Dogs Are Being Grilled

Photo Courtesy of Khaosod

AYUDTHAYA – Local Thais have had enough with Cambodian laborers who have hunted dogs for their barbeque dinners. Villagers have seen them chase dogs with long knives, slashing at them from behind. The lucky ones have been saved by people who have informed the city’s animal rescue team. Others haven’t been so lucky, like the dog in the photo above, now paralyzed after sustaining spinal chord damage.

Villagers reveal that Cambodians in labor camps have been hunting dogs and grilling them like Peking ducks without thinking about how Thai people feel about it. In stark contrast to these dog eaters, there was an incident in Surin, another city, where a clothing store caught on fire and a dog was left inside - the owner went back in the store and was burnt alive with the dog.

On August 28th, a reporter was informed that Mr. Thiti Homthaet, 34-years-old, a member of Ayudthaya’s rescue team, saved a Thai-breed dog from being hunted down. The dog was slashed by Cambodians before being sent to a nearby vet. The dog was male, a Thai breed, and 2-3 years-old, with a light brown coat. He weighed around 15 kilograms and groaned in pain from the 15 cm deep wound near its tail. The dog’s spinal chord had been severed at the rear.

Mr. Thiti revealed that the night of August 26th, on the side of Ayudthaya-Nakorn Luang road, villagers witnessed several Cambodian workers holding long knives, chasing the dog. The dog ran into a bush on the side of the road, and luckily, heavy rain poured down and the dog hunters retreated. On the afternoon of August 27th, people reported seeing the dog lying in the mud on the roadside.

A rescue team found the dog breathing faintly and in a critical state. It was immediately sent to Krungsri Vet hospital in the city for first aid.

Mr. Thiti said that the vet explained that the dog could not be saved due to having inadequate surgical equipment. The dog’s spinal chord and several other nerves endings need to be reattached before the wound is stitched up. The vet told Mr. Thiti to prepare for the dog’s death. Mr. Thiti and several villagers didn’t give up and gathered money for medical fees, but the doctor was firm in the fact that the dog will not survive. Out of options, they took the dog back to the area near Sakae creek to take care of it in its last moment of life.

“We still believe that this dog will make it. So we named it Boonrod (Boon meaning merit and Rod meaning survive) because the dog has really tried its best to survive. We are scared that the dog will catch a disease or viruses through the wound, because right now the dog can only move its head but cannot move its body. When it needs to pee or poo, it does so lying in the exact same position. If anybody or any Vet in Bangkok has the right equipment to save Boonrod’s life, please contact me on 084-145-4855, or 035-244-182,” Mr. Thiti said.

After interviewing villagers, it was revealed that the area is occupied by foreign workers and laborers, working at the port near Phasak River. The area is also home to over a hundred Cambodian workers. The villagers claim to hear dogs moaning on a regular basis and said the Cambodians hunt down every dog they see and cook them in barbeques. The Cambodians seem to be getting more gruesome and cruel each day; recently they have found dead dogs to cook up, despite the warnings from people that the dog may be diseased.

It has been said that some Cambodians have event tried to buy village dogs for 100-200 baht each. There has been no proper investigation into this matter.

Doctor Ratthanachai Chulanet from Ayudthaya’s ministry of health said that the consumption of dog meat is possible and hygienic if the dogs are not diseased and that the meat must be cooked until it is no longer red. He further suggested, though, that people should avoid consuming dog meat because dogs are cute and people friendly and that Thai people don’t favor the killing of dogs.

Mrs. Jiraphan Pimphan, Ayudthaya’s chief of ministry of culture said that she understands the Cambodian diet and way of life. However, the Cambodians are now residing in Thailand, which is a Buddhist country, and they should adapt their lifestyles to fit the Thai culture. She further stated that the businesses and employers of these workers must enforce these standards. There is also a lack of animal protection laws for dogs and other pets - there are only laws for wild animals. She said the government should step in immediately to save these four-legged friends of ours.

