BANGKOK — A farmer who crowdfunded the purchase of a buffalo he had bonded with was charged Tuesday afternoon with fraud, money laundering and violating the Computer Crime Act.

After surrendering the buffalo to the police this morning, Surat Phaeoket was charged with serious crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 200,000 baht fine, one day after the official he bought the animal from accused him of defrauding donors with misleading statements.

Read: Smiling Buffalo Seized by Police, Impounded as Evidence

Surat will be brought in for questioning, Col. Singh Singhdet of Khan Na Yao police said Tuesday.

Photos of man and buffalo became an online sensation earlier this month, and netizens chipped in the money needed for him to buy the animal outright. Surat last week purchased Tongkum from Boonlert Kanpakdee, a subdistrict mayor who set a price of 100,000 baht for the 4-year-old bull.

After the deal was done, Boonlert complained to the police he was embarrassed by what happened and alleged the funds had been illegally obtained. He said Surat made misleading statements about the animal’s predicament; Surat denies doing so.

Source: By Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/crime-crime/2018/11/27/farmer-who-bought-smiling-buffalo-charged-with-fraud-money-laundering/

Smiling Buffalo Seized by Police, Impounded as Evidence

CHAI NAT – An impoverished farmer in the central province of Chai Nat was in tears Tuesday morning when police arrived to confiscate the beloved buffalo he’d just purchased with the help of online donors.

Surat Phaeoket had to lead Tongkum the buffalo onto a truck after the animal’s seller, a local government official, complained to police he had not wanted to sell the now-famous buffalo. Police said the farmer committed fraud by crowdfunding the money used to buy the buffalo and have frozen his accounts.

“I don’t want to cry anymore,” an upset sounding Surat said several hours later. “When leading him onto the truck, I told him that he will come back to our home to be with me together soon. I told him to wait just a few more days.”

Read: Smiling Buffalo’s Former Owner Mad as Hell About Crowdfunded Sale

Tongkum was taken to Bangkok’s Khan Na Yao Police Station, where he will remain until the court decides who owns him.

Around back, reporters were led past a cutout of Col. Singh Singhdet, the station chief, in cowboy gear to a corral containing a shed wrapped with mosquito netting. There, officers said they would take turns trying to bring the smile back to Tongkum’s face.

“The environment should still be good for him,” said one cop on the scene now tasked with buffalo care. “It’s still a natural environment.”

Surat said the animal’s well-being will suffer.

“I’m so worried about him. He needs to play in water all the time and roll in mud so he can be protected from mosquitoes. He also eats a lot of grass,” Surat said.

Singh said he believes Surat misled the public about the seriousness of Tongkum’s situation.

“Surat exploited people’s pity to solicit money, which is illegal,” Singh said.

Boonlert Kanpakdee, Tongkum’s former owner and a lesser local official in Chai Nat, called Surat a beggar Monday for appealing online for the 100,000 baht he used to buy Tongkum after the pair became internet famous.

Surat denies making any misleading statements in his public appeal.

“I will do my best to show my innocence. I will ask for legal help,” Surat said. He said he did not have legal representation.

Boonlert was accompanied Monday to the police station by a media-hungry attorney who said he’d donated 100 baht and had now taken it back. He and one other had come forward to reclaim their donations, Singh said.

Singh said that Boonlert did indeed name a price of 100,000 baht for Tongkum. He said that Surat posted a video clip of himself crying and asking for money lest Tongkum be killed.

Surat denies making such a clip. None could be found online. He did make appeals for support through various media channels, some of which embellished his tale including a few news accounts that the buffalo faced the slaughterhouse.

“Surat really does love buffaloes. He wanted this buffalo so much because he has a female one he wants [Tongkhum] to mate with,” Singh said. “If both sides fight it out, then he’ll stay here for a long time.”

A 96 year old, bedridden woman has died in a locked room at her house in Udon Thani’s Phen district on this morning. Fire swiftly and completely engulfed the building according to neighbours.

The fire spread from the home of Phan Manee and also damaged a neighbour’s house. Fire-fighters spent about an hour extinguishing the blaze before Phan’s body could be recovered.

Her daughter Saeng Manee and son-in-law Boonseng Chaokla were not at home at the time.

Neighbour Joi Janthana, whose house was also damaged, said he heard an explosion from the direction of Phan’s house and saw the flames.

He ran to attempt a rescue but found her ground-floor bedroom locked. He shouted for help but the fire spread too quickly.

Police suspect a short circuit among ageing power cables could have sparked the fire.

STORY: The Nation

BANGKOK — Twenty-two provinces were named in an updated list of areas where no new pubs, clubs or other entertainment venues can be opened, an official said Tuesday.

