guest house on Pattaya third road was broken into, 200 pounds, and 3,700 US dollars was stolen from the safety boxes.

The guest house which has 5 rooms is located above an internet shop.

The owner said her customers can only get into the building via a key card system, however on the morning of the robbery she found that the key card mechanism had been disconnected and that the lock to the door had been forced.

Of the five safety boxes, three had been broken into to.



The CCTV had also been tampered with as it had been disconnected so there was no footage of the burglar.

The police collected fingerprints and said that they suspected that someone with inside knowledge had committed the crime, either an ex employee or possibly even a guest.

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Posted in: 200 pounds,700 US dollars was stolen from the safety boxes.,and 3,guest house on Pattaya third road was broken into

Chinese music student, who stabbed a young mother to death after knocking her down with his car in an accident, was sentenced to death

Chinese music student, who stabbed a young mother to death after knocking her down with his car in an accident, was sentenced to death by the Intermediate People's Court of Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

Yao Jiaxin, 21, stabbed the 26-year-old woman six times when he saw her trying to copy down his Chevrolet Cruz’s number plate after he knocked her off her electric scooter at 10:30 p.m. on October 20, 2010.

After the stabbing, Yao drove away from the scene and in his hurry, injured two bystanders. In an interview with police on October 22, he denied he had committed the murder.

However the next day he surrendered himself to police in the company of his parents and admitted to being responsible for the killing, the court said on Friday.

After hitting the victim, Yao did not try to help her but instead resorted to murder to silence her. That split-second decision made his crime heinous and eliminated a possibility that he would receive a lesser punishment, the court added.
In China, criminals who turn themselves in are occasionally granted lesser punishments than those who do not.

“The motive was extremely despicable…the conduct was extremely cruel…and the consequences are extremely serious,” the court judgment said.

Yao, a promising pianist studying at the Xi’an Conservatory of Music, said he had killed the university cafeteria waitress because he feared that she would “badger me and my family endlessly for compensation”.

The Court has ordered Yao to pay nearly 45,498.50 Yuan ($6,983) compensation to his victim’s family.

Police said that Zhang, who was returning home from work at Xi’an’s Northwest University, had only suffered slight injuries, including a small fracture to her left leg, when she was hit by Yao’s car.

The case raised fears that Yao, a privileged college student might use his social status to avoid punishment for the crime against a poor migrant worker who, according to web postings, had saved all her life to provide for her family and two-year-old son.

Last year there was another internet uproar after the son of a local police chief in the northern province of Hebei killed a woman in a hit-and-run accident and boasted that his father’s connections would put him above the law.

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Posted in: Chinese music student,was sentenced to death,who stabbed a young mother to death after knocking her down with his car in an accident

Mercedes bus stop killer jailed

The Phra Khanong provincial court sentenced Kanpithak Patchimsawat - son of a former Miss Thailand beauty queen - to 10 years and one month in jail for ramming his Mercedes into a crowd at a bus stop in 2007, killing a woman and injuring several others.

The sentence was reduced from 15 years and two months, because Mr Kanpithak's family has already given compensation to some of the victims.

The court ordered him to pay 2 million baht for relatives of the dead woman, and 800,000 baht for two people who were seriously injured that night.

Mr Kanpithak or Moo Ham, 21, is the son of the former Miss Thailand, Sawinee and Kan-anek Patchimsawat, and a nephew of retired deputy police chief Ukrit Patchimsawat.

Mr Kanpithak was also accused of smashing a rock in the face of bus driver Sathaporn Arunsiri near Sukhumvit Soi 26, after his Merdeces was involved in a minor incident with the bus.

Mr Kanpithak's father Kan-anek offered to pay Mr Sathaporn 50,000 baht in compensation, who agreed to take the offer.

 

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Posted in: Mercedes bus stop killer jailed

Shooting in Gor. Tor. Mor. Pub on Pattaya’s 3rd Road, near the back entry to Carrefour. One person was reported as critically injured from a gunshot wound.

The Pattaya Police were summoned at 4 AM Monday morning supervised by the Investigation Inspector Pol. Lt. Isadagorn Tepnao to investigate a Shooting in Gor. Tor. Mor. Pub on Pattaya’s 3rd Road, near the back entry to Carrefour. One person was reported as critically injured from a gunshot wound.

At the scene, the customers were gathered outside the pub, and still frightened by the disturbance that had happened earlier. Inside the pub, the tables and chairs had been shoved about, creating a big mess. 3 Gunshot holes were found on the roof and 5 empty 9 mm bullet casings were found on the floor. The trouble makers had scattered well before the police arrived.  Mr. Prem-u-tai Rang-see-kan, aged 25 from Chaiyapum Province, AKA as Kwang Wat Tam, was discovered shot in his chest, by his right shoulder. The bullet had passed out through his back, cutting through his lung, causing him to die of asphyxiation at Memorial hospital.

