A police officer stands guard in front of a gambling hall near the scene after a shooting in central Hanau, Germany Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. (Andreas Arnold/dpa via AP)
HANAU, Germany (AP) — Eight people were killed in shootings in and outside two hookah lounges in a southwestern German city late Wednesday, and authorities were searching for the perpetrators.
The shootings in Hanau also wounded about five people. Police said a dark vehicle was spotted leaving the location of the first attack about 10 p.m. (2100 GMT), and another shooting was reported at a second site.
Police officers swarmed central Hanau, cordoning off the area of one of the shootings as a helicopter hovered overhead. A car covered in thermal foil also could be seen, with shattered glass next to it. Forensic experts in white overalls collected evidence.
A short police statement gave no information on the identity or nationality of the victims and said a motive was not immediately known.
Police later said shots were fired inside and in front of two hookah lounges, news agency dpa reported. Three people were killed and at least one seriously hurt in central Hanau. At the second site, about 2 1/2 kilometers (1 1/2 miles) away, five people were killed.
Hookah lounges are places where people gather to smoke flavored tobacco from Middle Eastern water pipes.
“This was a terrible evening that will certainly occupy us for a long, long time and we will remember with sadness,” Hanau Mayor Claus Kaminsky told the Bild newspaper. Lawmaker Katja Leikert, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right party who represents Hanau in the German parliament, tweeted that it was “a real horror scenario for us all.”
Hanau is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Frankfurt. It has about 100,000 inhabitants and is in Hesse state.
Police from neighboring Bavaria were deployed to help their local colleagues, dpa reported.
Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
Charoen Pokphand Foods PLC (CPF) affirms its recruitment policy is strictly aligned with labour law and human rights principles, vowing equal treatment, remuneration and welfare as required by legislative requirements. Migrant workers, in particular, are recruited under the Thai government’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with neighboring countries with assistance of certified agencies at the countries of origin.
Mr. Parisotat Punnabhum
Mr. Parisotat Punnabhum, CP Foods’ Executive Vice President of Human Resources, said CPF operates with ethics, responsibility and transparency, particularly when it concerns the recruitment of both Thai and foreign workers. The concerns are extended to suppliers in the supply chain, requiring their respect to laws and international standards for mutual and sustainable growth and engagement in social and environmental development.
CPF has clearly devised and strictly followed its labour policy and guidelines. Under the policy, child labour is prohibited, to guard them against harm to their health, physical development and education. All types of forced labour are prohibited. The policy forbids the collection of any payments from workers or the confiscation of workers’ personal documents. It highlights respect for workers’ differences and equal treatment. Workers shall not be rewarded unfairly or deprived of labour rights regardless of their nationality, citizenship, ethnicity, complexion, religion, gender, age, physical disabilities, political views and marital status. Preventive and rectifying measures on sexual harassment are included.
Regarding remuneration, CPF adopts the pay scale and other payments including overtime and other benefits as guided by labour law. The payments are on time and deducted only for the reasons allowed by law. Hours of work and overtime are set within legal limits. CPF promotes, improves and maintains safety at workplace, to protect workers and relevant individuals against health risks. CPF also strives to conserve the environment and reduce impacts from the operations of the company and relevant parties, with compliance to environmental laws.
“We emphasize legal recruitment in all dimensions and encourage our suppliers to comply with laws and international labour standards. Given that these are aligned with our policy, their best practices will help push all parties towards the shared goals,” Mr. Parisotat said.
He insisted that migrant workers are recruited only under Thailand’s MoU with neighboring countries. Workers are recruited directly by certified job placement agencies at the countries of origin, to ensure that the recruitment process and involved expenses are transparent. In Thailand, they are entitled to similar treatment that Thai workers enjoy.
CPF employs more than 13,000 workers from Cambodia and Myanmar. Interpreters are provided to assist their communication. Orientation is scheduled for the migrant workers, along with constant training for the skills required for the production process. Meanwhile, CPF collaborates with Labour Protection Network Foundation (LPN) in establishing “Labour Voices Hotline by LPN”. Through the center, operated by a neutral organization, workers of all nationalities can express their views and recommendations, file complaints or seek assistance. The center also offers training on human rights and legal knowledge about labour, occupational health and safety in Thailand.
