Barkar Nash (Page 1,007)

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Thanalop “Yok” Phalanchai, a 15-year-old activist who was released from a juvenile centre in Nakhon Pathom province on a royal defamation charge on May 18, can still continue her studies at school if she agrees to adhere to the rules, according to the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec).

Yok had passed the exam to enter Mathayom 4 (Grade 10) at Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School, with the orientation day scheduled for April 2, Obec secretary-general Amporn Pinasa said on Thursday.

However, the teenager could not attend the orientation due to her detention at the juvenile centre since March 29.

That said, the school had reserved her seat and extended the deadline for her to present herself for studies until June 10, which was when student data must be submitted to the commission.

But Yok did not show up, resulting in her name not being found in the system, Mr Amporn said.

“While the school maintains that Yok can attend classes as usual, she needs to abide by school regulations,” said Mr Amporn. The young activist wears casual outfits to school and claims that is her right and her freedom.

“I hope people would understand that school regulations stem from a public hearing at school attended by teachers, students and parents. So, everyone accepts these rules before studying here,” he said.

“But Yok can choose to study via other channels, such as home-schooling if she disagrees.”

Concerning student uniforms, he said the Education Ministry has issued ministerial regulations as guidelines, but individual schools can have the autonomy to establish their own rules, including provisions for casual outfits once a week.

“School is meant to be a place where we cultivate children to grow up to become good people who can coexist within society under a common set of rules, much like a country governed by a constitution,” said Mr Amporn.

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The Election Commission (EC) is expected to endorse MPs-elect on June 21 and has set up a fact-finding panel to investigate a leaked document showing 71 constituency MPs-elect had their poll results withheld.

The EC will meet on June 19 to consider endorsing MPs-elect in both the party-list and constituency systems, as it has completed the examination of all 400 constituencies to determine which ones had complaints filed against candidates, a source at the poll agency said on Thursday.

Once certified, the MPs will receive official documents at the EC office, the source added.

Following the May 14 election, the House of Representatives will consist of 500 elected members, with 400 from constituencies and the remaining from party lists.

The EC has 60 days after an election to certify at least 95% or 475 of all 500 winning election candidates.

On Wednesday, EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boomnee ordered the formation of a fact-finding panel in response to a leaked document circulating on social media. 

The three-page document, reportedly genuine, indicated that 71 constituency MPs-elect from eight parties across 37 provinces were being withheld, while 329 MPs-elect had no complaints. The affected MPs-elect were 21 from the Bhumjaithai Party, 20 from the Pheu Thai Party, 14 from the Palang Pracharath Party, seven from the Move Forward Party (MFP), three each from the Democrat and the United Thai Nation (UTN) parties, two from the Thai Sang Thai Party and one from the Pheu Thai Ruam Palang Party.

After the document was leaked, no commissioners came out to explain what happened.

On Friday, EC chairman Ittiporn Boonpracon will chair the commission’s annual general assembly and an academic seminar on the direction of Thai politics after the general election.

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BURI RAM: Donors have contributed a total of 5.9 million baht in cash and essential items to support a four-year-old girl who lives alone with her blind grandmother in a dilapidated shack filled with holes in Huai Rat district.

Patcharini Esatee, a teacher at the state-run Ban Makham Than Tawan School in Tambon Ta Sao, took to Facebook on Wednesday to say that the bank account designated for receiving donations has already been closed, with a total amount of 5.9 million baht. She expressed her gratitude for the kindness shown.

The 34-year-old teacher recounted her first encounter with the girl’s grandmother, Sao Jindasri, during a meeting at the school with students’ guardians last Friday. The 68-year-old woman arrived with the aid of a cane together with her granddaughter Sutheemon, aka Toei.

When they met, Ms Sao tearfully asked the teacher if she could advance a 180-baht premium for her granddaughter’s accident insurance, which had been arranged by the school. The grandmother said she would repay the teacher upon receiving her monthly elderly allowance.

Ms Patcharini told Ms Sao that she would pay the premium on behalf of the grandmother. The teacher was initially unaware that the elderly woman was mostly blind until after several minutes of the conversation.

The teacher then asked her how she managed to send the young girl to school. Ms Sao explained that she had to slowly follow Toei’s verbal guidance, using her cane as a guide. The teacher offered to pick up Toei and provide transportation to and from school in her private car.

Later that day, the teacher asked to visit their home.

Upon arrival, she witnessed the four-year-old doing dishes and carrying out other chores to help her grandmother.

