Bangkok governor surprises overpass workers with hurry-up visit
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt has issued an urgent instruction to contractors to ensure the new overpass over the Na Ranong intersection in Klong Toey district is ready for public use on Thursday, after finding out many parts of the project remain unfinished.
In a live and announced visit posted to his Facebook page, the governor asked workers whether they expected to finish on time, and also noted that many parts of the overpass remain far from ready for business.
Mr Chadchart told the team on site to speed up their work as he pointed out various spots that were incomplete and urged them to work day and night to meet the deadline.
The Department of Public Works signed a contract with Sahakarn Wisavakorn Co Ltd in 2018 that specified the overpass would be ready in 2021. Work began in 2018 with a budget of 1.47 billion baht.
A source said the Bangkok governor took an interest in the matter on June 5 last year following a spate of complaints about the delay, which was caused by a technical issue and the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new four-lane overpass will connect the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre along Ratchadaphisek Road, crossing the Na Ranong intersection and extending to Nonsiwitthaya School.
Motorists also complained about potholes around railway tracks on the road. Mr Chadchart has told his deputy, Wisanu Subsompon, to make sure the State Railway of Thailand gets them fixed.
Pheu Thai supporters’ group urges split with Move Forward
A group of Pheu Thai Party supporters on Sunday urged it to let the Move Forward Party form a coalition government without its help, expressing frustration against “disrespect” shown towards Pheu Thai.
The Pheu Thai leader said he would take the group’s opinion into consideration.
A group of red-clad supporters showed up at Pheu Thai’s headquarters to express their views.
Leading the group, Niyom Nopparat said they wanted Pheu Thai to withdraw from the Move Forward Party’s effort to form a coalition government because Pheu Thai had been “disrespected” in the process.
“The Pheu Thai fanclub wants to urge parties to think carefully if a government can be formed without the Pheu Thai Party,” he said.
The group’s appeal came as Pheu Thai and Move Forward were arguing over the House Speaker’s position.
In its statement, the group wanted Pheu Thai to let Move Forward, as the election winner, try to form a government first. If Move Forward fails to do so, Pheu Thai would take its turn because it won the second most House seats.
Meanwhile, Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said the party would carefully consider the group’s proposal.
“The party is listening to opinions from all parties, especially from supporters who the Pheu Thai Party must value,” Dr Cholnan said.
The Pheu Thai leader said Move Forward would have a meeting with coalition allies on Tuesday and he expected they could agree on the identity of the House Speaker.
“We must find the most promising conditions for our collaboration… There must be give and take. There cannot be a total winner or loser. Then everyone will be happy,” Dr Cholnan said.
PM Lee cleared to return to work after recovering from COVID-19
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Bali to crack down on foreign tourists using crypto as payment
DENPASAR, Bali: Bali’s provincial government will crack down on foreign tourists using crypto as a means of payment in hotels, restaurants, tourism destinations, shopping centres and other places. “Foreign tourists who behave inappropriately, do activities that are not allowed in their visa permit, use crypto as a means of paymentContinue Reading
Police bar Chinese bribe suspect from leaving Thailand
Police seized the passport and blocked the departure of a Chinese journalist arrested for allegedly demanding a multi-million-baht bribe from a suspected Chinese gangster to arrange for charges against her to be dropped.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said on Sunday police had turned down Guo Rui aka Gegee’s request to leave the country “to attend a meeting” in Hong Kong.
Police prohibited the woman from leaving Thailand because she was a suspect and her passport had to be seized, Pol Gen Surachate said.
Ms Gegee, who is also a businesswoman, was detained on Friday for allegedly demanding 33 million baht in exchange for arranging the dropping of charges against another Chinese woman whose Thai name was Navaporn Phakiatsakul. Ms Navaporn is an alleged leader of a criminal syndicate involved in fraud, surrogacy and human trafficking. She reportedly paid 14 million baht to Gegee.
Ms Gegee has reportedly lived in Thailand for decades. She used to be a reporter and work as an interpreter facilitating communications for police and Chinese businesspeople in the country.
