Govt tells MCOT to reconsider ads of controversial online lottery ticket platform
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023
The government has ordered MCOT Plc to review sale of advertisements by controversial lottery ticket platform Kong Salak Plus on Modern Nine TV.
PM’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Tuesday that he had discussed with the management of Modern Nine TV on Monday and asked the management to review ad airtime sold to Kong Salak Plus. “I told the management to review whether the ads could be discontinued. Everything must be carried out according to the law and a final decision should be reached soon,” Thanakorn said. Asked whether the ads should be suspended now pending a final decision, Thanakorn said the TV station of MCOT Plc must first look at the contract and the law to see whether it could be done.
“If the contract is broken, the TV station may be sued,” Thanakorn explained. Earlier, Kong Salak Plus had bought airtime copyright during the Asean Football Federation Championship broadcast on Modern Nine TV. The tournament ended on Monday with Thailand emerging champions. On Monday, the Metropolitan Police Bureau led representatives from the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, the Anti-Money Laundering Office, the Revenue Department, and the Department of Special Investigation to raid the head office of Kong Salak Pus at SSP Tower in Bangkok’s Watthana district.
The raid followed a complaint filed by the Government Lottery Office that Kong Salak Plus had bought up lottery tickets from small vendors for retailing at inflated prices, or about 105 baht per ticket, compared to the face value of 80 baht. Kong Salak Plus says the extra 25 baht is for service fees and it always asks buyers before paying whether they want to support the platform by paying the fees. The practice drew support from a lot of patrons and lottery tickets scanned and sold on the platform were quickly snapped up by buyers. Kong Salak Plus CEO Phanthawat Nakwisut initially sold the scanned lottery tickets on the previous platform, Kong Salak.com, for 80 baht each without extra fee. However, he said his arch-rival, Blue Dragon, offered prices higher than 80 baht to lottery vendors, prompting them to sell to Blue Dragon so he had no tickets to sell. Eventually, he set up Kong Salak Plus to sell lottery tickets with extra service fees in direct competition with Blue Dragon by offering a tempting price to retail lottery vendors. Kong Salak Plus has been under scrutiny since last month on the orders of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha after Phanthawat announced a whopping 18 billion baht in sales last year. The 15-day investigation ordered by the Government Lottery Office, the Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Department of Special Investigation will focus on the business operations and tax filings of the popular lottery ticket seller. Related stories:
Chaiyaphum man ‘selling’ fresh air at 1,000 baht per hour
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023
A Chaiyaphum man has come up with a novel way of attracting visitors to his farm – “selling” fresh air for 1,000 baht per hour.
“The first hour costs 1,000 baht but then visitors can stay for free, including food and camping,” quipped 52-year-old Dusit Kachai. Dusit runs the environmental group Asian Life in the Northeast province. His farm is located on the edge of Phu Laen Kha National Park, renowned for its pristine air, forests and mountain streams.
Children and the elderly can stay for free, he added.
More and more people are seeking out natural sanctuaries to escape environmental threats such as ozone depletion, climate change, global warming, and polluted air, Dusit explained.
He said that as secretary of Asian Life, he is determined to campaign against environmental destruction and help improve air quality.
“I am confident that the quality of air on my 70-rai farm in the heart of Phu Laen Kha valley is so clean that it can be sold for 1,000 baht per hour per person,” he said.
“Don’t visit here if you cannot stop destroying nature” he added.
Bangkok male model loses appeal, gets 8 years for death of ‘pretty’ Lunlabelle
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023
The Appeal Court upheld a lower court’s verdict sentencing actor/model Rachadech “Nam Oon” Wongthabutr to eight years in jail over the death of Thitima “Lunlabelle” Noraphanpiphat.
In the early hours of September 17, 2019, Rachadech was caught on CCTV dumping Thitima’s lifeless body on a sofa in the lobby of his condo in Bangkok’s Thonburi district.
The pair had been working as “pretties” at a house party in Nonthaburi’s Bang Bua Thong district.
During the party, Thitima had been plied with drinks before Rachadech reportedly fondled her in full view of partygoers.
He was then spotted carrying her back to his condo at about 6pm on September 16, before he dumped her in the lobby at about 2am the following day.
