Barkar Nash (Page 927)

A majority of people are satisfied with Srettha Thavisin’s overseas trips as well as his overall performance as prime minister during his two months in office, according to an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted on Oct 24-25 by telephone interviews with 1,310 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country to compile their opinions on Mr Srettha’s visits to many countries after taking office.

Asked what they were particularly interested in from Mr Srettha’s overseas trips during the past two months, with the respondents allowed to pick more than one answer, the answers chosen by them were as follows:

• 39.01% said they had not followed news on his overseas trips at all
• 24.43% were interested in his meetings with leaders or important persons of other countries
• 21.83% his dress/clothes
• 19.69% his media interviews
• 19.08% his postures or body languages
• 10.31% reception by host countries
• 1.98% had no answer or were not interested

As for those who followed news on Mr Srettha’s overseas trips (799), when asked whether they were satisfied, a majority or 69.71% said “yes” – 46.31% moderately and 23.40% highly. On the other side, 20.27% were not satisfied and 9.37% not satisfied at all. The rest, 0.63%, had no answer or were not interested.

Asked whether they were satisfied with Mr Srettha’s overall performance as prime minister during the past two months, a majority or 55.27% said “yes” – 36.87% moderately and 18.40% highly. On the other side, 26.87% were not satisfied and 13.74% not satisfied at all. The rest, 4.12%, had no answer or were not interested.

Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin has defended his deputy Julapun Amornvivat against criticism of his ability to lead the government’s sub-committee overseeing the launch of the 10,000-baht digital money handout scheme.

“No, I won’t change,” wrote Mr Srettha in a message posted on X, replying to calls for him to change the chairman of the sub-committee from Mr Julapun to someone more capable of handling a key election policy.

Mr Srettha also added in an associated message on X that Mr Julapun is a decent and capable person.

In an interview on Friday, the PM simply responded with a smile to questions about Mr Julapun’s role as the sub-committee’s chairman and updates about the digital wallet programme which he gave the public, which some have found confusing.

“Julapun, the deputy finance minister, is knowledgeable and capable. We have talked constantly [about updates on the project]. He should never be devalued in any way. Don’t worry. We are a team and always will be. I trust him,” Mr Srettha added.

Mr Julapun has encountered escalating criticism made by some academics and political pundits after he told the media last week the details of a summary from the latest round of the sub-committee’s discussions about the digital wallet programme.

The summary contained three proposed optional changes to the scheme, which initially promised to offer 10,000 baht in digital money to every Thai aged 16 and over and was estimated to require up to 560 billion baht in funding to cover an estimated 56 million such people.

The three new options are to offer the digital money to the 15-16 million people who previously registered in the past government’s state welfare project, to provide the promised digital money to only those who earn less than 25,000 baht a month, or to include only those who earn no more than 50,000 baht a month into the new handout programme.

It is unfair to accuse Mr Julapun of changing the digital wallet project’s core principle as the three new options are the outcome of the sub-committee’s work, and not his own opinions, said government spokesman Chai Wacharonke.

Anti-alcohol group flags huge fund

The Public Health Ministry has no objection to the government’s proposal to extend the operating hours of nightspots, though it says preventive measures must be in place when the regulation is introduced.

An anti-alcohol drinking advocacy group, meanwhile, urged the government to put the proposal on hold unless it can come up with measures to handle the repercussions of the change.

It has proposed a huge fund drawn from the liquor industry to provide assistance to people affected.

Public Health Minister Dr Cholnan Srikaew said on Saturday the ministry is ready for the proposed regulation because its approval must be based on three criteria: clear zoning for entertainment venues; target groups; and preventive measures.

However, Wissanu Srithawong, a manager for public policy of the StopDrink Network, said the policy is likely to do more harm than good. If the government is really set on it going ahead, proactive measures should be put in place first, he said.

Citing surveys, he also claimed most people do not support it.

The government’s proposal to extend the operating hours of nightspots to 4am is based on a projection that it will increase tourism revenue.

Mr Wissanu said the number of people who are expected to benefit from the regulation is relatively small and the policy itself will affect more than 70% of people who do not drink.

He said ameliorative measures are a must if the government insists on pushing ahead. One idea is to create a fund, with money drawn from the liquor and related industries, to provide compensation to anyone affected.

He said the fund should start with five billion baht to 10 billion baht per year. It could cover expenses for those who need medical treatment to help them quit drinking.

“Healthcare agencies are still debating who should pay for medication to help treat alcohol abuse, estimated at 100,000 baht per head.

“The five to 10 billion baht fund is a good start because drinking doesn’t only cause injuries and deaths but also financial problems and family issues,” he said.

He said night entertainment venues are part of the problem and so they should pay, adding how much each industry should contribute should be studied.

Veteran actor Manop Aswathep has died at the age of 86, according to fellow actor Bin Bunleurit, writing on his personal Facebook yesterday.

