The monkey protesters put up vinyl signs in front of a gold shop in Lopburi Centre on April 22, 2024, with a message criticising the Prime Minister and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation for their inability to resolve the monkey issue.
LOPBURI – A leader of the Lopburi resident group who brought the viral picture to ask the PM to solve the monkey problems in Lopburi when the Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin visited in February has now put up vinyl signs with a message criticising the Prime Minister and officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation for their inability to resolve the monkey issue.
“Why was the Prime Minister coming to Lopburi (for nothing)?” It stated on Monday. “Where is Patcharawat (Minister of Natural Resources and Environment)?”
Another banner was also installed in front of the gold shop, Pratoo Thong Wattana in Tha Hin Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lopburi Province: “When will the National Park deal with the monkeys for me?” “You know, I’m in trouble.”
A banner reads, “When will the National Park deal with the monkeys for me?” “You know, I’m in trouble.”
Kantang Kitrattanakarn, 68, a leader of the protest group, stated that they were truly helpless and had to put up a sign to criticise the National Parks Department’s activity, which is working late and is not serious with the Lopburi people.
Kantang stated that they also addressed a letter to the Chairman of the Land Commission, Natural Resources and Environment, House of Representatives, who visited Lopburi.
On the same day, April 22, Mr. Atthaphon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said that a meeting of relevant stakeholders had jointly formulated a plan to capture and move the monkeys. Lopburi Municipality.
Kantang Kitrattanakarn, 68, a protest group leader, shows a letter to the Chairman of the Land Commission, Natural Resources and Environment, House of Representatives.
There will be 200 – 300 monkeys captured for a period of 4 days to be sterilized and transported to be cared for at the Pho Kao Ton Monkey Nursery of Lopburi Municipality, Cage 3, which has been informed that construction will be completed by mid-May.
“Once the work on the monkey nursery cage has been completed, The various agencies involved have planned together and it is clear that The process of moving the monkeys will begin immediately. In order to solve the problems of the people of Lopburi as quickly as possible,” Atthaphon said.
On the same day, April 22, Mr. Atthaphon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, stated that a meeting involving key agencies had agreed on a plan to capture and relocate the monkeys. Lopburi municipality.
The first 200–300 monkeys will be seized over a four-day period, sterilised, and taken to the Lopburi Municipality’s Pho Kao Tonne Monkey Nursery, Cage 3, where construction is expected to be completed by mid-May.
“Once the monkey nursery cage has been built, the many agencies involved have planned together, and it is apparent that the process of relocating the monkeys will begin right away. In order to resolve the difficulties of the Lopburi people as soon as feasible,” Atthaphon stated.
CCTV captures shocking footage showing a Swiss man on a three-wheeled scooter hit by a car in the middle of the intersection of Pattaya South Railway Road on April 19, 2024.
PATTAYA – A Swiss man on three-wheeled scooter hit by car in middle of intersection in Pattaya; CCTV captures shocking footage; The Thai wife fears the case will be hushed up and pleads with media for justice.
On April 22, reporters received a complaint from Mrs. Samrit, 55, that her 73-year-old Swiss husband, Mr. Andreas Geissbühler, was hit by a car driven by another person, causing his three-wheeled electric scooter to skid across the road. The horrifying moment was clearly captured on CCTV.
The incident occurred at around 9:50 AM on April 19, 2024. After the accident, the other driver refused to take responsibility and instead told Mrs. Samrit to deal with the insurance company, even though her husband was still in a coma and being treated in the ICU at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.
Mrs. Samrit said that before the accident, her husband had left the house on his three-wheeled electric scooter to buy his regular medication. A short time later, a friend called her and told her that her husband had been hit head-on by a white Isuzu Mu-X while crossing the intersection of Pattaya South Railway Road. When she arrived at the scene, she found the culprit was helping her husband before paramedics arrived and took him to hospital.
