Just send the gang around
 |
| Thanaphat |
Araya said her son was delivering orange juice to customers on Maliwan Road in Muang district on Feb 18 when a bunch of heavies turned up, surrounded her Toyota Evo, and kept him a virtual prisoner for three hours.
“You have no right to use this vehicle any more. We are from the finance company and are seizing it. If you don’t want it seized you have to pay 200,000 baht ...and if you don’t pay you have to sign saying you agreed to let us take it,” they demanded.
 |
| Carjacking scene |
The family then had to turn to other means of making an income, though she kept in touch with the vehicle finance company after falling behind on payments.
Her son, Thanaphat, 20, picks up orange juice from Bangkok and delivers it to customers in Khon Kaen, using her Toyota Evo.
He had just made his first order of the day and was returning to the vehicle when five men and a woman turned up in their own vehicle. CCTV footage showed them marching towards the Toyota and approaching Mr Thanaphat.
The attempted hijack took place in broad daylight, 300m from the nearest police booth, she said.
As the stand-off unfolded, with Mr Thanaphat sitting in the vehicle and the gang refusing to let him budge, police turned up to clamp the wheel as he was in a no-park zone.
However, when the men claimed they were talking to Mr Thanaphat about buying orange juice, they left without asking any questions. Ms Araya said a security guard from a company nearby also witnessed the incident.
“They said they were from the car finance company, though when my son asked to see their ID they refused,” she said. “They said he had no right to ask for anything unless he complied with their demands. They carried on like people of influence, and when we called the police they fled,” Ms Araya told reporters last week.
The stand-off ended when a group of 10 police, alerted by Ms Araya, turned up. Mr Thanaphat, who returned home as quickly as he could, said his orange juice orders were spoiled as he had spent so long in the sun.
Ms Araya has since laid a complaint with provincial police, saying the gang threatened her son and tried to extort money.
The businesswoman, who suspects the incident is related to problems with her vehicle loan, said the finance company had rebuffed her attempts to seek relief on repayments during Covid. She paid the car off regularly until the first round of Covid hit and their school and massage shop had to close.
“I applied for a debt holiday and stopped paying for three months. I resumed paying again in November when I paid three instalments worth 33,000 baht.
“When the second round of the outbreak came I stopped paying again, and tried to contact the company but couldn’t reach them.
“So I went to the main branch in Khon Kaen where staff told me I did not qualify because I had outstanding payments. They said if I wanted to join I would have to get up to date first. The company also offered customers a plan for restructuring debts, but they refused to help me for the same reason.”
Ms Araya said the company also offered a debt holiday scheme on their website, and she applied on Nov 23. An official replied saying they would get back in 14 days.
Worried she would be knocked back again, Ms Araya contacted the Khon Kaen office, who said the scheme had been axed.
She also contacted the head office in Bangkok, but staff gave her no clear response on whether she would be able to join.
“I thought if I had no chance to park the debt or restructure, I would ask that the issue be settled in court,” she added.
However, the company did not take that step but sent around a bunch of heavies to threaten her son instead.
Mr Thanaphat called his uncle for help, but the gang would not let him near the vehicle. They also demanded he take no photographs.
The Bank of Thailand is offering commercial banks and non-bank lenders debt relief on loans during Covid.
It is unclear if Ms Araya appealed to state authorities for help after the company refused her claim.
She insisted she would not return the vehicle, saying everything should follow the law. Police are investigating.
Layabout meets sticky end
The widow of a man whose own father killed him in a stand-off at their home last week is appealing for mercy from police as they lay charges against the old man.
Cherd Foykratork, 70, killed his son Ramet, 44, at the family home in Khon Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima, after he started stabbing the old man and pulled a fake gun on him on March 14.
Mr Cherd, who said he didn’t know it was fake, said he reached for his own long-barrelled gun in self-defence and shot his son once.
Ramet, who was drinking, flared up after his father asked why he wasn’t helping his family make a living.
“What’s it to you,” Ramet replied bluntly, before attacking the old man with the knife and threatening him with a fake pistol he was wearing on his hip.
Mr Cherd, who said he feared for his safety, reached for a gun of his own and shot his son.
“I didn’t think I had hit him as he backed away and ran inside the house. However, a short time later he collapsed, bleeding from his armpit, and later died,” he said. Mr Cherd waited at the house for police to arrive.
Her son, Thanaphat, 20, picks up orange juice from Bangkok and delivers it to customers in Khon Kaen, using her Toyota Evo.
He had just made his first order of the day and was returning to the vehicle when five men and a woman turned up in their own vehicle. CCTV footage showed them marching towards the Toyota and approaching Mr Thanaphat.
The attempted hijack took place in broad daylight, 300m from the nearest police booth, she said.
As the stand-off unfolded, with Mr Thanaphat sitting in the vehicle and the gang refusing to let him budge, police turned up to clamp the wheel as he was in a no-park zone.
However, when the men claimed they were talking to Mr Thanaphat about buying orange juice, they left without asking any questions. Ms Araya said a security guard from a company nearby also witnessed the incident.
“They said they were from the car finance company, though when my son asked to see their ID they refused,” she said. “They said he had no right to ask for anything unless he complied with their demands. They carried on like people of influence, and when we called the police they fled,” Ms Araya told reporters last week.
The stand-off ended when a group of 10 police, alerted by Ms Araya, turned up. Mr Thanaphat, who returned home as quickly as he could, said his orange juice orders were spoiled as he had spent so long in the sun.
Ms Araya has since laid a complaint with provincial police, saying the gang threatened her son and tried to extort money.
