Graft case targets PM’s chief adviser

Graft case targets PM's chief adviser
Indicted over the 2011 wheat deal is Kittirat.

Kittirat Na Ranong, the prime minister’s chief advisor, has reportedly been charged by the Office of the Attorney General( OAG ) with allegedly engaging in graft when choosing a local supplier for rice exports to Indonesia in 2011.

After the National Anti-Corruption Commission( NACC ) found grounds for the allegation in 2021 and indicted Mr. Kittirat, the OAG filed a lawsuit against him with the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions, according to NACC secretary-general Niwatchai Kasemmongkol on Wednesday.

In addition to Mr. Kittirat, another petition has been brought against other people who are reportedly involved in the case.

The Indonesian food procurement company Bulog signed a contract on August 18, 2011, to purchase 300,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand for US$ 559( 20,150 baht ) per tonne.

Proposals were submitted on December 14 by Siam Indi­ca and another company, Nakhon Sa-wan Kha Kao. The proposals for both businesses were submitted by a Siam Indica staff. Siam Indica was the only organization in argument because Nakhon Sawan Kha Kao did not meet the requirements.

Although a section was added to the agreement allowing Siam Indica to provide an additional 200, 000 kilos of grain to Bulog, for which no pay was made, the company was only contracted to provide 100,000 tonnes at US$ 559 per tonne.

Pitheera Tangpossawat, vice president of the Public Warehouse Organization, and Somsak Wongwatthanasan, admin president, are also alleged to have conspired to ensure that Siam Indica sealed the grain export deal without a fight.

The NACC claims that Mr. Kittiratt, the Yingluck Shinawatra administration’s commerce minister, was aware that Siam Indica had been selected to provide the extra purchase of rice without a contest.

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Phuket ready for Chinese, Kazakhs

After card adjustments, more tourists are probably coming.

Phuket ready for Chinese, Kazakhs
On Karon Beach, the longest shore in Phuket, a family of travellers unwinds. ACHADTHAYA CHUENNIRAN is shown in the image.

When the fresh visa-free plan is implemented next year, Phuket’s tourism officials are preparing steps to welcome an anticipated increase in tourist visitors from China and Kazakhstan.

Easy access and 30-day visa-free remains for citizens of both places will be successful from Monday and last until Feb 29. This announcement was made in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday.

The first visa-free flights landing at the resort island on Monday will be greeted by the deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand( TAT ) and a representative from the TAT’s office in Phuket, according to Khongsak Khuphong-sakorn, chairman of Phuket Chamber of Commerce.

When asked about the advantages of this five-month card program for beach tourism, Mr. Khongsak responded that the island could see ripples of visitors from both nations, particularly China, as the easing of travel conditions may make trip planning simpler.

In light of the aforementioned, kindness companies have plenty of room for visitors. More Chinese tourists are anticipated to aid in the industry’s recovery, according to Mr. Khongsak, as their numbers have now rebounded to 30 % of the pre-pandemic levels.

As commerce transitions to the high season brought on by the island’s vegetable festival, Mr. Khongsak anticipated the amount to be higher with an enhanced hotel booking rate that sprang up in the first week of this month.

Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, chairman of the Phuket Tourist Association, even anticipated a twofold recovery rate. He speculated that the island does start to anticipate better-quality Chinese visitors as a result of the higher ticket prices that followed the scheme’s announcement.

However, more cooperation between the Chinese and Thai governments is anticipated, particularly a give-to-go ( G2G ) plan to increase island tourism. Regarding Kazakh tourists, Mr. Thaneth suggested that Vietnam may receive the 250, 000 visitors that the TAT had anticipated this time. This is due to the fact that Taiwanese airlines offer direct flights between the two nations and Vietnam has developed a similar visa-free program.

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PM’s daughter ‘paid for her own airfare’

According to federal official Chai Wacharonke, the daughter of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin paid her personal fare to fly to New York on the same government-chartered journey as the top.

On the Thai Airways International charter flight, Ms. Chananya Thavisin paid the full fare herself. Her father traveled to New York from September 18 to 24 to attend the UN General Assembly’s 78th Session( UNGA78 ).

The spokesman was responding to current requests from social activist Somchai Srisutthiyakorn for the House Committee on Anti-Corruption and Misconduct and opposition lawmakers to investigate the exorbitant cost of the chartered trip.

