Chinese cyclist reportedly being held for ransom

Unidentified man demands B25 million in exchange for woman’s return

Chinese cyclist reportedly being held for ransom
Lu Xinlei, 27, is reportedly being held for ransom after she went missing on Wednesday. (Photo supplied)

Help has been requested for a Chinese woman who was apparently kidnapped in Thailand and is being held for a ransom of 25 million baht.

Phra Kanong police in Bangkok were contacted by an interpreter for a cycling association on Friday, reporting that a 27-year-old Chinese woman named Lu Xinlei was being held for ransom.

According to the interpreter, a coach of the association was contacted by Ms Lu’s father after she went missing during a cycling trip in the country. Despite travelling with about 10 other cyclists, she vanished on Wednesday.

An unidentified man subsequently contacted the woman’s father on Friday, demanding 5 million yuan, or about 25 million baht, for her return to Shanghai.

In an update on Saturday, authorities said Ms Lu was confirmed as having left the Quarter Onnut hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 58 alone just after 3pm on Wednesday. Checks with immigration did not find any evidence that she had left Thailand.

All other members of the cycling party are being tracked down to confirm their safety and so that further information on the case can be collected.

Police are looking to have the interpreter, who identified himself only as Moo, give a statement in person, as he has only spoken to authorities by phone so far. No confirmation of the suspected kidnapping has yet been made.

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Police officer surrenders for fatal shooting at hospital

The cause of the murder of a Burmese federal in Khon Kaen is still a mystery.

Police officer surrenders for fatal shooting at hospital
A 29-year-old Myanmar person who is undergoing surgery is fatally shot when a shooter enters a clinic of Khon Kaen Hospital on Thursday evening. The believe, who turned out to be a local police officer, surrendered to authorities on Saturday. ( Khon Kaen Hospital CCTV )

KHON KAEN: A local police officer turned himself in to the government on Saturday in connection with the deadly shooting of a person at a Muang area public clinics.

Pol Sgt Veeraphong Buayen, 35, attached to the Phra Yuen depot in Khon Kaen, turned himself in to Pol Col Pornsak Ngandee, research chief at the Khon Kaen municipal police department, at 9.30am.

The official reportedly acknowledged shooting over Myanmar national Kyaw Swar Aong, 29, on Thursday evening at Khon Kaen Hospital after speaking with police authorities. Prior to the shooting, the victim was awaiting an operation on a hospital in the patient’s man surgery building. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Around 1am on Friday, the shooting was reported to the regional authorities.

In a hospital on the second floor, officers and criminal experts discovered Kyaw Swar Aong inside a gun room with a bullet wound to the occipital bone in his bones. He was taken to the emergency room by medical staff for care, but he later died.

Prior to moving to the place in Phra Yuen city three years ago, it was discovered that Pol Sgt Veeraphong had previously worked at the Waeruwan police place. The victim was employed by a fishing nets shop close to the Waeruwan station’s service area.

According to a source with knowledge of the research, Pol Serge Veeraphong had coronary artery disease and depression. He was even known to have used medications, said the source.

To lessen his stress, the officer’s fast better moved him from the station’s investigation department to a duty officer position. However, the purpose for the killing was not yet known.

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Fake passport maker with ties to China arrested

Suspect deceived immigrants, claiming he may make Thai documents in trade for B600, 000

Fake passport maker with ties to China arrested
( Bangkok Post File Photo: Chanat Katanyu )

As part of a global assault on criminals funded by institutions in China, a presumed scammer who deceived international victims into believing he could make false Thai passports was detained on Saturday.

Police executed a subpoena issued on May 24 by the Phra Nakhon Tai Kwaeng Court to assault 48- year- ancient Thanitpong, whose past name was withheld. In a prestigious apartment in Bangkok’s Ramkhamhaeng neighborhood, the suspect, who was wanted for scams, was apprehended.

Officials claimed Mr. Thanitpong offered to provide services to foreigners living in Thailand for a loan of 600,000 baht. A Tengyong bank accounts received the funds.

The target behind the investigation that led to his arrest claimed that the assume demanded an extra 1.3 million baht after the first settlement in October 2023 to speed up the procedure. A full of 1.9 million ringgit was transferred without success after the complaint was filed.

