CrazyExpat

A lot of articles that talk about immigration from Thailand fail to cover what happens with the US Embassy in Bangkok. This article's aim is to better inform those seeking to immigrate about their options and what needs to happen in order to successfully obtain a visa. Consular Processing Attorneys: what can they do for my Thai fiancee? A Consular Processing Attorney is a licensed Attorney in the US who maintains an office near a US Embassy abroad. While an Immigration Lawyer in the US has the ability to file a petition with USCIS it is unlikely that they will have an office in Thailand to help expedite the process. Also, an Attorney with an office in Thailand can better deal the Thai Fiancée herself due to the fact that a lawyer in Thailand will probably have Thai personnel to assist is describing the procedure and what documents need to be acquired. At the same time, an on-sight lawyer can communicate with the Embassy. Among the things an Immigration Attorney in Thailand can assist with: preparing your Thai Fiancée for the visa interview (by reviewing possible questions and translating them into Thai), organizing all documentation filed with the Embassy (with translation if necessary), getting a police report for the Thai Fiancee, obtaining medical exams for your Thai Fiancée, and responding to 221(g) requests for more information (often the Embassy, in their discretion will require some other documentation). As well as these advantages, merely having an Attorney on the scene to consult with can add a great deal to one's peace of mind regarding the Immigration process particularly where the US Citizen is back in the US waiting for the Thai Fiancée to come to the US. In cases such as this it can be a godsend to have someone on the scene dealing with the Embassy to take the burden off of the Thai loved one. Where a language barrier exists, even a small one, the Immigration process can be exacerbated. However, by having an Attorney on hand the frustration and confusion can be reduced because the burden does not fall upon the Thai to deal with the Embassy. As an alternative, a trained legal professional can communicate with the Embassy and convey their interpretation to the Thai fiancee exactly what needs to be done in order to expedite the process. Packet 3 and your Thai Fiancee: how a Consular Processing Attorney Can Help Packet 3 is the Packet the US Embassy will send to your Thai Fiancee explaining what documentation needs to be obtained before the Visa Interview. A Consular Processing Attorney will not only assist in obtaining the documentation, but can also provide guidance on what is required and tips to expedite the process. Many couples get frustrated and confused when dealing with Packet 3. However, with proper guidance the Packet 3 endeavor can proceed smoothly. Thanks for Reading, Benjamin W. Hart, Esq. The above article should not be taken as a replacement for competent legal advice from a duly licensed attorney in your jurisdiction. No Attorney/Client Relationship (either express or implied) shall be inferred from this publication. Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/law-articles/the-visa-interview-at-the-us-embassy-in-bangkok-why-hire-an-attorney-for-your-thai-fiancee-596391.html#ixzz16jhzSx3Z Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ruling Democrat Party dodged a legal bullet Monday when the country's Constitutional Court dismissed on technicalities the first two cases of election fraud that could have seen the party dissolved and Abhisit banned from politics for five years. But while the government's stability seems assured for now, all parties involved in the case - the Constitutional Court, police investigators, the Democrats and their opponents - saw their reputations tarnished as the cases progressed. "Relieved, relieved. We were quite scared today," said former Democrat leader Banyat Bantadan as he left the court. Banyat was party chief in 2005 when the alleged electoral offenses were committed. The Democrats now form the core of a coalition government, and a ruling against them would have meant political chaos with the possibility that the government would have fallen. The dismissal, however, is bound to deepen Thailand's periodically violent political divide. Anti-government protesters known as Red Shirts had pressured the Election Commission to prosecute the Democrats. They had seen two Red-supported parties, which formed the core of two previous governments, dissolved by the courts for electoral fraud, handing the reins of government to their opponents. The Red Shirts have alleged that the Democrats benefited from double standards, including preferential treatment by the courts, and Monday's ruling will only reinforce that perception. "And they call this Thai-style democracy," Pomjuk Pakwan, a Red supporter wrote on Ratchaprasong News, a Red Shirt website. (Read "After the Bloodletting, Bangkok Returns to Normal.") The Constitutional Court never ruled whether the Democrats were innocent or guilty of the charge of misusing campaign funds. Instead they ruled that the Election Commission's process in handling the case was riven with errors and that it had not filed the case within the legal time limit. The Democrats have also been charged with receiving an illegal campaign contribution worth tens of millions of dollars, but a ruling on that case is not expected until sometime next year. Democrat Party lawyers were considering petitioning the court the drop the case on similar grounds. Earlier in the year, the cases against the Democrat Party had seemed all but dead after the chairman of the Election Commission said the evidence was too weak to forward to prosecutors or the full Commission for consideration. But in early April, as tens of thousands of Red Shirt protesters descended on Bangkok in a bid to bring down the Democrat-led government, a Red Shirt mob invaded the Election Commission offices demanding it take up the cases. Not long afterward, the full Commission voted to send the cases to court. Red Shirt mobs had also invaded parliament, stripping security guards of their weapons and forcing government leaders to clamber over back walls to escape. Their protests, in which they occupied Bangkok's central business district for nearly two months, were crushed by the military in May. The two-month demonstration led to 91 deaths and more than 2,000 injured, including members of the security forces. (Watch a video from inside the Red Shirt camps.) The bitterness engendered by political conflicts also permeated the court. Judges were secretly videotaped talking about the case by a clerk sympathetic to the Red Shirts who posted the clips on YouTube. The clips led columnists and opposition politicians to call the court's credibility into question. Evidence presented during the trial appeared to show that police investigators were linked to the opposition and had coerced witnesses and tampered with evidence. Prime Minister Abhisit's term runs through the end of 2011, but he has hinted recently that he may call an election during the early part of next year. The Democrats won the second highest number of seats in parliament during the last election, and came to power after a Red-supported party was dissolved by the courts. Abhisit is anxious to gain an electoral mandate in hopes of ending Red Shirt protests against his government that have flared up repeatedly since he took office in late 2008. Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2033404,00.html#ixzz16gs2VUiL

