The ministry is probing whether the names used on the social media accounts are real, and it cannot confirm that those behind the accounts are Thais who have fled the country.

The government will provide an update on the situation next week, Prajin said.

He said Thai security officials had been in contact with their Lao counterparts in a bid to resolve the issue.

The National Security Council (NSC) recently revealed that death threats against Thailand’s top two leaders, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, were made by lese majeste suspects living in living in Laos.

Last week, Prayut ordered the tracking down of those responsible.

NSC secretary-general Thawip Netniyom said the death threats were a result of the government’s plan to request that the Lao government extradite back to the Kingdom Thai dissidents wanted on lese majeste charges.

Thawip also revealed that he planned to discuss the extradition issue with his Lao counterpart at the Ministry of Public Security when he visited Vientiane in the near future.

The Foreign Ministry contacted Thailand’s embassy in Vientiane and its consulate in Savannakhet province, Laos, and ordered officials to track down the dissidents, a source at the ministry said.

However, the extradition agreement with Laos requires that crimes must not be linked to politics or religion. Authorities will have to determine if Laos has domestic laws for similar offences, the source said.

Justice Minister Suwanphan Tanyuvardhana said the OAG was empowered to seek evidence in the cases from both countries under bilateral cooperation agreements so that Thai anti-graft authorities could use the evidence to pursue legal actions against bribe recipients.

There are five bribery and corruption cases under consideration by the OAG, Suwanphan said, adding that the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) had reported that there was already preliminary evidence in which Thai officials were mentioned as receiving multi-million-baht bribes in return for deals in which THAI purchased Rolls-Royce aircraft engines from the early 1990s to 2006.

Part of the evidence was related to individuals alleged to have received illegal payments from the UK-based engine maker, but there was still missing evidence held by overseas sources that needed to be pursued, Suwanphan said.

He added that the NACC had already assigned a subcommittee to investigate the Rolls-Royce case involving the airline.

To expedite the bribery and other corruption cases, the OAG would be asked to work with UK and US counterparts to get more evidence for investigators to bring to court.

Meanwhile, the Justice Ministry and other anti-graft agencies will also study the Finance Ministry’s proposals to prevent future bribery cases regarding public procurements.

The move is a renewed effort to recheck the country’s elephant population following the issuance of an order under Article 44 of the interim constitution last September, said Parks Department chief Thanya Netithammakul on Thursday.

The article, issued under the sweeping power afforded National Council for Peace and Order chief Prayut Chan-o-cha, requires concerned agencies to register the elephants for a fresh round of DNA checks, which would then be certified along with the animals’ identification documents.

Under the order, they must finish the work by March. It project aims to help close a loophole involving the illegal smuggling of wild elephants and those incorrectly registered as domesticated elephants. The problem is rampant and severely affects the country’s wildlife conservation efforts.

Thanya said the department had collected blood samples and animal tissue, among other samples, to extract the animals’ DNA and had finished doing that with 1,261 elephants.

The department, along with the Interior Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry, are working together to amend relevant laws to better protect elephants.

At present, domesticated elephants are registered with the Interior Ministry using identification documents, which are based on the animals’ rough marks and have resulted in a loophole leading to exploitation.

CITES has raised concerns about the problem, which has opened a loophole for other kinds of exploitation of the animals, including the smuggling of their body parts.

Police arrested Xaysana at Suvarnabhumi Airport on January 19, believing him to be a major drug kingpin from Laos, after an intense investigation into his alleged network in Thailand.

Thai national Nattapon Nakkam was also arrested earlier this month due to his connection with Xaysana.

“Among his frozen assets are a Lamborghini, a Toyota Fortuner, big bikes and more. We have to check if they are ill-gotten gains from the drug trade,” Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB)’s deputy chief Pol Maj-General Pornchai Charoenwong said yesterday.

Nattapon has told police he bought the Lamborghini under the name of famous motorcycle racer Akarakit “Benz Racing” Worarojcharoendet.

Pol Maj-General Chatree Paisansilp, another deputy chief of the NSB, said Akarakit would be summoned for questioning again before the end of the month.

He said police would seek help from agencies such as the Land Transport Department, the Customs Department and the International Trade Promotion Department to determine whether the vehicle was imported legitimately.

The Office of the Police Forensic Science is now examining the Lamborghini.

Regarding the recent arrest of a Malaysian drug suspect, Kamarudin bin Awang, in Malaysia’s Kelantan state, Chatree said the NSB believed the suspect might have been known to Zainudeng Ma, an alleged drug trafficker in Thailand.

