Chiang Mai Boy Killed By Electrified 'Anti-Dog Fence'

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24 July 2013, 16:53

(23 July) Small
electrified screen intended to keep dogs away at a residence in Chiang Mai province is said to have
been the cause of death for a 11-year old who accidentally touched it when he was playing
hide-and-seek with his friends.

Locals in Rakaeng community, Mueang District, were alerted of
the incident when friends of the boy, identified as Chatrawarin Chimwaree, could not locate him
during their game of hide-and-seek.

The children then searched the area all over the village
until they found the boy lying face down on the ground at the residence of Mr. Udom Thairat with
pile of vomit next to him. 20×50 cm wire screen covered the corner of the house where the boy was found.
The screen was connected to the electricity plug on the wall.

Informed by the
children, the boy′s father rushed to help him, and he too was injured by the electrified wire
screen. He immediately called the police. When police finally arrived, Chatrawarin was already on
his way to hospital with his mother and other relatives.

The doctors failed to revive him,
and he was declared dead at hospital.

The owner of the house, Mr. Udom, told the police that
he attached the electrical wire screen at the corner of his house to prevent dogs from urinating at
his wall.

Police arrested Mr. Udom for further investigation, and charged him for reckless
behaviour resulting in a death.

Fragmentation Among Redshirts Highlighted By Amnesty Debate

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Khaosod English

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24 July 2013, 14:14

(24 July) The question
about which version of amnesty bill should be adopted by the Parliament is exposing the different
ideological lines among the Redshirts movements.

Although the Redshirts have long been known
as loose, fragmented groups – ranging from rural supporters of the former charismatic leader Thaksin
Shinawatra and veteran politicians to urban intellectuals who push for a more liberal political
system – the recent debate on the amnesty bill is particularly polarising.

When Pheu Thai Party campaigned for the election in early 2011, they promised
dual efforts on granting amnesty to Redshirts protesters that are still detained for their alleged
crimes during the 2010 protests and a legal prosecution of those responsible for the crackdown which
left more than 90 people dead, mostly civilians.

After Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra took the helm
of the government, however, the efforts turned out to be somewhat vague – and disappointing for some
of her supporters.

Many political prisoners remained in jail, and legal action against the
authorities at the time of the 2011 crackdown is limited to former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
and his former Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban, while the military are virtually exempted from the
prosecution.

The decision not to hold the security forces accountable for their role
in the crackdown appears in line with the current government′s soft approach to the military,
perhaps to convince the powerful armed forces that the elected government is no threat to them and
there is no need to repeat the 2006 military coup which ousted Ms. Yingluck′s brother, Thaksin
Shinawatra.

The amnesty bill proposed by Mr. Worachai Hema, an MP of Pheu Thai
Party, reflects that attitude. It promises amnesty to all protesters charged with crimes related to
the 2010 unrest and members of the security forces. The fates of Mr. Abhisit and Mr. Suthep are not
included in the bill, which means the legal case against them would continue.

Former Deputy
PM Chalerm Yoobamrung went even further, proposing an amnesty bill that encompassed all sides
involved in political crisis since 2006. The get-out-of-jail card extends to Mr. Abhisit and Mr.
Thaksin, who was convicted in absentia
of corruption charge in 2007 (he insisted it was politically-motivated charge).

Apparently
frustrated by the administration′s reluctance to go after the military, group of family
members of civilians killed during the military operation that ended the Redshirts mass protests in
2010 came up with their own draft of amnesty bill last week.

The group, calling itself
?Families of 2010 Martyrs?, was represented by Ms. Payao Akhard and Mr. Pansak Srithep, who each
lost a child in the closing days of the 2010 crackdown – allegedly – at the hands of the
military.

The ?Victims Families? version of the bill would only give amnesty to protesters who are
not charged with serious crimes such as arson attacks on private properties (those who
attacked state properties are exempted out of reasoning that they were expressing political
statement), assaults on members of the public or security forces, and looting.

The amnesty
would also only cover soldiers who did not employ unnecessary violence. That means a soldier who
shot dead an unarmed protester, even when operating under authorisation from the higher chain of
command, would still be put on trial for murder-related charges along with his commanding
officers.

Prominent Pheu Thai politicians and Redshirts leaders, such as Mr. Weng Tojirakarn,
Mr. Sombat Boon-ngarmanong, and Ms. Suda Rangupan, have accused Ms. Payao and Mr. Pansak of trying
to slow down the process to pass amnesty bill by picking fight with the powerful military.