Before the Covid- 19 crisis, Mr. Thanitpong provided passport transformation services to immigrants who did not meet the citizenship requirements. He acknowledged the allegations and stated that he had acknowledged the allegations. He was unable to continue his work after Thai officials began to impose stricter penalties for crimes committed by entities in China. He was charged 2.5 million ringgit per person.

The suspect requested to bring all charges against himself after learning that a subpoena was also out for his father’s arrest because his father was aware of his plan.

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Woman dies in Pattaya condo fall

Woman dies in Pattaya condo fall
Police, criminal officers and rescue personnel inspect the body of a person found at the base of a property in Pattaya, Chon Buri, in the first days of Saturday. ( Reported from TV Channel 7 )

A person of mysterious citizenship died early on Saturday when she fell from her place on the 25th floor of a condo in Pattaya.

This beach community in Chon Buri state has experienced five fatal falls in the past.

Police said the girl, aged around 30 to 40 years older, was wearing a colored T- shirt and shorts and was found dead in a lake of blood on the ground at the base&nbsp, of the 27- floor building near Pattaya beach. A security guard at the tower reported the incident to the police at 3.36am.

The security guard claimed to have witnessed a woman lying on the ground and that, upon closer examination, he eventually learned that she was dying.

Soldiers were looking through security camera footage and video to determine the woman’s cause of the incident while the girl was being identified. Authorities believed she fell from her chamber.

In Pattaya this month, there have been four prior incidents where people have fallen to their murders.

They include a 23-year-old Thai man who fell from a resort on June 1, a 38-year-old Russian man who fell from a property on June 3, an American male, 43, who fell from a resort balcony on June 4, and a 57-year-old European man who fell from a resort on June 5.

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Asian Pride Alliance to boost LGBTQIA2S+ rights

Asian Pride Alliance to boost LGBTQIA2S  rights
As the Asian Pride Alliance ( APA ) initiative was established in Phuket on Friday to advance gender equality and LGBTQIA2S rights in the area, representatives of gender equality networks pose for a group photo at a gathering there on Friday. ( Photo: Achadthaya Chuenniran )

In Phuket, a group known as the Asian Pride Alliance ( APA ) initiative has been established to advance LGBTQIA2S rights and gender equality.

” Eastern Pride Alliance will serve as a secure place for the LGBTQIA2S community across the region, fostering equality and gaining respect for one’s rights in all sizes”, said Michelle Meow, manufacturer and APA advisory committee, who identifies as men.

The program and its accompanying events are a major pioneering program and the first of its kind at a local level in Asia, according to Mr. Meow, who was also a founding member of InterPride.

He said Phuket’s hosting and support of the event has created collaboration within the LGBTQIA2S community both regionally and globally.

Mr. Meow claimed that the LGBTQIA2S community’s celebrations have a strong foundation in the fight against prejudice and human rights violations.

He praised the alliance’s establishment as a powerful tool for bolstering regional allies, making a positive impact on the LGBTQIA2S community, and taking pride in being a part of an effort to advance equality and justice, according to him.

Plaifah Kyoka Shodladd, an APA co- founder, indicated the effort to bridge borders, fostering support and cooperation within the Pride Community in Thailand and across Asia.

” This marks a historic moment for the pride community”, Ms Plaifah said.

The group’s formation will have a significant impact on the visibility and advocacy for the LGBTQIA2S community in Asia and other areas.

The alliance will be able to drive forward in creating cooperation and strengthening the unity of the LGBTQIA2S community, she said.

Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, director of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau ( Tceb), said the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding ( MoU) on the alliance is the result of the cooperation, with participants from many countries, including the US, Turkey and Japan.

The signing of the MoU aims to encourage the growth of a network that fights for freedom of expression and human rights, which is Phuket’s first collaborative network.

The pride organizations in Phuket and more than ten southern provinces have collaborated.

” Thailand’s cultural values, including openness and respect, have enabled the LGBTQIA2S community to grow and coexist. As a government agency, we fully support the pride community in driving towards an equal society”, said Mr Chiruit. We think the establishment of the alliance will carry on Thailand’s commitment to regional cooperation and make it possible to host upcoming world pride events.