Courtesy of Khaosod

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak

Teenaged Game Addicts Arrested For Stealing Over 100,000 Baht

Photo Courtesy of Khaosod

CHONBURI - At 02.00a.m. on August 28th, police major general Sirisak Wongwiwat and fellow officers arrested Bird (assumed name) 14-years-old, Frank (assumed name) 15-years-old, and Ton (assumed name) 16-years-old at an unidentified game store in Bangpra district.

Police officers were informed by Mr. Rungarun Aiemsawat, 42-years-old that while he was sleeping on the first floor of his two-storey home, 1,000 baht disappeared from his desk. A further 90,000 baht was missing from his Pajama pockets. Mr. Rungarun asked around the neighborhood, and people said that at 01.00a.m. three teenagers riding Suzuki motorbikes, had parked near his house. The kids had come from houses nearby. Mr. Rungarun informed police of the suspicious circumstances.

When the police went in search of the kids, none of them were home. They later learned that the kids were online games addicts and played day and night at a game store in Bangpra; their favorite rendezvous. The officers set up a surveillance team around the game store and waited for hours before the kids finished playing. When they came out, they were taken into custody. Shaken, the kids admitted to stealing Mr. Rungarun’s money by climbing into the house through a window. At first they stole 1,000 baht to invest in gaming and snacks. When they ran out, they decided to go back for more. The second time round, they stole 90,000 baht, dividing 10,000 each, and leaving the rest in a nearby forest. Mr. Rungarun was sound asleep while this happened, said one of the boys.

The police later dug up 66,700 baht in cash from the forest, which had been planted in the ground by the kids. They also admitted to stealing money from the house on many other occasions but never such a large sum. Every time they stole the money, Mr. Rungarun was deep asleep and didn’t hear a thing. The stolen money was invested in online game items such as swords and avatars, and for snacks like potato chips to accompany their habits. The kids admitted to their addiction to games, saying they played for hours day and night. “We needed the money to continue the journey, the world of games was waiting for us, we just wanted to play so badly,” said one of the kids.

Courtesy of Khaosod

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak

Hose Left In Patient For Five Years

Photo Courtesy of Thairath

BANGKOK – A 25 cm long hose was found in a patient’s stomach after a feckless surgeon left it there five years earlier. Sriwichai Hospital refused to accept responsibility for the botched surgery. The hospital chief head confirmed that the doctor had left the hose inside the patient’s stomach but argued that the patient was transferred to another hospital before the hose had to be taken out. He also insisted that the doctor did not forget.

Mr. Suriya Srisuksong, an uncle of Miss Suwaree Chatraphiwat, 23-years-old, the patient, put a complaint through to the ministry of public health - twenty of his relatives and friends also supported the complaint. Miss Chatraphiwat and her family were furious when they discovered the 25 cm long hose lodged in her bladder after an x-ray.

Mr. Suriya said that on August 20th, he took Miss Suwaree to Kasemrad Hospital in Bang Kae, Bangkok using gold card health insurance because she had a very bad stomachache and could not urinate. The first few days at the hospital proved no cause of pain, so the doctor decided to x-ray her stomach. They found a 25 cm long hose inside her bladder along with a lump of calculi. The hose had been left there for five years.

Mr. Suriya recalled that Miss Suwaree had been admitted to Sriwichai Hospital to remove a bullet head after being mistakably shot in 2004. They, however, did not know the doctor had inserted a hose inside her stomach. Kasemrad Hospital, where Miss Suwaree was transferred to, contacted Sriwichai Hospital for documents and profile records of the operation but Sriwichai only managed to send them a copy of the patients transfer papers. After many failed attempts at retrieving the information, Mr. Suriya decided to lodge complaints against Sriwichai Hospital.

