News from Thailand – July 7, 2014
A father (30) has ended the life of his two sons aged 6 and 7 and then took his own life. Their bodies were found yesterday in the bedroom of his home in Pathumwan, Bangkok. A family member made the gruesome discovery and alerted the police.
The father cut his children's necks and stabbed himself in the chest. He left a note complaining about his failed marriage and family problems.
The couple divorced three weeks ago. The children lived with the mother, but spent weekends with their father. According to his mother, her son suffered from diabetes and his condition had recently deteriorated.
In the photo, a family member grieves as rescuers take the lifeless bodies for autopsy.
– You have to be careful with the current junta in power. If you think you're having a nice welcome-home party for Veera Somkhwamkid, you should report to the army. Because the junta considers the party as a 'political meeting'. Strictly prohibited; moreover, no permission had been requested from the NCPO.
Today Veera, who was imprisoned in Cambodia for three years and was recently pardoned by the Cambodian monarch, and Boonlert Kaewprasit, the organizer of the party, have to come to court.
The party, yesterday at the Royal Turf Club, was attended by three hundred people. Veera accused the government of Abhisit and Yingluck of not making any real effort to get him released [which the junta succeeded in doing]. He announced that he would reveal the truth behind his arrest when the time is right. Then he will explain why he went to the border with Cambodia and who came up with the idea. But now he couldn't say anything because the junta has asked him not to do anything that could jeopardize national reconciliation.
Veera, his secretary and five others were apprehended at the Cambodian border in December 2010 by Cambodian soldiers. They would have been on Cambodian territory. The five were released after a month, the secretary, as well as Veera, were convicted of espionage at the beginning of last year. The others got off with a suspended sentence.
– And again the junta gets a feather in a poll: 88,5 percent of respondents, polled by the Suan Dusit Poll, say they feel happier since the NCPO took control of the country.
Between Tuesday and Saturday, 2.091 people were put through their paces. The support of the vast majority is due to the peace in the country and the resolution of many problems. 64 percent said they had resumed their normal life with school or work.
Everything is also fine at home: 93 percent said that the atmosphere at home had improved because they no longer had to worry about the safety of their family. 64,3 percent said they felt safe with the presence of soldiers and 79,4 percent said they could spend more time with their families because school and work ended at their usual times. 72 percent of workers said it was easier to earn money.
Also yesterday, the National Institute of Development Administration released the results of a poll. Most respondents (58,6 percent) consider the twelve months that the junta has set aside for reforms to be sufficient. For 21,3 percent the period is too long and for the others too short.
– After three days of inspections of government stocks, two clear cases of rice fraud have come to light and those responsible are being taken to court. In Pathum Thani, a warehouse was missing 90.000 sacks of rice and in Phichit, the inspection team found rice of lesser quality than the books should contain. The governor of Phichit is going to press charges.
In the same district in Phichit, the team found missing rice and broken milled rice instead of 5 percent white rice, which should have been there. It is suspected that rice from the 2013-2014 harvest has been replaced by rice from an older harvest.
In a third warehouse, the inspection was suspended after the team discovered that a stack of 2000 bags had overturned. The manager has been ordered to stack the bags in an orderly fashion. Then the inspection will resume. In the meantime, the warehouse is guarded.
– Would it help? The Thai Lawyers for Human Rights yesterday called on the junta to lift martial law, to stop summoning and imprisoning individuals, and to have individuals tried by court-martial. The call comes in response to the arrest of Thanapol Eawsakul, the magazine's editor and publisher Fa Diew Kan.
Thanapol was arrested for a second time, this time for allegedly violating his bail conditions. The first arrest was related to an anti-coup demonstration in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Center on May 23.
– There are still no submarines and whether there will ever be is highly questionable, but the navy is today installing the Submarine Squadron and opening a training center at the naval base in Sattahip. The new unit already has a submarine simulator.
The idea to set up the unit dates back to 2011. An attempt was then made to buy second-hand German submarines. Thailand has had no submarines since 1952. In that year, four Japanese-made submarines were discharged after 13 years of loyal service.
Admiral Narong Pipattanasai said last year, "Although we don't have tens of billions of baht to buy submarines, we should be prepared when we have them in the near future."
– Luminous (luminous) green will be the new color of the vests that all motorcycle taxi drivers in Bangkok will wear. The junta wants the orange vests, which are issued through the municipality's registration system, to disappear. This will be replaced by a registration of drivers.
The junta wants to put an end to the practice of illegal drivers buying a vest from mafia-like gangs at extortionate prices. That is the reason why fares are sometimes asked for too high.
The drivers do not have to pay for their registration and there will be no limit on the number of registered drivers. 'Anyone can become a motorcycle taxi driver,' says Apirat Kongsompong, who is reorganizing public transport on behalf of the NCPO. "All one has to do is apply for a permit from the Land Transport Department."
Asked whether lifting the limit would not lead to an oversupply, he says that the market mechanism regulates that. He does not expect an influx of drivers, because newcomers will have to consider whether they can compete with the current drivers and earn a living.
According to a source, motorcycle taxi drivers are now afraid that they will be fined more often or have to pay bribes to avoid being constantly checked. Under the current system, the bosses, who are on good terms with the police, have already paid bribes.
– In the arrest of three drug suspects in Khon Kaen, a new speed pill has been discovered: the frung fring. The pill is mixed with a chemical substance that makes it glow in the dark. It contains a high concentration of methamphetamine.
During the arrest at the home of one of the three, a former soldier, the police found 5.420 frung-fring pills and a rifle. One of the other suspects is a monk. The trio sold the pills to teenagers, students and bartenders. Police are still looking for other members of the gang.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post
That new submarine training center at Sattahip cost 760 million baht. We are now waiting for a new poll from which we can say in advance that at least 85.25 percent of the Thai population is very happy with this beautiful project. Those submarines are also absolutely necessary to defend the pockets of…sorry, Thailand from foreign enemies.
With regard to rice, if these 3 checks in as many days reveal misappropriations and fraud, what about the rest... Fear that even more of these fine practices will be detected.
In this case, kudos to the Junta. It is worse for the farmers. Mortgage and rice gone, robbed twice?