No Passenger Hurt By Chonburi Public Van Crash

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12 March 2014, 16:55

(12 March) No passenger was hurt in the accident involving a public van in Chonburi province last night as the van was not in service at the time, police said.

Rescue workers and the police arrived at the scene of the accident on Sukhumvit Road in Sattahip district shortly after midnight on Wednesday to find a flipped-over and badly-damaged black Honda car. Inside the car the rescue team found an unconscious woman, and proceeded to extract her from the wreckage. The woman was later sent to hospital.

30 metres away, the rescue workers encountered wreckages of a pick-up truck and a public mini-van, which was flipped onto itself. The van reportedly operates on the Bangkok-Rayong route.

Lieutenant Commander Manop Thiankhao, a Royal Thai Navy officer who was driving the pick-up truck, said he saw two public mini-vans approaching a U-Turn on the road prior to the accident. According to Lt.Cdr. Manop, one of the vans attempted to race past the other, but instead encountered the Honda waiting to take the U-Turn, causing the van to slam into the waiting car.

The mini-van also sped past the Honda and crashed into his pick-up truck, Lt.Cdr. Manop said, before the van finally flipped on its side on the road and the driver promptly fled into a nearby wooded area.

A police officer at Phlu Ta Luang Police Station said the authorities are working to identify and locate the van driver for further prosecution.

Fortunately, no passenger was onboard in the van at the time of the incident, the officer added.

Court Kills Bill Approving Loans For Govt Mega-Project

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12 March 2014, 13:55

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra giving a keynote speech at an event organised to promote the 2.2 trillion baht infrastructure project.

(12 March) The Constitutional Court has ruled that the bill intended to way for 2.2 trillion baht infrastructure overhaul is unconstitutional in its content and procedure.

The verdict came after the Democrat Party filed complaint to the court that the bill might be unconstitutional since it was designed to allow the government to borrow the fund for the infrastructure project without any oversight from the Parliament, contrary to the requirement described in Article 169 of the 2007 Constitution.

The plaintiff also argued that the effort in passing the bill violates the parliamentary procedures, as some MPs of the ruling Pheu Thai Party were seen voting for absent MPs in the voting session.

Today the judges of the Constitutional Court sided with the plaintiff and declared the entire bill unconstitutional, citing its violation of Articles 169 and 170 of the Thai charter.

The verdict effectively sentenced the 2.2 trillion baht infrastructure scheme into a dubious limbo. Dubbed "mega-project" by some observers, the ambitious project aims for construction of high-speed railway and improvement of other transport infrastructures in the kingdom within 2020.

Governmental officials have argued that the project is desperately needed to modernise the notoriously poor state of public transportation in Thailand.

But Mr. Wirat Kalyasiri, the former Democrat MP who filed the complaint to the Constitutional Court, said the Democrat Party has no intention to impede the nation's development – it only seeks to guarantee that the development would be transparent and worth the taxpayers' money.

The ruling also added more trouble to the embattled government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is facing other court cases and inquiries by the national anti-corruption body.

Ominously, Mr. Chaowana Traimart, secretary-general of the Constitutional Court, told reporters the court has agreed to deliberate on the request by the Ombudsman Office to have the 2 February election invalidated.

Transport Minister Chatchart Sittipan, who had been one of the most active promoters of the 2.2 trillion baht project, said he accepted the court's verdict on the project. He also insisted that the government has done its best, and that the bill was meant to benefit Thailand.

Mr. Chatchart stressed that he would not perceive the verdict in a negative light, since the government can still facilitate the infrastructure projects promised under the original scheme by borrowing the needed funds from other means.

Nevertheless, he expressed his concern that the court ruling will severely affect the confidence of both domestic and foreign investors. Mr. Chatchart said he hopes the next government will sort out the legal maze and pursue the project.

Footage Of Govt Spokeswoman's Capture Released

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12 March 2014, 13:55

(12 March) The authorities have released CCTV footage showing the moment anti-government protesters captured a governmental spokeswoman who was passing through their rally last month.

The incident occurred on 25 February when Ms. Sunisa Lertpakawat, Deputy spokeswoman of the Prime Minister Office, visited a skin-care clinic near Pathumwan Intersection where anti-government protesters led by the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) were holding a rally.

News reports indicated that Ms. Sunisa was recognised by one of the PCAD guards and was later escorted to a tent where she was interrogated by a group of protest guards.

