Category: The Bangkok Post

A 50-year-old woman has been arrested in Bangkok nearly two decades after allegedly helping her younger boyfriend attempt to murder her husband in Trang province.

Police from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) apprehended the suspect, identified only as Prapaipat, in front of a company in the Rong Muang area of Pathumwan district of Bangkok on Wednesday.

The woman was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Trang Provincial Court on Sept 13, 2007, on a charge of attempted murder, according to the Central Investigation Bureau, which oversees the CSD.

The case dates back to 2007 when the victim, identified as Kaset, discovered that his wife had been romantically involved with a man named Charoen. The discovery led to a heated confrontation.

His wife and her boyfriend later invited Kaset to meet them at a food shop in an attempt to resolve the dispute. However, another argument erupted while they were travelling home.

Investigators said Charoen kicked the victim’s motorcycle, causing him to crash, before stabbing him and slashing his throat with a knife. Ms Prapaipat reportedly helped restrain the victim during the attack. Believing the victim had died, the two suspects fled the scene.

Officers from the Nong Trut police station in Trang later found that the victim was still alive and rushed him to hospital, where he survived. His testimony became key evidence in obtaining arrest warrants for both suspects.

Charoen was arrested shortly afterwards, convicted and sentenced to prison. He has since completed his sentence.

Ms Prapaipat remained at large for more than 19 years, moving between residences and jobs in several provinces to evade capture.

Police investigators recently learned that she had been working for a transport company in Bangkok and was living inside one of the company’s 10-wheel trucks, driven by her current husband. The officers then arrested her at the company.

During questioning, Ms Prapaipat denied any involvement in the attack. She claimed she was merely present at the scene and had travelled in the same vehicle as the victim, insisting she did not participate in the attempted murder.

She was handed over to investigators at the Nong Trut police station for legal action.

The Department of Special Investigation has seized about 1,900 cryptocurrency mining machines after uncovering large-scale electricity theft estimated at 280 million baht linked to illegal bitcoin mining in Samut Sakhon.

Authorities are now searching for the investors and operators of the network, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday at a briefing held to announce the results of Operation Silent Volt, a joint investigation by the DSI and the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA).

The raids were carried out on Tuesday at seven locations in Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom provinces, including two warehouses suspected of housing mining operations and five homes and offices linked to investors and operators.

Mr Anutin said he had instructed all relevant agencies to work closely together to expand the investigation, prosecute those involved and identify the network’s financiers and organisers.

The Customs Department was also ordered to examine the importing of cryptocurrency mining equipment, including how the machines entered Thailand, how they were declared and their intended purpose.

High-voltage power bypass

The case began with a report from the PEA office in Nakhon Pathom, which had detected unusual electricity consumption patterns at several warehouses, according to Pol Maj Yutthana Praedam, the DSI director-general.

Subsequent investigations found evidence suggesting that the sites had been used for crypto mining for more than a year and that the activities may have been linked to an organised criminal network.

Joint inspections found that electricity had been tapped directly from a 22-kilovolt high-voltage distribution system, bypassing official electricity meters by connecting to the high-voltage side of transformers. (Story continues below)

The DSI and the PEA seized about 1,900 cryptocurrency mining machines from two warehouses in Muang district. Authorities estimate the value of the equipment at 200 million baht, while losses from stolen electricity are believed to exceed 280 million baht.

Investigators also searched five homes and offices connected to individuals involved in the business. Several suspects were identified and a large quantity of documents and other evidence was seized for further examination.

The evidence could lead to additional prosecutions against members of the network and potentially against public servants found to have been involved, Pol Maj Yutthana said.

Electricity bills of just B25,000

PEA governor Mongkol Treekijjanon described the scheme as a serious economic crime with far-reaching consequences.

He said a legitimate bitcoin mining operation using about 2,000 machines would normally generate electricity bills of around 22 million baht per month. However, the premises under investigation reportedly paid only 10,000 to 25,000 baht a month for electricity.

