Democracy activist tears his ballot Sunday and is immediately arrested. Photo: Trongsorntam Kaewponpreuksa / Facebook
BANGKOK — A junta spokesman Monday ruled out amnesty for those arrested under the now-defunct law that effectively criminalized any dissent to the constitution put to vote and passed yesterday.
That means dozens of people will still face up to 10 years in prison for their actions, which ranged from sending letters critical of the charter draft to tearing their ballots at the poll on Sunday.
“The law for the referendum itself is now over, but any wrongdoers under that law will still have to answer to the laws,” junta spokesman Piyapong Klinpan said by telephone. “There is no plan for amnesty.”
Among those arrested under the Referendum Act of 2016: Activist Piyarat Chonthep, who ripped his ballot at a Bangkok polling station on Sunday to protest what he perceived to be the vote’s illegitimacy.
Piyarat was taken to a police station where he was initially slapped with three charges of destroying state property, causing unrest and destroying voting equipment, but police later filed an additional charge of disrupting the referendum. The latter offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 year in prison.
“I will fight my case in court, so that I can show the motivation behind my resistance,” said Piyarat, who was granted bail last night.
Several dozen others nationwide were also arrested for tearing their ballots, but police believe many cases will be set aside as they were unintentional or accidental.
Piyarat said police told him to appear Aug. 22, but he may postpone it. He will be tried in the Phra Khanong Circuit Court.
The charter draft was passed by a huge margin of voters, with more than 60 percent approving it, but the turnout rate of 55 percent was much lower than the 80 percent the authorities were hoping for.
Piyarat said he does not accept the result because he viewed the charter and the referendum as illegitimate, though he said that he has no immediate plans to oppose the outcome.
Col. Piyapong, the junta spokesman, said he was satisfied overall with Sunday’s referendum despite Piyarat’s protest at the polling station.
“The fact that people came out to exercise their voting rights in a peaceful and orderly manner is an answer to some of our allied nations, who had previously expressed their concerns about the referendum,” Col. Piyapong said. “Now they should see that our country is peaceful. Thais are capable of solving their own problems.”
Sinphet Kruaithong’s 82-year-old grandmother Subin Kongthap poses to cheer for her grandson on Monday in Surin province. Photo: Matichon
SURIN — It was an exciting morning for the grandmother of weightlifter Sinphet Kruaithong as she watched him compete in the Rio Olympics early Monday morning from their family home in Surin province.
Unfortunately while watching the 20-year-old compete at about 5am, his 82-year-old grandmother, Subin Kongthap, became overly excited, fainted and later died after relatives rushed her to hospital.
Sixteen-thousand kilometers away in Rio, Sinphet went on to win a bronze medal in the men’s 56-kilogram category, becoming the first male weightlifter to medal for Thailand.
Her funeral will be held at their home in Surin’s Chumphon Buri district.
Sinphet was the second Thai athlete to win a medal at the 2016 Games after fellow weightlifter Sopita Tanasan won a gold medal in the women’s 48-kilogram category on Saturday.
Sinphet Kruaithong, of Thailand, celebrates a successful lift in the men's 56kg weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Mike Groll / Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — Sinphet Kruaithong became the first Thai man to medal in weightlifting, winning the bronze in the men’s weightlifting 53-kilogram category Sunday at the Rio de Janeiro Games.
Sinphet was the second Thai weightlifter to win in Rio, joining Sopita Tanasan, who won gold in the women’s 48-kilogram on Saturday. Nine Thai women have won medals in weightlifting.
The gold medal went to China’s Long Qingquan. Long’s total score of 307 kilograms set the record and was aided by a final 170-kilo lift in clean and jerk in what turned out to be a battle between former gold medalists.
Long, a gold medalist in 2008, was leading the competition after the snatch and all the way through clean and jerk until Om Yun-Chol of North Korea lifted 169 kilograms on his final attempt to tie for the lead. Om won gold in London four years ago.
Long then came out for his final lift, raised his bar and celebrated the gold medal by pumping his fists in the air. He won by just four kilograms over Om, and the mark beat the record of 305 kilograms that Halil Mutlu set at the 2000 Sydney Games.
