Bangkok

At least another 60 days in Thai jail for Hakeem al-Araibi

Published

9 months ago

February 4, 2019

The Thaiger

SCREENSHOT from The Guardian video

Australian refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi now has 60 days to prepare a defence against the Bahraini government’s attempt to extradite him from Thailand. Bahrain’s extradition request was formally accepted for consideration last Friday.

The 25 year old will have to remain in Thai prison for the two months, on top of the two months he’s already been in detention, after he faced the Thai criminal court today to formally lodge his refusal to be extradited to Bahrain.

Hakeem al-Araibi arrived at the Ratchadaphisek criminal court shackled and barefoot with more than a dozen other prisoners. He was surrounded by guards and escorted by guards on either arm. As he was entering the court he shouted “don’t send me to Bahrain”.

In court Al-Araibi stood as the judge read out the allegations against him from the Bahraini government. He told the court he refused to be extradited from Thailand back to Bahrain.

The deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, Phil Robertson, says his lawyers sought a postponement so they could adequately translate documents but prosecutors said they wanted the case to proceed quickly.

The judge has given his lawyers until April 5 to file a written appeal before the next scheduled hearing on April 22.

Al-Araibi is a 25 year old Australian resident who plays football for the Melbourne-based Pascoe Vale football club. He’s also a refugee from Bahrain and has spent almost 70 days detained in Thailand while his country of birth seeks his extradition.

A high-profile and extraordinarily unified international campaign seeks his return to Australia, but Thailand has insisted on sending him through the court system.

Advocates and supporters of Al-Araibi are calling on FIFA and the International Olympic Committee to initiate immediate sanctions on Bahrain and Thailand to pressure the two governments to allowing Al-Araibi to return to Australia where he already has refugee status, a career and his wife.

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ASEAN

Bangkok and Nonthaburi to get 2 extra holidays during ASEAN summit

Published

1 day ago

October 16, 2019

May Taylor

Bangkok and Nonthaburi to get 2 extra holidays during ASEAN summit | The Thaiger

November 4 and 5 have been approved as official holidays for Bangkok and Nonthaburi as a result of the 35th Asean Summit and Related Summits being held at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok.

Deputy government spokeswoman Traisulee Traisoranakul confirmed yesterday that the measure was being taken in an effort to alleviate traffic problems in both areas during the summit, adding that other state enterprises and the Bank of Thailand could implement the holidays for their subsidiaries at their own discretion and on a case-by-case basis.

“Government agencies in Bangkok and Nonthaburi will stop working on these dates. Meanwhile, state enterprises and the Bank of Thailand will consider announcing November 4 and 5 as holidays for their subsidiaries on case-by-case basis.”

“However, government agencies which have a necessity to provide urgent or previously scheduled services to their clients that cannot be postponed may stay open on November 4 and 5, depending on the decision by the heads of these departments.”

Some other public or regional holidays coming up…

SOURCE: The Nation

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Bangkok

Colourful European ecstasy tablets targeting Thai youth

Published

1 day ago

October 16, 2019

The Thaiger

PHOTO: CTN News

The Narcotics Control Board are warning about cartoon-character labelled ecstasy pills that are being smuggled from Europe and heading for Thailand and a growing market of younger users. Some of the colourful pills had been cast as characters from Minions movies and The Simpsons.

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board deputy secretary-general Niyom Termsrisook told reporters about the ecstasy pills following the arrest of a woman in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, last week. The woman was arrested with about 28,000 cartoon-character ecstasy pills on October 8. Niyom said they had been tracked back to a European supplier.

“The pills were produced in France and the Netherlands. Drug dealers have also been expanding their markets to south east Asia. The drugs are smuggled through airports in Cambodia and Vietnam.”

“The pills are stored in Cambodia before being smuggled through natural border passages to Thailand.

Niyom alleged the smugglers were victims of human traffickers hired by African traffickers.

He said that local sellers of the ecstasy pills are targeting young pub goers as the drugs have a sex-stimulant property.

A source at the ONCB said a quantity of cartoon-character ecstasy pills was earlier seized at Suvarnabhumi airport in the capital. The pills were smuggled from the Netherlands where they were priced at 60 baht per pill.

SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times

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Bangkok

Thai High Speed Railway linking airports now to be signed off on October 25

Published

2 days ago

October 15, 2019

The Thaiger

The State Railway of Thailand and the Charoen Pokphand Group-led consortium are putting pen to paper and signing the contract for the high-speed train project on October 25.

The much-discussed high speed railway will link Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao international airports. The new SRT board was approved by the Thai cabinet today.

Deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul says he is confident the contract will now be signed, adding that he has already met with Supachai Chearavanont, CEO of the CP group, and assured him of the government’s full cooperation and support.

The Charoen Pokphand-led consortium won the bid to develop the 224-billion baht high-speed train infrastructure as a signature project for the government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) high-tech investment hub. The train service is scheduled to be operational in 2024 (The Thaiger is taking bets now).

Recently, however, the CP-led consortium raised concerns over land expropriation and eviction problems and asked for the government to share the risk on this issue. The Transport Ministry has already rejected the request putting the onus on CP as part of the proposal.

Mr. Anutin explained that, in any large infrastructure project involving expropriation of land, it is usual for the government or state agency not to be able to hand over the land to the contractor all at once. In such cases, the contracted completion date can be moved back.

He said the CP-led consortium should proceed with the high-speed train project without further delay because 70% of the land is ready to be handed over.

Meanwhile, the deputy PM admits that he didn’t know why the entire SRT board resigned en masse, delaying the signing of the contract, and denied that he had put pressure on the board to quit. He also denied that Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, also of the Bhumjaithai party, objected to the SRT board’s mass resignation because the latter wanted the contract to be signed quickly.

SOURCE: Thai PBS