Pro-democracy protesters shifted their focus to the United Nations in Bangkok on Thursday, urging the organisation to intervene after more than a dozen of their leaders were charged with lese majeste.
The June 24 for Democracy Movement submitted a letter to the UN asking the global community to pressure the Thai government to scrap Section 112 on lese majeste.
The group said Section 112, which punishes criticism of the Thai monarchy with up to 15 years in jail, violates human rights. The pro-democracy Ratsadon group, whose leaders have been targeted with Section 112 charges, backed the call for its abolition.
Protesters say the monarchy would have more dignity if the law was scrapped and they were obliged to get to understand the people more.
The June 24 Democracy Movement said revoking the lese majeste would resolve the political unrest in the country and improve politics.
Thursday’s protest fell on Human Rights Day and also Constitution Day, which commemorates the adoption of Thailand’s first Constitution in 1932.
A 57-year-old Lamphun native, who was found unconscious in a toilet at Chiang Mai’s Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park on Wednesday, was declared dead soon after arriving in hospital.
The doctor said the woman had suffered a heart attack.
Park chief Damrong Chakkramanon said visitors should keep themselves well covered when visiting the park because it is quite cold at the moment and this may affect the respiratory system.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 18 new cases, including a domestic infection, over a 24-hour period on Thursday. The cases include both Thai and foreign arrivals from overseas:
• Four from Switzerland: Three Thai women, two aged 53 and one aged 56, who landed in Thailand on November 25 and tested positive on December 7; and a 53-year-old Swiss national who arrived on November 29 and tested positive on December 4.
• Two from Sweden: A Thai woman, 63, who arrived on November 26 and tested positive on December 7, and a 16-year-old Thai teen who arrived on November 28 and tested positive on December 3.
• Two from the Philippines: An American man, 65, who arrived on December 2 and tested positive on December 7, and a Filipina, 28, who arrived on December 3 and tested positive on December 7.
• One from the US: A 56-year-old American man who landed on December 3 and tested positive on December 8.
• Two from the UK: Italian woman, 23, and an American man, 23, arrived on December 7 and tested positive the same day.
• One from Nepal: A 20-year-old Nepalese woman who arrived on November 28 and tested positive on December 8.
• One from Kenya: A 35-year-old Kenyan man who arrived in Thailand on December 2 and tested positive on December 7.
• One from Russia: A 53-year-old Thai woman who arrived on December 3 and tested positive on December 8.
• Two from Italy: A Thai man, 22, and Thai woman, 30, who arrived on December 5 and tested positive on December 8.
• One from Libya: A Thai man, 52, who landed on December 5 and tested positive on December 8.
• The domestic case is a 29-year-old medical staff who came into contact with Covid-19 patients. She is undergoing medical treatment at a private hospital in Bangkok.
As of Thursday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 4,169 (1,181 in state quarantine). Of these, 221 are in hospital and 3,888 have recovered and been discharged. The death toll remains unchanged at 60.
According to Worldometer, the number of confirmed cases worldwide has risen to 69.24 million, 47.99 million of whom have recovered and 1.57 million have succumbed to the infection.
Thailand ranks 151st globally, while the list is topped by the US with 15.82 million, followed by India (9.76 million), Brazil (6.73 million), Russia (2.54 million) and France (2.3 million).
Police on Wednesday swooped in on an alleged drug pusher who sells narcotics in Sukhumvit Soi 101/1 under the disguise of a tattoo artist.
At 9.30pm, police arrested Ekphisit Thanyawongtip, 31, in Phra Khanong district and seized the 30 grammes of crystal meth and loaded pistol he was carrying.
Undercover police officers tracked him down after learning of a person called “Benz Manahasigha” who belonged to a syndicate.
After keeping watch on his movements for about 20 minutes, police confirmed that Ekphisit’s appearance met the description of “Benz Manahasigha”.
He was charged with selling and possessing illegal substances and possessing a weapon without permission.
The appearance of a crocodile on the banks of Thawa River has put the fear in the hearts of residents in Suphan Buri’s Bang Kung sub-district.
The crocodile’s tell-tale footprints in the mud led hunters to speculate that it is approximately one metre long.
On Wednesday, the Muang Suphan Buri district chief ordered officials to capture the creature, starting with luring it up to the river bank using meat as bait.
Locals watched as the officials attempted to capture the animal and waited on the bridge above the river for it to appear.
The task went in vain.
The wily croc did not emerge from the water surface despite chicken meat being strategically placed on the river banks.
Residents are now holding their breath as the officials continue to hunt for the animal. They have been warned not to get too close to the river – that is not until the elusive crocodile is captured.
Inter-provincial bus company, Transport Co, is organising up to 6,000 bus trips to service up to 100,000 travellers during the December 10-13 long weekend.
Strict measures have been put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19, including checking people’s temperature before they enter the bus terminal, ensuring passengers wear a mask during the entire journey and everyone checks in and out via the ThaiChana platform.
