Police commandos conduct a raid on a house in Mae Sot, Tak province on Jul. 5, 2023.
TAK — Twenty people were arrested in cities across the country on Wednesday for running a major car trafficking operation.
The arrests were made after police raided 21 locations in a nationwide sweep of two car trafficking rings that smuggled vehicles into Myanmar. Among the 20 suspects were Ratanaporn Poophakampanart, who police said was a ringleader. She was apprehended at her house in the border town of Mae Sot, where police found four pickup trucks.
Regional Crime Suppression Division commander Ekkasit Panseetha said evidence showed Ratanaporn paid several people to make down payments on cars from dealers. Once the vehicles were delivered, they would be driven across the border to Myanmar, after which they were sold and the full payment was never made back to the dealers.
“This has done considerable damage to dealers and car owners,” Pol. Col. Ekkasit said. “We investigated and found that it was an organized crime.”
Four cars, 14 motorcycles, along with firearms, license plates, and a 1.5 million baht cash were confiscated during Wednesday’s operation.
The suspects were charged with colluding in a fraud, police said.
Niramon Phomkhun, 30, also known as Mint, reported the case to police on July 4.
A shocking case has shaken society as a 29-year-old man fatally beat a 12-year-old girl with a baseball bat. The police filed charges against a second person, the aunt of the deceased girl, who reported the incident to the police herself.
Niramon Phomkhun, 30, also known as Mint, charged with helping others who commit an offence or an accused who commits an offence that is not a misdemeanour to avoid being punished, jointly concealing evidence and failure to render aid, although she originally witnessed the incident and reported that her husband Yutthana Madi, or Jab, 29, had used brutal force against a child that resulted in death.
Mint Niramon arrived at the police station at 1 a.m. on July 6 to learn about the allegations.
From the security camera footage in the house where Yutthana attacked the child, it revealed that Niramon was calmly watching the incident. There are also images showing Niramon accompanying Yutthana to buy a 120-liter ice box, plaster and soil at a store in Pathum Thani province, which they later brought home.
Niramon showed no signs of concern or threat from her husband. The two were seen together actively hiding the body in the insulated ice box.
Niramon showed no signs of concern when her husband beat the girl.
Moreover, Yutthana admitted to investigators that Niramon knew about the incident from beginning to end and that she also participated in beating the child until the child lost consciousness. He added that he continued to beat the child without knowing whether the child was already dead or not.
Before the attack, Yutthana had used methamphetamine and committed the act in a fit of uncontrolled anger. However, he did not show anger toward Niramon for reporting the incident and apologized to the child’s family.
Niramon knew about the incident from beginning to end.
Twenty-eight-year-old Trirat Meepao was inconsolable as she received her daughter’s body, which had been transferred from Bangkok, to perform the funeral ceremony at the Sangkat Ratanakiri temple in Mueang district, Uthai Thani province. Trirat did not have a chance to see her daughter’s face again as officials had to seal the entire coffin.
Trirat stated that Niramonbis is a stepsister of her former husband, who is the father of the child. When she moved from Bangkok to Uthai Thani to take care of her bedridden mother, her daughter, who was 7 years old at the time, did not want to come with her. She expressed her wish to stay with Niramon, who she called “aunt”.
Trirat has since allowed her daughter to stay with Niramon in Bangkok. She deeply regretted that this tragedy could have been prevented if her daughter had stayed with her. She wants Yutthana to be held fully accountable for his actions.
Yutthana Madi, or Jab
Yutthana has been charged with two counts: assault that caused death and burial secrecy to disguise the incidence or cause of death, transfer, or destroy a corpse or part of a corpse. He admitted to all counts but refused to participate in the planned re-enactment because he had concerns about his safety.
FILE - Hong Kong born U.S. singer CoCo Lee poses on the red carpet at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Billy Dai, File)
HONG KONG (AP) — Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter who had a highly successful career in Asia, has died by suicide, her siblings said Wednesday. She was 48.
The star had been suffering from depression for several years, Lee’s elder sisters Carol and Nancy Lee said in a statement posted on Facebook and Instagram, with her condition deteriorating drastically over the last few months.
FILE – Hong Kong singer Coco Lee, center performs during the grand variety show as part of the ceremony on the 15th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong, in Hong Kong Saturday, June 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
“Although, CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her,” the statement read.
Lee attempted suicide at home over the weekend and she was rushed to a hospital, her sister said. They said that she was in a coma and died on Wednesday.
