Articles by "Thailand"
Showing posts with label Thailand. Show all posts

Hello Jammu News at 6:27:00 PM 0
Bangkok, Dec 11 : Thailand's junta on Tuesday lifted a four-year ban on political campaigning ahead of 2019 elections, prompting Thaksin Shinawatra -- the exiled billionaire who sits at the heart of the kingdom's political rupture -- to hail a "new hope" for the nation.

One of the military's first acts after seizing power in May 2014 was to outlaw political activity of all kind, as it muzzled opposition in a country notorious for its rowdy -- and often deadly -- street politics.

But the ban was officially lifted on Tuesday, prompting the Election Commission to confirm an expected poll date of February 24.

"Political parties should be able to campaign to present their policies," according to an order signed by junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha and published by palace mouthpiece the Royal Gazette.

The junta "has decided to amend or abolish the laws" which could inhibit campaigns before elections, it said.

Thailand's rulers began easing restrictions in September, allowing political parties to recruit new members and elect leaders. But campaigns and street rallies remained banned.

Tuesday's order raises the prospect of a return to Thailand's rambunctious politics and the potential for street rallies that have defined much of the turbulent last decade of Thai politics.

In that time, Thai politics has been sharply polarised between supporters of the powerful Shinawatra clan -- popular in the poor, populous north and northeast -- and the royalist, conservative Bangkok-centric elite backed by the army.

The military loathes Thaksin, the former cop turned telecoms tycoon who won a landslide election in 2001, and is hellbent on blocking the Shinawatra clan from returning to power.

A new charter embeds government policy for the next 20 years, dilutes the number of elected parliamentary seats available and introduces a hand-picked upper house and the possibility of an appointed prime minister.

"I'd like to congratulate the Thai people as today is the start of a new hope we'll get freedom and equality back," Thaksin said in a rare Facebook post responding to the lifting of the campaigning ban.

He also called for the constitution to be changed in a post accompanied by a photo of him making the three-fingered salute from "The Hunger Games" movie franchise, an unofficial emblem of defiance of Thailand's ruling junta.

Junta chief Prayut meanwhile is widely tipped to make a bid for the premiership after elections, after years insisting he was compelled by duty to seize power.

While the political ban muzzled rival parties, he has been criss-crossing the country offering economic handouts, photo opportunities and building alliances with local politicos.

A military aligned political party has built wide alliances, even scooping up defectors from rivals including Pheu Thai, the Shinawatra-backed party dumped from office in the 2014 coup.

On Tuesday a smiling Prayut posed for selfies with Miss Universe contestants visiting Bangkok for the finals.

Despite lifting the campaigning ban, the junta still retains tools to silence its critics including arbitrary detention, according to legal experts.

"It's to be seen how far the authorities will let people rally at certain 'restricted' places like at the Government House or near the palace," said Anon Chawalawan, of legal monitoring group iLaw.

Thailand's junta says it was forced to seize power in 2014 to restore order after months of street protests paralysed the government of Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's younger sister.

The siblings both live in self-exile to avoid jail over convictions in Thailand.

Parties loyal to the Shinawatra clan have won every Thai general election since 2001, despite being hit by two coups and the removal of three prime ministers by pro-establishment courts.

But it is unclear how much electoral support the family and their parties will draw at the polls after years of being harried by the junta and the courts.   AFP
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 1:53:00 PM 0

Bangkok, Oct 8: A 42-year-old Indian tourist was killed and two others seriously injured in a shootout between two rival gangs here, Thai Police said Monday.

The shooting took place last night on a street behind Centara Watergate Pavillion hotel in Ratchathewi district, where tourist coaches were parked, 'Bangkok Post' reported.

Gakhrejr Dheeraj, an Indian, and Keovongsa Thonekeo, 28, a Lao tourist, died at a hospital where other injured are undergoing treatment.

The five people injured in the crossfire were two Thais, two Indians and one Lao. All were taken to a nearby hospital, the report said, quoting police officials.

The Indians were part of a group of tourists who had just had their dinner at an Indian restaurant in the mall and were waiting for their bus at the parking lot.

While they were there, two groups of young men emerged from a nearby snooker club into an alley just beside the parking lot, said police Major General Senit Samararn Samruajkit.

They began a fight that quickly escalated into an armed battle, Samruajkit said.

According to eyewitnesses, around 20 men armed with pistols, knives and sticks ran from the club into the street, he said, adding that three men also opened fire.

The gang members fled as the police arrived at the scene, and none of them was apprehended.

Police have yet to identify the type of rifles used, but spent shells from the AK47 assault rifle were found at the scene. (PTI)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 1:31:00 PM 0

Mae SaI, JUL 11: A Thai health official says the soccer teammates rescued from a flooded cave lost weight during their two-week ordeal but had water while they were trapped and are in good health.

Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong, a public health inspector, said Wednesday the 12 boys and coach rescued over the three previous days "took care of themselves well in the cave."

Thongchai said one member of the final group of four boys and the coach who arrived at a hospital Tuesday evening had a slight lung infection.

Two of the first group had a lung infection as well, and Thongchai said they would need medicine for seven days.

Divers extracted the team in a high-risk mission inside the flooded passageways. The group entered the cave June 23 but flooding cut off the exit. (AP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 1:23:00 PM 0

Chiang Rai, Jul 11: Thailand celebrated the successful mission to free 12 boys and their football coach from a cave today, with the nation heaping praise on the rescue team as the triumphant tagline "Hooyah" pinballed across social media.

