Supreme Court rejects bail plea of ex-Revenue Department chief jailed over VAT refund fraud
The bail application of the convicted former director-general of the Revenue Department, Satit Rungkasiri, was rejected by the Supreme Court on Saturday.
The court said Satit’s bail application was rejected due to the high penalty imposed on him and the risk of flight.
The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases on August 19 had sentenced Satit to life imprisonment and jailed two accomplices while also ordering them to reimburse the state for lost revenue due to their corruption in allowing VAT refunds to 25 companies which were not eligible for them.
The court said their actions had cost the state THB3.09 billion from 2012 to 2013.
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In 2015, Satit was suspended from government service by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, and was sacked by the Finance Ministry the same year.
Interprovincial bus service resumes from September 1
The Transport Company has announced the resumption of interprovincial bus services, starting September 1, after being suspended for nearly a month.
Atotal of 26 routes in the North, Northeast, East and South regions will resume service, with 75 per cent of passenger capacity per trip to comply with Covid-19 control measures.
On Saturday, Transport Co president Sanyalux Panwattanalikit announced the relaxation in restrictions announced by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to resume interprovincial travel in “dark red”, or very high risk provinces. However, passengers in public transport will not exceed 75 per cent of capacity.
The service will resume on September 1, with eight northern routes, 10 routes to the Northeast and East, and eight routes to the South.
Tickets can be booked in advance through https://tcl99web.transport.co.th/Home , at 7-Eleven service counters or with the Transport Co ticket dealers. Passengers can pay the ticket through “Pao Tang” mobile application under the Half-Half Co-Payment scheme. The Transport Co 1490 call centre is available 24 hours a day to provide more information.
Heavy rains forecast for Central and East regions, with risk of flash floods
Persistent rainfall has been forecast for most of the country, with heavy rain and isolated very heavy rain in the Central and East regions, the Thailand Meteorological Department said on Sunday.
“People in risky areas should beware of the severe conditions that may cause overflows and flash floods,” the department said.
A monsoon trough lies across the lower North, the Central, the East and the lower Northeast regions into a low-pressure cell over the lower South China Sea, the department explained.
“In addition, a moderate southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand,” the department said.
Waves 1-2 metres high and above two metres during thundershowers were likely in the upper Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand, the department said.
All ships have been advised to proceed with caution.
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The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Fairly widespread thundershowers and isolated heavy rains in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Tak, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, Phichit and Phetchabun provinces; minimum temperature 23-25 degrees Celsius, maximum 30-34°C; southeasterly winds 10-20 km/hr.
Northeast: Fairly widespread thundershowers and isolated heavy rains in Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram and Surin provinces; minimum temperature 23-25°C, maximum 30-33°C; southeasterly winds 10-20 km/hr.
Central: Fairly widespread thundershowers and isolated heavy rains in Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chainat, Lopburi, Saraburi, Singburi, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Suphanburi, Nakhon Pathom, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram and Samut Sakhon provinces; minimum temperature 23-24°C, maximum 32-33°C; southwesterly winds 10-25 km/hr.
East: Fairly widespread thundershowers and isolated heavy rains in Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Sa Kaew, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces; minimum temperature 22-25°C, maximum 29-32°C; southwesterly winds 15-35 km/hr; waves 1-2 metres high and above two metres in thundershowers.
South (east coast): Scattered thundershowers mostly in Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 31-34°C; southwesterly winds 15-30 km/hr; waves about a metre high and about two metres in thundershowers.
South (west coast): Scattered thundershowers and isolated heavy rains in Ranong, Phang Nga, Trang and Satun provinces; minimum temperature 21-25°C, maximum 31-34°C;
Phang Nga northward: Southwesterly winds 15-35 km/hr; waves 1-2 metres high and above two metres in thundershowers.
Phuket southward: Southwesterly winds 15-30 km/hr; waves about a metre high and 1-2 metres in thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Fairly widespread thundershowers and isolated heavy rains; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 29-30°C; southwesterly winds 10-25 km/hr.
China to donate medical equipment worth Bt50m for Thailand to fight Covid-19
The Chinese government will donate medical equipment worth 10 million yuan, or Bt50.23 million, to help Thailand fight the Covid-19 outbreak, the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok posted on its Facebook page on Saturday.
The donated equipment will include oxygen concentrators, fingertip pulse oximeters and other medical supplies.
“The donation is to express the goodwill that the Chinese government has for Thai people and to strengthen the friendship between the two countries,” said the post.
“The pandemic might be merciless, but the love for fellowmen will help us overcome this crisis together,” the embassy said.
Barber shops and markets will be allowed to open in Samut Sakhon province with certain conditions.
The move follows relaxation of lockdown measures announced on Friday by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration in 29 “dark red” provinces.
The province on Friday issued an order of the Samut Sakhon communicable disease committee, which is chaired by governor Weerasak Wichitsaensri, stipulating that barber shops and beauty salons, excluding aesthetic clinics, will be allowed to open for hair-cutting service only. A customer must not spend more than one hour in the shops, while owners must set up a suitable appointment system to reduce crowding.
