Barkar Nash (Page 958)

A 50-year jail term has been handed to a Yasothon Provincial Administration Office (PAO) official who used a government vehicle for personal use, Adul Wandee, director of the Yasothorn Provincial Anti-Corruption Commission, said yesterday.

He said the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 3 handed the sentence on Aug 24 to Roongrak Lukbua, director of the PAO’s education, religion and culture department.

He was sentenced to 50 years in prison in 21 separate cases for violating Section 151 of the Criminal Code, Mr Adul said, adding Roongrak had mismanaged state property, thus damaging the PAO.

Mr Adul told reporters yesterday that the case is expected to serve as a case study to prevent officials from using government items for personal purposes.

Apart from Roongrak, Satiraphorn Naksuk, PAO chief executive, and Phongsiri Muanchart, PAO deputy chief, have also been convicted, he said.

Mr Adul said Roongrak had requested Satiraphorn, PAO chief at the time, to use a government car from July 2014–June 2015 before doing so again for July 2015–March 2016.

Roongrak kept the car at his house in Sai Mun district’s tambon Sai Mun in Yasothorn, Mr Adul said. Roongrak was seen using the car for personal use, including golf trips, he said.

Roongrak was expected to serve 50 years in prison — the maximum jail term. Satiraphorn faces 12 years and a 240,000-baht fine, while Phongsiri faces 16 years and a 320,000-baht fine.

However, the court suspended the jail terms for both Roongrak and Satiraphorn because they did not have priors. The court has ordered them to pay the fines and do 36 hours of community service. They are required to report to the court every four months.

The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) recently held its first public hearing on the Srinakarin-Suvarnabhumi airport elevated expressway construction project, which is expected to be finished in 2030.

Exat governor Surachet Laophulsuk said yesterday that the project aims to ease traffic congestion on Motorway No.7, especially the section close to the airport.

He said the first hearing was held on Wednesday, which focused on the project’s engineering, economics, finance, and environmental impact assessment (EIA).

The public has so far agreed on building ground columns for the new expressway in the middle of Motorway No.7, as building the columns on the street side might affect the locals’ well-being.

The new expressway will be 18 kilometres long and link the Si Rat Expressway in the Rama IX area to Lad Krabang district.

Mr Surachet said that Exat needed to negotiate with King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Lat Krabang, regarding the project’s impact as the new expressway’s entrance and exit will be built in the Lat Krabang community.

After those issues are settled, Exat will move ahead with the construction design. The Department of Highways (DoH) initiated the expressway project before transferring it to be overseen by Exat last July.

At that time, DoH estimated the project investment would be about 29.5 billion baht. Exat plans to lessen the budget investment, he said.

Exat will conduct four more public hearings before starting the design and study stages. The project design is expected to take about one year or might be completed by next September.

The project will be submitted for cabinet approval in 2025, Mr Surachet said.

The bidding is expected to start in 2026 before construction begins in 2027. Construction is expected to take at least three years, he added.

First group of Thais return from Israel

Somboon Saewang, 35, told the media he lost six friends who were sheltering in the same work camp during a Hamas attack in Israel.

Mr Somboon was among the first group of 41 Thai workers who returned from Israel to the waiting arms of their families yesterday.

He belonged to a group of 15 who returned with the government’s help via the Foreign Affairs Ministry; the other 26 returned by themselves.

The Nan-born labourer said he was glad to return to Thailand finally.

Mr Somboon said before the repatriation, he and 10 other Thais working at the same place had to live separately in three safe rooms after the Hamas attacks.

He said he and four other friends were rescued by Israeli soldiers while the other six who hid in another room were all killed by Hamas militants.

“[The militants] tried to hold us hostage. The other group were killed maybe after they heard a knocking sound and opened the door,” he said.

Mr Somboon said he then heard another round of gunfire, but it was shooting from Israeli soldiers who came to rescue them.

“[I and my other friends who survived] are traumatised by the loss. It makes me not want to work overseas again for the rest of my life,” he said.

Mr Somboon and the other 14 labourers arrived in Thailand at 11.22am yesterday on an El Al flight. Two of the returnees were injured and put in wheelchairs.

At the airport, Yanisa Thaweekaew, told her son Supipat Kongkaew, who worked on a farm about 2km from the Gaza Strip, that she was overjoyed to welcome him home.

Monthakan Samaming hugged her husband at the airport. She said she was more than happy to have him back.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Labour Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn, Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang, and Deputy Public Health Minister Santi Promphat were among those who welcomed the workers home.

The 15 Thai workers were later taken by bus from the airport to the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute to be screened for diseases, where they were also presented with 15,000 baht in compensation.

A second group of 140 labourers will return via Royal Thai Air Force aircraft and arrive at the Royal Thai Air Force Airport; no specified date or time was made public.