Doctors later said that Mr. Geissbühler was in a serious coma and required close monitoring. The driver visited the hospital today to check on his condition, but did not offer any words of comfort or assistance. He did not even offer to help with the initial expenses, which have already exceeded 200,000 baht.
The driver said he would leave everything to the insurance company. Moreover, the police officer in charge of the case at Nongprue police station has yet to determine which side is at fault and has not summoned the other driver for questioning.
Mrs. Samrit fears that the case will be hushed up and therefore asks the media to report on the case to help her husband get justice.
Gambling and scam suspects escorted by Chinese police officers are pictured on a chartered flight to China, April 13, 2024. Two police-chartered civilian flights brought back 130 gambling and scam suspects from Cambodia earlier on April 13, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Gang)
BEIJING – Chinese police have completed the repatriation of over 680 gambling and scam suspects from Cambodia, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Sunday.
Two police-chartered civilian flights brought back the last batch of 135 suspects to Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, earlier on Sunday.
This marks the completion of repatriation this year as Chinese and Cambodian police launched joint operations to crack down on crimes associated with gambling and swindling, the ministry said.
The repatriation started earlier this month in batches.
In recent years, Chinese police have continuously intensified international cooperation to combat prominent crimes such as cross-border gambling and telecom scam.
This year, Chinese police have repatriated tens of thousands of such suspects from countries including Myanmar, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates.
The MPS vowed to maintain high pressure on such crimes, while also reminding the public to be more vigilant.
BANGKOK – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin delivered a speech on April 22, 2024, at the Opening of the 80th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) at ESCAP Hall, United Nations Conference Center, Bangkok, as follows:
As host country of ESCAP, Thailand takes great pride in being a regional home to more than 5,000 UN personnel and representatives. This is a testament to Thailand’s long-standing commitment to international cooperation.
The theme of this year’s Commission is both timely and relevant. During my attendance at the SDG Summit and the UN General Assembly in New York last year, I was impressed by the collective efforts of the UN and its member countries. The dedication and proactive measures displayed on both occasions should steer us towards getting back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. With only six years remaining until 2030, global commitments and actions are required to achieve a prosperous future for all.
Asia and the Pacific is a vibrant and dynamic region. Yet, at the current pace, our region will not achieve the SDGs until 2062. The future is calling for us to find innovative ways to bring about sustainable development. And to do so in an urgent manner.
We need transformative change. And digital innovation has become a vital tool for us all to achieve that change. It can help us do things faster, cheaper, and better. At the same time, we must ensure that digital innovations benefit all and truly contribute toward sustainable development.
To fully realize the potential of digital innovation, Thailand wishes to propose two approaches as follows:
First, we need to empower people and communities through digital transformation. We have to ensure that digital innovation is people-centric and inclusive. Along these lines, my Government has recently launched the “Ignite Thailand” initiative, focusing on eight key areas, such as digital economy, future mobility, financial technology, wellness and medical technologies. Success in all these areas will depend largely on digital innovation.
“Ignite Thailand” also places great importance on fostering digital literacy and inclusion among vulnerable groups. It aims to empower people and communities and drive sustainable growth. For many agricultural-based countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Thailand, digital transformation is critical to ensure food security for all. We need to leverage digital technologies to promote agricultural innovation. This will help to ensure a sustainable food system, climate-smart farming, and environmental sustainability.
Second, we need to safeguard against risks. While embracing digital innovation, we must identify and mitigate its related risks and negative impacts. This includes addressing cyber-security threats, bridging the digital divide, and working towards a strong framework for cooperation to ensure a safe, secure, and equitable digital future for all.Distinguished delegates,In the digital era, the role of ESCAP is more crucial than ever.
As ESCAP is actively engaging stakeholders in the integration of digital technologies to foster sustainable development, there is still more room to amplify these efforts further. Thailand acknowledges this opportunity and stands ready to bolster support, ensuring that our collective actions make a significant impact on the ground.
