RAYONG — An antique shop in Rayong province has ignited a craze on social media by offering 100,000 baht in cash for a rare circulation of ten baht coins.

Panan Jewelry Shop posted on its Facebook account last week that it is willing to pay 100,000 baht for the rare ten coins that were minted in 1990. According to the post, millions of ten baht coins are minted each year, but only 100 ten baht coins were produced in 1990.

The post has gone viral on social media, launching a hunt for the rare coins, with others questioning whether the offer is a hoax.

Update: Shop Withdraws 100,000 Baht Offer For Rare 10 Baht Coins

Punnawat Siriruengwanich, the owner of Panan Jewelry Shop, confirmed that the advertisement is genuine.

Speaking at his shop in Rayong’s Pluak Daeng district yesterday, Mr. Punnawat said the coins were minted for a 1990 rare coin exhibition in Canada, meaning that the coins have never been in public circulation.

“Only 50 coins made it back to Thailand,” Mr. Punnawat said. “So it’s a very rare coin and a great interest for coin collectors. Only five of these coins have been found, as far as I know.”

Mr. Punnawat, who says he has never personally seen the coins, decided to post the Facebook advertisement after a businessman hired him to find them.

Since he posted the ad, so many people have called his shop that he decided to remove the shop’s telephone number from the post, Mr. Punnawat said.

“I did not expect that it would be such a massive trend,” Mr. Punnawat said. “My phone almost burned down.”

He also warned that there have been attempts to alter ten baht coins issued in 1994 to look like they were issued in 1990 by filing the “tail” of the number 4 in Thai numerical.

Wirawuth Sripaoya, deputy director of the Royal Thai Mint, refused to comment on the claims that only 100 ten baht coins were made in 1990.”

It’s a public holiday right now, so I cannot check our database,” Mr. Wirawuth said.”But in terms of theory, minting only 100 coins is highly improbable. On average, the Royal Thai Mint produces 1 million coins of each type.”

However, Thai Medal Association Nirandorn Wisitsin confirmed to Khaosod that the claim is authentic, as has long been known among veteran Thai coin collectors.

Mr. Nirandorn said the price tag for the 1990’s ten baht coins may sound outrageous to non-collectors, but it is completely normal in the antique trade.

BANGKOK — The newly-elected president of Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly, Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, is a former Supreme Court judge and strong military ally who once promoted tougher laws against criticism of the monarchy.

As the only candidate nominated for post, Mr. Pornpetc, 66, was unanimously voted into office by the members of the NLA during its first official session today. The former judge has been serving as an adviser to the military junta, known as the National Council for Peace and Order, since it staged a coup against the elected government on 22 May.

Mr. Pornpetch was also selected by the 2006 coupmakers to be a member of the legislative assembly that was formed following the 2006 military takeover. That legislative body governed Thailand until a general election was held in late 2007.

During his time as a legislator, Mr. Pornpetch caused an uproar among human rights activists by proposing an amendment to Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Codes, which criminalises defamation of His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, the Heir Apparent, and the Regent.

The law, known as lese majeste, was already infamous for its draconian scope and punishment: those found guilty of insulting the monarchy face up to 15 years in prison. Furthermore, what constitutes an "insult" is so vaguely defined that any discussion about the Royal Family is liable for prosecution.

But according to Mr. Pornpetch, the law was too light. In his proposal, lese majeste should expand to cover other members of the Royal Family, the Head of Privy Council, all of the Privy Councilors, and "any person who has been appointed a representative of His Majesty the King."

Mr. Pornpetch also suggested granting judges the power to outlaw media coverage of ongoing lese majeste trials.

"In the appropriate case, [court officials] can file a request to the court to forbid any publication of any facts, behaviour, discussion, or opinion related to the case, regardless of the type of the media," said the draft penned by Mr. Pornpetch. 

Any journalist that violated the proposed legislation would be punished by up to three years in prison.

However, Mr. Pornpetch decided to withdraw the draft on 9 October 2007 – a day before the legislative body was scheduled to debate the proposed law. According to an interview with the Post Today, Mr. Pornpetch pulled the draft because he was told to do so by the Privy Council, a close advisory body to His Majesty the King.

"They were not pleased," Mr. Pornpetch reportedly said. 

Choosing PM 'not a priority'

Now that the NLA has officially opened and selected its chairman, there is intense speculation over who the the assembly will choose to be Thailand's next Prime Minister. 

Many believe the premiership will go to the NCPO’s chairman, Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha. Gen. Prayuth's brother and member of the NLA, Lt.Gen. Preecha Chan-ocha, said that he thinks the junta leader is capable of being Prime Minister. 

