sanook.com, Thailand’s news website and entertainment portal, on Monday, announced winners of ‘Sanook’s Top of the Year Awards 2022’ in 14 award categories.
As the third consecutive event of the annual entertainment awards program by sanook.com, this year’s event reached its all-time high with over 250 million votes from entertainment fans nationwide during its 22-day voting period and drew more than 70 million visits to the website – another reaffirmation of sanook.com’s status as one of Thailand’s most engaging platforms for quality news and entertainment.
Kanokporn Prachayaset, Chief Commercial Officer at Tencent (Thailand) Co., Ltd., said, ” Sanook’s Top of the Year Awards is now in its third year, presenting awards to the best in each category to recognize award-winning actors, artists, and people behind award-winning works. This annual entertainment awards program is also open for the general public to show support for their favourite actors, artists and works by means of voting, which has witnessed enormous response from voters since its first year.”
“Sanook’s Top of the Year Awards 2022” voting ran on sanook.com website for 22 days from December 26, 2022 to January 16, 2023.
It registered over 250 million votes, an all-time high since the launch of this annual awards program. Sanook’s Top of the Year Awards 2022 went to the best actors, artists and works in 14 award categories as follows.
Shipped Couple of the Year: Zee – NuNew Actor of the Year: Win Metawin Actress of the Year: Yaya Urassaya Rising Male Star of the Year: NuNew Chawarin Rising Female Star of the Year: Sarah Salola Shippers’ Series of the Year: Cutie Pie Series Chinese Series of the Year: The Oath of Love Thai Series/TV Drama of the Year: To Sir, With Love (ONE 31) Viral Thai Song of the Year: Silent Mode (PROXIE) Thai Song of the Year: Chop Tua Eng Ton Yu Kap Thoe (BILLKIN) Artist of the Year: Nont Tanont T-pop Artist of the Year: 4EVE Young Icon of the Year: PP Krit Inspiring Woman of the Year: Engfa Waraha
“We believe that Sanook’s Top of the Year Awards will give actors, artists, series production companies, music labels, and people in the entertainment industry a good dose of encouragement and the drive to create quality works for people. It will also serve as a platform for fans to show support to their favourite artists. And to engage fans, we are allocating our website space for the fanbase of award-winners to promote their favorite artists at no cost to them! Look forward to more details about this on sanook.com soon. At sanook.com, we continue to create a variety of content and exclusive activities to keep the users delighted with informative and entertaining content and reaffirm our position as the leading news and entertainment portal for Thais,” Kanokporn concluded.
Kotwada Airport in Kalikot is finally readying for operations, 37 years after it was built. The runway of the airport located in the mountains of western Nepal was blacktopped recently, raising hopes of locals.
In 2016, Tara Air had conducted a test flight, but no passenger services have been operated since.
Local resident Nara Bahadur Bista worked as a labourer at the construction site when he was 33 years old. Bista, now 75, says, “I also worked as a volunteer for a month at the airport.”
Bista is happy that the airport’s runway has been blacktopped. “I am hopeful that flights will start soon.”
The airport would have been a lifesaver for the people of Kalikot if it had been put into service when there were no roads linking the district. Now roads have reached the villages.
“But the airport is still important because the road gets blocked frequently,” Bista said.
The company that received the contract for the blacktopping work is scheduled to hand over the airport to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal on January 29.
Structures like terminal tower, security building, toilets and parking space have been completed.
Technician Kedar KC, who was involved in the airport’s construction, said that improvement work was being done on the water supply, electricity and runway.
“All the contract work will be completed by mid-February,” he said. “Regular flight operations can be done from that date,” he said.
Gauri-Parbati Shyam and Shankar JV were awarded the contract for the blacktopping of the 690-metre runway at a cost of Rs138.6 million.
According to the airport office, a sum of Rs150.14 million has been spent.
The Civil Aviation Authority claims that the runway at Kotwada Airport is longer and wider than at Mugu, Dolpa and Humla in Karnali. Aircraft can land and take off from either end of the runway.
“Kotwada Airport will make it convenient for the residents of Narharinath, Raskot, Sannitriveni, Pachaljharna, Palata, Khadachakra and Ramarosan in Achham,” said Ratna Singh Saud, principal of Nandadevi Higher Secondary School, Kotwada.
