr. Sutat who was hiding the bed would sift through the pants pockets of the victims,
finding wallets, phones, and cash.

They said they
would escort the victims back to their hotel, and fled the scene before the victims were aware of
their lost items. The 4 said they had done this many times, and always changed the venue for their
operation.

The 3 Indian
tourists confirmed the suspects? identity to the police. The suspects were brought afterwards
to the crime scene to rehearse the steps of their crime for the investigative
officers.

Armless Breadwinner For 3 Children Says She Never Loses Hope

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Khaosod English

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8 July 2013, 21:25

(8 July) Ms. Runglawan
Carick, a 37 year old resident of Nakorn Rajasima province, has no
arms.

But she still does variety of works to support herself and pay school
tuition for her sister′s 3 small children; she reaps the marigold, harvests the corns, and
root out unwanted flora for her neighbors – all this with her feet.

Ms. Runglawan, who lives in Wang Namkeow district, was born
without arms and has been living with her sister′s 3 young children for several years
now.

She has been raising money by occupying any possible job to
support their education, as she never had the chance when she was young, she said, due to her
family′s financial difficulty.

Apart from the wide range of
jobs, she can also do plenty of house work, and has a magnificent skill in drawing.

In an
interview with our correspondent, Ms. Runglawan says she never gives up.

It′s already a great miracle to be born as a human,
she said, I learned to live my life worthily and stay strong

Mr. Manote Lap-Chitr, the Director of Wang-Namkeow Non-Formal
Education Service Centre (FES), said that in 2009 the centre heard of Ms. Runglawan′s story
and immediately gave her some support.

Now Ms. Runglawan has been
attending Primary School at the local Non-Formal Education Centre. During this time, they discovered
her magnificent drawing skill, particularly in portrait style, and she only takes 3 minutes to draw
portraits of flowers and landscape views.

Mr. Manote also disclosed that
Ms. Runglawan recently won the Northeast Region Non-Formal Education
Competition.

Now she is part of the ?Amazing Power? Team
of the Nakorn Rajasrima′s FES Centre and will be a representative for the region to attend the
National Non-Formal Education Competition on July 16th, at Impact Arena, Muengthong Thani in
Nonthaburi.

Editorial: 8 July 2013

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Khaosod English

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8 July 2013, 21:17

A number of media has reported recently that Ms. Supa Piyajitti, head of the Finance Ministry Subcommittee, recently testified to the Committee of Economics, Commerce and Industry that the government′s rice-pledging scheme has been corrupted in ′every process′.

Rice-pledging scheme,
media and instigation

Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra promptly responded to the news by vowing that if there is any proof that the
programme is indeed corrupted in ′every process′, she is willing to appoint the right team to
investigate the process and clarify all doubts, and that corrupted officers will be
penalised.

However, later, Ms. Supa claimed she did not make such
comments, and what she has done was only to ′give out the information′ rather than to ′hold a press
release′.

Once asked if she thought the whole process was fully
corrupted, which part of it that she thinks is most corrupted, Ms. Supa said she only claimed that
there is ′a possibility of corruptions′, and her statement did not indicate that the ′whole process′
was corrupted.

The interesting insights from this issue were that;
first, although Ms. Supa did not intend to give out such information, the government′s investigation
process should still be continued.

Second, everyone involved in
this ′dilemma′ should learned the lesson that ′instigation′ or ′information sedition′ can be used to
destroy political opponents, and that such methods still
exist.

Members of the media should be aware that they could also
serve as instruments for the smear campaign, whether intentionally or otherwise.

Thailand To Welcome Man Utd Stars This Week

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Khaosod English

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8 July 2013, 20:22

The renowned football team of Manchester United is set to arrive in Thailand on July 11 before kicking a big match against 'Singha Allstar' on July 13.

Manchester United commands an enormous fanbase in Thailand, where English football leagues are widely broadcasted and extremely popular.

The football match celebrating the 80-Yeal-Old Boon Rawd Brewery & Singha Corporation Co.,Ltd. will be kicked off on July 13, which Manchester United will play against "Singha Allstar" team.

The premiere league champion, led by the newly appointed manager David Moyes, will bring all the big names, such as Robin Van Persie, Wayne Roonie, Nemanja Vidic and Ryan Gigs to the field against the Thai team.

Manchester United plans to reach Thailand on the July 11, before going to sign a get-well message to His Majesty the King at Siriraj Hospital. The team will then attend the Manchester United Soccer School and teach selected Thai youngsters some football skills.

On July 12, some team members will join light rehearsal, while the others teach at the academy. Later in the evenings, the team will hold an open rehearsal at Rajamangala National Stadium, and a press conference about the match, which takes place the next day.

