“Your Boy TJ” leads a group of artists to shake up Pattaya Beach on the second night. At the event“MONO29 PATTAYA COUNTDOWN 2024,” during December 29-31.
Getting closer and closer With the end-of-year fun that’s about to happen. For the world-class concert organized by Pattaya City-Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization,Tourism Authority of Thailand. Pattaya Office and MONO29 ( Mono Twenty Nine)television stationjointly organized an event to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year.“MONO29 PATTAYA COUNTDOWN 2024 THE FANTASTIC BEACH ”(Mono29 Pattaya Countdown2024The Fantastic Beach)
Your Boy TJ
In order to promote and publicize tourism in Pattaya, the event is filled with various activities throughout3 days and 3 nights, complete with production of lights, colors, and sound. Between 29-31 December this year from 5:00 p.m. onwards at Pattaya beach. Chonburi Province, including the event “KOH LAN PATTAYA COUNTDOWN 2024″ ( Koh Lan Pattaya Countdown 2024) on December 31 at Koh Lan from 7:00 p.m. onwards as well.
Your Boy TJisthe representative of the artists invited to the event. Run interprets it within the event for you to hear:
“Hello to MONO29 fansand all friends and brothers and sisters. I would like to invite everyone to come have fun and enjoy the countdown concert. On Pattaya beach For me, I have prepared songs and fun to give to the people of Pattaya and all Thai people, please wait and see. The fun will take place throughout 3 nights from 29-31 December. Come see me on 30 December as well. If anyone doesn’t have plans to go anywhere, come and meet me. I guarantee it will be the most excruciating.”
There are also many famous artists preparing to join in spreading happiness at this eventat the event “MONO29 PATTAYA COUNTDOWN 2024 THE FANTASTIC BEACH ” (Mono29 Pattaya Countdown 2024The Fantastic Beach)at Pattaya Beach. Forthis December 30th,meetArtistINDIGO (Indigo), TILLY BIRDS (Tilly Birds), KLEAR (Clear), BODYSLAM (Bodyslam), URBOYTJ (Your Boy TJ)andJOEYBOY (Joey Boy)You can visit and participate in various activities for free throughout the event.
Images of Nong Nice meditating as published on his social media. Note: Images are blurred to comply with media regulations on underage individuals.
Thailand’shottest “spiritual” phenomena over the past months, or basically of the year 2023, is not led by a Buddhist monk, but an eight-year-old boy known as “Nong Nice” (Little Brother Nice).
Adults, men and women, flock to offer him money, have him blessed. They also seek to have their inner psychic channel activated and supposedly made directly accessible via live streaming into their heads. Buddhist teachings via Nong Nice, wherein their new spiritual leader, does not have to utter a single word.
Believers and Little Brother Nice say that is how the historical Buddha preached to thousands of disciples at a time without the aid of a hi-fidelity loudspeaker.
To see is to believe. But to this writer, to watch these video clips is to feel sorry for not just these adults, the boy himself, but the Thai educational system. Why bother learning anything about basic science at school when you have Nong Nice to believe in?
Because some of us find life banal, they have to seek something to believe in that is beyond reasoning, that is supernatural – the basic teaching of Buddhism as a philosophy would not do. I would not totally blame them as many Thai Buddhists still believe the historical Buddha, Guatama, once emerging from the womb of his mother, was able to walk seven steps and declared: “I am the chief of the world. Eldest in the world. This is the last birth.”
Good luck if you believe in such an embellished tale that is two thousand and a half millennia old. Well, if you believe in that tale, why not believe in Little Brother Nice who is eight years old? So while I find Nong Nice (and the tale about the Buddha’s birth) not convincing, on the other hand, we want Thailand to be a free society where people have the right to believe and be superstitious for that matter.
So it is a little disturbing this week to see the authorities telling Nong Nice and his parents that his teaching deviates from Buddhism. One of the tales about Nong Nice, a claim made by Nong Nice himself, is that he is an avatar of a great naga (itself a mythical serpent who became a key disciple of the Lord Buddha) and is back here on earth to preach and spread Buddhism not to just Thais but Russians, including war-mongering Russian President Vladimir Putin!
BTW, officials from the National Office of Buddhism also reminded Nong Nice and his parents earlier this week it is not the naga’s job to teach and spread Buddhism. For the meantime, the authorities are keeping an eye on donations made to Nong Nice but are not accusing him and her parents of running a scam yet.
Equally disturbing as seeing worshippers placing belief before logic is the Thai government trying to tell us what to believe and what not to. Also, child rights activists might want to check if Nong Nice qualified as a child labourer, exploited by no less than her parents who furbished all these tales about the boy being different from other kids even when he was in the womb.
For Christ’s or Buddha’s sake, he is just an eight year old boy and deserves a normal childhood and proper horrible Thai education, not delusion.
