Blue Tree in collaboration with Z-Coach led by world-class triathlete host Thailand’s first-ever “Eliminator Swim” on March 18, 2023

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16 February 2023, 10:32

Special offer: buy early bird tickets for the “Eliminator Swim” being held at the Blue Tree Lagoon for THB750 per person from now until March 1st

Blue Tree Phuket, The largest of Entertainment Hub in Phuket, invites fearless swimmers aged 10 years and up to showcase their strength in the Eliminator Swim competition, the first of its kind in Thailand. This newly introduced competition involves a 300-meter loop swim where the slowest swimmer is eliminated in each round. The competition has no age or gender divide, with every heat featuring athletes of all ages and genders competing together. The competition will start at 4.30pm (registration begins at 3pm) on Saturday, March 18th in the Private Island area at the Blue Tree Lagoon.

The announcement of the winners and the award ceremony will be held from 6.45pm onward on the 2nd floor of Tree House building. All are welcome to join the after-party.

The “Eliminator Swim” is being held by Blue Tree Phuket in cooperation with Coach led by German Ironman legend Juergen Zack who holds eight worldwide Ironman titles with 8 top 10 finishes at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. He will also be participating in this event.

Rules**: The competition will be divided into four rounds. The first round will be divided into 4 heats, 3 heats in the 2nd round, 2 heats in the third round and the 4th round will be the final. Each round will have swimmers eliminated according to the rules. (The number of eliminated swimmers depends on the number of participants.)

The winners will receive trophies for the first, second and third places. Another four outstanding contestants will be awarded – the youngest swimmers male-female and the oldest male-female swimmers. There will be a lucky draw for the Blue Tree Lagoon tickets.

Join the competition now at https://bluetree.fun/shop/eliminator-swim/

or find more information by calling 096-652-8090 or 092-135-2662

Ticket at THB850 per person, THB750 each for Early Bird tickets until March 1st (exclusively for those applying online)

Blue Tree Phuket truly is a Recreation Park and Entertainment Hub to Thrill & Chill, Day & Night.

#BlueTree #Phuket #BlueTreePhuket

#Entertainmenthub #ThrillandChill #DayandNight

#EliminatorSwim #ZCoach #swimming # triathlete

13 Wild Boars Paid Tribute to “Dom” After His Sudden Death

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Khaosod English

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16 February 2023, 01:25

Duangpetch “Dom” Promthep, one of the 13 ‘Wild Boars” rescued from Tham Luang Cave in Chiang Rai province back in 2018, has died in England, said Supatpong Methigo, a monk who taught him in Chiang Rai on Wednesday.

“Note” Prachak Sutham, member of “13 Wild Boars” paid tribute to “Dom”, the captain of Wild Boars soccer team.

dom5 — 13 Wild Boars in London / Facebook Prachak.Sutham

“R.I.P., My Dear Friend, We, 13 people, have been through a lot together, both suffering and happiness. We have risked life and death and gone through all the hardships together. You said to wait and see when you join the national team. I always believed that you could do it.

When we met last time before going to England, I still jokingly told you that I had to get your autograph back when I came back. Rest in peace, my friend. We will always be 13 of us together.”

“Coach Ek” Ekapol Chanthawong, the assistant coach of 13 Wild Boars posted: I waited all day, hoping for a miracle to happen. But there is no miracle. I hoped this news was fake. But it was not fake news like it used to be.

You once told me that in two years I would be cheering you on as you played soccer for the national team. Then why didn’t you keep the promise? How about plans to come back to play soccer with the team members and ride bicycles together again? Why don’t you keep your word? Rest in peace, my brother. You will always be on my mind.

Associated Press reported that Duangphet “Dom” Phromthep, 17, was found unconscious in his room on Sunday at the Brooke House College Football Academy in Leicestershire and was taken to a hospital, where he died Tuesday, Thailand’s Zico Foundation said. The school also confirmed his death.

