Barkar Nash (Page 1,317)

The Department of Medical Sciences reported on Tuesday that Thailand has detected six new cases of the Omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant, while another patient is infected with XBB.1.16.1, which is descended from it.

That brings the total number of people infected with XBB.1.16 to date in the kingdom to 34, according to the department’s director-general, Supakit Sirilak.

He said XBB.1.16 accounts for 9.8% of all new cases detected so far this week.

He also confirmed that a migrant worker who died in Bangkok’s Sathon district on April 17 was infected with XBB.1.16.1, but said there was no cause for alarm.

“Don’t panic about the spread of XBB.1.16,” he said. “One of the reasons that caused the man’s death is that he had never received any Covid-19 vaccinations, so it is possible that any of the strains could have led to the same result in his case.”

Authorities reported two more deaths yesterday due to Covid-19.

Pol Lt Watcharakorn Srisawang, deputy inspector of Sutthisan police in Bangkok, said officers were alerted after a 52-year-old man, identified as Phakin Charoenjit, was found dead on his bed in his room at Chokchai Ruammit Condominiums in Chatuchak district at 7.33am.

The deceased’s wife told police she last saw him late Monday evening before discovering his body the next morning.

Meanwhile, at 8am, Pol Capt Suwat Deeponngam, deputy inspector of Nong Chok police, was notified that the body of a 22-year-old man, identified as Nawin Chaowarak, had been found in the man’s room at an apartment on Sakun Di Road in Nong Chok district.

An investigation found the man had been living there with his girlfriend and had developed a fever and chest pain three to four days ago. Police said Covid-19 tests returned positive for both of the deceased.

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The government plans to allocate more than 11 billion baht to subsidise low-income earners for another four months to help with their power bills, starting in May.

However, the matter must be sent to the Election Commission (EC) for consideration before a final decision is made.

Speaking after Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government is trying its best to address the problem of costly electricity bills for households.

“As for political parties promising to cut power tariff rates, they should know that there are reasons and necessities as well as complicated details regarding the issue,” Gen Prayut said.

“Please trust in the government. We are trying our best,” Gen Prayut said, adding that a budget allocation of more than 11 billion baht is needed.

The cabinet has signed off on the subsidy so the matter will now rest in the hands of the EC, he said.

A naval officer holds a child dressed in a sailor’s uniform in front of the newly built HTMS ‘Chang’, which arrived at the Sattahip naval base from China on Tuesday. The new warship serving as a submarine tender will support HTMS ‘Ang Thong’ until the navy receives its S26T submarine order. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

Under Section 169 of the constitution, a budget allocation for emergencies approved by an outgoing cabinet after a House dissolution must be endorsed by the poll agency first.

“I assure you that the government will ensure fairness to all sectors that play a role in energy management as the government cannot invest solely and needs investment from the private sector.

“Everything must be in line with the law. The Energy Ministry has sent contracts [made with the private sector to produce power] to public prosecutors to consider. Several contracts have existed for a long time,” Gen Prayut said.

“We must be careful in spending the budget by focusing our attention on necessary targets. The government will do its best to look after vulnerable groups.”

The government has already provided a 3.2-billion-baht subsidy for vulnerable groups — such as low-income earners and households that consume fewer than 300 units of electricity per month from January to April. They get a cut-off from the fuel tariff (Ft) before the VAT calculation.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri fleshed out the subsidy plan, saying the power subsidy will be extended for another four months from May. It will apply to households that consume less than 300 units per month.

Those that consume 1-150 units a month will get a reduction of 92.04 satang per unit while those using 151-300 units will be given a reduction of 67.04 satang per unit, he said.

About 7.6 billion baht will be drawn from the 2023 budget for emergency purposes to finance the plan. About 18.36 million households will benefit.

Another way to help people with costly power bills is to give a reduction of 150 baht before VAT to households using no more than 500 units per month, valid for May only. The measure will need funds of no more than 3.5 billion baht from the 2023 budget, Mr Anucha said, adding that more than 23.4 million households will benefit.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will also start lowering the Ft next month following a recommendation by a subcommittee responsible for its calculation.

According to Khomgrich Tantravanich, secretary-general of the ERC, the new rate will result in a seven-satang reduction in the price of electricity, from 4.77 baht a unit to 4.70 baht.

Mr Khomgrich said the ERC’s next move would be to issue the adjustment guidelines for Egat, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, and the Provincial Electricity Authority ahead of next month’s billing cycle.