Chatree said: “We have been following Zainudeng’s movements for well over five years. We are now asking for permission from the Malaysian authorities to interrogate Kamarudin.

“We can dispatch a team to question him [in Malaysia], but later on we may also ask for his extradition.”

Zainudeng is the son-in-law of Marining Jako, known as “Ma Sibor” in Thailand, who allegedly operated a large-scale drug network.

Regarding reports that people had alerted police about an orange Lamborghini and a black Bentley without licence plates parked conspicuously at a Bangkok condo, Chatree said the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s unit focused on car thefts had parked the vehicles there pending an investigation.

Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Maj General Surachai Kuantechakupt said these two luxury cars were not related to Xaysana.

“The Lamborghini was taken into custody since 2014, and the Bentley last April, both on grounds of tax evasion,” he said.

AMBIGUOUS facts and sketchy details have triggered a fiery online debate following a middle-aged engineer’s recent fatal shooting of a 17-year-old schoolboy.

Aggressive comments on social media have led to claims that the engineer, 50-year-old Suthep Poshsomboon, and his family have received death threats, prompting them to seek protection from the Justice Ministry.

The shooting took place in Chon Buri on Saturday after an argument about parking at a local market, which was followed by a road-rage incident and a fistfight.

Suthep and his wife are scheduled to meet with Justice Ministry deputy permanent secretary Dusadee Arayawuth this afternoon, according to the official.

They will possibly seek legal advice and apply for entry into the witness protection programme because the family had allegedly been threatened, he added.

Justice Ministry permanent secretary Chanchao Chaiyanukij said the ministry had a “justice clinic” in which representatives of the Lawyers’ Council of Thailand provided legal advice to the public.

He said officials would first consider people’s status in the case – as witnesses, damaged persons or suspects – and then consider if witness protection should be granted.

Suthep is from Bangkok, as was the killed teenager.

Social media has been dominated by a heated debate regarding the incident, following strong comments in the mainstream media by the dead teenager’s mother and his friends.

Celebrities have also given their opinions on social media, sympathising with the engineer.

Actress and TV talk-show host Panadda “Boom” Wongphudee said in an Instagram message yesterday that if she were in a situation in which her elderly mother and young child were being threatened by a group of youngsters, “I would have shot them with all the bullets in the magazine”.

However, she also said that everyone involved in the incident was wrong for allowing it to happen in the first place.

Actor and singer Parunyu “Tack” Rojanawuttitum said in an Instagram message: “I would have depleted my [gun] magazine. With children and old parents in the car, I would have to protect them and would not allow you to beat them up.”

Earlier, celebrity Kiat Kitcharoen said in a Facebook message: “I am 53. Should I have to allow youngsters to beat me up just because they are young? If I have a gun and I can’t shoot, do you want me to throw it at them?”

Meanwhile, police said yesterday the investigation into the incident could take months.

Saen Suk Police Station deputy superintendent Pol Lt-Colonel Theerawat Chansriphetch said police were waiting for forensic test results on the gun and a report on the suspect’s criminal history before they could end their investigation and pass the case report to prosecutors.

He said camera footage of the incident supported evidence police already had that a group of teenagers surrounded and threatened the engineer and his family.

Both sides in the incident give different accounts of the incident on social media.

The teenagers claim Suthep had chased them and they stopped their van to “negotiate” with him but he pulled out a gun and killed the Mathayom 4 student. Suthep claims the single gunshot was in self defence because the teenagers were chasing him and allegedly surrounded his car, with his wife, mother and nephew inside.

Suthep has been charged with the lethal use of a firearm and murder and granted bail.

Rear-view camera footage available online yesterday, apparently from Suthep’s car, showed the van turning on its high-beam headlights while chasing Suthep’s vehicle.

Asked if the teenagers involved would face charges, Theerawat said Suthep had not filed a complaint. However, he said police were aware of an alleged threat against the life of Suthep on the Facebook page of the deceased student’s friend, which would entitle Suthep to file a lawsuit based on Computer Crime Act violations.

Chon Buri police chief Pol Maj-General Somprasong Yentuam said police needed time to carefully probe the “sensitive” case to ensure justice for both sides. He said police had interviewed 10 eyewitnesses and three more still had to give evidence.

Also yesterday, outspoken former politician Chuwit Kamolvisit, who was jailed for the demolition of bars on Sukhumvit Road in 2003 and released by royal pardon last year, urged society not to celebrate the shooting.