The nerve-shredding three-day mission ended on Tuesday with the final group of four boys and the coach emerging from the cave which had held them captive for 18 days.

The rescue received blanket coverage in Thai media with newspapers The Nation running a "Hooyah! Mission accomplished" and the Bangkok Post emblazoned with "All Wild Boars saved" Their ordeal gripped the world, with the lives of the boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25-year-old coach hanging the balance as the threat of heavy rain injected urgency to an already perilous extraction bid.

Rescuers had weighed up several options to save the boys, including keeping them in the cave through the months-long monsoon season.

But they were prodded into the dangerous task of 'diving out' the team through submerged chambers and claustrophobic passages as oxygen levels in the cave plummeted and rains menaced.

The group were led out in three batches by a team of 13 international divers flanked by the Thai Navy SEALs, who greeted each successful rescue with a "Hooyah" on their Facebook page.

That sign off quickly turned into a hashtag shared across social media, where luminaries of business, politics and sport extended their best wishes to the team and the rescuers.

The boys and the coach are in quarantine in Chiang Rai hospital, apparently in good spirits despite their ordeal.

Today, a few hundred school children gathered opposite the hospital, looking up at the building that will be home to the rescued football team for the coming days.

Their teacher led them in a chant thanking "everyone who came to help make the mission succeed," in a small reflection of a wider gratitude towards the foreign experts who helped extract the stricken group.

Authorities have shrouded the details of the rescue bid in secrecy, with fragments of information emerging about the heroic efforts of the dive team.

The dangers of the rescue were brought into sharp relief last Friday by the death of a retired Thai Navy SEAL as he ran out off air in the flooded cave complex as the extraction plans were being laid.

"I'm very happy and relieved. I haven't been able to sleep for days. I'm happy that the boys are out too," Khamluh Guntawong grandfather of the team coach Ekkapol Chantawong said.

"Ekk really loves and cares for the boys," he added, of a figure who is emerging as something of hero despite being the only adult to accompany the boys into the cave on June 23.

The group became trapped in rising floodwaters and were found nine days later emaciated and dishevelled on a muddy ledge, with water lapping ominously below.

The saga captivated a global audience for over two weeks, rewarding them with a remarkable happy ending.

French football star Paul Pogba dedicated his country's World Cup semi-final victory over Belgium to "the heroes of the day, well done boys, you are so strong" he tweeted. (AFP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 12:44:00 PM 0

Mae SAI, Jul 11: "Everyone is safe." With those three words posted on Facebook the daring rescue mission to extricate 12 boys and their soccer coach from the treacherous confines of a flooded cave in Thailand was complete a grueling 18-day ordeal that claimed the life of an experienced diver and riveted people worldwide.

Thailand's Navy SEALs, who were central to the rescue effort, celebrated the feat with a post last evening that read: "All the thirteen Wild Boars are now out of the cave," a reference to the boys' soccer team. "We are not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what."

Eight of the boys were rescued by a team of Thai and international divers on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, the final four boys and their coach were guided out of the cave. Their rescue was followed a few hours later by the safe return of a medic and three SEAL divers who had stayed for days with the boys in their cramped, dry refuge.

Cheers erupted from the dozens of volunteers and journalists awaiting news of whether the intricate and high-risk rescue mission had succeeded. Helicopters transporting the boys roared overhead. People on the street cheered and clapped when ambulances ferrying them on the last leg of their journey from the cave arrived at a hospital in Chiang Rai city in far northern Thailand near the Myanmar border.

Their joy and relief was echoed around the globe by the multitude of people who had followed the long ordeal.

Payap Maiming, who helped provide food and necessities to rescue workers and journalists, noted that fact.

"I'm happy for Thais all over the country," he said. "And actually just everyone in the world because every news channel has presented this story and this is what we have been waiting for." "It's really a miracle," Payap said. "It's hope and faith that has brought us this success." Amporn Sriwichai, an aunt of rescued coach Ekkapol Chantawong, was ecstatic. "If I see him, I just want to hug him and tell him that I missed him very much," she said.

The plight of the boys and their coach captivated much of the world from the heart-sinking news that they were missing, to the first flickering video of the huddle of anxious yet smiling boys when they were found by a pair of British divers 10 days later. The group had entered the sprawling Tham Luang cave to go exploring after soccer practice on June 23, but monsoon rains soon filled the tight passageways, blocking their escape.

Each of the boys, ages 11 to 16 and with no diving experience, was guided out by a pair of divers in the three-day high-stakes operation. The route, in some places just a crawl space, had oxygen canisters positioned at regular intervals to refresh each team's air supply.

Highlighting the dangers, a former Thai Navy SEAL died Friday while replenishing the canisters.

Cave-diving experts had warned diving the youngsters out was potentially too risky. But Thai officials, acutely aware the monsoon rains could trap the boys for months, seized a window of opportunity provided by relatively mild weather. A massive effort to pump out water made the winding passageways more navigable. And the confidence of the diving team, and expertise specific to the cave, grew after its first successful mission Sunday.

"We did something nobody thought possible," Chiang Rai province acting Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, leader of the rescue effort, said at a celebratory news conference.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, speaking today before the final rescue was completed, said the boys were given an anti-anxiety medication to help with their perilous removal from the cave.

