Thailand News Today – Tuesday, April 28

Cabinet disagrees with the cancellation of Thai public holidays in May

Yesterday, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired a meeting about the postponement of Thai holidays in May. There were four public holidays coming up next month.

The matter was going to be presented to today’s cabinet meeting. The four holidays are…

Friday, May 1, Labour Day

Monday May 4, Coronation Day

Wednesday May 6, Visakha Puja Day

Monday, May 11, Plowing Day

But today’s cabinet meeting says they ‘disapprove’ of the postponement or cancellation of the national holidays in May.

But a spokesperson for the Cabinet has warned the public to stay at home and refrain from travelling out of their provinces. So take the national holidays, but enjoy them at home.

Cable and satellite provider True Visions faces backlash over “censorship officer”

Satellite and cable TV provider True Visions is in hot water after posting an advert seeking an “international news censor” on the biggest online jobs board in Thailand.

The ad, which appeared on the JobsDB site, said the right candidate would be required to scrutinise 17 foreign news channels and report any “inappropriate” content to supervisors.

This isn’t first time the use of “censors” at True Visions has come up. The company was monitoring content from BBC and Al Jazeera, after the BBC had found itself blocked in Thailand on a few occasions during the rule of the military junta.

Social media users have threatened not to renew their subscriptions. The job listing has been removed from the JobsDB site.

Thailand’s Attorney General calls for leniency towards charity food providers

Thailand’s Attorney General is urging prosecutors to go easy on the good samaritans who face charges of violating the current ban on social gatherings.

The current restrictions, in place under the Covid-19 emergency decree, have led to many Thai citizens losing their income and relying on charity food handouts. Now many of those providing free food and other essentials, are facing criminal proceedings for causing large groups of people to gather in public without adequate social distancing measures being put in place.

Now a spokesman for the Attorney General, is urging prosecutors to consider the circumstances of the alleged violations and exercise good judgment when instigating criminal charges.

He said “Charges should be filed in accordance with the spirit of the law.”

Phetchabun man lucky to be alive after bomb discovery

A man in Phetchabun province, central Thailand, has had a narrow escape after picking up an abandoned box, not realising it was actually a bomb.

The unnamed villager from Tha Phon district, was cycling back from a local temple when he spotted the box with a clock attached to it lying on the ground.

He took it back to his shop his employee said it was probably a bomb. The man quickly placed the box outside and called the police.

Police described the cardboard box with a digital clock taped to the front and connected with various wires and immediately alerted the Phetchabun Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team.

They placed a tire around the box, evacuated villagers from the area and used high-pressure water to defuse the bomb. They confirmed that the device was “a timed improvised explosive device.”

Its purpose or intended target has not been disclosed.

Indonesia’s death toll from Covid-19 is probably 2,200

A Reuters review of data from 16 of the Indonesia’s 34 provinces shows that more than 2,200 people have died with acute symptoms of Covid-19 but were not recorded as victims.

The data was collated by provincial agencies from figures provided by hospitals, clinics and burial records. Reuters obtained the data by checking websites, interviewing provincial officials and reviewing World Health Organisation reports.

A senior member of the Indonesian government’s Covid-19 taskforce, didn’t dispute the Reuters’ findings but declined to comment on the number of coronavirus victims he believes are to be found among the list of patients.

He says many of the nearly 20,000 suspected coronavirus patients in Indonesia have not been tested because of huge numbers of specimens awaiting processing at understaffed laboratories. He said some people die before their sample is analysed.

Last month Indonesian President Widodo said that some information was withheld from the public to prevent panic.