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German tourists visit hot spot
6 million baht damage to tour bus
Saksit Meesubkwang
A tour bus belonging to Thai Laser travel and carrying
German tourists from Bangkok caught fire on the Song-Ngao Road. Fire engines
and firefighters took almost an hour to control the blaze, which caused a
traffic tailback for two kilometers.
The passengers escaped with no injuries and most of their
belongings but the damage was estimated at around six million baht.
The driver, Sarawute Sookasem, told the police that the
tour group was traveling from Phrae to Chiang Rai and an air conditioning
unit suddenly burst into flames.
The tour company sent another bus to pick up the German tourists and they
continued the trip to Chiang Rai, a little shaken but with an interesting
story to tell their friends at home about the hot time they had in the
North.
Roads, bridges and dams destroyed in Mae Hong Son
Chiangmai Mail Reporters
Heavy rain at the end of July and the start of August
caused great damage in Mae Hong Son. Roads and bridges in the area were
destroyed.
Residents of several villages could not get home as a
road and three log dams collapsed. The provincial authority has assigned
every district to survey damage in all areas and aid affected residents
promptly.
Huay Kaew and Chiang Mai-Lamphun roads to be widened
Saksit Meesubkwang
Deputy Mayor Pitak Tontisak disclosed that Chiang Mai
municipality has decided to widen Huay Kaew and Chiang Mai-Lamphun roads as
they are too narrow for today’s traffic, especially during rush hours.
Once again, the justification for the expenditure was the
much used “Chiang Mai will be the center of northern tourism in future.”
Huay Kaew Rd. will first be widened by an additional
three meters on each lane, starting from Hua Lin Corner intersection up to
Phucome intersection. To avoid traffic jams, a lane at Kad Suan Kaew store
will be constructed first and another lane later. The budget is 30 million
baht,
Footpaths also will be constructed, and Lanna style lamps
built.
Chiang Mai-Lamphun Rd. will have street lighting and
bicycle lanes added. That route was backed by MP Payap Shinawatra and the
estimated budget might be 40 million baht.
Mayor Boonlert Buranupakorn told residents that there may be difficulties
during construction, but it would eventually be much better. A statement
very similar to that heard about the over and underpasses.
Chiang Mai judged the most livable town out of 22 municipalities
Nopniwat Krailerg
Mayor Boonlert Buranupakorn revealed that Chiang Mai
Municipality is to campaign for the public and all government agencies to
raise the standards of Chiang Mai itself as a good tourist destination. He
wants to see it recognized internationally again after it was voted 5th as a
dream destination by a leading American tourism industry publication. In
addition, Chiang Mai Municipality was also placed 1st as the country’s
most livable town even though in some areas there is room for improvement,
most of which graces the front pages of this newspaper.
Last year National Geographic pointed out that Chiang Mai
was becoming an ugly town, especially environmentally, but now that things
are changing for the better he would like that magazine to return and carry
out a re-evaluation. However, he did acknowledge that it was the article in
question that led Chiang Mai Municipality to coordinate with the provincial
administration and relevant organizations to review and seek out ways to
rectify the situation.
These standards have to be adhered to and the remaining
weak points improved upon, especially environmental issues, which are in
urgent need of rectification because Chiang Mai is a tourist destination, he
said.
It was the National Health Promotion Office which judged
Chiang Mai Municipality as the most livable town in the country, out of
twenty-two municipalities. The decision was made by looking at five aspects:
safety, cleanliness, quality of life, maintenance of goodness and culture.
Chiang Mai was placed 4th for safety. In the cleanliness department Chiang
Mai came 10th, but was placed first for quality of life. In maintenance of
goodness, Chiang Mai placed 4th and for culture placed second.
Chiang Mai was criticized for lack of systematic waste
disposal affecting the environment. Boonlert admitted that the problem was
difficult to solve and requires cooperation from all parties. But he
believes that the new waste disposal system from Safeco Company that is to
arrive in October and will dispose of the 300 tons of waste a day will
overcome the problem.
