Thailand
Phuket Media Watch – Six bombs defused in eastern Bangkok, man arrested

– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community
Thai police found and defused six home-made explosive devices at three separate locations in Bangkok, officials said. One suspect has been arrested.
One explosive device was placed in front of a Bangkok Bank branch; two were found at a road intersection; and three more were found under a bridge near a market.
Police said the bombs were found after officers arrested a man on suspicion of planting a bomb at a traffic island in front of the Government Lottery Office (GLO) on December 6. The suspect then told police he had set bombs in three different locations.
According to the MCOT news agency, the suspect is a resident from Rayong province, some 620 kilometers north of Phuket. He was working with several others. He reportedly told police that the group had planned to place explosive devices in eight locations in Bangkok but only managed to do so at three of them.
Bomb disposal experts disabled the devices which were found on Friday. The device found on December 6 was said to be incomplete and would not have been able to explode. Police said it had been placed to cause panic.
The Thai government recently called for heightened vigilance amid the upcoming New Year’s celebrations. On New Year’s Eve in 2006, a series of explosions hit nine locations in Bangkok, killing three people and injuring nearly 40 others.
At a press conference held this morning on the sole suspect arrested thus far, Jirawat Janphen, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung was the only person to interact with reporters. The ‘conference’ ended abruptly after only 20 minutes. Chalerm was accompanied by Police Commissioner-General Pol Gen Priewphan Damapong, Metropolitan Police Chief Lt Gen Winai Thongsong and several other senior police officers.
Chalerm said the suspect came from Sakon Nakhon and has been staying in Bangkok’s Laksi district, and had been hired to raise goats for the people in the area.
Chalerm alleged that Jirawat placed six homemade bombs at three spots. The deputy prime minister did not say how the man had obtained the homemade bombs.
Chalerm said Jirawat placed a bomb beside the building of Bangkok Bank’s on Sukhumvit Soi 77. The bomb was supposed to be detonated with a remote control.
Two bombs were stuffed in a PVC pipe and left at the Wat Kingkaew Intersection and they were set to be detonated with a timing device.
Chalerm said the three other bombs were put inside PVC pipes and placed under a bridge on On Nuj Road in Lat Krabang district. They were also timed to explode.
Chalerm said the bomb squads of the Metropolitan Police had safely disposed of all the bombs.
The deputy prime minister said the bombs appeared similarly made to those found on Rajdamnone Road.
Jirawat was charged with possessing explosives without a license. Chalerm said the suspect was arrested at 3am at the Wat Kingkaew Intersection on a frontage road of the Bangkok-Chon Buri Montorway.
The suspect sat smiling with his face down during the press conference. He said he would testify only in court.
After reporters raised many questions for the suspect to answer, Chalerm, who was sitting beside him, cut short the conference. Chalerm said he ended the press conference because Priewphan was very sleepy.
Chalerm concluded the conference by asking Bangkokians to celebrate New Year holidays without having to worry about bomb attacks.
— Phuket Gazette Editors
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Thailand
Thailand bans assemblies, protests, mass gatherings citing Covid-19 fears

Thailand’s government has banned assemblies, protests, and mass gatherings citing fears over Covid-19 spreading. The Royal Gazette, Thailand’s official site for publishing new laws and regulations, made the announcement late last night on the heels of another protest scheduled for today.
The ban is in place for Bangkok and 5 other provinces including Samut Prakan, Samut Songkhram, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, and Nonthaburi provinces.
Thai Government officials insist the ban on protests is not political but some are skeptical as a protest last weekend ended in violence after demonstrators tried to march to the home of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. The “leaderless protest” set for today, by “Redem” pro-democracy group, is set to march to the Thai Criminal Court. And, protest groups on social media have stated that the new regulations will not stop scheduled future protests.
Despite the Emergency Decree that has been put in place to ban mass gatherings, the new law will cover more ground by giving the government more power to assert control over law-breakers by including fines up to 40,000 baht or up to 2 years in jail. The new law is effective until further notice.
Yesterday, the pro-democracy group Ratsadon, arrived to the outskirts of Bangkok, after a nearly 250 kilometre, 17 day long walk from the Thao Suranaree statue in Korat province’s Muang district. The group was protesting the imprisonment of 9 pro-democracy demonstrators who are being denied bail. The march, named “Walk Through the Sky: Bring Back the People’s Power,” started on February 16.
The march is expected to end today at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, but it is unclear whether or not the protest will be stopped in accordance to the new ban.
Thailand has seen a drop in the amount of daily reported cases of Covid-19, with numbers decreasing to double-digits. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration assistant spokeswoman is now claiming that Thailand has successfully contained the second wave of Covid, which broke out last December.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Thailand
Thai navy receives PETA award after rescuing cats from sinking ship