Member States and Associated Members must also exchange knowledge and best practices in order to narrow the digital divide, and bring about sustainable development at a faster pace. Moreover, the role of other stakeholders, in particular the private sector, must also be actively involved.
Therefore, this Commission Session does provide an excellent opportunity to promote regional cooperation through digital innovation to achieve the SDGs. I believe we have a wide range of interesting ideas to share with one another. However, the challenge is how to translate them into practical policies and real actions at the national and regional levels. The outcomes of this meeting will provide useful inputs to the High-Level Political Forum and the Summit of the Future, as well as the Global Digital Compact which will be held later this year.
In closing, I firmly believe that together, we can realize our common aspirations of a digitally empowered future. Thailand stands ready to collaborate with ESCAP member countries towards this goal.
Staff from the Crime Victim Assistance Association staff took the Chinese student who had been deceived into transferring over 7.5 million baht to meet with the police for investigation on April 21, 2024.
BANGKOK – A scammer gang threatened and duped a 22-year-old female Chinese student studying in Australia into transferring money, forcing her to go to Thailand and demanding a ransom of 8 million yuan (approximately 32 million baht) from her parents.
However, the family discovered that more than 7.5 million baht of the funds they had provided for the student’s studies in Australia had been repeatedly withdrawn from the student’s account and transferred to other personal accounts. Therefore they contacted the Crime Victim Assistance Association in Thailand to trace her.
The investigation by the Provincial Police Region 2 in cooperation with the local police revealed that the student arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand on April 13, 2024. On the next day, the student took a cab to stay at a hotel near Suvarnabhumi Airport for one night. Afterwards, there was no information about where the student had traveled to.
The Chinese student who was duped into transferring over 7.5 million baht and her mother appeared before the police for an investigation on April 21, 2024.
On April 17, around 10:00 a.m., the student called her mother to request money. During the call, a man’s voice entered the line, displaying threatening behaviour, saying if the parents do not pay, he will film pornographic videos of their daughter and transport her to Cambodia to have her organs cut off and sold.
The student then took a taxi from Ladkrabang area in Bangkok to Ekkamai, and further traveled to Sri Racha district, Chonburi, arriving around 12:40 pm.
On April 18, the student checked out from the accommodation in Sri Racha and was suspected to have been deceived or threatened into purchasing a mobile phone SIM card.
On April 19, the student took a coach from Laem Chabang and arrived in Ekkamai at around 14:46. Later, she passed the Gateway Ekamai shopping mall at around 3 p.m. and then took a green and yellow cab to a hotel in the Bang Rak area of Bangkok. The authorities then intervened and took the student to Bang Rak police station for questioning on the night of April 20.
On the afternoon of April 21, Pol. Col. Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, the president of the Crime Victim Assistance Association, brought the Chinese student who had been deceived into transferring over 7.5 million baht to meet with the police for questioning.
The Chinese student who was duped into transferring over 7.5 million baht and her mother came to ask for help from the Thai police on April 21, 2024.
The investigation revealed that the first scammer assumed the identity of a mobile phone network official, subsequently forwarded the call to another individual assuming the role of a government agency, and finally forwarded it to a third individual pretending to be a police officer. This individual informed the student that she sent illegal texts to others, which led someone to commit suicide. They warned her that if she did not pay them, she would face terrible consequences.
The student had no way of verifying the information on their cell phone. She was then forced to make transactions via various chat applications and had to agree not to disclose the information exchanged during the conversation to outsiders or family members or face legal action.
The student was then forced to sign an online acknowledgement of debt for 8 million yuan (about 32 million baht) and was instructed to check in with the scammer five times a day to prove her sincerity and not escape.
The scam began around February, when the student started her studies in Australia. The first transfer was 40,000 yuan, followed by 500,000 yuan. The last transfer was not approved by the Bank of China due to the underage and high transfer amount, leaving her with around 500,000 baht.
