Crime
Monk arrested on drug charges, allegedly told police methamphetamine was a merit gift

Police arrested a 45 year old Buddhist monk for allegedly getting high on methamphetamine at a temple in the Isaan province Buriram. The monk allegedly told police that a follower gave him the drugs as a merit gift and convinced him to take it.
Satuek district police say they received a complaint from the Baan Kok Mueng temple’s abbot claiming that a monk at the temple was acting suspiciously and suspected the monk could be involved in illegal activities.
Police investigated the claims and had the monk, Thawatchai Konglert, do a urine drug test on the spot. Police say the Thawatchai tested positive for drugs and was then forced to leave the monkhood.
He allegedly told police that a follower had offered him the drugs, as well as the equipment to take the drugs, as a merit gift. Thawatchai allegedly told police that he refused the gift at first, but when his follower came back and persuaded him that it was a merit gift, he decided to take it.
Thawatchai has a history of drug use and became a monk to start a new life, according to Pattaya News. He had been arrested in the past for allegedly possessing 15 methamphetamine pills. The Pattaya News did not report on if he was convicted or when the previous arrest was.
SOURCE: Pattaya News
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Pattaya
Pattaya police raid nightclub suspected of presenting pornographic shows

Pattaya City Police inspected a nightclub after reports that the venue was hosting pornographic shows on the weekends. Although the nightclub, Dragon Man Club, wasn’t presenting a sexually explicit show when officers came by, the owner was arrested for operating an entertainment business and selling alcohol without the proper permit.
Police say a tip was made through social media from an anonymous source. Officers asked the nightclub owner for the venue’s license, but the owner did not have the document at the time. Police arrested the owner. The nightclub owner was not named in reports.
SOURCE: Pattaya News
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Crime
Bangkok Military Court issues arrest warrant for medic accused of injecting troops with fake Covid-19 vaccine

The Bangkok Military Court has issued an arrest warrant for a Royal Thai Army medic who is accused of injecting troops with a fake Covid-19 vaccine. He reportedly made more than 100,000 baht by charging troops, who were on a United Nations mission, 500 baht each for a tetanus vaccine and a fake Covid-19 vaccine, which an internal army investigation determined was just saline solution.
The Thai Army held a press conference after the medic’s fake vaccine scam made headlines, saying the incident had tarnished the army’s image. The field medic, who was also a lieutenant, injected more than 250 Thai troops stationed in South Sudan on a UN peacekeeping mission with the fake vaccine, claiming it was the head doctor’s order, Army Army spokesperson Santipong Thammapiya confirmed. He says the medic was in the Thai-South Sudan Horizontal Military Engineering Company.
“This incident affects the image of the Thai Armed Forces and Thailand in the United Nations mission. It is a serious disciplinary offence and also violates ethical standards as the wrongdoer is a doctor.”
The medic injected troops with a legitimate vaccine for tetanus as well as a saline solution shot he claimed was a Covid-19 vaccine. He charged 500 baht for the vaccine package, adding up to more than 100,000 baht, according to a UN investigation.
The medic had been sent back to Thailand. The Bangkok Military Court has now issued a warrant for his arrest. Previous reports said the medic’s license was revoked, but a recent report by Nation Thailand says the Medical Council is considering whether to revoke his doctor’s license.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Crime
Gunman kills mayoral candidate, injures 4 other municipal candidates at funeral

A gunman shot and killed a woman running for mayor and wounded 4 others at a funeral in Ratchaburi, a province west of Bangkok near the Myanmar border. Police say they suspect the shooting was politically motivated. Out of the 4 people injured, 3 were running in the March 28 municipal election while another was the kamnan, a government official of a tambon, which is a sub district.
The gunman is still at large, but police say they suspect the shooter is Wanchart Niamraksa, a member of the Ratchaburi provincial administration organisation.
The gunman opened fire just as the kamnan of tambon Don Sai, Yingpan Kanket, was lighting candles and incense sticks under a Buddha image to start the ceremony, witnesses say. Shots were fired from behind the main Buddha image at the temple’s open prayer hall, witnesses say.
Bullets hit 5 people, including Yingpan who is in critical condition. Varaporn Niamraksa, who was running for mayor of the municipality, was shot and died at the hospital. Nakhon Wanpen, Somthawil Srirat and Monthien Jaitham, who are all running for the municipal council of tambon Don Sai, were shot.
Police found 2 spent .22 cartridges and a 11mm spent shell at the scene. The suspect faces charges of murder, attempted murder, carrying firearms and ammunition without permission and carrying them in public without a proper reason.
SOURCES: Nation Thailand | Bangkok Post
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Nipral
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 3:09 pm
Happy smiling junky monk !
Dirk
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 3:30 pm
Hmmm.. looking at the photo, both the police officer and the monk have the same “happy smile”.
Party buddies?
Randy
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 4:09 pm
He must be defrock without any delay….never to wear a buddhist rope again…Just brought shame to buddhism..
Disgusting and shameless Moron…without buddhism principals,Morals and precepts.
Ray
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 5:55 pm
Looks like he is still high at the time of arrest.
Jesus Monroe
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 6:52 pm
Looking like a very gifted monk……
brian mc
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 8:31 pm
He was misquoted, that is not what he said to police.
what he actually said was “whooooaaaaa maaaaannnnn I’m a strawberry, now watch me fly off the temple roof. Try the cookie, go on, you gotta try one, there faaar out dude. Maaaaan I’ve got munchies.”
Toby Andrews
Friday, January 29, 2021 at 11:36 pm
Another day, another monk is caught at something illegal.
It is about time that they started closing Wats.
They are nests of liars, cheats and perverts!!
Kim
Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 1:19 pm
“No-no-no, not my fault at all, my-friend-me gave me the drugs, go arrest him”
Another Thai adult male pushing the responsibility of his own choices onto someone else. On my TiT scale 1-10,this scores 10+
Tony
Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 3:48 pm
Next time a smugglers is caught coming over the border with a kilo of snort just say we are just transfeing merit to our friends in Thailand