A hired gunman has told police in Phang Nga province in southern Thailand that he was paid just 2,500 baht to commit murder.
The money came from a person who was owed money by the victim and who claimed that they were stabbed after going to try and get it back.
Leuang, 38, a crab forager from Buriram, was found in a ditch in a palm oil plantation in the Takuathung police jurisdiction.
She had been shot in the head.
Police soon arrested Phakorn, 26, the hired killer at a house in Muang district and took a shotgun and ammunition into evidence.
After the suspect was questioned a warrant for the arrest of the person who hired him was sought.
Phakorn – charged with murder and weapons' offences – admitted everything, said provincial police chief Pol Maj-Gen Tharatcha Thomphat yesterday.
The killer said that he went to the palm plantation and had a short chat with the intended victim.
He then shot her in the head and fled the scene. He said he didn't know how much the murdered woman had owed but the person who hired him had said when they went to get it back Leuang had stabbed them.
Maj-Gen Tharatcha confirmed the details saying it was a case of revenge and in the public interest in the area.
A warrant for the person who hired Phakorn had been applied for. – Sanook
First post-lockdown tourists land at Phuket airport
PHUKET: The first international tourists to land at Phuket International Airport since the COVID-19 lockdown began eight months ago, arrived in Phuket today (Dec 18).
Without any fanfare before the historic event, the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department of Thailand (PR Phuket) announced the news with a Facebook post at 5:49pm this evening with the headline "Ministry of Foreign Affairs Facilitates Qatar Airlines to Phuket".
The 30 passengers arrived on Qatar Airways Flight QR 978 direct from Doha, touching down in Phuket at 11:45am today, said the report.
The 30 passengers comprised 25 foreign tourists and five Thai nationals.
The report noted that the passengers arrived on a "regular flight" (scheduled) and that "all passengers entering the province will go through the quarantine process (ALQ)."
"Previously, the Phuket Passport Office under the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has facilitated the easing of visa measures for foreigners who wish to travel to Phuket to help stimulate and revitalise the Thai economy, especially in tourism, which has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis," the report said.
"There will be other commercial airlines flying directly to Phuket in the near future as well," the post concluded.
Samut Sakhon's normally busy fish markets paid the penalty on Friday after a prawn-seller in the city tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.
The Talay Thai market and Mae Klong Fish market were deserted by customers even though the infected woman worked at a separate market, Talad Krong, which sells only prawn.
Almost no trade was done at the city's two main fish markets on Friday, after shoppers mistook them for the source of the latest domestic case of Covid-19, said Kamjon Mongkoltrilak, president of the Fisheries Association of Thailand.
"I would like to clarify that the woman infected with Covid-19 owns a prawn shop at a separate location from the fish markets. The woman's shop sold no seafood, only prawn raised in ponds."
He added that Talay Thai market and Mae Klong Fish market were also separate markets, but media had used photos of both in their news coverage of the Covid-19 case. This had confused shoppers and scared them away from both markets, he said.
Mongkol Mongkoltrilak, president of Samut Sakhon Fisheries Association, confirmed that the freshwater prawn shop owned by the infected woman had no link with the two markets at all. He insisted that the two fish markets were still safe.
The misleading news coverage would impact around 100,000 people who work in the two markets and their estimated Bt1 billion annual trade, said Mongkol Sukcharoenkana, former president and adviser of the Fisheries Association of Thailand.
Mongkol added that boat workers stay in Thailand and face strict disease controls including temperature measurement both on and off the fishing boats.
However, undocumented migrant seafood workers have evaded quarantine and are being sought by health officials, he said. He warned of dire consequences of importing Covid-19 from overseas fisheries workers.
Elderly relatives of Covid-infected shrimp vendor also test positive
Officials clean the shrimp market in Samut Sakhon on Friday. The market was ordered closed for three days after a 67-year-old stall owner was found infected with Covid-19. (Photo: Samut Sakhon PR office Facebook page)
Three close relatives of a Covid-19 infected shrimp wholesaler at a market in Samut Sakhon have also tested positive for the virus.
The shrimp market, meanwhile, has been closed for thorough cleansing.
