After sending the complaint to the Administrative Court yesterday, E-Law Foundation lawyer Surachai Trongngam said the suit accused police of violating public-assembly rights and asked the court to order that police cease operations that limited the right to demonstrate peacefully.

The suit also asks the court to order police to facilitate the protesters’ long march and to pay them Bt100,000 as compensation for previous rights violations.

The People GO Network, an umbrella group of 97 public organisations, launched the 450-kilometre-long march from Bangkok to Khon Kaen last Saturday in a campaign drawing attention to the need for state welfare, universal healthcare, food security, freedom of expression, human rights and a just society for all.

However, from the very first hours of their march, participants faced interference as police and military officers tried to stop the march by labelling the walk as a political protest prohibited by order 3/2558 of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

Surachai said the operation to suppress and intimidate protesters during the first two days of the “We Walk” march were in clear violation of their right to stage a peaceful protest, which is guaranteed by the current Constitution.

“We had already notified the local police last Friday of the demonstration and that we would follow the procedures under the Public Assembly Act. We assured the police that our protest is not a ‘political protest’, but when we started our long march on Saturday, the group faced several actions from the police to stop the protest,” he said.

“I confirm that this activity does not violate NCPO order 3/2558.”

Surachai said the complaint to the court was spearheaded by four members of the protest – Lertsak Khamkongsak, Nattawat Uppa, Wasinee Bunthee and Nimit Tian-udom.

They named as defendants the Royal Thai Police Headquarters, Klong Luang Police superintendent Pol Colonel Rittinan Puipanthawong, Pathum Thani police commander Pol Maj-General Surapong Thanomjit and Ayutthaya police commander Pol Maj-General Sommai Prasit over their actions to allegedly obstruct the peaceful demonstration.

Nimit said that despite the heavy interference by the officers, the group was determined to walk to Khon Kaen to highlight the severe problems of human rights violations under the military-led regime, regardless of whether officers tried to abduct the march participants.

“Right now we walk in groups of four people to deter authorities’ actions,” Nimit said. “Our long journey is full of uncertainty as the officers threaten anyone who tries to help us. We do not even know where we will sleep tonight and whether we can continue our march tomorrow.”

THE DEPARTMENT of Special Investigation (DSI) has promised to thoroughly investigate financial transactions involving Victoria’s: The Secret Forever to identify and apprehend all culprits involved in alleged illegal activities at the embattled massage parlour.

The entertainment venue is accused of engaging in human trafficking, prostitution, child prostitution and bribery.

“We will investigate all the way to the end of the financial routes. We will pore over recordings from CCTV too,” DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said yesterday.

He said Wang Thong Lang Police Station, whose jurisdiction covers Victoria’s, had already handed over an investigation report that was more than 3,000 pages long. Several senior policemen at the station were transferred after the DSI and military raided Victoria’s in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district and uncovered alleged illegal activities on January 12.

Paisit yesterday said he had already submitted evidence of bribery found at Victoria’s to the Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission for further action.

He added that while Kampol and Nipa Weerathepsuporn – who are identified as the de-facto owners of Victoria’s – had not turned themselves in to face charges, the couple still remained in the country.

“There’s no record that they have left Thailand,” Paisit said.

Kampol, 61, and his wife emerged as prime suspects in the case only after former massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit volunteered information to police.

Chuvit, who now works as a news host, previously owned Victoria’s and said he sold the venue to Kampol.

On paper, Kampol’s sister Sasithorn Weerathepsuporn is the licence holder of Victoria’s and a major shareholder of Amarin Onsen, a private holding company that owns the place. Sasithorn is now in detention.

Chuvit gave photos to reporters yesterday featuring Amarin Onsen staff paying respect to Kampol, his wife and their son at New Year parties.

“From these photos, it should be clear who the real owners are,” Chuvit said.

He added that he would be ready to provide information to the DSI if requested.

The US Embassy in Bangkok has also invited him to provide information on the case, he said.

Chuvit described Victoria’s as a criminal organisation as staff were trained to quickly destroy evidence of payments, such as removing credit-card numbers, in the event of a raid.

He also said human-trafficking agents supplying young girls to Victoria’s had bought children from their parents.

Some girls working as sex workers at the parlour came from neighbouring countries, according to the DSI.

DSI deputy chief Pol Colonel Songsak Raksaksakul said he would ask relevant embassies to help verify the actual ages of girls found on the premises.

