Songkhla Woman Burned, Seriously Injured By Her Husband

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3 June 2013, 18:41

(3 June) A man dowsed his wife
with gasoline and set her on fire in Songkhla province today, reportedly because he feared she was
cheating on him.

Police received report about the incident around 08.00 today. Ms. Chutima
Tongkrai, 37, was admitted to Buengkarn Hospital with severe burns throughout her body, from her
face down to her waist, while her arms and legs were also burned. Doctors at the hospital said she
suffered 60% burn of her body and is now monitored closely in the ICU.

Later, her husband,
Mr. Jirawat Kaewsuk, 53, arrived
at the hospital to treat his burned wounds, and the police apprehended him. Mr. Jirawat told police
at the police station that he had been married to Ms. Chutima for 12 years. They had 2 children
together, one aged 6 and the other aged 1.

Mr. Jirawat said in the past year they had argued
with each other a lot. 10 days ago, he said, they had big fights and Ms. Chutima left him. Mr.
Jirawat said he eventually caught up with her at her relative′s house but she refused to go back to
him. Ms. Chutima also reportedly asked Mr. Jirawat for a divorce.

The suspect told police
that Ms. Chutima′s relative whispered to him that his wife already found a new man, so he confronted
Ms. Chutima about this. She reportedly confirmed the news, enraging Mr. Jirawat, who left the house
to buy a bottle of gasoline and came back to the house with the intention to burn her face so she
would become ugly.

However, Mr. Jirawat continued in his confession, Ms. Chutima ran around
the house, escaping from him, so he dowsed her body with the gasoline and ignite it with his
lighter. The incident happened in front of Ms. Chutima′s family members who attempted to stop the
attack but failed. Mr. Jirawat was also burned in his leg, caused by Ms. Chutima′s struggle against
him as he set her aflame.

The police charged Mr. Jirawat with attempted murder.

Pathumthani Rocked By College Gang Fights

By

Khaosod English

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3 June 2013, 17:53

(3
June) Rival college gangs clashed with each other this morning in Pathumthani, and another fight
almost broke out in local hospital later where the gang members were sent to treat their
wounds.

The clash between 2 gangs of student began around 09.00, with some students seen
throwing homemade explosives in direction of their rivals in front of Major Cineplex cinema,
injuring a number of people. The students were from Pathumthani Technical School and Pathumthani
Technology College.

After the incident, police arrested 23 people. The injured were sent to
Pathumthani hospital. However, the gang members followed their injured friends there, and met with
the rival gang in the hospital. Fistfights were about to ensue when police officers at the hospital
broke up the groups in time.

There′s also report of some students firing their pen-pistols
toward the of students at a bus stop in front of Soi Rungrueng. The police moved in to arrest the
attackers, and identified them as students from Pathumthani Technology. 12 people were arrested
afterwards.

Polytechnic schools in Bangkok are known for fomenting deep rivalry against one
another, and the gangs often clashed on streets, sometimes with fatal casualties. Some bystanders
caught up in the fights had been injured or even killed before.

Red Masks Face-Off With Guy Fawkes Masks

By

Khaosod English

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3 June 2013, 17:01

(2 June) The term
?political masquerade? gets somewhat literal meaning in central Bangkok today after
anti-government protesters who donned Guy Fawkes masks were met with counter-protesters wearing red
masks.

Earlier in the day, around 500 anti-government protesters gathered around the plaza in
front of Central World shopping, Ratchaprasong intersection, with their Guy Fawkes masks to voice
their opposition to the government of PM Yingluck Shinawatra.

The rally followed an online
trend in which many government critics adopted the masks as their profile pictures of social network
sites. The anti-government faction portrayed their movement as ?Thai Spring?, claiming
they are following footsteps of dissidents in the Arab world.

However, the number of those
who showed up at the protest is notably much smaller than the size of their virtual revolution. One
man holds up a sign that reads Next time we will come in millions. Others displayed signs that
affirm their loyalty to the King of Thailand, reflecting the belief among government critics that
Ms. Yingluck and her brother, ousted former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, are threat to the
monarchy.

On 17.00, the protesters marched to Siam Center shopping mall, but a different
group of protesters were already staging their rally on the pavement there. The counter-protesters
wore arrays of red-colored masks, featuring faces from famous Japanese manga. A sign held by a
protester reads We will overthrow the Ammart (feudal rulers) regime and its tyranny in Thailand,
in a clear rebuke to the Guy Fawkes crowd who marched under a banner that reads We will overthrow
Thaksin regime.

Members of the red mask protests say they call themselves Red Sayiew
(feeling sexy), parodying the radical, progressive Red Siam faction of the Redshirts.