50 beautiful Chiang Mai women enter Miss Thailand World 2005
Nopniwat
Krailerg and Preeyanoot Jittawong
Young women from Chiang Mai and the northern region
who are self confident and beautiful, and aged between 18-25 years,
entered the Miss Thailand World 2005 pageant at Central Airport Plaza
Department Store, Chiang Mai, August 5-7.
Beautiful
Chiang Mai women show interest in the Miss Thailand World 2005 beauty
contest.
50 women have applied to be contestants with most of
them students from various education institutes to be selected as
representing the North and will continue to the final contest in
Bangkok on September 10, 2005.
Pongsakorn Thawethanasub, coordinator of BEC Tero,
the organizers, said that many beautiful ladies were interested in the
contest. The youngest was 19 years old. This year, every round of the
contest would be broadcast through TV channel 3 as a reality show and
all contestants would be recorded from the first day of application.
200 women throughout the country are expected to
apply but only 40 contestants will be chosen for further rounds in
Chiang Mai August 18-26.
Miss Thailand World 2005 is to search for a lady who has all
appropriate qualifications to be a model for Thai women, with
abilities, skills and character consistent with the term “Worthy
Beauty”. The champion will receive a diamond crown, cash of 1,000,000
baht and a car and her life will be changed overnight.
Speculators push up gold price
Gold traders want AMLO to back off
Saksit Meesubkwang
Klitcharat Hiransiri, deputy director-general of Gold
Traders Association of Thailand, disclosed that the association had
presented a petition to the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to change
the rule whereby gold agents had to report to the office if 400,000 baht
gold or more was bought with cash. They also sought clarification of other
rules.
 A
gold agent in Chiang Mai selling gold ornaments.
Investor are seeing the chance of exorbitant profits by
purchasing more gold as profits of up to 10 percent have been achieved over
the last two or three years, higher than the bank interest rate of 1-2
percent.
It is predicted the gold price will increase to not less
than 10,000 baht per one baht weight in the next one or two years because of
the weakness of the US dollar and, if not stabilized, the price might even
go as high as 15,000 baht per one baht weight.
These predictions make gold very attractive to speculators seeking large
gains and criminals trying to launder ill-gotten gains.
Chiang Mai residents profess
to care for environment
Nopniwat Krailerg
The Zoological Park Organization (under the Royal
Patronage of HM The King), and the Pollution Control Department, Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment; initiated the “Rak Chiang Mai Ruam Jai
Lode Monlaphid” (to love Chiang Mai and reduce pollution) project on
August 6 at Chiang Mai Zoo.
 (From
left) Yaowapa Wongsawat, consultant to the prime minister; Assoc. Prof.
Therdchai Choowaket, secretary-general of Prostheses Foundation and Chiang
Mai Governor Suwat Tantipat at the “Rak Chiang Mai Ruam Jai Lode
Monlaphid”.
Yaowapa Wongsawat, consultant to the prime minister, said
that it was a good starting point to stimulate Chiang Mai residents to pay
attention to environment conservation and to participate in reduction of
pollution and garbage. She made the suggestion that aluminium cans collected
from garbage could be used to produce prostheses.
Yaowapa
Wongsawat, consultant of PM receives aluminium cans from Sophon Damnui,
director of the Zoological Park Organization (2nd right).
A booth for checking exhaust pollution was not very well attended but a
few people did look at an exhibition displaying methods to reduce pollution
and the Prostheses Foundation display on how to produce prostheses.
Government Counter Service, a new choice for citizens
Preeyanoot Jittawong
In the name of energy saving, Central Airport Plaza
Department Store, Chiang Mai, in cooperation with government and private
sectors, intends to make life easier for people by opening the first
regional Government Counter Service or ‘GCS’ as one more convenient
choice for residents.
 Chiang
Mai’s first regional Government Counter Service or ‘GCS’ has opened at
Central Airport Plaza.
GCS serves all needs of clients, providing post, tax,
passport, ID card services and electric, public water and telephone number
requests, presenting petitions and information services and other juristic
services.
The GCS is at Central Airport Plaza Chiang Mai on the second floor, and
opens daily on weekdays from 10.30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on
weekends or holidays.