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Selection panel to decide on Gripen or F-16 offers

Selection panel to decide on Gripen or F-16 offers
Two Job 39 CD are flown over the Andaman Sea by planes. This month, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF ) will convene a selection panel to decide whether to purchase Sweden’s Gripen fighter jets or F-16 aircraft from the US. ( File photo )

This month, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF ) will convene a selection panel to decide whether to purchase Sweden’s Gripen fighter jets or F-16 aircraft.

Air pressure chief ACM Phanphakdee Phatthanakul updated the 19 billion baht plan to purchase four new fighter jets, saying the details are nearly finished, but the RTAF is also open to new ideas to ensure the best offer.

ACM Phanphakdee and the RTAF’s running board traveled to Sweden and the US previous month to meet with British manufacturer Lockheed Martin and Swedish dealer SAAB.

” We’ll maintain our choices open until the committee’s establishment to find the aircraft model,” he said. ” The collection process may look over all official papers.” The outcomes of the conference may not be used. We must get complete and reasonable”.

He assured that the purchasing plan will comply with the air force’s stated requirements for federal capability development, including the government’s offset plan. Countries that provide fresh military equipment to Thailand must comply with the offset policy by offering the same financial evaluations in diplomatic trade.

ACM Phanphakdee stated that the Office of the RTAF’s Comptroller and the Air Force’s Chief of Staff are prepared to support the purchasing program while the House committee is reviewing the saving plan for the 2025 fiscal year.

The RTAF is likely to find Job E/F fighter jets, according to a cause close to the investigation because the Swedish provider is said to have made a better plan regarding the offset plan.

The Swedish company’s offer is said to contain funding for maintenance and military training as well as replacing the Erieye detector system that was installed in its Saab 340, a Swedish flying early warning plane. In 2013, the air pressure acquired a ship of 12 Job soldiers based at Wing 7 in Surat Thani, but the aircraft lost one in a collision four years later.

The weather force’s white document outlining its growth goals includes the plane procurement scheme. The white papers includes a strategy to start the next fiscal year off with a new fleet of fighter jets and create a number of all-discipline development projects starting on October 1.

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Pheu Thai wavers over amnesty bill

Govt. apprehensive fresh draft does favor Thaksin

Pheu Thai wavers over amnesty bill
Red top backers in Nakhon Ratchasima greet former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on May 25 with a warm welcome. The Pheu Thai Party reversed an earlier statement that it would add Section 112, or the der guess rules, to the asylum act on Friday. ( Photo: Prasit Tangprasert )

The Pheu Thai Party reversed a previous statement that it would add Section 112, or the der qualifications law, to the asylum bill.

The issue is complicated and needs a common discussion, according to Phumtham Wechayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister, on Friday, to prevent further chaos.

The group has not yet decided whether to support a request to include Section 112 in the bill, according to Mr. Phumtham, Pheu Thai’s deputy leader.

Somkid Chueakong, a spokesman of the House committee that examines amnesty for political detainees and deputy secretary-general for political interests to the prime minister Srettha Thavisin, reported this week that some council members concurred with the plan to cover Part 112 offences under the act. He resisted the assertion that Pheu Thai always blasted the idea of including Part 112 crimes in the asylum bill.

Mr Phumtham said on Friday &nbsp, that the group may talk to the needs of the people. Things would be simpler and the group would move in that direction if every anxious group consented to grant asylum to those who violated 111.

Mr. Phumtham disregarded the criticism when asked about the criticism that the article might gain former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has just been charged with a stability major offense, saying he did not pay attention to for a state.

” Now, we do not subject to or claim the plan. I think community is aware that this issue has both political and social effects. He claimed that the government is” trying to choose the best course of action” to avoid conflict.

In an interview he gave to a paper in Seoul on February 21, 2015, the attorney general announced Thaksin’s prosecution on May 29 regarding this and other computer violence transgressions.

He has been given an appearance at the Office of the Attorney General on June 18 after being delayed due to a May 29 Covid illness.

Although he was spotted visiting a spa store in the Phloenchit neighborhood of Pathumwan region on Wednesday, Thaksin has never appeared in front of the media since that day.

Nanthiwat Samart, a former deputy chairman of the National Intelligence Agency, also posted a warning on Instagram about how the move resembled the May 2014 coup d’etat.

