BANGKOK — Thailand's military junta has warned those advocating for the execution of rapists not to violate the ban on public gatherings.

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) issued the warning after famous Thai actress Panadda Wongpoodee and a dozen of students staged a small demonstration at a train station in Nakhon Si Thammarat province to voice their support for punishing convicted rapists with the death penalty. 

Plans for another rally at Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok this Saturday have also been circulated on social media. Convicted rapists currently face 5-20 years in prison. 

The outrage follows the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl on a night train over the weekend. Police say a state railway employee confessed to sexually assaulting the victim in a sleeping car and throwing her out of the window afterwards. The suspect, Wanchai Saengkhao, is facing charges of premeditated murder, sexual assault, and drug abuse.

"These demonstrations are held under martial law," Col. Winthai Suwaree, a spokesperson of the NCPO, said today. "All types of demonstrations, whether about political or other issues, violate martial law."

The NCPO has harshly enforced its ban on public gatherings against protesters who participate in any kind of anti-coup demonstrations, including flashing the three-finger salute or eating sandwiches. However, the NCPO has not made a single arrest of anyone participating in a pro-coup or pro-army rally. Those who violate the NCPO's ban on protests may face a trial in military court and up to two years in prison.

Col. Winthai suggested that instead of demonstrating or organising rallies, those who would like to change the punishment for rape crimes should submit proposals to NCPO chairman Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha. 

"[The NCPO] is a functioning agency. That is the most appropriate channel at this moment," Col. Winthai added, though he refused to comment on whether the NCPO agrees with the pro-death penalty campaign. 

Today, contestants of the 2014 Miss Grand Thailand beauty pageant did in fact submit a proposal to the NCPO in favor of revising the criminal code to include execution as a punishment for rape. 

The proposal also requested increased security across the country with at least two security personnel guarding “risk” areas, an information campaign teaching women about self-defense methods, and new NCPO policies to deter criminals.

“Miss Grand Thailand 2014 greatly hopes to see a revision in the law for the increased safety of women so that offenders will not get off scot-free in our society or receive too light a sentence,” said Miss Grand Thailand Director Nawat Isarnkraisiln, who accompanied the pageant contestants today.

Read more:
Rape-Murder Suspect Exposes State Railway's Shortcomings 
Editorial: Death Penalty Is Not The Solution To Rape

SAMUT PRAKARN — Police are investigating the case of a 14-year-old student who was electrocuted and killed by an electricity leakage underneath a bleacher at a temple in Samut Prakarn province.

Another student was also seriously injured by the leaked electricity, which police say was caused by a cable that passed through the bleacher and was illegally tapping electricity from a state utility pole. 

Witnesses say the two students were taking shelter under sports stand inside Eiam Prachamit Temple during the heavy downpour yesterday afternoon. A school teacher said he noticed that something was amiss when he walked past the temple and saw the two students' hands gripping a pole of the sports stand in strange manner.

When he touched one of the students, the teacher said, he felt a sudden shock of electricity. The teacher then reportedly used a wooden stick to free the two boys, after which he sent them to hospital. One of the boys died at hospital, while the other remains in critical condition.

Police say an initial investigation reveals that the temple illegally tapped electricity from a nearby utility pole and that the power may have leaked out from the cable as it passed through the sports stand.

The police added that they are working to identify whoever is responsible for the illegal power tapping. 

Narong Singsiri, director of Wat Laem Fa Pha School, where the victims were enrolled, said the school and temple were not aware of the tapping and would fully cooperate with the police to locate those responsible. 

Mr. Narong also said that electricians are scouring the area to look for other possible electricity leakages to prevent further tragedies.

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PRACHINBURI — An 18-year-old man reportedly drowned last night while trying to swim across Prachinburi River over a lost World Cup bet he has made with friends.

According to his friends, the victim, whose name has been withheld by police, vowed to swim across the river if Brazil lost in the semi-final round of the FIFA World Cup.

After Germany beat Brazil 7-1, the victim reportedly kept his word and arrived at the pier of Goddess Tub Tim Shrine at 7 pm last night.

