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Lampang: A five-day festival kicks off in the northern province of Lampang today especially to impress tourists.Lampang promises to be like no others, as it positions itself as the tourist destination that has never changed with time.“The province has retained its cultural heritage and identity, something that can be a draw,” Lampang Governor Thanin Supasaen says. The province does not boast bustling nightlife, air-conditioned shopping complexes, or super luxury hotels. But it has a simple, charming way of life, gentle people and famous horse-drawn carriages, he points out.Held in Lampang town from the Nakhon Lampang Train Station to the Black Railway Bridge, the ongoing festival promises to remind visitors of Thailand’s good old days as it features temple fairs, outdoor cinemas, Ferris wheel, Thai-style raffles, traditional Thai dance floors, traditional Thai games and of course horse-drawn carriages.Running till April 5, the festival is held under the theme of “Commemorating Lampang’s railways and horse-drawn carriages”. These two means of transport are closely related to this charming town.With railway as a core element of the main theme, authorities have already decorated the Black Railway Bridge in the province and organized an exhibition on the Lampang - railways ties.“We may develop this bridge as a permanent attraction in the future,” Lampang Municipality mayor Dr Kittiphum Namwong reveals.Visitors to the festival will also enjoy musical performances by Mai Muang band, Pueng R Siam, Hernfa Naliam and many more artists.
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Phuket:- The Phuket Butterfly Garden & Aquarium shut down Tuesday after it has been in operation for 25 years.The butterfly garden in Tambon Rassada was shut down with a ceremony to release butterflies into the wild at 2:30 pm.The ceremony was co-chaired by the garden’s managing director, Wasin Koisiripong, and Pongchart Chuahom, chief of the Khao Phra Taew Nature and Wildlife Study Center. Both Thai and foreign tourists and their children took part in releasing the butterflies from the garden.The garden also allowed visitors to enter the compound free of charge on the last day.Wasin said the Phuket Butterfly Garden & Aquarium was opened in 1990 with goal as a sightseeing spot in the island province. Later on, the garden was successful in breeding butterflies, the garden had another goal of letting visitors to learn about nature.She said the garden has been organizing activities to release the bred butterflies into the wild for six consecutive years. The last year saw2,000 butterflies released she said.She said the garden suffered losses for more than two years because of the decline in western tourists, especially those from Europe and Russia. Moreover, the island now has several other sight-seeing spots.Wasin said she has discussed with her family for about five to six months before she decided to shut the operation down.Wasin said she planned to develop four out of seven rai of the gardens’ compound to a comprehensive beauty and health spa and fitness center. The fitness center will teach Muay Thai as well, she added.She expected to spend about Bt15 million for the new fitness and spa business.
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Pattaya, Chon Buri:- A Russian tourist was arrested early Tuesday after he allegedly attempted to rape a bar girl.Police said the Thai woman fought back and injured Anprey Igivatyer, 50, with a rock before she ran for help.Pol Lt Jakkrit Jantakham, an interrogator on duty of Pattaya police station, said he was alerted of the alleged attempted rape at 1:50 am. He was informed that the incident happened behind the Kor Charoenyont Co Ltd on the Third Pattaya Road in Tambon Nongplue in Bang Lamung district.Jakkrit rushed to the scene with a team of policemen. The area was dark with a bush nearby. Police found the 30-year-old woman, whose name was withheld, with bruises all over her body. Her clothes also had blood stains.She told police that she worked as a beer bar on the Second Pattaya Road. She said a Russian tourist, who appeared to be around 40 years old, came to drink until the shop closed.She said the tourist who appeared drunk asked her to join him for a party so she agreed to follow him.But when the two were walking past the spot, the tourist grabbed her and tried to pull her into a remote spot.She said the tourist also harmed her and tried to rape her. She fought back and grabbed a rock and threw at his head and she ran to call for help.People in the neighborhood heard her calls and came out to help and alerted police.Police searched and found the Russian hiding in the bush. Rescuers performed a first aid for his head injury and took him to the Pattaya police station.The man denied he tried to rape the bar girl.
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Ratchaburi:- A little and previously quiet village in Ratcahburi’s district has become bustling with visitors who flocked to a tapioca plantation to hear two “magic” common hill mynas predict the next lottery results.
