(17 October) A group of residents of Minburi district have demanded that the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) suspend its boat route along Saen Saeb Canal in the district due to the damage caused to the canal′s banks.

Speaking at Parliament House, Mr. Vichan Minchainant, a Pheu Thai MP, said he has received many complaints from the residents who live on the canal′s stretch of Bang Chan to Minburi market that the passing boats have caused erosion to the canal′s bank, threatening the safety of their residences and shops.

Mr. Vichan said the boats were part of a test run organised by the BMA which was supposed to have lasted only 6 months, but it has been 8 months and the boats are still running. He alleged that the residents have complained to the BMA many times, only to be ignored.

He added that he had discussed the issue with Senate Committee on Consumer Protection, the Marine Department, the BMA, and the Ministry of Transport.

The MP proposed that the Bangkok authority slow its boats along the three-kilometre stretch and organise a navigational plan that would not affect the local residents. Mr. Vichan also urged the Marine Department to renew the license of the operating boats, which has expired two months ago, and demanded that the BMA pay compensation to the residents.

If the BMA refuses to respond to the residents? complaint by 18 October, Mr. Vichan said, he will proceed with a legal action against the authority.

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(17 October) A Chinese tourist had been injured after she jumped off a moving songthaew bus during a heated argument with her friend, according to the driver.

Rescue team responded to the incident, which occurred in Pattaya Nuea, Banglamung, to administer first aid to the tourist, who was identified as Ms. Anie, 30.

As they arrived the team found Ms. Annie with bruises on her body and a wound on her head. Her friend was by her side when the rescue team applied first aid measures before transferred the tourist to Banglamung Hospital.

 According to Mr. Suwan Inthe, 47, the driver of the songthaew, the tourists were having heated argument before Ms. Annie jumped off the moving bus. "Luckily I did not drive too fast at the time," Mr. Suwan said.

The police did not pressed charge against anyone.

Songthaew is a converted pick-up truck designed to carry passengers, either as a fixed route or shared taxi. It is named after the two bar benched (song thaew) equipped on both side of the truck, and can be found in urban areas across the country. 

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(17 October) Pattaya rescue workers have saved a foreign man who was cutting himself during a phone conversation with his friend.

The foreign man was lying on the floor of his apartment room in Pattaya Klang, barely conscious, when the rescue workers found him.

His nationality is identified as Irish and his name is given simply as Tony.  He was given first aid before being transferred to Banglamung Hospital.

According to his friend, who is also a foreigner, he and Tony were having a conversation over the phone, when the Irishman told him he was stressed about his personal issues, and claimed that he was cutting himself.

His friend then rushed to see the Irishman and contacted the authorities to save him.

Pattaya police said they had received the reports and will proceed with further investigation, in order to identify the foreigner’s real motive for the incident.

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(16 October) A combination of heavy rains, flooding, and accidents – which included a leaked underground water pipe – has resulted in a particularly chaotic day for Bangkok commuters.

Bangkok Governor Office had been receiving numerous complaints after heavy rains hit the nation’s capital city since last night. A broken water pipe in the heart of the city also paralysed traffic in main commercial area and left many houses without water supply.

Meanwhile,  floods are said to have occurred in many areas across the capital city, including Sukhumvit, Nharmwongwan, Bang-kapi, Meenburi, Lad Krabang, and Lad Praow.

This morning, the busy Plern-Chit Road was blocked after a tree fell on the road, causing much chaos in the vicinity during the rush hour. Officials later arrived at the scene and lifted the tree off the road, permitting the clogged traffic to resume.

In Bang-Kho-Laem district, a caved-in Rama III Road had caused severe traffic jams. The incident is believed to have been caused by the construction of underground utilities lines by the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) in the area.

Another accident also occurred on an MEA-contracted development site at the intersection between Ratchaprarop and Sri Ayudhya roads, as a 3-metre wide water pipe had been punctured, flooding the nearby roads with its torrents of water.

Mr. Weerapong Srinualkul, Managing director of Datum Thai Construction Co.,Ltdm, who is responsible for the construction, attributed the incident to human error. He claimed that that the workers misunderstood the map of underground pipelines, and dig right into the water pipe instead of an empty space.

The director said his company is willing to take all responsibility for the damage.

The incident took place during rush hour, causing disastrous traffic jams on many roads including Ratchaprarop, Ratchadamri, Petchaburi, Wiphawadee – Rangsit, Din Daeng and Rama IX. Many officials were ordered to help families living nearby move their items on the top floor after the water flooded into their houses.

A number of officials were also appointed to stand by at the water drainage pipe to make sure no one fell into the large hole.

Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) later closed the valve of the broken pipe. Houses in nearby area will have to live without water supplies until the pipe is fixed. The repair is expected to finish by the end of the day.

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(16 October) The government′s decision for 5-days off during New Year season has alerted officials to prepare for large numbers of tourists during the long vacation.

