Thailand is the world’s largest durian exporter, but there was a problem with durian being smuggled in from neighbouring countries and sold as products of Thailand.
Officers of the Customs Department routinely conducted inspections and arrested those who did so illegally; however, the latest arrest has sparked controversy on social media about whether the durians confiscated at the Aranyaprathet customs checkpoint in eastern Thailand were either domestic products of Sisaket Province or from neighbouring nations.
photo: The Customs Department
Pachara Anantasin, Director General of the Customs Department, held a press conference on June 26 to clarify that the durian confiscated by customs officials on June 23, 2023, was smuggled from the Thai-Cambodian border in Klong Nam Sai Subdistrict, Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province, and travelled between Chanthaburi and Sa Kaeo. They were not from the province of Sisaket.
photo: The Customs Department
On that day, a spy informed the officer that a truck transporting illegal durian had departed the border region and was headed towards Road No. 317. The officers discovered a white Isuzu 6-wheel vehicle, as reported, in front of Wang Somboon Hospital, Wang Somboon District, Sa Kaeo Province, at approximately 09:45. They halted the vehicle for a search and discovered a pickup truck packed with fresh durians.
photo: The Customs Department
The truck driver stated that he was paid 6,000 baht to transport durians for his company. This time, the total weight of durians provided was 8,420 kilogrammes, with origins in Cambodia. When he arrived, there was a Cambodian waiting to load the durian into the car and transport it to the destination in Chanthaburi province, Thailand’s durian planting region.
Later, the owner of the durian appeared before officials and admitted that the durian came from Cambodia and had not been properly cleared through customs. As a result, the officer filed an allegation against him under Section 246 of the Customs Act. He made no objections about his arrest or the interrogation of officials.
Bangkok,26June 2023– UOB Thailand hasannounced the launch of its “U–Green” home loan campaign, offeringgreenhome loan solutionsfor customers seeking to make their homes more environmentally friendly. The campaign includes financing options for home renovation and refurbishment, solar panel and EV Charger installation, in line with the Bank’s recent partnership with the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA).
As part of the “U–Green” home loan campaign, UOB Thailand now offers a range of home loan productssuch as UOB Refinancewith “Green Top Up” credit lineand UOB Green Cash to Homeenabling customers to renovate their homes with energy–efficient improvements such as solar panel installation or electric vehicle (EV) charger installation. The campaign also extends benefits to individuals looking to install solar panels through the PEA Solar service.
MrYuttachai Teyarachakul,Managing Director, Head of Personal Financial Services, UOB Thailand, said “We recognise the importance of environment sustainability and have launched the ‘U–Green’ campaign to fuel our customers’ passion for eco–friendly living. Offering green home loan solutions, UOB caters to the evolving needs of homeowners seeking to upgrade their spaces with sustainable features. This addition further enriches and diversifies UOB’s range of home loan products.”
New customerscan apply for UOB Refinancewith “Green Top Up” loan, featuring an average interest rate of 3.49 per cent per annum during the first three years (MRR – 5.06), a credit line of upto 100 per cent of the appraisedvalue, and a maximum loan tenor of30 years. Existing customers with remaining credit line available from their collateralcan access UOB Refinance “Green Top Up” loanat a special average interest rate of 4.69 per cent per annum during the first three years with a credit line of up to 95per centof the appraised value,anda maximum loan tenor of 30 years.
In addition, UOB Thailand introducesthe “UOB Green Cash to Home” programme, allowing customers who own a house or condominium unitfree offinancial obligation to use theirpropertyas collateralfor cash loan. The programme provides a special average initial interest rate of 4.39 per cent per annum during the first three years, a credit line of up to 80 per cent of the property’s appraised value. The minimum loan amount available is500,000 baht,while the maximum loan amount can reach up to50 million baht. The maximum loan tenor is up to 30 years. Homeowners can utilise the funds grated for a range of environmentally conscious refurbishments, such as improving ventilation,increasing naturalsunlight, conserving energy, adding green space;installing solar panels and EV charger.
The “U–Green” campaignisavailable for customers who apply for the loan from today to 30 September 2023.
For more details about UOB home loans, please visithttps://www.uob.co.th/homeloan/ or clickhereto access the online loan application. For further information, please contact us at0–2093–2030 or reach us via LINE: @uobhomeloan.
