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32,000 Six Graders Are Illiterate: Education Official

Students at Napuey School in Kon Khaen Province using tablets in their class

(23 September) The Ministry of Education is to renew a drive against illiteracy after national test results revealed the embarrassing fact that tens of thousands of Thai school pupils somehow cannot read or write, according to an official.

Dr. Chinnapat Bhumirat, Secretary General of Office of the Basic Education Commission of Thailand, said approximately 64,000 Prathomsuksa 3 and 32,000 Prathomsuksa 6 students in Thailand are illiterate. The number amounts to 8% and 4% of the overall students number in their range, respectively.

The official said that the commission will tackle the issue with innovations to draw interests from these illiterate children. He added that the method, which complies with the policy of the Education Ministry, is expected to be adopted in November 2013 – February 2014 and will be evaluated on a monthly basis.

“Students of peripheral and ethnic backgrounds who suffer difficulty in communicating in Thai are also the main group that we must follow closely” said Dr. Chinnapat, who are also formerly appointed as Permanent Secretary for Education of Thailand by the UNESCO in 2008.

He continued, “So far, we are planning to use innovations to help those children undergoing problems of understanding Thai language through bilingual lessons.”

 
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'Rapist' Ex-Policeman Kidnaps, Murders His Victim

(23 September) A
disgraced former police officer had kidnapped a woman who filed rape charge against him, and later
shot her and subsequently himself to death after engaging in a high-speed pursuit with the police.

A 14
year old boy was also killed during the cars chase.

The police were first alerted by the
family of Ms. Supawadee Sukjaras, 58, who told the officers she had been ambushed and kidnapped by
Mr. Somboon Nooraksa who had been lurking in front of her house.

Ms. Supawadee, a teacher,
had previously accused Mr. Somboon, who was serving as a Police Sergeant at the time, of raping her.
The Criminal Court had found the suspect guilty as charged, and he was subsequently given a
dishonourable discharge from the ranks by the police force.

Mr. Somboon contested the charge,
but the Appeals Court affirmed the lower court′s ruling. The case was being deliberated by the
Supreme Court, Ms. Supawadee′s family said, when the defendant tried to negotiate with Ms. Supawadee
to have her withdraw the charge, but the woman refused to do so.

After receiving the call
from Ms. Supawadee′s family, the police attempted to intercept Mr. Somboon. However, Mr. Somboon
managed to elude the officers by switching his license plate; the police believed he was listening
to the police radio frequency to keep track with the officers? operation.

With the police hot
on his trail, Mr. Somboon drove through many Districts before he ended up crashing into a 14 year
old boy who was riding his motorcycle in Prachuab Kiri Khan Province. The boy died at the scene,
while Mr. Somboon′s car was badly damaged.

Sensing that the chase was now over, Mr. Somboon
then shot Ms. Supawadee in her forehead and her chest before turning the gun on himself, according
to witnesses.

Mr. Somboon died of the gunshot wound on the way to
hospital.

Pol.Col. Witipoj Pojanakom, commander of Bang Saphan District in the province, said
Mr. Somboon would still be charged posthumously with murders per Thai laws.


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Boxing Match As Rare Entertainment For Restive South

Members of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC) at the 'Thai Fight' tournament in Pattani.

(23 September) Over
50,000 people have attended the ?Special Thai Fight? boxing tournament held in Pattanai Province,
the heart of the restive Southern border provinces known for their prolonged separatist violence.

The tournament, which pitched numerous Thai boxers against foreign challengers, was held at
Pattani′s Rainbow Stadium. According to Pol.Col. Tawee Sodsong, Secretary-General of Southern Border
Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC), the number of attendees at the show had exceeded any expectation.

“We expected to see only 20,000 people” said the officer
“but 50,000 people was marvellous”.

The official continued
that “This is a good opportunity for the Southern locals to feel more secure about the
situation.”

“I hope it would bring peace to the
region, so that Pattani can rise up to its glorious days as a centre for investment and education
like it had been in the past”,
Pol.Col. Tawee said.

Antoine Pinto,
a boxer who fought in the tournament, said it is his first time in the South, and he was surprised
to find out that the situation is much better than what I had imagined.

“I am glad that lots of
people paid attention to the game” said the French boxer “I was at first worried about the
situation, but once I arrived I found that everybody was really friendly.”

