Thai Press Reports articles from April 2009

Thai Press Reports archives from April 2009

Thailand: Commerce Ministry to temporarily ban imported pigs and its organs to prevent Swine flu.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Commerce Ministry plans to publicly announce the prohibition of imported pigs and their organs from other countries in order to prevent the Swine flu from spreading into Thailand. Mr. Yanyong Puangratch, a...

Thailand: Suspected Thai woman does not have swine flu.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - A 42-year old swine flu-suspected Thai woman has reportedly been found free of swine flu pandemic according to Chulalongkorn Hospital's clinical virology expert Dr. Yong Phuworawan. He stated that the woman was...

Thailand: Screening of swine flu tightened at Thai-Malay border.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Immigration at the Sungai Kolok district border set up border checkpoints and imposed strict measures to screen visitors to prevent the swine flu pandemic which has been widely spread in Mexico and many countries...

Thailand: Chigunkunya epidemic hit Songkhla province.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - A total of 6,379 people were infected with mosquitoes-borne Chigunkunya outbreak in eight districts of Songkhla province, according to Songkhla Provincial Public Health Office. A specialist on preventive medicine...

Thailand: Cabinet approves economic measures to help 4.6 million citizens.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Cabinet meeting today has approved the extension of the cost of living alleviation measures by allowing more rural citizens to get free water for consumption. Deputy Government Spokesman Watchara Kanikarn...

Thailand: Bangkok Poll shows teens have most confidence in family love and warmth.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Teenagers in Bangkok were found to have confidence in family love and warmth the most and in political system the least, according to the Research Institute of Bangkok University (Bangkok Poll). The poll was...

Thailand: Govt invites people to celebrate HM. the King's 60th coronation anniversary.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of His Majesty the King's Coronation invites people to celebrate on May 5 in order to show their loyalty to the monarchy. The...

Thailand: Royal message on the occasion of Israel's Independence Day.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - His Majesty the King has sent a royal message on the occasion of Israel's Independence Day. As 29 April 2009 marks the Independence Day of Israel, His Majesty the King has sent a royal message, wishing the Israeli...

Thailand: More UDD core-leaders surrendered to police.
April 30, 2009... Section: Government & Politics - More core-leaders of United Fronts for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) on Tuesday (April 28) reported to the Provincial Police Region Two in Chon UBuri Province. Nine core-leaders led by another...

Thailand: Phuket businessmen charged with trespassing on National Park.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Three businessmen in Phuket Province were arrested and questioned by police on April 28 after they were accused of illegally trespassing on 500 rai land property in Ko Yao District in Phang Nga Province, causing 500...

Thailand: DMS arranges mobile labs for Mexican flu tests.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Department of Medical Sciences has prepared some mobile labs for testing suspected swine flu cases around the country according to Deputy Director- General of Medical Sciences Department, Medical Doctor Suwannachai...

Thailand: A host of activities planned for May Day celebrations.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Department of Labor Protection and Welfare prepares lots of activities on Labor Day this year, while it cooperates with the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) to allocate plots of land for jobless people to...

Thailand: Thai AIrways imposes stringent measures to prevent spreading of swine flu.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Thai Airways International (THAI) has sought cooperation with the Public Health Ministry to take precautionary measures to prevent the swine flu outbreak which has plagued Mexico and its nearby countries including the...

Thailand: Metropolitan Police Commander assures UDD may gather within rights.
April 30, 2009... Section: Government & Politics - The Metropolitan Police have assured that demonstrations will be allowed in the capital as long as they do not disturb the peace and conform to gathering regulations. Metropolitan Police Commander Pol. Lt....

Thailand: Employment Dept. warns Thai laborers abroad of swine flu.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Employment Department is cooperating with relevant agencies in educating Thai laborers abroad about the swine flu outbreak. Employment Department Director-General Pichai Ekpithakdamrong said that Thai laborers...

Thailand: Thai Meteorological Department forecasts Scattered thundershowers will occur all over Thailand.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Thai Meteorological Department forecasts that the high pressure system from China covers northeastern part of Thailand and the upper South China Sea, while a low pressure front covers central and eastern Thailand....

