Armed with court warrants, the police officers searched Wat Sam Phray, Wat Saket, and Wat Samphanthawong in Bangkok and Wat Omnoi in Nakhon Pathom.

They took Phra Promdilok, abbot of Wat Sam Phraya and Bangkok monastic chief, and Phra Buddhaisara, abbot of Wat Omnoi, to the CSD head office for questioning. Police could not find the abbots of the other two temples.

Phra Buddhaisara was also charged with being head of an illegal syndicate for his role in leading protests against the Yngluck government in 2013 and 2014.

The monks were suspected of collaborating with senior officials of the National Buddhism Office to siphon off money sent to the temples for development.

The arrests were made at Chai Kittiwat Ice Factory at 5.30pm Wednesday after 65 workers from the factory went to the Samut Prakan Labour Welfare and Protection Office earlier in the day to file a complaint against the factory.

The workers complained to the office that their employer forced them to work 11 hours a day without overtime pay for the excess hours.

The office asked police to check the factory after noticing that there were no records of ID cards and work permits in the Labour Ministry’s online database.

Police found that 17 of the workers were using fake documents.

A Myanmar worker said he and friends were driven from Kanchanaburi after sneaking across the border. He said they paid around Bt7,000 to Bt10,000 for the fare.

He said when they arrived at the factory, their employer made an ID card for them by taking their photos and collected a fee of Bt12,000. They added that they had no idea the documents were not authentic.

Police will investigate and take action against the factory owner later.

 Thailand’s stall is among 63 national pavilions presented at the festival running until November 25.

“Through the Thai pavilion, the Culture Ministry aims to promote contemporary Thai architecture and culture to the world,” said Kitsayapong Siri, the ministry’s permanent secretary.

The prominent festival will also present architecture projects by 71 participants curated by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara.

Inspired by the floating market, Culture Ministry’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture and Architect Siam Association will present the pavilion under the theme “Blissfully yours”.

“Presenting contemporary architecture under this year’s theme ‘Freespace’, the Thai pavilion will feature 10 animations portraying charming Thai ways of life in harmony with nature while at the same time Thais can adjust to the modern world,” Kitsayapong said.

The pavilion will also display the exhibition of five key cultures: food, film, fashion, fighting and festivals, selling food, demonstrate muay Thai, massage, live music and other performances from May 25 to May 27 at Fescheria, Rialto in Venice.

“We will promote our Thailand Biennale 2018 which will be held in Krabi from November 2 to February 28, 2019,” he added.

Thailand has been participating Venice Art Biennale since 2003 and the Venice Architecture Biennale since 2010.

Chinese victim Jincai Chen was abducted by five people upon her arrival from Hong Kong but was safely released in Bang Na district 14 days later.

Police initially secured arrest warrants for four Chinese people who fled Thailand after May 17 and a Thai alleged mastermind Wansikan Termthanapat, 42.

The Samut Prakan Provincial Court on Wednesday approved arrest warrants for the charge of conspiracy to kidnap for six suspects.

They are shelter provider Uthai Intree, 51, Wansikan’s personal driver Prasit Ditjinda, 34, guard Samruay Timkaew, 38, guard Nipon Weerasorn, 32, chartered van driver Sombat Khapetch, 27, and cook Natthapol Kaewsaikerd, 32.

Samruay and Nipon were arrested in Samut Prakan and confessed that Wansikan hired each of them for Bt1,000 per day to keep the victim detained.

The pair also told police that Wansikan pointed a gun at the victim’s head and physically assaulted her.

Police said that the victim and a business owner in China had a dispute over a business debt. The latter hired Wansikan and other Thai and Chinese accomplices to kidnap the victim in Thailand during her vacation, the source said.

The gang, which demanded 3 million yuan (Bt15 million) for the ransom, received 1.9 million yuan (Bt10 million) from the victim’s Korean husband.

As it covered the debt, the Chinese suspects fled with the money. But Wansikan refused to release Chen in the hope of gaining an extra Bt5 million, the source said.

When he saw his offer to add another Bt1 million in exchange for Chen’s freedom was turned down, the husband filed a police complaint on May 18, resulting in the investigation that apparently pressured the gang to release Chen.

THE USE OF CONTROVERSIAL agricultural chemicals like paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos will continue to be allowed, but with tighter regulations and controls.

Industry Ministry deputy permanent secretary Somboon Yindeeyoungyuen, as chairman of the Hazardous Substance Committee that made the decision yesterday, said the three main agro-chemicals will not be banned despite demands from various quarters, but the Agriculture Department will have to come up with control regulations within two months.

Somboon said 18 out of the committee’s 24 members approved the continued use of herbicides paraquat and glyphosate, and pesticide chlorpyrifos, but with more restrictions and safety regulations.

The committee members decided not to ban the three farm chemicals, as their impacts on health were still debatable and the arguments were not strong enough to warrant a ban. He also said the alternatives to these three chemicals were not effective.

“The Agriculture Department will have to draft measures to control the use of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos and place it before the Hazardous Substance Committee within the next two months,” he said.

