Sakhon Sacheewa, a 44-year-old fisherman, returned to visit his hometown on Sunday after working on a boat in Nakhon Si Thammarat for 14 months, only to find out that his family thought he was dead and had cremated someone else’s body.

Bangkok’s Nang Lerng Police Station superintendent Pol Colonel Kampanart Arunkhiriroj said police had followed due procedure in reporting the death of an unnamed man whose decomposed body was found on May 20 in a rented room in Phra Nakhon district.

Police found a copy of a Thai ID card without a photo, a copy of household registration papers and a security company’s employee card bearing the name Sakhon Sacheewa before sending the body for an autopsy at Vajira Hospital morgue.

The deceased man was found to have died from an infection in the stomach and intestines and Sakhon’s relatives were contacted to collect the body.

After learning that Sakhon was alive, police initiated an investigation into the deceased man’s identity, although the man’s employer had not collected his fingerprints, and were checking financial transactions to find relatives or other clues, Kampanart said.

A co-worker told police the deceased man spoke Thai and was from the Northeast.

Police also wanted Sakhon to testify regarding his claim that his documents had been stolen so police could have the Phra Nakhon district office cancel the death certificate, he said.

Sakhon previously had said a Myanmar man had stolen his ID card, so he had filed a report and obtained a new card from Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Khanom district office.

Si Sa Ket’s Noen Khun district chief Pornchai Wong-ngam told Sakhon yesterday that the office would launch an investigation into the procedures leading to him being declared dead before having his death certificate cancelled and restoring his 13-digit ID card number, which would take a week.

Sakhon’s death certificate was probably issued due to information discrepancies, Pornchai said. However, any monetary compensation would be considered based on the law, he said, as the family claimed to have spent Bt200,000 on the funeral.

Si Sa Ket Social Security Office (SSO) financial and accounting official Thanaporn Chaiyasit said the office had paid Bt90,222 in compensation to Sakhon’s mother, including Bt40,000 from the funeral assistance fund, Bt21,999.8 as a death compensation and Bt28,222 in pension savings.

The office would ask for the family to return the money, possibly in instalments, and Sakhon would be restored to the SSO system, she said.

Sakhon’s relatives had earlier claimed that the body had protruding, intact front teeth while Sakhon was missing a front tooth, but morgue officials insisted the body was too decomposed for identification and rushed them to collect it for religious rites.

Meanwhile, the opposition group released a statement saying the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) often strategically used organised social movements to justify its projects and drum up support. The statement added that the 2,200-megawatt, coal-fired power plant was a serious issue that would affect many people outside of Thepa district.

Supporters of the plant, represented by 66 organisations including the Thepha People’s Network for Sustainable Development and local communities leaders, met confidentially on Tuesday to discuss their strategy and later announced to the media that they had decided to give the government 45 days to make a decision. They said they would march to Government House if a decision is not made.

A representative of the group and former head of Thepha’s Tambon Tha Muang, Li Samor, said it was time for the government to move forward after four years of delay, so supporters would gather in front of the Thepha District Office today to show support for the power plant.

“There are many movements that try to pressure the government to stop the coal-fired power plant project’s progress,” Samor said.

“However, these movements are outsiders and do not represent the real voices of people in Thepha district. They do not respect the community’s rights and wrongly have cited a decision by local people against the project.”

He added that supporters of the project had tried to communicate with the government, but they had not received a response, while the media had not reported about their campaign unlike the opposition group’s, which was often in the news.

“The government needs to show its clear position, not just saying that they agree with the project, but make it clear about the project’s progress. We want clarity from the government or we will demonstrate at Government House, as the opposition groups have done,” he said.

Meanwhile, a leader of the opposition group, Direk Hemnakhon, released a statement on behalf of the Network of Songkhla–Pattani People against the Coal-Fired Power Plant supporters condemning the statement as an Egat strategy to promote the project, similar to a strategy that had been used regarding the Krabi coal-fired plant.

Direk said the movement of project supporters had lied and engaged in a conspiracy formed by the government and people who benefit from the coal industry.

He also said it was a violation of community rights to proceed with the project without telling the truth about pollution caused by the plant, urging the public to closely monitor the “dirty game” advocating for the project.

Somboon Khamhang, secretary-general of the Committee on Rural Development in the South, posted on Facebook questioning whether the decision to build the plant should be in the hands of local people exclusively, as plant supporters and Egat had often stated the plant was needed to ensure national power stability.

Somboon added that separating “insiders” and “outsiders” was problematic, while warning Egat that it had provoked a conflict by branding opposition groups as outsiders rather than following proper procedures to consider the project.