Trending on Bangkok Post
One local infection among 16 new Covid cases
One new local infection was among 16 new Covid-19 cases reported on Friday, raising the total to 4,297.
The 67-year-old vendor's 95-year-old bed-ridden mother, her elder sister, aged 73, and her sister-in-law, 57, were found to be also infected, Dr Sophon Iamsirithaworn, director general of the Communicable Diseases Division, said on Friday.
The woman owns a stall at the Talad Klang Kung, or Central Shrimp Market, in Samut Sakhon and fell ill on Dec 13, with muscle pains and loss of sense of smell, he said.
She had not travelled abroad, Dr Sophon said. She was at the shrimp market every day, from 6am to 11am.
The woman was among 16 new Covid-19 cases reported on Friday by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
On Dec 16, she went to a private hospital's outpatient department around 6pm and was tested for Covid-19. Around 10pm, the test came back positive. The hospital then sent samples for testing at another lab, at a medical sciences centre, and the result also came back positive.
The woman was admitted to Samut Sakhon Hospital around 2am on Dec 17, Dr Sophon said. (continues below)
(Photo: Samut Sakhon PR office Facebook page)
Contact tracers found a total of 26 people were at high risk of infection. They were divided into four groups.
The first comprised seven family members, and three of them later tested positive.
The second consisted of three people who worked at her shrimp stall, her 39-year-old son and two Myanmar workers. Officials were awaiting their test results.
A third group comprised eight medical staff at the private hospital, and all tested negative.
The fourth group were eight people who worked at the shrimp market. Officials were awaiting their test results.
There were 139 people who were at low risk, he said.
Dr Sophon said the shrimp market had been closed for three days for cleaning.
He made no mention of how the stall owner may have caught the virus.
Amphai Harnkraiwilai, chairwoman of Mahachai fisheries development cooperative, on Friday made a point of explaining that the infected woman did not work at the province's Talad Talay Thai market, or Thai Seafood Market, which is popular with tourists.
Talad Talay Thai enforced health measures such as wearing of masks, temperature screening and hand washing, with hand sinks, hand gel and soap at six spots at the market, Ms Amphai told reporters. She wanted to clear up any confusion about the location, she said.
Thailand reports local infections as measures to restart tourism begin
A Thai traditional giant statue wears a protective mask, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand December 15, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand has four new local coronavirus infections, health officials said on Friday, just as the country has started reopening for tourists after months of keeping the virus at bay.
A 67-year-old woman who sells shrimp in the Samut Sakhon province was confirmed to have the infection, senior health official Sopon Iamsirithaworn told a news conference, adding that three of her family members later also tested positive.
She did not have a history of travelling outside the country, the official said, adding they were waiting for the results of the tests of 165 other people who had been in close contact with the woman.
"We are collecting information to find the origins of this infection," said Disease Control Department director-general, Opas Karnkawinpong at the same news conference.
Local cases have been in the single-digits in recent months, with most of them found in people observing quarantine after having been in close contact with an infected person. Most of Thailand's recent cases have been imported.
Thailand has managed to keeping infections relatively low, reporting a total of 4,297 cases and 60 COVID-19 deaths, but the success has come at a cost to its tourism-dependent economy.
The new infections come as authorities on Thursday began easing travel restrictions to allow foreign tourists to return to the country in a bid to revive its battered tourism industry.
Thailand eased restrictions for citizens from over 50 countries, but visitors will need to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival and will need a certificate to show they were free of COVID-19 72 hours before travel.
Last month, authorities tested over 300 people after Thai nationals entered the country illegally from Myanmar, but most new infections were found in quarantine.
Analys: Fortsatt bottenfrusen marknad i reseindustrin
Nya veckosiffror från Swedbank visar på ett mycket tufft läge i reseindustrin. Statistiken som tas fram av Swedbank Makro utifrån korttransaktioner inom Swedbank Pay. Siffrorna bygger på över hälften av alla korttransaktioner i Sverige.