The Pub Manager Mr. Pimonpan Pongwitoon, aged 38, stated that the homicide happened due to the clash of 2 gangs.  The 2 main members of the Ka Joe Gang, which means Tough Guys of Naklua, Mr. Mark Naklua and Mr. Nutma Naklua, were well known customers of this pub. They entered the pub to look for Mr. Mark’s 16 year old wife called Bo, who just had a 6 month old child with Mr. Mark Naklua. She was discovered with her husband’s enemy Mr. Kwang Wat Tam from the Wat Tam Gang (from the Tam Samakkee Temple area), who was sitting with a group of buddies and their girlfriends.

Perhaps predictably, Mr. Mark hit the roof and went to pull his wife’s hair and  drag her outside.  Then the donnybrook began between the Kwang Wat Tam gang and Mr. Mark.  Then Mr. Nutma Naklua ran in to help his friend, pulling out a gun and shooting the roof 3 times, before pointing the gun at Kwang Wat Tam.

The 2 gangs ran outside the pub and continued fighting, but Kwang Wat Tam remained inside, begging for help. More gunfire went on outside, before the 2 members of Ka Joe Naklua escaped on a motorcycle.

The Manager and the staff took Kwang Wat Tam to Memorial Hospital, but he was unable to survive.

At Memorial Hospital, while the family of Kwang Wat Tam gathered to deal with this crisis, the police apprehended Mr. Paed Wat Tam the younger brother of Kwang Wat Tam, and the wife of Kwang Wat Tam for investigation. Miss Bo confirmed that she and Mark Ka Joe Naklua had finished their relationship before she started seeing Kwang Wat Tam, and never thought that Mr. Mark and Mr. Nutma would commit a homicide. The murderer was only Mr. Nutma Naklua, she said, and her ex was just acting jealous.

The police will corral both gangs, administer justice to both, and bring peace back to the community.

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Posted in: near the back entry to Carrefour. One person was reported as critically injured from a gunshot wound.,Shooting in Gor. Tor. Mor. Pub on Pattaya’s 3rd Road

Korean Drug Dealer Nabbed in Pattaya

Pattaya Police supervised by the Deputy Suppression Inspector Pol. Lt. Wisanu Chaisuwan devised a plan to arrest the well-known Korean Drug Dealer Mr. Kang Meong Chel, aged 45. He was reported to be in town for drug dealing, so an undercover policeman contacted Mr. Chel to purchase 4,000 baht worth of Yah Ice, with all 4 thousand baht bank notes recorded by photos. The delivery was to be at Benjapan Apartments, located in the soi near the Central and 3rd Road Traffic Light, behind TOT. Mr. Chel took the bait, and the police  apprehended him with 1.44 grams of Yah Ice. He was forced to take the police to search his room, where they found a Yah Ice party in full swing, with 2 Thai ladies Miss Anchana Ratanapisangoon, aged 26, and Miss Siranee Dok-chuea-em, aged 28, plus a 43 year old Korean Man Mr. Kim Chang Wun. 2 Sets of drugs paraphernalia were also discovered, pretty much proving Mr. Chel’s occupation. As usual, the culprit denied the accusation and claimed that he was just a casual user who likes to enjoy the stuff with friends.

 

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Posted in: Korean Drug Dealer Nabbed in Pattaya

Thai authorities forced the closure of 13 antigovernment radio stations

Thai authorities forced the closure of 13 antigovernment radio stations yesterday in the biggest crackdown on dissident media since a state of emergency during street protests last year.

Thai E-News, a website associated with the antigovernment Red Shirt movement, said stations based in Bangkok and its suburbs were raided by law enforcement.

Police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri confirmed that the raids had been ordered but did not know how many stations had been closed. He said the stations had broadcast illegal statements defaming the monarchy. Insulting the monarchy is a crime in Thailand, though critics say the charge is often used to stifle legitimate dissent.

The raids come at a time of political tension, as there are fears the country’s powerful military disagrees with the prime minister’s plans to hold an election by early July. The army has held a series of high-profile maneuvers, with the top brass declaring their dedication to protecting the monarchy.

The military is said to fear the return to power of allies of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whom it deposed in a 2006 coup amid accusations that he was corrupt and had showed disrespect to constitutional monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Officials of the Department of Special Investigation and police from the Crime Suppression Division seized transmitters and other equipment from the radio stations. Thai E-News said the operators were charged with possessing the transmitters without licenses.