‘This has caused substantial economic damage, deprived the state of significant revenue and affected the stability and security of the country’s electricity system,’ Mr Mongkol said. (Story continues below)

Cryptocurrency mining is an extremely electricity-intensive activity because the billions of calculations involved require huge amounts of computing power. Studies in the US have shown that even highly efficient mining setups would consume about 155,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity to mine a single bitcoin.

In Thailand, assuming a power tariff of 4 baht per kWh, that works out to 620,000 baht. The average household power bill in Thailand has been estimated at 750 baht a month.

Airport Rail Link resumed full service at 10.07pm on Wednesday after officials removed a train that had derailed at its depot in Bangkok’s Khlong Tan area.

Anan Phonimdaeng, governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), said full services between Phaya Thai and Suvarnabhumi airport stations resumed after officials cleared the train and inspected a railway switch at the site in the Khlong Tan depot.

SRT, SRT Electrified Train Co (SRTET) and Asia Era One Co had yet to conclude their investigation into the derailment, Mr Anan said.

Asia Era One, which took over the Airport Rail Link operation from SRTET, said it would replace the railway switch and upgrade the reversing loop at the depot where the derailment happened to prevent a similar incident from recurring.

The derailment occurred at the depot at 12.47am on Wednesday when an Airport Rail Link train left the tracks as it was returning to the depot after completing its daily service at midnight. The incident disrupted train deployment throughout Wednesday, leaving only one train in operation at hourly intervals instead of every 10 to 15 minutes.

Airport Rail Link connects inner Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport, which is Thailand’s main gateway. It operates from 5.30am to midnight with six to eight trains in service depending on traffic. Its EMV contactless fare payment system has also resumed operation.

The pickup truck used in a deadly attack in Rangae district was found torched in another district of this southern province on Wednesday night, as the regional army commander ordered a hunt for the 10 armed men who killed five soldiers and injured six civilians.

Security officials found the pickup in Ban Aijia village in tambon Sakor of Sri Sakhon district, 21 kilometres from the attack site in tambon Tanyong Mat of Rangae district, the Region 4 forward command of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) said on Thursday morning.

A burnt licence plate from Songkhla province was found at the fire scene. Forensic officials collected evidence from the pickup debris to identify suspects. The site of the fire was in an area where Rangae, Chanae and Sri Sakhon districts adjoin.

The Isoc forward command reported that about 10 attackers who wore black clothing and black hats on the pickup truck and a motorcycle arrived at the Bukeh Sami checkpoint in Tanyong Mat municipal area at 6.45pm on Wednesday.

The armed men fired guns and threw pipe bombs at the soldiers who were on duty at the checkpoint. The attackers also stole three AK-47 assault rifles, three bullet-proof vests and three mobile phones from the soldiers.

The public relations department of Narathiwat province said no group had claimed responsibility and no arrests have been made.

Members of the 45th Ranger Regiment Task Force killed in the attack were SM1 Theerayoot Somakerd and four volunteer rangers: Sakeereeya Jehna, Wimol Dapthong, Nathasit Kaeosena and Solahuding Pi.

The six injured civilians were identified as Habib Hina, 10; Muhammad Ali Abru, 67; Lanha Abru, 67; Muhammadhafit Hina, 15; Awatil Bueraheng, 3; and Masaifu Da-oh, 21.

Five of the injured people have been discharged from hospital. The 10-year-old boy was still being treated for a leg wound but his condition was stable, the provincial public relations department reported.

Lt Norathip Phoynok, the commander of the Fourth Army Area, inspected the attack scene at the Bukeh Sami checkpoint on Thursday morning. He ordered a quick hunt for the suspects, maximum security operations and assistance for the families of the dead soldiers.

The People’s Party (PP) has criticised the government’s revised state welfare card criteria, saying the changes reflect poor policy coordination and could exclude vulnerable people from assistance.

Veerayooth Kanchoochat, a party-list MP and chairman of the House committee on economic development, said confusion over eligibility was not solely the responsibility of the Finance Ministry or Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas, but of the cabinet as a whole.

