Woman's Dead Husband 'Reincarnated As A Cow'

By

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15 August 2013, 17:44

(15 August) A woman in Si
Saket Province believes the cow that has been occupying a bed in her house is in fact a
reincarnation of her dead husband.

Residents in Huai Thap Than District of the province also
visited the house to see the cow.

Ms. Nittiya Sopha, 33, identified herself as the owner of
the house and the cow. She said she and her neighbours believe the cow is a reincarnated form of her
husband who died in July last year.

tTe cow likes to lie on the bed where her husband used to
sleep so there must be some connection, she said.

Ms. Nittaya told our correspondent the cow
gave her good fortune, particularly with lottery winnings.

Transport Minister Braves Bangkok's 'Worst Bus Route'

By

Khaosod English

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15 August 2013, 16:47

(15 August) Next time you
are experiencing the woeful service of public transport in Bangkok – say, a bus – look around: you
might be able to vent your complaint at the Minister of Transport himself directly.

Mr.
Chatchart Sittithipan has gained reputation as an unusual bureaucrat, having travelled on public
transports such as buses, canal expressboat, and even the notoriously dangerous motorcycle taxi. He
explained that doing so would help him understand what Thai people experience in their daily
lives.

Today, Mr. Chatchart′s team has announced on his official Facebook page the result of
?The Worst Bus Route in Bangkok Metropolis? which was conducted through an online survey few days
ago.

Unsurprisingly to many, the legendary Bus Route 8 topped the poll. The route, running
from Rama I Bridge to Bangkapi Area in eastern Bangkok, is a favourite subject of complaint in Thai
social media. Someone called the bus route a Thai version of ?Fast and Furious?
franchise.

The other bus routes cited as the worst that Bangkok has to offer also included
route 44, 2, 16, 92, 75.

Respondents of the survey said that the most common problems they
found on bus service in Bangkok are the drivers who drive too fast, fail to stop at bus stops, and
sometimes drop the passengers off in the middle of busy roads.

Some also complained of
reckless driving behaviour, and even road races between two buses to get more passengers. Many buses
are also too old and known to break down on the roads, the survey said.

However, it is the
private-run buses – known for their the orange, pink, and white colours – that receive the most
complaints, the survey revealed. The complaints detailed bad, rude services by the bus staff. Some
passengers also claimed they have seen the bus drivers and bus conductors drinking alcohol or
smoking on duty.

Hours after the survey result was released, Mr. Chatchart got on an 8 Route
bus to see the problems for himself. In a Facebook post, Mr. Chatchart said he experienced both
in-bound and out-bound services today. The drivers did not drive too fast, the Minister observed,
perhaps because the roads were too congested.

He said he also talked to the bus conductors
and found out that both the drivers and the conductors do net get paid monthly, contrary to staff
employed by the Bangkok Mass Transport Authority (BMTA).

Instead, staff of the private-run
buses earn a living from shares of daily ticket sales, which explains why they compete or park their
buses in busy spots to get as many passengers as they can, Mr. Chatchart said.

A bus
conductor reportedly told him she works from 05.00 to 17.00 everyday.

I would like to think
that the problems on Route 8 would be found in other private-run routes as well, Mr. Chatchart
concluded, adding that he would work with the authorities to improve the system.

Although
many are still – rightfully, perhaps – sceptical of how the government would ever be able to tackle
the deeply rooted problem of Bangkok′s public transport, it is undeniable that Mr. Chatchart is one
of the most popular Ministers on Thai social network these days.

Apart from his relatively
active role in trying to improve public transport, Mr. Chatchart is also a prominent supporter of
the 2 trillion baht infrastructure overhaul program. The program includes development of Thailand’s
public transports, particularly the high speed train that the government said would make Thailand a
transport hub in the Southeast Asian region.

Allegation Of Former PM Thaksin Insulting The King 'Not Libellous'

By

Khaosod English

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15 August 2013, 14:11

Mr. Sondhi Limthongkul and Ms. Sarocha Pon-Udomsuk

(15 August) The Appeals
Court found 2 Yellowshirts figures not guilty of defamation after former Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra sued them for accusing him of insulting the monarchy.

Mr. Thaksin′s lawsuit, filed
through his representing lawyer, names Mr. Sondhi Limthongkul, the owner of ASTV Manager news
publication and the most visible face of the Yellowshirts movements, and Ms. Sarocha Pon-Udomsuk, a
newscaster on ASTV channel, as defendants.