The stations operated as so-called community radio stations, a system established to promote local public service radio, but has been used to maintain political mouthpieces for various groups.

When last year’s demonstrations aimed at toppling Abhisit’s government grew large and aggressive, one of the first moves taken by the government was to try to shut down their media network, including community radio stations.

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Posted in: Thai authorities forced the closure of 13 antigovernment radio stations

Authorities push for extradition of Thai students in Australian murder case

AUSTRALIAN authorities are expected to return to a Thai court in May to push for the extradition of two locals wanted in Melbourne for the murder of good samaritan Luke Mitchell.

Mr Mitchell, 29, was stabbed five times and kicked while he lay on the ground in the early hours of May 24, 2009 as his friends and sister-in-law Daniella pleaded with the attackers to stop.

He died later that morning in hospital.

He had stepped in to break up a brawl outside the Spot nightclub in Sydney Road, Brunswick.

His alleged killers fled to Thailand just hours after the stabbing.

Thai nationals Sarud Seehaverachart, 28, and Thatiya Terdputham, 35, were arrested late last year following requests from Australia.

The two men appeared in a Bangkok criminal court again yesterday, where prosecution witnesses argued for their extradition to Australia.




Three witnesses, including a senior tourist police sergeant major, Meesak Mankhong, gave details of the arrests of the men, who had been students in Australia at the time of Mr Mitchell's death in 2009, reports said yesterday.

They were initially arrested at Bangkok's international airport of Suvarnabhumi, but were released by local police as they were not facing criminal charges in Thailand and at the time a formal request for extradition from Australia was still pending.

In evidence on Monday, Thai police said Sarud had later been detained at a restaurant on the resort island of Phuket in September last year and was later handed over to Bangkok police.

Thatiya was arrested at the Suvarnabhumi International airport. A third man remains at large.

Sarud and Thatiya have pleaded not guilty to murder saying they had fought in self defence.

The next hearing date is scheduled for May 23 when Australian experts are expected to present further evidence surrounding the killing of Mr Mitchell.

 

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Posted in: Authorities push for extradition of Thai students in Australian murder case

Taxi Caught with Yah Bah

while the Pattaya police and police volunteers were on Patrol, a Thai man and a lady were spotted driving on Pratamnak Road suspiciously as if they were on drugs. The police stopped them and found that the man was a motorcycle taxi driver Mr. Wichian A-nu-pa-pan-cha-roen, aged 30 caught with 2 Yah Bah tablets and the lady, who was his girlfriend, were returning from buying Yah Bah.

Mr. Wichian confessed of being addicted on Yah Bah for a while as he had to take some before making his living as a taxi motorcycle driver in Soi Sa-ing, North Pattaya. He was sent for legal proceedings but the lady’s names and history were recorded in the system of police before the lady was released.

 

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Posted in: Taxi Caught with Yah Bah

Multiple Farang Deaths in Phuket

In the past two months there has been a rash of unsolved deaths of Farangs in Phuket. One Canadian man in Patong,shot multiple times in dispute over property, one British man living and working out of a shop house, head bashed in, near-by the Lotus Super Store By-pass road, poisoning of an American lady, a Norwegian lady and two other foreign persons on Kho Pi Pi island, and lastly one British lady found face down in the sand on Keron beach strangled to death.

None of these cases have been found to have any weight within the public news media in Thailand other than reports in the local Phuket Gazette, when it reports and then never follows up as is the norm here on the island. To date no person or persons have been found by local police and prosecuted for any of the alleged crimes/murders. Foreign Embassy Staff have registered their dismay along political circles, but as is common practice this leads to embarrassing faces all around.

The recent death of the American lady on Kho Pi Pi was said to have the body taken to Bangkok for a autopsy by local police, however it was later established that the body was subsequently cremated without an autopsy having been performed. It has been established that the Thai authorities did however provide slices of the deceased skin for further examination by the deceased family at their own cost back in America.

 

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Posted in: Multiple Farang Deaths in Phuket

Asian Crime Squad detectives, with assistance from the Bass Hill Region Enforcement Squad, have charged a man over alleged hydroponic cannabis cultivation.

Asian Crime Squad detectives, with assistance from the Bass Hill Region Enforcement Squad, have charged a man over alleged hydroponic cannabis cultivation.
About 6.20am yesterday (Wednesday 20 April, 2011), police executed a search warrant at a home in Chester Hill where they located and seized 165 hydroponic cannabis plants.
The estimated potential street value of the plants is $330,000.
A 44-year-old man was arrested at the scene and charged with cultivate commercial quantity of cannabis pants, and stealing electricity.
He was bail refused to appear at Bankstown Local Court today.
Strike Force Thoroughfare comprises detectives from the State Crime Command's Asian Crime Squad and was established to investigate the alleged hydroponic cultivation of cannabis

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Posted in: Asian Crime Squad detectives,have charged a man over alleged hydroponic cannabis cultivation.,with assistance from the Bass Hill Region Enforcement Squad

Some brokerages may go bankrupt due to bearish market

Statistics show most securities enterprises have been suffering heavy losses from the slumping stock market since 2008, including Vina, Mien Nam, Navibank, Thanh Cong and Nam An.