“Aside from strict compliance to law and the employment and recruitment policy, since 2017 CPF has conducted Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) that covers all groups of workers including the vulnerable like ethnic and religious minorities and those with physical disabilities. Covering all businesses in Thailand, the due diligence is aimed at analyzing and assessing human rights-related risks as well as devising the approaches or guidelines that will reduce the risks efficiently and systematically. The due diligence takes place every 3 years, with the latest being completed in 2019,” Mr. Parisotat said.
CPF’s recruitment and management practices recognize the International Labour Organization (ILO)’s principles, the UN Global Impact, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP), and Thai Labour Standards (TLS) 8001. CPF has announced a number of policies concerning recruitment and management including the Human Rights Policy, the Employment and Labour Management Policy and the Foreign Labour Hiring in Thailand Policy. CPF issued the Statement on Slavery and Human Trafficking, affirming the Company’s stand against all kinds of slavery and human trafficking and ensuring that all workers are treated accordingly to human rights principles and entitled to benefits warranted by the labour law.
ICONSIAM has teamed up with Right Man Co Ltd to present a new travel experience – the first of its kind in ASEAN – with the Zheng Zhao Floating Museum that is the first floating museum on the Chao Phraya River, the historical river that the naval fleet of modified junks for military operations used during restoring Siam’s independence after the second fall of Ayutthaya. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of founding of Thonburi, the former capital of the Kingdom, and the legacy of its ruler King Taksin the Great, the life-size statue of King Taksin holding a sword is enshrined on the deck giving a chance for both Thai and foreign visitors to pay homage to the great King who fought to unify the kingdom until it is firmly established today. King Taskin has been a revered King among Thai-Chinese descendants and his life and works across all fields from warring combat operations, rebuilding the nation to trading skills to make Thonburi the major port city along the Chao Phraya River are exhibited in the museum that is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 8pm at ICONSIAM pier (pier 5) from now onwards.
In remembrance of King Taksin’s great contribution to the country and to commemorate the King Taksin Memorial Day which falls on December 28 annually, ICONSIAM and Right Man Co Ltd make a return of Thailand’s first “floating museum”. Visitors are invited to embark on the real junk named Zheng Zhao Junkthat will bring visitors travelling back in time during the reign of King Taksin the Great. During November 2018 to February 2019, the junk that was then named Si Maha Samut meaning “the glory of the sea” was docked at ICONSIAM to tell the story of maritime trade and diplomacy between Thonburi and other foreign countries. During four-month presentation, it received a huge success with over 60,000 visitors.
The junk returns in grandeur style this year and the Si Maha Samut Junk is transformed into the Zheng Zhao Junk named after the Chinese name of King Taksin which means the King of Siam (the royal name the Chinese Qing Dynasty called him). The dock is enshrined with the life-size, standing statue of King Taksin the Great holding a sword. The statue is crafted by sculptors who spend 40 days to make the perfect statue in honor of the great warrior King in Thai history. Facial features and posture are based on the Grand Statue of King Taksin and his statue at his shrine in the Old Palace (which is under the supervision of the Royal Thai Navy). Every process from casting, carving with fine clay to molding, construction and coloring is painstakingly crafted to make sure that the result will reflect King Taksin as the great, strong and decisive commander. The museum also celebrates the King’s vision to choose Thonburi as a new capital of Siam after the fall of Ayutthaya Kingdom as well as his all-round abilities to urgently rehabilitate the nation until it has been civilized today.
After on board, the route will start from the top to the lower floors. The first room is Caption’s Room retelling the history during King Taksin’s seven-month efforts to liberate the nation from the Burmese invaders after the second fall of Ayutthaya. King Taskin possessed exceptional skills in both battlegrounds and waterway battles and visitors will bring back to the battle route in winning back the nation. The route began in the eastern province of Chanthaburi where the King took over after the fall of Ayutthaya. There, he ordered to construct and repair the battle boats and gathering the junks of Chinese merchants to be modified for military operation too. Then, he led his fleet to the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. The next room is the Troop Room designed to portray the atmosphere and life of the crews. On display are mattresses, pillows, hammocks and various utensils to pinpoint the existence without much comfort. Sailors had to sleep in a tight communal space, often for several months for end. Much of the space must be reserved for foods, fresh water, weapons and other necessary tools. The lowest floor houses the Hall of Civilization displaying products and weapons together with an exhibition featuring major incidents in the reign of King Taksin the Great. The chronology of the wars he fought to unify the kingdom, his initiatives and royal works in administration, society, religions, arts and cultures as well as Thonburi-China trade relations and diplomacy are also presented to honor his great abilities and contributions to the country.
