Regional News
Animal Quarantine Center in ”Crisis” Disease Claims 780 dogs
NAKHON PHANOM – The Animal Quarantine Center in Nakhon Phanom, north-east Thailand, just a few kilometers away from mountains which outline the border with Laos.
This is a makeshift shelter that should be housing a maximum of 400 dogs, instead there are more than 1,700 animals being kept in large concrete pens at the compound. Staff work around the clock. This region is the heartland for the cruel and inhumane dog smuggling trade.
Rescued Dogs being treated at Nakhon PhanomThe illegal operation sees an estimated 200,000 dogs transported in trucks from Thailand into neighboring Laos, across the Mekong River and driven across to Vietnam where the meat is considered a delicacy. Some believe it has medicinal qualities and acts as an aphrodisiac — black dogs are apparently the best for sexual dysfunction. Yet no scientific proof has ever proved such a claim.
The dogs at this shelter were intercepted more than a month ago after Thai authorities stopped several trucks trying to cross the border into Laos. The drivers were arrested but no one was prosecuted. Their cargo? Thousands of dogs crammed into small steel cages — at least a dozen dogs to a cage — where they are left for days on end without food or water, while the smugglers make their week-long journey.
Some of the dogs die from suffocation along the way. Others endure broken bones and crushed skulls during the trip. And they’re all disease ridden. These dogs were destined for restaurants in Vietnam where a single dog can be sold on average for $60 an animal. It’s a lucrative business for smugglers, considering a dog fetches only a few dollars in Thailand.
John Dalley, founder of the Phuket-based Soi Dog Foundation, moved to Thailand from the UK 10 years ago on a mission to help the country’s overwhelming stray dog population. The charity, which relies on donations from animal-lovers around the world, set up an immunization program, and just last week neutered its 50,000th dog. There are now plans to expand the program nationwide.
Dalley says the dogs would have endured an even more horrific ordeal if the truck hadn’t been intercepted.
John Dalley, founder of the Phuket-based Soi Dog Foundation“At best, they could have been clubbed — maybe unconscious, maybe not — and had their throats slit in from of other dogs and they all know what’s going on. At worst, they’re skinned alive, strung up and beaten … while alive, set on fire,” he said. “It’s a horrendous death and that’s what we’re trying to stop. Never mind that it’s illegal to do it — it’s the sheer inhumanity of this trade that this can still be going on in the 21st century.” This place should just be for dogs coming in, to get vaccinated and then to leave and move on to other shelters. But they’re all full, if not overflowing, and these dogs desperately need loving homes John Dalley, Soi Dog Foundation.
While these dogs didn’t end up on dinner plates in Vietnam, they were struck by disease that spread like wildfire through the shelter due to the overcrowding.
“This place should just be for dogs coming in, to get vaccinated and then to leave and move on to other shelters. But they’re all full, if not overflowing, and these dogs desperately need loving homes,” he said.
The few that are cute, fluffy or pedigrees are swiftly adopted but the majority — mangy strays and street dogs — will never leave the concrete floors and wire fencing of the shelter.
Chusak Pongpanit, chief of the Animal Quarantine Station, also knows the challenges in front of him. “We still need a lot of funds because we will have to take care of these dogs for a long time before they can find homes — if they find homes.”
Meters away from the pens that divide the sick dogs and the healthy is a building that houses the critically ill.
Skin hangs from their frail, skeletal bodies. Many are covered in sores, while others have mucus dangling from their noses — often a sign of pneumonia, distemper or canine parvovirus infection.
Work continues vaccinating and treating rescued dogs held at the Nakhon Phanom shelter.Last month, disease claimed 780 dogs. While we watch the veterinarians try to minimize pain and suffering, a dog takes its final breath and passes away on a stainless steel trolley.
Marisa Goudie is one of several vets from the UK who have flown to Thailand, volunteering their time to help local staff try to stop the outbreak.
The Soi Dog Foundation that supports the shelter with food, drugs and vaccinations put out an SOS last month and the Worldwide Veterinary Service, Animals Asia and the Humane Society International — organizations based in the United States, Britain and the Philippines — answered the call for help.
“It’s heartbreaking being here. These dogs are inherently still wanting to trust humans after everything they’ve been through,” said Goudie, as she pulled her stethoscope away from the bony ribcage of the dead dog.
The challenge facing western veterinarian staff that have flown into assist is the Buddhist religious beliefs of the Thais that don’t allow dogs to be euthanized. “We do have our hands tied because of religious issues and that’s something that internally we’re conflicted with — but we need to respect their views,” Goudie explained.
