The government will launch a third phase of “Khon La Khrueng” (Let’s Go Halves) co-payment scheme if the first two phases show good results, Finance Minister Arkom Termpittayapaisith said on Wednesday.
He reckoned that it would take up to two months to evaluate public spending in the first two phases.
“We found that demand for privileges under this scheme is very high, but we have to evaluate the first two phases before initiating the third one,” he said.
He added that the “RaoChana” (We Win) cash-handout scheme, which the Cabinet approved on Tuesday, will help generate spending of Bt210 billion.
Registration under the latest round of the Let’s Go Halves scheme kicked off at 6am on Wednesday with the quota of 1.34 million users filled in 10 minutes.
Leaders of the Ratsadon (People’s Party) anti-establishment movement showed up at Pathum Wan Police Station on Wednesday morning to answer their summonses for allegedly violating the lese majeste law.
The leaders, including Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, Panupong “Mike” Jadnok and Benja Apan, were there to acknowledge allegations of violating the Criminal Code’s Article 112.
Police issued summonses for the four leaders and two minors for allegedly criticising the monarch in speeches delivered on December 20 at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon shopping complex.
The protest leaders were met by a group of supporters when they arrived at the police station and were handed roses for moral support. The group had also hung a banner reading “[Police] do not arrest drug traffickers and gamblers, but only arrest students”, but it was soon taken down by police.
Article 112 states that “whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years”.
Phra Khanong Criminal Court on Wednesday sentenced former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn to death for the premeditated murder of building contractor Chuwong Sae Tang.
On July 26, 2015, billionaire Chuwong was found dead in the front seat of a car driven by Banyin. Investigators later proved that the accident scene had been set up to conceal the fact that Chuwong had been murdered by Banyin earlier.
Banyin, who is in prison for falsifying documents and the murder of a judge’s brother, was informed of the death sentence.
The Bangkok branch of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), which is led by the city’s deputy governor Pol Lt-General Sopon Pisuttiwong will meet on Thursday to consider easing measures for some businesses.
When the second wave of infections hit Thailand last month, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) ordered several businesses, like spas, massage parlours, elderly and child-care centres, gyms, games arcades, internet cafes etc to close temporarily.
As of Tuesday, Bangkok has had 606 confirmed Covid-19 patients in the second outbreak, most of whom had exposed themselves to the virus in entertainment venues and spread it to others.
One of the pro-democracy movement’s guards, Mongkol Santimetakul stands to face charges of providing false testimony about his claim that he was abducted by mysterious men on Saturday night.
He said he had been pulled into a van as he was making his way to his dormitory in Muang Samut Prakan’s Soi Judsun Sanoh.
Mongkol’s nightlong disappearance saw members of the pro-democracy group and guards gather outside the Internal Security Operations Command in Bangkok’s Dusit district on Sunday morning to demand answers.
Samut Prakan police chief Chumpol Pumpuang said after Mongkol filed a police complaint on Sunday afternoon, a team of investigators checked CCTV footage in the area indicated by Mongkol to find clues of the so-called abduction.
“The team found that after Mongkol finished shopping at a convenience store in Samut Prakan’s Soi Bang Pu Municipality 30 on Saturday night, he went to Ingthan Place building in Soi Bang Pu Municipality 47 before leaving the building at 11.57am on Sunday,” Chumpol said, adding that Mongkol had spent the night alone in a room on the eighth floor.
“The team also found he had used an ATM at the time he claimed he was abducted,” he said.
The police chief said investigators will also check to see if other people were also involved in this case.
“I also want to ask those who are following this case to stop criticising government agencies,” he added.
Meanwhile, police officers said they had contacted Mongkol to acknowledge his charges at Muang Samut Prakan Police Station on Monday.
“He said he and his attorney would come to the station at 4pm, but later postponed the meeting,” he said.
Chiang Mai has decided to ease restrictions on entertainment venues and restaurants now that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand is improving.
Pubs, bars and restaurants will be allowed to reopen for business from Wednesday and can serve alcoholic beverages until 10pm. Entertainment venues had been ordered closed for nearly two weeks since the new wave of infections hit the country last month.
Weekend markets and walking streets, that have been closed since January 6, are also set to open from Wednesday.
Separately, Chonburi authorities said on Wednesday morning that no new Covid-19 cases had been confirmed for two consecutive days.
