In its website, under the title “Know before going to United Arab Emirates”, the consulate said it wishes to warn Thai citizens that UAE considers sex changes and cross dressing a violation of its  laws.

If  immigration officials in the UAE were to identify any such cases,  the persons concerned would  be detained at the airport and immediately deported.

If, however, a case were identified  later, the person could be arrested, detained at the police station and deported accordingly.

“Therefore, the consulate asks Thai tourists or those who reside in the UAE to be careful about how they dress and behave, as any behaviour considered “abnormal” could lead to arrest.”

Kingsgate Consolidated chief executive Greg Foulis said on Monday that the company will submit a petition to the prime minister asking for a meeting on the implementation of TAFTA, after 11 months of failed attempts to meet with Thai government officials.

Foulis said that the company has to seek measures to protect its rights on investment support and protection under TAFTA to mitigate the problems from the Chatree gold mine closure.

He said that if there is no mutual conclusion from the discussion, the company will proceed to international arbitration.

“The company is still looking forward to meeting and discussing mutual solutions with the Thai government as we invested in Thailand for more than 15 years,” he said in a statement.

The 37-year-old victim’s family members who watched the re-enactment shouted condemnation at Chamlong.

City police chief Lt-General Sanit Mahathavorn and police investigators from the Dusit Police Station took Chamlong to the scene of the crime amid tight security provided by 40 policemen.

Wassana’s 68-year-old father Suphrom Burakon shouted: “Why did you kill my daughter?” at Chamlong, while other relatives scolded Chamlong for his alleged cold-blooded killing of Wassana and called for the death sentence. Some onlookers tried to attack Chamlong but officers intervened.

During the re-enactment, 49-year-old Chamlong deflated the victim’s car tyres and arguing with her before he shot her dead.

Chamlong also pointed to the spot where he claimed he tried to commit suicide after the murder.

He showed police where he got into a car to flee the scene. The car was driven by Somchai Sornjin, who is also in custody.

While Somchai was taken to be submitted for court-ordered detention, Chamlong was taken back to the Dusit precinct for further interrogation about the unlicensed gun used to kill Wassana.

Investigators are also looking into forged documents related to Chamlong allegedly using his younger brother’s identity to apply for a job as a driver for the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Educational Personnel.

Chamlong will be brought to apply for court-ordered detention today.

Wassana’s elder brother Kittipan Burakon said he was confident in the police work to bring the family justice and said he was ready to forgive Chamlong as he would be duly prosecuted for the crime.

He added that he knew that his late sister was involved with Chamlong but she later learned that he already had a wife so she tried to distance herself from him.

Another brother, Pongrat Burakon, said Chamlong had threatened Wassana previously over an unspecified dispute. He said that Wassana had told their niece about her assets and important documents three days prior to the murder as if she could foresee her death.

An initial police investigation after the killing found that Chamlong had told friends at a party that he would try to settle a dispute with Wassana, whom he described as his girlfriend. Police said he told friends the victim had tried to break up with him, and if he failed to win her back he would kill her and then commit suicide.

During April-May, the sun will be at zenith in various provinces in Thailand starting from Yala’s Betong district at 12.19pm on April 5 before moving upwards gradually, said NARIT deputy director Saran Poshyachinda.

Phuket will see the sun at zenith on April 10 at 12.28pm, Pattaya on April 24 at 12.15pm.

Bangkokians would see the sun at it’s highest position – 90 degrees above their heads where shadows will be at the minimum level possible – at 12.16pm on April 27.

On May 19 at 12.17pm, the sun will be at zenith in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district.

Although the sun will be at zenith, when areas will fully receive solar power, Saran said it will not neccesary mean that the temperature would be at the highest. Other factors, such as rain, clouds, monsoon influence and heat accumulation in the atmosphere could affect the intensity.

Countries in the tropical zone of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, see the sun at near zenith two days each year at most. The sun won’t be at zenith in Bangkok again until August 16 at 12.24pm.

Set to be promulgated on Thursday, Wissanu said the new charter would require specific new laws to be followed.

Within 120 days after the promulgation, the national reform and national strategy bills must be in place. Currently, the government plans to submit both drafts to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for deliberation soon after the charter is enacted.

Within 240 days after the promulgation, 10 organic laws essential to hold elections are also expected to be completed.

The Constitution Drafting Commission has completed two drafts which will be forwarded to the NLA.

“If those organic laws are finished before the 240-day period, elections may proceed [earlier than expected],” he said. “But I won’t predict when the election will exactly be held.”