The reason why the student had to travel to Thailand was because the criminals claimed that they had a network here to solve the problem of fraudulent transactions and avoid prosecution. Otherwise, she would face legal consequences.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Thanathat Kangruambutr, deputy chief of staff of Special Analysis and Tools Division 1, explained that such cases mostly occur overseas, as wealthy Chinese families often send their children to study abroad, notably in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia.
The modus operandi is similar, and the victims are mostly from wealthy families. Although such cases also occur in Thailand, they are not as common as abroad.
However, once the fraud occurs, the criminals often threaten and intimidate the victims into deleting the information, making it difficult for the authorities to gather evidence and follow up on the case. As a result, in this case, the police must take time until they have clear evidence before proceeding.
FILE - 155 mm M795 artillery projectiles are stacked during manufacturing process at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., Thursday, April 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian and Western leaders on Sunday welcomed a desperately needed aid package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, as the Kremlin warned that passage of the bill would “further ruin” Ukraine and cause more deaths.
Ukrainian commanders and analysts say the long-awaited $61 billion military aid package — including $13.8 billion for Ukraine to buy weapons — will help slow Russia’s incremental advances in the war’s third year — but that more will likely be needed for Kyiv to regain the offensive.
The House swiftly approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to reporters just after the House voted to approve $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, at the Capitol in Washington, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had warned that his country would lose the war without U.S. funding, said that he was grateful for U.S. lawmaker’ decision.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Zelenskyy said that the aid package would “send the Kremlin a powerful signal that (Ukraine) will not be the second Afghanistan.”
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would prioritize long-range weapons and air defenses to “break the plans of Russia” in an expected “full-scale offensive,” for which Ukrainian forces are preparing.
The aid package will go to the U.S. Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to sign it immediately.
It still could take weeks for it to reach the front line, where it is desperately needed.
“With this we can stop (Russian troops) and reduce our losses,” said infantry soldier Oleksandr. He has been fighting around Avdiivka, the city in the Donetsk region that Ukraine lost to Russia in February after months of intense combat.
Ammunition shortages linked to the aid holdup over the past six months have led Ukrainian military commanders to ration shells, a disadvantage that Russia seized on this year — taking the city of Avdiivka and currently inching towards the town of Chasiv Yar, also in Donetsk.
Russian rockets are launched against Ukraine from Russia’s Belgorod region, seen from Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
“The Russians come at us in waves — we become exhausted, we have to leave our positions. This is repeated many times,” Oleksandr told The Associated Press. He didn’t give his full name for security reasons. “Not having enough ammunition means we can’t cover the area that is our responsibility to hold when they are assaulting us.”
In Kyiv, many welcomed the U.S. vote as a piece of good news after a tough period that has seen Russia grind out gains along the front line, and step up attacks on Ukraine’s energy system and other infrastructure.
“I heard our president officially say that we can lose the war without this help. Thanks very much and yesterday was a great event,” said Kateryna Ruda, 43.
Tatyana Ryavchenuk, the wife of a Ukrainian soldier, noted the need for more weapons, lamenting that soldiers “have nothing to protect us.”
“They need weapons, they need gear, they need it. We always need help. Because without help, our enemy can advance further and can be in the center of our city,” the 26-year-old said.
Other Western leaders, who have been scrambling to come up with ways to fill the gap left by stalled U.S. military aid, also lauded Congress’ decision.
“Ukraine is using the weapons provided by NATO Allies to destroy Russian combat capabilities. This makes us all safer, in Europe & North America,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg posted on X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “Ukraine deserves all the support it can get against Russia,” and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the vote it “a strong signal in these times.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked House Speaker Mike Johnson, while also noting the holdup in Congress. “Better late than too late. And I hope it is not too late for Ukraine,” he wrote on X.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday called the approval of aid to Ukraine “expected and predictable.”
