Barkar Nash (Page 36)

One man was shot dead and two people critically injured in a shooting near a flea market in the Phra Pradaeng city of Samut Prakan state around noon on Friday.

The shooting took place near Tonsai Market in tambon Bang Yor around 12.20pm. The event occurred on the first day of the insect industry’s opening.

Officers and save personnel arrived at the scene to find one man lying dead from gunshot wounds, while two people received first aid before being rushed to a local hospital.

Testimony reported hearing roughly 10 shots during the event.

Amarin Screen reported that police found eight spent shots at the picture, which is close to the Bang Yor tambon management company on Phetchahueng Road.

A think identified only as Bird, 30, is now being sought.

According to reports, the firing stemmed from a conflict between assistants of the industry’s caretakers and their adversaries.

Authorities continue to investigate and follow the suspect, with more details to become reported afterwards.

Bangkok ends hazard area, debris removal perhaps take up to 2 weeks

Continuous efforts to find more survivors trapped under the wreckage of a collapsed tower in Bangkok came to a critical step on Friday as the procedure has decided to call in large equipment to eliminate the rubble.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt announced the decision to change strategies after volunteers were unable to reach areas where more survivors may be found according to tonnes of wet cement, steel and other particles obstructing their development.

The government said the program has been adjusted to include large equipment, allowing for quicker dust removal and clearing the way for the search-and-rescue function. This marks a shift from the previous approach, which relied largely on rescuers removing debris by hand due to concerns about potential dangers to survivors.

” It’s time to bring in heavy equipment”, the former structural engineer said at a press briefing. ” Heavy machines will play a greater role, but we have never given up hope of finding survivors”.

Rescue teams remain on standby around the clock to prepare for searches once the machines clear the area, he added.

So far, 15 people have died, nine have survived and 79 remain missing since the 30-storey building of the State Audit Office under construction in Chatuchak district crumbled in seconds due to the impact of a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that jolted central Myanmar on March 28.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ) has declared the end of the disaster zone in the capital, except for the area where the 2.1-billion-baht collapsed building is located due to the ongoing operation.

The BMA estimated that at least 40, 000 tonnes of the rubble remain from the site, and the operation to remove it could take up to two months.

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SAMUT SAKHON — A six-wheeler hoist fell from an under-construction road on Rama II Road onto a passing delivery vehicle, injuring the pilot early on Friday.

Officers and emergency firefighters were called to the event on the Bang Khunthian-Ban Phaeo part of the M82 inter-city road in tambon Na Di, Muang region, at 2.45am.

The cranes truck with Rayong permission panels was found tipped to one side, obstructing the traffic lane heading to Bangkok.

A light Toyota Revo pickup truck with Bangkok sheets, carrying medical products, was found near with major damage on the right area.

The 36-year-old vehicle, identified as Natthaphon Khun-amsa, was injured and rushed to Ekachai Hospital by the Samut Sakhon Rescue Foundation.

The cranes had been parked on the construction page when it accidentally slipped and fell onto the street below, said Pol Col Arnon Thippawan, commander of Muang Samut Sakhon place.

Customers returned to normal after a temporary closure in the morning to replace the fallen cranes.

Testimonies and the crane joystick have been summoned for research, Pol Col Arnon said.

The pickup truck sustained significant damage on its right edge.

Chronic difficulty

Next month, a plate on the Rama III-Dao Khanong Expressway collapsed during building on Rama II Road, killing six and injuring 24 people.

Rama II Road is the main and most direct route connecting Bangkok with the southern area, including the beach city of Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan state. Federal authorities agree that overcrowding on Rama II hurts hospitality, as local and foreign visitors usually opt for different destinations to avoid traffic jam.

The development of an road above the street from Bangkok to Samut Sakhon is intended to cut travel occasion, but delays in the job and regular mishaps and street closures have caused even more congestion, especially on weekends and long public holidays.

Previous construction accidents on Rama II Road have resulted in fatalities. One of the accidents took place on Nov 29 last year when a sling broke, resulting in six deaths and eight injuries. Another accident took place on Jan 18 last year when a sling snapped, killing a worker and causing the crane’s lifting basket to fall. In May 2023, a worker was killed by a falling concrete slab.

According to the Department of Highways, from 2018 to March 15 this year, there have been over 2, 500 accidents on Rama II Road from km 0 to km 84, resulting in 144 deaths and 1, 440 injuries.

Poor goods ‘ need to be stopped’

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI ) has put forth suggestions to address the issue of poor material in Thailand in the midst of the decline of the 30-storey State Audit Office, following fears that substandard metal played a part in the crisis.

Bantoon Juicharern, president of the FTI’s Iron and Steel Industry Group, said that, first, generation must adhere to strict quality requirements, and governmental oversight should become reinforced.

Customers, he said, should become educated on finding quality-certified items over cheaper, poor alternatives. Also, imported goods, like as prefabricated steel buildings, of which 700, 000 kilograms were imported in 2024, may have mandatory quality inspections.

He said enhancing accountability in quality control is among the vital tips.

Measures should be implemented to monitor and evaluate material value from generation to last use, he said. This includes stricter enforcement of industrial certification standards and traceability of steel in the marketplace.

Bantoon: Industry faces challenges

Public awareness campaigns should also educate consumers on selecting high-quality steel, he added.

The chairman said that Thailand’s steel demand this year is expected to remain in the range of 16.0-16.3 million tonnes, down from the pre-Covid-19 level of 18-19 million tonnes.

He said the Thai steel industry faces significant challenges due to China’s production surplus. China currently produces 1.1 billion tonnes of steel annually, with domestic demand at approximately 900 million tonnes. This leads to an excess of 200 million tonnes being exported, particularly to Thailand and other Asean countries. This influx, including substandard steel, remains a major concern.

