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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Police Officer Gets '800 Years' For Corruption

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13 December 2013, 12:05

(13 December) Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court has sentenced a former police officer to 800 years in prison, after he was found guilty on corruption charges.

The court said there are enough evidences that Pol.Sgt. Mano Noochuea, the 39 year old former policeman from Bueangkhum Police Station, had embezzled state money and failed to perform his duty appropriately.

While performing his duty, the court said, Pol.Sgt. Mano pocketed 72,000 baht fines from 157 arrests of alien workers, as well as another 19,000 baht from the bail money of three defendants.

Convicting him of 160 counts of corruptions, the court handed down the jail term of 5 years for each count, resulting in 800 years of imprisonment.

However, the court noted that the defendant had already returned the embezzled money to the state and confessed to his crime, which led the court to reduce his punishment by a half out of leniency.

Furthermore, as the laws only allow the defendant to be sentenced up to 50 years, the defendant was accordingly sentenced to 50 years in prison.

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2010 Unrest Murder Trial: Abhisit Released On Bail

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12 December 2013, 18:33

(12 December) Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has attended the court trial for the first time to fight charges related to the military crackdown he had authorised in 2010.

The Division of Special Investigation (DSI) has charged him and his former deputy, Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, with murders for the deaths of Redshirts protesters and bystanders who have been reportedly killed by the military acting under his order during the turbulent months of April-May 2010.

The crackdown killed over 90 people, most of them civilians.

Arriving at Ratchada Criminal Court in Bangkok this morning, Mr. Abhisit was greeted by a group of his supporters, who handed him roses, while relatives of those killed in 2010 crackdown rallied on the other side of the court entrance, loudly scolding the former leader for allegedly causing their losses.

The rival groups also briefly exchanged war of words, but the police have prevented them from physically clashing with each other by placing metal barriers between the two groups.

A number of Democrat MPs accompanied Mr. Abhisit to the court, but Mr. Suthep did not make appearance at the court today; in fact, few observers expected him to make an appearance, Mr. Suthep is currently leading anti-government protests and has been charged with separate criminal cases for his "insurrection".

Mr. Suthep′s lawyer, Mr. Jessada Anucharee, has asked the court for a postponement of his appearance to 16 January 2014. His request is being deliberated by the prosecutor office.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abhisit denied all charges before the judges, leading the judges to set the next trial at 24 March 2014. Mr. Abhisit lawyer then filed for a bail release, posting the asset of Mr. Abhisit′s property in Chonburi province as bail money.

The relatives of the 2010 crackdown victims contested Mr. Abhisit′s request, but the court eventually approved it, on the condition that the former leader cannot leave the country without an explicit permission issued by the court.

After the court session was over, Mr. Abhisit and his entourage quickly left the court building via the back exit, presumably to avoid meeting with the large crowd of reporters, both Thai and foreign, who were waiting to interview him at the court entrance.

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Swedish National 'Commits Suicide' In Phuket

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12 December 2013, 18:28

(12 December) Phuket police is investigating the death of a Swedish national, who was found dead in his resident in Mueang district, Phuket province.

His 38 year old Thai wife said she had left home to buy lunch for her
husband, but when she returned, she reportedly found out that the house was locked from the inside.
She tried calling her husband on the mobile phone, but the man did not respond, she
said.

After she broke into the house, the woman found her husband dead. Police found three
cooking knives near his body and a big blue basin near his bed.

His wife said that the man had stayed in
Thailand for three years and has been suffering chronic diseases. She said she has also heard him
complaining about his illness and his wish to die.

Police said they had found a fatal wound on the man′s neck, leading
to a speculation that he may have committed suicide. However, further investigation is still
proceeding.

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Establish People's Council, Or No Election: Suthep

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12 December 2013, 16:48

BANGKOK – Leader of the People′s Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King as Head of State (PCAD) Suthep Thaugsuban has revealed preliminary details of his proposal for "People′s Council."

He also warned that he will do everything he can to prevent the next election from taking place unless the government agrees to establish the "People′s Council" as he has demanded.

