Police Officer In Controversial Video Suspended

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May 1, 2013 11:11 pm

(1 May) Sergeant Major. Worawit Nukulkij, police official of Din Daeng police station has been stripped of his position after a video clip exposing him taking advantage of a woman by searching her in a motel instead of a police station caused controversy in the online community.

Criminal proceedings will continue when Mr. Worawit comes in for questioning. The victim is currently debating whether or not to press further charges.

Earlier today, Mr. Worawit reported for duty at the Din Daeng police station amidst shouts of support by his family and neighbors. Upon arrival, he hurried up to meet Pol Col. Panob in his office, without revealing any details to the reporters at the scene.

His supervisor informed him of the commander′s order to leave the government position due to his pending disciplinary investigation whereby Mr. Worawit, straight faced, signed acknowledgment to all orders in less than 5 minutes. As he left the police station, his support groups helped bar the journalists from approaching and taking photographs.

A senior police officer said the Disciplinary committee to determine the verdict. The duration of the investigation is not yet identified. Mr. Worawit will have the right to clarify and fight his case as the accused.

He also added that the victim had not yet come in, but from questioning the 2 men in the video clip who are her friends, it is clear that there was no rape no sexual violation. However, Mr. Worawit still needs to be questioned on the matter.

American 'Scammed Of His 11 Mil. Baht' Now Living In Temple

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Khaosod English

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May 1, 2013 10:59 pm

(1 May) An American citizen who allegedly lost his 11 million baht to a scamming wife sought help from Thai officials.

Mr. Roger Harpel, 63, of US nationality, was brought to the Ministry of Justice for legal
assistance by the abbot of Dhammacharoen temple. Mr. Harpel told reporters that he was married to a
Thai wife and had 1 child together, and that he trusted his wife so much he appointed her the
director of his real estate and export company based in Pattaya.

However, Mr Harpel said, the
woman was later caught embezzling 11 million baht to her mother’s account and he pressed charges.
The woman reportedly died during the case and now her mother has become head of the estate, claiming
to sell the properties worth 40 million baht and split the money equally between the two parties.

Yet, according to Mr. Harpel, he has not seen a penny since.

Mr. Rogers told the
reporters he has been in Thailand since 1989, and added that he had paperwork to prove that he was
the lawful father of the 11 year old girl he fathered with his deceased wife. Therefore, he said, he
wants the embezzled assets back so he can provide for his daughter.

He also said that when he
arrived in Thailand, he had 25 million baht to put into his business – but because he does not know
Thai language, he has been taken advantage of by the lawyers. He has no desire to settle and is
fighting for custody of his daughter.

“This is not a coincidence or fate. It is all because
of the greed of this woman whom I trusted. I am not dwelling on the betrayal. I just want my assets
back. I don’t even have a place to sleep since the house is on court ordered auction.”, Mr. Rogers
said.

Samuhasuthep Chinwaro, the abbot of Dhammacharoen temple, revealed that Mr. Rogers had
been staying at the temple for about 3 months and has helped out around the place, sweeping the
temple court, teaching Dharma in English, etc.

The police said that the Department of Civil
Protection is seeking to provide free legalaid and a fair lawyer to fight the case.

Nonetheless, they cautioned, it is unlikely that 100% of Mr. Rogers’ assets will be returned
to him. The costs related to traditional court and the DNA test will be paid for by the
Department.

China Extends Lin Ping’s Stay In Thailand

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Khaosod English

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May 1, 2013 10:49 pm

The Chinese government will allow Lin Ping the panda to stay in Thailand for a while longer.

Mr.Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, announces
aftertalks with Mr. Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister in his formal visit to Thailand. This was his first visit after being appointed the foreign minister, which showcases the great relationship between Thailand and China, which is believed will continue smoothly and develop greatly under Mr.Wang’s term.

Miss Yingluck Shinawastra, Prime Minister, invites Xi Jinping, President of
China, and the Chinese premier Li Keqiang, to visit Thailand in 2013 as well. Thailand has also offered to host a high-level meeting of ASEAN – China, to commemorate the 10 year anniversary as an ASEAN-China strategic partner, inviting Mr. Wang to open the ceremony.

