BANGKOK — Prime Minister and junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha has given Thai pollsters a clear guideline: no anti-junta surveys allowed.

"If they want to do polls, they can do so. But if they do polls to oppose NCPO, that's unacceptable," Gen. Prayuth said at the Government House yesterday, using the formal name of the junta, the National Council for Peace and Order. "They cannot do that."

Gen. Prayuth was commenting on a number of recent surveys of public opinion on the political situation in Thailand, nearly all of which have cast the junta in a favorable light.  Critics say most of the polls are unreliable – not only because respondents may fear expressing their views under the junta's crackdown on dissent – but because the surveys tend to rely on small sample groups and use misleading wording. 

According to a survey by Krungthep Poll  on 9 February, more than 70 percent of 1,120 respondents said that martial law has contributed to an "environment of peace and happiness," and that "martial law is still necessary for the NCPO and the government of Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha in their administration of the country."

Gen. Prayuth imposed martial law two days before leading a coup against an elected government in May 2014. The 100-year-old law, which is still in place nine months later, grants the military a range of powers that infringe on civil rights, including the authority to ban protests, censor the media, and search homes without warrants. Those who criticize the junta publicly, even on forums like Facebook, risk being summoned to army camps for "attitude adjustment." 

Krungthep Poll also reported over the weekend that 66 economists gave Gen. Prayuth an average score of 5.62 out of 10 for his government's economic performance, a ranking higher than the score of any previous government in the past six years. 

Speaking to reporters about the poll, Gen. Prayuth thanked his Cabinet for "their great work" on the economy.  

"However, we cannot do all these works in one or two days," he said. "The problems have been accumulating for years, for tens of years. We only came to solve the problem in the last five or six months. What we have achieved is already great."

Gen. Prayuth said that polls will not affect the government's "road map to democracy."

"I just do my duty. If I listened to or cared about all the opinions, I wouldn't be able to do anything," the general said.

Gen. Prayuth also asked the media to help him by reminding the public not to violate martial law.

"Why don't you write and remind the people not to do violence, because there is still martial law," Gen. Prayuth told reporters. "You have to help us by writing like that. But you only write about the NCPO restricting rights and censoring the media. As a result, people will be impetuous, because they see that the NCPO is afraid to use its power."

BANGKOK — Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources will dispatch officials to investigate what locals in Uttradit province claim is a fossil of the mythical Naga dragon.

The two kilogram "fossil," currently on display at Wat Tha Mai Nuea temple in Uttaradit's Pichai district,  has attracted scores of believers and fortune seekers in the region who believe the bone will bring them good luck.

Kamol Jadrueng, a temple administrator, insists that the bone belongs to the Naga, a sacred snake-dragon featured in Buddhist cosmology. According to Kamol, the fossil was donated by a temple-goer who purchased  it from an antique vendor in Vientiane for 200,000 baht.

The vendor said he found the fossil in a cave near the Mekong River in Laos' Savannakhet province.

"[The donor] believed that the Naga [fossil] would bring fame to the temple," Kamol said. 

Often described as the Thai equivalent to Scotland's Loch Ness Monster, the tale of the Naga is widely celebrated in northeastern Thailand. Every November, thousands of Thais gather on the banks of the Mekong river in Nong Khai province to watch the Naga shoot mysterious "fireballs" into the sky. The event also brings annual heated debates over the source of the fireballs, which skeptics says are incendiary bullets fired from rifles on the other side of the river.

According to Supot Jermsawasdipong, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, the Naga "fossil" is likely an elephant molar. 

"The department will dispatch officials to determine what kind of animal it is. We will compare it to an elephant's tooth," said Supot, whose department is responsible for cataloguing fossils in Thailand.

TAK — A fire that destroyed a house in Tak province and caused more than 2 million baht in damages miraculously spared a portrait of His Majesty the King, firefighters and police officers say.

The teak wood house in Pob Phra district caught on fire at around 4 am this morning. Five trucks of firefighters arrived at the scene and took approximately 30 minutes to contain the blaze. 

Pol.Col. Pansak Samantarat, superintendent of Pob Phra Police Station, said most of the furniture was lost in the fire, which he estimated cost 2 million baht in damages. 

However, the fire inexplicably spared a portion of a portrait of King Bhumibol (above) that was hung on a wall, according to firefighters who inspected the scene after the fire was put out. The firefighters told reporters they were "stunned" at the discovery. 

King Bhumibol, 87, has been on the throne since 1946 and is currently the world’s longest-reigning monarch. He is widely revered by Thais as a demi-god who can grant spiritual blessings to his subjects. 

