Barkar Nash (Page 45)

The government has insisted it will not grant citizenship to foreigners engaged in shady businesses after it announced plans to issue Thai citizenship to more than 480,000 ethnic people.

Jirayu Houngsub, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, said on Friday that the cabinet had approved the National Security Council’s (NSC) proposal to shorten the process for granting Thai nationality to around 483,000 people.

Mr Jirayu said the plan aims to facilitate applicants in the state’s database for over 30 years rather than considering granting citizenship to foreigners involved in shady businesses and transnational crimes.

According to him, around 825,000 people submitted applications from 1992 to 2023. Of them, 324,000 were granted citizenship, 483,000 remained in limbo, and many passed away during the prolonged security checking process.

Mr Jirayu said the plan aims to simplify the steps and conditions of citizenship issuance, explaining that the current procedure, which involves manual record checks, would take up to 44 years to complete the process for the remaining applicants.

He suggested that the process can be expedited speedily with current advanced technology, such as digitalised data collection and biometric systems.

According to the NSC, the first batch of the remaining applicants, around 340,000, has already completed identity verification and data collection. They will initially receive permanent residency status and wait five more years before they can apply for Thai nationality.

Their political rights, such as the right to vote and run for election, will be granted five years after their naturalisation.

The second group consists of around 143,000 people who were born in Thailand from members of the first group and have official birth records from various locations across the country. Mr Jirayu added that over a million people, primarily from ethnic groups, have already been granted Thai nationality.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the approved proposal will help unlock the full potential of their contribution to Thailand, as those granted nationality and permanent residence will be able to move freely within Thailand to seek educational and employment opportunities and meet Thailand’s dynamic labour needs.

Without such status, stateless people in Thailand face challenges travelling to other provinces for employment opportunities. Under the approved proposal, processing times for nationality and permanent residence will be shortened, and the criteria streamlined. Applicants must demonstrate loyalty to Thailand, good conduct, and no nationality with any other country.

The government’s position over the Koh Kut island dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has been subjected to a smear campaign, said Noppadon Pattama, a Pheu Thai Party list MP.

He warned against anyone spreading false information claiming Thailand had lost the island in Trat under a memorandum of understanding signed with Cambodia in 2001.

“Koh Kut still belongs to Thailand. That’s a fact. No one has ceded the island to Cambodia. I have never heard Cambodia assert territorial claims over Koh Kut,” said Mr Noppadon, a former foreign minister.

“Stop spreading lies that Thailand has lost the island. The government is duty-bound to protect Thai territory, and no one is allowed to cede any land.”

He said anyone who falsely accuses Pheu Thai of ceding Koh Kut or any territory would face legal action.

He said the 2001 MoU, signed by then-foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai, served as a framework for negotiations over maritime areas in the Gulf of Thailand claimed by Thailand and Cambodia, as well as matters related to joint development. The MoU provides a framework for diplomatic negotiations based on international law.

Most importantly, the MoU does not affect maritime claims by both countries, as they will continue to retain their respective rights if negotiations fail, Mr Noppadon said.

He further said that negotiations under the MoU must be handled only by the Thai-Cambodian Joint Technical Committee (JTC), which includes representatives from the Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs, the Energy Ministry, and the military.

He said no other parties are now allowed to join the talks, adding that the prime minister is not involved and that any conclusions from the negotiations must be presented to parliament for review first.

“The government cannot reach any secret deals with Cambodia,” Mr Noppadon said.

He said that the misinformation about Thailand losing Koh Kut to Cambodia is reminiscent of when he was falsely accused of handing Preah Vihear Temple to Cambodia when he served as foreign minister.

He said that the 1962 International Court of Justice ruling awarded the temple complex to Cambodia when Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat was prime minister.

“The smear campaign suggesting that any of Koh Kut was ceded to Cambodia is politically motivated with an aim to destabilise the government. All Thais, regardless of their political stance, love their country,” he said.

Koh Kut was thrust into the spotlight when key figures of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) held a press conference on Wednesday to oppose any discussions on joint development of oil and gas resources in the Gulf under the 2001 MoU framework, as it could mean Thailand losing some of its territory.

