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Police vow to pursue legal actions against Ratchaprasong rallyists

NationalOct 16. 2020

By THE NATION

The Metropolitan Police Bureau vow to pursue legal actions against participants in the rally at Ratchaprasong intersection on Thursday afternoon and ended at 10pm as the state of emergency was in effect, said deputy commissioner Pol Maj-General Piya Tawichai on Friday (October 16).

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared a state of emergency in Bangkok effective from 4am on Thursday, to control the escalating rallies by pro-democracy protesters who call themselves Khana Ratsadon 2563 (People’s Party 2020) in front of Government House since Wednesday.

“Under the state of emergency, public assembly of more than five people is illegal and violators would face the charge,” he said. “Furthermore, bringing trucks that carry food, water and loud speakers into the traffic area is also prohibited. Police will pursue legal actions against all violators as we have recorded activities at the rally venue as evidence.”

Pol General Krisana Pattanacharoen, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, added that the state of emergency is a special law that everyone must obey throughout its duration. “As for the protesters’ demand to release their leaders, police would handle the cases by following the legal procedure with focus on preserving human rights principles,” he added.

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Delay in US economic recovery could weaken the baht

NationalOct 16. 2020

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 31.22 to the US dollar on Friday, unchanged from the previous close on Thursday.

The Thai currency is likely to move between 31.12 and 31.32 on Friday, said Jitipol Puksamatanan, senior director of the chief investment office at SCB Securities.

On Thursday night, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes fell by 0.2 and 0.5 per cent, respectively, while the initial jobless claims in the US announced this week increased to 898,000 from 845,000 announced previously. This means that the economy in the short term worsened.

In the financial markets, the dollar strengthened by 0.45 per cent, compared to other main currencies, after the market moved to a risk-off state. The US Ten-Year Treasury was at 0.73 per cent.

Jitipol said that the main issue the market monitored was the promotion of financial policies of the US Democratic Party.

In Thailand, he said the baht moved in a narrower range than before, due to purchasing of bonds of foreign investors. He also advised investors to monitor the US economy. If it recovered later than the market expected, the baht would continue weakening, he added.

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Eight Cambodians arrested for alleged illegal entry, along with Thai driver

NationalOct 16. 2020

By THE NATION

Eight undocumented Cambodian nationals have been arrested for allegedly entering the country illegally, enabled by a Thai man who helped transport them near the Thai-Cambodian border in the Khok Soong district of Sa Kaeo province.

Pol Colonel Thapanon Nongphong, chief of Region 12 Border Patrol Police, said that his unit in cooperation with Ta Phraya Special Taskforce had made the arrests on Thursday.

“Border patrol police had been alerted to a suspicious motorcycle modified into a tricycle running on Ban Khok Mai Ngam Road, about 10km from the Thai-Cambodian border, while carrying an unknown number of people,” he said. “We deployed a roadblock and stopped the vehicle, which was driven by Suriya Cherdkrathok, aged 40, a local of Khok Soong district.”

Thapanon added that there were eight Cambodian passengers in the vehicle, three males and five females, none whom had proper documentation that allowed entrance into Thailand.

The Cambodian migrants reportedly confessed that they decided to cross the border at Non Mak Moon subdistrict at night to look for jobs at a construction site in Rayong’s Ban Chang district, since several businesses in Cambodia had been shut down due to floods in the areas.

“After they had crossed the border, they contacted Suriya to pick them up and drop them off in Wattana Nakhon district of Sa Kaeo provincw from where they planned to catch a bus to Rayong, while paying Suriya a fee of Bt500 per person,” he said.

The Cambodian migrants as well as Suriya were brought to Khok Soong Police Station for the legal process.

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Chiang Mai University students demand release of arrested pro-democracy leaders, warn of more rallies

NationalOct 16. 2020

By THE NATION

More than 500 Chiang Mai University students gathered in front of the university on Thursday, urging the release of Anon Nampa and Prasit Karutharoj, two pro-democracy activists of Khana Ratsadon 2563 (People’s Party 2020).

Anon and Prasit were among other leaders arrested for participating in a rally near Government House that started on Wednesday after which Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared a state of emergency in Bangkok effective from 4am on Thursday.

At the gathering on Huay Kaew Road in Chiang Mai’s Muang district, the students who called themselves “Prachakhom Mor Chor” (Chiang Mai U Community), took turns to give speeches about pro-democracy movements, while urging the university to take action by helping Prasit, a Faculty of Humanities student at the university, to get his freedom.

Before peacefully dispersing at 10pm, Prachakhom Mor Chor issued three demands:

1. The university must declare their standpoint regarding the arrested student;

2. The government must stop harassing the people and revoke the state of emergency;

3. The arrested rally leaders must be released.

They also threatened to ratchet up their rallies if these demands were not met.

Fifteen officials from Phu Ping Ratchaniwet Police Station were deployed to monitor the situation as well as facilitate traffic flow on Huay Kaew Road.

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Traffic back to normal at Ratchaprasong after six hours of pro-democracy protests

NationalOct 16. 2020

By THE NATION

The Ratchaprasong intersection reopened for traffic late at night on Thursday after pro-democracy protesters dispersed and officials cleared the areas of “suspicious objects”.

Thursday’s protest by the group that calls itself Khana Ratsadon 2563 (People’s Party 2020) at the Ratchaprasong intersection kicked off at 3.30pm. The protesters formed a “human wall” to defend themselves against police who were empowered by the newly imposed emergency rule.

The rally lasted for about six hours, without violent clashes between authorities and the participants. Protest leaders gave speeches demanding the release of dozens of activists arrested in recent days.

The leaders called off the protest and told everyone to return on Friday when it started raining at around 9.40pm.

After the protesters dispersed, police officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit as well as K-9 dogs began to scour the area for suspicious objects.

