Barkar Nash (Page 332)

The Move Forward Party (MFP) MP at the centre of an online sexual harassment scandal has complained that he is the victim of a ploy to discredit him as he is likely to face a probe for breaking MP ethics.

In a video clip posted on his Facebook, ‘T.Wuttiphongofficial’, Prachin Buri MP Wuttiphong Thonglour laments what he calls an ill-intentioned campaign by political rivals in Prachin Buri to discredit him and to drag his name through the mud.

The sexual harassment allegation against him was made to divert public attention from his anti-graft investigations that are mounting in the province, the MP said.

Accused of sending inappropriate text messages to a woman, Mr Wuttiphong said it was part of a series of allegations levelled against him by elements who stand to lose from his anti-graft investigations.

He added the text messages leaked to social media were part of a wider conversation he had with a woman more than a year ago before he became an MP.

Despite the allegation, Mr Wuttiphong has vowed to press ahead with his investigations to expose corruption in anti-pollution projects in Prachin Buri’s Sri Maha Phot district.

The MP’s explanation, however, drew criticism from Kittithat Chaiprasit, an independent academic specializing in architecture and political philosophy.

Mr Kittithat said the MP had shown no remorse, offered no apology and proceeded to blame the victim for the crime.

“It’s essentially about someone trying to talk black into white,” he said.

Meanwhile, Srisuwan Janya, leader of the nationalist Rak Chart Rak Pandin (“Love the Nation, Love the Land”) group, on Thursday petitioned the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), calling for an investigation into Mr Wuttiphong for breaching MP ethics over the alleged messages.

The activist said the MP tried to move away from this point in his explanation posted on Facebook, one that is irrelevant to the question of whether he committed the harassment or not.

He presented documentary evidence along with his petition to the NACC. If found guilty, Mr Wuttiphong could be banned from politics for life.

Also on Thursday, Parit Wacharasindhu, an MFP list MP and spokesman, admitted at a press briefing that the party had been rocked by claims of sexual harassment committed by its members.

“What we must strive to do is face up to the problem and mete out justice for the victims,” he said, adding that a culture that condones a cover-up has no place in the MFP.

Mr Parit said the party’s executive board probed two prior cases and punished the members involved, one over a brawl and the other over sexual harassment. The party expelled the latter.

As he landed in Lion City on Thursday to meet his Taiwanese counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin urged the Singapore authorities to further strengthen economic ties between Thailand and the city-state.

As Thailand’s new prime minister, Mr. Srettha intended to meet other East Asian officials during his first visit of the area after taking business.

Mr. Srettha stated that Singapore is still dedicated to being a” good friend” to Thailand after speaking with Mrs. Shamugaratnam and Lee. Additionally, he vowed to keep up the effort to improve diplomatic relations for the benefit of both nations.

The state is prepared to discuss cooperation in different areas that have not yet been fully explored, such as the online economy, clean business and bonds, and high-tech industries, but he also vowed to make the most of the current channels for diplomatic cooperation.

Additionally, Mr. Srettha invited Singapore to invest in data centers in Thailand, which he claimed would be crucial in guiding the economy of both nations.

Thailand also promised to support Singapore’s efforts to increase food safety by encouraging agricultural imports.

However, Mr. Lee praised the governments of both nations for successfully integrating PromptPay and PayNow, two QR code-based payment gateways that enable account holders in each nation to get their funds without having to make a cash withdrawal.

The most fatalities in the Hamas-Israel battle

After returning from his trip abroad on Thursday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin stated that the number of Thais killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict is among the highest in terms of citizenship.

Although the Siamese people are not involved in the conflict, our nation has suffered the most casualties, he claimed.

Repatriating Thais who want to go home is our top priority, he said, adding that any business flights with available airplane should get in touch with the Foreign Affairs Ministry for assistance.

He added that at the current rate of evacuation — about 200 Thais per day— it will take a month to repatriate all 6, 000 Thai workers who have asked to return home.

