Police Bust Lithuanian 'ATM-Scamming' Gang

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13 October 2013, 20:56

(13 October) Four Lithuanian nationals have been arrested in Pattaya on suspicion of stealing 5 million baht from ATMs with fake ATM cards.

The police gave the names of the suspects, transcribed from Thai text, as Mr. Raimontus Wisulis, 19; Mr. Kintaras Kaposus, 21; Mr. Paulus Rascaucas, 19; and Mr. Jilius Petraska, 19.

Officers also confiscated an ATM passcode reader machine along with 450 counterfeit ATM and credit cards.

Pol.Col. Suwan Chiaonawintawat said the police had received a complaint from Siam Commercial Bank that it has lost large amounts of money to individuals extracting the cash out of ATMs in Pattaya in recent days, so the police deployed detectives and informants around many potential crime scenes.

By the afternoon of 12 October, Pol.Col. Suwan said, the police were informed that the four Lithuanians could be seen acting suspiciously around a cash machine in front of the Good Inn Hotel.

The four were later arrested and confessed that they had been withdrawing large sums of money from ATMs with their fake cards, claiming that a German national had provided them with the necessary equipment in exchange for 5% cuts from the amount of money they had earned.

The suspects said they usually fled to Bangkok and laid low for a while before returning to Pattaya in order to commit the crimes again. They had reportedly earned 5 million baht with their scheme.

Police say they are searching for other suspects in connection with the four individuals.

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Chiang Rai Rescue Volunteer Claims 'Ghost Photo'

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13 October 2013, 19:54

(13 October) A rescue worker in Chiang Rai province has claimed that a ghost can be seen in the photo he took of a car accident which killed a woman.

The photo received a great deal of attention from netizens after it was posted on the social network. It purports to show a faint reflection of a woman in white on a car near where the dead body was being retrieved.

Speaking to Khaosod, Mr. Seksit Dechkit, 28, a member of Sirikorn Rescue Foundation in Chiang Rai, said he took the photo on 10 October when his team was alerted to a car accident on the early morning of 10 October in Mueang district.

At the scene, the rescue workers found the body of Ms. Chirapon Tapa, 26, stuck in the wreckage of her car which had crashed into an electrical pole. Mr. Seksit said he took 8-10 photos of the scene as part of his rescue work routines, and posted some of them on his Facebook account. He said he soon forgot about the photos.

However, he said, the photo has been widely shared and claimed that a spirit could be seen, even though he had not altered the picture in any way.

"When I checked the photo and took a close look at it, my friends and I just had goosebumps," Mr. Seksit said, claiming that there was no woman around the accident site, let alone a woman in white.

It is not immediately clear whether the picture is a ground-breaking evidence of ghosts, a photoshop gaffe, or a simple case of pareidolia.

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Nightclub Shootout Kills 1 Police Officer

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13 October 2013, 16:30

(13 October) A police officer had been fatally injured as he responded to the shootout in a popular nightclub in Samut Sakorn province, while a suspect was also shot and killed by the police.

The police received emergency call around midnight on 11-12 October informing them of gunfights at Red Zeed bar in Mahachai district. A number of police officers, including Pol.Sgt.Maj. Nattasart Srisoi, moved to investigate the scene.

According to his partner, Pol.Sgt.Maj. Arnont Kamplang, once they arrived at the nightclub, two groups of suspects were exchanging gunfire and the police immediately dismounted from their motorcycles and approached to break up the fight.

Some suspects fled the scene once they spotted the police, Pol.Sgt.Maj. Arnont said, while others started shooting at the officers. The pair of officers took cover, called for reinforcements, and returned the gunfire "till I ran out of bullets," Pol.Sgt.Maj. Arnont said.

The officer said he retreated to reload his gun and returned to the scene in time to see a wounded suspect being carried into a car by his friends, while his partner Pol.Sgt.Maj. Nattasart was lying in a pool of blood. Realising that his partner had been shot in the head, Pol.Sgt.Maj. Arnont brought him to hospital.

The fleeing suspects were later stopped by police checkpoints, and the wounded man, identified as Mr. Patchara Samrarn, 27, was also sent to the same hospital where Pol.Sgt.Maj. Nattasart was being treated.
Both men later succumbed to their wounds and died. Doctors said Mr. Patchara had been shot in his left chest and left leg, while Pol.Sgt.Maj. Nattasart had been shot twice under his left eyes. Two other suspects were also wounded by the gunfights.