He then jumped into the river and proceeded to swim to the other side, but disappeared somewhere in mid-river, his friends say.

Rescue workers later found his body at around midnight.

BANGKOK — Fresh details about state railway employee who confessed to raping and murdering a girl on an overnight train have shed light on widespread nepotism and negligence within the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).

Wanchai Saengkhao, 22, confessed yesterday to raping a 13-year-old girl on the Surat Thani – Bangkok train in the early morning of 6 July and throwing her body overboard afterwards. 

The girl was initially reported missing by her relatives, who were also on the train with her. After a large-scale search party was launched, the girl's body was found next to the train tracks in Prachuap Kiri Khan province.

The case has sparked an outrage in Thai society, with many people pointing the finger at the SRT for its lax security measures on board the train and failure to properly screen its employees.

Drug and alcohol abuse

According Mr Wanchai’s testimony, he took two amphetamine tablets at the train station in Nakhon Si Thammarat province before starting his shift, and took another tablet while was working onboard the train. 

Mr Wanchai told police today that he first noticed the victim when he and three other employees were drinking beer together in car number 3. Mr. Wanchai said he was sexually aroused by the girl and plotted to rape her.

When the train entered Prachuap Kiri Khan, Mr. Wanchai shut down the lights in the car where the victim was sleeping. Shortly after midnight, he entered her sleeping cabin, knocked her unconscious, and sexually assaulted her, Mr. Wanchai told police. When the victim started to regain consciousness, Mr. Wanchai sexually assaulted her again and decided to throw her body out the window to hide the evidence, according to his testimony. 

He said the victim was still alive when he threw her onto the rail track. 

Mr. Wanchai's testimony has raised concerns about why SRT officials were able to freely drink alcoholic beverages and take narcotics while on the job.

Many also remain baffled at how a single train employee managed to turn off the lights in the sleeping car and rape a train passenger without raising the suspicions of other staff. 

The SRT's screening procedure for new employees has also come under scrutiny after Mr. Wanchai confessed to police that he has previously raped two other women on trains. Mr. Wanchai said but the other two victims were too embarrassed to file charges with the police. 

Rampant Nepotism

Prapat Chongsaguan, governor of the SRT, admitted in an interview today that Mr. Wanchai might have been able to secure his employment through a close relationship he had with another train official. The official, who Mr. Prapat did not identify  by name, may have also helped erase Mr. Wanchai's criminal records from the SRT database. 

Mr. Wanchai was one of 90 new employees who successfully passed a screening on 16 June, said Mr. Prapat, who took up the top job in November 2012. Mr. Prapat said the SRT plans to re-examine the backgrounds of the other new employees that were hired alongside Mr. Winchai and establish whether they passed the selection because of connections with senior officials.

"The problem with "favourite kids" who come to work in SRT is that they think they have the privilege over other people. They dare to do everything they please, like drinking alcohol during their shift, even though the rules say they will be fired," Mr. Prapat said. "The "favourite kids" have connection with all the troubles."

Mr. Prapat vowed to punish all officials involved in the incident without prejudice or undue protection, including the three staff who were reportedly drinking with Mr. Wanchai shortly before he allegedly committed the crime.  

The SRT governor admitted that the SRT is plagued by a "strange allocation of power," which employees often exploit in matters of recruitment. 

"There are many strange things in the SRT," Mr. Prapat said, citing how he was not informed about the rape of a woman onboard a train by an SRT official in 2003 until yesterday. 

"No one gave me information about it at all. I just started working here for over a year, so I have no access to information about what happened 10 years ago."

Prasit Jindasi, director of SRT's recruitment unit, said he is currently evaluating the 90 employees who were hired in the same batch as Mr. Wanchai. 

He claimed that none of the 90 new staff had criminal records, although he admitted that the SRT did not look into the criminal record of Mr. Wanchai before he was given the job. Mr. Prasit blamed the police for their delay in sending files to the SRT. 

Mr. Prasit insisted that he has no personal connection with the suspect. 

"I don't know him. I have not even seen his face before," Mr. Prasit said in an interview. "He was under my responsibility, but I also have more than 250 staff under my watch, so I do not know him."