(21 October) Local hospital in many provinces have been overwhelmed by fireworks-related injuries and deaths during the End of Buddhist Lent celebration throughout the weekend.

The Lent, also known as Buddhist Rainy (Vassa) Season, required monks to reside in their monasteries for three months. The traditions are believed to date back to Lord Buddha′s instruction that the monks should not venture out of their abodes during the rainy seasons lest they damage local crops and hurt the small animals.

In present days, the End of Buddhist Lent is celebrated with religious ceremonies and fireworks, which have caused many injuries and deaths annually, despite a legal restriction on fireworks.

Loy Kratong Day, celebrated in November, is also associated with large number of fireworks-related casualties. As for this year, local hospitals in Udon Thani have received 63 firework explosion victims, 53 of them is still waiting for further diagnosis.

In the neighbouring Amnat Charoen province, at least 11 people were sent to the hospitals due to firework accidents in the province, said Mr. Songkiat Lektrakul, director of Amnat Charoen Provincial Hospital.

Many victims of the firework explosion are school kids, he added. Reportedly, a group of children tried to ignite a firecracker before putting the firework in a glass bottle, but it prematurely exploded. This explosion alone injured 6 children.

In another case, Mr. Wanchai, 30, told doctors that he blew up a ping-pong firework in his hand, a grave injury that might cost him fingers, doctors said. Another man, Mr. Bancherd, 46, also took his son to the hospital after many parts of the boy’s body was burned by firework explosion.

A firework explosion also killed a man at Wat Pang Phak Hee temple in Mae Chan district, Chiang Rai province, after the man attempted to launch a faulty homemade firework.

According to witnesses, the victim, who is later identified as Mr. Ekkachai Maneerat, 19, was severely  injured by a firework he made. Reportedly, a crack on the tube caused an explosion and destroyed the man’s left hand, left arm, chest and face.

The man died shortly after the incident, despite the efforts of the monks and novices to save his life. Mr. Ekkachia′s body has been arranged for autopsy, the police said, adding that they have also found other equipment for firework crafting at the scene.

Police across the country said they had been trying to cope with the situation and arranged patrols around the various vicinities. However, the attempt to curb on the illegal selling of fireworks appeared to be unsuccessful, as many vendors simply ignored the restriction on flammable substances.

Nevertheless, senior police officers insisted that those who violated the law will soon be arrested.

Meanwhile, in Lampang province, fire fighters rushed to control a fire in Mueang district, after a one-story house which had been storing firework equipments exploded into huge blaze.

A sign reading “No Flammable Substances” was posted in front of the building, which presumably stored the fireworks for sale during End of Buddhist Lent holidays.

Reports say firefighters took only 20 minutes to control the fire, but they were unable to save the building and some of the nearby houses. No report for injury or death was reported.

Ms. Boonphan Phewphan, 53, the owner of the building, said that she could not figure out any possible reason of the explosion, and affirmed that nobody was in the building during the time.

In 2011, Ms. Boonphan’s husband was badly injured in a similar firework explosion at the building, and later died at Chiang Mai hospital, prompting Lampang authorities to state that they would tighten the restriction on illegal storage of fireworks.

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(21 October) Hotel and restaurants in the popular tourist island of Koh Samet have complained that their businesses are still suffering from the oil spill crisis which hit the island′s picturesque beaches in July.

The business owners have also accused the PTT Global Chemical, the oil enterprise which operated the leaked oil pipeline, of coercing them into unfair settlements.

The oil leak in Gulf of Thailand had blackened stretches of the popular beaches in Samet, sending many tourists home in panic, although much of the damages had been addressed, according to PTT reports.

However, Mr. Pariya Tantakasem, the owner of a hotel in Samet Island, told our correspondent that his business is still in limbo despite the recovery effort and the compensation handed out by the PTT, which is partially owned by the Thai state.

Mr. Pariya said his hotel revenue has fallen by nearly THB 1 million from same period last year, resulting in only THB 2 million in September 2013, and half of that amount derives from PTT compensation money.