The decision “will make the United States of America richer, further ruin Ukraine and result in the deaths of even more Ukrainians, the fault of the Kyiv regime,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
“The new aid package will not save, but, on the contrary, will kill thousands and thousands more people, prolong the conflict, and bring even more grief and devastation,” Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs, wrote on Telegram.
Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said the logistics of getting U.S. assistance to the front line would mean that “Ukrainian forces may suffer additional setbacks” while waiting for it to arrive.
“But they will likely be able to blunt the current Russian offensive assuming the resumed U.S. assistance arrives promptly,” it said in its latest assessment of the conflict.
A woman holds a “Free Azov” sign during a rally aiming to raise awareness on the fate of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Olexiy Haran, professor of comparative politics at the National University of Kyiv-Mohlya Academy, said that Ukraine was grateful for aid from the U.S. and other Western countries, “but the problem is, frankly speaking, it’s too late and it’s not enough.”
“This is the third year of the war and we still don’t have aviation, new aviation. We don’t have enough missiles, so we cannot close the skies. Moreover, recently we didn’t have even artillery shells,” he said.
“That’s why the situation was very, very difficult and the Russians used it to start their offensive. So that’s why it is so important for us. And definitely if we’d received it half a year before, we would have saved the lives of many Ukrainians, civilians included.”
Matthew Savill, military sciences director at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said that the aid, while welcome, “can probably only help stabilize the Ukrainian position for this year and begin preparations for operations in 2025.”
“Predictability of funding through 2024 and into 2025 will help the Ukrainians plan the defense this year, especially if European supplies of ammunition also come through, but further planning and funds will be required for 2025, and we have a U.S. election between now and then,” he said.
Responding to a question on NBC about how long Ukraine will still need aid packages, Zelenskyy said “it depends on when we actually get weapons on the ground.”
“The decision to supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, we had it a year ago,” he said. “We still don’t have the jets in Ukraine.”
In other developments:
— On the ground, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that its troops had taken control of the village of Bohdanivka in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian officials haven’t yet commented.
— One person was killed and four others were wounded in Russian shelling in Ukrainsk on Sunday, according to the prosecutor’s office in Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk region. In the Odesa region, four people were wounded in a missile attack, Gov. Oleh Kiper said.
— Two suspects were detained Sunday after two Ukrainian soldiers killed a police officer at a checkpoint in the Vinnytsia region. The soldiers opened fire on Maksym Zaretskyi, 20, early Saturday after he stopped their car for a routine inspection. Zaretskyi’s partner was wounded but survived. The head of Ukraine’s National Police, Ivan Vyhovsky, said the suspects, a father and son aged 52 and 26, were detained in Ukraine’s Odesa region.
Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund (left) and goalkeeper Andre Onana celebrate at the end of the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Coventry City and Manchester United at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
LONDON (AP) — It was nearly a comeback for the ages for Coventry. Instead, it ended in another gut-wrenching penalty shootout loss at Wembley for the second-tier team as Manchester United limped into another FA Cup final.
Coventry pulled off one of the most unexpected fightbacks in FA Cup history by rallying from three goals down against United to force extra time after a 3-3 draw in Sunday’s semifinal, only to falter at the end and let Erik ten Hag’s team escape with a 4-2 win in the shootout.
Rasmus Hojlund scored the decisive penalty kick to save United from another embarrassing collapse after Callum O’Hare and Ben Sheaf had missed their spot kicks for Coventry.
“It was an incredible game, a strange game too,” Ten Hag said. “We had total control for so long and then gave it away in the last part of the game. We did show resilience to win the penalty shootout.”
Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund celebrates scoring the winning penalty during the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Coventry City and Manchester United at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
It was another heartbreaking ending at Wembley for Coventry, which also lost on penalties to Luton in last year’s Championship playoff final to miss out on promotion to the Premier League.
United’s narrow escape sets up a second straight Manchester derby in the final against defending champion Manchester City, which beat Chelsea on Saturday.
But it should never have been this close.