“After the committee approves these control measures, they will be announced and enforced nationwide. The Agriculture Department will be the regulatory agency and have the responsibility of controlling the import, distribution and management of these chemicals.”

He revealed that the criteria for the restrictions would be on where these chemicals could be used, the amount of import and distribution, the amount of use and management, and the qualifications of the users.

“The restrictions are intended to promote safe use of these chemicals, as it was clear that many people were harmed by these farm chemicals because of improper and careless use,” he said. Even though paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos have not been banned, Somboon pointed out that the committee had also ordered the Agriculture Department to gather evidence of their impact on people’s health. If the evidence shows these chemicals to be really harmful, the committee can decide to ban them in the future.

Jiraporn Limpananon, a committee member from a consumer protection agency, revealed that despite her reminder that according to the law, committee members with conflict of interest on this issue have no right to vote, there was no reaction from the meeting and none of the committee members abstained.

“I presented scientific proof of the clear health threats from these chemicals to the meeting, which came from studies by 14 leading academic institutes of the country. I suggested that we ban these chemicals within two years, but as I am a minority in the committee I can only present one side of the information,” Jiraporn said.

Manas Puttirat, head of the Oil Palm Farmer Union, said he was pleased by the committee’s decision not to ban paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, as the farmers were very dependent on these chemicals.

However, Manas expressed concern about the control measures, as the extent of the restrictions was not clear. “We are ready to comply with the new regulations on the use of chemicals, if the terms of these regulations are acceptable and do not cause too much burden to the farmers,” he said.

Meanwhile, 369 organisations released a statement denouncing the Hazardous Substance Committee’s decision and threatened to demonstrate in front of Government House and boycott companies linked to these agro-chemicals. The statement said that the public sector was disappointed by the decision, despite clear scientific evidence of health threats from these chemicals.

They highlighted that some of the committee members have connections with the chemical companies, so their vote could be seen as a conflict of interest and violating the law.

“This conclusion reflected the improper structure of the Hazardous Substance Committee, as the committee is used to protect the interests of the agro-chemicals companies instead of the general public,” Prokchon Usap, coordinator of Thailand Pesticide Alert Network, said. “We do not believe the Agriculture Department can really restrict the use of these harmful chemicals and we would like to urge the prime minister to order a review of this biased conclusion.”

Following the merger, the ministry will be renamed the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education.

“I don’t agree with the plan,” Thammasat University’s former rector, Somkid Lertpaitoon, said yesterday.

He sits on a panel that has been making preparations for the setting up of the Ministry of Higher Education.

“A ministry should be dedicated solely to higher education so as to serve as a crucial force behind the country’s human-resource development,” Somkid said.

He said the government might have come up with the idea of a merger in the hope of not setting up a new ministry, and bolstering research.

“But will the minister of science, innovation, and higher education understand that science and technology are not the only things in higher education? Social sciences and humanities are also important,” Somkid said.

Sompong Jitradub, who teaches at the Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education, said the government should respect the decision of university members.

During the past two years, public hearings have been held with university members, which concluded that the Ministry of Higher Education should be established.

Walailak University president Sombat Thamrongthanyawong described the merger plan as interesting though.

“Universities are the country’s biggest source of researchers. If university and research affairs are brought under the same ministry, work may run smoother,” he said.

He reckoned that the merger plan was different from the original concept of establishing the Ministry of Higher Education.

“So, more discussions should take place particularly with the Council of University Presidents of Thailand [CUPT],” he said.

CUPT president Suchatvee Suwansawat, who also heads King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, said the merger plan has suddenly surfaced and he would need to time to study relevant information before making a comment.

Issued by the Finance Ministry, the regulations came into effect last Saturday and drew a huge outcry from the government’s healthcare sector.

At present, more than 140,000 off-budget workers work at state hospitals across the country. They hold both supportive jobs such as cleaners and porters, as well as key roles such as doctors and nurses.

Designed to strictly control recruitment, the new regulations require government agencies to avoid hiring off-budget staff. If necessary, the hiring will be allowed if their wage does not exceed the minimum pay level. There also will be no pay raise for off-budget staff under this regulation.

State hospitals fear that if the new regulation ends or even reduces their number of off-budget workers, permanent medical staff and patients will be severely affected.

Doctors have threatened to stage a protest against the regulation at the Finance Ministry on June 1.

“I can assure you that this regulation will not affect the current hiring of off-budget staff by agencies under the Public Health Ministry in any way,” Dr Jedsada Chokdamrongsuk, permanent secretary for Public Health, said yesterday.

He was speaking after an urgent meeting with the chief of the Comptroller-General’s Department, Suttirat Rattanachot.

Jedsada said he would soon inform state hospitals in writing that they could continue to recruit off-budget workers.

He also gave an assurance that the new regulations, which require that wages of off-budget staff not exceed the minimum pay level, would not apply to the Public Health Ministry’s off-budget workers.

“This is because we have a special agreement with the Finance Ministry that we can hire off-budget workers,” he said.

