CHONBURI — Police have arrested a Cambodian man who was caught on camera bullying a foreign tourist who did not rent his beach chair on the popular island of Koh Lan.

In a video that went viral on the internet last week, the man can be seen berating and kicking sand at a woman while she is sunbathing, apparently chiding her for not renting a beach chair even though she was lying in a public area. The man can also be seen pushing her away from the beach.

On Saturday, police officers on Koh Lan in Chonburi province arrested the man in the video, who was identified as a 28-year-old Cambodian national named Pueng.

According to the suspect, although the video only surfaced on social media last week, the incident took place in October 2013, said Pol.Maj.Gen. Thanet Pinmuang-ngam, acting commander of the Chonburi province police.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Thanet said the suspect, who confessed to committing the crime, has been charged with unlawful compelling, illegal entry into the country, and working without permit. 

The suspect’s Thai employer, Charlie Baopimpa, is also under police investigation in connection with the incident, Pol.Maj.Gen. Thanet said. 

The ‘eyesore’ of chair-packed beaches and the aggressiveness of beach chair vendors have been common sources of complaint among tourists visiting Thailand in recent years. 

After staging a coup on 22 May, Thailand's military rulers have cracked down on beach chair vendors in a number of top tourist destinations, such as Phuket province, in an effort to "reclaim" the public land.  

Pol.Maj.Gen. Sanit Mahathaworn, a commander of 2nd Region Police, said he recently convened a meeting with over 100 beach chair business owners on Koh Lan island to inform them of the laws protecting tourists' safety. 

"We have to prevent crimes that may happen to tourists in order to retain the good image of Pattaya and other tourist destinations in Thailand," said Pol.Maj.Gen. Sanit, referring to the resort town near Koh Lan.

The officer also dismissed a rumour that the person who uploaded the video will be prosecuted for damaging the image of Koh Lan; Thai authorities have a history of targeting whistle-blowers on the grounds that their actions "damage the reputation" of the country.

"The clip uploader did not do anything wrong," Pol.Maj.Gen. Sanit explained. "In fact, I'd like to thank [that person] for being the eyes and ears of the nation."

BANGKOK — A high-ranking military commander says Thailand’s military junta does not plan to lift martial law in northern Thailand – a stronghold of the Redshirt movement – because of ongoing anti-coup activity in the area.

"We have collected and considered all the information, and we realise that there are still dissidents who are campaigning discreetly," said Lt.Gen. Preecha Chan-ocha, chief of the northern-based 3rd Region Army.

Lt.Gen. Preecha’s brother, army chief and Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, imposed nationwide martial law on 20 May, two days beforestaging a coup d’etat. Last week, a high ranking officer said the junta – known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) – planned to lift martial law in 22 provinces with popular tourist attractions.

Although the northern provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are some of Thailand's biggest tourist hubs, Lt.Gen. Preecha said that lifting martial law in the region would "provide an opportunity for the dissent movement to campaign openly."

"Therefore, we have decided not to repeal martial law over the provinces that the 3rd Region Army is responsible for," he said.

Northern Thailand is considered the heartland of the Redshirts, a political faction that supported the deposed government and largely opposes the military coup. 

Since imposing martial law in May, the NCPO has invoked its special powers to ban public demonstrations, arbitrarily detain hundreds of Redshirt activists and leaders, and try dissidents in military court. Activists in Chiang Rai province were among the first to receive martial court sentences for organising anti-coup demonstrations.

Martial law also grants the military the authority to enforce a curfew, censor the media, and conduct searches without warrants. In addition, it prohibits individuals from claiming compensation for damages that may result from the exercise of these powers.

Although many economists have warned that the imposition of martial law has deterred tourists from visiting Thailand, Lt.Gen. Preecha said the law has not affected tourism or daily life in the north.

"People can still buy things normally, and there has been a steady flow of tourists," Lt.Gen. Preechai said. "There are fewer tourists these days, but it is because it is low season right now."

NARATHIWAT — A southern army volunteer has confessed to shooting a 14-year-old Muslim boy and then planting a firearm in his hand to falsely frame the teenager as an insurgent.

Ranger Ekkapoj Samansuan claimed he heard gunshots near his outpost in Sri Sakorn district of Narathiwat province on the night of 21 August, leading him to fire his weapon at a group of teenagers who were riding their motorcycles past the outpost at the time, officials said in a press conference today.

Mr. Ekkapoj later inspected the scene and after seeing that an unarmed boy was shot dead by the gunfire, planted an unregistered 11 mm. handgun in his hand, said Pol.Maj.Gen. Pattanawut Angkanawin, a police commander in Narathiwat province.

Narathiwat is one of Thailand's three southern border provinces that have been plagued by Islamic separatist violence for the past decade.

"He wanted to create a scene that showed there was shooting between [the insurgents] and the security officers," Pol.Maj.Gen. Pattanawut said.

The Ranger has been charged with manslaughter, premeditated murder, possession of an unregistered firearm, and creating false evidence. 

Maj.Gen. Singhasak Uthaimongkol, a military commander based in the restive southern province, insisted that authorities will "uphold the laws" in their handling of the case.

