A state official has been detained for spreading false information that the army is planning a coup to oust the Prayut Chan-o-cha government, the police said on Sunday. Deputy police spokesman Pol Col Kissana Phathanacharoen said an official was taken in for questioning by police in Chachoengsao, adding he admitted to having forwarded the false information online. Pol Col Kissana said the police were acting on a request by the army to prosecute those behind the fake news. On Friday, army chief Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae assigned Maj Gen Burin Thongprapai, director of the army's Office of the Judge Advocate, to lodge a request for action with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB). Pol Col Kissana said the fake news had caused public confusion and harmed the army's reputation. Though the official, whose identity has not been disclosed, was quizzed by police and admitted to spreading fake news, he has not yet been charged. Sources say he is likely to face multiple charges …
Drug gangs head to sea to avoid Covid roadblocks
Marine police intercept a trawler trying to deliver illicit drugs to Malaysia off the coast of Satun. More drugs are being trafficked by boat to avoid the roads which are being heavily policed due to Covid-19 surveillance. marine police Traffickers are avoiding the roads when they deliver drugs these days with roadside Covid-19 checkpoints so commonplace, said the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). Fast-spreading infections have been met with lockdowns and curfews in heavily-affected provinces where authorities regulate the flow of people and goods in and out of provinces. Public health surveillance and security checkpoints are up and running on many roads to screen motorists, and the presence of law enforcement has unnerved drug traffickers. They are taking a different course to elude the police by loading their drugs onto a boat and shuttling them to spots close to the border with Malaysia where the supplies are then collected by a local agent who exports them to a third …
Pajaree wins ISPS Handa World Invitational
Pajaree Anannarukarn competes in the Amundi Evian Championship in the French Alps town of Evian-les-Bains, a major tournament on the women's calendar, on July 25, 2021. The Thai wins the ISPS Handa World Invitational on Sunday. (AFP photo) Pajaree Anannarukarn parred the second playoff hole Sunday to defeat Emma Talley and win her first LPGA Tour title at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Galgorm, Northern Ireland. Both players carded rounds of 3-under 70 on Sunday to finish at 16-under 275, one shot ahead of their third-round co-leader Jennifer Kupcho (71). Pajaree and Talley both parred the par-5 18th on the first playoff hole. Playing No. 18 again at the par-73 Galgorm Castle course, Talley bogeyed and Anannarukarn rolled in a short par putt for the victory. Pajaree's family was on-site to witness her first victory. After the playoff, her father picked her up and spun her around in excitement. "It was a special moment, I mean, to be able to celebrate with him," Pajaree …
Heartbreak for Thai fighters
Chatchai-decha Butdee (right) in action against Cuba's Lazaro Alvarez. (AFP photo) TOKYO: Calamity struck for Thai boxing at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday as Jutamas Jitpong and Chatchai-decha Butdee fought impressively but lost their chance of grabbing medals at the Kokugikan Arena. In the women's 51kg quarter-finals, 2019 SEA Games bronze medallist Jutamas went down to 2019 World Championships silver medallist Buse Naz Cakiroglu 0-5 in the morning. More bad news followed in the afternoon when Chatchai-decha narrowly lost to two-time Olympic bronze medallist Lazaro Alvarez of Cuba 2-3 in the last eight of the men's 57kg. Chatchai-decha put up the fight of his life in a desperate bid to win a medal in his third and farewell Olympics. However, three-time World Championships winner Alvarez showed superior skills at the crucial stage to dash the Thai's hopes. "I gave my all out there. We have equal experience and know each other's style. But as a Cuban boxer, he's fast and …
Muay Thai seals Olympic win
For someone who makes no claim to being skilled at sport, former deputy defence minister Gen Udomdej Sitabutr is confident he will soon be overseeing Muay Thai's debut at the world's biggest sporting event. Udomdej: Appointment was unexpected Muay Thai has been staged in international arenas countless times, but never before has it been honoured with a recognition as a sport in the Olympic Games. After 30 arduous years of trying to clinch the listing, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) finally certified Muay Thai as an Olympic sport and granted the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) permanent membership of the committee on July 20 at the 138th IOC session in Tokyo which is hosting the current Olympic Games. It marks a momentous step up for Muay Thai to be competing in a class alongside international boxing in the Games. However, it was no walk in the park getting to where it is. Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, who is president of …
Massive 2.5bn-baht missile agreement put on ice
The army has been denied next year's fund to buy Javelin missiles and related equipment worth some 2.5 billion baht from the United States, according to an army source. The cut came despite remarks released by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Friday, saying the State Department had approved a potential US$83.5 million (2.5 billion baht) deal for Javelin missiles and related equipment. The DSCA said it delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the possible deal on Friday. The government, it said, has inked an agreement to buy 300 Javelin FGM-148 missiles and 50 Javelin Command Launch Units (CLU). Also included are Enhanced Producibility Basic Skills Trainers; missile simulation rounds; Security Assistance Management Directorate (SAMD) Technical Assistance; Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions (TAGM) Project Office Technical Assistance; contractor lifecycle support; spares manuals. Also on the list are batteries/chargers; gunner training; …
Over 300 frontline medics in Samut Sakhon infected
Over 300 medical workers across three districts in Samut Sakhon have contracted Covid-19, according to the province's governor, Veerasak Vichitsangsri. The governor gave the figures on his Facebook page yesterday, saying the province has distributed relief packages to the infected workers, which contracted the virus while on duty. The workers are spread across Muang, Ban Phaeo and Krathum Baen districts. The governor called on the government to provide frontline medics a Pfizer Covid-19 booster shot. Calling them the most important asset in the fight against Covid-19, Mr Veerasak said the workers deserve the best protection the government can offer. Separately, Phangnga governor, Chamroen Thippayapongthada, yesterday ordered a lockdown in Khura Buri and Thai Muang districts after new clusters emerged there following interstate visits by infected individuals. He assigned Phangnga's deputy governor to come up with a plan to restrict interprovincial travel. The province …
Cops crack down on jab slot sales
At least 7,000 people have bought Covid-19 vaccination slots at Bang Sue Grand Station that were illegally acquired through a loophole in the the national vaccine recipient's database, police said. Authorities are looking into the identity of those involved in the scam, who police said have made around seven million baht since the national jab rollout began. The malpractice was detected when an unusually large number of appointments were added to the database during the period reserved for walk-ins last month, according to Mingkwan Wichaidit, Dermatology Institute and Bangsue vaccination centre director. Dr Mingkwan said when the government began accepting walk-in vaccination registration for the elderly on June 29, the vaccination centre was inundated by thousands of seniors who required assistance in filling out the medical forms prior to receiving a jab. To assist the registration process and prevent overcrowding, many volunteers were enlisted to help out and several were …
Weekend city jab shutdown
A shortage in supplies of Covid-19 vaccines led to the weekend closure of 25 vaccination centres in Bangkok, while the "Mor Prom" app also cancelled all bookings scheduled for Friday and Saturday and has yet to resume offering new appointments. Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) Sanan Angubolkul said yesterday that supplies had not arrived as scheduled, forcing all 25 vaccination centres operated by the TCC and private sector in Bangkok to suspend operations until new deliveries are made. Mr Sanan said that since the TCC vaccination centres opened two months ago, they have given up to 700,000 shots to the public and special groups. "We have no choice but to close our vaccination centres from tomorrow [today] onward until we get more vaccines; we hope there will be spare vaccines allocated by the centre at Bang Sue Grand Station to help ease congestion there," he said. He said that prior to the suspension, more than 2.4 million people had registered with the TCC's …