Following the success in using floodwater retention fields to relieve the flood situation in the Yom River Basin during the flooding season this year, the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has proposed creating additional floodwater retention fields. The proposals were placed before the mobile Cabinet meeting in Sukhothai on Tuesday.

RID acting director-general Thongplew Kongchan revealed that the department planned to have an additional 117,000 rai of floodwater retention fields for the next flooding season, which will increase the capacity to store another 150 million cubic metres of water.

“The success of the floodwater retention fields under the Bang Rakam Model project this year proved that it could significantly reduce flooding problems in the lower Chao Phraya River Basin, and also reduce the severe flooding in Sukhothai. This would reduce the government’s burden to compensate for damage caused by flooding,” Thongplew said.

During the first year of implementing the floodwater retention fields, the RID provided irrigation to farmers in the flood retention area from April 1 in order to allow the farmers to grow their rice crop earlier than usual and let them harvest their crop by early August so as to be able to use the vacant fields to store floodwater.

Thongplew stated of the 265,000 rai of land used for the Bang Rakam Model project, 258,400 rai of land were used for farming. All these paddy fields were harvested by July and these lands were then used for storing up to 400 million cubic metres of floodwater from August.

After the flooding season, around 100 million cubic metres of water were left in the fields for agricultural use during the dry season starting from December, he explained.

The RID said that if the Cabinet approves the expansion of the Bang Rakam Model floodwater retention fields, a total of 382,000 rai of land would be used for the project with the capacity to hold 550 million cubic metres of water.

Artiwara’s charity run has managed to attract more than Bt1.1 billion in donations, far above his initial target of Bt700 million. Over the past two months, he has also inspired many people in Thailand to think about what they could do to help the less fortunate.

Every day, he demonstrated that every small step, every small contribution counts.

Artiwara’s own standing has changed, transformed from singer to national hero. His popularity experienced an undeniable ascent in the weeks since he started the charity run for 11 hospitals in Yala’s Betong district on November 1.

Although long famous as the lead singer of the Bodyslam rock band, he had never enjoyed the personal stature he now enjoys.

Throughout the past two months, Artiwara has received glowing media coverage every single day, in addition to admiration from Thais the country over. The other day, a Bangkok poll confirmed he was now the most admired person of the year, beating all other candidates by a wide margin.

Wherever he went, he received rapturous cheers and support.

The cheers were probably loudest as Artiwara reached his ultimate destination at 6.20pm yesterday, the Mae Sai border point in Chiang Rai province, Thailand’s northernmost spot. There, he completed his epic journey of about 2,214 kilometres.

Authorities agreed to close one traffic lane heading towards the border point for Artiwara’s charity run, with Mae Sai district chief Somsak Khanakham among the waiting crowds.

Thousands of people crowded around to express support for their hero.

Artiwara was all smiles as he waved and greeted his supporters. He ran towards a board reading “The Northernmost Part of Thailand” and rang a bell to mark his accomplishment.

On top of the more than Bt12 million in donations Artiwara received during his run in Mae Sai district, another Bt10million came at the end of the day from Somsak Amornrattanachaikul, president of the company Asian Seafoods Coldstorage.

Artiwara also received amulets from many monks.

Today, Phra Maha Vuthichai Vachiramethi of the Raicherntawan Meditation Centre will also organise a blessing ceremony for him.

Tomorrow, the Army will fly him and his team back to Bangkok.

The donations raised by Artiwara’s charity run are about 0.33 per cent of the total all state hospitals receive from the government every year via the |Public Health Ministry and National Health Security Office.

The 11 hospitals that will receive a share of funds raised by Artiwara’s run are: Saraburi Hospital, Surat Thani Hospital, Khon Kaen Hospital, Chaophraya Yommaraj Hospital, Nakornping Hospital, Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital, Chaopraya Abhaiphubejhr Hospital, Ratchaburi Hospital, Nan Hospital, Phramongkutklao Hospital and Yala Hospital.

Although most of these hospitals are relatively big and have a wide range of facilities, many have operated in the red due to the very high number of patients they care for.

Saraburi Hospital, for example, was in the red to the tune of more than Bt321 million as of the end of 2016.

The donations from Artiwara’s charity will benefit not just these 11 hospitals but also their patients.

Maitree Jongkraijug, a community leader in Ban Namkem in Phang Nga’s Tukua Pa district, said besides his community, there were few communities that arranged regular tsunami evacuation drills, expressing worry that the lack of preparation would endanger people if another tsunami hits Thailand’s Andaman Coast.