The lawsuit referred to an episode of ASTV
broadcasts in which Mr. Sondhi cited Mr. Surakiat Sathienthai, a former Deputy Prime Minister in Mr.
Thaksin’s administration, that Mr. Thaksin used hateful rhetoric against the monarchy after he had
been overthrown by a military coup on 19 September 2006.

Mr. Thaksin said in the lawsuit
that the allegation cause damaged his reputation and
credibility.

The Royal Family is a sensitive issue in Thailand, but political factions often
accuse one another of insulting the monarchy.

Various figures of the Yellowshirts and the
Democrat Party particularly have long history of alleging that Mr. Thaksin and his allies are secret
republicans with a plot to overthrow the monarchy – a charge he has repeatedly denied.

In May
2012, the lower court ruled in Mr. Thaksin′s favour, handing down suspended sentence of 2 years
in prison to both Mr. Sondhi and Ms. Sarocha. The pair was also fined 20,000 baht and forced to
advertise the court ruling in 4 newspapers – including Khaosod – for 3 days.

Mr. Sondhi and
Ms. Sarocha appealed the ruling, and the Appeals Court today explained that the ASTV episode was taped beyond the date cited in Mr. Thaksin′s
lawsuit (24 August 2007), hence the court cannot find Mr. Sondhi guilty for material on the video.
The court also found Ms. Sarocha not guilty.

The court noted that Mr. Thaksin was engaging
with the Redshirts protesters during their protest outside the residence of the Head of Privy
Council, Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda, in April 2009. The protest against Gen. Prem, the court argued,
could amount to display of disrespect against the monarchy, since the position of Privy Councillor
is personally appointed by His Majesty the King.

Therefore, it is not unreasonable that the
defendants would be convinced that Mr. Thaksin harbours a disrespect to the monarchy, according the
Appeals Court ruling.

Mr. Sondhi told our correspondent afterwards that the ruling proves
what he understands about Mr. Thaksin.

On the same day, the Appeals Court also dismissed the
defamation suit filed by Mr. Chamlong Sri-Mueang, another Yellowshirts leader, against Mr. Jatupon
Prompan, which stated that the former Pheu Thai MP had published libellous opinions about him.

The case referred to Mr. Jatupon’s opinion published in Khaosod′s daily newspaper and its
online site on 8 November 2010, in which Mr. Jatupon said that Mr. Chamlong and other Yellowshirts
leaders were resorting to ultra-nationalist rhetoric to creat chaotic situation in Bangkok and pave
way for military intervention.

At the time, Thailand and Cambodia were locked in violent
border dispute over possession of Preah Vihear Temple, while Yellowshirts protesters took to the
street in an attempt to oust the Thaksin-allied government.

The lower court argued that Mr.
Jatupon only criticised Mr. Chamlong and friends to express his personal opinion.

In the
court’s opinion, the phrase, “create chaotic situation … expanding the situation beyond the
government control”, was said on Mr. Jatupon’s opinion that the protest led by Mr. Chamlong was not
appropriate. Meanwhile, the phrase “left a gap for military intervention” was only Mr. Jatupon’s
assumption, the court said.

The Appeals Court today sided with the lower court, dismissing
the lawsuit.

Red Protesters Call For NHRC Chairwoman To Resign

By

Khaosod English

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14 August 2013, 18:08

(14 August) Redshirts converged at the office of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) today to voice their displeasure at the report about the 2010 political unrest released by the agency, which has been criticised for its lack of emphasis on the atrocities committed by the military during the crackdown.

Published online last week, it took only several hours before some academics and Redshirts activists denounced the report, calling it full of bias and double standard.

Much of the criticism is directed at Ms. Amara Pongsapitch, the Chairman of the NHRC, charging that she failed to protect the human rights of the citizens. Her critics noted her reluctance to hold the military accountable for their roles in 2010, either in her reports or her public appearances.

Mr. Wutthipong Kotchathammmakun (aka. Ko Tee), a leader of the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) in Pathumthani Province, and Mr. Pongpisit Kongsena, a representative of another Redshirts group, led the protests at the NHRC today to repeat such allegation against Ms. Amara.

Some Redshirts at the protest claimed that the report is an instrument to whitewash then-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy at the time, Mr. Suthep Thuegsuban, from the atrocities that took place after the pair authorised the military crackdown against the Redshirts protest which left nearly 100 people dead, mostly civilians.