Thailand: Mexican Flu Prevention Committee holds first meeting this afternoon.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The National Committee for Mexican Flu Prevention sought initial talks with relevant agencies this afternoon to come up with main principles for virus prevention. Deputy Prime Minister Major General Sanan...

Thailand: Air passengers advised to carry medical certificates on flight.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Thai Airways International (THAI) suggested that passengers bring along medical certificates confirming their swine flu-free status during their flight. Mr. Surapol Issarangkul Na Ayutthaya, Director of the THAI...

Thailand: Mexican flu prevention committee established.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Cabinet agreed to establish a national committee to prevent the spread of Mexican flu into the country. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva revealed that the Cabinet yesterday agreed to set up a national committee...

Thailand: Democrat Secretary-General assures no division over constitutional amendment and political amnesty.
April 30, 2009... Section: Government & Politics - The Secretary-General of the Democrat party has brushed off rumors that the party's executives are divided over the topics of constitutional amendment and political amnesty. Deputy Prime Minister and...

Thailand: Opposition threatens not to join reconciliation committee.
April 30, 2009... Section: Government & Politics - The Opposition Puea Thai party said it would not join the government's political reform campaign if the parliament session today failed to set up a panel to investigate the dispersal of anti-government...

Thailand: Senate Speaker calls meeting to finalize committee on new politics.
April 30, 2009... Section: Government & Politics - The Senate Speaker has called a meeting of all Upper House members to revise a new list of senators to be in the new politics committee after there was alledgedly reported that portions of the Senate voiced...

Thailand: Gold ornaments quoted at 15,450 baht per one-baht weight.
April 30, 2009... Section: Business News - Domestic gold ornaments were quoted at 15,450 baht per one-baht weight while gold bars were quoted at 15,050 baht per one-baht weight today. Gold futures contracts in New Yrok market closed down on Tuesday night...

Thailand: Govt. closely monitors swine flu.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Cabinet meeting yesterday discussed the swine flu outbreak and instructed relevant units to closely monitor the situation. Commerce Ministry Pornthiva Nakasai said the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry...

Thailand: Health ministry confirms negative test in Thai suspected swine flu patient.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Thailand's Public Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that a patient suspected to have contracted the contagious swine flu virus was found to have ordinary flu, but she will remain in hospital for several days to...

Thailand: Cabinet forms Thai national swine flu committee.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Cabinet gave a green light to the formation of a national swine flu emergency response committee to oversee prevention operations against the deadly virus, according to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The...

Thailand: Thailand readies for swine flu protection; Committee to coordinate response.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Public Health Ministry on Tuesday proposed to the Cabinet a plan for a committee to supervise swine flu prevention measures which would be chaired by the Prime Minister, according to Deputy Public Health Minister,...

Thailand: Swine flu outbreak won't affect Thai economy, says FTI.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The outbreak of swine flu in Mexico will not impact the Thai economy, but may fare well for Thailand's food exports, according to Federation of Thai Industry (FTI) chairman Santi Vilassakdanont. He said the...

Thailand: Three Thais wounded after Myanmar border fighting.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Two Thai soldiers and a villager were wounded Monday while some 200 villagers were evacuated to a Buddhist temple after fierce fighting between Myanmar Army troops and the Myanmar-based Democratic Karen Buddhist Army...

Thailand: Cabinet approves loan guarantees to help tourism sector.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Thai Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Small Business Credit Guarantee Corporation (SBCG) as guarantor to stand behind loans taken out by small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) operators from commercial banks to pay...

Thailand: Thai Airways lays down swine flu preventive measures for aircrews.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Thai Airways International (THAI) has imposed stringent preventative measures to prevent a swine flu spread for the cabin crews. No route change and ticket cancellation has been made. Director of THAI Crisis...

Thailand: Thailand's international reserves drop during political unrest.
April 30, 2009... Section: Business News - Thailand's international reserves dropped by nearly Bt34 billion during April 8-15, the Songkran festival period when the country's political confrontation heated up and turned violent, according to the Bank of...

Mexico: Swine Flu Causes Cancellation of Regional Football Championship Matches.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - This week's CONCACAF regional youth football (soccer) championship matches in Mexico have been called off because of a deadly swine flu outbreak in the North American nation. Officials of the North and Central...

