Korat Mass Shooter Shot Dead, Death Tolls Rose to 30

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9 February 2020, 09:14

Police commandos at Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Feb. 9, 2020.

Update: Police on Sunday evening said at least 30 people were confirmed dead in the shooting spree.

KORAT — Police say a soldier who killed 30 people in a shooting rampage in Korat was shot dead in a police assault, bringing hours-long siege to an end.

Sgt. Jakkrapanth Thomma, who stole military grade weapons from his base in Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday before going on a rampage that left multiple victims dead, was killed during a police operation at Terminal 21 shopping mall where he spent hours holed up inside, according to the police at the scene.

The news was also confirmed by deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul, who posted online that the gunman has been killed.

At least 30 people were killed in what appeared to be Thailand’s worst mass shooting in modern history. Another 42 people were also wounded, Nakhon Ratchasima governor said. The killings also came on a long weekend marking the Buddhist holiday of Makha Bucha.

In a news conference, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha said he has ordered all relevant agencies to assist the victims and their families who suffered from what he called an unprecedented outburst of violence.

“I have to admit that this kind of situation never took place in Thailand before,” Gen. Prayut said in Korat. “And it must not happen again.”

The Prime Minister said investigation into the incident is ongoing and thanked members of the public for donating blood in response to the carnage. He also defended the lengthy siege, saying that security officers had to take all necessary precautions when advancing inside the sprawling mall complex.

The latest fatality was a member of a police commando team was shot dead while engaging in a firefight with the gunman inside Terminal 21 shopping mall at about 4am, according to media reports.

Police sources said Jakkrapanth was killed at about 9am in the “Foodland” area of the shopping mall’s basement level. According to the officers, Jakkrapanth was discovered hiding inside the supermarket and shot at the police, forcing them to return fire.

EOD teams were deployed to search for possible explosives brought by the gunman.

Motives for the murders were unclear, but the dead victims include Jakkrapanth’s commanding officer at the base, who was said to be involved in a dispute over money loans with the soldier.

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S 14401636 — *Police rescue shoppers from inside Terminal 21 shopping mall on Saturday night.*

82177816 2754729561269779 3483236726372040704 o 1 — Image: Jakkrapanth Thomma / Facebook

Police, Army Besiege Shopping Mall to Search for Soldier Who Kills 20

By

Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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8 February 2020, 18:50

Update: Gunman was shot dead on Sunday morning.

KORAT — A combined operation of army and police is laying siege to a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima where a solder who shot dead at least 20 people is believed to be hiding.

Police sources also said the gunman, identified as Sgt. Jakkrapanth Thomma, was holding a number of people as hostages inside Terminal 21 shopping mall, but police officials later announced by 2am Sunday that all civilians have been safely brought out of the mall.

Police commandos were dispatched from Bangkok to neutralize the gunman while an army special force unit was deployed at the scene to serve as a back-up. Senior officials such as army chief Apirat Kongsompong, police chief Chakthip Chaijinda, and deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul also arrived in Korat to monitor the situation.

A video shows soldier identified as Sgt. Jakkrapanth Thomma firing an assault rifle into the traffic close to Terminal 21 shopping mall in Korat. He has shot dead at least 12 victims so far, police say. #กราดยิงโคราช

Story: https://t.co/1qWp0ylxf8 pic.twitter.com/kR8XNeXaHp

— Khaosod English (@KhaosodEnglish) February 8, 2020

Jakkrapanth on Saturday stole weapons from inside his base and shot his commanding officer dead before commandeering a Humvee into the city center, police said. He then proceeded to fire his weapon into crowds and traffic close to Terminal 21 shopping mall.

Police spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen advised the public to move away from the staging areas, stay indoor, and obey instructions from security officers. Road around Terminal 21 have been cordoned off while the operation is ongoing.

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has been informed of the attack, and he has expressed condolences to families of the victims, his spokeswoman said. The Prime Minister also ordered all relevant agencies to quickly solve the situation.