Marriott Bonvoy members can bid for this exclusive Marriott Bonvoy Moments experience, including an exclusive “meet & greet” session with the Getsunova, starting from only 35,000 points!
Hua Hin, Thailand, – Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa is inviting Marriott Bonvoy members to enjoy an uplifting night with one of Thailand’s most popular pop-rock bands, Getsunova, including a live concert and the opportunity for an exclusive “meet & greet” session.
Getsunova have had major success online with tracks like “Klaai Kae Nai Keu Klai” (2012) and “The Loudest Silence” (2018), and surpassed one billion views on YouTube. Now, they are set to perform their first-ever live concert in the tropical surroundings of Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa.
Fans of the band can enjoy an unforgettable night of pop-rock music on July 15, 2023 at The Chandelier, the resort’s spectacular event space. Package prices start from THB 5,499 net including the concert and an overnight stay, or just THB 1,000 net for the concert ticket only.
To celebrate this exciting event, Marriott Bonvoy Moments is inviting members to bid for a special Getsunova experience at Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa, which includes an exclusive “meet & greet” with the band after the concert! This fantastic package starts from only 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, including a one-night stay in the resort’s Garden Room, two tickets to the Getsunova live concert (which includes an opening performance by Sangrawee Live Band), plus free-flow soft drinks and complimentary coupons for five special drinks at the event, plus the “meet & greet” session and a delicious breakfast the following morning.
This is an unmissable opportunity for music fans, including couples and friends who want to combine their upbeat evening with a stylish seaside stay!
Marriott Bonvoy® Moments is a program where Marriott Bonvoy® Members have exclusive access to concerts, culinary experiences, premier sporting events, and more. Members can redeem their Marriott Bonvoy® Points toward various of exclusive, money can’t buy experiences. Learn more at https://moments.marriottbonvoy.com/.
FUKUOKA – Sadako Sasaki, a 12-year-old Japanese girl who died from radiation-induced leukemia caused by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the United States, is remembered for making over a thousand origami paper cranes in her hospital bed under the belief it would aid her recovery.
Now her older brother Masahiro, 81, and other relatives are preparing to submit her paper cranes, along with other items such as her handwritten notes, to a UNESCO documentary heritage program for registry in 2025 to mark 80 years since the end of World War II.
Masahiro and his second-eldest son Yuji, a 53-year-old nephew of Sadako, will apply to have the paper cranes added to the U.N.’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Memory of the World Register.
Sadako, who was 2 years old when she was exposed to the bomb’s radiation on Aug. 6, 1945, was at home with Masahiro and other family members, located about 1.6 kilometers from the hypocenter of the explosion.
File photo taken in Nakagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture, in February 2023 shows a paper crane made by Sadako Sasaki before her death. (Kyodo)
As they fled, Sadako, Masahiro and their mother, Fujiko, were separated from Sadako’s grandmother, who they never saw again. Shigeo, Sadako’s father, was a medic in the Imperial Japanese Army and although he was not in the city at the time of the explosion, he was also exposed to the radiation upon his return.
In the following years, Sadako grew up as a seemingly healthy girl, even joining her class’s track team, where she was known for her speed.
But a decade after the bombing, she began exhibiting severe signs of illness and was subsequently diagnosed with leukemia in the sixth grade of elementary school.
Masahiro says Sadako, who was hospitalized in February 1955, endured intense pain to avoid burdening her family with the cost of treatment for her condition. Knowing that Masahiro was fond of udon noodles, she would invite him to the hospital cafeteria where they would eat them together.
Sadako set about making over a thousand paper cranes while in the hospital after she learned of a famous Japanese folklore tale that says doing so can make a person’s wish come true. She died in October 1955, eight months after being hospitalized.
Surrounded by family members, Masahiro says that Sadako’s final words were, “Thank you, everyone.”
After her death, Sadako’s classmates came up with the idea of building a monument dedicated to her and all the other children who died as a result of the atomic bombing.
In 1958, the Children’s Peace Monument was erected in the western Japanese city’s Peace Memorial Park and features a statue of a girl modeled on Sadako.
Since her death, Sadako’s story has inspired countless books and movies, and paper cranes have become a symbol of peace for anti-nuclear activists.
Yuji, a singer and songwriter, says the idea of getting his aunt’s paper cranes listed on the heritage program came after learning that the diaries of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who chronicled her life in hiding from the Nazis in the 1940s, have also been registered.
