The Eton-educated former leader was also accused by some on social network
of visiting Koh Samet only for photo-op and PR stunt.

The comedy Facebook page  “Somrak
Pak Puen Geng” (Somrak for Gay People Party) posted the picture with a caption saying that Mr.
Abhisit and his fellows were having “good time” at the beach, while other people carrying the pier
were wondering why wouldn?t Abhisit and his friends just stay home and follow the news on
TV?.

Later, the Facebook page of Blue Sky Channel, the TV channel allied to the Democrat
Party, clarified about the photo, saying that the landing pier is a normal way tourists disembark on
Ao Phrao. According to the statement, usually the pier is driven by a truck but as the vehicles were
unavailable today the staff at the beach had to draw the pier by hands.

The channel said the
Redshirts were trying to twist reality to smear Mr. Abhisit. It also accused Ms. Yingluck of
spending a marvellous time abroad, walking on the red carpet rather than caring about the oil
spill crisis in Gulf of Thailand, referring to Ms. Yingluck′s trip to some African nations at the
moment.

Meanwhile, PTT Plc announced an official apology statement, adding that they are they
are actively proceeding with the clean-up process which is 90% complete and expected to last at
least for another 2-3 weeks.

The company also launched a live broadcast on its website
showing the operation in Ao Phrao.

The Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order
(CAPO) has been formed following the invocation of 2007 Internal Security Act. The laws has been
enacted in 3 Districts of Bangkok. covering the locations of the Government House and the House
Parliament, around where the protesters are scheduled to rally on 4 August – 7
August.

Sparing no time in exercising the security law powers, the Centre has announced via
TV broadcast that 12 roads and streets in the 3 affected Districts would be sealed off from the
general public. Only those bearing permission from the Centre are allowed to enter these areas,
the statement reads.

The government has previously voiced its fear that the protests might be
infiltrated with potential troublemakers intent on causing unrest and casualties in order to inflame
the situation.

He said he believed the protest would be attended by at least 4,000
protesters, although other officials have put the figure as high as
10,000.

Pol.Maj.Gen.Parinya Chansuriya claimed that enactment of the Internal Security Act is
aimed toward preserving peace in the society. The police, he said, will adopt patience and tolerance
to prevent any chaos, and will only resort to using force when orders have been given.

Despite the security laws, Pol.Maj.Gen. Piya Uthayo, spokesman of the Metropolitan Police,
said he believed that the situation in Bangkok would continue as normal, but added that if anyone
notices any suspicious, they are urged to contact the police by dialing 191 and 1599
immediately.

The ant-government activists have vowed to overthrow the government of Ms.
Yingluck, saying it is a legacy of her brother former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra accused of
corruption and tyranny. They are also opposed to the amnesty bill which would be debated by the
Parliament on 7 August.

The bill would give amnesty to Redshirts protesters imprisoned for
their alleged crimes during the violent protests in 2010 against the government of then-Prime
Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Many Thais are reminded by the upcoming protest of the chaos in
2008 when the Yellowshirts launched a campaign to overthrow the government at the time, which was
allied with Mr. Thaksin.

That campaign saw occupation of the Government House and Bangkok′s
2 airports by the protesters, clashes on street between rival protesters, and concluded in the
collapse of the government after the court disbanded the ruling People Power Party.

A slight
chaos appeared to engulf the Government House even before the new wave of protests, though. Last
night, a fire broke out in the compound and was quickly extinguished afterwards.

Officials
dismissed report of sabotage, explaining that the fire was started when a careless individual threw
a burning cigarette end from the restroom′s windows into a pile of garbage just outside the
building.

The students, who study at Thammasat University, are
members of the activist group Liberal Thammasart for Democracy (LTTD). They were led by Mr. Panitan
Prueksakasemsuk, the son of Mr. Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a former magazine editor currently
imprisoned on charge of lese majeste (insult of monarchy).