“I am really happy. I am really proud,” Long said. “I came to this competition with two dreams — to win the competition and break the world record and I did (both).”
Long is the first weightlifter with eight years between his first and second gold medal, in any men’s or women’s event.
“I have prepared for the competition for four years because I did not get to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games,” he said. “After four years I did it.”
Long’s best snatch lift of 137 kilograms was two kilograms off the world record mark, set by fellow Chinese weightlifter Wu Jingbiao last year.
Om took silver with 303 kilograms and was beaten for the first time in a major competition since he won gold in London.
In the women’s 53-kilogram category, Hsu Shu-Ching of Taiwan won her first Olympic gold medal when Li Yajun of China failed to complete the clean and jerk.
Li set an Olympic record in the first round snatch by lifting 101 kilograms to take the lead into the clean and jerk. She was the last lifter to compete in the second round, and needed to lift 126 kilos to win gold. Her high entry total on the start list made her a favorite for the gold, but she failed to medal.
When Li didn’t complete her score, the gold went to Hsu, who lifted 100 kilos in snatch and 112 in clean and jerk for an overall score of 212 kilos. Hsu is the reigning world champion and won silver four years ago at the London Games. But London gold medalist Zulfiya Chinshanlo of Kazakhstan failed a doping retest and could have that medal revoked, which would make Hsu a double gold medalist.
“I am very happy and very excited,” she said.
Team doctor Lin Yin-Chou said Hsu was battling a strain in her thigh, and it was the “intelligence of our coaches” that pushed her to gold.
“We have been wanting this gold medal for some time and it is especially pleasing because she has had an injury that she has been carrying,” Lin said.
A tearful Hidilyn Diaz of Philippines won silver after failing to medal in the last two Olympics. She lifted in the 58kg class in the 2008 Beijing Games as a 17-year-old and impressed many in the field, but she failed on all her clean and jerk attempts in London. Diaz dropped down to the lighter class for Rio, which had just seven competitors.
“I have tried so hard. I have stumbled many times,” Diaz said. “I wanted to quit, but now all of my sacrifices have paid off.”
Jin Hee Yoon of South Korea won bronze. She had won silver at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Soldiers cast their ballots Sunday at a polling station in Bangkok.
BANGKOK — Preliminary results suggest the new constitution drafted by the military regime is set to be passed by a huge margin in Sunday’s referendum.
A majority of voters not only endorsed the junta-sponsored charter draft but also consented to the next set of Senate appointing an unelected prime minister to rule the country and lead a national reform effort in the next five years, according to the results
Unofficial returns had the Yes vote at 62 percent as of 6pm, with 9 million people voting in favor of the charter, and 5.5 million against. Those returns from the Election Commission’s electronic filing system were said to reflect 66 percent of votes cast.
Curiously, the reported results for both questions on the ballot – one for the charter and a second about having an unelected prime minister – were pegged at 62 percent in favor, despite there being unequal numbers of both votes cast for both.
If the final results hold, it would likely cement the junta’s rule and allow the regime to retain considerable influence over the civilian government beyond the next election, which is scheduled to take plane in 2017.
Some political figures say the prospects of a new election and promises of national reform might have convinced people to vote for the constitution.
“It means [majority of the] voters trust the National Council for Peace and Order, and the draft charter can eradicate politicians’ corruptions,” said pro-democracy activist Sombat Boonngam-anong, referring to the formal name of the junta.
Former Democrat Party MP Thankun Jitissara said “This means people want to see elections and they want to see political transition,”
Some critics of the regime blame the junta’s crackdown on referendum campaigners for their defeat.
“It’s a decision made by the people and despite the fact that the process wasn’t fair, I am willing to accept it,” Rangsiman Rome, leader of the anti-junta New Democracy Movement, said. “We have lost under these rules.”
Redshirt leader Weng Tojirakarn agreed.
“The Vote Yes won without rigging, it is a result of unfairness in space for presenting different views on the charter draft,” Weng said. “Thus ensuring there exist lopsided information and arrests of [Vote No] campaigners.”
Voters at a polling station outside Prachinburi city on Aug. 8, 2016.
