Protesters Detain Official For Refusing To Join Protests

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20 January 2014, 13:35

(20 January) A state official has been briefly detained and chastised by anti-government protesters in Surat Thani province because he refused to join their protests.

Local supporters of People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) marched to Surat Thani City Hall this morning in the bid to close down the state agencies, as ordered by PCAD leader Suthep Thaugsuban.

Mr. Suthep has previously called for provincial PCAD groups to disrupt functions of the authorities, in order to force Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to resign and scrap the 2 February election.

Rallying in front of the City Hall, the protesters demanded that all civil servants abandon their works and join their campaign against Ms. Yingluck′s government instead.

Chaos ensued when a group of PCAD supporters captured a yellow-shirted civil servant named Mr. Sarayuth Saneewong na Ayutthaya, an official of the the provincial revenue department, and brought him onto the speaker truck manned by the protest leaders.

The protest leaders claimed that Mr. Sarayuth attempted to go to work in spite of PCAD′s commands, and has insulted the protesters by spitting onto a loudspeaker owned by PCAD.

The protesters then marched to the official residence of the Governor of Surat Thani in order to hand Mr. Sarayuth back to the officials. However, the protesters arrived to find that all doors and windows of the building firmly shut, causing the protest leaders threaten that they will storm inside the building unless the Governor came out to meet them.

Concerned by the threats, Deputy Governor Uaychai Innak emerged and told the protesters that the state agencies in the province have been ordered to close down per requests from the protesters.

As Mr. Sarayuth was handed to Mr. Uaychai, a large group of protesters mobbed the two and blew their whistles to express their anger, but PCAD guards fended them off. Mr. Sarayuth was visibly distraught by the incident, and he was seen gripping Mr. Uaychai′s arm until the protesters were forced back.

Mr. Sarayuth clarified that he was returning to work after watching a football match. He also claimed that he spat because he was feeling thirsty and did not intend to cause any offence.

The protesters eventually left the Governor′s residence and marched to other state agencies.

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Taxi Driver Wounded By 'Tomboy' Robber

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20 January 2014, 12:43

(20 January) A taxi driver has been injured by a woman who attempted to rob him in Pathumthani yesterday, police said.

Police in Thanyaburi district arrived at the crime scene on Rangsit-Nakhornnayok Road at 04.00 yesterday. At the scene, they found two individuals bloodied by stabbing wounds, who were identified as Mr. Charoen Pennadee, 59, and Ms. Achrarat Chantra, 24. A taxi was parked nearby.

Mr. Charoen and Ms. Achraarat were sent to hospitals. Mr. Charoen later identified himself as a taxi driver, and told police that he had picked up the passenger, Ms. Achrarat, from Don Mueang district.

The taxi driver added that Ms. Achrarat was a "tomboy".

According to Mr. Charoen, Ms. Achrarat told him to drop her off in Thanyaburi district, but when he arrived at the destination, Ms. Achrarat kept telling him to drive further. Mr. Charoen said he became suspicious, so he stopped his car and asked where exactly she would get off, only to be told by Ms. Achrarat that she had no money to pay for the fare.

Mr. Charoen then reportedly told her to get off anyway, but Ms. Achrarat suddenly drew a knife and attempted to rob him. According to the driver, he fought with Ms. Achrarat and tried to disarm her, and the two individuals ended up injuring each other.

An official who worked at a nearby Corrections Centre later investigated the noise and alerted the police.

Police said Mr. Charoen was wounded in his hands and torso, while Ms. Achrarat was also wounded "in many places".

Ms. Achrarat would be detained at the hospital for further investigation, police said.

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Motive Behind Railroad Bombing Unclear

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18 January 2014, 21:03

(18 January) Railway chief has insisted that it is too early to determine whether the bomb attack on the southern rail rote earlier this morning is related to the ongoing political crisis.

The explosion occurred 500 metres away from Cha Am station in Petchburi province. It is reported that a Bangkok-Trang train had just passed the spot only 8 minutes before the incident took place.

The bomb, which is believed to be a C4 high-compression bomb, broke apart the rail track and created a 50×150 cm wide hole underneath the rail track.

