EC seeks Google’s help to raise awareness on election, restrict access to fake news
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
The Office of the Election Commission (EC) on Monday sought help from Google Thailand to help launch awareness campaigns about the upcoming election and restrict access to fake news.
EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee said he sought the help during a meeting with representatives from Google Thailand.
Phermsak Lilakul, Google Thailand’s government affairs and public policy manager, led a team of staff to meet Sawaeng at the EC head office to find out about the preparations and strategies for holding the upcoming general election.
During the meeting, Phermsak briefed Sawaeng about Google Thailand’s operations that could help the EC in organising the election.
Sawaeng expressed confidence that the cooperation from Google would make the upcoming election more trustworthy and receive more public acceptance.
House can only be dissolved after EC draws up new constituencies: Wissanu
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
The Election Commission (EC) has to first finish marking out 400 constituencies before the House of Representatives can be dissolved, Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam said.
Wissanu was speaking to reporters after meeting EC Office secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee at Government House on Monday.
He said Sawaeng informed him that the EC will require at least 45 days to prepare for the general election because another 50 new constituencies need to be created in line with the new MPs election act that went into effect on Saturday.
“Apart from increasing the number of constituencies from 350 to 400, the population in some provinces has risen, while it’s dropped in others. This affects the drawing up of constituencies,” Wissanu said.
He also said that the newly outlined constituencies will then be reviewed by provincial election committees and governors before public hearings are held.
“The provincial election committees will also have to listen to the opinions of political parties that will contest in the provinces. This public hearing process will take about a month,” Wissanu said.
He reckoned that the process, including public hearings, will take all of February, after which the prime minister can dissolve the House of Representatives.
The deputy PM also said he will inform the Cabinet on Tuesday of his discussion with the EC secretary-general.
Wissanu reiterated that the House could be dissolved any day as long as the drawing of 400 constituencies is completed, because if the House is dissolved first, the election process will have to start in line with the law, and the EC may not have enough time to prepare for the election.
The election has tentatively been scheduled for May 7.
The Election Commission said on Monday it needs at least 45 days to prepare for the general election once the House term ends, in line with two new relevant organic laws.
EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee was speaking to reporters after meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam for an hour at Government House.
The MPs election act and the political parties act took effect on Saturday, laying the legal foundation for the EC to hold an election. The EC has tentatively scheduled May 7 as election day provided the House of Representatives completes its four-year term on March 22.
Sawaeng said the 45-day period is required by election law, and dismissed rumours that it was designed to help Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Asked to comment on allegations that the EC was buying time to allow Prayut’s United Thai Nation (UTN) Party to prepare for the national poll, Sawaeng replied: “People can say anything they like, but the EC works for Thailand.”
He said his talk with Wissanu, the government’s legal expert, was aimed at ensuring the election went smoothly.
Sawaeng said the EC had no way of knowing whether the prime minister would dissolve the House early on March 15, as speculated, but it would still need 45 days after House dissolution to get everything prepared to hold the election.
He said the EC would try to finish drawing constituency boundaries as soon as possible and is confident that all parties will have candidates in place for the registration period.
Sawaeng said he had also met with the Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw), a Thai human rights NGO that campaigns for democracy.
Meanwhile, a full meeting of the Election Committee had been called for Monday afternoon, when it would launch final preparations for the election.
Thailand mulls tighter regulations for possession of amphetamine
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
The Public Health Ministry is preparing a revised ministerial regulation on the possession of amphetamine tablets for the Cabinet to review.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday that the draft regulation stipulates that a person caught with one tablet of amphetamine will be considered an addict, while one with two or more tablets will be considered a dealer.
Anutin said the regulation is being prepared by a committee reviewing rehabilitation for drug addicts that he chairs.
The draft ministerial regulation aims to deal with drug dealers who take advantage of current regulations’ loopholes, he said. The regulation stipulates that a person caught with no more than five amphetamine tablets will be considered a drug addict.
Asked if the amendment will help end the scourge of drugs in Thailand, Anutin said related agencies have discussed this issue a great deal, especially the impact drugs have on children, families and society.
Anutin Charnvirakul
“The reason [behind proposing the draft ministerial regulation] is that we need strict measures and prove that legal procedures are effective,” he said, adding that there is no space in prisons to detain people involved in narcotics-related crimes.
He said the police are responsible for legal procedures, while the Public Health Ministry will seek funds for rehabilitating drug addicts.
