Thai officials clarify 'Somalian Crown Prince' news reports

[webfact]

Officials Clarify 'Somalian Crown Prince' News Reports

By Khaosod English


Beeldaaje Mohamed, a community leader mistaken for the "crown prince" of Somalia, visits Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Bangkok.

BANGKOK — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement clarifying that, despite a number of media reports, the republic of Somalia does not in fact have a Crown Prince.

Officials at the Ministry said they have received questions regarding recent news reports, which appeared in Manager ASTV and Daily News newspapers, claiming that an heir to the throne of Somalia visited a famous botany park in Chonburi province on 19 April.

The reports identified the "crown prince" as Beeldaaje Mohamed, and said he was accompanied by the "Ambassador of Somalia" in Bangkok, "Sultan Mustafa Oyasi."

According to the reports from the two newspapers, Mr. Mohamed was given a regal welcome by a group of Nong Nooch Tropical Garden executives. His entourage was also escorted on a tour around the facility.

Manager ASTV and Daily News quoted Mr. Mohamed as saying that he would like to encourage Thai tourists to visit Somalia, especially because the country has experienced a brief lull of peace in recent months.

The news caused some confusion shortly after it was first published, due to Somalia's official status as a republic.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement explaining that Mr. Mohamed was in fact a "community leader" in the Somalian state of Puntland, meaning he is an heir to the throne of one many tribal groups in the region.

According to officials, Mr. Mohamed arranged a private visit to Nong Nooch park through a Thai businessman who has been living in Somalia since last month. It is understood that a miscommunication may have led the park executives to miskate Mr. Mohamed for a national monarch.

As for the man who was identified as the Ambassador of Somalia in Bangkok, the MFA statement said he was most likely a personal representative of Mr. Mohamed because Thailand has no official diplomatic channels with Somalia and there is Somalian embassy in Bangkok.

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden executives are not immediately available for comment, but a representative says the company may release a statement later.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1398323554


-- Khaosod English 2014-04-24

[RubbaJohnny]

Wonda if finge prince detector was fawlty.

This stunt is nothing new

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadnought_hoax

[Showbags]

Nice dress for a pirate.

[otherstuff1957]

Is this visit part of the "a Thai businessman who has been living in Somalia since last month"'s ransom?

[issanaus]

Does he want to buy some rice

," don't need to pay any thing" -" just say you have bought it."

"And by the way can you give us a letter of support for an election because your country is more democratic than ours"

[Kerryd]

Wonder if they charged him the "foreigner" price for admission to Nong Nooch !

(Wonder if he had a briefcase full of "Hi (insert name here). I am Somali Prince that needs your help to move 10s of millions of dollars out of my country. Send me your banking details and wire transfer me $500 US to cover the bank transfer fees" letters.)

Edited April 24, 2014 by Kerryd

[siampolee]

Brings to mind the two scenarios that occurred in England in the early 1900's. Both were super pranks.Virginia Woolf played a starring part in the prank which after the initial rage subsided it was treated as a splendid jape. Below in the quote box you will find a couple of links to the hoax

The Dreadnought hoax was a practical joke pulled by Horace de Vere Cole in 1910. Cole tricked the Royal Navy into showing their flagship, the battleship HMS Dreadnought, to a fake delegation of Abyssinian royals. The hoax drew attention in Britain to the emergence of the Bloomsbury Group, among whom some of Cole's collaborators numbered. The hoax was a repeat of a similar impersonation which Cole and Adrian Stephen had organised while they were students at Cambridge in 1905.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadnought_hoax http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/dreadnought_hoax/

Edited April 24, 2014 by siampolee

[bigbamboo]

Better not make any negative comments.

They might have lese majeste laws in the Republic of Somalia too.

[Bakseeda]

Well blow me down, looks like The Last King of Scotland....

[Lupatria]

That's what you get when an entire nation bows down in front of every black Mercedes, Rolex watch or a guy in a fancy medal studded uniform, waiting for the Prince of Beverly Hills to show up.

[siampolee]

As a humorous aside I can remember this character from my attending the Derby, Royal Ascot, and other great horse racing events with a family member who was a trainer owner in those days ( 1955-1970) Sadly characters like Prince Monolulu Of Raz seemed to vanish completely from the English horse racing scene after his death in 1965

Ras Prince Monolulu (26 October 1881 – 14 February 1965), whose real name was Peter Carl Mackay (or McKay), was a horse-racingtipster, and something of an institution on the British racing scene from the 1920s until the time of his death.^[1] He was particularly noticeable for his brightly coloured clothing; as a tipster, one of his best known phrases was the cry "I gotta horse!", which was subsequently the title of his memoirs.

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Monolulu}

Edited April 24, 2014 by siampolee

[TVGerry]

Are we surprised with this embarrassing screw up? Surapong leads the FM so what do you expect? All he's good at is getting passports for his criminal relative and holding press conferences about how other countries support his government!