According to those opposed to the ?Victims Families? amnesty bill, the effort to free
detained Redshirts protesters should be a priority over the need to prosecute the security forces.
They expressed their fear that the military would never allow Ms. Yingluck′s government to pass such
a bill, ruining the chance of any little gain there might be altogether, and might even launch a
military coup in retaliation.

Some Redshirts also openly questioned the motives of Ms. Payao
and Mr. Pansak, indirectly accusing them of being collaborators with the rival Democrat Party which,
strangely enough, had expressed its support for the ?Victims Families? amnesty bill.

As the
opposition to Ms. Payao and Mr. Pansak approached the definition of the smear campaign, another blow
was landed today when a letter denouncing the duo′s amnesty bill has surfaced on the internet. The
letter was purportedly signed by 10 relatives of victims killed during the 2010 crackdown, and
claimed that they were not consulted about the amnesty bill by Ms. Payao and Mr Pansak.

The
letter went on to affirm that the relatives remain committed to Ms. Yingluck and Mr. Thaksin, that
they have always been grateful of efforts by Pheu Thai Party to help relieve their distress, and
that they would not betray the government or accept any payment by the opposition party to undermine
Pheu Thai Party.

It also expresses support for all other amnesty bills, including the
ones proposed by Mr. Worachai and Mr. Chalerm.

Some Redshirts-allied activists are alarmed by
the letter, seeing it as another attempt by Pheu Thai hardliners to isolate Ms. Payao and Mr. Pansak
who had adopted an aggressive stance toward the government and the military alike.

One of
them, Mr. Somsak Jiamteerasakul, is even accusing the government of lackmailing its Redshirts
supporters by tying the freedom of their fellow protesters in jail with amnesty for the military.

According to this view, Pheu Thai politicians? insistence that one has to choose between
soldiers-and-protesters amnesty bill and a bill that was doomed to fail is a false dilemma – as
the government does have the executive power to temporarily release the prisoners on its own
without the need for amnesty bill yet it does not choose to do so.

Moreover, the debate
highlights the split in the Redshirts movements: separating the large faction backed by Pheu Thai
politicians that is always supportive of the government from handfuls of activists who advocate for
greater independence from Mr. Thaksin.

It is also clear that there are wings of the Redshirts
that are increasingly frustrated, or even disillusioned, by Yingluck administration that seems to
renegade on its promises on issue like justice for 2010 crackdown victims.

Meanwhile,
prisoners jailed for lese majeste (insult of the Royal Family) such as Mr. Somyos
Prueksakasemsuk and Ms. Daranee Chancherngsilpakul are not explicitly included in any draft of
amnesty bill, despite calls from the more liberal faction inside the Redshirts.

The
Yellowshirts and Democrat Party have already announced they will not accept amnesty for lese majeste
prisoners, claiming that their offence is criminal rather than political nature, and there is no
sign that neither Pheu Thai Party nor the official Redshirts leadership would dare wade into the
highly-sensitive issue – another example of reluctance on the part of the government to challenge
the status quo.

Kamphaeng Phet Man Dies During His Rush 'To Make Merits'

By

Khaosod English

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23 July 2013, 20:13

(23 July) A man in
Kamphaeng Phet province reportedly died from motorcycle accident on his way to make merit at a local
temple on occasion of the beginning of the Buddhist Lent.

By-passers in Mueng District called
the police after they saw a motorcycle and a hand of a man emerging from the water surface in the
pond near Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University.

Rescue team later arrived at the scene and
retrieved the dead body, whose name was identified as Mr. Waropas Somna, 44, a local resident who
worked as a guard at the University.

Mr. Waropas’ friends told the police that Mr. Waropas
had finished his shift at 06.00 this morning and informed them that he had to rush to Wang-Yang
Temple to make merits for his good karma on the holy day.

Police officers suspected that Mr.
Waropas was driving his motorcycle at very high speed before he eventually lost control and hit into
the nearby tree. His unconscious body and a motorcycle were then thrown into the water by the sheer
momentum.

However, further investigation is underway as Mr. Waropas body was sent for
autopsy at Kamoaeng Phet Hospital.

Twin Bus Tragedies Hit Thailand, Killing 19 Victims

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Khaosod English

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23 July 2013, 18:48

(23 July) Thailand is
reminded yet again of the danger on its roads after 19 people were killed in 2 separate incidents,
both involving 18-wheeler trucks and passenger buses.