Supplied photo shows a stainless steel replica of Sadako Sasaki’s paper cranes given to leaders of the Group of Seven nations at the Hiroshima Summit in May 2023. (Photo courtesy of Castem Co.)(Kyodo)
Yuji continues to stress the importance of compassion and life through his aunt’s example. “My hope is that she will become a Japanese girl who grows increasingly recognized as a symbol of peace, like Anne Frank,” he said.
The Memory of the World Register began in 1997 and lists important documents, manuscripts and audio-visual materials.
As it would be difficult for Sadako’s relatives to apply based on the cranes alone given they are “three-dimensional” objects rather than more typical archival material, the plan is to submit Sadako’s medical charts and memos in the application, where she wrote down her white blood cell counts.
According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the registration review is conducted once every two years, and countries can send up to two applications for consideration, with UNESCO due to begin accepting the latest batch this summer for registration next year.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and others, such as 85-year-old atomic bomb survivor Keiko Ogura, told Sadako’s story to leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May, where they were also presented with stainless steel replica “paper crane” mementos of the girl.
Support from the national government and the authorities in Hiroshima Prefecture has given the case the international recognition and momentum the family says it needs to get Sadako’s paper cranes, medical records, and memos listed in the documentary heritage program.
The family is also being offered assistance from abroad. Since the early 2000s, Masahiro has been in touch with Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of former President Harry S. Truman, who ordered the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
The Truman Library Institute, where Clifton Truman Daniel serves as honorary chairman of the board of directors, has already agreed to assist with the application process.
“It is people working together that creates peace. The first step is to know the other person. My hope is that paper cranes can serve as a tool for that purpose,” Yuji said.
Sirinya Harnpachernchok, also known as Namtan, is the boss behind the famous ice cream with tile design of Wat Arun temple. She is the owner of the Facebook page “Pop Icon Ice-cream 3D”.
Sirinya told Prachachat Business about the factors that led to her success and how grateful she is that her first project became so successful and popular in such a short time.
“I am a big fan of ice cream. I love to travel and have a passion for Thai history and culture. That’s where I bring all the elements together and create a 3D ice cream with the tiles of Wat Arun as decoration,” Sirinya said.
Sirinya Harnpachernchok / Prachachat Business
Sirinya graduated from Chulalongkorn University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration (BBA). Previously, she worked in the marketing department. About this 3D ice cream project, she shared that her team had researched 30 to 40 times over the past two years until they found out that the tiles in Wat Arun Temple were made from old crockery, porcelain, and colored tiles. These materials were then put together to create a flower-like pattern on the stupa.
Sirinya took the research information and translated it into an ice cream with openwork tiles. She explained that the final work was a digestible version of the art on the stupa. She then named her work the Flower of Dawn, which is consistent with the meaning of Wat Arun Temple, the Temple of Dawn.
Flower of Dawn Ice cream is shown in front of the Temple of Dawn. / Prachachat Business
Not only the pattern of the ice cream reflects Thai culture, but also the 2 flavors offered by the ice cream, namely “smoked coconut and butterfly pea” and “Thai tea”. For the first flavor, Sirinya explained that coconut is fundamental to Thai cuisine, while the smoked candle scent represents Thai knowledge. This smoked coconut and butterfly fragrance comes in light blue color with an antique porcelain pattern.
For the Thai tea aroma, Sirinya explained that Thai tea is already a famous drink and the art pattern is a mixture of Thai and Chinese.
Kids are enjoying the ice cream. / Pop Icon ไอติม 3 มิติ Facebook page
Sirinya concluded the definition of her 3D ice cream by saying that she wanted “people to have fun and learn about Thai culture through the ice cream”.” The ice cream is now sold at ARUN CAFE at Wat Arun temple. It was first sold in May 2023 and became successful when tourists gave their reviews about the ice cream. Since then, the ice cream has always sold out.
Pop Icon ไอติม 3 มิติ The Facebook page noted that the Wat Arun-tile-design ice cream has sold out. It will be restocked on June 27, 2023.
In this photo provided by U.S. Navy, the United States and Vietnam national ensigns are raised in unison on the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in Da Nang, Vietnam, for a port visit, Sunday, June 25, 2023. (Mass Communication 3rd Class Eric Stanton/U.S. Navy via AP)
BANGKOK (AP) — A U.S. aircraft carrier and two guided missile cruisers were visiting Vietnam on Monday, a rare port call that comes as the United States and China increasingly vie for influence in Southeast Asia.
