Barkar Nash (Page 230)

Apes seized from wildlife traffickers and cared for at Ratchaburi nursery prior to return

Three orangutans seized from a transnational wildlife trafficking ring were repatriated to their homeland in Indonesia on Thursday.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Phatcharavat Wongsuwan presided over the repatriation ceremony held at Suvarnabhumi airport.

Also attending were Rachmat Budiman, the Indonesian ambassador to Thailand; Jatuporn Burusapa, permanent secretary for the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry; and Athapol Charoenchunsa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

The department had earlier rescued the three orangutans from a wildlife smuggling ring before taking them to a wildlife nursery in Ratchaburi province. The apes were Nobita, aged 7, Shisuka, 7, and Bryant, 4. Shisuka was the only female.  

(Photo: Somchai Poomlard)

Pol Pol Gen Phatcharavat said the return of the orangutans to their country of origin would strengthen the relations between the two countries, which are marking the 73rd anniversary of diplomatic ties.

The three primates were flown back to Indonesia on a Garuda Indonesia Airline flight.

Between 2013 and 2017, Thailand rescued 14 smuggled orangutans from wildlife trafficking gangs and repatriated them to Indonesia. Since 2006, the kingdom has repatriated a total of 71 orangutans to Indonesia.

Presentation being prepared to support ‘intangible cultural heritage’ application

The Ministry of Culture plans to propose adding Thai traditional dress for the intangible cultural heritage listings of Unesco, according to Kowit Pakamart, director-general of the Department of Cultural Promotion.

As a step towards submitting a proposal to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the department on Thursday held a brainstorming session at the Thailand Cultural Centre with people involved in a project to compile information on Thai traditional costumes.

Mr Kowit said Thai traditional dresses, unlike those of other nations, are unique in their designs and materials, featuring craftsmanship that reflects various regions.

For women, there are eight major types of traditional dress. Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother initiated research into the dresses of Thai women of various eras in order to design dresses to wear while accompanying the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on royal visits to the United States and Europe some 60 years ago.

For men, there are three major types of traditional outfits to be worn on various occasions.

Mr Kowit said that wearing Thai traditional dress is also a social norm for Thai people to show they cherish their traditions and culture.

The Thai Khadee Research Institute at Thammasat University has obtained support from the Department of Cultural Promotion to compile a database on Thai traditional dresses for the proposal, said Assoc Prof Saowatharn Phoklad, the institute’s director.

The institute’s study team is now compiling information and interviewing people who have inherited traditions and practices associated with cultural heritage in various fields, particularly Thai traditional dress, he said.

Unesco earlier this month added the Thai water festival of Songkran to its intangible cultural heritage list.

Victim told he could get a break from police and courts in return for money

A man with a long record for fraud stands accused of tricking another fraud suspect out of more than 4 million baht by offering to save him from prosecution through his “special connection” with justice authorities.

Nathapontha Yana-opas, 35, was arrested in Pak Tho district of Ratchaburi on Wednesday on a warrant issued on Dec 6, said Pol Maj Gen Montree Theskhan, commander of the police Crime Suppression Division.

The arrest followed a complaint from another man who was defending himself against a fraud allegation in the provincial court in Roi Et.

Police say Mr Nathapontha had approached the man and claimed he could lobby for temporary release and arrange for the removal of an electronic monitoring bracelet because he was close to a judge in the Court of Appeal Region 4.

He subsequently made a successful application on the man’s behalf by following normal judicial procedures. He then demanded 3.75 million baht for his efforts.

As the victim was also being prosecuted for computer crime, Mr Nathapontha claimed he was close to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, head of the Central Investigation Bureau, and would lobby for leniency.

The victim believed him and gave him another 350,000 baht.

When the victim realised he was being tricked, he filed a complaint with the Saraphi police station in Chiang Mai province and with the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok.