Arriving at the hospital where the body of Pol.Sgt.Maj. Nattasart was kept on the next morning, Pol.Gen. Adul Saengsingkaew, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, expressed his sympathy for the wife and son of the deceased policeman, and presented compensation money of 850,000 baht for the family.

Pol.Gen. Adul said the police force will take care of the family at its best, adding that the money presented today is just a part of the larger aid program. For instance, he said, the police will accept the son of Pol.Sgt.Maj. Nattasart into the force as a token of his father′s "courage" after he had failed the exam twice.

Pol.Gen.Adul added that he will also request a Royal Cremation from the Bureau of the Royal Household for Pol.Sgt.Maj. Nattasart in order to honour his service.

The three suspects will be charged with numerous offences, police said, including attempts to murder policemen on duty, possession of firearms, and discharging their weapons in residential areas.

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Surat Police Officer Clarifies 'Tourist-Beating' Video

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12 October 2013, 21:30

(13 October) As netizens criticised the behaviour of a group of Thai nationals seen beating a foreign couple in a video, a senior police commander of Surat Thani province insisted there is more, or less, to the story.

The said video, posted on Youtube on 11 October, showed a couple, believed to be foreign tourists, being shouted and beaten by group of Thais in front of Surat Thani′s K Park Grand Hotel.

Several foreigners could be seen watching the incident nearby, while some tried to break up the fight, to no avail.

It was claimed that the tourist couple refused to pay the fare for a local taxi as the price was overcharged, which enraged the Thais and led to the fistfights. Many comments in the website, and other social network sites, berate the Thai nationals for their aggressive behaviours against the tourists.

However, Pol.Col. Suwat Suksri, the commander of Mueang Surat Thani Police station, told Khaosod that the context of the incident is different to what the netizens understand.

According to Pol.Col. Suwat, the fight took place on the afternoon of 7 April this year. The police responded to the incident and apprehended six suspects, three Thais and three Bahraini tourists.

The police reportedly fined each of them 200 baht for engaging in fights, while the tourists were fined additional 5,000 baht for properties damages.

The Bahraini couple, Pol.Col. Suwat were travelling with a mutual friend in Surat Thani for their Honeymoon. While the trio was waiting for a bus in front of the bus company office at the scene, the Bahraini woman reportedly talked to a Thai man, and her newly married husband became angry and started trashing the bus company office.

Fistfights soon followed, the police officer said, and only ended when the police arrived, arresting everyone involved.

"I can?t see the intention behind uploading the clip, because the incident happened long ago," Pol.Col. Suwat added.

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'Online Astrologer' Accused Of Rape

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12 October 2013, 20:39

(12 October) The police have arrested a self-styled astrologer who allegedly lured his victim to a private ceremony at a motel room in suburban Bangkok and raped her there.

Speaking at a press conference, Pol.Col. Chotiwat Luengwilai said the police received a complaint from a 20 year old woman that she met with Mr. Pakin Thanawaswong, 32, who claimed to be an online astrologer, for a fortune reading at a shopping mall in Pin Klao district.

According to the victim, Mr. Pakin charged her 2,000 baht for the fee and told her that her reading portended a great calamity which could only be exorcised in a private ceremony at a secluded location. Mr. Pakin then allegedly suggested they meet in a motel room nearby.

When the victim arrived, Pol.Col. Chotiwat said, Mr. Pakin lit the incenses, prayed, and convinced the woman to strip naked so he could put magical wax on her. Once the victim complied, the suspect allegedly raped her and stole cash of 2,000 baht from the victim before he fled the scene.

The police eventually arrested Mr. Pakin on 10 October after the victim collaborated with the police and told him to meet her for another fortune reading at the shopping mall. He admitted to the police he had committed the crime in this manner for five times, changing his names after each crime.

Police investigation into his bank account reveals that he charges his victims 500-2,000 baht for the fortune reading.

Pol.Col. Chotiwat said the citizens should be cautious when communicating with strangers on the internet, as they might have ill intention and lure the unsuspecting victims into crimes. He also urged other victims of Mr. Pakin to contact the police and press charges against the man.
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Beer Tycoon To Build 'Bangkok Snow Town'

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12 October 2013, 15:03

(12 October) Thais might witness the first snowfall in the capital city as the billionaire Charoen Siriwattanapakdee, the owner of Chang Beer, announced a plan to build an artificial snow town in his mega project ‘Asiatique’.

