Heavy rain, flooding triggered by tropical storm hit northern, northeastern provinces

PHRAE, July 31 – Heavy rain and flooding hit several northern and northeastern provinces while local authorities are prepared for more rain as tropical storm Nok-Ten enters Thailand Sunday.

n Phrae, flash flooding triggered by heavy rainfalls hit several areas in Rong Kwang district. A portion of Phrae-Nan road from the municipality office to the district office and the Rong Kwang police station is under about 50 centimetres of water.

In Den Chai and Mueng district, several villages were inundated. Chuan Sirinanthaporn, Phrae governor warned local residents in disaster-prone areas of flash flood and mudslide.

In the northeastern province of Nongkhai, heavy rain and flooding hit many areas including the municipality. Many main roads are currently under water. People evacuated their belongings to higher ground. Meanwhile, as a by-election is being held in Constituency 2 on Sunday after the Pheu Thai candidate was given a yellow card, officials worried that the heavy rains may result in low voter turnout.

Several provinces in the North have released water from reservoirs to prepare for more rainfall stemming from tropical storm Nok-Ten.

Chiang Rai irrigation officials drained water from Sruay reservoir and Chiang Rai dike to absorb rapidly increasing water and to prevent water from overflowing its banks to villagers and farmlands in low-lying areas along the Kok River and the Lao River. Rain in Chiang Rai stopped Sunday morning but overnight rain caused the water level in the Kok River, the Lao River, the Chan River, the Kham River and the Sai River to rise fast and become brownish-red and murky with silt. The local disaster prevention and mitigation office warned people at foothills, near waterways and in lowlands to beware of flash floods from July 31 to August 3.

In Lamphum, deputy governor Prachakjit Apiwat, said there is rainfall in 80 per cent of the province. Local residents in at-risk areas have been warned of possible flash floods. The local disaster prevention and mitigation office is offering emergency call service around the clock.

In Phichit, Saklek Kamjai, a local officer of the disaster prevention and mitigation department in Phichit said they are cooperating with the Royal Irrigation Department to reduce the released water from the Yom River to the Nan River as the Nan River is already at a high level. He also worked with the Chao Phraya dam in Chainat to drain water from the Chao Phraya River to prepare to absorb water from the northern provinces.

A centre to monitor the amount of rainfall, possible flash flood and mudslide from the tropical storm Nok-Ten has been established. The meteorological department has issued a warning for northeastern, northern and eastern provinces of heavy rain and possible flash floods associated with tropical storm Nok-Ten from Sunday until August 4.

The Associated Press reported tropical storm Nok-Ten slammed into north-central Vietnam, killing one person. A 68-year-old man was electrocuted by a falling power line on Saturday.
Nok-Ten has already left at least 50 people dead and 25 missing in the Philippines.

Briton Who Faked His Own Death Found Living In Thailand

'I've been living a lie for too long': The 53-year-old British father who faked his own death after wife's breast op in Moscow found sleeping rough on Thai airport bench

Weaving his way along a Bangkok street, Stephen Kellaway looks like just another aging hippie enjoying the relaxed Thai lifestyle. In fact, he is a middle-class British psychologist who officially died almost two years ago. The 53-year-old father of two faked his death during a family trip to Moscow, where his wife had breast enlargement surgery, to avoid jail for swindling £50,000 benefits.


Penniless: Kellaway sleeping in the lounge of Bangkok Airport. He travelled the world
on a false passport which he secured using the birth certificate of a dead child - a ruse
inspired by the Frederick Forsyth thriller The Day Of The Jackal

Since then he has been living in Asia, mainly on the proceeds of the £1 million property empire the couple built up in London. The Daily Mail tracked him down to Bangkok, where he was sleeping rough after his payments from the UK had been temporarily halted. There, he admitted: 'I've been lying about who I am for too long. It is a life of constant anxiety and uncertainty.'

