But the embedded plaque marking the Siamese Revolution in 1932 is a historic marker. The old brass piece had drawn love and dislike from different sides of the political spectrum in recent years – before its mysterious disappearance.

It was hailed as a symbolic start of democracy. But it drew disgruntlement from conservatives. There have always been ideological rows between populists and royalists over the  plaque. Yet, perhaps to make the most of it, ceremonies were also held there.

Pro-democracy people and student activists have performed a ceremony on June 24 in recent years to commemorate regime changes, with flowers adorning the plaque. However, in 2015, a group of people and monks were spotted doing a superstitious ritual to symbolically “remove” the plaque a few days before the anniversary nearly two years ago.

A woman was seen placing holy beads on the plaque; beside her was incense, flower garlands and a coconut, sacrificial items often seen in Thai rituals. A man was also seen praying.

The man held a banner that read: “Here is Thailand. Kings have developed democracy for Thai progress since 1892.” That was the year when King Chulalongkorn started administration reforms in a bid to modernise Siam at a time of colonialist threats.

The banner represented the so-called People’s New Peaceful Revolution Party led by former salesman Saman Sringam. Despite the name, Saman’s movement always has slammed Khana Ratsadon for staging the 1932 bloodless revolution against King Prajadhipok, shifting the regime from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy.

The self-proclaimed Buddhist group blames the revolution for being dogmatic, an act leading to sin according to Buddhist belief, and eventually causing Thailand to have a “parliamentary dictatorship”– a phrase often used to slam powerful political blocs, notably that of the former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

The recent removal of the plaque, unsurprisingly, brought joy to Saman.

“We have proposed the removal for decades and did a removal ritual three times already,” he said on Facebook on Saturday. “It was a seed of a vicious regime that has engulfed Thailand with dictatorship for 85 years.”

He seemed to be very fond of the new plaque, whose engraved letters hail faith in the Buddhist trinity, the state, plus the monarch and one’s own family, as gates to national prosperity. Indeed, it had no |mention on the constitution like its |predecessor.

Saman, who was once convicted for sedition – for attempting to overthrow Gen Chatichai Choonhavan’s government – is not alone in condemning the old plaque.

Historian Thepmontri Limpaphayom posted on his Facebook page last October: “We’re looking for [the plaque’s] owner. If you’re not digging it out by December 30, 2016, my friends and I will consider it abandoned. We’ll either remove or nullify it.”

The former yellow-shirt activist has researched Thai history from Ayutthaya Kingdom politics to the popular uprising in 1973 but he seems to only be trusted by some spectators.

In short, it’s little wonder that attention focused on him soon after the plaque’s removal made headlines. Thepmontri dodged the accusation, but unlike Saman, he made no comment on the new plaque.

The new one is a mystery. There is uncertainty over where it came from, when it was installed and why it is there.

Some even suspect that pinkish red scribbles smeared over the top might be sacred spells, but no one really knows.

DEPUTY NATIONAL police chief Srivara Rangsibrahmanakul admitted yesterday that he had no idea how to proceed with the case involving the mysterious removal of a plaque marking a 1932 revolution that ended absolute monarchy.

Srivara said he believed that the plaque – which marked Thailand’s shift to a constitutional monarchy – was a personal inheritance, and legally speaking only its owners or their heirs could file a complaint to police to kick-start an investigation.

However, if the complainant was a true heir of the plaque owners, he wondered why they left the plaque in the Royal Plaza area.

“Whether or not this [placing the plaque in the plaza] is forbidden, whether or not this is illegal, I don’t know,” said Srivara. “And you ask for the case to be proceeded. I have no idea whom to chase or even who owns it. We don’t know yet.”

Police confirmed yesterday that they have not proceeded with the case and have only taken a note of the incident.

Parit Ratanakulserirengrit, a nephew of Luang Seriruangrit, lodged a complaint and notified police that the plaque went missing on Sunday. Seriruangrit was among 115 members of Khana Ratsadon (People’s Party) that staged the revolution to turn Thailand, then known as Siam, from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

Some members of the party as well as their heirs and relatives are concerned over the missing plaque, which marked the change of the country’s government, Parit told reporters.

“Many of them are senior and some of their heirs also served the country as military, police and other civil servants. They might not be comfortable to say something about this. Therefore a younger-generation person like me has to come out to speak for them,” Parit said.

“I want to know how it went missing and where it is now. The plaque does not belong to any particular individual, but to all Thai people.”

Parit said he was told by Police Captain Mo Rana, who took the complaint, that since the plaque was deemed state property, he would report the matter to his superior for it to be investigated.

In the first speech made by Phraya Phahol Phonphayuhasena, in his capacity as the first Prime Minister, he instructed the Interior Ministry to produce the plaque, before it was fixed on the ground of the Royal Plaza, where he read out the speech to end the absolute monarchy regime.

The inscription on the plaque reads: “At dawn on June 24, 1932, the People’s Party on this spot gave birth to the constitution for national prosperity.”

The plaque was called the Constitution Plaque.

It has been replaced by a plaque, which reads: “It is good to worship the Buddhist trinity, the state, one’s own family, and to be faithful to one’s monarch and allow oneself to be the engine that brings prosperity to the state.”