Mr.
Pakorn Cheewangkul, leader of Red Sayiew, said in an interview that his group merely wants to mock
the anti-government Guy Fawkes maskers and had no political agenda. He denied any link to the
Redshirts, insisting that he organized the event out of dedication to democracy.

If they Guy
Fawkes people continue to protest, we will be there again, Mr. Pakorn promised.

Guy Fawkes
protester finished their march in front of Bangkok Art and Culture Center. The group eventually
finished their rally after singing the royal anthem. Their newly-formed nemesis Red Sayiew
protesters quickly disbanded soon after.

Hit TV Drama 'Gentlemen' Should Be Model For Society, Survey Says

By

Khaosod English

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3 June 2013, 15:43

(3 June) Many Thais feel that the gentlemanly and egalitarian values featured in
TV drama ?The Chutathep Gentlemen? should be practiced more often in real world,
according to an opinion survey.

The survey was conducted by Assumption
University (Abac Poll) and asked 1,985 individuals in 17 provinces about their opinions on the
popular TV drama, which is shown nightly on Channel 3.

Based on the novel with same
name, ?The Chutathep Gentlemen? revolves around love encounters of the 5 sons in the
(fictional) royal-related Chutathep family. The story is understood to take place in the years
following the 1932 Revolution which abolished the Siamese Absolute Monarchy.

The TV production of the novel is heavily laced with ?period? and even
nostalgic themes, and some unsuspecting viewers might be surprised to learn that
?Gentlemen? was published only few years ago.

Of the 5
characters, Khun Chai (title denoting royal blood) Phuttipat, who worked as a doctor in the
drama, seems to be the most popular so far – and is also the focal point of the Abac Poll
survey.

Mr. Noppadol Kannika, director of Abac Poll, revealed the survey result
in the press conference titled ?Watching Drama, Watching Thai Society?. 62.2% of the
respondents say they know about Khun Chai Phuttipat, while 37.8% say they never heard of
him.

Of those who responded they know about the character, 96.3% express their wish
that Thai society needs more gentlemanly behaviors like the examples laid out by Khun Chai
Phuttipat.

The drama′s main plot involved Mr. Phuttipat
falling in love with a common-born woman called Krongkaew who later became the winner in national
beauty contest and was reviled by Mr. Phuttipat′s noble-born family. In defiance of his
family′s prejudice, Mr. Phuttipat eloped with his girlfriend. There is also a subplot about
Mr. Phuttipat protecting Krongkaew from a powerful politician who pressured her to become his
mistress.

The plot
eventually resolved in happy ending, with Khun Chai marrying his love.

Asked about what they like about Khun Chai Phuttipat, 84.1% say they are
impressed by his politeness and egalitarian spirit. 73.9% cited his role as a doctor who worked hard
to help impoverished patients. Others say they admire his bravery, his refusal to bow to influences,
and his committed love to Krongkaew.

Vast majority of the respondents also say they
wish Thai men would behave noblely like Khun Chai Phuttipat. However, 76.7% say they have never
experienced ?gentlemanly behavior? from Thai men.

Mr. Noppadol, the
director of Abac Poll, said it′s interesting to see that 91.8% want TV stations to produce
more dramas that feature such gentlemanly spirit, while 88.2% say they are tired with the mainstream
TV dramas that display a lot of violence like slapping and fighting among the
characters.

Previously, TV drama producers like to think that drama about jealous
fights and affairs are always sell-able\, Mr. Noppadol said, noting that this survey confirms
those soap dramas aren?t what society truly wants to see.

Twins Wed Twins In Kalasin

By

Khaosod English

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3 June 2013, 14:45

(2 June) Twin brothers
married their sweethearts – who happened to be twin sisters – today in Kalasin province.

The
wedding ceremony kicked off around 09.00 when the grooms, 23 year old Mr. Watanyu and Mr. Saranyu
Kampriew, led the traditional, rowdy kan mak procession to the brides? house in Kok Krue
village, Yanglard district, to formally ask the brides? parents for the hands of their daughters in
the marriage.

The brides, 23 year old Ms. Saowalos and Ms. Saowalak Prisri, waited with their
parents, who gave them the permission to marry the grooms. The grooms also present their soon-to-be
parents-in-laws with dowry which consists of 370,000 baht in cash and around 1.5 ounces of
gold.

Mr. Watanyu and Mr. Saranyu, who go by their nicknames Klang (middle) and Lek (small),
respectively, told our correspondent that they met Ms. Saowalos and Ms. Saowalak, nicknamed Fah
(sky) and Fon (rain), during their college years. They said Mr. Watanyu started dating Ms. Saowalos
first, then Mr. Saranyu and Ms. Saowalak became attracted to each other later, too.