Mr. Pornpetch told reporters today that the assembly will convene a meeting to name the Prime Minister only after His Majesty the King royally endorses his appointment as the president of the NLA. He also said that choosing a Prime Minister is not a top priority for the assembly.

"I cannot say it's strictly the first job the NLA has to do," Mr. Pornpetch said. "Because during this time, if there are other urgent matters, we can consider them first."

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CHIANG RAI — A four-year-old hill tribe boy has found a new life in a temple orphanage after spending more than a year begging for food on his own.

Kae Khae’s mother died when he was very young and his father was mentally ill, according to members of the local Lahu tribe that Kae Khae’s family belonged to. Some villagers believed his father’s illness was caused by illegal drug use. 

According to villagers from Janu, Kae Khae’s  father simply walked away from the village one day, leaving his two-year old son to fend for himself.

For the past two years, Kae Khae has survived on food and clothes donated by sympathetic villagers. During the day, Kae Khae wandered around the village and sometimes bathed in a nearby stream. He never went to school and endured taunts from other children in the village who called him "barbarian."

At night, Kae Khae slept in a rundown bamboo shack not far from the community. Apart from an old pillow and blanket left behind his parents, Kae Khae had no other belongings in his hut. 

In fact, Kae Khae did not even have a name of his own; the name given to him by villagers actually belonged to his father.

A helping hand

Kae Khae would still be wandering barefoot in Janu village if staff from Wat Huay Pla Kang's orphanage had not heard about him from several villagers who visited the temple for free food.

"They realised that we take orphans at the temple, so they told us the story about Kae Khae," said Nattakarn Srikuna, who works at the orphanage. 

After hearing the boy’s story, Mr. Nattakarn drove for more than hour on his motorcycle from the nearest town to the secluded village and found Kae Khae in his destitute conditions. He returned to the temple, which is located in Chiang Rai's Muang district, and told the abbot about the boy. 

A few days later, Mr. Nattakarn returned to Janu village and brought Kae Khae back to the temple's orphanage, where he was taught for the first time to brush his teeth, take a shower, and perform other essential tasks. 

Watcharin Kaewkantha, the orphanage's director, said he inspected Khae Kae's health when he first arrived. The boy had injuries on his feet after going barefoot for so long and most of his front teeth were in bad condition, Mr. Watcharin said.

However, the boy has smoothly adapted to his new environment, Mr. Watcharin reported. He is now attending classes at the orphanage's school. 

"He's a very playful kid. He can blend in with other kids very well," the orphanage director told Khaosod. "When he joins activities with his friends in the evening, he has no problem at all. He plays ball, jumps ropes, and runs and catches with his friends. He's very good at eating, too. He always finishes his plate every time."

According to orphanage staff, Kae Khae also has an insatiable interest in electronic appliances, such as radios, digital cameras, refrigerators, and electric fans. The staff must keep close watch over Kae Khae to prevent him from playing with electric plugs. 

Voting For A Name

A search of the state database in Chiang Rai province revealed that Kae Khae did in fact have his own name; he was registered at birth in Lahu language as “Ja-Ue Santhoh.”

However, he abbot of Wat Huay Pla Kang, Phra Ajarn Phobchoke, said Kae Khae needed a new name because both his official and unofficial names may bring bad luck.

“When he grows up, his old name, which is rooted in bad circumstances, will leave him scars," Phra Ajarn Phobchoke said. "But his new name should, more or less, bless him for a brighter future."

It is common practice for Thais to change their names. Many people ask monks or abbots at their local temples to come up with new, lucky names for them.

Phra Ajarn Phobchoke said he has already devised several names with auspicious meanings for Kae Khae, including Phobboon (finding miracle), Phobtham (finding truth), and Meechoke (lucky). 

The abbot said he will let the public decide on the name for Kae Khae through a vote on the temple's Facebook page in the near future. 

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BANGKOK — Officials have confirmed that the bizarre name of an alleged cellphone thief, Hengjobshappylife Makelifebetter, is consistent with Thai name regulations.

Mr. Hengjobshappylife, 29, was arrested last week for allegedly stealing an iPhone 5s from a basketball court in Surin province. 

The suspect's name and a screenshot of his Thai ID Card have gone viral on social media, with some commentators questioning whether the spectacular name is legally-approved.

Yesterday, officials at Muang Surin District Office confirmed that the suspected thief officially changed his name from Saen Soisoonern to Hengjobshappylife Makelifebetter on 16 July, 2014.

