Nong Khai News & Events

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10,000 visit infrastructure roadshow in Nong Khai each day

NONGKHAI, 8 October 2013 (NNT) – Around 10,000 members of the public in Nong Khai visited the government's roadshow on the 2 trillion baht infrastructure investment daily over the 3 days period it was held.

According to Nong Khai governor Wiwat Methiwannakit, about 10,000 visitors were present at the roadshow each day during the 3 days it was held.

A significant number of the visitors had traveled from nearby provinces to visit the exhibitions.

 Governor Wiwat said the visitors indicated they wanted to see the infrastructure projects realized soon.

 Nong Khai Chamber of Commerce President Monwipha Kowitsirikun reflected the governor's opinion, saying that the public had been excited about the planned facelift of the country's transportation system.

 According to Phuea Thai Party deputy spokesman Anuson Iamsa-ad, no less than 20,000 people visited the 'Thailand's Future 2020' roadshow in Nongkhai each day.

 Reporters said the high-speed train simulator had been the highlight of all the attractions at the roadshow, with people lining up to sit inside the simulated train carriage.

Some of the visitors also indicated they were interested in the exhibition on the 'new cities' zoning project, as they were looking to make long-term life plans based on the planned cities development.

 The next roadshow will be held in Nakhon Ratchasima during October 11-13.

[Oytopikos]

Govt assures high speed train route would reach Nong Khai

 The government has reaffirmed that the high speed train, part of its 2.2 trillion baht infrastructure development projects, will reach Nong Khai Province.

According to Prime Minister's Office Deputy Spokesperson Lieutenant Sunisa Lertpakawat, construction of the Nong Khai route will be completed at the same time as the northern route in Chiang Mai, following the approval of the 2014 budgetary bill. The construction is expected to take 7 years.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt said his ministry's proposed budget for the high-speed train project had been given a nod by the cabinet. According to him, the 2014-15 budget will be spend on the costs of feasibility study of high speed railways construction from Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai, the Environmental Impact Assessment, and project design, as well as the expenses of producing project bidding documents.

When the required studies are completed, the projects will be ready for auction in 2016, said the Minister, adding that, with the estimated construction time of 4 years, the high speed railways projects in Chiang Mai and Nong Khai will be up and running in 2021.


-- NNT 2013-10-14

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The Mekong River Fireballs 14th-20th October

An extraordinary happening takes place on the Mekong River on the last day of Buddhist Lent, which this year will be on Saturday, 19th of October 2013.

For on that hallowed night, pink points of light arise noiselessly from the river after dusk and fly high into the sky.

Only appearing either on that one evening every year, or the following night, so far nobody has been able to explain why...

Are the "Fireballs" a truly natural occurrence, or are they a giant hoax?

And, if they are real, what process causes them, and why only on those special nights.

Buddhist Lent lasts for ninety days, and normally starts in July and finishes in October.

Every Buddhist male in Thailand is encouraged to be a monk at some point in his life, and now is the time when he will enter the monastery.

Okk Paan Saa is the festival on the full moon at the end of this period, and coincides with the end of the rainy season and the falling of the waters of the mighty Mekong River.

The river level drops as much as ten meters during this period.

In Nong Khai, Okk Paan Saa, (literally Out of Lent) is accompanied by a large festival which lasts from the 15th to the 20th of October 2013, just before till just after the full moon.

The most important dragon boat rowing competition of the year is held at this time and there is a wonderful street festival on the river bank beside Wat Lam Duan.

Giant illuminated floats are sailed up and down the river.

Traditionally it is said to be the time when the Lord Buddha returns to Earth from Heaven, where he has gone to teach his mother the truth of Buddhist Dharma, necessary as she had passed away before Buddha had achieved his great realization.



The Naga Show takes place in the middle of this festival held along the riverbank here in Nong Khai town.

It shows Buddha returning from heaven, but adds a special twist to the story.

For local people believe that the Giant Serpent (Phraya Naga - pronounced Paya Naag), which lives at the bottom of the Mekong River, calls to Buddha by sending up pink points of light, to request his return to the Earthly domain.

What these pink points of light actually are nobody knows... but every year, for as long as anyone can remember, they have been seen to arise soundlessly from the Mekong River just after dusk at various locations along its banks, most famously at Phon Phisai fourty kilometers to the east of Nong Khai.

