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Real-life emergency as boat carrying ‘Emergency Minutes’ film crew capsizes
Boonlua Chatree
More than 2 million baht worth of filming equipment sank to the
bottom of the ocean when a boat carrying actors and production crew filming
the television program Emergency Minutes capsized.
 Crew
from surrounding boats quickly moved in to rescue the actors and crew from
the sinking ship.
Only minor injuries were reported by the actors and film crew, who were from
the Kantana Group of the Royal Thai Army radio and television Channel 5.
The capsize happened at 4 p.m. on January 24 near Naklua Fishery Dock, when
the fishing boat being used by the production unit capsized 300 meters
offshore.
Narongrit Muayaree, a 35-year-old television director, said that he had come
to film the program Emergency Minutes that was to be broadcast on Channel 5.
The production team was filming a re-enactment of an incident in which two
Thai fishermen escaped death in a fishing boat captained by a man who forced
them to work in Sattahip Bay for six months.
The production team rented two fishing boats at Naklua Fishery Dock to film
the scene where the fishermen jump into the sea to escape. Initially the
actors were placed in the boat that subsequently capsized, while the camera
and production crew were in the other boat. After that the film crew moved
onto the actors’ boat, making a total of 15 people on board.
When the cameras and personnel moved to the same side of the boat, the
weight caused the vessel to capsize. The production crew and actors, along
with the cameras and other production equipment valued at about 2.5 million
baht, disappeared into the water. Minor injuries were suffered by a number
of people, and four of them were sent to Banglamung Hospital.
Actor Thamarong Liyong, 39, better known as Tao Khonhuamor, said that he was
playing the part of one of the fishermen, Boonchoo Kadeeded. The production
crew had moved the cameras to the side of the boat so they could film him
jumping into the water, when suddenly the boat tilted to one side. He said
he thought about his parents, and hoped that the Buddha would protect him.
Tao joked that it was a pity there was no crew filming the boat capsizing,
as it would have attracted large audiences throughout the country. However,
the incident was captured with the video feature on one of the crew’s mobile
phone.
Immigration calls urgent meeting over fear of foreign teacher crimes
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya Immigration called an urgent meeting of more than 30 international
educational institutes and foreign language schools located in Pattaya on
January 26 to brief them on the procedures necessary when submitting visa
extension applications for overseas personnel that the schools wish to
employ as teachers or accept as students.
Pol Col Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai, superintendent of Pattaya Immigration,
also explained regulations that must be followed for extensions for married
couples or children accompanying foreign parents.
Pol Col Ittipol said the regulations had to be followed in order to maintain
social order and to prevent crimes committed by teachers and students.
The Immigration Department issued Order No 606/2549, dated 8 September 2006
amending regulations on visa extension applications, which become effective
from 1 October 2006, as well as providing recommendations on checking the
qualifications of aliens.
“Last week the Office of Private Education Promotion discovered that alien
qualification certificates had been forged and were used to apply for
teacher licenses and submitted to immigration departments to support visa
extension applications. Therefore, existing rules and regulations have been
further amended,” said Ittipol.
Pol Lt Col Pitti Nithinonsaet, deputy superintendent of Pattaya Immigration
said that the Office of Private Education Promotion discovered that 63
foreign teachers had forged their qualifications. Most were from England and
other European countries. Evidence is being compiled on 61 of them while the
courts have already sentenced two of them to three months’ imprisonment,
each on charges of forging and using forged documents. He added that the
schools must cooperate with officers in prevention and suppression of such
activities.
US Embassy presents bomb blankets to Pattaya police
Scott Bernat (right), head of
the Naval Security Force Protection Detachment of the US Embassy, and an
assistant demonstrate how to use the bomb blankets donated by the United
States Embassy in Bangkok.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
The United States Embassy in Bangkok has presented equipment used in the
disarming of explosive devices to Pattaya Municipal Police Station, in the
wake of the New Year bomb blasts in Bangkok.
A security force protection detachment led by Scott Bernat, head of the
Naval Security Force Protection Detachment of the US Embassy, and Bert
Brooks, president of the Thailand Navy League of the United States visited
Pol Col Suthin Sappuang on January 17 to present a set of bomb blankets to
the station.
The blankets are made from special fibers and are used to cover any suspect
items to help protect officers and the public. They are in different sizes
and can lessen the force of an explosion and prevent shrapnel if the bomb
goes off before disposal experts arrive at the scene.
A demonstration and an explanation of how to use the blankets was given to
officers before the blankets were handed over.
Pol Col Suthin said that even though the threat of unrest in the area had
lessened, we cannot be complacent and officers should be ready at all times.
