Thaweerat Pensalaphan
Rungnapha “Annie” Brook from Jae Hom in Lampang, a
popular actress who has been embroiled in a paternity scandal with well
known actor, Rattaphum “Film” Tokongsap, has been reported by her mother,
Chankam Meelek, to have returned home after the actor finally agreed to
forego a paternity test on their baby.
TV crews and press interview
the mother of the embattled actress.
Mrs. Chankam said that she had raised Annie alone in
Lampang after her Swiss father returned to his home country when his
daughter was on 3 months old and that Annie had started working at the age
of 12 to help with expenses.
She said her daughter has often come back to Lampang to
visit and help her out but had never told her who the father of the child
was.
The scandal unfolded when Film Tokongsap initially
refused to admit the affair and demanded a paternity test. He has finally
relented and agreed to take responsibility for the child after RS
Productions halted all of his projects.
Chiang Mai Mail
reporters
Influenza is predicted to rise as the cool season
approaches Dr. Surasing Wisarutrat, Deputy Chief of the Chiang Mai
Provincial Public Health office reported. He added that August alone saw 60
patients admitted to the hospital and that September had seen about one
hundred. He warned that at least 8 patients had already died from the flu
since the beginning of the year. The province has 60,000 flu vaccines
available for high risk patients.
The Public Health Office has issued public warnings and
sent letters to educational institutes to warm them on the proper measures
for avoiding the spread of the flu.
Reminder to vote!
By Shana Kongmun
Susan Stevenson, the new U.S. Consul General, along with
Consular Chief Andrew Vrepek and Security Chief Corey Ford paid a visit to
the Chiang Mai Expats Club on September 25 to discuss the upcoming election
and absentee voting as well as for the new Consul General to introduce
herself to members of the club.
U.S.
Consul General Susan Stevenson talks about her visit to Chiang Mai in the
90’s with the drug eradication program, flying to villages in the mountains
to cut down poppy plants and replace them with vegetable crops.
She told everyone that she was first posted to Thailand
in 1994 as Press Attache and had always wanted to come back, “Thailand is
the kind of place that stays with you.”
She informed the crowd that the U.S. Embassy estimates
around 19-20,000 U.S. citizens resident in Thailand with an estimated 7,000
of those in the North.
She listed the primary concerns for the Consulate in
Northern Thailand as well as the Embassy in Bangkok; customs reform,
promotion of the creative economy to attract more business and investment to
Chiang Mai, drug trafficking, and the need for regional stability and
concerns over the tensions with Cambodia and Myanmar. “We look to Thailand
to be one of the leaders of regional stability,” Consul General Stevenson
added.
Andrew Vrepek came on to discuss the upcoming U.S.
elections and the procedures for applying for an absentee ballot, and
stressed that each state has different regulations so voters must abide by
their state’s laws for absentee voting. He urged voters to visit
www.fvap.gov for full information on how to get an absentee ballot.
He noted that voters could mail their absentee ballots in
from the U.S. Consulate by October 13, or send it via post. Additionally he
stressed to voters that if they had not gotten their absentee ballot by then
to download a Federal write in ballot from the same website. He reminded
voters that they can register to vote in the state they last resided in, it
is not a requirement that you currently reside there. Voting electronically
is also available in many states and he suggested to voters that they check
to see if their state allows it. He urged voters to get their ballots in
early as many states require that the ballot be in the election office on
election day, November 2 this year.
Security Chief Corey Ford ended the event stating,
“Thailand is considered a low threat for crime and violence. Avoid political
demonstrations, and be cautious, but generally, Thailand is very safe.”