During the past few days, several doctors have openly attacked the Finance Ministry for passing the regulation.

Banners condemning the regulation are now flying at many state hospitals across the country. The Rural Doctors Society (RDS) also demanded yesterday that Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong resign to take responsibility for the flawed regulations.

While these new rules apply to all government agencies, the biggest outcry has come from state hospitals, which rely heavily on off-budget workers to cope with the huge workload.

“I can foresee state hospitals plunging into turmoil. There will be staff shortages if this regulation is enforced,” Asst Professor Dr Thira Woratanarat of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine commented.

Reactions from state hospitals were so fierce that Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn, who is attending a meeting in Geneva, reportedly phoned Deputy Finance Minister Wisudhi Srisuphan to discuss the matter.

Wisudhi yesterday explained that the regulation was aimed at increasing efficiency in the use of off-budget funds.

Suttirat said the regulation would allow her agency to check how many off-budget workers were hired by state agencies, which would help promote transparency.

THE MILITARY-LED government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is hostile towards universal health coverage and is planning reform that could weaken the health security of citizens, health experts warn.

Though there has been no drastic change to the health system under four years of National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) rule, experts worry that universal coverage is set to be degraded to cover the poorest members of society only.

The junta’s hostile attitude was only part of the problem, academics and activists said. The health security of Thais was also threatened by the huge disparity between the three main health security schemes, while urgent action was needed to secure the sustainability of the current system.

Nimit Tien-udom, a rights defender from the People’s Health System Movement, said Thailand’s globally renowned public health system is under major threat from the NCPO’s reform plans. It was the public’s duty to protect this fine policy, he added.

“Our health security, especially the Universal Health Coverage (UC) scheme, is a highly beneficial system that stops people from going bankrupt through health expenses while allowing all citizens access to adequate and affordable healthcare,” Nimit said.

“However, as this regime has a military-bureaucratic background, they hold a hostile view of the system, especially the UC scheme which they see as a drain on the national budget. So they seek to weaken it.”

He revealed that the government was trying to amend the National Health Security Office (NHSO) Act and draft a bill to establish a National Health Policy Board. These reforms to healthcare would lead to more centralisation that would reduce public sector participation in health policy planning.

Premier Prayut has repeatedly said his government has no intention of revoking universal healthcare, but added that reform was needed to curb the increasing expense of the system.

Budget reform plans include restricting universal healthcare to the 14 million citizens registered as poor, and enforcing co-payment by patients.

Nimit cautioned that these changes would destroy the original intention to provide access to proper healthcare for all citizens and turn the system into humanitarian health assistance for the poorest 14 million, while in reality more than 48 million people currently depend on the UC scheme.

While co-payment was not an entirely bad idea, he added, patients should not be made to pay for care after getting sick, since this could cause them sudden financial crisis.

This year, the NHSO has received a Bt111.179-billion budget for the UC scheme, or Bt3,197 for each beneficiary. The Cabinet has approved next year’s budget of Bt166.445 billion, or Bt3,426 per head.

Ammar Siamwalla, senior health security researcher at the Thailand Development Research Institute, said reform was necessary to ensure the sustainability of the system.

However, Ammar said reform needed to prioritise lowering the disparity between our three main health schemes and ensure that all citizens, especially the middle class, benefit from the system.

If the government restricts health security only to the poor, the expense and quality of healthcare would be kept to the minimum, he said. But if all citizens, including the politically active middle class, were covered, they could play a powerful role in campaigning for the system’s improvement and ensuring good and affordable healthcare for all.

The group is moving towards the future on all platforms of communication to bring news and information to its audience, chief executive officer Somchai Meesen said on Wednesday in front of hundreds of participants from the business community and government agencies.

The group unveiled its new vision and direction at a Bangkok hotel on Wednesday, even as the media industry is facing challenges brought by technology disruption.

“We have a team of professional media personnel who report with a sense of social responsibility,” said Somchai, himself a former journalist. “We will report with depth, comprehensiveness and responsibility.”

Nation Multimedia Group Plc, one of Thailand’s leading media companies, has been at the forefront of the industry for nearly half a century.

The group currently runs Nation TV Channel 22 and NOW Channel 26 on the digital platform, as well as three leading newspapers – English-language newspaper The Nation, Thai business newspaper Krungthep Turakij and Thai mass-circulation newspaper Kom Chad Luek.

Also active in social media, the group has more than 18 million viewers across platforms.

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) on Wednesday issued an order under Article 44 of the charter to grant the aid package to broadcasters who meet the government’s conditions.

According to TakornTanyasit, secretary-general of National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission, the package would help ease the financial burden of digital TV broadcasters.

The private sector, however, will have to pay interest on the amount owed to the government during the three-year period.

In addition, broadcasters will get a 50-per-cent subsidy on the MUX or land network expenses for two years effective from May 23 onwards.

As of on Wednesday, a total of 20 digital TV broadcasters had submitted their applications to the NBTC to qualify for the aid package, which could be suspended if licensees violate the terms and conditions.

Originally, the NBTC had granted a total of 24 digital TV licences.