“This event has left our college community deeply saddened and shaken,” school principal Ian Smith said in a statement. “We unite in grief with all of Dom’s family, friends, former teammates and those involved in all parts of his life, as well as everyone affected in any way by this loss in Thailand and throughout the college’s global family.”

The head of the Zico Foundation, former Thai national team captain and coach Kiatisuk Senamuang, said in an online news conference that he did not know the cause of death and that Dom had apparently been in good health.

Dom’s mother, who joined the online news conference, said she hoped a Buddhist monk in England could conduct rites for Dom so his spirit would not be trapped where he died according to Buddhist beliefs.”

Luang Cave attracted global attention in 2018 when 12 young footballers and their coach were trapped within for 17 days by a flash flood. The epic rescue operation, which involved more than 10,000 officials and volunteers, was concluded successfully on July 10, 2018 when the last of the boys were brought out. The moment was captured on video and soon broadcast to the world.

Members of the Wild Boars soccer team who were rescued from a flooded cave, pose for the media after a marathon and biking event in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, Thailand, Sunday, June 23, 2019. Some of the 12 young Thai soccer players and their coach have marked the anniversary of their ordeal that saw them trapped in a flooded cave for two weeks with a commemorative marathon in northern Thailand. Photo: Sakchai Lalit / AP — Members of the Wild Boars soccer team pose for the media after a marathon and biking event in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, Thailand, Sunday, June 23, 2019. Photo: Sakchai Lalit / AP

When the 12 young boys and their soccer coach walked into a cave complex in northern Thailand a year ago Sunday, they didn’t know their lives were going to forever change.

Rising floodwater quickly trapped the youngsters inside the Tham Luang cave complex, setting off a more than two-week ordeal that the world watched with rapt attention and that left the members of the Wild Boars soccer club with a survival tale that propelled them into celebrities.

AP23046412145205 — FILE – Relatives of Duangphet “Dom” Phromthep, greet him as he arrives home in the Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, July 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

The story of the Wild Boars, which was covered intensely by international media, has been retold in several movies, including Ron Howard’s 2022 feature film “Thirteen Lives” and the 2021 documentary “The Rescue.”

Thai Suspect in Michigan Hit-and-Run Agrees to Return to US

By

Associated Press

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15 February 2023, 23:44

BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai-American woman living in Michigan who fled to Thailand after allegedly being involved in a hit-and-run accident that killed a college student has agreed to return to the United States to face charges, police said Wednesday.

Tubtim “Sue” Howson, 57, allegedly struck Michigan State University student Benjamin Kable, 22, shortly before dawn on Jan. 1, and according to U.S. authorities, flew to Thailand on a one-way ticket on Jan. 3. The accident took place in Oakland County, Michigan.

AP23046342236808 — Deputy National Police Chief Surachet Hakpal, left, talks to reporters with Tubtim “Sue” Howson, 57, during press conference at police headquarter in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (Royal Thai Police via AP)

A state charge of failing to stop at a serious accident was filed on Feb. 2. and a federal charge related to her flying out of the country was filed on Feb. 6.

Thai deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn, speaking at a news conference also attended by Howson, announced she intends to return to the United States to face charges, and preparations were being made for her to fly back before Sunday.

“I left home for work around 5.30 a.m. to 6 a.m. It is the wintertime and it was very dark. There was usually nobody walking on the road there, except deer,” Howson said, recounting the accident. She said she initially thought she had hit a deer, but when asked later why she fled to Thailand, responded that when she saw Kable’s body, she thought he must be dead.

“I did not think I would run away, but I was very shocked. I tried to call the police but my hands were shaking. I could not do anything,” she said.

The FBI, when it filed a federal charge against her, noted in a court filing that she was originally from Thailand and allegedly told a close associate after the crash that she thought she killed somebody and she was going back to Thailand.

“When encouraged to turn herself in to police, Howson allegedly stated, ‘no cops, no cops,’” FBI agent Matthew Schuff said in the filing.

Howson arrived in Thailand on Jan. 5, and police said they started to trace her on Jan. 12 at the FBI’s request, finding her on Jan. 14 in the western province of Ratchaburi, where they suggested she turn herself in.