Nagendra Bahadur Bista, chief of Narharinath Rural Municipality, said locals of Narharinath had been dreaming of the airport for years. “The runway has been blacktopped, and now there is a need to take steps for regular flights,” he said.
“Now it will be easy for tourists to visit Ramaroesan, Triveni Patan and Badimalika in Achham,” he added. It will also help in providing access to health care.
Chaurjahari Airport in Rukum West, which has been out of commission for the past eight years, has been upgraded. The runway has been expanded. Flight services were operating until the airport’s runway was blacktopped.
Local resident Gopal Sharma, who is also a former finance minister of Karnali province, said the airport was being expanded to accommodate 72-seater planes. He said that the upgradation of the airport would support tourism development in Dolpa, Jumla and Jajarkot.
According to him, the Ministry of Finance has allocated a budget of Rs90 million for a detailed project report and distribution of compensation for the land to be acquired for the project’s expansion.
Chaurjahari Airport was blacktopped in August 2015 at a cost of Rs50.59 million. But there have been no flights since then.
Nepal Airlines has stopped flying to Chaurjahari as it is short of planes. But airline officials say flights were suspended for lack of passengers.
It has been six years since Nepal Airlines shut down its office in Chaurjahari. Locals worry that the airport will never come into operation again.
“Nepal Airlines has closed its office,” said Jhup Bahadur Budha, a local. “There is no hope that Nepal Airlines will resume operations.”
The air traffic controller of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has left as the airport remains closed. The control tower has been closed for years.
Kamal Lamichhane, a local, said a police station still exists at the airport to provide security. After the airport closed, locals tore down the fence around it and let their cattle graze on the grounds. “Bushes have grown around the runway,” he added.
Yadu Acharya, a local leader, said locals were travelling by road. “But it is very difficult for people who have an emergency due to lack of air services,” he said.
The airport was built in 1971 targeting Rukum West, Salyan and Jajarkot districts.
44 killed, 157 injured in blast at Peshawar Police Lines mosque
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
A blast inside a mosque shook Peshawar’s area on Monday, with officials saying that at least 44 people were killed and 147 were injured.
Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Mohammad Asim confirmed the number of casualties, adding that a number of injured persons were in critical condition.
According to a list shared by the hospital, the mosque’s imam, Sahibzada Noorul Amin, was also killed in the blast.
The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the blast.
Peshawar Commissioner Riaz Mehsood said a rescue operation was underway inside the mosque as a number of people were buried under the rubble.
“An emergency has been imposed at hospitals across the city and injured persons are being provided the best medical facilities,” the senior official said.
Speaking to the media, Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Ijaz Khan said that the roof of the mosque collapsed after the blast. “A number of jawans are still stuck under the rubble and rescuers are trying to pull them out.”
He said the main hall of the mosque – which had a capacity of 250 to 300 people – had collapsed but the rest of the building was still intact.
In response to a question about the nature of the blast, the official said: “The smell of explosives has been detected but it is too early to say anything substantial.”
Khan said between 300 to 400 police personnel were present in the area at the time of the blast. “It is apparent that a security lapse occurred,” the CCPO told the media.
He added that the bodies and injured persons had been moved to the LRH.
Standing alongside Khan, KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali condemned the blast and urged the people of Peshawar to donate blood for the injured, saying that it would be a “huge favour for the police”.
Former KP chief minister Mahmood Khan also called on PTI workers in Peshawar and adjoining areas to reach LRH to donate blood to the victims.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on PML-N workers to the nation to donate blood for those injured in the blast, especially those with O negative blood group.
He called on the nation, students and party workers to reach LRH without any delay and play a role in saving precious lives.
Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country has worsened, with terrorist groups executing attacks with near impunity across the country.
Since the talks with the TTP broke down in November, the militant group has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting the police in KP and areas bordering Afghanistan. Insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a nexus with the outlawed TTP.
On January 22, a police vehicle narrowly escaped a bomb blast in Peshawar’s Badaber area. A day earlier, a policeman was martyred and two others were injured when unidentified assailants attacked a police post in Dheri Zardad locality of Charsadda.
On January 14, a deputy superintendent and two constables were martyred when militants, armed with automatic assault weapons, targeted the Sarband police station on the outskirts of the province’s capital, Peshawar late at night.