The Cabinet announced the decision to make 30 December an official holiday, topping days off during New Year festival to 5 days in total, said Sunisa Lertphakawat, deputy spokeswoman of the Office of the Prime Minister.

It is believed that the long holiday should stimulate the country’s economy, particularly in tourism and transport sector.

Apart from native tourists, officials also plan to welcome more foreign tourists, especially from China, after a recent report revealed the growing numbers of tourists the world’s fastest growing economy.

However, the recent change in Chinese tourism law which curbs on travel agencies forcing tourists to buy extra services during their stays in Thailand might decrease the number of arriving Chinese in the next 3 months, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

However, in transport sectors, both coach and rail services providers, the Transport Co.Ltd, and State Railway of Thailand (SRT), expressed confience that the demand for transport during New Year’s is under their control.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Phong Cheewanant, said that the Transport Co.Ltd., a state enterprise, had prepared enough coaches for its passengers? demand during the season. The Deputy Minister also said that the maintenance team was ordered to make every coach ready, and drivers were ordered to take enough sleep.

“Having insufficient coaches is less problematic than providing unsafe service” said the deputy Minister, “we are working closely with other related authorities; Police, Department of Land Transport, to clear up loopholes in our plan for New Year”.

“Our officers will also be informing every passenger to fasten their seatbelts” said Mr. Pong, referring to the announcement of Ministry of Transport and the Transport Co.Ltd. to restrict every interprovincial Transport Co.Ltd. coach to be equipped  with seatbelts from 15 October onward. 

He added, “Safety is non-negotiable”.

Meanwhile, Mr. Wutthichat Kanlayanamitr, Managing Director of the Transport Company, said that the demand for coach travel in this year should remain as much as last year 1 million passengers. However, the company had provided 700 coaches for the substitution.

“We believed that no passengers would be left to wait at the terminal” Mr. Wutthichart assured.

State Railway of Thailand (SRT) deputy director, Mr. Thanongsak Phongprasert, said that the SRT’s marketing team is analysing last year demands, and calculating the this year’s supply figure.

“SRT had prepared extra carriage to be used during New Year’s festival, and ordered maintenance team to fix more carriages” said Mr. Thanongsak, “last year we added extra carriages to 10 main routes, particularly on the north and northeastern routes.”

“In total we ran 34 trains a day, and we planned to add a lot more to this year schedules and believed there will not be insufficient transport problem.” Mr. Thanonsak said.

The cabinet also wishes to launch another 7 tourism courts by New Year’s Day. The government has reportedly allocated an estimated budget of THB 17 million for the Ministry of Justice, to establish and develop the tourism court in 7 districts, including Chiang Mai district court, Phuket provincial court, Sa Mui provincial court, Krabi provincial court and Bangkok’s Dusit and Pathumwan district Courts.

“We should establish a fast and just legal service for the tourists to create confident in our tourism sector, particularly as we are becoming ASEAN Economic Community in 2015” added Sunisa, the deputy spokeswoman of the Office of the Prime Minister. 

Related Story: Finally, Mandatory Seatbelts For Inter-provincial Buses 
 

(16 October) A pair of unidentified assailants have shot three people dead at a roadside bar in Prachinburi province, including the owner of the establishment.

The incident took place at an unnamed bar on Prachinburi – Kabinburi Road in the early hours of 15 October. At the scene, the police rescue workers found two injured victims, Mr. Somrak Rattanamora, 32, and Mr. Sunthorn Sornsalab, 34, who was the owner of the bar.

Both were in serious condition, and later died as they were brought to hospital.

Around 100 metres away from the bar, the police uncovered the dead body of Mr. Tawatchai Uttabutr, 32.According to Ms. Rattana Prommalee, the wife of Mr. Sunthorn, earlier in the night Mr. Tawatchai and three other friends, including Mr. Somrak, were drinking at the bar. Around midnight, she said, two individuals wearing medical facemask arrived at the bar in a white Honda car with no license plate.

The assailants got off the car and walked to Mr. Tawatchai′s table, Ms. Rattana said, before discharging their firearms at Mr. Tawatchai and his friends. The bullet struck Mr. Somrak and Mr. Sunthorn, who happened to be standing nearby, but Mr. Tawatchai reportedly ran for his life into an alley near the bar.

However, Ms. Rattana said, the two assailants chased after Mr. Tawatchai, firing their weapons as they went, until the victim fell down, and the suspects proceeded to shoot Mr. Tawatchai multiple times – the police found 11 bullets on his body – before fleeing the scene on their car.

Police officers said Mr. Tawatchai has recently finished his jail sentence for drug trafficking offences, only to resume his business once he got out of prison. Police believe he was the main target of the assassination, as he was known to be involved in disputes with a number of drug dealers.

Mr. Somrak and Mr. Sunthorn were killed by accident, the officers said. The police are still searching for the suspects.

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(15 October) A minivan driver is being sought by the police on the suspicion that he had raped and threatened to murder a 15 year old girl.

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