According to inspectors, the bomb should weigh no more than 1 pound, which indicated that the perpetrators might not intend to cause any fatality. It is also reported that they had found in the wooded area near the rail track an empty snack package with carbon soot, and a tiny piece of electronic equipment.

Petchaburi Governor, Mr. Monthien Thongnit stated that the main motive for the attack might be related to the current political situation.

The railway is the main transportation which carries supporters of anti-government movement from the south to the protesting ground in Bangkok, and the perpetrators might have chosen to attack the rail track to convey their threat against the protesters, Mr. Monthien said.

The attack also came just a day after a deadly grenade attack on demonstrators led by People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD), which killed one protester and wounded 36 others.

7 rail services were forced to delay during the maintenance before the service resumed at 10.00 am on the same day.

However, Mr. Prapat Jongsa-nguan, Governor of the State Railway of Thailand, told reporters that it is too early to make a connection between the attack and the ongoing political protests.

He also asserted that the bomb attack was merely a symbolic threat. "The culprits must have been aware that no one was on the track, and that no one could have been harmed by the bomb," Mr. Prapat suggested.

All passengers should feel confident about the service regardless of their political preferences, so the SRT will not take any political side, Mr. Prapat added.

“SRT is independent of politics. Everybody has the right to their own political expression. Moreover, SRT′s main task is to facilitate the safety of people’s train journeys, not to join any political activity”, said SRT governor, who also said that the SRT Labour Union has not taken any action concerning the current political crisis so far.

Nevertheless, the SRT has informed Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Transport Minister, Mr. Chatchar Sitthipan about the incident.

Asked how will SRT ensure the safety of southern line’s passengers, Mr. Prapat admitted that he is still concerned about the situation, but said that he had instructed SRT officials to maintain safety of the stations and railway route, which have also been collaboratively protected by the military and the police.

“There are no main obstruction at for the southern route, however, there might be some delays due to the repairmen of the train track”, said SRT governor, “We have recently hired contractors to repair some tracks to ensure safety and confidence of the people".

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Protest Grenade Attack: Police Dispute PCAD's Claims

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18 January 2014, 17:06

Pol.Maj.Gen. Pattanawuth Angkanawin showing police-issued red caps.

(18 January) The Royal Thai Police have denied the allegation that they were involved in the grenade attack on anti-government protesters yesterday.

The incident took place as supporters of People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) were marching on Banthat Thong Road, near the financial district of Bangkok, to invite citizens to join their campaign against the government.

The blast, which is believed to have been caused by a grenade, killed one PCAD supporter and injured 36 people.

PCAD guards stormed the row of abandoned buildings which line the road immediately after the attack took place to seek out the perpetrators, to no avail.

Nevertheless, they claimed to have discovered an abandoned room in one of the searched buildings, where many firearms were stored. These weapons were later displayed to the media, but only a small number of journalists were allowed to visit the alleged arsenal.

It should be noted that no police officer was present when PCAD guards discovered the weapon stack, and police officers who arrived to investigate the bomb attack were turned away by the protesters, saying that the police were not neutral. The area was instead cordoned off and maintained by Royal Thai Army soldiers.

The protesters also claimed they found a red cap with a police insignia, a police jacket, and police radio equipment in the room, suggesting that the police were behind the bomb attack. PCAD leader Suthep Thaugsuban repeated the accusation when he addressed the crowd later in the evening.

But Pol.Gen. Adul Saengsingkaew, Chief of the Royal Thai Police, said the police were not involved in the deadly incident yesterday, insisting that the police′s duty is to provide security for the people.

Pol.Gen. Worapong Chiewpreecha, deputy chief of the Royal Thai Police, also told reporters that he believes the weapons found by PCAD guards were in fact BB guns. He stressed that the police would investigate the matter and find the perpetrators as soon as possible, but lamented the fact that soldiers have entered the crime scene before the police.

Later in the day the Centre for Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) announced that forensic police had already investigated the evidence reportedly found by PCAD guards, and concluded that the weapons were plastic BB guns, with their triggers removed, which could not fire live ammunition.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police said that the police′s effort to provide security for the protesters was compromised by the PCAD leadership′s abrupt change of route for their demonstration yesterday.