Thailand's economy slipped into a technical recession in the third quarter, reinforcing signs of an Asia-wide slowdown as export growth cools, manufacturing ebbs and the impact of massive government stimulus spending fades. Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy shrank 0.2 percent in the third quarter after a revised 0.6 percent contraction in the second, data showed on Monday, reducing chances of another interest rate rise next month. The data reinforce signs of a slowdown across much of the region, from North Asian export powerhouses China, South Korea and Taiwan to Southeast Asian "tigers" Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. Strong growth in Asia has been one of the few bright spots for the struggling global economy. Figures last week showed Taiwan's economic growth slowing in the third quarter, while Singapore's trade-reliant economy shrank 18.7 percent and Indonesia reported this month its first slowdown in annual growth in five quarters. From a year earlier, Thailand grew 6.7 percent in the quarter, largely in line with economists' forecasts and slowing from growth of 9.2 percent in the second quarter, the data from the state planning agency showed. "Looking forward, we expect weaker global demand to bring Thailand's economic growth to below trend in the fourth quarter of 2010, and in the first half of 2011," said Usara Wilaipich, a Bangkok-based economist at Standard Chartered Bank. Malaysia's economic growth slowed more than expected to 5.3 percent in the third quarter from 8.9 percent in the second, its central bank said on Monday, noting growth in the second half of the year and in early next year was moderating. OCBC economist Gundy Cahyadi said growth almost stalled in the third quarter from the previous three months, though few analysts give quarter-on-quarter figures. The Asian slowdown has been exacerbated by the U.S. dollar's slide, which has driven up regional currencies and started to erode export revenue. It is complicating efforts by Asia's central banks to return interest rates to normal levels after drastic cuts in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. The Bank of Thailand is likely to keep its trend-setting one-day repurchase rate unchanged at 1.75 percent at its next policy-setting meeting on December 1, said Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board, Thailand's state economic planning agency. Private economists echoed that view after the data, which was marginally better than a deeper 0.4 percent contraction expected by most economists in a Reuters survey. "We expect less aggressive monetary policy by the Bank of Thailand and possible delays on interest rate hikes next year," said Isara Ordeedolchest, an economist at KT Zeamico Securities, a stock brokerage in Bangkok. Pimonwan Mahujchariyawong, economist at Kasikorn Research Centre, expects the economy to contract again in the fourth quarter, hurt by a nearly 12 percent rise in the baht this year against the dollar to a 13-year high and floods that have killed more than 200 people since October. RATES SEEN ON HOLD Thailand's debt market has largely priced in a rate pause next month, with one-year swap rates down by 22 basis points in the past two weeks. Government bond yields were barely changed after Monday's economic data. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AL1QW20101122

The wife of suspected international arms dealer Viktor Bout said Monday that her husband was illegally extradited to the United States -- and she plans to take legal action against those responsible. "It's definitely directed at [the] Thai government and the prime minister and those persons who signed the release of Viktor Bout onto the hands of U.S. authority, because they ...breached the law of their own country," Alla Bout told reporters in Bangkok. Alla Bout said Thai officials caved in to political pressure from the United States, which she claimed had been describing her husband as an alleged "Merchant of Death" for years -- and intensified their campaign after the September 11 terrorist attacks. "Reading between the lines of the media reports, you can see now a message that's very clear: we have not got [Osama] bin Laden yet, but we have got Viktor Bout, and that's the second best," she said. Alla Bout later told reporters that she hoped to convince the Thai government to bring he husband back to Thailand and release him. Viktor Bout is now in U.S. custody awaiting trial on charges that he agreed to sell millions of dollars of weapons to a Colombian narco-terrorist organization. He pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a U.S. courtroom in New York to four counts of terror-related crimes. Since his extradition, Russia has urged U.S. authorities for a fair hearing in the case. "Our diplomats have been instructed to carry out all necessary measures to protect Viktor Bout's interests," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexei Sazonov said. "Viktor Bout needs support," he said, adding that Russia will provide him with a lawyer if necessary. The alleged arms dealer faces charges of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, conspiracy to kill U.S. officers or employees, conspiracy to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile, and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. In this case, that would be the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC. "The so-called 'Merchant of Death' is now a federal inmate," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said last week. He said if Bout is convicted on all counts, he could face a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Bharara also announced an unsealed guilty plea of an alleged Bout associate, Andrew Smulian, on the charges. The Justice Department said that between November 2007 and March 2008, Bout agreed to sell millions of dollars of weapons to the FARC, called the "world's largest supplier of cocaine" and dedicated to the violent overthrow of the democratically-elected Colombian government. Drug Enforcement Administration agents led a sting operation by posing as FARC members, and Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008, where he remained in custody until last Tuesday. Viktor Bout had agreed to sell the weapons to two confidential sources working with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the government said. In a meeting recorded in Thailand in March 2008, he said he could have the material airdropped to the FARC and offered to sell two cargo planes as well, the government alleges. Bharara said Bout indicated that he wanted the weapons to be used against U.S. personnel in Colombia. He indicated that the United States was his enemy and that the FARC's battles against the United States were his as well, the government said. Thai officials arrested him after that meeting. Bout arrived in New York late Tuesday, after being extradited from Thailand. The Russian citizen and former Soviet military officer is being held in a high-security prison in Manhattan until his trial, the Justice Department said. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/22/thailand.bout.extradition/

There is a heightened state of alert for British nationals in Thailand as violence is expected during a political rally Tuesday, the British government warned. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office warned that demonstrations by the People's Alliance for Democracy planned for Tuesday in Bangkok could turn violent. Thailand has declared a state of emergency, London said, which prohibits gatherings of five or more people. This restriction could affect travel, the government warned. A high threat of terrorism exists in parts of the country, especially in areas visited by expatriates and foreigners, the warning continued. Clashes erupted on the Thai border with Myanmar following general elections Nov. 7. Several people were injured during border fire last week and the British government notes that all land crossings are closed. "Elsewhere, the situation is generally calm following recent political and civil unrest," the statement added. "However there remains a risk that political developments may lead to further violence." Bangkok imposed a state of emergency after the 10-week, anti-government Red Shirt protest ended in May. Clashes between Red Shirt supporters and security forces left at least 89 people dead, including a breakaway general who was assassinated during a media interview amid the unrest. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/11/22/Thailand-bracing-for-unrest/UPI-16271290455892/

