WEDNESDAY MORNING NEWS BRIEFS – All your local news in 3 minutes

More sunshine with a few clouds, more cool evenings and more fresh north-easterly winds. It’s the middle of the week in Phuket. There’s been a great reaction to our story about the young 9 year old Krabi boy who’s been having to spend much of his days in a cage. More about that in today’s daily briefs…

Suspects being questioned in Yala

The National Security Council secretary-general has ordered officers to hunt down people behind Sunday’s torching of a Bangkok-bound bus in Yala as well as well as the origin of leaflets found in the district on Monday evening demanding a “protection fee” from public-transport operators using the Yala-Betong Road.

Four suspects with possible links to the arson were being questioned yesterday. A police source says one of the suspects owns a petrol shop where the attackers were believed to have assembled and another was a woman who allegedly brought them changes of clothing. Police say they’re also interviewing 20 other witnesses. No motive for the crime had been totally ruled out, with speculation that the attack could have been carried out by a pre-existing militant group, conducted to secure financial benefits.

Goodwill and donations flood in for Paramet

After the news regarding 9 year old Poramet Duangchan, who was hit by a car five years ago and now lives much of his day in a cage due to head dramas suffered from the accident, the Krabi Red Cross are now helping the family and say donations have reached 400,000 Baht in just one day.

The Red Cross has contacted a brain specialist to check the boy’s condition while having discussions with the village chief to take care of the family and support the oldest son to continue his education.

Poramet’s father says that he’s very appreciative of the help from everybody.

Pakapong’s family file an official complaint over death

The family of Pakapong Tanyakarn, a first-year student of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School, have filed a complaint with Maung district police in Nakhon Nayok province against people allegedly involved in the controversial death of the cadet.

Pakapong’s parents Pichet and Sukanya and elder sister Supicha submitted additional evidence and documents in the case.

Khun Supicha said the family had met the investigators, but declined to reveal about the charges filed against those allegedly involved in Pakapong’s death.

PM weighs in on Prawit’s watches

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says his deputy’s possession of expensive watches was a personal matter, but “no one could spare him if he is found guilty”.

Photos of Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan wearing several luxurious watches on different occasions went viral on social media last week. The controversy affecting the deputy prime minister began after he was spotted wearing what appeared to be a silver-and-black Richard Mille watch and diamond ring during a group photo with the reshuffled Cabinet at Government House on December 4. While the items appear to be worth millions of baht, he failed to disclose them to the NACC in his assets disclosure. Please explain General.

Paklok monkeys on the move

After a second public hearing bringing together about 50 locals from Baan Yamu in Paklok, all who had problems with monkeys destroying their valuables, the monkeys are now to be sterilised, receive a health checkup and moved to a new home.

Diphtheria spreading in Rohingya refugee camps

Thousands of children are at risk of contracting diphtheria in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh as the UN Rights Chief is again warning the Myanmar government that it’s “shockingly brutal attacks” against Rohingya Muslims in Burma could amount to genocide.

Since the first cases of diphtheria were detected on November 8, some 1,326 suspected cases have been detected in the refugee camps. This number is significant, given only 4,500 cases were reported around the world last year.

Unicef and the World Health Organisation last week launched a major vaccination campaign against diphtheria and other preventable diseases for all Rohingya children aged six weeks to six years in Bangladesh camps – an estimated 255,000 people.

Power interruptions in Thalang

The Provincial Electricity Authority in Thalang says electricity supply will be interrupted in parts of the Thalang District tomorrow with works being carried out on new high-voltage power cables.

Provincial Electricity Authority

Call 1129 or click for their website www.pea.co.th/en/

Mercury plunges in BKK

And whilst the temperature dipped to 22 degrees last night here on the island, Bangkok residents had to wrap up against the cold as winter temperatures dropped to below 16 degrees Celsius.

Well the screen shot says 17 but the TMD confirm it got down to 15.5 at Don Mueang Airport last night.

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