Thailand - Four cave footballers stateless: official

The chief of Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district has emphasised that Thai citizenship shall be granted based on the law and there will be no exemption even for four of the footballers rescued from the cave.

“I understand that society hopes the rescued boys get citizenship. But we have to comply with the law,” Mae Sai district chief Somsak Khanakham said. 

He spoke after news reports said some of Mu Pa Academy’s members are stateless. 

The team, stranded inside the flooded Tham Luang Cave for more than two weeks, miraculously survived. 

According to Somsak, someone gets Thai citizenship when he or she was born in Thailand or born to Thai parents. 

Somsak said the four of 13 rescued footballers who did not have Thai citizenship were coach Ekkapon Chantawongse, 25, and three footballers Pornchai Khamluang, 16, Mongkol Boonpium, 13, and Adul Sam-on, 14.

According to the Mae Sai district chief, the stateless members called on him for help with citizenship claims about two months ago. He said he has already offered them advice. 

Somsak said he heard Ekkapon already contacted the authorities but had yet to submit all the required documents. 

“For children, their parents must be the one to submit the request for citizenship,” he said. 

Somsak said he expected the footballers to officially seek citizenship after they were discharged from the Chiangrai Prachanakroh Hospital. 

All 13 trapped footballers are now being treated and monitored at the hospital.

Source - TheNation

 

Two more Mu Pa footballers removed from Tham Luang cave Tuesday

Two more young footballers of Mu Pa Academy football club on Tuesday separately emerged from Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province on the day 3 of operation to remove the remaining four football players and their assistant coach.

Chief operation Narongsak Osottanakorn said earlier that the rescue authorities expected to remove all the stranded Mu Pa members from the cave today.

The operation that began on Sunday have already retrieved eight of the 13 Mu Pa members who got stuck in the cave since June 23.

The ninth boy emerged from the cave at 4pm while the tenth about 20 minutes later.

They received medical examinations at a field hospital erected near the cave.

They will follow the same pattern by boarding an ambulance to board helicopter to Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital.

The young Mu Pa Academy footballers, whose name have not been revealed, were taken by ambulance from the cave in Mae Sai district before boarding a chopper to Chiangrai Prachanukraw hospital in Muang district. They became the second and the third to come out of the cave on day two of the operation to evacuate the footballers and their assistant coach from the cave, where they were stranded 15 days ago. On Monday, four of his team members were separately extracted from the cave and are receiving treatment at the hospital.

Source - TheNation

#Thailand - One more boy out, 3 on the way

Four more boys have reached Chamber 3 in Tham Luang -- past the narrow, treacherous passage near the T-junction that poses the greatest threat to the rescue operation, a source in the operation centre 
said on Monday. 

Another source said that one boy was brought all the way out of the cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach had been stranded for over two weeks, and airlifted to Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital, a military source said. 

The first source said the boys arrived at the chamber at 4pm after being rescued by foreign and Navy Seal divers from the ledge - called Nern Nom Sao.- where they had sheltered from floodwaters for more than a week.

They are the second batch to undertake the perilous journey out of Tham Luang cave in Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai. The first four were successfully evacuated and taken to Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital in Muang district on Sunday. Divers took about four hours to escort the four from the ledge to the chamber, the source added. Chamber 3 is the operational base for rescuers inside the cave. It is about two kilometres from the entrance. 

Read Contine on BankokPost  

 

Sixth and seventh footballers emerge from cave, taken to hospital by chopper

Two more boys have emerged from the Tham Luang cave near Chiang Rai, exiting at about 7pm on Tuesday. They received medical examinations at a field hospital erected near the cave.

The young Mu Pa Academy footballers, whose name have not been revealed, were taken by ambulance from the cave in Mae Sai district before boarding a chopper to Chiangrai Prachanukraw hospital in Muang district.

They became the second and the third to come out of the cave on day two of the operation to evacuate the footballers and their assistant coach from the cave, where they were stranded 15 days ago.

On Monday, four of his team members were separately extracted from the cave and are receiving treatment at the hospital.

Source - TheNation

 

Thailand - Fifth footballer emerges from cave, taken to hospital by chopper

A fifth boy has emerged from the Tham Luang cave near Chiang Rai, exiting at about 5pm on Tuesday.

