Thaivisa News

Bangkok – If you are foul-mouthed while drunk, avoid taking the bus, according to the apparent merit of this story. Or, it can be argued, if you are short-tempered, don't drive the bus.

Lieutenant Noppakao Tiyaphak of Bang Sue police station yesterday’s evening went to investigate a brawl between the driver of Bus No 39 and a drunken passenger.

When Noppakao arrived at the scene on Phaholyothin Road near BTS Aree Station, driver Chaiya Waiwithee, 39, had already fled and passenger Theeraphol Ketthan, 59, was rushed to the hospital.

Passengers on the bus said Chaiya and Theeraphol had a heated argument as one was driving and another was sitting at the back of the bus.

Theeraphol was intoxicated and Chaiya appeared to have lost his temper.

After the bus got to the bus stop and parked, Chaiya got up and walked to Theerapol’s seat. He then kicked the passenger at the side of the head between ear and the temple.

Theeraphol lost consciousness. The ticket collector and some passengers helped to bring him to the hospital. Chaiya walked away from the scene.

Noppakao called the hospital and was told that Theeraphol had regained consciousness although he was still drunk and not in the position to give statement.

The policeman also got in touch with the operator of bus license in order to track down Chaiya.

In another news, motorist Pheerawas Sangkachornnan, 30, filed a police complaint, his car was broken into while he parked it at the roadside to have a shut-eye on Ramintra Road last night.

Pheerawas said he went to sleep in the car around 3.00 am. When he woke up a few hours later, he found that the car’s back window was broken and that valuables, including a gold necklace and IPhone 6, were stolen.

He said he chose to park his car in front of the Army’s Sports Centre hoping it was a safe area.

Bangkok – The collection of excise duties is 5.8 billion baht or 15 per cent above the target for March, Excise Department officials said.

The higher-than-expected excise revenues have been attributed the duty hike for diesel which yields 6.8 billion baht in additional revenues, an increase of 123 per cent.

The excise revenues from beer sales are 960 million baht above target, followed by liquor sales (320 million baht), cigarette sales (595 million baht) and beverage sales (110 million baht).

The last month’s rise in the sales of alcoholic drinks is attributed to the advance stocking ahead of the long holiday for Songkran.

Vendors have placed advance wholesale orders for alcoholic drinks in anticipation of the enforcement of additional 2 per cent sin tax to contribute to the sports development funds.

While the stock lasts, the hoarding of alcoholic beverages is expected to boost the profit margin following the price adjustment due to the additional sin tax.

Songkran is one of the peak seasons for the sales of alcoholic beverages.

Last month saw, however, the drop in the collection of excise duties for car sales. The car excise revenues were 3 billion below target. The car demands remain weak due to the economic doldrums.

For the first half of fiscal year 2014-15, starting in October, excise revenues exceed target by almost 11 billion baht or 5.5 per cent.

The above-target revenues include those from petrol (19 billion baht or 59 per cent), alcoholic beverages (250 million baht), cigarette (4.6 billion baht).

In the same period, the excise revenues for car sales are 11 billion baht or 22 per cent below target. The excise duties for beer sales are 1.9 billion baht below target.

Due to the slackened economy, the combined revenues from income and excise taxes remain below target. The Finance Ministry is mapping out ways to improve on tax collection for this fiscal year’s second half.

Bangkok: With Mercury soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of Thailand now, the Health Department warns people to beware of heatstroke risks.

“Common symptoms are headache, nausea and dehydration. But in severe forms, it can cause delirium, coma and even deaths,” Health Department’s director general Dr Pornthep Siriwanarangsan says via ASTV Manager.

He advises people to avoid working or doing exercise under the glaring sun for too long. When staying outdoors during the hot weather, he recommends drinking one liter of water per hour.

Pornthep says the most vulnerable groups to heatstroke risks are those working in high-temperature environment, pregnant women, children, elderly people and the obese.