After officials confirmed that the areas were safe, they signalled Bangkok’s cleaning staff to come in and pick up the waste as well as clean the road and pavement of banners left behind by the protesters.

Traffic on the Ratchaprasong intersection as well as on the connecting Rama I and Rajdamri roads had returned to normal at 11.30pm.

Related Story: Protesters disperse but vow to return for Bangkok rally on Friday

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Thundershowers and isolated heavy rain forecast for most parts of Thailand

NationalOct 16. 2020

By THE NATION

An active monsoon trough lies across the Central, the upper South and the East while the strong southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand.

Continuous rainfall was likely across the country with isolated heavy to very heavy rains in the North, the Northeast, the East and the South, the Thailand Meteorological Department forecast on Friday.

People in risky areas should beware of the severe conditions that may cause flash floods and water runoffs, the department cautioned.

Strong winds are likely in the Andaman Sea with waves 2-3 metres high and more than three metres high during thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution and small boats are advised to keep ashore, the department said.

The category 2 tropical depression over the middle South China Sea could make landfall over middle Vietnam on October 17-18, causing isolated heavy to very heavy rain with strong winds in the lower North, the Northeast, the Central and the East.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-26 degrees Celsius, maximum 32-34°C.

Northeast: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy to very heavy rain; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 28-31°C.

Central: Cloudy with thundershowers in 80 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 32-34°C.

East: Cloudy with thundershowers in 80 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy to very heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-25°C, maximum 28-32°C; waves two metres high and over two metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Cloudy with thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 28-31°C; waves two metres high and over two metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Cloudy with thundershowers in 80 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy to very heavy rain; minimum temperature 22-25°C, maximum 27-30°C; waves 2-3 metres high and over three metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cloudy with thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 32-34°C.

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Children’s online argument screeches into real-world violence

NationalOct 16. 2020

By THE NATION

A teenage boy, infuriated by a fellow game player’s refusal to meet and accept insults about his mother, decided to drive to his opponent’s house and have it out face to face.

A video clip of the row was posted on Facebook on Tuesday. The clip shows the teenager arriving in a white car with his mother, who can be seen starting a row with the other boy’s mother.

The battle between the two families is reportedly over with nobody sustaining injuries.

The incident had taken place on Monday, when the two boys, both 15, were playing a game online and the teenager decided to call his opponent’s mother a prostitute.

More fuel was added to the fire when the teenager’s mother supported the insults her son was flinging at his opponent.

In order to gain more clarity in the case, Kom Chad Luek reporters visited the teenager’s home in Samut Prakan’s Muang district on Wednesday.

The teenage boy’s grandmother told reporters that her grandson was mentally ill and had not been taking his medication. Apologising for her grandson’s bad behaviour, she said he had moved out and was now living with his mother.

The reporters then visited the house the mother and son are said to be living in, but found nobody there, though the white car in the video clip was parked outside.

Reporters then headed to the home of the mother and son who posted the clip. This mother said she had posted the clip to teach the other two a lesson, especially since the other boy’s mother questioned her character just because she had posted provocative photographs on Facebook.

Her son also said their attacker used vulgar language while playing and had challenged him for face-to-face meeting, which he refused because he does not have a car.

However, the other boy did not give up and showed up at his opponent’s house with his mother, ready to fight and possibly run his “enemy” over.

Though the teenager’s mother stopped him from running over his opponent, the battle did not end there. The teenager then decided to jump out of the car and physically assault his opponent, who was saved by bystanders and friends.

“He tried to further beat me up, but my friends helped protect me. He later decided to stop and leave,” he said, adding that the other boy later apologised to him online.

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Protesters disperse but vow to return for Bangkok rally on Friday

NationalOct 16. 2020Photos by Supakit Khumkun & Wanchai Kraisornkhajit 

By The Nation

Khana Ratsadon 2563 dispersed from their Bangkok rally site at 10pm on Thursday, as leaders said that they would gather again on Friday to maintain pressure on the government to resign, the House to rewrite the charter and the monarchy to reform.

Thursday’s protest at Ratchaprasong intersection kicked off at 3.30pm with protesters forming a “human wall” to defend themselves against police empowered by newly imposed emergency rule.The tense stand-off eased at 5pm, when protest leaders including Panupong Jadnok called for calm and emphasised the non-violent character of the protests.The rally lasted for about six hours, without violent clashes between authorities and the participants, as protest leaders gave speeches demanding the release of dozens of activists arrested in recent days.As rain started to fall around 9.40pm, leaders called off the protest and told everyone to return on Friday.

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Opposition parties say emergency rule violates basic rights

NationalOct 15. 2020

By The Nation

Six opposition parties have called on the government to immediately lift the state of emergency imposed on Bangkok, saying it violates basic civil rights.

Leaders of the Pheu Thai, Move Forward, Sereeruamthai, Prachachart, Thai People Power and Puea Chat parties made the joint statement on Thursday after the government declared a state of emergency in response to ongoing political rallies by anti-government groups.

The opposition leaders said there were no legal reasons to justify emergency rule. They also called for an emergency session in Parliament to solve the conflict by parliamentary means.

They added that they do not support the use of force against the protestors or violence by demonstrators.

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Songkhla activists confront military over imprisonment of protest leaders

NationalOct 15. 2020

By The Nation

Pro-democracy protesters and supporters gathered outside a military base in Songkhla on Thursday to demand the release of activist-leaders arrested during the military-backed government’s crackdown this week.

Prominent local activist Supat Hasuwannakit led a group of about 30 protesters to Sena Narong military camp, for a rally against state intimidation of critics and the imposition of emergency rule in Bangkok.Activists chanting slogans for the release of imprisoned protest-leaders were monitored closely by security forces, but the protest passed off peacefully.