Ms. Sunisa was eventually released several hours later. Although protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban was present at the campsite at the time, it is understood that the two did not meet face-to-face during her brief captivity.

The spokesman later told the press she would pursue legal action against the protest guards on charge of illegal detention for violently manhandling her as she was escorted to the guards HQ tent. The charge carries a penalty of maximum 5 years in prison.

Today the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) released the footage from a CCTV mounted close to the clinic visited by Ms. Sunisa on the day of the incident. In the video, a group of PCAD guards could be seen standing and waiting for Ms. Sunisa before she came into the camera view and walk past them.

One by one, the guards could be seen chasing after Ms. Sunisa, while some pedestrians fled the area in apparent panic. Ms. Sunisa was later briefly seen on the camera again as she was escorted by a large group of PCAD guards.

CMPO said the footage will be used as evidence against at least 9 PCAD guards involved in the incident.

CMPO also claimed that medical report confirmed signs of physical assault on Ms. Sunisa.

Temple Asks Parishioners To Leave Politics At Its Gate

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12 March 2014, 10:28

(12 March) Located just opposite the Giant Swing and Bangkok City Hall, Wat Suthat Devawararam has been a popular attraction for tourists, and, recently, for political protesters, too.

Its popularity is understandable, as the temple is located just a short walk away from Ratchadamnoen Avenue, where thousands of supporters of the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) camped out for weeks in the period of mid-November 2013 to early-January this year in the bid to oust the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Most of the protesters have left the Avenue in January, but a number of PCAD supporters still remained at the campsites, and some of them have visited Wat Suthat for merrit-making and other Buddhist ceremonies.

Along with them, the temple's deputy abbot complained, they have brought politics.

"They talked about politics inside the temple, and so upset some of other temple-goers," said the deputy abbot, Pra Ratchawijit Patiphan, "Sometimes it leads to serious confrontation, which made me and other monks really uncomfortable".

The problem started at the height of the PCAD protests at Ratchadamnoen Avenue late last year, according to the monk.

The temple's solution was to place big signs around the temple asking the temple-goers not to discuss politics inside the religious sanctuary altogether.

One such banners reads, "Political debate would only bring destructions to the religion. Leave off your political preferences before you enter the temple to cleanse your earthly desires".

Pra Ratchawijit said the placards failed to bring about peace at first. In fact, some temple-goers were angered by the signs, and attempted to vandalise the banners.

Even worse, Pra Ratchawijit told our correspondent, some of the upset temple-goers vented out their anger by placing their shoes over the deputy abbot's picture inside the temple, too.

However, he said the monks continued to talk to the parishioners and eventually persuade them to understand that political arguments inside the temple would only disturb fellow Buddhists, and that the measure was enacted out of the need to facilitate peace among temple-goers.

"Lately, the temple has received good cooperation from every temple-goer," the deputy abbot said.

Court Drops Case Of Alleged Police Station Sexual Abuse

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11 March 2014, 20:15

(11 March) The Supreme Court has dropped the case of a policeman who allegedly sexually harassed an underage rape victim, stating that the defendant and the victims have come to mutual agreement.

The lawsuit was brought by the parents of the victim against Pol.Maj. Sawai Lorblad, who was a police officer at Makkasan Police Station at the time of the alleged incident.

According to the complaint filed by the plaintiff, the victim went to the police station on 23 February 2005 to give her testimony over a separate incident, in which she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a neighbour.

During the interrogation, the plaintiff claimed, Pol.Maj. Sawai took the victim to a toilet at the police station with the pretext of looking for evidences of the rape on her body, and proceeded to molest her.

The officer had been charged with sexual abuse of a minor and abduction of a person younger than 18 but older than 15 with intent of sexual abuse.

Pol.Maj. Sawai contested the charges, and he was acquitted by both lower courts, which cited the victim's confusing and contradictory testimonies to the court.

Today the Supreme Court also announced its decision to drop the case, stating that the victim and the defendant have "come to mutual agreement" and decided not to pursue any further legal action against each other.

The plaintiff reportedly agreed with the court's decision, according to court documents.

Pol.Maj. Sawai is currently serving at Nang Loeng Police Station, and he has been recently promoted to the rank of Pol.LtCol. He was briefly suspended of his duties by a police committee, but the internal investigation later cleared the officer of his alleged charges, and reinstated him back to his post.

