Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Detained at BKK – Whereabouts Unknown

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5 October 2016, 07:35

Joshua Wong in a July 2012 photo. Photo: Voice of America / Public Domain

Update: Joshua Wong Deported Back to Hong Kong

BANGKOK — A young activist who became the face of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong was detained upon arrival in Thailand late last night to participate in an event recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Thammasat Massacre.

Joshua Wong, 19, was detained by immigration officials upon his arrival to Suvarnabhumi Airport late Tuesday night at Beijing’s request, according to the Thai student who had invited him to speak at Chulalongkorn University.

Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal said he waited at the airport until 3am after Wong’s Emirates Airline flight landed at 11:45pm. Netiwit said it was Tourist Police at the airport which told them Wong had been detained at China’s request.

“I disagree with this act of censorship. This is terrible,” Netiwit, 20, said. “Actually Joshua Wong was just in Taipei, Taiwan, and he was able to travel there and stayed there for two-to-three days. Thailand should stay out of the Chinese sphere of power, but we’re not able to do this.”

However as of 7am, Netiwit said none of his contacts in Hong Kong had confirmed Wong had returned there, and he was concerned about where Wong was being held or taken.

Wong was to participate in the only semi-official, semi-public discussion of the 1976 massacre, an increasingly forgotten event, Thursday evening at Chulalongkorn University.

In 2014, Wong shot to fame after leading the so-called Umbrella Revolution’s massive, peaceful street protests calling for direct elections.

Three Hua Hin Bomb Suspects Charged With Murder

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Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter

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4 October 2016, 17:46

Investigators search the area after a bomb exploded on Aug.11 in Hua Hin.

PHETCHABURI — Three suspects already sought in connection with the August bomb attacks were accused of murder Tuesday in fresh arrest warrants approved by a military court.

The new warrants for Ruslan Baima, Asmeen Katemmahdi and Seri Waemamu include the additional charges of premeditated murder and attempted murder in connection with bombs which hit the resort town of Hua Hin on Aug. 11 and 12, killing two and injuring dozens.

All three men remain at large. They were previously wanted for possession of explosives and attempted arson.

The attacks in Hua Hin were part of a coordinated spree at the outset of the Mother’s Day holiday. Four people were killed in bombing and arson attacks that hit seven provinces.

All five suspects linked to the attacks by authorities were active in the southern insurgency movement. Some were already wanted for dramatic attacks such as the bombing of a Koh Samui shopping mall in April 2015. Although the separatists’ umbrella organization reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, police have steadfastly maintained they see no link to the group.

Head police investigator Gen. Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said Tuesday he believed the case will soon see progress.

“It’s not late,” he said. “It’s only two months since it happened.”

Spirits Take Hold in Veggie Fest’s Annual Bloody Rites (Photos)

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Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter

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4 October 2016, 17:12

PHUKET — A mystical trance ecstasy of ancient spirits and body modification took hold on the streets of Phuket on Tuesday, the fourth day of the Kin Jae Vegetarian Festival.

As happens every year, spirit mediums called Maa Song allow themselves to become possessed by spirits – often by the same beings each year – which compel them to bloody acts of self-mutilation.

The participants, mostly young men, pierce their faces with metal rods, swords, power tools, pistols, bicycle frames and more before parading through town.

Thousands of Thais and foreigners turned out to witness the parade in Phuket, where the Sino-Thai festival first spread in Thailand. A smaller event also took place in Korat, with 80 Maa Song walking six kilometers through the city.

In Ranong, despite the rain, the parade organized by a 138-year-old Chinese temple continued to greet people who set up tables waiting for the spirit-possessed participants to visit along the way.

3 Win Physics Nobel for Advances in Topology

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Associated Press

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4 October 2016, 17:07

A national library employee shows the gold Nobel Prize medal in 2015 awarded to the late novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, in Bogota, Colombia. Photo: Fernando Vergara / Associated Press

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz have been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in physics.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Tuesday cited their “theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter.”

22 Injured As Helicopter Crashes Into School in Malaysia

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Associated Press

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4 October 2016, 16:31

A Royal Malaysian Navy Super Lynx prepares to land on the flight deck of USS Freedom during deck landing qualifications in 2013 in the South China Sea. Photo: Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) / Flickr

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian authorities say a military helicopter crashed into a school in a rural area on Borneo island, injuring at least 22 people including students.

