Thailand's Panipak Wongpattankit, second left, winner of the gold medal in a women's 49kg Taekwondo competition, celebrates on the podium with silver medal winner China's Guo Qing, left, and bronze medal winners Iran's Mobina Nematzadeh, second right, and Croatia's Lena Stojkovic during the 2024 Summer Olympics, at the Grand Palais, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
PARIS (AP) — Panipak Wongpattanakit retired on a perfect note as she became the first Thai athlete in any sport to become a two-time Olympic champion on Wednesday.
Wongpattanakit defended her Tokyo Games title to secure Thailand’s first gold medal of the Paris Olympics and Park Tae-joon restored South Korea’s pride on the opening day of the taekwondo competition.
Wongpattanakit, who confirmed she will end her career, celebrated the gold by grabbing a Thai flag after jumping into her coach’s arms.
“I have so much pain,” she said on the eve of her 27th birthday. “I had a broken knee. And my ankle, my hip… Now, I have to retire.”
Thailand’s Panipak Wongpattankit celebrates on the podium after winning the gold medal in a women’s 49kg Taekwondo competition during the 2024 Summer Olympics, at the Grand Palais, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Wongpattanakit, who comfortably won her three opening bouts to reach the final of the 49-kilogram category, trailed in the first round against Guo Qing of China but rallied with two consecutive kicks to the body and head.
Guo fought back to force a decider, but Wongpattanakit prevailed after video reviews showed that she had successfully landed two spectacular head kicks.
Under the new rules introduced in Paris, bouts are decided on a best-of-three format rather than cumulative points.
Taekwondo is South Korea’s national martial art, and the country suffered a humiliation in Tokyo, where it failed to win a single gold medal for the first time since the sport became a medal event in 2000.
Thailand’s Panipak Wongpattankit, left, celebrates with her coach after winning a women’s 49kg Taekwondo final match against China’s Guo Qing during the 2024 Summer Olympics, at the Grand Palais, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)Thailand’s Panipak Wongpattankit competes with China’s Guo Qing in a women’s 49kg Taekwondo final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics, at the Grand Palais, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Park set the record straight by routing his opponent in a brutal final for the gold medal.
“It was my childhood dream,” Park said.
In the men’s 58 kilos class, Park demolished Gashim Magomedov of Azerbaijan, who soldiered on but retired injured.
After contact with his opponent’s leg in the opening round, Magomedov crashed to the canvas, clutching his left leg in pain. He was attended to by doctors and managed to resume the fight.
Trailing 7-0 with 14 seconds left, he limped and sat again to receive further treatment, losing the round without scoring a point. Magomedov was helped off the canvas but returned for the second round and continued without threatening his opponent, who capped off his masterpiece with a superb turning kick to the head.
Magomedov’s ordeal continued a bit longer as Park landed a final kick to his back that ejected him from the combat arena. It was the coup de grace, and Magomedov called it quits.
“In Tokyo, South Korea did not get a gold medal, it was a bit frustrating and sad. Today I’m honored and proud. The whole team has worked hard to make sure we were prepared here,” Park said.
Mobina Nematzadeh of Iran and Lena Stojkovic of Croatia won bronze medals in the women’s tournament. The men’s bronze medals went to Cyrian Ravet of France and Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi of Tunisia.
Taekwondo tournaments at the Olympics award two bronze medals, with the losing semifinalists facing two contestants who lost to the finalists in the elimination phase.
The suspect retrieves the gold necklace stolen from an Australian tourist from her room and returns it to the police after confessing to the crime on August 7, 2024.
BANGKOK — Thai Police officers spent two weeks tracking down and arresting a thief who stole a necklace from an Australian man in downtown Bangkok.
On August 7, officers from the Crime Suppression Division of the Central Investigation Bureau arrested Thosaporn, a transgender woman suspected of stealing a gold necklace from Mr. Brock, an Australian national, in the parking lot of Krongthong Mansion on On Nut Road, Suan Luang District, Bangkok.