Den senaste rapporten tar upp perioden 6-12 december. En liten ljusning kan anas inom hotell och restauranger som ökade med 16 procent jämfört med veckan före. Branschen verkar därmed ha lämnat bottennivån. Jämfört med föregående år var dock omsättningen 46 procent lägre förra veckan.
Inom flyg- och reseindustrin syns dock ingen ljusning under november månad. Marknaden är ner över 90 procent.
– De lokala nedstängningar syns tydligt när man bryter ner siffrorna på regioner, säger Pernilla Johansson makroekonom på Swedbank till Travel News.
– När Uppsala fick regionala restriktioner såg vi det på restaurangsiffrorna och samma sak hände sedan i Skåne och övriga regioner som införde restriktioner.
Pernilla Johansson, Senior Economist på Swedbank.
Övriga samhället rullar på hyfsat trots corona. Totalt är konsumtionen i Sverige ner bara 7 procent jämfört med förra året.
As many as 10,000 people may have to be tested for Covid-10 in Samut Sakhon province after a shrimp vendor at a local market contracted the deadly disease and among them will all those who had high-, medium- and low-risk exposure to this superspreader, INN News and Sanook.com reported this morning (Dec. 18, 2020).
Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is getting ready to go to the area, said tests were being expanded and it was suspected that the 67-year-old woman likely got infected through contact with foreign fishery workers in this province.
He added that an inspection circle had been drawn in the area with strict measures implemented within it and this gave him confidence that this case would be brought under control.
He has ordered Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Disease Control Department, to close this case within one week so that the public does not worry during the New Year festival.
Whether this market would be closed or not hinged on details that Dr Opas and his team were gathering, he said, adding that he would be going to the area to check the situation again in a day or two.
CAPTION:
Top: Anutin talking to reporters this morning. Thai headline says, "must end in one week." Photo: Sanook.com
A business and tourism leader in Pattaya has presented the worst prediction yet of the economy at Thailand's famous resort.
Ekkasit Ngamphichet claims it will be at least 4 to 5 years before tourism in Pattaya returns to previous levels.
In an interview with Sophon Cable TV reported on Facebook, Ekkasit spelled out the home truths.
Picture: Sophon Cable TV
There are ZERO foreign tourists in Pattaya and they previously made up 70-80% of all hotel visitors.
Thai domestic tourists only visit on weekends and public holidays and so tourism in Pattaya has been all but destroyed.
His boldest prediction is that next year might see tourism back to 60% of previous levels.
But even that appeared optimistic and was based on everything going right in terms of virus control, the conditions Thailand impose upon incoming travelers and foreign tourists wanting to visit the country again.
He said that operators in the tourism sector needed to be ready for a long haul to recovery that would be four to five years.
Businesses must plan accordingly and everyone must pull together, were his overriding messages.
But most do not have the resources to fund such long-term losses and this means Pattaya could be in the process of a long and painful period of change – Sophon Cable TV
A 16-year-old boy in Thailand is facing criminal charges for insulting the king, according to a Channel News Asia reporter.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne in 2016 following the death of of his long-reigning father Bhumibol Adulyadej
The boy is accused of dressing up similarly to Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and displaying words on his body that insulted the king. He is being charged under Thailand's "lese-majeste" law.
The sweeping and controversial law makes it a crime to insult, defame, or threaten the monarchy.
According to the US Department of State's Overseas Security Advisory Council, the boy faces anywhere from three to 15 years in jail.
The charges came after the boy was spotted at a protest last week wearing a tank top similar to one the King is often spotted wearing.
A group of protesters gathered outside the Yannawa Police Station in Bangkok in support of the boy, Wong reported. She said the supporters wrote "Abolish 112," a reference to the royal defamation law, on the street outside the station.
The charges are just the latest brought under the lese-majesty law, as more than two dozen activists have recently been charged for violating the law after a two-year break in its enforcement, The Guardian reported.
The unnamed high school student is believed to be among the youngest to ever be charged under the law.
Thousands of people have demonstrated in Thailand in recent months, demanding reforms that would weaken the monarchy's power.
Protesters also requested Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha be removed, believing he had rigged his 2019 election to remain in power.
Many of the recent lese-majesty charges have targeted young pro-democracy protesters.