Opposition leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit also posted a message expressing support to the law enforcement officers in Korat.

Jakkrapanth has posted several photos and videos of his attack on his social media account, along with updates in text.

“I’m tired now,” Jakkakrapanth said to the camera, wearing military helmet and uniform, “I can’t lift my finger anymore.”

“Should I surrender?” he posted at about 7pm. Just about 10 minutes earlier, he said he had a cramp.

The dead include a motorcycle taxi, a cab driver, and a highschool student, according to reports from the scene. A friend of Jakkrapanth described him as a professional shooting athlete who’s won several prizes.

Jakkrapanth is said to have taken six firearms, at least 700 rounds of ammunition and two grenades from his base arsenal.

His motives remain unclear, though the soldier posted several incohorent messages prior to the attack.

“Getting rich from corruption and taking advantage of other people, do they think they can bring money with them to spend in hell?” Jakkrapanth wrote earlier today.

His Facebook appears to have been deactivated at about 7.20pm.

Mass shootings are rare in Thailand, though today’s attack came just weeks just after a gunman opened fire in a gold store in Lopburi province, killing three people and wound other four.

This is a breaking news. Article might be updated without notice.

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*A graduation photo of Sgt. Jakkrapanth Thomma.*

Correction: An earlier version of this article identified the suspected gunman as a corporal. In fact, he is a sergeant.

Gov’t Defends Selling Face Masks to Public

By

Tappanai Boonbandit, Staff Reporter

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7 February 2020, 18:29

Citizens queue up to purchase face masks at a stall inside the Government House on Feb. 7, 2020.

BANGKOK — As the government rolled out its own stalls selling face masks on Friday, netizens were enraged to discover the price is nearly five times higher than what other health agencies are offering.

Just hours after the authorities said face masks and hand sanitizers would be sold at “cost price” at Government House for the next two weeks – starting Friday morning – a Facebook user said the government’s price for face masks is 2.5 baht per piece, compared to the rate of 0.55 baht sold by the Ministry of Public Health.

“I saw the news last night and realized that the price of disposable face masks shouldn’t be that high,” Thuethan Prasobchoke wrote on his public Facebook post, which has been shared more than 3,600 times.

As evidence, he posted a photo of a ministry notice published on Jan. 29, selling face masks as little as 55 satang per piece.

“The government itself declared face masks as a price-controlled product, but now they’re raising the price 4 to 5 times of the market prices before the shortage,” Thuethan wrote. “The way they work and manage [the situation] reflects how inefficient they are in every dimension.”

But a government spokeswoman disputed the allegation, saying that a transportation cost has been added to the price of face masks sold at the Government House.

“I would like to clarify that the cost of production is higher nowadays, and since the masks will also be sold at partner shops nationwide, we have to add transportation cost into the price,” deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said.

“I confirm that we’re not adding any profit to the price,” she said.

Ratchada also said that the government could not afford giving away free masks to every citizen.

“Over the past few days, we worked hard to hand out the masks to citizens at different locations,” she said. “But to meet demands of every citizen, we can’t do that.”

Her statement offered little solace to the fury of netizens, especially after Thai social media discovered a Straits Times article reporting that the Singaporean government is giving out four masks to every household on the island nation for free.

“They must be the only government in the world profiting off citizens in times of crisis,” user Jureerat Kog commented.

“Something like this they said they couldn’t afford, but giving away free cash for the ‘Chim Shop Chai’ they could,” user Atthawit Rungsikun wrote, referring to a government program that handed out 1,000 baht credit for spending at participating stores.

A batch of 10,000 masks per day will be sold everyday at the government’s seat of power until Feb. 21, officials said. The daily quota of 10,000 masks sold out within half an hour after sales opened at 10am today.

A similar event will also be held at the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Public Health in the outskirts of Bangkok, starting Saturday.

No Tourists, No Buyers: Pratunam Vendors Hit Hard by Coronavirus Phobia

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

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7 February 2020, 15:00

BANGKOK — Business owners and vendors at the once-bustling Pratunam Market say they are bearing the brunt of a massive drop in tourism amid the coronavirus epidemic.