The
state-of-the-art interactive and multimedia mapping are used to give visitors
memorable experiences as if they are travelling back to the sailing route of
the fleet of junks to liberate the kingdom in Thonburi era. The boats of
traders constructed in Siam during that time had been largely adapted from
Chinese junks thanks to the long trading tie with Chinese merchants since
the Ayutthaya era. King Taksin was ordered to gather and construct many Chinese junks used for waterway battle and his naval troop was the great and significant force to beat the invaders that laid siege to Ayutthaya. The Chinese junk was thus considered as a symbol of prosperity of Siam. Visitors will also be thrilled with the battle led by the great warrior King in the Projection Mapping technique to illustrate his mastering in warring combat operations as he effectively managed to battle against enemies during his reign to free the kingdom. His royal works and initiatives to rebuild the nation across all fields from
administration, society, to religions,
arts and cultures as well as his vehement efforts to restore the morale of
people are also celebrated in the presentation via a reproduction of the royal
play composition of Ramayana, Tripitaka, exhibition boards, and Interactive Mirror
allowing visitors to enjoy a role play of citizens living in Thonburi era with
a fusion of nationalities. During the 15-year reign, King Taksin the Great had
developed the word trade routes by ordering the junks to sail to different
places for tying the trading relationship between Thonburi and foreign
countries particularly China with his aim to bring the commerce back to life
and make Thonburi prosperous. His trading skills are featured through a giant
screen with Interactive Scrim technique as well as a display of exported goods
of Thonburi and imported products.
All you need to learn about Thonburi
and the greatest contributions of the warrior King Taksin can be found at the
Zheng Zhao Junk – the one and the only floating museum on the Chao Phraya
River. It is openfrom now onwards, from Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to
8pm at ICONSIAM pier (pier 5), ICONSIAM on Charoen Nakhon Road. For further
information, call 1338 or visit www.iconsiam.com.
Robert Vinn, left, and his wife Duenpen Vinn, center, at their house in Rayong province on Feb. 19, 2020.
RAYONG — A woman and her Canadian husband on Tuesday said they’re selling their house after police failed to catch the burglar who broke into their home earlier this month.
The Canadian, Robert Vinn, said the case made little progress even though it’s been three weeks since the break-in. Citing fears for the safety of his family, Vinn said he’s packing up and selling the house at 5.5 million baht, well below the market price of 7 million baht.
“I’m living in fear, so me and my wife decided to move back to Canada even though I fell in love with Thailand.”
Police Capt. Udom Srisong, duty officer of Ban Chang Police Station, said they are working to find the perpetrator.
“The police are pursuing the case accordingly,” Udom said. “We are now collecting evidence and trying to locate the suspect, which would take some time since the area is heavily inhabited by unregistered populations.”
His wife, Duenpen Vinn, said another house in the same community also reported a break-in recently, so she believes the area might be targeted by the same thief.
“We came back from Chonburi province and found that the house’s back door broke open,” Duenpen said.
Stolen belongings include Thai cash of 30,000 baht, U.S. currency of 40 dollars, and Japanese currency of 10,000 yen, as well as mobile phones and travel equipment, she said.
Her husband Vinn said they may sue the community’s management for the lack of safety despite paying monthly maintenance fees for security.
BANGKOK — A gigantic Buddha statue under construction in western Bangkok is set to become the city’s tallest Buddha figure when it is completed later this year.
The 69 meter tall statue – approximately the neck-craning height of a 20-storey building – is being built by followers of the Dhammakaya sect at Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen. Sitting in meditation posture, the massive structure is made of gilded copper and cost about 100 million baht to build.