The first accident took place in Kaeng
Khoi district of Saraburi province when a moving truck suddenly diverted sideways on one side of the
highway and crashed into an oncoming double-deck bus on the other side.

The bus, which left
Bangkok early in the morning with many passengers, reeled away from the impact and caught fire
shortly afterwards, trapping victims in the vehicles. 15 people were reportedly died in the flame,
including the driver and a 3-year-old child, while the bodies of 4 other victims were found near the
bus.

23 people managed to escape and survived with some injuries. They were later taken to
Kaeng Khoi Hospital.

The truck driver, identified by the police as Mr. Sa-aad Boonyung, 29,
was among the severely injured, and has been admitted to the hospital under close supervision of the
police. The police suspected that Mr. Sa-aad fell asleep while driving, which made him lost control
of his truck.

One the same day, in Nadee district of Prachinburi province, another tour bus
crashed into an empty 18-wheeler truck. The accident left 3 people injured.

The bus driver,
Mr. Thong-An Angmanee, 59, told the police that there were 50 passengers on the bus headed to
Pattaya from Ubon Ratchathani province. While the bus was travelling at high speed uphill, he said,
he did not notice the truck, which was obstructing the far-left side of the road after it suffered
an accident.

He then reportedly crashed the bus into the truck, causing the lower part of his
bus torn off. The accident caused the injuries of Mr. Kamthorn Sirikul, 20, Ms. Warapon Makpim, 21
and Mr. Kanok Singhatong, 13. Reports say that they have all been sent to the Nadee
hospital.

The bus driver and the 18-wheeler truck driver, Mr. Perm Mungkinklang, 41, were
questioned by the police. Investigation is ongoing.

Ratchasima 'Giant Candle' Parade Disrupted By Storm

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Khaosod English

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23 July 2013, 17:30

(23 July) The
much-anticipated candle parade celebrating start of Buddhist Lent season in Nakorn Ratchasima
province became a victim of heavy rain and flood in the area.

According to Buddhist
doctrine, monks had been required to spend every night in their temples and monasteries for 3 months
during the annual rainy season, lest they venture out and damage farmers? rice fields in their
paths.

Buddhists donate large candles to local temples at the start of the Lent season. But
some provinces, including Nakorn Ratchasima, featured parades that carry gigantic candles, carved
exquisitely into shapes of mythical creatures and other figures.

This year, the start of
Buddhist Lent in Nakorn Ratchasima was accompanied by particularly heavy rainfall throughout the night,
causing flood in many areas. Some roads were completely cut off due to the sudden flooding.
Local authorities struggled to relieve the situation. Manholes were unplugged to quicken flows of
water, and these spots were guarded by officials to make sure no one step into the
drains.

Meanwhile, soldiers in the provincial Camp Suranari were forced to tear down sections
of walls around their camp that locked flooding water inside the installation like a dam. The flood
inside some parts of Camp Suranari was reported to be as high as 2 metre before the soldiers managed
to solve the crisis.

Mr. Winai Buapradit, the governor of
Nakorn Ratchasima province, said that the authorities would discuss how to prevent such flooding in
the future.

In the meantime, local authorities were forced to postpone the candle parade,
which boasts towering carved candles submitted by more than 50 teams of craftsmen.

Officials
said the annual light-and-sound show in the evening might be cancelled, too, out of safety concerns
for visiting tourists, citing the sprawling electric cables around the performance area that might
turn deadly due to the flood.

Throughout the rain-soaked day, locals and
tourists
gathered – umbrellas in their hands – around Lady Suranari Monument to take good look at the
craftsmanship of the candle parade that was parked nearby. Many expressed disappointment because
they had come a long way to witness the famed event.

The event later
kicked off, albeit raggedly, around 16.00 when the heavy rain slowed down to bearable
showers.

Nevertheless, officials said the torrent of rain benefitted the local farmers, as it
helps increase the water level in the reservoir for agricultural purpose, which had been reportedly
storing only 33% of its capacity prior to the rain.

'119 Year Old' Tribesman Dies Before His Age Is Verified

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Khaosod English

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23 July 2013, 16:57

(22 July) The tribesman
who was said to be 119 year old has passed away at his home in the northern mountainous province of
Mae Hong Sorn.

