Barkar Nash (Page 223)

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit clarified on Friday a proposal to raise the excise tax on petrol in Greater Bangkok to encourage motorists to shift towards public transport was just an idea, saying he had no plan to implement it.

Mr Suriya apologised for the miscommunication and went on to say that the proposal was in fact an example he picked up from other countries and it was intended as a case study.

He insisted there was no plan to implement it.

The minister said that reducing the cost of living was the ministry’s priority and its plan to cap the fares of electric trains at 20 baht per trip would take effect within two years, without tax hikes on petrol.

On Wednesday, Mr Suriya said an increase of 0.50 baht per litre of petrol would motivate car drivers to use electric trains and the money would be used to subsidise the electric train system.

The proposal was raised at the meeting of senior transport officials to evaluate the ministry’s 20-baht fare policy, which is implemented by the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) Red Line and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority’s (MRT) Purple Line.

The tax income would be used to set up a fund to cover the losses which may be incurred by concession holders if the fares are capped to 20 baht per trip.

But the idea drew ire from Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, who said the tax hike would increase the living cost burden on people, which is actually the problem the government is trying to solve.

According to the energy minister, there were alternatives which the government should consider to find money to fund the government’s bid to keep train fares affordable.

The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) has defended a PTT gas station against the accusation of a motorist that it cheated him out of almost 30 millilitres of petrol.

The man said he paid the five-litre petrol price in full yet received 28 millilitres less than he paid for.

Wattanasak Sur-iam, director-general of DIT said that the amount was well within the law, which permits gas stations to have a 1% fluctuation of every five litres that a customer refills. This means that for every five litres of petrol, a customer may receive up to 50 millilitres less or more than they paid for.

“This is an international standard — so when the motorist complained that he did not receive the full five litres, such a complaint is common. Although it is not against the law, we have our teams regularly check if any station has violated the rule,” he said.

The matter drew public attention after a motorist, Ritdech Daengpradit, uploaded a video clip on TikTok complaining that a petrol station in Saraburi did not dispense the exact five litres of fuel. He paid the full amount, but when he measured it, the amount was 28 millilitres short.

He asked to measure it twice and on the second time, he received 4.75 litres, or 25 millilitres short.

In the clip, a staff member told the man that the gas station abided by the law.

Mr Wattanasak said the DIT acknowledges the issue and always inspects petrol stations nationwide to check if their measures are accurate.

He said DIT officials inspected 14,000 petrol stations with a total of 180,000 fuel dispensers during the first half of this year and found that 29 fuel dispensers in 14 petrol stations provided an amount of petrol a little over the purchased amount. However, 11 fuel dispensers in five petrol stations provided petrol at a much lower rate than the 1% rate.

DIT took legal action against the five petrol stations and ordered the stations to fix the 11 fuel dispensers.

Since early this month, the department has beefed up the inspection in petrol stations nationwide, particularly outbound routes of Bangkok, as many people will travel to return home to provinces by car or public transport.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has agreed to take criminal action following two incidents of state officials being accused of misusing an official car for personal reasons, said its secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol yesterday.

The first case involves Itthipol Sunthornsima, deputy clerk of Chiang Rai city municipality, who was found to have used an official car for personal errands outside of office hours. The car was subsequently involved in an accident, resulting in damage to the vehicle.

The other case involves Taweep Phukpho, chairman of tambon Ban Mo administrative organisation in Sing Buri’s Phrom Buri district, who was found to have used an official car for personal purposes.

He said the NACC has found Mr Itthipol and Mr Taweep in the wrong under Sections 151 and 157 of the Criminal Proceedings Act and Section 172 of the organic law on anti-corruption and forwarded the cases to prosecutors.

He said the agency had also found Mr Itthipol guilty of a serious violation of discipline and submitted the findings to his supervisors for further action in which Mr Itthipol will be ordered to pay damages under the civil liability law.

The Ban Mo authorities should ensure Mr Taweep pays in accordance with his civil liability, said Mr Niwatchai.

