Panthongtae Thursday bemoaned in his Facebook over the junta trying to collect tax from his father from the deal which could amount to Bt16 billion.

He asked what more the government wanted from the Shinawatra family after the legal case had been disposed of eight years ago.

Responding to Panthongtae’s statement, Prayut said that he should not complain about the government but should be prepared to speak in court.

Prayut also said he had asked the Finance Ministry to investigate why tax officials did not collect taxes from Thaksin. “I want to make the tax issue clear for the public I do not target anyone in particular,” he said.

Sompol Jirotemontree, better known as “Ko Nang”, was among six defendants found guilty in a case filed by the Trang province prosecutor and 15 workers from Myanmar.

A total of 10 people were accused of forcing persons aged between 15 and 18 to work against their will under the threat of physical assault.

The defendants’ relatives, including Sompol’s younger brother who is the Kantang municipality mayor, turned up to lend their support as the court was due to rule on the case Friday.

But after the verdict, which took an hour to read out, the court sentenced six defendants including a fishing boat captain to 14 years in prison. The cases against four others were dismissed.

The six were also ordered to collectively pay almost Bt2 million in compensation to the Myanmar workers.

Sompol’s family said they would appeal against the court’s ruling.

The group also admitted to wholeheartedly rooting for junta head General Prayut Chan-o-cha to complete the reforms.

“We’ve made the point in the meeting that the masses expect the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO] and the government led by [Prayut] to finish the reforms so the country can continue as a democracy with the monarch as the head of state,” PDRF president Suthep Thaugsuban said yesterday after four hours of reconciliation talks at the Defence Ministry.

The former Democrat politician said the people had closely followed the government’s work and found it to meet their expectations. However, there were still many issues left to be tackled hence the people supported the government to carry on the work, Suthep said.

Politics remained the most pressing matter needing reforms, the PDRF told the military-initiated reconciliation meeting, he said.

“Politics has to serve the people. In the past, it was [dominated by] politicians and financiers as well as interest groups. It’s never about the people,” Suthep said. “Most importantly, political parties must be run by people who support democratic rule with the monarch as the head of state, not the republic.”

Contrary to the opinion of the red-shirt United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, the PDRF president said absolute power under Article 44 of the interim charter was not a problem for reform. Suthep said it as an opportunity for the junta to effectively reform the country.

Even if the continuation of reform work could delay the promised road map to democracy, the people would still support it, Suthep said.

“To my knowledge, the people are not in a hurry for election to take place. They want to see changes and reform in the country before moving forward,” he said. “The PDRF has no concerns over the NCPO staying in power so long as it works to push reforms.”

In response to a question that the PDRF’s stance made it seem as though the group was siding with the military, Suthep said it has always been “explicit” that it rooted for the military and General Prayut. This was never hidden, he said.

The PDRF president also said that the group would accept the election results and not march in the streets as long as the process followed the proper rules.

Suthep declined to speak on reaching an agreement as a result of the reconciliation talks. The former politician said he was not certain if everyone was on the same page when referring to such an agreement as ‘the social contract’ as named by head of the reconciliation exercise, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.

The PDRF was also represented by Satit Wongnongtoey, Akanat Promphan, Chitpas Kridakorn, Thavorn Seniem, Nattapol Teepsuwan, Chumpol Julsai, and Sakoltee Patthippayakul at the reconciliation talks.

The PDRF was the last group to attend the talks hosted by the Defence Ministry after it initiated the process on February 14. Groups and political parties, however, were still welcome to voice their opinion. The ministry would open an extra round of talks upon request in April.

Prawit said a meeting would be convened on Monday with the three committees on the reconciliation scheme as the first stage – gathering opinions – had already been mostly completed.

On March 10, the uniformed officers were seen escorting the attorney and two women before customs officers asked to check their luggage and discovered the illicit haul. The women fled the airport and are still at large.

Pol General Chalermkiat Sriworakhan, deputy commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police, said on Friday he had asked the Provincial Police Region 1 and the Samut Prakan provincial station to launch an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile,Pol Maj-General Thammanoon Trithippong, commander of Samut Prakan provincial station, signed an order transferring Pol Capt Sitthipong Panthaisong and Pol Capt Paisal Veerakitpanich from the airport to his office’s operation centre for three months.

He said that if either or both officers were found guilty, they would face severe disciplinary action and legal proceedings.

On Wednesday, the Public Prosecutor Commission decided to transfer Pol Maj-General Worapas Boonsri, the Saraburi state prosecutor involved in the airport incident, to the Southern Bangkok Civil Court from April 3.

Almost hourly, the zoo provides the animals with frozen fruits and large red syrup ice cubes to cool them down and lessen their stress.

The zoo’s star attractions include Joy, an orangutan born to the late celebrity orangutan Mike and his mate Susu who got “married” amid much fanfare more than two decades ago.

Lop Buri Zoo director Banphot Amyoo said that besides the frozen snack treats, zoo workers had also installed water sprinklers around the compound to cool the animals down.

According to the land title deed, Alisa bought eight tracts of land with a combined area of 57 rai worth Bt298 million, from Supachai Srisupak-aksorn, the former chairman of bankrupt Klongchan Credit Union Cooperative (KCUC), in 2013. The deal took place just a few days before Supachai’s assets were seized by authorities following criminal charges of money laundering and possession of ill-gotten assets.

Sources at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said Alisa will be questioned because the land plot was later used to construct the Boonruksa Building inside the temple compound, which became a hospital. Investigators say they have also found the money trail which shows funds were diverted from the temple to Alisa to buy the land on behalf of the embattled temple.

Nicknamed Taeng, Alisa is the middle child of Anant, the major shareholder of Land and House and Home Pro whose combined assets total Bt97 billion. Her father has long been a key supporter of the Dhammakaya Temple.

Alisa, who got a masters degree from New York University on linguistics, said in an earlier interview that she chose not to enter the family’s business of property development.

After working for a few years at Assumption University and International Labour Organisation’s offiice, Alisa turned to do what she enjoys most: the spa and yoga businesses under the Lullaby brand.

Last year, Alisa also came under the media spotlight when her name appeared in the so-called Panama Papers as director and shareholder of Lullaby Holding Limited, an offshore account set-up in the British Virgin Islands, along with another offshore holding firm controlled by another child of Anant.

“The accident occurred at about 6:30pm on Phra Phuket Kaew Road, near Bang Jak gas station. At the scene, we found a severely damaged black Toyota Vios with the roof almost entirely blown off,” said Capt Watthana Bamrungthin of Kathu Police.

“The victim, Kateryna Mizerniuk, 26, was stuck in the driver’s seat. She was unconscious and drenched in blood. Rescue workers rushed her to Vachira Phuket Hospital,” he added.

Mizerniuk was later transferred to Bangkok Hospital Phuket where she remains in the Intensive Care Unit.

“According to witness, she was heading back from Patong and was driving at high speed. She lost control of her vehicle at a bend in the road, hitting the median, a bike and an electric pole,” said Capt Watthana.

The motorbike driver, Anongat Thongsorn, 30, sustained minor injuries and was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital.

Four other vehicles were also slightly damaged, but no other injuries were reported.

“We will check CCTV footage in the area to find out more about what happened,” said Capt Watthana.