In the last three years, Mien Nam Securities Corporation lost more than 50 percent of its registered capital of VND40 billion (US$2 million), while the bearish market wiped out nearly 70 percent of brokerage Vina’s registered capital of VND185 billion.

Securities company Navibank followed a similar pattern, losing 60 percent of its registered capital of VND35 billion.

Financial experts said those securities firms will likely to go bankrupt if the stock market remains in the losing streak this year and their shareholders continue to refuse buying more shares to keep them alive.

Even some brokerages with large market capitalization including Kim Long, Saigon Securities Incorporation and Bao Viet are also struggling with the bearish market.

Established in 2006 with a registered capital of VND18 billion (US$863,000), securities firm Kim Long soon became popular among stock market players. Its capital was raised to VND2.03 trillion ($97 million) early last year.

However, the slumping stock market has forced a Hanoi-based brokerage to consider on giving up its stock brokerage business to shift its capital towards other sectors.

The company held a shareholders’ meeting last month, seeking approval to stop providing securities services and switch its business to property, computer trading, and some other areas.

Analysts and stock investors followed the case closely because Kim Long is the first major stock brokerage firm that plans to withdraw from the service.
“The firm’s brokerage services including stock trading consultancy, guarantee of stock issuance and proprietary trading have made no money amid the plunging stock market,” said chairman Ha Hoai Nam.

“Despite having VND1.8 trillion in cash, we dare not to invest in the market, which has been very quiet so far this year,” Nam told Dau Tu Tai Chinh Newspaper.

However, after failing to gather enough shareholders at its meeeting last month, the brokerage will have to wait up to one month to know whether it can proceed with a plan to exit the brokerage business.

Not enough shareholders turned up at the meeting to make up the quorum of 65 percent of stock owners. The shareholders present at the meeting together held just 33.15 percent of the total shares, local news website VnExpress reported.

Kim Long is now required to organize a second meeting within the next 30 days and it has to secure a quorum with stockholders representing at least 51 percent of the total shares.

Twenty of 105 brokerages in the country posted losses last year. Kim Long lost nearly VND180 billion ($8.6 million). The poor performance has been attributed to the market decline.

The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange’s VN-Index, the country’s major index, edged up 0.08 percent, or 0.4 point, to close at 461 points on April 15th.

Vietnam’s stock market was Asia’s third-worst performer in 2010 as the VN-Index sank 2 percent while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbed 14 percent.

The index rebounded at the beginning of this year as expected. However, it plunged again on inflation concerns. The gauge has lost 5.5 percent so far this year.

 

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Posted in: Some brokerages may go bankrupt due to bearish market

drunken British tourist who violently rocked a baht bus “for fun” ended up getting punched in the face by its driver.

Philip Champreks, 39, complained to police he’d been punched in the eye by the taxi driver and assaulted by other passengers April 4. Champreks received three stitches for a cut.

Champreks admitted he was violently rocking the pickup truck, but said he was only having fun.

Clearly intoxicated, the Brit then stormed from the station without pressing charges and ranting about unfair treatment.

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Posted in: the Brit then stormed from the station without pressing charges and ranting about unfair treatment.

A Swedish man stopped at a routine police checkpoint was arrested after testing positive for illegal drugs.

John Peter Josefson, 25, was caught around 2 a.m. April 6 at a checkpoint on Soi Bonkai. A later search of his room uncovered drug paraphernalia, but no illegal narcotics.

Josefson was one of about 10 people arrested for flunking drug tests conducted by officers at the Soi Bonkai stop.

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Posted in: A Swedish man stopped at a routine police checkpoint was arrested after testing positive for illegal drugs.

Kuwaiti man pulled over by police was arrested for possession and use of three illegal drugs.

Khaled Faea Alazemi, 31, tested positive for methamphetamines. Officers who then searched his Pinya Residence apartment discovered a half-gram of ya ice, ya ba tablets and marijuana. He was jailed on possession of Class 1 and Class 5 narcotics.

The arrest occurred April 5 as Pattaya Police were patrolling near the flyover close to Bali Hai Pier. Alazemi was pulled over for an unspecified reason and searched. He was then brought to Pattaya Police Station for drug testing.

