In the meeting with Grady, Prawit said Thailand was ready to cooperate with the US on security matters for mutual benefit as well as using the US experience to improve security in Thailand.

Prawit also met his US counterpart, Defence Secretary James Mattis, to discuss bilateral defence relations and regional security issues, Pentagon chief spokesperson Dana White said.

Mattis highlighted the priority the US National Defence Strategy places on working with allies and partners to advance common interests and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

“Secretary Mattis expressed confidence that the future for Thai people will be positive as they regain their democratic footing,” White said. The two ministers expressed support for enhancing maritime security cooperation, multilateral exercises such as Cobra Gold, and building interoperability through a strong defence trade relationship, she said.

Prawit also led the Thai delegation to meet with National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office to exchange views on intelligence information exchange, according to Defence Ministry spokesman Kongchep Tantrawanich.

Intelligence information on maritime security was important for cooperation to secure sea routes in the region and in the world, he said and noted that the US thanked the Thai military for its role in anti-piracy in the Gulf of Aden, he said.

The Thai delegation also briefed the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons regarding progress of the Thai government’s efforts to combat human trafficking.

Thailand was ranked in the Tier 2 Watch List last year as the authorities did not fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking.

The delegation also met with influential NGOs to convince them that the government was taking steps to manage the millions of migrant workers from neighbouring countries, Kongchep said.

“We have launched a probe and have not found any irregularities,” SBPAC secretary-general Supanat Sirantawineti said yesterday.

He said the fact-finding committee set up by the SBPAC is composed of outsiders such as university lecturers and members of the civil sector.

Supanat said he was told on Wednesday that the committee found nothing suspicious in the Bt55-million procurement.

The probe was launched after several social-media users raised questions whether the solar-powered water purification systems were bought at an inflated price.

“The King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang set the standard price for the system, at more than Bt600,000 each. But we bought the systems at less than Bt600,000 apiece,” Supanat said.

He added that each system could purify more than 4,000 litres of water each day.

“If people have to buy drinking water at Bt5 a litre, it means each system can save people about Bt600,000 a month,” Supanat said.

He insisted that these purifying systems responded well to the needs of the locals.

SBPAC has bought more than 90 solar-powered water purification systems for five southern border provinces – Satun, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

“Our supplier has also extended the warranty period from one to two years, specially for us,” Supanat said.

Regarding allegations that five senior monks were involved in the embezzlement of state funds for temples, Crimes Suppression Division commander Pol Maj-General Maitree Chimcherd said yesterday that the investigation was still ongoing and had not yet reached a point of summoning the accused monks.

He denied reports that the Anti-Money Laundering Office had already uncovered solid evidence against the monks and had called on his division to issue the summons.

“During our latest meeting, we discussed gathering more evidence,” Maitree said.

Three of the accused monks sit on the Sangha Supreme Council.

In a related development, Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) member Pol General Jarumporn Suramanee said yesterday that an inspector-general of the Education Ministry had handed over the list of 44 officials who might have been involved in siphoning off money from the Educational Fund for Life Development.

“We will investigate them as alleged accomplices of Rojana Sintee, who has claimed sole responsibility for the fund embezzlement,” Jarumporn said.

Director-general Chatree Atchananant, however, did not say how much the new 10-year passport would cost.

The present five-year passport costs Bt1,060.

He said the new passport is in phase III of the plan to develop digital passports for Thai nationals.

The Foreign Ministry has invited private firms to propose the terms of reference to produce the new type of passports, the deadline for which has been extended from March 1 to June 1.

Chatree said the procedure will be transparent and in line with the laws.

The new passports will be upgraded to use biometric technology to collect iris pattern, in addition to the current face reading and fingerprints.

“Advertisements with exaggerated product benefits and false information are illegal,” FDA deputy secretary-general Somchai Preechathaveekid said. “If you are going to be paid for testimonials, be extra careful.”

Magic Skin, which hired several celebrities to advertise its products, is now accused of producing substandard and unlicensed items for distribution.

The FDA has asked police to also investigate Magic Skin presenters.

The Cosmetics Act bars advertisements from containing false and misleading messages or content deemed unfair to consumers. The act imposes a maximum fine of Bt100,000 and/or a jail term of up to one year if advertising threatens to harm the health or the minds of people, or undermine public morals.

Under the Food Act, advertising false or misleading benefits of food products is punishable by up to three years in jail and/or a maximum fine of Bt30,000. Food advertisements that are made for commercial purposes must be subject to prior review. Violators face a fine of up to Bt5,000.

The Drug Act, meanwhile, bans advertisements from describing any medicine as having the ability to treat or mitigate diabetes, cancer, paralyses, tuberculosis, heart diseases or kidney problems. The act also prohibits a drug advertisement from using impolite gestures or including dancing or singing. Under the act, no medicine can be advertised as having the ability to ensure the full recovery from a disease or its symptoms.

That date, however might not be the hottest day of the year, due to various factors, said the official.

The sun has been at its zenith over Thailand since April 4, said Supareuk Kareuhanont, sub-division head of the NARIT astronomical academic service. That phenomenon was observed in Yala’s Betong district at 12.18pm on April 4. The sun continues to gradually move up until it can be observed overhead at the country’s northernmost tip in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district at 12.17pm on May 22.

When the sun is at its zenith, the affected area receives peak solar power. But that does not necessarily mean that the temperature would be at its highest, Supareuk said. Other factors, including rain, clouds, the monsoon influence and heat accumulation in the atmosphere, could affect the intensity.

Countries in the tropical zone of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, see the sun at near zenith two days each year at the most.

The sun won’t be at its zenith in Bangkok again until August 16 at 12.22pm.

