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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021344

Thai police launch manhunt for ‘big boss’ after 10 million meth pills seized

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

Police are stepping up efforts to track down the mastermind behind the transport of 10 million methamphetamine tablets that were seized in two separate raids.

National Police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas called a press conference on Monday to announce the arrest of five suspects and seizure of 10 million meth pills as well as three vehicles in two separate raids last week.

Also present were deputy police chief Pol Lt-General Chinnaphat Sarasin, who oversees the narcotics prevention and suppression centre, and Pol Lt-General Sarayut Sanguanphokhai, commissioner of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau.

Damrongsak said the Royal Thai Police has stepped up crackdowns on drug trafficking after a former cop, who reportedly abused drugs, massacred adults and sleeping children in Nong Bua Lumphu.

Sarayut said the first arrest was made on October 19 after they received a tip-off that a large haul of meth pills was heading to Thailand from Laos via Mukdahan province and then heading through Roi Et to Maha Sarakham in the Northeast.

Police spotted a suspicious car and van in Maha Sarakham and swooped in when they stopped at a petrol station in Borabue district. Upon searching, police found 4 million meth pills in 10 sacks in the sedan.

The car driver, identified as Adisak, as well as van driver Anucha and passenger Wiphada, were arrested at the scene. Police also seized two handguns in their possession.

In the second incident, police intercepted a pick-up truck at a traffic light in Roi Et’s Thawat Buri district and arrested two men – driver Sujit and passenger Natthamongkol. Police also found 6 million meth pills in 16 sacks in the truck. The suspects claimed they had been hired to take the drugs from Nakhon Phanom to a customer in Ayutthaya province.

Police believe the haul belongs to traffickers who operate out of Northeast and smuggle drugs from Laos. The commissioner-in-chief said investigators are speeding up the process of hunting down the mastermind behind the gangs.

Police believe the same gangs were behind the shipment of some 825 kilograms of crystal meth (ice) caught in 2019 and again last year.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021340

Myanmar deploys more troops, fighter jets on Thai border to tackle ethnic rival forces

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

Myanmar’s military on Monday deployed MiG-29 fighter aircraft and 300 soldiers at Myawaddy town close to the border in Mae Sot district, in Thailand’s Tak province, to counter attacks by ethnic forces.

The move came after Karen fighters inflicted heavy damage on the Myanmar military and conquered some parts of Kawkareik town over the past three days.

The Karen National Union and People’s Defense Force are among military forces opposing the Myanmar junta’s coup.

Airstrikes by the Myanmar military on villages under KNU control left many locals injured, while some locals were forced to flee the village to the safe zone.

Meanwhile, transport trucks at the Myawaddy-Mae Sot border checkpoint near the 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge were unable to deliver goods to Myanmar due to the battle in Myawaddy and Kawkareik.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021337

Bookings open for sale of BMW cars that will be used at Apec Summit

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

Want to own a BMW car used to drive around an Apec delegate? Here’s your chance.

Millennium Auto Group (MAG) is accepting bookings for BMW cars that will be used to transport delegates attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings in Bangkok from November 14-19.

The company is deploying several cars for the event, including 30 electric sedan BMW i7 (first edition), 12 BMW X7 xDrive40d M Sport, and 30 BMW 330 Li M Sport. It also has offered 100 BMW 530e M Sport for officials involved in making preparations for the summit since the start of this year.

“The BMW 530e M Sport will be sold at a special price of 3.45 million baht, bundled with free return business class tickets for two to Japan, valued at 150,000 baht, under a promotional campaign with Thai Airways International,” said Sompraj Bosuwan, MAG’s assistant managing director for sales and marketing.

Other cars are priced as follows:

BMW 330 Li M, 2.69 million baht

BMW 745 Le M Sport, 5.35 million baht

BMW X7 xDrive40d M Sport, 6.05 million baht

The price of the BMW i7 has yet to be revealed.

All cars will be sold as used, unregistered vehicles when the summit is over. They will come bundled with BMW Service Inclusive package of up to five years and a petrol coupon valued at 20,000 baht. Those who trade in their cars will also receive a set of GoPro 10 camera.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021334

Thailand hopes Bangkok Apec Summit could serve as venue to resolve international conflicts

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

Thailand has expressed hope that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit it is hosting in Bangkok next month will become a venue where superpowers can hold talks to try to settle international conflicts, the Thai Foreign Ministry has said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the world is now facing tensions and conflicts in several areas and the 21 Apec members included several superpowers.

“So the Apec venue can play a very significant role like what Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has said. Don has said the Apec Summit will provide a crucial opportunity for world leaders to talk and seek a chance to resolve tensions in several regions of the world,” Tanee said.

While the Foreign Ministry expressed the hope, it appears that leaders of the two superpowers involved in the Ukraine conflict — Russia and the US — would not have a bilateral meeting in Bangkok.