Asked at a news conference in Bangkok if the boys had been sedated, Prayuth said: "Who would chloroform them? If they're chloroformed, how could they come out? It's called anxiolytic, something to make them not excited, not stressed." Prayuth said the Tham Luang cave would be closed for some time to make it safe for visitors.

The first eight boys brought out were doing well and were in good spirits at the hospital. They received a treat on Tuesday: bread with chocolate spread that they had requested.

Jedsada Chokdumrongsuk, permanent secretary at the Public Health Ministry, said the boys rescued Sunday were able to eat normal food by Tuesday, though they couldn't yet take the spicy dishes favored by many Thais.

Two of the boys possibly have a lung infection but all eight are generally "healthy and smiling," he said.

"The kids are footballers, so they have high immune systems," Jedsada told a news conference. "Everyone is in high spirits and is happy to get out. But we will have a psychiatrist evaluate them." It could be at least a week before they can be released from the hospital, he said.

For now the boys were in isolation to try to keep them safe from infections by outsiders. But family members have seen at least some of the boys from behind a glass barrier.

It was clear doctors were taking a cautious approach. Jedsada said they were uncertain what type of infections the boys could face "because we have never experienced this kind of issue from a deep cave." If medical tests show no dangers after another two days, parents will be able to enter the isolation area dressed in sterilized clothing, staying 2 meters (yards) away from the boys, said another public health official, Tosthep Bunthong. (AP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 4:46:00 PM 0

Mae Sai (Thailand), Jul 10: Thai rescuers brought a ninth boy out from the Tham Luang cave this afternoon, police and navy sources said, after 18 days trapped underground.

"The ninth boy is out," the police source told AFP, requesting anonymity, while a Thai navy source confirmed the boy "has been transferred from the cave entrance to the field hospital."  (AFP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 12:03:00 PM 0

Mae Sai, Jul 10: The first eight boys to be rescued from a Thai cave are in good mental and physical health, an official said today, in the clearest update on their condition so far.

"All eight are in good health, no fever," Jesada Chokedamrongsuk, permanent secretary of the public health ministry, told reporters at Chiang Rai hospital. "Everyone is in a good mental state."  (AFP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 12:17:00 PM 0

Mae Sai, Jul 9: A treacherous rescue bid to free a youth football team trapped in a flooded Thai cave entered its second day today, with nine of the "Wild Boars" still inside after elite divers guided four out.

Looming rain was one of the main enemies of the operation, threatening to flood the cave complex in mountainous northern Thailand, although a bewildering array of other dangers could also doom the escape plans.

Thais have been fixated on the crisis, hoping desperately for the safe return of the boys and their 25-year-old coach, since they became trapped in the Tham Luang cave complex on June 23 because of rising waters.

They spent nine days unaccounted for inside the cave, before British divers found the emaciated and dishevelled group huddling on a muddy bank above the flooding.

Yesterday, four members of the "Wild Boar" team were successfully brought out from the cave, after authorities decided they had to rush ahead with a rescue operation to beat monsoon rains.

They were guided by expert divers who plotted the hours-long escape through more than four kilometres of twisting passageways and flooded chambers.

Rescue chief Narongsak Osottanakorn on Sunday said four of the team -- affectionately dubbed by Thai social media Wild Boars 1,2,3,4 -- were "safe" but released few details about their condition or identities.

He said the extraction effort would likely resume early Monday.

"We've been working continuously overnight," a Chiang Rai government source told AFP on Monday morning, requesting anonymity, and confirming that there had only been a pause of the actual extraction operations.

Authorities continued to refuse to release details about the identities or conditions of the four who had escaped.

"Don't ask these kinds of questions. Not wise questions to ask," Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha told reporters in Bangkok on Monday morning when asked about the conditions of the four.

Prayut was scheduled to visit the cave site later on Monday, according to his official schedule.

With so few details released, parents continued their agonising wait to be reunited with their sons.

"I am still waiting here at the cave, keeping my fingers crossed to see whether my son will be one of those to come out today," Supaluk Sompiengjai, a mother of Pheeraphat -- known by his nickname "Night" -- told AFP.

"We heard four boys are out but we do not know who they are. Many parents are still here waiting. None of us has been informed of anything." But she added she was "happy" at the prospect of seeing her son again.

To get the remaining boys out, divers will be forced by the narrow passages to accompany them one at a time.

None of the boys have scuba diving experience and experts have warned they could easily panic while swimming underwater in darkness.

The lack of space has added complexity to storing enough canisters of oxygen along the route out.

The death of a former Thai Navy SEAL diver who ran out of oxygen in the cave on Friday underscored the danger of the journey even for professionals.

Weather forecasters said heavy rain could hit the area on Monday afternoon and continue through the week.

Authorities have repeatedly warned that the rain could re-flood crucial parts of the cave complex that have been drained and make the escape route march harder or even impossible to navigate.

The hordes of global and local media have been kept back from the cave and the hospital in Chiang Rai, where the rescued boys are believed to be under observation.

Night's relatives have said they believe the group went to the cave to celebrate his 16th birthday after a Saturday football practice and got caught as heavy rains caused the water inside the cave to suddenly rise.

A frantic rescue mission was hatched in the week since they were found.

Expert climbers, divers and Thai Navy Seals have mulled contingencies ranging from drilling an escape route through the mountain to waiting out the monsoon inside the cave.

