The Department of Health Service Support is waiting for the results of a test on suspected sperm in a container that a man attempted to carry into Laos last week, the agency’s deputy director-general Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn said yesterday.

“We are waiting for the test result from Khon Kaen Hospital before filing a police complaint against the person who attempted to smuggle the semen out of the country. Later we will examine the documents and labels on the semen vials to find the source,” Thongchai said.

“Any individual or medical establishment found to be involved or have colluded in the smuggling will face legal action,” he warned.

Nithinon Srithaniyanan, 25, was arrested and fined Bt200,000 on Thursday at the border checkpoint in Nong Khai for allegedly trying to smuggle out the semen. He was travelling with a nitrogen tank containing six vials of what he has said were human semen. Officials said he had admitted to being hired to carry the semen to a fertility clinic in Vientiane.

Thongchai said yesterday that his agency would also verify a claim by a clinic named Superior ART Centre, which said on Friday that although two of the six vials seized from the suspect were taken from the clinic, they had nothing to do with their transport.

Khon Kaen Hospital, which conducted the test, confirmed yesterday that the substance was semen but it remained unclear if was from humans.

Dr Charnchai Chanworachaikul, director of the hospital, said that he expected the result of the additional tests on the confiscated semen vials to be available tomorrow or Tuesday. “We can confirm that the liquid in the six vials is semen. But it still cannot be confirmed now whether it is from human or animal. There needs to be a DNA test to confirm that,” he said.

The director also said that although the hospital’s experts had confirmed from a preliminary examination that the semen belonged to humans, a scientific test needed to be conducted for reliable confirmation.

“The hospital will send the test result to the Department of Health Service Support for further investigation and possible legal action,” he added.

Meanwhile, Angkhana Neela-phaijit, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, said yesterday that the recent arrest has underlined legal issues stemming from the need of many married couples who had fertility problems. “In addition to legally married couples who cannot have children or get pregnancies naturally, there are also an increasing number of LGBT couples who want to have children. This is a complex issue and a challenge for the people involved,” she said in her Facebook post.

Some sat in groups, around a small table filled with worship items, chit-chatting to kill time while |waiting until their lit incense finished.

Portable fences were put at the front and back of the compound. They are normally open for the public until midnight, but things were a little different from days before Songkran.

Dozens of metropolitan police, plus plainclothes officers were deployed and on guard 24/7 around the compound, and especially the spot where a new plaque was embedded to replace the 81-year-old Constitution plaque metres away from the King’s statue.

“You should not take a photo, as it is too much of a hot issue on social media,” a plainclothes police officer said to The Sunday Nation when we went to observe the site.

Police were reportedly deployed to guard the site last Tuesday and people have been prohibited from taking photos of the new plaque since then.

A few worshippers walked further from the statue to the plaque to have a look and take photos – shortly before they were stopped and urged to leave.

“When they [people] came to worship the statue, some would then walk towards the [old] plaque to take a look or take photos. You know, it’s the Constitution plaque, but it’s gone,” one regular at the site said.

The historical plaque, marking the Siamese Revolution of 1932, has mysteriously gone missing. Some photos shared and scrolled down on social media pages, along with accounts of “regulars” and concerned authorities as checked by the Nation have shown that between late last month and April 6, at least two distinctive activities took place at the Royal Plaza before the public was alerted last Friday that the plaque was missing.

The regular visitor we met said that late last month the statue of the former King was renovated, with some framework set up and covered with translucent green sheets. However, from April 4 to 6, there were a few tents set up next to it – around the spot where the plaque was located.

However, the tents were closed and draped with cloth, so the regulars could not see anything inside.

“But afterwards, the tents were gone, and then I learnt from the news as well that the plaque was gone,” one of the regulars said.

Other regular visitors made similar observations to The Sunday Nation, saying that they saw a couple of tents near the statue of King Chulalongkorn a few days before Chakri Day on April 6.

The tents were located some metres away, on the right side of the equestrian statue, where the plaque was.

