RATCHABURI — Police have asked reporters to stay away from the residence of Srirasmi Suwadee, the wife of Thailand’s Crown Prince who resigned her royal status last week.

Reporters had been stationed outside of Srirasmi’s house in Ratchaburi province since the former princess relinquished her royal rank on 12 December. The following day, Srirasmi moved out of the Royal Palace in Bangkok and into her parents' home in Ratchaburi, a province west of Bangkok.

Srirasmi, who married the Crown Prince in 2001 and had a son with him, has not been seen in public since.

Yesterday, police asked reporters to leave the area after a housekeeper delivered a handwritten note from the former princess asking the media to respect her privacy.

All of the reporters left by the day's end, and police are now manning checkpoints in front of the residence and inspecting every vehicle that passes. 

Srirasmi has recieved few visitors since she moved into the Ratchaburi home, aside from a handful of relatives and monks from a nearby temple. 

One of the monks, Phra Kru Pisal Jariyapirom, told Khaosod on Wednesday that the former princess appears to be in good spirits. 

"She smiles, she looks cheerful," Phra Kru Pisal said. "She said she understands the problem and accepts what has happened."

Pol.Lt.Col. Songsak Kaewpolnoi, the officer in charge of the checkpoints, said the extra security measures were not requested by Srirasmi or her family.

"If they want to leave and travel anywhere, they can do so, as normal," Pol.Lt.Col. Songsak clarified. "We have no order to stop them, and they don't need to ask for our permission."

The former princess’s parents were seen moving into the residence just before Srirasmi's resignation from the Royal Family was announced. Srirasmi herself followed suit few days later.

Several neighbours in the vicinity told Khaosod that the Ratchaburi residence is normally used a holiday home for Srirasmi’s family.

The palace has not identified the reason for Srirasmi's decision to shed her royal status, but the announcement followed the recent arrests of many of her relatives on charges of corruption and lese majeste.

Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn also stripped Srirasmi's family of the royally-bestowed surname, presumably in response to the scandal. 

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BANGKOK (DPA) — Thai Union Frozen Products, the world's largest canned tuna supplier, said Friday it will buy out US tuna company Bumble Bee Seafoods.

The Thai company said it has entered into a binding agreement which will see it acquire 100 per cent of Bumble Bee Seafoods in a deal worth 1.51 billion dollars.

"The deal is the largest acquisition in the history of our company and one of the most exciting external growth propositions," said Thiraphong Chansiri, president and chief executive of Thai Union Frozen Products.

"Bumble Bee Seafoods is a leading player in North American shelf-stable seafood; combining the business with Thai Union Group will lower costs, improve efficiency."

Thai Union Frozen Products, which already supplies its tuna to Wal-mart and Costco, looks set to expand its business in the United States, the second-largest seafood market in the world.

The deal will now be subjected to clearance by US anti-trust authorities and Thai Union Frozen Products expects the deal to be completed in the second half of 2015.

BANGKOK — A 16-hour manhunt for a police officer who murdered his ex-girlfriend came to an end this morning when he was found in his car with a gunshot to the head.

Pol.Lt. Boonyarit Ruenyen, 37, shot his 21-year-old ex-girlfriend Rungnapha Tamool point blank in front of a correctional office in Bangkok at around 8.30 am yesterday, witnesses told police.

According to witnesses, the former couple had a loud argument before Pol.Lt. Boonyarit shot Rungnapha in the head, dragged her body into his car, and drove off. Local police then launched an effort to locate and intercept Pol.Lt. Boonyarit's vehicle, but to no avail. 

However, police officers in Naan province, more than 600 kilometres north of Bangkok, found Pol. Lt. Boonyarit inside of a parked vehicle in Na Muen district early this morning. The officer was found in the driver's seat with a fatal gunshot wound to the head and a revolver in his lap. Rungnapha's dead body was also in the car.

Police believe Pol.Lt. Boonyarit committed suicide when he saw police officers approaching. 

Friends of Rungnapha say she started dating Pol.Lt. Boonyarit earlier this year after she was released from Klong Prem Central Prison, where she served a one-year sentence for running a prostitution ring. 

However, Pol.Lt. Boonyarit was reportedly abusive and often assaulted her, prompting Rungnapha to leave him and move in with a friend in Ang Thong province.

"She couldn't stand it because Boonyarit liked to beat her and lock her up, so she ran off," said her friend, Metanee Somcheu. "Then she met a new boyfriend … but Boonyarit still showed up at my place and threatened her."

Metanee said she accompanied Rungnapha to the correctional centre in Bangkok's Phra Khanong district yesterday, where former convicts have to report to authorities after their release.

That's where they ran into Pol.Lt. Boonyarit, who reportedly tried to convince Rungnapha to move back in with him. Metanee said an argument broke out between the two, and Pol.Lt. Boonyarit shot Rungnapha in front of more than 50 former convicts who were waiting at the centre. 

Police have cited jealousy as the most likely motive behind the murder. 

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BANGKOK — The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced plans to draw more Chinese visitors to Thailand through a campaign involving twelve 'Top Provinces,' six short films, and one celebrity.

TAT will produce six short movies in twelve "top provinces" around Thailand, and release the shorts every two months for Chinese audiences, said TAT director Thawatchai Arunyik. 

The protagonist in the films will played by Mario Maurer, a 26-year-old Thai heartthrob who has starred in many blockbuster Thai movies, such as "Love of Siam."

Maurer was chosen because he is extremely popular among young mainland Chinese, Thawatchai said on Tuesday. 

"Mario has around 3 million fans in China," the TAT director explained. "The goal is to convince at least 1.5 million of them to travel to Thailand." 

According to Thawatchai, "celebrity marketing" will be the main feature of the 2015 tourism campaign.

To capitalise on Maurer's fame, TAT will also host three "meet-and-greet" events in the Chinese cities of Shanghai, Chengdu, and Kunming, where fans of Mario will get the chance to meet him in person, Thawatchai told reporters. He also hopes to generate "buzz" about the campaign on Chinese social media sites, such as Weibo, WeChat, and Instagram.

The campaign will cost the state about 10 million baht, Thawatchai said. 

According to Thailand's tourism ministry, 4.6 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in the past year, a 66 percent increase from the year before.

Chinese tourists have generated more than 220 billion baht in revenues, said Minister of Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanawarangkul.

The number of Chinese tourists to Thailand is expected to rise even further in 2015, Kobkarn said. 

However, the deluge of Chinese visitors has also been a source of ire among some Thais, who have complained on web forums that the visitors behave disrespectfully and are insensitive to Thai culture.

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