In comparison to last year’s THB 2.8 million revenue, Mr. Pariya said that the real earning for this year is much lower that it appears.

The hotel owner said that he is among the fortunate hotels receiving compensation from PTT, as he had spoken to representatives of other hotels which were refused compensation by the PTT.

"Presumably, their revenue is much less that what I have earned," said Mr. Pariya.

He also explained that the settlement made by PTT to businesses in Samet Island only cover their damage in the single month of August, while statistics show that the result from the incident remains harmful to their business in much longer terms.

"If PTT is sincere to the enterprises, it should take the leading role in monitoring the situation and help the entrepreneurs get through the compensation process," Mr. Pariya is quoted as saying.

He added, “I received several letters from tour agencies stating their concerns about their customers’ stay in Samet. They asked [my] hotel to add [free] lunch and dinner into the package, in order to persuade the visitors. However, in the end they decided to go somewhere else”

“I would like to ask PTT: is it my fault that we have to endure this situation?”

Meanwhile, Mr. Pitsanu Khemaphan, president of Restaurant and Hotel Association in Samet Island lamented that the islanders feel like they are slowly waking up from a nightmare.

The president concluded that during this time of the year, hotel reservations in the island should have reached over 80% already, as many tourists, especially from Scandinavian countries, would be flocking to visit the island during the High Season.

However, the booking from September to January 2014 still stays lower than 15% of full capacity, Mr. Pitsanu said.

According to Mr. Pitsanu, PTT has helped the businesses for only 30% of their income in August. But much of the enterprises on the island are still struggling to make ends meet, he sad, because their main target groups – the foreign tourists – have barely shown up at the island.

“PTT reserved 25% of the rooms in September, and 20% in October” said Mr. Pitsanu, “however, they forced several businesses owners to strike such deals with the condition that the businesses must not proceed with any further complaints or legal action against the PTT about the matters".

Mr. Pitsanu continued, “I wonder why PTT enforced such conditions, as no one knows whether the situation will get better after they had been settled. I think the offer is rather unfair and insincere. We [the business owners] will discuss the incident again, and see what options the majority is going with”.

In the aftermath of the oil spill crisis, PTT Global Chemical has been purchasing space and airtime in numerous Thai media outlets, including Khaosod newspapers, to broadcast extensive advertisements which claim that all is back to normal in Samet Island.

However, critics have accused the petroleum giant of using its well-funded public relations mechanism to refurbish its tainted reputation and to cover up the full extent of environmental damages causes by the oil spill.

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(21 October) Police in Chonburi province are searching for a prolific motorcycle theft gang in the region, whose victims include an American citizen.

The American, Bill, told Khaosod English that a group of thieves had broken into his apartment′s locked parking lot at Moo 6, Nongprue, Banglamung district, on the night of 27 September and proceeded to steal his Honda CBR250R. Another resident′s Kawasaki Ninja 250 was also taken away by the thieves.

In a CCTV footage provided by Bill, who has requested to be identified only by his first name, the group of suspects could be seen arriving at the scene on their motorcycles. One of the suspect, who appeared to be unaware of the CCTV, later removed his mask and showed his face to the camera as he and other accomplices slowly towed the stolen motorcycles away.

Bill added that he has contacted the police, but he has not seen any progress about the investigation.

Reached by our correspondent on the phone, Pol.Lt.Col. Thanadech Duangtapiyachai, an investigative officer at Nongprue Police Station, insisted that his force has been working very hard to identify the suspects behind the theft.

"We are very concerned. We don?t ignore these cases," said the officer.

Pol.Lt.Col. Thanadech also expressed his belief that the thieves might be teenage individuals who have been receiving orders for the expensive motorcycles from a foreign black market, as police in neighbouring districts have reported about the thefts in similar manners as well.

"We are working closely with other police stations to identify these suspects," Pol.Lt.Col. Thanadech told our correspondent, adding that the police in Nong Prue district have previously arrested 7-8 teenage suspects on the charges of stealing motorcycles in the area.