On April 5, the Plaza also closed early – at 9pm, due to arrangements needed for Chakri Day, they said.

Some photos, as reported by Prachatai online news website, show that as late as March 28 the framework was set up around the statue. Other photos, checked by The Sunday Nation and taken at least on April 1, also show individuals working inside the sheeting. However, no tents were seen set up nearby.

The tents appeared in some photos taken on April 4 to 5. But on April 6, there were no tents seen on the spot.

The Sunday Nation tried to contact the Fine Arts Department, but was only told that they had worked on the statue during this period of time.

No further details were allowed without permission from the department’s chief.

Sarttarin Tansoon, a political science lecturer at Kasetsart University, told The Sunday Nation that a group of his students saw the original plaque during a field trip to the Royal Plaza from April 1 and 3.

On April 8, another group of his students went to the Plaza to see the plaque, but found it had been replaced.

An official at Dusit district told The Sunday Nation that Royal Plaza is overseen by several authorities. While Dusit district administration takes care of overall tidiness, the police are in charge of security. The Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning is in charge of the road surface, while the King’s statue is overseen by the Fine Arts Department.

The Bureau of the Royal Household (BRH), meanwhile, is authorised to permit activities or events to be held on the Plaza, the official said.

The official confirmed the Fine Arts Department’s work at the statue, saying they had learnt about some cleaning and repairs to the statue earlier this month. However, the officer declined to acknowledge anything in regard to the tents, saying they had no idea about tents seen near the statue.

The disappearance of the |plaque has ignited a big issue in Thailand between pro-democracy citizens, plus state authorities and royalists.

The plaque was fixed on the ground of the Royal Plaza in 1936 |on the spot where People’s Party leader Phraya Phahonphonpha-|yuhasena stood to announce the |end of absolute monarchy, paving |the way for a constitutional monarchy.

While activists want state authorities to conduct an investigation to find the missing plaque and prosecute those who replaced it, police and government officials have argued that they do not own it, claiming that the plaque had no historical value to necessitate an inquiry or prosecution.

The Bangkok governor’s secretary Yutthapan Meechai told the press on Wednesday that all 11 CCTV cameras installed on traffic and light poles in front of the Royal Plaza had been removed for maintenance beginning on March 31.

The cameras belonged to the BMA’s Traffic and Transportation Department, which was wholly responsible for removal of the cameras, he said.

The Fine Arts Department, meanwhile, said on its Facebook page that the missing plaque did not qualify as an antique as defined by the Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums Act as the plaque merely marked a spot where a revolutionary declaration was made.

A message on the plaque reads: “At dawn on June 24, 1932, the People’s Party on this spot gave birth to the constitution for national prosperity.”

Amid these curious official |reactions, people have been left |wondering: did state officials sanction or take part in this change of plaques? Or did outsiders seize a |rare opportunity to undertake the change?

Almost 88 per cent of those surveyed said they were worried about the government’s failure to tackle economic issues. They suggested that the government recruit leading gurus to tackle the issue and launch more measures to boost the national economy.

The survey was conducted on 1,167 people in all regions of the country between Monday and Friday last week.

Among the five major issues, corruption was second on the list of concerns with almost 77 per cent saying there was still plenty of corruption, especially in government projects. They suggested that the government seriously pursue those who are involved with corruption.

Political conflicts were third, and almost 71 per cent thought the government had failed to bring about reconciliation. They called for a clear policy from the government to solve the problem, seek cooperation from all concerned parties, and listen to opinions from all sides.

Almost 65 per cent expressed their concern about law enforcement, especially the absolute power of junta chief Prayut under Article 44 of the 2014 interim charter. Many perceived the use of the power as restriction of rights and freedom, and justice. The respondents suggested that the government exercise the power with caution and think about the pros and cons as well as explain the reasons to the public.

Concerns about election 

An election was the last of the major concerns. Almost 62 per cent were worried about the election as it was important for politics but the process was unclear.