As much as you cannot stop some Thais to believe some monks, even animals and trees are capable of giving you the latest lucky lottery numbers, Nong Nice phenomena would not be the last superstitious phenomena. One might ask why?
Is it because some of us humans are so weak, life so unpredictable, cruel, and meaningless that we want to believe in something higher, something supernatural and better than us, a miracle beyond our ability to reason?
I have no easy answer, but all I can say is educators should be more concerned about teaching Thai students basic logic and science and less worried that most are not performing well when it comes to English-language proficiency when compared to students from other nations.
But again, this is a society where criticising the monarchy could lead to a heavy prison term of 15 years. Apparently logic has its limits in Thailand.
Smoke rises to the sky after an explosion in Gaza Strip as seen from Southern Israel, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — More than 90 Palestinians, including dozens from an extended family, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on two homes, rescuers and hospital officials said Saturday, a day after the U.N. chief warned again that nowhere is safe in Gaza and that Israel’s offensive is creating “massive obstacles” to distribution of humanitarian aid.
Also Saturday, the Israeli military said troops arrested hundreds of alleged militants in Gaza over the past week and transferred more than 200 of them to Israel for further interrogation, providing rare details on a controversial policy of mass roundups of Palestinian men. The army said more than 700 people with alleged ties to the militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have so far been sent to Israeli lockups.
Israel declared war after Hamas gunmen stormed across the border on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking some 240 hostages. More than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war to destroy Hamas and more than 53,000 have been wounded, according to health officials in Gaza, a besieged territory ruled by the Islamic militant group for the past 16 years.
A Palestinian man mourns a relative killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip outside a morgue, in Khan Younis on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Mohammed Dahman)
Despite mounting international calls for a cease-fire, Israel has vowed to keep up the fight until Hamas is destroyed and removed from power in Gaza and all the hostages are freed. The Biden administration has shielded Israel in the diplomatic arena. On Friday, the U.N. Security Council adopted a watered-down resolution that calls for immediately speeding up aid deliveries to desperate civilians in Gaza, but not for a cease-fire.
The Health Ministry in Gaza on Saturday evening said 201 people had been killed over the past 24 hours.
On Friday, airstrikes flattened two homes, one in Gaza City and the other in the urban refugee camp of Nuseirat in the center of the territory.
The Gaza City strike killed 76 people from the al-Mughrabi family, making it one of the deadliest of the war, said Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense department. He provided the names of 16 heads of households within the family, and said the dead included women and children.
Among those killed were Issam al-Mughrabi, a veteran employee of the U.N. Development Program, his wife, and their five children.
“The loss of Issam and his family has deeply affected us all. The U.N. and civilians in Gaza are not a target,” said Achim Steiner, the head of the agency. “This war must end.”
Later Friday, a strike pulverized the Nuseirat home of Mohammed Khalifa, a local TV journalist, killing him and at least 14 others, according to officials at the nearby Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital where the bodies were taken. Mourners held funeral prayers Saturday in the hospital’s courtyard while rescue teams continued to search for survivors. The legs of at least two bodies were seen under what appeared to be a collapsed roof.
Israel blames Hamas for the high civilian death toll, citing the militants’ use of crowded residential areas and tunnels. Israel has launched thousands of airstrikes since Oct. 7, and has largely refrained from commenting on specific attacks.
Israel’s offensive has been one of the most devastating military campaigns in recent history, displacing nearly 85% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and leveling wide swaths of the tiny coastal enclave. More than half a million people in Gaza — a quarter of the population — are starving, according to a report this week from the United Nations and other agencies.
The military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said late Friday that forces are widening the ground offensive “to additional areas of the strip, with a focus on the south.” He said operations were also continuing in the northern half of Gaza, the initial focus of Israel’s ground offensive. The army said that it carried out airstrikes against Hamas fighters in several locations of Gaza City.
The army statement on detentions followed earlier Palestinian reports of large-scale roundups of teenage boys and men from homes, shelters and hospitals in northern Gaza where ground troops have established firmer control. Some of the released detainees have said they were stripped to their underwear, beaten and held for days with minimal water.
Hamas called on the International Committee of the Red Cross and other global organizations to put pressure on Israeli authorities to reveal the whereabouts and conditions of hundreds of people in Gaza who were detained.
Palestinians wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip are brought to the hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
Israel’s military has denied abuse allegations and said those without links to militants were quickly released.
Israel says it has killed thousands of Hamas militants, including about 2,000 in the past three weeks, but has not presented evidence. It says 139 of its soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive.
Following the U.N. resolution, it was not immediately clear how and when aid deliveries would accelerate. Currently, trucks enter through two crossings — Rafah on the border with Egypt and Kerem Shalom on the border with Israel. On Friday, fewer than 100 trucks entered the crossings, the U.N. said — far below the daily average of 500 before the war.
Both crossings were closed Saturday by mutual agreement among Israel, Egypt and the U.N., Israeli officials said.