Mr. Suwat
Liptapanlop, former Deputy Prime Minister, also presided the event. It is the fourth Thai Fight Event
to be organised, but it is the first one to be hosted right in the turbulent South.

The
region had long been plagued with shadowy Islamist militant movements who are demanding an independence
of the Pattani State, the sultunate which once covered the four southern border provinces before it was
incorporated into modern-day Thailand.

The atmosphere at the venue was one of relief where people gathered to
enjoy a brief respite from the ongoing tension. Apart from the boxing match, a bird singing contest
was also organised, which had drawn much attention from the local attendees.

Founded in
2009, Thai Fight has toured many locations around the world, including venues in Cannes, Tokyo, and
Hong Kong.

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'Hormones' Starlet Re-Emerges After Meth Scandal

(23 September) The 16
year old actress best known for her role in teen drama series ?Hormones? had re-emerged in
public for the first time since the scandal about her taking methamphetamine has erupted in
June.

Previously, Ms. Sutatta ?Pan Pan? Udomsilpa was photographed taking the drug with her
friend. Her father admitted that the starlet had indeed tried the substances and offered an apology
on behalf of his daughter.

Ms. Sutatta had not spoken to the press until Friday, when she
attended the event celebrating the 11th anniversary of Nine Entertainment channel, along with her
father, Mr. Surasak Udomsilpa.

She told correspondents that she had recovered from all the
bad issues, and insisted that she never intends to hurt herself by taking drugs any more, stating
that it would hurt my parents million times more.

“I wish to apologise to all of you about
what happened, I will behave and spend more time with my family” said the Hormones actress,
adding that that she shares most of her life with her parents, and keep no secrets from
them.

Life must go on said her father, Mr. Surasak, I am here to support my daughter, but
she will be the one who determine her future acting career. According to Mr. Surasak, Ms. Sutatta
is currently living the life as a typical 16-year-old girl.

?Pan Pan? also addressed the
photo circulated on the social network showing her with a friend in a nightclub, which has caused a
minor controversy as the underaged actress cannot legally enter nightclubs.

She said she had
seen the picture but could not remember when it was taken. However, she clarified that she attended
the event, which was her friend’s birthday party, under the supervision of her father.

Mr.
Surasak then added “I apologise for any confusions, I was there with Pan-Pan on her friend’s
birthday party”.

Ms. Sutatta father also asked the public to let go of the past, while his
daughter insisted that “We should only look at the future”.

According to the actress and her
father, they are uncertain whether she would star in the second season of ‘Hormones’ series,
saying the decision ‘depends on the crew’, while Mr. Surasak wished his daughter ‘should spend time
more with herself, since she will attend her last year of high school soon’.  

Mr.
Surasak also said that he will impose more guidelines about coping with the celebrity life on his
daughter.

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Trophy Left Behind By S. Korean Volleyball Team

(23 September) The South Korean
national volleyball team has reportedly left its trophy and other souvenirs at Bangkok′s
Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The team came as a third runner up in the 2013 Asian Women′s
Volleyball Championship which was hosted in Nakorn Ratchasrima Province earlier this month. The Thai
national team won the championship.

According to an official at the airport, the South
Koreans left the trophy and souvenirs at the check-in counter this morning, before departing
Thailand at 07.00.

Mr. Charnrit Wongprasert, director of National Volleyball Association,
said he believes the South Koreans did not deliberately intend to leave the items behind. If they
had the intention to do so, they would have thrown them away at their hotel in Koraj, said Mr.
Charnrit, using the nickname of Nakorn Ratchasrima Province.

He expected the South Korean
team would contact the Thai authorities very soon.

I?m scheduled to inspect a
volleyball stadium in South Korea for an upcoming Asean Game soon anyway, so I probably bring the
things to them myself explained Mr. Charnrit, who also serves as a board member for the Asian
Volleyball Confederation.

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Astrologers Warn Of Impending 'Disaster' For Govt

PM Yingluck Shinawatra praying to a shrine in the Government House, 21 June 2013

(23 September) A
number of astrologers have predicted that the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is
about to face an unspecified disaster next month.

The rumour has been circulating that a
major political upheaval was scheduled to take place on October 8, which would presumably lead to
the collapse of Ms. Yingluck′s government.

