2 Teenagers Arrested For Khaosan Road Murder

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19 April 2014, 12:59

Songkran celebration on Khaosan Road, 14 April 2014

BANGKOK – Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the lethal stabbing of an eighth-grade schoolboy on Khaosan Road during Songkran.

14-year old Rangsirit Pimpa was reportedly participating in water fights with his friends on Khaosan Road, which was crowded with Thai and foreign revelers, on 14 April when a fight broke out between his friends and a large group of teenagers in the area.

Witnesses said three assailants set on Rangsirit, stabbing him in his neck. The boy was rushed to hospital but ultimately died from the wound.

The case attracted much attention after Rangsirit's sister published details about Rangsirit's death on the social network, asking the public and the media to help her family ensure the case is handled justly.

Today Pol.Lt.Col. Somyot Udomraksasap, deputy commander of Chanasongkram Police Station, said the police have arrested two suspects in connection with the murder. The suspects are said to be 15 and 17 years old.

Pol.Lt.Col. Somyot said both suspects have been charged with manslaughter, carry of weapons into residential areas, and violation of the Internal Security Act.

The third man said to be involved in the murder has not been arrested as there is insufficient evidence to implicate his involvement, Pol.Lt.Col Somyot said.

The officer added that the arrested suspects have denied the allegation, but he said the police have ample evidence to prove their alleged crime.

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'Bodyslam' Drummer Busted For Breaking Into Woman’s Room

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18 April 2014, 17:35

BANGKOK — A famous pop-rock musician has been arrested following a woman's complaint to the police that he attempted to break into her room twice.

Mr. Suchat "Chat Bodyslam" Chan-Eed, 37, was arrested by police at Smart Condominium in Bangkok's Bang Khen district today at 10:30 a.m.

Ms. Kwanchira Boonlohpan, 32, told police that Mr. Suchat, who is a drummer for the pop-rock band Bodyslam, tried to break into her room earlier in the day, and added that Mr. Suchat also committed a similar action on the night of 16 April.

According to Ms. Kwanchira, there were loud knocks at her door that night, which she found very alarming . She said she phoned her sister and friends in the morning to find out whether any of them had come to her room on the previous night, and they reportedly told her that none of them had visited her apartment.

Ms. Kwanchira said she asked the security guards to play CCTV footage from in front of her room, and the footage revealed a topless Mr. Suchat wandering near her room with a beer bottle and a knife in his hand. He was seen fidgeting with the doorknob with the knife, successfully entering the apartment room, and then leaving the room 20 seconds later.

Ms. Kwanchira said she was sleeping in her bedroom with her boyfriend and had left the light in the living room on at the time. She said she decided to file a complaint with the police on the same day.

However, earlier today Mr. Suchat attempted to break into her room again, Ms. Kwanchira said, and she immediately called the police to arrest the drummer.

"He scared me a lot," Ms. Kwanchira said. "I have been living here for a long time, but I never knew him personally. I didn't even realise he was a famous drummer until a security guard told me so when I requested to watch the CCTV footage."

She added that she was particularly disturbed by the fact that Mr. Suchat was armed with a knife when he broke into her apartment.

Mr. Suchat briefly said he committed the act because he was intoxicated.

Pol.Lt.Col. Suban Atiseth said the police were about to apply for an arrest warrant for Mr. Suchat when they received another call for help from Ms. Kwanchira today.

Mr. Suchat has been charged with armed intrusion at night and causing a nuisance.

The drummer was previously arrested on 8 March 2012 for engaging in a fight with a celebrity at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

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Court Refuses to Revoke UDD Leaders' Bail

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18 April 2014, 16:25

UDD Leaders Jutapon Prompan and Nattawut Saikuea at a Redshirt rally on 5 April, 2014.

BANGKOK — The Criminal Court has rejected a former Democrat MP’s request to revoke the bail of Jutapon Prompan, the leader of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), and his deputy, Mr. Nattawut Saikuea.