The younger son of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been granted a visa to visit his mother after her release from house arrest. Kim Aris, 33, who lives in the UK, travelled to Thailand before his mother was freed on 13 November. The 65-year-old opposition leader has been kept in detention for much of the past 21 years by the ruling generals. She has not seen Kim or her elder son Alexander for about 10 years, and has grandchildren she has never met. A lawyer for Aung San Suu Kyi told the BBC Burmese service that Kim Aris had been given a visa to visit Burma. Nyan Win said Mr Aris was expected to arrive in Rangoon on Tuesday morning. Aung San Suu Kyi last saw Mr Aris in December 2000; since then he has been repeatedly denied permission to enter the country. Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest less than a week after the country's first election for 20 years - which was widely condemned as a sham designed to consolidate the military rulers' power. Mr Aris had an "emotional" telephone conversation with his mother on the evening of her release, the British embassy in Bangkok said. Aung San Suu Kyi's husband, a British academic, died in 1999. In the final stages of his battle with cancer, the military rulers refused him a visa to see his wife. Many believe that if she were to leave Burma, the pro-democracy campaigner would never be allowed to return. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11810577

The Thai SMBG devices and strips market has grown steadily as sales of blood glucose meters (BGM) and strips required for self-monitoring witnessed exponential growth, particularly during the last five years. The estimated national prevalence of diabetes in Thai adults is around 9.6 percent and with an incidence rate of 4.8 percent. Self-monitoring is fast becoming an important part of diabetes management. According to the National Survey of the Welfare of the Elderly in Thailand, prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the urban areas is 11.0 percent among males and 12.7 percent among females. In the rural areas, prevalence among males is 2.3 percent while among females it is 4.6 percent. Although diabetes is common in Thailand, most cases remain undiagnosed, especially in the rural provinces. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.medicaldevices.frost.com), Thai Self-monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) Devices and Strips Market, finds that the Thai SMBG market earned revenues of over USD 45.7million in 2009 and is estimated to reach USD 141.3 million by 2016, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.5 percent. The study segments the market into hospital (strips for public and private) and retail (meters and strips for independent and chain outlets). “The market is mainly driven by the efforts of the government to increase public awareness on diabetes and diabetes management, through frequent screenings and educational activities for the public,” says Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst, Jennifer Lau. Lau further comments, “The Ministry of Public Health regularly provides general health checks and screening for diabetes and hypertension at the community medical units to detect cases earlier in disease stages.” The International Diabetes Federation has revealed that diabetes is becoming alarmingly rampant, with figures of those afflicted with the disease reaching a staggering 185.5 million in 2009 globally. Asia Pacific was considered the worst, with 76.5 million people affected by this chronic disease. Increase of this chronic disease is caused due to rapid changes in lifestyle, particularly within the rising mid- to high-income level groups. “It has been noted that the public health service is the primary driver for the adoption of self monitoring in diabetes management. In addition, the 30 Baht Health Care Scheme has allowed more diabetes patients to seek treatment and management of their disease condition” says Lau Although the prospects for the market appear bright, there are some challenges moving forward. Awareness of diabetes remains low, especially in the rural areas. This makes it difficult to promote self-monitoring among patients as part of diabetes management. Apart from this, budgets are limited for small hospitals, particularly in rural areas. Patients are also price-sensitive with regard to strips thereby resulting in reduction in number of tests taken. http://www.prlog.org/11088551-rise-in-diabetes-cases-fuels-growth-in-thailands-smbg-devices-market-finds-frost-sullivan.html

BANGKOK — A cleansing ceremony is being planned next weekend to appease the “wandering souls” of 2,000 fetuses discovered on the grounds of a Bangkok Buddhist temple and believed to have been sent there from illegal abortion clinics. Since the fetuses’ discovery, people have been placing milk, baby clothes and toys at the temple morgue, where monks performed a prayer for the dead last Friday. For the past week, the Thai public has been grappling with the implications of an admission from one of the temple’s undertakers that he had been secretly storing the fetuses in the vaults of the crematorium after the temple’s furnace broke down. When he also began burying them in a pit, the overpowering stench drew complaints from neighbors and led to the discovery of the fetuses. Under Thai law, only abortions of pregnancies that result from incest or rape or endanger the lives of the mothers are legal. The events have reopened a debate in Thailand over the legality and morality of abortion. On Saturday, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said, “Longstanding social values must be corrected.” The undertaker and a woman who acknowledged that she had delivered the fetuses to the temple declared that they had done no wrong. An official of the Buddhist hierarchy here said temple ceremonies were in effect ceremonies of mourning. “We have to look at its purpose: to show compassion for the souls of the aborted fetuses and lead them to rest in peace,” said Amnart Buasiri, director of the Secretariat of the Sangha Supreme Council. “It is considered the same as the mass mourning for tsunami victims.” Two undertakers, Suchart Phonmee, 38, and Suthep Chabangbon, 56, have been charged with crimes related to the concealing of the fetuses. They said they had had no choice but to store them because they did not want to dispose of them like rubbish. “Actually,” Mr. Suchart, “said this condemnation should go to both the parents of the aborted babies and the ones who performed the abortions.” Lanchakorn Janthamanas, 33, has acknowledged that she made regular deliveries of fetuses to the temple after collecting them from several illegal clinics. She has also acknowledged having performed illegal abortions. But her mother said it was not such a simple matter to place blame. “I am proud of my daughter for her contribution to society,” said the mother, Sombat Sinotho, 60, speaking of the abortions she had performed. “Only those who have not faced the problem of an unwanted pregnancy tend to view her as evil.” Ms. Lanchakorn said she had rescued eight fetuses that had survived the procedure and was now raising them as her own adopted children. “I commit sin every day,” she said, “so if the kids won’t die, there’s no need to kill them.” Her mother said she had only learned from newspaper accounts that they were the survivors of abortions. Mr. Abhisit said that the current laws were “flexible enough” and that the problem ran deeper than legislation. “The problem lies in society’s values which require study and fostering appropriate values among at-risk groups,” he said. The penalty for performing an illegal abortion is as many as five years in prison and a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or about $330. The penalty increases if the abortion seriously injures the pregnant woman. But the penalties may be higher in the spiritual realm. “In Buddhist view, both having an abortion and performing an abortion amount to murder,” said Phramaha Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi, a leading monk who was quoted on Saturday in Post Today, a Thai-language newspaper. “It is a serious sin.” He added: “Those involved in abortions will face distress in both this life and the next because their sins will follow them.” Commenting this month, before the stored fetuses were discovered, another famous monk, Pra Payom Kallayano, said the cleansing ritual has nothing to do with Buddhism. “The people who organize this ritual often make money from it,” he said. “Women are sensitive, gullible and easily embrace mistaken beliefs.” People should not believe they can remove their sins simply by performing a ritual, he said. “We should do good things,” he said. “Those who do good gain good karma. We should believe in the rule of karma, not the ritual.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/world/asia/22iht-thai.html?_r=1