BANGKOK — Polls close in about one hour in Sunday’s charter referendum, which saw brisk morning voting lead reports of moderate to high turnout, while some voters complained they lacked adequate information to make an informed choice.
North of Bangkok at an Ayutthaya province voting center, officials said more than 40 percent of registered voters came to exercise their rights between 8am and 11am.
“People are quite enthusiastic,” said Chatmingkon Khampiranon, oversaw the polling station inside Wat Tha Karong. Ayutthaya has 1,036 polling stations serving more than 630,000 voters. The largest constituencies are in Bangkok, Korat, Khon Kaen, Ubon Ratchathani and Chiang Mai.
The top elections official, Supachai Somcharoen, estimated about half of eligible voters had cast ballots by the afternoon, though he said the Election Commission does not publicize turnout data until the polls close.
“As far as I know, from what I’ve been briefed and what I see, there’s over 50 percent already,” Supachai said. “Some constituencies also report a figure above 50 percent.”
Despite the noon heat, people streamed into voting booths set up in the parking lot of Seafood Market on Soi Sukhumvit 24 in Bangkok.
Twenty members of the Kayan hill tribe in Mae Hong Son province voted for the first time Sunday since becoming Thai citizens earlier this year.
Officers at each said the turnout was low, but believed the number would increase in the afternoon. An officer assigned to Station 14 said turnout there had yet to reach 20 percent by noon. There were no soldiers there, but police officers stood by monitoring.
There do not seem to be any complaints so far of direct interference at the polls by members of the military.
No soldiers were visible at several polling stations in Prachinburi province.
Phimpitcha Chuekhaopim, a school teacher, came in the afternoon with her family to a polling station in the Si Maha Phot district said there were much fewer people than she expected.
“It’s pretty quiet. The percentage of voters is very low here,” Phimpitcha said. “People are probably already bored of Thai politics.”
Phimpitcha said that it’s important to come out to vote because the charter will affect her generation.
Democracy activist tears his ballot Sunday and is immediately arrested. Photo: Trongsorntam Kaewponpreuksa / Facebook
In Phang Nga province, some constituencies saw more than 60 percent turnout. All the way south in Narathiwat, anecdotal accounts had turnout low by the afternoon, with some stations receiving less than 30 percent of voters.
Narathiwat has been rocked by series of small explosions since Saturday, seeming timed to signal their stance to the authorities. Seven bombs went off in the province on Saturday, and two more went off today, though no injuries were reported.
Voting seemed orderly with only minor incidents reported so far including the arrest of an activist who ripped his ballot apartto protest the legitimacy of the poll,and elderly voters arrested for damaging the ballot papers, perhaps unintentionally.
Sombat Boonsalee is given a breathalyzer test after being arrested for drunkenness at a Surin province polling station.
Uninformed Voters
Apart from encouraging people to vote, the government banned most forms of campaigning and public discussions about the charter. A number of voters in various locales said they felt left in the dark.
East of Bangkok in Prachinburi, turnout was relatively low by noon, with one polling center reporting only 15 percent of voters by that time. Another station not far away reported 50 percent of voters had shown up.
Supachai Ungprasert, a Prachinburi shop owner at the 304 Industrial Park, complained the government’s information about the referendum was very limited.
“So I read the newspaper and internet for additional information,” the 55-year-old said. “The government only told their people to go vote, but they didn’t give many details about it.”
Supachai said whatever the outcome is, he will accept it.
“What’s important is that we come out to vote,” he said. “It’s the first time we have had the right to vote in several years.”
Weerasak Khongkum, 57, said outside an Ayutthaya polling station that he was eager to vote after hearing about the referendum from news programs and documents mailed to his home.
“I follow it closely and know about the pros and cons of the draft,” he said. “People in my neighborhood are all going to vote today. But I think the government should have promoted it more than this.”
However Weerasak said he did not understand the ballot’s second, confusingly worded question that would lead to a Senate almost entirely of junta appointees being able to select an unelected prime minister.
“There are still some things that I didn’t understand,” he said.
In Bangkok, several voters said they were determined to vote despite the lack of information provided by elections officials.