Pol Maj Gen Montree said that over the past decade, Mr Nathapontha had been prosecuted in more than 20 fraud cases including cases involving bad cheques and bogus air ticket reservations.

Army rangers seize 2m speed pills after shootout near Myanmar border in Chiang Mai

Two suspected drug smugglers were killed and at least 2 million speed pills seized following an exchange of gunfire with army rangers along the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Ai district of Chiang Mai early Thursday.

A patrol from the Pha Muang task force spotted a group of about 20 men, carrying modified rucksacks through a forested area in tambon Malika of Mae Ai at about 4.50am. As the men were acting suspiciously, the soldiers asked them to stop for a search but the latter responded with gunfire.

The rangers returned fire and the exchange continued for about 20 minutes before the gunfire stopped. The soldiers were unhurt and they sealed off the area.

At dawn, more troops arrived and they began searching the scene of the clash and surrounding areas. They found the bodies of two men: one at the clash scene and the other about a kilometre away in a corn plantation.

Thirteen rucksacks, each containing between 100,000 and 200,000 speed pills, were found scattered across the area.

Soldiers continued to search the area for more drugs that might have been abandoned by the fleeing smugglers.

The shootout was the second in less than a week in the North. On Sunday, 15 drug smugglers were killed during a clash with soldiers from the Pha Muang task force in Mae Fa Luang district in Chiang Rai. About 2 million speed pills were seized.

Women pimped underage virgin girls from North to Chinese businessmen in Bangkok

Police have arrested seven young women, five of them under 18, for allegedly procuring underage girls who were still virgins for Chinese customers.

The arrests followed a tip-off that a gang had been bringing girls under 18 from the northern border province of Mae Hong Son for prostitution in Bangkok, said Pol Maj Gen Saruti Kwaengsopa, commander of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD).

Most of their clients were Chinese operators of illegal businesses who wanted to have sex with girls who were virgins, he said.

The gang members reportedly lured the girls to fly with them from Mae Hong Son to Bangkok under the guise of entertainment. In Bangkok, the girls were forced to have sex with customers at luxury hotels.

The customers paid as much as much as 200,000 baht for each girl and half that amount went to the pimps, said Pol Maj Gen Saruti. If a girl was found not to be a virgin, the customers could perform anal intercourse for half the price.

Armed with information from about 25 victims and evidence obtained in their investigation, ATPD police obtained warrants to arrest seven women.

All of the suspects had sold sex to Chinese customers before becoming procurers, said Pol Maj Gen Saruti.

Charged with procuring persons for prostitution were two women identified only as Busarin, 22, and Kwanjira, 19, along with five others aged under 18. Ms Busarin denied the charge but the other six confessed, he said.

ATPD police are expanding their investigation to find more people involved in the business, the commander added.

Another young woman involved in procuring underage girls for Chinese men is arrested . (Photo supplied/ Wassayos Ngamkham)

Police from the Central Investigation Bureau announce the arrests of seven young women,  five of them under 18, for allegedly procuring underage girls for Chinese customers. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)

Transport minister says revenue could be used to subsidise 20-baht flat fairs on rail system

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit plans to push for an increase in excise tax on petrol in Greater Bangkok to encourage motorists to shift towards public transport.

Mr Suriya said on Thursday that a potential tax increase of 0.50 baht per litre of petrol would motivate car drivers to opt for electric trains, for which fares have already been reduced to 20 baht per trip on some routes.

He said the 20-baht flat fare was already in effect on Bangkok’s Red and Purple electric train lines, and the government is still determined to extend this flat rate to all electric railways within the next two years. The 20-baht flat fare was part of the campaign policy of the coalition-core Pheu Thai Party.

The government would have to subsidise the flat fare to secure the revenue of electric train operators holding concessions with the state, Mr Suriya said.

According to the minister, the subsidy, estimated at 7 billion to 8 billion baht annually, could be funded by a higher excise tax on petrol in Greater Bangkok. It may include allocations from the government budget and contributions from the Energy Conservation and Promotion Fund and the Oil Fuel Fund, he said.