The ban, first enacted during a populist morality crusade waged by then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was renewed in a Royal Decree published Thursday. Although existing bars and pubs are allowed to continue operating, new business licenses, theoretically, cannot be issued.

“They can’t open new ones,” said Wisitthipat Anantarasuchart, who oversees the Interior Ministry’s legal division. “The ones that are already there can renew their licenses every Dec. 31.”

The 22 provinces are Kamphaeng Phet, Chai Nat, Chumphon, Nakhon Nayok, Nonthaburi, Nan, Pathum Tani, Pattani, Phayao, Phang Nga, Phichit, Phetchaburi, Yasothon, Ranong, Sakon Nakhon, Satun, Sing Buri, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Nong Khai, Ang Thong and Uthai Thani.

The ban was based on a law passed by the military government in 1966, which grants authorities the power to regulate drinking and entertainment venues “to protect public morality.”

In 2002, the administration of populist premier Thaksin laid the ban over 26 provinces. Bueng Kan was later added to the list when it was established.

The military government in 2016 reviewed the list and asked the affected provinces whether they wanted to remain or opt out of the prohibition, Wisitthipat said. Five wanted out, so they were exempted in Thursday’s order.

The five provinces were Kanchanaburi, Bueng Kan, Ayutthaya, Nong Bua Lamphu and Si Saket.

Source:  http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2018/11/27/thaksin-era-ban-on-new-bars-renewed-in-22-provinces/

UDON THANI — Travelers to Udon Thani City may be forgiven for momentarily thinking they’ve stepped out of Isaan and into the beating commercial heart of Tokyo.

A new pedestrian crosswalk near the provincial center’s train station was completed today featuring a large diagonal zebra crossing, and it didn’t take long for comparisons to Tokyo’s bustling Shibuya Crossing to start rolling in.

The crosswalk is part of the an urban planning project organized by the Thai Association of Town Planning along with various architects and developers. It aims to reorganize roads and increase safety for pedestrians.

A member of the project said the inspiration indeed came from the Shibuya Crossing.

“The intersection was mostly filled by motorbikes, buses and food stalls which cause traffic congestion,” a project member who would only identify himself as Ton said. “So we wanted to enlarge the pedestrians’ footpath space.”

The large diagonal crossing makes it convenient for people to walk between several attractions in the area, including a KFC, 7-Eleven, shopping mall and the train station.

“Now people do not have to cross twice to get to their destination,” Ton said.

The project took months of study and experimentation at many intersections before the U.D. Town intersection design, named for a nearby shopping center, was chosen.

The new intersection was set to undergo a “test run” at 4pm today, with pedestrians invited to come try it out.

The Real Shibuya Crossing Tokyo

A wildlife official in Chachoengsao, east of Bangkok, has been found dead after being kicked and dragged by wild elephants.

Officials at the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary in Sanam Chai Khet district revealed that one of their colleagues was found dead at 6am yesterday morning. The victim, 46 year old Manop Karasuk, was on the Monday night shift to watch out for wild elephants.

Manop was found about 100 metres away from his watch post where he was stationed and tasked with preventing them from leaving the wildlife sanctuary. There were signs that his body was kicked and dragged along the ground.

The officials said there are about 30 wild elephants in the area and they often came out at night to eat the crops of villagers. Officials were taking turn to guard the spot and to try and frighten them into retreating back to the forest.

Sourced from The Thaiger which in turn sourced it from The Nation

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The family of a 14 year boy who died after a police chase intend to sue the police in Nakhon Phanom.

Thanawut died after hitting a tree. He had been chased by a traffic policeman attached to the Muang district police in the north eastern Thai city.

He was chased because he was not wearing a helmet and refused to stop.

His father Chalao, 52, and mother Nitaya, 45, and relatives have gone to the press for help in their fight for justice. Chaleo is an assistant to the phu yai ban in his village.  And today armed with video footage they were planning to take their grievances up with the police.

Thanawut was on his way home from Muang district to Ban Don Yang Nang on Monday 19th.  The parents said their son became scared and fled. He lost control of his Honda Wave near the Nakhon Phanom University and hit a tree.

After this they alleged that the traffic policeman – Number 618 – pulled his body in a cruel manner. They claim he should have been helping their son get to hospital.  Locals filmed this part of the incident. After a while the locals and the police got the boy to hospital.

But he was already dead – Sanook said he was dead immediately after the accident.

The parents are claiming that their son experienced worse treatment than if he had been a thief or a murderer.

They accept he was not wearing a helmet but they claim the policeman’s response was over the top.

A cremation was held on Saturday and now the family’s attention has turned to getting compensation from the police.

Source: Sanook