Known for bargain priced goods, textiles, and souvenirs among tourists and Thais alike, the market is nearly deserted during a visit on Thursday afternoon. Some merchants said they want the government to step in and help them stay afloat.

“It was already bad [before the virus] but much worse now,” vendor Sasiwan Sukchuenruethai, 43, said. “Chinese, Vietnamese and Singaporean customers are now afraid, and Thais don’t come out.”

Sasiwan runs a shop selling cosmetics to mostly foreign tourists. She said her business has “dropped by 80 percent” over the past week.

20200203 182632 4 — Pratunam market on Feb. 6, 2020.

Laem, also 43, is a coconut juice vendor in the area – selling one for 40 baht. Many coconuts sat unsold during an interview, even though it was already late in the afternoon.

“I used to get Singaporean, Chinese and Taiwanese customers,” Laem said. “Now they are gone.”

Ae, 52, sells tourist souvenirs just in front of the main market. Goods range from contemporary Buddha statues and T-shirts to Muay Thai shorts. The vendor said he noted a big plunge in the number of foreign shoppers in recent days.

“Nothing is selling well now,” he said.

The outbreak of coronavirus is expected to deliver a heavy blow to the tourism industry, a crucial sector in Thai economy. China has already banned overseas tour groups, cutting off a major source of tourism revenue for Thailand.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand said it estimated that only 9 million tourists would be visiting Thailand this year, down from 10.9 million in 2019. The drop could end up costing the country 3.3 trillion baht in missed revenues.

Vendors interviewed at Pratunam said they are also concerned about the risks of being infected with coronavirus from travelers. They said face masks were either sold out or available at a jacked up price, despite the government’s effort to control the price.

“It used to be 200 baht for a box of 50 [sanitary] masks. Now it has gone up to 900,” Sasiwan said.

562102 1 — Pratunam market on Feb. 6, 2020.

Boys Playing With Toy Guns Arrested, Mistaken For Robbers

By

Tappanai Boonbandit, Staff Reporter

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7 February 2020, 13:30

A Mini Big C convenience store in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district where the incident took place.

BANGKOK — Two 13-year-old boys were mistaken for robbers and arrested while they were playing with a toy gun in front of a convenience store, police said Friday.

Despite earlier media reports that a man was held at gunpoint by the pair in an attempt to rob him at a convenience store in in Sai Mai district, Lt. Col. Thanu Sukserm, deputy chief of Sai Mai police, said Friday the incident was entirely a misunderstanding and the boys were eventually released without charges.

“They were playing with a toy gun in front of the store when the man approached them,” Thanu said. “The boys then begged the man for money, but the man saw one of the boys was holding a gun, so he panicked and mistook it as a robbery.”

Police said the teens usually hang out around the area and solicit money from passersby.

The man, who did not want to be identified by name, told reporters yesterday after filing complaints at the police station that he saw one of the teens aim a gun at him and pull the trigger. He saw it was fake, but still ran away.

The boys’ parents later came to the police station and apologized to the victim, Lt. Col. Thanu said.

Anutin: Farangs Who Don’t Wear Masks ‘Should Be Kicked Out’

By

Tappanai Boonbandit, Staff Reporter

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7 February 2020, 12:55

Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul hands out face masks to commuters at BTS Siam on Feb. 7, 2020.

Update: Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul has apologized for his remark.

BANGKOK — Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday slammed foreign tourists who refused to wear face masks handed out by the government, saying they “should be kicked out.”

Using racially charged terms in an interview with the media at BTS Siam this morning, the health minister also said non-compliant behaviors of foreigners should be reported to embassies.

“Ai farangs, those tourists – that’s something the embassies should be noticed of and the public as well that are not wearing masks,” Anutin said, using the term farang, which refers to Caucasians. “We’re handing them out and they still refuse. They need to be kicked out of Thailand!”