However, he said the images in the CCTV footage provided by the American are "too unclear" to help identify the individuals.

Nevertheless, those who may have the clues to the theft of the two motorcycles are encouraged to notify the local police forces.

Correction: Due to an editorial error, the original version of this article identified the owner of Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle as Bill′s tenant. The owner is in fact another resident living in the same apartment building.

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(21 October) Chiang Mai police have arrested a pair of teenagers who randomly hit an Italian passer-by with a shoe, and uploaded a video clip of the incident on the internet afterwards.

The two 16 year old suspects have been charged with causing physical and mental harms for the crime which allegedly took place in front of a gift shop called ?Freebird? in Mueang district in late September.The victim, an Italian national named Mark Monti, filed the report to Chiang Mai police on 20 October, claiming that the teenagers attacked him unprovoked, hitting him in the face with a sandal.

Police then quickly solved the crime, as they reportedly had possessed some information on the suspects prior to Mr. Monti′s report.

The accused admitted to their crimes, stating that they, along with two other friends, left their college that morning with the intention to ?find someone they could prank on?, police officers said.

They allegedly found Mr. Monti later and decided to attack him with the sandal as recorded in the video.

In the press conference announcing the arrests of the two suspects, Pol.Col. Aksorn Wongyai, Chief of the Chiang Mai police station, said the crime has damaged the good images of Chiang Mai city, a popular tourist destination.

According to Pol.Col. Aksorn, Mr. Monti did not initially wish to pursue legal charges against the teenagers in the first place. However, the video soon went viral on the internet and his friends started asking about the incident, causing Mr. Monti′s embarrassment.

He eventually sought police supports to arrest the suspects and demanded their apologies. The teenagers’ parents and teachers were also asked to acknowledge the suspects? actions, Pol.Col. Aksorn said, and Mr. Monti will not pursue any further action.

"We have contacted the teenagers? parents to inform them about their children′s action." said Pol.Col. Aksorn, "The case will proceed according to the legal procedures, and the accused should be fined no more than THB 500 each.

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(18 October) The Thai Royal Air Force have sent officials and equipment to help the Laotian authorities to salvage the Lao Airline plane which had crashed into Mekong River in Southern Laos earlier this week.

Officials said they were responding to a request from the Laotians.

The two countries are now collaborating in the search for the victims’ bodies. Thai officials have provided information, boats, and a team of frogmen along with other relevant equipment to the crash site.

Pol.Gen. Adul Saengsingkaew, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, has led a team to Pakse district to help identify the bodies that had been found. However, it is reported that the bodies, which had been submerged in water for 2 days, might be very difficult to identify.

All 49 people on the doomed aircraft are believed to have died in the crash.

In the meantime,forensic teams in Thailand also reported to be stand-by if the Laotian authorities should make a request. According to the police, DNA matching process should take at least a week to finished, but finding the bodies of the victim may delay the whole process. Nevertheless, the police affirmed that the identification process will be in accordance with international guidelines.

Reports say that the requests for the fingerprints of the 5 Thai nationals on board have been made to the Department of Provincial Administration, along with dental profiles of the individuals.

Transport Minister,Mr. Chatchart Sittipan, wrote on his Facebook after visiting the crash site near Pakse in Laos that 17 bodies have been retrieved so far, but their identities remain unclear.

He said he had assured his Laotian counterpart, Mr. Sommad Pholsena, that the Thai authorities are fully committed to provide any assistance required by the Laotians.

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(18 October) Another train derailment in Nakhon Ratchasima province has disrupted the Northeastern rail service just as a number of Cabinet members are converging in a nearby province to promote the plan to construct the high-speed railway across the country.

The train, which ran from Bangkok toward Nong Khai province, derailed in Non Sung  district, causing the entire Northeastern region rail to halt their services.

No injury or death has been reported. Nevertheless, the incident – merely the latest in the long series of derailments this year – could pose doubts about the safety of the government′s future investments in the kingdom′s railway.