Hayley Walters is a veterinarian nurse based in Edinburgh, Scotland and arrived at the shelter just a few days ago. Not being able to put a dog out of its misery goes against every bone in her body.
“It’s heartbreaking because in the western world we would help them on their way. But here we can only give palliative care — make them as comfortable as possible. We give them pain relief, with the really skinny ones we give them some cardboard to sleep on and some kind words. But that’s the saddest thing — we can’t send them on their way.”
As for the relatively healthy ones, she can only try and remain optimistic that the rescue of these dogs means they have another chance at life.
“What they need is good treatment, good nutrition and loving homes to go to. This must not be the end place for any rescue dog. A shelter should not be the end place. It’s a huge problem. if we could stop the root of the problem, which is the dog eating trade, we could stop this — all of this.”
But for now the multi-million dollar dog meat industry continues to thrive in parts of Asia, a harsh reality for animals affectionately referred to as “man’s best friend.”
Thailand’s Immigration Police have detained approximately 26,000 illegal migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia during an eight-day operation in Bangkok and surrounding regions, according to a Royal Thai Police spokesperson.
Mr Adisorn Keudmeuangkhon of the Bangkok-based Migrant Working Group said the drive was in response to an increasing number of concerns about an influx of illegal migrant labor.
“Some Thai people see that many illegal workers are competing for their job positions in the past few months,” he told me. “That’s why the ministry has to take tougher action.”
Civil strife in Myanmar and the recent implementation of a military conscription have driven thousands of Burmese into Thailand, while severe inflation and limited job opportunities in Laos have also encouraged an influx of workers from that country.
Between June 5 and 12, officials detained and checked 20,111 Myanmar laborers, 1,659 Laotian migrant workers, and 3,971 Cambodian workers, according to the Ministry of Labor.
It marked the start of a 120-day campaign to audit workplaces and arrest unlawful migrant workers, according to the government.
Migrant Workers to be Deported
According to Keudmeuangkhon, undocumented workers face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Thai baht (US $136 to $1,365), deportation, and a two-year prohibition on re-entering Thailand.
Authorities did not intend to file criminal charges, he claimed.
Authorities raided 1,774 workplaces, according to Moe Gyo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee on Burmese Affairs, which advocates for Myanmar labor rights.
He stated that since the military junta activated conscription, there has been an upsurge in the number of arrests of Myanmar citizens in Thailand who do not have a work permit identity card.
All men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve in the military for at least two years. The first group of 5,000 conscripts summoned by Myanmar’s junta will start duty at the end of this month, military sources told AFP on Monday.
According to Keudmeuangkhon, the bulk of Lao migrant workers in Thailand work as fresh market shopkeepers, restaurant servers, and mall salespeople.
Most people visit Thailand as part of ASEAN’s visa-free policy for tourists, but they stay longer than the 30-day restriction once they find job.
“Employers like to hire Lao migrant workers in the service sector because they can speak fluent Thai,” he told me.
Immigration Police Detain Illegal Migrant Workers
The Thai Cabinet may approve an enhanced program for Thai employers to register their unauthorized foreign workers in July or August. Keudmeuangkhon explained.
Last month, the Thai Ministry of Labor’s Foreign Workers Administration office announced that 268,465 Lao migrant workers were officially working in Thailand.
Baykham Kattiya, Lao Minister of Labor, told Radio Free Asia earlier this month that there are 415,956 migrant workers in other nations, the majority of whom work in Thailand.
According to her, the Lao government believes that over 203,000 persons working outside of the nation lack proper work documents.
However, a Lao official familiar with the labor industry informed Radio Free Asia, a BenarNews-affiliated news station, on June 20 that the number of illegal Lao migrant workers in Thailand and abroad is likely significantly greater.
“They go to other countries as illegal migrant workers through different types of methods – as tourists or students,” said the politician. “Thus, it is hard for the immigration police to collect data on these people.”
Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers
Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers
Thailand’s Office of Basic Education Commission has initiated an investigation into the electrocution of a 14-year-old student by a water dispenser in a high school. The event happened at noon on Friday, during the high school’s sports day. The victim was a Grade 8 student.
According to local media in Trang Province, the incident occurred when a teacher instructed the pupil to turn off a water dispenser amid a heavy rain.
According to a witness, the child collapsed while strolling with his friend near a water station. The friend claimed he attempted to assist but was also shocked by electricity.