FILE- Taiwanese-American singer Coco Lee poses for photos during the pink carpet ahead of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017. (AP Photo, File)
Lee, who was born in Hong Kong but later moved to the U.S. where she attended middle and high school, had a highly successful career in Asia as a pop singer in the 1990s and 2000s, where she was known for her powerful voice and live performances.
Lee, who was initially a Mandopop singer, branched out to release albums in Cantonese and English over her nearly 30-year career.
FILE – Hong Kong-born American singer CoCo Lee performing in Beijing, China, Monday, Oct 6, 2003. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
She was the voice of heroine Fa Mulan in the Mandarin version of Disney’s Mulan, and also sung the Mandarin version of the movie’s theme song Reflection.
In 2011, Lee married Bruce Rockowitz, a Canadian businessman who is the former CEO of Hong Kong supply chain company Li & Fung. While she had two stepdaughters from her marriage with Rockowitz, Lee didn’t have children of her own.
“CoCo is also known to have worked tirelessly to open up a new world for Chinese singers in the international music scene, and she went all out to shine for the Chinese,” her sisters said in their post.
“We are proud of her!”
FILE – Hong Kong’s pop diva Coco Lee and her husband, Bruce Rockowitz, president of Li & Fung Ltd, speak to media during their wedding banquet at Shaw Studio in Hong Kong Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer who had a highly successful career in Asia, died on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. She was 48. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Tourists shield themselves from the sunshine with umbrellas at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China, June 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) — China’s National Meteorological Center on Wednesday renewed a yellow alert for high temperatures as heatwaves linger in parts of the country.
During daylight hours on Wednesday, temperatures in parts of Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Henan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, and Xinjiang are forecast to exceed 35 degrees Celsius, according to the center.
In some areas of Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, and Henan, temperatures may surpass 40 degrees Celsius, according to the forecast.
The center has advised people to avoid outdoor activities and drink water regularly to prevent a stroke.
China has a three-tier weather warning system for high temperatures, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange and yellow.
Tourists shield themselves from the sunshine with umbrellas at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China, June 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
15 dead, 4 missing in Chongqing
The latest round of torrential rains since Monday had killed 15 people and left four others missing in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, local authorities said.
The heavy rains, mainly seen in the areas along the Yangtze River, have triggered floods and geological disasters, disrupting the lives of more than 130,000 people in 19 districts and counties, according to the municipal bureau of emergency management.
Over 7,500 hectares of crops have been damaged, the bureau said in a statement.
The city’s emergency response headquarters office has raised the relief response to Level III, allocating more than 29,000 items of disaster relief supplies, including tents, blankets and folding beds, to Wanzhou District, the hardest-hit area where record-high rainfall was seen.
Rescuers transfer flood-trapped residents in Wanzhou District, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, July 4, 2023. (Photo by Ran Mengjun/Xinhua)
320 mln yuan for flood prevention
China earmarked 320 million yuan (about 44.46 million U.S. dollars) on Wednesday from its central natural-disaster relief funds to support flood and geological disaster relief work in regions including Chongqing and Sichuan.
Among the emergency funds, 250 million yuan will be used to support flood control and disaster relief efforts, and the other 70 million yuan will be used to support geological disaster relief work, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
The funds, which were jointly released by the MOF and the Ministry of Emergency Management, will be allocated by the local authorities to coordinate emergency rescue and disaster relief efforts, focusing on search, rescue, and the relocation and resettlement of people affected by natural disasters.
The funds will also be used to identify and defuse risks and hidden dangers to prevent secondary disasters, and repair damaged houses, according to the statement.
The move came after continuous heavy rainfall hit regions including southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, causing heavy casualties and property losses.
The Ministry of Labor specifies 40 occupations prohibited for foreigners, with 27 completely restricted and 13 permitted with conditions, divided into 4 categories.
As Thailand faces a significant influx of foreign labor, including from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, to address the labor shortage in occupations that Thai people are less inclined to pursue.
Category 1: 27 Occupations Completely Restricted for Foreigners
1. Wood carving
2. Driving mechanically propelled carried or driving non-mechanically vehicle, excluding international aircraft piloting
3. Auction
4. Gem cutting/polishing
5. Hairdressing/beauty salon services
6. Hand-weaving fabrics
7. Loom weaving or manufacturing using straw, bamboo, chicken feathers, yarn, etc.
8. Handmade paper production
9. Traditional lacquer making
10. Thai traditional musical instrument making
11. Thai niello making
12. Gold/silver/platinum smithing
13. Stone carving
14. Thai doll making
15. Alms bowl making
16. Hand-woven silk fabric production
17. Buddha statue making
18. Paper/fabric umbrella making
19. Agent/broker services
20. Thai massage
21. Cigarette rolling
22. Guide services
23. Street vending and traditional market trading
24. Thai alphabets arranging services
25. Silk thread spinning
26. Secretarial services
27. Legal services
Chiang Mai Career Fair and Labor Fair on July 4, 2023.