Company boss tried to kill his wife, son

A Taiwanese businessman and two retired navy officers have been arrested by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police in connection with a foiled murder plot.

The arrests were made during raids yesterday at eight locations in Chon Buri and Bangkok.

They followed a complaint filed with the CSD by a Taiwanese man, who accused his father, Feng Hao Chang, 68, a wealthy Taiwanese businessman, of soliciting RAdm Prakaipruek Srifa, 64, an adviser to his company, to hire a gunman to kill him and his mother.

RAdm Prakaipruek subsequently asked Tewarat Mangkorn, 66, a former navy captain and close associate, to hire a gunman to carry out the murders.

However, the gunman revealed the murder plot to the Taiwanese man, who then filed the police complaint.

In the raids, CSD police arrested Mr Feng at his home on Srinakarin Road in Bangkok’s Prawet district, RAdm Prakaipruek at his home in Lat Krabang district, and Tewarat at his residence in Thawi Watthana district.

Pol Col Anek Taosupap, the CSD deputy commander, said business conflicts were suspected as the motive behind Mr Feng wanting to kill his son and wife.

The three suspects face initial charges of hiring a person to commit murder. They denied the accusations.

They were taken to CSD headquarters for further questioning.

According to investigators, his son, identified only as James, had filed a police complaint about business conflicts in his father’s company.

Mr James told the police that he argued with his father over the directorship of a company established in 1998 that exported electronic equipment worth more than a billion baht.

Mr Feng and Mr James have filed a number of lawsuits against each other since 2022, resulting in at least 20 cases demanding the removal of each other from the firm’s board of directors.

On Aug 1, RAdm Prakaipruek, Mr Feng’s consultant, told Mr Tewarat to put cause disruptions at the company to undermine Mr James before hatching the murder plot.

Mr Tewarat was once a captain in the navy and was an expert in weapons and explosives.

He was later jailed for killing a police officer in Mae Sot in Tak in 2006 before being released recently after serving a life sentence.

Mr Feng and the two other suspects denied the charges.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is expected to begin charging passengers of the Green Line’s second extension a flat rate of 15 baht per trip on Jan 2, said Bangkok deputy governor Visanu Samsompol on Friday.

He said the announcement of the fare for travelling on the Bearing-Samut Prakan and Mo Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot sections has been drafted pending Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt’s signature.

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), the Department of Rail Transport and the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) have no objection to the fare, he said.

He said Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC), which is hired to operate the Bearing-Samut Prakan and Mo Chit-Saphan Mai-Khu Khot sections, has a fare collection system in place, ready for implementation.

The fare along the entire Green Line will be capped at 62 baht per trip after the new fare takes effect.

Based on 250,000 passengers using the route per day, it is estimated that the BMA will be able to collect between 3-4 million baht more.

BTSC, which is also contracted to operate the 34.5-kilometre Pink Line, is ready to begin charging passengers using the monorail linking Khae Rai in Nonthaburi with Min Buri district in East Bangkok via Ram Intra Road.

Currently, the monorail is available free of charge during its trial run with the fare collection to start on Jan 3. The Pink Line connects with the BTS Green Line at Wat Phra Si Mahatat Station.

A source at the Transport Ministry said the Department of Rail Transport has agreed the fare for the Green Line’s second extension and waiver of an entry fee for passengers transferring from any of the MRT’s electric rail systems.

The department has also asked the BMA to upgrade its system to accommodate the EMV contactless payment already adopted by the MRTA and State Railway of Thailand.

Department of Internal Trade says tiny shortfall in petrol was within allowable limits

The Department of Internal Trade has defended a PTT petrol station against an accusation from a motorist that it cheated him out of almost 30 millilitres of petrol.

The man said he paid the five-litre petrol price in full yet received 28 millilitres less than he paid for.