But the rescue was prodded into action by the threat of a fresh round of rains and falling oxygen levels in the cave. (AFP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 12:03:00 PM 0

Mae Sai (Thailand), Jul 9: Expert divers have rescued four of 12 boys from a flooded cave in northern Thailand where they were trapped with their soccer coach for more than two weeks, as a dangerous and complicated operation unfolded amid heavy rain and the threat of rising water underground.

Eight boys and the coach remained inside the Tham Luang Nang Non cave as authorities paused the international effort to replenish air tanks along the treacherous exit route.

Extracting everyone could take up to four days, but the initial success raised hopes that could be done.

"The operation went much better than expected," said Chiang Rai acting Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, who is overseeing the mission.

He told reporters the four rescued boys were taken to the hospital in the town of Chiang Rai, the provincial capital, for evaluation, and the next phase of the operation will resume after about 10-20 hours.

The names of the rescued boys were not released.

His announcement, at a news conference more than an hour after helicopters and ambulances were seen rushing from the cave area, drew cheers and applause.

Narongsak had dubbed yesterday to be "D-day" as the complicated effort was launched in the morning.

He said 13 foreign divers and five Thai navy SEALs were taking part in the key leg of the rescue: taking the boys from where they have been sheltering and through dark, tight and twisting passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents.

Two divers were to accompany each of the boys, all of whom have been learning to dive only since July 2, when the first searchers found them.

Cave rescue experts consider an underwater escape to be a last resort, especially with people untrained in diving.

The death Friday of a former Thai navy SEAL, Saman Gunan, underscored the risks. The diver, the first fatality of the rescue effort, was working in a volunteer capacity and died on a mission to place oxygen canisters along the route.

But Narongsak said earlier that recent mild weather and falling water levels had created optimal conditions for an underwater evacuation. Those conditions won't last if the rain resumes, he said.

After the four boys were removed from the cave, heavy rain started falling.

The potential for rising water and the dwindling oxygen levels added to the urgency of getting the team out. Efforts to pump water out of the cave have been set back by heavy downpours.

Narongsak said Saturday that experts told him new rain could shrink the unflooded space where the boys are sheltering to just 10 square metres (108 square feet).

The next phase of the operation would start sometime today after rescue teams replenish the supply of oxygen tanks along the route.

Last night, Thai navy SEALs posted a celebratory note on their Facebook page, saying: "Have sweet dreams everyone. Good night. Hooyah." The boys and their coach, whose team is known as the Wild Boars, became stranded when they were exploring the cave after a practice game on June 23.

Monsoon flooding cut off their escape route and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days.

The ordeal has riveted Thailand and captured the world's attention. The search and rescue operation has involved dozens of international experts and rescuers, including a US military team.

Elon Musk's Space X rocket company tested a "tiny kid-sized submarine" that could potentially help the children through the narrow, flooded cave passageways. A spokesman for Musk's Boring Co. tunneling unit, which has four engineers at the cave, said in an email yesterday that Thai officials had requested the device.

If the tests were successful, the sub would be placed on a 17-hour flight to Thailand. He posted a video of a diver testing the device in a pool.

President Donald Trump tweeted yesterday: "The US is working very closely with the Government of Thailand to help get all of the children out of the cave and to safety. Very brave and talented people!"

The boys sounded calm and reassuring in handwritten notes to their families that were made public Saturday. The notes were sent out with divers who made an 11-hour, back-and-forth journey.

One of the boys, identified as Tun, wrote: "Mom and Dad, please don't worry, I am fine. I've told Yod to get ready to take me out for fried chicken. With love." "Don't be worried," wrote another boy, Mick. "I miss everyone. Grandpa, Uncle, Mom, Dad and siblings, I love you all. I'm happy being here inside, the navy SEALS have taken good care. Love you all."

One particularly touching note from another boy said: "I'm doing fine, but the air is a little cold, but don't worry. Although, don't forget to set up my birthday party." In a letter of his own, coach Ekapol Chanthawong apologised to the boys' parents for the ordeal.

"To the parents of all the kids, right now the kids are all fine, the crew are taking good care. I promise I will care for the kids as best as possible. I want to say thanks for all the support and I want to apologise to the parents," he wrote. (AP)
Read more »
no image

Hello Jammu News at 5:58:00 PM 0

Phuket (Thailand), Jul 7: Divers who entered the wreck of a tour boat that sank in a storm off the southern Thai resort island of Phuket described heartbreaking scenes of bodies of children found in the arms of their mothers, as the search continued today for 18 mostly Chinese tourists missing in a disaster that has left dozens dead.

The death toll from Thursday's tragedy climbed to 38, in Thailand's biggest tourist-related disaster in years. It was not clear how many of the dead and missing were Chinese. The previous announced death toll was 33, with authorities saying all of those victims were Chinese.

"It's very difficult to see ... it's traumatic, it's tragic but the best thing to do, our job as divers, is to bring back the bodies to their families," diver Philip Entremont told reporters before resuming the search today.

The boat, with 105 people, including 93 tourists, capsized and sank after it was hit by 5-meter (16-foot) waves.

The death toll jumped Friday after the navy sent divers to the wreck. In images shortly after the sinking, rescued people sat in large rubber life rafts surrounded by churning seas.

Phuket Gov Norraphat Plodthong announced at a news conference today afternoon that the death toll had climbed further, to 38, with 18 missing.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the leader of Thailand's military government, expressed his "sympathies and deepest condolences" to the families of the dead. The government will "exert all efforts to find those still missing and provide support to all survivors of this tragic event," he said in a statement.