The USS Ronald Reagan, along with the guided missile cruisers USS Antietam and USS Robert Smalls, arrived in Da Nang on Sunday for the visit.
Neighboring China is Vietnam’s largest trading partner but Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea have led to increasing friction with Vietnam, as well as with Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The U.S., meantime, has been on a diplomatic push to strengthen economic and military ties in the Indo-Pacific region.
In this photo provided by U.S. Navy, Rear Adm. Pat Hannifin, right, receives a wreath during a welcome ceremony after the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), anchored into Da Nang, Vietnam, for a routine port visit, Sunday, June 25, 2023. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Keyly Santizo/U.S. Navy via AP)
The aircraft carrier’s port call — only the third such visit since relations were reestablished after the end of the Vietnam war — follows visits to Vietnam this year from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and USAID Administrator Samantha Power.
“Though aircraft carrier visits often spark media attention because of their highly visible nature, the broader question is how this will play into the development of ties, including Washington’s quest to upgrade relations,” Prashanth Parameswaran, a fellow with the Wilson Center’s Asia Program, wrote in a research note.
“An overly narrow focus on carrier visits can distract from the broader trend of the more comprehensive development of U.S.-Vietnam defense ties and relations more generally,” Parameswaran added.
Officers from the Ronald Reagan debarked Sunday and were greeted by Vietnamese officers after mooring in Da Nang, a port that was modernized and expanded by the United States during the war for its own use.
Capt. Daryle Cardone, the Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer, said some of the more than 5,000 sailors from the ship will volunteer at several community relations events, play sports with local athletes and take part in other cultural and professional exchanges during the visit through June 30.
“A few Reagan sailors call Vietnam home, but for most it will be their first time visiting,” Cardone said in a release from the U.S. Navy.
Washington sees Hanoi as a key part of its strategy for the region and has sought to leverage Vietnam’s traditional rivalry with its much larger neighbor China to expand U.S. influence in the region.
In this photo provided by U.S. Navy, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), approaches Da Nang, Vietnam, for a port visit Sunday, June 25, 2023. (Mass Communication 3rd Class Jordan Brown/U.S. Navy via AP)
Japan, a strong U.S. ally, also made a port call in Vietnam last week with its largest destroyer, Izumo, following exercises in the South China Sea with the Reagan and other American ships.
China has also been reaching out in an effort to mend fences, sending a navy training ship to make its own port call in Da Nang a month ago as part of what it called a goodwill tour that also took it to Thailand, Brunei and the Philippines.
Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry called the Reagan’s port call part of a “normal friendly exchange for the sake of peace, stability, cooperation and development in both the region and the world.”
Vietnam needs to balance its sensitive ties with Beijing with the U.S. outreach and domestic opinion, Parameswaran said, noting that polls suggest Vietnam’s people have among the highest levels of pro-U.S. sentiment in Southeast Asia.
Based in Yokosuka, Japan, the USS Ronald Reagan is the only forward-deployed American aircraft carrier. It is due to be replaced in that role next year by the USS George Washington, also a Nimitz-class carrier.
The PARQ, together with partners, celebrate Pride Month with the “Colors of Pride” Campaign Supporting the Acceptance of Gender Equality and Diversity in the Society
The PARQ, the mixed-use development integrating smart workplaces and lifestyle retail under the concept of “Life Well Balanced” unites with over 10 partners, its first-class partners, to celebrate the pride month of LGBTQIA+ creating the “Colors of Pride” campaign with the talk “Colors of the Talk”, to emphasize the equality, from the executives’ perspective about the gender equality and diversity in the society together with the special guests who experienced working closely with LGBTQIA+ such as Pam – Anshisa Sintrakarnpol, artist at Warner Music (Thailand) and Koko – Kavindhra Tiamsai, policy researcher driving LGBTQIA+ rights who will be sharing her experience and giving inspiration.
Moreover, there will also be the activity Heart of Pride, the space for everyone to share their encouraging message with others, including promotions, and lots of exclusive menus from retailers in The PARQ Life.