Words about the magic hill mynas spread in Ratchaburi and nearby provinces like wildfire, prompting the plantation in Nong Klang Dong village in Tambon Khamrae to be turned into a market fair with foods and drink stalls.
After words reached mass-circulation Thai Rath, which is specialized in reporting sacred things and animals that can reportedly predict winning numbers, it dispatched its team of reporters to the scene immediately.
Thai Rath reported that its reporters reached the spot at 11:30 am Tuesday. The team found that the entrance to the plantation was turned into a car park with some 50 sedan cars and pick-up trucks and over 100 motorcycles parked there.
Visitors had to walk about one-kilometer under the blazing sun to the middle of the plantation where the two mynas are living on tree tops. Thai Rath reported that along the path are full with foods and drink stalls.
Since a lot of visitors keep coming, some villagers have modified their farm trucks as passenger vehicles to charge the hopeful visitors for a fee.
Thai Rath reporters witnessed over 100 people standing under tree shades with their eyes pinned on the top of a sugar palm tree where the two mynas were pecking. The villagers believe the two birds are mates.
The people shouted questions what the next lottery results would be and the birds, which did not appear frightened by the crowd, said something back to the voices the people.
The believers interpreted the sounds as 2-9-4-5.
A villager said he heard the two birds begging for banana early this year and he asked them what would be the winning number. He said one of the birds replied “57” which turned out to be the two winning digits.
Now, the local villagers organized shifts to protect the birds from being harmed by anyone.
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Kanchanaburi:- If water throwing is not enough to ease the almost unbearable heat of Thailand’s summer, revelers can also get free ice cream from tourist police in Kanchanaburi on April 17.“We will hand out about 5,000 ice cream bars that day,” says Pol Lt Colonel Dr Chanathep Suankaew, a senior tourist police based in the western province.While most parts of Thailand will celebrate the Songkran Festival and have fun with its water splashing between April 13 and April 15, Kanchanaburi Municipality has organized the big day on April 17 in recent years.Chanathep says while some residents do splash water during April 13-15 period, the Songkran Festival is at its height on April 17 in the municipal area.“Most shops in the area close down to join the fun,” he says, “People from other zones also flock in”.According to him, the most popular zones for water throwing on April 17 are Saengchuto Road, Uthong Road, and Nanachart Road. In Thai, Nanachart means international, reflecting the fact that a huge number of foreigners gather there.“Tourist police will be on duty to ensure public safety,” Chanathep says.According to him, aware that Mercury soars high in April, tourist police will also have ice cream ready to serve interested tourists.“It is a way to cool down,” he adds.Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year, is one of Thailand’s most colorful festivals.
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Bangkok:- The government will soon launch an ambitious program to register all income earners in the kingdom no matter how small their incomes are.Agriculture Minister Pitipong Puengboon Na-Ayutthaya said the planned registration is not aimed at updating the database of tax payers but it is aimed at allowing the government to provide enough financial support to low income earners in time.Pitipong said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha gave the order for the registration of the income earners during a meeting of the council of economic ministers on Monday.Prayut asked the Interior Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry to cooperate in complying a comprehensive database of all income earners. The registration will focus on their income, assets and addresses, Pitipong added.“The government would like to know who the people in need are and where they live,” Pitipong said.“This has to be done because when the government handed out help, critics often said the aids did not reach the hands of the people in need.”He said the government would like to know the number of people in need of state assistance in each village. Not only farmers, but also vendors and workers and other professions will be registered, he added.Pitipong said government agencies concerned will have yet to consult how to carry out the registration but it must be done before the end of the current fiscal year or by the end of September.He said the information will be used in granting subsidies to rice and rubber farmers as well.