The police headquarters in Peshawar is in one of the most tightly controlled areas of the city, housing intelligence and counter-terrorism bureaus, and is next door to the regional secretariat.
Dawn.com’s correspondent at the blast site said the explosion took place at around 1:40pm as Zuhr prayers were being offered. He said personnel of the police, army and bomb disposal squad were present inside the mosque.
The reporter said a portion of the building had collapsed and several people – especially those standing in the front row during the prayers – were believed to be under it.
Visuals run on television channels showed people gathered around the collapsed wall of the mosque. Meanwhile, roads leading to the Red Zone – the area housing Governor’s House, Chief Minister Secretariat, Corps Headquarters and important defence installations – were closed down.
A witness told Dawn.com that he was performing wudhu in the mosque’s compound when a powerful explosion threw him onto the street. “My ears were blocked and I was knocked unconscious.”
Another witness said that the windows of the building adjacent to the mosque shattered because of the intensity of the blast.
Shahid Ali, a policeman who survived, said the explosion took place seconds after the imam started prayers. “I saw black smoke rising to the sky. I ran out to save my life “.
“The screams of the people are still echoing in my mind,” he added. “People were screaming for help.”
Condemnations
In a statement issued later in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast and said that the attackers behind the incident “have nothing to do with Islam”.
“Terrorists want to create fear by targeting those who perform the duty of defending Pakistan,” he said.
The premier paid tribute to the martyrs and promised that their sacrifices would not be in vain. “The entire nation is standing united against the menace of terrorism.”
PM Shehbaz also said that a comprehensive strategy would be adopted to counter the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the federal government will help provinces in increasing their anti-terrorism capacity.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while condemning the attack, said that “terrorist incidents before local and general elections were meaningful”.
A tweet by PPP’s media cell quoted Bilawal as saying that strict action would be taken against terrorists, their patrons and their facilitators.
Bilawal stressed that the National Action Plan was the only solution to the issue of terrorism and promised that it would be “implemented strictly”.
He also called party workers to donate their blood to save the lives of the injured.
Later in the day, Bilawal took to his own Twitter to condemn the attack. “Deeply saddened at loss of innocent lives; my heartfelt condolences to the affected families. Such cowardly acts will not deter our resolve against acts of terrorism in Pakistan,” he said.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan also strongly condemned the “terrorist suicide attack” in Peshawar and expressed sympathies with the families of the victims.
“It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering and properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism,” he added.
Ex-human rights minister Shireen Mazari termed the bomber’s “access to a central area of the provincial capital” as another “intel failure”.
“Our police are frontline defenders against terrorists, especially in urban areas and need better resources, including equipment,” she added.
PTI’s Shibli Faraz condemned the attack but said the government had “failed to maintain security of its citizens”.
The US embassy in Islamabad extended its deepest condolences to the families of the victims. “The United States stands with Pakistan in condemning all forms of terrorism,” the mission said on Twitter.
Security high-alert in Islamabad, Sindh
Islamabad Inspector General (IG) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan issued directions for a “security high-alert” to be placed in the capital, a tweet by Islamabad Police said.
It said that security at all entry and exit points of the city has been increased and monitoring was being done through the “Safe City” system.
The police added that snipers had been placed at “important points and buildings” and the police were provided with thermal imaging facilities.
Meanwhile, Sindh IG Ghulam Nabi Memon issued a red alert for the province after the Peshawar blast.
“Security arrangements at mosques, imambargahs and other important religious places should be strengthened,” the provincial police chief said.
Memon also directed police to enhance patrolling and snap-checking. He said the crackdown against criminals should be made effective through monitoring and intelligence collection.
EC takes another step towards general election with approval of 400 constituencies
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
The Election Commission (EC) has approved 400 electoral constituencies nationwide, which marks another crucial step towards holding the general election this year.
The EC Office said that the watchdog had approved the 400 constituencies for the election of 400 MPs during a meeting on Monday.
The office will next send the list to the Cabinet Secretariat to be published in the Royal Gazette, after which the office can make further preparations to hold the election. The office had earlier announced May 7 as the tentative election date if the current House completes its four-year term on March 22.
The office said the drawing up of the new constituencies was based on the population statistics provided by the Provincial Administration Department at the end of December.