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The government plans to allocate more than 11 billion baht to subsidise low-income earners for another four months to help with their power bills, starting in May.

However, the matter must be sent to the Election Commission (EC) for consideration before a final decision is made.

Speaking after Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government is trying its best to address the problem of costly electricity bills for households.

“As for political parties promising to cut power tariff rates, they should know that there are reasons and necessities as well as complicated details regarding the issue,” Gen Prayut said.

“Please trust in the government. We are trying our best,” Gen Prayut said, adding that a budget allocation of more than 11 billion baht is needed.

The cabinet has signed off on the subsidy so the matter will now rest in the hands of the EC, he said.

Under Section 169 of the constitution, a budget allocation for emergencies approved by an outgoing cabinet after a House dissolution must be endorsed by the poll agency first.

“I assure you that the government will ensure fairness to all sectors that play a role in energy management as the government cannot invest solely and needs investment from the private sector.

“Everything must be in line with the law. The Energy Ministry has sent contracts [made with the private sector to produce power] to public prosecutors to consider. Several contracts have existed for a long time,” Gen Prayut said.

“We must be careful in spending the budget by focusing our attention on necessary targets. The government will do its best to look after vulnerable groups.”

The government has already provided a 3.2-billion-baht subsidy for vulnerable groups — such as low-income earners and households that consume fewer than 300 units of electricity per month from January to April. They get a cut-off from the fuel tariff (Ft) before the VAT calculation.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri fleshed out the subsidy plan, saying the power subsidy will be extended for another four months from May. It will apply to households that consume less than 300 units per month.

Those that consume 1-150 units a month will get a reduction of 92.04 satang per unit while those using 151-300 units will be given a reduction of 67.04 satang per unit, he said.

About 7.6 billion baht will be drawn from the 2023 budget for emergency purposes to finance the plan. About 18.36 million households will benefit.

Another way to help people with costly power bills is to give a reduction of 150 baht before VAT to households using no more than 500 units per month, valid for May only. The measure will need funds of no more than 3.5 billion baht from the 2023 budget, Mr Anucha said, adding that more than 23.4 million households will benefit.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will also start lowering the Ft next month following a recommendation by a subcommittee responsible for its calculation.

According to Khomgrich Tantravanich, secretary-general of the ERC, the new rate will result in a seven-satang reduction in the price of electricity, from 4.77 baht a unit to 4.70 baht.

Mr Khomgrich said the ERC’s next move would be to issue the adjustment guidelines for Egat, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, and the Provincial Electricity Authority ahead of next month’s billing cycle.

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One Thai national and two Lao citizens have been accused of involvement in the shipment of a consignment of heroin that was seized at Hong Kong International Airport last week, according to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).

Wichai Chaimongkol, ONCB’s secretary-general, said Thai authorities launched an investigation into the shipment after being alerted by their Hong Kong counterparts on April 21.

Hong Kong officials examined the batch and found suspected heroin concealed inside the packaging of 37 packs of coffee powder. The total weight of the heroin was about 53kg.

Mr Wichai said Thai narcotics and customs officials had found that the shipment was linked to a major transborder trafficking ring which is believed to have sent three shipments to Hong Kong in March/April this year.

Thai officials have asked their Hong King counterparts for the details of one Thai and two Lao nationals employed by the private transport company handling the shipment so that arrest warrants can be issued, he said.

The information will also be forwarded to narcotics control authorities in Laos to widen the investigation into the drug trafficking ring, he said.

According to Mr Wichai, the Thai Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) and Seaport Interdiction Task Force (SITF) have been working closely with Hong Kong authorities and have, since January, confiscated nine shipments containing 74.6kg of crystal meth and 47.5kg of heroin.

Meanwhile, anti-drug authorities in Chiang Rai on Tuesday arrested two men and a woman and seized 239kg of crystal meth and 10kg of ketamine from them.

The arrest followed a tip-off about the smuggling of narcotics from the Chiang Rai border to inner provinces.

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The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions yesterday sentenced Anurak Tangpanitanon, a former Pheu Thai MP for Mukdahan, to six years in jail over a 5-million-baht bribe.

Mr Anurak was indicted for demanding the bribe in exchange for passing a proposed budget allocation deal when he served on the House committee vetting the 2021 budget bill.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) recommended his indictment after its inquiry found there were grounds for the allegation. The case was filed with the court by the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG).