Ms Patcharini sought permission to record their daily life and share the video to raise funds for them.

The grandmother, unable to view the amount in the bank account herself, was informed of the sum by a bank employee. She expressed her gratitude for the generous assistance and made the decision to close the account on Tuesday when the donated amount reached 1 million baht.

Concerned officials then drafted an agreement stipulating that 4 million baht of the donations would be allocated for the girl’s education, while the remaining funds would be reserved for the grandmother’s well-being and home repairs.

The poorly constructed house is situated about one kilometre from the school, where Toei is a kindergartener.

Ms Sao and Toei have to rely solely on the monthly elderly allowance of 600 baht and the monthly disability allowance of 800 baht. Her son works in another province and does not provide regular financial support.

Ms Sao said she has raised her granddaughter, who never complains and has been taught to take care of herself. She added that her right eye is completely blind, and her left eye can barely see anything since 2021.

The grandmother shared that Toei takes care of household chores such as dishwashing, laundry and cooking rice.

A committee of their community would help manage their finances, according to reports.

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Five state officials and two civilians have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the sale of frozen fish seized from an illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) vessel.

A combined team of police and officials from the Customs and Fisheries departments arrested the seven suspects, including a former director of the Bangkok Port Customs Office and senior customs officials, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said during a media briefing on Thursday.

Frozen fish, weighing 147 tonnes, were seized from a Somali fishing vessel. Six of the seven containers were taken to the Bangkok Port Customs Office in Bangkok, while the remaining container was kept at Phra Samut Chedi Customs Office in Samut Prakan province, Pol Gen Surachate said.

When questioned, those who boarded the vessel failed to produce the required permit to import aquatic animals from the Department of Fisheries.

The confiscated frozen fish, with an estimated value ranging from 300 million to 400 million baht, were initially being held for sale or distribution to state officials and neighbouring communities as part of a rationing system. However, authorities discovered that the fish had not been properly sold through the rationing process due to the use of a fraudulent list containing 96 individuals posing as buyers. The seized fish were found to have been sold to a single buyer, and the proceeds from this sale were not handed over to the state as required.

Police investigators began tracing the money trails and identified the seven suspects, said Pol Gen Surachate.

Police have charged the suspects with violating sections 157, 147 and 86 of the Criminal Code. 

Section 157 deals with dereliction of duty, Section 147 with abuse of authorities in the appropriation of funds, and Section 86 with assisting any person to commit an offence.

Pol Gen Surachate said the police investigators have already submitted the investigation report and indictments against the suspects. They are now widening the probe into allegations that a major fish agent in Samut Prakan sold some of the seized frozen fish to stalls at reduced prices.

Customs Department director-general Patchara Anuntasilpa and Phanthong Loykulnanta, adviser to the department’s development and tax collection management, were present at the briefing.

Mr Patchara said her department has set up a panel to take disciplinary action against the accused officials.

Of the seven suspects, three officials, identified only as Mr Keerati, who oversaw the confiscated goods, Ms Sudarat and Ms Panwad, who were members of a committee responsible for selling aquatic animals, have been charged with malfeasance and dereliction of duty.

Ms Chayakorn has been charged with supporting corruption while Mr Boonma, former director of the Bangkok Port Customs Office, was found to be the buyer of the confiscated frozen fish but did not report the proceeds from the sale. He has been charged with supporting officials to commit an offence.

The remaining two suspects, who are both legal experts at the department, have been charged with dereliction of duty.

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An excise director has been suspended and will face severe disciplinary action for trying to persuade police to release an oil-smuggling truck, according to the Excise Department.

An investigation found that the director for crime prevention and suppression was the individual who made a phone call to a police officer, requesting the release of the truck that was transporting 15,000 litres of smuggled oil, Excise Department deputy director-general Kriangkrai Pattanaporn said on Thursday. 

On June 3, Anti-Corruption Division police stopped the truck and apprehended its 47-year-old driver, identified only as Sombat, in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The truck was allegedly en route from the southern provinnce of Songkhla to the central province of Pathum Thani.

The director, whose identity has been withheld, was suspended on Tuesday and will face serious disciplinary measures, Mr Kriangkrai said.

The department is also expanding its investigation to determine if any other officials were involved, he said.

Earlier, crime activist Atchariya Ruangratanapong said the truck was part of a big oil-smuggling network.

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PHUKET: A diarrhoea outbreak in this southern resort island province is subsiding, while health officials have not yet determined its cause.