The incident occurred on July 21 at 6:14 AM near the pedestrian bridge in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Sukhumvit Road, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana District, Bangkok. At that time, Mr. Brock was wearing a gold necklace worth approximately 4,000 Australian dollars or about 97,000 Thai baht. He was walking on the sidewalk from Sukhumvit Soi 11 towards the Asok intersection.
The suspect retrieves the necklace stolen from an Australian tourist from her room and returns it to the police after confessing to the crime on August 7, 2024.
At this point, a transgender woman wearing a black dress, with long hair (tied up), flip-flops, and carrying a handbag approached him, pretending to talk. She used her left hand to embrace him from behind and her right hand to grab his neck and unfasten the gold necklace without him noticing.
When he realized the necklace was missing, he filed a police report at Lumpini Police Station.
The investigation team discovered that Thosaporn was the perpetrator and was hiding in Krongthong Mansion on On Nut Road. They set up surveillance and arrested her as she was leaving the dormitory.
Thosaporn confessed to being the person in the arrest warrant and admitted that this was her first arrest for this crime. She fully confessed to the charges and led the arresting officers to her room to retrieve the gold necklace, which she had not yet sold, to return it to Mr. Brock. The police then took her to Lumphini Police Station to formally charge her.
In the end, the Constitutional Court today acted out of fear, citing eventual concerns that the monarchy institution will be eventually abolished if the main opposition Move Forward was allowed to continue to exist and charismatic former leader Pita Limjaroenrat allowed to hold political office.
Thus the party was dissolved and Pita along with about ten others, including current party leader Chaithawat Tulathon were banned from from political office for 10 years.
This leads to the question as to whether Thailand can still call itself a democracy when disenfranchising 14 million voters, or the biggest winner in the May 2014 general election, means little or nothing as long as voters want to see the monarchy institution reformed instead of being treated like a semi-divine institution from the Middle Ages in Europe.
The Charter Court says it has no choice but to dissolve the party and ban party leaders from politics for 10 years in order to protect the monarchy. The court cited how party leaders, particularly Pita, identified themselves with the monarchy-reform movement, which included some anti-monarchists.
One wonders how fragile the Thai monarchy institution must be in the eyes of the court if a political party has to be dissolved, leaders removed from politics, for merely pledging to amend the royal defamation law which is deemed by many young Thai voters as anachronistic, disproportionately severe, unjust and cruel.
Also, it seems the court thinks if you can’t win the hearts of young Thais calling for change, then you have to make them fear, or at least make the politicians wanting to represent them be afraid and their movement leaders on the streets be very afraid, flee into exile or in prison for violating the very same law they want to amend.
Today’s ruling will definitely generate more negative sentiment towards not just the Charter Court but the monarchy institution, the very institution the court argues it is trying to protect by punishing the Move Forward Party in a way that undermines any attempt to bring about political change peacefully through the ballot box.
Former leader of Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, center, arrives at Constitutional Court in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. Photo: Chatkla Samnaingjam / AP
BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of the progressive Move Forward Party, which finished first in last year’s general election, saying it violated the constitution by proposing an amendment of a law against defaming the country’s royal family.
The Constitutional Court said it voted unanimously to dissolve the party because its campaign to amend the law was considered an attempt to overthrow the nation’s constitutional monarchy.
The Move Forward Party was unable to form a government after topping the polls because members of the Senate, at that time a conservative military-appointed body, declined to endorse its candidate for prime minister.
The Election Commission had filed a petition against the Move Forward Party after the Constitutional Court ruled in January that it must stop advocating changes to the law, known as Article 112, which protects the monarchy from criticism with penalties of up to 15 years in jail per offense.
The ruling also imposed a 10-year ban on political activity on those who held the party’s executive positions while it campaigned for the proposed amendment. Among them are its charismatic former leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, and current chief Chaithawat Tulathon.
It remained unclear what will happen to the rest of its non-executive lawmakers, although Pita said in an interview with The Associated Press that the party will ensure they have a “smooth transition into a new house,” or a new party.