“China is interested in the development of regional connectivity and Thailand’s infrastructure development projects under the budget of two trillion baht since China views Thailand as an important hub for China to establish a link in ASEAN. Development of high-speed rail, is of utmost importance and tourism cooperation between the two countries prove to be highly successful, with 2,800,000 Chinese tourists visiting Thailand in the last year,” said Mr. Surapong.

“During my visit, the prime minister has expressed great interest in Lin Ping, but as the agreement China made with Thailand and international practices state, when the time comes the panda will have to return to China to find a mate. I hope that Thais will understand this issue. However, due to the public’s affection and attachment to Lin Ping, China has considered extending the panda’s stay in Thailand,” Mr. Wang was quoted to have said.

Tripple Budded Coconut Tree Attracts Lotto Hunters

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Khaosod English

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May 1, 2013 10:41 pm

(1 May) A coconut tree with 3 buds had been discovered in Ang Thong province, with many locals flocking to see the strange tree.

Ms. Prasert Tipawatee, 69, is the owner of the 80 cm. tall coconut tree, with 3 separate 3
m. buds, as opposed to a regular coconut tree that has only 1 bud.

Locals gather to sneak a
peek at this strange tree and offer their theories on it. Some say the tree is a token of good luck
for the family and whoever gets to see it. Some light 9 incense sticks in order to pay respect to
the coconut tree.

Apart from this, some also scan the tree for lucky lottery numbers since
lottery day is only 1 day away. The numbers 30 and 31 seem to be popular and locals express that
they have never seen a 3-budded coconut tree in their lives.

Ms. Prasert states that the tree
is a fragrant coconut tree, which is one of the trees she had bought to plant 8 years ago. During
the flood, 3 of the trees died, leaving only this one at 50 cm tall.

The buds have started to
sprout 5 years ago, but she hadn’t informed anyone of this unusual tree, although she does believe
that it brings good luck to the residents of the house since her nephew had succeeded in his cadet
examinations, and another one graduated from law school.

Chonburi's 4-Legged Buddha Draws Crowds of Worshippers

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Khaosod English

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May 1, 2013 10:25 pm

(1 May) Our correspondent has reported a curious case of the 4-legged Buddha statue was found at Boonkanchanaraam temple, Chonburi province. The golden statue was displayed inside in tent in the temple, measuring at 29 in. in width and 150 cm. in height. The four legs were crossed Indian style, with a set of legs directly below the other.

Locals named the statue “Luang Por See Kha”. (The
Elder Monk Who Has 4 Legs)

Luang Por Weerayoot
Kuntatummo, who has been ordained for 13 years, said that before coming to stay at this temple, he
has seen this statue at this temple for more than 50 years and believed it to be the only Buddha
statue in Thailand with 4 legs.

Long time ago, a local suffered from bone problems and was
in great pain in his leg area, Luang Por Weerayoot said,
and had a dream one night that where Cheewok Komarapat (the doctor who treated Lord Buddha) told him
to build a 4-legged Buddha Statue at this temple for the locals to worship.

Once he followed
through with the construction of the statue, his illness was miraculouslycured and he became a very
healthy man, the monk added reverently.

His business grew as well. From then on, when
locals have ailments, especially in the leg area, they would light 3 incense sticks to ask for the
statue’s blessing, and once cured, they would come back with a votive offering Luang Por Weerayoot said.

Nowadays, the popularity of the
Buddha has not waned. Crowds of worshippers can still be seen praying to the statue, our
correspondent reported.

Editorial: The Boxer, The Referee, The Audiences

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Khaosod English

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May 1, 2013 3:41 pm

(1 May) The confrontation which pits the MPs and Senators of the government camp against a number of judges of the Constitutional Court is quickly escalating.

The situation hits a new level of tension when hundreds of Redshirt protesters start their
weeks-long rally in front of the Constitutional Court, demanding the judges to resign from their
seats.