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Krabi:- Two Canadian tourists and a Thai speed boat driver were rescued in the Krabi sea after their boat capsized about one nautical mile off the Hang Nak cape Monday.The accident happened at noon off the coast of Moo 3 village in Tambon Nong Thalay in Krabi’s Mueang district.A fishing boat, named Kirasak, happened to be nearby and rescued the three who were holding on to the floating capsized boat.The fishing boat pulled the three from water and contacted the Navy officers at the Hang Nak cape to send a boat to take them ashore.The two tourists hired the unnamed speedboat, which is about 5-meter-long and one-meter-wide, to tour various islands in the Krabi sea.The boat was suddenly hit by a two-meter-high wave, causing it to overturn. Luckily, the fishing boat was nearby and saw the incident and rescued the three in time. The speedboat did not have any life vest.The accident happened just three days after a long-tailed passenger boat overturned in the Krabi sea at 3 pm on Friday.The boat was transporting five Thai passengers, four of them women, from Koh Hong to Ao Nang beach when strong waves hit the boat, causing its engine to break off. The boat is 2.7-meter-wide and 11.50-meter-long.Without the engine, the driver, Boonma Ahama, 29, could not control it, and it capsized.A fishing boat happened to be nearby and rescued the tourists and the boat driver. No one was injured.The fishing boat also towed the capsized boat ashore.
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Bangkok: – The country’s household debt soars to 80 per cent in seven years, a highest increase in the world, Finance Minister Sommai Phasee said.The soaring debt is one of the major economic woes and the government has to rule out consumption-led stimulus measures, Sommai said.Past populist policies have been seen as a quick fix for economic slowdown but this has also further put families into debt, he said.Plagued by debt-ridden families, the government could not rely on consumption to resolve economic doldrums, he said. Public investment remains the only option to stimulate the economy under the circumstances, he added.The government has projected slow economic recovery because it takes time to implement public investment projects, he said.The country’s exports are expected to experience low growth due to the world’s weak demands.The finance minister has conceded that Thai economy is in trouble and that economic revitalisation would not be speedy.He said the government is pinning its hopes on speeding up public investment projects at national and local levels. Spending through investment and routine expenditures would inject money into the economy.This would, in turn, help families to repay loans and to have more spending money for consumption.The government expected the economic recovery to be a slow process taking more than three to six months.In order to boost public spending, the Finance Ministry is mulling ways to increase the efficiency of tax collection in order to finance investment projects.Presently, the country’s tax collection stands at 18 per cent of GDP, a lowest rate in the world.In developed economies, tax collection is about 40 per cent of GDP.Inefficient tax collection has thwarted the government’s options in using fiscal measures to remedy the economy.
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Satun: – Provincial police have sought and received the court-approved warrants to arrest a drug gang member Natthaporn “Nik” Dumsin, 16, on charges related to the killing of two police officers.Based on police report, a police teamset up a road checkpoint on a local road at Manang district on Saturday. The team leader was Lt Colonel Jirapas Sengseng, deputy superintendent of Manang police station.The checkpoint was meant to curb the trafficking of krathom or mitragynaspeciosa, classified as illicit drugs in the same category of marijuana.At the checkpoint, a teenager drove motorcycle in a suspicious manner and refused to stop for check and questioning.Policemen recognised Natthaporn as the driver. Jirapas and the checkpoint team suspected him to involve in the krathom trafficking.Natthaporn had been lying low for months after Jirapas pressured him and his teenager gang.As he suddenly reappeared and evaded the checkpoint, Jirapas and Sergeant Thanasak Thorapis gave chase in a police pickup truck.Less than 10 minutes into the chase, the checkpoint team heard a series of gunfire at the rubber plantation nearby.Police went to investigate and found Thanasak dead on the driver’s seat at the scene. Jirapas sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died the following day at the hospital.At the scene, police collected 22 bullet cases and 16 unused bullets for M-16 assault rifle as evidence.Investigators suspect that Natthaporn was the bait to lure Jirapas for the killing.Satun police chief Maj General Sunthorn Chalermkiat said he believes Natthaporn is still hiding in the province as he is the son of a powerful local politician.Sunthorn said he expects the arrest of the suspect would lead to identifying the gunman or gunmen.