Mr. Jatupon and Mr. Nattawut face terrorism charges for their involvement in the events leading up to the military crackdown on Redshirt protesters in 2010.

Earlier this month, former Democrat MP Satit Pitutacha filed a petition for the cancellation of their bail on the grounds that they had violated its conditions by leading UDD rallies in recent months.

According to the plaintiff, Mr. Jatupon and Mr. Nattawut have incited violence by making speeches that urge Redshirts to organise militia forces.

The court rejected the request, ruling that attending political rallies is permitted under the conditions of the UDD leaders' bail. Yet, the court also warned Mr. Jatupon and Mr. Nattawut to be careful when expressing their political views at future events.

The defendants did not attend the court ruling; their lawyers said they are ill.

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Top Official: Thai Airways Must Be Privatised

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18 April 2014, 13:20

Thailand's national airline, Thai Airways, is facing critical levels of debt.

BANGKOK — A former Thai Airways executive told a public forum today that privatising Thai Airways is the only way to save the debt-ridden national airline from an imminent financial collapse.

Thai Airways is burdened with a 250 billion baht debt and its current operating funds stand at only 56 billion baht, said Mr. Banyong Pongpanit, a former executive board member of the airline who spoke at the public forum held by Thai Airways executives today.

"The solution is to privatise Thai Airways in a suud soi [all the way into the alley] manner," Mr. Banyong told the audience, using a Thai idiom. "Otherwise the company will face a massive financial crisis in the next 6 months."

Mr. Banyong said that the state-owned Thai Airways can no longer compete with the private airline industry. Although the state assists the airline by mandating that all state agencies fly with Thai Airways on official trips, the assistance only amounts to 3% of the airline's revenue, Mr, Banyong said.

Mr. Banyong also claimed that the structure of Thai Airways is plagued with favouritism, with officials appointing their favourite civil servants into important positions without any test of professional competence.

Ms. Deunden Nikomborirak, a research director of Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), echoed Mr. Banyong's concern, stating that political factors have influenced the appointments of many top jobs.

"It is not wrong for Thai Airways to be a state enterprise, but the heart of the issue is the management and administration," Ms. Deunden said. "Today we must let the private sector, which is equipped with more knowledge and ability, manage the airline, like Singapore Airlines, which has seen much success."

She added that Thai Airways also desperately needs a transparent, accountable management system that is open to public scrutiny and free from political interference.

ACM Prachin Chantong, chief of the Royal Thai Air Force and chairman of Thai Airways' board of executives, said he welcomes all opinions in order to solve the airline's financial issues.

He remains optimistic, and expressed hope that over the next year and a half Thai Airways will undergo reforms that allow it to achieve the status of "ASEAN's number 1 airline."

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Russian Man Kicked, Arrested For Sexual Harassment

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18 April 2014, 13:16

Ildae Valeshev, a Russian tourist arrested for allegedly molesting a Thai woman in Pattaya on 18 April, 2014.

CHONBURI — A Russian tourist has been arrested for allegedly molesting a Thai woman in Pattaya's famous nightlife district.

The police reportedly made the arrest at around 4:30 a.m. in the middle of Walking Street. The man was identified as Mr. Ildae Valeshev, 26, and was heavily intoxicated at the time of the arrest.

A 35-year-old Thai woman told the police she was taking her 11-year-old daughter for a walk on Walking Street when they encountered Mr. Valeshev and his friends.

According to the woman, Mr. Valeshev suddenly groped her breasts in front of her daughter, causing her much shock and embarrassment. She reportedly hit the man once, but Mr. Valeshev attempted to touch her again, so the woman decided to kick him and force him to apologise to her.

When Mr. Valeshev refused to apologise, the woman said, she shouted for help and called the police to arrest him.

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Parents Press Lese Majeste Charge Against Daughter

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18 April 2014, 11:50

Ms. Chatvadee Amornpat from one of her videos.

BANGKOK — A Thai-born British citizen has been accused of insulting the monarchy by her own parents.