“The money came mostly from local donations,” Phra Kru Pisal Sangkaphinit, a temple spokesman, said in an interview.
During a recent visit, the statue’s upper body was nearly completed. Temple staff believes work will finish by July.
The statue is called Buddha Dhammakaya Dhepmongkol, or the Great Buddha in short. Once completed, it will rise over the current tallest Buddha figure in Bangkok, the 32-meter statue of Wat Indraviharn.
But the achievement will still stop short of rivalling the tallest Buddha statue in Thailand, which sits at 92 meters in Ang Thong province.
Wat Paknam is considered the birthplace of the Dhammakaya, a school of Buddhism popular among wealthy urbanites and politicians. The sect, which believes in purity of the body’s soul, has drawn controversies in recent years for its alleged emphasis on earthly riches.
Its former head abbot, 75-year-old Dhammajayo, is currently on the run from the authorities on charges related to money laundering.
Police escort Danusorn Noomcharoen to a holding cell on Feb. 19, 2020 at Phaya Thai police station.
BANGKOK (AP) — Police in Thailand on Wednesday arrested a man suspected of killing his ex-wife in the country’s latest incident of deadly gun violence in a shopping mall.
The suspect, a salesman at another Bangkok mall, acknowledged he fatally shot his former spouse who was working at a beauty clinic at the Century Plaza mall and wounded another female employee on Tuesday, police deputy spokesman Col. Krissana Pattanacharoen told state broadcaster MCOT.
The shooting was the third instance in six weeks of gun violence at a mall, and came just over a week after a disgruntled soldier fatally shot 29 people in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima before being killed by security forces in a shopping center where he holed up for about 16 hours.
The suspect in the latest shooting, Danusorn Noomcharoen, was reported to have recently divorced his wife of 10 years.
Police found several handwritten notes at his apartment telling them not to chase him for two days as he needed time to kill his ex-wife’s new boyfriend and would commit suicide afterward, according to Thai media reports.
The suspect’s mother was reported to have negotiated with him for 10 hours before he surrendered to police at 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Danusorn was charged with several offenses including murder and illegal possession and discharge of a weapon.
Thailand has a high number of guns per capita in civilian hands and a high number of gun deaths. The research team of Small Arms Survey estimated in 2018 that there are 15.14 civilian firearms per 100 people, the highest level in Southeast Asia.
A masked gunman in January in the central Thai city of Lopburi killed three people and wounded four others in a mall while robbing a gold shop with a handgun fitted with a silencer. One of the dead was a 2-year-old boy. A school director was arrested less than two weeks later and reportedly confessed, saying he did not mean to shoot anyone.
Soldiers hold signs promoting the new call center at the Internal Security Operations Command headquarters on Feb. 19, 2020.
BANGKOK — The army on Wednesday announced the formal launch of a complaint channel in an effort to crack down on exploitation of low-ranking servicemen within the force – but anonymity is not an option.
Starting yesterday, deputy army chief Nattapol Nakpanich said soldiers of all ranks can now report any abuse of power by their commanding officers directly to the army chief via a 24-hour hotline, which was set up after a disgruntled soldier killed 29 people in the wake of a business dispute with his own CO.
“The new hotline will report directly to the army chief Gen. Apirat Kongsompong,” Gen. Nattapol said. “Please rest assured that the army is doing our best. If the matter falls beyond our jurisdiction, we will transfer the case to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.”
He added, “This is not a public stunt as accused by politicians.”
In order to file a complaint, the soldiers will be required to give out their name, rank, and affiliating unit in their complaints to prevent false accusations, but the general said the handling of complaints will be made by a private contractor who reports only to the army chief.
“The hotline is operated by an experienced private contractor. Calls will be recorded and submitted in a sealed letter to the army chief,” he said. “I ask all the commanding officers to be assured that the army command has enough discretion to decide which case is genuine, and which case is harassment.”
The call center, which came under the slogan “Everything is secret, everything reaches the army chief,” is part of the renewed drive led by Apirat to combat malfeasance within the force.
The campaign came at the heels of public anger over media reports that the gunman in Korat’s mass shooting was cheated by his commander in a land deal just before he went on the rampage.