The company, which included a stopover in Tokyo along the way from Suvarnabhumi Airport to New York, cost 30 million baht.

The Royal Thai Air Force( RTAF) wanted 32 million baht to put on a charter flight service, while Thai Airways requested 25 million, according to Natreeya Thaweewong, the PM’s deputy secretary who handled the travel arrangements.

However, due to an increase in energy prices, Thai Airways’ requested number increased to 30 million baht.

According to Ms. Natreeya, the price the RTAF collection may include increased to 40 million baht in this regard.

4.84 million ringgit were spent on aircraft-related charges, 16.8 million on energy costs, 1.47 billion on food and drink, nearly 3.1 million euros on earth services, and 3.8 million pounds on operating costs.

About 50 additional individuals, including the premier’s child, according to Ms. Natreeya, paid for their own flights and lodging.

The mandate agreement did not permit for a person’s airfare to get compartmentalized, so Mr. Chai dismissed Mrs. Somchai on Wednesday when he said that Ms Chananya could not have paid her personal solution.

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‘Killer dad’ admits to  murdering more kids

informs police that he killed a child and four sons.

According to authorities, a man who was detained along with his spouse for allegedly killing their 2-year-old princess also confessed to killing four children born to one of his three ex-wives.

Songsak: alleged mental condition

In Pathum Thani, Kamphaeng Phet residents Songsak Songsaeng, 46, and Sunan Nahuanin, 40, were detained. They were taken to Kamphaeng Phet to exhibit investigators the location of their 2-year-old daughter’s grave, and on Wednesday they were brought back to the Bang Khen law station in Bangkok. At her family’s home in Kamphaeng Phet, the girl was discovered buried beneath practical.

A sad Mr. Songsak admitted to killing his daughter during inquiring at the Bang Khen police station, despite claiming that the crime was motivated by psychological illness, according to the police.

He claimed that because of his guilt, he wanted to apologize for his actions.

According to witnesses, the household frequently engaged in violent arguments, according to Pol Maj Gen Atthaphol Anusit, section 2 commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

Social media influencer Kanthat Pongpaiboonvej, also known as Kan Chompalang, called on officers on September 10 to assist two women, ages 4 and 12, who native users claimed were frequently physically assaulted by their father. This led to the child’s stop.

The girls’ parents were not at house when the police showed up at their house in the Bang Khen neighborhood.

Although the pair was known to have three kids, the youngest was nowhere to be found.

The pair, according to neighbors, had informed them that they had sent the child to live with her father in a different state.

The two other ladies informed officers that their parents had assaulted their youngest girl, resulting in her death, after they had been saved.

The couple was afterwards detained by police in the province of Pathum Thani. Mr. Songsak and Ms. Sunan, a distribution horse, admitted to killing their 2-year-old daughter during questioning.

According to local media, the pair was apprehended while making a cash withdrawal from the Big C business in Future Park Rangsit store. On May 21, police took a Honda Jazz from them, which was reportedly used to transport their mother’s system to Ms. Sunan in Kamphaeng Phet.

On Wednesday and Monday, Bang Khen police chief Pol Col. Anan Vorasart declared that the couple may be questioned further to determine the cause of the child’s death.

According to a policeman cause, Mr. Songsak had four women and ten children. With his first and subsequent ladies, he each had one child, while with his second wife, five, and his present spouse, three.

The think acknowledged that he had murdered four kids who were the offspring of one of his ex-wives.

According to the authorities cause, the murders took place in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2018.

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AoT allots B140bn for projects

AoT allots B140bn for projects
President of AoT Kerati Kijmanawat

For two airport construction projects, including the construction of Andaman International Airport in Phangnga, Airports of Thailand( AoT ) has set a budget of 140 billion baht.

The new airport in Phangnga and a second phase renovation of Chiang Mai Airport, according to AoT president Kerati Kijmanawat & nbsp, were the authorities’ responses to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s urgent proposals.

According to Mr. Kerati, while they aim to promote hospitality, one also promotes the development of air travel hubs in Phuket, Phangnga, Krabi, and Ranong.

On almost 6, 000 acres in the tambon Kok Kloi neighborhood of Thakua Thung, a Ratchaphatsadu region owned by the Treasury Department, the Andaman International Airport may be built.