PARIS—French retail giant Carrefour S.A. Monday said it has sold its Thailand stores to Big C, a local subsidiary of its smaller rival Casino Guichard- Perrachon S.A., for an enterprise value of €868 million ($1.19 billion). The sale generated a flurry of interest from retailers seeking to solidify positions in the fast-growing region. The purchase will double Big C's store network in the Bangkok region and propel Big C to the position of co-leader in large hypermarket stores. For the full article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703326204575616160292689670.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

* Stock jumps to all-time high after deal * Outlook bright on significant growth in 2011 - analysts * Worry over higher interest expenses cap gain (Adds detail, analysts comment) BANGKOK, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Shares in Thailand's Big C Supercenter PCL BIGC.BK, controlled by the French Casino Group (CASP.PA), rose more than 10 percent on Tuesday after the purchase of Carrefour SA's (CARR.PA) Thai assets for 868 million euros ($1.2 billion). French retailer Casino said on Monday the 42-store acquisition would help Big C, in which Casino owns a 63 percent stake, become co-market leader in Thailand, with an estimated turnover of about 2.4 billion euros for 2010. [iD:nLDE6AE025] The acquisition sent shares in Big C up as much as 12.8 percent to an all-time high of 88 baht when trade resumed on Tuesday amid expectations of higher profit growth next year. "Despite Big C and Carrefour potentially being cannibalised in terms of the same store locations, this shouldn't have a significant impact," said Asia Plus Securities analyst Natwarin Tripobsakul. "The purchase would boost Big C's market share to 31.9 percent from 22.2 percent of the total sales of the four biggest retailers in the country," Natwarin said. However, that share is still behind the market leader, Britain's Tesco Lotus, with 40.4 percent. The broker gave a "buy" rating with 2011 fair price of 92.50 baht, while KGI Securities upgraded the stock to "outperform" with a target price of 87 baht. Casino said the deal would boost Big C's earnings in 2011 and it was expected to realise significant synergies by 2013. The deal should be completed by the beginning of next year. Big C, also partly owned by unlisted Central Group, Thailand's largest retail group, is expected to finance the deal by cash and borrowing from commercial banks. However, worries of higher interest expenses limited the stock's rally. Kim Eng Securities said the borrowing would boost Big C's net debt to equity ratio to 1.8 times with interest costs of about 1.6 billion baht a year. At 0333 GMT, Big C shares were up 2.24 percent at 79.75 baht, erasing some of earlier gains, while the Thai main index .SETI was down 0.39 percent. ($1=29.84 baht) (Reporting by Arada Kultawanich and Ploy Ten Kate; Editing by Robert Birsel) http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE6AF04A20101116

BANGKOK -- The Thai government extradited accused Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout to the United States onTuesday to face terrorism charges, rejecting heavy pressure from Moscow for him to be freed. The Cabinet approved Bout's extradition Tuesday after a long legal battle, and Police Col. Supisarn Bhakdinarinath said the 43-year-old Russian was put aboard a plane in Bangkok at about 1:30 p.m. (0630 GMT; 1:30 a.m. EST). Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that the government sided with an earlier appeals court decision that Bout could be extradited. Bout, a former Soviet air force officer who is reputed to have been one of the world's most prolific arms dealers, was arrested at a Bangkok luxury hotel in March 2008 as part of a sting operation led by U.S. agents. The head of a lucrative air transport empire, Bout had long evaded U.N. and U.S. sanctions aimed at blocking his financial activities and restricting his travel. He claims he ran a legitimate business and never sold weapons. Bout has allegedly supplied weapons that fueled civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa, with clients including Liberia's Charles Taylor and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and both sides in Angola's civil war. Russia had made strong public statements against Bout's extradition, and privately, both Moscow and Washington were reported to be exerting heavy pressure on Abhisit's government. U.S lawmakers also became involved, sending a letter to the Thai government urging extradition. A Thai court in August of 2009 originally rejected Washington's request for Bout's extradition on terrorism-related charges. After that ruling was reversed by an appeals court in August this year, the U.S. moved to get him out quickly, sending a special plane to stand by. However, just ahead of the appeals court ruling, the United States forwarded new money-laundering and wire fraud charges to Thailand in an attempt to keep Bout detained if the court ordered his release. But the move backfired by requiring a hearing on the new charges. Those were dismissed in early October. Russia says Bout is an innocent businessman and wants him in Moscow. Experts say Bout has knowledge of Russia's military and intelligence operations and that Moscow does not want him going on trial in the United States. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/16/AR2010111600072.html

