Barkar Nash (Page 1,056)

Even the air-con is faulty, say authorities debunking reports of special treatment at Police General Hospital

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was not admitted to a VIP room at Police General Hospital and even the air-conditioning where he is staying is not up to par, authorities said on Wednesday.

Hospital staff had to provide two electric fans to make it comfortable for the high-profile patient who arrived overnight from Bangkok Remand Prison, said Pol Lt Gen Dr Sophonrat Singhajaru, chief physician at the hospital.

He also denied that the room where Thaksin is staying had a beautiful view. In fact it is adjacent to a glass wall and thus quite hot, the hospital chief said.

Dr Sophonrat was responding to reports and images circulating online, which purported to show a VIP room that resembled a five-star hotel suite on the 14th floor of the state hospital. Another image showed a view of the green expanse of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club.

Thaksin, 74, returned to Thailand on Tuesday after more than 15 years in self-exile abroad. Within a matter of hours he appeared in court, was sentenced to eight years in prison and taken to the Bangkok Remand Centre.

Prison officials placed him on a medical ward as he was found to be suffering from a variety of ailments, but within a few hours he was on the move again.

According to Dr Sophonrat, Police General Hospital was not contacted beforehand about the transfer.

At the Correctional Hospital, Thaksin was found to be suffering from acute chest pain, low blood oxygen and very high blood pressure. Doctors there tried to lower his blood pressure but with only limited success. They then decided to make an urgent referral to Police General Hospital, which has an agreement with the Department of Corrections to admit seriously ill patients in its custody.

Thaksin arrived at Police General Hospital in a Department of Corrections vehicle, the hospital chief said.

A blood pressure test showed a systolic pressure reading of 170, which is considered severely high. He was brought to the 14th floor of the Maha Bhumibol Rachanusorn 88 Phansa Building. Earlier the floor was reserved for Covid-19 patients, said Dr Sophonrat.

The hospital chief also denied a report that another patient had been discharged to clear a room for the billionaire former premier, who would have to pay for his treatment, he added.

Thaksin was receiving saline solution and a team of six doctors has been formed to treat him at Police General Hospital.

The team included doctors specialised in heart and lung disease and Covid-19 treatment. Thaksin was not chained because the law spares convicts younger than 16 years or older than 70 from any confinement tools that could otherwise obstruct treatment, Dr Sophonrat said.

Doctors reviewed Thaksin’s medical records from abroad and found that he had been receiving regular treatment for several conditions, he said.

Thaksin was said to be feeling slightly better on Wednesday morning. He still has high blood pressure and is being given oxygen via a nasal cannula. He can communicate but is tired and short of breath, his doctors reported.

Doctors have banned all visitors and are unable to predict how long Thaksin would have to stay at Police General Hospital, Dr Sophonrat said.

Sahakarn Phetnarin, deputy permanent secretary for the Ministry of Justice, said that if Thaksin were to be discharged from Police General Hospital, he would not be referred to any private hospital.

There had been unconfirmed reports earlier that one option under consideration was to have Thaksin brought to Praram 9 Hospital, in which the Shinawatra family are major shareholders.

The chairman and three other officials of the Muno tambon administration organisation (TAO) will be charged with criminal negligence in connection with the huge fireworks explosion that killed people and flattened a community in Narathiwat on July 29, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said on Wednesday.

The explosion at an illegal warehouse in Ban Muno, Sungai Kolok district, caused 12 deaths injured 121 other people and destroyed or damaged 292 homes. 

Pol Gen Surachate said the Muno TAO was responsible for reporting the construction of the warehouse to five agencies – the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Labour and the Internal Security Operations Command. It had failed to do so.

He said warrants had been issued for the arrest of four TAO officials, including the chairman, on negligence charges under Section 157 of the Criminal Code.

The four officials had admitted to having given permission for the construction of the warehouse, Pol Gen Surachate said.

There was also evidence of transfers of money from the accounts of the warehouse owners, 3,000-4,000 baht at a time, to local police.  An investigation would establish if the money was intended as a bribe. If so, legal action would also be taken against the police involved, he said.