According to the FTI, credible information also indicates that approximately 30, 000 tonnes of substandard steel products have been imported, with additional shipments continuing to arrive. These products include aluminium-zinc coated steel, commonly known as SZACC. However, they have been misclassified under the tariff code for magnesium-coated steel to evade mandatory standards and anti-dumping ( AD ) duties.

These imports are entering Thailand through Laem Chabang Port. Mr Bantoon said legal action must follow if the Customs Department finds discrepancies between the declared and actual product classifications.

Additionally, since 2017, when the Chinese government banned steel mills utilising induction furnace technology due to environmental and quality concerns, many of those steel producers have relocated to Thailand and contributed to issues such as overcapacity, aggressive price-cutting, and, most critically, concerns over steel quality and environmental impact, he said. To tackle these challenges, he said the FTI has proposed its recommendations to enhance steel quality standards and ensure fair competition in Thailand’s steel industry.

The FTI has also requested that fair competition be ensured. Domestic steel producers must be able to compete fairly against imports and relocated factories. Authorities should enforce regulations ensuring equal compliance with labour laws, environmental protection, taxation, and product quality standards for all manufacturers.

The FTI also said the government should set procurement targets to ensure that at least 50 % of public sector projects use domestically manufactured steel to promote” Made in Thailand” initiatives. Expanding this policy to Public-Private Partnership projects exceeding 1 trillion baht annually would further boost the local industry and economy.

More broadly, the FTI has suggested that the government promote “green steel” development.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra acknowledged that substandard steel may have been used in the construction of the State Audit Office ( SAO ) building that collapsed during the earthquake on Friday.

” Progress updates have been continuously reported, and the issue of]sub-standard ] steel is one of the clearer aspects”, she said on Thursday.

She said that the president’s research has focused on the quality of metal used in the building, with the Ministry of Industry inspecting numerous metal samples taken from the crashed site.

Seven sorts of material were tested, and preliminary findings revealed that there were two poor ones– 20mm and 32mm in width– sourced from the same company, she said.

She next called for a conference to be held either now or Monday to explain the research into the fatal decline further.

Industry Minister Akanat Promphan, however, confirmed that further checks may be carried out in partnership with a government-appointed fact-finding council that includes people of the Department of Public Works and Town Planning, as well as the officers.

This analysis will precisely target structural components and areas identified as probable causes of the decline based on the company’s blueprints, he said.

Separately, Teerajchai Phunthumas, an MP with the opposition People’s Party and deputy chairman of the House Committee on Corruption and Misconduct Prevention and Suppression, has announced that the Auditor-General will be summoned on Thursday to clarify how compensation for the families of the victims of the collapse would be dispensed and explain the project’s perceived bloated budget.

The official tally shows a total of 15 people have been confirmed dead, while scores of others are still missing.

Mr Teerajchai said that the Council of Engineers would be called upon to provide information on the materials and technologies used in the building’s construction to help establish the cause of the collapse.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry will also be required to explain the procurement procedures, design and materials used, he said.

The SAO building’s construction project, which was approved in 2020 with a budget of over 2 billion baht, was initially scheduled for completion in 2023 but faced delays of more than a year, he said.

The collapse has raised public concerns about why the building failed to withstand the earthquake impact despite the high budget, he noted.

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana may pay a state visit to the Kingdom of Bhutan from April 25 to 28, the second formal international state visit of His Majesty the King’s era.

The visit follows an offer from His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan.

Upon their arrival, Their Highnesses will be welcomed by His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Third Prince of Bhutan and Her Majesty the Queen of Bhutan.

The visit does contain a considerable religious service at Buddha Dordenma, where 74 Thai and 74 Bhutanese priests will conduct Buddhist chants to give gifts to the imperial couple.

In addition to these royal activities, Their Majesties will become immersed in Bhutanese society through traditional archer, standard matches, and displays of Bhutanese woven textiles and garments.

Their Majesties will also visit prominent development projects and exhibitions, including a collaboration between the Royal Projects of Thailand and Bhutan, as well as the One Gewog, One Product ( Ogop ) initiative.

The future state attend aims to strengthen the already near and well-established relations between the two royal families, as well as to develop goodwill and shared understanding between the peoples of both kingdoms.

To commemorate the historic occasion, the government of Thailand will organise a series of cultural events ahead of the state visit, featuring traditional Thai performing arts, Thai boxing, Thai cuisine, and a friendly football match.

These activities are designed to further deepen people-to-people ties between Thailand and Bhutan.

Violence Suppression Division officials arrested four people of a Thai call-centre fraud group following raids on four areas in Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya monday.

According to CSD chief Pol Maj Gen Wittaya Sriprasert, the suspects were apprehended under incarceration subpoenas issued by the Sa Kaeo Provincial Court and charged with defrauding the public by impersonating others.

Those arrested included Narongdet Sisawat, 41, Suthee Jamnaekros, 39, Sangad Puangthong, 64, and Chalermporn Meesompong, 37.

The research followed concerns made late last year by patients who alleged they were tricked into transferring wealth to fraudsters posing as friends. The scammers would say to have been in an accident and needed immediate financial aid. Survivors, fearing for their loved ones, may be persuaded to move money.

Following an investigation, authorities discovered the crew was highly organised, with each part assigned particular functions, including making false calls, opening bank accounts to collect funds, and coordinating the procedure.

Pol Maj Gen Wittaya said Mr Narongdet was the crew chief. He had a legal document involving scams, while the others had been involved in drug-related crimes.