“I don’t know much about the draft, as I haven’t got a copy,” said a middle-aged man who declined to give his name. “I gather information from television programs and news. I had hoped they would provide more information to people.”
Others relied on what their friends told them.
“I haven’t read the draft but my friend sent me information from websites,” said Piyanan Thaveekittikul, 36. “My friend told me that the draft forbids foreigners from buying land in our country and also has strict measures to scrutinze politicians. So, I think there are more pros than cons.”
Prachinburi polling station director Weerapan Konman said most voters are high school and college students. Weerapan said many residents lacked knowledge of the process and whether they should vote yes or no.
“A few seniors approached me and asked which choice they should go for,” Weerapan said. “So I think the public information did not work that well.”
Sopita Tanasan, of Thailand, competes in the women's 48kg weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. Photo: Mike Groll / Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — In her Olympic debut, Sopita Tanasan came away with gold.
The Chumphon native won the women’s 48-kilogram category Saturday in the first weightlifting event at the Rio de Janeiro Games.
Tanasan snatched 92 kilograms and lifted 108 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 200 kilograms. It was her first time competing on the world level at that weight class.
On her first lift in clean and jerk, Tanasan easily succeeded at 106 kilos to take the lead. She lifted 108 kilos on her second attempt, but failed at 110 kilos on her final try.
In a last-ditch bid to snatch the gold, Sri Wahuni Agustiani of Indonesia twice tried to lift 115 kilos to overtake Tanasan. She failed on the first try and Tanasan celebrated by hugging her coaches in the green room.
“I didn’t know what to think,” Tanasan said. “I didn’t think she would be able to lift it.”
Agustiani was able to lift the bar on her second attempt and her coaches screamed in celebration, but she couldn’t jerk the weight. She said she’s lifted 118 kilos before in practice and thought she’d maybe pull it off for the gold.
“It just wasn’t meant to be,” she said.
Agustiani won silver and Hiromi Miyake of Japan took bronze.
Morghan King failed to end the United States’ 16-year streak of not medaling in the 48kg category, finishing sixth. Tara Nott was the last American to medal, winning gold in 2000. Still, King sent an American record. Her lift of 83 kilos in the snatch broke the U.S. record of 82.5, which had been set by Nott in Sydney. King added 100 kilos in the clean and jerk for a total of 183 kilos.
“The snatch was something I’ve been working on for a long time. The clean and jerk, I knew it was going to be a lot tougher. But, I’m happy,” King said. “I still have to pinch myself that I was out there. You are in the moment and focusing on your lift, then just trying to do your best, and then it’s all over. It’s kind of surreal.”
The event became somewhat wide open after the sudden withdrawal of favorite Hou Zhihui of China. Predicted by many to win the gold, the 19-year-old left Rio with what was described as a knee injury. But there was speculation that the injury — whatever its severity — helped China decide to replace her on the team with over-75kg lifter Meng Suping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNGyLGMbbD4
With the Russian weightlifters banned from participating, Meng became a favorite in the heavier division.
So with Hou out of the way, the competition became a crapshoot that Tanasan quickly took control of as the last lifter in the snatch division.
She easily lifted 88 kilos on her first attempt — best of the round — and then bettered her mark twice to 90 kilos then 92 kilos.
Thi Huyen Vuong of Vietnam failed to advance past the snatch round after three unsuccessful attempts at 83 kilos and 84 kilos. It trimmed the field to 11 lifters vying for the medal, all chasing Tanasan.
The 22-year-old Tanasan dropped down from the 53kg class to make her Olympic debut. She lifted 195 kilos to win the junior world championships in that class in 2014, and she was fourth overall at the world championships last year after lifting 210 kgs.
No previous data was available for Tanasan in the 48kg class.
Twenty members of the Kayan hill tribe in Mae Hong Son province voted for the first time Aug. 7 since becoming Thai citizens earlier this year.
It’s all hands on deck at Khaosod English for Referendum Day. Our central news team will be monitoring the poll and related developments and will post items of note throughout the day here. We will take advantage of our sister organization, Khaosod, which has reporters located throughout the nation. Khaosod English reporters have been sent to poll stations in and out of Bangkok. Got something you want to share? Use #ThaiReferendum on Twitter.