Both
couples have dated for 6 years before agreeing to marry, and have decided to marry on the same day
as well.

Ms. Saowalos and Ms. Saowalak said that they have their ways of knowing which
person is their boyfriend, assuring our correspondent that there would be no confusion after the
wedding. They said they had dated for 6 years, so they had developed echniques to identify Mr.
Watanyu and Mr Saranyu. They did not say what those methods are.

Mr. Nipon Prisri, father of
the twin brides, said that he believed having twins in his family brings good luck. He said that
even since his daughters were born his farm had seen much success. He expressed his hope that both
couples would also bear twin children.

'Car Race Winning Money' Led To Fatal Shootout

By

Khaosod English

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31 May 2013, 18:52

(31 May) Just 10 minutes
past midnight earlier today Saensook police station received reports of a shooting on the Bypass Road along
Nongmon, Chonburi.

Police rushed to the scene to find 1 victim killed, identified as
Mr.Watchara Cheunsiri, 26, lying belly up, his body shot in his right cheek, right arm, chest, head,
and right rib. Police also found the victim’s Suzuki motorcycle license plate 24-175 Chonburi.
Several 9 mm shell casings were found on the scene.

Initial investigations reveal that before
the incident, Mr.Watchara was in talks with Mr.Bas Bangsai about paying up for the winnings of an
automobile race that ended at 23.00 the day before. Reportedly, Mr.Bas lost but refused to pay and
they were unable to come to a conclusion.

Shots then broke out and Mr.Watchara was
outgunned. He ran over to his motorcycle, but Mr.Bas followed and shot him until he was dead, then
fled the scene on a white Honda Jazz, license plate 8553, into Chonburi city center.

Police
say Mr.Watchara had previously been jailed for 6 years, and had only been out for 3 months. He was
unemployed and earned his living in automobile races.

Yasothorn 'Magical Well' Offers Lotto Number

By

Khaosod English

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31 May 2013, 17:49

YASOTHON
– After a monk in Si Nual village dreamed of the mythical dragon Naga living in a well 3 years ago,
the hunt for lottery numbers began.

For the past years, local villagers insisted, the power
of the Naga has not only granted them winning lottery numbers, but also provided magical water which
cured whatever illness their elder relatives might be suffering from.

When another round of
lottery drawing approaches – like today – the villagers would flock to the well, which is situated
in the village′s temple. Our correspondent found crowds of villagers praying to the well with incenses and
flowers in their hands.

Some arrived with their buckets and bottles to draw the water,
telling our correspondent they would bring the ?healing water? back to their families.

Next to piles of flowers laid there in
reverence, someone placed twin figures of male and female 5-headed Naga, while a 7-headed Naga King
made of sandstone gazed at the worshipers nearby.

The well itself is 2-meter
wide and 6-10 meter deep. Its surface was covered with dome-shaped room built by the villagers.

Boontun Paopen, 67, a village resident, said a hermit monk arrived in Na Si Nual village and
told the villagers he was walking from Mookdaharn province. Ms. Boontun said one of the first things
the monk did was asking whether there was a well in the village′s temple.

Yes, there′s a
well there, the villagers reportedly told him, explaining that the century-old well in the temple
had been abandoned for years after some kids and cattle accidentally fell into the water. Plus, the
villagers preferred the provincial waterworks these days. So, for 10 years, they had blocked the
well with twigs.

According to Ms. Boontun, the monk stunned the villagers by telling them
they?d better remove all those obstacles from well′s lid because he had a dream that 2 Naga – a male
and female – were living inside that well, and by unblocking their reathing path, the Naga would
bring riches to the community.

Naga are mythical dragons from Buddhist cosmology. Many temple murals and statues feature the Naga spreading its many heads behind Buddha as he sat and meditated.

Villagers went to work immediately, renovating the well and
turning it into a shrine. They said fortunes kept coming, some villagers even won lotteries, so they
gathered money and build a permanent roof over the well.

The villagers? faith in the sacred
well was even more reinforced after a local told his neighbors he has seen the two Naga rising out
of the well in full glory. Sometimes the Naga would speak to them via mediums. Sometimes the water
blessed by their power would heal diseases. But the principal power of the Naga is decidedly
prophesying lucky number for lotto.

Today, like any other month, the pilgrims could be seen
busying themselves by scratching the well′s perimeter, looking for signs of numbers, while numerous
lotto vendors hawk their tickets to riches around the temple′s courtyard.

As for Ms.
Boontun, she said she had seen the signs and she believed that – Naga willing – this month′s lottery
number would definitely include 0 and 5.

