“This aims at speeding up the registration process so people can have quicker access to useful medicines,” Government Spokesman Puttipong Punnakanta said yesterday. He was speaking after the Cabinet approved the new drug bill, which was drafted to replace the current Drug Act.

“The current drug law was put in effect in 1967, and many parts of it are no longer relevant in today’s context,” he explained.

Under the Act, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the only agency that can review applications and approve medicines. Sometimes, work hits a bottleneck, and registration gets delayed.

“But the new bill will allow the FDA to appoint specialists to screen applications for its final review,” Puttipong said, adding that the FDA will not be required to submit a list of specialists to any authority.

However, the FDA will be required to give the application fees to the Finance Ministry.

Puttipong said the bill will also raise the ceiling for application fees from Bt10,000 to Bt50,000. Also, once the new bill becomes law, drug licences in Thailand will for the first time have expiry dates.

“The licence will have to be renewed every five years,” he said.

Over the past few months, this bill has faced opposition from pharmacists, who feel some clauses threaten their occupation prospects and fail to adequately protect consumers. These are clauses on governing pharmacies and persons authorised to dispense drugs.

The Public Health Ministry, however, has decided to push the bill forward.

Customs Department, Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) and the Port Authority of Thailand told the press yesterday that only one piece of radioactive material was found inside the aluminium scrap heading to India, and that it has been kept behind for further investigation.

Yuttana Pulpipat, director of Laem Chabang Port Customs Bureau, said the radioactive material detected inside the outbound cargo earlier last week was Caesium-137 (Cs-137), which has the radiation level of 4,000 microsievert (measure of health effect) per hour.

According to the Nuclear Society of Thailand, Cs-137 is commonly used in industrial measurement devices and as a radiation generator for cancer radiotherapy.

Cs-137 has a half-life of about 30.17 years (the amount of time required for the radiation level of the material to lower by half).

“Since every cargo that passes through our port has to be scanned by the Radiation Portal Monitor, we detected that this aluminium scrap cargo had unusually high radiation level, so we alerted OAP and TINT [Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology] to examine the cargo,” Yuttana said.

“After we found and analysed this radioactive material, it was put inside a safe container and kept at the TINT headquarters for further investigation, so we can find more evidence about its origin.”

He also said that right after the radioactive material was detected, OAP, which deals with radioactive waste directly, filed a police complaint against the exporter on charges of violating customs and OAP laws.

Though authorities believe there might be more accomplices in the illegal transboundary movement of radioactive waste, this incident is not expected to have any connections with the network trading in hazardous waste.

“We are now investigating where this radioactive material came from and how it ended up inside the cargo to India without being noticed before,” he said. “We are going to expose the entire route of the smuggling of radioactive waste.”

Pisit Suntarapai from OAP’s Radiation Safety Regulation Bureau said investigators found 30 bags of aluminium scrap in the cargo, but there was only one piece with Cs-137 in the form of a small needle-shaped piece of metal around five centimetres long and weighed about 200 grams.

“Even though this piece was found without a protective shield, but it was still covered inside an aluminium shell, so not much radioactive material was leaked,” Pisit said.

“We have also closely examined the cargo and found no substantial radiation contamination, so we can say this radioactive waste is of a very low threat to the environment and people’s health,” he added.

Pisit said specialists from OAP and TINT had spent some 30 hours examining and retrieving the waste, and that the next job would be to find the imprinted serial number so the origin of the material can be traced.

Chemical Symbol: Cs-137

Health risks

• Caesium-137 reacts with water, producing a water-soluble compound (caesium hydroxide). The biological behaviour of caesium is similar to that of potassium and rubidium.
• After entering the body, caesium gets more or less uniformly distributed throughout, with the highest concentrations in soft tissue. It takes about 30.17 years for the radiation level of the chemical to lower by half.

Source: Nuclear Society of Thailand

The 41-pound (18.5 kilogram) Mathayom 1 schoolboy Anucha Thasako, who fought under the alias Phetchmongkol Sor Wilaithong, was knocked out cold in Round 3 by his opponent and rushed to the hospital in Phra Pradaeng district.

Diagnosed with a severe intracerebral hemorrhage, Anucha was passed on to the better-equipped Samut Prakan Hospital. But it was too late and the boy succumbed to the injury.