Three more smart piers to be opened in 2023, as part of 29 planned by 2025
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Three more smart piers will be opened by this year, namely Rama VII, Tha Tien and Kiakkai, deputy government spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana said on Monday.
She said the project to build 29 smart piers across Greater Bangkok at a total cost of 942 million baht aims to facilitate travel and tourism.
She added that this project is in line with the government’s 20-year national strategy, which aims to make Thailand a developed country with security, prosperity and sustainability without leaving anyone behind.
Tipanan Sirichana
“Six smart piers were opened between 2019 and 2021, namely Marine Department, Saphan Phut, Nonthaburi, Tha Chang, Sathorn and Payap,” she said.
She added that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had presided over the opening ceremony of two smart piers on December 23 last year, namely Rajinee and Bang Pho.
She expects the remaining 18 smart piers, namely Rama V, Phra Pinklao, Pak Kret, Si Phraya, Kheaw Khai Ka, Krung Thon Bridge, Prannok, Thewet, Oriental, Ratchawong, Pibulsongkram 2, Wat Tuek, Pibulsongkram 1, Wat Khema, Wat Soi Thong, Wat Thepakorn, Wat Thepnahree and Rot Fai, to be opened by 2025.
“Once smart piers are opened, the number of passengers is expected to increase to 53,000 people daily by 2027,” she said.
Apart from construction of 29 smart piers, she said the government is also promoting the use of electric ferries to save energy, reduce air pollution and mitigate impact on environment.
These moves are in line with the government’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality and net-zero carbon emission goals by 2050 and 2065, respectively, she added.
Buddhist monks, novices can pick up vocational skills in Ayutthaya
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Students at a vocational college in Ayutthaya do not wear blue or grey, instead, their uniforms are a bright saffron – the same colour as Buddhist monks’ robes.
This vocational school in Ayutthaya’s Bang Pa-in district is unlike any other, as it was specially created to impart vocational skills to monks and novices.
The College of Skills Enhancement for Monks and Novices was set up by Wat Niwet Thammaprawat Ratchaworawihan in 2016 to mark the 60th birthday of His Majesty King Rama X, while he was still the Crown Prince.
The temple, which came under the Royal Patronage of the Crown Prince, consulted the National Buddhism Office, Culture Ministry and the Office of the National Vocational Education Commission about opening a college to enhance the skills of monks and novices.
The college provides a technical diploma and a higher diploma. For the first semester in 2016, 109 monks and novices enrolled to study one of the five courses on offer, including welding, computers, mechanics, industrial technology and computer games and animation.
The college turned to other educational institutions and businesses to seek teachers.
This year, the National Buddhism Office announced that three courses would be available for the technical diploma, namely welding, mechanics and computers.
For the higher certification, three other courses are available, namely mechanics, industrial technology and computer games plus animation.
Monks and novices can apply for the course at the college website (admission.vec.go.th) or show up in person. Applications can be submitted until April 30.
Diver discovers ‘horrific destruction’ in Trang national park
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Hat Chao Mai National Park in Trang province on Monday promised to take action after a Facebook user posted photos of discarded fishing nets strangling coral and wildlife off the coast of Koh Kradan.
Park chief Parit Narasaritkul thanked a Thai tourist for raising the alarm.
Facebook user Tat Kewngaam on Sunday posted several photos he took of fishing nets wrapped around corals as well as wildlife on a dive trip near Koh Kradan.
He urged officials to take immediate action to prevent further damage to the reef, adding that he often came across such “horrific sights” of destruction during diving expeditions in the Andaman Sea off Trang.
“I have nothing against fishermen, but please check if your actions are affecting others,” he said.
Tat added that the photos were taken not far from the head office of Hat Chao Mai National Park.
On Monday, Parit said park officials had been dispatched to investigate the area. He also promised to tighten measures to prevent fishing boats from using nets in the national park.
“We will take legal action against any boats caught violating the law,” he added.
“The park thanks all tourists and locals who have been our eyes and ears in the mission to preserve marine resources for the future generation.”
Koh Kradan is a small, 2.4-square-kilometre island popular among tourists and divers due to its sandy beaches, clear waters and abundant coral.
Most of the island comes under the Hat Chao Mai National Park, which covers 231 sqkm of coastal Trang.
Bangkok police admit to extorting 27,000 baht from Taiwanese actress
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Police officers at a checkpoint in Bangkok’s Huay Kwang district admitted to extorting 27,000 baht from a Taiwanese actress in exchange for letting her off after allegedly finding a vaping device on her.