Some student activists and academics, meanwhile, have invited the public to help reclaim the missing plaque.

They plan to meet in front of Dusit Police Station at 9am tomorrow, file a complaint to the police, revisit the site around the Royal Plaza, and go to City Hall to request CCTV footage for the end of last week.

The female nurse was physically and sexually molested by a teenager who turned up at a tambon-level health promotion hospital in Bueng Kan province at about 9.30pm on Saturday complaining of a headache.

The victim put up a fierce struggle, managing to escape her attacker and lock herself in a room before calling police. She was not raped.

Health Academics Club of Thailand secretary-general Rizkee Sara said yesterday that the attack during the Songkran holiday was the third reported sexual assault on a health professional in under two years. “So it’s high time that the Public Health Ministry improve safety measures.”

He suggested that hospitals, no matter how small, should have CCTV cameras and there should always be more than one staff member on duty at all times.

Dr Kiattibhoom Vongrachit, deputy permanent secretary for Public Health, said his ministry would review safety measures to protect staff from this kind of attack.

“We are saddened by what happened,” he said.

Kiattibhoom said all provincial public health chiefs had been instructed to enforce strict safety measures for staff who had to work beyond normal business hours.

Following Saturday’s incident, Bueng Kan public health chief Dr Wissanu Wittayabamrung barred female staff from working late hours. In the event of emergency cases occurring outside normal hours, male staff must be present during the delivery of services and hospital directors must be notified.

Directors of tambon-level health promotion hospitals have also been told to coordinate with police to ensure patrols of their facilities.

Wissanu said the victim of the attack in Bueng Kan was in hospital and receiving counselling. “Physically, her condition is relatively good, but psychologically she needs rehabilitation. Psychologists are on hand to help her.” A team was also seeking compensation for her. He said he would help the woman secure a post elsewhere if she wished.

Police have already arrested the 17-year-old alleged attacker. He has reportedly confessed to the crime.

Chainarong Pathan, a 44-year-old official at the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, was arrested late Sunday night for pocketing Bt1,600 gained from sales rather than registering the money government proceeds.

A local boat driver alerted police about Chainarong’s suspicious behaviour after he distributed admission tickets that were outdated.

Chainarong has reportedly admitted the crime.

Sarayut Tanthien, who heads the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi province, said on Monday that Chainarong’s action caused damage to the state and he would face a harsh punishment.

The eight were already being held at the 11th Military Circle in Bangkok, Pol Maj General Sutin Sappuang, chief of the Crime Suppression Division, said.

The eight will be handed over to Crime Suppression police today for further prosecution, Sutin said.

Police will charge Pasit, better known as “Shogun”, for allegedly being involved in a secret society. She is now being held at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution pending further inquiries.

He said police were talking to an actor, Chatmongkon Bampen, who was one of seven passengers on Pasit’s chartered flights.

The actor meanwhile met police and claimed he was also a victim of the “tour scam” as he had bought a trip to Japan with Pasit’s network. He said he went to Suvarnabhumi Airport last Tuesday with other people but could not go to Japan, as there was no flight booking for him.

The Anti-Money Laundering Office has frozen Bt3 million in Pasit’s bank accounts and seized a condominium and six cars, worth a total of Bt10 million. The cars found in a southern province were registered under others’ names, Sutin said. He added that there was not enough evidence to charge Pasit for lese majeste.

Lt Col Denduang Thongsrisook of Bor Put Police said traffic police officers were in the area and went to check.

“A golden brown pick-up truck crashed into a motorbike in Chaweng at about 11:50pm, landing the motorcyclist in the hospital. The driver of the pick-up drove away when he saw the police,” the colonel told Phuket Gazette reporters.

“We followed the truck, which the driver parked in front of’ First Residence Hotel’ and ran. As soon as we got close, he shot at us, missed, and ran into a nearby soi. The passenger in the truck, named only as ‘Jiab’, surrendered himself to us,” said Col Denduang.

Jiab told police that the driver, Kraiwuth Boonphutphong, was a speedboat captain and also his friend. Two knives and a BB gun were found inside the truck.

“We geared ourselves up with bulletproof shields and cordoned off the soi. We couldn’t find Kraiwuth, so Jiab took us to his girlfriend’s room, where we found ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) paraphernalia and a gun,” said the colonel.

Police are still searching for Kraiwuth, who was nowhere to be found. The motorcyclist was subsequently discharged from the hospital

Deputy Minister of Transport Pichit Akrathit and Marine Department Director-General Sorasak Sansombat held a conference to reveal details of the planned project.

“The current port is about 360 meters wide and unable to handle big cargo ships and passenger ships at the same time. We plan to expand it to 420 meters in order to provide convenience to both groups. The project will take about 13 months to complete,” said Mr Sorasak.

He added that the Treasury Department had chosen Phuket Deep Sea Port Co Ltd to build the expansion zone, including a new one-story building reflecting Phuket culture, as well as a passenger zone, Customs Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facility, food outlets, toilets, Duty Free Shop and car park.

Deputy Minister Pichit noted that the purpose of the project was to boost the marine tourism industry and the local economy.

However, the starting date of the slated expansion is yet to be revealed.