Thai police bust Bangkok rare wildlife 'butchers'

BANGKOK, February 6, 2012 (AFP) - Thai police busted a grisly exotic wildlife slaughterhouse in Bangkok when officers caught four men in the act of chopping up a tiger in a residential home, officials said Monday.

Elephant, zebra, wildebeest and lion remains were also found at the suburban property as well as meat kept in a refrigerator that police and wildlife activists said was likely to be destined for human consumption.

"We assume that the meat is from tigers because we found tiger skin and heads. From what I've seen, I think it's two tigers," Thai Nature Crime Police Commander, Police Colonel Norasak Hemnithi, told AFP.

He said police arrested seven men and are hunting another, believed to be the owner of an exotic animal restaurant in Bangkok, which has operated in the capital for a decade.

"We believe that this butchers house is mainly to provide orders for the restaurant, but those arrested said they sometimes shipped meat and stuffed animals to China," he added.

Wildlife anti-trafficking group Freeland, which often works with the Thai police on operations, said local police chanced on the gruesome scene after encountering a man whose hands were covered in blood in Bangkok's Yannawa district.

"Police escorted the man back to a residential building and discovered four others in the midst of chopping up a 400 kilogramme (880 pound) male tiger," the group said.

Freeland director Steven Galster said the group believes some of the animals were "bred in, or laundered through, private zoos in Thailand".

Norasak said he thought the tigers might have been from the wild, but other animals could have been from private zoos.

The arrested men could face four years in jail for the illegal processing of wild and protected animals, he added.

Thailand, a hub of international smuggling, is one of just 13 countries hosting fragile tiger populations. Worldwide, numbers are estimated to have fallen to only 3,200 tigers from approximately 100,000 a century ago.

Foreign Affairs Ministry: U.S. lifts terror alert in Thailand

BANGKOK, 4 February 2012 (NNT) – The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that the United States revoked the terrorism alert in Thailand. Nine countries still warn their citizens of possible terrorist attacks.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday met with the ambassadors of more than 40 countries to explain the terror alert issued by the United States on 13 January. Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow said he had ensured the envoys that Thailand was not negligent in tackling possible violence. More stringent security measures will be urgently implemented to restore confidence, he added.

A Lebanese suspect alleged of being a member of Hezbollah was arrested in Bangkok on the same day that the U.S. first issued the warning. The U.S. is among the ten countries that revoked the terror alert; the others include China, Israel, Greece, Germany, France, Norway, Brazil, the Netherlands and Denmark. The nine countries which have not yet lifted their warnings include the U.K., Australia, Austria, Taiwan, South Korea, Italy, Japan, Romania and Canada. Japan said it needed official confirmation from Thailand before deciding whether to cancel the terror alert.

The permanent secretary urged the nine countries to reconsider their travel advisories based on the current situation in Thailand and the Thai government’s handling of the matter.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Australia is preparing to revoke the alert while the U.K. has made clear that it cannot do so since the warning is aimed at informing citizens.

Police chief proposes prison cell on island for drug dealers

BANGKOK: -- National Police chief Pol General Priewpan Damapong yesterday proposed the construction of a prison on an island, especially for drug dealers as it would be easier to control and prevent them from continuing their drug dealing from behind bars.

Priewpan said he was discussing his idea with senior officials. The facility should be equipped with a phone signal blocking system. He revealed the idea during a press conference yesterday about three suspects in Pattani's Sai Buri district who were arrested in Samut Sakhon's Muang district. About 373,800 yaba tablets, five kilograms of crystal meth and 120 kratom leaves were seized from them.

Meanwhile, police will seek arrest warrants for two or three more suspects after Major Piyanat Ketchamrat, an official at the Engineering Battalion of the Region 3 Army who has been accused of being involved in drug crimes, reportedly confessed and implicated a few others.

Narcotics Suppression Bureau deputy chief Pol Maj-General Charnwet Sesawet said Major Piyanat had confessed to transporting the drugs and also gave other useful information. Police would secure arrest warrants for two or three others whom he had implicated for transporting drugs in the Northern and Central regions. Charnwet declined to give details.

He said Sgt-Major 1st class Venus Sijai, another accused official from the Engineering Battalion of the Region 3 Army, was still hiding in Thailand. Police would soon bring to court Major Piyanat, who reportedly had faced asset seizure in 2009 due to his involvement in drug crimes, and seek his detention on the charge of possessing drugs.

Pol Lt-General Wanthip Wongwai, the Region 3 Army commander, said that an initial probe by his office found that Major Piyanat had been arrested in 2009 in a drug case by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and Bt3 million worth of his assets were seized. However, the ONCB failed to report the matter to the Engineering Battalion of the Region 3 Army. As a result, Major Piyanat was able to continue working there. He said the Army would wait for the legal procedure to complete its course before taking action against Major Piyanat.