Doctor Surapol Losiriwat, the head of Sriwichai Hospital stated that the patient had been admitted to the hospital after she was shot from behind: the bullet had pierced her spleen, and her condition was at the time critical. Medical teams saved her life and inserted a hose inside her bladder to drain out waste. When the patient recovered, the family requested for her to be transferred to Luangpor Taweesak hospital in Nakorn Phatom which was more affordable. Sriwichai hospital stated that they had informed the new hospital and medical officers in charge that the hose was inside the patient’s bladder.

The head of Sriwichai Hospital added that it is normal for this kind of treatment method to last for three to four weeks but that the patient was transferred before the appropriate date and was only at Sriwichai hospital for ten days. He insisted that the hospital the patient was transferred to is responsible for the hoses removal.

Courtesy of Thairath

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak

70-Year-Old Wakes Up From Death

Photo Courtesy of Thairath

ROI ET – It’s a miracle that an ex-police inspector and village chief, 70-years-old, in Roi Et woke up after hours of being dead. He was admitted to Roi Et hospital due to illness. After the doctors gave up reviving him, the old man woke up. Just like that.

In the afternoon of August 25th, a journalist was informed of wide-spread news that Mr. Gawin Saenun, an ex-police inspector and village chief in Roi Et, who died in hospital, had woken up from his death. Doctors allowed him to go home to rest. The journalist went to the man’s home to meet the old man.

Mr. Gawin Saenun was resting on a bed in front of the house, with Mrs. Nuphien Saenun, his wife, 62-years-old; Mr. Vichian Saenun, his son, 43-years-old; Mrs. Sangwian Pratumkhan, his daughter, 39-years-old; and Mrs. Rampai Matschit, his nephew, 44-years-old. Over ten relatives had gathered at the home. Mr. Vichian Saenun said that his father has suffered from severe diabetes, gall bladder infection, and gout disease for over seven years. He has been admitted to Roi Et hospital and other hospitals in town and in Bangkok for treatment several times before.

On August 22nd, Mr. Gawin felt severely fatigued and weary - his family sent him to Roi Et hospital. At 14.00p.m. on August 24th, one of the nurses informed the family that Gawin was in a coma. The doctor asked the family whether they wanted Gawin to die at the hospital or at home and requested the family to prepare payments to the hospital. Mrs. Rampai was the one who took the family to the hospital administration counter on the 1st floor of the building. At that time, Gawin had already stopped breathing. Relatives were already preparing for the funeral and had made transportation arrangements to take the body from the hospital to the funeral service.

However, a few hours later, Gawin suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, shocking his family and relatives who were crying in the room. The first thing he said was, ‘why is everybody crying?’ When Gawin was removed from his death bed, medical staff found large sweat stains on the sheets. He had somehow been sweating the whole time. Relatives then asked the doctor for Gawin to be allowed home, and their request was granted.

Vichian, the son, also said that when his father came home, he felt a lot more alive and refreshed than before, and most of his symptoms were absent. His wife asked him what he had seen in the time he wasn’t breathing. Gawin replied that he didn’t know and wasn’t feeling anything, but woke up curious as to why everyone he loved was crying around him. Nuphien, the wife, told the journalist that she will wait and see her husband’s condition for a while before the family and relatives will conduct a consolatory ritual for the old man according to the tradition to bring fortune to the family and Gawin’s health condition.

Courtesy of Thairath

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak

Monks At An Execution

Photo Courtesy of Khaosod - Story Courtesy of Matichon Online

NONTHABURI – It was time to bring out the bodies of two executed prisoners, but the Bang Kwang Ghost Door would not open. The officer had to use Sonax spray to grease the door frame and pry the door open with a crowbar in order to bring out the bodies. A monk from Bang Phrak Tai temple revealed that in the final minutes before the execution, a prisoner bawled and begged for mercy, while the other asked if he could hold onto the monk’s yellow robe.

The lethal injection was used today to execute two prisoners at Bang Kwang Central prison in Nonthaburi. Mr. Bandit Charoenwanit, 54-years-old and Mr. Jirawat Phumphuek, 45-years-old, both criminals with drug charges.

