Thai police launch operation to uproot environmental crime gangs

[webfact]

Thai police launch operation to uproot environmental crime gangs
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, June 18 -- The Royal Thai Police has begun an operation to crack down on environmental crime, including illegal logging and wildlife trafficking.

Pol Gen Chalermkiat Srivorakhan, Inspector-general of the Royal Thai Police and director of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, held a meeting Tuesday to implement plans and strategies in combating environmental crime in the country.

Invited to the conference were representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, three branches of the military, police officers from across the country and the private sector.

Gen Chalermkiat said that the meeting was intended to strengthen Thailand's fight against illegal logging, encroachment and trafficking of plants and animals nationwide.

The crackdown operation is being conducted from today, June 18, to July 17.

The country has been color-coded into three zones--red, yellow and green--for monitoring the crimes nationwide.

The red zones cover 20 northern provinces where illegal logging is widespread, especially black wood and teak wood logging, while encroachment mainly occurs in Northern and Eastern regions, and hunting wildlife is found in every province, including Bangkok’s Chatuchak Market, where wild animals are sold.

Prevention measures include raising public awareness and encouraging the public to get involved by reporting any related crimes to hotline number 1136. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-06-18

[NomadJoe]

I hope they include marine environmental law breakers as well. Trawlers, fish traps, and fishing boats can be seen in protected marine sanctuaries and national parks around Phuket daily. Speed boats and long tails drop anchors on coral everywhere. Coral and shells are illegally collected then sold in several " souvenir shops in Rawai. Illegal sharks can be found at markets and restaurants, sometimes kept as pets.

Sent from my Lenovo A369i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited June 18, 2014 by NomadJoe

[ratcatcher]

CRACKDOWN.

[NongKhaiKid]

Was that an intentional pun ' Up root environmental crime gangs ' complete with a photo of a log ?

[FangFerang]

Why no mention of the villagers the mine poisoned ? -- and that was just two weeks ago? The owners thugs then attacked protesting villagers...then

the 'authorities' swept it back under the rug and the issue disappeared from the news.

[chainarong]

I think I am flogging the wrong horse this week , the problem with all these clamp downs is they must maintain the rage , not just have a couple of weeks of clamp downs, it needs to be 24/7 , 365 night and day ,this is Thailand, give it six months and see where it all is, back like the bad old days.

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

CRACKDOWN. alt=clap2.gif> alt=whistling.gif>

Another ONE

[cloudhopper]

Noticed several truckloads of Army and bib moving into Pai this afternoon - certainly no shortage of deforestation here.

[northernjohn]

Well it looked good until I noticed they were giving the dates they would be in operation.

One month I don't think so.

[Tokay]

Crackdown, make press, look at us we're doing our job, forgotten about and business as usual in a couple of weeks.

[ezzra]

'"to uproot environmental crime gangs" No pun intended......

[boomerangutang]

....oh, and don't forget to telegraph your intentions to the culprits.

[smutcakes]

Why no mention of the villagers the mine poisoned ? -- and that was just two weeks ago? The owners thugs then attacked protesting villagers...then

the 'authorities' swept it back under the rug and the issue disappeared from the news.

Probably because it was rumored that their were powerful army personnel involved in either/both the mining company, or involved with the intimidation of the residents.

[AleG]

The difference between this crackdown and "crackdowns" during previous governments is that things are patently being done, in fact the crackdown, specially against logging, has been going on before this announcement.

Why no mention of the villagers the mine poisoned ? -- and that was just two weeks ago? The owners thugs then attacked protesting villagers...then

the 'authorities' swept it back under the rug and the issue disappeared from the news.

Probably because it was rumored that their were powerful army personnel involved in either/both the mining company, or involved with the intimidation of the residents.

Most probably because you two haven't been paying attention to the news:

Army tries to resolve gold-mine conflict
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Army has moved in to solve the conflict between local villagers and gold mine operators in Loei's Wang Saphung district, while the mine personnel removed their belongings to make way for the mine's 90-day temporary closure.

[smutcakes]

The difference between this crackdown and "crackdowns" during previous governments is that things are patently being done, in fact the crackdown, specially against logging, has been going on before this announcement.

Why no mention of the villagers the mine poisoned ? -- and that was just two weeks ago? The owners thugs then attacked protesting villagers...then

the 'authorities' swept it back under the rug and the issue disappeared from the news.

Probably because it was rumored that their were powerful army personnel involved in either/both the mining company, or involved with the intimidation of the residents.

Most probably because you two haven't been paying attention to the news:

Army tries to resolve gold-mine conflict

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Army has moved in to solve the conflict between local villagers and gold mine operators in Loei's Wang Saphung district, while the mine personnel removed their belongings to make way for the mine's 90-day temporary closure.

That is one article, there are plenty out there which also suggest the army's involvement in the conflict, or at least some persons from the army.

How many people have been arrested and charged in these crackdowns?

[soalbundy]

This wont go down well, too many influential people making money from destroying the environment, by the way where is Billy ?