The body of Mr. Kamu Thongnamchokedee was found lying face down in his residence,
according to a local official at Mr. Kamu′s village in the remote Pang Ma Pha district. Mr.
Kamu′s relatives are holding a 3-day funeral in accordance with the local religious
belief.

Ms. Naruemon Pannwat, the governor of Mae Hong Sorn province, told our correspondent that
she was in grief upon hearing the news. She said she already had visited the village and paid
tribute to Mr. Kamu at the funeral.

The governor revealed
that the provincial authority had recently been in contact with Guinness World Record, to verify Mr.
Kamu′s age and list him as the oldest person after Mr. Jiroemon Kimura, the former Japanese
postman who previously held the record, passed away at age 116 years old.

Mr. Kamu is also
believed to be older than Ms. Misao Okawa, a current record holder from Japan thought to be the
oldest person alive at the age of 115 years old. Now that Mr. Kamu is dead, the verification process
might never take place.

Nonetheless, Mr. Kriangkrai Intapaj, a sheriff in Pang
Ma Pha district, claimed that there were other elderly individuals who have lived over a century in
Mueng Pamm village, where Mr. Kamu lived.

The 2 ladies are Ms. Nhojordor Wanawanich, said to
have lived for 117 years, and Ms. Nongmeko Ratana-arayatham, reportedly 105 years old. Both women,
like Mr. Kamu and the rest of the village residents, belong to the local ethnic group of White
Karen.

However, it should be noted that the age of these individuals is not yet
independently verified.

DSI Seeking Arrest Warrants For 'Fake University' Directors

By

Khaosod English

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23 July 2013, 16:08

One of the participants at a recent 'graduation ceremony' organized by the WPU inspects a WPU-issued gown.

(23 July) Division of
Special Investigation (DSI) is seeking arrest warrants on charges of fraud and computer crime for 3
individuals who identified themselves as rectors of the so-called ?World Peace University?
(WPU).

The ?University? has drawn much attention from the public, and the laws enforcement
agencies, after it emerged that it has been giving out honorary degrees to many recipients, even
though the establishment is not registered as a proper university.

There are also reports
that the WPU charges the ?graduates? some money in return for these degrees – the allegation denied
by the directors of the WPU.

The WPU has previously clarified to the media that their
degrees merely served as ceremonious certificates handed out to individuals who had committed noble
deeds, and that they had no intention to advertise their degrees as legitimate academic
titles.

However, the DSI remains unconvinced. Pol.Maj.Gen. Sakkapol Sukparn, an official at
the DSI, insisted that the 3 WPU directors – Mr.
Sawasdi Banterngsuk, Mr. Suppanat Donchan, and Mr. Rewat Chatrivisit – clearly violate the laws
because they try to imitate an educational establishment and misled people into making payments for
the fake degrees, hence the charge of fraud.

As for the computer crime charge, Pol.Maj.Gen.
Sakkapol said that the WPU has been advertising and disseminating misleading information on the
internet.

He said the DSI has sufficient evidences of wrongdoing and he expected the court
would approve the arrest warrants for the 3 WPU directors in near future.

Editorial 23 July 2013 : Transparency from all sides

By

Khaosod English

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23 July 2013, 15:04

Many are calling for
transparency assessment of the the government’s rice pledging scheme, which allowed all Thai farmers
to sell rice to the state at higher rate than market price. Topics concerned are the production and
selling of the rice.

However, the attempt to inspect the program must be on the basis of
factual information, aiming to protect the interests of the public, and is not intended to be a tool
for political smear campaign. Otherwise, the process itself will lose its reliability, as what
happened in many so cases.

Recently, Consumer Protection Foundation and its networks
conducted an assessment on quality of rice in the government program, and claimed that of 46 brands
available in market, 1 brand contained chemical toxic above standard.

Meanwhile, another 33
brands found traces of anti-degradation chemicals, though the level of such contamination is well
under the standard limitation.

The Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Agriculture promptly
questioned the legitimacy of the assessment, asking whether the inspection was conducted in standard
laboratory, and whether it had been overseen by relevant experts.

In reply, the networks
insisted that their inspection was done with good faith, as they have been doing for the last 10
years or so.

Unfortunately, their lab result had turned into a part of the deeply divisive
political issue, with the anti-government critics seizing on the results to attack the government.
The intention to offer consumers? protection by the networks risk being lost in the shouts of
political bickering.

