Khlong Haeng Bay is the entrance to Noppharatthara Beach-Phi Phi Islands National Park.

However, the blockade left 1,000 tourists who had bought island-hopping package tours stranded at the pier.

The operators also rallied in front of the park office at around 9am, saying they wanted the park entrance fees to be cut from Bt400 to Bt200 for foreign adults and from Bt200 to Bt100 for children. There were 300 soldiers, policemen and park officials present at the rally.

The protesters claimed that the high fees were adversely affecting their business and that the number of foreign visitors had dropped.

When National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department’s marine park manager Natthapol Rattanapan told protesters that it was not possible to reduce the fees, they said they would continue their rally until their appeal was heard. Later, officials invited the group’s representatives to discuss the issue and come up with a solution.

At 12.30pm, it was concluded |that the demand would be |forwarded to the department for consideration and that it would take 20 days to receive an answer. |The protesters accepted the resolution and left.

Natthapol later told reporters that it was not possible to reduce fees, which were set by a ministerial regulation, adding that the number of foreign visitors was actually on the rise.

He said the park had had 1.39 million visitors last year and that Bt559.7 million in entrance fees had been collected. This year, 568,195 visitors have arrived and Bt228 million has been collected in entrance fees, he said.

He added that boat operators’ businesses may have been affected because there was more competition, as 248 new boats have been registered so far this year, adding to the 1,531 boats registered last year.

The report, covering 159 countries, was launched globally yesterday with AI Thailand director Piyanut Kotsan presenting the report with a perspective on the Kingdom.

Piyanut said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had continued as junta chief to use extra-judicial powers granted to him under Article 44 of the post-coup interim charter. Last March, Prayut used the power to grant policing powers to military officers allowing them to arbitrarily detain individuals for up to seven days.

Civilians allegedly violating the lese majeste law or threatening national security had also been tried in military courts until Prayut issued an order rescinding the action in September. However, as the order was not retroactive, defendants continue to remain under military jurisdiction, the report said.

Expressing concern over the lack of freedom of expression, the report said several individuals had been charged with offences under Criminal Code Article 112, or lese majeste law, and denied bail. The junta’s ban on political gathering of more than four people also continued to be enforced, as political figures and student activists were prosecuted.

While amendments to the Computer Crime Bill last December allowed continued surveillance without prior judicial authorisation, Piyanut said the authorities were also considering increased online surveillance of Internet traffic, notably via the in-progress cybercrime draft bill.

She said the prosecution and harassment of human rights defenders was also still occurring. For instance, rights lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri has been charged with multiple offences, including sedition, for her legal work in assisting pro-democracy student activists. Andy Hall, a rights activist for migrant labour, had also been convicted in September for contributing to a report on labour rights violations by a fruit company.

She said while armed conflict in the southernmost provinces persisted, the use of torture against individuals suspected of links to insurgents also continued in addition to ill-treatment by security forces in routine law-enforcement operations.

The report also found that refugees faced discrimination, notably a lack of formal recognition that would ensure their status as asylum-seekers.

Chanchai’s was responding after the late monk’s younger sister Khamman Wongkanchanarat, 91, and relatives filed a request to the Khon Kaen University rector on Tuesday asking to reclaim the monk’s remains on the grounds that the university had breached conditions in the late monk’s will.

Chanchai said the faculty spent a year preserving the body before using it as “Kru Yai” teaching material for medical students for two years. Then the monk’s body is scheduled to undergo religious rites and a royally-sponsored cremation ceremony along with 500 other “Kru Yai” bodies in 2018.

“We initially tried to do as the will said. The ceremony would be held either at Wat Nong Waeng or Wat That Muang Khao … while the cremation might be at a temple, which would be required to build a remembrance pagoda at the site. This is due to a belief that a place to cremate a revered monk must not be stepped upon afterwards. This matter would be first discussed with the will managers and related parties,” he said. The monk’s ashes and bones would also be put in the Mekong River in Nong Khai in line with the will, he said.

A source said the cremation site was still being discussed, although a possible choice was the E-san Buddhamonthon Park in Muang Khon Kaen.

Luang Phor Koon, one of the country’s most revered monks, passed away on May 16, 2015, at the age of 91 after a long history of illness.

Thawatchai Saenprasit, kamnan of Tambon Kud Piman in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Dan Khun Thot district, said it was common for relatives to bring people’s bodies to their hometowns for religious rites.

Since the monk was born in Kud Piman and had strong bonds with the district and the province, relatives and disciples have expressed a wish to bring him for a grand religious rite to honour what had been done for the area. He said a discussion with Wat Ban Rai committee members, relatives and villagers concluded that they all wanted to bring his body back for rites at the temple.

He said no one had an intention to seek benefit from the rites and were willing to have a panel comprising of Khon Kaen University staff, state officials, police, the Army and related agencies oversee the matter.

The late monk donated his body to Khon Kaen University for educational purposes and asked to be cremated to avoid “troubling others”, to prevent people from taking advantage of his body and to prevent conflicts among disciples.

The will from June 25, 2000, stated that there would be a simple funeral and cremation at a Khon Kaen temple after the university had used the body for educational purposes.

The Foreign Ministry yesterday also expressed concern about the new order, warning Thai people in the US to comply with the laws of the host country.

More than 100,000 undocumented Thais are believed to be living in the US.

“Basically, Thai nationals living and working in any countries must respect local laws. Undocumented people take their own risks if they were arrested and deported,” said Chittipat Thongprasert, deputy director-general of the Consular Department.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued tough new orders on Tuesday to begin a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigrants, putting nearly all of the country’s 11 million undocumented foreigners in the cross-hairs, according to AFP.

Two memos issued by DHS Secretary John Kelly ordered border patrol and immigration officers to deport illegal immigrants as quickly as possible, with only a few exceptions, principally regarding children.

Undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes will remain the priority for deportation, but it will now also include anyone who has been charged or potentially faces criminal charges.

A Thai living in the US, Chaiwat Wattalo, said Thais in the country, notably those who lived and worked illegally, were in a panic after the new order. “There are plenty of rumours about the crackdown now. We have to check on each other all the time. It would be big trouble if any of them were arrested as their incomes would be |disrupted,” he said.

Chaiwat has worked legally in the US for years, but worries about fellow Thais who arrived in the past few years and did not have proper documentation.

“It would be okay for those who live in sanctuary cities like Los Angeles and New York City, since authorities are flexible, but people who live in Arizona or Texas might get in trouble due to the new order,” Chaiwat said. Arizona and Texas host many illegal immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries targeted by the order.

Banlue Sornbali, a Thai businessman in Los Angeles, said he expected that the majority of Thais in the country would be safe since they had documents. “But those who live here illegally should be careful. Don’t commit any crime. Minor crimes such as quarrels or fighting could lead to big trouble like arrest and deportation,” he said.

Thais who work or do business legally also need to be careful when they engage with other foreigners no matter what their nationalities are, he said. “I myself need to check the background of all my staff and workers in my business since they could bring legal difficulties as well,” he said.

Thai Consular offices in the United States do not have clear figures on how many Thai nationals in the us, but it is estimated that there are more than 100,000 undocumented Thais there.

A “FULL SCALE” raid by officials around Dhammakaya Temple was imminent after five hours of talks with the monastery’s senior monks broke down yesterday.

Department of Special Investigation (DSI) director-general Paisit Wongmuang has ordered police and DSI officers stationed around the vast compound in Pathum Thani to “carry out the plan of implementation in a full-scale manner”, the agency’s deputy spokesman Woranan Srilam said yesterday.

He said more government personnel would be deployed in the operation involving police, DSI and military officers but he declined to be specific about the number of officials.

Paisit is in charge of the operation to arrest the temple’s former abbot, Phra Dhammachayo, who is wanted for alleged money laundering and accepting stolen assets.

The spokesman said yesterday that it remained unclear when the operation would be completed. He added that authorities were concerned about the possible role of a “third party” and interference by political groups.

During five-hour talks yesterday, Dhammakaya’s vice abbot Phra Dattajivo, who is currently in charge of the temple, refused to allow officials to enter the compound in their hunt for Phra Dhammachayo.

Authorities were told that the temple’s monks were ready to cooperate but that Phra Dhammachayo’s followers did not want the search to continue. Hundreds of government personnel gathered at the temple’s main gates yesterday, with vehicles parked nearby, appearing ready for action.

DSI deputy director-general Suriya Singhakamol, who is in charge of the search, blamed Phra Dattajivo’s refusal to cooperate for the failure of yesterday’s talks between the temple and authorities.

He said that with the rejection by the temple, authorities needed to robustly enforce the law and conduct a thorough search of the temple compound.

As of yesterday, authorities have failed to find Phra Dhammachayo although they have been hunting for him in the current operation for seven days, searching different areas in the complex that spans more than 2,100 rai (336 hectares).

Suriya said dialogue channels would remain open although authorities would now focus on enforcing the law and entering the temple compound to conduct a thorough search.

He also dismissed a rumour that Phra Dhammachayo had agreed to turn himself in.

Article 44 order ‘illegitimate’

Dhammakaya Temple yesterday continued to call on the government and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to revoke an NCPO order declaring the compound a “control area” and to end alleged violence against monks and lay people.

In a statement issued yesterday, the temple said the use of the interim charter’s Article 44 to issue the order was illegitimate because the temple had been cooperating with the search over a three-day period

The statement added that officers had signed a written document confirming the search, which meant the NCPO order should have been cancelled already.

However, because authorities continued to cordon off the temple – with anyone entering without permission facing up to one year in prison, a Bt20,000 fine or both – their behaviour amounted to harassment and human rights violations affecting many people, the statement said.

Temple officials also claimed authorities had used force against monks and lay people and called for all Buddhists to protect the religion.

The statement went on to say that Justice Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana, who has said he had received criticism about the case in night-time phone calls, should listen to people’s opinions 24 hours a day, adding the minister should thank those who posted messages inviting people to contact him.

The minister was also urged to listen to Buddhist scholars’ opinions as well as legal experts’.

Suwaphan and his wife’s phone numbers were posted on the personal Facebook page of Phra Sanitwong Chareonrattawong, the temple’s communication chief. The DSI and police were looking into the matter, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday, adding that Suwaphan would change his phone number.

Pathum Thani Governor Surachai Khan-asa yesterday ordered the transfer of six local administrative organisation officials in Klong Luang district on charges that they had failed to enforce the junta’s order to restrict access to the controversial temple.

The six were ordered to assume inactive posts at the Institute of Administration Development in Thanyaburi district.

Tha Khlong Municipality mayor Thai Thongprang, deputy mayor Pakorn Thongprang, Tambon Klong 3 Administrative Organisation president Weerasak Hadda, Tambon Klong 3 Administrative Organisation member Durian Poonpitak, Tambon Klong 3 kamnan Sathaporn Masap and Tambon Klong 3’s Ban Moo 7 village headman Weera Wongmangmee were accused of neglecting to enforce the NCPO order declaring the temple a controlled area.

In a separate development, a National Legislative Assembly (NLA) working group is studying a proposal to ban monks from accepting large amounts of money and accumulating wealth, Pichit Kuandechakupt, chairman of the NLA committee on religious affairs, arts, culture and tourism, said yesterday.

Pichit, however, added that there would be no amendment of the relevant law at the moment. He also maintained that the proposal had nothing to do with the ongoing Dhammakaya controversy.