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Crime British Teen Thought as Missing in Thailand Found Arrested in Georgia
18 year old drug mule. Well Ido not have any sympathy. Hope she enjoys the jail in Georgia. -
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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Saturday 17 May 2025
Pattaya’s 345-Million-Baht Marina Parking Project Left Abandoned for 17 Years Picture courtesy of Sophon A long-abandoned marina parking project in South Pattaya has become a stark symbol of failed urban planning, poor project management, and wasteful public spending, with over 345 million baht of taxpayer funds yielding nothing but rust and rubble. Full story:https://aseannow.com/topic/1360883-pattaya’s-345-million-baht-marina-parking-project-left-abandoned-for-17-years/ -
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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Saturday 17 May 2025
Premchai, 14 Others Remanded in Custody Following Fatal Bangkok Building Collapse President of Italian-Thai Development Co Premchai Karnasuta, on a wheelchair, leaves the Bang Sue police station to a criminal court for a pre-trail detention in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) In a dramatic turn of events, the Ratchada Criminal Court on May 16 denied bail and ordered the detention of Premchai Karnasuta, the president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, along with 14 others. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1360884-premchai-14-others-remanded-in-custody-following-fatal-bangkok-building-collapse/ -
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Report Premchai, 14 Others Remanded in Custody Following Fatal Bangkok Building Collapse
President of Italian-Thai Development Co Premchai Karnasuta, on a wheelchair, leaves the Bang Sue police station to a criminal court for a pre-trail detention in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) In a dramatic turn of events, the Ratchada Criminal Court on May 16 denied bail and ordered the detention of Premchai Karnasuta, the president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, along with 14 others. These individuals are implicated in the catastrophic collapse of the State Audit building in Bangkok, which occurred during the March 28 earthquake. Although the tragedy claimed the lives of around 92 people, the gravity of the incident extends beyond the casualty figures, sending ripples of fear and concern through the public. The court cited the likelihood of the defendants fleeing as the primary reason for denying their bail plea. Furthermore, it advised that the Thai police still need to question 15 more witnesses as part of an ongoing investigation. Italian-Thai Development Plc, the main contractor of the ill-fated building, now finds itself in the spotlight along with its top executives, designers, and engineers. Of the 17 charged, two suspects successfully postponed their surrender for documentation reasons, set to resolve by May 19. During transport, Premchai was given special arrangements due to his health condition. While the other detainees travelled to court in a van, Premchai was transported separately in a pickup truck, owing to his need for a wheelchair and urinary catheter. This arrangement followed authorities enforcing equal treatment for all defendants, despite Premchai's initial request to use his own vehicle. This legal debacle is not Premchai's first. Back in 2019, he served two and a half years in prison for wildlife offences. These charges followed the discovery of illegal hunting at a sanctuary, involving the carcasses of protected animals like a rare black panther. The scandal over these hunts shocked the nation, further complicating Premchai’s public profile and compounding his legal troubles. As the investigation unfolds, the implications of the building's collapse, both legal and societal, await further clarity. With additional witnesses and reports pending, the ramifications for those implicated remain a focal point of public anticipation. The case currently stands as a stark reminder of the serious repercussions when negligence occurs in major infrastructure projects in Thailand. Adapted by ASEAN Now from Thai Newsroom 2025-05-17 -
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Report Pattaya’s 345-Million-Baht Marina Parking Project Left Abandoned for 17 Years
Picture courtesy of Sophon A long-abandoned marina parking project in South Pattaya has become a stark symbol of failed urban planning, poor project management, and wasteful public spending, with over 345 million baht of taxpayer funds yielding nothing but rust and rubble. The South Pattaya Marina Parking Facility, located near the Bali Hai Pier, was envisioned in 2008 as a state-of-the-art docking and vehicle parking solution to alleviate congestion and support the city’s booming marine tourism industry. Funded with a staggering 735 million baht from central government coffers, the project comprised two major components: an automated car park for 417 vehicles and a hydraulic boat parking system capable of accommodating over 360 vessels. While the car park component is in limited operation, the marina itself has never been functional since completion in October 2013. Now, nearly two decades after construction began, the facility lies deteriorated and unusable, a cautionary tale of what can happen when large-scale infrastructure projects are poorly conceived and executed. The irony is stark. Pattaya is currently undergoing a dramatic transformation in a bid to revive its status as a tourist destination post-COVID. City officials have heavily promoted revitalisation projects through mainstream and social media, including upgrades to Bali Hai Pier, Pattaya’s main marine transport hub, which can see over 10,000 tourists daily travelling to destinations like Koh Larn. Millions of baht have been invested into improved roofing for weather protection, upgraded floating pontoons to support tourist vessels, and newly allocated budgets to tackle long-neglected issues such as public toilet facilities. Pattaya is actively marketing itself as a model city of “universal design” and tourism infrastructure excellence. But amidst this forward-looking vision lies a forgotten megaproject. The marina parking facility was designed to be a game-changer. Instead, it was a logistical and technical failure from the start. The hydraulic system, intended to lift and store boats safely out of the water, was never operational. Boat operators complained early on that the system was incapable of handling real-world conditions, rendering the docks unusable for the speedboats servicing the area. Compounding the issue, in 2015, just two years after the project was completed, Tropical Storm Vamco (locally known as “Wa Mok Ko”) struck South Pattaya. The resulting storm surge and sediment accumulation severely damaged the underwater infrastructure. Large parts of the hydraulic system were buried and now corroded beyond repair. Although the city filed legal action against the project designers, Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court later ruled that the city itself bore responsibility due to inadequate feasibility studies and failure to anticipate environmental risks. Critics, including local stakeholders, say the city’s failure to consult marine operators and industry professionals during the planning phase was a fatal flaw. Instead of designing a system tailored to real operational needs, city officials approved blueprints disconnected from practical maritime realities. Moreover, the complete absence of a long-term maintenance plan and the failure to conduct environmental impact assessments have only magnified the project’s deterioration. The South Pattaya Marina Parking Project stands today as a neglected concrete ghost facility overtaken by corrosion and tropical decay. It exemplifies the risks of fast-tracked development, top-down decision-making and superficial consultation with stakeholders. While Pattaya presses forward with new tourism initiatives, this abandoned marina should serve as a lasting reminder: real progress depends not just on spending, but on sound planning, inclusive design and sustainable management. City officials are now under increasing pressure to either rehabilitate the marina or formally decommission the site and reallocate future budgets with greater transparency and public input. Adapted by Asean Now from Sophon 2025-05-17. -
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THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Saturday 17 May 2025
Air Force Scrambles F-16s to Intercept Aircraft Near Kanchanaburi Border Picture courtesy of Khaosod. The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) deployed two F-16 fighter jets in an emergency operation after detecting a high-performance aircraft approaching Thai airspace near the western border province of Kanchanaburi. Full story:https://aseannow.com/topic/1360882-air-force-scrambles-f-16s-to-intercept-aircraft-near-kanchanaburi-border/
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