Mr. Kamolnai Chaixanien, Executive Director of TCC Assets (Thailand) Co., Ltd, said “The PARQ aims to enhance the being of the building users and visitors to continuously provide the quality of life in every aspect under the concept of “Life Well Balanced” and is the project that meets various type of usage. In Pride Month, The PARQ, therefore, hosts activities to join the celebration of the pride of gender equality, also, to carry on our mission to be the space where everyone can freely express themselves.
We want to thank our business alliances, more than 10 first-class tenants, for supporting the equality concept to be adopted in society and our special guests for creating the inspiration this time. In addition, there are more activities and promotions including exclusive menus from retail store in The PARQ Life, and to show the power, I would love to invite everyone to be a part of pushing equal diversity at the PARQ.
Fulfill your optimistic thinking in equality living with the “Colors of the Talk” from front-line executives and special guests giving their thought about gender equality, diversity, and being proud of yourself for 4 days on 13 – 16 June 2023.
Start with our executives sharing their knowledge and experience of the topic “Do You know Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DE&I)” led by Miss Wiyada Srinaganand, Country Head of 3M Thailand Ltd., Mr. Derek Heng, CEO of Marsh McLennan, Miss Natthanicha Worawannaseth, SVP Corporate Function (Thailand & Indochina) of Suntory Beverage & Food International (Thailand) Co., Ltd, and Mr. Atul Tuli, Managing Director, Indochina of SAP Systems, Applications and Products In Data Processing (Thailand) Limited shared “Every organization should value employee diversity, whether it pertains to race, culture, socioeconomic background, gender or experience. All employees should be treated equally. Besides reducing conflict within the organization, it also increases employee happiness in the workplace.”
The topic “We are Proud to be Ourselves” was chosen on June 14, 2023, to give people a sense of self-worth by Mr. Sittipong Liamsuwan, Market Access, Policy and Communication Director of Organon (Thailand) Ltd., Ms. Karnmanee Mitisubin, Policy and Government Affairs Lead, Organon Thailand Ltd., and Koko – Kavindhra Tiamsai, policy researcher driving LGBTQIA+ rights who is a transgender woman.
They shared their experiences and gave inspiration “We are all free to express ourselves fully without being looked down upon. And any difference in any way is not a fault. So be proud of yourself. Because we all have the same self-worth as everyone. And most importantly, Pride Month is not just a month of importance. But we must make every day a day of pride and help each other to be a voice to support equality in Thai society.”
On June 15, 2023, our special guest Pam – Anshisa Sintrakarnpol, an artist at Warner Music (Thailand) brought us happiness and entertainment through her wonderful voice. And also shared her view of living in an equal society in the topic “Welcome to Diversity & Equity world”. She said “The opportunity to interact with people of different ages, genders, and races increases both in personal and professional life. No matter how different we are, everyone can be solely responsible for their own actions. Personally, I see this as a world of equality. Diversity is like butterflies that bring color to the world”
Completed the last day with the topic “Colors of Us” by the representation of Jones Lang LaSalle (Thailand) Limited led by Mr. Michael Glancy, Country Head of Jones Lang LaSalle (Thailand) Limited came to pass on inspiration to everyone. “Because we always believe that difference is the initiative of creativity. Not only genders, but we all have dissimilar personalities. It is like our unique colors that support each other as a teamwork.
For JLL, we strive to support a culture that values diversity and emphasizes organizational unity. We are dedicated to supporting our employees in shining and being proud of their true selves. We firmly believe that the most important aspect of being ourselves is cultivating a positive working environment that fosters respectful inclusion and embraces diversity”. Moreover, it also supported by Suntory Pepsico Beverage (Thailand) Company Limited and Muaythai Mania Company Limited (Head Office) (MTM).
At the event, there is the activity “Heart of Pride”, a rainbow heart which is the symbol of pride surrounded with mirrors to show yourself becoming a chic photo spot for everyone to express themselves through the mirrors, upload on their social media, and share the pride in themselves on Post-it sticky note pads.
Let’s be a part of the celebration of pride in beautiful diversity with the campaign “Colors of Pride” this June. Don’t miss out on our limited edition “Colors of Pride” bucket hat from The PARQ for FREE when spent a minimum of 1,500 Baht (collect receipts within the same day) at participating shops and restaurants in The PARQ Life (MRT Sirikit Convention Center, Exit 2) from June 1– 30, 2023.