United looked to be cruising toward the final after Bruno Fernades’ deflected shot put them 3-0 up in the 58th minute against a Championship side that had defied the odds just to make the semifinals.
Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, centre, scores his side’s opening goal during the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Coventry City and Manchester United at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
But Coventry is no stranger to comebacks, having scored twice in injury time to beat Wolverhampton in the quarterfinals, and staged an even greater one this time to set off wild celebrations in the sky-blue half of Wembley.
Striker Ellis Simms gave the Championship side a glimmer of hope by sweeping home a cross from Fabio Tavares in the 71st, O’Hare netted the second with the help of a lucky deflection in the 79th and Haji Wright equalized from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of injury time after a handball by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
United had taken the lead in the 23rd when Scott McTominay had an easy tap-in into an empty net. Harry Maguire then headed in the second from a corner to secure what seemed like a comfortable halftime lead, which soon looked insurmountable after Fernandes’ shot took a deflection to sneak inside the near post for United’s third.
Manchester United’s Harry Maguire celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Coventry City and Manchester United at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
But no lead seems safe for this United side.
This was a second late collapse in a matter of weeks after United gave up two injury-time goals in a 4-3 Premier Leauge loss to Chelsea this month, when Ten Hag called on his team to learn how to close out games. They showed no signs of having learned that lesson, and Coventry came the closest to netting the winner in extra time against a shell-shocked United.
Simms first hit the crossbar with a stinging strike and Victor Torp then thought he had scored the winner in the 120th minute — setting off more wild celebrations by the Coventry players and fans — but it was ruled out by VAR for offside to set up the penalty shootout.
Casemiro missed United’s first penalty by shooting straight at goalkeeper Bradley Collins but Andre Onana saved O’Hare’s spot kick before Sheaf sent his well over the crossbar.
Manchester United’s goalkeeper Andre Onana dives but fails to save the goal from Coventry City’s Haji Amir Wright, second right, during the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Coventry City and Manchester United at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
It saved Ten Hag from another embarrassment and gives United a chance to salvage what has been a disappointing season. United only has an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season and an FA Cup trophy — at rival City’s expense — could be the only thing that will convince new minority owner Jim Ratcliffe to keep Ten Hag in charge for next season.
The 71-year-old Ratcliffe was in the stands after running the London Marathon earlier in the day. Watching the last hour of United’s performance may have been just as exhausting as the last part of that race.
United’s players hardly even celebrated when Hojlund’s decisive penalty went in, with only Christian Eriksen running over to celebrate with his fellow Dane. Most of the players remained by the halfway line, almost sheepishly shaking hands with the Coventry players — knowing how close they had come to one of the club’s most embarrassing defeats.
“We put ourselves in a difficult position and should have killed it earlier but we didn’t,” Fernandes said. “We have to do so much better.”
FILE – The FA Cup trophy is seen before the English FA Cup final soccer match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London, Saturday, June 3, 2023. . (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)
National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and Wildlife
UBON RATCHATHANI – A Chinese female tourist who made news five years ago for surviving after her husband pushed her off a cliff in a Thai park in Ubon Ratchathani Province has returned to thank Thai officials.
She hugged the Pha Taem National Park staff in joy and thanked them for saving her life.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and Wildlife’s official Facebook page posted photos of this story from Mr. Pramuan Rattanawan, head of Pha Taem National Park.
National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and Wildlife
Mrs. Wang Nan, a Chinese tourist who received aid from officials in Pha Taem National Park 5 years ago, returned to the park at 1:00 p.m. on April 20 to express her gratitude to the officials who helped her after she fell from the cliff named Alexander the Great on June 9, 2019, at the Pha Taem viewpoint.
On that day, the rescue personnel at Pha Taem National Park were Mr. Pairoj Phiw-on, a permanent employee; Mr. Sakulthai Chansuk, a government officer; Mr. Sorawit Mingman, a government officer; and Mr. Sathaporn Phima, a government officer, who helped take the injured Chinese to Khong Chiam Hospital for additional care until she was safe.