Reports in Thai media said police charged the owner and captain of the stricken ship with carelessness causing death and injury.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out search and rescue efforts, telling the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese diplomats in Thailand to take greater measures, and also urging Thai authorities to spare no efforts.

Chinese Ambassador Lyu Jian had an "emergency conversation" by phone with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, the Chinese Embassy said in a statement.

It quoted the envoy calling on Thailand to quickly mobilize an intensive search for the missing and "to tend and make appropriate arrangements for the rescued Chinese tourists, treat and cure the injured and receive family members of the Chinese tourists involved." Lyu said it hoped the cause of the capsizing would be quickly ascertained and asked Somkid to have the relevant Thai agencies closely cooperate with China on the matter.

Fatal accidents among foreign tourists at Thai beaches are not unusual, but normally involve drownings in unsafe swimming areas or accidents involving smaller boats.

Thai officials were rushing to cope with some of the logistics of the aftermath of the sinking.

At the request of Phuket's governor, the Phuket Tourist Association was seeking 80 volunteer Chinese language translators to assist the outgoing Chinese passengers at the provincial airport.

Many of the victims had been on group tours, booked in Phuket and China.

The government of the eastern Chinese city of Haining in Zhejiang province said on its official microblog account that it received a distress alert sent by phone text message from the head of the Haining Haipai Furniture Co Ltd., from Thailand yesterday morning.

It said that 37 of the furniture company's employees and family members had traveled together to Phuket and that on July 5 at around 5 pm they encountered the "biggest storm in five years" and they sought the government's help. The group had booked their tours to the islands online on their own, said the posting.

A Chinese tour operator based in the central province of Hunan said on its official Sina Weibo account that three travelers it had booked were missing.

Lazy Cat Travel said it had sent personnel to Phuket to help out its clients, who also included 35 passengers who had to be rescued from another boat that it had chartered that ran into trouble on Thursday. It said that second boat had lost power after being swamped by waves. All on board were returned safely to shore.

The accidents came as rescuers, also led by Thai navy divers, support 12 boys and their soccer coach stranded nearly two weeks inside a flooded cave in the country's far north, and try to determine how and when to extract them. (AP) 
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 12:11:00 PM 0

Mae Sai (Thailand), Jul 7: The soccer coach trapped in a cave with 12 Thai boys apologised to their parents in the first letter he and the team have sent out through divers, in which the boys say they're doing well and missing their families.

Rescuers said they won't immediately attempt an underwater evacuation because the boys have not yet learned adequate diving skills. But if heavy rains start again, divers will try to take the boys out right away, Chiang Rai Gov.

Narongsak Osatanakorn said at a midnight news conference on Friday. The same day saw a disheartening setback with the death of a former Thai navy SEAL diving in flooded passageways to deliver oxygen supplies.

"To the parents of all the kids, right now the kids are all fine, the crew are taking good care. I promise I will care for the kids as best as possible. I want to say thanks for all the support and I want to apologize to the parents," wrote 25-year-old Ekapol Chanthawong, the coach of the Wild Boars soccer team.

One boy writes: "I'm doing fine, but the air is a little cold but don't worry.

Although, don't forget to set up my birthday party." Another, identified as Tun, writes: "Mom and Dad, please don't worry, I am fine. I've told Yod to get ready to take me out for fried chicken. With love." The name reference could be of a waiting relative.

The rest of the scribbled letters on pages from a notebook struck a similar message of love for parents and telling them not to worry.

One boy named Mick wrote: "Don't be worried, I miss everyone. Grandpa, uncle, mom dad, and siblings I love you all. I'm happy being here inside, the navy SEALS have taken good care. Love you all." The boys, 11 to 16, and their coach went exploring in the cave after a soccer game June 23. Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days.

The only way to reach them was by navigating dark and tight passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents and in oxygen-depleted air.

Asked at his news conference about bringing the boys out underwater, the governor replied, "Not today because they cannot dive at this time." Narongsak said the boys were still healthy and have practiced wearing diving masks and breathing in preparation for the diving possibility.

Thai officials had been suggesting in public statements that a quick underwater evacuation of the boys and their coach was needed because of the possibility that access to the cave could soon close again due to seasonal monsoon rains expected this weekend.

Earlier efforts to pump out water from the cave have been set back every time there has been a heavy rain.

Cave rescue specialists have cautioned against that approach except as a last resort, because of the dangers posed by inexperienced people using diving gear. The path out is considered especially complicated because of twists and turns in narrow flooded passages.

The suggestion that the trapped team might have to wait months inside until a safe way out is available as was the case in 2010 with Chilean miners trapped underground has met with little enthusiasm.

Authorities continue to pursue a third option, which is finding a shaft or drilling into the mountain in which the cave is located to find a sort of back door entrance.

The death of the Thai diver, Saman Gunan, underscored the risks of making the underwater journey. The diver, the first fatality of the rescue effort, was working in a volunteer capacity and died on a mission to place oxygen canisters along the route to where the boys and others are sheltered, Thai SEAL commander Rear Adm. Arpakorn Yookongkaew said.

The strategically placed canisters allow divers to stay underwater longer during the five-hour trip to reach the stranded team.

Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind the Tesla automobile and the SpaceX rocket company, said he would send engineers to help. One of his enterprises is Boring Co., which digs tunnels for advanced transport systems and has advanced ground-penetrating radar.