The police were originally informed that PCAD march would take place from Lumpini Park to Phayathai Road, but the route was altered by PCAD leaders to include Banthat Thong Road at the last minute, said the police spokesman, Pol.Maj.Gen. Adul Narongsak.

"It is very abnormal, and different from the [demonstration] pattern adopted by PCAD in the past," Pol.Maj.Gen. Adul said, adding that the protesters should have allowed police officers to investigate the crime scene instead of delaying them for hours.

As for the arsenal where the weapons were allegedly found, Pol.Maj.Gen. Kamrop Panyakaew, chief of the forensic police department, said that the room was owned by a security guard who worked for Chulalongkorn University.

The owner of the room told police that he did not know anything about the weapons PCAD guards reportedly discovered there, according to Pol.Maj.Gen. Kamrop. He said the room owner only acknowledged the radio equipment and red hat as his possessions.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Kamrop added that he believes the grenade used in the attack might be a Chinese-produced RGD-5 type, but the projectile path of the grenade could only be determined by the grenade fuze found at the scene.

However, the fuze has been removed and is currently in the possession of the military, according to Pol.Maj.Gen. Kamrop.

Additionally, Pol.Maj.Gen. Pattanawuth Angkanawin, a senior police officer in Narathiwat province, announced in a press conference today that the protesters′ claim that the red cap found near the bomb attack scene bears the insignia similar to Narathiwat special ops police is false.

Showing a police-issued red hat to the reporters, Pol.Maj.Gen. Pattanawuth said the insignia on the cap found by the protesters is markedly different. He also insisted that Narathiwat police force has not been involved in the ongoing political protests in Bangkok.

"Please don′t pull us into politics," Pol.Maj.Gen. Pattanawuth said, "The southern insurgency alone is already killing us".

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Redshirt Files Complaint Against Election Commission

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18 January 2014, 15:31

(18 January) A Redshirt activist has filed a legal complaint against the Election Commission (EC) for its reluctance to organise the 2 February election.

Mr. Somchai Saengthong, the head of a "Redshirt village" in Chiang Rai province, filed the complaint at a police station in Mueang District this morning.

The EC has previously urged the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to postpone the 2 February poll, citing concerns that the election would only escalate the ongoing political crisis which pits her government against anti-government protesters led by People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

PCAD demands that Ms. Yingluck and her entire Cabinet resign, and the 2 February election be scrapped, in order to pave way for the establishment of an unelected ′People′s Council′. The Council, whose members would be selected by PCAD leadership, would then implement series of reforms before any election can be held, according to PCAD leaders.

PCAD supporters have blocked venues for election registration in many provinces to derail the 2 Feb election, and they have succeeded in canceling the registration in a number of southern provinces – the stronghold of the anti-government protests.

Pro-government factions have also accused the Election Commission of conspiring with PCAD′s anti-election campaign.

At the police station, Mr. Somchai told police that the laws do not allow the election to be postponed. Much preparation for the 2 Feb election has also been completed or underway, such as advance voting and overseas election, Mr. Somchai noted.

Therefore, the EC is violating the laws by refusing to conduct its duty, Mr. Somchai said.

"The EC has a duty to organise the election," Mr. Somchai said, "If the election is postponed, many people would have lost their rights. This is violating of the people′s rights."

He urged other citizens to follow his example and undertake legal actions against the EC.

Yesterday Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit likewise threatened to hold the EC accountable for its insistence that the 2 Feb election must be delayed.

For a start, Pheu Thai Party will collect 20,000 signatures to unseat Election Commissioner Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, who has been a prominent advocate of election postponement, Mr. Prompong announced in a press conference.

Mr. Prompong also criticised Mr. Somchai (the EC official) for making indecent remarks concerning Ms. Yingluck; Mr. Somchai has previously suggested that she and EC members should arrange a meeting at Four Seasons Hotel, a reference to a now-debunked rumour that Ms. Yingluck has engaged in an extra-marital affair at the hotel.