Officials helped her after Alexander the Great fell from a cliff on June 9, 2019, at the Pha Taem viewpoint.
Officials of Pha Taem National Park expressed their delight in saving her life. They were pleased that she returned to thank them.
The police inquiry revealed that her husband pushed her down the cliff. He is currently being prosecuted.
The National Park Department prioritises providing assistance to tourists. The National Park Department always provides lifesaving equipment and personnel training to ensure the safety of tourists at all times.
National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and Wildlife
Chiang Mai International Airport shrouded in dust on Mar. 31, 2024.
On Saturday, Chiang Mai City was listed as the most air-polluted major city on Earth for the second straight day, according to IQAir app. Some say it was part of the “seasonal” unhealthy air inevitably facing residents and visitors over the past few months.
Little or nothing has changed under the new elected government: the Bangkok-appointed governor is still there, Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew, himself former leader of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, suggested a week ago those who are sensitive to the dangerous air quality should build a dust-free room at home, as if everyone could afford it and could simply lock oneself inside the room round the clock. PM Srettha Thavisin, meanwhile, pretends this is not a national emergency that requires the government to think outside the box and do something drastic and in a sustained fashion.
Chiang Mai is the unofficial heartland of Redshirt supporters of the ruling Pheu Thai Party and ex-convict-cum-former-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, hails from the province. This means many government supporters in the province are willing to breathe hazardous air much longer without complaining and be more forgiving to the government.
Some government supporters told me this is just “seasonal” and buy into Srettha’s insistence the situation is better than the last dry season, no matter the worst independent figures reported over the past three to four months through various channels. Others simply hope that the rainy season will arrive soon and all will be good.
There are also some who think the problem is too complex for the government to be able to solve as it involves not just forest fires and agricultural waste burnings in northern and other parts of Thailand, but also across the border in Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Yes, the rainy season will probably arrive within weeks and the media (including this writer) will probably stop writing about it and get distracted by other breaking news – but what about the accumulated long-term impact on the health of the people of Chiang Mai (and even Bangkok?) Who will put a price on lung cancer, respiratory problems, asthma, eye irritations, and more?
Will we just wait for another dry season to arrive, say by mid-November, to start complaining and bearing the costs of this chiefly man-made health crisis anew?
We have seen little or no progress on how the government is dealing with major Thai agro-businesses to discourage or penalize them and their contract farmers from being part of the problems, not just inside Thailand, but in neighboring countries as well. There is no breakthrough in talking with Thailand’s neighbors as to what can be done to lessen forest fires and fires caused by the burning of agricultural waste.
Given the high health costs that is hard to put a price on, it is time the government make the issue of PM2.5 particulates a national agenda as it affects not just Chiang Mai, but many provinces in the North, Bangkok, and beyond. As of the morning of Saturday, April 20th, while Chiang Mai was ranked as number one, Bangkok was at 22.
A committee or even a new organization is needed with the sole purpose of tackling the issue, and with the power to mobilize resources and manpower from different state agencies, and they must work during the rainy season as well and prepare the kingdom for the next dry season.
Clean air is not a privilege for those who can escape the worst of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or Bangkok, by flying off to Singapore or Europe. Clean air is not a privilege for those who can afford to build a dust free room or install air purifying machines in all the rooms at home and office.
Clean air is a basic right and there is no justification for the people of Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and elsewhere to believe or pretend otherwise.
FILE - A man carries a Free TikTok sign in front of the courthouse where the hush-money trial of Donald Trump got underway April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Saturday that would ban TikTok in the United States if the popular social media platform’s China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake within a year, but don’t expect the app to go away anytime soon.