Former leader of Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, center, arrives at Constitutional Court in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Chatkla Samnaingjam)
Lawmakers of a dissolved political party can keep their seats in Parliament if they move to a new party within 60 days.
Move Forward and its reform agenda shook up Thai politics by winning the most seats in the 2023 elections even though afteward it was blocked from taking power. The latest legal action is one of many that have drawn widespread criticism and are seen as part of a yearslong attack on the country’s progressive movement by conservative forces trying to keep their grip on power.
The party was denied power after the Senate refused to accept its then-leader Pita’s nomination as prime minister. Senators, who were given power to veto prime ministerial candidates by the constitution adopted in 2017 under a military government, said they opposed Pita because of his intention to reform the royal defamation law. Move Forward was later removed from a coalition formed with the now-governing Pheu Thai party and became head of the opposition.
In its arguments submitted to the court, Move Forward said the Constitutional Court does not have jurisdiction to rule on the case and the petition filed by the Election Commission did not follow due process because Move Forward was not given an opportunity to defend itself before it was submitted to the court. The court said in its ruling that it has the authority to rule on the case, and that its previous ruling in January was enough of an evidence for the Election Commission to file the case without having to hear more evidence from the party.
Human rights organizations have expressed concern about the case. Amy Smith, executive director of the human rights group Fortify Rights, ahead of the ruling called the attempt to disband Move Forward “a direct attack on democratic principles” that “severely undermines Thailand’s commitment to human rights.”
The chairperson of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Ben Cardin, sent a letter to Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa to express his concern. He said that dissolving a party that “secured a significant victory” in the 2023 elections would “disenfranchise millions of voters who called for progressive change and democratic reform.”
Supporters of Move Forward Party wave the party’s flag at the party’s headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has maintained that the Thai justice system is fair and impartial, and that the government cannot interfere with the judicial process.
Move Forward’s predecessor, the Future Forward party, was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2020 on charges of violating election laws on donations to political parties.
Thailand’s courts, especially the Constitutional Court, are considered a bulwark of the country’s royalist establishment, which has used them and nominally independent state agencies such as the Election Commission to issue rulings to cripple or sink political opponents.
The dissolution of Future Forward, whose promises of reforms were particularly attractive for younger people disillusioned after years of military rule, further highlighted the struggle between the progressive movement and conservative forces in Thailand. It was one of the triggers for youth-led pro-democracy protests that sprang up across the country in 2020. The protests openly criticized the monarchy, an institution previously considered untouchable and a linchpin of Thai society.
The protests led to vigorous prosecutions under Article 112, which previously had been relatively rarely employed. Critics say the law is often wielded as a tool to quash political dissent.
Move Forward, formed as a new home for lawmakers from the dissolved Future Forward party, campaigned for an amendment of the article and other democratic reforms in the 2023 elections. It won first place in the balloting, a surprise victory indicating that many Thai voters were ready for change.
Move Forward has insisted that it wants to keep the monarchy above politics and not be exploited as a political tool.
A sign from the Department of National Parks posted at the entrance of Nam Thalu Cave in the Ratchaprapha Reservoir area, Surat Thani, reads: "No entry from June - November 2024.
SURAT THANI — A tragic incident occurred during an adventure tour in the rainy season when two tour guides were leading a group of 22 foreign tourists through Nam Thalu Cave in the Ratchaprapha Reservoir area in Khlong Sok sub-district, Phanom District, Surat Thani Province, resulting in one guide’s death.
The Department of National Parks will take legal action against the tour company that brought this group of tourists into the cave, as they violated the announcement prohibiting cave entry during the rainy season.
Heavy rains in recent days in the Khao Sok mountain range caused water to flow into the Nam Thalu cave in the Ratchaprapha reservoir. On August 6, while all the tourists managed to escape the floods, one guide was swept away. The surviving guide informed the Khao Sok National Park officers at 7:00 p.m.
