(24 April) Nearly 250 locals of Ubolratchathani province who were affected by the construction of Sirindhorn Dam gathered at the province’s prosecutor office to push Mr. Charoen Tunchatchawal, state attorney, chairman of the survey committee for persons not present on the census, to finish the census check within April.

Mr.Wunchai Yungmeesook, leader of the locals, states that in 2013, a subcommittee to
explore the missing persons on the census list has been set up to check for persons who may still be alive and their heirs, with the intention of completing the census check within Febuary 2013.

However, there have been no officials on the project since, prompting the gathering to push the survey to be done today.

Mr. Charoen Tunchatchawal states that the persons who meet the criteria or their heirs will
be summoned for testifying and filling out personal history forms to confirm their position within May 3rd. The list will be sent to Mr. Chavalit Pichalai, inspector of the Ministry of Energy, for further action.

“The survey results show that there are 1,276 families affected by this situation due to
the separation of families, resulting in 304 persons being left out of the census. This does not correspond with the information given by the locals that 789 individuals have been left out. However, the committee already has the list of names and will finish the survey within the deadline. As for the additional names, there shall be additional screening so as not to result in redundant compensation and to provide a clear conclusion.”, says Mr. Charoen.

(25 April) A 7-11 clerk in Walking Street of Pattaya, Chonburi province, said his money had been stolen by a foreigner.

Mr.Marut Laapet, 20, the convenient store clerk informs police that a ?Middle Eastern? looking
man emerged from the back of the store, which is off limits to customers. He then reproached the foreigner, and the foreigner informed him that he was just using the restroom, then quickly left.

Upon further inspection, the clerk found that his wallet that was in his handbag, located on the 2nd floor, was stolen, along with the 6,000 THB inside. Security camera footage confirms that the culprit was the man that emerged from the back of the store, who had possibly entered via the door left ajar by the worker cleaning the coffee machine.

(24 April) Tens of thousands of bees attacked a group of locals in Kalasin province during their Rain Seeking Ceremony.

Our correspondent reported that 200 residents of 3 villages in Muang District had earlier gathered to participate in a ritual to appease the ghosts of their ancestors. The ceremony was headed by a 90 year old necromancer.

After the ritual was over, the villagers formed a procession andparaded around to ask for rain from the gods. However, the bees descended on the procession, causing the locals to flee for their lives. Reports say 24 people were sent to hospitals, 6 of them in critical condition.

Mr. Busadee Boonma, 44, an assistant to the necromancer, said the Rain Seeking Ceremony is held annually by the locals in order to ease the seasonal drought. He suggested that the bees, which live near a shrine dedicated to an ancestor spirit, were disturbed by the sounds of the procession′s drums.

(24 April) Officials are still trying to verify reports that a ?white elephant?, a rare type of elephants held to be lucky by the Thai royal custom, has been found in Petchaburi province′s Kaeng Krachan National Park.

Royal tradition decrees that white elephants are sacred Auspicious Elephants whose presence in the palace compound reinforces the monarch′s supernatural power. Siamese kings in the past who possessed white elephants were particularly revered.

There has been reports in the past week that a 4-5 year old white elephant has been spotted near a reservoir in Kaeng Krachan. A photojournalist had snapped a photo showing the said elephant frolicking while a large elephant stood nearby.

Mr. Manopat Huamuangkaew, head of the National Park Department, said the photo was not enough to determine if it is indeed a white elephant, pointing out that the elephant seems to have black tail in the photo.

Nonetheless, Mr. Manopat said that if the elephant had been captured, it will be determined by palace officials whether it possesses the traits of Auspicious Elephants. Once confirmed, it will be offered to the royal household as the tradition decrees.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dulasit Sanitwong Na Ayuddhaya, an expert on elephant conservation, expressed his doubts that a white elephant has been found. He said the locals in Kaeng
Krachan sub-district had been aware of the elephant for years now and told him the elephant likes to frolic in light-color mud which makes its skin look similar to white elephants.

He also said white elephants tend to have isolated lives, but the ?white elephant? reported in the news was apparently photographed standing near another elephant.

Furthermore, Mr. Dulasit said he had questions whether the rumor about ?white elephant? in Kaeng Krachan was facilitated with ?conspiratorial? intention because the area was known to be plagued with illegal elephant poaching and corruption among local officials.

Other officials interviewed by Khaosod correspondent said a large, coordinated search for the ?white elephant? was ongoing, but none of them had seen the creature personally.

(22 April) An accident involving an inter-provincial bus packed with Thais and foreign tourists in Chainat province injured 10 passengers.

Police were alerted of the accident, which took place around kilometer mark 112-113 of the Asia Highway in Sappaya sub-district, around 05.30 am. At the scene, rescue crew discovered an overturned two-storey bus in the concrete ditch next to the highway. Paramedics tended to the wounded at the scene, while those with more serious condition were sent to Sappaya Hospital.

A police officer said the bus was driven by Mr. Nit Songkratoke, 54, and carried 48 passengers, including 15 foreign tourists, headed from Chiang Mai province to Bangkok. The bus was particularly packed because many people are traveling back to the capital city as Songkran holiday season wrapped up, the officer added.

Nationalities of the tourists were not immediately known.

Mr. Nit told police it was raining when he encountered a truck heading off near a U-Turn, so he tried to brake the bus but lost control, sending to the bus into the ditch.

However, Mr. Narin Im-yim, one of the injured passenger, said the driver was driving very fast since the bus left Chiang Mai and refused to slow down even when it ran into potholes in the highway. Mr. Narin said the bus crashed into a signpost before landed at the ditch.

(21 April) Phuket police said a Malaysian man died after his motorcycle slid off the bend in Talang sub-district.

The deceased was identified as Mr. Loh Zhi Wei, 29, and police said he was a son of a millionaire in Malaysia. The accident took place the particularly perilous section of the outbound road known locally as Curve of the 100 Deaths.

A police inspector told our correspondent Mr. Wei apparently approached the curve on his motorcycle at high velocity and failed to turn direction in time. He added that most of the accidents happened because the drivers ignored a large sign nearby which advised motorists to lower their speed.

Mr. Wei′s friends told police he traveled to Thailand with them to participate in the 19th annual Phuket Bike Week event, which was held from 14-21 April at Patong beach. He was last seen driving off from the hotel.

On the same day, a man from the United Kingdom was also killed in a motorcycle accident at a road bend in Phuket′s Muang sub-district. Early accounts from the scene identified him simply as Paul.

Police said the Briton was seen driving in reckless manner around the curve shortly before he was found dead. He was reportedly killed when his motorcycle crashed into the road fence, sending him flying into the ground. The incident took place in early morning.