Thailand News Update | Jimi Sandu murder suspect arrested in Canada
Police plan to use lie detectors when they question people who were on the speedboat with TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong when she fell into the Chao Phraya River and drowned last week. The national police chief announced that a lie detector was a tool to facilitate the investigation. He said…. Every answer from Nida’s friends must be backed by reasons… Police will see who they phoned after the incident… and if there was any physical assault. Police will make it clear if there was any dispute or life insurance involved.”Tangmo’s mother has already stated that she did not believe her daughter’s death was an accident and she suspected foul play. But investigators are now oping that the use of a lie detector in questioning would provide a clearer picture of what happened. Nonthaburi police have sent Tangmo’s mobile phone to the bureau for examination, which should be concluded this week.
A suspect in the Jimi Sandu murder case was arrested in Canada and a request for his return to Thailand has been submitted. Matthew Dupre, from Canada, was allegedly one of two hitmen who fired multiple shots at Sandu outside a villa in Phuket. Sandu, who was born in India, was a notorious gangster in the British Columbia area of Canada and had entered Thailand by private jet with a fake passport in December last year.Matthew Dupre was arrested in Edmonton, Alberta on February 20, according to the Thailand’s Office of the Attorney General.The Alberta Court currently has the suspect detained depending on the results of the court’s ruling on Thailand’s extradition hearing. The Office of the Attorney General was working hard to bring him to Thailand so he can stand trial.Thai authorities have filed multiple charges against Matthew Dupre and his alleged partner in crime, Gene Karl Lahrkamp, including the murder of Jimi Sandhu in the parking area of his leased beachfront property in Rawai, Phuket around 10:30pm on February 4.Security camera recordings in and near the crime area helped identify the two, and they were named in several media stories.
More than 100 law enforcement officers have been assigned to investigate a case where gunmen attacked a van carrying members of a local council…. A tambon administrative organisation, on Valentine’s Day in the central province of Nakhon Nayok.A tampon representative and the driver were killed in the shooting. Another tampon chairperson was injured. Now the Royal Thai Police say more than 100 officers are working on the case due to the so-called influential people involved and some have expressed concerned that “local mafias” could manipulate the investigation outcome. From video footage from the van, a Mitsubishi tailgated the van and then pulled up alongside it when gunmen opened fire. The driver lost control, crashing into a ditch. So far, officers have arrested three suspects, including a man who allegedly supplied the firearms to the gunmen, but believe more people were involved in the plans for the attack.
Ukrainians and Russians in Thailand have been gathering in various locations in Phuket to call for peace and urging a stop to the violence. Crowds waved flags and balloons in Ukraine’s national colours yellow and blue as they called for an end to the conflict.Yesterday, over 80 Ukrainian and Russian tourists and expats were on the roadside by the Royal Phuket Marina with signs and national flags. A smaller group of tourists stood in front of Phuket’s Russian Embassy, and they were later joined the big group from the Royal Phuket Marina. They held the signs with messages related to the conflict and they called for peace. They rally ended at around 10:30am.Over the weekend, other groups also gathered at Patong Beach, holding signs and the Ukraine national flag. The group said they contacted each other on Facebook to arrange the small rallies.
The popular “claw” machines at arcades and malls, some filled with stuffed animals or toys, are actually banned in Thailand because, back in 2020, the Interior Ministry announced that the games of technique and chance were probably rigged and considered “gambling tools.”But the two-year ban could be reversed after a recent ruling in Chiang Mai.Earlier this month, the Chiang Mai public prosecutor dismissed a case filed against an arcade operator Family Amusement, dropping charges of “organised gambling” and “concealing illicit imported goods,” saying the “claw crane” machine should be considered vending machines, not “gambling tools.”In March 2021, police had arrested the game store operators and seized 35 claw machines from the shop at Promenada shopping centre in the main city district, according to the company’s legal advisor. The claw machines were produced in Thailand, according to reports. And the prosecutor did not consider the machines to be gambling devices. The company’s legal advisor says the prosecutor found that they were operating their business in line with the Interior Ministry’s guidelines.
A 50 metre bridge in Bangkok collapsed over the weekend, reportedly due to mistakes made by the construction team that critically affected the structure. The collapse on Udomsuk road impacted traffic as well as the water supply in the area. No accidents or losses were reported, and the damage is expected to be repaired within a month.The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration suspects a worker may have put a drill in the wrong spot, allowing water to get into the structure. The construction company tried to seal up the structure with P.U. foam, but the structure couldn’t bear the pressure and later collapsed. Bangkok deputy governor says that the authorities had to carefully check the soil layer under the bridge because it had been saturated by water.