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Chum Phon:- The body of the navigator of a South Korean cargoes ship who accidently fell off the ship in Surat Thani last week has been found on a Chum Phon beach, police said.The body of Jong In Shang, 45, was found at 6:45 pm on Sunday on the Ban Klang Ao beach in Moo 13 village of Tambon Bong Maprao in Chum Phon’s Lang Suan district.He was wearing a blue mechanic uniform with the company tag of Han Chang Corporation. A Korean brand cigarette pack was found in his shirt pocket. He was about 170 to 175 tall.The man looked resemble to description of the missing navigator of Woohyun Hope cargoes ship of Woohyn Shipping Co Ltd who went missing on Wednesday after he was hit by a cable before he fell overboard.Nipon Jinkarn, 55, the representative of the ship filed a complaint with police in Surat Thani that Jong went missing after the accident.Nipon also confirmed with the Lang Suan police station that the body was Jong.Following the confirmation, police had government agencies concerned contact Jong’s wife in South Korea to receive the body for funeral service.Nipon said the accident happened at 1:30 pm Wednesday when the boat was anchored near Koh Pluay in the Ban Don Bay in Surat Thani’s Mueng district. The boat was waiting for the loading of gypsum and other goods for shipping to South Korea.The ship is a large ship with 1,346.36 cubic meters of displacement tonnage. It is 138 meter long and 35.66 meter tall.On that day, Jong was directing a rehearsal to evacuate crew to rescue boats. A cable accidentally slipped off and hit Jong, sending him overboard and he disappeared. He was believed to be knocked unconscious by the cable.
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Surat Thani:- The Surat Thani police chief Monday instructed police on Koh Pha Ngan to launch a manhunt for a Russian who has posted an online ad to sell ‘bongs’ or water pipes made of bamboo for smoking marijuana.The man uses a Russian name as КакoвПанганец and he has posted the ad on the Samui Sell and Buy Facebook page. His ad was posted in both Russian and English, offering to sell bong for Bt500 each.The ad has been widely shared by Facebook users.Surat Thani police chief Pol Maj Gen Apichart Boonsriroj said he had instructed Koh Pha Ngan police chief Col Prachum Ruangthong to hunt for the Russian.The Russian posted that he was living on Koh Pha Ngan and the bongs had been made with high-quality bamboos.Apichart said the advertisement blatantly violated and defied Thai laws and was unacceptable.The Russian man also posted an album of photos showing a man lying under marijuana trees. The Russian uses a picture of an old man smoking a bong as his profile picture. The cover photo of the album is a teenage farang wearing green shorts and lying on the ground with marijuana trees surrounding him.The post said there are handmade bamboo bongs on sale and the bongs are made in “Thai style [with] love and soul”. The post claimed the bongs are easy to use and environment friendly.The post said the bongs with drawings will be added with surcharge and the bongs are available in various sizes.
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Hua Hin:- Relevant authorities are now spending Bt20million on improving safety at a railroad crossing in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district.The crossing at the Bon Kai intersection will be equipped with railway signaling system.“This crossing is curvy and narrow too. So, we will adjust the landscape to turn it into a straight line,” Transport Ministry’s permanent secretary Soithip Trisuddhi says.On Saturday, she inspected the spot herself in response to a complaint that the crossing threatens to cause a series of accidents. Hua Hin is a popular beach destination just a few-hour drive from Bangkok.According to Soitip, the budget for improvement comes from the Hua Hin Municipality, the Highways Department and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).Soithip says SRT is also planning to improve 2,000 railroad crossings across the country before the end of next year under the budget of Bt20billion.“Improvements may come in the forms of overpasses, underpasses, traffic lights, and corduroys,” she says.There have been many train accidents in Thailand in recent years, though not all are related to railroad crossings. The latest train accident took place last Thursday - just one day after the SRT celebrated its 118th anniversary.An ongoing investigation suggests that a train driver failed to heed to a “stop” sign and crashed his train into another train on track. The incident injured more than 50 victims, including SRT officials. Some of them sustained serious injuries. One train technician lost an arm.
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Bangkok:- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has admitted that its Smart Taxi Stands project has failed but the stands will not be demolished.Traipop Khantayaporn, director of the Traffic System Development Davison of the BMA’s Traffic and Transport Department, said the stands will be further developed to be put in good use for public services.Traipop said the project was launched in 2005 by then BMA governor Apirak Kosayothin.The project provided roadside spots for taxis to park to wait for passengers. In case, no taxi is available, passengers can press a button and the system will alert taxis, which are members of the network, through GPS navigation system. There is also a panel for passengers to monitor the location of taxis that are coming to pick them up.The operator of the service is allowed to have an advertisement board at each stand in exchange.Traipop said the system became a failure because when passengers pressed the button, other taxis on the street pick them up before those on the network could reach the scene, prompting taxis to leave the network. The problems prompted passengers to stop using the stands eventually.Tripop said the 150 stands are in several districts in the capital, including Phra Nakhon, Ratchathewi, Pathumwan, Bang Rak, and Pomprab.He said the stands will not be demolished but they will be developed to allow passengers to wait for taxis with more convenience and safety. The BMA will make the stand safer by installing security cameras.Some stands will turn into a bicycle parking facility. Other stands will remain taxi stands with smart panels that displays online maps of Bangkok streets with current traffic information.Tripop said passengers can enter destinations on the map and the system will display estimated fare and travelling time, for example.
