Student Activists Dispute Anti-Govt Protesters' Legitimacy

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15 October 2013, 19:44

Representatives of Student Federation of Thailand

(15 October) A group of student activists has alleged that the anti-government protesters at Bangkok′s Uruphong intersection is falsely claiming to represent their university and fellow students.

Calling themselves Student and People Network For Political Reform of Thailand, the protesters are have been camping out on the road to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra,

The protesters have accused Ms. Yingluck of corruption, abuse of power, and serving as puppet for her corrupt brother, the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Their leaders claim to be student activists from Ramkhamhaeng University, a contrast to the array of retired military officials who had been dominating the anti-government protests in recent months.

However, representatives of Student Federation of Thailand (SFT), the umbrella network of various student activist groups in Thailand, said in a press conference today that the Students and People Network has not obtained a permission from Ramkhamhaeng Student Council to use the name of their educational establishment in the protests.

Mr. Supat Asasri, Secretary-General of SFT, said that his will not join a protest that "obstructs democracy", referring to the Students and People Network.

"The SFT does not agree with any method to destroy the system of democracy," Mr. Supat told reporters, charging that the anti-government protesters have hijacked genuine troubles of the ordinary people, such as the failing rubber price, and turned it into "extra-parliamentary dictatorship" movements.

In the same press conference, Mr. Nantapong Panmat, deputy chairman of the Student Council, warned that should the leaders of Students and People Network continue to campaign under the name of the university, the Council will proceed to boycott their activities.

Mr. Nantapong explained that only two of out the 12-member Ramkhamhaeng Student Council went to the protests.

"We respect in democracy. We support a government that comes from an election," Mr. Nantapong said, "Even though the government has committed many wrongdoings, but a violent attempt to oust the government is not the right way".

Meanwhile, Thai Rath has published a report claiming that Mr. Uthai had strong ties to a student party in Ramkhamhaeng University which is believed to receive much support from a number of Democrat MPs.

Earlier in the day, the protesters at Uruphong intersection came under biological attack of a sort. Dozens of protesters, who were spending the nights at their camp, woke up around 04.00 due to severe itching on their bodies.

The medical staff at the protest site responded to the incident and discovered traces of toxic herbs which can cause itches to human skins on the ground, stretching for 100 metres. Six protesters were sent to hospital, while the rest received first aid treatment.

The police believe the herb was spread by an mysterious individual who had slipped into the camp site at night to sow chaos among the protesters. Officials from Bangkok metropolitan authority later arrived to clean the area with water cannon.

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Thai & Foreign Tourists Flock To Chiang Mai Chill

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15 October 2013, 18:26

(15 October) As the cool season arrives sooner than expected in Chiang Mai province, many tourists are headed there to experience the rare chilly weather in the tropical kingdom.

Doi Phahom Phok National Park has recorded its lowest temperature at 8 degree Celsius on Sunday, according to its director Mr. Sitthichai Sereesong. The national park had recently opened a new tourism spot, Doi Sanju, a mountain top which sits between the Thai and Myanmar border.

Meanwhile, at Doi Inthanon, the highest spot in Thailand and a famous tourist attraction in the north, the temperature had also dropped to 10 – 20 degree Celsius during the recent days, Doi Inthanon National Park Chief, Mr. Kriangsak Thanonphan said.

This past weekend, the mountains have welcomed large number of tourists, particularly from China and Korea. Despite the seasonal rain, tourists are keen to visit the place, and the authority is expecting a further increase in tourists numbers during the New Year festival.

Officials claimed bungalows in the national park are already 90% booked.

Responding to the rising numbers of foreign tourists, Mr. Kriangsak has announced a plan to facilitate the tourists with signs written in different languages, particularly Thai, Chinese and English.

In Mae Rim district, temperature at Doi Mon Jaem has also dropped to 15 – 18 degree Celsius. Mr. Wan Muangma, chief of Pong Yaeng Reservation group, said that the district is diverse with a mix of both Thai and ethnic cultures, which he believed tourists should enjoy.

Mr. Wan is also confident that the soon-to-be-opened ‘Phada cave’ or the ‘the Holy Hand-Print Cave’ could draw much attention from the tourists visiting Chiang Mai.

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"I'm Too Fat For Legit Jobs": Arrested Mama-San

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15 October 2013, 16:43

(15 October) The Thai-Japanese woman arrested on suspicion of running a brothel blamed the crime she allegedly commit on her obesity, claiming that she is ‘too fat’ for legal jobs.

Ms. Preuksa ‘May’ Nakamura, was arrested in Bangnon district, Bangkok, on Tuesday, after she delivered underaged sex workers to her customers in a restaurant.