6:50pm That’s a Wrap!
Apart from updating with more returns, we’re concluding our live blogging for today’s referendum vote. Thanks for tuning in!
By 6pm, 66% of the returns entered showed the charter supporters ahead 62%, suggesting a massive landslide and big win for the military regime.
4:50pm LIVE: Election Commission News Conference
Early returns will start being shown about 5:30pm
Results expected around 6pm and 7pm
Official results Wednesday, Aug. 10
Some ripped ballots from 26 provinces, only one torn intentionally
Piyarat Chongthep, the activist who ripped his ballot in defiance of the poll’s legitimacy, will be charged under Article 59 of the Referendum Act, while his friends filming from outside will be charged under Article 60 for instigating unrest
Expect 70% turnout, an which would be an increase over 2007 referendum’s 57%
5:15pm No Voters Turned Away, Khon Kaen Official Says
A local official working with the Election Commission in Khon Kaen said no voters were turned away there. Thanawuth Kornjaijitra said officials roped off the entire area where voters were queuing so all could cast their ballots in time. Not one voter was turned away, he said.
4:25pm Voters Turned Away From Crowded Polls
Due to long lines, some voters at Khon Kaen’s polling station Nos. 4-9 couldn’t cast their ballots in time. They were turned back when the poll closed at 4pm. Only those who managed to queue inside the area roped off by election officials were allowed to vote after 4pm.
Referendum observer group We Watch earlier criticized the organizers for placing a disproportionately high number of voters for the six polling stations. Whereas other stations have no more than 800 voters registered, those six had as many as 1,700.
Media and officials gather just before 4pm on Sunday at the Election Commissions headquarters in Bangkok where early returns will be projected onto a screen.
4pm Polls Close
Following protocol, each of the 95,000+ polling stations will begin counting their votes, which will be displayed to people outside the poll. Those results will be entered into a smartphone app for transmission to the Elections Commission headquarters at the Chaeng Wattana Government Complex in Bangkok. As announced last week, only up to 95 percent of the returns will be made public as part of those “unofficial results.” For more details, read out write-up: How Referendum Sunday is Supposed to Go Down, Step-by-Step. The commission will hold a news conference shortly.
3:30pm Few Observers Report ‘Very Normal’
Several elections monitoring groups complained the Election Commission slow-walked their applications until it was too late for them to participate. One of those, the Asian Network for Free Elections, or ANFREL, ended up fielding 11 unofficial observers to six provinces. There are 95,000+ polling stations nationwide.
“Everything is very normal,” said ANDREL Executive Director Ichal Supriadi, adding that the group may issue a statement Sunday night.
Pongsak Chanon, the network’s coordinator for Thailand, said the repressive climate leading up to the referendum would factor into the network’s decision to endorse the referendum results.
Bride Kamkanueng Seksuwong signs into vote at a Suphan Buri province polling station Sunday with groom Rungroj Samranmak.
3:20pm Just Married
Arriving in her wedding dress, Kamkanueng Seksuwong said she and groom Rungroj Samranmak hurried to vote from their wedding ceremony earlier today because they were afraid of missing out.
“Today is an important day in my life because I got married, and I get to do my duty as a Thai citizen,” Kamkanueng said.
Despite a day-long ban on alcohol sales throughout the country, a 42-year-old voter in Surin province still managed to help himself to some booze and get to the polling station drunk. Sombat Boonsalee was arrested after he shouted incoherent remarks and tore his ballot.
Cops took Sombat to a police station where a breathalyzer confirmed he was highly intoxicated. Sombat reportedly confessed to drinking moonshine prior to voting.
Sureerat Sarapol is reunited with her gold necklace.
2:31pm Lost and Found
A 26-year-old civil servant left more than her ballot paper at a polling station in Buriram province, having accidentally dropped a gold necklace worth 10,000 baht near the booth.
Sureerat Sarapol said she realized the necklace was missing while driving home and turned around.
