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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014275

Bluedragon executive Pachara Messiyaporn will be charged for allegedly overpricing lottery tickets, National Police chief assistant Pol Lt-General Surachet Hakpal confirmed on Wednesday.

His remark came after police arrested Pachara at a luxury estate in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district at 7am on Wednesday under an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court.

However, Pachara was later granted bail of 100,000 baht and promptly held a press conference, insisting his company should not be blamed for the overpriced lottery tickets as it only provides an online platform for some 39,000 small vendors.

Pachara faces four charges – allegedly inputting fake data into a computer system, operating a direct marketing platform without registration, advertising fake or exaggerated messages and overpricing lottery tickets.

“Strict law enforcement will lead to a solution on lottery overpricing,” Surachet said.

He also said the police had been instructed to expand the investigation to see if there are more suspects involved in the case.

Separately, Lottery Online, the operator of the “Kong Salak Plus” lottery sales platform, said it would sell all lotteries that have a lucky draw on April 16 at 80 baht.

The move came after police raided the company’s office in Bangkok’s Watthana district on March 28.

The Government Lottery Office said on Tuesday that it is collecting data on lotteries being sold via the Kong Salak Plus platform for an investigation.

Published : April 07, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014272

Songkhla will soon ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to change the colour-based categorisation of the province into a blue zone, or a pilot tourism area, to promote tourism in the province, Governor Jetsada Jittirat said on Wednesday.

Jetsada said the move was approved by the provincial communicable disease committee on April 5 after the CCSA lifted a ban on foreign arrivals via land and sea in the four pilot border provinces of Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Songkhla and Phuket on March 1.

Currently Songkhla is among 20 provinces in the orange category, or controlled zone.

Ten provinces are presently in the blue zone – Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Krabi, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phang-nga, Phetchaburi and Phuket.

These provinces enjoy more relaxed Covid-19 restrictions to promote tourism, including the opening of markets, shopping malls, spas and massage parlours as usual, with restaurants being allowed to serve alcoholic beverages until 11pm.

“Songkhla is also planning to launch a one-day trip campaign in districts that share the border with Malaysia to attract foreign visitors,” said the governor.

“Under the campaign, officials will provide ATK testing at border points similar to the Test & Go scheme. Those who test negative will be allowed to travel in the province and return the same day. There will be no RT-PCR test or quarantine for foreign arrivals,” he added.

Published : April 07, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014259

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has cancelled a Songkran activity at Government House next week in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Wednesday.

“PM Prayut said he thanked all agencies which planned the Rot Nam Dam Hua activity for him on April 12, but he would prefer they held the activity at their offices instead while observing disease control measures announced by the Public Health Ministry and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration,” said Thanakorn.

Prayut also said that government agencies must set an example for the public in following the Covid Free Setting standard at their workplace and when holding activities that involve gatherings.

“Any agencies whose facilities are not ready for the Covid Free Setting should organise Songkran activities online to preserve Thai culture,” he added.

The Rot Nam Dam Hua ceremony involves family members gathering to pour lustral water on their elders’ hands in the form of respect, while elders give them their blessing. In the workplace, subordinates also gather to pour water on the hands of their revered superiors.

Published : April 07, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014256

Ministry of Public Health reported on Thursday (April 7) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 26,081 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 81 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 91, while 26,011 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 1,584,473.
 

Published : April 07, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014249

The so-called Green cops on Tuesday arrested three Thai men for allegedly selling via a Facebook group a tiger cub smuggled from Laos.

Pol Colonel Wisit Plopmuang, commander of subdivision 1 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, or the so-called Green cops, said the three were arrested at 7pm at the carpark of Central Westgate in Nonthaburi province in a sting operation.

Wisit said his subdivision received a tip-off from the Wildlife Justice Commission that a group of Thais had been selling wild animals via a Facebook group, so the Green cops planned the sting operation.

The three suspects were identified as Pirapol, 23, Pornthiwa, 30 and Chatree, 41. Their surnames were withheld by police pending formal charges. Police seized a four-month-old tiger cub from them.

Wisit said police had learned from the WJC that Pirapol and Pornthiwa were selling wild animals on a Facebook group. Police started monitoring the group until the suspects offered to sell the tiger cub for THB400,000.

An undercover policeman offered to buy the cub and the suspects demanded a deposit of THB200,000.

After the undercover policeman had transferred the deposit, the two asked him to bring the balance THB200,000 and collect the cub at the department store’s carpark on Tuesday evening.

Once the policeman had paid the remaining THB200,000, Pirapol and Pornthiwa led the policeman to Chatree who had custody of the cub. Other policemen hiding nearby came out to arrest them and took them to Bang Yai Police Station for interrogation.

The three suspects said Chatree had smuggled the cub from Laos via a natural border for the two other suspects to sell online.

The tiger cub was handed over to the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. The department will check its DNA to determine its origins before taking appropriate measures for its rehabilitation.

Published : April 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014245

The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has banned visitors from taking foam boxes, single-use plastic bags, plastic food boxes or utensils into national parks.

An order to this effect, published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday, came into force on Wednesday.

Violators of the ban will be subject to a maximum fine of 100,000 baht.

The department stated in the order that tourists would not be allowed to carry food or water containers made of foam or single-use plastic into any marine or national park around the country for the sake of natural resources protection and conservation.

The order said the ban was necessary to prevent damage to coral and ecology and to control garbage in national parks.

It said packages made of foam and single-use plastic containers such as plastic bags – which are thinner than 36 microns – plastic food boxes, single-use plastic cups, plastic straws, and spoons and forks are not allowed into national parks.