On one hand, the government should react to the inspection conducted by
these private agencies with grateful attitude; after all, the inspection of the rice program offers
a critical assessment of the said program for the sake of the public.

The private
organisations, on the other hand, need not feel offended by challenges from the government and other
related agencies. They should openly discuss question and concerns about the rice verification
process raised by any party, to prove the sincerity behind the inspection.

Ultimately,
this issue should remind us that transparency is demanded of all parties involved in the
dispute.

Man Confesses To Murdering Girl Who 'Insults His Dysfunction'

By

Khaosod English

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21 July 2013, 22:47

(21 July) Affairs between
a married man and a friend of his daughter ended up in a murder case after the woman reportedly made
joke about her partner′s erectile dysfunction, enraging him so much he drowned her to
death.

The dead body of the woman, identified as Ms. Siripon (surname unclear), 22, was found
floating in a pond in Mueang District, Bueng Kan province, on 12 July. The autopsy showed that she
was drowned. Since the body had been in water for 10 days, the police could not find any bruises or
marks indicating that she was attacked.

However, relatives of Ms. Siripon were convinced she
was murdered because some of her belongings, including her Samsung Galaxy mobile phone and her
sandals were missing from the body.

After days of investigation, the police said they had
arrested Mr. Don Nakua, 43, in connection with the crime. He reportedly confessed he murdered Ms.
Siripon.

Mr. Don told police he had been in
affairs with Ms. Siripon, a friend of his daughter, despite the fact that both he and Ms. Siripon
were married. He said he had tried to have sexual intercourse with Ms. Siripon twice, but both
attempts failed because of his erectile dysfunction, and Ms. Siripon had derided him about
it.

On the day of the crime, 2 July, Mr. Don
reportedly met Ms. Siripon as she was drinking beer in her village and later invited her to do drugs
at the scene of the murder, which is next to the pond in his rubber tree plantation.

After they had taken some drugs, according to the suspect, both he and Ms. Siripon were
turned on. Nonetheless, Mr. Don suffered from erectile dysfunction yet again and could not perform
sexual intercourse, prompting his partner to insult him like previous times.

Enraged, Mr.
Don allegedly kicked Ms. Siripon into the pond. He later charged into the water, grabbed Ms.
Siripon′s neck, and drowned her to death, according to his testimony.

Mr. Don also told the
police that after he committed a crime, he fled the scene on his motorcycle and slept with his wife
as though nothing happened. On the next day, he said, he went back to scene to retrieve Ms.
Siripon’s belongings and buried them 100 metres away from the scene.

During the crime
re-enactment session, the angered relatives of Ms. Siripon tried to attack the suspect several
times, and the police had to keep him away from the crowd.

14 Year Old Girl Raped By Father, Grandfather, Granduncles

By

Khaosod English

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21 July 2013, 21:06

(21 July) Police in
Chonburi province rescued a 14 year old girl after receiving reports that she had been repeatedly
raped by 4 relatives in the family, including her father and grandfather.

Ms. A, a
resident of Bang Saray District told the police that her grandfather first raped her when she was 9.
She was too scared to tell her parents, the girl recalled.

Several months later a younger
brother of her grandfather reportedly found out about his brother′s sexual abuse of the girl,
but he ended up raping her too. Later, the youngest brother of the 3 elder men also raped her,
according to the victim.

The alleged tragedy did not end there, as the girl told police that
her father raped her as well. The victim claimed that the man would even rape her when her mother
was sleeping in the same room. Ms. A said she had no way out and had to endure living in the same
house with the 4 rapists.

She said her youngest granduncle treated her as his own mistress,
which eventually led to the violence that prompts police intervention. The 4 men were said to have
ended up fighting each other because of jealousy over the girl. Her father and her youngest
granduncle reportedly went as far as engaging in knife fights, which scared the girl so much she
told her ordeals to her mother.

The mother later reported the issue to the sheriffs, who in
turn contacted the police to search the house and rescue the girl.

Her mother later told our
correspondent that once she heard the tragedy, she was unable to stomach the story of what her
husband had done, and even grabbed the knife to attack him. She also expressed her regrets that she
had been so focused on the family financial income that she did not spend time with her daughter as
much as she should.

Police said they had arrested all 4 suspects, who denied all allegations.
In the meantime, Ms. A was sent to the hospital for medical check-ups. The police investigation into
the matter is underway.

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