[Bluespunk]

"Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement explaining that Mr. Mohamed was in fact a "community leader" in the Somalian state of Puntland, meaning he is an heir to the throne of one many tribal groups in the region."

Ministry of Foreign Affairs might also want to note that Puntland considers itself to be an independent state from Somalia.

[siampolee]

Thai at heart post # 12

Why is this news?

To show us just how illiterate the M.F.A. and the Thai executives are at Nong Nuch Garden, hopefully they will indeed soon be EX executives.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement explaining that Mr. Mohamed was in fact a "community leader" in the Somalian state of Puntland, meaning he is an heir to the throne of one many tribal groups in the region.

Did they do they not understand what a republic is at the M.F.A.?

[Brigante7]

Mustafa been a fake story.

[bigbamboo]

I can just imagine some Nigerian scam artist composing an email right now.

'Before my high ranking pirate daddy was made to the walk the plank he slipped me a treasure map........'

[ezzra]

" the country has experienced a brief lull of peace in recent months."

Brief lull ? few months? where was this man living in the last 10 years? under a rock

or the bottom of the Mariana trench?

[RubbaJohnny]

Is this visit part of the "a Thai businessman who has been living in Somalia since last month"'s ransom?

Mug I dish you

[somchaismith]

A Nigerian 419er?

[RubbaJohnny]

Brings to mind the two scenarios that occurred in England in the early 1900's. Both were super pranks.Virginia Woolf played a starring part in the prank which after the initial rage subsided it was treated as a splendid jape. Below in the quote box you will find a couple of links to the hoax

The Dreadnought hoax was a practical joke pulled by Horace de Vere Cole in 1910. Cole tricked the Royal Navy into showing their flagship, the battleship HMS Dreadnought, to a fake delegation of Abyssinian royals. The hoax drew attention in Britain to the emergence of the Bloomsbury Group, among whom some of Cole's collaborators numbered. The hoax was a repeat of a similar impersonation which Cole and Adrian Stephen had organised while they were students at Cambridge in 1905.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreadnought_hoax http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/dreadnought_hoax/

I've been impersonating a good husband for ages,the trick is don't get caught

[RubbaJohnny]

"Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement explaining that Mr. Mohamed was in fact a "community leader" in the Somalian state of Puntland, meaning he is an heir to the throne of one many tribal groups in the region."

Ministry of Foreign Affairs might also want to note that Puntland considers itself to be an independent state from Somalia.

A hub for Punters,Theland of smirks opens it arms and legs to honable gents with cash, discount does not inc ladies drink or re-entry

[Thaiisnotrequired]

Thai at heart post # 12

Why is this news?

To show us just how illiterate the M.F.A. and the Thai executives are at Nong Nuch Garden, hopefully they will indeed soon be EX executives.

Executives of a Garden?

Oh.. yes.. my apologies.. they are executives........ they have a white suit with badges, crescents, stars and stripes...... that's ok then. Official.

[RubbaJohnny]

For those who prefer to esCHEW the heir apparent,full Brazilain caparinhas on Copacabana yes some of the finest bums in the world at Goblet shack beach Copa Cabana

[RubbaJohnny]

Thai at heart post # 12

Why is this news?

To show us just how illiterate the M.F.A. and the Thai executives are at Nong Nuch Garden, hopefully they will indeed soon be EX executives.

Executives of a Garden?

Oh.. yes.. my apologies.. they are executives........ they have a white suit with badges, crescents, stars and stripes...... that's ok then. Official.

I believe my valet calls them footmen ,navvies or undergardeners, best not to soil yourself with agricultural aromas

[Basil B]

"Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement explaining that Mr. Mohamed was in fact a "community leader" in the Somalian state of Puntland, meaning he is an heir to the throne of one many tribal groups in the region."

Ministry of Foreign Affairs might also want to note that Puntland considers itself to be an independent state from Somalia.

I suppose ones status in Somali depends on how much ransom money one has acquired.

[binjalin]

Hoist the Jolly Roger!

Edited April 24, 2014 by binjalin

[The stuttering parrot]

How about the mad monk!

He deserves the same headlines!

[Ulic]

You can fool some of the people some of the time but even in Thailand you can't fool all of the people

all of the time. But a great deal of face loss for a few people.

[Bluespunk]

"Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement explaining that Mr. Mohamed was in fact a "community leader" in the Somalian state of Puntland, meaning he is an heir to the throne of one many tribal groups in the region."

Ministry of Foreign Affairs might also want to note that Puntland considers itself to be an independent state from Somalia.

I suppose ones status in Somali depends on how much ransom money one has acquired.

Puntland has been remarkably stable since it split from Somalia in 1998. Lot safer there than most of Somalia for sure.

[jcb2001]

Wait a minute, this could be an excellent opportunity for CT-PM Yingluck to establish a monumental trade and tourism deal with another African nation. I can see Yingluck frothing at the mouth as she tells the world that she is relevant and has a major accomplishment now under her belt. "Welcome Somalia to Thailand".