Redshirts Parade In Support Of Feb 2 Election

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15 December 2013, 16:48

(15 December) Thousands of Redshirts have paraded in a large convoy around the northeastern city of Khon Kaen today to affirm their support for the next general election, scheduled to take place on 2 February 2014.

The Redshirts said they are against the plan suggested by anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, which called for an unelected ?People′s Council? to be established and transform Thailand into an ?absolute democracy? before permitting an election to take place.

More than 5,000 Redshirts joined the convoy, which consisted of 500 motorcycles, 100 pick-up trucks, and 50 cars. Two 10-wheel trucks equipped with loudspeakers led the convoy, blaring pro-Redshirts music and giving speeches critical of Mr. Suthep′s campaign to unseat Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Banners on the convoy include phrases such as "Love Democracy, Go to Election", "We want election, not selection by Suthep", "Don?t let the minority drag democracy into the canal".

The 1-kilometre long convoy passed through many parts of Khon Kaen′s city centre before stopping at the park opposite Central Plaza Shopping mall, where they proceeded to erect a stage and hold a rally.

Organisers of the motorised parade said the Redshirts are from 20 provinces of the northeastern region, a traditional stronghold of the Redshirts movements.

Mr. Thanik Maseepitak, a co-organiser of the protest, said he cannot accept Mr. Suthep′s demands that Ms. Yingluck resign from her caretaker position.

He branded Mr. Suthep′s organisation, the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD), as "rebels" and "political hooligans" who are committing "thuggish acts" against the nation.

"The Redshirts have vowed to fight the rebels and underlings of the ammart (feudal elite), in order to eradicate them from the Thai society," Mr. Thanik said.

Ms. Panwadee Tantisirin, chairwoman of Khon Kaen′s We Love Yingluck-Thaksin Society, said the Redshirts in the region will be coordinating closely with Pheu Thai Party in preparation for the next election. She also predicted that "the entire province" will vote for Pheu Thai Party again.

She also urged the Democrat Party, which is backing Mr. Suthep′s protests, to participate in the 2014 election and let the people decide who they want to vote for; the Democrat Party has been undecided whether to run in the next election.

Furthermore, Ms. Panwadee said, local Redshirts will send Government House in Bangkok 10,000 postcards expressing their support for Ms. Yingluck to stay as caretaker Prime Minister until the election.

She warned that the Redshirts "will fight to the end" if Mr. Suthep managed to overthrow Ms. Yingluck′s government and derail the plan for 2014 election.

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Athletes Happy With SEA Games Meals, Official Insists

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15 December 2013, 14:51

(15 December) An official has dismissed allegation that the Thai athletes competing in the SEA Games have been provided with meager lunch boxes.

The athletes, who are facing competitors from other Southeast Asian nations in the tournament hosted by Myanmar, are forced to live off lunch boxes containing small amount of food, according the allegation which arose on the social network over the weekend.

The meal simply consisted of rice, an egg, and a handful of vegetables and pork, the report alleged.

The claim has been seized by many anti-government critics on the social network as proof of the government′s corruption, since the meals appear to be inconsistent with the budget allocated to the tournament by the government and its sponsors.

However, Captain Kingkarn Charoenchit, the director of Thai athletes? kitchen division, told Khaosod that the lunch box seen in the photo is one of the 1,600 extra food units provided to the athletes and staff.

All Thai sports teams are happy with their food, Captain Kingkarn said. He also told our correspondent there has been no problem of food shortage in the teams.

Captain Kingkarn added that he had no idea why some people in Thailand would turn the matter into a controversy.

Responding to the allegation of poor food for the athletes, the Royal Thai Embassy in Myanmar also posted photos of athlete canteen in its Facebook account to assure the public that the food provided to the sports teams is perfectly adequate.

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Missing 6 Year Old Girl Feared Dead

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15 December 2013, 14:30

(15 December) The 6 year old girl who went missing is feared dead, after rescue workers uncovered a skull and personal items believed to belong to her.

The girl, nicknamed Cartoon, went missing from her family in Bangkok on 6 December. The efforts to locate her were primarily led by Mirror Foundation, a charity group with experience in finding missing children. Many on social network also shared photo of the girl in hope that she would be recognised.

The last-known lead on her location came on Saturday when police reported that a CCTV footage has revealed an unidentified man walking with Cartoon at the Bearing BTS Station.

However, rescue workers have uncovered human remains late last night in Bang Na district of Bangkok, including a small skull. Nearby, the search team found shorts worn by Cartoon on the day she went missing.

Inside the pockets the rescue workers reportedly found a piece of chocolate Cartoon′s father had bought for her.