His prestige is reinforced by Thailand’s lese majeste law, which criminalizes criticizing the Royal Family with a penalty of 15 years in prison. 

Pol.Col. Pansak said police are investigating the cause of the fire, but added that the residents said they heard an "explosion" from the breaker panel inside the house shortly before the fire started. None of the residents were injured by the fire because they escaped the house in time, the officer said. 

BANGKOK — The four activists who handed out free T-shirts near Bangkok's Victory Monument yesterday have been fined 100 baht each for causing a "public nuisance."

The activists, who identified themselves as members of group called "Free People of Thailand 58," were detained by security officers yesterday while they were speaking to reporters about the junta’s reform process and distributing T-shirts with an image of a bird with a tied beak and feet. 

The four activists were taken to Phayathai Police Station, where they underwent four hours of "attitude adjustment." 

Police said they fined the activists 100 baht each on charges of "causing a public nuisance." 

Pawinee Chumsri, a member of the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights Center who is representing the four activists, told Khaosod that the group was not charged with violating the junta's ban on political protests. 

"The officials spoke to them and adjusted their attitude. They did not proceed with any charges of detention based on martial law," Pawinee said. 

The ruling junta banned all political activities and protests after seizing power from an elected government on May 22, 2014. Those who violate the ban can face trial martial court, where appeals are not permitted, and up to two years in prison.  

After he was released yesterday, the group’s leader, Akkrit Noonchan, repeated to reporters that he wants the junta to organize regular public forums as part of its ongoing reform process.

The activist added that he was not aware that he could also submit his opinion without having to stage a protest. 

"I misunderstood, I didn't know that the government has a forum for expressing opinions at the Government House," Akkrit said. "The officers have adjusted my attitude and understanding about that. From now on, I will cooperate with the government in developing the country as a citizen."

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BANGKOK — Two theater activists were sentenced to two years and six months in prison today for putting on a play about a fictional kingdom that judges said "insulted" the Thai monarchy.

Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Porntip Mankong, 26, were arrested last August on charges of lese majeste for their role in "The Wolf Bride," a play performed at Thammasat University nearly a year earlier. The play was put on to commemorate the anniversaries of pro-democracy rallies in Thailand in October 1973 and 1976.

Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Porntip Mankong, 26, at court on 23 Feb 2015.

Patiwat, a fifth year student at Khon Kaen University, acted in the play, while Pornthip helped coordinate the production and played a small role. The play was organized by the now-defunct Prakai Fai Karn Lakorn activist group.

"Although the defendants have never committed previous crimes, their action – performing the play in an auditorium at Thammasat University – was an act of defamation and insult in front of numerous people," said a judge at Ratchada Criminal Court in Bangkok. "Moreover, it was disseminated on many websites, causing damage to the monarchy, which is revered by all Thais. Such action is a grave crime that warrants no suspension of the punishment."

After the verdict was read family members of the two defendants cried and embraced the two activists. Patiwat and Porntip looked calm throughout the session. 

Pawinee Chumsri, a member of the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights Center, said she believes the two defendants will not appeal the verdict. 

"I have talked to the two defendants and their parents about their strategy to fight the case all along, and how pleading guilty would benefit their situation," Pawinee said. "The two defendants agreed, so they pleaded guilty in order to make the case end quickly." 

Under Thailand’s lese majeste law – the harshest in the world – insulting the monarchy is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Although the letter of the law only specifically covers the King, Queen, Heir-Apparent, and Regent, in practice the legislation is used to punish criticism of any aspect of the monarchy. 

The law has prevented media from publishing further details of the play, as quoting lese majeste content is considered grounds for prosecution.

After seizing power last May, Thailand’s military junta has stepped up prosecution of lese majeste offenders, drawing criticism from human rights groups who say the law infringes on free speech and is used to silence political dissent.  

“The imprisonment of the two “Wolf Bride” play activists is yet another serious blow to freedom of expression in Thailand and another dark mark on Thailand’s already battered international reputation," said Human Rights Watch's Asia Director Brad Adams on Monday. 

According to judges, Patiwat and Porntip's sentence was reduced from 5 years because they plead guilty to the charges. As is common with lese majeste supsects, the pair was repeatedly denied bail in the six months between their arrest and the court ruling on Monday. 

Around a dozen people showed up at the court today to show support for the pair. The group sang "Starlight of Faith," a popular song among left-wing Thai activists, and flashed the forbidden anti-coup three-finger salute as security officers drove Patiwat and Porntip back to prison. 

Police are reportedly searching for at least six other people involved in the play, several of whom have already fled the country.