According to Mr. Kerati, the AoT had looked into the local building strategy.

The AoT is committed to getting to work on the project as soon as possible because it has evolved into an immediate coverage.

According to Mr. Kerati, the AoT is anticipated to hire a consultant for the site’s research and development level, at least by the end of this year, in order to conduct research focusing primarily on the purchase.

After receiving endorsement, it is anticipated that the design process will take at least seven years, with three years for research and development and an additional four for structure.

According to Mr. Kerati, the aircraft is anticipated to become functional by 2031.

According to him, the aircraft is anticipated to bring in at least 15 million more visitors to the Andaman area.

The second phase restoration of Chiang Mai International Airport, which was more difficult because the land belonged to a personal agency, will cost the AoT an additional 70 billion baht, he continued.

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Women file reports against ‘farang-finding’ scam

Many Thai women claim that after paying cash to a matching service on Facebook in the hopes of falling in love with an international man, they were duped.

According to the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau( CCIB ) yesterday, the women suffered a total loss of about 881 million baht.

According to CCIB official Kissana Phathanacharoen, victims reported to police alleging that an online match, whose Facebook page has 150 000 followers, had defrauded them of hundreds of millions of baht.

He claimed that the renowned matchmaker caters to Thai women seeking farang companions— a term used to describe people who appear to be from Europe. The quality of the men’s profiles is based on the offer price that the match determines.

For farang designers and office employees, the most basic package costs 20, 000 rmb; for developers and businessmen, it costs 30, 000; it cost doctors, pharmacists, and dairy land owners and garden owners 100 000 Baht.

The matchmaker, according to Pol Col Kissana, offers personal coaching on how to find a farang husband for 5, 000 baht and claims to make profiles on online dating sites for her clients for 7, 000 baht.

Victims claimed that the match did not introduce them to someone, and the farang men she had sent them pictures of were actually high-profile businessmen, athletes, or celebrities.

According to Pol Col Kissana, there were 2, 621 cases of matching schemes between March 2022 and September 17 of this year, making this type of relationship con the 12th most reported murder with an 881 million baht total loss.

The analysis looked into the case of seven adult sufferers who had paid more than 100,000 baht for the matchmaking service in the hopes that it would turn up high-profile men for them.

The patients went to renowned attorney Decha Kittivittayanan to report their scams to the law with the intention of taking the case to court after realizing they had been duped.

One of the sufferers revealed that she is a solitary mother looking to travel abroad with her child by finding he in the West. She made the decision to pay for the service after seeing how effective the matchmaker’s advertisement was.

Over ten survivors of the fraud, according to Mr. Decha, have contacted him.

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MP calls on govt to continue southern bridge project

In order to contribute to the region’s economic prosperity, a coalition MP from the United Thai Nation( UTN ) Party yesterday urged the government to move forward with the southern land bridge megaproject.

During today’s House meet, UTN MP Wichai Sudsawat, who represents Chumphon, expressed concern over the status of the project while talking about the way of life for his constituents.

The initiative, according to Mr. Wichai, belonged to the previous administration and was a part of the UTN’s strategy to improve communication in various places, including between land and marine system, as well as to boost the economy in the south.

According to him, the proposed gate project is also a part of the southern hall, which includes the provinces of Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

I’m pleading with the government ministries and the prime minister to move forward with this massive project. According to the UTN, this project will help move freight between Prachuap Khiri Khan and the southern region and handle many of the issues facing southerners.

His contact came after Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit stated last week that the project’s substantial investment costs must be taken into account, along with other factors like economic concerns and cost-effectiveness.

Through the regions of Ranong and Chumphon, the southern gate project will link the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

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Plan for new expressways by year’s end

According to Surachet Laophulsuk, governor of the Expressway Authority of Thailand( Exat ), the cabinet will receive four expressway projects worth eight billion baht by the end of this year.

Exat is preparing its 14 road job proposals for Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit this quarter, according to Mr. Surachet.

According to Exat’s statement, all four of the projects, which have a budget of 89.7 billion baht, will become proposed to the government in three months and are available for buying and construction in one year.

The first is the Chatuchote – Bangkok Outer Ring Road improvement, which spans 19.25 kilometers and costs 24 billion ringgit.

The Chatuchote-Lam Luk Ka section’s design received approval from the previous government on March 14. Before the construction starts, Exat is currently drafting its terms of reference( TOR ) for contractors.