We’ve considered using land transportation for evacuation, but the route must go through the Gaza Strip, which is an impractical action, he said.

We considered sending Thais to nearby nations like Egypt, but some of the Vietnamese people lost their visas, he said. However, there shouldn’t be a concern with this. The Foreign Affairs Ministry did receive assistance from local officials, the state may ensure.

Thailand has the second-highest fatality rate, at 21, after the United States, with 22 mortality, according to an AFP statement released on Thursday.

According to the department, there were 14 Thais who were hurt in Israel, and as of Thursday, 5,990 Thai people had expressed a desire to return home.

According to federal statistics, there are about 30,000 Thai people living in Israel, the majority of whom are employed in agriculture.

At least three airlines — Thai AirAsia, Thai Airways International, and Nok Air — have agreed to arrange repatriation flights in three days, the Ministry of Transport announced on Thursday.

The PM claimed that Gen Songwit Noonpakdi, the head of the defense forces, was requesting assistance from his Jewish rival in gathering and transporting Thais to the Thai consulate in Tel Aviv.

As Thais wait for return planes to take them home afterwards, Dubai, the UAE, or India are now being considered as potential centres, according to Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.

Following a Thursday meet with the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was speaking.

In addition to these nations, the state has asked Jordan and other nations close to Israel for permission to operate relocation flights as well, if necessary, according to Mr. Suriya.

The only way to guarantee that all Thais who intend to return back arrive at the airport properly is to go in an Israeli military aircraft, according to Mr. Srettha. Traveling in Israel is now difficult because many streets are closed.

The possibility that Israeli aircraft will soon be shut down presents another issue, he said, and it’s possible that the repatriation flights to Israel won’t be able to transport people back to their homes as intended.

The situation in Israel is getting worse, and rocket attacks are virtually happening nonstop, so we must take that. We will still have wish if Israeli aircraft is kept available and the conflict situation gets better, said Mr. Srettha.

About 120 Thais from Israel will be repatriated by the air pressure on Sunday morning, and another 100 will do so later in the day. On October 18, the air pressure will launch its subsequent relocation flight.

In the meantime, deputy foreign affairs minister Jakkapong Sangmanee stated that the government was coordinating negotiations with Hamas to free 16 Thai victims.

The government was looking for assistance from Asean and other global organizations while also attempting to communicate with Hamas through global offices in Thailand that have good relationships with the Palestinians.

The Interior Ministry is collaborating with relevant parties to identify suitable locations to serve as test sites for the government’s proposal to permit nighttime entertainment venues to remain open until 4 a.m.

Anutin Charnvirakul, a deputy prime minister and inside minister, stated on Thursday and nbsp that the interior ministry is prepared to abide by the new rule that would increase the running hours of night entertainment venues from 2am to 4am as set by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

Captain locations will be made public once related parties, such as the police and business owners, have developed operating manuals and security protocols, according to Mr. Anutin.

Mr. Anutin responded that night entertainment venue operators had totally screen their patrons and work with officers when asked how the authorities may ensure tourist safety.

Even though finalized details have not yet been made public, federal police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol stated that the police are willing to support the new rules. All locations, both inside and outside the captain locations, had totally abide by the law if the expansion of operating hours is approved, he said.

The Khao San Road Business Association’s chair, Sanga Ruangwattanakul, stated that he supports the expansion to sell alcohol and venue operating hours. The association will meet the following week before asking the prime minister to lift the ban on alcohol sales and take into account lowering the excise tax rate for business owners from 10 % to 3 %. Taxing business owners is double tax because excise tax has already been collected from companies.

A 50-year jail term has been handed to a Yasothon Provincial Administration Office (PAO) official who used a government vehicle for personal use, Adul Wandee, director of the Yasothorn Provincial Anti-Corruption Commission, said yesterday.

He said the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 3 handed the sentence on Aug 24 to Roongrak Lukbua, director of the PAO’s education, religion and culture department.

