The project – to provide accommodation, security, and three meals a day plus basic tools and teachers’ consultations in academic lessons and life skills – opened for application on January 3. Applications can be submitted until January 31.

Under the banner “Pracha Rath Schools in Southern Border Provinces”, 73 primary and secondary schools in 37 districts of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat plus Songkhla’s four adjacent Chana, Thepa, Na Thawee and Saba Yoy districts have been recruiting boarding students, said OBEC chief Boonrak Yodphetch. Another four technical colleges in the region also joined the project voluntarily, he added.

The project is aimed to ensure underprivileged children have the chance for an education no matter their past academic results. There would be no limit to the number who could enroll in the program, Boonrak said. An initial survey found that some 3,000 children were interested in signing up.

Boonrak said he has instructed directors of the Education Service Area Offices in the region to promote the project in public spaces, to make enrolment a priority while a team was assigned to co-ordinate information and provide him an update on daily basis on the projects’ progress.

The budget to provide boarding to the primary pupils was set at around Bt10,000 per head per year, the lower secondary students at Bt20,000 per hear per year, and the upper secondary students at Bt30,000 per head per year, he said.

In March, after the student recruitment has concluded, OBEC would see which school had many boarding students and in need of a budget to build a dormitory, so the agency could set a budget for the fiscal year 2019, Boonrak said.

Department director-general Sutthi Sukosol said the aim was to boost the repairmen’s potential through a free 18-hour course on inverter air-conditioners that includes both theory and hands-on sessions, work safety and analysis for problem-solving.

The courses will be conducted at the Chiang Mai DSD office on January 17-18, in Khon Kaen on January 31-February 1, in Nakhon Ratchasima on February 14-15, in Phuket on February 28-March 1, and in Chon Buri on March 14-15.

Siam Daikin Sales has provided five 9,000BTU air-conditioners worth Bt64,825 for the courses, Sutthi said.

Repair people 18 years old and up with a minimum Por Wor Chor vocational certificate or at least a year’s work experience can apply to attend the training at (02) 247 9420.

Trainees who pass the course stand to earn better wages based on their improved skill level. Level 1 repairmen capable of fixing home and small commercial air-conditioners can earn Bt400 a day, Level 2 Bt500 and Level 3 Bt600.

Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), has warned that failure to register aerial drones within the 90 days allotted since October could result in five years in prison and/or a fine of up to Bt100,000 under the Radio Broadcasting and Television Act 1955.

Registration can be done at NBTC headquarters in Bangkok, any branch office, any police station and at the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.

Owners of drones can find out more from the NBTC call centre, 1200, and (02) 670 8888, extension 7479.

All 16 activists detained during a march against the power plant in Songkhla last November presented themselves at Songkhla Provincial Court on Wednesday morning in response to a summons, before they went to Muang Songkhla Provincial Police Station to hear another charge of arranging an illegal public gathering.

Police also filed a complaint against Mustarsheedeen Waba, another prominent protester, on similar charges, bringing the number of offenders in the case to 17.

All 17 defendants have been charged with blocking traffic, marching on a public highway, fighting with police, carrying weapons in public and staging illegal demonstration. The “weapons” in question were poles used to carry signs and banners.

The defendants’ lawyer, Sor Rattanamanee Polkla, said police had not clearly stated the jurisdiction of the new charge of staging an illegal demonstration, so it was possible the defendants could be charged not only under the Public Gathering Act, but also the Criminal Code.

According to Article 215 of the Criminal Code, people who gather in groups of more than 10 to create social disorder are subject to a punishment of six months in jail, a Bt1,000 fine or both. If combined with weapon charges, punishment could be increased to two years’ imprisonment, a Bt4,000 fine or both.

Sor Rattanamanee said the defendants would respond to the allegations against them in court next week, as police were expected to finish preparing the case and submit it to the court by next Monday.

Several groups of academics and activists on Wednesday showed up in front of Muang Songkhla Provincial Police Station in support of the arrested activists and read statements urging authorities to stop the prosecution of community rights defenders and ensure freedom of expression.

They also highlighted that people had the rights to speak to the government about their problems and to defend the environment and their livelihoods.

On the same day, Akradej Chakjinda, a leading protester against the Krabi power plant, received a summons from Bang Kruai police related to a complaint of defamation filed by a representative of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat).

The summons stated that Akradej had defamed Egat in an advertisement and he was to report to Bang Kruai Police Station in Nonthaburi next Thursday.

Many of Seksan’s fans, including the abbot of Wat Khao Khun Panom Temple, were reportedly gathered in front of Phrom Kiri Police Station yesterday to show support for Seksan, while the police tried to calm down the crowd by playing the rock star’s songs.

Meanwhile, a Nakhon Si Thammarat court yesterday granted release on bail for Seksan on a guarantee of Bt150,000 and allowed him to travel back to Bangkok to hear the new charge against him at Khan Na Yao Police Station.

Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Pol Lt-General Chanthep Sesawech said the Police General Hospital’s forensic science team had determined the results of a urine test that confirmed traces of methamphetamines and ecstasy in Seksan’s sample, so Khan Na Yao Police would file another charge of drug use against him.

Seksan has already been charged with possessing an illegal gun and ammunition, carrying a gun in public without a justifiable reason, shooting a gun in public without a justifiable reason, and resisting police.

Chanthep said Seksan’s case would not be mitigated based on rehabilitation, because he had previously been charged with drug use and underwent rehabilitation. The current case also included other serious criminal charges such as resisting police, Chanthemp said, adding that Seksan would have to face those charges first.

“It will be the duty of Khan Na Yao Police to file a charge of drug use and, if Seksan receives bail from the Nakhon Si Thammarat court, he will have to go to Khan Na Yao Police Station to hear the new charge, or else police will notify the Nakhon Si Thammarat court of the new charge,” he said.

Meanwhile at Nakhon Si Thammarat court, a judge has already considered a petition by Phrom Kiri Police to detain Seksan over an allegation of violations of the Firearms Act and another petition for bail from the defence, while police also opposed a temporary release on bail.

The court later decided to grant release on bail to Seksan and ordered him to report to the court on scheduled dates.

Khan Na Yao Police Station superintendent Pol Colonel Sing Singhadet said the laboratory examination provided vivid evidence of drug use that Seksan could not deny and the police would have to investigate further how he had bought drugs.

Sing added that police would issue another summons for Seksan next week and later an arrest warrant if he does not appear to hear the charges.

After his temporary release, Seksan said he would like to thank the court for granting him bail and apologise for his mistakes, which were a bad example for young people.

He also said he planned to perform a free concert as an apology to Khan Na Yao and Phrom Kiri police and pledged his faithfulness to Wat Khao Khun Panom Temple, where he was filmed shooting a gun into the sky, reportedly to pay respects to King Taksin the Great. That incident led to the subsequent arrest and further charges.

However, he denied that he had used drugs and insisted that he had only taken sleeping pills, despite examination results showing otherwise.

Seksan reportedly confessed earlier yesterday to Phrom Kiri Police to carrying a gun in public and firing it in public without a justifiable reason, but denied allegations of possessing an unregistered gun, saying his gun ownership was legal and the gun had been registered.

People lacking money or legal knowledge could find it hard to deal with being brought to court or taking cases to court, so the office was trying to assist them, including by waiving court fees and granting bail without bonds, Sarawut Benjakul, the office’s secretary-general said yesterday.

“Under the Constitution, we have a duty to help the underprivileged and we are trying to make sure our efforts are tangible,” Sarawut said.

He said his office planned to develop an efficient system for the exemption of court fees for low-income people.

Also, officials have been assigned to help people who do not have legal knowledge or money to hire lawyers when they come to court with consumer-protection or labour cases.

Sarawut said the country’s judicial system had already introduced a system to protect the rights of defendants, under which they might be able to receive bail even if they do not have money to submit as a bond.

“Since March 2017, we have developed a system whereby we have based bail decisions on the risks of flight or evidence tampering,” he said.

He added that the National Legislative Assembly had already introduced a law to supervise people on bail and re-arrest fugitives, and the Office of the Judiciary’s executive board had passed a regulation to facilitate enforcement of the law.

With this regulation, courts can appoint someone to supervise bail recipients. People who re-arrest fugitives will also be rewarded.

“We are in the process of asking the Finance Ministry to approve the payment method,” he said.

He added that he believed that such laws and measures would give courts more confidence in granting temporary releases of defendants.

Sarawut was speaking during a press conference about his office’s plans for 2018.

He said plans included a scheme to allow more cases to be settled out of court.

“It’s about alternative justice. If parties to the conflict can settle their dispute through negotiations, there is a higher chance of satisfaction for both sides. The number of court cases, moreover, will be reduced,” he said.

MOST CONVICTS put on probation by courts between last Thursday and this Tuesday were punished for drunk driving.

“Of all probation cases during those six days, 89.3 per cent, or 3,515 cases, were about drunk drivers,” Corrections Department director-general Prasarn Mahaleetrakul said yesterday.

He said all these convicted drunk drivers would also have to do community services and improve their behaviour.

“They must not repeat their offences,” Prasarn said.

He was speaking on the last of the “Seven Dangerous Days” associated with the New Year 2018.

As many as 3,456 road accidents occurred during the first six days of the holiday period, killing 375 people and injuring 3,612.

On Tuesday, which was the sixth day of the seven-day monitoring period, 400 road accidents occurred, killing 51 people and injuring 431.

Drunk-driving contributed to over 40 per cent of the accidents, while speeding accounted for a further 28.5 per cent.

Almost 80 per cent of the vehicles involved in road accidents were motorcycles.