Additionally, according to reports, Exat is awaiting the Lam Luk Ka-Bangalore Outer Ring section of its Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA ) report.

The second is the next section of the northern expressways, covering 11.3 kilometers and costing 16.9 billion baht, and connecting the Prasert-Manukitch Road to the Bangkok Eastern Outer Ring.

The second step of the Phuket expressway, Kathu – Pa Tong, spans 3.98 kilometers and costs 14.6 billion baht. Before submitting the road project to the cupboard for consideration, Exat is currently working on the property expropriation process and reviewing the process.

The final one is the double-deck pike Ngam Wong Wan-Rama IX, which will span 20 kilometers and cost 32 billion baht to construct above the Sirat Expressway. The Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning department will receive Exat’s EIA review soon.

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MP pushes for southern land bridge

According to a Chumphon representative, southerners are counting on projects that would boost success.

MP pushes for southern land bridge
The nation’s tallest tower is located in Ranong, on the Andaman Sea, at the Customs Department slot.

The government has been urged to move forward with the southern land bridge megaproject by an MP from the coalition member United Thai Nation( UTN ) Party in order to contribute to the region’s economic prosperity.

Representative for Chumphon Wichai Sudsawat expressed concern about the status of the project, whioch & nbsp, which he believes is crucial for the livelihood of his constituents in a House meeting on Wednesday.

The project, which was being pursued by the prior administration, was a part of the UTN’s strategy to improve communication in edgy areas, such as between land and marine system, and to boost the economy in the south.

According to him, the proposed venture is also a part of the southern hall, which includes the provinces of Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat.

He declared,” I’m urging the prime minister and the government ministers to move forward with this massive project.” The UTN is confident that this project may solve many of the issues facing southerners and make it easier to transport goods between Prachuap Khiri Khan and the farthest south.

After Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit stated last week that the job has great expense charges, he made the remark. The secretary said that additional factors, like environmental issues and cost-effectiveness, must also be taken into account.

Through the provinces of Ranong and Chumphon, the southern gate initiative would link the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

It is the most recent in a long line of ideas to enhance trade and transportation between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf, dating back at least four years. The majority have imagined ports on either side, some with associated businesses or commercial estates, and a road-rail website for simple cargo transportation.

Many of these projects have failed in the past due to opposition from locals on economic grounds.

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Exat to propose four expressway projects

A B90 billion budget was set aside for the proposed new pathways in Bangkok and Phuket.

Exat to propose four expressway projects
Bangkok’s Chalong Rat road toll plaza sees a line of motorists. By the end of this year, the Thai Expressway Authority ( Exat) will present the case with four road projects totaling 8 billion baht. ( Bangkok Post image )

According to government Surachet Laophulsuk, the Expressway Authority of Thailand( Exat) may submit four road projects for 8 billion ringgit to the cupboard by the end of this year.

In total, he claimed, Exat is currently putting together 14 job ideas for Suriya Jungrungreangkit, the minister of transportation.

With a budget of 89.7 billion baht, all four of the tasks will be proposed to the government within three weeks and are prepared for buying and building to begin within one month.

The second, measuring 19.25 kilometers and costing 24 billion ringgit, is the Chalong Rat Expressway addition to the Chatuchote-Bangalore Outer Ring Road.

The Chatuchote – Lam Luk Ka section’s development was approved by the previous cabinet in March. Terms of reference for vendors are now being drafted by Exat. Additionally, it is said to be awaiting the Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA ) report for the Lam Luk Ka-Bangalore Outer Ring Road section.

The next task, which spans 11.3 km and costs 16.9 billion ringgit, is the second component of the north road network and connects Prasert-Manukitch Road to the Bangkok Eastern Outer Ring Road.

The first section of the 3.98-kilometer Kathu-Pa Tong Phuket road, which costs 14.6 billion ringgit, is the next phase. Exat is currently investigating area expropriation and deliberating its next steps before submitting a proposal to the case.

The final one is the 20-kilometer, 32 billion ringgit double-deck Ngam Wong Wan-Rama IX pike, which will be constructed above the Sirat Expressway. The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning will receive Exat’s EIA record soon.

Additionally, Exat intends to build 13 additional road initiatives, including four in Phuket, Surat Thani, and Trat and nine in Bangkok and nearby counties.

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