Transport Minister, Mr. Chatchart Sittipan, who is in the neighbouring Ubon Ratchathani province to attend an exhibition touting the promised benefits of the planned high-speed rail service, wrote on his Facebook that "I feel lucky for not taking the train [here], because I just heard about yet another train derailment in Non Sung".

Mr. Chatchart took an interprovincial coach from Bangkok.

The “Thailand Future: 2020” showcase exhibition is being held at OTOP Centre in Mueang district, Ubon Ratchathani province, and has so far received much attention from local residents.

The exhibition is aimed to win the support for the government′s package of massive infrastructure overhaul, including the high-speed rail construction, which would cost the country 2.2 trillion baht.

Mr. Kittarat Na Ranong, Minister of Finance also joined Mr. Chatchart as the hosts of the exhibition. Both ministers were planned to give speeches on the topics of “Moving forward for Economy, Trade and Investment” and “Connecting Regions-Lives and the Integration for Urbanisation”, respectively.

At the showcase, a simulator train model is also available for event attendees to experience a slice of the planned high-speed project and has attracted many visitors, our correspondent said. Police expected that there will be at least 20,000 visitors a day, and urged officers to be on lookout for pickpockets thieves.

The event also featured many famous  stars from Channel 7 including New Wongsakorn, Kelly Thanapat, Namwan Kanhaphon, and singers from R-Siam – Kratae and Kratai.

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(October 18) Threats of lawsuit followed the closely-watched election of the Thai Football Association Chairman, which saw the victory of its controversial incumbent, Mr. Worawi Makudi.

Mr. Worawi was pitched against Mr. Virach Chanpanich in the bid to win his 4th consecutive term as the FA Chairman.

The election has attracted much attention from the public, many calling for the end to Mr. Worawi′s reign in the lucrative Football Association, citing his previous failures to reform the performances and transparency of Thai football industry.

Mr. Worawi′s pre-election promise that he would lead Thai national football team to play in a World Cup is widely derided since he has previously made and missed the same vow.

The fateful election, held yesterday at Golden Tulip Hotel,  was marked with turmoil even before it began, as opponents of Mr. Worawi alleged that the incumbent′s decision to lower the number of voting football clubs from 184 to 72 is designed to keep smaller clubs away and benefit Mr. Worawi′s chance to win his 4th term.

On the day of the vote, Mr. Virach, Mr. Worawi′s contender, claimed that some representatives of six participating football clubs have no rights to cast their ballots, as they were not directly related to the clubs. He also protested the fact that members of the election committee had been changed from what he had agreed.

The disagreement resulted in a delay of several hours, before the election committee dismissed Mr. Virach′s objection and ordered the voting to take place. Representatives of the 72 football clubs then proceeded to cast their votes in a closed session. Members of the press were not allowed to observe the voting.

Later, it emerged that 42 votes were cast in favour of Mr. Worawi, while Mr. Virach received 28 votes. One member abstained, and one ballot was voided.

Mr. Worawi′s new term would last two years, although the Football Association is considering a charter amendment that would extend the post to four years.

Speaking after the voting session, the clearly upset Mr. Virach told the press that he would object to the election result, alleging fraudulent practices in the voting process.

Mr. Virach said he would consult with his legal team about his plan to file lawsuit to the Administrative Court in order to have Mr. Worawi′s victory overturned.

"I actually won ever since the day I announced I would run in the election," Mr. Virach claimed, "Because there was hope that there would be change in the football community".

Mr. Peeradech Amornsukon, the chairman of Rayong United FC, also voiced his displeasure that the election committee had allocated the voting rights of his selected representative to another individual without his agreement. He said he would file a lawsuit to void the election result.

He added: "Rayong FC is very much damaged. We want clarity whether the owners of the club are allowed to manage their own business, because even their voting rights are taken away and given to someone else".

Speaking at the same venue, Mr. Worawi dismissed Mr. Virach′s threat of legal challenge, claiming that many impartial observers had validated the election process, including members of FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

"I believe it has been a fair and clean election," said Mr. Worawi, who also serves as an executive of the ruling Pheu Thai Party.

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