Pol Gen Surachate said investigators had confirmed that 11 fireworks factories in Bangkok had delivered fireworks to the warehouse in tambon Muno in Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok district. They were checking whether the fireworks had been shipped through the customs office at Lam Chabang port.

On Wednesday, at Government House, caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha handed over 107.8 million baht from the PM’s Office disaster relief fund for distribution to victims of the Muno explosion .Of the total, 100.4 million baht was for repairs to houses and 7.4 million baht for relatives of those killed and injured. The money was passed to Narathiwat governor Sanan Pong-aksorn.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the warehouse owners, a married couple reported to have fled to Malaysia.

Defied resolution to abstain; hoped to join coalition

The 16 Democrat MPs who voted to support Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party as prime minister on Tuesday had defied the party resolution to abstain, caretaker Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanawisit said on Wednesday.

They had been asked to explain their actions, and could face in internal party investigation, he said.

Sources said the 16 renegades had been hoping for an invitation to join the new government coalition.

Mr Jurin said a Democrat Party meeting on Aug 21, ahead of the Aug 22 parliamentary vote, passed a resolotion that its MPs should abstain, with the exception of former party leaders Chuan Leekpai and Banyat Bantadtan, who asked for and received party permission to vote against Mr Srettha’s nomination.

In defiance of the party resolution, 16 of the party’s 25 MPs voted for Mr Srettha without giving prior notice.

Mr Jurin said he had ordered the renegade MPs to explain their actions at the next party meeting.

If party members called for the party to investigate the 16 MPs he would set up a committee to investigate them, although MPs did have the individual right to vote as they wish.

Mr Jurin did not know whether the 16 would be punished, saying only that penalties were set down in the party regulations.

Asked about a suggestion the 16 MPs had defied the resolution so that they would be expelled and could join a party in the coalition government, Mr Jurin said he had no idea. Only the MPs themselves could explain why they chose to do so.

The caretaker Democrat leader insisted the party had never assigned anyone to talk with other parties about joining the new government.

Sathit Pitutecha, a caretaker deputy party leader, said the 16 MPs had committed serious misconduct, but whether they would be expelled rested with an investigation panel. Since the misconduct was serious, the party leader could set up an investigation, he said.

Mr Chuan, a party list MP and former party leader, said it was “unbelievable” that the 16 MPs had voted in defiance of the party resolution.

He had asked for and received party permission to vote against Mr Srettha’s nomination because the Democrat Party had been at odds with the Pheu Thai Party over the distribution of development budget funds to the South, the Demcrat Party’s traditional support base. He accused Pheu Thai of curtailing funding to the South, saying it was an act of persecution.

After Tuesday’s vote for prime minister, 15 of the 16 renegade Democrat MPs made themslves unavailable for comment. The exception was Pol Maj Gen Surin Palare, a Songkhla MP. He said only that he voted for Mr Srettha because he wanted the country to move forward.

Sources said the 16 MPs belong to a faction led by Chalermchai Sri-on, the caretaker party secretary-general.

Before the vote on Tuesday, their leaders – Det-it Khaothong, a Songkhla MP, and Chaichana Detdecho, a Nakhon Si Thammarat MP – talked to Phumtham Wechayachai, a Pheu Thai deputy leader. They told Mr Phumtham they were ready to vote for Mr Srettha if he looked like falling short of the needed 375 votes, in return for being included in the coalition.

While the voting was going on in the parliament chamber, the 16 sat outside, waiting.

When the support for Mr Srettha exceded 375, they told Mr Phumtham that they would vote for Mr Srettha anyway. They allegedly offered to fill in in the event the Bhumjaithai Party, with 71 MPs, withdrew after failing to get a premium grade ministry.

The 16 Democrats then entered the parliament chamber and voted for Mr Srettha, the sources said.

Outgoing caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday congratulated his successor Srettha Thavisin, and convened a meeting to decide on the annual military reshuffle.

After a cabinet meeting, Gen Prayut told reporters that he congratulated Mr Srettha on winning the parliamentary vote for prime minister and wished him success in national administration.

