Thai media has reported on the arrest of a US man of Pakistani origin who was reported to the authorities by parents of a child in Lam Lukka, Pathum Thani north of Bangkok. 

The parents said he raped and molested their child.

The man – named only as Mr John, 46 – denies everything saying he has a Thai wife and child and has lived in the kingdom for 20 years.  He has come face to face with immigration chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn who has told the family not to be concerned – bad people will be prosecuted and thrown out of Thailand.

Sanook reported that the Lt General went to Lam Lukka police station yesterday to interview Mr John.

The suspect denied raping a child who was his student. He said he had lived in Thailand for two decades getting visas supported by marriage to a Thai national and having a Thai child. His wife is a nurse.  He said that he was a Doctor of Psychology employed as an English teacher. Sanook said he was a Pakistani but by the suspects own admission he is a US national who was born in Pakistan.

In a video posted to Facebook Lt Gen Surachate said that there are many good English teachers and religious teachers but that some bad ones slip through the net.

He said that he was determined to root them out, put them through the courts then deport them.

A warrant was issued in this case after an investigation. Sanook reported that the police have evidence of multiple crimes committed by the suspect. Details of that assertion were not given in the report.

Surachate added that he would like the parents to know that the suspect would face the full force of the law in this case.  An accompanying post that went with the video on the Immigration site on Facebook gave a stark warning:

“We welcome all people who respect and marvel at Thai nature and Thai culture. But we will not tolerate criminals coming here”

Source: Sanook

A Pattaya business and tourism leader has implored his compatriots not to rip off visitors. 

And he has reminded Thais to be good hosts if they want to see tourism improve.

Ekkasit Ngampichet was speaking to Pattaya News about plans for the year ahead.

But amid the figures and projections it was his stark message to operators and locals in Pattaya that stood out:

The president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association said: “Be good hosts and don’t take advantage of visitors”.

Bangkokians were greeted by thick smog on Monday morning forcing a lot of them to wear facemasks to prevent inhaling the dirty air.

People wearing masks became a common sight in inner areas of the capital today.

The pollution continued to remain at harmful levels for the fourth straight day today [Monday] and the situation was likely to remain critical for at least another month due to weather patterns, experts said.

This was not regular winter fog but a deadly cloud of fine dust particles and other air pollutants, according to China-based air-pollution monitoring website http://aqicn.org.

The site reported that the PM2.5 air-quality index (AQI) in Bangkok this morning reached a peak of 183, an unhealthy level, while some areas such as Bang Khen district were at hazardous levels, with PM2.5 AQI at 396.

The site forecast that Bangkok would face harmful levels every morning for the rest of the week because there was little wind.

Source: The Nation

Sanook reported that the scheme to be able to show details of a Thai driving licence on your phone starts tomorrow. 

From 15th January it will be unnecessary to carry the regular plastic licence with you if you have applied for the Electronic Driving Licence.

This can be shown to the police and would be useful in the event of an accident.

Information on the digital licence includes allergies, blood type, illnesses, rights to use hospitals, person to contact in an emergency, location and tracking information.

Anyone with an old licence can now apply for the new EDL at Department of Land Transport offices nationwide said chief of the DLT Pheerapong Thawornsupacharoen. It is also available for those seeking a licence for the first time.

Those with both car and motorcycle licences were eligible.

Source: Sanook

The hunt is on in Uttaradit in northern Thailand for a Thai husband who shot his wife and four of her family in a shooting rampage at the weekend. 

There were two crime scenes. The shooter is believed to be a man called Theeraphon, aged 37.

At one house in Phayamaen sub-district of Phichai district police found three people shot. They were Theeraphon’s mother in law and father in law Wirat and Nampheung. His wife Kanyarat was also shot dead there.

At a nearby house were both the elder sister and younger sister of Theeraphon’s mother in law – Nampha and Kanokwan. They too had been shot dead.

Acting police chief Pol Maj-Gen Payoo Thanasriseubwong ordered checkpoints to be set up in the area after Theeraphon fled in a white Toyota Camry. He is still believed to be in Phichai district.

Pratchaya told Sanook that the shooter had been living with Kanyarat for some considerable time. But recently there had been many arguments and divorce was in the air.

The husband was convinced of his wife’s infidelity but despite his jealousy there was no truth in it.

On this occasion he clearly “lost it” shooting the sisters first then moving onto the wife and her parents.

Source: Sanook

Seven foreigners have been charged over illegally working as pre-wedding photographers and assistants in Phuket yesterday.

The Phuket Immigration Office Chief Col Kathatorn Kumthieg ordered officers to inspect Kathu Temple and Kata Noi Beach, popular locations for foreigner pre-wedding photo shoots.

The Phuket Immigration Office reports that all staff in the pre-wedding photo shooting team were foreigners who only held tourist visas. They have been conducting work contracted in China.

Those working contracts provide information about places for pre-wedding photos including Soi Rommanee and Thalang Road in Old Phuket Town, Kamala Beach, Kathu Temple, Chalong Temple, Lattiwanaram Temple (Wat Tai), Phrmthep Cape, Surin Beach and  Naiyang Beach.

The contracts also identify the names of photographers, makeup artists and coordinators.

Seven foreigners were arrested yesterday. They have been taken to Karon and Kathu Police Stations for questioning. They have all been charged with not having a work permit and working illegally in the Kingdom.

Source :thethaiger