Chiang Mai Shop Owners Rally Against 'Unfair' Landlord

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11 March 2014, 18:11

(11 March) Over 100 shop owners and vendors have gathered at Chiang Mai City Hall to seek the authorities' help in mediating the dispute concerning their rent deal at a now-defunct commercial project.

Ms. Kittinya Witthayanin, the leader of the protesters, said she and fellow demonstrators were tenants at The Harbour, a commercial high-end arcade in Mueang district of the province.

She said she was persuaded by the developers of the project to open her shop at The Harbour in February 2013 after they have promised her that many celebrities would also open their shops there, which would ostensibly drive up popularity of the arcade.

However, Ms. Kittinya complained, none of the promised celebrities' business showed up. She added that the tenants also invested large sum of money into starting their business at the Harbour, as the project did not come with basic structures like roofs, painting, or windows.

Few months ago, The Harbour project collapsed due to low revenues, the shop owner said, and the developers proceeded to cut electric and water supplies to all shops located in the arcade.

She said that the tenants were never compensated for the collapsed deals, and estimated their total losses at 32 million baht.

"Some shops invested 300,000 in the project. My shop is the highest investor, at 11 million baht. Now I have to bear burden for the debt I owed to the bank," Ms. Kittinya told reporters.

Furthermore, according to Ms. Kittinya, the developers are seeking to sell the project to another company in order to dissolve their responsibility over the damages.

She told reporters that she has attempted to seek answers and compensation from Mr. Nakorn Kornhiran, director of the defunct project, but his lawyers reportedly told her to settle the losses at the court – a prospect she and other tenants are reluctant to face, Ms. Kittinya said, as they lack the fund to fight the possibly lenghty court cases.

Deprived of other options, Ms. Kittinya said the tenants decided to seek help from the Governor of Chiang Mai province to settle the dispute outside the court.

Mr. Chana Paengpibul, the Deputy Governor, later met with the demonstrators on behalf of Governor Wichian Puttiwinyu, who is reportedly on a trip outside the province, and promised to serve as mediator in the dispute for the aggrieved tenants.

Mr. Chana also promised that the authorities would investigate the matter and contact the shop owners in 7 days.

Sources: Thaksin Upset By Yingluck's 'Incompetent' Aides

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11 March 2014, 16:36

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra greets members of her Cabinet during a meeting, 11 March 2014

(11 March) Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is upset by his sister's refusal to employ political experts he has arranged for her, according to well-placed sources.

Mr. Thaksin reportedly made the remarks during a meeting with a group of Pheu Thai MPs in Beijing last weekend.

According to the sources inside Pheu Thai Party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the MPs flew to the Chinese capitol in order to ask for his advices concerning the ongoing political crisis, which pits the embattled government of his younger sister, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, against anti-government protests and their alleged backers in the establishment.

Mr. Thaksin remains an influential figure behind the ruling Pheu Thai Party despite his ousting in the 2006 military coup.

The sources claim that although Mr. Thaksin is confident the military won't launch another coup against his sister's government, he is concerned that the 2 February general election would be ultimately invalidated by the courts.

"He wished the Democrats would run in the election, so that everything will be over," one of the sources said, referring to Mr. Thaksin, "He is confident that Pheu Thai will win another election anyway".

Nevetheless, Mr. Thaksin preferred to see Ms. Yingluck taking more offensive stance toward the ongoing protests led by the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State, the sources said, such as "taking strict legal actions" against the protesters.

In the meeting with the Pheu Thai MPs, the former leader also allegedly berated Ms. Yingluck for refusing to employ the political advisers and strategists Mr. Thaksin wanted to place into her inner circle.

"Yingluck is not a strong figue. She's a good person but people close to her are incompetent," the source quoted Mr. Thaksin as saying, "I feel sorry for Yingluck, so I don't want to press her too hard. But the people in Thailand aren't up to my standard".

Furthermore, Mr. Thaksin is likewise concerned that Pheu Thai Party lacks "professionals" who can help the party win the media war against the protesters and their backers, particularly the Democrat Party.

"The people with good faces don't come out to defend our party, and those who came out don't have good faces," Mr. Thaksin allegedly complained to the MPs, "Unlike the Democrat Party. They have all the knowledgeable people and academics".