Further search efforts in the area uncovered a skeleton, Cartoon′s t-shirt. The police also found a used condom and lubricant gel.

As of Sunday afternoon, the area remains closed to the public, with police forensic teams combing the ground for more evidences.

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Suthep To Face His Critics At Military-Organised Forum

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13 December 2013, 18:55

(13 December) Rival political factions have agreed to meet and exchange their opposing ideas about Thailand′s future at a dialogue panel organised by the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King as Head of State (PCAD), had previously demanded that Gen. Thanasak Patimakorn, Chief of Defence Forces, grant him a private audience so that he could explain his idea of a ?People′s Council? as the solution to Thai political crisis.

The meeting never took place, but Gen. Thanasak′s staff later announced that the military will host an open forum in which many groups and organisations will be invited, including the PCAD. Reports suggest that Gen. Thanasak himself will attend the forum, scheduled to be held tomorrow (14 December).

Other organisations invited to the dialogue panel include the newly appointed Election Committee, the Lawyers Council of Thailand, representatives of the private sector, and the Assembly for Defence of Democracy (AFDD), a group formed by prominent academics opposed toMr. Suthep′s demands of unelected People′s Council.

The AFDD is led by Thammasat law academic Worachet Pakeerat who has branded Mr. Suthep′s campaign as anti-democratic, and has urged the anti-government protesters to respect the legitimacy of electoral politics by participating in the upcoming election next year.

Tomorrow′s forum would mark the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of PCAD and AFDD.

The official leadership of the pro-government Redshirts, the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) has also been invited, but its chairwoman, Ms. Thida Thawornseth, has declined to participate. Nevertheless, she said other UDD leaders are free to attend the forum on their own.

Earlier today, PCAD leaders reaffirmed their stance in a press conference that their blueprint for Thailand′s "reform" must be implemented by the government before the next general election takes place.

Mr. Suthep argued that Thailand′s current political system is rigged in favour of Ms. Yingluck′s faction, especially her brother former PM Thaksin Shinawatra. His solution is the formation of 400-seat People′s Council which would function as a de facto transitional government of Thailand, amending laws and restructuring the nation to eradicate Mr. Thaksin′s corrupt influence.

300 members of the Council would be selected from different occupations, while other 100 would be delegated to "experts" appointed by the PCAD.

Mr. Suthep said he expected the "reform" would last for 8-14 months. A new election would be allowed to take place only after the "reform" is completed.

He also threatened to escalate his protests if Ms. Yingluck still refuses to resign from her position as caretaker Prime Minister; Mr. Suthep had envisioned a transitional Prime Minister appointed by His Majesty the King to replace Ms. Yingluck and subsequently form the People′s Council.

"If the Prime Minister stubbornly clings to her position, PCAD will force her out with the power of the Great Mass of the People," Mr. Suthep told reporters, "PCAD will continue the rallies until the People′s Council is formed".

In the same press conference, another PCAD leader, Mr. Satit Wongnongtoey, also accused the international media of harbouring bias toward the anti-government movement. He warned that foreign correspondents working in Thailand should be careful not to end up turning themselves into tools of "Thaksin′s Regime".

Meanwhile, Ms. Thida, the chairwoman of the UDD, said Mr. Suthep′s call for Ms. Yingluck to resign would lead to a dangerous "power vacuum".

"The Prime Minster has been tasked with the power from the majority of the people. She cannot abandon this responsibility," Ms. Thida said, "I?d like to ask the Prime Minister and her government to stay until the election date of 2 February 2014."

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DSI Seizes 30 Million Baht Worth Of Abortion Pills

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13 December 2013, 18:07

(13 December) The Division of Special Investigation (DSI) has arrested a man accused of selling thousands of illegal abortion pills on the internet.

Police said Mr. Somchai Sunancharoen, 48, sold the drugs via 9 websites he has been running.

Mr. Tharit Pengdith, Chief of DSI, announced at a press conference that police also found 120 packages of the drug, with 2,008 unpacked tablets worth no less than 1 million baht and 51,018 unlabeled tablets worth 30 million baht at the suspect′s house in Mueang district, Nakhon Pathom province.

Reportedly, Mr. Somchai had run his websites for over a year, and had received over 20,000 orders during June to December 2013, pocketing an income of approximately 4 million baht a month.

The pills are reportedly sold at varied prices, depending on the stage of pregnancy. Moreover, many of Mr. Somchai’s customers are college students and women who purchased the drugs for personal use, said Mr. Tharit.

