ASAHIKAWA, Japan – Police are searching for an angler who went missing at a lake in Japan’s Hokkaido, suspecting he may have been attacked by a bear after a human head was found in the area Monday, they said.
According to the police, a boat dropped off Toshihiro Nishikawa, 54, to fish unaccompanied at a spot on Lake Shumarinai in Horokanai early Sunday. An employee of the boat operator later saw a bear nearby with waders dangling from its mouth and attempted to call Nishikawa, but could not reach him.
The information prompted the town office to launch a bear hunt operation and a member of the group killed one on Monday afternoon, according to a town official.
A human head was also discovered during the operation. The police said they are investigating whether it is that of Nishikawa, a resident of Okoppe, also on Japan’s northernmost main island.
The lake, located in northern Hokkaido, draws anglers trying to catch Sakhalin taimen, a rarely caught fish in Japan, as well as trout and Japanese smelt.
Pita Limjaroenrat, center, (white shirt) leader of Move Forward Party, waves to his supporters in Bangkok Monday, May 15, 2023. Fresh off a stunning election victory in which they together captured a majority of seats in the House of Representatives, Thailand's top two opposition parties began planning Monday for the next stage in their bid to replace the military-dominated government. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand’s opposition racked up a stunning majority of the 500 seats at stake in the race for the House of Representatives, dealing a major blow to the establishment parties and the former general who has led the Southeast Asian country since seizing power in a 2014 coup.
The results of Sunday’s general election are a strong repudiation of the country’s conservatives and reflect the disenchantment in particular of young voters who want to limit the influence of the military in politics and reform the monarchy.
But the exact shape of the new government is less clear as post-election coalition talks and behind-the-scene negotiations take center stage.
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of Move Forward Party, waves to his supporters in Bangkok, Monday, May 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
THE RESULTS
With almost all votes counted Monday, the Move Forward Party emerged as the big winner. It captured a projected 151 seats in the lower House by winning over 24% of the popular vote for 400 constituency seats, and more than 36% of the 100 seats allocated by proportional representation.
The party of incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former army general who came to power in the 2014 coup, held the fifth spot in the constituency vote and third in the party-preference tally, for a projected total of 36 seats.
Voter turnout was about 75% of the 52 million registered voters.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha leaves from United Thai Nation Party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, May 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Rapeephat Sitichailapa)
WHAT NEXT?
Who becomes the next prime minister will depend on a vote set for July that includes all the House lawmakers plus the 250-seat military-appointed Senate, whose members share the establishment’s conservative policies. The winner must attain at least 376 of their combined 750 seats.
Opposition parties have criticized the process as undemocratic. It’s a legacy of the 2014 coup and a new constitution drafted in its aftermath that was meant to ensure that the military and the state bureaucracy, the main upholders of the royal order, continue to hold sway.
Analysts have pointed out that a lot can still happen before the Election Commission even declares the results valid, a process that can take up to 75 days and will almost certainly include legal challenges.
In the past, the commission and the courts have used their authority to disqualify opposition parties.
WHAT THE OPPOSITION WANTS?
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat tweeted that he is ready to bring about change as the country’s 30th prime minister.
“Whether you agree or disagree with me, I will be your prime minister. Whether you have voted for me or not, I will serve you,” he wrote.
Although he energized younger voters with his progressive agenda, the 42-year-old businessman has alarmed conservatives with calls for reform of the monarchy, the institution that has been traditionally treated as sacrosanct.
Pita Limjaroenrat, center, (white shirt) leader of Move Forward Party, waves to his supporters, in Bangkok, Monday, May 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
In 2019, the Constitutional Court ousted his colleague from Parliament on charges of violating the election law and dissolved the Future Forward party, which then changed its name and leadership to become Move Forward.
It had been supporting amending the draconian law that punishes defaming the monarchy, which according to critics has been used to as a tool to quash political dissent and imprison pro-democracy student activists.
Student-led protests beginning in 2020 openly criticized the monarchy, previously a taboo subject, leading to vigorous prosecutions under the law. They were also dismayed by the dissolution of the Future Forward party, which they believed was an unfair use of state power.
THAKSIN’S SHADOW
Pheu Thai is led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 36-year-old daughter of billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was toppled in a 2006 coup.
