News from Thailand – April 20, 2014
Nice boys - they are actually still snot noses because they are 15 and 17 years old - but the police suspect them of stabbing a 14-year-old boy to death on Monday during an argument in soi Rambutri near Khao San Road (Bangkok).
The names of the two have not been released because they are minors. For the time being they deny any involvement, but the police are pretty sure they have the perpetrators in their hands. The victim was partying with a large number of friends when he was attacked.
Police have a third suspect in their sights, but an arrest warrant for him has not yet been issued because witnesses cannot confirm that he was involved. As motive, the police think of a personal conflict or rivalry between schools (not uncommon in Thailand).
– The Israeli embassy has asked the Bangkok municipal police to strengthen security measures for tourists on Khao San Road and Soi Rambutri until Tuesday. The request comes in response to the planned attack during Songkran, which was foiled thanks to the arrest of two Lebanese, who may have links to Hezbolla.
According to the embassy, the men would have wanted to strike at six places in Bangkok during the Passover Jewish festival, which coincides with Songkran. Khao San and Rambutri were targeted, because many Israeli tourists come there. They go to a synagogue to pray and sing, visit Jewish restaurants and stay in guesthouses. Police have deployed plainclothes officers and additional uniformed personnel to Khao San and surrounding streets.
The Immigration Bureau said that both suspects have not yet been charged because there is no clear evidence linking them to criminal activities in Thailand. Explosives were not found during a search of places where the two have stayed. The police only found salt, nail polish, an excavator [?] and acid.
– Two men died in Phuket on Friday evening when the bungee jumping platform on which they were standing fell 52 meters due to a cable break. Both died instantly. A third man, whose jump caused the accident, was seriously injured. He landed in a pond.
The bungee had not yet been opened to the public; the accident happened during a test. The police suspect that the accident was due to negligence, but a final conclusion can only be drawn after hearing witnesses.
According to a civil engineer working at tambon Chalong, the tower was higher than the municipality allowed it to be. The permit application stated a height of 12 metres. The managers had already been summoned by the municipality not to open the bungee before the authorities had inspected the construction.
– Opposition leader Abhisit will attend the meeting scheduled by the Electoral Council on Tuesday, although the party is resisting attempts to set the date of new elections already.
Spokesperson Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said that Abhisit's presence and that of deputy party leader Chamni Sakdiset should not be interpreted as a sign that the party has turned on this issue. The Democrats believe that the country is not yet ready for elections because of the ongoing political quarrels.
Former government party Pheu Thai will come with party leader Charupong Ruangsuwan, also Minister of the Interior, and a legal specialist. Pheu Thai spokesman Jirayu Huangsap says Pheu Thai will propose to the Democrats to commit themselves not to take any action that hinders the election. He also says many people have had enough of the anti-government movement led by Suthep Thaugsuban. This is according to a party poll.
The Electoral Council has invited all political parties to discuss the new elections. They are necessary because the previous ones were declared invalid by the Constitutional Court on 2 February. At the time, voting was not possible in many places and district candidates were missing in 28 constituencies in the South because their registration was thwarted in December.
– Five Thais who were taken into custody in Malaysia were released yesterday after a day. They got lost in the woods and accidentally ended up in Malaysian territory in Kedah, opposite Than To (Yala) in Thailand. The Thais carried two guns and ammunition as they hunted game.
– Ten people were injured when a tear gas grenade exploded during a security demonstration by the Thai air force. After the explosion, the crowd that had gathered for the demonstration – about XNUMX people – ran away in panic. During the demonstration, an air force officer showed staff from the Bangkok municipality, including street sweepers, how to deal with suspicious objects. One of the participants was very unfortunate. He grabbed a tear gas grenade, which then exploded.
– A 19-year-old Myanmar teenager was strangled in Chiang Mai, presumably by her boyfriend. The lifeless body was found in her room yesterday. There were cloths around her neck, hands and feet. The girl had already complained to her mother about quarrels with her boyfriend. Witnesses say heard her scream on April 13. CCTV footage showed that the friend left the room on April 16.
– The school fees for private schools will increase by 2014 baht per year from the 2.000 school year. The Private Education Commission has agreed. The adjusted maximum fares are 14.900 baht (pre-elementary and elementary), 17.780 (junior high and high school) and 19.910 to 29.970 baht (vocational high school). The increase applies to 3.000 schools.
Economic news
– The Ministry of Finance wants to withdraw another 40 billion baht from the budget to pay the farmers who have been waiting months for money for their surrendered rice.
Earlier, with the permission of the Electoral Council, the government took 20 billion baht from the emergency post. The Electoral Council gave the green light for this on the condition that the amount is returned by the end of May at the latest. The government also needs the approval of the Electoral Council for the 40 million.
The arrears are currently 90 billion baht. An amount of 100 billion baht has already been paid. The amount to be refunded must come from the sale of rice by the Ministry of Commerce. The message does not state how much rice is still in stock.
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And the political bickering goes on and on…
Witch hunt threatens against people who insult the monarchy
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post