Ahead of the Security Council vote, the U.S. negotiated the removal of language that would have given the U.N. authority to inspect aid going into Gaza, something Israel says it must continue to do itself to ensure material does not reach Hamas.
Palestinians look at the residential building of the Khalifa family destroyed in an Israeli strike in Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that it’s a mistake to measure the effectiveness of the humanitarian operation by the number of trucks.
“The real problem is that the way Israel is conducting this offensive is creating massive obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid inside Gaza,” he said. He said the prerequisites for an effective aid operation don’t exist: security, staff who can work in safety, logistical capacity and the resumption of commercial activity.
Guterres reiterated his longstanding call for a humanitarian cease-fire. He expressed hope that the resolution may help this happen but said “much more is needed immediately” to end the “nightmare” for people in Gaza.
The U.S. won the removal of a tougher call for an “urgent suspension of hostilities” between Israel and Hamas. It abstained in the vote, as did Russia, which wanted the stronger language.
PATTAYA – A boat capsized in the middle of the Pattaya Sea, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province, at 6:00 p.m. Saturday. A rescue team from Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya City was dispatched after receiving word that several people had been injured.
They rushed to the beach near the accident with marine rescue staff from the Marine Department, Pattaya Police Station officials, and tourist police officers.
The tourists were floating in the middle of the sea at the time. The officials then dispatched a boat to help everyone get out of the water and to the shore. The passengers were 26 foreigners, 2 Thais, and 1 Thai driver. Six of these people were injured. Rescuers provided first aid before bringing them to the hospital.
The boat involved in the accident was a catamaran named Sea Beach, carrying 45 passengers, lying on its side in the middle of the sea. Officials are preparing to find a way to salvage the wreckage and return it to shore on Sunday.
The passengers were 26 foreigners. It is considered fortunate that everyone survived safely.Rescuers provided first aid to the injured passengers before bringing them to the hospital.
Mr. Adisorn Wannabut, 28, a tourist on the boat, stated that the boat had sailed from Koh Larn prior to the accident. The boat faced high waves and heavy gusts not long after leaving the shore. It tilted down as water poured into the hull. The boat’s crew then gave life jackets for the passengers to hurriedly put on.
The boat’s captain, Sompot Pomthong, 56, explained that the boat was tilting because a piece of machinery on the left side had broken free, causing the boat to lean downward. The bottoms of the catamaran are parallel. If the mounts on both sides of the catamaran become loose, the boat will tilt to one side. Since the other side of the catamaran was still supporting the hull, the boat did not sink.
Police officials later questioned the captain of the boat about whether the boat had been examined before usage. They will also request that experts inspect the boat in order to determine the cause of the accident.
It is considered fortunate that everyone survived safely.
Ethnic Rohingya men perform a dusk prayer at their camp in Pidie, Aceh province, Indonesia, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
PIDIE, Indonesia (AP) — Their screams and sobs could be heard from the ailing boat soon after it emerged into view amid the vastness of the Andaman Sea. Crowded on board were tiny babies and children, alongside mothers and fathers begging to be saved.
The passengers were ethnic Rohingya Muslims who had fled surging gang violence and rampant hunger in the squalid refugee camps of Bangladesh, only to find themselves adrift with a broken engine. For a moment, it appeared their salvation had arrived in the form of another boat carrying Rohingya refugees that had pulled up alongside them.
But those on board the other boat — itself overloaded and beginning to leak — knew if they allowed the distressed passengers onto their vessel, it would sink. And all would die.
They wanted to help, but they also wanted to live.
The boat used to carry a group of Rohingya Muslims sits on the beach where it landed on Dec. 10 in Pidie, Aceh province, Indonesia, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
With so many Rohingya attempting the dangerous crossing in recent weeks, nobody knows how many boats did not make it, and how many people died.
This account of two boats in distress at sea — one was saved, the other vanished — was told to The Associated Press by five survivors from the vessel that made it to shore.
It provides the first clues into the fate of the boat carrying up to 200 Rohingya refugees that has been missing for weeks. On Dec. 2, the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, put out an urgent message about the two boats in distress and urged countries to look for them.
But in the case of the boat that remains missing, it appears no one searched.
From a grey, trash-strewn beach near where they staggered ashore on Dec. 10, the survivors told the AP of their harrowing journey and the agonizing decisions made along the way.
“I remember feeling that together, we would be finished. Together, we would sink. Together, we would drown,” says 31-year-old Muhammed Jubair, who was among the 180 people on his boat to be rescued, along with his three children, wife and brother-in-law.
Ethnic Rohingya men chat on the beach where they landed on Dec. 10 in Pidie, Aceh province, Indonesia, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
TEARFUL GOODBYES
The story of the missing boat and its passengers begins the way most Rohingya boat journeys do — with tearful goodbyes in sweltering shelters in the camps of Bangladesh, where more than 750,000 Rohingya fled in 2017 following sweeping attacks by the military in their homeland of Myanmar.