The son of an engineer, Kellaway met his third wife, Nelli, in a pub during the mid-1990s when he was running a counselling service in West London. They have a daughter and son aged 11 and nine, who were sent to private school. Kellaway earned £100,000 a year from his practice. He and Nelli, now 42, bought six houses and flats in the South East. To help pay their multiple mortgages and school fees, they fraudulently claimed housing benefit on their property portfolio. Realising the police were closing in, they went on holiday with their children to Russia, where Nelli had her breast operation – and her husband faked his death by bribing a mortuary worker to place his passport on the body of a tramp.

Nelli returned to London with an urn which she said contained Kellaway's ashes. Facing court for the fraud, she convinced a jury that her 'abusive' husband had forced her into it and escaped with a suspended sentence. Meanwhile Kellaway was travelling the world on a false passport which he secured using the birth certificate of a dead child – a ruse inspired by the Frederick Forsyth thriller The Day Of The Jackal.

Actor in hot water over filming in prohibited area

The National Park Department is seeking police action against a wellknown actor and TV documentary host for allegedly filmed his programme in a protected national forest without permission and for violating officials' orders.

Kanjana Nittaya, chief of Phu Khieu wildlife sanctuary in Chaiyaphum's Konsarn district said that she had filed the complaint with police on July 20 against Jessdaporn Pholdee, host of Navigator programme, which is aired on Channel 3.

The actor and the crew had sought permission to film in the sanctuary and her office had permitted them to film in some parts of the sanctuary, which are open to the public and for filming."They were notified that filming was not allowed in other areas, as these are considered sensitive," Kanjana said.

She identified the prohibited area as "Phu Khing."

However, the actor and the crew entered and filmed in Phu Khing, which is in Kasetsomboon district of Chaiyaphum. This area is closed to the public and for activities under a 1992 wildlife reservation and protection Act.

"Khun Jessadaporn and the team could not say they did not know because they had already been informed of the prohibition," she said.

Her office thus decided to seek police action. "If the programme about Phu Khing is aired, all officials of the Phu Khieu wildlife sanctuary and the National Park director general would face serious disciplinary punishment," she said.

Many television programmes have been filmed inside the sanctuary in the past, with their presenters and crew informed of the prohibited areas. There have no violations like Khun Jessadaporn's case, she said.

Her office has already informed the actor's team that the programme filmed inside the prohibited sites cannot be aired. The team has promised to adjust the programme accordingly.

Meanwhile Pol Lt Col Sarayuth Daojang of Kasetsomboon said that he was gathering evidence and information concerning the case and this is expected to be complete by the end of this month.

Police will then summon Jessadaporn to acknowledge the allegations.

Princess Bejaratana passes at 85

Princess Bejaratana, the only child of King Rama VI, passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 85 from a blood infection, the Royal Household Bureau reported.