United States/Cuba: US Lawmakers Hear Opposing Views on Obama Approach to Cuba.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - In recent congressional hearings, members of U.S. Congress have listened to opposing views about prospects for political change and human rights improvements in Cuba, and the question of whether to further loosen trade...

United States: More Swine Flu Cases Reported in US.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The number of swine flu cases across the United States has risen to at least 65, as governments around the world intensify steps to battle the outbreak that has killed scores of people in Mexico. The White House...

Venezuela/Peru: Venezuela Recalls Ambassador to Peru.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Venezuela has recalled its ambassador to Peru after Lima granted political asylum to Venezuela's opposition leader who is wanted on corruption charges in his home nation. Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Antonio...

Europe: Europe Braces for Swine Flu Impact.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - With two confirmed swine flu cases in Spain and two in Scotland, Britain and other European countries are preparing themselves as concern over the pandemic potential of the strain grows. Confirmed or suspected...

Mexico: Mexican Officials Struggle to Contain Swine Flu Epidemic.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The World Health Organization has raised its pandemic alert level from three to four, as health officials around the world take steps to prevent the spread of the swine flu that has caused at least 149 deaths in Mexico...

World: Researchers Race to Develop Swine Flu Vaccine.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - As public health officials around the world try to contain the spread of the swine flu, scientists are working overtime to develop a vaccine against this new strain of the virus. According to molecular biologist...

United States: US Officials Hopeful on Climate Talks.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Senior Obama administration officials say they believe a Washington meeting on climate change this week has somewhat improved chances for a new international treaty to tackle global warming. Experts from 16 major...

United States/Kyrgyzstan: US Cites Progress on Extending Use of Kyrgyz Base.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The U.S. Defense Department says it is moving toward agreement with Kyrgyzstan for the continuing use of an air base that is a key link in the American system for supplying troops and material to Afghanistan. In...

United States/Pakistan: US Welcomes Pakistani Offensive, Calls for Sustained Effort.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The U.S. Defense Department on Tuesday welcomed Pakistan's offensive against the Taliban and other groups near Islamabad, but says the real test will be whether the effort is sustained and actually defeats the...

Philippines: Filipino Seafarers Top Victims of Somali Pirates.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - At least 80 Filipino seafarers are being held hostage by Somali pirates - the highest number from any nation. The Philippine government has banned ships carrying Filipino crew members from sailing near Somalia. But as...

Hong Kong: Swine Flu Outbreak Reminds Hong Kong of SARS.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - For a few months in 2003, SARS held Hong Kong in virtual quarantine. Schools closed. Employees worked from home. Hardly anyone traveled. When they did go out, many people wore surgical masks. A similar scene is...

Afghanistan/Pakistan/Iran: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran Call for Greater Cooperation.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran have agreed to promote preferential trade-arrangements among their three nations, and they have underscored the need to better link their countries by road and...

Pakistan: Pakistan Battles Taliban in Northwest.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Pakistan's military has opened a new front in its offensive against Taliban militants in the country's northwest. Troops are pursuing an estimated 500 militants in Buner district, a region just 100 kilometers from the...

Indonesia: Indonesia Sentences 3 to Prison for Terrorism.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - An Indonesian court has sentenced a Singaporean man to 18 years in prison under the country's anti-terrorism law. The court also sentenced two Indonesian men to 10 and 12 years on similar charges. When the Jakarta...

South Korea/North Kirea: Seoul Warns North Korea About Detention of Executive.
April 30, 2009... Section: General New - South Korea is warning Pyongyang to uphold the human rights of South Koreans working at a joint industrial facility in the North. The South's main policymaker on North Korea warns the North's prolonged detention of an...

Asia: Asian Tourism Industry Braces for Flu Fears.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Asia's travel industry, struggling with weak demand because of the weak global economy, is bracing for the fallout from the swine flu. But industry analysts say Asia's 2003 experience with Severe Acute Respiratory...

Fiji: Bloggers Unite to Defy Military Censors in Fiji.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Fijians are increasingly turning to blogging to circumvent media censorship as the military government continues to impose restrictions on newspapers and broadcasters. Democracy activists in the troubled South Pacific...