Luckily for her, another voter spotted the necklace and gave it to police officers stationed there, so Sureerat was reunited with the jewelry.
1pm Break!
Kanom jeen break in the newsroom. Will resume blogging shortly.
Thumbs Up / Down for Selfies
Voters had their thumbs fingerprinted at polling stations today, an unprecedented measure not seen in previous elections.
For the selfie and Snapchat generation, it’s a chance to show they’ve exercised their right to vote by posting their ink-stained thumbs on social media.
Foul weather destroyed six polling stations southwest of Bangkok in Samut Prakan province.
12:29pm Ballot Defiance
Pro-democracy activist Piyarat Chongthep was immediately arrested after ripping his ballot in half at a polling station to protest the referendum process, which he said was repressive and unfair. “Down with Dictatorship, Long Live Democracy,” he shouted as he tore the ballot.
12:18 NDM Returns-Watching Party
The New Democracy Movement calls upon their supporters to gather at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus in the Sri Burapha Auditorium to watch live coverage of the referendum results together starting at 4pm.
11:55 High Turnout?
Activist and junta critic Sombat Boonngam-anong at a polling station in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district at noon on Sunday. He voted to reject the charter.
Early, anecdotal reports of relatively high turnout have been coming in from around the country. No confirmed information is available yet.
The turnout for the 2007 charter referendum was 57.6 percent.
Most optimistically, the Election Commission predicts turnout as high as 80 percent, but some critics are doubtful. Redshirt leader Weerakan Musikapong believe more than half of voters will stay home.
Reported so far before noon (developing):
30% in Ubon Ratchathani, according to governor
20% Nakhon Sri Thammarat, according to governor
40% 1 Ayutthaya polling station, according to poll worker
15% at Section 14 polling station in Prachinburi, 50% at Section 16 station.
20% Bangkok’s Section 14 in Khlong Toei, according to officers
11:57 1st Vote for Hill Tribe
Three hill tribe women vote Sunday in Mae Hong Son province.
Twenty members of the Kayan tribe in Mae Hong Son province voted for the first time since they became Thai citizens, officials said.
Police said three staff members at a Korean restaurant in Si Saket province were arrested for selling alcohol, a violation of the ban on such sales that will last till midnight.
A paramilitary ranger and civilian woman check the rolls at a polling station Sunday in Yala province.
11:20am Weather Warnings
Weather may play a role in turnout, as Satun Gov. Pattarapol Ratanapichetchai said he’s worried some voters on his province’s 17 far-flung islands may get caught in a storm predicted to lash the sea Sunday afternoon.
The Meteorological Department warns of stormy weather along the Andaman Sea coast in the south.
Rainstorms are expected in the north, northeast and central regions later today.
10:55am Crackdown Continues
After the polls close today, legal prosecution of those who campaign against the charter will likely continue.
In fact, on the eve of the vote, two activists from the anti-junta Dao Din group were arrested in Chaiyaphum province as they handed out Vote No leaflets in a market. Chaturapat Boonyapatraksa, 25, and Wasin Prommanee, 23, were charged with violating the referendum law, which bans “misleading” the public into voting for or against the draft.
On the same day, police in Lampang province said they’ll ask the court to issue arrest warrants for three people in connection with a group of former politicians and bureaucrats in northern Thailand who allegedly sent letters criticizing the constitution draft to their supporters.
10:43am Two arrested
Reports say a 69-year-old man and 67-year-old woman were arrested in Bangkok and Pathum Thani, respectively, for tearing up their ballots. Police say the two, whose names were not released, misunderstood the process and thought they made to make a tearing mark on the ballots.
The Election Commission will be alerted about the incident, and officials from the EC can choose to file charges against the pair, according to police.
Damaging ballots and other voting equipment carries a maximum penalty of five years in in prison.
Constitution drafting committee chairman Meechai Ruchuphan shows his thumb to reporters after casting his vote Sunday in Bangkok.
9:30am
Constitution Drafting Committee Chairman Meechai Ruchuphan shows his thumb to reporters after casting his vote in Bangkok
Senior citizens at Prachinburi’s municipal polling station Sunday.