Following the massive success of Asiatique Choreon Krung, TCC property – a property development company among the many subsidiaries of Mr. Charoen’s empire – plans to develop three other Asiatique projects in the nations? prime locations including Bangok, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai.

The plan is expected to raise at least THB 6 – 7 billion in investment.

According to Ms. Wanlapa Traisorus, Managing Director of TCC property, the project in Bangkok, Asiatique Charoen Nakhon, will be the first to kick off by 2014.

Situated across of the river of the current Charoen Krung’s Asiatique, the Charoen Nakhon project, according to Ms. Wanlapa, will require THB 3 – 4 billion investment for the 3-4 storeys building, concluding many commercial spaces and the planned ‘Snow Town’.

Ms. Wanlapa added that the company is negotiating with Japanese investors to build the indoor snow-area laid on a 5,000 square metre land. The icy project is estimated to cost THB 1 billion, and slated to be the largest artificial snow venue ever built in ASEAN, Ms. Wanlapa claimed.

In terms of its transport accessibility, Asiatique Charoen Nakhon will linkCharoen Nakhon road to the western side on Bangkok. The company also plans to invest another large sum of money for the sky cable car across Chaopraya River in order to connect the two Asiatique together.

The cable car is said to be built in the same pattern as the Emirates Air Line, a cable car system overcrossing Thames River from Greenwich and the Royal Victoria Docks in London.

The so-call ?air-line? is expected to be 700 – 800 metres long, 34 metres in height and, the company says, is environmental friendly, as it will not lay foundations into the river. According to Ms. Wanlapa, the team is studying the possibility of the idea.

“We would like to develop Asiatique on both river sides, as a prestigious riverside shopping venue in Asia,” Said Ms. Wanlapa, “the company will hold events promoting the project throughout the rest of the year.”

The managing director only gave minimal details about the projects in Hua Hin and Chiang Mai. According to Ms. Wanlapa, the THB 1 billion Hua Hin project will be built in a ?retro-theme?, bringing back the historical atmosphere of an old seaside market during the reign of King Rama V.

The Chiang Mai Asiatique will be slightly different, she said, as it is influenced by the Lanna history, and is speculated to have THB 2 billion investment starting in 2017. The project aims to feature local boutiques and is targeted to attract both foreign and Thai tourists.

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Monk Blames His DUI Charge On Pickle Juice

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12 October 2013, 14:51

(12 October) The prelate of a local Buddhist chapter has been arrested in Udon Thani province for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Pra Ajarn Dech, the prelate of Ban Ya sub-district who also served as the abbot of Wan Don Han Temple, was arrested after he was seen "wobbling around with his car", according to a police officer.

The police then asked the monk to take breathalyser test, which reportedly showed the monk had violated the legal alcohol limit, having 75 mg/dl alcohol concentration in his blood.

Pra Ajarn Dech was later defrocked at Matchimawas temple. He later re-assumed his secular name, Mr. Dech Donkhaoram, and left the monkhood after 9 years.

According to Mr. Dech, in the morning of the day of an incident, he was invited by a family in Kudjab district. However, his driver was not present at the temple so he decided to drive the car to the venue himself. The host, Mr. Dech claimed, served him with pickle fruit, stating that it should help cure his muscle pains.

The monk later admitted that he was enjoying the drinks too much, and had been drunk while he was trying to drive back to the temple.

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Flood Reaches Bangkok's Popular Island

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12 October 2013, 14:31

(12 October) Provincial authority in Nonthaburi has declared state of emergency in Koh Kret, the popular tourist destination on the outskirt of Bangkok, as the flood hits the river island.

According to Mr. Wisit Phuangpetch, the district chief of Pak Kret, at least 10,000 families have been affected by the flood in the province, particularly Koh Kret, which lies in the middle of Chao Praya River.

The entire island is said to be flooded after the water level in Chao Praya has been rising in recent days.

Official report also inferred that at least 27 sub-districts are at risk of the flood, particularly riverside areas.

For instance, it has been reported that in Tha-it sub-district on Koh Kret Island, 700 families are currently facing 40 cm high flooding in their homes.