In one of those shelters, Noor Fatima clutched her 14-year-old brother, Muhammed Ansar, forcing herself to hold back tears as the boy began to cry along with the rest of their family. She knew she had to stay strong so he wouldn’t fear the journey ahead.
Ansar was the family’s only son — the only one with a shot at an education and a job in Indonesia. They hoped he would someday make enough money to support them in the camps. There were few alternatives: Bangladesh bans camp residents from working, so their survival is entirely dependent on food rations, which were slashed this year.
Worsening hunger caused by the ration cuts and a spike in gang violence sparked the latest exodus by sea from the camps.
It was Nov. 20, and Ansar would be making the trip with several relatives, including his 20-year-old cousin, Samira Khatun, and her 3-year-old son. As her brother left, Fatima told herself many other boats had made it safely to Indonesia. Surely his would, too.
The next day, Samira called Fatima’s family and her father, telling them they were aboard the boat. “We are on our way,” she said. “Pray for us.”
Abdu Shukkur didn’t know his bright and bubbly 12-year-old daughter, Kajoli, was planning to flee the camps until a trafficker called him and said he was taking her by boat to Indonesia.
Shukkur begged the trafficker to leave Kajoli behind, but her friends were going on the boat, and she wanted to go with them. He later received a phone call from Kajoli herself, when she was already on board.
All he could do was pray.
FILE – Ethnic Rohingya disembark from their boat upon landing on a beach in Ulee Madon, North Aceh, Indonesia, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Rahmat Mirza, File)
THE BOATS COME TOGETHER
The boat Jubair and his family were on was chugging across the sea, carrying 180 Rohingya bound for Indonesia. It was overloaded, but the engine was still working.
Days into its 1,800-kilometer (1,100-mile) journey, the passengers on Jubair’s boat spotted another vessel bobbing in the waves. It was Kajoli, Ansar and Samira’s boat — their engine was broken, water was seeping in and the passengers were panicking.
Those on Jubair’s boat worried if they got too close, the people on the distressed vessel would jump onto their boat, sinking them all, says one of Jubair’s fellow passengers, Rujinah, who goes by one name and who was on board with five of her children.
Their fears were not unfounded. As Jubair’s boat drew nearer, between 20 and 30 people began preparing to make the jump, says Zakir Hussain, another passenger.
The captain of Jubair’s boat shouted at those on the distressed vessel to stay put. Then he asked for a rope so he could tie the two boats together. The captain told the other boat’s passengers he would tow their vessel behind his, and they would search for land together.
According to Hussain, their captain also issued a warning: “If you try to jump into our boat, we won’t help you.”
What happened next is disputed.
Around the same time, Shukkur, the father of Kajoli, says his nephew made a call to the captain of Kajoli’s boat and was told by the captain that he and his family had left the distressed vessel and were on the boat that came to their rescue.
However, the survivors interviewed by the AP in Aceh either denied that happened or said they didn’t see it.
Tethered together, the two boats began moving through the water. And then, two or three nights later, a vicious storm crashed down on them. Pounding waves throttled the boats, destroying the engine on Jubair’s vessel.
Now, in the dark, they were both helplessly adrift.
Ethnic Rohingya women take shelter under a tent near a beach where they landed on Dec. 10 in Pidie, Aceh province, Indonesia, Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
TRAGEDY STRIKES
It was then, the passengers on Jubair’s boat say, that the ropes between the two vessels were severed. No one says they saw how it happened — but what they did see was the other boat drifting off to their right.
Over the howling wind and churning surf, Jubair could hear the passengers on the other boat pleading for their lives.
“They were crying and shouting loudly, ‘Our ropes are broken! Our ropes are broken! Please help us!’ But how could we help?” Jubair says. “We would die with them.”
The other boat drifted farther away, the passengers say, until it vanished from view.
On Jubair’s boat, people began to wail.
“They are also Muslim. They are also part of our community,” says Rujinah. “That’s why our people were also crying for them.”
THE RESCUE
For days, Jubair and his fellow passengers languished at sea, their food and water gone. Eventually, a plane spotted them, and a Navy ship arrived, delivering food, water and medicine. The passengers say they don’t know which country sent the rescue vessel that towed them into Indonesian waters and then left when their boat was close to land.
That’s when their captain and another crew member fled the vessel on a small fishing boat, Jubair says. Abandoned, the exhausted passengers worked together to guide the battered boat onto the beach, where they have spent their nights sleeping under tarps. They wash and drink from a nearby stream.
Facing an increasingly hostile reception from locals, they have no idea what their future holds in Indonesia. But at least, they say, they are alive. They hope the passengers on the other boat are, too.
“I feel very sad for them because we were in the same situation, and now we are safe,” says Hussain. “We are just praying for that boat to find land and for the passengers to stay alive.”