[tingtongteesood]

I think I am flogging the wrong horse this week , the problem with all these clamp downs is they must maintain the rage , not just have a couple of weeks of clamp downs, it needs to be 24/7 , 365 night and day ,this is Thailand, give it six months and see where it all is, back like the bad old days.

You keep saying that. Why do you always have to be so darn negative ?! Be happy anything is happening at all and let's wait and see how it goes mr. gloom and doom....I guess you can't give them any credit since they ousted your beloved PT criminals ay ?

[tingtongteesood]

Crackdown, make press, look at us we're doing our job, forgotten about and business as usual in a couple of weeks.

Are you another Thaksin fanboy determined to be a Debbie downer about anything and everything the army do right now, however good for the people and the country it is ?

[AleG]

The difference between this crackdown and "crackdowns" during previous governments is that things are patently being done, in fact the crackdown, specially against logging, has been going on before this announcement.

Probably because it was rumored that their were powerful army personnel involved in either/both the mining company, or involved with the intimidation of the residents.

Most probably because you two haven't been paying attention to the news:

Army tries to resolve gold-mine conflict

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Army has moved in to solve the conflict between local villagers and gold mine operators in Loei's Wang Saphung district, while the mine personnel removed their belongings to make way for the mine's 90-day temporary closure.

That is one article, there are plenty out there which also suggest the army's involvement in the conflict, or at least some persons from the army.

How many people have been arrested and charged in these crackdowns?

No links to those articles?

[unanimosity]

I hope they include marine environmental law breakers as well. Trawlers, fish traps, and fishing boats can be seen in protected marine sanctuaries and national parks around Phuket daily. Speed boats and long tails drop anchors on coral everywhere. Coral and shells are illegally collected then sold in several " souvenir shops in Rawai. Illegal sharks can be found at markets and restaurants, sometimes kept as pets.

Sent from my Lenovo A369i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

That would be too substantive. Crackdowns are about appearances and it is hard to see the marine infractions. It is all temporary any way, in an effort to climb out of the black list cellar. Then it will be pillage as usual.

[unanimosity]

CRACKDOWN.

Another hub.

[belg]

i hope the coup makers are still in power in november, when the north start to burn trash in the mountains ... to stop the pollution (or not)

[MyFriend You]

I hope they include marine environmental law breakers as well. Trawlers, fish traps, and fishing boats can be seen in protected marine sanctuaries and national parks around Phuket daily. Speed boats and long tails drop anchors on coral everywhere. Coral and shells are illegally collected then sold in several " souvenir shops in Rawai. Illegal sharks can be found at markets and restaurants, sometimes kept as pets.

Sent from my Lenovo A369i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

???

Illegal sharks..............what species would they be?? pictures are worth a thousand words............

[soalbundy]

I hope they include marine environmental law breakers as well. Trawlers, fish traps, and fishing boats can be seen in protected marine sanctuaries and national parks around Phuket daily. Speed boats and long tails drop anchors on coral everywhere. Coral and shells are illegally collected then sold in several " souvenir shops in Rawai. Illegal sharks can be found at markets and restaurants, sometimes kept as pets.

Sent from my Lenovo A369i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

???

Illegal sharks..............what species would they be?? pictures are worth a thousand words............

The ones doing displays without a work permit let alone visa's

[NomadJoe]

I hope they include marine environmental law breakers as well. Trawlers, fish traps, and fishing boats can be seen in protected marine sanctuaries and national parks around Phuket daily. Speed boats and long tails drop anchors on coral everywhere. Coral and shells are illegally collected then sold in several " souvenir shops in Rawai. Illegal sharks can be found at markets and restaurants, sometimes kept as pets.

Sent from my Lenovo A369i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

???

Illegal sharks..............what species would they be?? pictures are worth a thousand words............

Ok, Mr. Grammerpants, "illegally possessed sharks." That better?

Hammerheads, porbeagle sharks, whale sharks, sharks under 50cm, sharks caught in a national park or marine sanctuary, and sharks caught for the purpose of being sold into the underground aquarium trade which flourishes in Bangkok.

Edited June 21, 2014 by NomadJoe

[NomadJoe]

I hope they include marine environmental law breakers as well. Trawlers, fish traps, and fishing boats can be seen in protected marine sanctuaries and national parks around Phuket daily. Speed boats and long tails drop anchors on coral everywhere. Coral and shells are illegally collected then sold in several " souvenir shops in Rawai. Illegal sharks can be found at markets and restaurants, sometimes kept as pets.

Sent from my Lenovo A369i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

That would be too substantive. Crackdowns are about appearances and it is hard to see the marine infractions. It is all temporary any way, in an effort to climb out of the black list cellar. Then it will be pillage as usual.

Well my island is free of tuk tuk salas and 100 of them just got arrest thanks to "Uncle Pryuth", plus there are virtually no more loris touts, so I would say things are finally getting substantive. I like this guy more everyday.