Category 2: Occupations Allowed for Foreigners as per Agreements with Specific Countries
Foreigners may work in certain occupations governed by agreements between Thailand and certain countries and subject to the provisions of Thai laws. There are 3 professions in this category: 1. profession of accountant, 2. profession of engineer, 3. profession of architect.
Category 3: Skilled or Semi-Skilled Work with Conditions for Foreigners
Foreigners can only work in skilled or semi-skilled occupations if they are employed by the employer. There are 8 occupations in this category: 1. agriculture, 2. masonry/carpentry/construction, 3. mattress making, 4. knife making, 5. shoe making, 6. hat making work, 7. costume making work, and 8. pottery sculpture.
Category 4: Skilled Work Allowed for Foreigners with Employer Authorization and Entry as per MOU
Foreigners can work in skilled occupations with the approval of the employer and enter the Kingdom of Thailand under the Agreement between the Government of Thailand and Foreign Governments (MoU) on the Admission of Foreign Workers under the Immigration Laws. There are 2 occupations in this category: 1. sculptor, 2. retail salesperson.
Penalties for Violations
The Ministry of Labor urges employers and foreign workers to strictly comply with the law. If violations are found, employers who hire foreign workers without work permits or use them for unauthorized work face fines of between 10,000 and 100,000 baht per foreign worker employed.
Repeated violations could result in imprisonment of up to 1 year or fines of 50,000 to 200,000 baht, or both, as well as a ban on hiring foreign workers for a period of 3 years. Foreign workers who work without a work permit or engage in unauthorized activities face fines of between 5,000 and 50,000 baht and may be deported.
FILE - A diverse line of Barbies are displayed at Toy Fair New York on Feb. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam’s state media have reported that the government banned distribution of the popular “Barbie” movie because it includes a view of a map showing disputed Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The newspaper Vietnam Express and other media said posters advertising “Barbie” were removed from movie distributors’ websites after Monday’s decision. With Margot Robbie playing Barbie opposite Ryan Gosling’s Ken in Greta Gerwig’s comedic look at their “perfect” world, “Barbie” was supposed to open July 21 in Vietnamese theaters.
The reports cited Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department, as saying the National Film Evaluation Council made the decision. It said a map in the film shows China’s “nine-dash line,” which extends Beijing’s territorial claims far into waters that fall within areas claimed by Vietnam and other countries.
An advertisement for “Barbie” on the opening day of CinemaCon 2023, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners at Caesars Palace, Monday, April 24, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The “nine-dash line” is an arcane but sensitive issue for China and its neighbors that shows Beijing’s maritime border extending into areas claimed by other governments and encompasses most of the South China Sea. That has brought it into tense standoffs with the ASEAN nations of Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, with Chinese fishing boats and military vessels becoming more aggressive in the disputed waters.
Asked about the issue at a daily briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, “China’s position on the South China Sea issue is clear and consistent.”
“We believe that the countries concerned should not link the South China Sea issue with normal cultural and people-to-people exchanges,” Mao said.
A screen shows America Ferrera, left, director Greta Gerwig, center, and Margot Robbie, right, during the pink carpet event for the movie “Barbie” in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
However, China is exceedingly sensitive when it comes to how its national image and border claims are portrayed in entertainment and by businesses. For example, it has routinely retaliated against companies from hotels to airlines that it believes have suggested that self-governing Taiwan – with its own political system, country code and currency — is anything other than a part of China.
Companies almost always acquiesce to Chinese complaints, fearing they risk being locked out of the huge, lucrative Chinese market. That includes Hollywood films deleting or adding scenes based on the expected response on the ruling Communist Party and the highly nationalistic public.
When an international court ruled in 2016 that the “nine-dash line” has no basis in law and the Philippines was entitled to an exclusive economic zone in part of the area claimed by Beijing, China rejected the ruling.
Warner Bros. offices were closed Tuesday for the July 4 holiday.
In 2019, Vietnam ordered showings of “Abominable” canceled after moviegoers complained about a scene showing the “nine-dash line.” Politicians in the Philippines called for a boycott of all DreamWorks releases to protest the scene, and Malaysia ordered the scene to be cut from the movie.
By JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI — Thailand’s new government took a step closer to forming with the speaker of the House of Representative chosen Tuesday in what has been an arduous task before the next prime minister is named.