Ethnic Rohingya children sit around a fire at their camp near a beach in Pidie, Aceh province, Indonesia, Friday, Dec. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Reza Saifullah)
THE AGONY OF THE UNKNOWN
Weeks have passed, and the families of those on board the lost boat have heard nothing. Ann Maymann, the UNHCR’s representative in Indonesia, urged regional governments to launch a search.
“Here you have hundreds of people that are obviously distressed at the best and, at the worst, they are not even distressed any longer,” Maymann told the AP. “Those nations in this region have fully capable and resourced search and rescue capacities.”
The governments of regional countries that the AP reached out to either did not respond to requests for comment or said they were unaware of the boat.
Meanwhile, a familiar feeling of dread has crept into Bangladesh’s camps, which mourned the loss in 2022 of another boat carrying 180 people that an AP investigation concluded had sunk.
Fatima struggles to sleep as she waits for news of Ansar, her little brother. One way or another, she says, they just want answers.
One night, Fatima says, Ansar came to their mother in a dream and told her he was on an island. The family believes he is alive, somewhere.
Shukkur also had a dream about his daughter, Kajoli, but in it, her boat sank. He believes his little girl and all her fellow passengers are dead.
His agony echoes throughout the camp’s crowded warren of shelters.
“Many parents,” he says, “are screaming for their children.”
___
Kristen Gelineau, Edna Tarigan And Reza Saifullah reported from Pidie. Gelineau reported from Sydney; Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.
SURAT THANI – Fortunately, all 102 people on the sinking ship, including foreign tourists, were rescued safely to Koh Tao, Surat Thani Province, on Friday. After that, the Regional Harbour Office, Koh Phangan Branch, issued an order to the ship owner’s company not to use this sinking ship and salvage it within 15 days.
Capt. Natthaphon Sinpoolpon, Deputy Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre in Surat Thani Province, released a summary report on the situation involving the passenger ship T. Sandee Maneesap 111, registration number 308400045, size 114.93 gross tonnes, route Surat Thani-Koh Tao.
Foreign tourists were brought to Koh Tao safely on December 22, 2023.
The ship set off from the Surat Thani Municipality port at 11:00 p.m. on the night of December 21, bound for Koh Tao. Water entered the boat around 6:00 a.m. on December 22 due to strong waves and wind conditions while the boat was going around 15 nautical miles (27.78 kilometres) from Koh Tao.
When authorities learned of the situation, they dispatched three Lomprayah speedboats and three tourist boats to rescue all 102 passengers and crew members at 9:10 a.m. Everyone arrived safely on Koh Tao while this ship sank around 10:30 a.m.
The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre, Surat Thani Province, sent a boat to the scene at 12.20 p.m. to collect life-saving rafts and tourist luggages.
The boat was deployed to rescue passengers from the T. Sandee Maneesap 111 passenger ship.The passengers arrived safely on Koh Tao.
Regional Harbor Master, Koh Phangan Branch later issued order to other ships to be careful when navigating in the sub-district and nearby areas, within a distance of 5.5 nautical miles from Koh Tao, at latitude 9.9930 minutes north and longitude 99.7502 minutes east.
Simultaneously, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre issued a statement to the boat’s owner, Mr. Paitoon Kongchan, alerting him of the prohibition on operating the boat, T. Sandee Maneesap 111, until suitable action is taken.
There was also an order to salvage the ship, dismantle, relocate, or destroy sunken ship wreckage from the area where the ship sank. It must be finished within 15 days of receiving this order. Throughout the procedure, signs indicating dangers will be made visible for navigation both during the day and at night.
MUKDAHAN – The Thai criminal case that has captured the attention of Thais for three years, the discovery of the body of a 3-year-old girl named “Nong Chompoo” (Little Chompoo) on a mountain in Kok Kok village in Mukdahan province, was concluded this week with the conviction of the girl’s uncle, Mr. Chaiyaphol Wipha, or “Uncle Pol,” to 20 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and abduction of a child under the age of 15. The main evidence was the hair.
According to the investigation, Uncle Pon had an appointment to send a monk to another district on the day of the occurrence. As a result, it is assumed that he had good intentions to take Nong Chompoo on a trip with him. However, an unfortunate situation occurred—the youngster may be crying uncontrollably. As a result, Uncle Pon, who has an easily agitated nature, left her in the jungle, thinking he would return later to pick her up.
When he returned, however, he discovered that everyone was seeking the girl. His first words were, “Why does Nong Chompoo’s mother have to make such a deal?” After then, he vanished for two hours, during which time it is thought he moved the girl’s body to hide on the mountain.
Mr. Chaiyaphol Wipha, or “Uncle Pol,” and his wife, “Aunt Tan,” gave an interview to the media.