The Magic Skin cosmetic and food-supplement brand is at the centre of allegations that its products were substandard, sold without proper licences and were made at unregistered factories.

Police have said that many celebrities were paid six-digit figures for endorsing the products.

National police deputy chief Pol General Weerachai Songmetta, in his capacity as the police force spokesman, on Thursday named nine of the celebrities suspected of endorsing the products.

Weerachai named Ornapa “Ma” Krisadee, Apinya “Saipan” Sakuljaroensuk, Pitchanart “May” Sakhakorn, Jessie Vard, Napapa “Patt” Tantrakul, Orapan “Aoffy Maxim” Dansiriwattanakun, Ratchawin “Koy” Wongviriya, Sakolrat “Four” Wornurai and Nonthaporn ‘”Ying Yae’” Theerawattanasook.

Weerachai updated the number of involved celebrities to 59 and blamed the products for allegedly causing Bt100 million in damages to 500 people.

Weerachai said the summonses were for an initial interview to determine the celebrities’ intentions in their “product review” advertisements. He said that only those deemed to have clear intentions to violate the law would be considered for any of the three following charges:

1. A violation of the Cosmetics Act 2015 by a giving false or exaggerated cosmetic-advertising message (punishable by up to one year in prison and/or a maximum fine of Bt100,000);

2. A violation of the Food Act 1979 by giving false or exaggerated information about food products’ benefits, quality and properties (punishable with up to three years in jail term and/or a fine of up to Bt30,000) and by illegally advertising products’ benefits, quality and properties for commercial gain (punishable by a fine of up to Bt5,000);

3. A violation of the Computer-Related Crime Act 2007 by inputting all or partially false information into computer system, resulting in damages to others or the public (punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a maximum fine of Bt100,000).

All of the company’s eight suspects for whom a criminal court had issued arrest warrants have been under police custody.

The seventh and eighth suspects – Mathuros Daengsamrit and Thananpat Boonyosit – respectively surrendered to police on Tuesday and Wednesday and maintained their innocence.

Six of the suspects, including business owner Wannapa Poungson and her husband Korn Poungson whose lawyer claimed they were victims of bullying over a business conflict, have been bailed.

He spoke up after a Facebook page released a document showing a military unit has requested one vehicle and six servicemen for the mission of helping a female captain move her belongings from a state-provided house to her own home over a period of two days. According to the leaked document, the military unit provides allowances for military personnel.

Thanchaiyan said that there were clear regulations stipulating that the person asking for help must pay for the cost of petrol and other allowances.

“Money we receive is used to maintain the properties of the armed forces,” he said.

Cases of senior soldiers using conscripts for personal interests, rather than the nation’s interests, have been repeatedly reported on social media in recent years.

Last year, the wife of a captain was accused of using conscripts as waiters at her restaurant in Rayong province.

The zoo’s new male Aldabra Giant Tortoise weighs 250 kilograms and boasts a high dome-shaped carapace 120 centimetres long, while the female weighs 150 kilograms and has a 90cm-long carapace.

Aldabra giant tortoises originate in the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles.Although among the longest-lived animals on the planet – individual tortoises can live well over 100 years – Aldabra giant tortoises are on the verge of extinction in the wild.They are listed as “vulnerable” under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.  Aldabra giant tortoises eat grasses and leaves.

Before Dusit Zoo was opened to the public in 1938, it was a private zoo of King Rama V, who ordered its construction in 1895 and named it Khao Din Vana, a name commonly used by Thais until today.

The zoo holds around 1,000 animals and attracts 2 million visitors a year, generating Bt130 million in annual income. Dusit Zoo is in process of relocating to a new larger site in Pathum Thani province – which is expected to be opened by 2019 at the earliest.

Chaluay Jarit-ek, the widow of Jaroon Maneephan, and their children Praphot and Wanida Maneephan received Bt115,270, which included Bt20,000 for his funeral and Bt50,000 in compensation for his death.

Jaroon died in hospital on March 29, 16 days after he was assaulted by Narathorn Sodetiyung, 21, whose motorcycle bumped into the elderly man’s tricycle in a narrow soi in Huai Kwang district.

Narathorn has been charged with causing death by inflicting injury without intent to cause death, for which he could be imprisoned for 3-15 years.

Wisit said police were still gathering evidence but would soon forward the case to prosecutors who would decide whether an indictment was justified.

The family was compensated in accordance with the Damages for Injured Persons Act and Compensation and Expenses for the Accused in Criminal Cases Act.

Wisit said the ministry would also provide the family with legal advice if they decide to sue for additional compensation in Civil Court.

The Phaya Prai forest crime suppression task force under the Forest Protecting Operation Centre and police from the Natural and Environmental Crime Suppression Police Division, raided the warehouse after tracking their activities using high technology which helped identify the location.

In the warehouse, the task force found processed Phayung logs ready for shipment, while outside the warehouse a number of logs were found loaded in a truck.

Five people were arrested at the scene.

Cheewapap Cheewatham, the Phyak Prai chief, said according to evidence seized at the scene, including purchase orders, the suspected illegal loggers had been operating for some time, and were attempting to hoodwink officials by shifting their stocks from one warehouse to another.

The latest raid and arrests are part of years-long efforts to crack down on illegal logging, suspected to be a transnational activity as some foreigners were also found involved.

The task force in recent years has frequently confronted transnational logging gangs, among whom phayung and tamalan wood are in particularly high demand.

Earlier this month, they intercepted a truck transporting illegal tamalan logs in Samut Prakan province, after tracking it from Nan province in the North. Some sawmills in Ayutthaya province were also raided.

Logs about to be transported along the Mekong River were earlier intercepted in Chiang Rai and forestry officials found to be involved were sacked.