He was sentenced to 50 years in prison in 21 separate cases for violating Section 151 of the Criminal Code, Mr Adul said, adding Roongrak had mismanaged state property, thus damaging the PAO.

Mr Adul told reporters yesterday that the case is expected to serve as a case study to prevent officials from using government items for personal purposes.

Apart from Roongrak, Satiraphorn Naksuk, PAO chief executive, and Phongsiri Muanchart, PAO deputy chief, have also been convicted, he said.

Mr Adul said Roongrak had requested Satiraphorn, PAO chief at the time, to use a government car from July 2014–June 2015 before doing so again for July 2015–March 2016.

Roongrak kept the car at his house in Sai Mun district’s tambon Sai Mun in Yasothorn, Mr Adul said. Roongrak was seen using the car for personal use, including golf trips, he said.

Roongrak was expected to serve 50 years in prison — the maximum jail term. Satiraphorn faces 12 years and a 240,000-baht fine, while Phongsiri faces 16 years and a 320,000-baht fine.

However, the court suspended the jail terms for both Roongrak and Satiraphorn because they did not have priors. The court has ordered them to pay the fines and do 36 hours of community service. They are required to report to the court every four months.

The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) recently held its first public hearing on the Srinakarin-Suvarnabhumi airport elevated expressway construction project, which is expected to be finished in 2030.

Exat governor Surachet Laophulsuk said yesterday that the project aims to ease traffic congestion on Motorway No.7, especially the section close to the airport.

He said the first hearing was held on Wednesday, which focused on the project’s engineering, economics, finance, and environmental impact assessment (EIA).

The public has so far agreed on building ground columns for the new expressway in the middle of Motorway No.7, as building the columns on the street side might affect the locals’ well-being.

The new expressway will be 18 kilometres long and link the Si Rat Expressway in the Rama IX area to Lad Krabang district.

Mr Surachet said that Exat needed to negotiate with King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Lat Krabang, regarding the project’s impact as the new expressway’s entrance and exit will be built in the Lat Krabang community.

After those issues are settled, Exat will move ahead with the construction design. The Department of Highways (DoH) initiated the expressway project before transferring it to be overseen by Exat last July.

At that time, DoH estimated the project investment would be about 29.5 billion baht. Exat plans to lessen the budget investment, he said.

Exat will conduct four more public hearings before starting the design and study stages. The project design is expected to take about one year or might be completed by next September.

The project will be submitted for cabinet approval in 2025, Mr Surachet said.

The bidding is expected to start in 2026 before construction begins in 2027. Construction is expected to take at least three years, he added.

First group of Thais return from Israel

Somboon Saewang, 35, told the media he lost six friends who were sheltering in the same work camp during a Hamas attack in Israel.

Mr Somboon was among the first group of 41 Thai workers who returned from Israel to the waiting arms of their families yesterday.

He belonged to a group of 15 who returned with the government’s help via the Foreign Affairs Ministry; the other 26 returned by themselves.

The Nan-born labourer said he was glad to return to Thailand finally.

Mr Somboon said before the repatriation, he and 10 other Thais working at the same place had to live separately in three safe rooms after the Hamas attacks.

He said he and four other friends were rescued by Israeli soldiers while the other six who hid in another room were all killed by Hamas militants.

“[The militants] tried to hold us hostage. The other group were killed maybe after they heard a knocking sound and opened the door,” he said.

Mr Somboon said he then heard another round of gunfire, but it was shooting from Israeli soldiers who came to rescue them.

“[I and my other friends who survived] are traumatised by the loss. It makes me not want to work overseas again for the rest of my life,” he said.

Mr Somboon and the other 14 labourers arrived in Thailand at 11.22am yesterday on an El Al flight. Two of the returnees were injured and put in wheelchairs.

At the airport, Yanisa Thaweekaew, told her son Supipat Kongkaew, who worked on a farm about 2km from the Gaza Strip, that she was overjoyed to welcome him home.

