r/Thailand

On October 3, Pol Lt Col Parinya Tho Pengcharoen, Deputy Inspector of Thong Lor Police Station, received a report of a fatal accident in which a car struck two pedestrians on Thong Lor Road, in front of Soi Thong Lor 3 in Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana district, Bangkok. He immediately went to the scene with rescue workers.

At the scene, two injured German women, aged 22 and 23, were found in critical condition. Rescue workers rushed both women to a hospital, where they later died from their injuries.

The driver was identified as a 28-year-old man, whose surname was withheld. He appeared to be intoxicated and admitted to being the driver of the gray MG HS PHEV involved in the crash. The vehicle struck the two pedestrians as they were crossing the road.

Police took the man to Thong Lor Police Station for a breathalyzer test. His blood alcohol level was measured at 145 milligrams per 100 milliliters.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated, causing a collision that resulted in the deaths of others, and was taken into legal custody for further proceedings.

Edit: The deceased were a 23-year-old Thai woman, Ms. Thitima, and a 22-year-old German woman, Ms. Michelle.

หนุ่มเมาแล้วขับ! ซิ่งเก๋งชนสาวไทย-นักท่องเที่ยวสาวเยอรมัน ดับ 2 ศพ ขณะข้ามถนนทองหล่อ ตรวจเมาพุ่ง 145 มิลลิกรัมเปอร์เซ็นต์

Thailand’s Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) has urged against political intervention in its funding model or in the role of the country’s public service media, as the ruling Bhumjaithai Party proposes a bill that has sparked concerns over media independence and freedom.

In its statement on Friday, Thai PBS said that the draft bill, which propose changes to the national broadcaster’s revenue structuring, directly affects the organisation’s independence.

“It [the independence] serves as a guarantee that the public has access to information and public spaces that are free from state, political or business influence,” it reads.

The remark came as Bhumjaithai’s legal eagle Suphachai Jaismut seeks to replace Thai PBS’s legally ringfenced funding source with an allocation from the annual fiscal budget, which is controlled each year by the political groupings in power at the time.

According to the 2008 Thai Public Broadcasting Service Act, Thai PBS is funded by an earmarked 1.5% share of taxes collected on sales and importation of liquor and tobacco.

The legally mandated funding is capped at two billion baht per fiscal year. Thai PBS also operates outside the direct control of any specific ministry but is subject to scrutiny by independent entities, such as the State Audit Office.

Suphachai said that the bill aims to “unify the nation’s fiscal system” and would effectively allow participation by parliament and the government in managing the money collected.

Critics fear that the proposed changes would provide a route for political pressure or influence to be exerted on Thai PBS’s coverage and neutrality.

Thai PBS said that concrete legal and institutional guarantees must be put in place to prevent the changes from being exploited for political gain and argues that the twin pillars of monetary discipline and public service media independence must both be protected.

“The public must have confidence that public service media operates independently, free from the influence or control of state power holders,” it said.

The draft is the subject of public hearings until October 14. It will then be proposed for Cabinet approval before being submitted to parliament for deliberation.