Police claim Alazemi confessed he bought the drugs on Walking Street for his personal use.

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Posted in: Kuwaiti man pulled over by police was arrested for possession and use of three illegal drugs.

Frenchman wearing a 50,000 baht gold necklace had the expensive jewelry snatched from his neck as he rode on the back of his Thai girlfriend’s motorbike.

Frenchman wearing a 50,000 baht gold necklace had the expensive jewelry snatched from his neck as he rode on the back of his Thai girlfriend’s motorbike.
Frederic Granier, 46, reported that the 2-baht-weight necklace with a Luang Por Sothorn Buddha amulet was taken by an unknown suspect April 9 near the Naklua market.

Phanitch Chamkadklang, 33, said she tried to follow the thief as he fled from Naklua Soi 13, but lost him near Banglamung Hospital.

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Posted in: 000 baht gold necklace had the expensive jewelry snatched from his neck as he rode on the back of his Thai girlfriend’s motorbike.,Frenchman wearing a 50

Thief with Red Nails Caught Hiding in Neighbor’s House

Saturday at 3:30 am, the Pattaya Police, the Civilian Volunteers and the Police Volunteers, led by Deputy Superintendent In charge of Suppression, Pol. Lt. Col. Grisagorn Tong-in were summoned by Mrs. Pranon Foster, aged 36.  She stated that a thief was trying to break into her house, which is located in The Grand Lotus Place, on Soi Tepprasit 5.  Both she and her husband had been awoken by the sound of a glass window being broken, and then saw the thief climbing the fence to run away.
 
The police came to the crime scene immediately. The nearly burgled house was a luxurious villa, and Mrs. Pranom Foster was waiting for the police. The police found a sliding window at the side of the house broken, showing where the thief was trying to enter.
 
Mrs. Pranom and her husband said they saw a man running away and climbing over the fence after he was spotted by them. The police surrounded the villas, as it seemed the thief was still hiding in the neigborhood.
 
A dark blue Honda Wave 100 motorcycle was found parked under a tree, hidden in a bush outside the villas, and right after that discovery, the next door British neighbor Mr. Sergey Segaz, aged 37 and his British wife, informed the police that an unknown Thai man was hiding in one of their closets. The police entered the house and managed to apprehend Mr. Pumsit Yimsuan, aged 29 a local, who was indeed hiding in the closet of the British couple. Mr. Pumsit claimed that he was not a thief, but tried to hide because he was frightened by the police.
 
For no apparent reason, Mr. Pumsit had painted his right thumb nail and big right toe nail red, so the officers slapped the moniker “red nails” on him. The evidence and circumstances supported the accusations of the couple and witnesses, and so Mr. Pumsit was taken for further investigation and legal proceedings. The police were convinced that he was not alone, and will seek any accomplices.

 

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Posted in: Thief with Red Nails Caught Hiding in Neighbor’s House

large-scale police raid targeted members of two Asian criminal street gangs

Police arrested 10 gang suspects Wednesday morning while carrying out search warrants tied to a fatal Garden Grove shooting, also finding drugs, guns and $70,000 in cash during the search of more than a dozen locations in Orange and Los Angeles counties, authorities said.

The large-scale police raid targeted members of two Asian criminal street gangs believed to be involved in the killing of 19-year-old Scottie Bui, who died from injuries sustained in an early morning shooting March 20 near Harbor Boulevard and Westminster Avenue, Garden Grove Police Lt. Jeff Nightengale said.

Police have not outlined what led to the confrontation, which appears to have involved members of at least three gangs. A juvenile also shot during the incident survived his injuries.

No drugs or guns were found at the scene, Nightengale said. Authorities believe the confrontation began in a nearby parking lot before spilling out into the street, where the actual shootings took place

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Posted in: large-scale police raid targeted members of two Asian criminal street gangs

Thai Army Denies Using Toxic Gas in Cambodian Border Battle

Thailand denied accusations that its soldiers used toxic gas against Cambodian troops in the deadliest fighting along their disputed border since tensions flared up three years ago.

Battles that began April 22 have killed five Thais and six Cambodians, according to army officials and press reports, ending two months of peace since the United Nations Security Council urged a permanent cease-fire on Feb. 14. Thai soldiers used “heavy guns loaded with poisonous gas” in yesterday’s fighting, Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.

“The Cambodians are really incredible to make up a story like that,” Veerachon Sukondhadhpatipak, the Thai army’s deputy spokesman, said by phone from Bangkok. “They are always making up stories to make us look bad.”

The renewed fighting comes as Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva prepares to call an election in early May. Thailand’s military is provoking the clashes to boost its popularity in the event it stages another coup, Cambodian government Phay Siphan said by phone from Phnom Penh, the capital.

