Chiang Mai

Drilling down into the cave – 100 tunnels drilled so far

Published

11 months ago

July 7, 2018

Drilling down into the cave – 100 tunnels drilled so far | The Thaiger

As the frantic effort continues around the Tham Luang caves to find alternative ways to get to the cave chamber where the 13 footballers have been waiting since two weeks ago, ‘chimneys’ or tunnels from the top or side of the mountain, down into the cave, are being established.

AFP are reporting that there have been more than 100 of these chimneys drilled in the hope of finding an open space that could be accessible to the team.

With their entrance route now an unviable exit route, because of flooding waters that are still too high to attempt an evacuation, alternatives are being sought. Spokesperson Narongsak Osottanakorn, former governor of Chiang Rai, says some of the chimneys are as deep as 400 metres. But, so far, they haven’t reached anywhere that is accessible to the team.

“We estimate that (they) are 600 metres down, but we don’t know the (exact) target,” he said in the APF report.

Speaking about the oxygen situation, Narongsak says that they have now established sufficient air lines through to the chamber where the team are trapped and removed some of the support team who were staying with the boys. For now, the oxygen levels are no longer an immediate problem.

The group of 13, the 12 young footballers aged between 11-16, along with their 25 year old coach, headed into the caves as a post-training exercise on the afternoon of Saturday, June 23, two weeks ago.

You can read the AFP/The Nation report HERE.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Song Thaew drivers see red over Grab

Published

4 days ago

May 23, 2019

The Thaiger

Chiang Mai’s Grab vs traditional public transport continues. The issue has simmered for two years with occasional outbreaks of violence and an ongoing war of words on social media.

Thai PBS reports that the spat has become a major problem again between the public Red Song Thaews and Grab Cars in the northern city.

On the one hand members of the public are finding Grab more convenient, personal and better service. While the Red Bus drivers are complaining that their income is dropping, by more than 50% in some cases.

The Department of Land Transport and airport authorities reported 344 Grab drivers had been fined for picking up passengers at Chiang Mai airport since January 1.

Speaking to Thai PBS, students said Grab was much better and provided a personal service often at only a small increased cost.

“It goes to exactly where we want and is quicker than waiting for a Red Bus.”

One student even claimed they had been dumped so that the Red Bus driver could pick up tourists – a more lucrative kind of passenger.

The deputy of the local Red Bus association Bunreuang Wangmee said his organisation represented 2,465 members. While he admitted that some overcharged most kept to the 20 baht to 30 baht charges. He claimed that meant they were better value than Grab Car.

He said that some of his members had seen their daily income plummet from 1,200 baht to 400-500 baht per day.

SOURCE: ThaiPBS

Chiang Mai

Police and drug courier injured in shootout at Chiang Mai checkpoint

Published

5 days ago

May 22, 2019

The Thaiger & The Nation

Police and drug courier injured in shootout at Chiang Mai checkpoint | The Thaiger

FIL PHOTO: A police checkpoint set-up in the Chiang Mai city area – Chiang Mai Citylife

Three alleged drug couriers have been arrested this morning following a gunfight that injured a suspect and a police officer.

The incident happened in the Mae Rim district of Chiang Mai. Police say they monitored road checkpoints last night until officers at a traffic booth in Tambon Rimtai noticed a motorcycle leading the way for a pick-up truck at 1.20am, according to The Nation.

Police flagged them down at the checkpoint but the motorcycle mounted the footpath to avoid the checkpoint and sped away. When the pickup was stopped, a man on the back jumped down and ran into the forest, with police not far behind.

The suspect opened fire on the policeman chasing him with his homemade sawn-off shotgun. The shot hit the officer’s left arm. The officer returned fire and hit the suspect in the abdomen before police were able to seize his gun. The injured suspect was identified as 21 year old Wongsakorn Jala.

Both the injured policeman and suspect were rushed to the district hospital.

The two other suspects were identified as a 22 and 30 year old. Police found 200,000 methamphetamine pills in the back of the pickup. Police are still trying to find the motorcycle ‘scout’ who was leading the way.

The suspects told police they were hired by a Lahu man in Chiang Mai’s Chai Prakan district to take the drug from Fang district and deliver it to a recipient in the city.

SOURCE: The Nation

Chiang Mai

Young British man found dead in Chiang Mai condo

Published

6 days ago

May 20, 2019

The Thaiger

PHOTO: Thai Rath

A maid discovered a British man dead in the bedroom of a room on the eighth floor of a luxury condo in the Chang Khlan district of Chiang Mai over the weekend.

39 year old Kapadia Sarfaraaz was found face down on the bedroom floor. Police found no signs of a struggle or wounds on the body. But they say there were lots of different medications in the room. They speculate that the man had probably died from some ongoing illness.

The man had checked into the condominium last Tuesday and thought to have been dead about one day. In the Thai Rath report, the man was described as a “big man”. An autopsy is currently being held and relatives and the Consulate are being contacted.

SOURCE: Thai Rath