The Malaysian air force says the helicopter, which was on a routine training flight, made an emergency crash landing early Tuesday two hours after it took off at a high school in Tawau in Sabah state. It says all 14 people on board the plane survived, and that it will investigate the cause of the crash.

District police officer Mohamad Effendi says the helicopter hit part of the roof of the school canteen when it crashed. He said Tuesday the pilot was in critical condition, and that seven students and a school worker also suffered light injuries.

Wonderfruit Lineup Adds Lianne La Havas, Others (Rescheduled)

By

Kaewta Ketbungkan, Staff Reporter

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4 October 2016, 15:28

Update: This event has been rescheduled to Feb. 16-19, in light of the death of His Late Majesty King Bhumibol

PATTAYA — Soul sensation Lianne La Havas is among the second batch of acts announced for the third edition of Wonderfruit to be held in December.

Along with the 27-year-old British multi-instrumentalist, Wonderfruit will feature English electropop singer Shura, a German techno DJ, an experimental American duo and a neo-folk rock act when it returns to its outdoor grounds near Pattaya.

DJ Stephan Bodzin, Buke and Gase, and Blitzen Trapper will join previously announced artists such as British drum and bass act Rudimental, New York DJ duo Wolf + Lamb. Local acts at the three-day festival include the charming sounds of Rasmee Isan Soul, the reggae-dub of Srirajah Rockers, not to mention our own nightlife guru DJ Dragon.

Though the festival once again lacks a big-name draw, its mix of music and progressively minded workshops and activities is bolstered this year with more local flavor.

Sakon Suwannakhot, a 10-year-old shadow puppeteer, will perform Nang Talung at the festival. National sweetheart Buakaw Banchamek will kick things up in a workshop teaching Muay Thai.

Filmmaker Craig Leeson who show and discuss his documentary about plastic in the ocean.

Life-balance wanderers will find peace of mind in yoga sessions with ashtanga yogi Danny Paradise and Greek hatha yogi Anastasis.

The full, updated line-up is available online.

Admission prices vary based on the number of days and time of purchase. Tickets are 3,800 baht – 6,000 baht for adults, and 2,200 baht – 4,800 baht for teenagers 12–19. Entry is free for children under 12. Group prices are also available, as is an RV Pass to parking and facilities for your rig. All tickets can be purchased online.

And as always, dog lovers are welcome to bring their canine friends; a four-day pass is 800 baht (sorry, cat nerds – there’s no kitty ticket).

Wonderfruit runs Dec. 15 to 18, at The Fields at the Siam Country Club, in Pattaya, Chonburi province. Shuttle buses from city center to and from the venue will be available.

Pattaya can be reached by car or public transportation. Buses leave regularly throughout the day from Ekkamai’s Eastern Bus Terminal, the Northern Bus Terminal in Mo Chit or the Southern Bus Terminal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLMniCPV1f4

Chonburi Man Tortures Giant Python Who Ate His Ducks

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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4 October 2016, 14:49

Chonburi city residents liberate the abused python Monday night.

CHONBURI — An unidentified man sought vengeance against a python Monday night by tying it to his motorcycle and dragging it through a soi in Chonburi city.

Oraphan Suphon said he noticed the man riding the motorcycle with the five-meter snake’s head lashed to it at about 9:30pm in Soi Phet Ban Suan.

Witnessing the torture of the python, which was bleeding in several places, 39-year-old Oraphan said she stopped the man and asked him if the animal was dead. When he told her it was still alive, she demanded he tie it to a nearby utility pole while she called rescue volunteers to rescue the animal.

The rescue team soon arrived, put the hardy python into a sack, and then released it into the forest.

The man told Oraphan he was seeking epic revenge torn from the Iliad because he believed the serpent had twice eaten his ducks. After the second incident, he caught the python to hold it accountable.

After tying the vanquished snake to the pole, the man fled the scene.

Pattaya Sex Show Touts Arrested For Harassment, False Advertising

By

Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter

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4 October 2016, 14:08

Brochures confiscated from 16 people arrested on public nuisance charges Monday night on Pattaya’s Walking Street.

PATTAYA — Soldiers and local officials arrested 16 people Monday night holding laminated cards promising salacious entertainment at Pattaya’s infamous sex shows.