The National Wage Committee approved the proposal last week as one of the measures to ease impacts on employers who would have to pay the higher minimum daily wage.

Effective April 1, minimum daily wages across the country will rise by between Bt5 and Bt22 depending on where workers are based.

As employers’ representatives complained about impacts from the hike, several other measures were approved. For example, employers will be allowed to claim tax deductions equivalent to 1.5 times wage expenses. Also, employers will be able to reduce their contributions to the social-security scheme on a temporary basis.

‘Affects old-age benefits’

The proposal approved by the National Wage Committee suggests the contribution rate for employers, which now stands at 5 per cent of their employees’ salary (calculated at Bt15,000 at most), should come down by 1 per cent for about a year. The employees’ contribution rate of 5 per cent would be lowered by the same rate over the same period.

“I think the wage hike and the contribution to the social security scheme are two different things,” CTL president Manas Kosol said yesterday.

He said the reduced contribution rate would affect employees’ old-age benefits, and noted that, at this point, the Social Security Office (SSO) had not yet approved the proposal.

“We will oppose this proposal when it is forwarded to the SSO,” Manas said.

Labour Ministry’s spokeswoman Petcharat Sinauy said impacts on the old-age benefits would not be significant given that the reduced contribution rate would be valid for just one year.

According to Petcharat, about 4 million Thais are now paid minimum daily wages.

SSO secretary-general Dr Suradej Waleeittikul said his agency was in the process of studying the proposal’s impacts.

“We will check the impacts from the proposal and impacts from different reduced contribution rates such as 0.3, 0.5, 0.8 or 1 per cent, and reduction-validity periods like three months, six months and one year,” he said.

He said the SSO board would probably discuss the issue at a meeting next month.

“I will need time to ponder my next step,” he said. “But if I decide to run for the Bangkok governor’s post in the future, I may jump in as an independent candidate.” He added that he was not affiliated with any political party.

He had not accepted any invitations to contest the gubernatorial race under the banner of a political party, he said.

Aswin has never contested an election for the post of Bangkok governor. He came to the top post of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) two years ago through a special order of Prime Minister and National Council for Peace and Order’s chief and Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

At the time, several allegations against elected Bangkok governor MR  Sukhumbhand Paribatra were cited as grounds for the incumbent’s immediate removal.

When asked to evaluate his own performance as the city governor, Aswin said he believed he must have scored about half of the possible points in a hypothetical scoring system.

“I hope I can do better,” Aswin said. “That’s why I have now created online channels via which people can directly contact me. I want to listen to people and respond to their needs.”

Aswin said that under his leadership the BMA would develop Bangkok in line with the junta-led 20-year national strategy, the 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan and the 20-year Bangkok Development Plan.

The BMA has set clear goals for 2018, he said. For example, within the next 100 days, the administration will make it possible for people to make advance appointments with doctors at BMA-run hospitals to reduce patient wait-times.

“We will set up 100 happiness-building centres across the capital to take care of people across various age groups,” Aswin added

Another project will install lights at an additional 6,065 locations in the capital to increase public safety.

Police said the explosion occurred at 6am in front of a pork-seller’s stall at Pimolchai market on Kwang Chia Burana Road in Muang district. The market was busy with shoppers at the time of the explosion.

The blast caused goods to be scattered around and created great alarm. When police arrived at the scene, panicked shoppers were crying in fear.

Police said two civilians were killed at the scene and another died in hospital, while 23 were injured. They believe the bomb was detonated with a timing device.

A spate of violence has rocked the predominantly Muslim region since 2004, claiming more than 6,800 lives so far. No specific group had yet claimed responsibility for the bomb.

Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) spokesperson Pramote Prom-In said an operational cell of the insurgency was behind the bomb as part of a plan to orchestrate violence against state authority. It would not be difficult for officials to identify the culprits, he added.

The explosion in a relatively calm area of the Kingdom’s southernmost province indicated that the insurgents wanted to discredit the government, he said.

They wanted not only to randomly take the lives of ordinary people but also to damage the local economy at a time when the government was implementing an economic plan to raise living standards, he said.

Authorities in Bangkok have struggled for more than a decade to contain violence apparently motivated by ethno-religious grievances. Muslim Malays have fought for autonomy of their homeland since it was annexed by Thailand – formerly Siam – more than a century ago.

Pramote said extremism and using violence against innocent civilians was unacceptable. “Thousands of innocent people have died from acts of extremism over the past 10 years,” he said.