If the project goes forward, Egat’s Thepha coal-fired power plant will be build on 2,850 rai (456 hectares) in Thepa district’s Tambon Pak Bang with a budget of about Bt134 billion and use imported coal for fuel.

POLICE ARE planning to file charges against more than 10 suspects, all of them civilians, for their role in hit-and-run convict Jomsap Saenmuangkhot’s alleged plot to exonerate herself by hiring a scapegoat.

Provincial Police Region 4 deputy commissioner Pol Maj-General Tanasak Rittidejpaiboon said yesterday the investigation report on the case was already completed.

“We will forward it to public prosecutors within the next one or two days,” he said.

He confirmed that more than 10 suspects would face legal action, as evidence suggested they had violated the law in supporting Jomsap’s alleged plot.

In 2013, the Supreme Court convicted Jomsap of fatally hitting an elderly cyclist with her pickup and fleeing the scene. She was sentenced to jail.

Although she was later released early on a royal pardon, she had since tried to overturn the conviction.

She also publicly insisted that she was innocent. Her claim gained credibility after a man named Sap Wapi claimed he – not Jomsap – was responsible for the fatal accident.

Jomsap also received a great deal of help from the Justice Ministry, which facilitated her efforts to seek a retrial.

But last month, the Supreme Court not only rejected Jomsap’s request for a retrial but also pointed to an alleged conspiracy to hire a scapegoat to claim responsibility for the accident for which Jomsap was convicted.

Police have since promised to identify everyone involved in perjury in the case.

While police initially suggested that some Justice Ministry’s officials might have been implicated, Tanasak made it clear yesterday that no official was targeted as a suspect in the investigation report.

Nakhon Phanom’s police chief Pol Maj-General Suwicharn Yankittikul said Jomsap, her close friend Suriya Nuancharoen, her husband Nirun Saenmuangkhot, Sap and her witness Tassanee Harnpayak were among those facing charges.

Tassanee witnessed the accident but changed her statement back and forth several times, according to police and the Supreme Court.

Suwicharn also disclosed that a lawyer with the initial “T” would be charged, because he was aware of the plot to hire the scapegoat.

In a related development, Wallop Nakbua, who heads the Office of Justice Affairs and the investigation into justice officials’ role in Jomsap’s case, said the probe showed officials involved in Jomsap’s case focused on forensically-proved evidence – not witnesses – after finding that Sap and Suriya failed lie-detector tests.

“These officials just tried to facilitate the judicial process,” he said.

He added that the Justice Ministry had not provided lawyers for Jomsap as she tried to seek a retrial.

“But as a Thai, she has exercised her right to request and receive help for lawyers’ fees and court fees from the Rights and Liberties Protection Department,” Wallop said.

Prominent businessman Sermsin Samalapa on Wednesday uploaded the 55-second “Drink Drive Death” clip, of which he was executive producer, with the intention of raising awareness among the public about the danger of driving while drunk.

Sermsin cited statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Probation Department, and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, which indicate that drink-driving is the main cause of road accidents during the New Year holidays.

“The film presents the fear that drink-driving can tragically turn the festive New Year holiday into a sad tragedy from road accidents. English is used in this multimedia to ensure that the message reaches beyond Thailand, as drink driving is a worldwide problem,” he said.

His video clip can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQHPbt-zbic

In order to highlight the severity of the problems on road safety, he referenced WHO statistics on road accidents, which reveal that the rate of road fatalities among the Thai people was as high as 36.2 persons per 100,000 population.

This means Thailand has the highest road fatality rate in Asia and ranks second on the global level following only Libya.

Given that Libya is suffering a civil war, which has contributed to many road deaths, the World Atlas website notes that Thailand should be regarded as having the highest rate.

Sermsin pointed out that, according to Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department data, the number of injuries and deaths during the New Year period has increased over the past five years.

The most prominent cause, accounting for 36.59 per cent of accidents during the last New Year period, was drunk drivers.

He noted that Probation Department statistics showed that there were 4,342 drink-driving cases over the past New Year, which was 871 more cases – or 29.5 per cent higher – than the previous period.

    The sudden detention of reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, who work for Reuters, has spread fears about diminishing press freedoms in Myanmar, where Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government is under growing global pressure over human rights abuses.

The two men, who have been held incommunicado since December 12, have been charged under a colonial-era Official Secrets Act for allegedly possessing documents relating to security forces in Rakhine State, where the military is accused of atrocities against Rohingya Muslims.

Their families, lawyers and colleagues from the international newswire have not been told where the two are, nor been allowed any contact with them.

“We expect the Myanmar authorities to ensure the full protection of their rights and to release the journalists as quickly as possible,” the EU said in a statement on Tuesday, adding its voice to calls from the United Nations and the United States.