US President Joe Biden will not attend the summit on November 18-19 but will instead send Vice President Kamala Harris, US media reports have said.

Don himself said last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not confirmed whether he would attend the summit in Bangkok.

Tanee said host Thailand would present “measures for sustainability” of economic development during this year’s annual Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

He said the global economy was impacted by climate change that had caused the sea level to rise and had also affected Apec’s economic members, so Thailand would present measures to deal with environmental issues for sustainable economies.

Tanee said since the summit next week would come after the end of the Covid pandemic, it would be held under the theme “Open. Connect. Balance” to connect investments and travel among members of Apec after the pandemic to make it convenient and safe for travellers among them.

The host will also present a sustainable goal under the theme of “Bangkok Goals on BCG Economy”, Tanee said.

He said Thailand would present Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG) developments for sustainable economic development to the 21 members of Apec under “Bangkok Goals on BCG Economy”.

During the summit, member economies would also discuss issues related to supply chain and food security that are challenging the world and they would also discuss energy security by exploring alternative and clean energy, Tanee said.

The spokesman said Don last week had chaired a meeting of the Apec preparation committee and the panel had summarised its work that would be reported to the national committee, headed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, which is in charge of organising Apec.

The report would be presented to Prayut’s committee on October 31, Tanee added.

He said Don has set up a war room to monitor preparations that include security measures, health and Covid preventive measures and ceremonies during the summit.

Apart from the leaders of 21 Apec members, and special invitees, over 2,000 foreign journalists would also attend the summit at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre. The Foreign Ministry would use the chance to promote Thai culture, the spokesman added.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021333

Bangkok police swoop in on 8 modified supercars, owners fined for illegal racing

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

Police officers lying in wait for traffic offenders ambushed eight luxury cars on Bangkok’s Sirat Expressway and slapped them with speeding tickets on Sunday night.

Pracha Chuen police officers had set up two checkpoints at the entrance of the expressway to look for violators on Sunday evening after receiving complaints about parts of the highway being used for illegal racing.

Of the 15 vehicles checked, the owners of eight were found guilty of violating several traffic laws, including illegal engine modification, driving without a licence and using unregistered vehicles.

All eight cars had been modified for higher speed and producing noise exceeding the legal limit, said Pol Maj-General Atthaphol Anusit, chief of Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Division 2.

The owners have been slapped with fines and ordered to fix their vehicles within 30 days. The cars have also been banned from public roads during the period.

Police have promised to keep an eye out for street racers who disturb nearby communities and pose a danger to other motorists.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021331

Thailand risks ‘spike in depression’ amid lack of psychiatrists

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

A severe shortage of mental health professionals in Thailand is leaving many millions suffering from depression and other psychological disorders.

The latest indicator of this was the October 6 shooting in Nong Bua Lamphu province, where a mentally disabled former cop massacred 36 people, including many very young children.

“Without more mental health professionals added to our public health system, Thailand is at risk of seeing more psychiatric patients being left untreated, as well as a spike in people suffering from depression,” the Department of Mental Health warned on Monday. “The economic disparity in different regions of Thailand is also an obstacle in distributing health professionals to cover all areas.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 1.5 million people in Thailand suffer from depression, which can contribute to suicide. Stress-related to the Covid-19 pandemic has also pushed the numbers up, records show.

However, as of July 2022, Thailand had only registered 845 psychiatrists and 1,037 psychologists, which works out to 1.28 psychiatrists and 1.57 psychologists for every 100,000 people.

This is significantly lower than the world’s average of 10.15 mental health professionals for every 100,000 people.

Thailand is not alone in facing these problems. Other countries in Southeast Asia also suffer a severe lack of mental health professionals.

For instance, Malaysia has 1.21 psychiatrists and 0.56 psychologists for every 100,000 people, while the ratio in the Philippines is even lower at 0.22 psychiatrists and 0.08 psychologists per 100,000 people.

The only exception is Singapore, which has the highest ratio at 4.7 mental health professionals per 100,000 people, which the department puts down to a higher per capita income.

According to WHO’s 2022 World Mental Health Report, an eighth of the world population is living with mental health problems and at least one in 100 deaths is suicide. The most worrying trend is that eight out of 100 people who kill themselves are in the 15-29 age range.

To combat this, WHO is urging countries to boost their spending on this sector, so mental health problems do not become a more widespread problem.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021330

Bangkok hospitals report surge in medical tourists as Covid recedes

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

Three private hospitals in Bangkok have reported a surge of foreign patients since Thailand lifted Covid-19 travel controls in June.

Panacee Hospital director Dr Perapat Tangjai said the performance of Thai private hospitals has dramatically improved in the fourth quarter as foreigners return to the country for treatment.

The uptick is being driven by patients from Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam who have high purchasing power and are seeking the advanced medical technologies that Thailand has to offer, he said.

Perapat also expects the number of Chinese medical tourists to increase once China reopens.