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Pattaya, Chon Buri:- A Chinese tourist was severely injured after he jumped off from a songtaew bus on a Pattaya road early Monday, police said.His friends told police that Wei Lei, 25, was apparently drunk and he made the jump after he had a quarrel with his girlfriend.Pol Lt Col Pasawat Siripornnopphakhun, an interrogator on duty of Pattaya police station, was alerted at 1:10 am that a Chinese tourist fell from a songtaew, a truck modified as bus with two rows of seats, on the Third Pattaya Road in Central Pattaya in Moo 9 village in Tambon Nongplue of Bang Lamung district.Pasawat rushed to the scene with rescuers from the Sawang Boriboon Pattaya Foundation and found Wei lying unconsciously on the road with a pool of blood from his head. The rescuers performed a first aid and rushed him to the Pattaya Memorial Hospital.His friends told police that they had a party at a restaurant. After drinking for a while, Wei had a big quarrel with his girlfriend so the group decided to pay the bill and returned to their hotel in South Pattaya.The Chinese tourists took a songtaew to go to South Pattaya. The friends told police that Wei, who was drunk, tried to jump off the songtaew but the friends stopped him in the first attempt.While the friends were unaware, Wei jumped again – successfully this time.Pasawat said the hospital informed police that Wei suffered severe head injury and his was in a critical condition. He was put in intensive care unit under close watch of doctors.
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Bangkok: – Police have arrested and charged Anon Phimnu, 28, for physical assault causing death of his stepson Natcha Boonruam, aged 2.Anon is being detained at Nimit Mai police station, pending the completion of police report and the court’s remand hearing.The incident happened on Thursday at an apartment building in Khlong Sam Wa district.Neighbours filed a complaint alerting police that Anon had beaten Natcha unconscious. The boy was admitted at the district hospital and died two days later.The case doctor said the boy had broken rips cage and brain swelling.Based on the statement of witnesses, Anon dragged the boy out of their room before beating him near the stairs.He later carried the unconscious boy back to the room. He told his wife Suphanon Tawisut, 23, to tell “everyone” that the boy fell down the stairs. He then fled the scene.Neighbours later convinced Suphanon to allow them to rush the boy to the hospital.Police arrived at the scene and checked the security camera footage to confirm the beating.They managed to track down Anon in Kamphaengphet on Sunday before bringing him to face charges in Bangkok.Suphanon’s relatives said Anon had a history for domestic violence. His ex-wife moved out before he met Suphanon, they added.They said Suphanon refused to heed their advice against the marriage.For months, Anon would frequently beat Suphanon and Natcha after he got drunk.Nimit Mai police investigator Lt Colonel Chuchai Jabthian said he would oppose the bail for Anon on grounds for being a flight risk.If convicted, Anon is going to face imprisonment for three to 15 years.
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Songkhla: – A team of Crime Suppression Police investigators have been dispatched to Hat Yai district to look into the suspicious death of drug suspect Theerapat Serikiatdilok, 33.The case came to light after Theerapat’s father Somchai Serikiatdilok, 55, lodged a complaint last week voicing suspicions on police brutality and on his son’s cause of death.The government’s Damrong Chai Centre forwarded the complaint to national police chief General Somyos Pumpanmuang.Based on the complaint, a team of 10 provincial drug suppression policemen detained Theerapat at a police safe house on March 7.Somchai said the policemen wanted to coerce a confession on the charge for possession of illicit drugs although his son had no history of drug abuse.He said as he tried to locate his son, he learned about the forced disappearance involving police.Subsequently, the drug suppression team told him to pay 1 million in exchange for his son’s release, he said.While he was negotiating the reduction of the payment to 300,000 baht, he was informed on March 9 that his son hung himself and died.The preliminary autopsy report found bruises and broken ribs on his son’s body, he said, adding he wanted to clear lingering doubts on how and why his son had died.He said he suspected his son was the victim of brutality inflicted by the 10 policemen and that he would initiate criminal proceedings after getting the full autopsy report.Reacting to the complaint, Somyos issued a transfer order for the 10 and Songkhla police chiefMaj General Ampol Buarabporn to pave way for the investigation.After the job transfer took effect on Sunday, Ampol paid a visit to Somchai expressing regrets on the incident.Following their meeting, Somchai said he did not suspect Ampol’s involvement and that he just wanted the 10 policemen punished for their brutality.