The pair had worked on Reuters’ coverage of the Rohingya crisis in northern Rakhine, where a brutal military-led crackdown has pushed some 655,000 people from the Muslim minority to flee to Bangladesh.

“We are deeply concerned about their detention. We do not know their whereabouts, that is of concern also,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert sad in Washington.

“Today I want to make it clear that we’re calling for their immediate release. … I hope the government of Burma will let us know how they’re doing and let the families know how they’re doing.”

UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein told AFP on Monday that the crackdown could possibly amount to “genocide”.

The allegations are highly sensitive in Myanmar, where authorities have denied any abuse but blocked access to the conflict zone.

The military insists its crackdown was a proportionate response to Rohingya militants who attacked police posts in August, killing around a dozen officers.

The journalists were arrested after accepting a dinner invitation from police officers on the outskirts of Yangon. Two policemen, who had returned from duty in northern Rakhine, have also been arrested. All face maximum sentences of 14 years in prison.

Myanmar’s government has not responded to requests for comment.

Reuters said Tuesday it had not been able to contact its employees since they disappeared. “We and their families continue to be denied access to them or to the most basic information about their well-being and whereabouts,” said Stephen J. Adler, Reuters editor-in-chief, adding that the pair were “innocent of any wrongdoing”.

Sean Bain, a legal adviser with the International Commission of Jurists, said their situation “appears to constitute arbitrary detention”.

At least 11 journalists have been arrested in Myanmar this year, despite hopes Suu Kyi’s civilian government would usher in a new era of freedom in the former junta-run nation.

“The latest arrests have further terrified many journalists in the country,” said Swe Win, a prominent Myanmar reporter who was detained earlier this year and is fighting his own online defamation case.

“As a result, drastic self censorship has now become the norm when it comes to issues involving security forces.”//AFP

Police say Ronnachai Panchat, 26, following hours of interrogation and upon being shown incriminating evidence, confessed to impulsively and drunkenly killing dentist Nonthiya Kruachaturas, 25, whom he was to marry in five days.

He claimed Nonthiya had recently caught him cheating on her with one of his co-workers, leading to a series of quarrels.

Ronnachai allegedly said he was carrying a gun when he went to see Nonthiya at 1am on Tuesday in hopes of resolving the issue. He found her already asleep, so he entered via a window and shot her dead in the bedroom, then returned to his home in Lang Suan district.

Police don’t believe he acted impulsively, since he brought a gun and a ski mask, switched off lights and turned aside an exterior CCTV camera that was aimed at Nonthiya’s residence.

Other cameras captured video of a man of his height looking drunk and walking around inside the hospital compound for 20 minutes before entering the residence.

While an arrest warrant for Ronnachai is sought on a charge of premeditated murder, police are looking for Ronnachai’s office lover (who has not been named) because she reportedly drove him to and away from the scene.

Nonthiya was found with a gunshot wound to the chest at 10am after she failed to show up for work. The bedroom had been ransacked.

Neighbours recalled hearing a loud noise, like a gunshot or an explosion, at around 1.30am, but didn’t investigate, assuming it was a truck tyre exploding on nearby Phetchkasem Highway.

Police exploring several motives, including personal conflict, summoned Ronnachai for questioning on Tuesday afternoon while his house was searched, turning up a shotgun, ski mask and khaki clothing resembling the attire of the man seen on CCTV.

Confronted with the evidence, Ronnachai allegedly confessed. Police planned to walk him through a crime re-enactment at the scene on Wednesday.

CHINA has acknowledged concerns about the impacts on people’s livelihoods of the Mekong River navigation channel improvement project, while indicating the possibility of amending or even cancelling the project.

Nevertheless, a local environmentalist group and TEAM Consulting Engineering and Management, the representative of the Chinese project’s owner, have said a study on the environmental impacts of the project was continuing as planned and there had not been any change in progress.

Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai yesterday said he had discussed the project with Chinese authorities at the third Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Mekong-Lancang Cooperation in China’s Yunnan province last Friday.

Don said Chinese officials had acknowledged the concerns of Thai people about the plan, which includes blasting rapids in the Mekong River, and said they were ready to change the scope of the project or cancel it altogether to relieve those concerns.

Don added that this could be considered as a “New Year present” for the Thai people.

Despite Don’s statement, a representative from TEAM Consulting, Tuangsaung Sakulkonchak, said there had not been a change to the project and the company was continuing to work on the environmental study and public hearings.

“Right now we are in the process of gathering environmental information and public opinions on the Mekong River navigation channel improvement project, and we have not had any notice about a change of plans from our partner,” Tuangsaung said.