Activists have sought the help of the United Nations in demanding the repeal of the law, CNA reported.
Leading Thai Doctor warns against reducing Covid-19 quarantine time for at least three to six months as Thailand continues to study doing so
Bangkok, Thailand-
A leading Thai doctor, who is often quoted in the news media and is well known for his regular warnings against trying to "re-open" the tourism industry, has again given stark and dire predictions against a proposal to study and change the quarantine process.
Thailand currently requires a fourteen day quarantine for all foreign visitors-in reality, a fifteen day, sixteen night quarantine as Thailand does not consider the arrival and departure day as a "day" of quarantine.
Dr. Thira Woratanarat, from the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University and an advisor to the Ministry of Public Health, commented on his social media platforms today, December 18th, 2020, regarding the potential of lowering quarantine. This is far from the first time he has spoken against bringing in more foreign tourists as he has been a steady voice of opposition since Summer of this year along with several other members of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). This is despite the hospitality and tourism industry, which comprises a significant portion of Thailand's GDP, pushing for relaxed restrictions, especially quarantine wise.
This comes as the CCSA has changed testing for Covid-19 in quarantine from two times to three times in what Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin says is preparation for a study to determine the possibility of lowering the number of quarantine days. The testing period would be on Day 0-1, Day 9-10 and day 13-14. This statement, however, has had multiple doctors, including Woratanarat, calling for an immediate stop to any study. They have done so several times over the past few months during similar proposals and every time have successfully stopped lowering the quarantine days.
This comes as Covid-19, despite the introduction of vaccines in early phases, remains raging in many countries around the world. Thailand is not expected to start vaccinating their population until around April, according to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan O'Cha. Dr. Thira, and other concerned doctors, are afraid that after ten months of controlling the virus spread in Thailand with almost no local cases and all business sectors open, except the foreign tourism sector, that a misstep could cause another lockdown or shutdown for several months until Thailand could vaccinate their elderly and vulnerable and that the country could not afford this, as difficult as it is to temporarily have to restrict the lucrative foreign tourism industry.
Dr. Thira also brought up the situation involving a locally spread case of Covid-19 found in Samut yesterday, in which a 67-year-old-woman who worked at a shrimp market frequented by foreign laborers tested positive for the virus without a history of local travel. Myanmar, which borders Thailand, continues to have a major outbreak of the virus and remains a significant item of concern in terms of illegal migrants possibly bringing the virus to the country.
Thira stressed that the country should put all plans of reducing quarantine or letting in more tourists to restore the hospitality industry on hold until at least March and then re-evaluate the situation around the world as vaccines take hold and countries begin to emerge from Winter which makes the Covid-19 situation significantly worse. At that point, he says, the country can possibly "put on the gas pedal" and begin to recover foreign tourism, but not before.
Officials are considering cancelling the next phase of the government's domestic tourism stimulus campaign, after multiple cases of fraud emerged. To date, over 200 people have been prosecuted for corruption in the domestic travel campaign, as well as in other government stimulus schemes. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says that, in conjunction with the Tourism and Sports Ministry, it has filed a police report against more than 500 hotels and other businesses.
The discovery of the fraud cases had prompted officials to postpone the addition of another 1 million discounted hotel rooms, a decision that has already impacted bookings for the New Year period. However, Nation Thailand reports that, according to a source close to the "We Travel Together" (Khon La Khrueng) scheme, the plan may end up dropped altogether. The issuing of additional 600 baht and 900 baht food and travel vouchers has also been postponed.
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is said to be furious over the reports of corruption, ordering the authorities to punish those involved, and calling on the public to cooperate in bringing them to justice.
"Solving the problem of corruption is not just the responsibility of the state. All parties must cooperate – givers, receivers and service providers. They must help each other by providing information so that we can arrest these fraudsters."
The PM says the travel stimulus scheme was introduced to help struggling hotels and other businesses in the tourism sector. He says finding the budget for such campaigns was a challenge, without having to see the schemes end in corruption.