The correctional officer from the central prison came to inspect and repair the door connecting the prison to Bang Phrak Tai temple. The door is widely known among locals and prison officers as the ‘ghost door,’ – the single door used to transport bodies out of the prison.

Today, as the correctional officer brought the key to open the ghost door, it would not budge. Rust and stains had fused the door-frame and damaged the keyhole. The moving of the corpses was delayed – and people on the other side of the ghost door peeked through the key hole and watched as the guard officers unlocked the leg chains from the two prisoners; before they were loaded into donated coffins. Later, the officers had to use Sonax spray and a crow bar to take down the door.

The first body that came through the door was Mr. Jirawat Phumphuek; two of his relatives waited outside to see him. They carried a pot filled with incense, used in rituals to deliver the spirit to the after-life. Leading the ritual was Monk Sri Nonthawat, head monk of Bang Phrak Tai temple. Jirawat’s corpse was brought to rest inside the temple. The second body belonged to Mr. Bandit Charoenwanit, and was taken away in a van for religious practices in Fang Thon.

A school teacher, Mrs. Supida Phisamai, along with 80 grade seven and ten students from Nakorn Nonwittaya School also attended the ritual to witness the consequences of committing crimes and wrongdoings. It was seen as a lesson in the essence of Dharmic truth.

Monk Sri Nonthawat, head monk from Bang Phrak Tai temple who gave a final prayer to the two prisoners before they were executed, spoke of their final moments. Mr. Bandit Charoenwanit was deep in sorrow and cried his eyes out during the whole process. Mr. Jirawat Phumphuek, on the other hand, remained totally calm and silent. At the very last minute he asked the monk if he could hold onto his yellow robe.

“Attama (monk term meaning “I”) felt very sympathetic and empathetic towards the prisoners’ fates, but the essence of Karma is dependent on one’s own actions. No single person can erase or wash away their sins,” said Monk Sri Nonthawat.

Courtesy of Matichon Online

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak

Mr. Seaweed Fortress Killed In Motor Cycle Accident

Photo Courtesy of Thairath

SUKHOTHAI – Forensics investigators examined the body of Mr. Sanom Phomsarai (meaning Seaweed Fortress), after he and his son, Mr. Thanongsak Phomsarai suddenly stopped and tried to reverse in the middle of a road. They were hit by an oncoming Toyota ‘Fortuner’. The son later died in hospital.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Prayut Jekphu, an investigative head officer in Sukhothai along with rescue teams attended the crash scene on bypass intersection Sri Samrong. There, they found a smashed Honda motorbike; plate number 943 lying on the gravel. Next to the bike lay the body of Mr. Sanom Phomsarai, 44-years-old from Phitsanulok.

The son, Mr. Thanongsak Phomsarai, 21-years-old, was also severely injured and sent to the Sawan Lok hospital (meaning heaven on earth hospital) where he later died.
The Toyota Fortuner, plate number 6699, from Lamphang was smashed around the front bumper. After questioning, the driver said the father and son suddenly stopped and reversed while traffic was moving at full speed. The reason they did this is still unknown.

Courtesy of Thairath

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak

Samurai Gang Arrested

Photo Courtesy of Bangkok Biz News

CHIANG MAI – A gang of under-18-year-old samurai wanna-be’s have been slashing motorcycle riders for weeks; slicing them and stealing their possessions. But today they were all arrested. One of the gang members is only 15-years-old - collectively, they have cut down five people in planned ambushes.

Today, Police Colonel Aksorn Wongyai from Maephing police station in Chiang Mai informed the press of the arrests of all three members of the gang which has come as a relief for troubled locals.

The members are Mr. Thaigaew Saephang, 18-years-old, Mr. Chanon Saewang, 18-years-old, and a 15-year-old boy who cannot be officially identified. The police confiscated their belongings which included, three Honda Wave motorcycles, one mobile phone, and 16 inch long Sexizo Samurai blades. They were charged with robbery and the intention to kill. They were arrested at Sri Kong Public Park in Chiang Mai.

