Support Pours In For 'Granny-Looking' Girl

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26 September 2013, 15:34

(26 September) Neighbours and school staff are gathering support for a 4 year old girl who is suffering from a rare disease which has made her face resemble that of an old woman.

Chanagaln ‘Jenny’ Lung-Or, a resident of Fang district, Chiang Mai province, was born with Progeria Syndrome, a genetic disease which causes premature ageing to her skin and her body .

Chanagaln’s mother, On Lung-Lhoo, 28, a Burmese worker who migrated to Thailand in 2007 said she was very shocked to see that her daughter was born different from other infants.

Chanagaln then had undergone several medical treatments at the hospital, but the family eventually failed to afford the process.

Her parents then decided to put Chanagaln in school, while they have been trying to increase their income. When she attended Wat Pah Sak School, Ms. On said, the teachers actually asked for Chanagaln’s Birth Certificate, because they could not believe her age at first.

Chanagalnwas initially faced with constant teasing by her schoolmates but a week later she got along well.

Mr. Somsak Lohle-kha, M.D., President of the Royal College of Pediatricians of Thailand, explained that Progeria is incurable, and the girl will soon suffer other diseases like old people do.

A medical team from Lamphoon Hospital visited the school yesterday. After spending 30 minutes checking up on the girl’s health, the medics found that she was normal.

Nevertheless, Chanagaln was recently admitted to the hospital for 7 days for Pneumonia, and three days recuperating at home, before returning to school on 23 September.

In order to help her family with financial issues, the school has opened a bank account for Chanagaln. Ms. On believes that if her family had sufficient funds for the treatment, her daughter would be cured and able to live like other kids.

According to our correspondent, many neighbours and visitors have been at Chanagaln′s school to cheer her up. At the school, Chanagaln behaves naturally like other kids, playing cheerfully with her friends and looking excited when she was visited by many people.

Her friends also teased her that she had become a star now, to which Chanagaln smiled happily back in reply.

Those who suffer with Progeria, or Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, usually live until their post-teenage, or mid twenties. The disease incident rate is estimated to be 1 per 8 million live births.

Thai Army Canteen Bans Basil Fried Rice

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Khaosod English

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25 September 2013, 20:50

(25 September) The Royal Thai Army has finally met its mortal enemy – basil fried rice.

Numerous patrons were surprised to find a sign reading "Attention All Customers – No Basil Fried Rice" at the canteen of Office of the Army Secretary in Bangkok.

The owners of the stalls told our correspondent that the Thai staple dish had been banned after the pungent smell of the stir-fried chili, garlic and holy basil leaves had drifted into the offices of Army staff, causing much disturbance to the senior officers and preventing them from performing their duties in the finest manner.

According to one of the stall owners, the canteen had unsuccessfully tried to get rid of the smell by installing cooker hoods to every stall. Yet, the smell still leaked into the offices.

"The Army had spent so much money on dealing with the smell, including the renovation of the building and the installation of the cooker hoods," the vendor said, "But they weren?t very effective".

The Army staff eventually announced a ban on cooking the dish, but allowed the vendors to sell the dish if it had been prepared elsewhere.

Crashed LPG-Equipped Car Injures 6

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Khaosod English

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25 September 2013, 19:20

(25 September) LPG-equipped car burst into flames after it hit the rear of a pick-up truck early this morning, injuring 6 people.

The police in Klong Yai district, Trad province, were alerted to investigate a car accident, in which a car crashed into the back of the truck on Trad-Klong Yai Road. The incident had caused the whole car to be engulfed in flame.

According to witnesses, the car crashed violently into the truck which was slowing down to make a right turn. The car then burst into flame after the car′s LPG gas fuel leaked out.

Fortunately, the rescue team had successfully extinguished the fire, before removing the 4 passengers and a driver out of the car. A truck driver was also reported injured, and later transported to Klong Yai Hospital, along with the other casualties.

Police said the rain might have been a factor in the incident. No one has been charged for the moment.

Several reports had indicated the risk of using LPG gas in a car, which could easily leak following an accident and caused fire to the vehicles. However, the gas had gained much popularity as many drivers seek to avoid using gasoline, due to its hiking price.

The government has been tackling the distorted LPG gas price after losing millions of baht per year in subsidising the fuel. So far, the gas price remains at 21.38 baht/kg, and is expected to increase again in February 2014 to meet its actual market price at 24.83 baht/kg.

Phuket Launches Kingdom's Second 'Tourist Court'

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Khaosod English

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25 September 2013, 18:41

The unveiling ceremony of the tourism court in Phuket

(25 September) The Thai authorities have unveiled another "Tourist Court" in Phuket Province, one of the top tourist destinations of the country, in an effort to swiftly resolve legal issues in which tourists are involved.

The first "Tourist Court" was established in Pattaya, another popular tourist attraction of the kingdom.