Thailand and the U.S. have an extradition treaty, and if a suspect challenges an extradition order, it must go through a Thai court, which can be a lengthy process.

Surachate said Howson has been working and living in Michigan with her family and two children for more than 20 years.

“We did not arrest her. After she knew the facts, she showed the intention to accept the punishment in the U.S.,” he said. “This will be a good example for Thai society.”

Interview: Report on U.S. Involvement in Nord Stream Explosions Fits 11 Known Facts, Says U.S. Scholar

By

Xinhua News Agency

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15 February 2023, 19:52

Nord Stream1 — This aerial photo released by the Danish Ministry of Defense on Sept. 27, 2022 shows the Nord Stream gas pipeline leak site. (Danish Defense Ministry/Handout via Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) — The recent report by a famed U.S. journalist on the involvement of the U.S. Navy in the Nord Stream explosions is “credible” and is consistent with several existing facts, a renowned scholar has said.

American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh said last week on the U.S. portal Substack that the U.S. Navy was involved in the Nord Stream explosions.

According to Hersh, a Pulitzer Prize winner, last June, the U.S. Navy divers, operating under the cover of a widely publicized mid-summer NATO exercise known as BALTOPS 22, planted the remotely triggered explosives that destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines three months later.

“I have long hypothesized that the U.S. Government carried out this action, and Hersh’s account adds to the likelihood of that hypothesis,” said Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, in an emailed interview with Xinhua.

Nord Stream2 — Aerial photo provided by the Swedish Coast Guard on Sept. 28, 2022 shows the fourth leak on Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone. (The Swedish Coast Guard/Handout via Xinhua)

The professor has listed 11 facts corresponding to Hersh’s report.

First and second are “the long-standing vociferous U.S. opposition to Nord Stream and the extensive record of U.S. covert operations against the infrastructure of other countries,” he said.

U.S. President Joe Biden last year publicly warned that in the event of a Russian military campaign, the United States would end the pipeline, declaring, “I promise you we will be able to do it,” said the economist.

Fourth, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland warned in 2022 that Nord Stream “would not move forward” if Russia launches operations, he added.

Moreover, “very few countries, if any, other than the United States have the technical capacity to carry out such an attack without immediate detection,” said Sachs.

Nord Stream3 — This photo taken on Jan. 20, 2023 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

He also listed Sweden’s remarkable unwillingness to reveal the results of its own investigation into the explosions, and the silence in mainstream Western media regarding Hersh’s report, as two facts that can explain his hypothesis.

The eighth fact is that “Western intelligence agencies have admitted that there is no evidence whatsoever that Russia carried out this act,” he said.

The celebration by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who deemed the pipeline destruction a “tremendous opportunity” to wean Europe from Russian gas, and by Nuland, who called the damaged Nord Stream 2 “a hunk of metal at the bottom of the sea,” also add to the possibility of the United States orchestrating the destruction, said the professor.

Lastly, Hersh’s credible and detailed account has yet to be refuted other than possibly in minor details, he said.

Macau 888: Benz Daemon Has Been Imprisoned; Dew Will Return in March

By

Khaosod English

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15 February 2023, 18:38

After being arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 9.30 p.m. on February 14, Chaiwat Kachornboonthaworn, also known as Benz Daemon, was taken to the 3rd Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCID3) and interrogated for 4 hours overnight along with his lawyer, Pisit Chutipornpongchai.

Benz Daemon denied all the accusations and asked to testify in court. At the conclusion of the interrogation, Pol. Maj. Gen. Satit Promumai, the commander of CCID3, instructed an investigating officer to have him committed to Thung Song Hong Police Station at 3 a.m. on February 15.

benz at station — Benz Daemon was taken out of Thung Song Hong Police Station. / photo by Khaosod

At Thung Song Hong Police Station, investigating officers took Benz Daemon into custody for the first round in criminal court and asked the court to deny bail because the case had a high penalty and could affect the evidence.