As Ban Namkem practised its annual tsunami evacuation drill yesterday, Maitree said he had heard concerns from business operators in tourist destinations along the Andaman Coast about insufficient information on tsunami evacuation plans for tourists, because there were no regular evacuation drills and warning systems and signs were in disrepair.

Ban Namkem was one of the areas that suffered the greatest loss of life in Thailand when the destructive tidal wave hit six provinces on the Andaman Coast on December 26, 2004.

“Authorities should encourage regular tsunami evacuation drills in at-risk areas every year. As we have seen, when the threat of tsunamis is not a public concern they often overlook the importance of the preparation,” Maitree said.

“I remember that on the 10th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami, there was a lot of public attention on tsunami preparations and authorities were very keen to repair tsunami warning systems and evacuation signs and facilities. But as the public attention faded, we do not know anymore if these facilities are still ready to use.”

He said more than 1,000 people in three villages of Ban Namkem were participating in the evacuation drills every year and each time the people were active in the drill. Sometimes the community performed a surprise drill in the very early hours of the morning, but everyone was still ready, he added.

He also said that since 2010, the community had arranged the drill themselves and only relied on a budget from authorities.

“We need to be prepared, but not panic about a tsunami,” Maitree said.

Meanwhile, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Centre Region 18 director Mahama Peesakri Wamae said authorities were aware of the importance of the tsunami preparations, especially in tsunami-prone areas in the Andaman provinces.

“Our centre just had tsunami warning systems repaired last month in nearly all areas of five provinces under our jurisdiction to make sure that they are ready to use all the time, while the centre also already ordered the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office in each province to regularly maintain evacuation facilities,” Mahama said.

He responded to worries about irregular tsunami evacuation drills, saying that the centre also encouraged preparedness on how to stay safe in the event of a tsunami. He also said there would be a big tsunami evacuation drill this February hosted by the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation in Phang Nga to promote preparedness among the local people and business operators.

Payao Muengngam, director of the Southern Meteorological Centre for the east coast has warned the fishermen along the Gulf of Thailand to be cautious when going out to sea this week. Waves as high as four metres could be expected as typhoon Tembin approaches, while the storm will also dump heavy rain on the entire southern region.

Tembin has already wreaked havoc in the Philippines, killing more than 200 people.

Payao said that the typhoon early on Monday had around 130 kilometre-per-hour winds at its centre. It is expected to make landfall in southern Vietnam later on Monday, which will weaken it into a tropical storm, before travelling westward across the Gulf of Thailand and to the South.

“The riskiest areas that the storm will make landfall will be in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, or the islands of Surat Thani around this Wednesday or Thursday, which will cause heavy rain and strong winds in the affected area,” she said.

“However, we expect that the storm will be weakened by the cold wind from China and if the cold wind is strong enough, it could lessen the severity of this storm to only a low pressure area.”

Meanwhile, Lertchai Sri-anan, adviser to the Royal Irrigation Department (RID), led a videoconference on Monday with regional RID offices, the Meteorological Department and related agencies to discuss preparations for Tembin, which will affect Bangkok as well as the southern provinces.

Weather modelling by the Meteorological Department and Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute, indicate that starting on Wednesday the upper part of the country, including the Bangkok Metropolitan area, will receive precipitation, while there will be heavy rain in the South from Prachuap Khiri Khan to Songkhla, said Lertchai.

The RID has instructed regional offices in storm-affected areas to closely monitor the situation and be prepared for heavy rain and flash floods.

The RID will also issue weather warnings to local authorities in affected provinces, telling them to warn the public about the coming storm.

A source said yesterday the police officers had been trying to treat a case involving the Chomdao Karaoke entertainment venue as a prostitution case, instead of human trafficking, probably because they had received bribes.

“Two of them are police colonels and the other is a police captain,” the source said.

According to the source, the DSI Bureau of Human Trafficking Crime would propose that DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang forward a report on the investigation against the policemen to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for further criminal action.

The DSI has already charged the policemen with dereliction of duty and violating anti-human trafficking laws.

“Although they were not directly involved in human trafficking, they tried to help human traffickers,” the source said.

The charges against the policemen are related to Chomdao Karaoke in Kanchanaburi’s Muang district. On October 14, 2015, administrative officials with the support from several agencies raided the venue and found seven girls from the Tai Yai ethnic minority and two Thai men – as well as a list of officials who had allegedly been bribed.

The raid was conducted based on a tip-off that while Chomdao Karaoke operated as a karaoke bar, it was a front for illegal sex work.