Manop: Began acting career in 1963

“I’m deeply sorry for the loss of Manop Aswathep. More details will be posted later,” Bin wrote.

The funeral bathing rite began at 4pm at Wat Chao-am in Taling Chan district of Bangkok.

Born on Oct 16, 1937, and raised in Bangkok, Manop’s real name was Wiriya Julamakorn and his nickname was Ya.

He graduated from the Royal Thai Navy’s naval officer training school in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district and worked at the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters.

He was at that time known as a driver of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, leader of Thailand from 1963 to 1973.

Manop began acting in 1963 when he played a supporting role in a film called Nang Saming Phrai. He debuted under the name Nawin Thepyothi.

He later played a leading role in Phichit Thorachon one year later but fame still eluded him. He acted in a supporting role in several more films after that.

The first film which earned him fame was Lakhon Le, a film jointly directed by Prince Bhanubandhu Yugala and Prim Bunnag.

Manop changed his name from Nawin to Manop after this movie. He played various roles afterwards and won the Phra Surasawadee Award, also known as the Tukata Thong (Golden Doll), for a supporting role in 1976.

Sa Kaeo Immigration Police are working with police in Cambodia to hunt down two Thais suspected of being involved in dumping the body of a Thai man found in a rice paddy field in Poi Pet, Cambodia.

Police officers in Poi Pet were alerted by residents about a body found inside a black bag near Koup Thom village about 30 kilometres from Thailand’s border province of Sa Kaeo on Tuesday.

After an investigation revealed the body was that of a Thai man, Sa Kaeo Immigration Police worked with Khlong Luek police on the probe.

They crossed the border to examine the body, identified on Wednesday as Padungkiat Kamwitah, 31, from Chiang Saen district in Chiang Rai.

The villagers told police the bag was brought on a motor tricycle by two or three Thai-speaking men who dumped it into the pond near a rice field.

Sa Kaeo Immigration Police chief, Pol Col Roong Thongmon, said Cambodian police were tracking down the offenders and gathering evidence, especially CCTV footage. All escape routes were blocked to prevent the suspects from crossing the border to Thailand.

Meanwhile, investigation data from Cambodian police indicated the dead man might have been killed after he embezzled 700,000 baht from a Chinese man who owns a casino in Poi Pet where the man worked.

Padungkiat was beaten to death, before the Chinese owner ordered two Thai underlings to dump the body, he said.

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: A woman has been arrested for allegedly helping a prisoner serving time for attempted murder escape from a hospital in the province, bringing the total number of suspects arrested in the case to four.

Police yesterday took the woman, identified only as Wilawan, to Muang district police station for questioning.

Chaowalit Thongduang, alias Sia Paeng Na Nod, fled the hospital Sunday morning and has not yet been caught.

He was taken there for dental treatment and was subsequently admitted after collapsing, citing severe leg pain.

According to police, Ms Wilawan transferred money to another suspect, known only as Non, to cover his expenses during the escape.

Non was told to drive a car to lead a pickup truck that took the prisoner away from the hospital. The pickup was later seized at a temple in Phatthalung.

Another pickup was reportedly travelling behind the vehicle carrying the prisoner for additional security.

Police will also seek an arrest warrant for Non, said Pol Col Natthawut Thongthip, deputy commander of Nakhon Si Thammarat police.

A criminal check showed that Non, a close aide of Chaowalit, had served jail time for drug and war weapons offences. He was released from jail almost one year ago.

Chaowalit was sentenced to 20 years and six months in jail last year by the Phatthalung Provincial Court for attempted murder in connection with an armed attack on police during an attempted abduction on Sept 2, 2019, in Phatthalung.

Chaowalit began serving his sentence at Phatthalung Prison in January 2022 and was transferred to Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison on Aug 7 this year. He also faces multiple other criminal charges.

The captain of the young “Wild Boars” football team that was rescued from a flooded cave in Chiang Rai in 2018 took his own life while at a school in England, a UK coroner’s inquest has concluded.

Duangphet “Dom” Phromthep, 17, was found unconscious at Brooke House College in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, on Feb 12. He died two days later at Kettering General Hospital.

Prof Catherine Mason, senior coroner for south Leicestershire, recorded a conclusion of suicide following an inquest on Oct 4, British media reported on Friday.

In a record of the inquest seen by the British news agency PA, Prof Mason said Duangphet “was not known to mental health services, and it is not known why he took the actions that he did.

“It could not have been foreseen or prevented,” she wrote of the death. “The police investigation has found no evidence of third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances.”

The sudden death of Duangphet came as a shock to his family and friends. At the time, the cause of death was not known.

His ashes were returned to his grieving family in Thailand on March 4 following his cremation in England.

Duangphet was the captain of the football team whose rescue from the flooded cave captured the attention of the world in 2018. Duangphet was the boy who first shouted out to the rescuers for help. He was then 13. He won a scholarship to study at the football academy in Leicestershire in August last year.