However, in 2004 a dreadful thing happened... for on the first night of Okk Paan Saa there were no fireballs!



Thousands were disappointed, but there is uncertainty which day should be counted as the full moon.

Thailand generally believes it to be a day before Laos, thus the fireballs can be late.

And it seems that Lao people were right, for the following day the fireballs appeared...

Some say that the fireballs cannot be photographed, but pictured left is a postcard sold by a hawker purporting to be one with a river-float in the background.

Some may say the whole fireball phenomenon is just a giant hoax …but then how can it be? …for their exact vertical trajectory, their lack of sound and random occurrence (not to mention the thousands of people who have failed in their attempts to expose the hoaxers …if they exist) are hard things to fabricate!

And if it was a hoax, wouldn't there be more fireballs every year?

In 2011, however, there were lots and lots of fireballs.

This came after several years of very few fireballs.

Was this because 2011 was a very wet year, when the river was very high and flooded in Nong Khai Province?

Local people call it the Naga Queen and say that it was seized from the river by American GI's stationed at a Lao Military base on the 27th of June 1973.

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Nong Khai - Phon Phisai

Tourists begin migration to Nong Khai for Naga Fireballs Festival



NONG KHAI, Oct 18 - Tourists have started their annual pilgrimage to this northeastern Thai province to see the mysterious Naga Fireballs Festival in the nighttime at the End of Buddhist Lent Day on Saturday 19 October 2013.

Traffic on Mitrapap Road from Udon Thani to Nong Khai has been steady since early Friday morning, as travellers wend their waysfrom around the country on their way to Nong Khai province for the Mekong lights festival.

Anuchit Sakulku, Nong Khai Tourism Business Association president, said some 90 per cent of hotel and guest house rooms have been booked.

The local tourism economic return this year is expected to rise up to 40 per cent more than last year.

Overflow accommodation, shelters and amenities are also prepared in the municipality, he said.

Local authorities have added tents and mobile toilets for travellers as well as workers and officers on 24-hour security duty.

The Naga Fireballs Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday.

Accommodations in the town are monitored by provincial officials to not be overpriced for the popular annual festival.

Naga fireballs are said to be a natural phenomenon in many sizes which rise mysteriously above the Mekong River, and are most often reported around the night of the full moon at the end of the Buddhist Lent.

[Oytopikos]

 Officials overseeing the first Thailand-Laos Friendship Bridge border checkpoint have told the Asean Secretariat they will streamline procedures to speed up crossings between Vientiane and Thailand's Nong Khai province.

Representatives from the Asean Secretariat visited the checkpoint yesterday to track progress made for Asean connectivity ahead of the formation of the Asean Economic Community in 2015.

In 2012 almost 1.9 million people entered Laos at the bridge and more than 2.1 million people left Laos for Thailand the same way. With 36,958 vehicles coming in and 246,468 going out of Laos, the bridge has become noticeably more crowded in recent times.

Under a newly-drawn plan on how to address the crowding problem, the checkpoint will introduce a single-window system and parking spaces and roads will be expanded and improved.

Arrival and departure lanes specifically for trucks will be built, while old and unused buildings at the site will be demolished to clear space.

Officials will also improve coordination between immigration and customs units to better harmonise work.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thai-lao-bridge-border-crossing-set-speed/

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FAKE PASSPORT STAMPS


Nong Khai Man Arrested With Fake Passport Stamps





NONG KHAI: Police have arrested a man in Nong Khai province who allegedly provided foreign tourists with fake departure stamps in their passports.

The suspect, Chatchai Chaikhamthong, 40, was arrested at a parking lot in Wat Sri Muang temple yesterday in a sting operation, said Pol.Maj.Gen. Pallop Suriyakul na Ayutthaya.

According to Pol.Maj.Gen. Pallop, the suspect had been offering the fake stamp service to foreign tourists — mostly Chinese and Vietnamese — who wished to leave the country via the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. The stamps exempted these tourists from having to have their immigration documents examined when they passed through checkpoints, the officer said.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Pallop said the tourists who sought Mr. Chatchai's service were those who either overstayed their visas or had arrest warrants on their records. Mr. Chatchai reportedly charged tourists 5,000 baht per stamp.

