Crime
Head of army band shot dead at military base in north-east Thailand – VIDEO

An army band leader has been shot dead at a military camp in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Phanom, with police launching a murder investigation. 34 year old Rungchalerm Pansawasdi was shot 3 times in the head and neck, at the Phra Yod Muang Kwang army base on Wednesday evening. He had just returned from having dinner with his wife, who had dropped him off and driven away.
Rungchalerm was getting on a motorbike when a man approached and shot him at point-blank range before running off. According to a Bangkok Post report, the victim was rushed to Nakhon Phanom Hospital but died a short while later.
Army commander Samart Jintasamit says the perpetrator is likely to be from the army base, adding that the gunman may have been following Rungchalerm for some time and may also have had someone else acting as a lookout. Samart says the gunman appeared to know that the back of the camp is currently being re-fenced, saying he could have escaped that way.
The police, who were at the camp the following afternoon to collect evidence, are working on the case with the help of the military. It’s understood the victim had recently requested a transfer due to conflict with a colleague. An autopsy is being carried out at Srinagarind Hospital, in the north-eastern province of Khon Kaen.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Crime
Another drug bust near the Mekong River, 500 kilograms of cannabis seized

In another drug bust in Northeastern province Nakhon Phanom, police arrested a man and seized 500 kilograms of compressed cannabis. Just yesterday, border patrol police in the province seized 920 kilograms of compressed cannabis from a boat on the Mekong River. In both cases, police suspect the cannabis came from Laos, just across the river.
Police say they searched a black Nissan Navara pickup around 1am in the province’s Na Kae district. Police opened the truck’s bed cover and found 12 sacks with 500 packages of dried, compacted cannabis. Each package of cannabis weighed 1 kilogram, similar to the previous bust on the river.
28 year old Saravut Butngam was arrested. Saravut previously worked in construction, but has recently been unemployed. He allegedly told police that a man called him with an opportunity to make 50,000 baht. He was told to drive the pickup truck from a petrol station in the Na Kae district to a specified location in the neighbouring province Sakon Nakhon, police say. From there, another driver would take over.
Border police commander Sippanan Sornkhunkaew says he suspects the cannabis seized in the province was trafficked from Laos across the Mekong River. He says he believes the cannabis was planned to be trafficked to Southern Thailand and then smuggled across the border, possibly to Malaysia.
On Sunday morning, police confiscated 920 kilograms of cannabis from a boat on the Mekong River. When police approached the boat, men jumped off onto a smaller boat and fled the scene. The dried, compacted cannabis was wrapped in 1 kilogram packages.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Drugs
Police seize 920 kilograms of cannabis smuggled across the Mekong River

In a major bust on the Mekong River, notorious for drug smuggling, border patrol police seized 920 kilograms of dried, compacted cannabis from a boat along the Nakhon Pathom riverbank, bordering Laos.
Police were tipped off about a large shipment of drugs being trafficked across the Thai-Laos border. Police spotted a boat around 4am yesterday. When police moved in, men onboard the boat jumped onto a smaller boat and sped off. Police found 23 sacks filled with 1-kilogram packages of compressed cannabis.

PHOTO: MGR Online
In the recent months, police have seized more than 5 tonnes of cannabis. While the Thai government has been loosening measures on cannabis, allowing parts of the plant with low traces of the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, to be used in food and medicinal products, trafficking cannabis is still illegal. Cannabis with high amounts of THC is still classified as a Category 5 narcotic.
SOURCE:Bangkok Post
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Bangkok
Royal Thai Police accused of “ticket” promotion system to buy senior positions

The Royal Thai Police are being accused of using so-called “elephant tickets” to buy their way into promotions and pay their way up the police force’s chain of command. The corruption among the police force and the buying of positions without meeting the requirements for a promotion has been a longtime problem, according to the Bangkok Post.
The “elephant ticket” issue was recently brought to light by an opposition MP at a censure debate who said it fast tracked the promotion system and allowed some people who were unqualified and undeserving to raise their rank. Some Thais have protested the “elephant ticket.” Many gathered in front of the Royal Thai Police headquarters in Bangkok last week, including one person who dressed up as an elephant.
At the censure debate on February 19, Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome called out PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, who chairs the Police Commission overseeing the Royal Thai Police, and said the prime minister allowed the “elephant ticket” promotions. Prayut later said there were problems within the police force and that he would handle it.
Police who want a promotion need a ticket, which is basically just a reference or a stamp of approval from a senior officer or even a politician or business person. To get an “elephant ticket,” some can pay for the ticket. A source told the Post that positions for police superintendents cost between 5 to 10 million baht.
Others can get a ticket by doing favours for their superior or even just serving their superior for a long time, sources told the Bangkok Post. The higher the position a senior officer has, the more tickets they have to give out.
To read the full special report by the Bangkok Post, click HERE.
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Jesus Monroe
Friday, February 12, 2021 at 11:07 am
Maybe the guy who shot him was angry he couldn’t play trombone in the band……
Grumpy John
Friday, February 12, 2021 at 11:32 am
That is a rather insensitive comment Jesus…members of the family maybe Thaiger viewers. Some Thai people do like to spy on…I mean observe…what is being said on the English language forums.
However dark humour and sarcasm have always been part of my character so the evil side of my brain is saying “Carry on Old Chap!”
Jesus Monroe
Friday, February 12, 2021 at 8:44 pm
Don’t mean to offend Grumpy John, just dark humour in these dark times…….Of course I feel for the dead guy and his loved ones, thats a given always.
Amy Sukwan
Friday, February 12, 2021 at 7:52 pm
Sad. Three shots in the head is no accident though. Whatever this man was playing in made him some enemies…