The young Mu Pa Academy footballer, whose name has not been revealed, was taken by ambulance from the cave in Mae Sai district before boarding a chopper to Chiangrai Prachanukraw hospital in Muang district, said a source.

He was the first to come out of the cave on day two of the operation to evacuate the footballers and their assistant coach from the cave, where they were stranded 15 days ago.

On Monday, four of his team members were separately extracted from the cave and are receiving treatment at the hospital.

Video 

Source - TheNation / BangkokPost

 

#Thailand - Boys emerge from cave

Rescue mission tastes big success after circumstances were seen as most suitable to evacuate the boys all 13 stranded footballers likely to be brought out within next two days; 18 divers taking part in evacuation.

Four of the 13 young footballers trapped in the flooded Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province were being evacuated yesterday, marking a major success in the complex rescue mission, said mission chief Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn said at about 8.30pm.

The rescue operation for the remaining eight boys and their 25-year-old assistant coach will be conducted as soon as rescuers finish preparation and deploying relevant equipment including oxygen tanks in the cave, Narongsak said.

The process will spend about ten hours, he added.

At press time yesterday, the four boys were already receiving treatment at Chiangrai Hospital. 

Earlier, the Royal Thai Air Force’s Facebook fanpage “Air Force Media by Kawin AFU” was among the first to disclose the good news of the evacuation operation. The page informed that two boys, who were not identified, had been successfully brought out of the cave at around 6.10 pm, while another survivor had already reached the Navy SEALs’ operation base in the third chamber of the cave.

A military source said earlier that the first two boys who were brought out had already been transferred to the field hospital just outside the cave entrance for a medical check-up.

The source said the operation would be concluded in two days.

Former Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osotanakorn, who heads the rescue mission, told a press conference yesterday at 10am that operations had begun to evacuate all the trapped footballers out of the flooded cave, as all factors were suitable for the mission and all the stakeholders, including families of the survivors, had agreed to give the go-ahead.

Under the current operation plan, each trapped footballer is being escorted by two diving specialists through the entire length of the cave to the entrance. Along the way, they have to climb, squeeze themselves through narrow passages as well as dive through the heavily submerged sections of the cave.

The first survivors were able to finally leave the dark confines of the cave 16 days after they were all stranded. The 13 were caught in flash floods during a visit to the cave on June 23, but they managed to find a dry shelf where they remained without food for 10 days until they were located by specialist divers.

“We have finally reached the highest level of preparedness to bring all trapped survivors out of the cave, so we have to seize this perfect opportunity when we have the most readiness to execute this daring mission,” Narongsak said.

“This perfect situation will not last long, as within the next few days there will be storms and heavy rains in the area that can significantly increase flood levels inside the cave and endanger the trapped survivors and all the officers inside.”

Disclosing details of the evacuation plan, he revealed that a total of 18 diving specialists would participate in this mission – 13 are international specialists, while the other five are from Thailand.

They all have the necessary expertise and skills to perform evacuation operations in difficult situations and hostile environments such as inside the flooded cave, he assured.

The decision to go ahead with the operation comes before the arrival today of evacuation pods built by the engineers of SpaceX as assistance from the company’s founder Elon Musk to aid in the evacuation operation. “The major obstacles to our operation are water and time. We have raced against these two challenges since the first day and we still have to race against them on this mission too, so we cannot miss this chance to save these boys” Narongsak said. 

He said once the survivors are brought out of the cave, they would be taken into the field hospital for medical examination by 13 medical teams, one for each survivor, in order to determine how to treat them based on three categories: green for healthy, yellow for minor injuries, and red for critical injuries.

 

KEY EVENTS ON RESCUE OPERATION D-DAY

7.28am Chiang Rai deputy governor invites all relatives of trapped footballers to the operation command office.
9am All reporters are told to leave the Tham Luang cave.
10am Chiang Rai former governor announces launch of rescue operation.
10am First survivor begins exit dive, with two escorts.
Noon Reporters are told to leave area around Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital.
3pm Police close area around Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital to traffic.
5.10pm The first evacuated footballer to reach cave mouth. 
7.25pm Four footballers rescued at press time.

Source - TheNation

Thailand - Six footballers emerging in quick succession, safe and well : source

As of 7.25pm Sunday, six of the 13 Mu Pa Academy footballers trapped inside Tham Luang Cave since June 23 had been safely evacuated, a military source confirmed.