Abortion is illegal in Thailand, with exceptions of unwanted pregnancy due to the mother’s health and criminal abuse. Unwanted pregnancy is described as a major factor for abortion, according to statistics in 2010, where 71.5% of women interviewed in the survey claimed they had become pregnance unintentionally while 53.1% of the sample also mentioned that they had ignored birth control methods.

In the same poll gathered from 101 hospitals in 13 provinces, 28% of 15 – 19 years old women have gone through abortion, whereas 30.4% were students, and 45% stated that they have no income.

Many women with unwanted pregnancies turned to illegal clinics, which put them at risk of having infected complications and severe miscarriage. Statistics from the Ministry of Public Health revealed that nearly 300,000 women go through illegal abortions each year.

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Vocational Students Fight Leaves 2 Injured

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13 December 2013, 17:52

(13 December) Two students have been injured by the fights between rival vocational student gangs in Pathumthani province, police at Pratunam Chulalongkorn Police Station said.

Witnesses alerted the police when students from Pathumthani Technical College (PTTC) and Pathumthani Technology School (P-Tech) violently attacked each other at a bus station in Thanyaburi district.

Two students, reportedly one from PTTC and the other from P-Tech, were transported to the hospital.

Reports indicated that one of the two victims was wounded on both arms by sharpened weapons, whereas the other student is in more severe conditions, suffering from the wounds on both arms and on his back.

Both victims will be retained by the police for further investigation. It is not immediately clear whether the police have arrested any other suspect.

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TAT Bets On New Year Countdown Extravaganza

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13 December 2013, 16:41

Countdown event in Bangkok, 31 December 2012

(13 December) Concerned by massive loss of tourism revenue, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is hoping to boost the tourism economy with the last big project of the year: the New Year celebration.

Prolonged political crisis has driven away many potential tourists from Thailand, causing a stagnation in the country′s tourism industry, just as it enters the annual ?High Season?.

But TAT Event Director, Mr. Noppadon Phakphot, told Prachachat he hoped the situation will turn out for the better with New Year countdown festivals organised by the TAT in 8 popular tourist attractions all over the country.

The scheduled sites are said to be Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Phuket, Khon Kaen, and Nakhon Phanom.

"The events should invigorate the spending mood of tourists, both Thai and foreign, resulting in a massive cash flow," said Mr. Noppadon, “Many tourists still enjoy visiting Thailand, particularly Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket.”

Mr. Adisak Thepasna, Nakhon Phanom Governor, added that the event in the northeastern province is expected to welcome no less than 100,000 visitors from Thailand and the neighbouring Laos, and they are expected to spend up to 30 – 40 million baht during the event.

Local hotels would also benefit from the festival, as they could increase the price 3 to 4 times higher than the normal season, Mr. Adisak said.

Mr. Sarawut Saeteaw, President of Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, said that 70% of the tourists visiting Chiang Mai during New Year’s are Thai, sparing the province′s tourism from revenue loss caused by foreigner′s concern over Thailand′s political crisis.

Reportedly, hotels in Chiang Mai are now almost fully booked. It is expected that the tourists should generate no less than 200 million baht spending in Chiang Mai each day.

Mr. Suraphon Svetasreni, TAT Governor, said that despite the expected numbers of tourists visiting Thailand is lowered down to 25.75 million – 420,000 tourists lower than the previous statistics – cash flow generated during the festive season should remain as high as 1.158 trillion baht.

The TAT Governor blamed the current political situation for discouraging foreign tourists from visiting Thailand, and possibly causing some of them to visit other Thailand′s neighbouring countries instead.

In order to retain Thailand’s attractiveness, TAT plans to promote domestic tourism among Thai locals, such as new destination and seasonal tourism, said Mr. Suraphon.

TAT 2014 countdown event schedules are provided as below:

Bangkok: Central World and Ratchaprasong Intersection
31 December 2013 – 1 January 2014

Chiang Mai: Thapae Road, Thapae Gate
25 – 31 December 2013

Chiang Rai: Mae Sai district
30 December 2013 – 1 January 2014

Chonburi: Pattaya Bali Hai Pier
25 – 31 December 2013

Songkhla: Nipat Utit Road, Hat Yai
30 – 31 December 2013

Phuket: Colourful Phuket, Mueang district,
29 – 31 December 2013

Phuket Electronic Music and Dance Festival, Karon Beach 30 – 31 December 2013

Khonkaen: Happy Family Party 2014, Sri Chan Road, Mueang district
25 – 31 December 2013

Nakhon Phanom: Countdown 2014, Phanom Naka Park 29 December 2013 – 1 January 2014.