Gen Prayut said his prime ministerial role will end when Mr Srettha and his new cabinet are sworn in. 

Meanwhile, he said, he would have to reshuffle some government officials, as allowed by law, to prevent problems in the future.

He did not answer reporters’ questions whether the just concluded cabinet meeting would be his last.

Sources said that Gen Prayut, who is also defence minister, had convened a committee on the annual military reshuffle on Wednesday afternoon. The committee includes the chiefs of the armed forces and defence, the deputy defence minister and the defence permanent secretary.

This year’s military reshuffle will include the appointment of four new chiefs of the armed forces and the defence forces commander, as the incumbents will retire at the end of September.

The meeting was previously scheduled for Thursday. Gen Prayut brought it forward by one day. 

A source said that Gen Prayut would also convene a meeting of the Police Commision on Friday, in his capacity as chairman, to consider the appointment of the new national police chief. The current national police chief will retire at the end of September.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said Gen Prayut could approve the promotions that were necessary, because it would be another 7-10 days before the swearing-in of the new cabinet.

Earlier this month the Pheu Thai Party, which is forming the new coalition government, warned the caretaker government not to transfer senior government officials. That was before Pheu Thai announced its alliance with the Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation parties, part of the outgoing military-aligned government of Gen Prayut.    

Thaksin Shinawatra was transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison to the Police General Hospital at 12.20am Wednesday, suffering from chest pain, hypertension and low blood oxygen, the Department of Corrections said.

Deputy director-general Sitthi Sutivong said a warder at the prison reported that Thaksin could not sleep, had chest pain, hypertension and low blood oxygen while in quarantine in zone 7 of the prison.

Thaksin was admitted to the prison on Tuesday afternoon after his return to Thailand on Tuesday morning,  following a court appearance. 

A doctor at the Corrections Hospital reviewed Thaksin’s symptoms and considered his medical treatment records from overseas hospitals, which diagnosed him with underlying illnesses including ischemic cardiomyopathy, hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis and spondylosis. Ischemic cardiomyopathy required special observation.

As the Corrections Hospital lacked some medical equipment, the doctor decided to transfer Thaksin to Police General Hospital, which was better equipped, for his safety.

Thaksin was admitted to Police General Hospital for treatment and prison staff were deployed there in line with the regulations of the Department of Corrections, Mr Sitthi said.

The Police General Hospital said in a statement on Wednesday that a Corrections doctor checked Thaksin’s  symptoms and found his illnesses required urgent treatment. As the Department of Corrections lacked specialised doctors and equipment, Thaksin was referred to Police General Hospital, arriving about 1am on Wednesday.

Referrals of prisoners to Police General Hospital were normal in accordance with a memorandum of understanding the Department of Corrections signed with the police on May 1, 2020. 

The Police General Hospital had the proper medical equipment and enough staff to assist with security measures for prisoners, Police General Hospital said.

On Tuesday Thaksin was admitted to Bangkok Remand Prison to begin serving his eight-year jail term after returning to the country in the morning. The Supreme Court ordered his eight-year imprisonment based on his finalised cases. The Department of Corrections earlier said Thaksin was eligible to apply for a royal pardon from his first day in jail.

Prinn Panitchpakdi, a former deputy leader of the Democrat Party, has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison without suspension for sexually harassing an 18-year-old female student in 2021, the Office of the Attorney General said.

Deputy spokesman Kosolwat Inthuchanyong said the sentence was handed down by the Bangkok South Criminal Court on Aug 10.

Prosecutors presented the Bangkok South Criminal Court with evidence that Prinn lured the student into meeting him at a rooftop restaurant in Soi Sukhumvit 11 and sexually molested her. This occurred in 2021. She filed a complaint with Lumpini police in April 2022.

The court found Prinn guilty and sentenced him to two years and eight months imprisonment without suspension.

This was the first of many similar cases filed against Prinn.

Mr Kosolwat said the Bangkok South Criminal Court was scheduled to deliver judgement in a second  sexual harassment case against Prinn on Sept 25.

In other cases, court examination of witnesses was still in progress, he said.