New Zealand: New Zealand Confirms 3 Swine Flu Cases.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - New Zealand has confirmed three people have tested positive for swine flu - the first in the Asia-Pacific region. Eight more patients are awaiting test results and officials expect they too have contracted the virus,...

China: WHO Confident no Confirmed Swine Flu Cases in China.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The World Health Organization's China representative says there are no confirmed cases of swine flu in China. He spoke to reporters in Beijing, Tuesday, as Chinese authorities deal with an unspecified number of...

Australia: Australian Researchers - Surgical Face Masks Important Weapon Against Swine Flu.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - In what Australian researchers say is a world-first clinical trial, surgical masks have been found to be a cheap and effective front-line weapon against epidemics such as swine and avian flu. A team at the University...

Italy: Pope Visits Earthquake-Shattered Central Italy.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Pope Benedict XVI has visited the Italian city of L'Aquilla and other central Italian locales devastated earlier this month by a deadly earthquake. The pontiff Tuesday visited several sites in L'Aquilla, a...

United States/Iran: US Congress Moves to Tighten Sanctions on Iran.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The U.S. Congress took steps on Tuesday to tighten sanctions against Iran in what many lawmakers call an effort to provide President Barack Obama the authority he needs to increase pressure on Tehran over its nuclear...

Palestine/Israel: Palestinian Man Sentenced to Death for Selling Land to Israelis.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - A Palestinian court has sentenced a man to death by hanging for selling West Bank land to Israeli citizens. The sentence was handed down Tuesday by a court in the West Bank town of Hebron, but it may be unlikely to...

Iraq: Iraq Claims Arrest of Alleged al-Qaida Cell.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Iraq's Interior Ministry said it has arrested seven men from an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq cell suspected of a string of car bombings and other attacks. Interior Ministry spokesman Abdel-Karim Khalaf told reporters...

Iran/United States: Iran Says Jailed US Journalist Not on Hunger Strike.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Iranian officials have denied reports an Iranian-American journalist jailed in Tehran is on a hunger strike, and they say she is in good health. Iranian news agencies Tuesday quoted judiciary spokesman Alireza...

Iran: Iran Presidential Candidate Says Ahmadinejad Antagonizing West.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - A reformist candidate in Iran's upcoming presidential race is vowing to reverse current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's policies if elected. Moderate cleric Mahdi Karroubi said Tuesday that Mr. Ahmadinejad has...

United States: US Lawmakers Consider Steps to Address Swine Flu Outbreak.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Federal officials Tuesday sought to assure Americans they are taking aggressive action to respond to the swine flu outbreak in the United States. Their testimony before a Senate panel came as senators confirmed...

United States: In Park City Utah, Small Confection Business Rides Recession.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Business has boomed at Park City, Utah's high-priced and trendy ski resort since the 2002 Winter Olympics were staged nearby. But this year, the town of 7,000 and its businesses are suffering with the U.S. economy in...

United States: Fingers Crossed for Chrysler - and Kokomo.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - This week's tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers to cut by half the amount of money Chrysler Motors contributes to the union pension fund was welcome news in a heartland city of 45,000 people. The next...

United States: US Expands Help for Troubled Homeowners.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - U.S. families struggling to hold on to their homes could soon get more help. Treasury Department officials unveiled a plan Tuesday to lower payments for families with two home loans. During the U.S. housing...

United States: Top Republican Senator to Switch Parties.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Veteran U.S. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania stunned the Washington establishment by announcing he is leaving the Republican Party to become a Democrat. The move will bring Democrats closer to the 60-vote...

United States: American Students Compete in Constitutional Championship.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Several hundred high school students are in Washington, testing their knowledge of the United States Constitution in the final round of a nationwide competition. The competition, called "We the People," refers to the...

United States: Obama Visits FBI, Urges Commitment to Ideals.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - U.S. President Barack Obama made his first official visit to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, calling on FBI employees to remain committed to the values of liberty, integrity and the rule of law no matter what...

United States: Obama Faces 100 Days Test.
April 30, 2009... Section: General New - President Barack Obama is going through a rite of political passage this week - he is marking his first 100 days in office. The significance of the 100 days marker goes back to the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, who...