The princess' life encompassed four kings, although only one day under one of them. She was born on November 24, 1925, to King Vajiravudh and Princess Suvadhana. After seeing his daughter for a day, the king died on November 25, but not before he finished the poem he had been working on for her lullaby. Her uncle, King Rama VII, bestowed on the princess her name on December 30.
The princess and her mother moved to Suan Hongsa Villa at Dusit Palace, where she received her education from a private tutor. They moved in with Queen Sri Savarindira (the Queen Dowager) during the Second World War, and the princess attended Rajani School until the age of 12. The princess and her mother moved to England, where she received further schooling as well as medication for her illness.
In England, she first stayed at Fairhill Villa in Surrey, then transferred to Brighton. It was well known that the princess and her mother always granted audiences to Thais in England as well as supported Thai activities abroad. During the 20 years of her stay, the princess studied English, French and piano as well as attending an all-girls' boarding school in Wales throughout the Second World War. During the war, she volunteered to help the British Red Cross prepare bandages as well as medicine for soldiers.
In November 1957, the mother and daughter moved back to Thailand. They bought land on Sukhumvit Soi 38 and built Ruenruedi Villa Palace, which is still the home of the princess. Once the princess had settled into her new life in Thailand, she proceeded to perform her royal duties as a representative of the Royal Family. During her active days, she was recognised as a great help to His Majesty the King in carrying out public welfare missions that required visits to remote areas.
Her special interests ranged from education, public health, Buddhism and the soldiers and police stationed at Thailand's borders to general public welfare.
In a statement marking her 61st birthday, the princess vowed to dedicate her whole life to performing royal duties that served the national interest in honour of His Majesty the King.
An article on the Public Relations Department website describes her as follows: "A devout Buddhist, the Princess [was] known to be very punctual and make best use of her time. She [followed] her constant routines every day and her watch [was] always persistently adjusted. The Princess [preferred] simplicity and [was] a true nationalist. Her clothes and handbags [were] only made in Thailand. Her use of language [was] always clear and accurate. English and French [were] spoken only with foreigners. The Princess [crocheted] in her free time. The crocheted cloths [were] given to Thai soldiers along the border".
Princess Bejaratana was known privately to be a very gifted person, especially with numbers. She had the knack of calculating the day of the week for any dates presented to her, promptly and without any hesitation, as well as remembering the birthdays of everyone who had been presented to her.
Because of her age and failing health, she cut back on many of her royal duties in her later years. However, once in a while she engaged in some work that was connected to her late father.
The Royal Household Bureau is arranging for the public to pay homage to her at the Sahathai Samakom Hall in the Grand Palace from 1pm to 5pm today.

A tale of three helicopter disasters

Over a period of just nine days, three of the Army's helicopters crashed in Kaeng Krachan National Park, Phetchaburi, plunging the nation into a state of shock at the tragic accidents that claimed 17 lives.

The first accident took place on July 16 and involved a UH-1H helicopter, known as a Huey. The crash happened in bad weather and poor visibility. All five officers on board perished. The rescue team found the charred wreckage at the crash site, about 10 metres below the mountaintop.

The crashed helicopter was refurbished following its decommission from the United States before being deployed in the Army's aviation service about 10 years ago.

Manufactured by Bell Helicopter, the Huey is a utility helicopter with twin engine, one two-blade main rotor and one two-blade tail rotor.

Its fuselage can accommodate up to 14 troops or six stretchers for medical evacuation. Its flight range is 512 kilometres and its airborne time is three hours. Cruise speed is 204 kilometres per hour.

In the second accident, a UH-60L, known as Black Hawk, went down on July 19, killing eight officers and one television cameraman on board. The utility helicopter crashed in bad weather and poor visibility while on a mission to recover the five bodies from the first accident.

The Black Hawk is ranked as one of the top ten helicopters in military service around the world. The Army began to deploy Black Hawks in 2002. The crash leaves six in deployment at the Army's Lop Buri Aviation Centre. Two new Black Hawks are on order and the Army plans to increase the deployment to 33 UH-60 helicopters.

Manufactured by Silorsky Aircraft Corporation, the Black Hawk has the capacity to transport 14 troops or six stretchers or lift 4,400 kilograms of cargo.

Its flight radius is 592 kilometres with a cruise speed of 278 kilometres per hour. It is a four bladed, twin engine, medium-lift utility helicopter.

In the third accident, a Bell 212 crashed on July 24 while on its way for maintenance checks after completing its mission to transport the nine bodies in the second crash. Of the four officers on board, one mechanic survived to recount the malfunction of the tail rotor.

The Bell 212, or Twin Huey, is a two-bladed, twin-engine, medium helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter.

Deployed in the Army since 1992, it has the capacity to transport 14 troops with a cruise speed of 186 kilometres per hour. Its flight range is 439 kilometres.