Musk also brainstormed on Twitter about possible technology for a safe evacuation, suggesting that an air tunnel constructed with soft tubing like a Bouncy Castle could provide flexible passage out. (AP) CPS

Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 12:08:00 PM 0

Mae Sai (Thailand), Jul 7: More than 100 chimneys are being drilled into the mountainside in a frantic bid to reach a Thai youth football team trapped in a cave complex below, the head of the rescue mission said today.

The unprecedented rescue effort is attempting to establish new ways to extract the boys from above, if the underground chambers flood and it is deemed too risky to evacuate the team by diving out through the submerged passageways.

"Some (of the chimneys) are as deep as 400 metres... but they still cannot find their location yet," Narongsak Osottanakorn told reporters, adding the mission lacked the technology "to pinpoint where they are staying".

"We estimate that (they) are 600 metres down, but we don't know the (exact) target," he said.

On the question of dipping oxygen levels in the cave, he said rescuers had managed to establish a line to pump in fresh air and had also withdrawn non-essential workers from chamber three -- where the rescue base is -- to preserve levels inside the cave.

The "Wild Boar" team have been trapped inside the Tham Luang cave complex for two weeks. (AFP) CPS

Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 11:50:00 AM 0

Mae Sai (Thailand), Jul 7: The 25-year-old coach of a youth football team trapped for two weeks in a Thai cave has offered his "apologies to the parents" of the boys in a scrawled note released by the Thai Navy today.

Thailand is holding its breath for the safe return of the group, with heavy rains forecast and fears mounting over the falling amount of oxygen and high level of water in the cave.

Ekkapol Chantawong was for nine days the only adult with the children -- aged 11 to 16 -- until they were discovered on a muddy ledge by rescue divers on Monday.

"To all the parents, all the kids are still fine. I promise to take the very best care of the kids," he said in a note given to a diver yesterday but published on the Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page today.

"Thank you for all the moral support and I apologise to the parents." It is the first message from the coach, whose role in the team's predicament has split Thai social media.

Many have lauding him after reports he gave his share of food to the kids before they were located and helped them get through nine days in the darkness.

Others have criticised him for agreeing to take the young boys into the cave during the monsoon season.

The group entered the cave on June 23 and got trapped as floodwaters tore in.

"To my grandma and aunt, I'm here. Don't be too worried. Please take care," he added in the letter. (AFP) CPS

Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 1:05:00 PM 0


Mae Sai, Jul 6: The window of opportunity to free a trapped youth football team and their coach from a cave is "limited", the Thai Navy SEAL commander said today, the first official admission that the boys cannot wait out the monsoon underground.

"At first, we thought the children could stay for a long time... but now things have changed, we have a limited time," Apakorn Yookongkaew told reporters.(AFP) AMS

Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 12:52:00 PM 0

Mae Sai (Thailand), Jul 6 (AFP) A former military diver has died after running out of oxygen while assisting in the rescue of 12 boys and their football coach trapped inside a cave in Thailand, an official said today.

His death highlights the perils of the operation to extract the team from deep inside the waterlogged cave, raising questions about the feasibility of bringing youngsters out the same way.

"A former Seal who volunteered to help died last night about 2am," Chiang Rai deputy governor Passakorn Boonyaluck told reporters at the site, calling it "sad news." The diver, identified as Saman Kunont, was coming back from a spot inside the Tham Luang cave where the group were located on Monday when his supplies ran short.

"On his way back he lost consciousness," said Thai Seal commander Apakorn Yookongkaew, adding that a friend had tried to help bring him out.

"But even though we have lost one man, we still have faith to carry out our work." Asked how the boys could make it out safely if an experienced diver could not, Apakorn said they would take more precautions with children.

The accident marks the first major setback for the gargantuan effort, which started almost two weeks ago after the "Wild Boars" team went into the cave in northern Thailand after football practice. (AFP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 12:06:00 PM 0

Mae Sai (Thailand), Jul 5: A Thai official says rescue teams are still busy trying to install an internet cable to the cave so that parents can talk to their trapped children.

Korbchai Boonorana, deputy director of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, also says today rescuers are continuing to drain water from wells near the cave complex to reduce water levels inside in order to make the extraction of the 12 teammates and their coach possible.

He says: "The water continues to be drained out. The more the better." Chiang Rai provincial Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn said earlier that not all the boys may be extracted at the same time depending on their health.

He said any extraction has to be "100 per cent safe."

The Thai official overseeing the rescue operation of a soccer team trapped in a flooded cave says the boys and their coach may not all be extracted at the same time depending on their health.

Chiang Rai provincial Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said Wednesday that "all 13 may not come out at the same time. If the condition is right and if that person is ready 100 per cent, he can come out." He said authorities will evaluate their readiness each day and if there is any risk will not proceed.

He said the team is currently recuperating.

Authorities are still determining the best way to get the team out of the cave, options that include diving.

Thai authorities are working to with navy SEALs to run a fiber optic internet line into a flooded cave in northern Thailand where 12 young soccer players and their coach are trapped.

Communication technician Phoowanart Keawdum said Wednesday that once the cable is installed, phone calls to the cave will be possible.

Authorities tried to do the same Tuesday, but the equipment was damaged by the water.

In latest videos released by the Thai navy, the boys and coach say they're fine. The group entered the cave in northern Thailand on June 23 before flooding cut off the main entrance. Rescuers are studying how to extract them safely.

Thailand's navy is continuing to release videos of the young soccer players trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand.