When Khao Sok National Park officials learned about the incident, they had the tourists and the other guide stay overnight at Graisorn Raft House in Khao Sok National Park Ranger Station 7. Two tourists were taken to Ban Takhun Hospital with minor injuries.
Khao Sok National Park officials and rescuers transport two foreign tourists to hospital in Surat Thani on Tuesday night, August 6, 2024.
At 1:00 am on August 7, the search team found the body of the guide, Mr. Pongyot Kerddee, 37, from Warin Chamrap District, Ubon Ratchathani Province. The rescue team transported his body to Ban Takhun Hospital.
Nam Thalu Cave is about 3 kilometers from Khao Sok National Park Ranger Station 4 (Khlong Pae) and is located on the edge of the Ratchaprapha Reservoir. It is also located on the territory of Khlong Sok Subdistrict, Phanom District, about 23 kilometers from the tourist landing site of Chiew Lan Subdistrict Township. Access to the cave requires a two-hour boat ride from the jetty, followed by a 2-kilometer walk. There is no cell phone signal in the area.
Nam Thalu Cave
The Nam Thalu cave has a 30 meter wide entrance, through which a stream flows over a length of 600 meters. Inside the cave are stalactites, stalagmites and unusual rock formations shaped by water erosion, which are very popular with adventurous foreign tourists.
Khao Sok National Park has announced that the cave is closed to tourists from June 1 to November 30 due to the rainy season, when there is a risk of flash floods in the cave. A similar tragic incident occurred on October 13, 2007, when a flash flood in the cave led to the death of eight tourists, both foreigners and Thais.
Due to this violation, Mr. Atthaphon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, has ordered the Chief of Khao Sok National Park to take strict legal action against the tour company.
Khao Sok National Park officials transport 20 tourists and the other guide stay overnight at Graisorn Raft House in Khao Sok National Park Ranger Station 7, on August 6, 2024.
“In light of this incident, we would like to warn all tour companies and tourists to check the annual closure schedules of national parks nationwide, as well as emergency closures. Especially during this rainy season, many areas are experiencing heavy and continuous rainfall, causing flash floods in tourist attractions under the responsibility of the Department of National Parks. If there are violations like this example, the Department will take strict legal action against the offending tour companies,” he said.
He further added, “Please check for any closures of tourist attractions due to annual maintenance or emergencies, particularly during this rainy season when many areas are experiencing heavy and continuous rainfall. This can cause flash floods in tourist spots under our department’s responsibility. If there are violations like in this case, we will take strict legal action against the tour companies that defy these rules.”
Mr. Terry Raymond, a 72-year-old American, and Ms. Kanjana, his Thai stepdaughter who had been separated from him for 48 years, cry and hug each other with joy in Buriram Province on August 6, 2024.
BURIRAM — A 72-year-old American flew across the country to Buriram, Thailand, to look for his daughter, from whom he had been separated for 48 years. With the help of a friend who has a Thai wife, father and daughter finally met and both cried and hugged each other with joy.
The moment Mr. Terry Raymond, a 72-year-old American, and Ms. Kanjana Milkevitch, a 49-year-old woman, embraced in Buriram after 48 years of separation was captured in a video clip shared on social media on August 6. The heartwarming scene was showered with congratulatory messages from internet users.
Ms. Kanjana said that her American father was a former GI who had gone to the Vietnam War 50 years ago and lived in Nakhon Phanom. There he happened to meet her mother, Mrs. Supaporn, who is now 73 years old.
At the time, her mother was pregnant by another American man who refused to take on the responsibility. Mr. Terry stepped in and took care of her mother during her pregnancy and after Ms. Kanjana’s birth.
Mr. Terry cared for Ms. Kanjana until she was about a year old, when he returned to the United States. After that, she and her mother never saw him again. Ms. Kanjana said she kept looking for Mr. Terry, even though he was not her biological father, because he had cared for her since she was born and had created a bond like that of a real father and daughter. She later found out that he had also tried to find her and her mother.