The Thai navy is celebrating receiving a PETA award after rescuing a group of cats from a sinking ship that had caught fire in the Andaman sea. The Hero to Animals Award was given to the naval officials by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals group after Facebook user “Nookool.b” posted photos of the feline rescue mission.
The ship’s 8 member crew had jumped off the sinking Phamonsin Nava 10 and were rescued by a passing fishing ship, but noticed 4 cats were left onboard. Navy sailors rescued the cats by carrying them piggy‐back style across the water to the navy vessel unit. The felines were safely rescued and were in good condition, just a bit dehydrated.
“They carried each cat on their backs and swam back to the Navy vessel until every cat was rescued.”
PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker said their efforts had resonated with kind people around the world.
“Peta hopes their example will inspire everyone to keep an eye out for animals in danger and do whatever it takes to ensure their safety.”
PETA says they are sending the navy a framed certificate and letter of appreciation. The animal rights group has also offered to pay for the spaying or neutering of the cats.
In 1 rescue photo, a cat was shown to be riding piggy-back on a sailor as his crew mates pulled them both to safety. Other photos show the cats after they were rescued, enjoying food and cuddling in the naval command post in Koh Lipe.
Their rescuers, members from the Air and Coastal Defence Command Operation Unit 491, found the cats the day after they were deployed to assist the crew of the ship that had caught fire. The ship was located about 13 kilometres off Adang Island in the southern province of Satun
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Thailand
Thailand News Today | Changes to quarantine, ‘adult content’ ban continues | March 5

Thailand’s Public Health Minister is chairing a meeting next Monday, where a vaccine passport scheme and potential travel bubbles is on the agenda. Anutin says those who’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19 will be issued with a book to confirm their vaccination. It’s hoped this will make international travel easier, as well as boosting the public’s confidence and helping life return to some kind of normality.
In related news…. From next month, foreign visitors to the Kingdom will be able to experience the delights of “area quarantine”, after the government confirmed the scheme for 5 provinces. Following a meeting with the Public Health Ministry, the Tourism Minister confirmed that Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri and Surat Thani, which includes Koh Samui, have been chosen to pilot the scheme.
P**nhub and other adult websites are remaining blocked in Thailand as they apparently “conflict with good morals for upstanding citizens”. The Thai Government says the websites encourage “poor moral standpoints and can affect youth in a negative manner”.
The Acting Minister of Digital Economy and Society and current Minister of Culture says that the decision that was made by the previous office holder will be upheld. The decision also includes keeping other popular adult websites blocked as the Thai Government has labelled them to be “obscene”. But the move to ban adult content has brought protests with those disagreeing saying such sites are a part of freedom of expression.
A houseowner in the central province of Ang Thong, central Thailand, has discovered 3 skeletons on his land that are thought to be over 3,000 years old. 54 year old Somkiat Briboon says this most recent discovery isn’t the first, as the first lot of bones was found last year after preparing his 17 rai plot of land to be rented out for sugarcane farming.
The Thai PM says he’s ordered an investigation into allegations that the military has been using fraudulent social media accounts to aggravate the ongoing unrest in southern Thailand. Facebook has announced the removal of 185 accounts and groups that it has accused of “information-influencing”, targeting audiences in the deep south of the country, where Muslim insurgents continue to fight for independence. The PM says he’s tasked the Defence Ministry with looking into the matter and explaining it to the public.
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