The two latest videos posted to a navy Facebook page late yesterday morning show a navy SEAL treating minor cuts on the feet and legs of the boys with antibiotic ointment. Several of the boys are seen smiling as they interact with the navy SEAL, who cracks jokes.

Other boys are seen sleeping under foil warming blankets.

A previous video released early yesterday showed the boys saying they were healthy.

The Thai official overseeing the rescue operation of a soccer team trapped in a flooded cave says the boys have been practicing wearing diving masks and breathing.

Officials have said that teaching the 12 boys and their coach to dive may be the only way to get them out of the cave, but other options are being explored.

Chiang Rai provincial Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said Wednesday that while the team has been practicing with masks, he doesn't believe they have attempted any practice dives.

He said it is unknown when an extraction could be attempted, but it is unlikely to be yesterday.

He said any extraction has to be "100 per cent safe."

The soccer teammates stranded more than a week in a partly flooded cave say they are healthy on a new Thai navy video.

The boys and their coach introduce themselves individually with the camera turning to show a Thai navy SEAL with them. They smile at times and interact with the SEAL who asks questions.

Some appeared to be wearing a change of clothes since they were found late Monday and most were wrapped in foil warming blankets.

The video lasting about a minute was recorded sometime Tuesday and was posted on the navy SEAL Facebook page yesterday morning.

The group had entered the cave in northern Thailand on June 23 before flooding cut off the main entrance. Rescuers are studying how to extract them safely. (AP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 12:18:00 PM 0

Mae Sai(Thailand), July 4: A new video of a youth football team trapped in the bowels of a Thai cave emerged today showing the boys laughing and saying they are well after their astonishing discovery by divers nine days after going missing.

In a heartening message to families waiting in anguish outside, the Thai Navy SEAL footage features 11 of the 12-strong team, each makes a traditional Thai greeting gesture to the camera before introducing themselves by nickname and saying "I'm in good health".

Several of the boys in the frame are wearing protective foil blankets and are accompanied by a smiling diver in a wetsuit.

Their 25-year-old coach, who accompanied the boys down the cave after football training on June 23, is not heard in the footage, published on the Thai Navy Facebook page.

It is the second video to delight a Thai nation that has held its breath for a successful outcome to a complex rescue kilometres inside one of the country's longest caves.

The one-minute clip ends on a jovial note, with one of the 12 young footballers saying he was forgotten in the round of introductions, sparking laughter.

The boys appear relaxed and much more alert than when they were when discovered late Monday by British divers, as they took shelter from surging underground waters on a muddy ledge.

Outside the cave one of the boy's mothers teared-up as she watched the clip on a television screen, saying she was "glad" for a glimpse her son.

"He is thinner" she said as she ran her finger over his image -- a sign of the heartache the saga has brought to relatives of the trapped 13.

Several Navy SEAL divers have deployed along with medics, while the challenging process of evacuating the "Wild Boar" team begins.

Thai authorities say the focus is now building up the boys' physical and mental strength after an ordeal that has left them emaciated.

Next they have three main options: diving out of the cave system, exiting through another hole if one can be found -- or drilled -- or waiting out the rainy season underground.

Experts say diving out is laden with risk -- more so as the boys have never dived before and may not be able to swim.

Areas of the cave remain submerged and the murky waters are very difficult to navigate, even if the boys are given good equipment and a crash-course in how to dive.

The last option could be protracted as the monsoon begins to bite and officials say they have stored food, medicine and equipment to last for up to four months at an underground base. (AFP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 4:37:00 PM 0

Mae Sai(Thailand), Jul 3: Rescuers braced for a long and difficult evacuation for 13 members of a Thai youth football team found alive in a cave nine days after they went missing, as food and medicine was shuttled to them though muddy waters today.

The 12 young boys and their football coach were discovered rake thin and hungry on a mound of mud surrounded by water late Monday, ending the agonising search that captivated a nation.

But the focus quickly shifted to the tricky task of how to evacuate them safely from the still-flooded caverns.

Much-needed food and medical supplies -- including high-calorie gels and paracetamol -- reached them today as rescuers prepared for a prolonged extraction operation.

The Thai military said it is providing months' worth of food and diving lessons to the boys to help them out of the waterlogged Tham Luang network in the country's monsoon-drenched north.

"(We will) prepare to send additional food to be sustained for at least four months and train all 13 to dive while continuing to drain the water," Navy Captain Anand Surawan said.

He refused to say how long they might be trapped, but experts said it could take weeks or even months.

The astonishing rescue sparked jubilation across the country after the country mounted a massive and gruelling operation beset by heavy downpours and fast-moving floodwaters.

"We called this 'mission impossible' because it rained every day... but with our determination and equipment we fought nature," Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said today.

The boys were discovered at about 10:00 pm yesterday by British divers some 400 metres from where they were believed to be stranded several kilometres inside the cave. In the video, posted on the Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page, one of the boys asks the rescuers to "go outside".

In response the British diver says: "No, no not today... many, many people are coming... we are the first," in reference to the vast and complex rescue operation that has taken over the mountainside.

The harrowing task of getting the boys out is complicated by the fact that they are in a weak state and are not experienced divers.

The rugged and wet kilometres-long course toward the entrance take a healthy SEAL diver six hours.

If diving proves impossible, there is an outside chance they can be drilled out or wait for waters to recede and walk out on foot. But the clock is ticking with heavy rains forecast to return this week as the monsoon season bites deeper.