Police said they were informed about the crime just before the arrest.

Upon the arrest, Ms. Preuksa confessed and claimed that her weight gets in her way to do other occupations.

“I weight 130 kgs, I cannot work at other jobs” the alleged brothel manager argued.

She also claimed that she had not forced her victims into prostitution, because all of them agreed to work on their own volition.

“I raised these girls, who ran away from home, like my own children. We split the earnings 2:1, they take THB 1,000, I take THB 500 for the arrangement fee.”

Police pressed charges against Ms. Preuksa for human trafficking and running a prostitution trade. Ms. Preuksa′s three victims, all of them under 18, will receive assistance from related governmental authorities.

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Thai-Mien Drug Lord Sentenced To Death

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15 October 2013, 15:40

(15 October) The Thai Supreme Court has affirmed the death sentence for a former narcotics trafficker who had been eluding arrests for almost a decade before he was apprehended in China.

Mr. Jirasak Chattawornniti, 32, is accused under the charges of possessing enormous amounts of methamphetamines and heroins with the intention to sell, and conspiracy in drug trafficking with more than two individuals.

Better known as Ar Sun among the police and the drug traffickers? circles, Mr. Jirasak is originally from a tribal ethnics called Mien, who populated northern Laos and southern China.

Mr. Jirasak was not present at the court today as the judges read out his death sentence, affirming the previous rulings of the lower courts. Officials said the defendant has been already informed of the verdict in Khao Bin Prison, Ratchaburi province.

The Thai police issued an arrest warrant against Mr. Jirasak in 1999 on the charge of trafficking narcotics from foreign procurers to distribute them in Thailand. However, the suspect managed to slip away to Laos, where he reportedly started a furniture business to cover up his drug trade.

During his tenure in Laos, Mr. Jirasak is said to have purchased huge amounts of illegal drugs from Myanmar (which was called Burma at the time) and Laos, and smuggled them to his various agents in Khlong Toei district of Bangkok.

Mr. Jirasak reportedly left Laos in early 2005 for China. But joint efforts between Thai and Chinese police forces eventually led to his arrest in the Chinese city of Kunming in the same year.

The suspect initially contested the Chinese effort to extradite him to Thailand, claiming the rights to fight his case in Laos due to his Mien background, but the Thai authorities insisted that Mr. Jirasak was still holding his Thai nationality. The Chinese police flew him to Thailand in February that year.

Death penalties are routinely handed out by the Thai courts in high-profile drug trafficking cases, despite repeated pleas from rights group Amnesty International that the Thai government should abolish execution.

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92% Rise In Chinese Tourists Visiting Thailand: Minister

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14 October 2013, 22:21

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Premier Li Keqiang

(14 October) The Ministry of Tourism and Sports says the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand has increased by 98% compared with last year.

3.7 million Chinese tourists have already visited the kingdom this year, and the total number would top 5.5 million by the end of the year, said Tourism and Sports Minister, Somsak Pureesrisak.

The Chinese visitors have also generated 150 billion baht for Thailand in the first 9 months.Mr. Somsak said that the Ministry should expand the strategy of Thai-Chinese cooperation even further, citing the economic importance of the Chinese.

In 2009, 0.777 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand. The number then gradually increased by 92.93% to over 2 million in 2012. Quantitatively, number of Chinese tourists compared to other nationals had increased from 5.49% in 2009 to 19.03% in 2013.

In 2009, Chinese tourists generated THB 22 million, and THB 106 billion in 2012. From January to September this year, Chinese tourists alone generated 147 billion, increasing from 4.32% in 2009 to 17.28% in 2013.

Statistics also show that the majority of Chinese tourists are female, and prefer to travel on their own. 62.31% of Chinese tourists said they came to Thailand for the first time, and 87.08% indicated that they travelled to Thailand by plane.

A Chinese tourism movie, ‘Lost in Thailand’, has also contributed to the growing numbers of Chinese visitors, official said.

Despite the slowdown in Group Tours from Chinese Tourism Companies, officials believe that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand should grow gradually and reach 5.5 million by the end of this year.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also hosted the visit of the Premier of the People′s Republic, Mr. Li Keqiang, who toured Thailand on 11-13 October.

The visit concluded in a number of bilateral agreements, particularly on trade and transport. The two nations also vowed to promote strong ties.

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Thailand's Left-Hand Traffic 'Impedes Integration'

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14 October 2013, 22:14

(14 October) A top official has asserted that Thailand′s left-hand traffic is an obstacle for regional integration with some of its neighbours which drive on the right.