According to reports, the friend then recovered, left the site, and requested assistance from teachers. A teacher ran to the scene and used a towel to pull the boy away by the ankle. He was taken to the hospital, but it was too late, they claimed.
The event sparked criticism from parents and netizens over school safety, as well as the slow response to aid the young youngster.
Mr. Chainarong Changrua, head of Trang-Krabi’s Secondary Educational Service Area Office, told local media on Sunday that forensic officers from Trang Provincial Police had visited the area. They discovered the blown breaker switch behind the water dispenser, he explained.
The breaker was burned out, thus the authorities assumed the disaster was caused by a short circuit that allowed energy to spill to a neighboring power pole. The student also appeared wet and was not wearing shoes when electrocuted.
According to the Office of Basic Education Commission, a probe team will complete its investigation this week.
The student’s father, Mr Pornchai Thepsuwan, 53, claimed he was saddened when he saw his son’s body. The boy (Wayu), was the youngest of two boys, he explained. He stated that following the tragedy, the school director and staff gave financial assistance to the families.
Mr Pornchai also said he would not seek charges against the institution because he believed it was an accident.
Electrical accidents in Thailand
Electrocution instances in Thailand have increased alarmingly in recent years. Many mishaps occur as a result of improper wiring and inadequate maintenance of electrical systems.
Public locations, such as schools and markets, frequently lack adequate safety precautions, putting individuals in danger. In rural areas, antiquated infrastructure exacerbates the situation, resulting in more frequent and serious events.
Although several high-profile cases have brought these challenges to light, genuine progress has been gradual. Furthermore, the rainy season heightens the likelihood of electrical accidents, as water and exposed wires do not mix well.
The government has made steps to strengthen safety standards, but enforcement is patchy. More education on electrical safety could help to reduce these accidents.
Unfortunately, better infrastructure and tougher rules may have prevented many of these incidents. The loss and injuries caused by electrocution are avoidable, emphasizing the need for immediate action.
Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand
Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand
Thailand’s Tourist Police said it is collaborating with embassies from five countries to combat tourist scams and ten criminal gangs in Pattaya. The Tourist Police Bureau, convened a meeting on Thursday Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am told a press briefing.
Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am, the Tourist Police bureau commissioner said the participants included ambassadors from South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, India, and Switzerland.
He told the briefing the he had ordered a crackdown on tourist frauds, such as fraudulent or low-quality tour operators and unfair sales of goods and services. Stepped-up operations began on June 19 and will continue until June 25.
He stated that the agency was working with numerous organisations to increase tourists’ confidence in visiting Pattaya.
Gen Saksira spent time on the famed Walking Street speaking with officers on duty and assigned them to seek for members of ten criminal groups known to operate in Pattaya.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will visit Chon Buri on Saturday to assess the tourism situation. He intends to visit the site of a future Formula One racecourse near Khao Phra Tamnak in Bang Lamung District.
Prime Minister Srettha recently met with Formula One organisers in Italy to examine the potential of including Thailand on the race schedule in the future.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister will pay a visit to Rayong’s U-tapao airport to discuss development on the airport’s land, with the goal of encouraging investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.
Police Chief Reinstated
In other police news, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol has been reinstated as national police chief following the conclusion of an investigation into a highly publicised quarrel, according to Wissanu Krea-ngam, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s counsellor.
Mr Wissanu released the investigation’s findings on Thursday, after the prime minister formed a fact-finding committee chaired by Chatchai Promlert to investigate into the quarrel between Pol Gen Torsak and his deputy, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.
The four-month study revealed conflicts and disorder at all levels of the Royal Thai Police, but it was unclear whether these issues arose from a single cause or several causes, according to Mr Wissanu.
The findings revealed that both Pol Gen Torsak and Pol Gen Surachate were involved, with each team contributing to the tensions, he noted.
Mr Wissanu indicated that Pol Gen Surachate was reinstated as deputy national police head on 18 April following his relocation to the Prime Minister’s Office on 20 March. A disciplinary committee was formed to investigate Pol Gen Surachate, and he was ordered temporarily suspended from the police force.
Because there were no further difficulties to explore, it was decided to restore Pol Gen Torsak. He plans to retire on September 30.
On March 20, Mr Srettha abruptly transferred both top police officers to the Prime Minister’s Office in an effort to address the growing schism within the police service.
Kitrat Panphet, Deputy National Police Chief, was subsequently named Acting Police Chief. According to sources, Pol Gen Surachate could face money laundering charges related to online gaming networks.
Source: Bangkok Post
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