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| 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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Posted By: Mark |
| 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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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: War on drugs revived by PPP government |
As regards international public relations, the Thaksin government's "war on drugs" was one of the most controversial events during its early years, due to around 2500 "extrajudicial killings", including gangland killings of would-be informers and others, as well as police firefights and killings. Later, Thaksin backed off.
Domestically, it was another story, and the war on drugs was highly popular with the Thai people.
The previous war on drugs resulted in significant reductions of drugs on the street and sharp skyrocketing of prices, but things have gone back to normal since then.
Previous governments also had anti-drugs pushes and extrajudicial killings, but not nearly on the scale as the early Thak [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Farmers get debt relief from new government |
Two million farmers were given debt restructuring (1.7 million farmers = 85 billion baht of debt) or debt moratorium (330,000 farmers), though these numbers are far less than those Thaksin helped.
This affects significant numbers of the Thai population and their families, and is a major source of rural northeastern support of the PPP government.
(The average interest rate on farmer debt is 7%.)
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008...s_30066236.php
Surapong offers farmers debt relief
Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee yesterday announced the government would provide a [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Amazing Al Jazeera interview of Thai PM Samak |
The further you read, the more shocking it gets. There's also a YouTube link. However, you might prefer to read the transcript by The Nation at your own pace and stop from time to time to wonder how anyone could say such things ... especially with his historical experience ... and he is the PM! This is the leader of the PPP party, Thaksin's nominee, and especially the Prime Minister of Thailand saying these things? And the way it ends, holy moly...
The PPP and Thailand need to replace this guy. And he's only a month into office. The old dog can't learn new tricks and should retire.
http://www.nationmultimedia.c [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Senate to balance power |
The first 74 out of 150 senators are seen as a fairly good counterbalance to any excesses of the PPP led parliament, and the other 76 senators are up for election in early March.
The Senate is empowered to remove ministers, appoint and remove members of independent agencies including the EC and the Constitution Court, and scrutinise laws passed by the House.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008...s_30065930.php
UPPER HOUSE
74 new senators seen as pro-CNS
Appointees will be balance to Samak govt's power: source
Published on February 20, 2008
Sevent [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
| News Article: Media intimidation already? |
A radio commentator had his program discontinued after reading an excerpt from a book about PM Samak which alleges Samak had distorted the truth about the infamous 1976 killing of student protesters at Thammasat University. The students were protesting against the military dictatorship and for democracy. It was one of a few such black chapters in Thai military vs. student shootings.
The commentator has linked the discontinuation of his program to PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair. It is now further alleged that there was an attempted "to cover up the issue because Jakaprob could face impeachement for allegedly committing unconstitutional offence of media interference."
Samak reportedly said in a recent CNN in [ more .. ] |
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Posted By: Mark |
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