One of the injured, Wichai Jehma, said there was no reason for innocent people like himself to suffer from violence. “Our lives in the three southernmost provinces have been troubled for a long time,” he said from his bed in a Yala hospital. “We don’t want to see any more people lost.”

The Fourth Army Region Commander, Lt-General Piyawat Nakwanich, yesterday visited Wichai and many other injured people in the hospital.

Meanwhile, security checks became more intense in Hat Yai in neighbouring Songkhla yesterday after suspected insurgents detonated a bomb there.

District officials, police and soldiers were carefully checking vehicles at three locations and patrolling Hat Yai business areas, scrutinising parked vehicles. Violence occasionally flares in Hat Yai and many other Songkhla districts.

A security source said agencies had been warned of major attacks from January 20 to 26.

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Chalermpol Yudee, 27, told police spokesman Pol General Wirachai Songmetta said he was still listed as a drug suspect on the police’s online criminal record seven year after being arrested, although he had been cleared of drug use by a lab test.

Chalermpol added that the police officer who had recorded his arrest in May 2010 had refused to help him clear his name from the Criminal Record Division’s database on the grounds that he had lost the file.

He said he and six friends were returning home after work at 3pm in 2010 when their vehicle encountered a police checkpoint.

He said police randomly picked him for a urine test, which tested positive. He denied using drugs, but he and his companions were taken to Muang Chon Buri Police Station for further investigation.

He added that a police major told him to sign a document without reading it, and he then found out that it was a confession that he had abused narcotics.

He said police had refused to listen to his denial and brought him to court to be detained pending arraignment. He was released after posting Bt15,000 bail after seven days.

In his complaint, Chalermpol said he was later informed by the Chon Buri laboratory of the Medical Service Department that he had not tested positive for methamphetamine use.

His company had already fired him, he said, adding that his subsequent job applications had been denied.

He added that he had learned late last year that he was still listed in the criminal database when he was informed by an energy company that he would not be hired because of his criminal record, although he had been working there during a probationary period for four months.

“I was shocked to learn it. I went back to the police station on January 15 to ask to see the file, but that police officer said he had lost it,” Chalermpol said.

He went to the Police Criminal Record Division on January 16 and found that the Muang Chon Buri police had not updated the latest status in his case.

Chalermpol said he would consider filing a lawsuit against police to demand compensation.

A LONG-TIME crackdown on migrant workers taking jobs reserved for Thai nationals was slammed yesterday as being part of the problem, rather than a solution to it, since many of the jobs in question were not wanted by citizens.

There would be chaos and panic in the labour market if authorities continued enforcing the obsolete law, said Adisorn Kerdmongkol, coordinator of a migrant population network.

Labour Minister Adul Saengsingkaew ordered a crackdown over the weekend on illegal migrant workers in many provinces, including Samut Sakhon, Phuket and Chon Buri.

Millions of migrant workers in Thailand are prohibited from working in 39 categories in accordance with a 1979 law on forbidden professions for foreigners. Out-of-bounds professions included farming, trading, hairdressing, the legal industry, as well as jobs as tourist guides, craftsmen, engineers and architects.

The crackdown has resulted in the arrest of more than 1,600 migrants, mostly from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, who were working in the retail and service sectors. Many of them run businesses as street vendors and restaurants and could be sentenced to five years in prison, fined Bt2,000 to Bt100,000 or both.

Thailand allows 2 million documented migrants to work as unskilled labour and housemaids but they in fact have been working in all sectors, including small businesses and the service industry. After accumulating long experience, many of them go on to own their own shops and businesses.

The government should not rush to launch a new crackdown – if anything, it had been relaxing its enforcement of the law on migrant workers, Adisorn said.

The enforcement of the new law on migrant workers has been delayed until the end of June since the process of registering migrant workers is so slow. The delay was needed since its tough punishment created panic in the labour market last year and the relaxation was made only for the registration and national verification process, according to the Labour Ministry.

According to the new foreign labour law, employers of illegal migrants could face a hefty fine of Bt400,000 to Bt800,000 per migrant worker if found to have violated the law.

Amendment of the new law on migrant worker management was also needed to allow more sectors – notably trading – to hire migrant workers, he said. “If we don’t allow migrants, there might be no workers in food shops in Pratu Nam and Chinatown Yaowarat,” Adisorn said. “That would create a difficulty for the economy.”