Meanwhile, Thairath reported on Sunday that locals in Sukhothai were trying their best to fight off the almost unbearable heath with their available resources.

“I connect a sprinkler with a rubber hose and put them over the roof to cool down my house during the day,” Chalor Prassajak, 40, said, “I don’t have any air conditioner to rely on”.

Tawat Yukham, a neighbor, says he also does the same thing and also put his young granddaughter in a water-filled basin to help her cope with the heat.

The rising temperature has affected animals too. In Nakhon Ratchasima, a local zoo has thus turned on sprinkler systems to keep animals calm during the summer.

“Because of hot weather, animals turn irritable and aggressive. So, we have taken extra measures in cooling them,” Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo’s director Arkom Maneekul said.

Bangkok – The Internal Trade Department has planned a big sale campaign nationwide to coincide with the new school term in order to boost demands and help parents.

The government says parents need assistance to brace for necessary expenditures in sending children back to school.

Department director general Boonyarit Kalayanamit said the campaign slogan is “Pouring Heart to Return Happiness Welcoming School Term”.

The sale will take place from April 30 to May 10. The primary and secondary schools are to start the new term next month.

Manufacturers, retailers and modern trade stores have agreed that department stores, convenience stores and retail outlets nationwide would participate in the campaign, Boonyarit said.

Products in four categories will be on sale for up to 70 per cent discount.

The four categories are stationery and school supplies, school uniforms, household essential supplies and food and drinks.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce will fully back the campaign ensuring it a success, its vice chairman Sanan Anubolkul said.

The big sale is deemed necessary to overcome the weak demands, Sanan said.

Consumers appear reluctant to spend in light of the economic doldrums and sale promotion is expected to spur the economic activities, he said.

The price discount is seen as a win-win solution because the consumers would benefit from reduced expenditures while the suppliers would be able to cut down on factory overstock.

In a related development, the third day of the five-day “Blue Flag” campaign has seen some 90,000 consumers flocking to spend 90 million baht on discounted essential products at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani.

The 13-day Motor Show at IMPACT has yielded lower-than-expected car sales.

Of 40,000-car target, consumers placed orders for 35,000 vehicles from March 25 to April 5, organisers said. This is seen as an indicator that the economy has not yet fully recovered.

Phuket – Two armed suspects fled with 500,000 baht following a robbery in front of 10 Chinese tourists who were waiting for massage services at a spa, provincial police said yesterday.

Police suspect the robbery to be an insider’s job and are trying to track down the two suspects and a driver for getaway motorcycle.

Phuket deputy commander Colonel Phinij Sirichai led the team from Wichit police station to check the scene at Imperial Spa located near Chao Fah Market in Phuket Mueang district.

Phinij said he found the 10 tourists were in panic for having to witness the armed robbery instead of getting a massage.

The robbery curiously coincided with the payday for staff when the spa had kept available the highest amount of cash, he said.

While spa owner In Mikim and three staffers were assisting the Chinese tourists to choose the massage, two men wearing safety helmets walked into the lobby area.

One wielded a knife and another had a pistol. The two were dressed alike in black pants and fatigue shirts. None of the witnesses saw the faces shielded by the helmets.

They spoke in central Thai dialect demanding the cash prepared for staff payments.

Police checked the security camera footage to verify the statements of witnesses. The robbery lasted a few minutes before the suspects fled riding in the pillion of the motorcycle.

The video footage showed the two suspects holding one staffer each while demanding another staffer to hand over the cash.

One staffer had the knife pointed at the nape of her neck and the other had the pistol pointed at her back.

Bangkok – The tourism industry has already seen positive changes after last week’s cancellation of martial law enforcement, Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula said.

The arrivals of high-spending tourists from Europe and the United States are expected to increase, Pridiyathorn said.

During martial law enforcement, inbound tourists could not buy travel insurance policy due to the perceived security risk.

The deputy prime minister said the government expects the tourism rebound to compensate for the weak demands for exports.

The country has projected a zero growth for this year’s exports, he said.