United States: Obama Seeks Improved Relationship with Muslim World.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Even before his inauguration in January, Barack Obama indicated that he would seek a new relationship with the Muslim world, based on mutual interests and respect. Since taking office, decisions he has made - like...

United States: Obama Administration Missing Key Members of Health Care Team.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - More than a dozen key positions in the U.S. government's public health care system remain vacant as President Barack Obama's administration nears 100 days in office. Among the open positions is that of secretary of...

Iran: Iranian archeologists found pre-historic tools in northern Iran.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Iranian archeologists have found about 30,000 Neolithic and Upper Paleolithic stone tools in a cave in northern Mazandaran Province. The team also found skeletal remains of Neolithic and Upper Paleolithic animals...

Iran/United States/Palestine: Iran says ready for nuclear talks with no preconditions.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Iran is ready to hold talks with the West as long as there are no preconditions and will support any decision the Palestinians make on their future. He made the remarks in an...

Iran/Turkey: Iran Khodro 'Runna' to hit Turkish market.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Iran Khodro Company will begin exporting its newly introduced car, Runna, to Turkey by July, IKCO's Turkish distributor says. The third all-Iranian car Runna was introduced by the Middle East's largest automaker...

Iran/Iraq: Iran vows to find Iraq bomb masterminds.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Tehran warns that the perpetrators behind the Iraqi bomb attacks that killed dozens of Iranian pilgrims 'would not go unpunished'. A fresh wave of violence erupted in Iraq on Thursday after a deadly bomb exploded...

Kuwait: Kuwait continues political arrests.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Kuwaiti authorities arrest an election candidate, the third in a lapse of a few days, for criticizing members of the ruling al-Sabah family. Khalifa al-Kharafi, who is from the same family as former parliamentary...

United States/United Arab Emirates: Clinton advised to break silence on UAE torture case.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Hillary Clinton is advised to break her silence on a torture case that has caused controversy for one of US' staunchest Middle Eastern allies. Human Rights Commission of the US house has urged Secretary of State,...

United States: Arlen Specter to join Democrats.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Republican Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter says GOP's moving 'far to the right' has forced him to plan to switch parties and join Democrats. "I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic...

France/Iran: French group urges Iran to free Saberi.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - More than a dozen people in Paris have launched a hunger strike in support of an American journalist who is in jail in Tehran. The journalist, Roxana Saberi, has herself been on a hunger strike for a week. She...

Iran: Larijani Calls Attempts to Change Persian Gulf Name "Worthless".
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that attempts to change the name of the Persian Gulf are worthless and harmful to the region. "The name of Persian Gulf will not change by worthless attempts,...

Iran: Ahmadinejad Blasts Security Council's Discriminatory Structure.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday blasted the UN Security Council's discriminatory structure, saying that it has provided certain powers with the chance to misuse their veto-wielding right. Speaking...

Iraq: Iraqi Kurdistan Official Says Occupiers Should Leave Iraq Soon.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The feeling of insecurity in Iraq can play a major role in the continued deployment of US troops in the country, the representative of Iraqi Kurdistan province in Iran said on Tuesday, adding that occupiers should...

Iran: Tehran Stresses Campaign against Anti-Iranian Terrorists Abroad.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - A senior Iranian judiciary official said on Tuesday that Iran will confront the terrorists harming Iranian expatriates abroad. "We will seriously pursue (the case with) any kind of offense against Iranian...

Iran: Spokesman Terms Events in Durban Conference "Insult to Tolerance".
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi strongly criticized the harsh reaction showed by certain western representatives to President Ahmadinejad's speech in Durban 2 conference in Geneva last week, and...

Iran/Iraq/United States: MP Says Terrorist Attacks in Iraq Guarantee US Presence.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - Terrorist operations in Iraq are aimed at destabilizing the Baghdad government to evoke a need to long-term US presence in the war-torn country, an Iranian lawmaker said. "Americans are seeking to guarantee their...

Iran/Iraq: Parliament to Investigate Terror Attacks on Iranian Nationals in Iraq.
April 30, 2009... Section: General News - The Iranian parliament plans to launch an investigation into the last week terror attacks on Iranian pilgrims in Iraq. The probe into the issue would be carried out on Wednesday by the Iranian MPs and in the...