Thitima was found dead on the sofa by friends who had come to pick her up. Autopsy results showed that Thitima had died from alcohol poisoning.
In October 2020, the Thonburi Criminal Court found Rachadech and five others guilty of conspiring to detain and sexually abuse Thitima, causing her death.
Rachadech was sentenced to eight years in jail, while the other five were sentenced to five years and four months each.
The other five were Chaiyaphon Panna, 29, who threw the party; his girlfriend Phikunthong Bunpha, 24; his older brother Nathee Sathipongsathaporn, 33; and friends Koset Ritnithiruek, 35; and Kritsada Lohitdi, 27.
They were also ordered to pay a compensation of 748,660 baht to Thitima’s mother.
The six later applied for bail, and the court granted temporary release to Rachadech for a surety of 350,000 baht and the other five for 150,000 baht each.
On Tuesday, the Appeal Court upheld the verdicts for Rachadech, Chaiyaphon, Nathee and Phikunthong, but acquitted Koset and Kritsada, citing a lack of evidence.
Thitima’s mother said she was happy with the verdict, but will consider taking the case to the Supreme Court as she is suffering from a lack of financial support after her daughter’s death.
Lawyer Suradet Phojyindee, who is representing Thitima’s family, said he will take the case to Civil Court on January 31 to sue for compensation, which he estimates to be about 13 million baht.
He added that Thitima’s family has not received any compensation from the other side so far.
Meanwhile, Kritsada said he would make merit for Thitima by ordaining as a Buddhist monk for three months.
Free shuttle buses to start linking Bangkok’s two main train stations from Thursday
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023
Free shuttle buses between Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (Bang Sue Grand Station) and Hua Lamphong Station will start running from Thursday to ensure a seamless commute for people in Bangkok.
Six low-slung NGV buses will run between the two stations daily with the first bus departing Krung Thep Aphiwat at 4.30am and the last bus at 11pm.
However, on Thursday, the first bus will leave at noon and then every 30 minutes after that, BMTA director Kittikan Chomdoung Charuworapolkul said on Tuesday.
Kittikan said BMTA will dispatch additional staff at both stations to introduce the service to commuters and help those who are not aware of the change. The authority will also publish details of the shuttle bus route on its public buses to boost awareness.
The Bang Sue Grand Station opened in November 2021 and began serving passengers on the SRT’s two urban Red Lines. The station was granted the new name, Krung Thep Aphiwat, by King Rama X in November last year.
SRT initially planned to move all 66 long-haul trains, except the east-bound ones, from Hua Lamphong to Bang Sue but the plan was delayed due to the pandemic. Of the 66 routes, 52 are now running – 14 to the North, 20 to the South and 18 to the Northeast.
Kong Salak Plus CEO sets up political party to ‘change’ Thailand’s lottery scene
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023
The CEO of online lottery platform Kong Salak Plus unveiled his political party, “Plian” (Change), whose key campaign policy for the May 7 general elections will be eliminating overpriced lottery tickets.
Phanthawat Nakwisut said on Monday that he had registered the new political party with the Election Commission (EC) in August last year and is awaiting approval.
He said the party will start taking in members as soon as it gets the EC’s greenlight.
“The first thing our party will do is eliminate the sale of government lotteries at more than 80 baht,” he said. “This can only be achieved through the political procedure, with approval and support from the people. That’s why we are entering politics.”
The 43-year-old said he will become both party leader and party-list MP candidate once the party is officially launched.
He added that a platform will also be set up to collect public opinions that will be used to shape the party’s policies.
“This change is not for me. It is for the sellers of lottery tickets who have been suffering from low profits for years. Many have been selling lotteries for 10 years and can still not afford to feed their families,” Phanthawat said.
Earlier on Monday, the Kong Salak Plus headquarters at SSP Tower in Bangkok’s Watthana district was raided by police and relevant officials.
The raid was in response to a Government Lottery Office complaint filed with the Consumer Protection Police Division that the company was selling overpriced lottery tickets.
The platform was also accused of buying up tickets from small vendors to resell at inflated prices.
After the raid, Phanthawat told the press that he was not worried about the allegations because he has not done anything wrong.
Cyber cops warn against clicking on deceptive Chinese New Year links
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023
People should avoid providing key personal data or clicking on links sent via SMS messages claiming that they have won a windfall, the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) said.