Thai Public Health Min Anutin Charnvirakul was handing out surgical masks today for people to protect themselves against the Novel #Coronavirus. Apparently some foreign tourists didn’t take them, which led to this unusual outburst by him suggesting they “should be kicked out.” pic.twitter.com/UcVJtYCqeM

— Saksith Saiyasombut (@SaksithCNA) February 7, 2020

“They don’t care about the big picture and these tourists are in the country. We’re giving the masks to them and they still refuse,” he said.

Anutin continued, “The Chinese, the Asians – they are all taking [the masks], but those ai Europeans… that’s unbelievable,” he said using a Thai derogatory prefix.

Hours after his outburst, Anutin took to his Facebook to apologize for his remarks, which he blamed on ill manners displayed by some foreigners.

“I’m sorry for losing my temper to foreigners today,” he wrote. “I couldn’t tell where the foreigners came from or how much risk they pose.”

Anutin added, “We expected respect and cooperation in mitigating the outbreak from them, not slapping our hands away or looking at us in a demeaning way, like what myself and entourage from the Ministry of Public Health experienced today.”

Despite the health minister’s insistence on wearing face masks, the World Health Organization suggested that it is not required for individuals without respiratory symptoms since “it may cost unnecessary cost and false sense of security.”

562102 e1581055467406 — Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul hands out face masks to commuters at BTS Siam on Feb. 7, 2020.

‘Rap Against Dictatorship’ Drops New Song Against Student Hazing

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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7 February 2020, 11:55

Image: Rap Against Dictatorship / YouTube

BANGKOK — The country’s foremost creative dissent group released a new song on Friday – this time criticizing the rampant culture of hazing in the Thai education.

The Rap Against Dictatorship group released “Sotus” on Friday, a song lambasting the system of hazing commonly found in Thai universities and schools, which occasionally resulted in injuries and even deaths of students.

“Don’t force me to do things. You’re not my dad,” the song goes. “I don’t want Sotus, so what? You’re only a few years older but you come here and tyrannize me in such a low class way.”

Known as SOTUS – or Seniority, Order, Tradition, Unity, and Spirit – the creed often involves mentally, physically, and sexually abusive practices against freshmen students. Two teenagers died in July 2019 after being beaten to death during Sotus hazing.

Sotus has its roots in military initiation practices but has spread to universities and high schools nationwide. Some examples of Sotus activities include rolling around in mud to install a wooden pillar, Buddhist camps where students watch videos of gore, and stripping to one’s undies and having classmates lick ketchup off one’s nipples.

“Sotus” is the latest work by the same the group behind “My Country’s Got,” a viral rap video against the various injustices in Thai society – including the then-military dictatorship and the tendency of the rich to walk away scot-free from crimes.

The song, a rare voice of dissent in Thai pop culture, was awarded the Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent in May. The video currently has 77.5 million views, and counting.

16-Year-Old Beaten to Death in SOTUS Hazing: Activists

Worlds Collide When Intl School Students Hazed at Thai Unis

Meet the Unlikely Band Taking on University Tradition

Bank of Thailand Approves Use of Facial Recognition in Banks

By

Xinhua News Agency

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7 February 2020, 10:00

A man walks through a subway turnstile equipped with facial recognition payment system at Zijingshan station in Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 27, 2019. Photo: Xinhua

BANGKOK (Xinhua) — The Thai central bank on Thursday announced that it has given the green light for six commercial banks to offer facial recognition using the electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) technology to verify the identity of new customers when opening online deposit accounts.

The six banks are Kasikornbank, Bangkok Bank, Siam Commercial Bank, Bank of Ayudhya, TMB Bank and CIMB Thai Bank, said Siritida Panomwan na Ayudhya, assistant governor for the Bank of Thailand (BoT).

The BoT has permitted commercial banks to verify the identity of customers using the National Digital ID platform, enabling people to open deposit accounts through the digital channel without presenting themselves at branches and reduce filling out paper forms, said Siritida, who is in charge of BoT’s payment systems policy and financial group.

