PITSANULOK — A series of purges in Thai police force have driven many officers to seek guidance from Pol.Col. Samart Chuthet, a self-styled "police astrologist" operating out of Pitsanulok province.

Pol.Col. Samart, an active officer at Mueang Pitsanulok Police Station, said police have traveled from across the country to seek his fortunetelling services.

Unlike astrological readings for the general populace, Pol.Col. Samart's horoscopes focus specifically on the potential rise and fall of careers in the police force. 

Pol.Col. Samart consults astrological charts in his office in Pitsanulok province.

"Police officers of all ranks have been asking me to check their fortunes," Pol.Col. Samart explained. "Especially about promotions and transfers. Most of them ask me about that, whether they will be promoted. So I take a look at their fortunes, and advise them based on their luck, by relying on the principles of horoscopes."

He added, "Some of them are successful, but some of them – their luck is not so good at the moment. They have to wait."

Thailand's police force has seen a series reshuffles since the military coup on 22 May 2014, after which scores of officers considered allied to the former government were transferred.

Another purge followed last November when several of  Thailand's top law enforcers were arrested for allegedly operating a criminal network accused of money laundering, oil smuggling, and a series of other offenses. 

The police chief appointed by the coupmakers, Pol.Gen. Somyot Phumphanmuang, also recently announced a new wave of transfers and appointments involving nearly 2,000 officers, set to be effective from 15 January.

Although Pol.Gen. Somyot said on 6 January that the changes are "based on merit" and not biased in any way, many suspect the mass transfer to be politically-motivated.

The reshuffling of two key agencies in Bangkok in particular – 73 positions at the Metropolitan Police Bureau and 130 at the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) – is being viewed by some as an attempt to curb the influence of a "power clique" allied to the former government.

Looking to the stars

Pol.Col. Samart's colleagues at Mueang Pitsanulok Police Station confirmed to Khaosod that many police officers have been requesting readings from the soothsayer.

"All of them have confidence in this man's ability to see the future," one officer said.

Nevertheless, officers insist that they only consult Pol.Col. Samart during lunch breaks, to avoid taking time off from their duty. 

Khaosod’s interview with police astrologist Pol.Col. Samart this morning was interrupted when a police lieutenant colonel from a nearby district entered the office to request a prediction of his career prospects.

The lieutenant colonel asked whether he would be promoted this year, and after consulting astrological diagrams, Pol.Col. Samart determined the answer to be no.

According to Pol.Col. Samart, the officer's luck is not great enough to attract attention from his supervisor. However, the lieutenant colonel, who asked not to be identified by name, can expect to be promoted by the year 2017, Pol.Col. Samart predicted.

BANGKOK (DPA) — Thailand will implement new regulations over concerns regarding forced labour on its fishing boats, a senior official said Monday.

Among the new regulations that will be put into place are at least 10 hours of rest per working day and 30 days of leave per year, and the registration of migrant workers and their families.

"These reforms are part of a much bigger plan to address human trafficking and labour exploitation," Don Pramudwinai, deputy minister of foreign affairs, said.

The regulations will be enforced within 60 days after approval by the National Legislative Assembly on Friday, he said.

Non-governmental organizations expressed doubts about whether the reforms will be would be implemented.

"Thailand has a long history of extortion and exploitation over migrant workers," said Amy Smith, director of Fortify Rights, a human rights organization in South-east Asia.

"Therefore we are sceptical if these regulations will be implemented and sustained."

Thailand is the world's third-largest seafood exporter, after China and Norway.

According to the International Labour Organization, nearly 17 per cent of workers on Thai fishing boats have experienced forced labour.

BANGKOK — Mourners wearing red shirts were prohibited by police from attending yesterday’s memorial service for Apiwan Wiriyachai, a popular Redshirt leader who passed away in exile 100 days ago.

Officers manned the entrance of Wat Bang Phai temple in Nonthaburi province yesterday to enforce the ban and offer  free white T-shirts to anyone who arrived in red, the color that has come to symbolize allegiance to Thailand’s Redshirt movement.

According to police, the measure was an effort to ensure that no "political symbols" would appear at the service. 