The House vote for prime minister is the next major move, expected next week. The leader of the surprise election winner Move Forward Party, 42-year-old businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, has faced strong opposition from conservative lawmakers in his bid to take the job. A successful candidate must have the backing of a combined majority of the elected lawmakers in the Lower House and the military-appointed Senate, which represents the country’s traditional ruling class.
Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the Prachachat Party’s veteran leader who is better known as Wan Noor, was the sole nomination for the speakership and was automatically chosen with no house vote required.
“I will perform my duty with political neutrality,” Wan Noor gave a speech after the nomination. “I will perform my duty with transparency, honesty, and I will fully comply with the constitution and the rules of the parliament.”
Wan Muhamad Noor Matha / Khaosod PHOTO
The House Speaker position was highly sought after as it could influence the passage of legislation. Move Forward said it needed the post to ensure their progressive policies, often blocked by conservative lawmakers, will pass through. But many members of the populist Phue Thai Party insisted that their party should take the crucial post as it was the second winner of the election.
Weeks of tensions between the two parties over the speaker’s post had raised concerns over the unity of their coalition and added to the anxiety Move Forward is facing in forming a government, but the proposals Tuesday went according to a compromise the two parties made the day before.
Move Forward and Pheu Thai, the two biggest parties in the coalition, each got a candidate endorsed for the two deputy speaker posts.
Several Move Forward supporters expressed their disappointment in the speaker deal, fearing it would be seen as the party backing down, which could undermine their reform agendas. Party leader Pita wrote Tuesday on Facebook that the decision was reached in order to “preserve the unity of the work among parties of the coalition government” and that he fully trusts Wan Noor will serve the post with integrity and for the right causes.
The general election in May saw Move Forward and Pheu Thai score a major win over parties in the army-backed ruling government. The victory alarmed the country’s conservative ruling establishment — especially with Move Forward, which they regard as radical and a threat to the monarchy because of modest reforms it had proposed during the election campaign.
The election results reflected a public weary of nine years under Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as army commander seized power in a 2014 coup. He was returned as prime minister after the 2019 election.
Plai Sak Surin, a 30-year-old Thai elephant who has lived in Sri Lanka for 22 years, returned to Thailand for recovery on July 2, 2023. He is being taken care of closely now.
It is reported that the health of the “ambassador elephant” has deteriorated due to lack of care. While the public welcomes Sak Surin, many wonder what will happen to the other Thai elephants.
Meebun, a 42-year-old Seedor elephant, a species of elephant with short ivory, was found dead on July 3 in Moo.5, Tha Ngew district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The famous Meebun was seen at various events such as Songkran and the recent general election campaign.
Meebun was seen at the recent 2023 general election campaign.
Somchai Yhutongkam, mahout, said Meebun had been suffering from illnesses since it was shot in 2019. The bullet pierced his trunk and lodged in his throat.
Somchai added that Meebun had difficulty breathing a few days before its death, so he took it under the trees where there was food and water. However, on July 3, when he went to give Meebun medicine, he found that it was already dead.
At the same time, in Loei Province in northeastern Thailand, a mother elephant and a baby elephant invaded the homes of local residents and troubled the people in the area. Phu Ruea district officials had to force both the mother and baby elephants back into the forest using a digger and a water truck.
Phumarin Khongpientham, Phu Ruea prefect, said officials from various departments, including Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary and Phu Ruea Police Station, were working together to guide the elephants back to Phu Khrang Forest. However, officials remain on guard to ensure that the wild elephants do not return to the homes of local residents.
The problem of elephants returning to their old homes where the areas are now inhabited by humans is not new. Last year, the Cabinet established an Elephant Conservation and Management Committee to address the problem, while the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation established Thailand’s Wild Elephant Food Security Fund to help people suffering from wild elephants.
Plai Sak Surin has been taken care of at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang Province.
There are about 4,013 to 4,422 wild elephants living in the wild in Thailand. When the new government is formed, the problem of Thai elephants will be expected. It is important to note that all Thai elephants should be symphatized in the same way as Sak Surin.
SAPPORO – The headless body of a man has been found at a hotel in Sapporo on Japan’s northernmost main island, with police continuing to search Tuesday for a person seen entering the victim’s room with him.
The victim was also found naked and police believe both the head and the clothes were taken away by the person in a bid to prevent identification of the body, according to investigative sources.
The victim, whose body was found Sunday, remains unidentified, they said.
Security cameras at the short-stay “love hotel” caught the two entering the premises at around 10:50 p.m. Saturday and the person leaving the room alone at around 2:00 a.m. Sunday with a suitcase, according to the sources.
The person was small and wore a large brimmed hat and women’s clothing, they said.