The power struggle between Thaksin’s supporters, many of them rural poor who benefited from his populist policies, and his conservative opponents has been fought — sometimes in the street, sometimes at the ballot box — for almost two decades.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, right, a leading Thai politician and youngest daughter of exiled former deposed Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, and real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin, during general election final campaign rallies in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, May 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
In the 2014 coup, Prayuth unseated the government of Yingluck Shinawatra — Paetongtarn’s aunt, Thaksin’s sister — as prime minister. And Pheu Thai topped the field in the 2019 vote, only to be denied power when the army-backed Palang Pracharath Party found partners to assemble a coalition government.
Thaksin, 73, said before Sunday’s vote that he wants to return to Thailand from self-exile, even if it means facing justice, including several convictions on charges including abuse of power and corruption.
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Grant Peck reported from Bangkok, Hrvoje Hranjski reported from Zagreb, Croatia.
Srettha Thavisin, a Pheu Thai Party candidate for prime minister, has not only demonstrated his political spirit by supporting Move Forward Party PM candidate Pita Limjaroenrat to be the next PM; he has also asked other politicians to do the same in order to be independent from senators’ decisions.
Srettha posted the message on Monday night to directly persuade the Bhumjaithai party, which came third in this election with 68 seats, and the Democrat Party, with 22 seats, to support Mr. Pita.
He said, “The most important political spirit I hope to see right now is that all political parties in Thailand are truly connected and follow the people’s voices, which will soon be nominated and chosen for Prime Minister. I also support Khun Pita of the Move Forward Party taking a position of grace and pride.
Srettha Thavisin and Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Pheu Thai Party have accepted the election results that the Move Forward Party is the winner.
The number of MPs acquired by the Move Forward Party has increased from 81 in 2019 to 152 in 2023 (the most recent figure).It is a clear symbol of the ideology, their approach truly gained the consensus of the Thai people. It is a phenomenon that I cannot deny is causing a significant shift in Thai society.
Looking at the parties that have received MPs recently, many (Bhumjaithai, Democrat) had previously stated that they did not favour the 2017 Constitution, which handed senators the right to vote for the prime minister.
Now is the time for you to follow your stand.Vote for the Move Forward Party’s nominated Prime Minister, Khun Pita, to be the 30th Prime Minister, according to the rules of a true democratic system, without having to wait for 250 senators to vote, allowing him to fulfil his duties as a party and politician with dignity and pride.
Pita Limjaroenrat
You could be said to truly represent democracy. Make a leader ready to lead the country to rapid development, happiness, and change for all citizens.
Everything the party does will have an impact on future decisions. Neglecting these responsibilities will cost you in the future.”
Mr.Pita said earlier that the number of 310 MPs from six parties is enough to form a majority government. He believed that no one would dare to upset the consensus of the public.
However, according to Thailand’s 2017 constitution, adopted under military rule, the prime minister must to be selected by a joint vote of the 500-member House and the unelected 250-seat Senate, whose members were appointed by Prayut Chan-o-cha’s junta.
In 2019, the Senate voted as a bloc, unanimously backing Prayut. Therefore, a party that wins a clear majority of House seats still might need at least 376, or 75% plus one, of the votes in the 500-member lower house if its prime minister candidate was opposed in the Senate.
A Swedish man who frequently travelled between Sweden and Thailand died alone in his Udon Thani residence. Not far away, there is a dog guarding. It is estimated that the man had been dead for 7 days.
On May 15, investigators at Nong Han Police Station in Udon Thani Province received reports of a foreigner’s death by an unknown cause at a house in Ban Nong Bua Daeng, Nong Phai Subdistrict, Nong Han District.
They found no wrongdoing, no signs of fighting, or ransacking after an inspection with the rescuers and the doctor from Nong Han Hospital.
Mr. Johansson, 65, was eventually identified by authorities as the body. They discovered only a few cans of beer close to the bed, implying that this man died 7 days ago. A white dog in front of the door house keeps an eye on him.
According to neighbours, this Swedish man used to live with his Thai wife Banyen, but she died several years ago. The man then travelled between Thailand and Sweden. He returned to Thailand and stayed at home, this time without interacting with anyone. There is only a dog as a pet
Today, a neighbour smelled a foul odour and assumed it was from a dead dog. As a result, she went in to see and discovered that there was a person. In shock, she contacted the police.
“There’s a white dog who is always guarding the front glass door.” “I believe it realises its adoring boss is no longer alive, but it could not help anything,” a neighbour stated.
A foreign woman’s body was discovered slain in a room on the 32nd floor of a condominium in Bangkok’s Bang Khlo Subdistrict, Bang Kho Laem District. A Polish tourist was later arrested.