Both Mr. Abhisit and Mr. Suthep are facing murder charges for their role in the 2010 crackdown.

Mr. Pongpisit said that the works of the NHRC, particularly their recent report, had misled the people and distorted the truth. He also cited opinions of a number of academics who said that the NHRC avoided mentioning the deaths of Redshirts protesters and often defended the authorities action in its report.

He told our correspondent that the role of the NHRC is to protect people’s human rights to be free from government violation. "However, the NHRC proved they did not stand with the people," Mr. Pongpisit said.

In a sarcastic gesture, the protesters also brought applications for the membership of the Democrat Party for the committee to sign. "We believe that the committee would contribute more to the society if they just worked for the Democrat Party," one protester said.

At 10.50, Mr. Khanchai Kongsanae, the deputy secretary of the NHRC emerged and met with the protesters to receive the complaint letter the Redshirts wrote for the Committee. He told the protesters he would bring up the issue with other members of NHRC.

Leaders of the protests said they will give the committee 15 days to consider their resignation, and if the committee refuses, they would proceed with further action.

However, the organisers of the protests added that they would consider government’s action before they proceed, as the government is currently working to create peace in the society.

After more speeches denouncing the NHRC were made, the protest peacefully dispersed at around 11.00.

Motorcycle Crash Costs Foreign Man His Leg

By

Khaosod English

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14 August 2013, 17:03

(14 August) A foreigner
in Chonburi Province lost his left leg after his motorcycle crashed into a speedboat parked on the
beach, police said.

Earlier this morning, Police from Banglamoong District, Chonburi
province, was alerted to investigation the scene, where a foreigner was found
unconscious.

According to the police, the man did not carry any official documents with him.
He is said to be a White Caucasian aged between 20-25 years old.

One witness told our
correspondent that he saw the foreigner driving his motorcycle at a high speed. He also suspected
that the foreigner was drunk, as the motorcycle swung before it crashed into a speedboat which was
parked on the beach.

The witness said that the body of the foreign man had been thrown 50
metres away from the crash. The accident also caused the man to lose a part of his left
leg.

Police said they would contact the owner of the speedboat and proceed with the legal
investigation.

Taxi Driver Suffers Shock, Dies At Passenger's House

By

Khaosod English

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14 August 2013, 16:48

(14 August) A taxi driver died at
his passenger′s house in Bangkok after he suffered a shock.

Mr. Petchara Raengsikor, 44, was
picking up his regular passenger at her residence. The house owner, Mr. Pasawee Tansiriwanchai, said he called Mr. Petchara to
pick up his wife and invited him for a conversation in his living room when he arrived as they
waited for his wife to get ready.

After half an hour of talking, Mr. Pasawee said, the driver
left the house, but suddenly suffered a circulatory shock on his front porch. Mr. Pasawee told
police he contacted the rescue team and tried to save Mr. Petchara′s life, to no avail. The rescue
workers pronounced him dead at the scene when they arrived.

Ms. Kesorn Lanwong, the
driver′s wife, was later informed of Mr. Petchara′s death. She told our correspondent that her
husband did not have any underlying disease, and lived his life normally before his death. Mr.
Pasawee also said Mr. Petchara did not show any sign of illness during their
conversation.

Police said they would proceed with further investigation in order to confirm
the cause of death.

4 Suffocated To Dead In Ubon Mushroom Greenhouse

By

Khaosod English

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14 August 2013, 15:47

(14 August) 4 people
reportedly died of asphyxia in a sealed mushroom incubator workshop.

Mr. Sathon Lathuli, 42,
the owner of a mushroom farm in Mueang district, Ubon Ratchathani Province, was found dead along
with 3 of his relatives, said Ms. Sa-ngiam Lathuli, Mr. Sathon’s relative and a worker at the
farm.

Along with Mr. Sathon, Ms. Sompong Kasemmanee, 37, Ms. Supawinee Lathuli, 20 and Mr.
Roong-arun Kasemmanee, 14, were also found dead at the scene.

Ms. Sangiam told police that
she went into the incubator after she noticed that Ms. Supawinee did not return home yesterday
evening. She then found the 4 bodies inside the incubator, and called for help from other people to
open the incubator’s roof, but it was too late.

The 4 people were pronounced dead at the
scene, and police said they did not find anything suspicious. However, the police said they would
still conduct tests on the victims? blood examples to find any trace of chemical
substances.