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Bangkok:- A video clip showing a rag picker chatting in English with a foreign tourist has become a talk of the town and earned him a lot of praises.The clip was posted by a Facebook user, called Narin Nice, on Saturday. He said he spotted the rag picker in his neighborhood speaking to a foreign tourist in fluent English so he became impressive and shot the clip to share.At press time, the clip has been watched by over 323,200 times and it has been shared by over 1,900 times. More than 4,800 Facebook users have liked the post.In the clip, the foreign woman asked the rag picker about his family.Many Facebook uses said they were impressed to see it.A user, who goes by the name of AmBank Debsiri, said being a scavenger did not mean one lacked educationJikapus Akarananthawatna, another Facebook user, said the clip proved that the people could not be judged by their appearance.Another Facebook user, Arm’m Chanatip, said some people who graduated with a bachelor’s degree, could not speak English like the scavenger.Some Facebook users made tongue-in-cheek comments that the rag picker spoke English much better than the prime minister.But some Facebook users said they saw no need for them to be good at speaking English. Instead, they said farang should be forced to learn to speak Thai.Others said they did not understand why a person who can speak English should be praised.Another Facebook user, Laddawan Thaisongkram, said the man used to work as a tour guide and he found that he could earn more working as a scavenger.
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Bangkok:- A 56-year-old Australian businessman fell to his death from the rooftop of a Bangkok condominium in what believed to be a suicide, police said.Pol Lt Preecha Polsa, an interrogator on duty of Thung Mahamek police station, identified the Australian as Ellis Moate.Preecha said he was alerted of the fall from a condominium on Soi Silom 3 in Bang Rak district at 7:30 pm.He rushed to the scene with scientific crime detection officers, a doctor on duty and rescuers from a foundation.The officials found the body on a tennis court on the eighth floor of the 26-storey luxurious condominium. Moate was lying on his back and he was wearing a blue shirt and black trousers.His Thai wife testified to Preecha that Moate was a businessman and he had just returned from Australia on March 19. The couple were staying on the 17th floor.The wife said Moate also worked as a tennis tutor for residents of the condominium.Preecha said it was preliminary believed that Moate jumped from the rooftop of the condominium and it was an apparent suicide.Preecha said the Australian might have financial difficulty or might have quarreled with his young Thai wife.Preecha said police will check footage from security cameras and will further question the wife after she gets over her grief to determine the motive.Several foreigners’ suicides by jumping from condominiums have been reported recently. For example, a 70-year-old American jumped from a condominium on Soi Pridi Panomyong 14 on January 24 and was killed.On December 20, a 24-year-old Swedish tourist jumped from the Beverly Tower on Soi Sukhumvit 11 and was killed.
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Bangkok:- The Khlong San district has joined the rising trend of bicycle riding by launching an event to promote culture tourism.The event was called Riding@Khlong San and it was launched by Khlong San district office director Khanuengnij Trachuwanit.It was launched at 7 am to promote tourist spots in the district and to promote city residents to turn to use bicycles as a means of transport.Those who joined the activity started riding from the Khlong San district to 23 tourist spots nearby. The ride ended at the Jam Factory, a popular site that has a bookstore, a photo gallery, a coffee shop and a restaurant.Khanuengnij said the Riding@Khlong San activity was just the start of a series of activities to promote bike routes for culture tourism in the district.The next activity will be called Selfie@Khlong San in which bicyclists will be encouraged to take selfie photos with their bikes and tourist spots in the district.The bicyclists are then encouraged to post the photos on the Facebook page of the Khlong San district with a short message, telling why they are impressed at the spots.Those who post the photos will be liable for a bicycle and other rewards that will be handed out throughout April, the Khlong San director said.She said the two activities should promote culture tourism in the district and campaign for Bangkok residents to use bicycles much more often.Bicycle riding has become increasingly popular among Bangkok residents after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he will have more bike lanes built in the capital and around the country to promote tourism.