The Constitutional Court, after being berated and criticized from the Redshirts rally
stage, retaliated by filing charges against the protest leaders.

Meanwhile, the protesters
doubled down by increasing their criticism and filing their own legal action against the
Court.

We believe that both the Constitutional Court and the citizens who disagree with the
Court′s roles are fully entitled to the rights to defend themselves, their reputation, and their
beliefs via legal means.

However, both sides still need to examine their stances and strive
to keep the extent of their expression within appropriate boundary.

The protesters must not
let the cause of the rally – rightfully a public issue – degenerate into libelous rant against
individuals.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court must be aware of its own anti-democratic
actions in the past that many citizens, inevitably, found unacceptable.

The Court′s assertion
that it must defend itself from ?the boxer who attacks the referee? should be seriously rethought,
because one can easily provide evidences that point to the reason why the allegorical boxer
eventually lost his temper and turned to challenge the referee.

The boxer is certainly not
alone, as there are so many audiences and commentators have echoed his opinion about the
referee.

If the Court still refuses to examine itself in
straightforward manner, the confrontation will only be prolonged
indefinitely.

Minister Suggests Setting Up Night Court For Tourists

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Khaosod English

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April 30, 2013 8:33 pm

(30 April) Minister of Tourism and Sports said the authorities could establish a nighttime, bilingual court dedicated solely to solving crimes that involved tourists – a move he hoped could make Thailand a safer place for foreign visitors.

Mr.Somsak Pooreesrisak yesterday visited the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)
headquarters to lay down management policy for the Authority, where he also held a press conference
on the establishment of tourism court, along with other top officials, including the Governor of the
TAT.

Mr.Somsak said that from following the news and the complaints of the public, he has
decided that his first act as minister will be to take care of the safety of the tourist because
even if tourist destinations are beautiful, if they are dangerous then people would hesitate to
visit.

From talks with persons involved, it is agreed that safety is of utmost importance
since one of the main income of Thailand is tourism, Mr Somsak said, To keep up this income,
attention needs to be paid to the process of judgment. If a situation shall arise with a tourist,
the court needs to be able to deal with the problem while that tourist is still in
Thailand.

However, he added, the process of establishing the court needs to be done via a
legislation, which requires a lot of time. For its initial state, a division of tourism should be
established, providing a night court which is financially supported by the Ministry of Tourism and
Sport, since the staff will have to work overtime.

Apart from this, the tourism court can
process criminal and civil trials at the same time, allowing the cases to progress more quickly, the
minister said.

“For now, we still don’t know how much funding is needed. In its initial
stages, the court might not be nationwide, but will only cover provinces with a lot of tourists such
as Pattaya, Phuket, and Chiangmai, factoring in the readiness of each province. Prosecutors can work
fast while a bilingual judge, with expertise in tourism cases will be appointed.”, Mr. Somsak said
in the press conference.

Mr.Suwat Sitilor, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism
and Sports, said that as Thailand enters the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), there will be more
tourists from the 9 countries, adding to the massive amount of Chinese and Russian
tourists.

Mr. Suwat said that he was still not happy with the safety of these tourists since
some problems of businesses taking advantage of tourists still remain.

For every 100,000
tourists, Mr. Suwat said. there should be no more than 20 problematic cases.

Mr.Surapol
Sawetseranee, the TAT Governor, meanwhile, urged the government to standardize business owners in
order to improve service for tourists. The Governor pointed out that for cases whose criminals were
quickly apprehended, negative news about the country significantly dies down.

Thailand is
quite safe and not too many crimes happen to tourists each year, Mr. Surapol said, ut we still
need to reduce the number of problems as much as possible.

Australian Man Fell To His Death In Pattaya

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Khaosod English

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April 30, 2013 8:12 pm

(30 April) Pattaya police today received reports of a foreigner falling from a beachside condominium building on Jom Tien beach, Chonburi province, to his death.