According to Thai lese majeste
laws, those who are found guilty of insulting the Royal Family face maximum of 15 years in jail per
offence.

Critics of the laws argue that lese majeste is of highly political nature, as most
of those punished under this law are allies of the Redshirts movement, such as Mr. Somyot, who once
served as editor of a (now defunct) pro-Redshirts magazine, and Mr. Surachai Daanwattanusorn, leader
of a more radical wing of the Redshirts called Red Siam.

Therefore, LTTD says, lese majeste
convicts are political prisoners similar to Redshirts protesters imprisoned for their alleged crimes
during the mass protests in 2010 which were ultimately crushed by the military.

To campaign
for more public awareness about the issue, around 10 members of the LTTD wore prisoners costumes as
they rode on the busy Skytrain from Victory Monument to Siam station and the heart of Bangkok′s
downtown, passing through Siam Paragon shopping mall and BTS Skywalk.

On the way, they
distributed pamphlets detailing the reasons why political prisoners should be released and the
dangers of imprisoning hose who think differently in our society. They received considerable
attention from the public as they made their way toward Ratchaprasong Intersection, the centre of
the Redshirts protests in 2010.

The amnesty will be like medicine that helps cure Thailand′s failure of legal
system, Mr. Panitan said.

On the same day, the Court of Appeals in Bangkok ruled against
allowing Mr. Somyot to be released on bail after he appealed his jail sentence. Ms. Sukanya
Prueksakasemsuk, Mr. Somyot′s wife, had posted bail money of more than 4 million baht and asked the
court for her husband′s release, saying he deserved the right to fight his appeal outside the
prison.

The court disagreed. In their statement, the judges wrote that Mr. Somyot′s case is
a crime that severely affects people′s feeling, and they fear that Mr. Somyot might try to escape
from legal prosecution if he is released on bail.

Phra Mahachaisiam Panyayakkhamo, the abbot of Wat Khao Saton
Temple in Chachoengsao province, was detained by police at a petrol station in Klong Luang district,
Pathumthani province. He was dressed in uniform of a Police Colonel at the
time.

Pol.Lt.Col.Jeerawat Peimpinseth told our correspondent that he spotted the self-styled
police officer acting suspiciously at a car wash in Petronas Gas Station, located on Phahonyothin
Road, so his team held him in custody and quickly discovered that the suspect was in fact a
monk.

The (real) officer said he became suspicious because the suspect was wearing pair of
sandals with his fake uniform.

Phra Mahachaisiam later admitted at the police station that he
usually disguises himself as Police Colonel when he went out of town on his Toyota in order to deter
any question from low-ranking police officers at checkpoints.

He told the police that he had
been in monkhood for 11 years, and had dressed as a police officer for more than 10 times without
getting caught. Prior to his arrest, he was using restroom and washing his car at the petrol
station. He commended Pol.Lt.Col. Jeerawat for having the wit to see through his
disguise.

Officials were combing wide
areas in Mae Fah Luang District to find the boy, but he is now presumed to be dead as he had been
missing for more than 48 hours already. His parents managed to rescue his younger twin brother
before he was lost in the fierce current.

The boy is believed to be the second death caused
by latest incidents of floods that hit Thailand′s northern region, affecting thousands of families
and destroying farmlands. 4 provinces – Chiang Rai, Nan, Phayao, and Tak – are battling with the
flash flood and heavy storm.

In Chiang Rai province, flood warning is announced in 6
districts, while 1,377 families were reported to be affected by the flood that swept across 6
districts in Nan province.

4 districts in Phayao province also reported to be suffering from
the flood, and 2,603 families are being given aid.

In Tak province, water in Huai Mae Sod
Reservoir started to flood into Mae Sod district after heavy rain. The authorities are closely
observing the water in Moei River, bracing for more cases of flood.

The suspect, known before his defrocking as Luang Pu Nen Kham, is believed to be
residing in the US. The DSI has charged him with frauds, money laundering, and sexual assault on an
underage woman.

