Around 1,000 people from Satun and nearby provinces gathered at Pak Bara beach in La-ngu district, the site of the Pak Bara deepwater seaport project. They demanded that the first public hearing, scheduled to be held at Ban Pakbang School on Thursday, be cancelled and a proper Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) be carried out.

The activists announced that they would wait until 9pm for official confirmation from the authorities about cancellation of the public hearing. If they failed to do so, the protesters would force their way into the venue.

The groups said confirmation about the cancellation must given to them in writing with the signature of the head of the project’s public hearing.

Meanwhile, environmental groups that had marched on foot from Songkhla arrived at the Pak Bara deepwater seaport site to join local groups in Satun protesting the Songkhla-Satun Landbridge Project, which includes Pak Bara seaport, Songkhla 2 seaport, and the railroad link.

Rak Pak Bara (Love Pak Bara) Network deputy chief Kraiwut Chusakun stated that the first public hearing on this project must be stopped and an SEA conducted on proper development choices for the region.

“The entire process of EHIA [Environmental and Health Impact Assessment] study and public participation in this project is unacceptable, because local people cannot access all information on this project,” Kraiwut said. He also said the study was biased and excluded many studies on the impact to the pristine ecosystem of Pak Bara Sea.

He said that not only the natural resources of the area such as coral reefs or the economic benefit from a healthy ecosystem were not included in the study, the EHIA also did not present the full picture of the Songkhla-Satun Landbridge Project, which would helped the local people realise the full impact of this mega-project.

“We have already sent the petition to the Satun governor last week to cancel tomorrow’s public hearing and we hope the authorities will listen to us,” he said.

Somboon Khamhang, secretary-general of the Non-Government Organisation Committee on Rural Development in the South, stressed that opposition by the locals and the activists to the land bridge and deepwater seaport projects, did not mean they were against development.

Somboon said they were only resisting harmful development, which only benefited some investors but destroyed the livelihood of people and damaged the environment and natural resources.

Pol Pakorn Sucheevakun, who heads the DSI Bureau of Financial and Banking Crime, said on Wednesday that Phra Thattacheevo might be charged with abuse of authority under Article 157 of the Criminal Code because a deputy abbot could be seen as an official.

“He has used money from the temple’s bank account for buying stocks,” Pakorn said, “There’s clear evidence.”

Phra Thattacheevo is now an acting abbot.

He was elevated to the post after authorities stepped up efforts to bring the temple’s controversial former abbot Phra Dhammachayo to justice. Phra Dhammachayo – wanted for alleged money laundering – was appointed the honorary abbot.

After becoming the top monk at the Dhammakaya Temple, Phra Thattacheevo has himself faced several legal proceedings.

Phra Thatthacheevo turned himself in at the Pathum Thani Klong 5 Police Station to hear a charge of resisting a junta order. Phra Dhammachayo, meanwhile, remains at large.

The group, led by key figures such as Jatuporn Prompan, Nattawut Saikua, Weng and Thida Tojirakarn, participated in the reconciliation talks at the Defence Ministry on Wednesday.

After a five-hour discussion, UDD spokesman Nattawut told reporters the group had proposed that after the new constitution came into effect and the situation had returned to normal, a new constitution should be written by the people to prevent conflicts from resurfacing.

“Although, reconciliation might be achieved this time, we still see the need to write a new constitution,” Nattawut said. “It should be written when sovereign power is in the hands of the people, with full public participation, with a national referendum held in an absolutely free atmosphere.”

Nattawut said the UDD had proposed that all the orders issued by the coup-makers that remained in effect should be nullified, including those under Article 44 of the 2014 interim charter. The former politician said these orders were an obstruction to the reconciliation process hence the group wanted the military to give thought to this proposal.

The UDD also suggested that any political cases in the past 10 years and in the future should enter the legal process so that the truth could come out, Nattawut said.

While saying the group would not raise the issues of amnesty or royal pardon, Nattawut said the UDD was only seeking fair trials with no discrimination. The powers that be should also ensure that all people affected by the past conflicts were properly compensated, he said.