10 million baht village upgrade
Nopniwat Krailerg
10 million baht has been approved to assist five villages
promote themselves as handicraft villages to hopefully attract tourism. They
are producing comical items, souvenir wooden games and model sailing boats,
paper and earthenware.
“These five villages will be assisted within this year
and they will be supported as examples of OTOP villages to study and then
further expand the process to other villages. The villagers will earn more
income and we can promote those villages as a new form of tourism
destination,” said Somsak Suthisan, head of Chiang Mai Community
Development Office.
Time for registering
alien labor extended
Preeyanoot Jittawong
The Department of Employment will allow alien workers of
Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian nationalities that have registered or made a
profile record at the Department of Provincial Administration and have held
an authorized work permit for 2004, to renew the card before August 30,
2005.
Orachorn Ratanamanee, head of Chiang Mai Employment
Office, said that the office had previously offered Burmese, Laotian and
Cambodian workers a chance to renew their permits by registering before June
30, 2005, but it appeared that many had changed employers or work place,
resulting in loss of some necessary documents. Consequently the office
extended the registration period to August 30, 2005.
The Chiang Mai Employment Office also revealed that that
Laotian government had sent consular officers to approve a temporary work
abroad card for genuine Laotians to allow them to work in Thailand for four
years. The office invited all Laotians working in Thailand to call for more
details call at 0 5312 2743, 0 5312 2744-6 and Chiang Mai Employment Office
or 0 5312 2784-5 daily except Sunday.
Hmong refugees -
harassment or assistance?
Hmong refugees at Ban Huay Nam Khao village questioned
Saksit Meesubkwang
Sources in Phetchabun reported on August 3 that Hmong
refugees at Baan Huay Nam Khao, Tambon Keck Noi, Phetchabun were questioned
and investigated for the second week, while administrative officers of Khao
Kho district had received 600,000 baht for recording the data of those
refugees. A further 2.4 million baht would be used for moving Hmongs out
from Keck Noi area.
Hmong
refugees in Phetchabun rest at temporary residence.
News sources added that Phetchabun province authorities were unhappy
about the presence of the Hmong refugees because officers had to investigate
them and try to send them back, but at the expense of Khao Kho Police
Station. There was insufficient attention paid to illegal immigrants into
the kingdom, and it was claimed that Hmongs gathered in Phetchabun were
becoming a national problem that needed to be solved.
Chiang Mai residents show power and unity as admiration for HM the Queen
Preeyanoot
Jittawong
With the 73 year anniversary of HM the Queen’s Royal
Birth on August 12, 2005, Phra Boromathad Doi Suthep Foundation jointly with
monks in Chiang Mai held an admiration activity for Queen Sirikit, with 6000
attending at Chiang Mai University Convention hall on August 8.
Phra
Ratcha Sitthi Jarn, leader of monks leads all in worshiping the Triple Gems.
This activity started with parades of 1,000 novice monks,
followed by residents from various associations and different occupations
and students from 18 education institutes walking to Chiang Mai University
Hall. After that, Phra Ratcha Sitthi Jarn, leader of the monks advised all
to worship the Triple Gems and addressed the opening ceremony.
The entire group offered prayers for southern residents. At the end of
the activity, Governor Suwat Tantipat presided over a ceremony presenting
adoration supplies in front of the picture of the Queen.
6,000
people joined the parade to Chiang Mai University Convention Hall.
PM’s edict on energy saving ignored in Chiang Mai
Preeyanoot
Jittawong
PM Thaksin Shinawatra recently declared rules for energy
saving that were supposed take effect on July 15, including turning off
advertising signs and closing petrol stations at 10 p.m.
 Advertising
signs burning brightly after 10 p.m.
A survey conducted last week indicated that few are bothering to follow
the rules. This may be through complacency, or just sitting down and working
out the ‘real’ cost savings, judged by several to be very, very slight.
However, there are now not-so-veiled threats that measures may be instituted
to enforce the rules in future.
Lampang strict measures against bird flu and hemorrhagic fever gives good results
Chiangmai Mail reporters
There has been a significant drop in both avian flu and
dengue hemorrhagic fever in Lampang, according to Dr. Prasert Winichakul
Head of the Lampang Public Health office. He was comparing the avian flu
situation in Lampang between January-July this year where only five suspect
cases were discovered, compared to 23 in October 2004.