A photo of Mr. Terry Raymond 50 years ago, when he had come to Thailand during the Vietnam War, is shown to reporters on August 6, 2024.
In 2019, she contacted Mr. Terry via social media, much to her delight, and they had been conversing on Facebook ever since. Mr. Terry promised to come to Thailand to see her and her mother, but the COVID-19 pandemic in that year prevented international travel. However, he assured her that he would visit once the situation improved, and she provided him with her address.
On 31 July 2024, Mr. Terry finally traveled to Thailand to surprise Ms. Kanjana and her mother without notice. He arranged for a friend with a Thai wife to pick him up, but they missed each other. He then took a bus to Buriram and then a cab to Nang Rong district to look for his daughter’s house.
However, due to a language barrier with the cab driver, he was taken to Nang Rong Hotel in Chaloem Phra Kiat District, Buriram Province.
The hotel staff helped search for the name given by Mr. Terry and Ms. Kanjana was notified that her father was at the hotel. She immediately rushed to him and brought a red rose and a garland of marigolds as a token of her love for him.
Mr. Terry Raymond, a 72-year-old American, and Ms. Kanjana, his Thai stepdaughter who had been separated from him for 48 years, cry and hug each other with joy in Buriram Province on August 6, 2024.
“When I saw my father, I was overjoyed and excited. I never thought we would see each other again after 48 years of separation. Even though he is not my biological father, he took care of me from the time I was in my mother’s womb until I was one year old. I feel a bond like between father and daughter,” said Ms. Kanjana.
Mr. Terry is expected to return to the United States on 21 August. During that time, she plans to take him to live with her mother and stay in her home. If the opportunity arises, she may also travel to the United States to visit him.
With the help of a friend who has a Thai wife, father and daughter finally meet at Nang Rong Hotel in Buriram.
Ms. Than Worachak, an employee of the Nang Rong Hotel, said that on 4 August, a cab driver dropped off a passenger at the hotel. He stayed for a night and tried to say that he was looking for someone. Ms. Than could understand a little and called the hotel owner to help communicate.
They found out that Mr. Terry had traveled from the United States to find his daughter, from whom he had been separated for a long time.
The hotel owner then searched for the daughter’s name on Facebook and found her posts looking for her American father. They called the number listed in the post, and when father and daughter finally met, everyone was delighted that the hotel had helped bring them back together.
Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand, left, looks on after Match Referee Shawn Reese raises the arm of Imane Khelif of Algeria to announce the winner of their women's 66kg semifinal boxing match, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (Richard Pelham/Pool Photo via AP)
PARIS (AP) — Boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria has advanced to the gold-medal bout in the women’s welterweight division with a semifinal victory at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday night amid scrutiny over misconceptions about her gender.
Khelif defeated Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand 5:0 in the semifinals at Roland Garros, where the crowd roared and chanted her name throughout her three-round fight. Khelif has won three consecutive bouts in Paris, and she will win either a gold or a silver medal when she completes the tournament on Friday by fighting China’s Yang Liu.
Khelif had already clinched Algeria’s first medal in women’s boxing before she stepped into the ring to rousing roars at Court Philippe Chatrier.
Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng, left, fights Algeria’s Imane Khelif in their women’s 66 kg semifinal boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher)
She controlled her bout with Suwannapheng, who took a standing 8-count late in the third after absorbing a series of punches. Khelif has won every round on every judge’s card in her two fights that have gone the distance in Paris.
After hugging Suwannapheng, Khelif celebrated in the ring, running wildly in place while pumping her fists as the crowd roared for her.
With one more victory, Khelif would win Algeria’s second boxing gold medal, joining Hocine Soltani (1996).
The ending of Khelif’s first bout in Paris propelled her into the center of a worldwide divide over gender identity and safety regulations in sports. Her first opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, tearfully quit after just 46 seconds, saying she was in too much pain from Khelif’s punches.