All six youths underwent medical exams, having weathered the challenging journey to the entrance of the cave from the place they’d sheltered deep inside. All were found to be in good health and responded well to queries.

The first two boys were by that time already at Chiang Rai Prachanukraw Hospital, where they’ll be further monitored, and the two others were being examined at a field hospital. 

Three more members of the group were in a chamber close to the cave entrance.

Source - TheNation

Mark’, 14, first the emerge from cave

The first Mu Pa Academy footballer rescued from the Chiang Rai cave has been identified as Mongkhon Bunpiem, 14.

He emerged from Tham Luang Cave at 5.10pm and was examined at a field hospital before boarding an ambulance to an airfield for the helicopter ride to Chiang Rai Prachanukraw Hospital.

Mongkhon, whose nickname is Mark, is a football academy trainee who  has played football since childhood and tends to wear football jerseys all the time. His favourite team is  Thai League's Muangthong United. 

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Thailand - First two footballers exit cave, getting medical check-up: military source

An ambulance that is believed to carry the first boy rescued from Tham Luang Cave in Chiang Rai leaves the cave for a hospital

The first two trapped footballers have been safely evacuated out of Tham Luang cave, a military news source has confirmed.

 

The Royal Thai Airforce’s Facebook fanpage “Air Force Media by Kawin AFU” disclosed the good news that two unidentified survivors were successfully brought out of the cave on around 6.10pm, while another survivor had already reached the Navy SEALs’ operation base on the third chamber of the cave.

The two survivors have already been transferred to the field hospital just outside the cave entrance for a medical check-up before being transported by separate ambulances to Chiang Rai Prachanukraw Hospital, the source said. 

An evacuation operation to bring out the 13 footballers in the flooded cave kicked off on Sunday morning, with expectations that the first survivor would exit the front of the cave at around 9pm on Sunday evening.

It normally takes the Navy SEAL divers six hours to travel each way to bring supplies to the trapped footballers.

Source - The Nation 
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MORE UPDATES SOON

Diner Alert: Nine Thai foods you should avoid in summer

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The Department of Disease Control has issued a list of nine Thai dishes that could potentially cause diarrhea during the summer.

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According to the Department, the number of diarrhea patients between Jan. 1 to Mar. 10 totaled 191,515. One patient reportedly died from complications resulting from the condition. The Department warned restaurants across Thailand to pay more attention to hygiene in the kitchen and warned diners to wash their hands before each meal.

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Below is the list of Thai foods that easily go bad in the hot weather, subsequently posing a risk to the health of diners.

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1. Larb/Koi or spicy Isaan meat salad: This dish is a combination of ground meat seasoned with fish sauce, limejuice, chili and herbs. Both dishes are similar except that Koi uses raw meat.

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2. Yum Goong Dten or “spicy shrimp salad”: This dish’s Thai name literally means “Dancing Shrimp Salad,” suggesting that live shrimp are main ingredient to the dish.

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3. Yum Hoy Krang or “spicy cockle salad”: Diners need to make sure that cockles are given a good rinse before eating them.

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4. Fried rice topped with crabmeat

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5. All coconut milk recipes: Phanaeng curry, Massaman curry, chicken green curry, coconut custard, Bualoy, Saku Biak, you name it.

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6. Kanom Jeen or “fermented Thai rice noodle”: Since Kanom Jeen is made from rice that has been fermented for three days, it can rot quickly.

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7. Khao Man Gai or “chicken rice”

8. Som Tam or “spicy green papaya salad”

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9. Green salad

The Department also warns diners of ice and suggests them not to eat food that has been left out overnight.

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Source - Coconuts 

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BREAKING: Thailand's HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies

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HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand passed away today at the age of 88 at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok.
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HM King Bhumibol ascended to the throne on June 9, 1946, and was the world’s longest-reigning monarch. He was also known as King Rama IX and was the ninth monarch in the Chakri Dynasty.
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The well-loved monarch is survived by his wife, Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara and his children: Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya and her two daughters; Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and five sons and two daughters; Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Princess Chulabhorn Walailak and her two daughters as well as a large extended family.
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He will be succeeded on the throne by his son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.
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Among King Bhumibol’s most widely-praised accomplishments were the philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, a concept he taught citizens about living a moderate, self-dependent life without greed or exploitation and to survive on their own in the age of globalization.
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In his off-hours, he was a keen photographer, jazz saxophone player and composer, preferring Dixieland and New Orleans-style jazz. He composed nearly fifty songs, mostly in the genres of blues. He was also an accomplished painter. An avid animal lover, he published a book about one of his favorite dogs, a female ginger called Thong Daeng. The book is called “The Story of Thong Daeng.”
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King Bhumibol was born on December 5, 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla, and Sangwan Srinagarindra (later recognized Somdet Ya or Princess Srinagarindra). He was the youngest son in the family, born while his father attended Harvard University.
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The King graduated with a political science degree from The University of Lausanne in Switzerland and got married on April 28, 1950.
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For the last decade, King Bhumibol has had health issues that have included bacterial infections, breathing difficulties, heart issues and fluid in the brain.
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Cource: Coconuts.co

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Tourists Among 19 Killed by Bomb at #Bangkok's Erawan Shrine

Erawan Shrine

BANGKOK — A bomb attack killed 18 people including tourists in the commercial heart of the Thai capital Monday evening.
 
At least 123 more were injured by the powerful blast which hit a popular landmark heavily frequented by Thais and tourists alike at 6:55 pm.

One Filipino victim and two Chinese nationals were among those killed, outgoing police chief Somyot Pumphanmuang said. Twelve died at the scene and another seven have since died in hospital, according to the latest information from authorities.

"We have not discarded any possible motive," Somyot said at a news conference at the Royal Thai Police headquarters, located meters away from the scene of the attack. Despite media reports indicating one bomb was attached to a utility pole while a second detonated from a motorcycle, Somyot denied a car bomb was involved, saying the bomb was planted on the scene.

While no one has taken credit for the attack and authorities said it's too early to speculate, Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told Reuters it was meant to harm Thailand's economy.

"The perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism because the incident occurred in the heart of the tourism district," Prawit said.
 
Anusith Kunakorn of Thailand's National Security Council said "details about the explosion are still confusing, so we cannot conclude whether it is about an accident or a political incident. Related authorities are urgently working to clarify this matter. Once we have conclusive information, we will inform the people." 

The bomb left a gruesome scene. Photos showed blood, bodies and human remains around the shrine as rescue workers rushed to provide aid near the shrine, which is a popular tourist destination.

Soon after the blast, police spokesman Prawuth announced bomb units were dispatched to the scene on suspicion there more bombs. Despite reports two more bombs were found and disarmed, Prawuth said they turned out to not be bombs.
 
In images tweeted by JS 100 radio just after the blast, fires were burning in Sukhumvit Road, which runs through the capital's cosmopolitan center.
Photos from the scene appeared to show an injured Caucasian woman being taken away on a stretcher.

There is no indication yet of what caused the explosion during rush hour. Roads around the area have been closed, and authorities said the area would remain closed Tuesday while the scene is investigated.

Surrounded by luxury malls and hotels, Rajaprasong intersection is in the heart of Bangkok's commercial shopping district. The Erawan Shrine is an important, sacred symbol in the Thai capital. In 2006, a mentally ill young man damaged the shrine with a hammer and was immediately killed by an angry crowd.

An area popular with the Bangkok elite, it was also the epicenter of protracted anti-government street protests in 2010.

Earlier this year a small bomb detonated not far from the scene of tonight's blast outside one of the capital's most popular shopping malls.
No one was injured in the 1 Feb. attack which occurred during the evening between the Siam Paragon shopping mall and BTS Skytrain station. 

Authorities attributed that attack to political groups opposed to the military regime. Thailand has been under military rule since it seized power in May 2014.

In April a car bomb exploded in the basement of shopping mall on Koh Samui in southern Thailand, injuring seven people. The car used in the attack was reported stolen from a province the deep south, where security forces have been engaged in a long and bloody conflict with a homegrown insurgency movement seeking independence.

Despite widespread rumors online, the military government has not ordered businesses and schools closed tomorrow, according to junta spokesman Winthai Suwaree. The BTS Skytrain and MRT subway systems are expected to be operating as normal.

However late Monday night, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced 438 schools in greater Bangkok will be closed.
The Thai International Red Cross Society announced it has adequate supplies of blood at this time.

Source: Khaosod