A deeply superstitious society, Thailand is
swamped with constant astrological predictions. Senior politicians are known to consult their
personal astrologers, and these ?experts? are frequently quoted by the mainstream media.

Any
strange event is often interpreted as an omen. For instance, when a patch of mushroom grew on the
lawn in front of the Government House in Bangkok on the eve of major anti-government protests
earlier this year, rumours suggested that the government was about to fall.

The latest
October 8 rumour is partly reinforced by Thai political history; October is a month associated
with important political upheavals in the past, namely the October 14 Student Uprising in 1973 and
the subsequent massacre of student activists at Thammasat University on 6 October
1976.

Speaking to Khaosod, Mr. Attavijoj Sritula, an astrologer, said such history is the
proof that intertwining paths of different zodiacs in October is the cause of political unrest for
Thailand.

The sun, which belongs to Mesha (Aries), will greatly empower Tula
(Libre), Mr. Attaviroj explained, Astrological principles hold that [such alignment]
portends to a broken fortune, which means it is a bad fortune.

He said he is confident
major upheaval is on the way in October, but he refused to specify what that change might be. It
could be anything: natural disasters, accidents, tragedies, political conflicts, Mr. Attaviroj
said.

The astrologer predicted that Thailand will face
tremendous tumult because of the disasters between the month of September and November, and the
calamity will only subside after December.

Asked if there′s anything Thailand could do to
avoid such doom, Mr. Attaviroj said the public should unite and seek the blessing from His Majesty
the King on his birthday this year, 5 December, in order to bring balance to the
misfortunes.

As for a chance of a military coup or Parliamentary dissolution, well, I cannot
say that for sure, because I can only see the bigger picture of our national fortune Mr. Attaviroj
added.

Meanwhile, Daily News reported that Mr. Kengkaj Congchaiphra, another astrologer,
expressed his confidence that the government′s fortunes are in trouble, and that he October Curse
will play its hands this year against Ms. Yingluck.

However, there might be a Knight In
Shining Armour intervening to solve the crisis, Mr. Kengkaj is quoted as
saying.

But yet another astrologer, Mr. Pattana
Pattanasiri, gave Khaosod a completely different prediction. According to Mr. Pattana, Ms.
Yingluck′s fortune would in fact improve greatly after the beginning of October.

The rumours
and anxiety about imminent upheaval is actually due to the path of Mars which caused chaos in the
country, said Mr. Pattana, who also specialises in finding astrologically-appropriate location for
erecting constructions.

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Victorious Volleyball Champions Thank Local Heroine

(22 September) The Thai
national volleyball team came to pay their respects at the statue of Thao Suranari at the town centre
of Nakhon Ratchasima, thanking the spirit of the local heroine for their championship. 

The
team scored a dramatic victory over Japan′s National Team in the final of 2013 Asian Women’s
Volleyball Championship by 3-0 sets in the province yesterday. The match, broadcast live on the
national TV, drove many Thais to their jubilant state of euphoria.

The team’s captain,
Wilavan ‘Gift’ Apinyapong, said that “everybody is happy with the victory, especially me, as we
prove we overcome any pressure”.

When reporters asked her whether her age, she is in her late 20s, had been a burden throughout the tournament, she said “We showed that even at nearly 30 we
are still fabulous”, referring to a well-known country song, 30 And Still Fabulous.

The
team had trained very rigorously for the tournament, according to the captain, particularly weight
trainings and body buildings to be ready to face tough competitors such as China and
Japan.

Captain Gift, as she has been nicknamed by the press, also extended her thanks to the fans
for their overwhelming support.

“As we were leaving the hotel, every house that we drove past,
there were people waving at us” Wilavan, who is a Nakhon Ratchasima native, recalled, “I was really
impressed, and it made me proud to be Thai, and more importantly, I made it in my own
hometown”.

Prior to the matches – which saw the Thai team beating Vietnam and China – the
team has prayed to Lady Suranari, who is said to have rallied the local residents
against Laotian invaders a few hundred years ago.

Give us the victory, the team members prayed,
and we will walk all the way from the stadium to your statue to show the gratitude.

Now that
their championship has been won, Ms. Wilavan and her teammates fulfilled their promise and walked
the distance of 10 kilometres. Many fans had joined their pilgrimage.