Despite the bleak picture of the Thai economy, the people should not be overly concerned because the government is working to strengthen the economic fundamentals, he said.

After adjustment measures carried out by the government, the economy is projected to bounce back and grow about 5 per cent within the next few years, he said.

In another development on attempts to revitalise the economy, the public-private partnership committee has approved strategic plans to involve private investment in 20 public projects worth 1.35 trillion baht from this year to 2019.

If approved by the Cabinet, the plans will take effect by this month.

Of the PPP projects planned, two will likely get started by this year.

One of the two is the construction to extend the mass transit train route (blue line) from Hua Lumphong to Bang Khae and from Taopoon to Tha Phra.

Another project is the building of an inland clearance depot in Lat Krabang.

Ayutthaya – A house owner told police her house was haunted by her dead husband and that a burglar fled after encountering the ghost.

Police could only establish that the burglar left her house in a hurry, leaving many valuables behind.

Lieutenant Suchart Yoddamnoen of Ayutthaya police station yesterday went to investigate the break-in case at her house in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district.

At the scene, Suchart uncovered evidence that the burglar had used gardening tools to pry open the front door breaking into the house.

He also found the burglar had searched all four rooms in the two-storey house leaving everything in disarray.

A bag filled with 30 baht gold were opened and left behind. Several valuables were brought together as if the burglar prepared to take them although they were left untouched.

After inspecting her properties, house owner Chaleao Anuto, 70, said only two items, gold bracelet and a pair of gold earrings, were stolen.

The stolen items were estimated at 50,000 baht.

Chaleao said she went to Bangkok in the morning to see her niece. When she returned, she found out about the burglary and reported to police.

In her statement, she said she suspected the burglar might have left in a hurry because of a possible encounter with the ghost.

She said her late husband who died 10 years ago was thrifty and very protective of his belongings.

The husband bought gold and other valuables for her and family members, she said, speculating that his spirit might not have left the house in order to guard his belongings.

When he was alive, he rarely left the house for fear of leaving his belongings unguarded, she said. In dead, he might become the guardian spirit.

Police are trying to identify and track down the burglar.

Bangkok – The Federation of Thai Industries has cited weak demands in domestic and international markets as reason to oppose the proposal for raising the minimum wage.

Presently the daily minimum wage is 300 baht. And the trilateral committee of government, labour and management representatives will later convene to review and adjust the wage for next year.

A labour advocacy group has called for the nationwide minimum wage at 360 baht per day.

FTI vice chairman Wallop Vittanakorn said the raise of 20 per cent, if approved, would be too high in light of economic doldrums in domestic consumption and in exports.

Wallop said the minimum wage adjustment should reflect the inflation and the cost of living in each locality rather than a blanket increase nationwide.

When the nationwide minimum wage of 300 baht was imposed, a large number of small and medium enterprises went out of business, he said.

The nationwide adjustment would tantamount to about 80 per cent increase in certain areas and local businesses could not absorb such a drastic and sudden change in production cost, he said.

He argued that the country’s minimum wage has already been high in comparison to worker’s pay in several neighbouring countries.

The high minimum wage would impact on the country’s competitiveness, he said.

Labour-intensive industries have already started to relocate to neighbouring countries, he said.

Furthermore, the government’s promotion campaign to develop special economic zones along the borders might be derailed because investors would find high wage to offset the investment promotion privileges, he said.

The Board of Investment is promoting the special economic zones in five border provinces, Tak, Mukdahan, Sa Kaeo, Trat and Songkhla.

Bangkok – The Phrakhanong Court yesterday sentenced a female garbage collector to serve 15 days in jail for public scare at Phatthanakarn 65 Road on Wednesday, coinciding with April’s Fool Day.

The court found Saraphee Channongsuang, 54, responsible for the public panic caused after she left a bunch of fake dynamite sticks assembled to look like a time bomb hanging in plain sight at a power pole.