Bangkok’s Mo Chit Bus Terminal was crowded on Thursday as many people had gone to purchase bus tickets to return to their home provinces or for trips elsewhere in the country.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Wednesday announced the timeline of five Covid-19 patients who are medical personnel at Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) facilities.
BMA spokesperson Pongsakorn “Earth” Kwanmuang posted on his Facebook page that the medical personnel may have become infected by coming into contact with people undergoing self-isolation or other medical personnel.
He said the BMA and the Department of Disease Control have disinfected the patients’ residences and instructed medical personnel to perform their duties with caution and take a Covid-19 test immediately if they have any symptoms.
“We believe we can contain the spread of the disease in Bangkok until a vaccine arrives, so we would like to ask venues at risk of infection to strictly abide by BMA measures and recommendations,” he said.
“Moreover, everyone must protect themselves from the disease by wearing a face mask, washing your hands regularly, maintaining social distance and avoid going to risky areas,” he added.
The timeline of the five medical personnel are:
Patient one: female, 26
On December 1, she took over a shift from another medical worker (the third patient) at an ASQ facility in Bangkok.
On December 2, she took a MRT train to a job interview at a hospital in Thonburi. She returned from the hospital by a BTS train.
On December 3, she worked at a private hospital. She got a fever at 12 noon, so she took a Covid-19 test at 7pm.
On December 4, she received medical treatment at a private hospital. Her Covid-19 test came back positive.
Patient two: female, 40
On December 2, she went to an ASQ facility in Bangkok to collect laboratory samples and train another worker (the fourth patient) without wearing a face mask. She then went to her relatives’ house in Chachoengsao by personal car.
On December 3, she worked at an ASQ facility in Bangkok and sent a Covid-19 patient to hospital.
On December 4, she took a Covid-19 test under ASQ in Bangkok. She went for medical treatment at a private hospital before her test came back positive the same day.
Patient three: female, 32
On December 2, she worked at an ASQ facility in Bangkok with the first patient.
On December 3, she worked at an ASQ facility in Bangkok.
On December 4, she took a Covid-19 test at an ASQ facility in Bangkok. She had sore throat that day.
On December 6, she received medical treatment at a private hospital. Her Covid-19 test was positive at 7pm.
Patient four: female, 25
On November 27, she took a rest from work with the second patient, then measured the temperature of a Russian mother and daughter.
On November 28, she worked at an ASQ facility in Bangkok and had lunch with the first and second patients. She bought a meal at Wat Khaek Market but was wearing a face mask.
From November 29 to December 1, she had symptoms such as a runny nose and cough.
On December 2, she worked at an ASQ facility in Bangkok and had a meal with the second patient.
On December 5, she finally took a Covid-19 test. She had diarrhoea that day.
On December 6, her Covid-19 test came back positive.
Patient five: female, 27
On December 3, she worked at an ASQ facility in Bangkok and had a meal with one of the staff.
On December 4, she and the second patient conducted a swab test under ASQ in Bangkok. She then had a shift in a private hospital emergency room from 3pm to 11pm.
On December 5, she took a Covid-19 test as her co-workers were found to be infected.
On December 6, the test resulted was positive, so she went for medical treatment to a private hospital.
Government officials set up containers and barbed wire to form a barrier at Makhawanrangsan bridge and Pracha Kasem Intersection on Wednesday night.
Barriers have also been put up around the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal and Government House to ensure protesters cannot besiege government buildings or royal residences.
The move came in response to an announcement by the Ratsadon pro-democracy group on social media that they would hold a political rally in front of the UN building on Thursday to force the government to revoke the draconian lese-majesty law, also known as Article 112.
The lese-majesty law of the Criminal Code states that “whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, will be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years”.
More than a dozen pro-democracy protest leaders are facing lese-majesty charges after calling for the reform of the monarchy, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s removal and a new Constitution.
BNH Hospital confirmed that four of its health staff working in an alternative state quarantine (ASQ) unit in Bangkok have tested positive for Covid-19.
The announcement on Wednesday came shortly after the Department of Disease Control reported that some health workers in alternative state quarantine had contracted Covid-19 after one of them took the temperature of a family of three in ASQ between November 24 and 27.
“The infected workers have been separated and treated under strict protocols of the hospital and supervision of the Public Health Ministry, while their close contacts have been traced,” BNH said.
“Other staff who carry a high risk of having close contact with the infected staff have also been quarantined, while those carrying a low risk were tested and all have negative results,” it said.
“The hospital has also employed preventive measures to make sure that all areas of the facility are infection-free,” it added. “If you are still concerned about the risk of infection at the hospital, you can opt to receive consultation services through our virtual platform online.”
Photos by Korbphuk Phromrekha 
The June 24 for Democracy Movement submitted a letter to the UN asking the global community to pressure the Thai government to scrap Section 112 on lese majeste.
Protesters say the monarchy would have more dignity if the law was scrapped and they were obliged to get to understand the people more.
Thursday’s protest fell on Human Rights Day and also Constitution Day, which commemorates the adoption of Thailand’s first Constitution in 1932.
Nuttaa Mahattana 
Photos by Korbphuk Phromrekha 