Carini’s abandonment of the fight led to comments from the likes of former U.S. President Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” writer J.K. Rowling and others falsely claiming Khelif was a man or transgender.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif celebrates after defeating Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in their women’s 66 kg semifinal boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher)
In an interview with SNTV, a sports video partner of The Associated Press, Khelif said the wave of hateful scrutiny she is facing “harms human dignity” and called for an end to bullying athletes.
Khelif also said she felt the “best response” to the uproar around her would be to win a gold medal — and now she’s one win away from claiming it.
Khelif entered the ring against Suwannapheng to cheers echoing through the famed tennis arena. Roland Garros welcomed a prominent turnout from Algerian fans voicing their national pride in a boxer whose stigmatization by the Olympic-banished International Boxing Association has been taken very personally in her country.
Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng, left, fights Algeria’s Imane Khelif in their women’s 66 kg semifinal boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Both fighters came out aggressively, trading punches from distance. Khelif was more accurate while winning the first round on all five cards, and she repeated the performance in the second.
The fight got more physical in the third, with Suwannapheng pushing forward to make a comeback. The bout was stopped for a standing 8-count late in the third when Suwannapheng absorbed a few head punches in succession, although Suwannapheng appeared to shrug as if it wasn’t necessary — as is often the case in Olympic boxing, where referees can stop a bout for relatively minor reasons.
Former Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat has lunch with ambassadors and senior diplomats from several embassies at the German Embassy on August 2, 2024, to discuss the 'ongoing crisis of democracy.' (The German Embassy)
BANGKOK — The fate of Thailand’s Move Forward Party, which is popular among the younger generation and won the most seats in the 2023 election, may be decided by the Constitutional Court’s potential order to dissolve it. This situation is of great interest to both Thai people and allied countries.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court will rule Wednesday on whether the Move Forward Party violated the constitution by proposing to amend a law that forbids defaming the country’s royal family. A petition to the court requested the party’s dissolution and a 10-year ban on political activity by its executives, including former chief Pita Limjaroenrat.
The dissolution of popular parties, including former iterations of the Pheu Thai Party, has historically coincided with coups d’état in Thailand. Therefore, it’s not surprising that foreign governments or international organizations would show interest and concern for Thailand’s democracy, which has often been interrupted.
The Associated Press, an American news agency, noted that the legal action has drawn widespread criticism as it’s seen as part of a years-long attack against the country’s progressive movement by conservative forces trying to keep their grip on power.
However, the interest shown by foreign governments or international organizations in this matter has been criticized by some groups as an attempt to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.
Former Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat took a group photo with ambassadors and senior diplomats from several embassies at the German Embassy on August 2, 2024. (The German Embassy)
To Interfere or Not to Interfere
The meeting between Pita Limjaroenrat, the chief adviser to the Move Forward Party chairman, and diplomats from 18 countries, including the UK, South Korea, Japan, France, the US, Canada, the EU, Sweden, and Germany, at the German residence took place six days before the Constitutional Court’s decision on Wednesday.
Therefore, some people criticized this action as a breach of political etiquette and interference.
Criticism on social media was further fueled by comments from former Democratic Party MP Rachada Dhanadirek, who echoed the widespread agreement online. She stated that the ambassadors of these 18 countries should not interfere in Thailand’s judicial process by expressing their support for the Move Forward Party.
Rachada also claimed that these diplomats “lack manners” and called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reprimand them.
One of the 18 ambassadors who attended a lunch meeting with Pita spoke to Khaosod English on condition of anonymity.
“I believe the point has been made, and there’s no benefit in prolonging this side discussion about alleged foreign interference. This narrative is being pushed to distract from the actual issue at hand,” the ambassador stated.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stated in an interview that diplomats representing their governments would not interfere in domestic affairs. He mentioned that talks between politicians, whether from the government or the opposition, and diplomats or foreign representatives are not uncommon.
“I do not believe that foreign countries are interfering, because sovereignty belongs to us. That is why today we should let the judicial process take place as it should. We have to respect it. If we do not respect it, who will respect our judicial process? Let the judiciary do its job,” Phumtham said.