They said the PPRP would submit an open letter to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra asking her to halt the talks. The MoU was signed during her father’s government, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala, a former finance minister and PPRP chairman of an academic committee, said the MoU’s contents include a territorial claim by Cambodia, which is against the 1907 French-Siamese treaty, making the entire MoU illegal.

Buri Ram father of three had gone to northern Israel danger zone for higher wages

BURI RAM – The family of one of the four Thai workers killed by rocket fire in Israel was saddened by the death and hopes to see his body returned soon for a religious ceremony at home.

The atmosphere was solemn at the house of Prayad Pilasrum in Nong Phluang village in Krasang district on Friday after his parents and were informed about his death. Their neighbours stopped by to give them moral support and offer them blessing threads.

His wife, Prapai, said she was in shock and could not cope with the sudden loss of the breadwinner of the family.

His elder sister Sulaporn said the family wanted Israel to send the body back as soon as possible for funeral ceremonies and to provide financial compensation.

Prayad, 42, is survived by his wife and three children. He was one of the four Thai workers killed by rocket strikes fired from Lebanon to the border town of Metula on Thursday.

The Thai embassy in Tel Aviv identified the other victims as Akkraphol Wannasai, a native of Udon Thani, Thana Tichantuek and Kaveesak Papanang of Nakhon Ratchasima. Another labourer was injured and his name was not released.

Prayad had made a living by driving a song thaew but decided to seek his fortune overseas after the Covid-19 pandemic which left him and family with little money. Friends in the village had talked about working in Israel and he decided to go.

His mother secured a loan from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives and more from loan sharks, totalling more than 100,000 baht, to pay for travel and other expenses.

Prayad left for Israel in December 2021 but was among the more than 8,000 Thai workers who returned in October last year after the Hamas attack on Israel led to the war that continues today.

Ms Prapai said her husband’s employer in Israel later contacted him about returning to work to complete his contract. He went back and was working in central Israel but his colleagues talked him into moving to work in the dangerous northern area because of higher wages.

She said the family disagreed with his move but her husband wanted to take the risk to earn more money.

His wife did not say when he left for the second trip back to Israel.

One Thai was killed in a car accident during the super typhoon in Taiwan, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura said on Friday that the ministry was informed by the Thailand Economic and Trade Office in Taipei that one Thai worker died in a car accident in Nantou city due to the impact of Typhoon Kong-rey, one of the biggest typhoons to hit the island in decades. The deceased was identified as Rungsini Hothiwong. She was from Sukhothai. 

He said the Thai office contacted the Labour Ministry and local authorities in Thailand to inform the family of the deceased and has informed them about compensation.

Six police officers and a civilian were arrested for allegedly trying to extort 300 million baht from a Chinese-Vanuatu man in Samut Prakan province. The victim had already paid them 5.7 million baht after negotiations.

Thung Song Hong police apprehended the seven men on Thursday and charged them with colluding in extortion and related offences. 

The suspects were identified as Pol Lt Col Chanachai Jaikla, 41; Pol Capt Amnuay Khongklin, 42; Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chayaphol Wongpan, 43; Pol Snr Sgt Maj Pornthep Sangkhara, 46; Pol Snr Sgt Maj Manasawee Janyalak, 41; Pol Snr Sgt Maj Sayam Thongmon, 49; and Thawut Wangthongkul, 43.

The suspects were part of a group of 12 people — nine police officers and three civilians — who were involved in the extortion that took place at a house in Samut Prakan last month.

Three other officers from the group had previously turned themselves in. They were Pol Capt Thanakit Kanchanamas, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Suphan Thongsai and Pol Sgt Maj Kittiphum Jeenplaengchart, all of whom are from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB).

Pol Maj Gen Jirawat Phayungtham, acting chief of the CCIB, recently signed an order to transfer the three CCIB officers to inactive posts.

National police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet said on Friday that he has asked Metropolitan Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Thiti Saengsawang to take strict disciplinary and criminal actions against the officers involved.

The two other suspects, Apassara Sonklin and her Chinese husband Yun Daliang, remain at large.

The scandal began when Mr Sai, a Chinese man with Vanuatu citizenship, along with his wife, a Chinese friend and a housemaid, filed a complaint with Thung Song Hong police that a group of men claiming to be police had entered their house in Bang Phli district on Oct 16. Those men presented a document which they claimed was a search warrant issued by the Samut Prakan Provincial Court.