The body of Mr.Mark Anthony Woodward, 45, of Australian nationality, was found in the
parking lot after he fell from the 21st floor. He was wearing a white shirt and jeans. His legs were
twisted and his scalp shattered. A digital camera was attached to the dead body.

The security
guard of the building said while he was on duty, sitting on a chair at the sceneof the accident, he
saw a drunken man walking to a room on the 21st floor. Then, the man’sbody hit the ground in a
horrifying crash. He then called the police.

Pol.Lt.Kwanchai revealed that while
investigating the rented room, medication for depressionand a cell phone was found and confiscated
as evidence. Primary cause of the accident points to Mr.Mark either drunkenly straining to take a
photograph of the city, accidentally falls to his death, or it may have been suicide due to
depression.

'Lucky' Two-Headed Gekco Becomes Local Sensation

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Khaosod English

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April 30, 2013 6:31 pm

(30 April) Locals flocked to pray to a two-headed gecko in Baan Mar Keed, Taak province, believing the animal is sign of good luck that predicts potential lottery number.

The 2-inch gecko was found inside the property of Ms. Dee Jarodyen, 78. Our correspondent
said the gecko appeared to be quitestrong and could walk normally. The owner of the house turned on
the electric fan for thegecko, fearing that it may die from the heat.

Ms. Dee said that she
caught the gecko in the bathroom. At first, she said, she was shocked since she has never seen a two
headed gecko in her life. She then put it in a plastic box and called her children and family to
come take a look at the gecko. News of this strange gecko spread, leading visitors to her house to
interpret the gecko for lucky lottery numbers, such as 142, which is the house number.

Ms.Dee added that she plans to raise this gecko inside the house and believes it will bring
good luck.

Court Says 'Friendly Fire' Killed Soldier During April 2010 Clash

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Khaosod English

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April 30, 2013 3:49 pm

(30 April) The court confirmed that a soldier who died during a clash between the security force and Redshirt protesters in northern Bangkok 3 years ago was killed by one of the soldiers positioned in the area.

The incident took place on 28 April 2010 when a large group of Redshirts protesters left
their main encampment at Ratchaprasong intersection and moved along Vipharvadee Road toward Bangkok
suburb but were stopped by members of the police and armed soldiers near National Memorial.

Clashes ensued, with the soldiers discharging their firearms toward the protesters, who
retaliated with slingshots and other homemade weapons. The Redshirts eventually retreated to their
camp site in central Bangkok.

The Criminal Court has heard witnesses recount how Private
Narongwit Sala, a native of Karnchanaburi province, was riding a motorcycle with other members of
Radid Reaction Forces on Vipharvadee Road to maintain order during the clashes.

Private
Narongwit and his group was riding from behind the forwarding Redshirts protesters toward the lines
of soldiers around 15.00, witnesses said, when gunfires were heard from the military positions, and
Private Narongwit fell from his vehicle. A bullet, fired from direction of the military, entered
Private Narongwit in the head and killed him almost instantly, the court has heard.

Witnesses
from the military side also told the court it was raining heavily on that day, and due to the poor
visibility they thought Private Narongwit′s group was protesters headed toward the soldier lines.
They said they heard someone shouting Stop!, followed by hails of gunfire.

Private
Narongwit′s group was 50 metre away when the soldiers opened fire, they added.

The judge said
today that the accounts from various witnesses fit well with autopsy reports which confirmed that
the bullet which killed Private Narongwit was the type issued to soldiers during the clashes, and
that the bullet was clearly fired from the military position.

The court therefore delivered a
verdict affirming that the victim indeed died from soldiers? gunfire.

Our correspondent has
added that no relative or friend of Private Narongwit was present at the court hearing
today.

The court also revealed they will deliver a verdict on circumstances of the death of
Mr. Fabio Polenghi, an Italian photojournalist, on 29 May. Various evidences and witnesses –
including the BBC documentary Justice On Fire, suggest the security forces likely shot him dead
while he covered the military assault on Redshirt encampment on 19 May 2010. The military has always
denied the accusation.

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