Bank of Thailand says being on US currency "watchlist" won't have a "material impact"
Published
21 hours ago
on
Thursday, December 17, 2020
FILE PHOTO
Thailand being added to the United States Treasury's "watchlist" for suspected currency manipulation won't impact foreign trade and investment too much, the Bank of Thailand says.
Now that Thailand is on the "monitoring list," US government says it will keep "close attention" on the country's currency practices to determine if any measures are intended to gain an unfair advantage in foreign trade. Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says it's "not a worry at the moment."
"It's still a monitoring list and we don't know what actions they might take. In handling the baht, it should not have any impact as the central bank is taking care of it."
The Bank of Thailand says there was no intention to use the exchange rate to gain an unfair advantage, the bank's assistant governor Chantavarn Sucharitakul said in a statement.
"At this stage, the assessment is not expected to have a material impact on Thailand's international trade, as well as the prospect for foreign direct investment into Thailand. Similarly, such assessment does not impede the ability of the BoT to fulfill its mandate on macroeconomic policies to safeguard domestic stability."
Thailand on US Treasury's "watchlist" for suspected currency manipulation
Published
1 day ago
on
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Thailand is now on the United States Treasury's "monitoring list" for suspected currency manipulation, unfair policies to gain an advantage in international trade.
Vietnam and Switzerland were both labeled currency manipulators in the US Treasury's recent report "Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States." Along with Thailand, the Treasury also added Taiwan and India to their watchlist which includes China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy, Singapore and Malaysia.
US Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a press release that the department will take a "strong step today to safeguard economic growth and opportunity for American workers and businesses."
"Treasury will follow up on its findings with respect to Vietnam and Switzerland to work toward eliminating practices that create unfair advantages for foreign competitors."
To be labelled a currency manipulator, a country must meet all 3 criteria under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015:
A more than $20 billion USD bilateral trade surplus with the US
Foreign currency intervention exceeding 2% of GDP
A global currency account surplus exceeding 2% of GDP
Thailand met 2 of the 3 criteria, putting the country on the US Treasury's watchlist. According to the report, Thailand has a material account surplus and a significant bilateral trade surplus.
Strike 1…
Thailand's run current account surpluses since the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Between 1998 and 2019, the surpluses averaged at 4% of the GDP. In 2019, the account surplus reached 7%. With the collapse of tourism receipts, brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the current account surplus moderated to 6% of GDP.
Strike 2…
This year, Thailand's bilateral goods trade surplus with the US continued to grow, reaching $22 billion USD and exceeding the limit set by the US Treasury.
"Thailand should allow the baht to appreciate to help reduce its large and durable external surpluses. The authorities should also take steps to reduce Thailand's external imbalances through policies that encourage private investment, reduce precautionary saving, and promote greater openness in domestically oriented sectors."
Ministry investigating multiple cases of corruption in government's co-payment scheme
Published
3 days ago
on
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
PHOTO: Nation Thailand
The government's "Let's Go Halves" (Khon La Khrueng) co-payment stimulus campaign has fallen foul of 100s of incidents of fraud, according to the Finance Ministry. Under the scheme, the government subsidises 50% of the cost of food, drink, and other products, up to a maximum of 150 baht per person per day, capped at 3,000 baht per person for the duration of the campaign.
However, the Finance Ministry says it is currently investigating around 700 cases of corruption, with suspects caught either during the application process or being reported by members of the public. According to a Nation Thailand report, the exact nature of the corruption is not clear, but it's understood to involve both businesses and individuals.
Last week, the government called on Thai people to help end corruption, with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha urging citizens to put the good of society above their own self-interest. In addition to the corruption uncovered in the co-payment scheme, the Tourism and Sports Ministry has received similar complaints in relation to the domestic tourism stimulus campaign.
Meanwhile, officials say phase 2 of the co-payment scheme will launch tomorrow, with another 5 million people eligible to participate. The scheme is open to Thai nationals who are over the ago of 18 and not welfare card holders.
There are currently around 970,000 businesses registered under the scheme, and over 9.5 million individuals. To date, total spending under the scheme stands at 43 billion baht, 22 billon of which is from members of the public, with a top-up of a further 21.1 from the government.