Some, however, were not as lucky as Mr Somboon. Surangkhana Khunsi was the mother of Pongsathorn, 25, the Nakhon Ratchasima local whom Hamas militants took hostage.

The woman was later left heartbroken upon learning that her son, whom she called “Green”, was among the 21 Thais known so far to have been killed in the attack.

Wants loans to fund Northeast line work

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will ask the cabinet to approve the funding for the second phase of double-track upgrades between Khon Kaen and Nong Khai next week, according to Department of Rail Transport director-general Pichet Kunathammarak on Thursday.

The construction and investment plans for the second phase of the upgrades, which is expected to cost 29.7 billion baht to complete, will be forwarded to the cabinet on Monday, along with the opinions of the Budget Bureau and the National Economics and Social Development Council (NESDC), he said.

On Monday, he said, the SRT will seek the cabinet’s approval to borrow the funds required to upgrade 167 kilometres of track between Khon Kaen and Nong Khai. The loan will be repaid by the Budget Bureau using the government’s annual budget.

The cabinet will also be asked to allow it to start expropriating land to make way for the construction, he said, adding if the proposal gets approved on Monday, the process should be done by June next year.

Furthermore, the DRT chief said contractors will be invited to bid online for the project, which is expected to take three years to complete. Construction, he said, should begin in May next year.

The double-track upgrades are meant to improve connectivity to the northeastern region and beyond. It will run alongside the kingdom’s first high-speed rail (HSR) line, which will initially connect Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima.

Deputy Transport Minister Surapong Piyachote said the first phase of the Northeastern HSR will be completed by the end of the year.

The line will also be integrated with the planned HSR link to Greater Bangkok’s three main airports, Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports.

The plan to carry out double-track upgrades along a 45-km stretch of track between Hat Yai district in Songkhla and Padang Besar in neighbouring Malaysia, which is estimated to cost about 7.86 billion baht, will be brought forward to later this year. The project was initially scheduled for 2029, but the government is keen to promote and facilitate border trade by developing the region’s transport infrastructure, he said.

Transport officials have already been told to submit their proposal for the Hat Yai-Padang Besar double-track upgrade to the SRT board by next week. The cabinet will review it in November, he said.

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) office has launched a fact-finding probe into the death of a non-commissioned officer cadet who died after a training session in Songkhla on Tuesday.

The investigation into the death of Pakorn ‘Bright’ Niamrat, 26, who died during cadet training at the Than Muk camp in Sadao district of Songkhla was now underway, said national police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol yesterday.

Pol Gen Torsak said he had ordered a thorough inquiry and remedial assistance to be made available to the family of the dead cadet.

The probe was necessary to ensure fair treatment for all sides. The Border Patrol Police (BPP), to which Pakorn was attached, have offered their condolences to his family.

Pakorn first arrived at the camp for basic training on Oct 1.

According to the RTP, Pakorn joined 99 other cadets in the training. Cadets were asked beforehand if they suffered from any underlying illnesses.

The training began at 5.30am on Tuesday with the stretching of muscles for 20 minutes, followed by a 7-kilometre walk-and-run session.

Six kilometres into the session, Pakorn was visibly disoriented and collapsed and became unresponsive. According to paramedics, he had a temperature of 37.5C.

Pakorn was rushed to Sadao Hospital, where doctors established he had developed a severe case of sepsis. He was then referred to Hat Yai Hospital, where his heart stopped beating.

Pavitra, who is Pakorn’s sister, said she had been told her brother was too weak to run the entire circuit. However, he had to be carried by friends to complete the running course on the trainer’s instructions. She asked if the training was excessive.

A fact-finding investigation into the death of a non-commissioned officer cadet who passed away after training in Songkhla on Tuesday has been launched by the Royal Thai Police ( RTP ) office.

Pakorn ‘ Bright’ Niamrat, 26, passed away while undergoing student teaching at the Than Muk tent in the Sadao area of Songkhla, and an investigation into his death is currently ongoing, according to federal police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol yesterday.

Pol Gen Torsak declared that he had mandated that the family of the deceased student been given access to a thorough investigation and restorative assistance.

To maintain good cure for all parties, the probe was required. Pakorn’s family has received condolences from the Border Patrol Police( BPP ), to which he was affiliated.

On October 1, Pakorn first arrived at the station for basic instruction.

Pakorn joined 99 another recruits in the training, according to the RTP. If the cadets had any actual illnesses, they were questioned ahead.

Tuesday morning at 5.30 am, the teaching started with 20 minutes of muscle stretching, followed by a 7-kilometer walk and run program.

Pakorn was obviously disoriented, collapsed, and became unresponsive six kilometers into the session. He had a warmth of 37.5C, according to paramedics.

Pakorn was taken urgently to Sadao Hospital, where it was discovered that he had experienced severe fever. After that, he was taken to Hat Yai Hospital, where his brain stopped.