Pokemon Warning
In case it needs to be said: It’s illegal to use your phone inside the polling stations, so don’t be tempted to catch a wild Vaporeon even if it appears right next to your ballot. Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said as much in a news conference on Sunday.
“I’d like to advise Pokemon Go players, in the case a rare type of Pokemon appears inside the polling station, please refrain from playing the game in the vicinity,” Somchai said.
Military Vote
Soldiers queue to vote in Bangkok.
Voting is not only a matter for civilians, members of the armed forces also show up in droves in some polling stations to cast their votes. Military commanders have said troops are free to vote for whatever option they like.
Security officers examine the fuse of bomb Saturday in Yala province.
Deep South
Although no confrontation is expected to break out during the referendum, there was an uptick in violence in Narathiwat province on Saturday night, where seven bombs reportedly went off almost simultaneously.
Narathiwat is one of the southern border provinces known as the Deep South that local Muslim separatists want to secede and form a breakaway state. A recent message apparently left by the insurgents suggested the independence movement isn’t happy with the junta’s new constitution being put to vote today.
An elderly disabled voter is brought to a polling station in Nonthaburi province on Sunday.
8am Polls Open
Polls open across the country!
Election Commission expects the unofficial result to be available by 7 pm, three hours after the poll closes, while its sec-gen Boonyakiat Rakchartcharoen said the result could be delayed as far as 9 pm if counting encounters any “technical errors” such as server failure.
Some key political figures from both sides already cast their ballots, such as junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha, his deputy Prawit Wongsuwan, palace adviser Prem Tinsulanonda and Vote No campaigner Rangsiman Rome.
A local official in Buriram raises his ballot before depositing it in a ballot box Sunday.
Voters line up on Sunday to cast their ballot in the charter referendum in Korat.
BANGKOK — Millions of voters will decide today whether they will accept or reject a new constitution drafted under the military regime that took power in the coup two years ago.
The referendum is seen as crucial popularity test for the junta, as voters are largely divided into two camps that correspond to their attitude toward the regime. Those in support of the military government have urged their supporters to accept the charter, while those critical have campaigned against it.
Polls opened across the country at 8am and will close at 4pm. Preliminary results are expected to be known by 7pm, though Election Commissioner sec-gen Boonyakiat Rakchartcharoen said they could be delayed as late as 9pm if the counting encounters any technical errors such as server failure.
Some key political figures from both sides have already cast their ballots, including the Vote Yes camp’s Suthep Thaugsuban and Vote No’s leading activist Rangsiman Rome.
Prime Minister and junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha, whose regime is responsible for drafting the charter, was scheduled to arrive at a polling station later in the morning.
Voters are asked two questions in the poll: whether they will accept the new constitution, and whether they will allow the Senate to appoint an unelected prime minister to head a national “reform” effort in the next five years.
The junta had promised an election by 2017 if the new charter is accepted. If not, the process of writing a new draft will be restarted.
The months leading up to the vote have also been marked by a harsh repression of dissidents of the charter draft, with dozens of critics and activists arrested and charged with violation of referendum law.
BMWs bought for Leicester City FC team members by owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Photo: Leicester Mercury
LEICESTER, England — First it was pizzas. Now it’s top-of-the-range sports cars.
A fleet of 19 BMW i8s – each worth around USD$135,000 (4.74 million baht) — lined up outside Leicester’s stadium on Friday morning as a reward to the players for their Premier League-winning exploits last season.
Another bonus for producing the most improbable title success ever in English football.
Asked whether he would be getting a car bought for him, Leicester coach Claudio Ranieri smiled and said: “Some gifts are only for them? Not for me? I want to speak with my owner.”
The Italian rewarded his players for clean sheets by taking them out for pizza during last season. The bar has been raised considerably with the gift of a brand new car for each member of the title-winning squad.
It will set Leicester’s Thai owners back 2 million pounds (91.7 million baht).
Leicester gets its season rolling with a match against Manchester United for the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. It is the annual season curtain-raiser, between the winners of the Premier League and FA Cup.
“I think about the match, not the cars,” Ranieri said.