Officials said the name registrars did not check the meaning of the name when Mr. Hengjobshappylife filed an application. “Heng” means lucky in Thai. Nevertheless, the registrar concluded that his name change was in accordance with the Person Name Act of 1962, which only prohibits the following: 

• names that are similar to names of His Majesty the King or Her Majesty the Queen, whether by intention or not.
• names that are similar to Royal Titles, whether by intention or not, except the Royal Titles owned by the persons, or their parents, or their heirs.
• names that are similar to first or last names royally bestowed by His Majesty the King, or names of other persons that are already registered.
• names that contain rude words or meanings.

According to Pol.Lt. Preechachana Maithong, an officer at Muang Surin Police Station, the suspect confessed to stealing the cellphone but said he intended to return it to the owner later.

When questioned about his name by police officers, the suspect said he changed his name "for a better life" after an elderly woman advised him to, Pol.Lt. Preechachana said. It is a common practice for Thai people to change their names  to avoid bad luck or evil spirits. 

Mr. Hengjobshappylife is a salesman for a health and beauty company named Unicity Make Life Better Project, which could have been a source of inspiration for his new name, Pol.Lt. Preechachana added.

Some Thai celebrities have baffled fans by adopting new, strange-sounding names, such as actress Khakkingrak Khikkhiksaranang whose name caused a round of laughter because part of her last name means "giggling" in Thai.

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CHIANG RAI — A four-year-old hill tribe boy has found a new life in a temple orphanage after spending more than a year begging for food on his own.

Kae Khae’s mother died when he was very young and his father was mentally ill, according to members of the local Lahu tribe that Kae Khae’s family belonged to. Some villagers believed his father’s illness was caused by illegal drug use. 

According to villagers from Janu, Kae Khae’s  father simply walked away from the village one day, leaving his two-year old son to fend for himself.

For the past two years, Kae Khae has survived on food and clothes donated by sympathetic villagers. During the day, Kae Khae wandered around the village and sometimes bathed in a nearby stream. He never went to school and endured taunts from other children in the village who called him "barbarian."

At night, Kae Khae slept in a rundown bamboo shack not far from the community. Apart from an old pillow and blanket left behind his parents, Kae Khae had no other belongings in his hut. 

In fact, Kae Khae did not even have a name of his own; the name given to him by villagers actually belonged to his father.

A helping hand

Kae Khae would still be wandering barefoot in Janu village if staff from Wat Huay Pla Kang's orphanage had not heard about him from several villagers who visited the temple for free food.

"They realised that we take orphans at the temple, so they told us the story about Kae Khae," said Nattakarn Srikuna, who works at the orphanage. 

After hearing the boy’s story, Mr. Nattakarn drove for more than hour on his motorcycle from the nearest town to the secluded village and found Kae Khae in his destitute conditions. He returned to the temple, which is located in Chiang Rai's Muang district, and told the abbot about the boy. 

A few days later, Mr. Nattakarn returned to Janu village and brought Kae Khae back to the temple's orphanage, where he was taught for the first time to brush his teeth, take a shower, and perform other essential tasks. 

Watcharin Kaewkantha, the orphanage's director, said he inspected Khae Kae's health when he first arrived. The boy had injuries on his feet after going barefoot for so long and most of his front teeth were in bad condition, Mr. Watcharin said.

However, the boy has smoothly adapted to his new environment, Mr. Watcharin reported. He is now attending classes at the orphanage's school. 

"He's a very playful kid. He can blend in with other kids very well," the orphanage director told Khaosod. "When he joins activities with his friends in the evening, he has no problem at all. He plays ball, jumps ropes, and runs and catches with his friends. He's very good at eating, too. He always finishes his plate every time."

According to orphanage staff, Kae Khae also has an insatiable interest in electronic appliances, such as radios, digital cameras, refrigerators, and electric fans. The staff must keep close watch over Kae Khae to prevent him from playing with electric plugs. 

Voting For A Name

A search of the state database in Chiang Rai province revealed that Kae Khae did in fact have his own name; he was registered at birth in Lahu language as “Ja-Ue Santhoh.”

However, he abbot of Wat Huay Pla Kang, Phra Ajarn Phobchoke, said Kae Khae needed a new name because both his official and unofficial names may bring bad luck.

“When he grows up, his old name, which is rooted in bad circumstances, will leave him scars," Phra Ajarn Phobchoke said. "But his new name should, more or less, bless him for a brighter future."

It is common practice for Thais to change their names. Many people ask monks or abbots at their local temples to come up with new, lucky names for them.

Phra Ajarn Phobchoke said he has already devised several names with auspicious meanings for Kae Khae, including Phobboon (finding miracle), Phobtham (finding truth), and Meechoke (lucky). 

The abbot said he will let the public decide on the name for Kae Khae through a vote on the temple's Facebook page in the near future. 

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