Heartbroken after her son’s death, Renu Mhodrakee said yesterday her family was waiting for justice for her son Private Yuthinan Boonniam, who had been punished severely leading to his death for a trivial offence.

“I have been told that my son was punished just because he woke up late and failed to attend the morning line-up. I have heard that he had a conflict with another soldier, but he was never in any trouble during his time in the service until now,” Renu said.

“My son was imprisoned on March 27, and then I met him again in the hospital on March 31 [Friday]. I really don’t know what happened and I can’t imagine what they did to my son during that time. I want justice for my son and I will not cremate his body until the case is concluded.”

She said she had previously met Yuthinan on March 16 when he appeared healthy and happy. He was due to complete his service in October and return home to Surat Thani’s Wiang Sa district.

Fourth Army Region commander Lt-General Piyawat Nakwanich said the Army had already set up a committee to investigate the case, adding that Yuthinan’s family would be properly compensated.

“Right now we are preparing the proper funeral for Private Yuthinan to satisfy his family and then we will investigate the offence in this case to determine the culpability of all suspects. I promise they will be punished properly based on criminal and military law,” Piyawat said.

Suspects already investigated

He said all suspects in the case were being held by authorities, with police already having investigated them.

Pol Maj-General Apichart Bunsrirote, commander of Surat Thani provincial police, said the Army had brought some conscripts who had been detained at the military prison to be questioned, adding that more than 10 witnesses had already been interrogated.

Apichart added that police were also investigating a conflict between Surat Thani teenagers and Yuthinan, adding that surveillance cameras at the prison would be examined.

“Right now we cannot disclose all details about the case, but we promise that we are investigating the evidence and witnesses to ensure justice for all sides,” he said.

Maj-General Wichai Thassan-amontian, commander of the Military Circle 45, said some of the suspects in the case had already been punished and there was a committee to investigate violations of military rules.

Wichai said the Army would properly compensate the family according to official regulations. He added that life insurance and welfare compensation might not amount to a large sum of money because Yuthinan was not killed in action.

“This incident grieves some of his fellow draftees, but I am sure that their morale is still strong, and I would like to insist that military training in Vibhavadi Rangsit Millitary Camp is not violent,” he said.

Piyawat also said violent punishment at the military base was hard to control, likening it to the brawling of students, which was unpredictable.

“I emphasis that this incident is not linked to the military conscription and the Army commander-in-chief General Chalermchai Sitthisa-ard also has a clear policy to stop such violence. The Army promises that we take good care of every draftee,” he said.

Narcotics Suppression Bureau deputy commissioner Pol Maj-General Pornchai Charoenwong said that Lao police arrested Sisouk on Saturday in the neighbouring country’s Luang Prabang province after he resisted many police summonses for him to surrender.

“We have told Laos about the links between the two men. They have been in the same drug-trafficking network,” Pornchai said in a press conference.

“We have requested the Laotian side allow us to join the interrogation of Sisouk.”

He said he had heard that although Sisouk did not have any illicit drugs in his possession at the time of his arrest, his financial transactions were linked to the drug trade.

Thai and Lao authorities have been cracking down on an international drug network involving kingpin Xaysana, a Laotian, who was arrested in Thailand on drugs charges.

Pornchai said that there are about 30 major drug networks in Laos, with those of Xaysana and Sisouk sometimes allegedy trading together. However Sisouk’s gang is larger than that of Xaysana and has operated for much longer.

Sisouk’s alleged route is to smuggle the drugs from Laos to Thailand’s southern region.

Just like Xaysana, Sisouk had been living a high-profile life, rubbing shoulders with celebrities, before his arrest. Meanwhile the Office of the Narcotics Control Board secretary general Sirinya Sitthichai confirmed his agency, as well as anti-narcotics police, was in the process of requesting Laos’ permission to interrogate Sisouk. “We will try to determine who else is involved,” he said.

Available evidence suggested Sisouk had used Thailand-based drug deliverymen to send illicit drugs to Thailand’s South and Malaysia, said Sirinya.

“Key members of this network have already been in detention, except for Usman Salamaeng,” he added, referring to another high-profile suspect.

A PUBLIC HEARING about changes in the law governing the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) ended yesterday with strong criticism of the new Thai Health Promotion Fund Bill.

Critics said the bill threatened to weaken ThaiHealth, which had performed well to promote people’s health.

Thicha Na Nakorn, head of the Ban Kanchanapisek centre for juvenile offenders, told the hearing that the ongoing process to change the law governing the foundation had been wrongfully conducted from the very beginning.

“This process starts from the belief that ThaiHealth has had transparency problems and has not been cost effective,” Thicha said. “But the results of the probe by the Office of the Auditor-General and the committee investigating government spending have found otherwise.”

She said she saw no reason to support the process, and walked out of the public hearing.

Family Network Foundation secretary Wanchai Boonpracha said he was worried about the hearing. “I feel like this is just a ritual,” he said.

Hearings on the planned amendment to the law that has governed ThaiHealth since 2001 were held on March 31 and yesterday.

Efforts to make amendments began after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered the Justice Ministry, the Public Health Ministry and the Finance Ministry to review ThaiHealth’s operations.

The three ministries suggested that the law governing ThaiHealth could be improved upon for greater transparency.