“This is not a friendly,” the Italian coach added. “We will give the maximum and also Manchester United will too. Both teams want to win it.”
Leicester’s first game of its Premier League title defense is against Hull on Aug. 13.
“I forgot what happened last season,” Ranieri said. “Now my focus is on the new season. We’re ambitious, but know it will be very hard.”
Two boys look out from the Mangueira slum toward the Maracana Stadium during the opening ceremonies of Rio's 2016 Summer Olympics. Photo:Leo Correa / Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — In the hills that hug Maracana Stadium, many Brazilians saw the flash and glitz of the opening ceremony for the Olympics from rooftops with exposed wiring and water pipes, amid trash-filled streets separated from the spectacle by a highway and train tracks.
Mangueira is but one of the thousand favelas in Rio de Janeiro, a slum marred by gang violence and poverty that sits squarely in the shadow of the pageantry of South America’s first Olympic Games. In this neighborhood of tattered homes, the next two weeks are a visceral reminder of the lines dividing the city’s haves and have-nots, and the opening gala just down the road punctuated those differences with every crackle and pop.
“The poor, we don’t really get to experience the Olympics. We are close in distance, but far away,” said Luiz Alberto Araujo, a 30-year-old doorman who works in the posh Ipanema beach but lives in the slums. “We still have fun, but this party is for foreigners, for the rich.”
Araujo watched the gala from the rooftop of a lime green house high on a hill in Mangueira, occasionally staring in silence at the stadium where, inside, athletes and fans cheered a supermodel strolling across a stage and Grammy-winning musicians performing samba.
Even from afar, the party was a momentary distraction for many of Mangueira’s 40,000 or so souls, offering a brief respite from the country’s persistent economic and political woes.
A kid poses in the Mangueira slum next to the Maracana Stadium that is hosting the Rio’s 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremonies on Friday in in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Leo Correa / Associated Press
But they warned: Don’t confuse temporary joy with lasting satisfaction.
“I like having my family over. Of course, it would be a lot better to be right there,” Sandra Prado, a teacher, said as she pointed toward the Maracana. “But those prices are impossible for us.”
Prado and her family invited Araujo and others to gather to watch the ceremony from a distance. They drank beer and shared fried snacks while their children stayed glued to a television screen, awed by the special effects and the acrobatics of the performers. At one point during the show, dancers jumped over colorful shacks — meant to represent the city’s slums — and Araujo shouted: “It’s favela time! Now, we have to duck when there’s a shooting.”
When a song they all knew was performed inside the stadium, the women gathered at Prado’s sang along: “All I want is to be happy/ to roam free in the favela where I was born/ and to be proud/ and feel like us poor people have our own place.”
For the poor, the celebration that launched the coming competition was far out of reach financially. Ticket prices for the opening ceremony ranged from about $63 to $1,400. A minimum-wage worker in Brazil takes home some $55 a week.
“It is scandalous that ticket prices cater to very few higher-income residents and that the bulk of profits will leave the country,” said Bruno Carvalho, a Princeton University professor and author of the book “Porous City: A Cultural History of Rio de Janeiro.” ”It was as if many Brazilians found out that they were hosting a global party to which only a select few had been invited.”
From a balcony in Mangueira, Adriana Santos, a 34-year-old dental secretary, celebrated the opening of the games with her sister’s family and mother. Like many Brazilians who have protested for improvements in education and health care, Santos said her country’s leaders should focus on fixing economic woes rather than staging mega sporting events.
Brazil is suffering its worst economic crisis in decades. Only two years ago, the nation also hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
“It’s not worth it,” said Santos.
Still, others couldn’t help but feel a touch of pride when the stadium that serves as their backyard lit up in a stunning fireworks display. Many grabbed their smartphones and tried to shoot selfies with Maracana sparkling in the background, but most of the photos were too blurry or dark.
Deisi Alves, a 46-year-old maid, said she would forever cherish watching the ceremony. She took it all in with her 19-year-old son and nieces in the living room of a home where half of the floor is tile, and the rest concrete or dirt.
“I know I am not there. With the money of one ticket, I could finish my home,” she said. “But at least I can watch it from here, with this view and my loved ones.”