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Redshirt Victim Of Ramkhamhaeng Clashes Cremated

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13 December 2013, 15:31

Mr. Weng Tojirakarn at the cremation ceremony of Mr. Wisanu Paophu, 12 December 2013

(13 December) The body of the Redshirt protester killed in the clashes with anti-government protesters in Bangkok′s Ramkhamhaeng district has been cremated yesterday.

Mr. Wisanu Paophu, 26, was shot dead by unknown individuals in the heat of the violence in early hours of 1 December, which also killed two other Redshirts and one anti-government protester.

The violence erupted when anti-government protesters clashed with members of the Redshirts near Rajamangala Stadium, where the Redshirts were holding massive rally.

Leaders of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), Ms. Thida Thavornseth and Mr. Weng Tojirakarn, attended Mr. Wisanu′s cremation ceremony, which was held at Laan Boon Temple in Laad Krabrang district.

Hundreds of Redshirts supporters were also present at the temple. The song ?Warriors of Dust?, composed by a UDD activist, was played on loudspeakers to honour Mr. Wisanu′s "martyrdom" for the cause of democracy.

Mr. Wisanu′s father, Mr. Wimol Paophu, said he is still saddened by the tragedy. "I can?t believe he left us so soon like this," he said, adding that Mr. Wisanu has been an important breadwinner to the family.

Ms. Surat Paophu, the victim′s mother, also expressed her hope that the police would apprehend those responsible for Mr. Wisanu′s death and prosecute them according to the laws in due time.

"So that my son′s soul can be at peace," she said.

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Bureaucrats To Get 3.7 Billion Baht Bonus

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13 December 2013, 14:41

Anti-government protesters at Ministry of Finance

(13 December) The anti-government protesters? occupation of Ministry of Finance won?t be affecting bonus payouts to state officials this year.

Mr. Manas Jamveha, Director-General of The Comptroller General′s Department (CGD), said Finance Minister Kittirat Na Ranong has appreciated the hard works and crucial roles of bureaucrats in the execution of various governmental policies.

Therefore, Mr. Manas said, the Minister has approved bonus payments for the bureaucrats by the end of Q1 of 2014′s fiscal year.

According to Mr. Manas, the bonus from 2012 fiscal year in total of 3.7 billion baht from the ministries? budget and the CGD will be paid to governmental officials in 287 organisations.

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Police Deny Reports Of Ramkhamhaeng Gunman Arrest

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13 December 2013, 12:49

Anti-government protesters next to a burning red shirt during the clashes in Ramkhamhaeng, 30 November 2013

(13 December) The police have denied the claim of an anti-government protest leader that a gunman who shot dead one of its supporters during the clashes in Bangkok has been arrested.

One anti-government protester and three pro-government Redshirts were killed in the violence that erupted in Ramkhamhaeng district of Bangkok on night of 30 November and early hours of 1 December.

Although Redshirts protesters are among the dead, the anti-government movements led by Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban have accused the police of deliberately letting the shadowy militants into the district to attack their supporters.

Mr. Satit Wongnongtoey, a former Democrat MP who is co-leading the protests, went as far as telling the protesters gathering at Ratchadamnoen Avenue that the police have already detained the mysterious gunman who killed the anti-government protester at Ramkhamhaeng.

He also claimed the arrested gunman is related to the Redshirts movement, and accused the police of acting suspiciously by keeping the arrest secret. Mr. Satit then demanded the police to clarify the matter to the public.

But Pol.Col. Chayanond Meesati, deputy commander of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police, said in a press conference that the police have not arrested the gunman as claimed by Mr. Satit.

However, he said, the police did arrest an anti-government volunteer guard last night on the charge of embezzling. According to Pol.Col. Chayanond, the suspect, named as Mr. Kachakorn Lachai, 25, is wanted by an arrest warrant signed by Dusit Circuit Court in 2012.

The suspect was arrested in Soi Charansanitwong 35, the officer added.

Pol.Col. Chayanond said the suspect confessed that he had been working as a motorcycle taxi since the arrest warrant was issued. When the political rallies in Ratchadamnoen Avenue began last month, Mr. Kachakorn reportedly joined the protesters? volunteer guards, patrolling the protest site in exchange with a payment of 500 baht per day, until he was eventually arrested by the police.

"Mr. Satit might have misunderstood the news about the arrest," Pol.Col. Chayanond said.

He added that only two suspects related to the violence in Ramkhamhaeng district have been arrested so far: a 29 year old man and a 15 year old man who allegedly stole passengers? belongings which had been left behind in a public bus.

The bus was later torched, but the suspects insisted they were not responsible for the arson, Pol.Col. Chayanond said.

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