The reason for the decrease was the strict operations of
the Provincial Livestock Department in carrying out checks of birds at risk
combined with close coordination with village public health volunteers and
strict control of birds’ movements.
The dengue hemorrhagic fever situation in Lampang, from
January to the present, showed there were 119 cases - a reduction over the
previous year’s 391 cases.
Even though the results this year are very favorable, in
the rainy season there is a great risk of coming down with various types of
influenza, including avian flu which is a member of the same viral group,
and according to news reports has already returned to Vietnam and China. It
is also suspected that pigs can spread the virus to humans through abrasions
in the skin.
Chiang Mai residents discuss next year’s Songkran Festival
The name will be changed, but not much else it seems
Preeyanoot
Jittawong
200 lecturers, academics, students and residents met on
July 29 at Chiang Mai University Art Museum to conclude how to celebrate
Thailand’s New Year, the Songkran Festival, which they decided to call
“Pawenee Peemai Muang Jayia Jadai Dee”.
Pornchai
Jitnavasathien, Chiang Mai deputy mayor at the “Pawenee Peemai Muang Jayia
Jadai Dee” seminar.
An argument occurred about the true starting day of the
Songkran Festival; some claimed it should be on April 14 instead of 13, as
prescribed in ancient chronicles. It was proposed to postpone Songkran days
to 14–16 April next year to follow the Lanna calendar convention.
Several old activities were to be organized and
traditional clothes were to be encouraged during Songkran, especially for
youngsters who wore improper clothes with the boys’ baggy trousers with
crotches at their knees and girls with skimpy mini skirts.
Alcohol sales and playing around the canal were
discussed. But with so much to resolve, they decided to meet four more times
to discuss the festivities further.
Songkran Festival is an ancient and revered Lanna custom
and is an activity linking the past to the present, but modern treatment
often ignores the meaning of the tradition and gracious behavior has given
way to drunken hooliganism.
It was not reported as to whether the 200 strong meeting discussed what
should be done about the appalling road toll that occurs each Songkran.
Banning mini-skirts will certainly not achieve much as far as the death rate
is concerned. Nobody has died from over-exposure to date.
Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) discussed
Preeyanoot Jittawong
Dr. Satawat Thongsawat, Alimentary System specialist at
the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University
addressed a seminar for the public to make Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease
(known as GERD) better understood. The seminar was held at the Imperial Mae
Ping Hotel, Chiang Mai. It was the first regional seminar about the subject
and Chiang Mai was chosen to be the pilot province.
Dr.
Satawat Thongsawat, Alimentary System specialist at the Department of
Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University provides information
about Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease, aka GERD.
GERD is sometimes inaccurately referred to as “hiatus
hernia.” Gastro-esophageal reflux is the term used to describe a
regurgitation of acid from the stomach into the swallowing tube known as the
esophagus. The usual symptom is called “heartburn”, an uncomfortable
burning sensation behind the breastbone, most commonly occurring after a
meal. In some individuals reflux is frequent or severe enough to cause more
significant problems and is considered a disease process. When it reaches
that point, it is a medical condition called GERD, and not just “something
you ate.” It can be a real problem for millions of sufferers.
Doctor Satawat informed all to change their lifestyle, such as stopping
smoking, trying not to be stressed and other ways to decrease stomach acid.
“Study in USA.
Who says it’s out of reach?”
Mike Hock, CMU
The American Corner in Chiang Mai University recently had
a full house when Dr. John Driscoll dropped by to speak about developments
in U.S. university education. Teachers, parents, and students from 12 to 60
years old packed the room to hear him explain the continuing advantages of
US education, and how his institution, California State University-East Bay
(near San Francisco, California), would soon launch an innovative Special
Admission Program for international students. When fully operational, the
“Special Admit” would also encompass financial incentives such as
scholarships and/or tuition waivers.
Dr. John
Driscoll dropped by the American Corner in Chiang Mai University recently to
speak about developments in U.S. university education.