BANGKOK — Thailand extradited Viktor Bout, a Russian accused of arms trafficking, to the United States on Tuesday, abandoning the diplomatic balancing act it had conducted for more than two years between Washington and Moscow. Two motorcades — one apparently a decoy — made the trip to Don Muang Airport, where about 50 police officers, including snipers, kept watch, according to local news media. Shortly afterward, an airport official confirmed that Mr. Bout had left on a chartered 20-seat American aircraft. Also aboard were two pilots and six officials from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Information about his movements was being closely held for security reasons, but he was expected to arrive in New York on Tuesday evening and be arraigned in United States District Court in Manhattan on Wednesday. Mr. Bout, 43, is a former Soviet Air Force officer who became known as the “Merchant of Death” for what American officials say is an arms trafficking network that encompassed Africa, Afghanistan and South America. He is also reputed to know the current shape of Russian intelligence, and Washington has been in a tug of war with Moscow since his arrest in March 2008 over whether he would go on trial in the United States. Mr. Bout was arrested at a Bangkok hotel after he agreed, according to the authorities, to sell millions of dollars in weapons to undercover American agents posing as rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The group has been fighting Colombia’s government for decades and finances itself partly through the cocaine trade. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has said Mr. Bout is an innocent businessman, as he himself claims. On Tuesday, the ministry released a statement angrily calling the extradition illegal. “From a legal perspective, what has occurred cannot have a rational explanation and justification,” the statement said. “There is no doubt that the illegal extradition of Viktor Bout came about as a consequence of unprecedented political pressure exerted by the U.S. on the government and judicial authorities of Thailand. It is deeply regrettable that the Thai authorities succumbed to political pressure from outside and undertook the illegal extradition.” Thailand had long tried not to offend either Russia or the United States over Mr. Bout’s case. In October, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the two to resolve the issue on their own. “We have certainly indicated that they should talk, rather than putting all the burden on us,” he said. “It would make it easy for us if they could come up with a common position because, after all, these kinds of decisions must be made with a view to maintaining good relations, which is in the interests of the Thai people and also our friends.” But on Tuesday, it appeared that Thailand had whisked Mr. Bout to the airport without informing the Russians. “This information did not arrive at the embassy officially,” the chief of the Russian Embassy’s consular service, Andrei Dvornikov, told the Interfax news agency. “There were neither notes nor telephone calls.” Mr. Bout’s Thai lawyer said that the Thai authorities had not informed him, Mr. Bout’s wife, Alla, or the Russian Embassy in Bangkok about the move. “Alla Bout and I were so confused and shocked since they didn’t inform us about the extradition,” said the lawyer, Lak Nittiwattanawichan. “We just learned about this late in the morning. Yesterday, we went to visit him at the prison and everything was normal.” He said that he would sue because the “Thai authorities have violated the law.” http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/world/asia/17thai.html?_r=1

Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- China, Myanmar and Thailand agreed to study a $10 billion hydropower project that would be Southeast Asia’s largest by generation capacity, the Chinese government said. The 7-gigawatt project would be built on the Salween River in Myanmar over 15 years, China’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission said in a statement on its website today. Companies from the three countries signed an accord on the project on Nov. 10, according to the statement. China, the world’s largest energy consumer, is planning to add hydropower capacity in its southern provinces such as Yunnan and help build hydro dams in neighboring countries including Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia to meet demand from the region. The Asian Development Bank in September raised its 2010 economic growth forecast for Asia, excluding Japan, to 8.2 percent. “Asia’s power demand is set to rise with the economy, and Chinese developers are keen to tap the rich hydro resources in Southeast Asia to fuel regional growth,” said Dave Dai, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Daiwa Securities Capital Markets Co. China Three Gorges Corp., Sinohydro Corp. and China Southern Power Grid Co. will work with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and the International Group of Entrepreneur Co. in Myanmar on the study, according to the statement. From its headwaters in the Tibetan plateau, the 2,800- kilometer (1,740-mile) Salween traverses Yunnan and Myanmar before emptying into the Andaman Sea. The river is known as Nu Jiang in China. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-11-16/china-myanmar-thailand-study-10-billion-hydro-dam.html

Thailand welcomed the release of Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from years of house arrest, saying it was "an important step" on the country's road to democracy. "Her release marks another important step in the national reconciliation and democratisation process in Myanmar," the Thai foreign ministry said in a statement posted on its website late Saturday. Thailand, a major trading partner of the military-ruled country, "hopes that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will have a constructive role to play in Myanmar's nation-building process," it added. Daw is a term of respect. Myanmar's Southeast Asian neighbours have welcomed Myanmar's first election in 20 years as a move towards democracy, in contrast to Western governments, which denounced the poll as anything but free and fair. http://news.malaysia.msn.com/regional/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4458545&f=255&MSPPError=-2147208000

At least 10,000 people seek refuge in Thailand as government troops clash with Karen fighters a day after crucial polls. Fighting between Myanmar government troops and ethnic fighters has sent at least 10,000 people fleeing into Thailand a day after the military-led nation held a much-criticised election. Clashes were reported on Monday at key points on the border with Thailand, leaving at least three people dead and 10 others wounded on both sides of the frontier. The clashes follow a demonstration by the fighters over Sunday's general election, Myanmar's first in 20 years, as well as attempts to force ethnic minority troops to join a border guard force - which would put them under state control. A simmering civil war has wracked parts of Myanmar since independence in 1948 and observers say the state's determination to crush ethnic anti-government fighters appeared to have increased in the lead up to the election. In the heaviest fighting, Karen fighters reportedly seized a police station and post office on Sunday in the Myanmar border town of Myawaddy. Sporadic gun and mortar fire continued into Monday afternoon. Stray rocket Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas, reporting from the Thai border town of Mae Sot, said that a stray rocket propelled grenade crossed into Thailand, injuring five people. "The clashes appear to be between a faction linked to the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and government-backed troops," Ortigas said. "This faction has said it did not support the ceasefire the DKBA signed with the Myanmar government, and have reiterated that they want their own autonomy." Our correspondent also said refugees from Myanmar who crossed the border into Thailand feared government troops would shoot them for failing to vote on Sunday. Zipporah Sein, the general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU), said fighting broke out between up to 300 DKBA soldiers and government forces. "We don't know definitely but I think last night the army sent over more troops, they negotiated and the DKBA retreated but this morning they were blocked by army trucks and then it started," she said. 'Foul play' Myanmar, also known as Burma, drew international criticism over Sunday's vote with Barack Obama, the US president, saying the election was stolen. Al Jazeera's special correspondent reports on the difficulty in ascertaining the true will of the people "It is unacceptable to steal elections, as the regime in Burma has done again for all the world to see," Obama, currently on a tour of four Asian nations, said in a speech to India's parliament in New Delhi. Europe and Japan also condemned the conduct of the poll as state TV reported that voters "freely and happily" cast their ballots. State media, featuring photos of Than Shwe, the country's ruling general and other senior leaders voting, announced the "winners" in 57 constituencies, 55 of which were contested by just one candidate, more than two thirds of those with the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). In many constituencies, the poll was a two-way battle between the USDP and the National Unity Party (NUP), which is the successor to former leader Ne Win's party and also closely aligned with the military. A senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said voter turnout was estimated at more than 60 per cent but that the results from the whole country could take one week. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, said voting conditions had been "insufficiently inclusive, participatory and transparent". Than Nyein, chairman of the National Democratic Force, created by former members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said the election was marred by irregularities. "It's very different from our expectation because of foul play," he told the AFP news agency. "We have our evidence. Some candidates complained ... because there was vote cheating." 'Missed opportunity' Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Thai prime minister, has said that ethnic minority clashes with the military in eastern Myanmar could continue for months. He also said that the country was ready to provide humanitarian assistance as refugee numbers continue to rise. "It is possible that it will carry on during the next three months, particularly during the transition from the current government to an elected government," Abhisit told reporters in the Bangkok, the Thai capital. With no specific time given for the release of election results, Western powers were labelling the vote as a "missed opportunity". But some saw the poll as a small step towards democracy after almost five decades of military rule, with opposition parties confident of success in areas they did contest. However, with 25 per cent of the seats in parliament reserved for military appointees regardless of the outcome, the two main pro-military parties needed to win just 26 per cent of the remaining seats to secure a majority. Al Jazeera's correspondent in Myanmar added that despite opposition groups running in the polls, electoral advantages had been skewed towards the USDP. Two opposition parties accused the USDP of illegally collecting advance ballots. The NDF said some people had complained that they were told by the USDP there was no need to vote as their ballots had already been collected. More than 29 million people were eligible to vote but it remains uncertain as to how many actually cast ballots. International condemnation of the polls continued to grow, with Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, saying Washington would maintain "rigorous sanctions" against the Myanmar government. The electoral process was "severely flawed, precluded an inclusive, level playing field, and repressed fundamental freedoms," Clinton said. After the election, attention is now turning to whether the government will release Aung San Suu Kyi on Saturday, when her current term of house arrest ends. The Nobel Peace Prize winner led the NLD to power in 1990 but the result was never recognised by the ruling generals. She has been detained for most of the last 20 years and supported a boycott of Sunday's election. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/11/2010118479326824.html