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Phuket:- Local residents and tourists in the southern island resort province of Phuket spotted lights of unknown objects in the sky over Phuket Sea Saturday night, leading to a search for a possible crashed plane.Thairath Online reported that many Phuket residents called the tourist’s emergency center of the Phuket Provincial Administration to report that they saw several big lights of unidentified objects before they disappeared into the sea.The skipper of a fishing boat informed the center that he believed the lights disappeared into the sea about 20 kilometers off the beach in front of the Phuket International Airport.Following the calls, Kecha Krohlek, the head of Moo 2 village in Tambon Choeng Thalay, took out a boat with rescuers to search the spot because the skipper believed the lights belonged to a crashing plane. The search was called off four hours later as no debris was found.The lights were also seen by people on Kata beach, Karon beach, and Rawai beach. Some took photos and video clips with their mobile phones. Thairath said some local residents suggested that the fires might be caused by a naga, the large-large-snake-like creature in Thai literature.But some officials told Thairath that the lights might be burning and falling parts of the PSLV-C27 rocket launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR in India.Earlier, the Science Ministry has alerted provinces on the Andaman coast that falling parts of the rocket could land on the Andaman Sea any day from March 9 to April 8. The ministry said the rocket used for delivering an Indian satellite to its orbit will pass over the sea from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
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Kanchanaburi:– Pinij Sithikul, 48, died in an accident as he was apparently drunk when crossing the track and getting hit by the locomotive during a chase to assault his wife, a police officer said.Alerted about the accident last night, Police Lieutenant Thanawat Suwanwechoof Mueang Kanchanaburi police station went to investigate at the scene.Thanawat found the body of Pinij in the middle of the train track near Ban Kao train station.Pinij’s head was crushed above the nose. His right angle was also crushed. A 60-centimeter machete was found dropped nearby the body.Police sent the body for autopsy at the provincial hospital.Based statement of witnesses, Pinij was out drinking with friends and appeared drunk upon returning home located near the train track.He got into an argument with his wife. As he picked up the machete, the wife fled the house and ran across the track.He gave chase wielding the machete and cut in front of the incoming locomotive which was trying to link with the train at Ban Kao station before travelling on to Bangkok’s Thonburi.Witnesses said he was trying to charge at his wife without looking before crossing the track.Neighbours said they heard frequent arguments between the husband and wife.The wife survived and was in shock. She could not give any statement.Thanawat said he would gather evidence before completing the police report. If there is evidence of negligence, the locomotive driver may face legal proceedings.
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Bangkok: – Food products and beverages are bestsellers in export markets under the One Tambon One Product programme, Office of Knowledge Management and Development said in a survey.The OKMD has released its survey of Otop products sold in 180 countries.Three Otop bestsellers are foods, household, gift and decorative items and clothes and fashion accessories.Under the category of food products and beverages, bestsellers include healthy processed snack food, dehydrated vegetables with artificial scent and organic rice.These three products are most popular in United States markets.The annual growth rate for exporting Otop food products is projected at 2.18 per cent for the next five years.Under the category of household, gift and decorative items, Otop products are most popular in Japan.The annual growth rate in Japanese markets is projected at 0.68 per cent.Singapore is the topmost export market for Otop products under the category of clothes and fashion accessories.The annual growth rate in Singapore markets is 2.28 per cent.The OKMD has launched a campaign designed to encourage Otop entrepreneurs to gain in-depth knowledge of demands in each product segment.Otop entrepreneurs should tailor their products for each specific market, the OKMD said.This year’s domestic demands for Otop products are estimated at 94.6 billion baht, an increase of 10 per cent.The exports of Otop products are projected at 10.5 billion baht, an increase of five per cent.In comparison the overall drop in Thai exports due to weakening demands, Otop products are seeing a steady growth in overseas markets.Otop food products are particularly popular among overseas consumers due to high quality at competitive price, the OKMD said.