A video clip of the boy’s final match, showing him and his opponent fighting without protective headgear, was posted online. They were competing for trophies from Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan as part of an anti-drugs campaign from November 9 to 11.

Anucha, who had been a muay thai boxer from the age of eight and competed in 170 matches, had lost his parents and was being brought up by his uncle.

The uncle Damrong Thasako, 48, said the boy had taken up boxing to pay for his schooling and to help out with household expenses.

Nitikron Sonde, Anucha’s young opponent, said he was following his instincts and did not know his punches would kill someone.

“I had never wanted this to happen. I am sad, but when in the boxing ring, I had to do my best. If I was weak, it would have been me who was attacked,” he said.

The victor and other winning boxers have decided to auction off their boxing shorts to raise funds for Anucha’s family. Nitikron also said he would get ordained as a novice monk in dedication to Anucha.

This death has taken place at a time when the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is trying to push through a bill prohibiting children under 12 from muay thai.

“I will forward this draft to the Cabinet for review as soon as possible,” Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said yesterday.

As per schedule, the Cabinet should make a decision on the bill by November 18, as it was forwarded by the NLA on October 18.

The bill is supported by medical professionals, who say banning children from the boxing ring will protect them from long-lasting brain injuries. However, influential people in the muay thai circle have been fiercely objecting to the bill, saying it will go against a long-standing tradition and affect the income of some deeply impoverished families.

Two-time WBC super flyweight muay thai champion “Chao Laem Srisaket Sor Rungvisai” is reportedly against the bill, because he himself became a boxer when he was just seven.

This draft amendment to the 1999 Boxing Act would also require teen fighters to wear protective gear and be formally registered. It also threatens boxers and referees who rig bouts with up to five years in prison and fines of up to Bt100,000.

The bill has been drafted by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).

Following the Cabinet’s green light and recommended addition, the draft law will go back to the NLA for further deliberation along with comments from the Council of State, the Public Health Ministry and the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB)

The bill does not reclassify marijuana as a less-controlled narcotic. It, however, seeks to reclassify kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), moving it to a less-controlled drug category or to the same rank as morphine.

“In all, the bill unlocks marijuana use for patients and doctors only,” Government Spokesman Puttipong Punnakanta said.

According to him, the Cabinet resolved to add a provisional chapter to ensure that the Public Health Ministry will strictly control marijuana use for at least five years after the cannabis legalisation becomes effective, and that the law will be reviewed after five years to check its effectiveness.

“Following the review, marijuana use may then be further eased or restricted,” he said.

At present, many researches have suggested that marijuana has medical benefits.

According to several doctors, marijuana can be used to manage pain from nerve damage and cancer, nausea from chemotherapy and loss of appetite among HIV patients. It is also helpful for seizures and chronic neuro-inflammation. There are, however, lingering concerns about whether the authorities will be able to efficiently control marijuana once it is allowed for patients to use at home.

The government, therefore, has reiterated that strict control measures will be in place.

National Farmers Council’s president Prapat Panyachartrak yesterday expressed doubts as to whether the measures were aimed at favouring multinational drug firms.

“Due to some complicated conditions that relevant authorities look set to introduce, farmers may not enjoy the benefits of marijuana despite the fact that they have had health problems and there is proof that marijuana can be helpful,” he said.

Prapat said his council wanted to see farmers have the right to treat themselves with marijuana, which could be grown at a low cost.

“If farmers can grow marijuana, they will also earn good income. Marijuana from Laos can now be sold at no less than Bt5,000 per kilo,” he said.

Biodiversity, Sustainable Agriculture, and Food Sovereignty Action Thailand Foundation (BIOTHAI), meanwhile, has vowed to bring to light records that the Intellectual Property Department has already advertised at least eight cannabis-related patent applications.

BIOTHAI made the move after the department announced that any attempt to register a patent for a cannabis extract would not be considered, as Thai law clearly stated that herbal extracts were not regarded as intellectual property.

According to BIOTHAI, the department’s decision to advertise those patent applications may constitute a legal offence.

Some 20 alleged victims of a Soi Sukhonthasawat 9 shop’s allegedly fraudulent wedding packages were disappointed on Tuesday morning when the shop owner did not show up as promised for press conference to explain the disagreement and the shop was closed. The building where the shop was located has placed a sign disowning any responsibility for what its tenant had allegedly done.