Apiwan, a former Pheu Thai MP and Deputy House Speaker, died of lung cancer while he was living in political exile in the Philippines on 7 October. The politician is believed to have fled Thailand shortly after the military staged a coup against the Redshirt-allied government on 22 May, 2014. 

His cremation ceremony in October was attended by thousands of supporters. Although the military junta warned against injecting politics into the funeral, many Redshirts raised the anti-coup "three-finger salute" in silence. 

The funeral marked the first and only time that Redshirts have publicly gathered on masse since the coup, as the junta has retained martial law and a ban on all political and gatherings eight months after the takeover. 

No political symbols were displayed at yesterday’s memorial service, which concluded at around 10.40 am.

Jatupon Prompan, a core leader of the Redshirt’s umbrella organization, the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), described Apiwan as a great man who chose to fight for democracy instead of pursuing other careers. 

"If he had chosen the military path, he would have been a General by now," Jatupon said of Apiwan, who held the rank of Colonel for his military service in the Royal Thai Army.

"If he had saved himself by refusing to fight alongside the Redshirts on the days we faced crackdowns and arrests, Apiwan would have been the House Speaker," Jatupon continued. "Apiwan chose the path of struggle alongside the people, instead of choosing a path of glory and praise."

He added that the UDD is currently planning to construct a meeting hall dedicated to Apiwan. 

When a reporter asked about the UDD's plans for political movement under the military regime, Jatupon replied that the Redshirt leadership has no plans to oppose the junta or the coup. 

"If we did, when there's a failure [in the national administration], they will blame it on us," Jatupon said. "So we have to let Thai society see whether they will really succeed in their promise. It's their responsibility. We will let them stay and do what they promised."

BANGKOK — Former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawasdi, who is widely supported by Thailand's Redshirt faction, has endorsed the military junta's effort to draft a new constitution.

Somchai delivered the comments to a group of Pheu Thai Party MPs and Redshirt leaders who were visiting him at his residence today.

"I don't want a new charter that will benefit me in the next election. I want it to benefit nation," said Somchai, who is a brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

He continued, "In my opinion, the ongoing drafting of the new constitution has help from many respectable experts. Bowornsak Uwanno [chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee] is respected and accepted by the people. So, I strongly believe that the new charter will be impartial, universal, and accepted by both Thais and foreigners."

The military junta, officially known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), dissolved Thailand’s 2007 charter when it staged a coup against the Redshirt-backed government on 22 May 2014. The country is currently being governed by an interim charter while the junta-appointed CDC drafts a "permanent" constitution. 

The new charter – Thailand's 20th in the past 82 years – is expected to be completed in late 2015. The NCPO has promised to hold a national election after the draft is approved and a series of national "reforms" have been achieved. 

Redshirts and other anti-coup voices have denounced the military takeover as undemocratic, raising concerns about the effort to draft a new charter under martial law, which prohibits public protests and criticism of the military regime.

However, Somchai, who briefly led a Redshirt-allied government as Prime Minister in 2008, said he believes the coup was a sincere effort to "take care of the country, solve the conflicts, and lead our country forward."

"We accept and understand it. I want everyone to think of the country, so that the international community will not look down on us," Somchai said. Nevertheless, he stressed that he has not abandoned the Redshirts, explaining that he still feels a "bond" with his supporters and is waiting for the country to return to normalcy.

"Right now, we should let the people who are taking care of the country to do their duty," Somchai advised.

Somchai is married to Yaowapa Shinawatra, a prominent Pheu Thai leader and sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin. Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006, but remains popular among his supporters and is considered the de facto leader of the Redshirt movement. Thaksin-backed political parties have won every national election since the 2006 coup. 

Somchai was installed as Prime Minister after the Constitutional Court ousted former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej in September 2008 because of his appearance on a cooking show.

Two months later the same court dissolved Somchai's party on the grounds that it was involved in vote-buying during the 2007 national election. The party’s executive members, including Somchai, were banned from politics for five years.

Following Somchai’s removal, the parliament voted Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjjivainto the premiership in December 2008.