As of December 31, Thailand’s population was 66,090,475, and the drawing up of constituencies was based on the formula of one MP for 164,226 Thais.
The new MPs election act increased the number of constituencies from 350 to 400.
Major provinces on the new constituencies list include:
Prawit says he is ready to serve as Thailand’s 30th prime minister if elected
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said he is ready to become Thailand’s 30th premier if he is chosen by voters to do the job.
He was speaking at a Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) fundraising event at Centara Grand Hotel in Bangkok on Monday.
“I’m ready to become prime minister if people choose me, and will return home if they do not,” said Prawit, who is also PPRP leader.
He said his past decade in politics has shown him that life as a soldier and politician is completely different. He said the past decade has also shown him that everybody has different personalities, adding that he respects people who have more experience than him. He added that he is ready to work for the country and help make it better.
“I have good intentions and sincerity towards everybody, including friends, brothers and sisters and subordinates,” he said.
Prawit said his top priority will be tackling poverty. “We have to take care of people to drive the country,” he said.
As for the “3Ps”, he said they were brothers with a bond that is unbreakable despite differences in political ideology.
The 3Ps include Prawit, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Interior Minister Anupong “Pok” Paochinda.
Taiwanese actress thanks BBC, Taiwan media for ‘sharing truth’
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
The Taiwanese actress who accused Thai police of alleged extortion posted a comment on social media thanking the BBC and Taiwan media for listening to her and sharing “the truth”.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday morning, Charlene An (An Yu-qing) said: “Thank you BBC and all participating media from Taiwan for taking your precious time to listen & to share the truth.
“Thank you to all for your words of encouragement, support & care to help me walk through this moment of traumatic ‘darkness’.”
When An dropped a bombshell on the Thai police force, saying a team of officers at a checkpoint in Bangkok demanded a bribe of 27,000 baht from her, several Thai TV stations began pointing to discrepancies in her claims.
Thai media questioned the length of time she claimed to have been detained at the checkpoint and her claim that police had planted a vaping device on her. Local TV stations showed CCTV footage showing that she and her friends were at the checkpoint for 47 minutes, not two hours as she claimed.
They also shared footage showing she owned and used a vaping device before and after being stopped at the checkpoint outside the Chinese embassy.
While her accusations were being questioned by Thai media, whistleblowing former politician and massage parlour tycoon Chuwit Kamolvisit jumped to her rescue on Monday, saying he had a clip showing one of An’s friends handing money to a plainclothes policeman.
An then responded to Chuwit’s Facebook page thanking him for finally uncovering the truth.
In her Instagram post, An said she was “grateful for the many Thai friendships made.
“You have taught me that bravery has no language barriers,” she said in the post.
“Thailand, your culture, people, food will always be special to me. I look forward to a better experience in my future visits.”
She ended the post by saying: “May truth find its way. May this be the End.”
As of Tuesday, there were still conflicting reports about whether or not seven Huay Kwang policemen had confessed to demanding the bribe.
Earlier, police sources said the officers in question had confessed to extorting 27,000 baht and shared it among themselves, but later reports denied the so-called confessions.
On Tuesday, National Police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas said a disciplinary committee was still investigating the case.
More than 11,500 motorists lose points three weeks after launch of new system
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
Traffic police docked 11,548 motorists of points in the three weeks since they started enforcing a new points system beginning January 9.
The most reported offence — 3,557 times — was not displaying evidence of paying the annual vehicle registration fees, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) said on Tuesday.
A total of 1,709 motorists were penalised for driving without licence plates, while 1,686 people had their points cut for speeding.
Chai Nat province, at 1,478, had the most number of motorists who were docked points, followed by Bangkok (1,427) and Khon Kaen (211).
The RTP said each motorist would start with 12 points. Violation of traffic laws will result in the deduction of points, with the most severe offences resulting in the biggest deductions at eight points per time.
The loss of all 12 points will result in suspension of the driver’s licence. Three suspensions within three years will result in the revocation of the driving licence.
Driving without a valid licence could land a motorist in jail for a maximum of three months, or a 10,000-baht fine, or both, police have warned.
Motorists can check their remaining points in real time on the website https://ptm.police.go.th/eTicket or download the mobile app ‘Khub Dee’.