TEAM is representing the Chinese project owner, CCCC Second Harbour Consultants, to gather information as part of an environmental impact assessment study.

Tuangsaung said the study had started in October and would conclude in May. The company held a public forum in Chiang Rai in September and there would be another public hearing in the same area after the study in August next year.

Jirasak Inthayot, coordinator of the local environmentalist group Rak Chiang Khong, or “Love Chiang Khong”, said the study was ongoing and there was still no sign that the project would be cancelled.

The Mekong River navigation channel improvement project is a part of the Mekong-Lancang international navigation development plan for 2015-2025.

The project aims to improve the navigation channel of the Mekong River, which is known as the Lancang in China, to allow large vessels up to 500 tonnes to navigate from China’s Yunnan province to Luang Prabang in Laos.

The Thai Cabinet approved the plan in December 2016, allowing for the study to proceed in Thailand.

The project has been the subject of strong protests from environmentalists and local people along the Mekong River in Thailand, who have said the navigation channel improvements include the removal of rapids in the river, which are indispensable features of the Mekong ecosystem.

A statement by the opposition group said modifying the river by blasting the rapids and dredging its islands would not only destroy the rich ecosystem that sustains the livelihood of local people, but also change the river’s features and affect the boundary between Thailand and Laos.

After the sudden death of K-pop star on Monday, members of his fanclub in Thailand grieved for their beloved idol and there was an unconfirmed report of a suicide.

The portrait of Kim Jong-Hyun, a 27-year-old lead singer of the massively popular K-pop boyband SHINee, is seen on a mourning altar at a hospital in Seoul on December 19, 2017. //AFP PHOTO

Although this report could not be substantiated, doctors have warned that this possibility should not be dismissed. They have urged friends and family of fans to look out for any signs of suicidal thought.

Administrator of the Facebook fanpage “Drama Addict”, Dr Withawat Siriprachai stated on the page that he would like the public to understand that copycat suicide is a real problem. He said it was scientifically proven that the overall suicide rate rises significantly for a period of time after a famous person takes his or her own life.

“Clear evidence of suicide contagion can be noticed after the lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington, committed suicide. Many fans were reportedly depressed over his death and some even took their lives,” Withawat said.

“Those who are affected by depression from the death of their idol suffer similar mental problems as patients of major depressive disorder. They feel that they are worthless, so lecturing them is not the solution. They need to consult with a psychiatrist.”

Mental Health Department director-general Dr Boonruang Triruangworawat emphasised that despite copycat suicide being uncommon in Thailand, the friends and family of those who become depressed after the death of a famous star should keep a close look out for the warning signs of suicidal thought.

Boonruang said that this behaviour included frequent crying, seclusion from others, speaking less, absent-mindedness and complaining about the worthlessness of their life.

“The family should take these warning signs seriously, otherwise they may lose the chance to save their loved ones,” he said.

“I would like to stress that suicide can be prevented and depression can be cured. It is also not the case that only mentally sick people have to seek assistance from a psychiatrist. Anyone can consult a psychiatrist.”

Supicha Tanyakan, the elder sister of Phakhapong “Meay” Tanyakan, announced the decision to file a complaint but refused to elaborate.

Phakhapong, an 18-year-old student at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (AFAPS), died on October 17 in what his family has described as suspicious circumstances.

The Tanyakans have asked for a full and transparent probe into Phakhapong’s death, as they have expressed doubts that he might have died as a result of excessive corporal punishment prescribed by senior students at the AFAPS.

According to the family, Phakhapong almost died in August because of punishment senior students imposed on him. He was also subject to punishment on the day before his |death.

Last week, an investigation launched by a military-established committee confirmed that Phakhapong had faced inappropriate punishment in the 48 hours before his death but insisted that he had not died because of the punishment.

Supicha’s family has not yet sat down with the committee to hear the details of the probe.

The family has focused its attention on points it would like to raise with police.

Supicha and her parents travelled yesterday from their home in Chon Buri province to Nakhon Nayok Police headquarters in Nakhon Nayok province where they met with the province’s acting commander Pol Maj-General Wattana Yeejeen.

Jurisdiction issues

A source said Nakhon Nayok police would look into Phakhapong’s autopsy and they expected to conclude the investigation before the end of the month.

“It will then forward the conclusion to the Ban Na Police Station, which is directly in charge of the case,” the source said.

The AFAPS is located in the jurisdiction of the Ban Na Police Station.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday that Phakhapong’s case would be handled based on forensic science and laws.

“Of course, no one wants such a thing to happen. But given that it has already happened, we will try to prevent such cases from happening again.

“We need to comply with the law and forensic science. Emotions won’t help,” he said.