For the latest news and more information on “Colors of Pride” Facebook: The PARQ Instagram: @THEPARQBKK Website: www.theparq.com Tel. 02-080-5700 #COLOROFPRIDE #ThePARQ #LifeWellBalanced
CP Foods promotes digitization among its business partners and farmers to ensure sustainable growth.
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) showcases groundbreaking digital technology and agro-industry innovations worldwide at the ‘CPF the NeXt Tech Show.’ This event aims to empower its business partners and farmers to embrace digitization, transforming their practices and ensuring food security while promoting long-term sustainable development in response to the digital era.
This event showcased more than 100 state-of-the art digital technologies, applications, and innovations for agriculture and livestock from more than 30 partner organizations across the globe. Additionally, the knowledge of CP Foods’ executives and agro experts. The opening ceremony was presided over by Prasert Poongkumarn, Vice Senior Chairman of CP Group, and Adirek Sripratak, Chairman of the Executive Committee of CP Foods, along with CP Foods executives and customers nationwide.
Rewat Hathaisattayapong, Head of Feed Business at CP Foods, said the event was arranged to mark the 70th anniversary of CP Foods’ animal feed business. The conference and exhibition aim to introduce the latest global agro-industrial technologies, preparing business partners to be ready for the digital world under the theme ‘Technology of the Future…for Sustainable Livestock Growth.
Rewat said the exhibitions and knowledge-sharing sessions at the two-day event allow participants to discover the latest in digital agriculture and gain valuable insights from leading IT and digital agriculture experts. This aims to strengthen the company and its partners’ competitiveness and promote sustainable growth.
The company has continuously developed and applied innovation and technology to enhance the feed production process, ensuring the production of quality animal feeds that meet international standards. Additionally, the company distributes these products at appropriate prices for farmers, considering them as ‘life partners.’
The NeXt Tech Show represents our commitment to our customers and farmers, ensuring that they are well-equipped to thrive in the post-COVID world. Embracing digital technology is key to maintaining a leadership position in every industry, including agriculture. We are dedicated to preparing the next generation for a resilient and sustainable future,” affirmed Rewat.
With over 100 digital agriculture innovations on display from more than 30 global partners of CP Foods, the NeXt Tech Show strives to inspire its feed business partners to adapt to the digital era. It will spotlight advanced digital platforms and applications, including robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Renowned IT experts and CP Foods experts share their insights during the Tech Talk segment, including strategies for navigating disruptions and sustaining growth. CP Foods’ executives will also present their vision for improving Thailand’s agro-industrial sector to the top ranks of the global market.
The company constantly integrates automation into its operations; and the automated manufacturing process is with international standards and certified by independent third-party organizations.
The Cape Shark Pool Villas Resort which was built into the rocks on Koh Tao, Koh Phangan District, Surat Thani Province was inspected by officers from the Forest Protection Operations Centre, headed by Dr. Yuthaphon Angkinan, Advisor to the Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources on Sunday, June 25.
Images were shared on social media and criticised for the way a resort was constructed in this natural area.
The owner of the resort, Mrs. Sunisa Laporte, admitted guilt and insisted she would restore the area after the resort’s construction without permission. There was also a sewer pipes that discharged untreated sewage into the ocean, against to government regulations.
The officer then forwarded the case to the Ko Pha Ngan police station so that she could be charged with violating a number of laws, including the Building Control Act, the Hotel Act, and the Promotion and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act.
The resort was promoted on the website Agoda: “This property is in high demand!” It puts you close to attractions and interesting dining options. Rated 4 stars, this high-quality property provides guests with access to a massage, a restaurant, and an indoor pool on-site.
Since June 22, 2023, officials have prohibited people from using or entering any part of the building.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on monitors as he addresses the nation after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, called for armed rebellion and reached the southern city of Rostov-on-Don with his troops, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
The greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power fizzled out after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow abruptly reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.
The brief revolt, though, exposed vulnerabilities among Russian government forces, with Wagner Group soldiers under the command of Yevgeny Prigozhin able to move unimpeded into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and advance hundreds of kilometers (miles) toward Moscow. The Russian military scrambled to defend Russia’s capital.
Servicemen sit in a tank with a flag of the Wagner Group military company, as they guard an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
Under the deal announced Saturday by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to neighboring Belarus, which has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Charges against him of mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped.