CCIB spokesman Pol Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen said on Tuesday that con artists are using the Lunar New Year period to deceive people by claiming they have won “ang pao” or a cash present for Chinese New Year.
The scammers ask SMS recipients to provide them with their name, birthdate, mobile number, ID card number, bank account number, and credit card or debit card number as well as the three-digit number behind the card.
This data is then used to hack into the victim’s bank account or credit card account. The victim may also be asked for the OTP (one-time password) sent to their mobile phone to complete the transfers.
Krissana said scam artists can also use the key personal data to deceive the victims’ friends and relatives to wire them money or use it for other criminal activities.
The spokesman said the CCIB has stepped up crackdowns on call-centre gangs in line with the National Police chief’s policy.
The CCIB said people should be careful when clicking links sent to them by SMS because many people have lost money to call-centre gangs pretending to be revenue officials and asking them to install suspicious applications. These apps then hack their accounts and empty them.
The CCIB has provided the following advice:
• Avoid clicking on links attached to SMS messages or download apps as they may be embedded with malware
• Check the number of SMS senders to see if they really come from government agencies
• Carefully check web addresses or URLs
• Keep an eye out for websites or Facebook pages that have been designed to look official
• If you have provided key data to scammers, immediately change all passwords, especially bank accounts, emails and social media accounts
Military official alleged to have demanded THB20m to release triad suspects
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023
The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) is investigating allegations that an official from the Armed Forces Security Centre demanded 20 million baht from 11 Chinese suspects in exchange for letting them go after police searched a house in Bangkok’s Sathorn district on Monday.
The search was a joint operation between the Department of Special Investigation, the Metropolitan Police Bureau, and the Armed Forces Security Centre.
The joint team was acting on a tip-off that the residence was masquerading as the official consulate of Nauru, said RTARF spokesman Lt-General Theeraphong Patthamasingh on Tuesday. Nauru is a small island-nation located northeast of Australia.
Police found several Chinese nationals residing in the house. Among them was a suspect wanted in connection with the police raid on Jinling nightclub in Bangkok’s Yannawa district in October last year. The raid kicked off a police investigation into Chinese triads operating in Thailand that has seen 5.3 billion baht in assets seized from alleged drug kingpin Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant and his associates.
Theeraphong said investigators found evidence that an official participating in Monday’s raid let 11 suspects go after detaining them in exchange for money. Initial investigations revealed that the official is from the Armed Forces Security Centre.
Theeraphong said an investigation committee has been established to look into the incident and will send its findings to the Chief of Defence Forces as soon as possible.
Three generals among 80 immigration police charged in triad visa scam
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023
Investigators believe at least 80 immigration police officers, three of whom are generals, have been aiding about 5,000 members of Chinese triad criminal gangs to stay illegally in Thailand.
Deputy National Police chief General Surachet Hakparn told reporters on Monday that the suspects have been summoned to hear charges filed against them, which include malfeasance and demanding bribes.
The police launched a nationwide investigation in November after former massage parlour tycoon and politician Chuwit Kamolvisit provided information on alleged Chinese triads operating in Thailand.
The tip-off quickly led to an arrest warrant being issued for alleged triad kingpin Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant, a Chinese national who gained Thai citizenship by marrying a senior Thai police officer.
Surachet, who led the investigation, said officials were found to have issued student and other visas to some 3,000 Chinese nationals in the Northeast and more than 1,000 in the North from 2020-2021, allowing them to stay in Thailand and engage in illegal operations.
Among the 5,000 recipients is the owner of Club One, a famous entertainment venue in Pattaya, which police suspect is a triad base of operations.
“We need to weed out bad officials from the force of over 20,000 immigration police,” said Surachet.
“Investigators are also coordinating with the National Anti-Corruption Commission in tracing the finances of these suspected officials.”
Authorities have so far confiscated assets worth 5.3 billion baht from Chaiyanat, including real estate, buses, bank deposits, businesses and an aircraft. The Justice Ministry announced last week that it is seizing another 3 billion baht in assets owned by Chaiyanat and people in his network.
The Lunar New Year falls on Sunday, January 22, this year.
The CCIB has provided the following advice:
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