They suggested that the government invite all stakeholders to discuss and work out an appropriate direction and set a clear election date.

The new regulations under the “Taxi OK and Taxi VIP” campaign require taxi operators to install a GPS tracking device to monitor speed, a CCTV camera, an emergency button, and a digital monitor in their taxis. Details of the drivers and their vehicles will be linked to the Department of Land Transport GPS centre |and their operators’ data systems for |monitoring.

A mobile application “DLT Taxi OK” will also be launched soon to prevent drivers refusing to take passengers or not using the fare meter. Officials expect the application to improve the overall quality of Thai taxi services. Permanent secretary at the Transport Ministry Chartchai Tipsunave told a seminar on Friday that he expects the ministry to implement these measures by the end of the year.

Anuchat Hongthong, a 53-year-old widower who is well known in Nong Ya Sai district, turned himself in at 10.30pm to face the charges of raping a minor under 15 and taking the girl away from her guardian/parent for lewd acts last November. Pol Col Mana Kleepsattabut, deputy superintendent at the Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD), said Anuchat initially denied the charges and said he would testify only in court.

AHTD investigators will now take Anuchat to apply for the court to approve his first 12-day detention period pending police inquiries.

The investigation into the alleged gang rape of the girl in Suphan Buri’s Dan Chang district and putting pressure on her to do commercial sex work has progressed quickly after lawyer Songkran Atchariyasap, who chairs a network that targets threats to the nation, religion |and monarchy, helped the |victim’s family contact relevant officials.

The girl, who was hospitalised for three weeks after the incident and suffered both physical and emotional trauma, has been put under the care of a state-run shelter for rehabilitation.

Several others have been arrested over the incident, including Pramuan Khanchatha, 24, who is now on bail; Sunai Bunpaen, 22, and Thananwat Kamhaengk-humphon, 21, who were brought for a rape crime re-enactment at |an Internet cafe last week; Pramuan’s sister Supree Khanchatha, 19, and her friend Thanapat Saenkham, 31, both of whom allegedly procured the girl for the sex trade.

Mana said that current evidence didn’t implicate any more accomplices or suggest any state officials were involved.

According to the Bureau of Prevention and Assistance in Tourist Fraud, there was a whopping 54 per cent increase in tourist deaths in 2015 (latest data available) as compared to 2014. This figure includes tourists only. The actual number including expats is likely higher, as can be seen in the statistics provided by the Farang Deaths project.

Private hospitals in Phuket were asked to answer the same questions referred to in this article, but they declined to participate in the story.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade estimated that there were 109 deaths of Australians alone in Thailand between July 2014 and June 2015. Given the likelihood that a foreigner might be injured in Phuket, clear protocols on uninsured foreign patients are surprisingly missing.

According to Methavee Maneesri of Vachira Phuket Hospital, when foreign patients are unable to pay their bills, the hospital has to absorb the expenses. Last year alone, the hospital wrote off Bt4.3 million of unpaid bills incurred by foreign patients. Over the last nine years, Vachira Phuket Hospital says it has written off more than Bt24 million in such losses.

“Due to medical ethics, we do not pick and choose patients before we initiate life-saving |treatment.

“The questions of payment and insurance coverage are always secondary to saving patients’ lives,” said Methavee. However, patients with non-life-threatening conditions will be asked to show proper insurance coverage or make an adequate deposit before treatment is administered.

“Given the large amount of annual write-offs for saving critical foreign patients, it simply doesn’t make sense for us to shoulder the cost of treatments that patients should be able to pay with proper insurance coverage. After all, these are conditions that are not dangerous to life in the near future. Even Thais have to show proper insurance coverage before the treatment can be initiated,” said Methavee.

Feeling the financial effects that uninsured foreign patients cause on the hospital’s bottom line, the international department, currently led by Methavee, was established to handle the issue. According to the National News Bureau of Thailand, medical treatments for emergency patients at hospitals within 72 hours of a patient’s arrival there, no longer incur any charges to such patients.