“The Thai military is moving against us so they can say they are protecting Thai land and earn credibility from their people,” he said. “We are a small country and we can’t afford to take Thai land. We need peace to build our country.”

The Southeast Asian neighbors have blamed each other for provoking the battles, which occurred several hundred kilometers west of border clashes in February near Preah Vihear temple, a UN World Heritage site. Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said Thai troops were aiming to take over disputed temples, while Abhisit said Thailand wouldn’t invade its neighbors and was retaliating from Cambodian aggression.

‘International Rules’

“Our movements are in line with international rules,” Abhisit said today in a weekly televised address. “In our retaliation, we attack only military points. Our retaliation will be appropriate with Cambodian attacks.”

Five Thai soldiers have died in two days of fighting, Veerachon said. The battles have also killed six Cambodian troops, China’s Xinhua news agency reported, citing Suos Sothea, a commander with an artillery unit on the border.

The clashes reignite tensions along the border that escalated in 2008 after Thailand opposed Cambodia’s efforts to list Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site. Fighting in February claimed at least 10 lives and displaced 30,000 people.

Thailand has refused to accept border observers from Indonesia, which holds the rotating chairmanship of the 10- member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

International Arena

“The recent clash is another attempt by Cambodia to elevate the bilateral dispute to international arena,” Abhisit said today.

Cambodia accused Thailand of using cluster munitions during fighting in February, a charge verified by U.K.-based Cluster Munition Coalition, which is pushing for an international ban on the weapons that scatter ammunition over a large area upon detonation. Thailand and Cambodia aren’t among the 108 countries that have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled in a 9-3 vote that Cambodia had sovereignty over Preah Vihear. It didn’t rule on the land surrounding the temple, and the two countries have yet to reconcile 10,422 square miles (26,993 square kilometers) of disputed waters in the Gulf of Thailand that may contain oil and gas reserves.

Thailand’s $264 billion economy is more than 26 times the size of Cambodia’s. The Cambodian army spent $191 million in 2009, compared with $4.9 billion for the military in Thailand, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

 

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Posted in: Thai Army Denies Using Toxic Gas in Cambodian Border Battle

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged gunfire

Thailand and Cambodia exchanged gunfire at their disputed frontier Friday in a new flareup of their long-running conflict, and the Thai army said one of its soldiers was killed and five were injured.

It was the first skirmish reported since the two Southeast Asian countries exchanged artillery and gunfire for four straight days in February at the 11th century Preah Vihear temple, killing at least eight people.

Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Chhum Socheat confirmed the latest clash and said it took place about 155 miles (250 kilometers) west of Preah Vihear.

Chhum said the fighting took place at another temple in Ta Krabey that is also claimed by both nations. He said both sides had used rocket launchers, machine guns and rifles.

Thai Army Spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd told The Associated Press the latest skirmishes erupted after dawn and continued for at least half an hour. Another spokesperson, Lt. Col. Siriya Khuangsirikul, said one Thai soldier had been killed and artillery had been used.

Siriya said both sides "are in the middle of negotiating for a cease-fire."

Serm Chainarong, the governor of Thailand's Surin province where the fighting happened, said authorities there were preparing to evacuate about 5,000 people.


It was unclear what sparked the latest fighting.

The conflict is rooted in a decades-old border dispute over ancient temples and the land surrounding them, which has fueled nationalist passions on both sides.

Tensions between the neighbors have been exacerbated in recent months in part by pressure from powerful Thai nationalist groups, which have staged protests in Bangkok urging the government to reclaim the land.

Clashes have erupted several times since 2008, when Preah Vihear was given UN World Heritage status.

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Posted in: Thailand and Cambodia exchanged gunfire

THREE MAJOR ivory seizures this month “provide further insight into the markets being targeted by organized crime syndicates smuggling elephant ivory from Africa to Asia”,

THREE MAJOR ivory seizures this month “provide further insight into the markets being targeted by organized crime syndicates smuggling elephant ivory from Africa to Asia”, according to Traffic International, the wildlife trade monitoring network.

One of the largest recent seizures – a “staggering” 707 tusks, 32 ivory bracelets and a rhino horn – was made during a routine inspection of a large truck at tollbooths on a highway in Guangxi, China, just a few kilometres from the border with Vietnam.

On April 1st, 247 elephant tusks were seized by customs officers in Thailand, concealed in a consignment of frozen fish from Kenya. And this week, Vietnamese police confiscated another 122 ivory tusks from a warehouse in Mong Cai, near the Chinese border.