“Foreign tourists are also arriving for alternative hospital treatments such as traditional herbal remedies and natural therapy,” he said.

He predicted fourth-quarter revenue of private Thai hospitals will double in the fourth quarter from the same period last year.

Elsewhere, Vimut Hospital has expanded its alternative medicine and physical check-up programmes, conducted staff training, and recruited interpreters to handle the increasing numbers of foreign patients, director Dr Santi Ueanoraset said.

The interpreter team is fluent in English Chinese and other languages, while a coordinating team is on hand to help foreign patients with visas, documentation and insurance, he added. The hospital has also been drawing more customers from other provinces as the Covid-19 crisis recedes, he said

Thonburi Healthcare Group (THG) CEO Dr Tanatip Suppradit said medical travellers had led the return of tourists to Thailand after the country reopened in June.

He expects the number of medical tourists to rise further in the fourth quarter, adding that THG would especially benefit from Australian and Arab visitors seeking treatment.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021326

Rescuers pluck 148 furry flood victims to safety in central Thailand

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

Around 150 dogs and cats at Ban Hong Meow animal shelter in Angthong’s Muang district had to be evacuated to safety after being hit by floods on Sunday.

The urgent rescue mission was overseen by Department of Livestock Development officials as floodwaters rose, said Agriculture Ministry deputy permanent secretary Somchuan Ratanamungklanon.

“The department provided animal food, cages, trucks and physical check-ups for 50 dogs and 98 cats,” he said.

Weeks of flooding have wreaked havoc in the province just north of Ayutthaya as the swollen Chao Phraya River overflows into Thailand’s Central Region.

Sunday’s mission was a complicated affair as several agencies coordinated to ferry 148 animals by boat to safety.

Somchuan thanked Poh Teck Tung Foundation, Angthong Rescue Association and The Sun Rescue team for providing boats to rescue the cats and dogs.

He added that all the animals were evacuated to Ang Thong Nong Chet Sen Sawan Park.

Flooding has now hit 431,367 households in 30 provinces across Thailand, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021325

Thanathorn attacked in Bangkok by man yelling ‘I have a bomb’

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was attacked on Sunday as he met fans at a book fair being held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.

The attacker was identified as Khanesphitsanuthep Jakkraphopmahadecha, also known on social media as “K-100 million”, a businessman of Indian descent. The same man was arrested by police in February 2019 after releasing cobras in front of Bangkok’s CentralWorld and cutting himself with a knife in a bizarre ritual act. He has also changed his first and last names several times.

Thanathorn told reporters that he was talking to supporters and signing autographs when the man approached from behind and grabbed him by the neck while yelling, “I have a bomb” repeatedly. This triggered panic among visitors who were browsing stalls at “Book Expo Thailand 2022” in Halls 5-6 of the downtown convention centre.

“Luckily, security guards and witnesses helped me and pinned the man to the ground without anyone else being injured,” said Thanathorn, the former leader of the dissolved Future Forward Party.

No explosives were found in Khanesphitsanuthep’s backpack, which he had thrown to the ground before attacking Thanathorn.

Khanesphitsanuthep was escorted out of the building by the police, who will reportedly charge him with assault and circulating false information that caused public panic.

Thanathorn, who suffered bruises to his neck in the attack, told The Reporters news outlet that he was worried about violence being used as a political weapon in Thai society.

“We should never resort to using violence against those who have different political views than us,” he said. “I want all parties to keep an open mind and solve their differences via peaceful debate using reason instead.”

Using violent means to solve disputes only results in a never-ending cycle of violence, he said.

“Political differences should be dealt with via a mechanism that promotes peace, as well as an efficient justice system,” Thanathorn added.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021324

Phuket’s Patong-Kathu highway reopens to pedestrians after landslide

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2022

THE NATION

The partially collapsed section of Phuket’s Highway 4029 running from Patong beach to Kathu was reopened to pedestrians on Sunday. However, the route will remain closed to vehicles for safety reasons, said provincial Governor Narong Woonciew.

The road was closed on Wednesday after days of heavy rain were followed by a landslide that ripped away a section of the outer lane.

However, locals complained that students will need to use the route to travel to schools from Tuesday, prompting the governor to open the road to people on foot. The pedestrian pathway hugs the hillside, while a temporary fence has been erected to prevent people from walking close to the damaged lane.

Narong said the pedestrian route would be closed immediately if more heavy rain threatened to trigger another landslide.

The governor said the Phuket District Highway Office surveyed damage to the road and estimated the repair cost at 4.9 million baht. Repairs will include putting in new foundation piles, reconstructing the road surface, and rebuilding the barrier for the outer lane.

Highway 4029 is the gateway to Patong Hill and normally one of the busiest roads on the tourism island.

While repairs are underway, motorists heading to Patong are advised to use highways 4028, 4025 or 4030.