In 2013, the Yingluck management attempted to pass a blanket social amnesty bill in order to cover up Thaksin, who was then in self-imposed exile. The act ignited big protests led by the Women’s Democratic Reform Committee, which culminated in the resignation of the Pheu Thai- led management, said Mr Nanthiwat.

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Tour boat crash set to be probed

Tour boat crash set to be probed
After a visit ship crashed near the pier on Thursday evening, officials from the Marine Department assist passengers getting off a boat at Tha Tien Pier on Friday. ( Photo: Apichart Jinakul )

The Transport Ministry has ordered a probe into a boat crash late on Thursday evening near Tha Tien Pier, in which four Chinese visitors were hurt.

A long-tailed excursion ship collided with a Royal Thai Navy (RTN) bridge at around 4pm, according to assistant transport secretary Manaporn Charoensri, who said the Marine Department had been informed.

The trip boat’s four Chinese passengers, one man and three female, were the cause of the collision and fell into the river.

The customers were saved, but they had some minor injuries.

They were taken for treatment to Hua Chiew Hospital in the Pomprap Sattruphai city.

The journey boat sank after the crash, while the RTN boat was significantly damaged. At the time of the affair, two naval commanders were on the boat.

The journey boat’s landlord agreed to pay full price for the damage.

Ms. Manaporn claimed that the Marine Department had been given the order to contact the tour boat owner to offer support and maintenance for the four people.

Additionally, the company has been given the task of looking into the incident to determine its origin.

If the motion is found to had occurred due to the tour boat manager’s crime or inexperience, their operating licence may be suspended, said Ms Manaporn.

In addition, many companies have been ordered to create measures to ensure safety and comfort for boat passengers, she said.

The Marine Department has determined that the visit ship’s license was set to expire on February 8 of next year, according to Ms. Manaporn.

However, the skipper of the vessel, Techasit Jakkarinsukjaroen, has a license for a subsequent- school helmsman of power- driven river vessels. That document will disappear on March 19, 2028.

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One in ten kids face food poverty: UN

Survey shows issues with infant nutrition

One in ten kids face food poverty: UN

One in ten Thai children under five years old experience severe food poverty, while globally, one in four kids face similar struggles, according to a new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund ( Unicef ).

The document titled” The Child Food Hardship: Nutrition Deprivation in First Childhood” analysed the effects and reasons of diet deprivation among children in nearly 100 countries.

” Bad diets can have profound effects on children’s physical and mental health”, said Kyungsun Kim, Unicef Representative for Thailand. Eating healthy food and receiving adequate nutrition are necessary for their well-being and are a fundamental right that are necessary for their survival and growth.

Out of 440 million children international under five years of age, about 181 million are experiencing extreme baby food poverty according to disparity, fight, and weather crises. The report also noted that 65 % of these children reside in 20 countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and South Africa.

Children living in extreme food poverty are those who are fed no more than two meals groups per day, while the lowest dietary should be at least five out of the eight defined food groups, which are breastmilk, eggs, dairy products, grains, flesh foods like meat, vitamin A- wealthy fruits and vegetables, and various fruits and vegetables.

The report also found that about 84 million children ( or 46 % ) of the 181 million kids living in severe child food poverty belong to poor families, and about 97 million children ( or 54 % ) belong to non- poor families.

This suggests that baby food hunger is not the only factor in home income. The option to consume unhealthy foods and beverages is another factor.

According to Unicef, Thailand’s nationwide survey also indicated worries about infant feeding. Just 29 % of children are breastfed exclusively during the first six months, according to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey conducted by the National Statistical Office and Unicef in 2022. The study also found that 13 % of children under five were stunted, and 7 % were thin due to prolonged poor nutrition.

Stunting and wasting are more prevalent in children from poor homes, children from non-Thai families, and those whose mothers have little or no training. At the same time, obesity in young children in the kingdom is on the rise, with 11 % of children under five obese in 2022, up from 9 % in 2019. Consuming food and beverages with higher glucose and fat content is the main reason.

According to Unicef, a number of factors are contributing to the child food poverty crisis, including food systems that do n’t offer children nutritious, safe, and accessible options, families ‘ inability to buy nutritious foods, and parents ‘ inability to adopt and maintain effective child-feeding strategies.