He said the revised criteria were approved by the cabinet on July 14 and so represented a collective decision. He questioned why ministers responsible for transport, social development and other sectors had failed to scrutinise issues such as vehicle ownership and disability classifications before the policy was endorsed.

“This is the second revision and problems remain,” he said, referring to an earlier controversy in June when some people lost eligibility because their names had been used by their children in tax deduction claims.

Mr Veerayooth also raised concerns about criteria affecting farmers. Under current rules, applicants may be disqualified if they own more than 10 rai of land or have agricultural debt exceeding 100,000 baht.

He said the thresholds did not reflect conditions in rural areas. According to agricultural data, the average farmer owns about 17 rai, while many carry debts above the current limit. Using land ownership alone as an indicator of wealth could unfairly exclude low-income farmers whose earnings depend on crop yields and fluctuating market conditions, he said.

He urged the government to adopt a more comprehensive assessment system using data from multiple ministries instead of relying on individual indicators such as vehicle ownership, landholdings or debt levels.

The Bank of Thailand is seeking public feedback on proposed ?cash payment limits for physical gold ?bar trades gold shops to improve transparency and oversight of transactions that could affect exchange rates.

Cash payments for gold bar transactions ?between ?gold shops and retail customers would be capped at a daily 1 million to 10 million baht per customer, per shop, the central bank said in a statement on the ?proposed rules, which are open for public consultation until Aug 20.

Cash payments for transactions between gold shops would be capped at a daily ?10 million to 80 million baht per customer, per shop.

Earlier this year, ?the bank introduced rules to curb online gold trades, including a daily ?limit ?of 50 million baht per person per platform.

Customers would ?be required to personally receive or deliver gold bars under the proposal.

The rules would not limit the ?value of gold trades, but would ?require traceable payment channels for larger transactions to help prevent the use of funds of unclear origin, it said.

The central bank has been taking a closer look at large cash transactions as part of a series of tighter measures to curb the grey economy and illicit financial activities.

Starting from Oct 1, it said recently, customers depositing more than 5 million baht in cash will be required to disclose the source of the funds.

A car bomb explosion in Narathiwat has prompted a security investigation, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul pledging continued peace talks and stronger measures to prevent further attacks.

The explosion occurred on Tuesday about 7.20pm outside the former Tanyong police station building in tambon Kaluwo Nuea of Muang district.

Unidentified individuals used a Toyota Soluna loaded with an improvised explosive device, pushing the vehicle towards the police station before it detonated.

The blast damaged nearby property and caused panic among local residents.

Firefighters quickly contained the blaze caused by the explosion, while police, soldiers, EOD officers and forensic experts secured the scene, collected evidence and began a hunt for those responsible.

In response, Mr Anutin on Wednesday said all agencies have been instructed to perform their duties to the fullest, with the highest priority being the protection of residents.

Regarding peace dialogue efforts, he said the efforts would continue under national intelligence chief Thanat Suwannanon, adding that discussions had also been held with Malaysian counterparts.

Mr Anutin said improving intelligence gathering and preventive measures are essential to counter those intent on carrying out such attacks.

According to media sources, deputy Narathiwat governor Wichan Chaisetsampan inspected checkpoints and security posts in the province’s economic safety zone on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Forward Command condemned the bombing, describing it as a brutal and immoral attack that endangered civilians and security personnel and sought to undermine peace in the area.

The agency said authorities would work together to identify and prosecute those responsible, while urging the public to report suspicious activity through the Isoc Region 4 Forward hotline 1341 or local security units.

There are contingency evacuation plans in place for Thai citizens living in the Middle East amid a new round of the US-led war against Iran, said Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow.

Mr Sihasak was speaking from the Philippines where he attended the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila.

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) held a meeting to monitor and assess the tense situation in the Middle East following the end of the ceasefire and the renewed fighting there.

During during previous clashes, Thais were evacuated from Iran safely.

“The MFA has to prepare to handle all scenarios and assess our readiness, especially if another evacuation of Thai citizens is necessary. I can confirm that we are prepared for any eventuality,” he said.