As Ms. Prompong was speaking to the press, a Pheu Thai election candidate handed a 100 baht banknote to a reporter, jokingly stating that the reporter should take the money to buy a mouthwash product and mail it to Mr. Somchai so he could cure his foul-mouthed attitude.

However, Mr. Prompong was not amused, and he promptly instructed the candidate not to hand money to the reporter.

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PCAD Halts Ballot Papers Printing

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17 January 2014, 18:16

(17 January) Anti-government protesters have forced publishers of ballot papers to close down.

Approximately 100 supporters of the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) marched to the governmental publishing house on Lad Phrao Road earlier today, where they proceeded to cut off the power and water supply into the building.

PCAD has demanded that general election on 2 February 2014 be cancelled in order to pave way for the establishment of an unelected ′People′s Council′, whose members would be selected by PCAD leadership, to rule Thailand as a transitional government.

The government has so far refused to postpone or cancel the election, and PCAD protesters have vowed to do everything they can to prevent the election from taking place.

The protesters also entered the publishing house and instructed officials there to leave, causing the director of the printing operation to temporarily close down the venue.

Officials were eventually ordered to go home for their own safety.

The publishing house is under the supervision of Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel (OTEP), and it is the sole agency tasked with the printing of ballot papers for 2 February election.

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Former Boxer Burns His Ex-Girlfriend Alive: Police

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17 January 2014, 17:08

(17 January) A former professional boxer has been arrested after he has set fire on his ex-girlfriend out of jealousy, police said.

On 13 January police received reports that the woman, Ms. Supawadee Boonchote, 24, was dosed with gasoline and set on fire in front of a convenience store in Udon Thani province by an assailant who arrived and left the scene on a motorcycle with no license plate.

The victim was later transported to the hospital. Doctors said she suffered severe burned injuries, and she remains under intensive care.

The police later identified the attacker as Mr. Baramee Srikul, 42, a former famous boxer who went by his nickname Baramee Petchpiroon. The officers also reportedly found burns on Mr. Baramee′s both hands.

The suspect reportedly confessed of his crime, stating that he had been in a relationship with the victim since last year. However, Mr. Baramee said, Ms. Supawadee later ended the relationship with him as she preferred to be in a relationship with a woman.

After several failed attempts to regain his relationship with him, Mr. Baramee said he decided to commit a revenge by setting the woman on fire.

The investigation also revealed that the couple often had intense arguments, and the former boxer regularly ended up beating Ms. Supawadee.

She eventually portrayed herself as a tom boy and engaged in a relationship with another woman in the community to stop Mr. Baramee from asking her to go back into the relationship, police said.

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Protests Cause Industry Confidence To Plunge

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17 January 2014, 16:22

Anti-government protesters at Pathumwan Intersection, 16 January 2014

(17 January) The Thai Industries Sentiment Index (TISI) has hit a 25 month low at 88.3 amid the ongoing political protests.

According to Mr. Phayungsak Chatsuthiphon, President of the Federation of Thai Industires (FTI), the drop reflects concerns felt by many businesses that prolonged political crisis could gravely harm Thai economy.

The TISI figure of 88.3 corresponds to the period of December 2013, and it has fallen from 90.3 in November 2013, Mr. Phayungsak said, adding that he fears the number could keep plunging down due to worries that the conflict may not be resolved in the near future.

The statistic, which was taken from 1,025 samples in 42 industries, also revealed that the entrepreneurs are experiencing a decline in domestic spending, and withholding orders from their foreign counterparts, as well as an increasing cost of production.

3 months sentimental index also falls to 100.9 point, slightly below 101.4 point in Novermber 2013, as many investors are assessing the impact of the current political crisis, which pits the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra against protests led by People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

“Many businesses, especially in motor industries, are readjusting their plans concerning the current unstable situation in the country," Mr. Phayungsak said, "It is also obvious that there are the declines of domestic consumption, private sector investment and imports of raw material”,

He added, “Thai economy in Q1/2014 is not looking great.”

Mr. Phayungsak also noted that PCAD′s "shutdown" of Bangkok in the past three days might not have severely harmed the economy, but it could cause severely affect the economy if it lasted more than a week.

