The charred remains of Samran Phetchpradap, 44, his wife Rungthip Saithong, 35, and their oneyearold daughter were recovered from their one-storey home in Tambon Salalai of Sam Roi Yod district.

The incident had been treated as an acci?dent, but initial autopsy results from the Institute of Forensic Medicine showed five wounds on Samran and one each on Rungthip and the baby caused by an 11mm pistol, the source said. It appeared that the fire was deliberately set to cover up the killings.

Police later reported that Nipon Changkaew, 38, confessed to kill the family of three over rage that the family failed to pay him a labour fee. He said he killed the three victims and borned their home to cover up the crime before fleeing.

Suwira then took Nipon to apologise in front of the three victims’ coffins at Wat Don Yai Noo in Parchuap Khiri Khan’s Kui Buri district while their relatives were condemning him.

After he led police to retrieve the pistol he used in killing the victims, Nipon was sent for detention at sam Roy Yot Police Station later last night. Suwira then took Nipon to apologise in front of the three victims’ coffins at Wat Don Yai Noo in Parchuap Khiri Khan’s Kui Buri district while their relatives were condemning him.

After he led police to retrieve the pistol he used in killing the victims, Nipon was sent for detention at sam Roy Yot Police Station later last night.

AN ASSISTED Reproductive Technology (ART) clinic in Bangkok has denied any connection with the man who attempted to smuggle what is believed to be human sperm out of the country to another fertility clinic in Laos where surrogate pregnancies are not as strictly regulated as in Thailand.

Officials from the Health Service Support Department of the Thai Public Health Ministry yesterday inspected the premises of the unnamed ART clinic on Bangkok’s Phloenchit Road after it was cited by Nithinon Srithaniyanun, the courier, as one of the four clinics in Bangkok where he had picked up the sperm for delivery to another fertility clinic in the Laotian capital of Vientiane.

Nithinon was earlier arrested by authorities at the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge checkpoint in the northeastern Thai province of Nong Khai where he attempted to smuggle six tubes of what is believed to be human sperm stored in a frozen |nitrogen tank into the neighbouring country.

Dr Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn, deputy director-general of the Health Service Support Department, said the agency would take legal action against wrongdoers after contents in the frozen nitrogen tank carried by Nithinon are scientifically confirmed as human sperms, eggs and/or embryos.

Thongchai said the Thai fertility clinic had denied any connection with the courier and had given a copy of the clinic’s complaint filed with police against Nithinon to public health authorities. The clinic admitted the human sperm belonged to two of its clients from China and Vietnam who had authorised a person to pick up the sperm but the clinic has no knowledge of the courier and his delivery service, according to Thongchai.

Sarayuth Assamakorn, head of Superior ART Centre, said the Chinese and Vietnamese clients had properly obtained the sperm from the centre on April 17 and April 19 respectively by authorising a person to do so.

The foreign clients said they wanted to take the sperm to be used at another fertility clinic, which is the patients’ right, but they were informed in advance that taking sperm out of the country is not legal, according to Sarayuth.

Licences could be suspended

Thongchai said the courier is guilty under Thai law if the contents inside the frozen nitrogen tank are confirmed to be either sperm, eggs and/or embryos. Second, authorities will find out if there is an agency or intermediary to carry out transactions for these contents and, third, authorities will establish if any clinic is involved in these activities and transactions, and if they are they will be guilty under Thai law.

Professor Dr Prasit Wattanapa, president of Medical Council of Thailand, said if the contents are confirmed to be embryos, doctors who were involved would be guilty under Thai law and their licences could be suspended.

At this stage, the contents are believed to be the sperm of two persons, a Chinese and a Vietnamese. The contents are accompanied by certificates from medical institutes. According to the Thai law on assisted reproduction technology, sperms, eggs, and embryos cannot be traded, while violators and smugglers are subject to fines and imprisonment of up to 10 years. Thai customs officials said Nithinon had travelled from Thailand to Laos 20 times during July last year and February this year. In addition, he also travelled to Cambodia 24 times from September last year to April this year.

Meanwhile, Nong Khai’s public health office said it would follow up the case from the Customs Department to take action against smuggling networks for illegal trading in sperm, eggs and embryos. Laos does not have a strict law on assisted reproductive technology and surrogate pregnancies as in Thailand, so it is possible that the courier had been working for agents and clinics in Laos as well as Cambodia for ART medical services.

Meanwhile, reporters yesterday visited the fertility clinic in Vientiane where the Thai courier was supposed to deliver the contents from Thailand. It remained open to patients as normal. According to the Thai Customs Department, the courier was already fined Bt200,000 for smuggling human sperm out of Thailand. Customs deputy spokesman Kreecha Kirdsriphan said illegal exporters of human sperm could also face up to 10 years’ jail term. For customs, the legal case had been settled, but the public health officials would follow up on related offences.

The event is being held to raise public awareness about biodiversity loss and the critical need to raise and manage finances for biodiversity and ecosystem conservation in Thailand and across the globe.

Experts and advocates from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Biodiversity Finance Initiative (Biofin) and the government will attend the three-day event, which runs from today until Monday.

Various events will take place during the event, including roundtable discussions, exhibitions and workshops.

Thailand has made significant progress in protecting its biodiversity, although the gov?ernment and key players in finance and envi?ronmental policy must keep a close eye on the issue, said Martin Hart-Hansen, UNDP’s deputy resident representative.

“Strengthening collaboration between ministries, civil society, the UN and the pri?vate sector will provide an opportunity for the implementation of alternative financing mechanisms for the country’s biodiversity,” he said.

Important sectors in Thailand such as tourism, medicine/well-being and agricul?ture rely heavily on healthy and viable biodi?versity and ecosystems, he said.

Biofin Day is co-hosted by the Royal Plant Genetic Conservation Project, the National Economic and Social Development Board, and the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Planning and Policy.

Sukanya Noiwong, 34, Prasong Chuasuk, and Suriya Amornpibulchai, 52, were arrested and 12 fake driving licences were found in an apartment in Nonthaburi’s Muang district earlier this week, Sanit said.

He added that they would ask a customer to wire Bt3,000 per driving licence to a prepared bank account and they would send the fake document to the customer via post.

Sanit said Sukanya and her husband Prasong confessed to dealing with customers. Suriya had connections with another man nicknamed “Ek” who produced the forged documents.

The couple claimed they got Bt250 per document as they had to pay “Ek” Bt1,500 for each document and the rest went to Suriya.

The three suspects were initially charged with forgery.

The arrests followed an online investigation method by police that led to the arrest of four people for selling fake academic credentials via social media on April 9.

The marriage of Notthapich Thanatsirichote, the groom, and Nawin Prathumsut, the “bride”, became the talk of the town in Phitsanulok’s Nakhon Thai district.

The ceremony was held at the meeting hall of the Kasetrat Bamrung School in Tambon Banyaeng.

Notthapich recounted that he came from Nakhon Si Thammarat to study in Phitsanulok where he met Nawin. They became friends and eventually partners before going to work in Pattaya together in 2003.

Later on, Nawin became ill and fell into coma. Notthapich said Nawin woke up three months later but the illness caused him to lose his eyesight. Being blind, Nawin decide to return to his home to Phitsanulok in 2007 after which the two stayed apart and lost contact.

Notthapich said he recently contacted Nawin again out of his love and attachment for him. The two decided to resume the relationship and eventually agreed to get married.

Nawin said he decided to get back with his male partner because they had shared suffering and happiness for years and they always helped each other to over come all sorts of obstacles.

Nawin said Notthapich proposed marriage after they resumed talks over the phone a month ago.