In its ruling, the court found Mr Anurak guilty of violating the Criminal Code and the anti-corruption law for demanding the bribe from Sakda Wichiansilp, director-general of the Department of Groundwater Resources, in exchange for not trimming the department’s budget in a 2021 budget allocation.

In addition to the six-year prison sentence, the court also retrospectively stripped Mr Anurak of the MP position he had held from April 19, 2021, and banned him from running in an election and holding political positions for life and from voting for ten years.

In January this year, the court found him guilty of violating the parliamentary ethical code for demanding the bribe. The misconduct was deemed an abuse of his authority as an MP to obtain personal gain, which is prohibited under Section 87 of the 2018 organic law on corruption suppression and prevention.

The scandal came to light when Mr Sakda spilt the beans during a meeting with the sub-committee reviewing the budget allocation for his department, saying a sub-committee member had demanded 5 million baht in exchange for passing this proposed budget allocation.

Mr Anurak will appeal the court’s ruling.

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The wife of a senior police officer based in Ratchaburi was arrested yesterday on suspicion of being a serial killer.

Her alleged victims were people she accompanied on merit-making trips.

The arrest came after the Royal Thai Police (RTP) ordered a thorough investigation into seven murder cases implicating the suspect.

The suspect, Sararat “Am” Rangsiwutaporn, was nabbed at the Chaeng Watthana Government Complex on a murder charge after a warrant for her arrest was issued by the Criminal Court. She refused to give police a statement. At least two of her alleged victims were female police officers.

The case against Ms Sararat surfaced this week after the family of one of her alleged victims, Siriporn Khanwong, 32, asked the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) to file charges against her and requested a fresh autopsy of Siriporn’s body.

National police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas said Siriporn passed out, and later died, as she released fish into a river to make merit during Songkran two weeks ago in Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi. The first autopsy result stated that she died of natural causes.

However, her family queried the result and sought a second autopsy. A preliminary result of the second autopsy by the Police General Hospital’s forensic department revealed Siriporn had cyanide in her bloodstream. The complete autopsy results are expected to be out within a week, said Pol Gen Damrongsak.

Pol Gen Damrongsak said theft is believed to be the killer’s motive. However, the investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the suspect suffered from a mental condition. The suspect appears to have committed the crime alone.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, who leads the investigation, said at least seven people acquainted with Ms Sararat who joined her on merit-making trips died in similar ways over the past two years in Ratchaburi and nearby provinces of Kanchanaburi and Nakhon Pathom.

Many victims carried a lot of cash, reportedly to buy items to donate to temples. The cash belonging to some went missing after they passed out.

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The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) sent three aircraft to Saudi Arabia last night on a mission to repatriate Thai people. They are expected to arrive at Don Mueang Airport around 8pm tomorrow.

According to air force spokesman AVM Prapas Sornchaidee, three aircraft — two C-130s and an Airbus A340-500 — departed from the air force’s Royal 6 airport next to Don Mueang.

The planes were headed to King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) designated as a gathering place for Thai nationals wishing to return to Thailand.

The RTAF planned to use the Airbus to pick up Thai people evacuated from Sudan on Monday, while the C-130s were due to remain for those unable to join the first round of repatriation, AVM Prapas said, adding they will also fly to Sudan if the opportunity arises.

Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said 212 Thai nationals and three foreign spouses had expressed their desire to return to Thailand as of Monday.

The MFA, the Royal Thai Embassy in Cairo, and the Honorary Consulate-General in Sudan assisted in providing buses in Khartoum Monday that took them to a Sudanese port on the Red Sea yesterday.

The group will board a ship provided by the Saudi Arabian government for a trip to Saudi Arabia that was expected to take around 15 hours. They were then to board buses to Jeddah and fly to Thailand. The flight time is about eight hours. They will arrive at Don Mueang around 8pm tomorrow, said Ms Rachada.

Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai said five Thai nationals living in a part of Sudan where there is no fighting have also registered to return. The MFA will send a vehicle to collect this group, he added.

Regarding any problems related to international advance voting for the May 14 general election for those Thais who plan to stay in Sudan, Ms Rachada said the election law permits them to postpone voting twice.

If the fighting has not ended by the date of the second postponement, they will be counted as eligible voters who cannot exercise their right to vote due to unexpected events, she said.

Fierce clashes erupted in Sudan on April 15 between forces allied with two generals involved in a 2021 coup.

The World Health Organization said more than 420 people have been killed and over 3,700 wounded.

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