The group, led by 27-year-old Jiraporn Ba-ae, then went to file complaints with acting immigration police chief Pol Maj-General Surachate Hakpal, in his capacity as deputy director of the National Technology and IT Crime Suppression Centre. Jiraporn told the senior police that the number of damaged people affected by the newly opened shop – which promoted its packages on Facebook – might be 400-500 and involving at least Bt10 million. She cited the 400-strong Line Group chat for those affected, which she had set up after realising the alleged fraud.

Surachate said that police would investigate and gather evidence to possibly file three charges of fraud, money-laundering (as there are allegedly hundreds of victims, which has convinced police about the suspect’s alleged criminal intent) and violating the Computer Act.

Jiraporn said the victims could be divided into three groups – those who had already paid for the packages but had not yet received wedding costumes or hosted wedding ceremonies or parties; those who paid for and got costumes but not hosted wedding ceremonies or parties; and those who had already had their promised events and returned the costumes but had not got their deposit money back.

Jiraporn said she was in the third group, not having received her Bt20,000 deposit.

One victim, who asked not to be named, said he found this credible wedding shop via Facebook and paid a Bt210,000 deposit for the Bt850,000 wedding package.

As it was suggested he purchased a tour package to Japan to do a pre-wedding photoshoot there, he agreed to pay another Bt350,000 after which the shop ceased its contact with him.

His later discovery of negative comments on the shop’s page concerning non-delivery of promised services and its lack of customer reviews prompted him to check with the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce, which told him the shop’s business had been cancelled.

His call to the shop to be responsible for the damages also went to deaf ears, he said. In the end, he proceeded with his wedding, but had to pay and do everything all over again

The deputy director said the school had chosen 33-year-old female suspect Asama Damrongpol’s apparently credible company to arrange the trip for a cheap price of Bt90,000 per student.

After they were later unable to contact her at her company office or at home, and the trip did not take place, the school found out from the university, where Asama had claimed to be working as an English Language Department head, that she had already ended her employment there.

It was at this point that they decided to file a complaint with Bung Kum police station in Bangkok.

The school executive said what was more worrying now was that some of the students’ personal documents, which they had given to the suspect to proceed with passport and visa applications, would turn out to be used in securing illegal loans.

At least one student’s document has reportedly used in borrowing Bt1 million from a money-lender, the executive said.

The complaint-lodging move by the school executive follows a complaint filed on Monday afternoon with the CSD by Asama’s business partner, 44-year-old Sombat Sihawong.

Sombat reportedly paid Bt1 million to invest in her company but, before he could get any return on the investment, he learned about others who were allegedly being lured into investing Bt600,000 to Bt2 million each in the business.

Chorladda succumbed to her injuries and died after she sought treatment at Praram 2 Hospital. That hospital reportedly sent her to Bang Mod Hospital where she was subscribed for the “gold card” universal healthcare scheme.

She died before Bang Mod Hospital could help her.

Praram 2 Hospital has been the focus of criticism from Chorladda’s family and netizens over allegations that they failed to treat her. The hospital maintains that the accusation is untrue.

A potential lawsuit is being considered against the hospital as outspoken lawyer Atchariya Ruangratanapong acts on behalf of the patient’s family.

Kamtan told police that he was not a cruel person after being arrested on Sunday night at his friend’s house in Nakhon Sawan. This was in line with his neighbour’s claim that Kamtan was normally a good man who did everything he could for his family at their rented home in Samae Dam sub-district. Neighbours have said they believe he committed the alleged crime on an impulse.

Police objected to Kamtan getting a bail release on the grounds that this case carried a severe penalty.

Meanwhile, a Bangkok cabbie who picked up the acid-wounded Chorladda and her accompanying 12-year-old daughter from Praram 2 Hospital to Bang Mod Hospital on November 9, told police on Monday evening that the woman was still conscious when she arrived at the second hospital.

This was contrary to the initial account by Chorladda’s daughter, who said her mother died on the way and that a Bang Mod Hospital doctor then tried to resuscitate her but was unable to bring her back.