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Bangkok:- London Street has literally materialized in Bangkok thanks to a new initiative of MK Restaurant Group.Developed under Bt300million budget, this initiative has created a food mall on the Pattanakarn Road under the “London chic” theme.So, this mall exudes the feel of London from the exterior to the interior. Replicas of Big Ben, a red rear-entrance bus, and a black cab are what visitors to London Street can enjoy.But apart from opportunities to indulge in London-like atmosphere, customers can also enjoy MK Restaurant Group’s food. The mall features five MK Restaurant Group brands: MK itself, Le Siam, Miyazaki, Yayoi, and Le Petit.Sitting on a 1.8 rai plot of land, London Street offers 2,500 square meters of utility space.MK Restaurant Group’s chief executive officer Rit Thirakomen says its London-chic concept is based on not just his personal taste but also the fact that many other Thais fall in love with London.“So, I think the London-chic design will color up our group’s first food mall,” he says.If London Street becomes a success, MK Restaurant Group plans to develop three such food malls in other corners of Bangkok. Their décor will be different though.“We are planning to develop the new food malls in the theme of Italy, France and New York,” Rit discloses, “But the plan will also depend on how well London Street performs”.MK Restaurant Group has decided to launch its first food mall on the Pattanakarn Road because the area has high traffic and purchasing power. In addition, there is no MK Restaurant Group’s outlet within 5-km radius from where the London Street is located.
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Koh Samui, Surat Thani:- A 68-year-old French woman was killed by a speeding big-bike motorcycle on Koh Sami road late Friday night, police said.Pol Lt Yossakorn Thongnoon, an officer on duty of Bophud police station, was alerted of the accident at 00:30 am Saturday, shortly after the crash.The police officer said the accident victim was later identified as Maria Josie Baldek.Yossakorn and a medical team from the Samui Hospital rushed to the scene in Moo 1 village in Tambon Bophud. The accident happened in front of an electric appliance shop.Police and rescuers of the foundation and medical officers found the body of the French woman lying on the middle of the road. Her left leg was cut off.Lying about 20 meters away was a Honda CBR300 motorcycle with a license plate of Kor Por 0139. The motorcycle was completely damaged.The rider of the motorcycle was identified as Jettiphan Yodsroy, 19. He was also injured and rescuers rushed him to the Samui Hospital.Witnesses told police that the woman walked from her hotel room to have dinner. She then she crossed the road to return to her room on the opposite side.Eyewitnesses told police that they saw Jettiphan speeding his motorcycle and hit the French woman.The impact caused her left leg to be severed and she died instantly.Following the crash, the motorcycle continued to move forward for about 20 meters before it stopped and Jettiphan was also injured.Police will arrest and charge him with reckless riding of a motorcycle, causing death.
Excitement builds for Songkran in Silom
in Bangkok
Posted
Bangkok – Are you ready folks? The city administration will host Songkran celebrations that include a concept of a "water tunnel" under the theme “Bangkok Songkran Festival @ Silom 2015 on April 12-14 from 3.00 pm to 9.00 pm.
Revellers can enjoy the 80-meter water tunnel on Silom Road and Metropolitan Waterworks Authority will supply water for the three-day festival of water splashing to mark the Thai New Year.
Bangkok governor’s advisor Vallop Suwandee has urged revellers to embrace a new dimension of the water-splashing festival by having fun without bullying the others.
This year’s festival highlights will feature Thai traditions such as the processions for revellers to pour water on Buddhist statues as a merit making, for Buddhist monks to hold blessing water ceremony, for pouring water on the elders and seeking their blessings.
In addition to the water tunnel for water splashing, entertainment stages will be set up along Silom.
Vallop said Silom Road has evolved into the popular venue for Songkran celebrations.
But in recent years, a number of revellers took advantage to transform the water splashing events into inappropriate activities, he said.
For the upcoming celebrations in Silom area, the city authorities will ensure safety, alcohol sale ban, no nudity and no use of powder, he said.
Only safe and clean water will be allowed for revellers, he said.
He calls on revellers to cooperate and send out a strong message to the world for upholding the tradition without resorting to nudity, bullying and drinking binge.
Street hawkers on Silom Road will not be allowed to sell alcohol and powder during the festival. This is meant to curb drunkenness, street brawls and physical and sexual violations.