The government also said it would not prosecute Wagner fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. Prigozhin ordered his troops back to their field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian regular soldiers.
Putin had vowed earlier to punish those behind the armed uprising led by his onetime protege. In a televised speech to the nation, he called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason.”
In allowing Prigozhin and his forces to go free, Peskov said, Putin’s “highest goal” was “to avoid bloodshed and internal confrontation with unpredictable results.”
The risk for Putin is whether he will be seen as weak, analysts said.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, looks out from a military vehicle on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. (AP Photo)
“Putin has been diminished for all time by this affair,” former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst said on CNN.
Moscow had braced for the arrival of the Wagner forces by erecting checkpoints with armored vehicles and troops on the city’s southern edge. About 3,000 Chechen soldiers were pulled from fighting in Ukraine and rushed there early Saturday, state television in Chechnya reported. Russian troops armed with machine guns put up checkpoints on Moscow’s southern outskirts. Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the march.
Wagner troops advanced to just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Moscow, according to Prigozhin. But after the deal was struck, Prigozhin announced that he had decided to retreat to avoid “shedding Russian blood.”
Prigozhin had demanded the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whom Prigohzhin has long criticized in withering terms for his conduct of the 16-month-long war in Ukraine. On Friday, he accused forces under Shoigu’s command of attacking Wagner camps and killing “a huge number of our comrades.”
If Putin were to agree to Shoigu’s ouster, it could be politically damaging for the president after he branded Prigozhin a backstabbing traitor.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, Russian President Vladimir Putin, walk along the Red Square during the Victory Day in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, May 9, 2017. (Yuri Kochetkov/Pool photo via AP)
The U.S. had intelligence that Prigozhin had been building up his forces near the border with Russia for some time. That conflicts with Prigozhin’s claim that his rebellion was a response to an attack on his camps in Ukraine on Friday by the Russian military.
In announcing the rebellion, Prigozhin accused Russian forces of attacking the Wagner camps in Ukraine with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery. He alleged that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, ordered the attacks following a meeting with Shoigu in which they decided to destroy the military contractor.
The Defense Ministry denied attacking the camps.
Congressional leaders were briefed on the Wagner buildup earlier last week, a person familiar with the matter said. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The U.S. intelligence briefing was first reported by CNN.
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company sit in their military vehicles as they prepare to leave an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
A possible motivation for Prigozhin’s rebellion was the Russian Defense Ministry’s demand, which Putin backed, that private companies sign contracts with it by July 1. Prigozhin had refused to do it.
“It may well be that he struck now because he saw that deadline as a danger to his control of his troops,” Herbst wrote in an article for the Atlantic Council.
Early Saturday, Prigozhin’s private army appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow, which runs Russian operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.
Russian media reported that several helicopters and a military communications plane were downed by Wagner troops. Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented.
Members of the Wagner Group military company load their tank onto a truck on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023 (AP Photo)
After the agreement de-escalated tensions, video from Rostov-on-Don posted on Russian messaging app channels showed people cheering Wagner troops as they departed. Prigozhin was riding in an SUV followed by a large truck, and people greeted him and some ran to shake his hand. The regional governor later said that all of the troops had left the city.
Wagner troops and equipment also were in Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) south of Moscow.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared Monday a non-working day for most residents as part of the heightened security, a measure that remained in effect even after the retreat.
Ukrainians hoped the Russian infighting would create opportunities for their army to take back territory seized by Russian forces.
“These events will have been of great comfort to the Ukrainian government and the military,” said Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He said that even with a deal, Putin’s position has probably been weakened.
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company sit atop of a tank, as local civilians pose for a photo prior to their leave an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Saturday, shortly before Prigozhin announced his retreat, that the march exposed weakness in the Kremlin and “showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs” that it is easy to capture Russian cities “and, probably, arsenals.”
Wagner troops have played a crucial role in the Ukraine war, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the military brass, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions.
The 62-year-old Prigozhin, a former convict, has longstanding ties to Putin and won lucrative Kremlin catering contracts that earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”
He and a dozen other Russian nationals were charged in the United States with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord ahead of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. Wagner has sent military contractors to Libya, Syria, several African countries and eventually Ukraine.
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Associated Press writers Danica Kirka in London, and Nomaan Merchant in Washington, contributed.
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Follow AP coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine-war