Wattanasak Sur-iam, director-general of the department, said on Friday that the amount was well within the law, which permits gas stations to have a 1% fluctuation of every five litres that a customer refills. This means that for every five litres of petrol, a customer may receive up to 50 millilitres less or more than they paid for.

“This is an international standard — so when the motorist complained that he did not receive the full five litres, such a complaint is common. Although it is not against the law, we have our teams regularly check if any station has violated the rule,” Mr Wattanasak said.

The matter drew public attention after a motorist, Ritdech Daengpradit, uploaded a video on TikTok complaining that a petrol station in Saraburi did not dispense the exact five litres of fuel. He paid the full amount, but when he measured it, the amount was 28 millilitres short.

@nuengruethaisukch #ดราม่า#ปั๊ม #ลูกค้าโวย#เติมน้ํามัน #ได้ไม่ครบ #เติมน้ํามัน #ขาด#ไม่เต็ม #ขอบคุณคลิปต้นทาง #เรื่องเล่าเช้านี้ #ข่าวช่อง3 #น้ำมันแพง#typ #tiktok #VoiceEffects ♬ แฉ็ง Feat.ป๋าเขียด ว้าวว้าว – ก้อย กินรี

He asked to measure it twice and on the second time, he received 4.75 litres, or 25 millilitres short.

In the clip, a staff member told the man that the station abided by the law.

Mr Wattanasak said the department acknowledges the issue and always inspects petrol stations nationwide to check if their measures are accurate.

He said department officials inspected 14,000 petrol stations with a total of 180,000 fuel dispensers during the first half of this year and found that 29 fuel dispensers in 14 petrol stations provided an amount of petrol a little over the purchased amount. However, 11 fuel dispensers in five petrol stations provided petrol at a much lower rate than the 1% rate.

The department took legal action against the five petrol stations and ordered the stations to fix the 11 fuel dispensers.

Since early this month, the department has beefed up the inspection in petrol stations nationwide, particularly outbound routes of Bangkok, as many people will travel to return home to provinces by car or public transport.

Labour Minister will ask national wage panel to look at new ways to calculate fairer rates

The government will consider another increase in the daily minimum wage by April when it will ask the tripartite wage committee to review pay rates.

The wage increase is expected before the Songkran holiday in mid-April, Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Friday.

On Wednesday, the tripartite committee, comprising government, employer and employee representatives, decided unanimously to stand by the wage increase it approved on Dec 8.

Accordingly, new rates ranging from 330 to 370 baht, depending on the province, will take effect on Jan 1.

The current rates are between 328 and 354 baht. The increases will range from 2 to 16 baht, or an average of 2.4%. The last increase approved by the committee, in October 2022, was 5%.

The modest increases drew strong criticism from Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and others, and Mr Phiphat asked the wage committee to reconsider.

While the nominally independent committee refused to bow to political pressure, it acknowledged that its method for calculating rates based on economic conditions might need adjusting. It also left the door open to another wage hike in April or May.

Mr Phiphat said he would ask the committee to study the possibility of varying wage rates based on the district, municipality or type of career instead of imposing a flat rate for a whole province.

A flat rate is not fair to workers in certain provinces, he said.

“Some labourers work in downtown areas with active economic activity and high living costs but receive the same low rates as workers in less economically advanced areas,” he said.

“That’s not fair. The rates should be adjusted.”

Mr Phiphat said the permanent secretary for labour would set up a panel to study the possibility of another wage rise, with input from the finance and commerce ministries, the Bank of Thailand and the National Economic and Social Development Council.

The wage rates that take effect in January fall short of the 400 baht that the Pheu Thai Party promised during its election campaign earlier this year, which rattled businesses who said that it threatened to make the country less competitive.

But the government is determined to go on the offensive in its push for a higher daily wage hike for workers next year, spokesman Chai Wacharonke said on Thursday.

Citing findings from a study, Mr Chai said a suitable amount to support a worker and their family is 560 baht per day.