Mr. Surapong Amornpat, 67, and Ms. Somchintra Amornpat, 59, lodged complaints with the police in Bangkok's Pravet district yesterday, urging police to take legal action against their daughter, Ms. Chatvadee Amornpat, 34, who is currently residing in London, UK.

According to Mr. Surapong and Ms. Somchintra, Ms. Chatvadee has repeatedly insulted the monarchy on social media, namely via her Facebook and Youtube accounts. The parents gave police seven clips of footage, which purportedly show Ms. Chatvadee making offensive remarks toward the monarchy, as evidence of her wrongdoing.

Lese majeste (defamation of the Royal family) is outlawed under Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Codes, with a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison per offence.

Mr. Surapong told the police that Ms. Chatvadee, who is working as a hairstylist in London, has lived in the UK for a long time and recently acquired British citizenship.

He told reporters that he and Ms. Somchintra decided to press charges against their daughter after she started publishing critical remarks of the monarchy on the internet, which has brought waves of condemnation and intimidation towards their family in recent months.

"I do not condone my daughter’s wrongdoing, so I have to press charges because I don't know what else I can do," Mr. Surapong said. "I have warned her to stop such action, but she won't listen."

He added, "I want people to understand that just because a daughter is doing something wrong, it doesn't mean the parents are also guilty, because we don't condone such actions."

According to Mr. Surapong, Ms. Chatvadee has not been in contact with her parents for some time.

The police said they will investigate the accusation and stressed that lese majeste is still considered a crime in Thailand even if the wrongdoing is committed outside the Kingdom.

Complaints of lese majeste have skyrocketed in the past few years, and critics of the law say the allegation of lese majeste is often used as a political weapon to silence opponents.

Today Pol.Maj.Gen. Noraboon Naenna, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division, also convened a meeting to discuss the investigation into a Redshirt activist, Mr. Wuttipong Kochthammakul, who has been accused of defaming the monarchy in an interview with a Vice News reporter.

Mr. Wuttipong has not been seen in public since the allegation surfaced earlier this month.

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Chiang Mai Reds Accuse Suthep Of Lese Majeste

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18 April 2014, 11:06

Redshirt activists outside Mueang Police Station in Chiang Mai, where they filed charges against Suthep Thaugsuban for lese majeste, 17 April 2014.

CHIANG MAI — Redshirts have pressed charges against anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, accusing him of lese majeste for vowing to seek His Majesty the King's support for his campaign to oust the government.

Mr. Suthep announced earlier this month that he will install himself as a "Sovereign Body" and draft a list of Prime Minister and Cabinet members to submit to His Majesty the King for royal approval.

Dozens of Redshirt supporters in Chiang Mai province gathered at Mueang Police Station yesterday to press charges against Mr. Suthep under Article 112 of the Criminal Codes, which prohibits any remark deemed as defamation of the Royal Family.

The Redshirts also filed a charge under Article 113 of the Criminal Codes, accusing Mr. Suthep of inciting insurrection against the democratic regime with the King As Head of State.

The police have documented the charges, but it is not immediately clear whether authorities will take any legal action against Mr. Suthep.

Mr. Worawuth Rujiphanan, the leader of the group, said the Redshirts in Chiang Mai are resolutely opposed to Mr. Suthep's plan of replacing Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra with an appointed PM and an unelected "People's Council."

Mr. Worawuth, who operates a local Redshirt radio station, added that if there is a military coup or any attempt to remove Ms. Yingluck, his supporters will immediately surround the Chiang Mai City Hall in protest.

The Royal Thai Army has denied rumours of an imminent coup in April, stating that the allegation is completely groundless.

Nevertheless, sources inside the Chiang Mai police force claimed that the army has instructed its divisions in the north to collect addresses of all local Redshirt leaders for an unspecified purpose.

The sources also alleged that the army is stockpiling shields, batons, and other weapons in its northern barracks, but the troops have received no other instruction related to the matter.