Miss Alona, a 27-year-old Ukrainian woman, was later confirmed as dead. She was supposed to die 1-2 days ago. The police discovered a saw beside the body, a wound from the neck to the left shoulder, and a broken left wrist on her body.
According to the condominium juristic person, the Ukrainian woman had come to rent this room with a boyfriend named Mr. Filippow, a 25-year-old Polish citizen who has been a tourist in Thailand since April 29.
Until the afternoon of May 15, the man called a taxi. When the car arrived, he was uneasy and appeared to be in a hurry. The cab driver then notified the condo security guard and urged him to wait, but he instantly ordered him to drive away. As a result, the condo juristic person called the owner of the room and requested that the room be opened until the body was discovered..
The Phraya Krai Police Station and the Metropolitan Police then went to the area to seek for evidence from CCTV cameras and identified the taxi driver’s whereabouts. who compelled the suspect to depart. They learned that he had been hired for 1,500 baht to be taken to the Cambodian border. The destination is expected to be in Sa Kaeo Province.
CCTV footage from the condominium also revealed that the polish man was carrying a bag thought to contain a saw.
At 8:00 p.m., Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol. Lt. Gen. Thiti Saengsawang, along with the investigative team at Wat Phraya Krai Police Station, informed the investigative team in Sa Kaeo Province to arrest Mr. Filippow at the border crossing point of Ban Khlong Luek, Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province, and detain him to prosecute him at Wat Phrayakrai Police Station.
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, which won the general election, confirmed the talk with Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Pheu Thai Party and the other 6 parties to form a government, including Move Forward, Pheu Thai, Thai Sang Thai, Prachachat, Sereeruamthai and Fair Party. The 6 parties have a combined 309 seats. Pita said there will be memoranda of understanding for the 100 days and the 1 year. He stressed that he is ready to take over as Defence Minister. One senator warned that this calculation might not work out.
Please note: Move Forward Party get one more seat of constituency MPs, so a combined seats of six parties is 310.
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat confirmed a conversation with Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai leader, at Move Forward headquarter on May 15 after the unofficial Election Commission result indicated Move Forward’s victory. He said Paetongtarn was also ready to cooperate. Pita added that he had asked the other 5 parties to form a government.
Leader of Move Forward Party Pita Limjaroenrat celebrated at his party headquarter. / Khaosod PHOTO
Move Forward also called on the Thai Sang Thai, Prachachat and Sereeruamthai (Thai Liberal) to join the coalition. Later, it will call on the Fair Party to join the government as it supports the party’s work for peace in the three southern border provinces [Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat]. The Fair Party seat will also help Pita’s government reach 310 seats, enough to be a majority government.
Pita said he will discuss further details, guidelines and framework. There will be a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) so that the public can see what will happen to the country in the next 100 days and the next 1 year. He will try to implement what he promised the people – to organise the referendum for the Constituent Assembly to transfer power legally and effectively.
Leader of Move Forward Party Pita Limjaroenrat leaves after speaking to media at Move Forward Party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, May 14, 2023. . (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Pita also stressed the importance of reforming the army and abolishing conscription. He said that he is ready to take over as Defence Minister if the need arises. However, he is also ready to leave the job to someone who is suitable for the role.
Asked about the amendment to Section 112, Pita said the motion can be tabled in Parliament as Move Forward has 151 seats, enough to table the motion. He also said it was more important to take care of those affected by the law and allow amnesty. He said he was concerned about the relationship between the younger people and the institution. Therefore, a discussion of the issue should take place soon before it builds up further and finally explodes, which he does not want to see.
Pheu Thai Party
Asked if he was worried that the Senator would not vote in his favour to become Prime Minister, allowing Move Forward to gain 376 votes, he replied that he was not worried because the public had already expressed its needs and it would be a rash force against the will of the public which would not benefit either side.
Asked why he did not invite Bhumjaijhai to join the government, Pita said that it was not necessary at the moment – having more than 300 seats was enough. He believed that no one would dare to upset the consensus of the public. Pita added that Bhumjaijhai leader Anutin Charnvirakul has not called him yet.
Anutin Charnvirakul
Chalermchai Fuangkon, a Senator, spoke about the Senator’s position on the voting of the Prime Minister. If Move Forward, Pheu Thai and other former opposition parties join forces to form the government with 309 votes, there is a likelihood that other senators will not vote in favour of Move Forward.
