Law Passed Making Improper Behaviours On Board A Plane An Offence

BANGKOK : The National Legislative Assembly today unanimously passed a bill which will make certain undesirable behaviours committed on board a commercial airplane an offence punishable by imprisonment from one to five years. 

The bill will amend the existing law governing offences committed on commercial airplanes which does not cover certain undesirable or improper behaviours such as smoking in toilet, assaulting others, using electronic devices when their usage is prohibited or sexually approaching women verbally.

Penalties range from  fine of 40,000 baht to 100,000 baht and imprisonment from one to five years.

The existing law only covers hijacking, sabotaging an airplane or other facilities on the plane.

Prayut Tells Media Press Freedom Has Its Limit

BANGKOK : Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha warned opponents to stop inciting rifts, and media members not to over  exercise their freedom  as it could do more harm than good to the country. 

“I would like members of the media no matter they be station owners, editors, reporters, news anchors, publishers  to understand the current situation. If you enjoy press freedom with no boundary, it would do more harm than good for the country,”  he said.

His warning was repeated again when he spoke to the people during his weekly “Returning Happiness to the People” TV programme on Friday night.

In slightly over an hour address, Gen Prayut began by expressing his condolences for the nine army officers died in  helicopter crash in Phayao province.

He turned to his government’s reform effort with concern that it still encountered obstacles at different levels.

One obstacle he saw was news media reporting..

He then warned that “freedom of the press” had its limits, citing  some social media commentary were hurting the cause of reconciliation.

He asked that media members  express their views with regard to appropriateness.

Input was welcomed, but that they must  not “propagate new conflicts and deepen old wounds in the society to the point that the government is unable to work for the public, he said.

He said people should  refrain from being quick to judge or take action purely based on emotions or feelings, otherwise such action would bring about more disputes.

But he said it was regrettable that there were still social media posts aimed at inciting hatred and conflicts, most of them with false content and hidden agendas.

But he assured that the government and the military junta have never thought of using force toward the press, but all they were asking for  is your cooperation and respect for the law.

Making groundless accusations is  counterproductive and there are special laws in effect now.

Gen Prayut said the media can support national reform by adhering to the principle of reporting factual news, and then he would be happy to listen to every media member.

King Puts Off Audience For New Ministers

BANGKOK : The Bureau of the Royal Household  issued Announcement No 10 Friday night stating that the team of doctors has advised that His Majesty the King put off an audiencece for Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to bring two newly appointed ministers to swear in before taking office today.

The announcement stated  the team of doctors have reasoned that His Majesty the King is still not ready to grant audience and that it be postponed.

Police On A Manhunt For 'Dangerous' Drug Dealer

BANGKOK: -- The authorities have extended their hunt for a much-wanted drug dealer along the Thai-Myanmar border, where he has reportedly been hiding under the protection of armed minority groups. The man is armed and deemed to be dangerous.

Meanwhile, national police chief Pol General Somyot Poompanmueng yesterday dismissed speculation on social media that the heavily-tattooed Adisorn Srisa-ard, 28, had already been apprehended.

The police chief also played down the drug-dealer's Facebook post claiming that he had evidence of a senior policeman taking bribes from him, saying that an investigation into the claim would be conducted, but in a careful manner.

The drug dealer made headlines earlier this week when he posted a photograph of himself brandishing two automatic rifles with an accompanying message threatening to kill all officers at Suphan Buri's Sri Prajan Police Station as well as their parents and families. Adisorn, better-known by his alias "Benz Tha Sai", also condemned police of being cowards for not admitting that they had been taking bribes from him, boasting that he was brave enough to admit that he was a drug dealer.

When asked if police were waiting to hear about the conclusion of secret negotiations, Somyot said: "That is confidential."

Meanwhile, Karen warlord Nat Khann Mway of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) said he would hand Adisorn over to the Thai police as soon as he is found. DKBA and two other related dissident groups have denied having Adisorn in their domain - located across from Kanchanaburi's Three Pagodas crossing in Sangkhala Buri district - a location confirmed by the Thai police.

Adisorn's so-called arrest, however, took a turn on Thursday when his wife called the police asking to know where her husband was and if they could bring him home.

Briton & Thai Mother Reunited After 54 Year Separation

PHUKET - A Thai-born Briton is finally reunited with her mother after 54 years of separation in Phuket province today.

Kimberley, 54, and her mother, Yokluen Chankaew, 79, hugged each other upon their meeting this afternoon, which was arranged by local administrators.

According to Kimberley, she was born in Ta Kua Pa district of Phang Nga district in 1960 to Yokluen and an Australian manager of a mine in the province. Birth certificate provided by Kimberley identified her as Tukta Chankaew, the Thai name given to her at the time of birth by her parents.