The suspects alleged that they had arrested four Philippine nationals for passport forgery, implicating Mr Sai in the crime, which he denied. During the search, those men accused Mr Sai of committing another offence for hiring a foreign maid without permission, demanding 300 million baht or 10 million USDT to drop the case.

Mr Sai, unable to meet the demand, along with his family and friend, was taken for questioning. After negotiations, he agreed to pay 5 million baht, transferring the amount in digital currency to Ms Apassara.

On Oct 17, Ms Apassara contacted Mr Sai, requesting another 700,000 baht to reveal who alerted the officers. After transferring the money, he could no longer reach her.

Mr Sai and his group then sought a lawyer to file a complaint against those involved in the extortion.

Police were searching for the remaining suspects.

The Ministry of Culture has announced a project to promote Thai culture to the world, featuring celebrity pygmy hippo Moo Deng as the presenter.

The project, launched under the name “Thai Cultural Content for Soft Power Presented by Moo Deng,” aims to stimulate the cultural economy through the three-month-old hippo star, Culture Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said on Thursday.

The initiative started with Moo Deng as the official mascot for the Loy Krathong festival on Nov 15. The annual festival will be promoted through online platforms, with Moo Deng as the presenter, as well as through other events and activities in the future.

The project will use Moo Deng’s cuteness to attract more tourists, said cultural promotion director Prasob Rieng-Ngen.

The hippo calf also received a certificate for being ‘Thai cuteness’ from the ministry during the project launch ceremony at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri on Thursday.

Keeper Atthapon “Benz” Nundee said Moo Deng is growing up very fast. She is playful during her first six months and will change as she grows. People who wish to see her as a bouncy baby are advised to visit soon, he added.

Moo Deng has started to eat soft solid food, such as long beans and dragon fruit, after turning three months old, according to Khao Kheow Open Zoo. (Photo: Khamoo and the Gang)

Riders on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Bangkok will need to purchase e-tickets, starting Friday, as City Hall has ended over a year of free rides.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced a 15-baht fare for BRT passengers, who can pay using Rabbit Cards or the BRT E-Ticket Line account. Senior citizens will pay a reduced fare of 11 baht.

Commuters had enjoyed free rides since September last year, following the conclusion of a previous concession held by Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS Skytrain, in August.

This year, the BTS Skytrain operator won the new concession for the BRT system, stretching 16 kilometres between Sathon and Ratchaphruek roads, at a bidding price of 465 million baht.

The BMA has also replaced the old BRT buses with a new fleet of electric vehicles (EVs).

Bangkok Mass Transit map and BRT route. (Image: BTS Skytrain)

Labour Ministry to facilitate evacuation of Thais in Israel-Lebanon border

Four Thai agricultural workers were killed and one was injured by rocket fire near Metula, Israel’s northernmost town bordering Lebanon, Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa posted on the social media platform X on Friday.

“I instructed our embassy in Tel Aviv last night to extend all possible assistance to the injured and the families of the deceased, and to express my profound condolences to them for their immense loss,” Mr Maris wrote in the post.

In response to the incident, Labour Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn said on Friday that he instructed the ministry’s permanent secretary, Boonsong Thapchaiyuth, to coordinate with the labour attaché in Tel Aviv to facilitate the evacuation of all Thai workers from northern Israel to safer areas in the south.

Mr Phiphat said he also ordered labour officials to visit the families of the victims to provide assistance and compensation.

According to reports, two rockets hit open ground near Metula, leading to seven deaths. Among the victims, one was an Israeli farmer and four were Thai workers.

Last month, one Thai worker was found dead, and another suffered a severe concussion after an anti-tank rocket was fired at the Kibbutz Yir’on Agricultural Estate in northern Israel.

Last year, 41 Thais were among the 1,200 people killed when Hamas militants launched an attack across Israeli borders, according to Israeli authorities.

Thirty Thai nationals were abducted during the attack on Oct 7, 2023, and six are believed to still be in captivity, according to Thai authorities.

The Israeli response to the attack has since laid waste to the Palestinian territory of Gaza and killed tens of thousands of people. Israel has also launched attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Before the conflict, about 30,000 Thai nationals worked in Israel, mostly in the agriculture sector, making up one of the largest groups of migrant workers in Israel.