At Ban Huai Luang of Tambon Ban Kart, local administrative officials trained villagers on how to prevent forest fires and led them to open up firebreaks around the communal areas and key sites.

Combustible materials were also destroyed by fire as a pre-emptive move.

The tambon has 11 villages at risk of brushfires.

The two measures are being carried out this whole month ahead of the two-month outdoor burning ban.

Mae Hong Son last year was the worst hit province in the country with 2,298 hotspots.

It suffered through 23 unsafe dust days, causing 24,580 people to seek medical care and 58 flights to be cancelled.

Mae Sariang alone reported 542 hotspots.

 

The suspect, Segarra, 37, is accused of killing David Bernat, a businessman who is from the same region of Catalonia in Spain.

He was arrested in Cambodia late last week and was returned to Thailand on Monday.

The police also have asked the court to reject his bail request, although he hasn’t met with either relatives or Spanish Embassy officials for that purpose yet.

Segarra, who has been detained in Bangkok Remand Prison since yesterday, denied the allegations and did not say anything during the interrogation, according to acting chief of Metropolitan Police Pol Lt-General Sanit Mahat-avorn.

“But that’s not a problem, police have ways to prove his wrongdoing,” he said, declining to detail such methods. Police believe Segarra committed the crime alone but they are trying to find out whether he had any accomplices.

Asked about his Thai girlfriend Pridsana Saenubon, Sanit said police were collecting information and evidence to prove her involvement. “Now she is under police protection [as a witness],” he said.

Sanit said police found a textbook on dismemberment in Segarra’s bedroom but suspected he might have bought it from a neighbouring country.

“But we don’t know anything about that as the suspect hasn’t said anything yet,” he said.

 

Marriage registration services will be available between 8am and 4pm on February 14 even though government agencies usually close on weekends.

Napaporn Sawasdimongkhon, who heads the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Department of Administration and Registration, said yesterday that five district offices, Bang Rak, Vadhana, Bang Kapi, Saphan Sung and Bang Khen district offices, would offer services outside their usual offices.

For example, Bang Rak District Office will provide services at the Grand Postal Building while Vadhana District Office will provides services at the Terminal 21 shopping mall.

The 33 district offices that will provide services at their usual venues this coming Sunday are: Klong Sam Wa, Khan Na Yow, Chatuchak, Chom Thong, Don Muang, Dusit, Taling Chan, Thawee Watthana, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok Yai, Bang Khunthien, Bang Kho Laem, Bang Sue, Bang Na, Bang Bon, Bang Phlat, Bueng Kum, Pathumwan, Prawet, Pom Prab, Phya Thai, Phra Nakhon, Phra Khanong, Min Buri, Yannawa, Ratchathewi, Rat Burana, Sai Mai, Suan Luang, Phasi Charoen, Nong Chok, Lak Si and Huai Khwang district offices.

Closed on the coming Sunday are Klong Toei, Klong San, Din Daeng, Thung Khru, Thon Buri, Bang Khae, Lat Krabang, Lat Phrao, Wang Thong Lang, Sathon, Samphanthawong and Nong Khaem district offices.

Other rules including: a requirement for diving operators to ask for permission to do activities in national marine park territories; a requirement for diving operators to be equipped with first-aid and life-saving equipment; if an operator’s action was deemed damaging to tourism, their licence would be revoked and they would also be fined. There is also a requirement for operators to ask about tourists’ chronic illnesses beforehand.

The rules were tabled at an urgent meeting yesterday between Krabi Governor Pinit Boonlert and tourism-related agencies including three national marine parks and marine police. Krabi has reported 10 million visitors per year including those coming from neighbouring provinces of Phuket and Phang Nga.

Yesterday Wimon Jantaralothai, Fisheries Department director, revealed the result of the fisheries policy committee’s first meeting, headed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, where it was decided to cancel Article 32 of the Fisheries Department Announcement, which required the local fishermen to register traditional fishing equipment.

Wimon said the cancellation made it so the local fisheries were not under the jurisdiction of Article 34 of Fisheries Emergency Decree, which had previously barred them from fishing beyond three nautical miles, so the fishing restrictions were unlocked for local fishermen.

“As many local fishermen demanded the government revoke Article 34, the committee saw that the cancellation may affect the entire emergency decree and ordered the revocation of Article 32 of Fisheries Department Announcement instead. Meanwhile we will set up a subcommittee to review the Article 34 amendment,” he said.

However, to control the local fishers from degrading the natural resource, he said the fisheries department will announce a new article from the department forbidding certain kinds of equipment and some sizes of traditional fishing vessels.

“The committee also agreed on the principle of a fishing quota, which it will grant to legally-registered fishing vessels first, as this will be another option to promote sustainable fishing,” he said.

He also disclosed that the committee came to the conclusion to draft a policy for four types of fisheries, which are: domestic fishing, international fishing, aquaculture and fisheries industry adding that a subcommittee will be set up to complete this task within six months.