However, the crackdown was welcome in tourism, said Narin Ruengwongsa, chairman of the Tourist Guide Club, which caters to Chinese-speaking tourists.

The profession of being a tourist guide is reserved for Thai nationals but currently dominated by foreigners in some areas, said Narin in support of the government’s policy of purging foreigners from the industry.

Many Chinese tourist guides were operating in Thailand, he said, despite it being illegal for them to do so and Thai nationals have sufficient language skills to do the job.

Tour operators hired registered Thai guides to work as “sitting guides” for them to avoid legal action, he said.

“The government should blacklist such tourist guides and ban them from doing business in Thailand for at least five years,” Narin said.

DLT deputy director-general Cherdchai Sanunsrisakorn said under the reforms all new taxis would be equipped with GPS, safety equipment, closed-circuit TV and an emergency button for passengers.

He added that a feasibility study being conducted into the Uber service was not yet complete, so Uber taxis were still considered illegal.

Cherdchai added that in line with a ministerial directive from November 9 all newly registered taxis were required to install safety equipment that allows department officers to track driver’s behaviour and ensure convenience and safety for passengers.

“I am sure that this latest taxi improvement will solve many problems that passengers have often found – such as the driver rejecting the passenger, overcharging and crimes in taxis – because the driver’s identity and behaviour is closely monitored by officers in the monitoring centre,” Cherdchai said.

“This improvement is not only limited to taxi drivers in Bangkok, but taxis nationwide will have to follow the new rules as well.”

However, he said that would not mean the swift transformation of all taxis in Thailand.

Older taxis with valid licences would still be allowed to operate without installing the new equipment. However, when their licences are renewed, they will have to comply with the new checklist. Taxi vehicle licences in Thailand extend for 12 years, while drivers have to renew their licences every three years.

Cherdchai also said that DLT also spoke about the new mobile application, “Taxi OK”, which allows passengers to call a cab, review a journey or make a complaint.

“I am sure that this new taxi service improvement will benefit both passengers and taxi drivers,” he said. “The passengers can be sure that they will have smooth and safe journey with our new taxis, while this measure will boost the taxis’ competitiveness against the private taxi providers and ensure that they will have more passengers.”

Meanwhile, he said the feasibility study on Uber’s taxi operation in Thailand by DLT and Thailand Development Research Institute was not finished yet. However, he said in many countries, including those in the European Union, courts considered the service provided by Uber as a taxi service, not car sharing. In these cases, the company had to follow the law and register their cars as taxis.

He concluded that, at this time, Uber services using private cars to transport passengers was still considered illegal in Thailand.

A frequent taxi passenger in Bangkok who asked to be referred to as Monchanok said the reforms were a very good move by authorities and made her feel more confident about using taxis, especially as she often had to take a cab on her own.

“However, I do not believe that in the end these measures can solve many problems with driver’s behaviour, such as rudeness, reckless driving and passenger rejection. I suggest that the authorities focus on the quality of taxi drivers and do background checks on them as well,” Monchanok said.

Kampol Weerathepsuporn, 61, has been identified as the real owner of the Victoria’s: The Secret Forever, which was raided on January 12 over suspicions that it had engaged in underage prostitution and human trafficking.

DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said DSI investigators would today meet to delegate work and officially contact the Immigration Police Bureau to help hunt for the couple. He said the DSI would also send a special team to assist the manhunt.

DSI deputy chief Pol Colonel Songsak Raksaksakul, who is in charge of the human trafficking investigation linked to Victoria’s, said the DSI did not have information that the pair had fled the country, so they were believed to be in Thailand.

The DSI took over the case from police last Friday, the same day in which the criminal court issued arrest warrants for Kampol and his wife Nipa Weerathepsuporn, 68, on 12 charges, including procuring prostitution and human trafficking. Former parlour owner, Chuvit Kamolvisit, earlier last week named Kampol as the real owner.

Meanwhile, Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Sutthipong Wongpin said the couple were believed to still be in Thailand. Information about the couple has been sent to all immigration checkpoints nationwide, while officers have been sent to patrol natural border crossings the suspects might use to escape.

There had not been any reports of them leaving the country, Sutthipong added.

The DSI and the military raided the venue and rounded up more than 100 women and girls suspected of working as prostitutes there. At least 11 of the suspects were later found by preliminary tests to be under 18.

At least seven suspects have already been detained in connection with the case, including Sasithorn Weerathepsuporn, a major shareholder and the licence holder of the business, who turned herself in to police last Tuesday.