Photo taken on July 3, 2023, shows a hotel in Sapporo where the body of a man was found the previous day. (Kyodo)
The victim, who is estimated to be aged between 45 and 70 and between 160 centimeters and 170 cm in height, had surgical scars where his appendix had been removed, according to the police.
An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was hemorrhagic shock and that his head was severed after death.
The police suspect the man was killed inside the bathroom, where his body was found by an employee on Sunday afternoon.
The incident occurred in downtown Susukino where many love hotels are located.
A man in the neighborhood expressed shock Sunday, saying, “I have lived in this area for about 15 years, but I have never heard of an incident like this.”
Violence against women and children that leads to death is a hidden problem in Thai society. This includes the recent report that a 12-year-old girl in Bangkok, abandoned by her biological parents, was beaten to death by a man who had raised her.
On Tuesday, July 4, Police found the body of a 12-year-old girl in an insulated ice box covered with plaster and soil to hide her in a house in Bangkok’s Soi Phaholyothin 48, Anusawari Subdistrict, Bang Khen District. This is a 2-storey townhouse that has been converted into an online packing factory.
@khaosodenglish Police found the body of a 12-year-old girl in a house in Bangkok’s Soi Phaholyothin 48, Anusawari Subdistrict, Bang Khen District. The girl’s body had been put in an insulated ice box and covered with plaster and soil to hide it. The body was covered in deep wounds on its face and torso. The doctor initially assumed she died roughly 48 hours ago. A 29-year-old man, the husband of a woman who adopted this child from a distant relative, used a baseball bat to rage until the child died. #crime♬ original sound – Khaosod English
The body was covered with deep wounds on the face and torso. The doctor initially assumed that she died about 48 hours ago.
Apinya Saenpoch, 24, the informant, said the girl was the daughter of her relatives. The girl had not lived with her parents since she was 7 years old. She did not attend school and lived with Apinya’s sister, Mint, 30, and her husband, Yuttana, 29. The girl called them aunt and uncle.
A 12-year-old girl’s body was put in an insulated ice box and hide in a house in Bangkok’s Soi Phaholyothin 48.
Apinya heard from her older sister and Yuttana that the girl was stubborn and liked to steal things in the house. She was punished several times. However, each time she was punished, she became even more stubborn. Apinya said Mint talked to her about solutions, but she did not find any.
By 7 p.m. on July 3, Yuttana and Mint drove to Apinya’s house. Yuttana confessed that he had hit the girl with a baseball bat out of anger because she had stolen supplementary food he needed to pack and send to customers. The girl had been dead since 1 a.m. July 2.
A 12-year-old girl’s body was put in an insulated ice box covered with plaster and soil.
He admitted that he wanted to shred the body but did not dare to do so. He decided to buy a large plastic container to put the body in. He applied cement all over and filled the hole with soil. Then he and Mint drove to her place and asked her and Mint to call the police.
Apinya and Mint said they have not been able to reach Yuttana since then. Police have already summoned Mint for questioning. The police also turn the body over to the coroner for examination while they rush to find Yuttana for prosecution.
Yutthana’s friend, Phongsathorn Daengpradab, 30, stated in an interview with Khaosod Online that Yutthana came to his home at 3 a.m. on July 2 to ask for and borrow equipment such as drills, cutting knives, metal saws, and huge pots, which he did not have. Yutthana then borrowed a saw to cut wood for a moment before returning it, stating it couldn’t be used, and didn’t pick up anything else.
Yuttana’s house
“Yutthana called me again on July 3 and stated that he would never meet me again because he murdered the girl. I responded, Do not joke; are you on drugs? I am aware that he occasionally used narcotics. He admitted that he did kill the girl because he was furious that she had eaten the delivered goods.”
“Mint also told me all about how Yutthana hit the girl first, then stomped, then dragged her to the middle of the house and continued to stomp. Until the girl had stiffness, he still beat her again until she was still and didn’t raise her hand to protect herself anymore. Yuttana then checked whether she was dead or not, and it turned out that she was dead. Both of them were shocked. They sat and cried in the house,” said Phongsathorn.
Yuttana was arrested in the afternoon on July 4.
Later on the day, the police acquired a warrant from the Criminal Court to arrest Yutthana in Bangkok’s Sutthisan district and bring him to the Bang Khen police station for questioning. The accused admitted to all allegations and stated that he had previously beaten the girl several times.
The police also learned that when the child was 7 years old, Mint went to Uthai Thani to ask her mother for permission to adopt her, telling her mother that she wanted to educate her. Mint and Yuttana, however, never legally adopted her. They further claimed that the girl refused to attend school.