Published : April 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014244

The “Stand for Stray” project, which aims to improve the welfare of street dogs in communities and create awareness among residents, has gone viral among netizens.

The project was initiated at Wat Nang Nong in Bangkok’s Chom Thong district and Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district.

Small, foldable shelters have been set up to protect dogs from the sun and rain, while volunteers have been deployed to ensure safety and order.

“If there are volunteers who sterilise, vaccinate, feed and clean stray dogs, the risk of rabies spreading will not exist,” the group said. “The solution is people should be aware and implement guidelines to tackle the issue together.”

Those interested in setting up shelters or would like further details can contact the Stand for Stray Facebook page.

The stray dog issue has long dogged communties where cleanliness, accidents and rabies are concerned.

As of 2019, as many as 109,123 dogs were stranded across the country, according to the Thai Rabies website.

Published : April 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014238

The Education Ministry will suspend the licences of teachers under investigation for misconduct such as sexual harassment of students, using drugs or being involved in corruption, a deputy government spokeswoman made it clear on Wednesday.

Rachada Dhnadirek said the Teachers Professionalism Committee recently resolved to suspend the licences of teachers being investigated for serious misconduct, without having to wait for the probe to conclude.

Rachada said serious misconduct includes sexual harassment of students, drug use or trafficking and corruption.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is serious about taking action against teachers over misconduct and has instructed the Education Ministry to take prompt legal action, the spokeswoman said.

Prayut also instructed the ministry to fire such teachers once there is strong evidence to substantiate charges of misconduct against them.

The prime minister’s instructions follow a report that a public school teacher in Surin’s Muang district lured a ninth grader to a hotel to have sex with him in exchange for good grades.

Rachada said the Education Ministry had ordered the Surin Education Office to speed up the investigation. The teacher has been removed.

She said the prime minster ordered all government agencies concerned to team up to protect students from being raped or sexually harassed by teachers.

“The prime minter emphasised that schools must be safe places for children and teachers must be good examples for kids,” Rachada said.

“If there are misconduct charges against them, action must be taken swiftly,” she added.

Published : April 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014232

The owner of Bluedragon said on Wednesday that his company should not be blamed for overpriced lottery tickets as it “only provides an online platform for some 39,000 small vendors”.

Executive Pachara Messiyaporn, 29, promptly held a press conference with his lawyer, Ananchai Chaiyadej, to dismiss allegations that his firm bought up some 2 million tickets for sales during each biweekly draw, thus leading to overpriced tickets.

The allegations were made by Seksakol Atthaworng, an assistant to a PM’s Office minister, and Pol Lt-General Surachet Hakpal, an assistant to the National Police chief.

Seksakol and Surachet led a team of police officers to comb through Bluedragon’s head office and branches on March 25. They discovered more than 2 million lottery tickets, which were reportedly duly seized.

Surachet alleged that Bluedragon overcharged buyers of tickets via its online platform by Bt20 to Bt30, causing the tickets to be overpriced nationwide.

Pachara said the allegations against his company were not fair and the searches caused “damage” to the firm.

He claimed his online platform only provided a venue for some 39,000 vendors to sell tickets so buyers could shop “more conveniently”.

Pachara insisted his company had nothing to do with setting of the prices and these were solely decided upon set by the vendors themselves, while buyers could browse through the vendor list to find prices acceptable to them.

Pachara also claimed his company received only Bt5 per lottery ticket as a scanning fee and providing the online platform service.

He explained that the Government Lottery of Thailand issued100 million tickets for each draw and 31 million are allocated for sale to its registered middlemen for distribution to associations, foundations, retail vendors and the handicapped. The remaining 69 million are handed to small vendors via an advanced booking system.

Pachara said several authorised and unauthorised middlemen resold tickets to retail vendors at inflated prices, prompting the vendors in turn to sell the tickets at higher prices.

When the country was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, small vendors suffered as buyers preferred not to purchase or even touch the tickets, so he initiated the Bluedragon platform to make it convenient for buyers to meet vendors, he explained.

Pachara said the scanned lottery tickets would be kept in a “strong room” of the company to prevent vendors from selling the tickets again after they are sold online.

He claimed that when a buyer agreed to purchase a ticket from a vendor, he or she would transfer money to the vendor’s bank account.

“So, the allegation that Bluedragon was the main cause for the overpriced tickets is not fair to the company. Everybody knows the stalls at the mouths of sois are already selling overpriced tickets,” he bemoaned.

Bluedragon is also a main sponsor of Thai League 3 football apparently because of the profits earned from the online platform.

Published : April 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014231

Expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan is inviting children aged between 5 and 11 who have received two Sinovac or Sinopharm jabs to take part in a clinical study that will provide them with Pfizer as the third jab.

He went on Facebook on Wednesday to say that the number of children who have been infected with Covid-19 has risen sharply because immunity developed by two Sinovac or Sinopharm doses is not enough to prevent infection.

He pointed out that the young ones should receive a mRNA jab as the third dose to stimulate immunity in the long term, adding it’s best they receive the third jab a month after the second.

“In this regard, Chulalongkorn University’s Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology will conduct a clinical study on a Pfizer booster jab for children who have already received two Sinovac or Sinopharm doses,” he said.

“This has received approval from the university’s committee for human research ethics.”

Yong wrote that children who are eligible to participate must be healthy and should not have been infected with Covid-19 before.

The centre will check the immunity of the young volunteers before and after they receive the booster jab, he said.

It is also willing to administer influenza vaccines depending on consent from parents.

“Parents will individually be informed of the immunity results,” Yong said, adding that the centre is willing to give advice to parents throughout the clinical study.

Interested parents who wish to allow their children to participate can register here.

Published : April 06, 2022

By : THE NATION