Later, the criminal court denied bail, despite his brother posting 12 million baht in assets as surety. The police took the accused to Bangkok Remand Prison.

SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION

During the day, Benz appeared to be very stressed. The lawyer revealed that he had never been confronted with such a situation before and that he was suffering from depression.

When reporters asked Benz if he denied all the accusations, he nodded and said, “I want justice.”

benz at station2 — Benz Daemon said “I want justice”.

He refused to talk about the allegation of assault by his ex-girlfriend, Dew Arisara Thongborisut, the whistleblower in the case Macau 888, saying, “I do not want to talk about it.” When asked by a reporter if he was suffering from depression, he nodded.

The public has been following this case closely since Dew Arisara published a report on January 15 about a family of four brothers whose nick names all begin with “B” and who are involved in a gambling website called Macau 888.

At the time, the Thai police were the focus of constant scandals such as corruption by the Chinese mafia, abuse of power for personal gain in the motorcade on female Chinese tourist, and extortion of money from a Taiwanese actress.

benz arrested5 — At Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCID3)

For Macau 888, there has been public criticism that the site would not have lasted as long if the police were not involved or benefiting. In addition, Benz Daemon’s youngest brother, Capt. Bright, Pol. Capt. Kunakorn Kachornboonthaworn, also holds a high-ranking position as Deputy Inspector of the Immigration Police. Capt. Bright has already tendered his resignation to take care of his old father.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Pol. Gen. Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the head of the Thai National Police, has instructed the cyber investigation team to request more information from Dew Arisara, who has disclosed all evidence in Taiwan since February 13, and the team has returned to Thailand.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Wiwat Kamchamnan, deputy chief of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, told reporters on February 15 that police received useful information for further investigation after the interrogation of Dew Arisara in Taiwan, and some of the information is consistent with the current plan.

dew in taiwan6 — Dew gave useful information to the police for further investigation.

“Dew Arisara stated that she was aware of Benz Daemon’s online gambling website while they were dating.Benz has been in business for more than 10 years, starting as a small family business. “After making more sales, he opened a business and nightclubs.”

Arisa also plans to return to Thailand next March and hand over more videos and pictures to the police that provide evidence of the assault. She will also file a complaint of assault and attempted murder with investigators at Thong Lor Police Station together with her lawyer.

dew in taiwan — Dew said she will return to Thailand in March.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Wiwat added that investigators are examining the connections between the evidence to see if they can seek an additional warrant, particularly against the “B” brothers, who have been shown to have an obvious connection, including Capt. Bright, who had previously denied wrongdoing. If found guilty, they will all be prosecuted, including Big and Boss, who live aboard.

To date, a total of 55 people face arrest warrant, eight of whom are the main accused.

Macau 888: Alleged Online Gambling Kingpin Benz Daemon Was Arrested

CPF Philippines joins hands with DA and DBP to finance bio-secure farms

By

Contributor

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15 February 2023, 17:37

Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corporation (CPF Philippines), the Department of Agriculture (DA), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), has set a plan to finance livestock and aquaculture farms nationwide to help small and medium scale farmers strengthen biosecurity, sustainability, and productivity, while assuring the nation’s food security.

The joint effort is an expansion of Swine Rehabilitation, Repopulation and Recovery Credit” or Swine R3 program launched by CPF Philippines, DA and DBP in 2021 to revive the pig industry from the outbreak of AFS. The program provides financial aid to the SMEs to make infrastructure development. Also, the project provides farmers with marketing and technical support.

CPF Philippines’ President Udomsak Aksornphakdee said the company, DA and DBP are planning to extend a helping hand to other livestock, poultry, and aquaculture farms across the country. The effort will help smallholder and medium farmers to transform their farms to equip them with a higher level of biosecurity system. This program will assure food security in the Philippines.

He added that CPF Philippines will use its expertise in contract farming implementation, hi-tech farming, and biosecurity to supports the smallholder farmers. He says “This project allows small scale farmers to access funding. The project’s assistance included financial support, marketing channels and technical knowledge from experts. Ultimately, Filipino farmers will be able to produce safe, high-quality food, resulting a sustainable growth of the livestock sector, enabling the country to achieve self-sufficiency and food security.”