Police yesterday also brought Piyanat's accuser, Nipon Kanchat, to the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court and sought a 12-day detention until February 7, while objecting to his bail on the ground that he was a flight risk. Nipon was arrested for allegedly storing billions of baht worth of narcotics at a Pathum Thani house he rented from a Thai actress.

Nipon's implication of a drug inmate in the Bang Kwang Prison led to a search of the prison cell on Thursday but no illegal things were found except a cellphone. The justice minister's secretary, Thirachai Wutthitham, said the ministry would probe further as some drug inmates were found to have 80 bank accounts. They also planned to have the Department of Special Investigation, the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, the Anti-Money Laundering Office and the ONCB send special task force units to search drug inmates' cells in future.

As drug suspects often implicate inmates, ONCB chief Adul Saengsingkaew said he would next week discuss possible solutions with the Corrections Department and the Royal Thai Police, including blocking phone signals at prisons.

Meanwhile, Nakhon Sawan's Paknam Pho police officers engaged in a gunfight with a drug gang yesterday morning. One suspect was shot dead, two suspects were captured and two others fled the scene. The gang members, on two motorcycles, who were about to deliver 500 yaba tablets and 16 grams of ice to a customer, ran into a police truck, fled to a dead-end soi and fired at the police, according to provincial police chief Pol Maj-General Chantawit Ramasut.

In Phattalung's Ta Mot district, three drug suspects were arrested in a sting operation yesterday. Police seized 539 yaba tablets, 10 grams of ice, 200 bottles of cough syrup and kratom leaves.

In Khon Kaen's Muang district, police arrested a 30-year-old man while waiting to deliver 2,400 yaba tablets to a customer at 2.30am yesterday. He confessed to buying the drug from a Laotian.

In Bangkok, a team of 120 police officers yesterday raided five communities in Tao Poon and Bang Sue areas at 5.30am and arrested 14 drug suspects. They seized some yaba, crystal meth and drug-taking tools. The raids targeted the drug ring of Somchai "Ae Leuk" Iampaijit, a drug suspect who was shot dead earlier this week in a gunfight with police in Nonthaburi.

City Police Ordered to Step Up Vice Suppression

BANGKOK: -- A deputy PM has instructed the city police to step up measures to prevent and eradicate drugs and other vices in the area after reports about an increase in Bangkok's entertainment venues with horse racing machines and drug sales.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung delivered drug suppression policies for Bangkok's entertainment venues to commanders and deputy commanders from nine districts under the Metropolitian Police Bureau's jurisdiction.

Chalerm revealed that only 600 of some 1,500 entertainment venues in Bangkok are licensed.

He said some under the jurisdiction of the Makkasan and Huay Kwang police stations are openly selling amphetamine and methamphetamine on their premises.

Some under the jurisdiction of the Phlap Phla Chai 1, Bang Rak, Samrae, Buppharam and Bukkhalo police stations, have horse racing machines and act as illegal lottery bookies.

The deputy PM instructed the city police to seek cooperation from entrepreneurs to immediately inform the authorities of their business rivals' illegal activities.

Moreover, Chalerm also ordered all police stations in Bangkok to step up vice supression by using proactive measures to prevent smuggling of illegal substances and other vices into their areas and emphasize close monitoring of risk groups.

Asked about the proposal to hold drug-related inmates in separate facilities, the deputy PM said he agrees with the idea to hold only major drug kingpins in solitary cells to cut their networks.

He proposed that a particular remand center could be set up as a model to carry out a pilot project.

However, further details of plan will have be to be studied.

Further questioned about Rak Thailand Party leader and party-list MP, Chuwit Kamolwisit's disclosure of information about gambling dens in Bangkok, Chalerm affirmed that the police have already shut down all gambling venues which are openly advertised to the public

The deputy premier went on to say that most gambling venues existing in the capital are not permanent as they usually change their locations frequently.

Chalerm confirmed that he has never protected the national police chief and the city police commissioner over the existence of gambling dens in the capital.

Thaksin: Successful Reconciliation Will Bring Thailand More Prosperity

NONTHABURI: -- Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a phone-in to red-shirt supporters, saying the ongoing conflict is easy to solve and Thailand can become a happier and wealthier nation if reconciliation is achieved.

At a Chinese banquet organized at Nonthaburi Provincial Hall presided by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit, Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Nuttawut Saikuer.

Nuttawut delivered his speech titled 'Politics is Everyone's Business' to the guests, including a number of red-shirt supporters.

He said Thai politics over the past five years have been characterized by conflicts, starting from the yellow-shirt group going out in protest against the government and giving flowers to soldiers who staged the coup.

Then the coup leader ran in election and was elected as MP, which was unprecedented.