Thousands of people in eastern Burma have fled into neighboring Thailand to escape fighting between an ethnic militia and the Burmese military that erupted just one day after the military-ruled country's first elections in 20 years - dismissed by critics as a sham. At least 3,000 people poured over Burma's eastern border into Mae Sot, Thailand, on Monday, after members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and Burma's military clashed in the town of Myawaddy, just across from Mae Sot. Hundreds of the men, women, and children crossed over the Moei River dividing the two countries and were given refuge in a Buddhist temple. Bamyar Htaw lives in Myawaddy, but says he crossed over from Burma after hearing gunfire and seeing a man on a motorcycle get shot. Burmese soldiers do not like the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, he says, so that is why they exchanged gunfire. He adds that he no longer feels safe to live there. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Thousands-Flee-into-Thailand-to-Escape-Fighting-in-Burma-106875904.html

Thailand's flood-related deaths climbed to 165 on Monday, the national Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported. The death toll was reported at 122 people in the upper part of the country from Oct 10 to Nov 8. Eighteen provinces remain under water and flood water receded in 21 provinces in the upper part of the country affecting 6.1 million people and 6.3 million rai of farmlands (about 2.5 million acres). The department worked with local authorities to send 1,400 flat-bottomed boats, 388,418 sets of flood relief supplies and 1,608 makeshift tents to flood impacted areas. The department reported the number of deaths at 43 in 12 southern provinces affected by flooding triggered by the recent tropical depression from Oct 30 to the present. More than 280,000 people were affected by flooding. The department sent 161 flatboats, some 5,000 sets of flood relief supplies and 3,000 tents to flood-stricken areas. While the flood problem continues, local residents in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Lan Saka district as well as officials remain on high alert bracing for possible recurrence of landslides after mud and stones on Sunday slid down from a mountainside. Lan Saka district chief Apinan Puegpong on Monday made a helicopter inspection of Klong Ha village where the landslide occurred on Sunday. Following the survey, there were some evidence and signs showing the landslide and stones moving to another spot however it is not at high risk. Mr Apinan said that official and workers on the ground still cannot reach the landslide location as the area is near a cliff. Currently, the district warned residents of possible heavy rains Nov 9-10 and coordinated with community leaders as well as local army units to help evacuate villagers if the flood-related situation worsens, the district chief explained. Moreover, two units of the authorities concerned are closely monitoring the situation and are warning the villagers to move to a local school which has been prepared if the flood-related incidents occur. Meanwhile, Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said according to a survey, 828 schools have to postpone the opening of the new semester for another one week for rehabilitation work. The ministry geared up disbursement of the Bt176 million budget approved by the Cabinet to help schools and students affected by flooding. The ministry will also start releasing caravans of flood relief supplies to 30 schools in central provinces on Tuesday. Vocational students are now building two emergency houses for two families in Khanom and Sichon districts. They will be finished and sent to flood victims on November 13. (MCOT online news) http://www.mcot.net/cfcustom/cache_page/126834.html