This is a basic benefit for all Thai citizens.

Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd says this Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) was put into effect from April 1 this year, allowing patients to undergo emergency treatments at any nearby hospital without payment for the first 72 hours.

The practice will adhere to the Ministry of Public Health’s regulations and protocol for emergency treatment costs. All hospitals in Thailand are obliged to follow the protocol.

Asked how the financial loss is being mitigated, Methavee said that Vachira tries its best to contact the family and relatives of each patient. If the family members refuse to care for the patients or support them financially, the hospital “usually” covers the expenses for life-threatening illnesses until the patient either expires or can be released. Most patients are released by either voluntary self-deportation or signing a debt agreement with the hospital.

A plea for help to embassies usually results in letters of appreciation with no monetary or personnel support, Methavee explained.

“Sometimes, a patient in our care is unable to go back to his home country, or is in a sufficiently serious condition to require a nurse aide. A lot of money is needed to arrange for such transportation. We are trying our best to budget for it,” said Methavee.

“Even without the ability to pay, no patient is ever held against their will,” said Methavee.

She guaranteed that the hospital had no policy to hold patients against their will or confiscate passports as payment guarantees.

While the protocols at Vachira are beneficial to foreign patients, those of other hospitals could be less so, she explained.

“Different hospitals have different procedures when a foreign patient with no health insurance is unable to pay the bill,” said Dr Weerasak Lawtongkum, vice director of Vachira.

Some cases could be construed as a total disregard for medical ethics when a hospital finds out that a foreign patient might not be able to the pay the bill.

Weerasak gave an example of a case in which an illegal immigrant walked into another hospital’s emergency room with a knife wound in the abdomen.

Since the patient was not likely to be able to pay the bill, that hospital refused to provide the patient with care. Instead, he was put in an ambulance, driven to Vachira’s emergency room, and left there.

“They were fully capable of treating the serious injury. However, they did not want to shoulder the irrecoverable expense from doing so,” said Weerasak.

In less extreme cases, many foreign patients are transferred from private hospitals to Vachira when their financial situations have become less than ideal.

“We use the rates announced by Thai Ministry of Public Health. The same government-subsidised rates apply to both Thais and foreigners. [This cheaper rate is] the reason private hospitals sometimes refer patients to us,” said Weerasak.

Uninsured patients with serious illnesses who are transferred to Vachira eventually become a financial burden for the hospital.

Many countries around the world require that tourists entering their countries have health insurance. Members of the European Union or UAE are notable examples.

Given the recent push for Phuket to become a global premier travel destination, the government has to resolve the financial burden on the hospitals and set a clear protocol regarding uninsured |foreigners.

Concrete steps need to be implemented to further the growth of Phuket into the celebrated tourist destination the government wants it to be.

The temple in Pathum Thani’s Klong Luang district opened its seventh gate to welcome throngs of disciples who wished to attend the grand merit-making event, but members of the media were not allowed to enter the compound.

Spokesman for Dhammakaya followers, Ong-art Thamnita, said that as the United Nations had declared April 22 as Earth Day for promotion of peace and sustainability of the planet, Buddhist organisations observed it as the “Dhamma Protecting Earth” day to host merit-making and meditation to bring about world peace.

He said the temple hosted morning alms offering to internal monks followed by a robe-offering rite to raise funds for temple maintenance.

His Thai girlfriend told police that she had returned from working in another provice past midnight on Saturday and found Schmidt Hans Rudolf sitting unconscious on the balcony of his room on the 12th floor of Ake Condo View.

She said she moved him to lie on the bed to try and help him recover, but found that he had already died. The woman said she has been living with Rudolf for five years. She said she had left to work in another province on Thursday.

She said Rudolf had been complaining about financial problems and he also had a heart disease.

Police said there was no trace of foul play in the room and nothing was stolen but the right wrist of the man had a scratch. His body was sent for an autopsy to a hospital.