One of the victims was Mr. Danai Kamlao 32-years-old. The victim was riding his motorcycle alone near Sri Kong Park when suddenly the samurai gang appeared behind him on their Honda Wave motorcycles. They rode up to him and knocked him off his bike; then sunk a samurai sword into his gut, and slashed his head and body – the victims left arm was left dangling from being only half chopped. Mr. Kamlao, however, managed to survive and was sent to hospital. The gang stole his wallet containing a few hundred baht, his mobile phone, and the motorbike he was riding.

According to Colonel Aksorn, the samurai gang typically gathered at the park and waited for someone to pass before they attacked. When the opportunity presented itself, they would target their victims and slash them to near death before stealing the little money they carried. Afterwards, they would use the money to go chill at a karaoke bar.

Police considered reducing the sentences because of the age of the culprits but have since stuck to their decisions after investigating the brutal history of the group.

During their arrests at the station, one of the raging victims who recovered came and punched the 15–year-old straight in the face.

Courtesy of Bangkok Biz News

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak

Another Day in Child Trafficking

Photo Courtesy of Thairath

SONG KLA – Police arrested a Thai-Burmese mother who sold her one-day-old son to clear a 50,000 baht debt - the child was sold by the traders for a further 80,000 baht. The agency insisted they did it for the sake of the child. Meanwhile, the mother pulled a naïve expression and said she thought the people who bought her child would take care of the boy as though he were part of their own family.

Police major Phichet Jannu from Sadao police station in Song Kla arrested Miss Nan Laogan, 32-years-old, and Mrs. Narumon Phianthaisong, 37-years-old. Together, they were interrogated and charged with human trafficking.

From the interrogation, police learnt that while Miss Laogan was seven-months pregnant, she had met Narumon through a friend. The two became close and made a deal to sell the child after she gave birth. The mother did not have money to look after the child. Miss Laogan made a 50,000 baht deal to sell her child, hoping he would be taken care of. Narumon, feared that Laogan would change her mind, and continued to lend her money to lure her in: loaning 37,000 baht, plus 10,400 baht for birth hospital fees, totaling at 47,400 baht. Narumon also charged Miss Laogan for caretaking fees of 300 baht per day until the birth of the child.

On August 17th, Narumon had taken Miss Laogan to give birth at Hat Yai hospital. Narumon stayed by Nan’s side the whole time, waiting for the baby. As soon as she gave birth, Narumon took the baby home with her. She was selling the baby to Mrs. Undy, a Malaysian, for 80,000 baht. However, police caught her beforehand after receiving an anonymous tip off.

Narumon herself had done this kind of trading several times before, selling babies to big traders and other well-paying individuals in Kuala Lumper. Narumon insisted she only did it for the children so they wouldn’t starve.

Miss Laogan defends her actions, saying she was not child trafficking because she believed that her child would have a better life.

Major Phichet charged both of them with illegal human trafficking. They will remain in custody until the court finalizes the case. The child has been sent to child protection services and is living in a welfare community in Song Kla.

Courtesy of Thairath

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak

The Definition of a Split Face

Photo Courtesy to Anonymous Distributor

BANGKOK – A woman jumped from the third floor of a famous esplanade shopping complex in Ratchada district, Bangkok. Her head was split in half as her face met the ground. She had allegedly walked around the balcony for over an hour before deciding to end her life.

Police Lieutenant Jiratchai Supwiratbanya, from Huay Kwang police station, was informed of the suicide. He immediately went on site, along with forensic and medical teams. At the ground floor of the complex, outside a discount clothes store, laid the body of the suicide victim.

Security guards at the complex had allegedly relocated the body to the esplanade outside - causing quite a dispute from police and forensic teams as the corpse was not in its original position. The guards insisted that they had received permission from Huay Kwang police station.