Testifying as a witness to Tha Kham deputy superintendent Pol Lt-Colonel Sakhon Sriwattanakapong, taxi driver Sa-ngad Datchuyawat, 37, said a Bang Mod staff member pushing a gurney asked Chorladda whether she was still able to “hang in there” while being wheeled away.

Chorladda reportedly replied, “I cannot take it anymore”.

The taxi driver said he was told by the first hospital’s staff that Chorladda had sustained an injury from being scalded by boiling water and wanted to get a lift to Bang Mod Hospital, which staff said had already been informed of her transfer.

Lawyer Atchariya on Tuesday said about Sa-ngad’s testimony that it would not affect the lawsuit he intended to bring against Praram 2 Hospital.

No matter where the patient died, the important point was the taxi driver’s testimony that Chorladda was in a critical condition, said Atchariya.

The lawyer also revealed that he was the one who brought Sa-ngad from Nakhon Ratchasima to tell the truth to police so as to ensure transparency.

Atchariya said he would have a lawyer’s team meeting later on Tuesday as he sought for police and Public Health Ministry officials to probe the Praram 2 Hospital facility and the quality of its treatment, and to brainstorm a way to file legal actions against the hospital.

Suparirk Karuehanon, chief of the academic service division of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (Narit), said the celestial phenomenon could be seen after midnight of November 17 until early hours of November 18.

He said stargazers must look northeast to locate the Leonids.

But Suparirk said the bright light of the moon in the late evening could make it hard to see the meteor shower and so the stargazers may have to wait for the moon to set at 1.30 am.

He said the best time for watching the Leonid meteor shower this year could be after 2am and that about 10 to 15 meteors could be seen per hour.

The meteor shower is caused by the tail of the 55P/Tempel-Tuttle comet remaining in the earth’s orbit. Meteors could fall to earth at the speed of 71 kilometres per second.

The 41-pound fighter “Phetchmongkol Sor Wilaithong”, a Mathayom 1 schoolboy named Anucha Thasako, was knocked out cold in round 3 by his opponent and rushed to the hospital in Phra Pradaeng district.

Diagnosed with a severe intracerebral hemorrhage, Anucha was passed on to the better-equipped Samut Prakan Hospital. But it was too late and the boy died from the injury.

A video clip of the child’s final fight was posted and shared online, showing him and his opponent fighting on a stage without protective headgear.

Fighters competed for trophies from Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan in the charity event, held from November 9-11 as part of an anti-drug campaign.

Anucha, whose parents had died leaving him to stay with his uncle, had been a muay thai fighter since the age of 8 and competed in 170 fights.

The uncle, Damrong Thasako, 48, said the grateful boy had been fighting on stage for money to support his own schooling and also to help out with household expenses.

The boy’s death has prompted people in the muay thai circle to hold an auction of muay thai shorts to raise funds for his family.

The death of this muay thai child fighter took place as the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is poised to pass a draft bill to prohibit children under 12 from muay thai fighting.

Medical professionals support the bill, which would prevent long-lasting brain injuries now suffered by child fighters. Influential people in the muay thai circle object to the bil and have threatened to hold a protest, arguing that a ban would go against a longstanding tradition and affect the income of some deeply impoverished households.

This draft amendment to the 1999 Boxing Act would also require older teen fighters to wear protective gear and to be formally registered. It also threatens boxers and referees who rig bouts with up to five years in prison and fines of up to Bt100,000.

He said the tunnel linking Srinakharin and Romklao roads along the Krungthep Kreetha road will open to traffic on December 5.

Jakkraphan said the construction is more than 86 per cent completed, with only the walls needing to be finished and sound-absorbing fences put up.

All systems in the tunnel will be tested on November 20, he added.

Jakkraphan said the long-delayed Pattanakarn-Ramkhamhaeng-Thavornthat tunnel is now about 60 per cent completed, but the BMA and the contractor are confident it will be done in time for opening early next month.

The deadline for completion of 940-metre-long tunnel has been extended twice. It was first scheduled to be completed on April 10, then extended to October 11 and again to February 2019.

Jakkraphan said the BMA’s Public Works Department has been assigned to advise the contractor on how to overcome obstacles and speed up construction.

The tunnel should be opened for use next month, he said, but will not be fully completed until February. Initially it will open to traffic from 5am to 11pm. The contractor will work at night to put the finishing touches on the project, Jakkraphan added.