The unveiling ceremony was presided by Tourism and Sport Minister Somsak Pureesrisak and Chairman of the Supreme Court, Mr. Pairoj Wayuphap.

Mr. Somsak told our correspondent that the court specifically designed to handle tourists? legal case is the government′s method to provide satisfactory services for the tourists.

The Minister said the first case handled by the "Tourist Court" in Pattaya has proven to be extremely successful. In that case, two Chinese tourists were killed in a Speed Boat crash at the seaside town. According to Mr. Somsak, the court has facilitated a compensation from the defendant to the families of the victims in a timely manner.

"The process had been conducted rapidly within one day, and the families of the victims were very satisfied," Mr. Somsak said.

Mr. Wirat Chinwinigkul, Secretary–General of the Office of the Judiciary, said that the tourism court in Phuket is under the governing of the Court of Justice and is expected to arrange the issues to be ruled by the appropriate courts.

According to Mr. Wirat, the new tourism court will provide advice to tourists to hasten the legal procedures, record testimonies of the foreign witnesses before they leave the country, and appoint a representative to handle the cases before informing the tourists as they depart Thailand.

If the tourists are accused of committing any crimes, he said, the court will contact the consulate representatives concerning the tourists’ nationalities, in order to ensure trust, safety and justice for the tourists.

The Office of the Judiciary Secretary–General is also looking forward to the launch of another five tourism courts in Thailand’s famous tourism areas including Krabi province, Chiang Mai province, Koh Samui island, Pathumwan district and Bangkok′s Dusit district.

Bangkok's Old City Offers Free Bicycle Lending

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25 September 2013, 17:45

Cyclists participating in 2013 Bangkok's 'Car Free Day' event.

(25 September) Bangkok authority has launched a free bicycle borrowing service around the tourist attractions in the Old City.

Ms. Pranee Sattayaprakorb, director of the cultural and tourism office for Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), said officials have installed six bicycle stations for Thais and foreign tourists alike to use when exploring the tourist attractions.

Four of the stations are in eastern bank of Bangkok: at the Royal Field (Sanam Luang), BMAs tourism office, Pra Sumen Fort, and the Giant Swing. The other two are located in the western bank of Bangkok: at the Temple of Dawn and Rama I Bridge.

Each station holds 20 bicycles, Ms. Pranee said. They will be operating from 10.00-18.00 on Monday to Friday, and 09.00-19.00 on the weekends. Either a Thai ID card or a passport should be deposited at the station when borrowing the bike.

Ms. Pranee added that bicycles borrowed from each bank of the city would have to be returned to the respective bank.

Bangkok recently hosted a Car Free Day in order to encourage more bicycle usage in the city notorious for its traffic jam. More than 20,000 cyclists participated in the event last Sunday.

Abhisit Postpones 2010 Crackdown Deaths Trial

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25 September 2013, 16:56

(25 September) Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has postponed a court appearance for the murder charges he received for his role in authorising the military crackdown on the Redshirts protesters in 2010.

More than 90 people lost their lives in the political violence that engulfed Bangkok from April to May 2010.

After the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra came to power, Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva and his Deputy Prime Minister at the time, Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, were charged by the Division of Special Investigation (DSI) with conspiring to murder the protesters and other civilians during the crackdown.

Both Mr. Abhisit and Mr. Suthep have denied the allegation and were scheduled to appear at the court today. However, the lawyers representing the pair asked the court to postpone the trial, citing the busy schedule of Mr. Abhisit and Mr. Suthep who are currently serving as MPs.

The Prosecutor for the case, Mr. Ruj Kuensuwan, also said his team has not yet finalised the necessary documents. The court therefore agreed to grant the postponement, setting the date for the next court appearance for Mr. Abhisit and Mr. Suthep on 31 October.

Construction Worker Attacks Wife 'For Refusing To Work'

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Khaosod English

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25 September 2013, 15:03

(25 September) A construction worker allegedly attacked his wife with a knife because she was too ill to help him at his work.

According to Ms. Nurat Tongmakha, a 40 year old resident of Sra Kaew Province, she was cooking for her husband, Mr. Narong Cheenpanich, 58, earlier this morning when he asked her to go to work with him at the construction site.

When Ms. Nurat said she could not go because she was feeling unwell, Mr. Narong reportedly became enraged and poured boiling water on his wife. Ms. Nurat said he also attacked her with a kitchen knife, wounding her right arm and right ear.

She said she was brought to the hospital by her neighbours.

Speaking to our correspondent from her bed at Aranya Pradesh Hospital, Ms. Nurat said her husband is an alcoholic who likes to beat her up when he is drunk. Police are trying to locate Mr. Narong.