Dr Kittisak Aksornwong, inspector of the 11th Health Region, which covers Phuket, said on Thursday that the number of diarrhoea patients in Phuket began to rise on June 6, with 383 cases, and the cases peaked at 1,238 on June 9.

Starting from June 10, the number of patients started to decline, with 808 cases, followed by 659 cases on June 12 and 376 cases on June 13.

The largest group of patients, accounting for 26.23% of all cases, were aged 25-34 years old, followed by individuals aged 15-24 years (19.20%), 34-44 years (14.12%), 5-9 years (10.76%) and 10-14 years (10.44%).

Most patients exhibited mild symptoms, and only 13.32% of all patients were admitted to hospitals. About 75% of the patients had norovirus while the rest showed no signs of suspicious diseases, Dr Kittisak said.

Despite the improving situation, disease investigation and surveillance are ongoing, he said.

Phuket health chief Dr Koosak Kookiatkul said health officials had examined samples from six ice factories and three majoring drinking water plants in Phuket, but they did not find any signs of suspicious diseases.

Dr Koosak’s office warned local administrative organisations and schools to maintain cleanliness of their water and food containers.

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Four police officers providing protection for teachers and one villager were hurt in a roadside bomb attack in Raman district of Yala province on Thursday morning.

The blast occurred on a local road at Na Toey village Moo 3 in tambon Kotabaru, said police at Kotabaru station. The incident was reported at around 7.10am.

Upon arrival, the officers found a partially damaged police pickup truck parked about 50 metres away from the scene. The vehicle’s left side was perforated by bomb shrapnel. 

The blast left a deep crater about 5×3 feet on the road. Pieces of the bomb and iron rods were scattered over the area.

Pol Sub-Lt Abdulrosa Masaning, deputy crime suppression chief at Kotabaru station; Pol Sgt Maj Natthawut Paduka and Pol Sgt Maj Masaidee Karee suffered from chest pains and a ringing in the ears, while Pol L/C Theeradol Signsrisanti sustained neck injuries. One local resident whose name was not identified suffered from a chest pain. 

According to a police investigation, the injured officers were members of a police team providing protection for teachers at Ban Na Toey School. Pol Sub-Lt Abdulrosa was head of the team.

When their pickup truck, driven by Pol L/C Theeradej, drove past the area, a home-made bomb, weighing about 5 kilogrammes, which was hidden in roadside grasses along the road, was detonated remotely with a communication radio .

Pol Col Supakorn Phuengros, deputy Yala police chief, led a team of bomb disposal officers, soldiers and forensic officers to inspect the scene. The road section was cordoned off.

Police initially believed the explosion was the work of insurgents wanting to create unrest in the deep South.

A police patrol pickup truck is partly damaged in a roadside bomb blast in Raman district of Yala on Thursday morning. (Photo: Abdullah Benjakat)

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The Constitutional Court on Wednesday asked all parties involved in the assets concealment case lodged against suspended Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob to submit additional evidence to support their allegations.

The request was made as the court has decided to proceed with the case against Mr Saksayam. The charge against him was filed by 54 former MPs.

The petitioners alleged Mr Saksayam concealed shares he had in Burijarearn Construction Limited Partnership, which afforded him power to control the firm. The law prohibits a cabinet minister from having such a stake in a commercial firm.

The court judge on Wednesday discussed the evidence submitted by both sides and suggested any additional evidence which might be useful for the cross-examination should be lodged.

The case was admitted by the Constitutional Court on March 3. Mr Saksayam was immediately suspended from his ministerial duty pending the court’s ruling.

Massage parlour tycoon-turned-whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit had accused Mr Saksayam of helping Burijarearn Construction secure concessions in 40 Transport Ministry projects between 2020 and 2022 and also for alleged collusion with the Bhumjaithai Party, of which Mr Saksayam serves as secretary-general.

Mr Saksayam became one of the main targets of the opposition during a parliamentary debate early this year.

According to the opposition, Burijarearn Construction was established in 1996, with 80% of its shares held by the Chidchob family.

Newin Chidchob, chairman of Buriram United football team, is co-founder of the party.

Mr Saksayam quit being a shareholder when he entered politics in 1997, only to regain the shares and become a major shareholder in 2015.

The firm, which has a registered capital of 120 million baht, was awarded construction projects worth 440 million baht between 2015 and 2017.

Before the 2019 election, he transferred his shares worth 119.4 million baht to a nominee, the opposition said.

The minister has rejected the share concealment allegations, saying that a friend bought the company’s shares and there was proof of the money transfer.

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