Monthakan Samaming hugged her husband at the airport. She said she was more than happy to have him back.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Labour Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn, Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang, and Deputy Public Health Minister Santi Promphat were among those who welcomed the workers home.

The 15 Thai workers were later taken by bus from the airport to the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute to be screened for diseases, where they were also presented with 15,000 baht in compensation.

A second group of 140 labourers will return via Royal Thai Air Force aircraft and arrive at the Royal Thai Air Force Airport; no specified date or time was made public.

Some, however, were not as lucky as Mr Somboon. Surangkhana Khunsi was the mother of Pongsathorn, 25, the Nakhon Ratchasima local whom Hamas militants took hostage.

The woman was later left heartbroken upon learning that her son, whom she called “Green”, was among the 21 Thais known so far to have been killed in the attack.

Wants loans to fund Northeast line work

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will ask the cabinet to approve the funding for the second phase of double-track upgrades between Khon Kaen and Nong Khai next week, according to Department of Rail Transport director-general Pichet Kunathammarak on Thursday.

The construction and investment plans for the second phase of the upgrades, which is expected to cost 29.7 billion baht to complete, will be forwarded to the cabinet on Monday, along with the opinions of the Budget Bureau and the National Economics and Social Development Council (NESDC), he said.

On Monday, he said, the SRT will seek the cabinet’s approval to borrow the funds required to upgrade 167 kilometres of track between Khon Kaen and Nong Khai. The loan will be repaid by the Budget Bureau using the government’s annual budget.

The cabinet will also be asked to allow it to start expropriating land to make way for the construction, he said, adding if the proposal gets approved on Monday, the process should be done by June next year.

Furthermore, the DRT chief said contractors will be invited to bid online for the project, which is expected to take three years to complete. Construction, he said, should begin in May next year.

The double-track upgrades are meant to improve connectivity to the northeastern region and beyond. It will run alongside the kingdom’s first high-speed rail (HSR) line, which will initially connect Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima.

Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote said the first phase of the Northeastern HSR will be completed by the end of the year.

The line will also be integrated with the planned HSR link to Greater Bangkok’s three main airports, Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports.

The plan to carry out double-track upgrades along a 45-km stretch of track between Hat Yai district in Songkhla and Padang Besar in neighbouring Malaysia, which is estimated to cost about 7.86 billion baht, will be brought forward to later this year. The project was initially scheduled for 2029, but the government is keen to promote and facilitate border trade by developing the region’s transport infrastructure, he said.

Transport officials have already been told to submit their proposal for the Hat Yai-Padang Besar double-track upgrade to the SRT board by next week. The cabinet will review it in November, he said.

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) office has launched a fact-finding probe into the death of a non-commissioned officer cadet who died after a training session in Songkhla on Tuesday.

The investigation into the death of Pakorn ‘Bright’ Niamrat, 26, who died during cadet training at the Than Muk camp in Sadao district of Songkhla was now underway, said national police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol yesterday.

Pol Gen Torsak said he had ordered a thorough inquiry and remedial assistance to be made available to the family of the dead cadet.

The probe was necessary to ensure fair treatment for all sides. The Border Patrol Police (BPP), to which Pakorn was attached, have offered their condolences to his family.

Pakorn first arrived at the camp for basic training on Oct 1.

According to the RTP, Pakorn joined 99 other cadets in the training. Cadets were asked beforehand if they suffered from any underlying illnesses.

The training began at 5.30am on Tuesday with the stretching of muscles for 20 minutes, followed by a 7-kilometre walk-and-run session.

Six kilometres into the session, Pakorn was visibly disoriented and collapsed and became unresponsive. According to paramedics, he had a temperature of 37.5C.

Pakorn was rushed to Sadao Hospital, where doctors established he had developed a severe case of sepsis. He was then referred to Hat Yai Hospital, where his heart stopped beating.

Pavitra, who is Pakorn’s sister, said she had been told her brother was too weak to run the entire circuit. However, he had to be carried by friends to complete the running course on the trainer’s instructions. She asked if the training was excessive.