Nuttawut pointed out that some people are now thinking that politics is the sharing of power among certain group of people and the idea might give rise to further conflicts.

He called on all Thais to be sensible and help solve the ongoing conflict by a peaceful means.

Reports revealed that self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra phoned in to red-shirt supporters that he has not seen them for a long time and he wants to come back home.

Thaksin also gave a blessing to his supporters on the occasion of New Year and told them to be patient as they will become wealthier soon.

The ex-premier said Thailand can be a wealthy nation once its people stop fighting against each other over trivial matters.

He is confident that if reconciliation is achieved, all conflicts will be happily resolved and he can be reunited with his supporters.

Suchart launches ministry with more tablets, promises of action

BANGKOK: -- As many as 900,000 tablets would now be handed out to all Prathom 1 and some Prathom 4 students (first and fourth graders), newly appointed Education Minister Prof Suchart Thadathamrongvej said after meeting with the tablet policy management committee yesterday on his first day in office.

The newly declared number of tablets is an increase from the previously agreed 700,000, with a Bt1.9 billion budget.

As a result, the meeting agreed to submit a request to the Cabinet for another Bt1 billion in budget for the extra tablets, he said.

Suchart said all 860,000 Prathom 1 students under different ministries would be given the tablets, while the remaining tablets would be distributed to some Prathom 4 students.

Thailand would buy all the tablets from China under a government-to-government contract, he added.

At his policy declaration session at the Education Ministry, Suchart vowed to care for students and teachers as if they were family members - and rush to put the Pheu Thai Party's education policies into practice.

Hundreds of state officials from across the country attended the session yesterday. Many more watched the declaration live on National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT channel) and Educational Television of Ministry of Education (ETV satellite channel) and listened to the policies on radio.

Red-shirt supporters from many provinces cheered Suchart and gave him a warm welcome to the ministry.

Originating from the same party as former education minister Woravat Auapinyakul, most of the announced policies are similar to Woravat's and in line with the party's intentions. Some policies will be added to improve the current ones. In addition, Suchart has some ideas about educational development he said he would try to push forward as well.

"My party's administration concept is about taking care of people as family members - and I will apply that to my administration at the ministry, too. I won't force teachers and students to do what the ministry wants to achieve, but will listen to them and what they want."

"With a commitment to a student-centred approach, students will be allowed to think out of the box or think differently and voice their needs," he said.

To adhere to the concept, Suchart vowed there would be no corruption and no cheating among students and teachers. "Although I support donations to provide more educational resources to schools, I will try to ensure no "tea money" bribery at schools. Teachers' recruitment and transfer processes and their academic standing assessments will be open and transparent - they should be allowed to defend their work during the assessment."

Technology-based learning is among the major policies of the party, which he will continue - including the tablet distribution to students and "e-education" programmes and contents developed to change schools to life-long learning centres.

The new minister said he would continue the English Speaking Year policy initiated by Worawat and strongly supports it. "We will try to seek more English native speakers for schools to encourage students to practise it. Every school should stop paying for unnecessary events and hiring companies to make banners printed with my picture to welcome me. The money should be used to hire foreign teachers instead. The Chinese language will also be promoted among interested students."

To open more opportunities for students to pursue education abroad, Suchart said he would add one more scholarship in addition to the current one-district one-scholarship project.

He also pledged to continue dealing with teachers' debt, merging small schools with management problems, creating students to be professionals, and a graduates' endowment fund.

Suchart talked about an idea that would allow agriculturists to transfer their experience to upper secondary and vocational education. Also, he urged officials of the Ordinary National Educational Test to provide a test every month instead of once a year to help students.

"The ministry's administrators and officials must implement their policies [promptly] otherwise they will be transferred," he said.

Five Killed in Crash Resulting from Shooting

A total of five people died in a crash caused by a drive-by shooting early this morning.

A witness in the truck says the attack resulted from a brawl between one of its passengers with someone at a pub.

Three of the victims were identified as Somchai Sitthipong, Worrawuth Wicchupanyapong, and Arom Saelao.

The incident also injured two other people.

Four men were first sent to Bangpakok and Ratburana hospitals for medical treatment and two of them later died.

The shooting took place at the entrance of Soi Suksawas 23, just 1.5 meter from Bangpakok Hospital.

Investigators said they found ammunition rounds and two 9 millimeter-caliber bullets in the sedan believed to be carrying the gunman.

They also found two bullet holes on the left side of the pickup truck.

A witness who was a passenger in the truck said it was carrying 10 friends from a pub on Rama III Road.

The witness said one of his friends had a quarrel with a group of revelers at the pub before their truck was shot more than 10 times by a gunman.

He believes the shooting was a result of the brawl.

He said the attack caused the truck to crash into a tree.

Investigators are now in the process of identifying and searching for the six in the suspected sedan for interrogation.