Several road accidents also occurred yesterday. In Mahasarakham, a van carrying New Year holidaymakers back to Bangkok drove into a ditch, injuring the driver and 12 passengers, police said.

Police said the accident happened at 2.30am on a main road in Tambon Huay Eng in Mahasarakham’s Muang district.

The driver and passengers suffered from chest pains and bruises, and were sent to the Mahasarakham Hospital.

Passengers said they had hired the van to take them from Kalasin to Bangkok and left Kalasin at 8pm. At the time of the accident, most passengers were asleep.

Police believe the driver dozed off and the vehicle plunged into the ditch.

In another accident, five people were injured when a van from Praram 9 Hospital carrying donated human organs crashed into the concrete base of a communication switching cabinet in Ayutthaya early yesterday.

Police said the accident happened at 4am in Tambon Sanab Tueb in Wang Noi district.

The van driver, Somboon Vattanakit, told police that a car cut in front of his van and he swerved to the left and crashed into the concrete base on the roadside.

Somboon and four staff members of a medical team were injured. They were identified as Thawatchai Klinsukhon, Haruethai Sathanbua, Pussadee Wannarat and Sudarat Paengkaew.

The five were rushed to Wang Noi Hospital.

The team was taking donated organs from Chaiyaphum to Praram 9 Hospital when the accident occurred.

The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) has drawn up guidelines on how teachers can reduce home assignments.

Obec secretary-general Boonrux Yodpheth said on Wednesday that teachers who were in charge of the same class, for example, should be able to plan together as to how to evaluate their students based on the same homework.

“Joint planning will enable such an evaluation,” he said.

Boonrux also emphasised that home assignments should be appropriate to students’ age.

“When giving homework, teachers should also take into account the time and resources required,” he said.

He said students in Prathom 1-3 levels should spend just 30 to 60 minutes on homework each day; those in Prathom 4-6 classes should spend 60 to 90 minutes a day, while Mathayom or secondary students should spend no more than two hours a day on homework.

Boonrux said the prime minister had nudged the Education Ministry to draw up guidelines to reduce the homework burden after hearing accounts of how children were weighed down by their work load.

“Social media are rife with comments on how the huge homework load has adversely affected children’s lives, causing stress, depriving them of time to develop other skills or to spend time with their family,” he said.

Boonrux believed the integrated homework approach should be easy to implement for teachers at small schools where there were just a few teachers in charge.

“At bigger schools, teachers should try to work together in implementing the homework-reduction guidelines introduced by Obec,” he said.

He added that his agency would monitor progress on how the guidelines were being followed.

Don said he never ordered the embassy to do so. “I’m not sure whether the post is merely the embassy’s mistake or somebody hacked into the embassy’s Facebook account. I have ordered an inquiry into the incident,” Don said.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chanocha has not yet announced the official date of the general election, but he has implied that it should be held in November.

In its Facebook page, the embassy invited Thais in Finland and Estonia who wished to vote in the election to prepare the necessary documents.

The statement, titled “Preparation of the overseas election in 2018”, said the Thai government was preparing for a general election expected to happen in November this year.

Eligible voters were informed to prepare personal documents such as identity cards and valid passports.

“If the information in those documents has been changed, the holders are urged to notify the embassy to update them,” read the statement, which has now disappeared from the Facebook page.

And the motorcycle taxi driver who filmed her has not been charged with any offence pending further police investigations.

Pataradanai Noomsrinart claimed he didn’t know the girl’s suicidal intentions prior to the jump and thought she had simply hired him to give her a lift to the bridge. When she asked him to stay and shoot a Facebook Live post, he thought it just to “record the atmosphere”, said Boworn Mongkol Police Station superintendent Pol Colonel Wiradol Tabtimdee on Wednesday.

Pataradanai said he was the one to call the police and urge others at the scene to help after seeing the girl jump off the bridge.

The Facebook Live broadcast at 2am on Tuesday showed the apparently-drunk teenager singing along with a song about a break-up. She then climbed to sit on the bridge rail while drinking, then stepped over the rail and jumped into the Chao Phraya River.

The post has drawn criticism from social-media users asking why the man holding the camera didn’t try to stop the girl from jumping.

Among those critics was Kosolwat Indaruchanyong, deputy spokesman of the Office of the Attorney-General, who warned that anyone filming a suicide attempt could face a criminal charge.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Kosolwat said: “Seeing the girl climb onto the bridge rail, listening to a heart-break song, you should have stopped her or pulled her back from getting across the rail. It’s a legal duty for a person to stop another’s action deemed dangerous to their life, but you just stood there shooting the clip. This can be a criminal offence punishable with a jail term for the person holding the camera or those just standing by without stopping a suicide attempt.”

Kosolwat was referring to the Criminal Code’s Section 374, which provides for one month’s jail and/or a fine of up to Bt10,000 for such an offence.

The girl’s body has not been found, and many are holding out hope that she has survived.