Eksiri Pintaruchi, the ministry’s permanent secretary, on Tuesday chaired the meeting to monitor the situation in the Middle East, which was attended by representatives of all Thai embassies and consulates in the Middle East region via teleconference.

Attendants exchanged information and followed the progress in caring for and providing assistance to Thai people in each country. They also reviewed the readiness of plans to assist and evacuate Thai nationals if the situation changes according to the context of each area, the ministry said.

Embassies and consulates general in the turbulent region have informed Thai nationals there to closely follow news dispensed by them and to also strictly follow the announcements and warnings of their host country.

Currently, there are no reports of Thai nationals in the Middle East region being severely affected by the conflict, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Mr Sihasak said the Asean ministers’ meeting has discussed the central role Asean plays in fostering global peace and security.

The situation in Myanmar remains concerning, he said, adding Thailand’s policy emphasises dialogue and interaction, without abandoning Asean’s five-point consensus.

However, Thailand has to acknowledged its interests in border security, he said.

This encompasses numerous issues including border trade, transnational organised crime, drug trafficking, and pollution, which requires dialogue with the Myanmar government.

Thailand has urged the new Myanmar government to continue the dialogue process towards peace and reconciliation, and expressed Thailand’s readiness to facilitate talks, involving both ethnic minorities and the Myanmar government.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered a tougher nationwide crackdown on crime, adding public safety is essential to economic growth.

Speaking at a security policy meeting in Chon Buri on Wednesday, Mr Anutin said the government would support officials enforcing the law and urged provincial administrations to make crime suppression a top priority.

He said the eastern region, one of Thailand’s key tourism and economic hubs, faced increasingly complex threats, including drug trafficking, cybercrime, online scams, illegal gambling and organised crime.

Such offences undermine public safety, damage the economy and erode confidence in the rule of law, he said.

He cited recent operations against online scam syndicates and illegal gambling networks as evidence of the government’s determination to tackle organised crime, adding that officials should not fear interference while carrying out their duties, as the government had their back.

“No one who breaks the law should believe they are beyond the reach of justice,” he said, adding authorities must not allow criminals to operate freely in areas under their responsibility.

Describing Chon Buri as a province with a strong economy and thriving tourism sector, Mr Anutin said authorities must prevent criminal activity from harming livelihoods or jeopardising future opportunities.

The government would stand behind law enforcement officers who acted honestly and decisively, adding that those who took legal action against criminal groups would receive support for doing so rather than face repercussions.

Mr Anutin outlined three priorities for provincial administrations.

The first is prevention through closer cooperation among provincial authorities, police, the military and local communities to tackle drugs, cybercrime and organised crime before problems escalate.

The second is firm and consistent law enforcement based strictly on the rule of law, without yielding to political or criminal influence.

The third is improving public services by strengthening complaint centres, enhancing police response capabilities and ensuring faster assistance for the public.

He also called for closer cooperation between governors and provincial police commanders, with the model to be expanded nationwide to district level.

The initiative forms part of the government’s 90-day anti-drug campaign, which Mr Anutin said could reduce narcotics problems through coordinated local action.

Pattaya City was partially flooded after more than an hour of heavy rain early Thursday morning.

Flooding was reported on a road parallel to a railway from Soi Khao Talo to Soi Khao Noi at 5am. It became impassable for motorcycles and passenger cars as water was between 10 and 70 centimetres deep. Many vehicles broke down there.

Local officials placed steel barricades to close the road.

Flooding was also reported on sections of major roads in Chon Buri, including Sukhumvit Road and the Bueng Bypass, disrupting travel towards Pattaya and Rayong.

There are flood-prone areas in Pattaya as many parts of the city are low-lying. However, flood drainage normally finishes quickly.

Pattaya Mayor Poramese Ngampichet wrote in a recent social media post that work is continuing to replace many old drainage pipes that are only 60cm in diameter.

Work has already been completed at more than half of the 20 chronic flooding spots that officials have identified, he said.