Thailand News Today | Interior Ministry Withdraws Foreigners’ Land Purchase Policy
Ministry Withdraws Foreigners’ Land Purchase Policy
The cabinet allowed the Interior Ministry to withdraw for reconsideration its newly
drafted regulations to let specific groups of foreigners buy land for residence.
Acting government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said the drafted regulation
was aimed at attracting foreign investment and was being scrutinized by the
Council of State when the Interior Ministry requested its withdrawal.
The Interior Ministry wanted to further study the policy and gather opinions from
all parties concerned, he said.
On Oct 25, the cabinet approved the draft regulation in principle. It allowed
wealthy foreigners, foreign retirees, foreigners who want to work in Thailand, and
foreign specialists to buy no more than one rai of land each for their residential
purpose.
The regulation required each foreigner to invest at least 40 million baht for at least
three years. The investment was required to be in property funds, infrastructure
funds, and real estate investment trusts, for example. Thailand news
60,000 suspects related to guns and drugs rounded up in Thailand ahead of APEC
summit
Thai police have taken into custody more than 60,000 suspects, on charges related
to firearms and illegal narcotics, during a nationwide crime suppression campaign,
which began on October 10th, ahead of the APEC Summit in Bangkok on
November 18th and 19th.
Police also seized 5,345 illegal firearms, 936 licensed guns, 36 war weapons, 4,342
explosive items, and 37,045 rounds of ammunition of various calibers.
The national police chief, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat, said Tuesday that the
the massive crackdown was part of the precautionary measures ahead of the Summit,
even though police have not received any intelligence about potential incidents
during the event.
He said that security has been beefed up at all borders, including natural border
crossings and on routes leading to Bangkok. The Queen Sirikit National
Convention Centre, which is the official venue of the summit, and hotels, where
leaders of foreign governments will be staying, have also been placed under tight
security, he said, adding that protests in these areas will be prohibited and traffic is
to be restricted.
The police chief also said that the metropolitan police have conducted drills for
motorcade security for foreign leaders, as he assured that they are more than 80%
ready for the task, with the final drill on the handling of terrorist attacks scheduled
for Friday.
Of the 60,000 suspects in police custody, 10,450 of them face firearms-related
charges and 43,027 face drug charges. 9,255 are suspects in old cases against
whom arrest warrants have been issued.
Regarding firearms-related cases, the police chief singled out the case of
“Veerayuth” (surname withheld), owner of the Charoen Airsoft 4289, who
allegedly sold BB guns as well as modified BB guns, which can be used to fire real
bullets, online.
He said that police have raided 209 workshops, allegedly involved in the
modification of BB guns, arrested 54 suspects, seized 110 modified BB guns,
11 explosive items and a large haul of ammunition.
Collected 572,602 Krathong baskets from water sources in the Loy Krathong festival Thailand news
The staff of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration collected 572,602 Krathong
baskets from water sources in the Loy Krathong festival last night, up 42% from
last year’s amount and there was not a single Styrofoam Krathong basket collected
in seven districts.
BMA spokesman said City Hall workers collected 572,602 Krathong baskets from
the water last night, up from 403,203 baskets in the Loy Krathong festival last year.
The number rose by 169,367 baskets or 42%.
Of the collected Krathong baskets, 548,086 baskets, or 95.7% were made from
natural materials and 24,516 baskets or 4.3% were made from Styrofoam.
The percentage of Krathong baskets made from biodegradable natural materials
dropped from 96.5% last year to 95.7% this year while that of Styrofoam baskets
increased from 3.5% to 4.3%.
The highest number of collected Krathong baskets was 27,776 in the Klong Toey
district while the Prawet district saw the highest amount of Styrofoam baskets, 1,140.
All collected Krathong baskets in seven districts were made from natural materials.
They are Laksi, Din Daeng, Bang Rak, Sathon, Chom Thong, Bangkok Yai and
Thawi Watthana districts.
Thousands of glistening paper lanterns lighting up the night sky in Chiang Mai Thailand news
Thousands of glistening paper lanterns lighting up the night sky in Chiang Mai,
Northern Thailand disappeared into a thick plume of smoke after a foam pagoda
went up in flames in the middle of the Yi Peng Lantern Festival celebrations last
night.
Billowing smoke rose into the sky after a lantern fell on top of the flammable
replica pagoda, made out of plastic foam, causing it to set alight from the top. The
fire occurred in the province’s San Pa Tong district.
Luckily, no one was reported to be injured by the fire and authorities acted quickly
to put it out.
Netizens commented on the danger that the festival presents…
“There are so many lanterns. All the houses in the neighborhood are made from
wood. If a house burns down, who is responsible for it?”
“Dangerous for households, airplanes, and the environment.”
An exodus of foreign and domestic tourists traveled to Chiang Mai to experience
the magical atmosphere of the two festivals, which was quickly spoiled by a sea of
smoke and plastic fumes.
The eruptive fire is a stern reminder of why the Thai government is so strict about
disallowing the release of lanterns in and around Thailand’s airports. Before the
festival yesterday, a government spokesperson made a statement reminding the
a public that flying lanterns in Thailand’s airspaces is punishable by the death
penalty.
The Yi Peng Lantern Festival has garnered criticism over the years as being
dangerous, with thousands of people releasing lanterns into the sky at the same
time, sometimes getting caught in communication cables and often starting fires. Thailand news
Teen boasts he escaped murder charge because his family is rich Thailand news
An 18-year-old allegedly boasted on social media that he escaped being charged
with the murder of a 14-year-old boy because his family is rich and powerful.
Thai social media is outraged that 18-year-old Dome killed 14-year-old Fluck and
bragged about it on Twitter. Netizens are furious after seeing the trending hashtag
on Thai Twitter: “18-year-old kills 14-year-old”.
The death of Fluck occurred on November 3, at 12.20 pm at the young boy’s house
in Saen Sook village in the Meung district in the central province of Rayong.
Fluck’s family informed Channel 3 reporters that Dome and another teenager
visited Fluck’s house to talk outside his home.
Fluck refused to go outside and talk to Dome which made him angry so he entered
the victim’s home and attacked him, using some broken electric wire to whip
Fluck’s head.
Fluck’s family tried to separate the two but, in the melee, Fluck fell to the floor and
had a seizure.
Fluck was sent to the hospital immediately for treatment but the teenage boy later died
after four days of treatment. The hospital recorded the cause of death as an acute
subdural hemorrhage.
Dome was arrested after the incident but was later bailed for 20,000 baht.
Thai netizens are angry because Dome posted several messages on Facebook
showing no remorse, saying that he did not care about the law. He also posted
pictures and videos of himself at a party and attending a Loy Krathong event with
friends after he was bailed.
A voice recording of Dome talking to a friend allegedly admitting that he was a
a drug dealer and had money released on Thai social media by an unidentified
person.
In the recording Dome said his family was rich and would support him in every
way. He also added that he would only give 2,000 baht to Fluke’s family for his
death.
Khaosod reported that Dome’s family insisted that they did not bail him out,
adding their son did not post anything on social media because he was in the police
custody.
The family also said that they did not interfere in the police work process and that
Dome was bailed out on the court’s decision.
Under Section 290, manslaughter, in Thai law, whoever causes death to another
person by inflicting injury upon the body of a such person without intent to cause
death shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years.
It appears Dome has not been prosecuted according to Thai law for his part in the
death of another teenage boy and remains free. Thailand news
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