“We stopped and asked for water from
people as we walked past their homes” said Wilavan

The team also received nearly 6.8
million baht as a reward for their victory from several sponsors, including Thai Bev and the Sports  Authority of Thailand.

Meanwhile, Somphon Chaibang-yang, President of the Thailand Volleyball
Association, expressed his confidence that the national team should earn the gold medal for the next Southeast
Asian Games (SEA Games) tournament in Myanmar this year as well.

The attempt, if possible,
would put the Thai National Team would rank at the 16th on World Volleyball Ranking.

The Association
President also expected to hold an international sport tournament again in the future, considering the
great reception the recent volleyball tournament has earned from Thai sport fans. 

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160,000 'First Cars' Cancellations

(22 September) The ?First
Car? tax reduction scheme imposed by the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has
resulted in at least 160,000 order cancellations, according to Mr. Surapong Paisithpattanapong, Vice
President and Spokesperson of the Automotive Industry Club.

Mr. Surapong said the orders had
been made during the height of the government′s scheme, which slashed taxes for individuals who were
buying their first cars in order to boost the auto-mobile industry.

However, many people
eventually cancelled the orders due to their inability to pay for the cars. Some of them also stated
that their loan agreements with the bank were rejected as they lack the credibility.

So far,
1.08 million orders were completed, as the same numbers of cars were transferred to the
buyers.

The Automotive Industry Club Vice President advised that auto companies must
rearrange their marketing plans and reduce their productivities, as the acceleration of the domestic
consumption during the first car scheme had distorted market demands, and caused 100,000 cars to be
overproduced.

Moreover, according to Mr. Surapong, investors should also focus more on
exports and promotions to increase sales, for instance, to apply 0% interests for 4 years
installment-buying.

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Python Takes Shelter Under Student's Car

(22 September) A
professional snake catcher was called to Bangkok University today after 4-metre python was found
hiding under a student′s car.

The student, Ms. Yosita Namwong, told our correspondent that
she was surprised when she saw a number of students surrounded her car.

She then asked a
member of the university security team what was going on, and he told her that  a 4-metre
python had taken shelter under her Toyata Yaris.

Mr. Amnaj Saengsawang, a snake catcher from
Pathum Thani province, was alerted by the security to retrieve the snake. After it had been
encircled for an hour, the snake was caught and will later be released into the wild.

A
security team member said he suspected that the floods around the university campus had driven the
snake to flee into university area for shelter. 


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Elephant Mahouts Protest Wildlife Protection Bill

(22 September) A group of mahouts and 5 Elephants gathered in Ayutthaya province to protest the proposed draft of the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act B.E.2556, stating that the new bill restricts their rights over the elephant and disrespects folk wisdom about elephant nurturing.

Mr. Laithongrien Meephan, President of Prakachabal (Elephant Minders) Foundation in Ayutthaya province, led the protest against the new bill, as the mahouts had not been consulted about the draft, and hence the bill only serves the interests of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

On 2 May 2013, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), under the instruction from Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, revised the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act B.E. 2535 to be more attuned with the CITES agreement made during a meeting held in Thailand earlier this year.

The new act, to be enforced later this year, requires mahouts and elephant owners to inform the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) about their elephant ownership. If they fail to do so, the elephant carers can face up to 10 years in prison and fined up to 2 million baht.
 
According to Mr. Laithongrien, this revised act is seen to disregard mahouts, restricting individual rights, and jeopardizing folk wisdom.

He said the bill will reset the previous system of elephant ownership and transfer all the rights to oversee the elephant from the individual to a governmental authority, which he believed to have failed to look after the elephant’s welfare.

Mr. Laithongrien explained the failure of the DNP to look after elephants by citing the case of Taeng-Mo, a female elephant which was seized under the protection of the DNP and placed instead under the protection of Thai Elephant Conservative Center in Lampang province only to die there.

The protesters also accused the government for siding with CITES supporters instead of the mahout community.

Mr. Laithongrien charged that the revised version of the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act B.E. 2556 did not include public opinion, and it was rewritten in accordance with the international agreement that "knows nothing about the cultural history of elephant nourishment in Thailand".

Mr. Laithongrien said if their requests are not met, the mahouts will march with 3,000 elephants to the Government House in Bangkok to force the new act to be discarded.
 
 
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