After the first case was made public, Prinn resigned as deputy leader of the Democrat Party in charge of the party’s economic team. He denied the allegation.

More cases against Prinn were brought to public attention by well-known lawyer Sittra Biabangkerd, who led the complainants to file charges with police.

Mr Sittra claimed that up to 10 women had been sexually harassed by the suspect. At least five victims were raped while others were sexually molested, he alleged.

Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party has been confirmed as prime minister after receiving royal endorsement following his victory in a parliamentary vote, a spokesman for the house speaker said on Wednesday.

“His Majesty has given royal assent for the 30th prime minister of Thailand,” Khumpee Ditthakorn told reporters.

On Tuesday, the joint sitting of the House and the Senate elected the 61-year-old property tycoon as the new  prime minister with 482 votes for, 165 votes against and 81 abstentions.

Almost all of the votes against Mr Srettha came from the Move Forward Party, which won the May 14 general election but could not get its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, approved.

“I am truly honoured to be voted the 30th prime minister. I would like to thank all Thai people, coalition parties and all the representatives and senators who voted today. I will do my best, forget tiredness in the past and improve the living conditions of all Thai people,” Mr Srettha said on Tuesday.

About 16.5 million rai of farmland across the country will be affected by decreased rainfall caused by the El Nino phenomenon this year, according to the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry on Tuesday.

The ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, Apai Sutthisang, said the ministry is concerned about the upcoming dry season, as El Nino’s effects will pick up in November.

According to the Royal Irrigation Department’s forecast, by the end of this year’s rainy season in November, the nation’s 35 major reservoirs will hold about 22.8 billion cubic metres (m³) of water — about 13 billion m³ less than last year.

If current rain trends continue, by November, the nation’s four biggest dams, namely Bhumibol Dam in Tak, Sirikit Dam in Uttaradit, Kwai Noi Bamrung Daen Dam in Phitsanulok and Pasak Jolasid Dam in Lop Buri, will only hold 6.8 billion m³ of water — 7.7 billion m³ less compared to last year.

As a result, around 16.5 million rai of arable land will be affected, 7.3 million rai of which are located across the 22 provinces in the Chao Phraya Basin.

To prepare for the dry season, authorities have come up with some plans, he said.

First, he said, authorities will promote alternative crops which are more drought-resistant, such as beans, in lieu of a second crop of rice.

Second, local authorities will seek alternative water sources to help irrigate affected farmlands, he said.

The ministry will also work with relevant agencies to promote alternative jobs in areas where a second rice crop cannot be planted.

The last measure, he said, concerns saving water during the next rainy season, said Mr Aphai.

Meanwhile, water levels at Lam Takhong Dam in Nakhon Ratchasima have dropped to their lowest in a decade, with the dam holding just 133 million m³ of water or 42% of its capacity.

According to Yutthasart Teerawattana, director of the dam’s water irrigation and maintenance department, the situation has affected an area of 277,000 rai across 10 villages.

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) was on Tuesday ordered to pay compensation to two anti-government protesters severely injured by police munitions used during protests in the capital in 2021.

In the first case, the Criminal Court ordered the RTP to compensate Thanat “Luk Nut” Thanakitamnuay for injuries caused during an anti-government protest at Victory Monument on Aug 13, 2021.

Mr Thanat is expected to receive 3.05 million baht in compensation from the RTP for injuries to his right eye caused by a teargas canister thrown by crowd control police during the protest.

After the protest, he was sent to receive medical treatment at a hospital, but he lost the sight in his right eye. The court on Tuesday likewise ordered the RTP to pay 4.2 million baht in compensation to Thanakorn Phanpinij, who sued the RTP after police munitions severely damaged his eyes during a protest at Din Daeng, also on Aug 13, 2021.

Mr Thanakorn was shot with a rubber bullet in the face, which led to the sight in his right eye being completely lost, while his left eye still has little visibility after four operations.

After the ruling, Mr Thanat posted the court order and screenshots of a chat message between him and his lawyers on his Facebook page.

Mr Thanat wrote that he was “speechlessly glad” about the ruling, as he saw little hope during the court process. He said he hopes every rights violation case involving state officials sees compensation.