Pol Col. Phadej Ngamlamom, deputy commander of the investigator in the Nong Chompoo case, said the case took a relatively long time to clear up because many steps were involved in the investigation and verification process, including DNA tests and expert opinions from various fields. The main piece of evidence in the case was the child’s hair, which was cut off after her death, according to superstition.
The authorities discovered that there were signs at the crime scene that the perpetrator had cut off a tuft of the child’s hair. The cut hair was found at the crime scene on the hill, 50 strands in total. The cuts were made with a knife. As the area was muddy, the first cut was not successful, so the perpetrator had to make a second cut. This is the peculiarity of the 16 strands of hair found in Uncle Pol’s car.
The authorities separated the hair that had fallen out naturally from the hair that had been cut off with a knife. The cut hair was then subjected to a test and it was found that the cuts were identical. In other words: If two strands of hair, one in the car and one on the mountain, have identical cuts, it means that they were once together and were cut at the same time with the same weapon.
Two strands of hair, one on the mountain (left) and one in the car (right), have identical cuts, which means that they were once together and were cut at the same time with the same weapon.
The cuts were examined with a high-powered microscope and it was found that the two strands of hair were not identical, but they were close together and the cuts were identical, with two cuts from two cuts.
In this case, 3-year-old Nong Chompoo disappeared from home on 11 May 2020 and was found dead on the afternoon of 14 May 2020 on Phu Lek Fai, about 3 kilometers from her home. The body was not wearing any clothes, which came as a big shock to society. There were also questions about why a 3-year-old child would go up the mountain and how she would get there. It was eventually concluded that the incident was a murder, with the body dumped to cover up the crime. The summary of key evidence and witness testimonies in the investigation includes the following eight points:
The difficult and steep terrain with gradients of more than 60 degrees is beyond the capabilities of the 3-year-old Chompoo and blocks all paths.
The energy from the last meal was not enough for Chompoo to walk to the place where the body was found.
Local villagers confirm that a 3-year-old child can only climb up to the second level of the Phu Lek Fai.
A case study of a villager who disappeared in the forest revealed that the person was found within one night.
Doctors claim that the developmental stage of a 3-year-old child does not allow independent climbing.
The naked state of the body, with Chompoo’s parents affirming her inability to undress.
The first evidence at the crime scene shows that Chompoo’s hair was cut off with a knife, indicating the involvement of another person.
Chompoo’s personal characteristics, including a fear of heights and the forest, as her parents confirm that she has never ventured into the woods behind the house.
The judgment serves as additional proof of the effectiveness of the investigative efforts in this challenging case.
Nong Chompoo’s father and mother cried with relief after hearing the verdict.
Pol. Gen. Torsak Sukvimol, the National Police Chief, praises the officers and expresses satisfaction with their work, acknowledging the difficulty of the case due to the lack of eyewitnesses.
The Commissioner praises the investigators’ commitment in obtaining important forensic evidence, including the cut strands of hair, and in securing witness statements. This extensive evidence contributed to the court’s confidence in reaching a verdict.
He also emphasizes the importance of this case as a model for future improvements in investigative work. He underlines the need to improve the behavioral analysis of criminals and traditional investigative methods. He announces plans to train new investigators to raise their skills to international standards.
As to the allegations of the suspect, Uncle Pol, that he was not treated fairly during the search of his car, Pol. Gen. Torsak explains that it is the suspect’s right to challenge this and that the law enforcement authorities will proceed based on the initial evidence and testimonies. He clarifies that the decision to press charges was made due to significant doubts and invites the suspect to present additional evidence in court.
Thewarat Mangkorn, 66, a former navy seal convicted of murdering a police officer in 2006, was arrested at his residence on December 22, 2023.
BANGKOK – A Taiwanese businessman was arrested in Bangkok as a suspect who hired gunmen to kill his own son, his wife, and his son’s lawyer with wages as high as 500,000 baht per person due to family business conflicts.
On December 22, 2023, Thai Crime Suppression Division Police and special forces arrested Mr. Feng-Hao Chang, a Taiwanese businessman, at his residence in Phan Srinakarin Village, Srinakarin Road, Nong Bon Subdistrict, Prawet District, Bangkok, as well as raided eight locations in three provinces—Chonburi, Samut Prakan, and Bangkok—to arrest suspects in a murder-for-hire case.
The operation stems from a complaint by Mr. James, Mr. Feng’s son, who stated that he was being monitored continuously and was worried about being in danger. He had to return his mother to Taiwan, so he went to report to the Crime Suppression Division.
Mr. Feng-Hao Chang, a Taiwanese businessman, at his residence in Phan Srinakarin Village, Srinakarin Road, Nong Bon Subdistrict, Prawet District, Bangkok on December 22, 2023.