More importantly, the UDD spokesman said the group wanted all sides to accept the truth and be sincere in participating in the reconciliation efforts, including the Army.

He said the UDD had urged the powers that be to create confidence among participants as without trust, it was impossible for groups to join in the talks and help bring about harmony.

Nattawut also said the UDD did not expect all its demands to be met, but was satisfied that it had been given some space to express its thoughts.

The rest should be left for the Por Yor Por to carry on, he added.

UDD president Jatuporn said the group had decided to join the talks because it had confidence that this would be successful.

He said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had showed determination by quoting the King’s remarks about wanting to see peace in society.

Jatuporn said that all sides, including the UDD and the Army, should accept their mistakes.

The UDD, too, admitted that it had made some mistakes, he said. He said the group had joined the reconciliation efforts as they saw the possibility of more conflicts unless they joined the reconciliation efforts.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also responded to the issue, saying concerned officials are now taking care of it.

Wissanu said he oversees the broadcaster’s policies but he has never gone into detail on how the station runs. He added that ThaiPBS is considered independent and it is not obliged to make periodic reports to the government. ThaiPBS has acquired CPF debentures worth Bt200 million. Krisda Rueangareerat, a director of ThaiPBS, defended the station’s investment decision, saying the annual Bt2-billion budget from “sin taxes” was not enough to run the station. The station has issued a statement saying it would review its investment framework in the capital market and cease investments in some companies, without mentioning any specific companies, including the CPF. ThaiPBS executives said in the statement that they regretted the decision and wished to apologise to the public if their decision to purchase the debentures caused concerns. The purchase, they said, was aimed at maximising financial management of the organisation and adhered to the policy framework. However, to demonstrate that ThaiPBS listens to the public, it would review its policy framework concerning investments and cease investments in some companies. Somkiat Tangkitvanich, a drafter of the law setting up Thai Public Broadcasting Service in 2007, yesterday suggested on his Facebook page that the station should review its investment from an ethical aspect. He added, however, that public broadcasting law does not prohibit the station from investing in the market.

No one was injured.

City mayor Pol Maj-General Anan Charoenchasri said the blaze started after a squirrel triggered an electrical problem.

Following the fire report at about 8am, Muang Pattaya Police Station investigation superintendent Colonel Chatchapil Pattarasiriporn contacted the Fire Department and five fire engines were dispatched. It took firefighters about 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed the inside of the Rock Street Pattaya club.

A cleaner told police she heard the transformer in front of the shop explode three times before the flames spread quickly in the business and she and fellow workers fled the building and alerted police.

The Supreme Court yesterday found the group guilty of an assembly of more than 10 people, sedition, offences regarding national security, and an offence violating the public peace during their protest in December 2007.

However, all of the activists walked free yesterday as the court issued twoyear suspended sentences, during which time the activists are required to show “good faith”.

The 2007 action came as Jon and many other activists protested against the National Legislative Assembly, backed by the former junta, which had hastily passed many laws including the Internal Security Act to restrict people’s rights.

The assembly functioned as the legislative house after the 2006 coup toppled Thaksin Shinawatra’s govฌernment.

“What I did in 2007 was meant to restore the legitimacy of the lawmaking process,” Jon told reporters after the court session yesterday. “Laws that restrict the basic rights of the people should not be passed in a rushed manner.

“It’s better to have representatives of the people make the law,” he said.

Asked if he would protest against the current National Legislative Assembly under the presentday junta, Jon said: “I am tied by the court’s verdict.”

Supinya said on her Facebook page that the ruling had legal implications regarding her position as a commissioner of the NBTC.

Supinya added that she had asked the NBTC to suspend her duties pending an interpretation of the verdict.

“I respect the court’s verdict and accept its consequences,” she said. “As the court found me guilty, despite no punishment, the ruling might have some legal impact on my qualifications as a commissioner.

“If the NBTC’s legal department decides I am disqualified, I have to end my position completely. Otherwise I will resume work,” she said.

