GLO Continues Checking Lottery Market To Control 80-Baht Price

BANGKOK: -- A special unit of the Government Lottery Office (GLO) and police continued to survey the lottery market in its effort to make sure that all lottery vendors sell at 80-baht apiece.

In the latest survey, four lottery wholesalers were found to hoard lottery tickets for profiteering purpose.

Spokesperson of the GLO board Thanawat Polwichai revealed that officials from the special unit of GLO has nabbed four lottery wholesalers after finding that they have hoarded a large quota of their lotteries in hope to sell them at higher prices 1-2 days before the lottery drawing date scheduled for the June 16 draw.

The authorities will trace their financial paths and tax payments history to look for any irregular activities, warning every wholesaler not to profiteer as they could be subjected to legal action and tax payments inspection as well.

Meanwhile the GLO board has planned to implement stricter measures to control the overpricing of lotteries in the long term.

GLO board chairman Major General Apirat Kongsompong would give a joint press briefing on June 15 with the Ministry of Justice and Revenue Department on the implementation of stricter measures to control the overpricing of lotteries in the long term to prevent lottery wholesalers from trying to make higher profit.

The GLO board has also planned to ink an agreement with PTT Plc allowing handicapped lottery vendors to sell lotteries at petrol stations under a control price of 80 baht.

ISIL Brings Al-Qaeda to Brink of Collapse – Jihadi Clerics

The Islamic State extremist group has weakened al-Qaeda, draining it of human and financial resources, two of al-Qaeda’s prominent spiritual leaders told the Guardian.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The scholars told the Guardian that al-Qaeda's leader Ayman Zawahiri had been cut off from his commanders and that al-Qaeda could be considered a functional organization any longer.

"[Zawahiri] operates solely based on the allegiance. There is no organisational structure. There is only communication channels and loyalty," jihadi scholar Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, who is reportedly a close friend to Zawahiri, told the newspaper on Wednesday.

Abu Qatada, a Jordanian preacher, told the Guardian that the Islamic State’s ground advances and extensive propaganda had left Zawahiri "isolated."

Abu Qatada, born Omar Mahmoud Othman, is a Sunni cleric of Jordanian-Palestinian origin. Qatada has been repeatedly accused of having links with al-Qaeda and is under a UN-imposed worldwide embargo.

Red-Shirt Activist Jaran Grateful France Granted Him Political Asylum

BANGKOK: -- FUGITIVE red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) Jaran Ditapichai, who has been residing in exile in France since late last year, claims he has been given political asylum since November.

"I feel particularly grateful to France. I feel safe and can live without the fear of being deported," Jaran said in an interview with The Nation through Facebook from France.

The French Embassy acknowledged that Jaran is in France but refused to deny or confirm his legal status. Spokesman of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), Colonel Winthai Suvari, meanwhile said the Foreign Ministry is still checking on Jaran's status.

The 68-year-old Jaran spent his time in France contacting officials at various European Foreign Ministries, European parliamentarians, lobbying the United Nation's Human Rights Council and trying to convince the European Union on his version of Thailand.

The anti-coup dissident fled after the coup and is now wanted for both refusing to report to the military junta and allegedly violating the lese majeste law.

Winthai insisted that Jaran is among those Thais abroad who distorts things and attacks Thailand.

"There's a chance that distortions are being made. The Foreign Ministry explains the situation every now and then to foreign states and they have a better understanding of the situation," said Winthai.

Jaran said the work he is doing now faces huge odds.

"Things are difficult," said Jaran, adding that awareness and concerns about the Thai situation are low and European states are more interested about what is happening in Greece, Ukraine and Syria. They are unlikely to increase pressure on the military government of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha," he said.

However, the former communist rebel of the 1970s, as well as former National Human Rights Commissioner, is pessimistic about the future of Thailand.

"I can't detect any positive trend. Things are just getting worse and the NCPO is likely to try to hang on to power longer," said Jaran, adding however that the anti-junta groups will persist.

Asked if he hopes to ever return to Thailand, Jaran said France is likely to be his permanent base due to the lese majeste charge against him and the fact that he is already 68.

Winthai defended the military junta saying many leaders of the previous administration are still living in Thailand and have not been prosecuted while those who fled were merely escaping criminal prosecution such as those fleeing the lese majeste charge.

The junta spokesperson said it's unclear if the Foreign Ministry has tried to explain its side of the story to France, which reportedly offered at least temporary safe haven to a few other dissidents.

"I can't say if this is affecting our relations [with France] but so far it hasn't," Winthai remarked.

Jaran said the lese majeste charge against him came after the coup and was simply due to the fact that he had chaired an event, which included a theatrical performance that was later deemed offensive to the monarchy.

He's currently living off his savings but said he will eventually have to look for a job.

Anti-coup Thai restaurants in Paris, which numbered about 10, occasionally host him and Jaran is active on Facebook.

"This is probably going to be my final battle," said Jaran, referring to the struggle and his residency in France.

A First For Thailand: Buying Property With A 20-Year Visa

In what is the first initiative of its kind in Thailand, one property developer has joined forces with Thailand Elite to offer a 20-year visa for purchases at its Pattaya condominium.

 

Purchasers at Kingdom Property’s Pattaya Southpoint development will be entitled to a 20-year visa, which amounts to five-year multiple-entry visa that is renewable every four years.

 

The visa will entitle its holders to benefits that include fast-track immigration clearance, assistance with driving licences, discounts and a bilingual helpline.

 

Nigel Cornick, Chief Executive Officer of Kingdom Property (pictured), said: “The long-stay solution will overcome many of the barriers that we see when selling our properties overseas. Generally unless you have a business visa, retirement visa or marriage visa, you are not permitted to stay for any length of time.