Thai foreign minister briefs Lao counterpart on humanitarian needs and offers help in the year ahead

Thailand is ready to support Laos when it assumes the Asean chairmanship next year and begins work trying to solve the Myanmar crisis, says a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahidda-nukara held talks with his Lao counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith on the sidelines of the Asean-Japan Summit in Tokyo earlier this week, said Usana Berananda, director-general of the ministry’s Department of Asean Affairs.

Ms Usana said Mr Parnpree had told the Lao minister that Thailand has been working on humanitarian assistance for Myanmar.

Mr Saleumxay said Laos would like to support Thailand’s effort, adding that Laos also wanted to see Asean deal with the situation in Myanmar.

Ms Usana said Laos is sincere in wanting to solve this problem; however, the complexities of the situation — there has been fighting between the government and ethnic minorities for over 70 years — make finding common ground between the sides very difficult.

“Laos will try its best because they are a neighbouring country with many stakeholders in Myanmar,” she said.

“The Thai foreign minister has always reiterated that Thailand is ready to support Laos’ chairmanship of Asean next year. However, we will not pressure them as we believe, according to the status quo, that there can only be certain progress on certain issues,” she added.

The military regime that seized power in Myanmar in early 2021 has shown a willingness to hold a general election, she said, though the timing remains uncertain.

The junta has continued to postpone polls on security grounds, and it has extended a state of emergency several times. Meanwhile, the army is facing increasingly stiff armed resistance on several fronts.

Asean members have sent signals to Myanmar that the election needs to be as fair and free as possible, said Ms Usana.

“However, the election might not be absolutely free and fair because each area has certain limitations,” she said. “We need to keep an eye on how to help and ensure an election will help solve the problem in the long term. Yet, it is up to Myanmar because it is their internal affair.”

Mr Parnpree recently met Than Swe, the Myanmar deputy prime minister and foreign minister, on the sidelines of the 8th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Beijing, according to the website of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Thai minister expressed appreciation for Myanmar’s assistance in the repatriation of Thai nationals from Laukkaing, the site of clashes between the army and ethnic rebels, and reaffirmed Thailand’s support for the Myanmar peace process.

Both sides also agreed to work together to boost humanitarian assistance, in line with the implementation of the so-called 5-Point Consensus agreed on by Asean leaders and the head of the Myanmar junta in 2021.

Phitsanulok-based firearms reviewer says all weapons are legally owned by his father

PHITSANULOK: The owner of a house where large quantities of weapons and ammunition were found on Friday has told police that all the weapons are legally registered in the name of his father.

Trinsak Wachirasrisirikul, who reviews firearms on the YouTube channel Tacticool BoB and has nearly 20,000 subscribers, was the target of a police search at his home in Muang district on Friday.

A combined team of officers from the Police Cyber Taskforce and local police, armed with a warrant, searched the house at a housing estate in tambon Ban Krang. The operation was part of a stepped-up public safety campaign ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivals.

The search found 87 guns of various types, 4,576 rounds of ammunition and seven magazines, said Pol Maj Nikhom Kheunopparat, chief of Phitsanulok police.

Mr Trinsak, 33, told police that the weapons had been passed down from his father and were all legally registered in his father’s name.

Wiset Wachirasrisirikul, 65, subsequently confirmed his son’s story, saying he had collected weapons for 40 years.

Mr Wiset, a businessman in Phitsanulok and former chairman of the provincial chamber of commerce, said he would show police documents to verify his ownership of the weapons on Saturday.

Police are now in the process of determining whether the ownership of the weapons has been officially transferred to Mr Trinsak. If there is no record of ownership transfer, he could face charges related to unauthorised possession of firearms and ammunition, said Pol Maj Nikhom.

Police display seized firearms and ammunition at a YouTuber’s house in Phitsanulok province on Friday. (Photo: Chinnawat Singha)

Wiset Wachirasrisirikul, 65, the father of YouTuber Trinsak, says all the guns and ammunition found in his son’s house belong to him. (Photo: Chinnawat Singha)