Dr Driscoll thanked IC-ACE (International Center, CMU) and the American
Corner for their efforts to explain the key factors for value and success in
U.S. tertiary education. Mike Hock of IC-ACE responded by saying their
students now enrolled at CSU-EB (including a post-doctoral candidate on a
CMU scholarship) have reported good experiences and satisfaction with the
quality of instruction and counseling. He appreciated that while
CalState-East Bay maintains a working relationship with Thammasat University
going back almost 20 years, Dr Driscoll’s team are committed to building
new ties with Chiang Mai institutions as well.
Teachers,
parents, and students from 12 to 60 years old packed the American Corner to
hear Dr. John Driscoll explain the continuing advantages of US education.
Chiang Mai municipality first municipality to produce bio-diesel?
Saksit Meesubkwang
Chiang Mai municipality claims it is the first
municipality in Thailand ready to produce bio-diesel and would put it into
production on August 12, an auspicious date since it is Mother’s Day.
Mayor
Boonlert Buranupakorn (left) at the press conference to announce the
bio-diesel oil filters.
To produce the bio-diesel, the municipality has purchased
four vegetable oil filtering machines from Chiang Mai University for 600,000
baht. These machines will be installed at four markets, Siri Watthana, San
Pakoi, Ton Phayom and Gom. The municipality can buy 2,000 liters of used
vegetable oil per day to produce bio-diesel. It is projected that the fuel
will cost four or five baht less than ordinary diesel and hopefully save 20
percent of municipal fuel bills.
This effort may prevent the discarding of dirty cooking oil and encourage
the sale of used oil to make bio-diesel. The municipality would approve
stickers of guarantee only to those who sell their used oil for this
purpose. “It is to prevent sellers using old oil to fry food that could
cause cancer and, at the same time benefit from the sale of their old
oil,” said the mayor.
Chiang Mai university athletes talk Turkey
Competing in 23rd International University Sports Federation (FISU) games
Chiangmai Mail Reporters
Patharachai Iamkad and Pathanapong Srisawat, two students
from Chiang Mai University, have been chosen to swim and fence respectively
at the 23rd International University Sports Federation (FISU) August 12-21
in Eastmere, Turkey.
Patharachai is a third year student in the Faculty of
Education. He has received silver medals Thailand swimming competitions in
2004, two gold medals from 12th Asian Sport Federation in Indonesia, a gold
medal from Ratchaburi Games, a silver medal and two bronze medals from
Suranaree Games, Thailand University Sport Federation and was in the
national team training in Kunming, China.
Pathanapong Srisawat is a third year student of the
Faculty of Business Administration. He came sixth in the Asia youth sport
competition in Taiwan, received a bronze medal from the Thailand fencing
competition in 2004 and three bronze medals from Suranaree Games, Thailand
University Sports Federation.
The two athletes have been supported at university under
sports scholarships since 2003. They are ready, and hopefully able, to bring
fame to the university as representatives of Thailand in a world class
university sporting competition.
IC-ACE and AUA to conduct Education USA peer talk
Mike Hock, IC-ACE,
International Center
As students prepare to head back to school under the US
academic calendar, IC-ACE and AUA are cooperating to arrange for four
outstanding teenagers to speak about their university experiences and
aspirations in a “Peer Talk” session from 5.30-7 p.m. on Tuesday, August
16 in the AUA Auditorium (Rajadamnern Road, Chiang Mai). The session is
free, and the program has been designed for students in Grades 10-12.
Speaking in Thai and English, “Peer Talkers” will
share personal views on their individual decision processes for selecting a
college and major, provide tips for successful university admissions and
scholarships, review their experiences studying abroad, and respond to
questions from local teenagers thinking about similar issues in the near
future.
The “Peer Talkers” are three Thais and an American.
They are freshmen/sophomore/graduating senior, studying in Santa Monica
College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Mahidol University International
College, and Duke University (heading to New York University for graduate
studies).
The Thai teenagers are graduates of CMU Demonstration
School, Chiang Mai International School, and Montfort College, while the
American teenager has been a frequent visitor to Thailand.