He explained that while he would vote for any government that has more than 250 votes, other senators might not think so. He added that having only 310 votes is not enough. To be a solid government, the total number of votes must first be 376. He added that Move Forward should not leave this to the Senators as Pita must remember who forms this group of Senators.
Pita Limjaroenrat celebrates victory in Bangkok, May 15, 2023.( Phinyo Panmeesri / Khaosod PHOTO)
An influential senator Wanchai Sornsiri said on Monday he and some senators will have to take other factors into consideration such as the party’s policies. Wanchai pointed out that Move Forward Party itself didn’t win a simple majority of the lower House which is 251 out of 500 but won much fewer seats at so it cannot claim otherwise.
“I’m not sure that the Number 1 party will always be able to form a government,” he said, adding that Pheu Thai won the most seats back in 2019 but unable to form a government and ends up in the opposition camp.
Another conservative senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha said the qualifications of a PM is the person must be loyal to the monarchy, religion, nation.
Bangkok – May 2023 – UOB Thailand has launched a new cards campaign, “For All You Love”, featuring strategic partnerships across ASEAN with over 40 renowned domestic and global brands to offer the best deals and privileges to cardholders in Thailand and the region.
The campaign highlights the Bank’s strengthened card propositions and its dedication to offering the best privileges and deals for all that its customers love. Referencing cardholders’ spending patterns over the past year, UOB has identified travel, dining, and retail as being closest to customers’ hearts, and has boosted its offerings in the three categories through regional partnerships with many established brands.
Mrs Vira-Anong Chiranakhorn Phutrakul,Head of Retail and Brand, UOB Thailand, said, “We’re dedicated to providing exceptional customer experiences that cater to their unique needs and preferences. Our globally-informed local expertise delivers tailored banking services that can’t be matched anywhere else.”
UOB Thailand’s commitment to its customers is further evidenced by its strong growth trajectory in the credit card business, the largest segment of its retail arm. Total credit card billings grew by over 30 per cent in the first quarter this year when compared to the same period last year. Majority of the lifestyle spending is contributed by travel, dining and shopping categories.
Mr Tearavath Trirutdilokkul, Head of Card Payment & Unsecured Products, UOB Thailand, said “Our retail banking business has shown steady growth, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of our well-planned strategies. We expect to see continued growth in the revenue of our retail banking business as we remain dedicated offering our customers an unparalleled banking experience that stands out from the rest.”
Highlights include a world-first partnership with foremost wine rating authority Robert Parker, where UOB cardholders in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam can look forward to exclusive wine pairing dinners served by MICHELIN-starred chefs as well as curated wine masterclasses for different levels of connoisseurs. This is Robert Parker’s first-ever partnership with a financial institution, with its regional reach a pioneering approach for the company as well. This partnership furthers the Bank’s customer propositions in the dining space, a perfect complement to UOB’s earlier announced partnership with The MICHELIN Guide in Thailand and Malaysia.
Following the announcement of its strategic partnership with local luxury purveyor Club 21 last year, UOB will be collaborating with Britain’s foremost designer Paul Smith to elevate its offering in the lifestyle arena. Paul Smith will be lending his signature designs to merchandise exclusive to UOB cardholders in spend-and-get campaigns. Over 5,000 limited-edition Paul Smith accessories including Apple AirPod cases and backpacks will be given to UOB cardholders in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam who spend a minimum sum on their cards within this year, while stocks last. The collaboration will culminate in a region-wide lucky draw in December 2023 where one UOB cardholder in each country will win a Mini exclusively designed by Paul Smith featuring his signature stripes.
UOB’s regional and local partnerships, which include five co-branded credit cards with key consumer brands in Thailand, are on top of the over 2,000 in-country deals specially curated to the discerning preferences of UOB’s customers, offering exclusive and customised rewards and privileges.
The new campaign demonstrates UOB’s unswerving dedication in offering an unparalleled banking experience to its customers, and reinforces its position as a leading player in the credit card space. As part of the “For All You Love” campaign, a brand new film accentuating the regional presence and global strength of UOB’s cards will be launched across online media channels and out-of-home media from 11 May 2023.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotel Association (THA), said Thailand is currently recognized as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations. Bangkok has a similar reputation to New York, London, Paris and Tokyo.
She hopes that the new government will push policies and measures that are aligned with the trend of tourism and develop strategies to drive the growth of tourism as a national agenda. She also hopes that the tourism sector will become an important driver for the Thai economy.