The Tai Yai girls were later portrayed as 19-year-old women who had willingly engaged in sex work. But the DSI found that the girls were just between 14 and 15 years old and their exploitation constituted human-trafficking offences.

If convicted of disrupting legal proceedings against human traffickers, the accused policemen face up to 10 years in jail, a maximum fine of Bt200,000 or both.

Pol Maj General Sonthichai Awattanakulthep, the province’s police chief, said the man, Ronnachai Panchart, who already faced three charges including premeditated murder for shooting Nontiya Kruajaturat, would also be accused of theft.

Ronnachai had Nontiya’s mobile phone after the murder and gave it to Naruemon Chuaysombat, his new girlfriend, so she would also be charged with possessing a stolen item.

Naruemon has been arrested and charged with premeditated murder as she reportedly confessed to police that she had bought the gun Ronnachai used in the murder for Bt7,000.

Ronnachai allegedly shot Nontiya in her room inside Salui Community Hospital where she worked just five days before they were going to be wed.

He claimed that Nontiya had refused to break up with him and insisted that the wedding be held, although he had told her that Naruemon was his new girlfriend.

Nontiya’s family initially planned to hold a cremation ceremony last Sunday, the day the wedding had been scheduled for, but changed their mind, saying they would wait to hold the cremation until the murder is solved.

The family has also called for both suspects to face the death sentence.

Sonthichai said the maximum penalty for the suspects were the death sentence but the court would weigh the suspects’ confessions in sentencing.

“It is a consideration of the court, which police cannot argue about,” he said.

Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Maj-General Montri Yimyaem disclosed on Monday that there would be key sites for the countdown to the New Year in the capital. They are CentralWorld, Khao San Road, Asiatique and Crystal Design Centre.

File photo

There are 144 temples that will prepare venues for people to pray from the night of December 31 to the early morning of January 1. Among them are the magnificent Temple of Dawn and Wat Pho.

“We will prepare security measures for these sites,” Montri said.

He estimated that more than 125,000 celebrants would attend the big countdown celebrations at CentralWorld.

Last year, the countdown event at the site drew in more than 100,000 people.

“We will have screening points to check people before they enter the sites,” Montri said, adding that weapons and items that could be used as weapons, such as cutters and glass bottles, would not be allowed.

“We will also request that organisers ban alcohol sales and consumption at their sites.”

He said that more than 20,000 police, soldiers and volunteers would take part in security operations to ensure public safety during the festive time.

There will be 115 checkpoints across Bangkok.

Lertchai Sri-anan, adviser to the Royal Irrigation Department (RID), led a video conference with regional RID offices, the Meteorological Department and related agencies on Monday to discuss preparations for the Tembin, which will affect southern provinces as well as Bangkok from Wednesday to New Year’s Eve.

Tembin has already wreaked havoc in the Philippines, killing more than 200 people.

Lertchai said the weather prediction from the Meteorological Department and Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute showed that the storm would land in southern Vietnam on Tuesday and weaken, but it would still be strong enough to affect many parts of Thailand.

He said the upper part of the country including the Bangkok Metropolitan area would receive precipitation, while there would be heavy rain in the South from Prachuap Khiri Khan to Songkhla starting on Wednesday.

The RID instructed regional offices in storm-affected areas to closely monitor the situation and be prepared for heavy rain and flash floods.

The RID will also issue weather warnings to local authorities in affected provinces telling them to warn the public about the coming storm.

The books can be used in traditional prayers on the New Year night of December 31 lasting until the morning of January 1.

The King’s drawings on the cover reflect the relationship of his family including his parents HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej and HM Queen Sirikit; the present King; and his sisters HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, HRH Princess Chulabhorn Valayalaksana and Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya.

On the top left of the cover are photos of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit and in the middle the King’s initials.

In Thai culture, New Year’s prayers in temples are conducted in the belief that such rites bring blessings to the faithful and their families.

The prayer books will also be usable on other occasions.

Pissanu Sangkaew, 38, died at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head while the mother, Sukancha Charndej, 32, suffered serious two gunshot injuries in the abdomen. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she remains in a serious but stable condition.

The two terrified children, aged six and nine, are now under the care of the teachers of Nakhonnon Wittaya school.

Pol Colonel Suwat Sanehha, of Nonthaburi police station, said the incident took place at about 8am.

Witnesses said Sukancha had just delivered her children to the school gates when Pissanu, from whom she had been separated for a while, approached her, reportedly trying to reconcile with her.

She refused and he shot her twice before turning the gun on himself, Suwat said.