 

“This exciting partnership is akin to Malaysia’s My Second Home (MM2H) program and has massive potential.”

 

The visa will come as part of the purchase of a unit at Southpoint ans the owner can sell the unit and the visa together, if he or she so wishes.

Four Thais Freed After Caught With Gun At Pakistani Airport; One Still Detained

BANGKOK — Pakistani authorities have released four of the five Thai students who were arrested for trying to smuggle a firearm and ammunition past a security checkpoint at an airport in Pakistan, a Thai official said.

The students were reportedly arrested at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore on the night of 8 June, shortly before they boarded a Thai Airways flight bound for Bangkok. Thai officials say they were informed by Pakistani authorities that the five men attempted to carry a handgun, its magazine, and some ammunition onboard the aircraft.

Anusith Kunakorn, secretary-general of the National Security Council, said four of the five students have been released and are on their way back to Thailand. He said they are expected to arrive in Bangkok today.

Pakistani authorities are reportedly still investigating the fifth student.

According to Anusith, all five students arrived in Pakistan in 2013 to study at Islamic schools.

Myanmar Denies Indian Army Crossed Border To Attack Rebels

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A raid by India's army on insurgents accused of killing 18 Indian soldiers last week took place on Indian soil, not inside Myanmar as some Indian media reported, a Myanmar official said Thursday.

 

Although Myanmar has relatively little control over the porous border region, it would be loath to acknowledge an intrusion by its bigger neighbor, and public claims by some Indian officials to that effect would be an embarrassment that could chill bilateral relations.

 

The incident has cast rare light on the insecurity along the two nations' 1,600-kilometer (1,000-mile) border, whose remoteness provides shelter to insurgent groups in India's restive northeast.

 

The disputed raids took place shortly before Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval is to visit Myanmar to discuss security affairs and insurgency issues along the border. India has long worked to keep strong ties with Myanmar's government, in part so that rebel militias do not find safe havens there.

 

Comments by Indian officials have been vague or contradictory about where Tuesday's raids against the insurgents took place. A junior information minister, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, said the Indian troops crossed the border into Myanmar with the acquiescence of its government.

 

However, Myanmar President's Office director Zaw Htay said Thursday the raids occurred inside India and that foreign rebels are not allowed to operate on Myanmar soil.

 

The claim that Indian troops attacked inside Myanmar's territory has triggered criticism from some Indian politicians, who treated the report as true but suggested that publicly announcing it was boastful and diplomatically indiscreet. On Thursday, Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar declined to comment on details of the attack.

 

Myriad militant groups in India's remote northeast have been fighting the central government for decades, some of them rooted in Myanmar and operating from both sides. The groups, ranging from ragtag collections of barely equipped young men to small armies with hundreds of heavily armed guerrillas, are fighting for a range of issues including political independence and control of drug routes.

 

Zaw Htay said Myanmar's army confirmed that India's raids were carried out in its own territory, and that India's ambassador provided Myanmar's deputy foreign minister with the same account.

 

A top Indian army officer, Maj. Gen. Ranbir Singh, said Tuesday the army was in communication with Myanmar authorities on its operation and inflicted "significant casualties on the rebels."

 

While most clashes with the militants are minor, last week's attack on an Indian army convoy in Manipur state shocked New Delhi.

 

The state has several active militant groups which operate from both sides of the border. None claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded 14 soldiers.

 

In April, insurgents armed with automatic weapons fired at two trucks carrying Indian paramilitary soldiers in neighboring Nagaland state, killing eight of them.

 

Most of the main rebel groups in Manipur state are not engaged in cease-fire talks with the Indian government, unlike those in other remote northeastern states.

 

Separatist groups accuse the Indian government of exploiting the region's rich natural resources while neglecting local development.

 

Stash Of ID, ATM Cards - Including Foreigner's - Found At Phuket Trash Site

PHUKET: -- A hoard of identity cards, including one issued to a foreigner, as well as driver’s licenses and ATM cards was found dumped at an illegal trash site in Karon this morning.

A local resident who discovered the items in a plastic bag at the site, behind the Kata Center shopping complex, reported his find, resulting in a Navy troop on patrol in the area being called to the scene.

Among the items found, 14 were identification cards that are still valid, six driving permits, a foreigner’s identification card, eight ATM cards, reported Sub-Lt Taksin Puklim.

“There was also a bankbook for an account that apparently still had a balance B10,000,” he said.

All the items found will be handed to the Karon police, Sub-Lt Taksin confirmed.

“The police will handle the investigation,” he said. “This is not normal. We want to know who dumped these items here and whether it was the work of a criminal or thief after committing a crime.”

Govt Set To Match Education Reform With Students’ Needs

BANGKOK, 14 June 2015 (NNT) – Prime Minister Prayut Cha-ocha has unveiled a number of educational plans which he claims would serve the needs of students and society.

During his weekly TV talk program, PM Prayut spoke about the 2015-2020 education reform strategies which cover three major areas namely teaching, vocational skill development and education management.

According to Gen Prayut, the most urgent mission for the government is to raise the literacy rate in primary schools. The government is urging schools to revive the spelling system in the teaching of grade 1 pupils. The campaign will continue until Mar 2016 after which time its achievement will be assessed.

Regarding the vocational skill development, new courses will be introduced at educational opportunity expansion schools and those in the five special economic zones to boost vocational skills of learners. English teaching at basic education level will be adjusted to serve the needs of students and society. At the same time, distance learning will be upgraded to boost the quality of learners.

As for personnel development, the government will launch more training for school directors, educators and educational supervisors to enhance their abilities.