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BANGKOK — The suspected Russian arms dealer known as "The Merchant of Death" is tired of prison life but optimistic a Thai appeals court will rule in his favor Friday and refuse to extradite him to the United States, his lawyer said. Viktor Bout, a 44-year-old former Soviet air force officer, is reputed to be one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. He has been linked to some of modern history's most notorious conflicts, allegedly supplying weapons that fueled civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa to clients such as former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Bout's high-profile arrest in a 2008 U.S. sting operation in Bangkok ended nearly a quarter century of cat-and-mouse chases for the elusive Russian. It also raised Washington's hopes for a quick handover of a man who has never been prosecuted despite being the subject of U.N. sanctions, a Belgian money-laundering indictment and a travel ban. Instead, it spurred a diplomatic tug-of-war between Moscow and Washington that led to lengthy delays and prompted a lower court judge to seek input from the Foreign Ministry, saying he was in "a tough position" and feared ties with both countries could be at stake. The Bangkok Criminal Court ultimately rejected the U.S. extradition request in August 2009. Experts say Bout — who gained notoriety in the 1990s for running a fleet of aging Soviet-era cargo planes to conflict-ridden hotspots in Africa — has been useful for Russia's intelligence apparatus, and Moscow does not want him going on trial in the United States. Ahead of Friday's verdict, Bout's lawyer said his client was "feeling very well." "He's having a very bad toothache. But in general, he's very optimistic," said Lak Nittiwattanawichan. "I've had many clients who were in similar positions and they'd be very nervous, but Viktor can sleep at night." Bout has repeatedly denied the accusations and claims his air cargo business was legitimate. "He's very disturbed that people have been misrepresenting him. He is particularly concerned that all of these movies and books paint a bad picture of him," the lawyer added. "Viktor is an entrepreneur, a businessman. He's good at what he does." The 2005 Nicolas Cage film, "The Lord of War," is widely believed to be modeled after Bout's life. The Russian's own nickname was coined in 2000 when a high-ranking minister at Britain's Foreign Office dubbed him "The Merchant of Death" for his alleged arms role in Africa. Bout's March 2008 arrest at a Bangkok luxury hotel came after an elaborate operation led by U.S. agents posing as arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which Washington classifies as a terrorist organization. The four-month investigation involved meetings in Curacao, Denmark and Romania. After his arrest, Bout was indicted in the U.S. on charges of conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to FARC, including more than 700 surface-to-air missiles, thousands of guns, high-tech helicopters and airplanes outfitted with grenade launchers and missiles. The lower Thai court said it rejected the U.S. extradition request because Thailand considers the FARC a political movement and not a terrorist group, and that extradition could not be granted for a political offense. Thai prosecutors appealed the decision on Washington's request. In February, U.S. prosecutors filed new charges in hopes of convincing reluctant Thai officials to extradite Bout despite Russia's objections. The new charges say Bout and his former business associate, Richard Chichakli, used a series of front companies to purchase two planes from U.S. companies in 2007, in violation of U.S. and United Nations sanctions. At the time, U.S. officials intervened to block the sale. "We continue to believe that Viktor Bout should be extradited to the United States to stand trial," said Kristin Kneedler, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, which was waiting for Friday's verdict to discuss the case in greater detail. Russia, for its part, made great efforts to get Bout out of Thailand — and when that failed tried to make his stay more comfortable. "The Russian authorities told me that they worried about the length of time Viktor has been jailed," Bout's lawyer said. "They requested that he be taken to live in the Russian Embassy, guaranteeing that he would not leave Thailand. But the court wouldn't let Viktor out." Both Washington and Moscow have accused the other of trying to win Bout's release by bribing Thai officials — a common practice in a country where the judiciary is notoriously corrupt. Russia, which sold cheap oil to Thailand after Bout's arrest and has talked of selling it fighter jets, summoned the Thai ambassador in Moscow at one point and the country's foreign ministry demanded the case be investigated "objectively and impartially." http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hGAKKE1_KetfMhX3NQp-03SD502gD9HMD60G0

BANGKOK—Thailand's commerce minister Thursday urged the central bank to do more to stabilize the baht, blaming the currency's strength for a sharp slowdown in export growth, which pushed the country to a trade deficit in July. Southeast Asia's second-largest economy ran a trade deficit of $939 million in July, after imports surged 36.1% to a 23-month high of $16.5 billion, while exports rose 20.6% on year to $15.56 billion, Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai told reporters Thursday. Thailand last recorded a trade deficit in April of $266.1 million. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476104575438840030887822.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

South Korea's Won, Thai Baht Lead Asian Currency Gains on Growth Optimism South Korea’s won and Thailand’s baht led gains among Asian currencies on optimism interest-rate increases and the world’s fastest economic growth will attract funds to regional assets. The Bloomberg-JPMorgan Asia Dollar Index was near a one- week high as economists predicted data this week will show Taiwan and Malaysia had their best growth in more than a decade in the first two quarters of 2010. Thailand had its biggest increases in gross domestic product since 2003, a Bloomberg survey showed before data next week. The won has gained almost 1 percent since Aug. 12, when Bank of Korea Governor Kim Choong Soo said borrowing costs aren’t at an “appropriate level.” “When you look at the growth prospects, Asia’s strong numbers are supportive of currencies,” said Tohru Nishihama, an economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute Inc. in Tokyo. “Due to strong growth, many Asian countries are in the interest-rate increase cycle. The region’s yield advantage also encourages buying of the currencies.” The won gained 0.3 percent to 1,173.25 per dollar as of 1:55 p.m. in Seoul and the Thai baht climbed 0.2 percent to 31.67, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The Taiwan dollar rose 0.1 percent to NT$31.93, according to Taipei Forex Inc. The Vietnamese dong fell 1.1 percent to 19,320 after the currency was devalued for the second time this year. Asia’s developing economies will expand 9.2 percent this year, outpacing growth of 2.6 percent in industrialized nations, the International Monetary Fund said on July 7. Higher Yields Central banks in South Korea, Thailand, India, Malaysia and Taiwan have raised benchmark rates this year, giving their currencies a yield advantage over the Group of Seven nations. Indonesia’s 6.5 percent rate compares with a maximum of 0.5 percent in the U.S., U.K. and Japan. Policy makers in Korea and Taiwan are likely to increase borrowing costs when they meet in September, Standard Chartered Plc said in a research note on Aug. 16. The won rose to a one-week high as foreigners bought more Korean shares than they sold for the first time in six days, adding to this year’s $4.6 billion of net purchases, exchange data show. The central bank in Korea raised its benchmark rate in July by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25 percent. For More: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-18/south-korea-s-won-thai-baht-lead-asian-currency-gains-on-growth-optimism.html

BANGKOK, Aug 18 (Xinhua) -- All five people on board died in a helicopter crash in northern Thailand, an official said Wednesday. It is believed that the helicopter clashed into a mountain in Namom district, Nan province, said Nisakorn Kositratna, deputy permanent secretary of the ministry of natural resources and environment. A C-130 plane will bring the victims' bodies back to Bangkok Wednesday. Nisakorn blamed bad weather for the crash of the helicopter which flew from Phitsanulok province in central north to Nan province in upper north Tuesday morning as it was raining hard. Saksith Trideth, permanent secretary for the ministry of natural resources and environment, as well as three other officials and a pilot were on the helicopter. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/18/c_13450439.htm