The project is in line with the principle of “3 benefits” towards sustainability, putting interests of the country and its people interest before the benefits of the organization. This is a philosophy that the Company adheres to and applies in every country where CP Foods operates.

Report: 8,468 Perished Trying To Reach Europe Since 2019

By

Associated Press

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15 February 2023, 15:10

migrant europe1 — FILE - Migrants swim next to their overturned wooden boat during a rescue operation by Spanish NGO Open Arms at south of the Italian Lampedusa island at the Mediterranean sea, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

CAIRO (AP) — More than 8,400 Europe-bound migrants perished at sea while attempting to cross the Mediterranean over the past four years, a charity said Tuesday.

Save the Children said in a report that about a half million people crossed or attempted to cross the Mediterranean to Europe since 2019. Of those, 8,468 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean, the charity added.

Analyzing data from the U.N. refugee agency, the charity said deaths at European borders were partly blamed on “the increasing trend of European governments forcibly, illegally and often violently stopping refugees from entering their territory and even abducting and expelling those who have arrived.”

5262AC6A 8547 4D7E 8FE1 3EA972906D2F — Migrants on a blue rubber boat wait to be rescued some 14 nautical miles from the coast of Libya in Mediterranean Sea, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Renata Brito)

The 40-page report cited a 2021 warning by the U.N. refugee agency that “asylum was under attack at Europe’s borders” and that pushbacks were being “carried out in a violent and apparently systematic way.”

The report mentioned pushbacks of migrants trying to reach Spain from Morocco; Greece from Turkey; and Italy from Libya and Tunisia.

Pushbacks are unlawful under international and European Union law, as they violate the right to seek asylum and the legal principle that prohibits the return of anyone to a place where they would risk persecution, torture or deadly threat.

In its report titled “Safe for Some,” the charity accused European countries of having “double standards” in dealing with Middle Eastern and African migrants and those who fled Ukraine over the past year.

Save the Children said over 8 million migrants — 40% of them children — from Ukraine were allowed into Europe since Russia’s invasion of the country last February.

“It doesn’t need to be this way,” said Daniel Gorevan, senior advocacy advider at the charity and the report’s author. “A new European approach — one which puts the rights of all children at the heart of asylum policies — is possible.”

migrant europe2 — Migrants aboard a rubber boat end up in the water while others cling on to a centifloat before being rescued by a team of the Sea Watch-3, around 35 miles away from Libya, in Libyan SAR zone, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Valeria Mongelli, File)

Tens of thousands have attempted to cross the Mediterranean to Europe from North African countries that have become hubs for migrants fleeing poverty and wars in Arica and the Middle East, seeking better lives in Europe.

Libya has been a major transit point for migrants since the country descended into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Human traffickers have benefited from the chaos in Libya, smuggling in migrants across the country’s lengthy borders with six nations. The migrants are then packed into ill-equipped rubber boats and other vessels and set off on risky sea voyages.

European countries have in recent years pushed Libyan authorities and the coast guard to detain and intercept migrants attempting to cross to European shores.

More than 24,680 were intercepted and returned to Libya, where they were held in detention centers rife with abuses, according to the U.N. migration agency. Such abuses include forced labor, beatings, rapes and torture — practices that amount to crimes against humanity, according to U.N.-commissioned investigators.

Grand Palace Attracts Limited Chinese Tourists, Vendors Wait for Songkran

By

Khaosod English

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15 February 2023, 12:33

grand palace2 — Chinese tourists visit the Grand Palace scenic spot in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

They are coming more but not so many.

Vendors and local entrepreneurs around The Grand Palace, one of Thailand’s most famous tourist attractions, told ‘Prachachat Business’ that the number of Chinese tourists and foreign travelers is still limited. Visitor numbers and spending were not as high as expected.