Chuwit, who has become a TV host following his release, said in a Facebook post that Suthep would be prosecuted if the court found him guilty in the shooting. He asked the public to demonstrate responsible behaviour if the engineer is jailed.

“We don’t live in an era of cowboys when people just use guns to settle arguments. When a man commits a wrongdoing, he must be punished,” Chuwit wrote.

“He shot someone dead, he will face prosecution. If you point a gun, an action for which you can foresee the outcome, it could even lead to a premeditated murder charge.”

He added that public opinion did not necessarily reflect reality.

Democrat Party politician Nipit Intarasombat said yesterday that all the facts should be taken into account in order to ensure justice for both sides. He said it had yet to be determined whether the shooting was in self defence and justified.

The former MP also cautioned against comments such as “I would deplete my gun magazine”. He said no one enjoyed being a defendant in court, particularly on a murder charge.

The National Health Security Office (NHSO), which has managed the medical-benefit scheme for the employees, announced recently that funds were running out.

If the government does not allocate Bt9 billion more from the central budget to the scheme in the next few months, available funds will run out in April. At present, the scheme covers 613,650 employees of local administrative bodies.

Dr Sakchai Kanjanawattana, the acting secretary-general of the NHSO, said yesterday that the Interior Ministry would need to provide Bt9 billion for the scheme to stay operational in the current fiscal year, which runs until September 30.

Records show the scheme’s monthly operating expenses are now about Bt466 million.

“We have already made clear to the Interior Ministry that it has to provide an additional budget. We can’t take financial resources from the universal healthcare scheme to advance the money for local-administrative-body employees, ” Sakchai said.

The NHSO has managed the universal healthcare scheme, which covers most of the population, for more than a decade.

In 2014, the NHSO agreed to manage the healthcare scheme for local administrative body employees as well at the request of the Interior Ministry.

Just like civil servants, employees of local administrative bodies are entitled to healthcare benefits provided by their employers. In principle, they are reimbursed for almost all kinds of medical treatment.

In the past, every local administrative body received a budget from the Interior Ministry and handled the budget for reimbursements. However, that changed years ago after an employee of a local administrative body committed suicide allegedly over healthcare expenses.

The Interior Ministry then asked the NHSO to help to manage the scheme to ensure local administrative body employees did not have any difficulties exercising their right to receive medical benefits.

Under the current memorandum of understanding, the NHSO will have to advance the money for the operation of the scheme and be reimbursed later if funds run out.

The NHSO, however, has insisted that it cannot shoulder such a financial burden and it is now in the process of seeking an amendment to the memorandum.

The Interior Ministry and the NHSO will hold a meeting on the budget and the proposed MOU amendment next week.

A source at the ministry said the additional budget was uncertain.

Budget for medical benefits for local administrative body employees

Fiscal Year     No of Covered Employees    No of Medical Visits    Total Expense    Per-Head Expense

2014     578,525    2.1 million    Bt3.42 billion    Bt5,913

2015    611,982    2.5 million    Bt4.65billion    Bt7,612

2016    615,157    2.8 million    Bt5.59billion    Bt9,096

Thassanee Hanpayak told the hearing at the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Court that she and her friend Thongres Wongsricha were riding a motorbike at about 7pm on March 11, 2005 when a pickup truck overtook them and crashed into bicycle rider Lua Phorbumrung. She said a 170-centimetre-tall man stepped out of the truck to look at Lua before speeding off.

She said she saw part of the truck’s licence plate as “Bor” and “56” and did not see the name of the province. She said they did not stop to help as they were in shock.

A week after the incident, she said Lua’s family asked her to testify in the case, adding that police did not ask her if the driver involved in the collision was a man or a woman, and she did not offer the information. She said she just signed the report, which police read to her due to her poor eyesight.

The plaintiff’s remaining three witnesses gave evidence yesterday morning while the prosecutor’s witnesses, four policemen and 10 civilians, were due to testify later yesterday and today.

The Justice Ministry, which has gathered evidence on behalf of Jomsap, removed Sap Wapi from the witness list on Wednesday on the grounds that his inclusion would cause confusion and lengthen the retrial because he would have to face a lie detector test and a criminal case.

Sap has confessed to being the driver of the pickup truck with a “Bor Khor 56 Mudahan” licence plate, which was allegedly involved in the fatal collision.

Meanwhile, outspoken lawyer Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, who is not involved in the retrial, said he still believed Jomsap, who served 18 months in jail for the case despite her claim of innocence, was guilty and he would present evidence today.

DETAILS OF THE RETRIAL

Steps in former teacher Jomsap Saenmuangkhot’s retrial:

*The Nakhon Phanom Provincial Court hosts witness hearings and views evidence from both sides from Wednesday until today.