The businesswoman, who suspects the incident is related to problems with her vehicle loan, said the finance company had rebuffed her attempts to seek relief on repayments during Covid. She paid the car off regularly until the first round of Covid hit and their school and massage shop had to close.
“I applied for a debt holiday and stopped paying for three months. I resumed paying again in November when I paid three instalments worth 33,000 baht.
“When the second round of the outbreak came I stopped paying again, and tried to contact the company but couldn’t reach them.
“So I went to the main branch in Khon Kaen where staff told me I did not qualify because I had outstanding payments. They said if I wanted to join I would have to get up to date first. The company also offered customers a plan for restructuring debts, but they refused to help me for the same reason.”
Ms Araya said the company also offered a debt holiday scheme on their website, and she applied on Nov 23. An official replied saying they would get back in 14 days.
Worried she would be knocked back again, Ms Araya contacted the Khon Kaen office, who said the scheme had been axed.
She also contacted the head office in Bangkok, but staff gave her no clear response on whether she would be able to join.
“I thought if I had no chance to park the debt or restructure, I would ask that the issue be settled in court,” she added.
However, the company did not take that step but sent around a bunch of heavies to threaten her son instead.
Mr Thanaphat called his uncle for help, but the gang would not let him near the vehicle. They also demanded he take no photographs.
The Bank of Thailand is offering commercial banks and non-bank lenders debt relief on loans during Covid.
It is unclear if Ms Araya appealed to state authorities for help after the company refused her claim.
She insisted she would not return the vehicle, saying everything should follow the law. Police are investigating.
Layabout meets sticky end
 |
| Cherd |
Cherd Foykratork, 70, killed his son Ramet, 44, at the family home in Khon Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima, after he started stabbing the old man and pulled a fake gun on him on March 14.
Mr Cherd, who said he didn’t know it was fake, said he reached for his own long-barrelled gun in self-defence and shot his son once.
Ramet, who was drinking, flared up after his father asked why he wasn’t helping his family make a living.
“What’s it to you,” Ramet replied bluntly, before attacking the old man with the knife and threatening him with a fake pistol he was wearing on his hip.
Mr Cherd, who said he feared for his safety, reached for a gun of his own and shot his son.
“I didn’t think I had hit him as he backed away and ran inside the house. However, a short time later he collapsed, bleeding from his armpit, and later died,” he said. Mr Cherd waited at the house for police to arrive.
 |
| Ramet |
His son’s funeral was held at Nong Wang temple. Locals and family members alike said they were sad to lose him but also felt sorry for Mr Cherd, who was a good man, unlike his son.
Pranee Nguadsungnoen 40, Ramet’s widow, is mother to their two children, aged two and four. She works to support the family while Ramet, who had a problem with alcohol, wiled away his days drinking at home, according to news reports.
“Ramet was addicted to alcohol and often abused his father. He would hit him and threaten him. My father-in-law would cry to himself, alone, as he didn’t want people to see him,” she said.
She asked police to treat Mr Cherd leniently as they mulled charges against him for killing his son. “He didn’t mean to do it,” she said. As for her and the kids, she would have to battle on, as she had no family left to help her. Ms Pranee works a variety of jobs for which she earns 200 baht a day. No word was to hand on what charges the police intend to bring.
Seized cats spark passions
 |
| Cats seized as part of a money laundering and drugs probe. |
Narcotics Suppression Bureau police raided a large house in Klaeng district, Rayong on March 15 when they arrested the occupant, Thadthep Arun, 26.
They confiscated the house, worth 35 million baht, along with vehicles and six rare cats. Police suspect the assets, including the cats, were bought with drug proceeds.
Police say Mr Thadthep acted as financier for a drugs operation in the east run by Sorakrit Sonsiri, or Kuk Rayong, who was jailed in January.
The raid was held as part of the police crackdown on his narcotics ring, which has netted 120 million baht in cash and assets, Pol Lt Gen Chinnaphat Sarasin, assistant national police chief, said.
The case has sparked interest among cat lovers concerned about the fate of the animals, who started the hashtag, “Save the cats”.
Pol Lt Gen Sarasin said police contacted the Department of Livestock Development and the Narcotics Control Board so they could consider whether to offer them at auction.
“They have to make a quick decision as they are living things. If police have to look after them over time we would incur expenses,” he said.
The cats, which were being raised in a cage but were well looked-after, comprise the Scottish Fold and Bengal breed. They were bought for 10,000 baht to 100,000 baht each, police say.
After being taken in the raid the animals eventually found their way to the head of village 7, where Mr Thadthep lives.
Prakorn Waewwapsri said he was asked to look after them until officials make a decision on their fate. He took visiting reporters to a woman in the village who loves cats, and to whom he had entrusted their care.
Phattaraporn Inkaew, 57, the cat lover, said she contacted relatives of the owner, as they know each other.
“I asked if they wanted to look after them and no one did. I am happy to care for them until officials come to get them for auction. They said they would take care of the expenses. I regard it as a form of merit as I feel sorry for the cats.”
Other cat lovers had come to visit to take a look at the animals; some had said they would like to join the auction if one was held, she said.
Meanwhile, a woman claiming to be the owner of the cats said on Facebook she was missing the animals and asked police to show mercy.
“Pleng”, as she called herself, said she and the cats were not connected to the drugs saga.
“Don’t take them from my heart. I am unable to see them and feel like dying. Have some sympathy for another human. I raise them and love them.
“Take the house, cars, I don’t care, but spare my children,” she said, referring to the cats. She also denied they were bought with dirty money.
Police said they would take about seven days to decide if an auction was to go ahead.
No comments:
Post a Comment