The electric train fare subsidy, coupled with funding from an energy conservation fund, is a practical model implemented in many other countries as electric trains are an energy-efficient mode of transport, he added.

Suriya: Car drivers urged to switch to public transport

Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit plans to push for an increase in excise tax on petrol in Greater Bangkok to encourage motorists to shift towards public transport.

Mr Suriya said on Thursday that a potential tax increase of 0.50 baht per litre of petrol would motivate car drivers to opt for electric trains, where fares have already been reduced to 20 baht per trip on some routes.

He said the 20-baht flat fare had already been imposed on Bangkok’s Red and Purple electric train lines, and the government is still determined to extend this flat rate to all electric railways within the next two years. The 20-baht flat fare was part of the campaign policy of the coalition-core Pheu Thai Party.

The government would have to subsidise the flat fare to secure the revenue of electric train operators holding concessions with the state, Mr Suriya said.

According to the minister, the subsidy, estimated at 7 billion to 8 billion baht annually, could be funded by the increment of the excise tax on petrol in Greater Bangkok. It may include allocations from the government budget and contributions from the Energy Conservation and Promotion Fund and the Oil Fuel Fund, he said.

The electric train fare subsidy, coupled with funding from an energy conservation fund, is a practical model implemented in many other countries as electric trains are an energy-efficient mode of transportation, he added.

Suriya: Car drivers urged to switch to public transport

Energy minister opposes transport minister’s proposal for stimulating public transport use

Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga is unhappy with a proposal by Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit to raise the petrol tax in Greater Bangkok to stimulate public transport use and help pay for fare subsidies.

Mr Pirapan, who is also the leader of the United Thai Nation Party, said on Thursday that personally he wanted to find ways to cut petrol prices, and there were many other options to promote public transport.

He was responding to Mr Suriya’s proposal to raise the excise tax on petrol in Greater Bangkok to encourage motorists to use mass transit systems. He said the tax might be raised by 0.50 baht per litre. Mr Suriya is from the coalition-core Pheu Thai Party.

“A tax increase depends on the government. Personally I wouldn’t make a hike. Our measures now are to cut, not to raise (petrol prices),” Mr Pirapan said.

The idea of increasing the tax on petrol in the capital would trouble people at a time when the government was already concerned about their problems with the cost of living, he added.

Mr Suriya said earlier on Thursday that a potential tax increase of 0.50 baht per litre of petrol would motivate car drivers to opt for electric trains, for which fares have already been reduced to 20 baht per trip on some routes.

He said the 20-baht flat fare was already in effect on Bangkok’s Red and Purple electric train lines, and the government is still determined to extend the flat rate to all electric railways within the next two years. The 20-baht flat fare was part of the Pheu Thai election campaign platform earlier this year.

The government would have to subsidise the flat fare to secure the revenue of electric train operators holding concessions from the state for other lines, Mr Suriya said.

According to the minister, the subsidy, estimated at 7 billion to 8 billion baht annually, could be funded by a higher excise tax on petrol in Greater Bangkok. It might also include allocations from the government budget and contributions from the Energy Conservation and Promotion Fund and the Oil Fuel Fund, he said.

The electric train fare subsidy, coupled with funding from an energy conservation fund, is a practical model implemented in many other countries as electric trains are an energy-efficient mode of transport, he added.

Suriya: Car drivers urged to switch to public transport

YALA: A man was shot and seriously wounded in a gun attack in Bangnang Sata district of this southern border province on Wednesday night.

An unknown number of armed men fired shots at the victim in front of his house at Oubae village Moo 1 in tambon Bachor, said police who were reported of the incident at around 8.50pm.

Arleeya Apibanbae, 33, sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body, hip and head. Local residents helped send him to Bangnang Sata hospital before he was transferred to Yala hospital.

Police were investigating the cause of the attack.