Mr. James told the police that he and his father had a dispute over being the director of a company that manufactured and exported electronic equipment worth more than a billion baht. This corporation has been in operation since 1999, with his father, his mother, and himself serving as directors. In 2022, the son sued his father in over 20 civil and criminal lawsuits to have his father’s name removed from the board of directors of the corporation, claiming that the father embezzled company money.
The investigation team then pursued and detained a group of gunmen who were following Mr. James. All three gunmen acknowledged that Mr. Feng had offered them 500,000 baht each to kill James, his mother, and his lawyer. But they have changed their minds because of a pay cut.
After gathering evidence and obtaining search warrants from the court, police rushed to the targeted places before arresting all three main suspects, who were in their residence. The three suspects seemed unaware that they would be arrested because they had thought the gunmen had already killed the victims.
RAdm. Prakaipruk Srifa, 64, a former consultant for Mr. Feng’s company, was apprehended at his home in the Khlong Song Ton Nun Subdistrict of Lat Krabang District.
Aside from Mr. Feng, the second command-level suspect is RAdm. Prakaipruk Srifa, 64, who was previously employed as a consultant for Mr. Feng’s company. He was apprehended at his home in the Khlong Song Ton Nun Subdistrict of Lat Krabang District.
RAdm. Prakaipruk is the one who contacted the third command-level suspect, Thewarat Mangkorn, 66, a former navy seal convicted of murdering a police officer in 2006, to arrange for three gunmen. He had been sentenced to life in jail but had just lately been released.
Police seized evidence in Thewarat’s house in Thawi Watthana district, including 3 hand grenades, 6 rounds of 5.56 mm rifle ammo, M79 grenades, 1.357 caliber handgun, a body armour vest, 1 set of ammunition, and 2 cars.
Thewarat Mangkorn, 66, is a former navy seal convicted of murdering a police officer in 2006.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Sophon Sarapat, deputy commander of the Central Police Bureau, stated that Feng, Prakaipruk, and Thewarat were charged with being people who use another person to commit the crime of killing another person with premeditation.
All three suspects denied the accusation. However, the authorities indicated that the crime had already been committed by paying someone to murder the target. Even though the gunmen had not yet committed the crime, they were required by law to receive a third of the punishment.
B.Grimm Collaborates with the Prestigious Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra to Elevate Thailand’s Musical Prowess to World-Class Excellence. The Momentous Collaboration Marks B.Grimm’s 145 Years of Compassionate Business Presence in Thailand.
In commemorating the 145th anniversary of doing business with compassion in Thailand, B.Grimm underscores its commitment to continuous support for music activities, particularly in elevating Thai classical bands to world-class recognition.
This aligns seamlessly with B.Grimm’s enduring business philosophy of “Doing business with compassion for the Development of Civilisation in Harmony with Nature,” a guiding principle that the company has consistently prioritized.
A standout event this year was the collaboration with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), a world-class philharmonic orchestra from South Korea which was established in 1948. B.Grimm has taken on the role of the primary sponsor for the “Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra Park Concert 2023” in South Korea, organized by the SPO band at the end of August 2023. Following this collaboration, in November 2023, B.Grimm extended an invitation to the SPO band to curate a special performance, delivering a musical tribute in celebration of the “145 years of B.Grimm” anniversary.
The show’s highlights were nothing short of a remarkable musical phenomenon, as the SPO band arranged a gathering of esteemed classical musicians including David Yi, Sungyong Ueom, Yeonkyung Joo, Minjung Kim, Mikyung Kim, Yongkwa Kim, Jooeun Lee, Joseph Yosub Lim, Yejin Kim, Eunmu Cha, and Seungho Chang. This distinguished ensemble was joined by exceptionally talented autistic children, namely Junhyung Park, Hyeongjun Park, Yunjeong Choi, Jongwon Ryu, and Jeonghyeon Lee, along with Rinkyung Hong. Together, they delivered a captivating performance, presenting a specially crafted music performance as a heartfelt gift for B.Grimm. Also, it left a lasting impression on the attendees.
Over the years, B.Grimm has consistently placed importance on art, music, and sports. The company has a strong commitment to nurturing and supporting communities of all sizes, contributing to their advancement not only in scientific pursuits but also in the domain of art. In the realm of music, B.Grimm has served as a main supporter of the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra (RBSO) for over two decades. The company is dedicated to creating opportunities for both youth and the general public, ensuring consistent access to performances by world-class artists and music directors. The objective is to enhance the skills and unlock the full potential of the RBSO, aspiring to achieve world-class musical excellence and is recognized on an international scale.
In addition to the collaborative efforts and musical partnerships in South Korea, on the business front, B.Grimm Power Public Company Limited, one of the largest private power producers in Thailand, with a vision of “Empowering the World Compassionately,” is actively expanding its investments in South Korea, particularly in renewable energy power plant projects. This strategic initiative aligns with B.Grimm Power’s goal of increasing the share of its renewable energy production in the future.