A search of Mr. Chatchai's home by military officers turned up four passport rubber stamps and boxes of departure (TM 6) immigration forms.

Mr. Chatchai claimed he had the rubber stamps made at a shop in Nong Khai province and acquired the immigration forms from a contact in Bangkok, police say.

However, Pol.Maj.Gen. Pallop said police are trying to determine whether Mr. Chatchai may have actually acquired the stamps from immigration officers, because each stamp bears a number that belongs to a respective official.

Mr. Chatchai reportedly said he has been offering the service for two years.

[Oytopikos]

The Pirate Bay co-founder arrested in Nong Khai


The Nation November 4, 2014 1:45 pm


Immigration police have arrested a co-founder of The Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent index site and tracker, while he was trying to cross the border from Laos into Nong Khai.
Hans Fredrik Lennart Neij, alias TiAMO, was arrested at 12:30 pm Monday while driving through the border checkpoint with his Lao wife.

He was wearing the same shirt that he wore in his arrest warrant photo.

Nong Khai Immigration police held a press conference at 10am Tuesday to announce Neji's arrest.

According to Pol Maj Gen Chartchai Iamsalaeng, the commander of Immigration Police Region 4, Neji admitted that he was the same person on the arrest warrant.

Neji was charged with collaborating with three others in setting up The Pirate Bay website that acts as an index and tracker of Bitttorent files, peer-to-peer file sharing protocols, allowing users to download copyrighted content, including software, movie and music.

The four have been accused of causing damage to the tune of 1.2 million Swedish krones or Bt5.3 million.

Neji and his friend were sentenced to ten months in jail and a fine of Bt5.3 million but jumped bail and fled to Laos and Cambodia.

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FAKE VISA STAMPS

A Latvian tourist was arrested at the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge border checkpoint in Nong Khai's Muang district at noon Saturday for using Thailand's exit and re-entry visa stamps.

Valentins Sevecs, 26, was arrested while leaving the kingdom for Laos.

He entered Thailand for the first time on April 27 and later hired a firm in Pattaya to get a re-entry visa on June 25 but he did not know that both the exit and re-entry visa stamps on his passport were fake.

14 December 2014

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DUTCH MAN IN TROUBLE - ARRESTED

Dutch man arrested for smoking marijuana

NONG KHAI: -- Yesterday (15-12-2014) at 14.30 pm. Pol. Col. Panlop Suriya Na Ayuddhaya Superintendent of Nong Khai Immigration Office, Pol.Sub.Lt. Alongkorn Klaharn, Peace and Order Officer of Nong Khai province and Immigration Officers searched the house in Hai Soke Soi, Nong Khai Municipality and found Mr. Vincenzo Antonio, a 49 year old Dutch who was sitting at the basement preparing the marijuana for smoking.

Further investigation in the house the police officers found equipment for smoking marijuana, water pipe, needle, different kinds of knives, crossbow, pressure air gun as well as leaflet of male hormone products.

Pol. Col. Panlop Suriya Na Ayuddhaya said that the officers have been observing Mr. Vincenzo Antonio for a certain period of time due to his suspicious behavior.

He sells marijuana to foreigners at nightclubs, bars in Nong Khai province.

In his passport which is issued at Amsterdam on May 2014, shows that he has Education Visa stating that he registered for course at Pattaya Language and Computer School.

However, Vincenzo Antonio defended that he did not sell any marijuana, but he bought it from a Lao nationality and the amount is for personal use only.

He also said that he lives in Thailand for 20 years and has been traveling through many places such as Pattaya, Koh Samui but he chose to live in Nong Khai because of the peaceful environment and rented the house for 11 years.

Vincenzo Antonio does not have any job.

The only source of income is from Dutch government that sends him 700 Euro per month.

Regarding the knives found, Vincenzo Antonio claimed that they were his collection due to his personal hobby.

Vincenzo Antonio is charged for offence on drug possession and abuse and was taken into custody for further prosecution.

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INCREASE OF BOAT FARES

Mekong river boat operators warn of increased boat fares



Sunday 05, April, 2015

Boat service operators in the Mekong river in Bung Kan province have warned that they may have to increase boat fares if river conditions worsen.