Pakorn’s girl Pavitra claimed to have been informed that her brother was too frail to complete the entire circle. To follow the instructor’s instructions and finish the running course, he had to be carried by friends. If the education was increased, she questioned.

The deputy finance minister welcomes examination and declares that the program will abide by all applicable laws.

The state has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the distribution of its 10,000-baht digital bag will adhere to all applicable laws and that review of the program is always encouraged.

According to reports that the National Anti-Corruption Commission ( NACC) was keeping an eye on the scheme for potential policy corruption, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat responded on Thursday.

He added that everyone involved in carrying out the 560 billion baht program would work more thoroughly and that the anti-graft agency was encouraged to do so.

Mr. Julapun stated that he was prepared to explain its specifics to the NACC if asked at a conference of the committees overseeing the program.

Representatives from the Bank of Thailand, Budget Bureau, National Economic and Social Development Council, and Ministry of Commerce attended the meeting on Thursday.

The State Fiscal and Financial Discipline Act, the Royal Decree on Criteria and Procedures for Good Governance, and Mr. Julapun stated that the government may implement the plan in accordance with these three associated rules.

We will be protected by adhering to the three regulations. This will aid & nbsp, guarantee the transparency and worthiness of the scheme, he said.

According to Mr. Julapun, the nation’s economy has grown by an average of 2 % per annum over the past ten years, which is lower than that of other nearby nations.

According to him, a signal program is obviously necessary to jump-start the market, and the gross domestic product should increase by 5 % annually.

For maximum impact, he added, the submission of 10,000 baht in online currency to each Thai national over the age of 16 may begin by the beginning of the following year. & nbsp,

The question of whether rich people will receive the money is also up for debate. The money should only be given to those who actually need it, according to many economics.

Due to the lengthy process of forming a government following the May 14 poll, Mr. Julapun stated that the budget distribution for the 2024 fiscal year, which started on October 1, has been postponed. Therefore, a cash stream treatment is required in the first quarter of the following year to make up for the shortfall and boost the economy.

The main watchdog, Somsak Suwansujarit, stated that he had received a request asking for an exploration into the legality of the digital budget program under the constitution and other pertinent laws.

Wirangrong Dabbaransi, the leader of the group known as the Network of Universities for Reform, submitted the complaint and asked the watchdog to send it to the Constitutional Court for a decision. Researchers also signed it.

Mr. Somsak stated that since the government has not given clear instructions on how the program will operate, more information about it and thoughts from pertinent agencies may be gathered.

The watchdog will send the problems to the authorities for an explanation once the specifics are evident, he said.

One day after leaving his home, a person in Nakhon Si Thammarat had contacted authorities about turning himself in.

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: A smith who just escaped before authorities searched his rented home on Wednesday returned to his property ready to give up but ended up killing himself by shooting himself.

Weerayut Pantharangsi, 32, was discovered dead on Thursday inside his home-cum-factory at the Muang district’s Kan Kheha 2 cover house.

At around 1:00 p.m., Nakhon Si Thammarat police captain Pol Maj Gen Somchai Suetortrakul led officers to the field for inspection.

The apartment was securely locked from the inside. Weerayut was lying in a pool of blood close to the door when the soldiers first arrived at the house. He was holding a revolver in his right side and was shot in the head.

Weerayut’s family and friends claimed to have spoken with police about his intention to turn himself in after fleeing his home on Wednesday as part of a global assault on illegal firearms.

He reportedly told his family that he wanted to give up in order to avoid putting them in danger. They speculate that he may have made the decision to commit suicide on Thursday due to anxiety over upcoming legitimate action regarding the production of firearms. He had acne, a skin condition, as well.

Weerayut was able to spot their appearance and flee when police raided his home on Wednesday thanks to a superior surveillance system.

In addition, the home had a well-equipped workshop with electrical and mechanical tooling equipment, numerous handmade gun barrels, and replica weapons, including assault rifles. In addition, & nbsp,

Weerayut Pantharangsi, a gunner in Nakhon Si Thammarat, was discovered dead inside he had been shot in the head. Police are investigating his system. ( Image: Nujaree Rakrun )

According to Pol Maj Gen Somchai, the suspect called police on Thursday at 9:45 a.m. to declare he would turn himself in at the home.

Around 12.45 p.m., researchers went there with the suspect’s family La – or Pantharangsi. The home was secured. There was no answer when his mother repeatedly called her brother and knocked on the door. She therefore requested that the door be broken open by the authorities and discovered her brother dead.

Anuwat Sribua and Jinnawat Promkarn, two men connected to Weerayut’s illegal firearm business, were earlier detained by police.

While Mr. Jinnawat was tasked with delivering packages and was paid between 300 and 500 baht each moment, Mr Anuwat had been hired by the smith for 1,500 Baht to opened a bank account to obtain cash payments.

Weerayut had reportedly spent three days in jail for drug and weapon offenses. He was selling improper firearms online at the time of his death.