Tattooed Asian’s body found

SAMUT PRAKAN: A heavily-tattooed Asian man was found dead in a deserted stall near Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday with three bullet wounds in the head, according to police.

Police at Suvarnabhumi airport say the body was found at a one-storey stall opposite a wastewater treatment plant beside Suvarnabhumi Sai 4 Road in tambon Nong Prue of Bang Phli district. Police believed the victim had been dead for five hours.

The man had tattoos on his body, arms and backside. He wore a gold-silver ring on his right little finger and a gold ring on his left middle finger. Police found 3,181 baht in cash with the body but no ID. The victim was wearing a black T-shirt with the letters “ASPA” on the back. CCTV footage showed a red Mazda car circling the area before stopping at a shelter in front of the stall. Samut Prakan police were trying to identify the victim.

‘Ragnarok Origin’ eyes Thai sites

games: Ayutthaya will be chosen as a new setting for Ragnarok Origin, an online game which has about 50 million users worldwide, says Minister of Tourism and Sports Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol .

She said the location was chosen after executives from the South Korea-based Ragnarok company met Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Friday in Bangkok along with Deputy Secretary-General of the Prime Minister, Phongsaran Asavachaisophon, to discuss plans for filming scenes at key tourist attractions in Thailand.

“Ragnarok Origin has chosen Thailand as one of three countries as a setting for the game that will be launched at the end of this year,” she said. The minister proposed the old town of Ayutthaya be the setting while the prime minister asked the creator to add Muay Thai shorts and Thai elephants to the game.

Chalongrat toll rates rise

transport: The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) will increase expressway toll rates on Chalongrat Expressway by five-10 baht, starting on March 1.

Exat said it is increasing the fee in accordance with Thailand Future Fund conditions, which say the fees must be increased every five years. However, the increase has been held back since Sept 1 last year to help ease people’s burdens. This is the first fee rise on the Chalong Rat expressway in 15 years.

Starting on March 1, the new rates for four-wheel vehicles will be 45 baht, up from 40 baht; six-to-10-wheel vehicles, 65 baht, up from 60 baht, and vehicles with more than 10 wheels, 90 baht, up from 80 baht.

Power bank checks urged

aviation: Industry Minister Pimphattra Wichaikul is concerned about the power bank explosion on a Thai AirAsia flight bound for Nakhon Si Thammarat on Saturday morning.

The minister was among 186 passengers on the flight and witnessed the incident. Smoke filled the cabin after a power bank exploded, though the crew were able to extinguish the fire within two minutes and the flight landed safely as scheduled.

“I am concerned for passengers because almost everyone carries a power bank on board. I would like to call on airlines and airport officials to check the power banks that passengers bring on board. They must have the Industrial Standards symbol (TIS) to ensure heat resistance,” she said. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation will investigate the incident.