Meanwhile, Mr. Surapong Paisitpattanaphong, Deputy President and Spokesperson of FTI, said motor industry had produced 158,893 cars in December 2013, which is the lowest rate in 20 months.

Compared with the same time last year, the production had decreased by 28.22%, whereas the statistic from November 2013 shows 13.09% declination during the end of year 2013.

The annual production have also been disappointing, producing only 2,475,086 cars, 2.55 million less than expected, he added.

“We have missed out our target for nearly 100,000 cars, partly due to the government′s "first car" scheme," Mr. Surapong complained, referring to the populist policy which offers tax break for first time purchasers of cars, "However, concerning our competitiveness as a car exporter, we have reached No. 9 in global stage.”

As for the outlook for 2014, considering the political and economic factors, motor industry might produce no more than 2.5 million cars, said Mr. Surapong.

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Pro-Election Faction Cheered By Lotto Result

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17 January 2014, 14:33

Supporters of 2 February election during a rally in Minburi, 16 January 2014

(17 January) Some supporters of 2 February election have welcomed the result of the latest lottery draw.

Although 52 is the the official winning number in the two-digit category, the hugely popular underground lottery market across the country also recognise 02 as the winning number for the said category, since the "unofficial" market adopts the last 2 digits of the first prize number, which is 306902 in this case.

The number has drawn much attention since it appears to coincide with the date of the 2 February election. The draw also came amid the ongoing campaigns by anti-government protesters to cancel the 2 February election and install an unelected ′People′s Council′ to rule Thailand.

Lottery is massive business in Thailand, where many also claim that lottery results can contain divine or ominous meanings.

However, Pol.Maj.Gen. Attakrit Thareechat, director of the Government Lottery Office, said the public should not make any connection between the election and the 02 lotto number.

"Any number can turn up, from 0-9," Pol.Maj.Gen. Attakrit explained, "Please don′t assume the result has been ′locked′ to represent the election date".

He added, "The lottery draw was conducted in a transparent and fair manner. Furthermore, outside observers also oversee each lottery draw".

Asked whether the lottery operation would be affected by ongoing "Bangkok Shutdown" engineered by People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD), Pol.Maj.Gen. Attakrit said the Office has already prepared a back-up system in case of prolonged mass protests.

"The distribution of lottery will continue smoothly," he said.

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Grenade Attack On PCAD Marchers Kills One

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17 January 2014, 13:55

(17 January) Anti-government demonstrators have come under a deadly grenade attack during their march near financial centre of Bangkok today.

The incident took place at around 13.00 when supporters of People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) were marching along Banthadthong Road as a part of their "Bangkok Shutdown" campaign.

The crowd was led by PCAD secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban.

As the marchers approached Charoenpol Intersection, an unidentified individual hurled down a bomb, largely speculated to be a grenade, from one of the vacant buildings that lined the road into the crowd below. The subsequent explosion reportedly injured numerous people.

Immediately after the explosion the protesters guards stormed into the derelict buildings and sought out the assailant, while the injured were transported to hospitals. A number of military medics wearing Red Cross armband later arrived to assist the protesters.

Mr. Suthep was heading the march at some distance away from the scene when the attack took place.

It is not immediately clear what type of explosive was involved in the attack.

One anti-government protester injured by the grenade blast later died at hospital, and official reports say a total of 36 people have been wounded in the incident.

The attack is seen as a major escalation of violence, as it took place at a short distance from the National Stadium and Pathumwan Intersection, the financial district of Bangkok where PCAD supporters had been occupying since late Sunday.

Although PCAD rally sites have come under sporadic attacks – mostly consisting of gunfire and homemade explosive devices – almost nightly since their "Shutdown" campaign began, the attack earlier today marked the first daylight violent incident against the protesters.

Earlier today, another group of PCAD demonstrators also claimed that they were attacked by stones launched from slingshots during their march on Nares Road in Bang Rak district.

The protesters said the assailants were positioned on an abandoned building next to Bang Rak Police Station.

No suspect has been arrested so far.

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