Pre-registration is recommended and available by calling
IC-ACE (in CMU International Center) at 0 5394 2896 or email info@ace-i.org
50,000 kg of longans disappear into thin air
That’s one way to get rid of the surplus!
Saksit Meesubkwang
The longan story is already a long one, but Pol. Lt. Gen.
Panupong Singhara Na Ayuthaya, commissioner of the Provincial Police Bureau
Region 5 has added another chapter. He said there were eight groups of
people involved in cheating the government through the longan subsidies, and
coercing producers.
Illegal
laborers found while searching longan stores.
These people, he claimed, worked hand in glove with the
many corrupt government officials. Some innocent farmers never even knew
they had been taken advantage of by these people and so participated in
protests organized by them.
He added that recently 5,000 empty boxes were found,
meaning that 50,000 kilograms had disappeared, resulting in a five million
baht loss, and the police were hot on the scent.
Police officers have searched 18 dry longan stores in Chiang Mai, Lamphun
and Chiang Rai, and have turned up much of interest. Several illegal items
have been found such as weapons of destruction, but not en masse, heinous
gambling dens and invidious alien workers. They are continuing to search for
more evidence to punish dry longan cheats, but so far, it is still empty
boxes.
Beer bar owner and customer
die from excess of beer and drugs
Saksit Meesubkwang
August 8: On learning that two foreigners had been found
dead in Boom Bim Beer Bar on Loy Kroh Road, police rushed to the scene with
a doctor from Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital.
Chiang
Mai Muang police rushed to the scene to check two expatriates after learning
they have died in Boom Bim Beer Bar on Loy Kroh Rd.
They found the bodies of two foreigners locked in a
macabre embrace on the floor next to the snooker table. Lividity
discoloration indicated that the men had been dead for not less than six
hours. Slumped unconscious in a chair next to them was their female drinking
companion, Em-on Rachayotha, 37.
Forensic investigation revealed that the men had been
sniffing powdered drugs and this, with the excess of alcohol consumed, had
probably caused their deaths.
Duangduan Inta, 34, sister-in-law of one of the deceased,
found the bodies. She was able to identify them as Charles Clayton Burgess,
38, an Australian who owned the beer bar and the other as Scott Ray
Sturgess, 41, an American tourist friend of Burgess.
She said that the two deceased men, Em-on and an American
tourist called Mark (last name unknown), drank in the bar from 2 p.m. on
August 7 to 1 a.m. the next day. She was tired and had gone upstairs to bed
but the four drinkers continued. When she awoke the next morning she found
the two dead men slumped next to the table with Em-on in a chair beside
them. About 30 bottles of beer had been taken from the fridge.
Sukanya Inta, 36, Burgess’s wife, said that she and
Burgess had been married for a year and Burgess made his living by exporting
Chiang Mai souvenirs and running the beer bar. Her husband loved drinking
and always consumed large quantities of beer but had never passed out
before. She doubted that the cause of death was from over-indulgence in
alcohol.
Pol. Lt. Col. Boonlert, investigating officer, later
contacted Mark, who informed him that he had been drinking with them but had
had enough so went home. He said that they were only drinking and that,
whilst he was there, no drugs were involved.
An initial investigation of the bodies revealed no
certain cause of death but it was doubted that alcohol was the cause and no
evidence of violence was found.
The two bodies were sent to the Regional Medical Sciences
Center, Chiang Mai where powdered drugs were found in the nostrils of the
two dead men.
It was concluded that the combination of heavy drinking and drug taking
had caused their deaths. The police also found a small plastic bag beside
the dead men with a drug residue matching that in the nostrils, fortifying
the conclusion.
Former government official kills five family members
Nopniwat Krailerg
Police are investigating a murder-suicide in Baan Ubosot,
where in a shooting spree, a former government official killed five family
members before turning the gun on himself.
When police arrived at the scene, they were met with the
sight of one corpse outside the dwelling, and three more inside, plus two
injured, but one of them died after arrival at hospital.
Those dead were identified as Anucha Aroonasit, 42;
Sompong Srimuang, 62, and Jatuporn Aroonsit, 12; whilst the victim outside
the building was Phisit Prasertsupakul, 46.