Student Admits Implicating His Brother Over Parricide

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11 March 2014, 15:25

(11 March) The brother of the student who had been alleged of parricide has admitted to police he had murdered his parents and falsely implicated his deceased sibling.

On Sunday the police were alerted by reports of murders at a residence in a gated community in Thanburi district of Pathum Thani province. At the scene, they discovered the bodies of Mr. Panuwat Sornphrom, 44, his wife, Ms. Yaowalak Sornphrom, 41, and their 16-year old son, whose name had been withheld due to legal reasons.

Mr. Akkarawat, another 18-years old son of Mr. Panuwat and Ms. Yaowalak, said he believed his brother murdered their parents before turning the gun on himself. Police also found gunshot wounds on the 16-year old's head and a handgun in his hand, leading the officers to initially rule out his death as suicide.

However, the police soon treated the case as suspicious, after evidences gathered at the scene contradicted with Mr. Akkarawat's testimonies.

After hours of interrogation, Mr. Akkarawat reportedly confessed he committed the crimes. In a police press conference, Mr. Akkarawat said he drugged his parents and brother, and proceeded to shoot at them in their sleep at night. Mr. Akkarawat said he later placed the handgun on his brother's hand and left the residence in the morning.

According to Mr. Akkarawat, he decided to murder the victims out of "envy", stating that he felt his parents loved his brother more than him.

The suspect was later escorted to the crime scene to rehearse the killing in presence of police officers.

PCAD Rallies Rocked By Twin Grenade Attacks

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11 March 2014, 13:54

Police officers gathering evidence at the blast site on Chaeng Wattana Road

(11 March) Anti-government protest campsites in Bangkok have been targeted by two separate grenade attacks.

The first incident took place at around 23.00 last night near the rally site on Chaeng Wattana Road in suburban Bangkok, which is maintained by supporters of the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

The grenade reportedly landed just 50 metres away from a security checkpoint manned by the Royal Thai Army soldiers, but no injury has been reported.

Another attack occurred inside Lumpini Park in downtown Bangkok where hundreds of PCAD protesters have been camping for over a week. The grenade reportedly hit a tent owned by a group of PCAD security guards at around 06.00 this morning.

When police officers entered the area, they found two Army soldiers already inspecting the blast site. Stains of blood were found around the site, and some of the guards' properties were damaged by the blast.

A PCAD guard was injured by the blast and had been sent to Chulalongkorn Hospital, police said, naming the victim as Mr. Adul Maneesawek, 35, a native of Nakhon Si Thammarat province. He is said to have been wounded by the grenade shrapnel.

A friend of Mr. Adul said he had been sleeping near the tent when Mr. Adul came back to the tent after a patrol duty on the nearby Thai-Japan Bridge as a part of security measures imposed by PCAD leadership.

Shortly after Mr. Adul returned to his tent, a loud explosion was heard, causing injuries to Mr. Adul, according to his friend. Apart from Mr. Adul, two other guards were slightly injured by the blast, reports say.

Police suspect that both grenades used in the two attacks were launched from M79 devices.

Man Arrested For 'Drugging And Raping' Nurse

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11 March 2014, 11:43

(11 March) Police in Udon Thani province have arrested a suspect in connection with the drugging and subsequent rape of a nurse in the province last week.

The victim was found naked and delirious in a motel room in Mark Khaeng district by the motel staff on 7 March. She was promptly sent to hospital, and medical workers spent a day treating her condition before she could give clear testimony to the police.

Citing medical reports, police said she was apparently drugged and raped.

According to the victim, she met the culprit on the social network and later arranged a meeting with him in a restaurant. She said she lost her consciousness after a few drinks, while motel staff told police they saw a male individual and a female accomplice carrying the victim to the motel room that same night.

The pair later left the motell room and drove away on a white vehicle, which was later identified as the victim's car, motel staff said, adding that they found the victim when they went to check the room after the suspects have checked-out.

Police said the victim's belongings were also stolen by the culprits, including her iPhone, her car, and 4,000 baht in cash.

After few days of investigation and CCTV footage inspection, the police arrested Mr. Sirivet Sitthivet, 27, who reportedly admitted to drugging the victim with the intent to rape and steal from her.

It is not whether the police are still searching for the suspect's alleged accomplice who was seen at the motel.

Mr. Sirivet remains under police custody.

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