Volleyball Champions Will Present Trophy To Royal Princess

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Khaosod English

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24 September 2013, 20:40

(24 September) Mr. Somphon Chaibang-yang, President of Thailand Volleyball Association, said that the association is submitting the letter to the Bureau of The Royal Household, in order to present the 2013 Asian Volleyball Championship Trophy to Her Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

National sports teams and players regularly hand their medals or trophies to members of the Royal Family as an expression of loyalty to the monarchy.

According to Mr. Somphon, the volleyball association had previously given the 2009 championship trophy to Her Highness four years ago, after they won the same tournament in Vietnam.

The Volleyball Association President also vowed to bring the nation a gold medal at the 27th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), which will be hosted by Myanmar later this year. He expected the team to make a good performance to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil′s Rio De Janeiro.

So far, Thailand′s National Volleyball team ranks No. 12 in the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) statistics following their victory in the Asian champsionship. However, the ranking is not yet official.

A TV rating from Channel 7 also shows popularity of the sport, as 7,497,000 people tuned in for the semi-final match, which the Thai team played against China National Team.

The final match between Thailand and Japan had gained overwhelming rating: over 17,081,000 people tuned in for the show around the country.

Meanwhile, Ms. Rawewan Netrakavesna, General Manager of Bangkok′s Suvarnabhumi Airport, said she had assigned the airport authority to contact South Korean officials to send back the trophy and other documents accidentally left behind at the airport check-in are by the South Korea National Volleyball Team.

South Korea won third place in the tournament, which was held at Nakorn Ratchasima Province.

Khaosod Reporter Among Victims Of 'Serial Cars Robber'

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Khaosod English

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24 September 2013, 19:26

Mr. Karnbadee Ngamjitr, a reporter for Khaosod, performing the routine suspect-pointing.

(24 September) Bangkok police have arrested a man alleged to have stolen items from the cars of numerous victims, including a reporter of Khaosod newspaper.

The journalist, Mr. Karnbadee Ngamjitr, said that prior to the incident he had parked his car on Soi Kasemsant 1 in Pathum Wan district on the night of 22 September.

As Mr. Karnbadee and a few of his friends were walking back to his car from the National Stadium BTS Station, he said, his friends noticed a man sitting inside the car.

The man quickly escaped after he saw Mr. Karnbodi’s group approaching. Mr. Karnbodi then urged his friends to follow the man, who reportedly ran away and hid inside a building while the reporter alerted the police.

Police later surrounded the area and eventually arrested Mr. Permyos Ratchakhon, 43, a resident of Muang district, Pathum Thani Province. Upon searching Mr. Permyos, police found several items, which Mr. Karnbodi claimed to be his, including a brown leather bag and an iPod Touch.

Mr. Permyos later confessed he had broken into Mr. Karnbadee′s car, and said that he committed car robberies in this manner for only 3 times, and the stolen items were sold at Saphan Phut Night Market to earn money to maintain his drug habit.

He said he had been spending much of the last 15 years in prison, serving his sentence for drug offence 6 or 9 months at a time. Records show his latest jail term was finished earlier this June.

However, Pol.Col. Ruechakorn Jorrajewutthi, senior officer of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said in a press conference earlier this morning that Mr. Permyos has in fact been responsible for as many as 10 car robberies in the past 3 months alone.

Mr. Pichai Suksavet, 25, is one of the individuals who had filed a complaint to the police in the case. He had previously notified the police that his bass guitar and the instrument’s effects had been stolen from his car in Soi Chula 9.

According to Mr. Pichai, police had helped him retrieve the item by tracking the online purchase of his instruments, which the police pointed to Mr. Permyos.

At the press conference, Pol.Col.Ruechakorn added that “robberies have become a social problem, which the police had been tackling for a certain time. However, public collaboration is needed in order to trace for the crime.”

The officer urged second-hand shops to be aware of the items' history to avoid the charges of trading stolen items, and advised citizens not to park their cars in any suspicious area or leave any valuable belongings inside the vehicles.

Chiang Mai To Tackle 'Extortive' Karaoke Bars

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Khaosod English

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24 September 2013, 17:33

(24 September) Chiang Mai Governor Thanin Suphasaen said that the authorities and other related organisations are planning to curb on overpriced services within the Province.

Mr. Thanin said he had been receiving complaints against seven restaurants and karaoke bars, but it is generally understood that patrons who visit the streetside bars in Chiang Mai are often charged extorted prices for their drinks and bar companions.

The Chiang Mai provincial authority has also had a meeting and agreed to propose guidelines which would prohibit nightlife establishments from overcharging their customers.

If they fail to do so, legal prosecutions would be applied, under both criminal and administrative laws.

Police force also regularly patrol the sites and and encourage business owners to follow the new guidelines.

Chiang Mai Governor said he would instruct the Revenue Department in the Northern region to check the business performances of the 7 establishments which were the sources of many complaints, in order to oversee their performance, and advise them on revenue tax system.

According to Mr. Thanin, the authority will compile monthly reports regarding the performance of the venues, starting from 30 September onwards.

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