Pol Gen Surachate said interrogators had temporarily released Ms Gegee on bail of 3.5 million baht because she had not been arrested, but only called to acknowledge charges.
The deputy national police chief said Ms Gegee had worked for police as an interpreter since he was the tourist police commander. Her service included working on Ms Navaporn’s case.
He said police had evidence to prove that Ms Gegee received 14 million baht in cash from Ms Navaporn in March when Ms Navaporn had not been in jail.
Pol Gen Surachate said he learned that Ms Gegee had used her close connection with him to demand bribes on mulitiple occasions, but police had strong evidence only in Ms Navaporn’s case. He said Ms Gegee’s husband was also involved.
He said Ms Gegee met him at 10am on Sunday to discuss her case and he had police interrogators record her account.
150kg crystal meth seized in Korat, 2 arrested
NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Two men were arrested and 150 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine seized after police intercepted two cars for a search in Pathai district of this northeastern province on Sunday, Region 3 Provincial Police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Somprasong Yenthuam said at a media conference.
A checkpoint was set up on Mitrapap highway in Pathai district following a tip-off from informants that a quantity of drugs would be driven through the area in two sedans.
On Sunday morning, police manning the checkpoint intercepted a white Toyota Yaris and a white Toyota Camry that matched the descriptions given by the informants. The first car stopped for the search while the second car made a U-turn and sped away.
Two men in the first car – Kesorn Weluwanarak, 58, the driver, and Khamdaeng Chanhom, 50, the passenger – were arrested.
The car that sped off was chased by police and later found abandoned at Wat Sisuk temple in tambon Don Chomphu in Non Sung district. The driver had fled.
On the back seat, police found a big bag containing packages labelled as dried durian. The packages actually contained a total of 150kg of crystal meth, also known as ice.
Sing Buri man bleeds to death after 12 teeth removed
A fact-finding investigation is underway into the case of a 64-year-old man who reportedly died at a hospital in Sing Buri province from bleeding after getting 12 teeth removed, according to the Thai Dental Council’s statement posted on social media on Sunday.
The statement said after learning of the case from media reports the council had sought more information from dental experts from the Royal College of Dental Surgeons and the hospital which provided treatment for the man who died.
It was initially reported the man, identified only as Somsak, was admitted to the hospital for treatment of a blood infection thought to be caused by caries and periodontal disease in many of his teeth. The dentists decided to remove those teeth to eradicate the source of infection.
It is hoped that the investigation would help establish the actual cause of death, the statement said.
While the investigation is underway members of the public should respect the privacy of all concerned, pending a probe result that will be announced in full to the public, the statement added.
Chanthana Khumkrong, a daughter of the 64-year-old man from Bang Rachan district, said her father was admitted to the hospital on May 12 for the treatment of cirrhosis. On May 15, the hospital said her father was suffering from a blood infection and that he must be put on medication until May 28.
On May 23, she was told by the hospital that her father had 12 decayed teeth that needed to be removed. The first seven teeth were removed that day and the other five on the following day, when her father began bleeding profusely and died.
The man’s body was moved from the hospital on May 25 to Wat Sadao temple in tambon Mae La, Bang Rachan district, for funeral rites.
Thailand says 1 million Chinese tourists visited from January to mid-May
BANGKOK: Thailand received one million Chinese tourists between January and May 18, a government official said on Sunday (May 28), after China’s border reopening. The government expects the number of Chinese visitors to meet its target of 5 million this year, with spending of 446 billion baht (US$13.18 billion), governmentContinue Reading
Modi inaugurates new parliament building as part of New Delhi’s makeover
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s new parliament building on Sunday (May 28), a modern complex which is part of his Hindu nationalist government’s grand plan to give a makeover to the British colonial-era architecture in the nation’s capital. The inauguration, and the ongoing revamp of the heartContinue Reading
Taipei restaurant dishes up giant isopod noodles for adventurous patrons
Giant isopods – a distant cousin of crabs and prawns – are the largest among the thousands of species in the crustacean group, the NOAA Ocean Exploration said on its website. They are usually found about 170m to 2,140m deep in the ocean, with 80 per cent of them livingContinue Reading