Cheap, nutrient-dense, and bad ultra-processed foods and beverages are frequently aggressively promoted to parents and families and are now the norm when it comes to feeding kids.

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Maybe not so united

Perhaps no more united

Srettha: Wants to are- list cannabis

The development of the much-anticipated digital pocket handout plan may lead to the end of the coalition’s ferocious relationship.

Some critics are beginning to suspect that the decision Pheu Thai Party may not be as uptight as it may be if the knife is thrown at it and that the populist program might not even be seen in print.

The reviewers feel the plan hinges on the strength of relationships between the alliance partners. The president’s expensive handbook plan, however, appears to be justified in the eyes of the public.

Despite government officials repeatedly refuting the idea of an internal rift between them and the ruling party, Pheu Thai has touched a nerve with the major right-wing partners, Bhumjaithai and the United Thai Nation ( UTN) Party.

Although this state has entered its ninth month in office, some observers reckon it has managed to do amazingly well to keep partnership unification, considering the party backgrounds are worlds off.

Under the preceding management, which was led by former prime minister Gen Prayut Chan- o-cha, Pheu Thai after had a hostile relationship, especially with the UTN, which was still a part of Palang Pracharath, which is now a partnership party. He was in charge of the May 2014 revolution that overthrew the next Pheu Thai-led state.

Pheu Thai has maintained a fairly unbreakable link with Bhumjaithai. Bhumjaithai has explicitly stated that it has never spoken or behaved poorly against any political group for a long time and has made enemies of no one in politics. Its “central” position and medium size make it a good fit for the party to form any coalition government.

But when it came to the legalisation of cannabis, Pheu Thai and the Bhumjaithai have not seen eye to eye. Pheu Thai opposed the plan, which was supported by Bhumjaithai when it was in the Prayut Chan- o gan leadership, both before and after the public vote next year.

Social spectators were betting that now that the two parties are in the same coalition, they can find common ground and work through their disagreements. But as it has turned out, the problem has not only gone unanswered, it is looking to have led to holes in state unity.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin revealed his schedule to decriminalize cannabis use in a state-owned media outlet France 24 a few months ago. According to reports, he reportedly argued that the social benefits of legalizing cannabis outweigh the monetary benefits of making it available for both medical use and research purposes.

The same information was relayed to the public first next month by Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin who reaffirmed Mr Srettha has set a deadline for the ministry to are- list cannabis as a opioid before the year is out. Mr. Somsak argued that the premier should have the plant recriminalized” the sooner, the better”

Anutin Charnvirakul, a leader of Bhumjaithai and interior minister, said the plan to reclassify marijuana as a narcotic should be studied and evaluated by several health committees before any action is taken.

Although Bhumjaithai had pushed for the decriminalisation of cannabis, Mr Anutin, a former public health minister, said he would accept the outcome if health committees opt to reclassify the drug.

Pheu Thai was testing the party’s patience and friendship while working for the UTN when Pichai Chunhavajira, the newly appointed finance minister, was accused of unfairly delegating the Public Debt Management Office to one of his three deputies, Krisada Chinavicharana from the UTN.

Mr. Pichai, who was formerly a partner to Mr. Srettha, divided the other departments between his two Pheu Thai deputies, Paopoom Rojanasakul and Julapun Amornvivat.

The uneven split forced Mr Krisada to quit as deputy finance minister, it was reported.

Mr. Krisada claimed in his letter of resignation that he and Mr. Pichai had a different work philosophy and that Mr. Pichai had treated him unfairly when they collaborated.

According to a source, Pheu Thai may be rubbing Bhumjaithai and UTN in the wrong way for a reason.

” Imagine the friction getting out of hand and the two parties deciding to be vindictive and voting down the bill to procure the finances to fund the digital wallet scheme in parliament.

The source speculated that Pheu Thai may be appreciative of their efforts.

According to the source, Pheu Thai may secretly be praying that the digital wallet scheme succeeds. The policy, if allowed to materialise, could run the huge risk of breaking the law over its planned procurement of a loan from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives ( BAAC ) to partially provide the scheme with its needed financial lifeline.

The wallet scheme runs the risk of breaking the BAAC law, which forbids the bank from lending to the government for handouts.

The two coalition partners would be held accountable for derailing Pheu Thai’s flagship election policy if the bill is sunk in parliament.

