Barkar Nash (Page 1,076)

Two sons of His Majesty the King visited Siriraj Hospital on Sunday morning.

Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse and his younger brother Chakriwat visited the kingdom’s very first hospital,  135-year-old Siriraj Hospital, and paid their respects to the image of their late grandfather King Rama IX and their great-grandparents there.

Mr Vacharaesorn, 42, recently visited temples and other places after returning to Thailand for the first time in about three decades.

His younger brother Chakriwat, 40, arrived later and the two planned to leave for the United States together.

The younger brother’s arrival prompted Mr Vacharaesorn to postpone his planned earlier departure on Sunday.

The brothers visited Ayutthaya province on Saturday.

The siblings are among four sons of His Majesty the King and his former consort Sujarinee Vivacharawongse. Their younger sister is Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya.

SONGKHLA: About a hundred pub-goers ran for their lives out of a well-known entertainment venue in Hat Yai early on Sunday after a 9mm automatic pistol carried by a customer accidentally went off, sending a bullet into his left leg.

The incident occurred at about 1.30am inside Nectar Pub on Chuti-anusorn road in the Hat Yai municipal area.

Hat Yai police rushed to the pub to investigate.

Niran Suwan-in, 31, the pub-goer who accidentally triggered the shot, was injured in the left leg. He was admitted to Hat Yai Hospital for treatment.

A police investigation revealed that Mr Niran was among a large group of about 30 customers who made reservations online. Mr Niran was in a group of four men and three women at a table.

While Mr Niran was dancing to music, a 9mm automatic pistol he was carrying in his trouser pocket accidentally went off and the bullet hit him in the left leg.

The sudden blast caused all pub-goers to panic. They rushed outside the pub, which was abruptly closed for safety.

Police found the gun was properly registered. However, they were investigating how Mr Niran was able to enter the pub with the weapon.

Most people are of the opinion that Abhisit Vejjajiva, a former prime minister and former leader of the Democrat Party, should be re-elected as party chief, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted on Aug 9-10 by telephone interviews with 1,310 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country to compile their opinions on who should be the next Democrat Party leader after the resignation of Jurin Laksanawisit.

Of the 1,310 respondents, 58.63% said they had never voted for a Democrat in past elections; 31.91% said they had, but not in the May 14, 2023 poll; 9.31% said they had, including in the most recent election, and 0.15% said they had never exercised their right to vote. 

Asked who they thought was suitable to be the next leader of the Democrat Party, the mutliple-choice answers varied as follows:

• 37.48% chose Abhisit Vejjajiva, the former party leader from March 2005 to March 2019
• 24.43% Chuan Leekpai, who stepped down the the party leadership in 2003
• 9.85% Suchatvee Suwansawat
• 4.27% Watanya Bunnag (Madam Dear)
• 3.05% Jurin Laksanawisit, a former party leader
• 2.90% Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich
• 2.67% Alongkorn Polabutr
• 1.76% Banyat Bantadtan, a former party leader
• 1.60% Narapat Kaewthong
• 1.46% combined for Chalermchai Sri-on, Det-it Khaothing, Mallika Boonmeetrakul and Sathit Pitutecha

The rest, 10.53%, had no answers or were not interested.

Mr Jurin resigned as leader of the Democrat Party on May 15 after the party’s poor showing in the May 14 election, when it won only 25 House seats, about half the number it obtained in the 2019 election. His resignation necessitated an election for the new party leader and new executive committee, matters which are still unresolved.

The party twice called a general assembly for this purpose, but failed to hold the vote on both occasions due to the lack of quorum, obviously as a result of internal rifts.

The Democrat Party was founded in April 1946, and is the country’s oldest political party. The South of Thailand and Bangkok used to be the party’s main support bases, but the party’s popularity in the two areas has sharply declined over the past two decades.

PHETCHABURI: A tourist died and another remained missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers for a sightseeing excursion around the Ban Ta Boon bay.

After the vessel sank in sight of people on the shore nearby, a rescue unit from the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched to search for those on board. The rescuers managed to pluck five from the water to safety, but two remained unaccounted for.

At about 10am on Sunday, the body of a man was found to have washed ashore and was later identified to be of Chanin Chompinthong, one of the missing boat passengers.

Before the body was found, Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaiian shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip showing the tour boat being struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

The search for the missing man was continuing.

PHETCHABURI: One tourist died and another remained missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers, all Thais, for a sightseeing excursion around the Ban Ta Boon bay.

After the vessel sank in sight of people on the shore nearby, a rescue unit from the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched to search for those on board. The rescuers managed to pluck four women and a man from the water to safety with only minor injuries, but two remained unaccounted for.

At about 10am on Sunday, the body of a man in his early twenties was found to have washed ashore and was later identified to be of Chanin Chompinthong, one of the missing boat passengers.

A search and rescue team works near where the tour boat capsized, on Sunday. (Photo: Chaiwat Satyaem)

Before the body was found, Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaiian shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip showing the tour boat being struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

The search for the missing man, also believed to be in his early twenties, was continuing.

Thailand has a poor health and safety track record on the water. Tourist hotspots have seen serious accidents, such as the deaths of almost 50 Chinese tourists in 2018 after their boat capsized off holiday island Phuket.

PHETCHABURI: Two tourists remained missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers for a sightseeing excursion around the Ban Ta Boon bay.

The vessel sank and the seven passengers went missing.

A rescue unit from the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched to search for the missing people. The rescuers managed to pluck five from the water to safety, but two remained unaccounted for.

Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaiian shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip showing the tour boat being struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

The search for the two missing tourists was continuing.

PHETCHABURI: Two tourists went missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers for a sightseeing excursion of the Ban Ta Boon bay.

The vessel sank and the seven passengers went missing.

A rescue unit of the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched for a rescue mission. The rescuers managed to pluck five passengers from the water to safety, but two were still missing.

Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaii shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip of the tour boat while it was struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

A search continued for the two tourists still missing.

Deputy Prime Minister and Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon is not leaving politics just yet and has never knocked back the prospect of a post in the next government, deputy PPRP leader Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said.

Mr Chaiwut, who serves as Digital Economy and Society Minister, was speaking following a report the PPRP would join a coalition government led by the Pheu Thai Party.

According to a source, Pheu Thai has now sealed a deal with the PPRP and the party has agreed to vote for Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidate in exchange for slices of the cabinet quota cake.

The source said the Pheu Thai-led coalition would be down to 278 MPs from the previous 315 MPs reported on Friday as the United Thai Nation Party has not yet confirmed its support.

Asked whether Gen Prawit would accept any cabinet post in the Pheu Thai-led coalition government after a report surfaced that he would let his younger brother Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon, the PPRP’s chief adviser, take a cabinet post instead, Mr Chaiwut said: “[Gen Prawit] never said he would not accept a post.” Mr Chaiwut said Gen Prawit remains the party’s leader and PM candidate.

Quizzed about Phai Lik, a PPRP MP for Kamphaeng Phet, who earlier said PPRP’s 40 MPs would vote for Pheu Thai’s PM candidate, Mr Chaiwut said that was the opinion of some MPs. Mr Chaiwut said the party will meet to decide whether to join the Pheu Thai-led coalition.

Deputy UTN leader Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana also said on Saturday that the party will meet on Tuesday to discuss whether it will take part in the coalition.