The order also said that fresh markets, weekend markets, floating markets, wholesale markets, night markets and walking street or similar venues will be allowed to open for a maximum of eight hours per day. The operator must notify opening hours to the local administration office and employ disease control measures at the venues.
Officials will be deployed to inspect the markets and could order the market shut if disease control measures are violated.
The order is to be effective immediately until further notice.
Air travel to resume in dark red provinces from Sept 1
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand plans to allow resumption of air travel from September 1 in the “dark red” areas of Covid-19.
The decision was made after the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Friday announced permission for inter-provincial travel in those areas.
However, airlines will have to prepare strict preventive measures against Covid-19, for their operations in the dark red areas.
Anti-graft agency to probe unusual wealth of sacked police station chief
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will investigate the finances of Pol Colonel Thitisan Uthanapol, the former chief of Nakhon Sawan Police Station, within 30 days of the Royal Thai Police completing their investigation into the custodial death of a drug suspect allegedly caused during interrogation by Thitisan, said Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, deputy secretary-general of the NACC on Friday.
Complaints were filed against Thitisan by other officers that he had allegedly demanded THB2 million from two suspects, a man and a woman, in a narcotics case. He was also accused of suffocating the man to death with a plastic bag on August 5. Thitisan then allegedly ordered the doctor to attribute the death to a drug overdose and told the woman to keep quiet before releasing her.
Thitisan was fired from the force on Wednesday and was arrested on Thursday in Chonburi province. He has reportedly admitted that the suspect’s death was caused by a new interrogation technique gone wrong and that he was solely responsible for the case.
Niwatchai said the NACC believes that Thitisan, also known on social media as “Jo Ferrari” from his lavish lifestyle as a sport car enthusiast, has become unusually wealthy. Thitisan reportedly owns a luxurious house and a number of sport cars, in additional to several million baht in other assets.
Anti-graft agency to probe unusual wealth of sacked police station chiefAnti-graft agency to probe unusual wealth of sacked police station chief
Meanwhile, National Police chief Pol General Suwat Jangyodsuk said on Friday that he has ordered Pol General Manu Mekmok, deputy national police chief of narcotics, to launch investigations on all drug cases from command headquarters to local police station levels to find any misconduct by police officers. “Commanders must be held responsible if complaints were filed against their subordinates regarding misconduct or disciplinary violation under their watch,” he insisted.
Anti-graft agency to probe unusual wealth of sacked police station chief
Incentives for promotion of electric vehicles to be announced next month
Tax incentives and other measures supporting electric vehicles (EV) will be unveiled in September, Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow told a seminar on Friday.
These measures will encourage manufacturers and users to invest in EVs, he said.
The measures would be implemented without waiting for market demand and they would come out along with infrastructure to support EVs, he added.
Supattanapong said that these measures are a part of the 30/30 policy under which 30 per cent of automotive manufacturing in Thailand must be EVs by 2030, or nine years from now.
He said Thailand must be a leader in the automotive industry in the region. There must be more EV charging stations at home and in public places. There must be an investment in the battery industry and parts. Used batteries must also be managed because they are an important part of EVs and high cost, he said.
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The 30/30 policy is one of the policy directions under the national energy plan by the National Energy Policy Council chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The target is for Thailand to use clean energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions to zero or carbon neutrality by 2065-70.
Nearly 18,000 new Covid cases and 292 deaths reported
Thailand logged 17,984 new Covid-19 cases with 292 deaths over 24 hours on Saturday, rising to 30th among countries with the most number of cases.
Of the new infections, 324 were found in prisons.
Meanwhile, 20,535 patients have recovered and been discharged over the past 24 hours.
Thailand’s total caseload from Covid stands at 1,157,555, of whom 964,319 have recovered, 182,357 are still in hospitals and 10,879 have died.
Separately, another 547,128 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 361,284 their second shot, and 7,326 their third shot, bringing total Covid-19 vaccine doses administered to 30,420,507.
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According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Saturday, confirmed cases globally had risen to 216.22 million, 193.21 million of whom have recovered, 18.51 million are active cases (112,816 in severe condition) and 4.50 million have died (up by 9,900).
Thailand ranks 30th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 39.54 million, followed by India 32.65 million, Brazil 20.70 million, Russia 6.84 million and France 6.71 million.
South Korea may supply vaccines to Thailand at September-end
South Korea is likely to provide Covid-19 vaccines to Thailand at the end of September, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Ministry spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said that discussions were held with South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong during his visit to Thailand from August 26 to 28.
This was the first visit by the South Korean after he was promoted as minister, Tanee added.
Chung met Don Pramudwinai, his Thai counterpart, on Friday and both discussed collaboration on Covid-19 vaccine.
The South Korean said that his country could provide vaccines to Thailand at the end of September, after fully vaccinating 70 per cent of its population.
Anti-graft agency to probe unusual wealth of sacked police station chief
Anti-graft agency to probe unusual wealth of sacked police station chief
Anti-graft agency to probe unusual wealth of sacked police station chief
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