“The enforcement authorities ... are to be congratulated for making these interdictions, but the tusks attest to the poaching of more than 500 elephants, which is a major conservation concern,” according to Tom Milliken, Traffic’s expert on illicit ivory trading.

“This pattern of seizures helps corroborate our suspicions that Thailand and China remain the primary end-use destinations for large quantities of ivory being smuggled out of Africa, with Vietnam now serving as the leading conduit for trade into China,” he added.

Mr Milliken leads work on elephant and rhino trade and manages the Elephant Trade Information System for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, known as CITES.

The information system is the world’s largest database of elephant product seizure records. The most recent analysis listed Thailand, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo as the three countries most heavily implicated in the illicit trade.

Traffic sounded an alarm when it discovered a “seriously escalating illegal ivory trade” from 2004 to 2009. Since 2009, however, there has been almost no respite as China, Thailand and Vietnam have seized nearly 20 tonnes of elephant ivory – not counting the latest hauls.

“Sophisticated criminal networks are utilising every means available – road, sea and air – to smuggle their contraband from African source countries to lucrative markets in Asia, often via circuitous routes to avoid detection,” Mr Milliken said.

“While major seizures, arrests and prosecutions are certainly deterrents to these smuggling operations, the only long-term solution to curtail elephant poaching has to be to reduce the demand for illegally sourced ivory to negligible levels.”

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Posted in: THREE MAJOR ivory seizures this month

The infamous Bangkok nightlife is no national or international secret. From the strip joints of Patpong to Soi Cowboy with their bars and nightclubs, the Phetchaburi and Ratchadaphisek roads with their massage parlours and spas that offer "special services",

The infamous Bangkok nightlife is no national or international secret. From the strip joints of Patpong to Soi Cowboy with their bars and nightclubs, the Phetchaburi and Ratchadaphisek roads with their massage parlours and spas that offer "special services", the numerous pubs, bars, executive clubs and "marn rood" (curtained) hotels - all are proof of a thriving sex industry in the capital.

From "a-go-gos" to "coyotes" and the odd and varied sex shows, girls, boys and increasingly transvestites dance the floors half or fully naked. Alcohol flows and sex workers can be had for a fee. As for the spas and massage parlours, the rooms are conveniently included with the services rendered.

In Bangkok and other cities like Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai, you can of course enjoy sightseeing the various historical, cultural, sea and sand tourist destinations. But at the same time, the sex trade flourishes, attracting all sorts of personalities - not only tourists looking for fun but also criminals, sex offenders, paedophiles and many other dodgy characters. Human and drug trafficking are intertwined. Crime, robbery and murder become widespread and corruption rampant.

It is not just corruption in the sense that officials take bribes and allow wrongdoing to take place. The acceptance that nothing can be done about the sex trade in Thailand, that this is part of a "normal" way of life, corrupts the minds of the people and bleaches into the ethical fabric of a society.

The three teenagers, aged 13, 14 and 16, should not be blamed for society's misconduct; why should they become the national scapegoat for their misconduct, even though news reports said they admitted to having intentionally danced topless?

They had been drinking with friends before leaving home and, for them, to dance in such a manner was nothing strange since they had been to "an entertainment place that has naked shows in exchange for the price of admission and drinks; where if one went bottomless, they could win a complimentary bottle of whiskey"!

If our youth are thinking along these lines then we definitely have more problems to deal with than just fining the three girls. The police and government authorities, by clamping down on the girls and the enthusiasts who posted the video clips on the Internet, demonstrate the Thai hypocrisy and denial. By trying to quickly close the case and getting the news off the front page, the authorities are not addressing the real problem at all.

If corruption is a root cause, hypocrisy and denial are what make matters worse. If one cannot look the truth in the eye and carries on pretending that darkness does not exist, then no problem will be resolved.

Many may argue that Thailand and its red-light districts are a normal way of life and that the tourism industry, with sex as its main attraction, makes a lot of money for the country.

As I said, I am a realist; I am not going to pretend that all such establishments, right down to the last whorehouse, will be eliminated and Thailand will become the peaceful and ethical Buddhist society depicted in a lot of temple paintings.

Nor am I a saint, since as a man growing up in Thailand I've had my share of escapades to those places I have described.

But if New York City can clean up Times Square, and if Boston's aggressive policy can lead to the demise of Combat Zone, then why can't Bangkok?

If CNN can launch its Freedom Project to end modern slavery, including human trafficking, and if Piers Morgan can invite Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher on his show to say "Real men don't buy girls!", why does Thailand have to accept its place in the world as the premier sex city trading in modern slavery?

How can we all live with a clear conscience when our sons and daughters are being bought and sold, where many can attain better opportunities with education and proper healthcare? Can you really sleep at night if teenagers are willing to dance naked just for a bottle of whiskey?