Classmates remember ex-Marine from Norman killed in Thailand His given name was Dashawn Longfellow, but the Norman High School graduate was known simply as "Deeds” to the Marines who served with him. Longfellow, 23, was killed Saturday in Thailand, reportedly stabbed to death by a British man who fought him earlier that night in a bar. "He didn't deserve what happened to him,” close friend Kelly Cochran wrote in an e-mail to The Oklahoman. "The man responsible will be caught, and I pray for his soul. As for Deeds, I'm not worried about him because I know he's at peace.” Matt Gronbach, a Marine who called Longfellow "a great mentor to me and a (superior) machine-gunner” in Afghanistan, explained the source of his popular name. "He got the nickname Deeds off the movie 'Mr. Deeds' because Adam Sandler's first name in the movie was Longfellow and his last Deeds,” he said. Cochran said her husband, Beaux, and Longfellow served four years together with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines. She said the two were inseparable — he had a room at their home when they were stationed at Twentynine Palms, Calif. — and described Longfellow as "a happy guy, carefree and full of laughter.” Kelly Cochran said her husband and Longfellow were deployed twice with "the Marines of 2/7” — first to Iraq and then to Afghanistan, where both were wounded. "Deeds was wounded when the Taliban shot an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) into the turret of his MRAP (mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle),” Cochran wrote. "This was shortly after my husband returned back to the States. When we got the news about Deeds getting hurt, we were both worried but glad that he was alive.” Beaux Cochran is back in Afghanistan, while Longfellow recently left the corps to move to Thailand and train to become a Muay Thai fighter — a goal, Kelly Cochran wrote, that Longfellow told them he would pursue. Daniel Lenel, a former wrestling teammate at Norman High, said he hadn't seen Longfellow in a few years, but remembers "a smile that could light up any room.” Lenel recalled being a Norman High freshman at wrestling practice when Longfellow, an older and more experienced teammate, took the time to stop the ninth-grader and show him the proper technique of a particular move. "He was always helping someone or trying to get them to laugh,” he said. Grant Atteberry said Longfellow, a former classmate at Irving Middle School and Norman High, was an easygoing person who could strike up a conversation with anyone, yet had a focus and determination about him. "He was really driven,” Atteberry said. "Every time he put his head into something, he always did the best he could.” Read more: http://newsok.com/ex-marine-slain-in-thailand-remembered/article/3486235#ixzz0wwCFDdVL

Thailand’s baht climbed to the strongest level in more than two years on speculation exporters were converting their overseas income to guard against further appreciation in the currency. “With anticipation of further declines in the dollar, local exporters will rush to sell them, boosting the baht,” said Hideki Hayashi, a global economist at Mizuho Securities Co. in Tokyo. “Some Asian countries may boost interest rates while the U.S. is expected to keep them low, which is supportive of regional currencies.” The baht appreciated 0.3 percent to 31.74 per dollar as of 9:15 a.m. in Bangkok, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It earlier touched 31.73, the strongest level since May 2008. The currency may reach 31.7 this month, Hayashi said. Shipments from Thailand climbed 37.1 percent in July from a year earlier after increasing 46.3 percent the previous month, a report on Aug. 20 will say, according to the median forecast in the Bloomberg survey. The one-year swap rate, the fixed cost needed to receive a floating payment, was 1.71 percent from 1.705 percent yesterday. The rate has increased 33 basis points since the end of June. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point. South Korea, India, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand have raised benchmark rates this year in response to inflationary pressures, while the U.S. central bank has kept borrowing costs near zero since December 2008 to prop up the world’s largest economy. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-16/thai-baht-advances-on-speculation-exporters-converting-income.html

August 15, 2010 - Joran van der Sloot has had run-ins with the law in four countries: Peru where he was charged with the brutal murder of young Peruvian woman last May; Aruba where he is suspected of kidnapping a U.S. teen from Aruba; U.S. where he was charged with extortion in the missing U.S. teen’s case; and now in Thailand where he faces criminal charges for sex trafficking. The National Enquirer reported on van der Sloot’s alleged involvement in sex trafficking in Thailand earlier this month. According to CBS News, Peru’s minister of justice has now confirmed that Thai authorities are pursuing criminal charges against van der Sloot for his alleged involvement with sex trafficking. According to the Enquirer some of the girls he allegedly approached have disappeared and have never been found. According to Harold Copus, a former FBI agent who was once hired to investigate the Holloway case by the “Dr. Phil”show said van der Sloot is believed to have been the middle man. Thai authorities are working to confirm if this is true. Click here to read "Future movie portrays Natalee Holloway as a loose drug addict, provokes bitter feelings". “In the sex slave industry, the middle man would get a fee for getting the girls and moving them around,” said Copus, now head of Copus Security Consultants in Atlanta. AOL News reported that during his own investigation in Aruba, Copus heard rumors that "girls were taken out of Aruba to be used in the sex trade," he said. "There was supposedly a guy from Chicago there, a reputed mobster, who has been quoted as saying that a good [sex slave] is worth a quarter of a million dollars." Copus told AOL News that while there is a possibility that Holloway, if kidnapped, was sold into slavery, he doubts she would still be alive today. "Usually they'll dope the girls up so they have no concept of what they are doing," Copus explained, adding that once the women are deemed no longer useful, they often are killed. "There is another seedy business out there called the snuff trade, where they sell or trade recordings of actual murders," he said. "That's the final exploitation." AOL News further reported that the National Enquirer's report is not the first time van der Sloot's name has come up during investigations into the illegal sex trade industry. Van der Sloot was allegedly secretly videotaped in 2008 by a Dutch journalist, Peter de Vries, inside a Bangkok room with two young Thai women and two men who were posing as Dutch sex trade bosses. Van der Sloot was allegedly telling the women they would be working as models in Holland, but in actuality they would be delivered to the Dutch prostitution market and would make several thousand dollars for each woman he delivered. "He was in the process of recruiting girls for prostitution ... that is what we saw [in the video]," Copus said. "What we didn't see was what was going to happen if the girls didn't want to be a prostitute. There's a lot of concern here as to what his intentions were." Not long after the video aired, van der Sloot appeared on the Fox News program "On the Record With Greta Van Susteren." During the interview, he told Van Susteren he had sold Holloway to a mysterious stranger on a boat for $9,600. "He just handed me a bag, grabbed [Natalee] by the arm and he went to the boat that he had in the water," van der Sloot said. But like other confessions he allegedly has made, van der Sloot later contacted Van Susteren and said the story was a lie Police in Peru said van der Sloot confessed to murdering 21-year-old Stephany Ramirez in his hotel room in Peru last May. He then redacted his statement, but the judge upheld it and his attorney promises an appeal. For the entire article: http://www.examiner.com/international-headlines-in-national/joran-van-der-sloot-faces-more-legal-battles-sex-trafficking-charges-thailand-3