The event on July 13 will start from 3 pm onwards, with fans activities and souvenir shops. The gate will be opened at 5 pm, followed by the opening ceremony at 7.45 pm by Mr. Santi Bhiromphakdee, Singha Corps. Ltd Managing Director. The game will kick off at 8 pm and will be broadcasted live on MCOT Channel 9.

Afterwards, the squad will set off to Don-Meung Airport for their flight to Australia.

‘Singha Allstars will not be defensive’

Mr. Piyapong Piew-on, Singha Allstar manager, vows that Singha Allstar team will not apply defensive strategy while playing against Manchester United.

“Manchester United is a world class team. We must be prepared, but will not apply defensive strategy to aim for a 0-0 game. We must play crossed-fists even we know we are disadvantageous. We are aiming for a beautiful game, and for the 80th year celebration for Boon Rawd Brewery & Singha Corporation Co.,Ltd., it does not matter if we win or lose, but it matters that the fans will get to see an exciting game. I am also looking forward to learn something from David Moyes too.”

Singha Allstar team members will meet on July 11, at SC Park Hotel, followed by a rehearsal at 7 pm at Thailand Sports Authority Stadium 1.

Parishioner Mauled By Tiger At Temple Sanctuary

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Khaosod English

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7 July 2013, 19:21

(7 July) A tiger at a temple shelter in Nakorn Pathom province has attacked one of the temple
parishioners, severely injuring him in the arm and hand.

The incident took place at Wat (Temple) Or Noi in Kampaengsaen District. Police found bloodstain
on one of the 3 tiger cages. The tigers inside the cage were visibly irritated. It was not
immediately clear how and why the man was attacked.

In total, 5 tigers live at the monastery. Luang Pu (Elder/Grandfather Monk) Dharma Issara, the
temple abbot, told police he had been sheltering the tigers since 2003. He said the tigers were
legally acquired and the Forest Department has approved their stay in the
temple.

The abbot said the temple will foot the bill for the injured man′s medical
cares.

A number of temples in Thailand serve as
sanctuary for tigers. Some monasteries became very popular with foreign tourists by offering the
tourists a chance to take photo next to these wild cats.

'White Masks' Rally In Bangkok With Much Smaller Crowd

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Khaosod English

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7 July 2013, 18:25

(7 July) Hundreds of anti-government protesters gathered for their
weekly rally today in central Bangkok despite earlier reports that the group′s coordinators have
suspended its activities in Bangkok.

The Facebook group V For Thailand, which has been playing
a crucial role in initiating the wave of anti-government protest that saw its sympathizers adopting
Guy Fawke Masks as their symbol, has posted a statement calling for a emporary suspension of
further rally in Bangkok, out of fear that their movement is increasingly subverted by veteran
activists of the Yellowshirts.

Both the Yellowshirts and the so-called White Masks
campaign against the government of PM Yingluck Shinawatra, arguing that she is merely a puppet of
her older brother Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, whom the Yellowshirts and the White Masks protesters
see as corrupt, anti-monarchy figure.

V For Thailand suggested that the White Masks
rallies in Bangkok be suspended after some members of the Yellowshirts leaderships appeared in the
recent marches and attempted to dominate the largely-decentralized
protests.

Nevertheless, around 300-400 protesters wearing their
trademark Guy Fawkes Masks showed up at the usual rallying point in front of Central World shopping
mall today. As usual, they marched along Rama IV Road to their destination at Bangkok
Art&Culture Center before dispersing in the evening.

Also, as usual, some of the
protesters carried banners vilifying Mr. Thaksin and Ms. Yingluck. Thaksin′s Minions, Get Out!
some protesters shouted along the march, while some others hold up banners accusing the government
of mismanaging their country.

However, the number of the protesters visibly dwindled, our correspondent at
the scene has reported. In previous weeks, several thousands of the White Masks flooded the heart of
Bangkok′s downtown. The police estimated that only
o more than 400 protesters showed up
today.

The decline in participants number is due to confusion over
the V For Thailand′s statement and fear that the more aggressive Yellowshirts might hijack the
rallies, our correspondent said.

Earlier this week, there has been reports that a wing of
the Yellowshirts would don the masks of Hanumarn – the mythical white monkey god in the Ramayana
epic – and step in to lead the protest this week. The report appeared to be untrue. Our
correspondent has seen no Hanumarn Masks in the crowd, although some police officers say they
spotted 3-4 Hanumarns at the rally.

The protest ended without any reported violence. The
next rally – according to V For Thailand group – is to take place in front of Lumpini Park on 14
July.

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