Residents ran for safety triggering commotion and traffic snarls while police and bomb squat tried to defuse the bomb before discovering it was a fake.

Prawet police tracked down and arrested Saraphee after reviewing the security camera footage.

In her statement to police, Saraphee said she meant no harm. She hung the fake bomb while sorting out the garbage can and forgot about it, she said.

She said she thought she would separate sellable items in the garbage before trying to assess whether she could sell the fake bomb too.

Prawet police chief Colonel Metha Chiamchaisri said he sympathised with the plight of Saraphee although he was obliged to uphold and enforce the law.

Metha paid the fine of 1,000 baht on Saraphee’s behalf.

The offence for causing public scare is penalised by the jail term of up to one month and a fine of no more than 1,000 baht.

In the judicial decision, the court said Saraphee had violated Section 392 of the Penal Code.

The sentencing had factored in the confession and the first-time offence to half the one-month imprisonment.

But there was no ground for further leniency to suspend the jail term because of the commotion and public scare caused.

Nakhon Pathom – Relevant agencies have intervened to look into the welfare of a 76-year-old man who shared the bed with his dead wife for 10 months before neighbours alerted the authorities.

Sokkee Juyuenyong died in June at the age of 83 and her surviving husband, Yom Juyuenyong kept her in their bed until neighbours went to investigate the lingering foul smell emitted from his house for months.

After the last week’s discovery that Sokkee was dead, local administrative officials, social workers and public health officials stepped in to hold the funeral and provide assistance for Yom.

Yom and Sokkee lived by themselves at their home in Tha Krachab tambon, Nakhon Chai Sri district.

Alerted by neighbours, tambon administrative chief Narong Kongyangyuen paid a visit to question Yom about the whereabouts of his wife.

Neighbours said they noticed the disappearance of Sokkee for months although Yom carried out his daily routine in a normal and unsuspicious manner.

They were curious, however, about the foul smell. And as the house is far apart from the community, they did not suspect the decaying body.

Yom initially told Narong that his wife was living with their son in Nong Bua Lamphu. After Narong’s seach of the house, he admitted the dead of his wife who died in her sleep.

He said he wanted to continue “living” with his wife of 44 years and that he did not want to bother anyone as he had no money for the funeral.

At his permission, the local authorities organised the funeral on his behalf.

Yesterday, a team of public health and social workers went to inspect and make improvements on the house. They also checked and found Yom in good physical and mental health.

The authorities provided financial assistance and welfare benefits for him.

Bangkok – The Paveena Hongsakul Foundation has filed a police complaint calling attention to the plight of a woman, 19, who has been raped for 12 years by the stepfather.

The mother has been assisting in the rape of her biological daughter, the women’s and children’s rights advocacy foundation said.

Acting on the advice of a neighbour, the victim asked the foundation to rescue her from her family.

The foundation intervened and initiated the legal proceedings.

Based on the victim’s statement, she said she was raised by her grandmother until she was 7.

Her mother, who is employed by a food vendor and stepfather, who is a construction worker then took her into the family.

She said her stepfather sexually violated her several times over the years. Her mother knew about the frequent rapes but did nothing, she said.

She said she was forced to share the bed and mosquito net with her mother and stepfather.

And her stepfather often had sex with the mother and daughter in the same night.

She said she gave birth to a daughter when she was 12 after her stepfather made her pregnant.

She said when she was 15, she had once had the opportunity to flee home and to work at a construction site.

Her mother tracked her down and forced her to return home, saying her stepfather threatened to abandon her, she said.

She said she did not know what to do because she would be severely beaten by her mother if and when she asked one of the neighbours for help.

In December, she managed again to work in construction. This time she was raped and impregnated by a male worker before her mother forced her back home.

Recently a new neighbour moved to nearby house and told her about the foundation.

The victim is two-month pregnant. Khlong Luang police has detained the stepfather, 47, pending the completion of police report.

The stepfather has admitted to raping the victim and that their 7-year-old daughter is under his charge.