'Yayaying' Urges Thais To See 'Only God Forgives' For Themselves

By

Khaosod English

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31 May 2013, 16:56

(30 May) Rhatha
?Yayaying? Phongam, the Thai actress who co-starred with American actor Ryan Gosling in the film
?Only God Forgives?, responded to the news about crowds booing at the film′s screening at Cannes by
urging Thai people to watch the film and judge for themselves.

Ms.
Rhatha said every film shown at Cannes Film Festival is booed anyway, and ?Only God Forgives?
received relatively lesser amount of booing.

In fact, if you look at the video I posted on
Youtube, there were also long applauds after the film was over. The British [audiences] seem to like
it, whereas the French might not like it because the film is dark and violent, she
said.

The film was criticized, and some people don?t like it, because the story might be too
artistic. But you all should see it for yourselves if the film is screened here in
Thailand

Ms. Rhatha continued that she was very satisfied with the experience in making this
film, remarking that she does not know whether she would have such moments again in her life. The
pinnacle of her experience was walking down the famous Red Carpet at Cannes, which she described as
eyond her wildest dream.

I?m very proud of it, Ms. Rhatha told our
correspondent.

Her presence at the Red Carpet also sparked a separate incident, in which Ms.
Araya ?Chompuu? Hargate, another popular Thai actress, was criticized by some netizens for not doing
traditional Thai greeting (wai) and not displaying enough Thainess, as contrary to Ms. Rhatha
who graced the crowds with her wai and Thai-inspired dress.

Yayaying played down the
incident, explaining that she and Ms. Araya were there as different capacities (Ms. Araya was not
part of any film cast – she was a brand presenter for the cosmetic firm l?Oreal Paris), but both had
made reputation for Thailand so Ms. Araya should be praised, not criticized, for her role at the Red
Carpet.

She said she had not talked to Ms. Araya about the incident, but insisted she had no
personal conflict with Ms. Araya.

Vice PM Visits Khaosarn To Assure Tourists Safety

By

Khaosod English

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31 May 2013, 16:35

(30 May) Vice PM Chalerm
Yoobamrung visited Khaosarn Road in a bid to assure foreign tourists that all is well in Bangkok
after a bomb exploded on a crowded street in Ramkhamhaeng area, injuring 6 people.

Pol.Capt.
Chalerm and his entourage toured the Khaosarn Road around 21.00 for safety measures inspection.
There, the Vice Prime Minister talked with some tourists, telling them that an ongoing rumor about
another bomb attack is absolutely false. The rumor, he said, was fabricated by malevolent
individuals to discredit the government.

The said rumor claimed that another wave of bomb
attacks in some of Bangkok shopping malls are imminent. The rumor was fanned widely by anxious
netizens on social network sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Police
confirmed the rumor was false. They said no official warning of any kind has been issued, and
police officers have been monitoring the situation very closely.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Adul
Narongsak, vice commander of the Metropolitan Police said Facebook messages are not very reliable,
and citizens should instead look for official warning from the police force as means of keeping up
with situations.

He added that the persons who shared the rumor on the social media should
stop immediately because it is causing chaos in the city. He noted that spreading false information
is punishable by law in the Computer Crime Act 2007, which is a five years imprisonment sentence or
a fine not exceeding 100,000 baht or both.

Meanwhile, Pol.Col.Pratchaaya Prasarnsook said
that evidence had been gathered on the spread of the this rumor, but the police had not come to a
conclusion yet, fearing that legal prosecution would create further panic among the
citizens.

Army Denies Shooting At Fabio Polenghi

By

Khaosod English

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31 May 2013, 16:09

BANGKOK – The Royal Thai Army again insisted it had no role in the death of Fabio Polenghi, the Italian photographer who was killed in central Bangkok as the military launched the final assault on Redshirts protesters on 19 May 2010.

The army was responding to the court inquest which ruled earlier this week that Mr. Polenghi was slain by military-issued bullet fired from the direction of the security forces, citing witnesses and other forensic investigations. The inquest was the first official act which linked the military′s role to death of Mr. Polenghi, after 3 years of silence and denial.

But today, Col. Wintai Suwaree, spokesman of the Royal Thai Army, said in press conference that the bullet may have been fired from the military position at the time, but the security forces had not taken control of all highrise buildings in the area, suggesting that Mr. Fabio might have been killed by unknown militants who took shelter in such buildings.

However, Col. Wintai′s remark contradicts with the court inquest which indicated that no other armed elements are believed to be involved in Mr. Polenghi′s death.

Col. Wintai also said that the military had not fired their weapons around the time of Mr. Polenghi′s death. As for numerous videos suggesting otherwise, Col. Wintai dismissed them as propaganda "spread by ill-intentioned people" who want to defame the military.

"The footage only show events in which the personnel exchanged fire with armed militants who obstruct our operation in the area. This happened long after Fabio′s death," the spokesman said.

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