Chonburi has had 647 Covid-19 patients in the new wave, with 306 in Sri Racha district, 238 in Bang Lamung, 38 in Muang district, 23 in Sattahip, 13 in Ban Bueng, eight in Phanat Nikhom district, one in Ko Sichang and 20 from other provinces.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported 59 new cases on Wednesday, a surprising drop after several hundred cases were reported almost daily since a second outbreak hit Thailand.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has elected executive vice president of safety and standards at Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) Suttipong Kongpool as its new chairman, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said on Wednesday.
“Of the 12 incumbents, three who won the highest number of votes were Suttipong [461 votes], current CAAT chairman Chula Sukmanop [451 votes] and Cherdphan Chotikhun from Thai Airways International [448 votes],” he said. “The new chairman should be appointed before the end of January.”
Saksayam said the new chairman will work on CAAT’s current policies that aim to strengthen the civil aviation industry amid the Covid-19 crisis and improve industrial standards from several aspects to prepare for when business returns to normal.
Suttipong, 55, has been working with Aerothai since 1990, starting as an air-traffic controller and rising in the ranks before becoming executive vice president in 2017.
Chiang Rai police have launched a manhunt for the killers of a seven-year-old boy who had gone missing since Saturday.
The body of Thanachot Pangruean was found in a banana plantation on Sunday, about two kilometres from his home.
The body was covered in wounds, and police found a hoe and two large pieces of wood nearby.
Thanachot’s uncle said he had last seen the child playing with his friends before he went missing. Police have also found children’s footprints walking from an area where the corpse was found.
Initial interrogation of the boy’s friends has not revealed much because each child’s testimony of what happened was different.
Provincial Police Region 4, armed with a search warrant provided by the Khon Kaen Provincial Court, swooped down on a warehouse in Non Sawan village in the province’s Phra Lap subdistrict in Mueang district and discovered 418 electromechanical slot machines covered with canvas but ready for use.
The warehouse owner had reportedly changed the keys to the warehouse door, so police officers had to break open the lock.
All the 418 slot machines were seized and an investigation intensified to capture the mastermind.
The machines were randomly inspected and found to have “complete electrical circuits and ready to plug and play”.
It is believed the raid was linked to illegal gambling in Provincial Police Region 2. The police will investigate, arrest and prosecute those responsible, National Police spokesman Pol Maj-General Yingyos Thepjumnong promised.
However, he revealed that Khon Kaen was not the destination. Police believe the slot machines were in transit and set to be transferred to another province.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Wednesday reported 59 new cases and one death in the past 24 hours, including eight asymptomatic people who flew in from abroad.
Of the new cases, 28 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk areas. The province with the highest number of infections is Bangkok (10), followed by Samut Sakhon (7).
One of the cases involves a woman aged 51, who was detected in Nakhon Panom but actually got infected after visiting a relative in Bangkok.
Proactive testing led to the discovery of 23 other cases – 20 in Samut Sakhon and three among migrant workers in Bangkok.
CCSA deputy spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangsan said a female driver aged 48 in Tak province showed various Covid symptoms around December 15-16. She was confirmed positive on December 27. She passed away on January 18 after failing to respond to treatment.
Of the returnees, four are Thai nationals, one each from the United States, Malaysia, India and Germany. Also testing positive is an Icelander, a Pakistani, an American, and a Japanese, who flew in from their respective nations.
Meanwhile, 265 patients have recovered and been discharged.
As of Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 12,653. Of these, 10,343 contracted the virus domestically, including 4,130 who were found via proactive testing, and 2,310 are returnees. So far, 9,621 have recovered and been discharged, 2,961 patients are still in hospital and the death toll has increased to 71.
According to Worldometer, as of midnight on Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases globally has risen to 96.62 million (increasing by 585,749), 69.27 million have recovered, 25.28 million are active cases (112,171 in severe condition) and 2.07 million have died (up by 14,675).
Thailand ranks 128th on the global list of most cases. The US tops the list with 24.8 million, followed by India 10.6 million, Brazil 8.58 million, Russia 3.61 million and the United Kingdom 3.47 million.
Arkom Termpittayapaisith
Banyin Tangpakorn
Sopon Pisuttiwong
Mongkol Santimetakul