Yokluen said a British engineer who worked for the mine and his wife later asked to adopt her from her parents when she was four years old. Yokluen told reporters she decided to give up Kimberley, then known as Tukta, to the engineer because she was in poverty.

"I thought I could not raise her up into a comfortable life," Yokluen said, adding that the British engineer and his wife, who were childless, soon left the country for the United Kingdom, and she never heard from them again.

Yokluen said she was surprised to be told by a local official that she was going to meet Kimberley again after over 50 years of silence. "I didn't expect at all that I would see my daughter again," she said emotionally.

Dokset Testimony: I Did Not Intend To Kill Her

PHUKET : Norwegian prisoner in Phuket, Stein Havard Dokset – prime suspect in the infamous “Body in the bin” case – gave official testimony in court today, reiterating that he did not intend to kill his late partner, Rungnapa “June” Ratchasombut.

Today’s hearing at the Phuket Provincial Court follows a five-month adjournment of the legal proceedings to allow for “blood money” compensation negotiations.

Initially calm, Dokset told his side of the story to the court. Interrogated by his own lawyer as well as the public prosecutor, he described the nature of his relationship and history with the victim.

When he came to speak about the early 2009 incident, he broke into tears, insisting that the death was not a case of premeditated murder.

He admitted that he was “emotional and aggressive” during the time of the incident, but that he did not intend to kill his ex-partner, and that she had died as the result of an accident.

Dokset denied the charge of “possessing a gun without a permit”, claiming that the gun found at his residence had belonged to the victim. [The gun was found by police in 2012 following Dokset’s arrest but has not been connected to the death of the victim]

Dokset did, however, admit to “hiding the body for personal reasons”.

Specific details of said reasons were shared with the court, the victim’s family, media and lawyers; however, the judge ordered everyone in attendance not to share details until a verdict has been reached and made public.

The hearing concluded at about 4pm today, after which Rungnapa's family lawyer told The Phuket News that a settlement had already been agreed upon, in which Dokset had agreed to compensate the victim’s four children with a total of B1.8 million, which would derive from the sell of the former residence of Dokset and Rungapa.

I'm Not A Dictator, Says Angry Prayut

BANGKOK: -- Warns that 'unfounded antagonism towards the government' will destabilise country

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asserted yesterday that his government was not dictatorial although he admitted that it "may not be 100 per cent democratic".

He reiterated that he had no plan to set up a pro-military political party that would inherit power from his post-coup administration.

"Did I do anything wrong? Have I done any damage or wasn't the situation already bad when I took over?" Prayut said.

"I may not be 100 per cent democratic. But I want to ask if being 100 per cent democratic did anything good to the country? Find the answer for me," he added, appearing tense.

General Prayut, who led the coup of May 22 while serving as the Army chief, also urged anti-coup activists not to obstruct his government's work on national reform.

"I am ready to listen to any problem. They should tell me. But don't ask for democracy or an election now. I can't give it to you," he said.

The prime minister has been on the defensive following his first visit to the Northeast on Wednesday, when five students staged a protest in front of the stage where he was giving an address at Khon Kaen Provincial Hall.

The students from Khon Kaen University were arrested after making a three-finger salute at the PM. The salute is associated with the anti-coup movement.

They were later released after meeting military authorities and their parents.

"I don't want to punish them [the students] so they were merely reprimanded, released and told not to do it again because it does not benefit anyone," Prayut said.

He praised their courage but added that they should think of the country's future. He also warned that the students' future could be jeopardised if they had a problem with the law.

When asked if a pro-military party would be formed, Prayut said: "You have to ask people who said this. I have never said it and I have never thought about doing it. Don't report about this nonsense."

The premier was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Thailand Energy Awards 2014 presentation ceremony at Government House.

Prayut, who also heads the National Council for Peace and Order, reiterated that there was no plan to lift martial law, in effect since the coup.

In his weekly national address last night, the prime minister warned that "unfounded antagonism towards the government", as well as continued conflicts, would destabilise the country.

"The complete and strong democracy that we are building will not be realised if we continue to quarrel without civility, and things will go back to the way they were," he said in the TV programme "Returning Happiness to People in the Country".

He said that in the current situation, exercising freedom of the press without boundaries would do more harm than good for the country.

"The government and the NCPO have never thought of using force towards the press, but all we are seeking is your cooperation and respect for the law," he said.

Prayut said his government was "just the facilitator" in the ongoing national reform movement.

"We are trying to get everyone involved in the reform process so that the outcome of our efforts can be enjoyed by all of us," he said. "The government is just a facilitator for all stakeholders to come together to address our common problems."

He said the government was acting as a referee or an organiser of the process, and was not a player.

"In sports, athletes must play by the rules while the referees or the judges are the ones enforcing these rules," he said. "On the other hand, the organiser is the one who makes sure that everyone involved in the competition, including the fans, are safe."