If members of the NLA and the junta-appointed National Reform Steering Assembly want to be electoral candidates, they will need to resign from their parliamentary positions within 90 days after the charter’s promulgation, he said.

COMMERCE MINISTER Apiradi Tantraporn yesterday said problems between Thailand and the United States could be thrashed out in ongoing negotiations on a trade and investment partnership known as the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).

She said senior officials from the two sides had held a meeting in Bangkok yesterday.

Her comments came after US President Donald Trump on Friday sought to push his crusade for fair trade and reclaiming manufacturing jobs for the US by ordering a study into the causes of US trade deficits with 16 trade partners, including Thailand.

Pimchanok Wonkhorporn, director of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office, said the Commerce Ministry was reviewing sensitive areas of trade issues with the US, including “intellectual property, tax incentives and non-tariff barriers”.

Trump directed the Commerce Department and US trade representative to conduct a 90-day review of the causes of massive US trade deficits. The review will study the effects of abuses, such as the dumping of products below cost, unfair subsidies, manipulation of currencies and non-reciprocal trade practices.

Apiradi said she would hold discussions with the Thai and American business communities in Bangkok soon in order to prepare for trade negotiations with the Trump administration.

Thailand and the US agreed to start free-trade talks under the TIFA at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers’ meeting in 2002, but negotiations made little progress.

Meanwhile, Nopporn Thepsitha, president of the Thai National Shippers’ Council, expressed concern about the impact of Trump’s trade policy on Thai exports. He said the government and exporters would have to prepare to explain Thai trade issues to the US.

“What concerned me the most is that the image of Thai products in the US market could be tarnished in the eyes of consumers, should they be misled into believing that Thai traders cheat their counterparts,” said Nopporn.

He suggested that all groups of major exporters – including automobiles and parts, textiles and clothes, and fishery products – would have to review their trade practices with the US.

Nopporn said that although he was not too worried about the issue, Thailand must nevertheless prepare for the worst-case scenario. He also urged the government to move on a free-trade agreement with the United States.

Pipat Luengnaruemitchai, assistant manager director at Phatra Securities, said most major products including electronics, rubber products and seafood are labour-intensive industries in which the US was not competitive – so the chances that the US would impose punitive tariffs on Thai goods were small.

“The US, however, might, raise the issue of the inadequate protection of intellectual property rights including drug patents. The US may also again accuse Thailand of not doing enough about labour and human rights,” said Pipat.

Teerana Bhongmakapat, an economist at Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of Economics, shared Pipat concerns, saying that the US could raise any reason to use as a bargaining chip against Thailand.

“The US U-turn on its policy from free trade to trade-targeting may have an impact on the Thai economy and global economy should the US take actions, and other trade partners retaliate or adopt the same policies,” Teerana said.

Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong said the impact on Thailand would be minimal because Thailand had a small trade surplus. The US is likely to target China, which has the largest trade surplus with the Americans, he said.

Thailand last year had a trade surplus worth US$19 billion (Bt653.2 billion), 11th among the top 15 countries having a trade surplus with the US.

Thailand’s top-10 export products to the US last year were computers and parts, rubber products, jewellery, radio/TV receivers and parts, automobiles and parts, apparel, steel products, seafood, integrated circuits and processed fruits.

Nattaporn Jatusripitak, adviser to the Office of the Prime Minister, said concerned parties including the Commerce Ministry, Bank of Thailand, the Federation of Thai Industries and the Thai Chamber of Commerce would soon meet to work out trade issues with the US.

Ruenvadee Suwanmongkol, the department’s director-general, said yesterday that her agency had completed the notification for all six people – who she described as “debtors” – in February.

“The Legal Execution Department has notified the debtors in writing about the freeze of their assets in accordance with the list provided by the plaintiff,” Ruenvadee said, referring to the Commerce Ministry.

She said the agency had no immediate time frame to complete the confiscation of assets, as this was a civil case with a 10-year statute of limitations.

The director-general said the Commerce Ministry, as the plaintiff, might inform the Legal Execution Department “all the time” about an additional list of assets it wanted seized . She added that in some cases, additional assets were found nine years after the seizure process began.

In February, the Commerce Ministry formally asked the Legal Execution Department to confiscate Bt20 billion from Boonsong, his former deputy Poom Sarapol, his former secretary Veeravuth Watjanapukka, Department of Foreign Trade former director-general Manas Soyploy, his former deputy Tikamporn Natvorathat, and Foreign Rice Trading Office ex-director Akrapong Theepvajara.