Regular dosage a must to prevent cheaper drugs becoming useless: doctors. The chairman of the Aids Doctor Association of Thailand yesterday called on the government to develop a monitoring system for HIV-positive patients treated with anti-retroviral drugs.

Bereaved father helps others cope with Aids

A grieving father who lost all four of his children to Aids has become a volunteer helping other impoverished parents whose children have died or are dying of the disease, even though he can barely afford to feed himself. “It broke my heart to see my children dying of Aids one after the other,” said Oud Suyaruen during an interview yesterday in his hometown of Ban Rim Khan in Mae Wang district.

SOUTHERN UNREST: Govt denies one of 131 Thais returned by M’sia

Malaysian media reports Foreign Minister Syed as saying man repatriated after Bangkok claimed to have arrest warrant One of 131 Muslims who fled to Malay-sia in August has been repatriated to Thailand, Malaysian media reported officials as saying, but Bangkok has denied the report.

Speed urged in Somchai case

The case of missing Muslim lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit bears a close resemblance to a case involving the disappearance of a Saudi Arabian businessmen, which took more than a decade to solve, Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya said yesterday.

Authorities parade 46 insurgent ‘spies’

Narathiwat Governor Pracha Therat yesterday paraded 46 villagers accused by authorities of having acted as spies for suspected Muslim insurgents.

Sea of yellow at Sanam Luang

Yellow was the colour of the day yesterday as tens of thousands of people, donned in bright yellow outfits, gathered at Sanam Luang to take part in a pledge of allegiance and to pay their respects to His Majesty the King.

Thaksin’s approval rating on the skids

Public approval of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his government has plunged to its lowest point in eight months, according to a political confidence survey conducted by Suan Dusit Poll.

Blind seek bigger cut of lottery profits

Some 1,000 blind people will converge on the Social Welfare Council today to demand a larger share of the profits from the government lottery tickets they sell.

FDA warns ‘Spanish Fly’ can be lethal

The Food and Drug Administra-tion (FDA) yesterday warned of the potentially fatal side-effects of “Spanish Fly”, a so-called aphrodisiac reportedly used by Chiang Mai youngsters to increase their sexual desire.

METRO BRIEFS:

FREE SKYTRAIN RIDES

GLO to pay prison fines

More than 1,000 inmates will be freed on Sunday following the Government Lottery Office’s decision to pay Bt30-million worth of fines on their behalf to mark His Majesty the King’s Birthday on December 5.

Doctors fear latest human-to-human bird-flu cases

The two latest confirmed cases of human bird flu in Thailand might be human-to-human transmissions, a senior health official said yesterday.

Abbot upset with amulet vendors

Efforts by a temple to raise money for much needed repairs have been hampered by unscrupulous vendors selling amulets that have not been anointed, the temple’s abbot said yesterday.

Bhokin urges teachers to remain calm

House Speaker Bhokin Bhala-kula yesterday called on all schoolteachers to stay calm while waiting for the outcome of the legislative process to comply with their demand to stop the turnover of public schools to local government.

200 relief troops sent to Samui

Some 200 disaster-response military officers equipped with boats and heavy machinery have been dispatched to the resort island of Samui to tackle another round of flooding on the already hard-hit district, Surat Thani Governor Vichit Vichaisarn said yesterday.

BURNING ISSUE: CHASING THE KEY BANGKOK VOTE

Decision to change venue for caucus made to appease electorate in the capital

MPs called on to rally round the party flag

A Thai Rak Thai Party MP from Sukhothai yesterday criticised a plan to have all 375 of its MPs campaign to boost the party’s popularity in Bangkok because the government has been facing a crisis of confidence.

EC selection panel stymied by absentee

The Election Commission (EC) selection committee charged with filling a vacant seat at the agency yesterday notified the Senate that it could not meet Wednesday’s deadline because it was a member short.

Bhokin defends aide

House Speaker Bhokin Bhalakula yesterday admitted he had appointed Thai-Chinese businessman Chanchai Ruayrungruang as an adviser.