The operators complained that water level in the Mekong has lowered sharply to the extent that sand dunes have surfaced – one of them as long as one kilometer – forcing them to make longer trip in order to reach the destinations.

They blamed China for holding up most of the water at its dams upstream and, hence, release small amount of water downstream causing the river downstream to turn shallow and narrow.

One operator said the normal boat fare from Pak Kard district to Laos’ Ban Tuay in Pak San which costs 40 baht one trip and 60 baht for return trip may have to be adjusted up if the water level further recedes making them to take longer time to avoid the sand dunes.


Thai Pbs

[Oytopikos]

Nong Khai:– Two South Korean men were arrested in the northeastern province of Nong Khai Saturday evening when police found 50 refurbished smartphones in their bags, which they declined to declare at the Mueang Nong Khai border checkpoint.

Chunsic Jeong, 40 and Jongpil Kim, 41, were arrested by Nong Khai immigraiton officers on charge of smuggling controlled goods without properly declaring them to customs officials.
The two were brought to an interrogation room of the Nong Khai Immigration office at 7:30pm. They were interrogated by Pol Maj Gen Chartchai Iamsaeng, commander of the Immigration Police Division 4 and Pol Col Pallop Suriyakul, commander of the Nong Khai Immigration Office.

Presented along the suspects in the interrogation room were 30 used Samsung Note 2 phones and 20 used iPhone 5 phones. The seized used smartphones with accessories were worth about Bt700,000.

The two were arrested on the Vangvieng-Udon Thani bus when it passed the border checkpoint at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge.
When passengers on the bus were asked to get down the bus to pass through the immigration counters at the checkpoint, officials checked the bus and found two bags hidden under two seats. After the two South Koreans returned to their seats, police asked them to open the bags and found the smuggled phones.

The two told police that they are phone repairing technician and they bought the used phones from their friend who has a shop in Vientiane. They said they planned to deliver the phones to a customer in Malaysia.
They admitted that they declined to declare the phones for fear of being arrested. They were handed over to the Mueang Nong Khai police station for prosecution.

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UFUN PYRAMID SCHEME SCAM

UFUN Scam continues to make headlines in Thailand

Thursday, 04 June 2015

1,070 victims so far

Two more arrested as FBI joins UFUN probe

Gay rights activist captured in Northeast.

Another suspect nabbed in Nong Khai



BESIDES cooperation from Malaysian, Chinese and Australian crime busters in the case of UFUN's alleged pyramid scheme, Thai police will also get some help from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), as American nationals were found to be among the damaged parties, the assistant national police chief said yesterday.

Pol Lt-General Suwira Songmetta said 1,070 people have now filed police complaints claiming to have suffered losses of Bt222.8 million.

Meanwhile, two more suspects in the case have been arrested.

Natee Teerarojpong, 58, a gay rights activist, was apprehended in the Northeast, and Thana Wongkham, 23, was arrested at the Nong Khai border checkpoint as he was about to cross the border into Laos.

Natee was suspected of being a leading member of UFUN.
He reportedly gave speeches and was widely respected among other members.
He was also a leading participant at a rally outside Central World and the Royal Thai Police headquarters calling for justice for UFUN members, Suwira said.

Thana was accused of being a UFUN member and an event speaker.

A Department of Special Investigation (DSI) probe found that he had carried out several transactions related to UFUN.

Suwira said the FBI discovered that UFUN members had wired US$2.2 million from Indonesia to San Francisco and New York on more than five occasions.

It was reported that the bank was asked to record the transfers as salaries and payment for goods purchased and not to say it was from UFUN, but the bank implicated UFUN regardless, Suwira said.

Another suspicious transaction of $31,550 (Bt1.06 million) was made from California to Guinea, he added.

"I'm confident that, with cooperation from the FBI, we could soon elevate this case as a trans-national crime and fugitives fleeing to any country especially the US would be easily captured," Suwira added.

The chief investigator was speaking yesterday at a press conference along with Fauzi Khan Ismail, a counselor at the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok.

The conference also revealed information about UFUN suspect Arthit Pankaew, who is on the run.

Suwira said police found that Arthit was actually a Malaysian national called Oi Su Huad.
He had entered Thailand and applied for a work permit for a job at a water filter factory in Songkhla province in 2007.
He met the factory's adviser, Lt-General Athiwat Soonpan, with whom he jointly set up UFUN Store Co until Daniel Tay bought the company's shares and became UFUN's executive chairman.

