Asia (Page 2,415)

The government has defended new requirements for the receipt of the elderly allowance, which replaces universal welfare payments. It said the universal welfare payments were too great a burden on state coffers.

Cabinet secretary-general Natjaree Ananthasilp said that the risk of the new rules restricting access to assistance was raised at a cabinet meeting yesterday following vocal criticism.

Social Development and Human Security (SDHS) Minister Juti Krairiksh told the meeting that if the old criteria were not revised, the government would have to shoulder costs of up to 100 billion baht a year from 2025, not to mention other expenses incurred by Thailand’s increasingly ageing society.

The new regulation was signed by Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda and published in the Royal Gazette on Friday. The changes went into effect on Saturday.

The old regulations saw local administration organisations pay universal monthly allowances of 600-1,000 baht to all elderly people, with 600 baht for people aged 60-69, 700 baht for people aged 70-79, 800 baht for people aged 80-89, and 1,000 baht for people aged 90 years and older.

The new regulation states that from Saturday, only elderly people with no income or insufficient income to cover their cost of living are entitled to the monthly allowance from the state.

However, a provisional clause in the new regulations states that eligibility for payment does not apply to people who registered for the allowance with local bodies before Aug 12, 2023, meaning those currently receiving the allowance are not affected.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said after the meeting that the new criteria are in line with the recommendation of the national committee on the elderly.

He stressed the need for prudent budget spending at present but said if the incoming government has sufficient financial resources, it can make its own spending plans.

“The number of senior citizens is increasing. Some have enough money to live on, but others don’t. So, we have to consider how much money is at our disposal,” Gen Prayut said.

Mr Juti said the next government will ensure that it has its own committee go over payments for the elderly in detail before sticking with the new measures.

“Currently, there are about 4 million poor senior citizens. With limited budget funds, the government has to help the poor first,” he said, adding that the Social Development and Human Security Ministry now receives an annual budget allocation of 8 billion baht.

“If the new government plans to offer a monthly allowance of 3,000 baht, it has to collect more taxes to fund the policy,” Mr Juti said.

The 3,000-baht figure was taken from promises made by the Move Forward Party at campaign events, he said.

Spanish chef in custody on Koh Phangan admits to killing after relationship turned sour

Most body parts of the Colombian surgeon who was slain on the tourist island of Koh Phangan early this month are still missing, according to deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn.

Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, a Spanish chef, is in custody in connection with the slaying of Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, 44, with whom he had been in a relationship before it apparently went sour.

Mr Sancho, 29, has admitted to killing Arrieta, cutting his body into 17 pieces. He disposed of some parts at sea and others at a rubbish dump on the island famed for its full moon parties.

Of the 17 body parts, nine were still unaccounted for, Pol Gen Surachate told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday at the Koh Phangan police station.

Mr Sancho, the son of a famous Spanish actor, arrived in Thailand on July 31 and his friend arrived the following day. They had booked their own hotel rooms and made arrangements to meet on Koh Phangan on Aug 2.

On that day, Mr Sancho brought the victim to his room and killed the latter there, say police.

The crime was premeditated because the Spaniard had bought a 20-centimetre-long chopping knife, large garbage bags, liquid detergent and rubber gloves on Aug 1, Pol Gen Surachate said.

In the suspect’s room, police found traces of heavy-duty cleaning in the bathroom, sink and refrigerator. Police also found bloodstains, tissue, fat and hair in the drains. Investigators believe the remains belonged to the victim.

After the body was dismembered, some parts were put in a big sports bag that was dumped in the sea. Others were put in a sack and left at a dump on the island, where local residents found them on Aug 3.

Pol Gen Surachate said the nine missing body parts included the right arm, left leg and torso of the victim and police were still looking for them.

Mr Sancho initially denied any involvement in the crime but later admitted it following intense questioning by police.

Other media reports say Mr Sancho told investigators he was trying to end his affair with Arrieta, but the latter threatened to reveal intimate photos online if he did so. Fearing the impact on his family in Spain, the chef reportedly decided to take action.

Deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn, right, holds a briefing on the Koh Phangan murder case at the local police station on the tourist island in Surat Thani on Tuesday. (Photo: Koh Phangan police station)

Move Forward MP accused of legal breach for touting brew from his home province

Criminal and ethics investigations are being sought against Deputy House speaker Padipat Suntiphada after a video of him drinking a craft beer caused a stir on social media.

Activist Srisuwan Janya went to parliament on Tuesday and called for Houser Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha to investigate his deputy on suspicion of committing an ethical violation.

Mr Srisuwan said the video broke the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which contains stiff penalties for any kind of activity seen to promote drinking.

Numerous people, including some celebrities, have been brought to book for posting pictures of themselves with a glass or bottle of their favourite tipple, on their personal social media. If a label, logo or brand name is visible, fines can range from 50,000 to 500,000 baht.

Media outlets routinely receive warnings from authorities if they carry pictures or video in their news reports of alcoholic beverages with product labels.

Mr Padipat, a Move Forward Party MP for Phitsanulok, was pictured holding up a can or craft beef produced in his home province. Move Forward has been an outspoken advocate for small-scale beer and liquor producers who face obstacles under laws that favour a handful of large and entrenched businesses.

