The panel held a meeting on Tuesday in order to hear Anusawn before concluding whether he had breached the NRSA’s code of conduct, but a number of its members were absent from the proceedings.

Anusawn wished to provide a written document to accompany his explanation, so the panel decided to postpone its deliberation and conclusion until March 27, Walairat explained.

His statement followed an earlier ruling by a taxation committee in which a further extension of the deadline to impose back taxes on Thaksin was deemed not to be legal after the statute of limitations had already expired.

Prayut said the government had to be careful in handling this matter because it could also be held accountable for violating Article 157 of the Criminal Code for negligence of official duty if nothing were done.

However, the government will ensure it strictly follows due process in pursuing the matter, as well as other cases involving former politicians who held public office in the two previous governments of Abhisit Vejjajiva and Yingluck Shinawatra.

At least four former politicians were named as those whose tax records are under investigation due to the possession of more assets following their time in public office.

They include Pongsak Rattanapongpaisal, former energy minister; Nuttawut Saikreu, former deputy agriculture minister; Niwattamrong Boonsongpaisal, former deputy premier; and Suchat Chokechaiwattakorn, former deputy transport minister.

The Pattaya Provincial Court handed down the Appeal Court verdict against Arisman Pongruangrong, Nisit Sinthuprai, Payap Panket, Worachai Hema and other red-shirt leaders convicted of leading thousands of red-shirt protesters into the summit venue.

At that time, government leaders from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were about to meet with their dialogue partners at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel in Pattaya. The break-in resulted in the important meeting hosted by Thailand being cancelled and the participants being evacuated in dramatic fashion.

The Appeal Court in effect upheld the ruling by a lower court in March 2015, after which the convicted red-shirt leaders were released on bail.

On Tuesday, the convicted red-shirt leaders again sought temporary release, with a bail of Bt2 million set for Arisman and Bt1 million each for the others.

However, the court denied temporary release for all the convicts and they were later escorted to prison for detention. Their lawyers said they would apply for bail again on the following day.

Some 30 family members and friends of the convicted red-shirt leaders gathered at the court on Tuesday to offer them moral support.

The footage was shared on various social media forums, including LINE groups, warning other store owners to be careful.

The latest incident took place on Saturday morning, when she entered a gold shop named ‘Yong Dee’ in Wichit.

CCTV footage showed her browsing around the shop, looking at various items of jewelry. As soon as the store attendant turned away, she swiped a 15g gold necklace and put it in her pocket before leaving the store.

The store attendant only learnt about the missing necklace that evening, when she was counting inventory before closing the shop for the night.

She then filed an official complaint and submitted the CCTV footage as evidence to Wichit Police Station.

The owner of another store, ‘Ying Jaroen’, in Talad Nue also filed a complaint against her at Phuket City Police Station on Friday. This time too, the suspect’s face was captured on CCTV.

Col Sermpan Sirikong, deputy commander of Phuket Provincial Police, called officers from both police stations to discuss the issue.

“We will check CCTV footage from nearby public areas to find out where she went. We already know her face and vehicle licence plate number, so we are sure we’ll find her soon. We have also provided her description and information to officers at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint, so they can arrest her in case she tries to leave Phuket,” said Col Sermpan.

“If anyone sees her, please call 191 to inform us immediately,” he added.

The new service enables people to apply for a visa to the UK from the comfort of their own home or office.

It is a first-of-its-kind service and will be available exclusively for applicants in Bangkok.

The On Demand Mobile Visa service is ideal for individuals who are time-sensitive and value the personal, private service it provides.

The service will also be convenient and economical for large groups of people travelling to the UK, such as corporate groups, college-campus groups, or members of film production units, who do not wish to travel to visa application centres for this purpose.

Tosaporn Sihanatkathakul, executive director of The Landmark Lancaster Hotel Group, who was the first applicant to use the service, said the new service was quicker and easier than other means of applying for a UK visa.

Brian Davidson, the UK’s ambassador to Thailand, said: “The new initiative enhanced further the services the embassy offered to make Britain more easily accessible to Thai friends and partners.”