A Royal Thai Police (RTP) source said policemen manning a temporary checkpoint in front of the Chinese embassy in the early hours of January 5 admitted to extorting the money while being interrogated separately on Sunday.
Pol Lt-General Thiti Saengsawang, commissioner of the Metropolitan Bureau, confirmed on Monday the reported confessions but did not provide details on the number of police officers in question, their rank, position or names. He added that the investigation team led by him has yet to make a formal announcement of the findings.
The RTP, already reeling from a series of scandals, was hit again when Taiwanese actress Charlene An (An Yu-qing) posted a TikTok video earlier this month alleging that she and her friends were stopped at the checkpoint in the early hours of January 5 and police planted a vaping device on her before demanding 27,000 baht to let her go free.
Thailand bans the import and sale of e-cigarettes and the possession of vaping devices is unlawful.
An claimed she and her friends were held at the checkpoint for two hours and were only let go after they paid the bribe. However, footage from several security cameras in the area proved that her allegations were inaccurate, as she was seen holding and using the vaping device before being stopped by the police. CCTV footage also showed that she and her friends were held at the checkpoint for 47 minutes, not two hours.
While footage from security cameras appeared to contradict her account, whistleblowing former politician and massage parlour tycoon Chuwit Kamolvisit came to her rescue on Monday, saying he had a clip showing one of An’s friends paying the bribe to a plainclothes policeman.
Chuwit also alleged that Metropolitan Police Bureau had deleted some footage to cover up the extortion.
Thiti said on Monday that investigators have now shifted to filing charges under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, which bans officials from carrying out malfeasance or nonfeasance.
“Several police officers will be charged,” he said without elaborating. “I want to apologise to everybody for some police officers’ actions that have damaged the image of Thailand and Thai society.”
‘CCTV clips not doctored’
Thiti denied that he had instructed officers to delete any video clips. He added that the body cams of police officers at the checkpoint will be sent to the Police Scientific Crime Detection Division to restore all clips that may have been overwritten or deleted.
An RTP source said on Monday that the case had been discussed extensively at the police headquarters and the transfer screening panel was told that each involved police officer confessed to extorting the money while they were being interrogated separately.
The source, who had also attended the meeting, said the bribe had been paid by a Singaporean member of the Taiwanese actress’s group.
Cover-up backfires
Huay Kwang police officers initially denied taking the bribe when An dropped the bombshell because they thought she was a foreigner and could do nothing. They also thought they could cover up the extortion because An did not file a police complaint against them.
The source added that the RTP has instructed the Metropolitan Police Bureau to re-check the backgrounds of the policemen in question to see if they had committed similar offences earlier. The source added that several complaints had been filed against Huay Kwang police officers of alleged extortion around the time of An’s incident.
The Taiwanese actress’s allegation has prompted National Police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas to instruct the Metropolitan Police Bureau to have the Huay Kwang Police Station chief transferred to an inactive post immediately, RTP spokesman Archayon Kraithong said on Monday.
The spokesman also said that the police chief had instructed the Metropolitan Police Division 1 to set up a disciplinary panel to take both disciplinary and criminal action against the policemen in question.
The spokesman said the national police chief reminded all police stations to strictly follow regulations about setting up road checkpoints.
Raising questions
On Sunday, sources said the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s fact-finding committee spent all of Sunday reviewing the information and evidence and decided that:
• The checkpoint was not properly set up in line with Royal Thai Police regulations
• The police team at the checkpoint spent more than 40 minutes searching the group and did not find a vaping device, even though footage from several security cameras before and after the group was stopped showed the Taiwanese actress had a vaping device
• The police team did not report the seizure of the vaping device, nor did they file charges against the actress for having the vaping device in possession
As a result, the fact-finding panel concluded that the police team violated Section 157 of the Criminal Code by committing dereliction of duty. The case will be handed over to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to launch a graft probe against the team.
Anutin Charnvirakul
Tipanan Sirichana
An claimed she and her friends were held at the checkpoint for two hours and were only let go after they paid the bribe. However, footage from several security cameras in the area proved that her allegations were inaccurate, as she was seen holding and using the vaping device before being stopped by the police. CCTV footage also showed that she and her friends were held at the checkpoint for 47 minutes, not two hours.
Thiti said on Monday that investigators have now shifted to filing charges under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, which bans officials from carrying out malfeasance or nonfeasance.
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