Is the money we gain from tourism to sexual destinations really worth the loss of our human dignity and that of the next generation's?

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Posted in: The infamous Bangkok nightlife

Tensions are rising in Thailand's capital city as army leaders accuse opposition politicians of being disloyal to the country's revered king

Tensions are rising in Thailand's capital city as army leaders accuse opposition politicians of being disloyal to the country's revered king and some residents worry that planned elections will be blocked, by a coup or some other means.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he is preparing to dissolve Parliament and announce national elections next month, kicking off a campaign for a vote expected as soon as the end of June. He hopes the vote—the first since deadly protests erupted last year—will end five years of instability and violence and enable Southeast Asia's second-largest economy to build on its rapid recovery from the global economic slump.

But some analysts say there is still a risk the vote might not take place at all. In recent weeks, army commander Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha has filed criminal complaints against several top opposition activists for allegedly insulting the monarchy—a serious crime here, and an allegation that could turn some voters against the opposition For Thais Party while also enraging some of its die-hard supporters.

Some military leaders fear that a national vote could allow supporters of ex-Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and is living in exile, an avenue back into power, according to people familiar with the situation.

On Thursday, pre-election anxiety got the better of many Thais when a satellite glitch knocked out television signals across the country and triggered rumors that a coup was already underway.

Military leaders have repeatedly denied any plans to launch a coup or otherwise influence the democratic process.

Members of the royalist People's Alliance for Democracy, which blockaded Thailand's main airport in 2008, are urging Mr. Abhisit to call off his election plan and allow an appointed government to take over instead. Prominent newspaper columnists are adding their weight to the campaign, saying Thailand won't be ready to have a peaceful election for four or five more years.

Some opposition leaders are skeptical the vote will push through, even if Mr. Abhisit does dissolve parliament. Nattawut Saikua, one of the key leaders of the opposition "Red Shirt" movement, worries that new election laws could be challenged in court and ruled unconstitutional, delaying indefinitely any election.

"I think there might only be a 50% chance of an election taking place," says Mr. Nattawut, who plans to run for the opposition For Thais Party.

Many Thais are also worried about the potential for instability even if an election is held. Neither Mr. Abhisit's Democrat Party nor Mr. Thaksin's backers will likely secure a majority of seats in Parliament, analysts predict. If that happens, it could lead to further violence as the two sides try to assume control of the government.

Mr. Abhisit has insisted the elections will be called soon. Under Thai law, he is required to call a vote by the end of this year.

The latest election maneuvering comes amid other sources of tension in Thailand, as the country's military clashed with Cambodian forces Friday over a bitterly disputed border, killing at least six soldiers. It was unclear what triggered the exchange of fire, which claimed the lives of three Thai soldiers and three Cambodians, but the years-old conflict over land near an ancient temple has inflamed nationalist passions in both countries.

On Saturday, Thailand rejected accusations it used chemical weapons against Cambodian troops in fighting that extended into a second day and forced thousands of civilians from their homes, according to the Associated Press.

Firing by both sides had ceased by noon, but Cambodia's defense ministry said at nightfall that the situation was "still tense," according to the AP.

Mr. Thaksin, a 61-year-old former telecommunications mogul who now lives abroad to avoid imprisonment on a corruption conviction, recently emerged from his self-imposed exile to talk with the international media and reiterate that the charges against him are politically motivated. He is also urging on his followers in a series of phone-ins and messages on Twitter.

Red Shirt protesters, including many who support Mr. Thaksin, have long contended that Thailand's armed forces and royalist establishment manipulate the country's democratic processes, which the military denies.

In protests last year, tens of thousands of the protesters blockaded large areas of central Bangkok and put a serious dent in the country's tourism industry. As the protests grew increasingly violent, with some demonstrators firing grenades into crowds of commuters, the army stepped in to contain the spreading conflict. A total of 91 people—the majority of them protesters—were killed in the subsequent skirmishes.

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Posted in: Tensions are rising in Thailand's capital city as army leaders accuse opposition politicians of being disloyal to the country's revered king

BRITISH accountant and his girlfriend have been charged with killing a six-year-old girl after kidnapping her for child porn.

The 48-year-old, from South London, and his Filipina lover, 35, allegedly snatched Ellah Joy Pique outside a school in Cebu, a Philippine island.

Police claim they wanted her for porn videos but the plan “went awry, leading to the slaying and dumping of her body” over a cliff.

Warrants for both were filed by the Cebu ­Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

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Posted in: BRITISH accountant and his girlfriend have been charged with killing a six-year-old girl after kidnapping her for child porn.