Sriram Narayan, VFS Global’s chief operating officer – Australasia, said he was confident the new service would be well-received among UK-bound travellers looking for flexibility and convenience in the application process.

“Innovations that add value and enhance customer service are of core importance to our business,” he added.

The service is available by appointment – on weekdays only – and charged separately.

Highlights of the service include:

• Available for individuals and groups

• Dedicated phone line and e-mail ID for appointment bookings and queries

• Inclusive of courier return-delivery of your processed documents

• Inclusive of your personalised application

To find out more, e-mail ukviodmvbkk@vfsglobal.com or call (06) 168 7394.

At the NMG head office in Bangkok’s Bang Na district, company executive Thepchai Yong presided over the launch of the delivery as part of the project “Phakhee Kruakhai Keun Cheewit Keun Chumchon Hai Khontai” (A network of allies to restore livelihoods and communities for southerners).

The aid is meant to be used to help to repair flood-damaged homes and buildings, and also consists of basic commodities, teaching materials, appliances, computers, vocational tools and seed for farmers.

The first stop will be Noppakhun School in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan district before the caravan makes deliveries in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla and Narathiwat.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/nationpunsuk/

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith held a meeting at the Phuket Boat Lagoon with relevant officers to discuss details of the plan.

“Phuket has one of the highest economic growth rates, mostly from tourism, which brings more visitors to the island. However, there is only one main road to enter and exit, namely Thepkrasattri Road. Public transport is not good enough, so most people use their own private vehicles. This causes frequent traffic jams and exacerbates traffic congestion in Phuket,” said Arkhom.

“We are aware of these problems and are actively working to help Phuket improve. A few of the mega-projects that we have undertaken in the past include the Samkong and Darasamuth underpasses, as well as the Khlong Koh Pee Bridge. Additionally, the Bang Koo underpass will be ready by August this year – Chalong and airport underpasses will also be completed soon.

“We also have plans for two flyovers – one at the Mud Dok Khao junction near Phuket International airport and another at Baan Yee Teng in Koh Kaew. In total, there will be five underpasses and two flyovers in Phuket,” he added.

However, Arkhom pointed out that with the exponential growth of locals, tourists and long-term residents in Phuket, even these projects would not be enough to sustain Phuket’s traffic.

“As you can see, even though the Samkong and Darasamuth underpasses are already fully functional, the traffic situation is still terrible,” he said.

Nearly 44 per cent of the budget, or Bt31bn, is to be utilized for the long-awaited, multi-billion baht light rail project. Mr Arkhom said that a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) proposal would be ready for submission by the end of this year.

About 18 per cent of the budget, or Bt13bn, will go toward the construction of the Sakoo-Koh Kaew Road. Construction of this 22-kilometer long thoroughfare is under consideration, with a proposal to be submitted to cabinet by next year.

About Bt12bn is to be set aside for airport development, including construction and improvement of a parking area for taxis.

The rest of the funds – about Bt15bn – will be invested in the Patong tunnel (also known as the Kathu-Patong expressway). The Expressway Authority of Thailand is studying the project and working on a proposal for its EIA at the moment, which is expected to be ready for submission by next year.

“It is worth spending this money to improve infrastructure in Phuket, especially if we compare it to how much the province earns each year, which is about Bt300-400bn,” said Arkhom.

“However, most importantly, we wish to emphasize improvement in the traffic management system. Regardless of how much money we invest in infrastructure, the traffic situation will not improve if there is a lack of proper management. Building more roads does not mean that the traffic issue will automatically be resolved,” he added.

Arkhom urged local officials to come up with better traffic management strategies, especially while construction of the new projects is ongoing.

“This is especially important. Commuters will face a lot of inconvenience, so we have to discuss the problems beforehand and find a solution to ease the flow of traffic during rush hours,” he said.

“We are open to suggestions for improvement and are always ready to support Phuket in any capacity, as it is a world-renowned tourist destination and upholds the reputation of Thailand.”