Arthit applied for a Thai nationality card in Sa Kaew province by falsely claiming he was born in Thailand, Suwira said.
Investigation found that Arthit had transferred Bt1.8 billion to others while also allegedly withdrawing and smuggling another Bt2 billion over the border to Malaysia.

"Recently Thai police representatives met with the Malaysian police chief to discuss operations in this case and the Malaysians initially suggested they would support the Thai investigation because no complaints had been filed in Malaysia so the case could not be opened there," he said.

Suwira also said that on-the-run UFUN executive Neo Ong had traveled to Thailand 26 times and another suspect, Lee Kuan Ming, had entered Thailand 14 times from October, 2013, to February, 2015, to attend UFUN events, including the signing of a memorandum of agreement with three banks.

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MERSE - CoV

NONG KHAI: Friday 12 June 2015

Nong Khai applies MERSE-CoV surveillance to train stations & check points

In a bid to prevent the spread of Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), disease control and immigration officials in Nong Khai province are joining hands applying surveillance measures to incoming passengers from infection-prone countries.

Particular attention has been given to visitors from South Korea and the Middle East.

Surveillance measures include health screening, and recording of passengers’ information.

The fatal virus has reportedly sickened more than 120 people and killed 10 in South Korea.

There have been no confirmed cases in Thailand so far.

The Disease Control Department has suggested that Thai people traveling to risk-prone countries should prepare themselves before the trip.

Thai people in infection-prone countries have been advised to protect themselves against the virus by avoiding visiting busy areas and washing their hands often.

Those exhibiting flu-like symptoms within 14 days after their return to the country must wear face masks and see a doctor immediately.

According to the World Health Organization, so far there have been no specific treatments for MERS-CoV patients.

What doctors can do is to provide patients with supportive care to relieve their symptoms and prevent the virus from spreading.

NNT

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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

Nong Khai to screen tourists for MERS

The northeast province of Nong Khai has intensified its monitoring and screening of foreigners, particularly those from South Korea, following the Health Ministry's confirmation that a tourist has been diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS.

The immigration and the communicable disease control officials at the checkpoint at Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge will monitor those who wish to enter Thai territory from Laos via the checkpoint.

The monitoring will focus on the South Koreans.

Reports said that every South Korean would be tested and a record made of their history and intended address and telephone number in Thailand at the checkpoint.

This will be undertaken between 6am and 10pm every day.

Somjit Panpoe, the checkpoint's health expert, said that South Koreans would be screened, their temperatures checked and details noted so that officials could contact them.

They would be monitored for 14 days, which is the incubation period of the disease.

Somjit added that latest reports indicated 890 foreigners including those from South Korea and other affected countries had been checked, and 51 of them are being monitored.

No positive cases had so far been found.

Public Health officials have distributed leaflets and posters to inform the public about the disease and its prevention.

The public has also been informed of the countries hit by the disease, which include South Korea and the Middle East nations.

Anyone with flu, a cough and/or shortness of breath should contact a doctor immediately.

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SMUGGLING N. KOREANS IN THAILAND


Korean-American Lee Isaac Byundo sits on the right at a police news conference Tuesday in Nong Khai province.

A Christian missionary from the United States was arrested Monday for smuggling seven North Koreans into Thailand.

Police Col. Pallop Suriyakul, commander of the Nong Khai Immigration Police, said yesterday the arrest came after police were alerted 17 June that the North Koreans – six men and one woman – had crossed the border illegally from Laos into Nong Khai province.

“After inquiring them for their purpose of travel, they have relatives in their destination country, which is South Korea,” Pallop said.

Based on footage from security cameras installed along the roads, police tracked the car that carried them into Thailand and identified the driver as Korean-American Lee Isaac Byundo, Pallop said.

The court issued an arrest warrant for Lee on 27 July, and police took him into custody Monday.

Lee has been charged with aiding them enter the kingdom illegally.

The seven North Koreans are currently being held by immigration police, police said.

Lee has worked as a Christian missionary in Thailand for 19 years, Pallop said, and told police he was contacted by an American in Laos to help bring the group into Thailand.