In the closing days of May 2023, B.Grimm Power Korea Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary under the umbrella of B.Grimm Power, acquired shares in Saemangeum Sebit Power Company Limited. This strategic move represents a significant investment in a solar power plant project situated in South Korea, boasting an installed capacity of 98.99 megawatts.
In late 2022, B.Grimm Power Korea Limited entered into a contract to invest in an offshore wind power project in South Korea. The combined capacity of these projects is 1,030.6 megawatts. This strategic move is deemed crucial for the collaborative development of the renewable energy sector in South Korea, aligning seamlessly with B.Grimm Power’s strategy to expand its footprint in stable and sustainable energy ventures across Asia.
Moreover, this initiative contributes to the company’s long-term commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions.
Police officers guard a street in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. Czech police say a shooting in downtown Prague has killed an unspecified number of people and wounded others. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
PRAGUE (AP) — A student opened fire Thursday at a university in Prague, killing at least 14 people, officials said, and injuring more than 20 in the Czech Republic’s worst mass shooting.
The bloodshed took place in the philosophy department building of Charles University, where the shooter was a student, Prague Police Chief Martin Vondrasek said. The gunman also died, authorities said. His name has not been released.
People stand during a vigil outside the building of Philosophical Faculty of Charles University in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Vondrasek said in the evening that 14 people had died and 25 were injured, after earlier reporting that 15 had died and 24 were hurt. He didn’t explain the change. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise.
Police gave no details about the victims or a possible motive for the shooting at the building located near the Vltava River in Jan Palach Square. Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said investigators do not suspect a link to any extremist ideology or groups.
Vondrasek said police believe the gunman killed his father earlier Thursday in his hometown of Hostoun, just west of Prague, and that he had also been planning to kill himself. He didn’t elaborate.
Later Thursday, Vondrasek said that based on a search of his home, the gunman was also suspected in the killing of another man and his 2-month-old daughter Dec. 15, in Prague.
The chief described the shooter as an excellent student with no criminal record, but didn’t provide any other information.
The gunman suffered “devastating injuries” but it wasn’t clear if he killed himself or was shot to death in an exchange of gunfire with officers, Vondrasek said, adding that there was “nothing to suggest that he had an accomplice.”
The shooter legally owned several guns — police said he was heavily armed Thursday and was carrying a lot of ammunition — and that what he did was “well thought out, a horrible act,” Vondrasek said.
University authorities said they would tighten security in university buildings with immediate effect.
“We mourn the loss of life of members of our university community, express our deepest condolences to all the bereaved and our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragedy,” Charles University said in a statement.
The building where the shooting took place is in Jan Palach Square, a busy tourist area in Prague’s Old Town. It is just a few minutes’ walk from the picturesque Old Town Square, a major tourist attraction where a popular Christmas market attracts thousands of visitors.
The government quickly sought to quell concerns that the massacre was back by foreign interests.
“There’s no indication that it has anything to do with international terrorism,” Rakusan said.
“It’s a horrible crime, something the Czech Republic has never experienced,” he said.
Pavel Nedoma, the director of the nearby Rudolfinum Gallery, said he watched from a window as a person standing on a balcony of the building fired a gun.
Authorities evacuated everyone from the building and police said they were still searching the area, including the balcony, for explosives.
The building forms part of the square and faces a bridge across the river with a view of Prague Castle, the seat of the Czech presidency. President Petr Pavel said he was “shocked” by what happened and offered his condolences to the relatives of the victims, as did leaders of Germany, France and Slovakia, the European Union and Israel.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sent a message of condolence.
“The president and the first lady are praying for the families who lost loved ones and everyone else who has been affected by this senseless act of violence,” Jean-Pierre said. “On behalf of the United States, we send our condolences and also wish the survivors of this tragic event a speedy recovery.”
An ambulance drives towards the building of Philosophical Faculty of Charles University in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. Czech police say a shooting in downtown Prague has killed an unspecified number of people and wounded others. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
The Czech government declared Saturday a national day of mourning to honor the shooting victims, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.
Previously, the nation’s worst mass shooting was in 2015, when a gunman opened fire in the southeastern town of Uhersky Brod, killing eight before fatally shooting himself.
On Thursday, where tourists, students and others would normally be enjoying the view of the iconic monument, chaos and terror instead took hold. Police vehicles and ambulances sped across the bridge with their sirens wailing. Officers sealed off the empty square.
Some video footage showed people being evacuated from the building and others trying to hide behind a wall.
Ivo Havranek, a diving instructor, said he was near the building when he heard a shot ring out, but he didn’t quite believe that was what he had heard.
“Only at the moment when I saw the fully equipped riot police with bulletproof vests and shields, it looked to me that I had found myself in a movie,” Havranek said. “But it was obvious that nobody was shooting a movie.”
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Associated Press video journalist Stanislav Hodina in Prague and writer Zeke Miller in Washington, D.C., contributed.