Former Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat shakes hands with Ernst Reichel, the German Ambassador, when he is invited to meet with ambassadors and senior diplomats from several embassies at the German Embassy on August 2, 2024.
The International View of Thailand
Parit Wacharasindhu, spokesperson of the Move Forward Party, explained that there are three points where Phumtham’s interview matches the facts. First, he confirmed that talks and dinners between ambassadors, embassy officials and political factions, whether government or opposition, are normal. In the case of Pita, he was invited by the embassy.
Secondly, he did not see any statements in the diplomats’ remarks that could be regarded as interference in Thai justice, an impression also held by Phumtham.
Finally, he believes that the government is likely to agree that in a globally interconnected world, the international view of Thailand can influence cooperation in areas such as trade, international human rights protection and Thailand’s opportunities on the world stage, such as membership of the UN Human Rights Council.
When reporters asked Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin about this issue, he said that the ambassadors of the 18 countries probably understand very well that the judicial and administrative systems are clearly separated. The executive has no right to interfere in the judicial process, which is neutral and internationally recognized.
“I respect the judicial process, even in my own case. If there are problems or complaints, it is our duty as prime minister to inform the judiciary and await the decision. As for my case, I already filed it last week and I expect the decision on August 14. I have not spoken to anyone about it and our country is sovereign,” said the Prime Minister.
When asked about the Foreign Ministry’s letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the case, Prime Minister Srettha said that it was the Ministry’s duty to make it clear that the government’s stance was not to interfere in the judiciary and that it would not allow anyone to interfere in its legal system.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court
Letter to UN Does Not Prejudge
Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Russ Jalichandra explained that the letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a response to questions based on complaints from special mechanisms regarding past processes, including the Constitutional Court’s decision on January 31, 2024, and the Election Commission’s petition to the Constitutional Court to dissolve the Move Forward Party. The clarification sent included facts and the status of the case as of the date of responding to the complaint, as well as related legal processes.
He countered iLaw organization’s headline “Thai government explains that the party dissolution petition is in accordance with the constitution, emphasizing that Section 112 is already concise and appropriate to have severe penalties” as a headline that summarizes in a way that doesn’t match the content and reality, creating misunderstanding.
“The Thai government is not involved in the lawsuit to dissolve the Move Forward Party and cannot interfere with the Constitutional Court’s decision. This Thai letter does not prejudge,” he said.
The Deputy Foreign Minister also stated that the government does not agree with the dissolution of political parties because there have been many dissolutions of political parties in the past, from Thai Rak Thai, People’s Power, Thai Raksa Chart, etc. The dissolution of parties that are connected to the people prevents the people’s voices from being truly reflected.
“The power to dissolve political parties by the court is in accordance with the 2017 Constitution. Therefore, the government does not interfere with the Constitutional Court’s ruling,” he said.
Police Major General Noppasilp Poonsawat, Deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau Commander, invites the mother of the Japanese man to hear the investigation results at Khlong Tan Police Station on August 6ม 2024. It was found that her son had died in Chiang Mai province last year.
BANGKOK — Miss Yoshimi, a 66-year-old Japanese woman, filed a report at Khlong Tan Police Station in Bangkok, stating that her son, Mr. Takahiro Nishi, aged 36, had disappeared in Thailand after losing contact since 2020. However, she received two emails requesting money from him in 2023.
Investigation revealed that Takahiro entered Thailand on March 5, 2020, through Nong Khai Immigration. He lost contact with his mother via Line on June 29, 2020.
During his stay in Thailand, Takahiro was arrested with a friend named Maresuke T. on November 10, 2020, on embezzlement charges. They were sent to the Southern Bangkok District Court on November 12, 2020. The court allowed only Maresuke to be released on bail on that day.
On November 18, 2020, Takahiro was granted bail, with Maresuke’s Thai wife posting 100,000 baht ($2,810) as surety for each of them.
On March 5, 2021, his visa was extended at Nakhon Sawan Immigration with permission ending in 2022.
