Asia (Page 2,411)

Cases noted among HIV-positive males as BMA steps up prevention campaign among high-risk groups

A total of 136 monkeypox cases have been found in Bangkok, including some among HIV-positive patients, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Of the total number of cases, 133 are male and three female, BMA spokesman Aekvarunyoo Amarapala said on Wednesday, adding that 117 are Thai nationals and 19 are foreigners.

He said the BMA surveillance database showed that 121 of the patients identified as homosexual and some were also HIV-positive.

Mr Aekvarunyoo said the BMA has a proactive surveillance system in which it tracks an outbreak from case reports and from individual investigation of every mpox case. 

As well, the BMA is working with district offices and NGOs to promote mpox prevention in high-risk areas such as spas and saunas. Prevention is also promoted in specialised clinics that treat sexually transmitted diseases and HIV patients, as well as dermatologic clinics, to curb the number of new cases. 

As part of the prevention campaign, people are encouraged to avoid sex with strangers and avoid contact with people who appear to have visible rashes or mucosal lesions. It is recommended to wash your hands frequently and avoid sharing items for personal use with strangers.

Even though condoms can prevent STDs, mpox is found to be transmissible through skin contact, Mr Aekvarunyoo added. 

“People with high risk of mpox will develop a rash or mucosal lesions on the genitals, anal area, mouth or other body parts,” he said.

“Anyone who has a history of close contacts with mpox cases must observe if they develop a fever, body ache, rash or mucosal lesions within 21 days. It is recommended to seek medical help immediately.”

Men slain in separate shootouts with soldiers were wanted for several violent crimes

Two insurgents wanted for a string of violent attacks in the restive southern provinces were killed in clashes with security officers in Nong Chik district of Pattani on Wednesday.

More than 50 paramilitary rangers were deployed to Koh Moh Kaeng village in tambon Tha Kamcham at around 4am on Wednesday following a tip-off from local residents that suspected insurgents were hiding inside a house.

While officers were surrounding the house, some men jumped from a window to flee to a nearby rubber plantation. They opened fire to cover their escape, prompting the soldiers to return fire.

After the exchange of gunfire, one armed man was shot dead. Seized from his body was an M16 rifle.

He was later identified as Wae-useng Dueraheng, 33, of Nong Chik district. A criminal record showed he was wanted on four arrest warrants in security cases.

Authorities said Wae-useng was implicated in the killing of two paramilitary rangers in Nong Chik district on Sept 11, 2018; a gold shop robbery in Na Thawee district of Songkhla on Aug 24, 2019; the fatal shooting of Supawadee Rithphet in tambon Bang Khao of Nong Chik on April 23, 2019; and a shooting attack on Sananwit Wongsakon in tambon Lipasa-ngo of Nong Chik on April 2, 2014.

At around 5am, security officers asked local leaders to help persuade other people inside the house to surrender. Kosem Muneemusee, 53, and three family members subsequently ran out.

During questioning, Mr Kosem told officers that he and his family members lived in the house. Two days ago, he came back from work and found two men inside. The strangers asked to stay and he did not question them much until soldiers surrounded the house on Wednesday.

At around 6am, the officers were still trying to persuade the other man who was hiding inside to surrender. However, there was no response.

Lt Gen Santi Sakuntanak, the Fourth Army commander, instructed soldiers to try to negotiate with the suspect to surrender to prevent losses on both sides.

At around 10am, soldiers decided to conduct a raid and asked the owner about the layout inside the house. They searched all the rooms but did not find the suspect.

They later spotted a modified section at the back of the house. When they pulled back the linoleum they found a makeshift wooden door that led to a secret room. The suspect, who was hiding in the room, immediately opened fire. The officers returned fire and kept asking him to surrender. However, the man fired more shots.

After a clash that took about one hour, the man was shot dead.

Authorities identified the suspect as Roki Sidae, 32, of Nong Chik. Seized from his body was a 9mm handgun with a box of ammunition.

He was wanted on three arrest warrants in security cases: an arson attack on a convenience store at a PTT station in Nong Chik on Nov 2, 2016; a bomb attack on the Nong Chik police station on Jan 18, 2019; and a bomb attack on a Bangchak petrol station in Nong Chik on Aug 17, 2022.

Pol Maj Gen Piyawat Chalermsri, deputy commissioner of the Provincial Police Region 9, and Pattani police chief Pol Maj Gen Arsan Chansiri, inspected the scene of the clash on Wednesday.

Pol Maj Gen Piyawat asked officers to search areas in tambon Tha Kamcham for other suspected insurgents who might be in hiding in houses in the area.

Since January 2004, the southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have been the scene of sectarian armed conflict that has claimed over 7,000 lives, about 90% of them civilians.

Police seized four illegal mobile phone transmission antennas and ordered corrections to 23 licensed antennas in Sa Kaeo province that had been turned to serve call scammers across the nearby border.

Details were released on Wednesday by a deputy national police chief, Pol Gen Torsak Sukwimol.

He said police had examined mobile phone antennas in Aranyaprathet district, looking for signs they were being misused by call scammers based in a “neighbouring country”.  Aranyaprathet district borders Cambodia.

They found 27 antennas that were suspiciously turned towards the neighbouring country, apparently to serve call scammers based there who used mobile phone services to deceive people in Thailand.

Four of the 27 transmission antennas were illegally installed, and police seized them. The 23 others were licensed but illegally turned to face across the order.

Police ordered the mobile phone operators that supervised the improperly positioned antennas to make corrections to stop the extension of mobile phone connectivity outside the country, Pol Gen Torsak said. He did not identify a mobile phone service providers.

During the operation, police also arrested people who were selling illegally registered SIM cards at Rong Kluea market, which is on the Cambodian border.

The deputy national police chief said police were taking similar action elswhere along Thailand’s borders as part of efforts to combat call scams.

Event planner spent 4 years behind bars in case involving disappearance of B1.6bn from university

A former event organiser, cleared by a court of charges of colluding to siphon 1.6 billion baht from a university, is pressing for compensation and a return of some of his assets that were impounded during the investigation.

Pada Buakhao has formally petitioned the Ministry of Justice after he was acquitted by a lower court of being complicit in swindling 1.6 billion baht from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL).

The ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal and the prosecution did not take the case to the Supreme Court. The acquittal of Mr Pada is now final as a result.

The embezzlement came to light after KMITL filed a complaint with police on Dec 16, 2014 against the former manager of a Bank of Ayudhya branch at Big C Srinakarin, as well as the head of KMITL’s financial division.

The university said it had found financial irregularities and asked police to investigate.

Their investigation pointed to Mr Pada’s involvement in the disappearance of the school’s money between 2012 and 2014. He reportedly worked as an event organiser with the university.

Now that he has been cleared, Mr Pada said he was entitled to compensation for the four years he spent in detention as a suspect.

In his petition, Mr Pada asked the ministry to approve the awarding of damages.

Worapan Kladwang, a justice specialist at the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, said the compensation rate for detention is 500 baht per day due to the loss of opportunity to make a living, as well as a one-off sum of 100,000 baht in lawyers’ fees.

Mr Pada also asked the ministry to help him recover some of his belongings impounded during investigation, which are now unaccounted for. He claimed they are worth about seven million baht.

In total, 40 items were seized. It is unclear how many he has been unable to recover.

Mr Worapan said he was waiting for Mr Pada to submit records of the missing items before proceeding with tracking them down. He pledged to provide his full assistance in securing their return.

Mr Pada said he has gone into business since his release, but it has not performed well after customers heard about the embezzlement news.