Mr. Yukhon Limlaemthoung, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, advised that Thailand must adjust to the future economic integration in timely manner.

At the end of 2015, Thailand, along with its 10 ASEAN neighbours, will become ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The trade blog is expected to cause several changes to the region, particularly the trade liberalisation.

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister said that farmers, investors and the government must react to AEC sharply, and shifted its policy to agricultural-industrial based economy.

Regarding its study about the economy of ASEAN countries, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative suggested that ASEAN governments should lure in more foreign investors to develop their agricultural-based economies.

Thailand, with its competitiveness in industry, can then take advantages from cheap agricultural goods supply from its neighbouring countries, said Mr. Yukhon.

However, the deputy prime minister significantly noted that Thailand is quite ‘uncompetitive’ in becoming regional logistic centre, as the nation drives on left hand traffic.

Thailand is among the few countries driving on the left hand side,while its continental neighbours; Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam, drive on the right hand side of the road.

According to Mr. Yukhon, the circumstance is probed to be an obstacle for regional trade liberalisation, as it costs investors extra logistic expenses for having to change the car engines when crossing the border.

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Warrant Issued Against Hospital ‘Drugging & Robbing’ Gang

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14 October 2013, 21:46

(14 October) Phayathai police have issued arrest warrants against the individuals who drugged and robbed a number of victims in several public hospitals.

Reportedly, the robbers allegedly used a sedative substance called Xylazine to spike the victims? drinks before robbing them. Ramathibodi Hospital was the first to report the incident, and it later emerged that similar cases also happened at the Monks′ Hospital.

According to Pol.Col.Saman Rodkamnerd, Chief of Phayathai Police Station, the robbers wore masks during the time they were committing the crime. After they had gathered some information, the police issued an arrest warrant against the man for his robbery at the Monks′ Hospital.

However, the case at Ramathibodi hospital is still under investigation, as police are checking images of the robber recorded on CCTV cameras.

From the beginning of this year, at least 6 people filed notice to the police concerning the case.While some police officers suggested that it is highly possible that the robbers at the two hospitals collaborated as a gang, the police force stressed they need to further expand the link between the two cases before they can jump to the conclusion.

The case also alerted the abuse of the sedative substance. Dr. Alongkorn Mahannop, advisor to His Majesty’s Royal Chitralada Agricultural Projects, said that the substance is registered as an animal drug, and carries lethal side effects if it is applied to humans.

Statistics from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also showed that the substance is not qualified for use in humans. Nevertheless, no fatal case have been reported so far.

Prapassorn Thanaphonlert, M.D., Deputy Director of FDA, explained that the substance is classified as ‘a intoxicant drug’, and the FDA will seek further adjustment about the drug possession.

The FDA will also be assessing equivalent substances to Xylazine, and will seek for further adjustment needed, in order to curb on the drug abusing.

"The FDA will also examine other registered substances which could be used interchangeably with Xylazine, in order to pre-emptively restrict their sales and to curb incidence of drug abuse. The Administration is leaving room for possible changes in its drug restriction policies", said Ms. Prapassorn.

FDA advised those who believed they had been drugged with Xylazine to take ‘Yohimbine’, a drug that manipulates heart rates and prevents the user from falling asleep. Alternatively, the victim can drink large amounts of water to reduce the concentration of the drug as well.

Mr. Alongkorn also suggested that government authorities should tighten the law to curb drug abuse, as it is very likely that the robber could get the drug via personal ties with pharmacists.

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Top Official Begs PEFOT Splinter Group To Leave

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14 October 2013, 18:26

(14 October) The breakaway anti-government protesters continue to occupy the road near Uruphong Intersection in a bid to oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, despite a plea from a top official who asked them to relocate their rally.

The protesters were originally a part of the People′s Force of Democracy to Overthrow Thaksinism (PEFOT) which held a rally against Ms. Yingluck in front of Government House last week.

When PEFOT leadership agreed to move their rally to Lumpini Park as requested by the government in order to vacate the area for the visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, a number of dissenting protesters refused to retreat and instead staged a rally of their own at Uruphong Intersection.

Today, Pol.Gen. Pracha Promnok, Deputy Prime Minister, said he is concerned of the safety of the PEFOT splinter group, as they are currently staging a rally in an open space under the tollway, which is vulnerable to attacks from ill-intentioned individuals.

Previously, a molotov cocktail was thrown at the protest camps, presumably from one of the overhanging tollways. The police say the investigation into the attack is ongoing.

"I would like to ask the protesters to move their rally to Lumpini Park, so we can provide better security for them," Pol.Gen. Pracha said, adding that he is fearful of interference by a ?third hand party? which might seek to escalate the situation.