Marisa added that the private sector, hotel industry, and related businesses want the next prime minister to prioritise the tourism sector and set the groundwork for future sustainable tourism. Since tourism is an essential industry, it generates the majority of Thailand’s income.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of THA
Recently, THA and the Bank of Thailand jointly conducted a hoteliers’ confidence survey from 10 to 25 April 2023. Of the total 81 hotels that participated in the survey, it was found that tourism is gradually recovering. 29 per cent of respondents reported that they have seen a return of international customers to pre-COVID-19 levels, and another 27 per cent expect a return to normalcy in the second half of this year. Some hotels expect international guests to return in 2567 (2024).
Respondents also assessed their net profit margin compared to before the pandemic COVID-19. It was found that 60 per cent of hotels still have a lower net profit margin than before the pandemic, while 32 per cent have a similar net profit margin as before. Only 8 per cent have a higher net profit margin than before the pandemic.
A file photo of tourists at the Grand Palace complex.
The investment trend for the year 2023 compared to 2022 shows that 58 per cent of the respondents have plans to invest this year, 25 per cent are uncertain, and 17 per cent have no plans to invest.
In terms of the investment amount, the majority of hotels planning to invest, about 77 per cent, will increase their investments compared to the previous year. 28 per cent of the respondents said they will increase their investments by more than 20 per cent, while 26 per cent will increase their investments by 11-20 per cent. Another 23 per cent of respondents will increase their investments by no more than 10 per cent, and 13 per cent of respondents will invest the same amount as last year.
A tourists on Koh Samui on Oct. 2, 2021. Koh Samui’s Sandbox program allows vaccinated visitors to travel freely on the island, as well as nearby Koh Tao and Koh Pha Ngan.
The majority of hotels, 87 per cent, focus their investments on improving or renovating guest rooms to meet the growing trend of tourists. The second most common investment is in IT systems and software (38 per cent), followed by investments in automation systems (19 per cent), building or branch expansion ( 9 per cent) and mergers and acquisitions (2 per cent).
“In terms of constraints or barriers to investment, most entrepreneurs see administrative costs, such as labour and electricity costs, as the biggest obstacle to investment. The second obstacle is the uncertainty of the Thai economy, followed by the lack of skilled labour and the uncertainty of the global economy.”
Supporters of Move Forward party cheer as they watch counting of votes on television at Move Forward Party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, May 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
By GRANT PECK Associated Press — Thailand’s main opposition parties easily bested other contenders with virtually all the votes counted from Sunday’s general election, fulfilling many voters’ hopes that the balloting would serve as a pivotal chance for change nine years after incumbent Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha first came to power in a 2014 coup.
With 99% of the votes counted by early Monday morning, the junior opposition Move Forward Party had eked out a small edge over the favored Pheu Thai Party, whose leaders earlier in the night conceded they might not finish on top.
Leader of Move Forward Party Pita Limjaroenrat talks to media at Move Forward Party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, May 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
The winner of Sunday’s vote is not assured the right to form the new government. A joint session of the 500-seat House of Representatives will be held with the 250-member Senate in July to select the new prime minister, a process widely seen as undemocratic because the Senators were appointed by the military rather than elected but vote along with Sunday’s winning lawmakers.
Sunday’s voter turnout was about 39.5 million, or 75% of registered voters.
The maverick Move Forward Party captured just over 24% of the popular vote for the House of Representatives’ 400 constituency seats and an almost 36% share of the vote for seats allocated in a separate nationwide ballot for the 100 members elected by proportional representation.
Pheu Thai Party lagged slightly behind with just over 23% for the constituency seats and about a 27% share for the party list.
Supporters of Move Forward party cheer as they watch the counting of votes on television at Move Forward Party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, May 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
The tally of constituency votes gave Move Forward 113 House seats and Pheu Thai 112, according to the Election Commission, which did not give a projection for party list seats.
Prayuth’s United Thai Nation Party held the fifth spot in the constituency vote with almost 9% of the total, but it placed third in the party-preference tally with close to 12%. Its constituency vote gave it 23 House seats.
The three parties were considered before the vote to the most likely to head a new government. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 36-year-old daughter of the former billionaire populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, had been favored in opinion polls to be chosen the country’s next leader.
Move Forward’s leader, 42-year=old businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, now seems as likely a prospect.