Amornwadee Prasertsupakul, 40, and Araya Aroonsit were
found injured. They were admitted to Klai Mor Hospital and Maharaj Nakorn
Chiang Mai Hospitals but Araya later died at the hospital
Pimpaka Srimuang, a daughter of the killer Sompong, said
that before the tragedy occurred, she was watching TV with her father while
her mother was taking shower. Sompong then left the house and she heard gun
shots. Her mother shouted, asking her what had happened. She ran from the
house and saw Phisit already dead - her father then turned back inside the
house and shot everyone. They were all begging him to stop shooting but he
calmly reloaded his .38 revolver and shot all in the house and grabbed hold
of Jatuporn, his niece, before shooting himself.
The daughter added that her father used to be a
government official working at the Ministry of Agriculture in Chiang Rai but
retired early. Local villagers said that Sompong was a kind and good person
and everyone loved him - he was even selected to be president of the SML
village, a government project to support residents. Two days before the
tragedy happened, at a meeting among villagers and the village head, he
spoke unusually and he appeared different from normal.
Teenage hooligans try to force gas station attendant to refuel after 10 p.m.
Nopniwat Krailerg
The PM’s edict to close gas stations at 10 p.m. has
ended up causing a pump attendant severe injuries.
Phiban Toongmala, 33, was guarding the station on August
5 when three teenagers tried to refuel their empty motorcycle but, being a
law abiding citizen, he refused. They attacked him to try and make him open
the pumps but he defended himself with a piece of wood and they fled.
He continued to guard the area when the teenagers, having
found some fuel somewhere else that was ignoring the Prime Ministerial
edict, returned and attacked him. In the ensuing fracas, they cut open his
head and wounded the arm that he had raised to defend himself. He was taken
to Klai Mor Hospital where he required many sutures to the wounds.
The police did arrive on the scene of the assault, but
too late, and found only a pool of blood beside the locked pumps.
Four young Burmese arrested
in a famous Chiang Mai karaoke
Perhaps they couldn’t sing?
Nopniwat Krailerg
Four young Burmese women decided to become karaoke
hostesses where they could earn more money instead of working as housemaids
or construction site laborers, but the plan went awry when they were
arrested by immigration police.
Pol. Capt. Nakhorn Achimuangsaen, asst. inspector at the
Chiang Mai border checkpoint and colleagues inspected Ten Karaoke on
Wangsing Kham Road, Chiang Mai after they received complaints that Burmese
women had been employed. They found many singers and hostesses and asked for
their ID Cards and discovered the four girls aged about 20. The girls were
arrested and charged with working illegally.
Prachaya Chatwararat, 28, the manager of the bar, was
charged with employing illegal aliens. There have been numerous reports of
aliens working illegally, especially as “hostesses” in karaoke bars and
more inspections are to follow, as these women could be putting local girls
out of a job.
Gang logging teak
in Mae Hong Son surprised
But small fish with chainsaws only
Saksit Meesubkwang
On July 31, 80 officers of various forces surprised a
gang illegally logging in a forest between Baan Sai Ngam and Ban Na Ja Long
at Tambon Mae Na Teong in Pai, Mae Hong Son. 90 large teak logs were found,
plus 15 motorbikes and two saws, while the 80 officers managed to round up
four offenders who were promptly arrested. They were identified as Boonchuey
Somke, 45; Pankaew Yodmoon, 51; Somboon Thepbu, 46; and Moon Oonyao, 42.
They all were Mae Hong Son residents living in Pai district. The four
offenders were sent to Pai Police Station for prosecution process and the
evidence was dragged in as well.
Jumlong Nenyam, Pai district chief officer, said that the
tree cutting gang was a large one and some government officials took part in
the dealings, but there was no evidence to prosecute them, so the district
office had to be content with Pai residents informing officers if illegal
logging was going on.
He added that one cause of increased logging was rapid
tourism growth leading to construction of houses and resorts. The
attractions of Mae Hong Son are the natural surroundings and if it that was
destroyed, there would be little to attract tourists as such businessmen
expected.
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