*Jomsap’s side presents nine witnesses. Her defence focuses on her pickup, which shows no traces of accident.

*Police present 14 witnesses, comprising four police officers and 10 civilians. Police highlight that someone hires a scapegoat to take responsibility for the accident in place of Jomsap.

*When combined with other evidence presented in court, a total of 42 witnesses and evidentiary items are produced in court.

*Following the hearings, the Appeals Court Region 4 will submit its opinion to the Supreme Court for consideration.

*If the Supreme Court rules that Jomsap was not involved in the March 11, 2005 fatal crash, she will be compensated. Jomsap can decide if she will file a lawsuit against the Royal Thai Police.

*If the court deems the new evidence unconvincing, the court will dismiss the request for a new verdict. No punishment will be issued because she has already served a jail term for the crash.

THE NEW National Park Bill will not solve the problems facing people living in the forest, land-rights campaigners have claimed.

The bill was approved by the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) last Monday, prompting protests from environmentalists and land-rights activists who fear the new law may be used to legitimise large-scale forest encroachment by commercial enterprises and limit communal rights.

Some critics singled out the bill’s Article 52 as being particularly contentious. This will limit people who meet certain criteria to use forestland to no more than 20 rai (3.2 hectares) per family for no less than five years but not beyond 20 years.

Land-rights activist Kanya Pankiti, one of those affected by the government’s forestland reclamation policy, said the new law would just buy time in the conflict over land rights in the forest.

“What will they [the national parks] do when the permitted time for the people to live on their land is over? Will they drive us away? We are not sure that our children will be allowed to live on our land. We don’t have any assurance that we will not be forced to relocate again,” she said.

Kanya is a member of Khao Bantad Land Reform Network, which advocated for the land rights of people in communities within Khao Phu-Khao Ya National Park in Trang.

Local people have claimed they were pressured by national park officers to relocate from the area. Many of their rubber plantations were cut down under the forestland reclamation campaign, despite people’s insistence that they had lived in the area long before the national park was established.

“Article 52 sounded good for the people in the national park area at first, but if read carefully it ignores the communal rights to manage our land and leaves room for the national park to drive us away anytime. It is left up to the national park head to allow us to live on our ancestral land,” she said.

Sasin Chalermlarp, president of the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation conservation group, said the new national park bill would limit communal rights and did not promote the harmonious coexistence of a healthy ecosystem and sustainable communities in the forest.

“I am afraid that it will be very hard for this bill to solve the problems of the people in the forest, because the solution specified in this bill is very impractical,” Sasin said.

Meanwhile, Prayong Doklamyai, a prominent land rights campaigner from the People’s Movement for a just Society (P-move), voiced concern that the bill might be used to legalise forest encroachment by entrepreneurs, since the qualifications for eligible persons to be granted land rights in the forest was unclear.

“This bill also does not specify the type of activities that can be done on the granted land, so the land may be used in an inappropriate way by outside encroachers. The bill should specifically ban activities such as monoculture plantations and stipulate only local people will get the land rights,” Prayong said.

Meanwhile, Damrong Pidej, a member of the NRSA, argued that the bill would tighten efforts to preserve forest headwaters and help to solve the chronic problem of forest encroachment.

“This bill intends to tackle the problem of settlements within the national park areas, which has been left unsolved for many years. There are 3.6 million rai of land in the national park that have been occupied by people and we need to act now, or everywhere will be the same as Phu Tabberk, where the environment is severely degraded,” Damrong said.

He said settlements near forest headwaters would be relocated to restore the forest ecosystem, while other settlements in national parks will be allowed, but inhabitants would have to pay a rent to the parks to signify that they do not hold land rights in the forest.

‘Exclusively for poor people’

Meanwhile, communities that are allowed to stay inside national park areas will be staffed with forest rangers to make sure people do not further encroach on the forest.

“The land use allowance in the national park area, according to Article 52, is exclusively for poor people who have nowhere else to go. They are not allowed to transfer land rights and shift their land use to other activities, so everyone can be sure that outside investors cannot use this article to open resorts or do anything else in the national park areas,” he said.

Article 52 says that if the government needs to solve land-rights problems in the national park, the park head can grant land that will not affect its ecosystem-protection duty to people who meet certain qualifications and have a need to live there.

However, permitted persons cannot transfer land rights to other people and if they were to abandon their land for more than one year, their rights would be revoked.

The National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department also has a right to collect a land-usage fee from people in the forest.