According to our correspondent, this kind of accident rarely happened in
Thailand, but media reports in the past documented how pipe workers suffered oxygen deficiency
inside the tunnel which contains low oxygen level.

'LINE' Controversy Adds To Yingluck Govt's Dubious Rights Records

By

Khaosod English

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14 August 2013, 13:57

Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra at 65th World News Paper Congress, held in Bangkok, where she insisted that freedom of expression is her government's priority.

(14 August) The
technology crime police′s proposal to snoop chat logs of the popular ?LINE? application has drawn
widespread opposition, including from some close associates of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Pisit Pao-in, commander of Technology Crime Suppression division, claimed
yesterday (13 August) that he has dispatched officials to Japan, where LINE is based, to request chat log
data of individuals suspected of committing crimes.

He said his agency would use a software
to detect suggestive words in the communication networks such as arms trading, drugs selling,
fake goods, or prostitution.

Thailand has over 15 million Line users. Surely I cannot
monitor them all, so we will only focus on those who violate the laws on social network,
Pol.Maj.Gen. Pisit said.

He added that the division would also seek out those who criticise
the monarchy or pose other threats to the national security. Discussion of the Royal Family is
criminalised under lese majeste law in Thailand.

As for other social network outlets,
Pol.Maj.Gen Pisit said he had requested cooperation from administrators of WhatsApp, Youtube, and
Facebook but those requests had been largely ignored. Japan, on the other hand, tends to be more
cooperative, he mused.

The news –
understandably – ignites a fury on the Thai social network. Many view the proposal as an intrusive
measure against individuals? rights to free expression and privacy, while others say they are
reminded of the ongoing controversy about Prism surveillance program conducted by the United States
spy agency.

The chairwoman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Ms. Amara
Pongsapitch, said the program suggested by Pol.Maj.Gen. Pisit is highly at risk of violating
individuals? privacy. If the authorities should go ahead with the plan, she said, the aim and
process of the program should be strictly defined.

The Democrat Party also spared no time
before lashing out at the proposal – for a somewhat different reason. Ms. Mallika Boonmeetrakoon,
deputy spokeswoman of the Democrats, said instead of intruding citizens? Line communication the
government should in fact focus on shutting down websites and blocking Facebook pages that contain
offensive content about the Royal Family.

It should be noted that the proposal to monitor Line application is
the latest addition to dubious records of free speech under the administration of Ms. Yingluck,
which disappointed many of its supporters who hoped the government would show more tolerance toward
freedom of speech than its predecessors.

Just last week, the police summoned 4 individuals,
one of them a high profile editor at a TV channel, to talk with the officials because they spread
rumours about an imminent military coup, just as anti-government protests were about to take place in
Bangkok.

As for the use of lese majeste law, while
it is true the royalist Democrat Party is more keen on punishing the discussions on monarchy (in
November 2011, for instance, Ms. Mallika demanded that the Yingluck administration completely block
Youtube and Facebook because of offensive contents posted there), the ruling Pheu Thai Party does
not show any sign to reform or repeal it neither.

Mr. Anudit Nakornthub,
Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), went as far as saying that anyone who
even ?liked? or ′shared? offensive materials on the social media could be punished by computer crime
laws – a remark that drew sharp criticism from internet rights advocacy
groups.

Contacted by
Khaosod, Pol.Maj.Gen. Pisit said the concern of civil rights groups has been overblown. He said
that human rights and privacy of ordinary citizens will not be affected by the plan, because only
those suspected of breaking the laws would be targeted.

Ms. Yingluck herself told the reporters at a press conference later in the day that she
has not studied the surveillance program in details, but said there is a need to monitor
communications for threat to national security.

She repeated Pol.Maj.Gen. Pisit′s insistence
that rights and liberty of ordinary citizens would not be in danger

Nonetheless, perhaps
sensing the intense unpopularity of the program, some allies of Ms. Yingluck went on the record to
criticise the plan to monitor LINE chat logs.

Mr. Panthongtae Shinawatra, the son of former
leader Thaksin Shinawatra and a niece of Ms. Yingluck, wrote on his Facebook that chat application
is a tool which could be used for both legal and illegal purposes, so an attempt to enforce the laws
should take care not to affect other citizens who are not part of the wrongful
actions.

Police in this era should be friendly to the people. Please don?t copy the playbook
of the Democrat Party, Mr. Panthongtae said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Siriwat Jupamatta, a
representative of the Redshirts? official organisation in Payao Province, said he disagreed with
Pol.Maj.Gen. Pisit′s plan because it will violate rights to communication and only serve to alienate
the government from its supporters.