On September 8, 2022, an arrest warrant was issued for Takahiro for jumping bail.
Police Major General Noppasilp Poonsawat, Deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau Commander, meets with the investigation team regarding the case of the missing Japanese man at Khlong Tan Police Station before announcing the investigation results on August 6, 2024.
On June 9, 2023, Takahiro’s mother in Japan received an email claiming to be from her son requesting 1 million yen ($6,900) for medical treatment. She transferred the money through a Japanese bank.
On June 21, 2023, she received another email requesting 300,000 yen ($2,070), with an attached photo of her son looking emaciated. Feeling suspicious, she didn’t transfer money this time.
Takahiro’s relatives inquired with Immigration and found no record of him leaving Thailand. Fearing for her son’s safety, Miss Yoshimi filed a report at Khlong Tan Police Station on August 5, 2024.
On August 6, Police Colonel Wachirakorn Wongboon, superintendent of Khlong Tan Police Station, met with the investigation team to expedite the search for Takahiro, inviting Mr. Maresuke’s Thai girlfriend for questioning.
Later, Police Major General Noppasilp Poonsawat, Deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau Commander, announced that records from San Sai Police Station in Chiang Mai showed a Thai woman had reported Takahiro’s death due to illness at a residence in San Sai subdistrict on June 8, 2023, at 10 p.m. However, an email requesting money was sent to his mother the following day.
Mr. Maresuke is detained at a rented house in Bangkok’s Ram Inthra area for questioning at Khlong Tan Police Station on August 6, 2024.
The police have informed the embassy and family that Takahiro’s body is being kept at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. The cause of death was listed as pneumonia. The family doesn’t dispute the death but wants to confirm the identity. Police will send DNA test results to the family for confirmation.
Meanwhile, Mr. Maresuke has been detained from a rented house in Bangkok’s Ram Inthra area for questioning. His visa was found to have expired, so he will be charged with overstaying.
He will be further investigated regarding the emails requesting money from Takahiro’s mother and the use of a credit card for food and hotel expenses from July 4-6, 2024. The police will continue their investigation to determine if he was involved or if it was someone else.
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) is elevating the in-flight dining experience through a strategic partnership with VietjetThailand. Starting August 5, 2024, travelers on over 50 routes across Asia can savor five unique ready-to-eat dishes, now available at Sky Cafe. The menu includes Chicken Green Curry Rice, Chicken Noodles, Chicken Basil Rice, Teriyaki Chicken Rice, and Vegetarian Fried Rice, all meticulously prepared by CP Foods’ esteemed chefs.
This culinary upgrade follows a memorandum of understanding signed by key executives: Luong Truong An, Executive Vice President of Vietjet Thailand ; Pinyot Pibulsonggram, Head of Commercial at Vietjet Thailand ; Supara Sriboon, Sales Director – Food Service Business at CP Foods; and Anarkawee Chooratn, Head of Marketing at CP Foods.
Supara Sriboon of CP Foods remarked, “We are building on our strong presence in Vietnam with this initiative and are grateful for the trust in CP Foods’ quality. Our R&D team has tailored these dishes to meet the varied tastes and dietary needs of travelers. Notably, our Chicken Basil Rice has garnered the ‘Superior Taste Award 2023‘, a testament to its exceptional flavor and quality, as judged by over 200 international chefs.”
Pinyot Pibulsonggram from Vietjet Thailand shared his excitement about the collaboration, noting, “This partnership underscores our commitment to enhancing the travel experience with innovative and superior meal options that aim to set new benchmarks in in-flight cuisine.”
Beginning August 5, passengers can pre-order these flavorful dishes via the VietJet Air website and Manage Booking portal following their ticket purchase. The collaboration is set to expand further with the introduction of two additional dishes in October 2024: Stir-fried fresh rice noodles with dark soy sauce (Pad See Ew) and Penne in White Sauce. These new offerings promise to enrich the culinary journey of every Vietjet Thailand traveler with a taste of international flavors.
