Thailand News Today | Corrupt Thai tourist cop caught in a police sting

 

Thailand will hold a general election at some point before March 2023, but polls reveal that current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is not the favourite to win. PM Prayut says he’s not worried about the poll results, because “a poll is just a poll.”

Phat Thong Than Shinawatra – daughter of ousted ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and central figure of the Pheu Thai Party – recently came in at No.1 in a quarterly opinion poll taken by the National Institute of Development Administration, or NIDA, which is a university in Bangkok.

NIDA interviewed 2,500 adults of various occupations, incomes and education levels from all around Thailand. More than one-quarter of them said แพทองธาร would be the best candidate in Thailand’s next general election. PM Prayut came in fourth place, with just 11.68% of people voting in favour of him.

In another poll about political party preference, 36% of respondents voted for the Pheu Thai Party, which came in first place. The Move Forward party came in third place and in fourth place, came PM Prayut’s Palang Pracharat Party with just 7% of the vote.

“A poll is just a poll,” stressed Prayut, unfazed by his sagging popularity, and added: “I work and assess my achievements by myself.”

That’s true, because that’s also how he first came to power. By himself.

Fugitive ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, on the other hand, predicts that “pro-democracy”, or opposition parties, will win the majority vote in the next general election.

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The government says polls don’t matter, but this one does. A survey released by the Casino Committee of Thailand has revealed the Thai nation wants a legal casino and entertainment complex in the country.

MP from the Pheu Thai Party, and Casino Committee of Thailand spokesperson, Chakphon Tangsuthitham, yesterday revealed the committee launched a survey in a number of areas identified as possible locations for a casino in Thailand. He said 80% of participants agreed that the kingdom should open a legal casino complex.

Regarding the question about the suitable locations, about 57% suggested Bangkok and areas within a 100 kilometres radius of Don Mueng International Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, and U-Tapao Rayong – Pattaya International Airport. Some recommended tourist destinations and others suggested the border provinces with permanent immigration checkpoints.

The report also proposed negative effects of a casino, with almost 55% of participants worried about crime, 53% worried about debt, and 40% had concerns about foreign business donations and involvement.

จักรพล stated that the committee held seminars at possible casino locations like Chiang Rai and Tak provinces in the north and Sa Kaeo in Isaan. The seminars discussed measures to prevent illegal casinos, tax collection, casino locations, effects of casino complexes on Thai culture, the investment cost, and benefits of legal casinos.

Jakkapon added that the committee would submit all of this information to the President of the National Assembly on July 27 with a view to discussing the topic in Parliament at a later date.

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The Thai Deputy PM and Minister of Public Health today defended his decision to legalise the happy plant.

Anutin Charnvirakul, speaking at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, was grilled by journalists about his decision to decriminalise the plant on June 6, and insisted it was the right decision.

He told attendants, quote “Unfortunately, due to the Covid issue, the happy plant Act could not be finished in parallel to the date that we freed the plant from narcotics. I anticipate the next question from the public will be, ‘Why I didn’t wait until the law was imposed?’ No way. No, sir. I won’t wait. I will never delay. Even if I could turn back time.” Odd comment…

The 55 year old, and the Thai government have been criticised after a number of controversial happy plant-related incidents have hit the nation’s headlines. There has been an increase in hospital cases, incidents regarding children, and a rise in shops selling the product.

But the health minister stood firm and reiterated the plant was decriminalised for the good of the kingdom’s health.

“Because there were patients waiting for their treatments with herbal remedies. There were farmers waiting to harvest and get their first crop, waiting for their incomes during current economic difficulties.

“There were small businesses, investments, planning, and deals that were ready to get going. It would be unfair if the government would cause this damage to these decent people.” I wish they had applied this logic to the lifting of Covid restrictions.

Anutin predicted the future of Thailand’s industry would be worth up to 3 billion US dollars and would become a “medical hub” in Asia within 5 years.

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A corrupt Thai tourist cop and his friend were arrested last night after they swindled thousands of false operating taxes from entertainment venues in the central province of NonthaBuri.

Officers from Bang Yai Police Station, were alerted to the scam after receiving complaints from several entertainment venues questioning the extra taxes.

Police set a trap on Thursday night, asking businesses to mark the banknotes with a special symbol before handing over the cash to the crooked cop and his friend.

Police then tracked the cop’s car, followed by his friend in a separate vehicle, wandering around the province collecting the marked cash from the area’s entertainment businesses. They bided their time and then pounced at the end of the cop’s money-collecting round at a shopping mall.

The alleged crooks were identified as Police Senior Sergeant Major Puwamate Hirunwongwaradon from the Tourist Police and his male friend Manus Sooksong.

The Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Suwat Jangyodsuk, admitted he is disappointed by the actions of the corrupt cop.

Suwat revealed the tourist policeman has been removed from public service and added the commander of his department would be charged with recklessness.

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The eastern side of Suvarnabhumi Airport’s main terminal will be modified to boost Thailand’s arrival capacity to 15 million travellers annually. The upgrades will be completed in 3 years.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Suvarnabhumi hosted 65 million passengers, international and domestic, through its arrival gates.

The eastern side of the terminal will be large enough to accommodate up to 15 million passengers a year after the approximately seven-month-long renovation is complete. The 7.8 billion baht, ‘Eastern Expansion project’, will take up 66,000 square metres of space and play a crucial role in the main terminal’s capacity to welcome and process travellers.

When construction is completed in 2025, the extension of the airport is projected to increase its total domestic and international capacity from 65 million to a total. of 80 million passengers per year.

A final version of the plan will be sent to the Airports of Thailand board before being approved by the government in early 2023.

Finding contractors for the extension is the next step, which might start between April and July of next year. The actual construction is scheduled to start in August of 2023.

Since the elimination of the Thailand Pass, earlier complicating entry into Thailand, flights and passengers have only increased at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport by about 10% on average over the past month.

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