Mr. Siriwat warned that if the technology crime
suppression police continue to create an atmosphere of fear for internet users, many would be more
radicalised and vent their political frustration in platforms more dangerous or uncontrollable than
the social network.

Mr. Anudit, the ICT Minister, similarly voiced his opposition to the LINE
monitor program. He said his agency would not assist the Technology Crime Suppression police about
the matter.

LINE representative in Thailand
said in a statement that the company has not received any formal request from the police, and
insisted that the company will not give its data to the Thai authorities as it prizes the privacy
of our users.

Banana Trees Planted As Protests Over Poor Roads

By

Khaosod English

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13 August 2013, 21:28

(13 August) Many
residents in in Nakorn Ratchasima Province said they had complained repeatedly to the provincial
authority about the condition of local roads which are dotted with holes and puddles. The roads
would be more useful as farmland, the residents complained.

So far, the provincial officials
showed no hurry to fix the matter. A group of protesters, mostly villagers in the area, made their
point today by sarcastically planting banana trees along the stretch of roads near Baan Nong Phuang
village.

Many kids fell on their bicycles around here said a villager hey could not go to
school, because their uniforms were covered in mud.

The protesters also complained
that the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) and the Pho Klang Municipality have not been
providing electricity to Baan Nong Phuang village.

One villager told our correspondent that it has
been 10 years since the PEA promised them that they would be able to use electricity. It never
happened. The only thing we can do is to illegal connect the electricity from other village, he
said.

The villagers said they hope that these banana trees planted on the road would finally
attract some attention from related authorities to come and provide better infrastructure in the
village.

Redshirts Leader Acquitted Of Defaming Former PM Abhisit

By

Khaosod English

-

13 August 2013, 20:42

Contrary to Mr. Jatupon Prompan's claim, other Prime Ministers were also seated next to the King, including Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra

(13 August) The Appeals Court ruled today that a prominent leader of the Redshirts was not guilty of defaming former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva when he accused Mr. Abhisit of displaying insolence in front of His Majesty the King.

In 2009, Mr. Jatupon Prompan, acting as a spokesman of the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), said in a press conference that Mr. Abhisit, who was the Prime Minister at the time, insulted King Bhumibol by sitting on a chair when he appeared before His Majesty the King a few weeks earlier.

Members of the Royal Family are treated with strict reverence in Thai public life. Those who seek audience with the Royal Family generally prostrate or kneel on the ground (foreign leaders are exempted from this practice). Therefore, Mr. Jatupon said, Mr. Abhisit was ′behaving as though he was equal to the king′ (ตีตนเสมอเจ้า).

The accusation turned out to be inaccurate, as there had been instances when top officials, Prime Ministers included, are allowed to be seated with His Majesty the King.

Mr. Abhisit later filed charge against Mr. Jatupon, who also served as MP for Pheu Thai Party, claiming that the Redshirts leader spread false information against him. The lawsuit accused Mr. Jatupon of ′causing misunderstanding and disgracing [Mr. Abhisit′s] reputation′.

The Criminal Court ruled on 20 July 2012 that Mr. Jatupon was guilty as charged, sentencing him to 6 months in prison. Mr. Jutupon was also fined for 50,000 baht and forced to advertise court decision on 2 daily newspapers for 7 days.

However, since Mr. Jatuporn had no history of criminal conviction, the court gave Mr. Jatupon a suspended sentence.

Mr. Jatuporn then appealed against the court decision, which led to the verdict of the Appeals Court today.

The Appeals Court stated that Mr. Jatupon′s claim against Mr. Abhisit was ‘the rhetoric from his own perspective’, which may sound ‘invalid’ and ‘subjective’ to the public. The Court also noted that Mr. Jatupon has never appeared before the Royal Family, so it is forgiveable that he was mistaken about the tradition.

Hence, the Court of Appeal ruled that Mr. Jatupon was not guilty, and announced the previous court decision to be nullified.

The Royal Family is virtually a taboo topic in Thailand, but it does not stop various political factions to play politics by invoking the monarchy in its rhetoric. The surest way to defame opponents in Thailand is to accuse them of being disrespectful to the monarchy.

Although it is mostly the royalist Yellowshirts and Democrat Party that charge the Redshirts of insulting the monarchy, Mr. Jatupon′s case is a proof that some among the Redshirts movements are also capable of adopting the same rhetoric.

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