 Mr. Tharit said after the meeting that the ICE is committed, on the basis of
the US law, to help bringing Mr. Wirapol to face his legal trial in Thailand.

Regarding our
close cooperation, the ICE has confirmed that the requests from DSI will succeed soon Mr. Tharit
said in referring to the request DSI made to ICE to send Mr. Wirapol back to Thailand. However, he
declined to elaborate any further, saying he would not discuss the operation in details.

Mr.
Tharit stressed that the DSI has been earnestly investigating the case and monitoring information
about the fugitive ex-monk.

The DSI is also moving to investigate Mr. Wirapol′s numerous
spiritual supporters, he said, because they are responsible for holding assets and donation money
worth tens of million of baht.

The DSI is working to trace the money trail, Mr.
Tharit added.

Before the controversy, Luang Pu Nen Kham had been a self-styled magical monk
residing at his monastery in Si Saket province. Many of his followers are police officers,
businessmen, and bureaucrats. During the height of his influence, he is believed to have raked in
massive wealth and luxurious goods via donation.

Luang Pu Nen Kham had been relatively
unknown to the general public until a video of him riding on a private jetplane – with a Louis
Vuitton bag, no less – surfaced on the internet. Much of the public was enraged at the video, as his
behaviour appears to run against Buddhist dogma of a humble monkhood, and police investigation was
launched against his wealthy lifestyle soon afterwards.

Police patrols were dispatched to investigate the
scene near Nawarat Bridge, overcrossing Ping River, in Mueng District. However, once the police
arrived the group of naked foreigners had already disappeared.

The foreigners were described
by witnessed as male Caucasian adults.

Fortunately, only 2 passengers were
injured, along with the driver, in the latest accident involving inter-provincial buses in Thailand.

Mr. Anan Chalorngpraiwal, 35, the bus driver said that his tour bus was heading to Mae Hon
Son province from Bangkok on Highway 108.

Suddenly, at around 5.30 am, the giant tree cracked
down onto the bus, he said, crashing near the driver’s seat. Mr. Anan then unsuccessfully tried to
control the bus as it slid to the other side of the road.

Two injured passengers are Ms.
Patdharat Khanta, 31, from Mae Hon Son province, and Ms. Nualsri Kamyod, 70, from Chiang Rai
province. Both of them suffered the injury on their legs, but Ms. Patdharat also suffered broken
arms.

The two passengers were reportedly sitting behind the driver’s seat, and are now under
the supervision from medical team at Mae La Hospital.

Mr.
Yongyuth Jongbuagglang, 34, a worker in a construction camp in Mueang District, found the skull
while he and his friends were hanging out near Chao Praya River to catch some fish.

Mr.
Yongyuth said that on 30 July, he and his friends cast the fish net and found a black rounded item
attached to the net.

“I did not notice it was a human skull in the first place” Mr. Yongyuth
said.

The other workers alerted the police and the rescue team, which later went to
investigated the river and found other pieces of bones.

Mr. Yongyouth told police this is not
the first time he found the pieces of human remains. Three days earlier, he said, he found a piece
of bone, just 10 metres away from where he found the skull.

Police officers are currently
checking disappearance history in the district, and have encouraged police in nearby areas to do the
same, in order to narrow the search and investigation.

Pol.St.
Suriyan and Pol.Sgt. Wattana initially fled the scene but later gave themselves up today at a local
police station. They were charged with intentional manslaughter and reckless execution of
duty.

The victim’s mother, Ms. Nongnuch Dokduea, 42, said she would press charge
against the police on behalf of her daughter. She said she had lit up an incense stick to summon her
daughter′s spirit and communicated with Ms. Sunisa that she would seek justice for her.

It is
not immediately clear how Ms. Sunisa is related to Mr. Santisuk, who is currently on the run, and
why she was in the car at the time.