No details regarding the deceased’s identity has been released to the media.

Notable damage was sustained to the suicide victim’s face and cranium which was split in half from the impact. Next to her body was a black Prada bag. The officers also found her shoes on the second floor of the complex.

Mr. Chanon Rungrueng, a mobile phone clerk working on the third floor said he saw the woman walking around the balcony, looking hesitant. A time passed and Mr. Rungrueng didn’t think anything of it, when suddenly the woman climbed over the glass railing and leaped from the balcony.

Police officers have confirmed that the incident was a suicide based on eye witnesses and footage taken from surveillance cameras. The woman’s handbag contained no further evidence.

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak

*Note: This is a republished article of the suicide at Esplanade, Ratchada Thailand, in June following gruesome follow-up images.

Gay Melee Leads To Pulped Testicles

SAMUT PRAKHAN – The apartment block was three-stories high and the murder had taken place in a room on the third floor. Inside the room, Mr. Prasarn Phumsin, 46-years-old, lay face down in blood. His lower body had been stripped naked; his anus, plugged with bits of cotton wool; and a brown towel had been tied around his neck.

At 03.00a.m., police lieutenant Banjong Charnsri from Samut Prakarn’s main police station filed a report on the murder of a man at room 24, Khamnanim Phaemo.

When police removed the towel, they discovered several stab wounds to the man’s neck; in addition to a lesion on the right side of his chest; the man’s upper body and forehead had sustained heavy bruising from being struck multiple times with a hard object. Stab wounds were found on both of his thighs.

The man’s penis and testicles were mashed from repeated crushing with a blunt and weighted object. Forensic officers said the victim had been dead for two hours.

Mr. Champee Boonmeemak, 41-years-old, a neighbor living in room 25 next door to the murder scene, said he heard loud thumping, the shattering of glass, and finally a man’s wild scream at around half past one a.m. It became silent shortly after that.

The victim’s room had been trashed – shattered beer bottles, dirty jeans, and lottery guide books written by famous lottery masters were strewn around the apartment. There were also ancient scriptures dealing with the summoning of lottery numbers, stacked up next to his bed. To the side of these scriptures were stacks of real estate brochures and magazines. Detectives believe the man was a lottery fanatic and are now searching these items for evidence.

Champee, the next door neighbor, later heard the sound of a door being locked. He got up and peeked through the eye hole of his front door and saw a fat man carrying a plastic bag; he was aged around 30, approximately 170 cm’s tall, and wore short white pants and a black t-shirt. The suspect rushed downstairs and jumped over a wall.

Afterwards, Champee called the apartment caretaker to check the room after suspecting a crime had taken place. The door was locked so they kept on knocking for a while, but Mr. Prasarn didn’t come to open. They finally had to cut down the thick chain key with a chainsaw and barged in. Mr. Prasarn was lying dead on the floor.

Police officers said the victim was a local real estate agent working in the villages of Samut Prakarn; and a lottery enthusiast who may have been a master considering he owned professional lottery calculation equipment.

People living in the apartment block were aware that the victim had many sexual partners: different men were over almost every night. It is understood that the victim had brought the culprit back to his home on the night of the crime. Police believe that an argument ensued after intercourse.

The culprit used a beer bottle to strike the victim before shoving the bottle up his anus. The victim tried to fight back, but the culprit grabbed a fruit knife and stabbed the victim’s neck several times. He also stabbed his chest and legs.

After that, the culprit wrapped the victim’s neck with a brown towel and began to strangle him with it. He wanted to make sure he was dead. To add a final touch, he reached for the beer bottle again; spread the victim’s legs open and continuously struck the victim’s penis and testicles with the blunt end of the bottle. The impacts had been so great that the bottle shattered and the victim’s loins were left as nothing more than pulp.

The killer, afterwards, went for a shower, and used all the shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom before he escaped. He must have left smelling good.

Writer: Adrian Tse & Chet Chetchotisak