Several ThaiHealth executives were found to have sat on the boards of the many foundations that received financial support from ThaiHealth. There were also questions why ThaiHealth had financially sponsored activities that did not seem to be directly related to its mission.

Dr Orapan Methadilokkul, from the Medical Council, spoke in support of the bill amendment at the hearing last Friday.

The bill has two major points. First, it specifies a broader and clearer definition of “health promotion”, defined as any action done to promote the physical, emotional and social health of people so they can enjoy a long and quality life.

Second, there is a proposed limit on ThaiHealth’s budget to no more than Bt4 billion a year, giving the finance minister the right to adjust the ceiling every three years. ThaiHealth’s budget comes from so-called “sin taxes”.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a statement on Friday in support of ThaiHealth, describing it as a global leader in the field of health promotion.

The statement, signed by WHO representative to Thailand Dr Daniel Kertesz, was released after he was barred from airing his opinions at the hearing.

Paisarn Limsathit, an academic at Thammasat University’s Health Law and Ethics Centre, said the hearing might not comply with the approved charter draft.

As the hearing closed yesterday, concerns remained as to whether the Health Promotion Fund Bill would become law.

Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana chaired the event, which took place at 4 pm at the Prince Chumphon Khet Udomsak Shrine in Saphan Hin. She also helped cook food to be distributed at the festival.

“The municipality has coordinated with the Phuket Fishing Association in order to encourage local economy boosts and bring harmony between public and private sectors,” said Mayor Somjai.

She added that an event such as this supports government policy to preserve local fishing for the long run.

“The 100,000 baht will be spent on the restoration of this shrine, while the other 50,000 will go to support education at the Bang Niao School in Cherng Talay,” said the Mayor.

A special award was presented to ‘Amberjack’ from the municipality team for catching the heaviest fish. Team Ida took the award for most fish caught.

In a video uploaded on his Facebook page, Suthep Thaugsuban, president of the PDRC Foundation, took viewers on a tour of the college in Surat Thai Province’s Koh Samui.

In the video, the politician-turned-humanitarian showed the college compound and named the big donors that contributed to the construction of each building.

Big corporations and organizations that made donations from Bt4 million to Bt23 million include the Thai Rice Exporters Association, King Power, Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), True Corporation, and Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT).

As well as these contributions, the college was also partly sponsored by groups such as Chulalongkorn University Alumni Association, the Boonsriroj Family, and former Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra and friends.

Suthep said that it could take as much as Bt700 million to Bt800 million before construction was complete. However, the Foundation has constantly received donations from the fellow demonstrators that took to the streets along with the Foundation’s executive board three years ago to oust Yingluck Shinawatra’s government.

Suthep resumed his secular life in 2015 after a year of monkship to which he entered after the then government was ousted and the coup-installed regime came into the picture. He announced the opening of the foundation as a derivation from the PDRC and introduced the charity’s plans to contribute to society, including Pavana Photikhun Vocational College.

While the college offers courses similar to other vocational colleges such as accounting, hotel and tourism management, business computer, and foreign languages, it is unique for the inclusion of intensive Buddhist practices in its curriculum.

As they enjoy free accommodation and education from vocational to high vocational levels, the students will be required to meditate, attend the Buddhist church to listen to sermons and pray daily before and after school.

The PDRC Foundation’s website does not specify how many students the college is taking in its first-ever semester which is due to start May 15. But it says the admission involves only interviews and Buddhist mediation test with no written examinations.

Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said at the Defence Ministry in Bangkok on Monday that the tradition festive activity could be carried out on minor roads, where imposing speed limits and supervising motorists would be easier.

However, main roads and highways where motorists travel at speed have been ruled out of bounds for water activities.

Prawit was speaking after presiding over the Songkran road-safety preparation meeting of related agencies.

He said the government would reduce road accidents during the Songkran holidays by implementing junta orders such as controlling vehicle speed and campaigning for all passengers to fasten seatbelts and bike riders to wear helmets. With these measures in place, there was no need to set a target for road casualties this Songkran, he said.

Prawit said he had instructed the Highway Police to set up checkpoints on main and secondary roads while assigning Interior Ministry administrative officials to take care of rural and community roads.

He also urged people to celebrate Songkran in moderation as the country was still in mourning for the late HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and to watch out for any suspicious activities or signs of attacks in community areas or key venues.

The group, accompanied by lawyers Kriengkrai Nakhawaree and Paiboon Polthanawasit, filed the lawsuit at the Southern Bangkok Civil Court against Ford Motor Company (Thailand) Ltd, Ford Sales and Service (Thailand) Ltd, Ford Operations (Thailand) Ltd and Ford Service (Thailand) Ltd.

The plaintiffs alleged the car models were faulty, unsafe and substandard, which imposed risks for consumers. They demanded the defendants buy back the cars and also pay compensation worth more than Bt24 million, Kriengkrai said.

He said the class action lawsuit’s result would have a binding effect for other similarly damaged persons.

One of the plaintiffs, Korbsak Numnoi, said the plaintiffs had been fighting for their rights for almost three years and had filed complaints with various agencies including the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, the Thai Industrial Standards Institute and the Land Transport Department.

The lack of progress had caused them to file the class action lawsuit, he said.

“There likely will be no negotiation, as the defendant companies all along refused to negotiate,” he added.

Fifty other Ford owners who have also claimed damages were present outside the court to express supports for the plaintiffs.

The civil court scheduled a review of the evidence to be held on July 3.