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Navy Lawsuit: Journalists Released on Bail

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17 April 2014, 20:34

Chutima Sidsathian and Alan Morison speak to the press after their bail release has been granted, 17 April 2014.

PHUKET — The two journalists charged with defaming the Royal Thai Navy in an online article were released on bail today after being detained in holding cells for five hours.

Alan Morison and Chutima Sidsathian, from the news website Phuketwan, were charged with defaming the Thai navy after publishing an article last July that included an excerpt from a Reuters report alleging the navy’s involvement in the trafficking of Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar.

If found guilty, Morrison and Chutima could face up to two years in prison for the defamation charges, and five years for violating the Computer Crime Act.

Today Morison and Chutima appeared before the Phuket Criminal Court for the first time to hear their charges. They were later detained for five hours with other criminal suspects in the court’s holding cells while officials processed their bail release.

Morison said he was detained with 90 other men — 21 of them with shackles around their ankles — while Chutima shared a cell with nine other women.

Morison also told Khaosod English that he sat next to Stein Havard Dokset, aka the "Body Bin Killer," who has been accused of murdering his girlfriend in Phuket province.

"We had an interesting conversation for several hours," Morison recalled.

Morison and Chutima were eventually released on bail after posting 100,000 baht each. The bond money was provided by a supporting group in Phuket, Morison said.

The court hearing comes several days after two Reuters reporters were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their year-long coverage of the plight of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar that has been the victim of severe persecution and abuse, both at home and abroad.

Although the paragraph in question was originally written by Reuters journalists, only Morison and Chutima, who published the excerpt on the local news site Phuketwan, have been charged.

"The Royal Thai Navy has chosen to use these very iniquitous laws to prosecute a very small news outlet that happens to have covered the Rohingya issue consistently for many years," Morison told Khaosod English. "The more I think about it the more I think the objective is to shut down Phuketwan."

The lawsuit has been condemned by numerous human rights and press freedom groups, including Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders.

"This is a tragedy to Thailand, a tragedy to the Royal Thai Navy, and a tragedy to Phuketwan," said Morrison. "But at least it highlights the issues of media freedom and the appalling treatment of the Rohingya."

Morison and Chutima are due to appear in court again on May 26.

(Reporting by Sally Mairs)

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UDD Cancels 18 April Rally, Citing Fears of Clashes

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17 April 2014, 18:30

BANGKOK — The United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) has called off the mass rally originally scheduled for 18 April.

"The UDD will not organise a mass rally on 18 April, because we need to consider the situation day-to-day," said the UDD spokesman, Mr. Thanawut Wichaidith,

"Let me stress that this is not a retreat," he added, "But we will only rally when there is situation, and what we want is an unarmed rally. We don't want to clash with [rival] protesters".

The UDD had previously pledged to organise a show of strength to coincide with the scheduled court decision on whether to strip the chairman of the UDD of his bail release.

Mr. Jatupon Prompan is facing terrorism charges related to the political unrest in Bangkok in 2010 and has been released on bail.

Mr. Thanawut also denounced the recent Facebook post by Mr. Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, the chief Election Commissioner, in which Mr. Somchai said he does not wish to maintain any friendship with the Redshirts as they are "rude" and "aggressive" people.

"Let it be known that we don't want friendship with Mr. Somchai either," Mr. Thanawut said in a press conference.

Meanwhile, Ms. Thida Thawornseth, the chief adviser to the UDD, stressed that the UDD may call a rally at any time, so Redshirt supporters should be ready at all times.

She said the UDD will mostly likely choose Aksa Avenue in Nakhon Pathom province as the site of their next rally.

"I want to inform the Election Commission and all other so-called independent agencies that if they refuse to organise a new election, or if they refuse to exercise justice, the people will not tolerate them anymore," Ms. Thida said, "They will come out and fight for justice".

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UDD Cancels 18 April Rally, Citing Fears of Clashes

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17 April 2014, 18:30

Redshirt demonstrators conduct a ritual to place a curse on Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn in Ubon Ratchatani province on 17 April.