Siritida said in the press briefing that the Thai commercial banks using the biometric verification is capable of preventing identity theft and fraud.

However, the assistant governor said that the BoT will assess the service offering results before expanding to a broader scale later.

Xi Tells Trump China is Dedicated to Fighting Coronavirus

By

Xinhua News Agency

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7 February 2020, 09:02

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke over phone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday morning.

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government and people have been making all-out efforts to battle the disease, Xi said.

China, he added, has carried out national mobilization, across-the-board deployment and swift responses, adopted the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures, and launched a people’s war against the epidemic.

Noting that China’s efforts are gradually yielding positive results, Xi stressed that China has full confidence and capability to prevail over the epidemic and that the trend of the Chinese economy maintaining long-term growth will not change.

Xi pointed out that China is dedicated to safeguarding the lives and health of not only its own people but also people all over the world.

With an open, transparent and responsible attitude, China has kept the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as relevant countries and regions, including the United States, posted on the epidemic, and invited WHO and other experts to conduct field visits in Wuhan, the central Chinese city that is the epicenter of the outbreak, he said.

20200203 182632 6 — *Researchers work at a laboratory of the disease prevention and control center in Nanyang, central China’s Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2020. (Photo by Hao Yuan/Xinhua)*

He added that China is the first line of prevention and control against this epidemic, and its timely, decisive and effective response measures have been highly appreciated by the WHO and many countries.

Noting that China and the United States have maintained communication over the prevention and control of the epidemic, Xi said he appreciates Trump’s positive comments on China’s efforts on multiple occasions, and is grateful for the supplies donated by various sections of U.S. society.

He stressed that countries around the world need to pool their efforts to fight epidemics, and that the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak is currently at a crucial stage.

Reiterating the call the WHO has repeatedly made from a professional perspective for all countries to avoid overreaction, Xi said China hopes that the United States will assess the epidemic in a calm manner, and adopt and adjust its response measures in a reasonable way.

The two sides, he added, can maintain communication, strengthen coordination and work together to contain the epidemic.

For his part, Trump said the United States fully supports China’s fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic and is willing to send experts to China and offer assistance in various other forms.

20200203 182632 7 — *The Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, Feb. 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)*

He said the fact that China completed building special hospitals for novel coronavirus patients in an incredibly short time is impressive, and shows China’s outstanding organizational and response capabilities.

The U.S. president said he is confident that under Xi’s leadership, the Chinese people will undoubtedly win the battle against the outbreak.

The United States has confidence in China’s economic growth, he said, adding that Washington will calmly look at and respond to the epidemic, and is willing to maintain communication and cooperation with China through bilateral and WHO channels.

Recalling that China and the United States signed the phase-one economic and trade agreement not long ago, Xi stressed that it is good for China, for the United States and for world peace and prosperity that the two countries reached such a deal.

The progress, he said, fully demonstrates that despite their differences, the two countries can always find solutions acceptable to both through dialogue and consultation as long as they uphold the spirit of equality and mutual respect.

Xi expressed the hope that the United States will work with China to move towards each other, seriously implement the consensuses reached by the two heads of state, adhere to the basic principle of coordination, cooperation and stability, and advance bilateral ties on the right track in the new year.

Trump said the United States is willing to work with China to carry out the agreement and push forward bilateral relations.

The two heads of state also agreed to keep close contact through various ways.

Japan Firms Weigh Leaving China as Virus Wreaks Havoc

By

Kyodo News

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7 February 2020, 09:01

Kyodo file photo taken in April 2019 shows a Honda Motor Co. car plant in China's Wuhan

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japanese manufacturers have started to move production out of China as it is feared the deadly coronavirus outbreak could prolong plant closures in the country and wreak havoc on supply chains.

Reallocating production outside of China means a temporary surge in costs and is not an easy decision to make, but some companies cannot afford to wait until the crisis is contained, analysts said.

Continue reading the story here.

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