Despite the severity of the case, Mr. Ekkapoj will be allowed to keep his post in the area until the court delivers a verdict, Maj.Gen. Singhasak said. 

Mr. Ekkapoj's confession followed protests by local community leaders and relatives of the murdered boy over the suspicious circumstances of the 14-year-old’s death. The authorities initially implied that he was affiliated with the insurgent groups that have been waging a bloody separatist campaign against security forces in the region. 

In an effort to assist the boy’s family and regain the trust of local residents, the authorities will donate 500,000 baht in compensation money to the parents of the deceased, said Suphanat Siranthawineti, deputy governor of Naratiwat province. 

There is no immediate reaction from the boy's family.

Over 6,000 people have died in the separatist violence that has terrorised the provinces of Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani since 2004. Several groups of Islamic insurgents seeking autonomy from the Thai state are thought to be behind many of the attacks targeted at Buddhist civilians and security officers, though there have also been cases of revenge attacks on Muslims by Buddhist vigilantes. 

Human rights activists have criticised the military's occasionally heavy-handed approach to stamping out violence in the southern border provinces, as well as their reliance on Rangers, many of whom are volunteers armed by the authorities.

In March, two Rangers confessed to shooting three boys dead and wounding their parents to seek revenge for one of their family members in Narathiwat province.

BANGKOK — Thailand's military junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha took his new Cabinet ministers to Siriraj Hospital yesterday to take oaths before the King of Thailand, who reportedly did not give a speech as is tradition.

"His Majesty the King did not give any speech," said Deputy Prime Minister Visana Krua-ngam.

King Bhumibol usually gives a brief, scripted speech to newly sworn-in Cabinet members and Prime Ministers. 

It was the first time the 86 year old monarch has made a public appearance since he was admitted to Siriraj Hospital earlier this month, reportedly for an annual medical examination.

His Majesty previously spent several years at Siriraj Hospital to undergo surgeries and other medical operations. Prior to his most recent hospital stay the King Bhumibol was recovering at his summer retreat, Klai Kang Won Palace.

On his birthday last year, 5 December 2013, His Majesty the King appeared to struggle through a speech given to an audience of government officials and military commanders. An official later explained that it was normal for an elderly person to have difficulty reading a script.

His Majesty the King's health is a cause of anxiety for many Thais. The monarch has been on the throne for more than 60 years and is widely credited with bringing stability to the kingdom. 

First Cabinet meeting next week

Prime Minister Prayuth, who also chairs the junta's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and serves as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, said the new Cabinet will meet for the first time on 9 September. 

Prior to the formation of the new interim government, Thailand was under the sole rule of the NCPO, which seized power from the elected government on 22 May.

Yet nearly one-third of the new Cabinet members are former or active military officers, and the NCPO has retained the power to unilaterally intervene into government affairs at any time.

Asked by a reporter yesterday how he felt about leading the nation's semi-civilian government, Gen. Prayuth replied, "I feel that I have to work hard from now on."

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BANGKOK — Thailand's military junta blocked a panel discussion on human rights in Thailand earlier this week because of concerns over the spread of “false information,” a spokesperson said today.

"We had to be careful about the discussion topic, to make sure that it would not [defame] other individuals or organisations," explained Col. Winthai Suvaree. "The discussion could have lacked sufficient facts or contained unreliable information not supported by clear evidence."

He continued, "That information may have also only presented a one-sided perspective full of prejudice. It may have caused misunderstanding in society about certain individuals or organisations."

Col. Winthai was referring to a panel discussion titled “Access to Justice in Thailand: Currently Unavailable," that was slated to feature representatives from Amnesty International Thailand, the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, and Cross Cultural Foundation on 2 September. 

A few hours before the event, the junta’s National Council For Peace and Order (NCPO) sent a letter to the organisers, "asking for their cooperation" to cancel the talk. Policemen also arrived at the venue of the talk – the Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand (FCCT) – to make certain the discussion did not take place.

Organisers said the panel was planning to discuss obstacles to justice in post-coup Thailand, such as the NCPO’s decision to try dissidents in military court and arbitrarily detain hundreds of activists, politicians, and academics. 

However, Col. Winthai said any complaint about perceived "injustice" under the NCPO should be submitted directly to the junta through regional government agencies. 

"Those who are responsible in the relevant issues will urgently resolve the problems in an appropriate manner," Col. Winthai told reporters. "I believe this effort will adequately meet the need for information … in contrast to the aforementioned activity [the panel discussion]."

The NCPO spokesperson also claimed that the event’s organisers only notified authorities a day before the talk was scheduled to take place, which did not give the NCPO enough time to consider the content and "intention" of the event.

"We were concerned that the activity may involve politics. Relevant officials had to carefully consider it," Col. Winthai said.

Tuesday marked the second time security officers have entered the FCCT, long known as a sanctuary for free debate in Thailand, in the last four months. On 27 May, soldiers stormed the FCCT and detained former Minister of Education Chaturon Chaisaeng as he was speaking to a crowd of foreign journalists about why he did not surrender himself to the NCPO. 

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