It's official: Thai toilets need to be cleaned

Bangkok – Relevant agencies have launched the nationwide campaign for public toilet cleaning ahead of Songkran festival.

The campaign, jointly carried out by the Public Health Ministry, the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and other agencies, is being implemented on April 1 – 7.

Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin said the authorities have projected about three million tourist arrivals for the five-day Thai New Year celebrations.

Based on a survey done by the Health Department, public toilet cleanliness is the top priority and necessity demanded by Thai and foreign travellers.

Rajata said he expected the campaign to boost the convenience of tourists as well as helping to raise awareness on hygiene and cleanliness as a preventive measure for contagious disease control.

The Health report has indicated that among public toilet facilities in the survey sampling, toilet spray hose is most prone to spread disease (85 per cent), followed by toilet floor (50 per cent), toilet seat (31 per cent), flushing handle and men urinal (8 per cent) and washing faucet (3 per cent).

The promotion of toilet cleanliness will target 12 public places, including education institutions, government agencies, hospitals, temples, petrol stations, tourist destinations, parks and shopping malls.

The other public places are restaurants, markets, passenger terminals and roadside toilets.

The campaign criteria include good hygiene, accessibility and safety.

A standard public toilet should have full facilities in working order, no foul smell and good lighting. The facilities should be accessible to the handicapped and separated by gender.

Tourists demand clean toilets in petrol stations as the topmost priority, followed by those in popular destinations and in passenger terminals.

Bangkok – Factory fires happened in Thailand at the rate of nine incidents per month and the authorities are mapping out ways to tighten safety measures.

The authorities have compiled the fire records for the past four years, noting 71 factory fires in 2013-14.

In 2012-13 saw 50 factory fires. From October to February, there were already 43 factory fires reported.

The most common cause of fire is short circuit.

Industry Minister Chakramon Phasukavanich said his office would soon report and make recommendations for the Cabinet approval on how to tighten industrial safety.

The ministry has issued the 2009 ministerial regulations on the factory fire prevention and extinguishing and will look for a better way to enforce the regulations, Chakramon said.

Among fire preventive measures on the drawing board, the authorities plan to promote the factory’s internal safety assessment which would be required to submit report findings.

The safety assessment findings would, in turn, become the basis on the decision whether to renew the factory license with five-year expiry date.

For high-risk factory or old one built for more than 10 years, the assessment would be required every two-year period.

The ministry has found that old industrial places are more prone to fire than new ones.

Factories with more than 11 years in operation account for the majority of fire incidents.

Some 57 per cent of factory fires happened in 133 buildings which were in use for more than a decade.

Fire incidents involving those factories built for less than 10 years accounted for 29 per cent.

Some 14 per cent of fire incidents happened in factory buildings with less than five years in service.

Bangkok – If you are planning to mail anything, traditionally, of course, read this. Thailand Post will completely suspend all services from April 12 to April 15 in order to relocate its information technology centre.

The shutdown of postal services is to coincide with the Songkran holiday so as to minimise the public inconvenience.

The shutdown is unavoidable because the IT network will have to be overhauled and relocated.

Customers are advised to complete their mailing requirements before the shutdown or delay using the postal services to after April 15.

For those using financial services like Pay at Post, online money order, Western Union money transfer and top-up payment for mobile phone, please be informed that the services would not be available on April 4-6.

The IT network for postal financial services would be overhauled ahead of the mail shutdown.

In light of the service suspension, the parcel mailing should complete before April 3 to ensure the delivery before April 12-15. The overseas parcel should be mailed before April 9.

The EMS mail should complete by April 9 for delivery before the shutdown.

Any mailing done after the respective deadlines will be delivered after April 15.

Customers can still track the delivery process through the 1545 THP Contact Centre.

Online vendors are advised to alert their customers and to adjust the mailing schedule to ensure timely delivery before and after the shutdown.

Postal services will resume on April 16.

In another development, postal customers are reminded that they are banned from mailing live animals, illicit drugs, pornographic materials,