The priority is to get the team's strength up before they start the tricky journey out, officials said, reluctant to offer a concrete timeline.

Relatives -- and much of Thailand -- exploded with relief and jubilation on getting the news the team were alive and safe.

"I'm so relieved, though I still don't have the chance to see him... I want to tell him I'm still here waiting," Kieng Khamleu, said of her son Pornchai Khamleung inside the cave.

Another parent said he could hardly believe the good news.

"It's unimaginable. I've been waiting for 10 days, I never imagined this day would come," the father of one of the boys said.

Diving teams prepared telephone lines to lay in the cave to set up phone calls to the boys, the governor said.

The "Wild Boar" team became trapped on June 23 after heavy rains blocked the cave's main entrance.

Rescuers found their bicycles, football boots and backpack near the cave's opening, and spotted handprints and footprint further in -- leading them to the spot they were eventually found.

Tham Luang cave is one of Thailand's longest, winding 10 kilometres (six miles) and is also one of the toughest to navigate -- especially in the wet months.

A sign outside the entrance warns visitors not to enter during the rainy season from July to November. (AFP)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 5:11:00 PM 0

New Delhi, June 18: Sanjay Takale overcame a wrong selection of tyres to finish a creditable second in the 4x4 Open class in round 1 of the Thailand Pre-Rally Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, bordering Cambodia.
Takale had come with hard-knobbed tyres, suited for muddy terrains, but had soft gravel roads to contend with. However, he managed to keep his Isuzu DMax utility vehicle under control despite struggling for grip.
The Pune rally driver drove for Delo Sport with experienced Thanyaphat Meenil as his navigator.
Choice of tyre made us pay early. Even though I struggled to find grip with hard and knobbed tyres, sometimes no grip on soft gravel terrain, we managed to put up a great show to finish second overall, said Takale.
Isuzu driver Wichawat Chotrawee, who had no. 1 navigator Chupong Chaiwan of Thailand by his side,won the 4x4 Open class ahead of Takale.
Takale was up against a Toyota driver, whose car had gravel tyres that suited the soft and fast terrain of Huay Bong.
A total of 37 cars competed over nine special stages that comprised three stages going thrice over for a total distance of 72.48 km.
Our team came fitted with mud tyres of hard compound, but I still managed to keep my car clean on the fast lines and beat my teammate, who was seeded ahead of me, added Takale.
The two-day rally was the precursor to the four-round Thailand National Rally Championship 2018 that opens in the first week of July. (PTI)
Read more »

Hello Jammu News at 11:21:00 AM 0

Manila, Nov 13: Stage is set for the beginning of the 31st ASEAN Summit here on Monday.Besides attending the multi-nation meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to have a crucial round of one-on-one meeting with the US President Donald Trump.
This year's theme - 'Partnering for Change, Engaging the World' best captures the geo-political situation in the region, while covers the complexities faced by ASEAN as a group and also by a few individual nations. The year 2017 also marks the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN. 
The 31st Summit will take place alongside related meetings and a special celebration of 'ASEAN@50'. The ten members of ASEAN include Brunei Darussalam,Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The occasion also coincides with the ASEAN-India Summit. PM Modi arrived here on Monday to a grand reception by Indian diaspora. "Enthusiastic welcome by Indian Diaspora. PM @narendramodi greeted by members of Diaspora, who form an important niche group of Filipino society," MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted.  On the eve of his visit, Prime Minister Modi said, "My participation in the meet symbolizes India's commitment to continue deepening relationship with ASEAN Member States, in particular, and with the Indo-Pacific region, in general, within the framework of my Government's Act East Policy". The Ministry of External Affairs sources have confirmed Prime Minister's meeting the US President Donald Trump here on the sidelines of ASEAN meets on Monday.  Sources said the two leaders will hold one-on-one talks for over half-an-hour minute on Monday afternoon. Mr Trump arrived Manila as part of his five-nation Asia tour of Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Both Mr Modi and the US President will discuss security scenario especially in Indo-Pacific region. Besides key bilateral meetings, including the one with the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Prime Minister Modi will visit International Rice Institute and Mahaveer Philippines Foundation. The world famous 'Jaipur Foot', made by Rajasthan based Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang  Sahayata Samiti, is to get a pat on its back from Prime Minister.   Mr Modi will meet members of the Indian community at a reception to be hosted by Indian envoy in Philippines. The International Rice Research Institute located at Los Banos near Manila, is a leading institute of global repute. 
Through scientific research and development, it has developed better quality of rice seed and helped the global community including Indian scientists in addressing issues of food security. 
A large number of Indian scientists are also working in the institute. The institute will also soon set up its South Asian Regional Centre in Varanasi, Mr Modi's parliamentary constituency. 
This will be the first center outside Philippines.  The Mahaveer Philippines Foundation is an associate centre of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti based in Jaipur, which is famous for "Jaipur Foot'.  The philanthropic organization, which has been set up by eminent Filipinos and Indian expat community, has distributed free "Jaipur Foot' to needy amputees. 
Mr Modi will also address the ASEAN Business Investment Summit,while other meetings are also lined up either on Monday or Tuesday. Among them the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will try to take a call on free trade and non-tarrif barriers.
The RCEP in effect comprises of 10-member, ASEAN members and also and six other countries that are India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Officials of 16 member nations met here at the margins of high profile ASEAN Summit and other meetings on Sunday.
UNI
Read more »
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)