Monchai Kittirattanasakul, owner of a gift shop ‘Prod Pran’ opposite the Grand Palace, admitted that despite the increase in tourist numbers, visitor numbers still do not reach the level of before COVID-19. He added that recent festivals such as the New Year and Chinese New Year could hamper spending.

grand palace4 — Chinese tourists visit the Grand Palace scenic spot in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

Still waiting to see how the situation would develop, he added that most of the travelers in the area were Europeans, while a few were Chinese, but not as many as before. He also saw Thais who came to visit on weekends.

“There are fewer Chinese tourist groups. I saw one group of about 10 and that was it. Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists were one of the main sources of income. Even after China opened up its country. I still can not assess their purchasing power, but I suspect it’s not as good as it used to be,” Monchai said.

grand palace — Tourist visit Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, June 17, 2022.(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

As for purchasing power, he added that travelers are now more reluctant to spend money. In the past, they would just come to a shop, buy and leave. In contrast, after COVID-19, they think longer, even if the price is 50 baht.

He estimated that tourists will be coming to Thailand more between March and April when the Songkran festival takes place, which could extend to May. He said that everything takes time and there is no guarantee that you can sell a product even if it is on the weekend. He also admitted that he got used to it.

grand palace3 — Chinese tourists visit the Grand Palace scenic spot in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

He wished that the Tourism Authority of Thailand will help promote the country and attract more tourists as this will boost the economy.

Tour guides and local Tuk Tuk drivers said China’s policy of opening up the country is leading to more individual tourists visiting Thailand, which is improving income, but there are still not as many as in the past.

Despite the increase in Chinese tourists, most travelers to the area are Europeans. Chinese group tours are hardly seen in the area, as more travelers come as individuals.

________

Macau 888: Alleged Online gambling Kingpin Benz Daemon Was Arrested

By

Khaosod English

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15 February 2023, 00:48

Alleged online gambling kingpin Chaiwat Kachornboonthaworn, aka Benz Daemon, 37, arrived at Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Tuesday night at 9.30pm on a Thai Airways flight from Hong Kong to face charges of running illegal online gambling business.

benz arrested3 — At Suvarnabhumi International Airport

Initial report had informed that Benz Daemon would accompany by his two younger brothers who were also accused of being involved in the so-called Macau 888 online gambling website. However reporters have seen only Benz Daemon being taken outside the terminal.

The Immigrant police later send him to the Cyber police to investigate and press charges against him at the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau. He kept silence, just said “thank you”, and “I had nothing to say” when was asked by the reporters.

Benz Daemon is a car racer and owns Thailand’s only Lamborgini Aventador Liberty Walk V.2 limited edition supercar with price estimated at around 40 million baht. (There only 50 in the world.) He also owns a string of pubs, bars and Japanese restaurants as well as import car business.

The latest development came as Benz Daemon’s assets worth several hundred million baht, including a limited edition Lamborgini Aventador Liberty Walk V.2 were impound last week.

benz lambo1 — Lamborgini Aventador Liberty Walk V.2

On February 5, 2023 police raid at Benz Daemon’s 40-million-baht condo in Klongtan area of Bangkok. CCTV cameras show the alleged big brother of the four-member of Macao 888 had left on Thursday 2nd and emptied all three safety boxes at his condo.

benz condo — Benz Daemont’s 40-million-baht condo

After that, police carried out raids at 30 spots throughout the kingdom. Thirty three people were arrested and 539 million baht of assets seized.

One suspect, Pol Captain Kunakorn “Bright” Kachornboonthaworn, a youngest brother of Benz Daemon, denies being part of the ring and said he’s not aware that his brother was involved and hasn’t been in contact with him for a long while.

daemon2 — Kunakorn “Bright” Kachornboonthaworn

Kunakorn remains free as not enough evidence have been gathered. Later he resigned from the police by giving reason that he wanted to look after his father.

Macau 888 became news in mid January after famous actress Dew Arisara Thongborisut alerted the public on social media. Dew later claims she was also a victim of physical assault by Benz Daemon.

dew cried — Dew Arisara Thongborisut said she was the victim of domestic violence that Benz Daemon did to her.