Muay Thai will always belong to Thailand, proclaims Prayut
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
Thailand does not have to argue with others because nobody can take Muay Thai away from it, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared on Tuesday.
He made this remark during activities promoting Muay Thai Day at Government House.
A controversy was sparked recently when Cambodia announced as host of this year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games that kickboxing will be referred to as “Kun Khmer”. The 2023 SEAGames will run from May 5 to 17.
At the event on Tuesday, Prayut participated in many activities including a Muay Thai performance put up by Nong Hin School students and professional fighters.
The premier also showed off his Muay Thai skills before thanking organisers and related agencies for preserving the art form, which has been part of Thai culture for generations.
Prayut described Muay Thai as a unique martial art and valuable cultural wisdom.
He also asked relevant agencies to continue promoting Muay Thai as a soft power that can help stimulate the economy sustainably.
The premier also hoped the “Amazing Muay Thai Festival 2023” will be a resounding success. The festival will be held from February 4 to 6 at Hua Hin’s Rajabhakti Park.
“I want to thank all relevant sectors for organising the event that showcases Thai culture and has been preserved for a long time,” he said.
The Cabinet has marked February 6 as Muay Thai Day, because that was the day when Sanphet VIII became King of Ayutthaya. Sanphet VIII, the second ruler of the Ban Phlu Luang Dynasty, was known to be a Muay Thai expert.
Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) seeks to encourage physical exercise among the working-age population through the country’s first “walkshop” event.
Walkshop is defined as a form of physical activity, including, for example, walk-and-talk and walk rally, which helps improve both physical and mental health.
ThaiHealth, now in its twentieth-second year, has been working to promote the well-being of Thai society on all fronts: physical, mental, social, and intellectual, said Dr Pairoj Saonuam, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Support Unit at ThaiHealth.
He added that a walkshop activity was developed as part of the “Healthy Meeting” to encourage physical activities among people, particularly those who are in the working age range.
The activity was operated under the “3 Actives” framework, said Dr Pairoj, explaining that it includes Active People (encouraging people to be physically active), Active Environment (providing an environment in which it is appropriate to exercise), and Active Society (Cultivating healthy habits).
Thai National Police chief apologises for the ‘bad 7’ in Taiwanese actress case
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
National Police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas has issued an apology for the deeds of the seven police officers who allegedly extorted money from a Taiwanese actress.
“I would like to apologise to the people and affected persons, who suffered damages from the actions taken by the [seven] policemen,” Damrongsak told reporters on Tuesday.
He added that these seven officers were a tiny part of Thailand’s police force, who have been working to serve the people and the country.
“I would like to assure the people and foreign tourists that they can have confidence in police operations. I will instruct immigration and tourist police to work with transparency and integrity,” Damrongsak said.
The National Police chief was referring to the case in which two police captains and five sergeants from Bangkok’s Huay Kwang Police Station allegedly extorted 27,000 baht from a Taiwanese actress for turning a blind eye to the vaping device in her possession in the early hours of January 5.
After returning to Taiwan, the actress –Charlene An (An Yu-qing) – cried foul on social media saying that Thai police were bad and had extorted 27,000 baht from her. It was reported that a Singaporean member of her group had given the money to the police at the checkpoint in front of the Chinese embassy.
Damrongsak said he has instructed the Metropolitan Police Bureau chief to speed up the fact-finding process and send police officers to interview the actress in Taiwan and her friend in Singapore as witnesses if necessary.
“But if the witnesses are too afraid to cooperate, we may coordinate with Interpol to seek their testimony. We are open to receiving information from all channels,” Damrongsak added.
When asked about reports that the seven police officers had admitted to dereliction of duty but refused to admit they demanded a bribe, Damrongsak said a disciplinary committee was still investigating this point.
He said he has had the Huay Kwang Police Station chief transferred because he erred in his responsibility to govern his subordinates.
If the seven policemen are convicted, the deputy police station chief, the chief inspector and his deputies will also face a transfer, Damrongsak said.
He added that he will put in place measures to ensure police officers work with transparency, and one of these measures will be to mount body cameras on every officer on duty. He said he will seek funding for these body cameras.
An then responded to Chuwit’s Facebook page thanking him for finally uncovering the truth.
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