Speaking at Government House, Pol.Gen. Pracha said he had been informed that the protesters have refused to retreat and are waiting for reinforcements from other provinces. "The protesters have the right to do that. We will provide them security as best we could," he told reporters.

However, he insisted that the protesters are causing much inconvenience to the public by blocking the traffic.

The protesters, now banded under the name of Student and People Network For Political Reform of Thailand, are said to be led by a number of student activists from Ramkhamhaeng University.

The number of the protesters varies greatly throughout the day ranging from 300 – 2,000 people. The size of the protest is visibly larger than previous rallies organised by PEFOT in recent months, and has apparently unnerved the authorities.

Claiming that it has learned of the protesters? possible plan to march into Government House or other governmental offices, the police sealed off 14 roads around the governmental districts from all traffics. Additional riot police and barricades were also reinforced around Government House.

A spokesman of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police said in a press conference that it has been reported that the protesters at Uruphong intersection will be joined by the masses mobilised from various provinces, such as Buriram, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Surat Thani.

He asserted that the protesters are plotting to surround Government House and Parliament House in order to disrupt the upcoming sessions on legislatures opposed by the protesters.

Mr. Suphon Attawong, deputy secretary of the Prime Minister, went as far as to claim the ongoing protests are tacitly supported by the Democrat Party, alleging that the protest leaders had personal ties with the opposition party.

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Thailand Sees Boom In Regional Air Travel

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14 October 2013, 18:02

(14 October) Thailand is enjoying a boom in regional aviation industry according to the reports compiled by the national airport authority and Nok Air, a low-cost airliner.

Both the Airports of Thailand (AOT) and Nok Air have announced triple growth in their operation this year.

According to CAPA Centre for Aviation, Southeast Asia presents the highest growth rates in the international aviation industry, particularly in regional low-cost flights. So far, the region has over 5.6 million seats booked weekly in October 2013.

Nok Air boss, Mr. Patee Sarasin, said on Monday that his company is expected to make approximately THB 1,500 million in revenue this year, triple its 2012 revenue of THB 500 million. The company’s annual net profit for this year is also expected to double last year’s profit.

The low-cost airline is experiencing good prospects, as it runs on 87-88% of full capacity and operates 140 flights each day, Mr. Patee added.

The airline also plans to launch its first international route from Bangkok to Yangon in November, after the newly opened market Myanmar gains the biggest growth rate in the region. The route will be supplied with 4 flights a week, with the average ticket price of THB 2,000.

Meanwhile, the Airports of Thailand Public co.Ltd. (AOT), a state enterprise, also announced that they are expecting a profit of THB 17,000 million this year in air travel, nearly triple of its last year profit of THB 6,499 million.

CAPA also revealed that Thailand’s International Aviation Market has grown 21% within the last 18 months, slightly above the regional growth which presents at 20%.

Mr. Pongsak Semsant, AOT Deputy Director, said “AOT plans to develop Suvarnabhumi airport to be in the Top 5 of the global best airports list”. Additionally, the company plans to equip its airports with better facilities, more secure services and good management "within the next five years".

Currently, the national main airport sits comfortable at number 6 of the global list, and has been continuously developed.

The Ministry of Transport also announced last week the plan to transform Don Muang airport into a second fully functional international airport in Bangkok, as the busy flight schedules are increasingly beyond Suvarnabhumi capacity.

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Foreigner Jumps Off His Apartment To Death: Police

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14 October 2013, 17:48

(14 October) A foreign man was found dead at his apartment building in Suan Luang district, Bangkok. The police believe he had committed suicide by jumping off the balcony in his room.

The incident took place in Soi Sukhumvit 77. Mr. Suchart Faesawad, 25, a security guard present at the scene, told the police that he was informed about a man standing at his balcony attempting to commit suicide. However, Mr. Suchart said, once he arrived the man had already jumped off to his death.

Initial investigation reported that the deceased, Mr. Erik Lelli (transcribed from Thai text), 42, was employed as a chef at a restaurant in Sukhumvit area. Initial investigation identified his nationality as Austrian.

Inside his apartment, police found no trace of any intruder, as the room was locked from the inside.

Police said they had contacted the Austrian Embassy regarding Mr. Lelli’s death in order to inform his relatives about the incident and to question them further about Mr. Lelli’s possible motives behind the suspected suicide.

Although the case is suspected as a suicide, the police stress they did not rule out other possibilities. Post-Mortem investigation is scheduled to be conducted at Chulalongkorn Hospital within a few days.

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