Twilight Over Burma: The Memory of an Unforgettable Love Story

By

Khaosod English

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14 February 2023, 16:17

The love story between a European woman from Austria and a Shan prince from Southeast Asia, told to the world through the film Twilight over Burma, has come back into the conversation after the death of Inge Sargent, the Austrian Shan princess.

The Irrawaddy, a news magazine covering Myanmar and Southeast Asia, reports the death of Inge Sargent, also known as Sao Nang Thu Sandi, who passed away on 5 February 2023 at her home in Boulder, Colorado, United States. She was born in Kärtnen in Carinthia, Austria, and would have been 91 years old on 23 February.

Local Thai people in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, which are in the north of Thailand and share a border with Myanmar, held a mourning ceremony in honor of “Jao Nang Thusandi”, the queen consort of Hsipaw, a town in Shan State, Myanmar.

Jamtong, a Tai Yai person who has a close relationship with Jao Nang Thusandi’s family, told reporters that many people attended the ceremony, including Tai Yai monks from several temples. Some of those present had to take time off work to attend the ceremony. She said that this phenomenon illustrated the great spirit, adding that Tai Yai people around the world were interested in attending the ceremony but faced a travel barrier.

According to the Royal Project Foundation, the Thai call the people of Shan State “Tai Yai”, while the Shan call themselves “Tai”. People in Myanmar also call the people of Shan State “Shan”.

“Shan State is a state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, Thailand to the south and five Burmese administrative divisions to the west,” according to the Shan State Investment Committee (SSIC)

Jaileang, another Tai Yai from La Siew town in northern Shan State, said he felt sorry for Jao Nang Thusandi’s family. He first learned about their story when he was a teenager from his mother. The love story of Jao Nabg Thusandi and the Hsipaw Prince is a well-known story not only in Shan State. He attended the ceremony to pay his last respects to the late Queen Consort of Hsipaw.

“Everyone in Shan State knows the two royals either from a tale told by an older generation or from our history. I do not know her personally, but I want to support the ceremony as much as I can, also to pay my respects and remember her one last time as our Queen. The story of her life and of Prince Hsipaw, from whom she had to part, is known to all. We have all felt the pain,” said Jaileang.

Sao Nang Thu Sandi met and fell in love with Sao Kya Seng in Colorado, United States when the two were studying there. Unaware that he was a prince of Shan State, she married him in 1953.

Sargent was crowned queen when they were back in the Shan State. The royal couple belonged to a new-generation of thinkers who developed the state at that time.

After moving to Shan State, she studied the Tai Yai language and became fluent in it. She also focused on the development of education and health care for the people of Hsipaw City.

However, after General Ne Win and the Myanmar Army took power in 1962, all the princes were imprisoned, including Sao Kya Seng, who was abducted by the Myanmar Army and has disappeared to this day. He was last seen at an army checkpoint near Taunggyi town and no one has seen him since.

Inge Sargent was under house arrest until 1964, when she decided to bring her two daughters from Myanmar to her hometown. She then moved to the USA. Until her retirement, she worked at a high school and founded the organisation Burma Lifeline, which cares for ethnic groups on the borders. She also founded the Sao Thusandi Leadership Award for young people working for civil society, culture, peace and democracy in Shan State.

Inge Sargent6 — The book “Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess” has been translated into Thai and printed by Matichon Book Publishing.

According to the Irraway, her second husband Tad, a scientist and expert on Antarctica – and always very supportive of his wife’s work, died a year ago.

Two days after her death, SWAN issued a letter of condolence saying that “she touched many lives in meaningful ways and no one will forget her legacy and the impact she had on them and Shan communities.”

Sao Nang Thu Sandi was born Austrian but, as Aage Krarup-Nielsen wrote more than sixty years ago, people in Hsipaw and elsewhere regarded her as one of their own, and Shans and others will continue to do so. She is gone, but definitely not forgotten.

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