UH-1H, Huey, helicopter

Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter

Status: Refurbished and in commission for 10 years

Specifications

Capacity: 14

Length: 12.5 metres

Height: 4.4m

Maximum takeoff weight: 4,308 kilograms

Performance

Maximum speed: 204 kilometres per hour

Cruise speed: 204km per hour

Range: 512km

UH-60L, Black Hawk, helicopter

Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Status: new and commissioned in 2002

Specifications

Capacity: 14

Length: 19.76 metres

Height: 5.13m

Maximum takeoff weight: 10,660 kilograms

External cargo load: 4,400 kg

Performance

Maximum speed: 295km per hour

Cruise speed: 278km per hour

Range: 2,200km

Bell 212, Twin Huey, helicopter

Manufacturer: Bell Helicopter

Status: new and commissioned in 1992

Specifications

Capacity: 14

Length: 17.43metres

Height: 3.83m

Maximum takeoff weight: 5.080kg

External cargo load: 2,268kg

Performance

Maximum speed: 223 km per hour

Cruise speed: 186 km per hour

Range: 439 km

Trade, tourism along Thai-Cambodian border active after World Court ruling

SI SA KET, July 24 – Cross border trade at Chong Sa-ngam border crossing with neighbouring Cambodia in Si Sa Ket on Sunday has reportedly been revived as many Cambodians queued up for the opening of the border crossing in the morning to exchange products with Thai traders.

Cambodians crossed the border to buy and sell large amounts of consumer products. Border trade activities was seen as active again amidst security provided by police officers of Phu Sing Police Station and local army rangers.

Apart from the trade, tourism along the Thai-Cambodian border was also boosted as many tourists have been visiting the area, asking for information about cross-border excursions to attractions such as Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom in Siem Riap, according to Hattachai Pengchaem, head of the trade and tourism operators association in Chong Sa-ngam.

Mr Hattachai said that the return of the active trade and tourism can be attributed to the July 18’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court rulings on the Thai-Cambodian border, adding that both Thai and Cambodian traders have expressed their confidence in the border situation.

The rulings applied to both Thailand and Cambodia, requiring that both countries withdraw troops from the disputed border area near Preah Vihear Temple.

Meanwhile, the overall Thai political situation in Thailand is becoming clearer, as a new coalition government led by Pheu Thai Party will be formed after the July 3 general election.

Thai hookers paid to smuggle S.African rhino horns: reports

JOHANNESBURG, July 22, 2011 (AFP) - A Thai man hired prostitutes to smuggle poached rhino horns disguised as legal hunting trophies from South Africa to supply the Asian black market, media said Friday.

Chumlong Lemtongthai, 43, who was arrested last week outside Johannesburg, was part of a syndicate alleged to have sold at least 40 rhino horns, the weekly Mail & Guardian and the daily Beeld reported.

The revelation came from a South African manager for Thai Airways, John Oliviers, who worked with Chumlong but then turned whistle-blower and informed the police, the papers said.

Olivier told police that Marnus Steyl, a South African wildlife trader, bought rhinos from auctions and private owners and took them to his farms where the animals were killed soon after their arrival, the paper said.

"Once the rhinos were established on Steyl's farm, he would call Lemtongthai and tell him how many animals were in place for a 'hunt'," read Olivier's statement, according to the Mail & Guardian.

South Africa allows a limited number of legal rhino hunts, but each person is allowed only one kill per year.

Friends, strippers and prostitutes were paid 5,000 rands ($740, 514 euros) to pose as hunters and export the horns, the papers said.

Each horn was taken to a taxidermist, who mounted it on a shield to look like a hunting trophy.

"The trophy is just a cover for getting the horn out of South Africa and into Asia. Once in Asia, it obviously would enter the black market as rhino horn for 'medicinal purposes'. The person allegedly 'hunting' the rhino would never see the animal or its horn again," Olivier's statement reportedly said.

Chumlong paid 65,000 rands a kilo for the horns and sold them for $55,000 (380,000 rands) a kilo, the papers said.

With the average horn weighing five kilos, he made more than $8.9 million in profit on the 40 rhinos shot to date, they said.

South African national parks officials say rhino poaching has risen from 13 cases in 2007 to a record 333 last year and 222 so far this year.