Leader of Move Forward Party Pita Limjaroenrat leaves after speaking to media at Move Forward Party headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, May 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Prayuth had been blamed for a stuttering economy, shortcomings in addressing the pandemic and thwarting democratic reforms, a particular sore point with younger voters.
The returns were a good sign for democratization, said Saowanee T. Alexander, a professor at Ubon Ratchathani University in northeastern Thailand.
“This is people saying that we want change … They are saying that they could no longer take it. The people are very frustrated. They want change, and they could achieve it,” she said.
Move Forward outperformed even optimistic projections, and the party appeared poised to capture all, or almost all, 33 House seats in the capital Bangkok.
Along with Pheu Thai, it campaigned for reform of the military and the monarchy. But Move Forward put those issues closer to the heart of its platform, earning a more radical reputation.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, one of the prime minister candidates from Pheu Thai Party, casts her vote at a polling station in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, May 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Its outspoken support for minor reforms of the monarchy, while winning younger voters, antagonized conservatives to whom the royal institution is sacrosanct.
Pheu Thai is the latest in a string of parties linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin, who was ousted as prime minister by an army coup in 2006. Pheu Thai candidate Paetongtarn is his daughter. The government of her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, who became prime minister in 2011, was toppled in the coup led by Prayuth.
Pheu Thai won the most seats in the last election in 2019, but its archrival, the military-backed Palang Pracharath Party, succeeded in cobbling together a coalition with Prayuth as prime minister. It relied on unanimous support from the Senate, whose members were appointed by the military government after Prayuth’s coup and share its conservative outlook.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, left, one of the prime minister candidates from Pheu Thai Party, speaks to media after she cast her vote at a polling station in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, May 14, 2023 (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Ubon University’s Alexander cautioned that the current situation remains “very unpredictable,” and that the Election Commission could unilaterally affect the results. In the past, it has used its authority to disqualify opposition parties or otherwise cripple challenges to the conservative establishment.
Move Forward’s Pita would be a possible target for what the opposition, from bitter experience, calls dirty tricks. A candidate from the military-backed Palang Pracharath Party last week filed a complaint with the Election Commission and the National Anti-Corruption Commission, charging that Pita had failed to list a stock shareholding on a statutory declaration of his assets. Pita denied any wrongdoing, and the accusation hinges on a minor technical point.
However, the leader of the Future Forward Party, the forerunner of Move Forward, lost his seat in Parliament on similar technical grounds, and his party ended up being dissolved. It had also been seen as a radical challenge to the military-backed royalist establishment.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha arrives to cast his vote during a general election at a polling station in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, May 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A family drama, “Wife vs. Mistress,” which is frequently seen in Thai television soap operas and in everyday life, occurred on Election Day. Mrs. Samorn, 61, attempted to shoot both her husband and his lover at Dan Samrong 58, Soi Wat Dan Samrong, Samrong Nuea Subdistrict, Samut Prakan Province.
According to CCTV footage, Mrs. Samorn was sitting on the back of a pickup truck that crashed into an electric pole. The mistress, dressed in a white shirt, jumped out of the car and onto a motorcycle to flee, while her husband, Mr. Somkid, opened the door and stepped out of the car on the driver’s side, trying to flee from his wife, who was wielding a knife. People on the scene had to help to prevent her stabbing.
Later, the police officers came to inspect the scene. Mrs. Samorn stood waiting to surrender herself to the police, armed with a.38 calibre weapon and a knife used to conduct the crime.
Mrs. Samorn stated that she has been married to Mr. Somkid since 1982 and that they raised their children together until they were all grown up. Mr. Somkid had a mistress since 2019, and he drove to pick up the mistress several times. Mrs. Samorn claimed that, despite being apprehended, Mr. Somkid never considered turning back. He brought money and sold everything he owned to give money to his mistress.
Until today, she knew that Mr. Somkid would accompany his mistress to the polling station. So she waited there since the morning to request a negotiation. Mr. Somkid did not stop and speak to her when he spotted her. Instead, he accelerated and attempted to flee.
She then fired one shot into the windshield of the car and jumped into the back of Mr. Somkid’s pickup truck. Then, after shooting into the car until Mr. Somkid was wounded, the pickup truck lost control and hit the electric pole, as shown in the footage.
Mrs. Samorn stated that the rifle she used belonged to her husband and had been in his possession for a long time.
She was detained by officers. They also took five.38 calibre handguns, five round casings, and two knives from her and charged her with attempted murder, as well as violating the Act weapon.