Mr. Suthep has previously refused to call off his campaign against the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra even after Ms. Yingluck had dissolved the House and called new elections, vowing instead to fight on until Thailand is ruled by an unelected "People′s Council" which would transform the nation into an "absolute democracy".

Although he has promised many benefits Thailand would receive under the "People′s Council", such as the eradication of corruption and evil politicians, Mr. Suthep has never explained in-depth details of the council, other than insisting that it would be composed of "virtuous" people.

But in a meeting with representatives of the private sectors earlier today, Mr. Suthep finally shed some lights on his proposal. He told the delegates there would be a total of 400 seats in the People′s Council: 300 selected from "occupation-based" quota and another 100 seats would be given to "experts" selected by the PCAD.

In order to establish the Council, Mr. Suthep told the representatives from 7 organisations, the Prime Minister would have to resign, paving the way for Deputy House Speaker to ask His Majesty the King to appoint a new Prime Minister under Article 7 of the 2007 Constitution, which Mr. Suthep argued allowed the king to exercise his royal power in such manner.

Mr. Suthep did not mention who would be the royally appointed Prime Minister, but he said the premiere would act as a transitional leader, whose duty is to establish the People′s Council.

Mr. Suthep likewise did not name any potential candidate for the People′s Council, but said its members would not be registered to any political party.

He insisted to the delegates that such move will not affect the national economy, since a similar incident has happened in the era of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn.

The PCAD secretary-general also told the private sector representatives that there are two ways the ongoing crisis could end: either the people seize power in a popular revolution, or Ms. Yingluck resigns to allow the activation of Article 7.

"The sooner Ms. Yingluck can resign", Mr. Suthep said, "the faster the nation will return to peace".

When the chairman of Thailand′s Tourism Council asked Mr. Suthep how he would return Thailand to its image as "Land of Smiles," Mr. Suthep replied he would invite all political groups to join his effort to reform Thai politics, including the Redshirts, to display the Thai way of reconciliation to the world.

However, when another representative inquired whether the Redshirts would really be invited, Mr. Suthep conceded that he would welcome all Redshirts except some of their leaders, such as Mr. Wirakan Musikkapong, Mr. Nattawut Saikua, and Mr. Jatupon Prompan.

"We are open to discussion, but we are not open to negotiation. Change must be made before next election," Mr. Suthep told the delegation, declaring that he will never allow the election to take place unless his "reforms" are completed first.

Asked whether he is willing to enter a dialogue with Ms. Yingluck, Mr. Suthep said he had already told Ms. Yingluck they will not meet again, because she had rejected his proposal for the "People′s Council" during one of their previous meetings.

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UDD Coordinator Detained At Airport For 2010 Unrest

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12 December 2013, 15:43

(12 December) Miscommunication between police forces is said to be behind the brief detention of a leader of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) at Suvarnnabhumi Airport today.

Ms. Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata said she was about to board a 08.00 flight to Osaka, Japan, at the airport when she was approached by a group of immigration police, who reportedly told her they had to detain her for questioning due to an arrest warrant requested by Tha Rua Police in 2010.

She said the arrest warrant was issued for her role during the May 2010 military crackdown on the Redshirt protesters, in which she organised a rally in Khlong Toey district to criticise the operation of the security forces at the time.

The police later charged Ms. Pratheep with violating the Emergency Decree announced by then-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiv, which banned political gathering of any kind.

However, Ms. Pratheep said the police action at Suvarnabhumi greatly surprised her because the warrant had been withdrawn by the police shortly after the Emergency Decree was lifted, and it has been three years since her alleged wrongdoing.

"I?ve been in and out of country for at least 9 times," Ms. Pratheep said, "I never had any problem until today".

When Suvarnnabumi police contacted Tha Rua Police Station, they were told that her warrant had indeed expired, and that there has been communication error in the police database. Ms. Pratheep was later allowed to board another plane to her destination after a detention that lasted for 3 hour.

Ms. Pratheep said she was traveling to Japan for a charity event for poor children.

She added that she will ask Pheu Thai Party and her lawyer to file a request to the Royal Thai Police, asking the officials to make sure that other UDD leaders who had been charged with offences during 2010 riots will not face the same problems at the airport due to errors in police database.

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