Two Russian nationals were among 16 people taken from the Walking Street red-light district to the Pattaya City Police Station at about 11pm. There they were charged with creating a public nuisance after army Lt. Suwit Laklang said tourists complained they were aggressively pushing people to attend the shows.

“Tourists also said they were fooled because when they paid and entered the place, there was no such show as the agents claimed,” Suwit said.

The suspects were reportedly fined 500 baht each. No obscenity charges were filed.

“We chose to charge them with the smallest misdemeanor because we just wanted to warn them,” he said, explaining the arrest was meant to stop false advertising and public nuisance – not the actual shows.

Reached for comment Tuesday afternoon, Pattaya police chief Col. Aphichai Krobphet said he did not believe the arrests happened. However army Lt. Suwit confirmed it went down as described.

“It is impossible for police to say they were unaware of it,” he said. “Though we made the arrest, they are the ones with the authority to fine them.”

The military officer said should the same people be arrested again, they will be fined 5,000 baht. Suwit said it is acceptable if they only stood in front of their venues without following people in the street.

Sex show touts from Pattaya’s Walking Street on Monday night at the Pattaya City Police Station.

Chonburi Man Fights Off Kidnapper Dressed as Police Officer (Video)

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Teeranai Charuvastra, News Chief

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4 October 2016, 12:42

CHONBURI — Police said Tuesday they’re looking for three armed men, including one dressed as a cop – who attempted to abduct a man from his home in Chonburi.

Thanongsak Lueng-on, 30, told reporters the men identified themselves as policemen and ordered him to go with them to a police station for questioning. Thanongsak said the men, who carried handguns, only fled after realizing that his sister-in-law filmed the altercation, footage of which she posted on social media.

“I am very scared,” Thanongsak said Monday after filing charges at Phan Thong Police Station. “I never had problems with anyone.”

Station chief Preecha Somsathan said he’s not sure whether the men in the video were policemen as they claimed.

“We’re checking to be sure,” Col. Preecha said by telephone Tuesday. “If they were real cops, they would have come with search warrants. But they didn’t.”

In the video, a man wearing a police vest and two others in civilian clothes were seen manhandling and shouting at Thanongsak to come with them. “Come come come!” one of the men said, as Thanongsak struggled. “Let’s talk later.”

“Stop filming!” one of the men said to the person recording, waving a handgun.

Preecha said he checked with his own station and other precincts in the region, and none said their officers were the ones seen in the video.

According to the police colonel, Thanongsak’s brother is in prison on a drug-related conviction, and the three men told Thanongsak they wanted to talk to him about his brother. He added that police checked a license plate number reportedly used by the perpetrators turned out to have been forged.

Thanongsak told reporters he was at home with his wife, his children and his sister-in-law when the three men broke into his home.

“Come with me right now!” he said they yelled. The men also tried to take his necklace and iPhone but eventually fled the scene after his sister-in-law, Chatmanee Ponpao, started filming the incident.

The video had been shared more than 13,000 times by Tuesday afternoon.

Chatmanee said she believed the video saved Thanongsak from being kidnapped.

“If I didn’t film them, and my brother-in-law was taken away, who would have helped us?” Chatmanee told reporters Monday.

9 Places in Bangkok to Avoid Unless You Have a Boat

By

Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

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4 October 2016, 12:25

BANGKOK — The capital city wrung itself out Tuesday and prepared for more torrential rain to turn its roads into rivers.

While all parts of Bangkok were inundated, the most severe flooding was reported Monday evening in the Bang Sue area, where waters rose upward of 30 centimeters along stretches of road extending up to half a kilometer, according to the flood control department.

With more heavy rain expected throughout the week, traffic police have urged the public to check weather and road conditions before leaving home and planning their trips to avoid flooded areas. Accidents and floods can be reported at hotline 1197.

Police Maj. Gen. Jeerasan Keawsaengek singled out nine flood-prone areas:

Rama VI Road in front of Samsenwittiyalai School in the Phaya Thai district
Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road across from the Chatuchak Weekend Market
Chaeng Watthana Road right before the Laksi intersection
Phahon Yothin Road at the Kasetsart University intersection
Krungthep-Nonthaburi Road around the Wongsawang-Tiwanon intersection
Ratchadapisek Road in front of the Criminal Court
Ngam Wong Wan Road in front of Phong Phet Market
All along Thetsaban Songkhro Road
Under the Sirat Expressway at the Siritwat-Muang Thong U-Turn

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