The decision by House Republicans to include TikTok as part of a larger foreign aid package, a priority for President Joe Biden with broad congressional support for Ukraine and Israel, fast-tracked the ban after an earlier version had stalled in the Senate. A standalone bill with a shorter, six-month selling deadline passed the House in March by an overwhelming bipartisan vote as both Democrats and Republicans voiced national security concerns about the app’s owner, the Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd.
The modified measure, passed by a 360-58 vote, now goes to the Senate after negotiations that lengthened the timeline for the company to sell to nine months, with a possible additional three months if a sale is in progress.
Legal challenges could extend that timeline even further. The company has indicated that it would likely go to court to try and block the law if it passes, arguing it would deprive the app’s millions of users of their First Amendment rights.
TikTok has lobbied hard against the legislation, pushing the app’s 170 million U.S. users — many of whom are young — to call Congress and voice opposition. But the ferocity of the pushback angered lawmakers on Capitol Hill, where there is broad concern about Chinese threats to the U.S. and where few members use the platform themselves.
“We will not stop fighting and advocating for you,” TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a video that was posted on the platform last month and directed toward the app’s users. “We will continue to do all we can, including exercising our legal rights, to protect this amazing platform that we have built with you.”
FILE – The TikTok logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays the TikTok home screen, Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
The bill’s quick path through Congress is extraordinary because it targets one company and because Congress has taken a hands-off approach to tech regulation for decades. Lawmakers had failed to act despite efforts to protect children online, safeguard users’ privacy and make companies more liable for content posted on their platforms, among other measures. But the TikTok ban reflects widespread concerns from lawmakers about China.
Members of both parties, along with intelligence officials, have worried that Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over American user data or direct the company to suppress or boost TikTok content favorable to its interests. TikTok has denied assertions that it could be used as a tool of the Chinese government and has said it has not shared U.S. user data with Chinese authorities.
The U.S. government has not publicly provided evidence that shows TikTok shared U.S. user data with the Chinese government or tinkered with the company’s popular algorithm, which influences what Americans see.
The company has good reason to think a legal challenge could be successful, having seen some success in previous legal fights over its operations in the U.S.. In November, a federal judge blocked a Montana law that would ban TikTok use across the state after the company and five content creators who use the platform sued.
In 2020, federal courts blocked an executive order issued by then-President Donald Trump to ban TikTok after the company sued on the grounds that the order violated free speech and due process rights. His administration brokered a deal that would have had U.S. corporations Oracle and Walmart take a large stake in TikTok. The sale never went through for a number of reasons; one was China, which imposed stricter export controls on its technology providers.
Dozens of states and the federal government have put in place TikTok bans on government devices. Texas’ ban was challenged last year by The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, which argued in a lawsuit that the policy was impeding academic freedom because it extended to public universities. In December, a federal judge ruled in favor of the state.
Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union have backed the app. “Congress cannot take away the rights of over 170 million Americans who use TikTok to express themselves, engage in political advocacy, and access information from around the world,” said Jenna Leventoff, a lawyer for the group.
Since mid-March, TikTok has spent $5 million on TV ads opposing the legislation, according to AdImpact, an advertising tracking firm. The ads have included a range of content creators, including a nun, extolling the positive impacts of the platform on their lives and arguing a ban would trample on the First Amendment. The company has also encouraged its users to contact Congress, and some lawmakers have received profanity-laced calls.
“It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually,” said Alex Haurek, a spokesman for the company.
California Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat, voted against the legislation. He said he thinks there could have been less restrictive ways to go after the company that wouldn’t result in a total ban or threaten free speech.
“I think it’s not going to be well received,” Khanna said. “It’s a sign of the Beltway being out of touch with where voters are.”
Nadya Okamoto, a content creator who has roughly 4 million followers on TikTok, said she has been having conversations with other creators who are experiencing “so much anger and anxiety” about the bill and how it’s going to impact their lives. The 26-year-old, whose company “August” sells menstrual products and is known for her advocacy around destigmatizing menstrual periods, makes most of her income from TikTok.
“This is going to have real repercussions,” she said.