The other eight convicted activists in the case are Sawit Kaewwan, leader of State Railway of Thailand trade union; Sirichai Maingam, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand’s trade union leader; Pichit Chaimongkol and Nasur Yeemah, former members of the New Politics Party; farmer Anirut Kaosanit; Amnart Palame, deputy secretary general of the State Enterprise Worker Relations Confederation; Saree Ongsomwang, a member of National Reform Steering Council; and lawyer Pairoj Polphet.

The reasons he has cited for the decision are his passion for cockfighting and a failure to keep a promise to provincial senior monks, but the one reason that surprised everyone was the statement that a beauty pageant contestant had failed to return a charm, known as Saengsrithong,

Ikisuktoe Temple’s Facebook page revealed the shocking message on March 10 in a statement reading: “Every follower of [Luang Por Preecha], please read this message from him …”

The message said the abbot had been in monkhood for 33 years. He had decided to be ordained after his prayers for his mother, who had cancer, to live for more than six months defying doctors’ predictions had been realised.

Without naming the beauty queen, the monk said: “I gave the charm to the woman taking part in the beauty pageant in the belief that it would help her in the contest and earn a good reputation for the country. However, she did not honour her promise of returning it to me. I could not cope with it,” said the monk.

Subsequent reports said that he had left the monkhood about a month before the temple’s Facebook revealed the resignation.

Many believe the beauty queen he was referring to was Miss Thailand Universe 2016 Chalita Suansaen. She finished in the top six in the Miss Universe contest in Philippines recently, the best performance by a Thai in the contest since Porntip Nakhirunkanok who became Miss Universe in 1988.

During the contest in Philippines, the temple’s Facebook account campaigned for people to vote for her online and give her their support.

Thairath online, meanwhile, quoted Chalita’s manager Khaopun Suriya as confirming that Chalita was one of the abbot’s followers but saying he was unaware of the charm.

Another reason that purportedly explained his decision to quit the monkhood was because of his passion for cockfighting, for which he was heavily criticised. He received his first group of fighting cocks from a late abbot of Chanasongkram Temple and gave the offspring to local residents who promised to breed them for fighting but instead killed them for food.

As a result, he took back the surviving chickens and used them for cockfighting. “The many millions of baht raised from the cockfights were used to build the temple and 11 houses for poor people,” he said, adding that he would not give up his love for cockfighting.

Another reason given for the abbot’s departure was that some provincial monks had had problems with officials in the province. The governor complied with the abbot’s request to transfer the officials in order to end the feuds and legal issues, but he was ashamed that the monks had not kept their promise to end the conflicts after the transfer of the officials.

Among those taking part were Artiwala Kongmalai, better known as Toon Bodyslam, Ratchawin “Koy” Wongviriya, and Thikamporn “Cheer” Ritta-apinan.

Organised by the Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, the run started on March 11 and will conclude in Bangkok on Friday.

Donations raised during this campaign will go towards construction of the Naavamitarabophit 84th Birthday Anniversary building, the name graciously given by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The campaign expects to raise Bt99million. As of Wednesday, it has already received more than Bt50million.

The building’s right side had sunk by one metre and tilted by two metres to the side, suggesting that there was a problem with the foundation pillars or stanchions, EIT president Thanes Weerasiri said during the Wednesday inspection of the scene.

Such subsidence will continue further depending on the characteristics of the soil, Thanes said, adding that there were previous cracks on the building’s right side suggesting the collapse has begun a while ago without anyone noticing.

The building was sealed off as a precaution pending a further investigation, he said. If authorities conclude there is not a further risk of collapse, tenants will be allowed to enter the structure to collect their belongings.

Thanes said the cost to repair the building might be more expensive than just demolishing it.

Bangkok governor secretary Yutthapan Meechai, who also observed the EIT inspection, said officials would check to see if the building’s partial collapse would affect other buildings and roads in the nearby area.

Officials will also review the time required to complete the next steps such as repair or demolition based on the preparedness of the city and the building owner, as well as what remedial measures could be provided to affected people.

The partial collapse of the 20-year-old building, which is located on an old rice field, took place at about 10.20pm, resulting in two slight injuries. Police and related agencies have already set up a tent as a coordinating centre to aid affected tenants and provide relief aid.