But if this occurred, Bhumjaithai and UTN would have to exit the government. According to the source, they could be replaced by the main opposition Move Forward Party right away.

The lawman’s return

The return of Wissanu Krea- ngam to politics as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s adviser left observers wondering about Pheu Thai’s resources when it comes to legal experts.

Wissanu: Decades of legal wisdom

Mr. Wissanu has worked for eight different prime ministers and served in 12 different governments before becoming a well-known legal expert. So, when he announced in August last year that he was done with politics, some observers doubted whether he would or actually could wash his hands of it.

Even so, they did not anticipate him joining the Pheu Thai-led coalition despite the criticism he has received from Pheu Thai heavyweights.

As it turned out, Mr. Wissanu appeared to be one of the many “legal experts Mr. Srettha has consulted on while facing charges in the Constitutional Court regarding his appointment of controversial politician Pichit Chuenban as prime minister in the most recent cabinet reshuffle.

Pichit is off the hook because he resigned from the cabinet shortly before the Constitutional Court agreed to hear a petition lodged by 40 senators over his controversial appointment.

However, if the court finds him in violation of cabinet minister ethics rules, Mr. Srettha, who approved Pichit’s appointment despite his dubious background, may be fired.

When he represented then-on-released former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is regarded as a respected figure in Pheu Thai, in a contentious land deal case in 2008, Pichit served jail time for contempt of court in connection with an attempted bribery case.

On June 25 that year, the Supreme Court sentenced Pichit and two of his colleagues to six months in prison after they tried to bribe Supreme Court officials by handing them a paper bag containing 2 million baht in cash a fortnight earlier.

According to media reports, the prime minister offered Mr. Wissanu a deputy prime minister position when Mr. Srettha approached him for assistance. However, Mr. Wissanu turned it down due to a number of factors, including health issues.

The prime minister then asked Mr Wissanu to become an adviser instead. Because there were several legal experts in the coalition government willing to assist, Mr. Wissanu once more declined. When Mr. Srettha insisted on having a politically neutral adviser, he eventually gave in.

However, several analysts find it hard to believe that Mr Wissanu would accept the job simply because he could not resist the call of a prime minister in need.

They believed that Mr. Wissanu took the job at the urging of influential people, who, in their opinion, have no other choice but to hire Mr. Srettha, who they believe can form a link between the conservative movement and Thaksin, the alleged de facto leader of the ruling party.

The prime minister will use every means at his disposal to maintain his position of power, according to Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bhuket, a lecturer from the National Institute of Development Administration ( Nida ).

At the same time, the conservative camp also needs Mr Srettha to remain and Mr Wissanu, who has decades of legal wisdom under his belt, is expected to help him navigate the legal minefield and ensure he stays premier for as long as possible, according to Mr Phichai.

The analyst does not believe that Mr. Wissanu will be able to assist Thaksin, who is accused of being charged with computer crime and lese majore in relation to an interview conducted for the South Korean Chosun Ilbo newspaper in 2015.

With his statements that claimed secret councillors supported the 2014 coup that overthrew the government of his younger sister, Ying­luck Shinawatra, Thaksin is alleged to have defamed the monarchy.

On May 29, the attorney general decided to indict Thaksin but could not arraign him as planned because his lawyer submitted a medical certificate stating the former premier had Covid- 19 and needed to rest. To begin the indictment process, Thaksin is scheduled to show up before the court on June 18.

According to Mr. Phichai, along with other political pundits, the indictment against Thaksin serves as a warning to the conservative establishment that he should follow when he attempts to regain a leading position in politics.

Thaksin fled Thailand in 2008, shortly before the Supreme Court convicted him for helping his then- wife Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra buy prime land in the Ratchadaphisek area at a discount while he was prime minister. He returned late last year amid rumors that a deal had been reached with the conservative camp had been made.

According to Mr. Phichai, Thaksin is very likely to flee at first sign that he wo n’t be granted bail.

” If there are negotiating skills left in him, Thaksin is likely to be granted bail]when he reports for the indictment. ] He claimed that denying bail would indicate that the deal had broken down.

The former premier, who has maintained a low profile since the indictment controversy, is still in the country, but it is anyone’s guess when he will show up for the June 18 appointment with the prosecutors, according to a source close to Thaksin.

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