On Tuesday, Gen. Apirat transferred an army colonel to an inactive post after he was implicated of unspecified misconduct by an anonymous complaint, though it is not certain whether the complaint was made through the new hotline.
Deputy army chief Nattapol also gave a deadline for retired army officers to move out from their official residences. However, he repeated that exceptions were made to some of the 100 officers who are staying in taxpayers-funded houses.
“We told them to move out within March,” he said. “But please understand that Thai society is flexible, so we have to extend some of the deadlines on a case by case basis. For example, those soldiers who worked in border provinces who can’t afford to own a house after they retired.”
When a reporter asked why high-paying officers cannot afford their own house, Nattapol said it is a personal matter.
“You should ask that question to them individually,” he said, adding that their extended stay does not affect the quota granted to those lower down the ranks because they’re assigned to different housing schemes.
BANGKOK (Xinhua) — Thailand’s economy grew by 2.4 percent in 2019, lower than the previous estimate of 2.6 percent, said the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) on Monday.
According to the NESDC, which plans Thailand’s national economic strategies, gross domestic product in the fourth quarter of 2019 expanded by 1.6 percent year on year, decelerating from 2.6 percent in the third quarter of 2019.
The deceleration is a consequence of drop in exports, government final consumption expenditure and public investment, the NESDC explained.
On the production side, the agricultural sector dropped by 1.6 percent, compared to a rise of 2.7 percent in the third quarter in 2019.
Non-agricultural sector increased by 2 percent, slowing down from 2.5 percent in the third quater of last year, as a result in the drop of the manufacturing sector by 2.3 percent.
The NESDC has also adjusted down its growth estimate for 2020 from 2.7-3.7 percent to 1.5-2.5 percent.
A barista at the Thailand Coffee Fest 2019. Photo: Thailand Coffee Fest
Update: The organizer announced on March 3 that the event is postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
BANGKOK — Sip Chiang Rai roasts and cheer for your favorite barista at the coffee festival billed as the largest in Southeast Asia happening next month.
Sample coffees from more than 200 different distributors at the The Thailand Coffee Fest 2020 trade show from March 12 to 15 at Impact Muang Thong Thani Hall 5 to 6.
Both Thai and foreign distributors, such as those from Guatemala, Brazil, and Bhutan will be there selling beans. There are also pop-up cafes areas with your favorite arabica.
Coffee enthusiasts who want to see some action can catch the World Roastmaster Championships at 11am March 13, or the World Es Yenn contest on 11am March 12 to see who will be crowned the best at bean-roasting and brewing Thai-style cold espressos, respectively.
The Specialty Coffee Association of Thailand will also announce this year’s winner of the best Thai coffee beans around 1:30pm March 14, followed by an auction.
Register online for a free ticket. Thailand Coffee Fest 2020 is open 10am to 8pm at Impact Exhibition and Convention Center Hall 5 to 6.
Future Forward sec-gen Piyabutr Saengkanokkul speaks at a news conference on Feb. 18, 2020.
BANGKOK — Future Forward sec-gen Piyabutr Saengkanokkul on Tuesday said the Constitutional Court has no mandate to dissolve political parties – a last ditch effort to defend his party from a possible disbandment on Friday.
Piyabutr, a former law lecturer at Thammasat University, said no article in the current charter authorizes the court to dissolve parties at its behest. His party is accused of receiving an illegal loan from its billionaire founder, which could result in its dissolution.
“These powers only exist under Article 92 of Political Parties Law, so the Constitutional Court must deliberate first whether at Article 92 of Political Party Law is constitutional or not,” Piyabutr said.
He also defended the 191 million baht loan they received from party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit to the party as necessary means for a newly-established party. Piyabutr said the party had no savings like older parties, and they could not raise substantial amounts of cash in time.
The Election Commission, which brought the case against the party, said Article 72 of Political Parties Law prohibited parties and executives from accepting cash donations from illegitimate sources. The commission says the loan counts as donation.
But Piyabutr said a loan is not an income or donations because the party has already started repaying the debt to Thanathorn. He didn’t say when the repayment would be completed, but added that the party will continue to sell party memorabilia to raise funds.