The authorities are also working to prevent floods in Bang-Buathong district, one of the main financial districts of the province. The area′s economic functions had completely ceased to operate during the Great Flood of

Meanwhile, in Bangkok, Department of Drainage and Sewerage is closely monitoring Naree tropical storm. The department director, Mr. Adisak Khantee, said that there is possible risk from rising water level in Chaopraya River from tidal bore during 15 – 17 October.

The provincial authority has discharged some water into San Saeb and Pravetbureerom canals.

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PEFOT Bomb Attack 'Designed To Kill', Witness Claims

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11 October 2013, 20:06

(11 October) Thai police have promised a timely investigation into the explosive attack on the anti-government protest in central Bangkok last night, in which a protester had been injured and several cars damaged.

The protesters broke off from a larger rally organised by People′s Force of Democracy to Overthrow Thaksinism (PEFOT) at Government House, after its leaders decided to end the protests temporarily yesterday in order to clear the governmental area for the visit of Chinese premier Li Keqiang.

Refusing to halt their protests against the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the dissenting protesters decided to stage a rally of their own on the road near Uruphong intersection, vowing to carry the fight until Ms. Yingluck resigns.

The protesters were later shaken out of their sleep in the dead of the night when a loud explosion occurred. Several cars were damaged by the explosion and Mr. Pattrawut Chirawibulwan, a volunteer guard of the protesters, was injured. Scores of leaflets were also thrown onto the protest site, which rudely advise the protesters to leave the intersection because they were causing traffic jam.

Investigating the scene shortly afterwards, the police ruled the bomb to be a homemade explosive device composed of energy drink bottle filled with incendiary substances and metals. The officers assume that the bomb was thrown down from one of the tollway roads above Uruphong intersection.

Mr. Pattrawut, the injured man, said he was asleep in his tent when the bomb exploded, and he was wounded by shards of glasses in his left foot. He said he had not seen the attackers as he was sleeping when the incident occurred.

Another guard, Mr. Suttinan Prayong, told the police he was about to sleep when he heard three explosions and leaflets being thrown from the overflying tollway. He was certain the explosive was thrown from the same position on the tollway.

"I don?t know who did it," Mr. Suttinan said, "But it was surely designed to kill, because of all the burning and the shrapnel"

Speaking after a meeting with top police officers at Bangkok Metropolitan Police headquarters, Pol.Maj.Gen. Kamronwit Thoopkrachang said the police force had set up security checkpoints in the roads leading to the protest site but not on the tollways. He told the press he would station additional officers in the area.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Kamronwit said the protesters have the rights to assembly "but they should stay within the legal boundary and refrain from causing troubles to other people" such as blocking the traffic. He insisted that the police are working hard to identify the suspects and solve the case.

He added that the police have attempted to persuade the protesters to move to an empty plot near Rama VI Road which is "safer" and away from traffic, but the protesters have refused to negotiate.

Nevertheless, Pol.Maj.Gen. Kamronwit urged the protesters to inform the police if they encounter any suspicious object around the protest site. "We have EOD units that are on stand by and ready to investigate the area at any time," he said.

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Woman Arrested For 'Counterfeit' Winning Lottery

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11 October 2013, 18:49

(11 October) Nonthaburi police arrested Kalasint woman for allegedly counterfeiting lottery tickets and claiming the prize.

Ms. Tawee Sawanate, 62, from Yang Talad district, Kalasin province, traveled to the Government Lottery Office to claim the first prize worth THB 2 million with her lottery ticket.

She was promptly arrested when the Office realised that the ticket was fake.

An official from the Lottery office said that the ticket had been altered from 249545 to 647882.

Ms. Tawee denied she had modified the tickets, claiming that she bought the tickets from a lottery vendor at a bus terminal located in Kalasin province for THB 110 per ticket.

The tickets were left in her pocket until she checked the lottery draw results on 7 October. Once she found out she won the first prize, Ms. Tawee said, she phoned her relatives and traveled with 5 of them to Nonthaburi to claim the prize.

However, police officers questioned her testimony and pressed charge against Ms. Tawee, who makes a living by selling chilli, accusing her of counterfeit.

The penalty for the charge carries 6 months to 5 years in prison and THB 1,000 to 10,000 fines.

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