Mr Padipat must face the music for trampling on the ethics of a political post holder, said Mr Srisuwan.

In the past, an ethical investigation against an MP was difficult to pursue, he noted.

“Even when a violation of ethics was confirmed, MPs got away with a mere slap on the wrist,” he said.

“But now ethical infringements carry a severe legal punishment under the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) law.”

He cited the example of Pareena Kraikupt, a former Palang Pracharath Party MP, who lost her MP status after the Supreme Court ruled that she committed a serious violation of political ethics by possessing state land in her constituency in Ratchaburi.

Mr Srisuwan said he planned to file a complaint with the NACC against Mr Padipat in two days.

Mr Srisuwan on Tuesday visited the Office of Alcohol Control Committee (OACC), a division of the Department of Disease Control, where he formally submitted a petition against Mr Padipat.

Mr Srisuwan said the law bars people from committing any act intended to persuade people to drink alcohol by either overt or covert means. In addition to fines of up to 500,000 baht, violators can be jailed for up to a year.

Boonyu Khorpornprasert, a member of a sub-committee studying amendments to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, said Mr Padipat had clearly tried to persuade people to consume alcohol via the video, which is an infringement of the act.

“Mr Padipat was not being reasonable to assert that the law was unfair. If he disagreed with the Act, he should push for the law to be improved. But in the meantime, he must obey it as it is,“ said Mr Boonyu.

In practice, the OACC can enforce the law against the politician right away without having to wait for a complainant to file a petition.

On Aug 14, Mr Padipat said the ban on the advertising of craft beers, which could generate economic wealth for the provinces, had deterred local brewers from putting out word about their products.

The term “advertisement” under the Act should be redefined to remove the criminal aspect from it, he said. This is because producers were entitled to advertise the contents of their craft beers so that people will be aware of what they are consuming, and the potential danger of developing allergy from drinking the beers, he said.

Mr Boonyu acknowledged that the current punishment under the Act was excessive, while major alcoholic beverage players had managed to dodge the law by displaying their brand logos at sporting events they sponsored.

Suspects sold cough syrup to make ‘4×100’ drug cocktails

Thirteen bogus pharmacists have been arrested in police raids across Bangkok, during which cough syrup was found to have been sold illegally to make the popular “4×100” drug cocktail.

The arrests followed coordinated raids, carried out by the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD), at 14 pharmacies in the capital, at the request of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Thirteen bogus pharmacists were arrested by police who also seized 156 pieces of evidence worth 1.4 million baht from the raided pharmacies, said Pol Col Supoj Phumyam, chief of Consumer Protection Police Sub-division 4.

The fake pharmacists, five of whom had not studied beyond high school, were caught dispensing medicines to customers. They were charged with practising the profession without a licence.

Police said the fake pharmacists received a monthly salary of between 12,000 and 18,000 baht. They “filled in” when the full-time pharmacists, who came into the stores once a week, were away.

They were also accused of selling cough syrup to young people who use it as a base for producing a narcotic drink known as “4×100”. The other three ingredients are usually kratom leaves, cola and a tranquilliser or pain-killer.

The raids were launched in response to a Pharmacy Council of Thailand announcement reminding pharmacies they must employ at least one full-time pharmacist.

Of the 14 raided locations, Pol Col Supoj said several were part of chains.

The investigators confiscated 24,722 bottles of cough syrup as well as 4,150 capsules of Tramadol, a controlled substance for treating pain, among other drugs, according to the sub-division chief.

Pol Col Supoj said a pharmacy would open several branches to increase its quotas of cough syrup legally permitted for sale. Each branch is allowed to acquire up to 300 cough syrup bottles per month.

The pharmacies caught selling the syrup for producing “4×100” were located mostly in the Ramkhamhaeng, Hua Mak and Lat Phrao areas.

Water levels in Chao Phraya basin still below seasonal norms because of El Nino

The National Water Command Centre (NWCC) has warned of heavy downpours in 16 provinces, despite lower water levels in areas around the Chao Phraya River due to the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Heavy rain will affect most regions, especially the North, Northeast, East, and western part of the South, until Friday, said Surasri Kidtimonton, the NWCC deputy and secretary-general of the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR).

High alerts have been issued for 16 provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Tak, Nan, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Sakhon Nakhon, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Satun and Trang.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation on Tuesday reported landslides in many areas of Phangnga, including on the Muang Phangnga-Kapong Road in tambon Tung Kha Ngok. It is working with local administrations in the area to clear the road surfaces.

Mr Surasri said rainfall volume in the Chao Phraya River basin is still low because of the El Nino phenomenon. The situation is the opposite in the Mekong River, where the water level is now high due to continuous rain.

He said the reservoirs at the four major dams in the Chao Phraya basin — Bhumibol in Tak, Sirikit in Uttaradit, Kwai Noi Bamrung Daen in Phitsanulok and Pasak Jolasid in Lop Buri — contained only 2.97 billion cubic metres of water in total, which was quite low.

A report from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) on Monday showed the water levels in the Bhumibol and Sirikit dams were at 42.6% and 45.3%, respectively.

The NWCC has been urging rice farmers to have only one rice crop this year as it expects water volumes to be insufficient for second-crop farming, Mr Surasri said.