1,000 police officers and volunteers trained in bomb emergency procedures
Narisa Nitikarn
Banglamung Police Station has provided training for officers, auxiliary
officers and volunteers in procedures to follow in the event of bombs being
planted in Pattaya.
Over 1,000 people attended the session at the Mini Siam conference room on
January 24, with rescue workers, motorcycle taxi drivers and baht bus
drivers joining the officers. Mini Siam supported the project by providing
the facilities.
 Pol
Sgt Sathaporn Phaprom, head of the incendiary inspection and defusing
division at Police Special Operations, talks to the audience about how to
recognize, and what to do about, suspicious objects.
Pol Maj Gen Theerayout Kittiwat, deputy commander of the Provincial Police
Region 2, presided over the opening of the session along with Pol Col
Noppadon Sornsumrarn, superintendent of Banglamung Police Station, Mayor
Niran Wattanasartsathorn, and chief advisor to the mayor Itthipol Khunplome.
A bomb disposal expert from the Royal Thai Police spoke on how to control
the scene of a suspected explosive device, and the procedures to follow to
clear and secure the area before specialists could arrive and remove it.
The training was given in the wake of the bombings that have occurred in
Bangkok and in the South of Thailand, and to create a network of prevention
measures, said Pol Col Noppadon.
Pol Sgt Sathaporn Phaprom, head of the incendiary inspection and defusing
division at Police Special Operations, who was another of the speakers,
briefed attendees on the appearance and types of the known incendiaries.
Training was divided into several categories with the emphasis being on
evacuating the scene and leaving it clear for the bomb disposal experts, who
are trained in spotting suspicious objects that could be clues to the
bombers or even be a second explosive device.
“In the event that anyone finds any suspicious object, they should
quarantine the area and not allow people to go within 300 meters of it. They
should wait for a special officer to verify and defuse the incendiary, which
will save life and property,” said Pol Lt Col Sarayut Arunchai, inspector at
the bomb disposal division of Police Special Operations.
Locals request more rubbish bins during mobile visit
Thepprasit Community members
are asking for more rubbish bins to help create more orderliness and
hygienic living conditions.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
City hall’s mobile road show rolled into Sukhumvit Soi 52 on January 18,
with Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn, chairman of the Pattaya mayor
advisory committee Itthipol Khunplome, and members of Pattaya City Council
handing out rice and dried food to members of the community.
Many organizations lent their support by providing services, such as the
Suphanimit Foundation, Pattaya Tourist Police, Pattaya Law Society, Wat
Chaimongkol Community Traditional Massage, the Elderly Social Services
Development Center, and Tesco Lotus, which provided more than 100 sacks of
rice to distribute to the public.
Itthipol spoke of the success of community development, as he personally
helped distribute the dried food products to the public who were queuing up
to receive them.
Chan Kon-im, chairman of Thepprasit Community said that the community
comprised 100 households and a population of more than 1,000. In recent
years the community has benefited from development funding from city hall,
he said, especially for the construction of concrete roads that previously
had been only dirt tracks.
The next urgent need, said Chan, was for more rubbish bins as there are not
enough and they are needed to help create more orderliness and hygienic
living conditions.
Telephone pole slows progress on west side of railway road
Construction on the western
side of the new road is behind schedule.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Construction of the western side of the new relief road that will run
alongside the railway tracks has been delayed because of the necessity to
remove a telephone pole that stands in the way.
Pattaya City councilor Sitthipab Muangkhum had raised a question about the
delay during a meeting at Pattaya City Hall on January 22, and was advised
by the contractor that the work should be finished on time although recent
progress had been delayed by the removal of the pole.
Sitthipab and Pattaya public works department director Pichet Uthaivatananon
called representatives of Bangsaen Mahanakhon Co Ltd and Bangkok Concrete Co
Ltd to the meeting to discuss progress.
Sitthipab said that Pattaya City had drawn up the contract under a special
support budget for 2005, and that it was necessary according to the
financial utilization plan to have everything completed by the end of this
year.
“Work should be accelerated, which is possible,” he said. “Compared to
progress on the east side, under the Ratchaburi military engineers, the west
side is slow.”
Fake bomb planted near Thai Petroleum storage depot at Laem Chabang
Police chief says they will find ‘ill-intentioned culprits’
Narisa Nitikarn
A fake bomb was planted near a gas storage tank at Laem Chabang on January
30, resulting in a major mobilization of police and bomb disposal experts.
Residents in the vicinity of the Thai Petroleum Co depot reported at 9:30
a.m. that a suspicious looking package had been placed outside a shop sited
about 500 meters away from a gas storage tank.
 Bomb
disposal experts inspect the fake bomb near a gas storage tank at Laem
Chabang.
Pol Col Supathee Bunkrong, superintendent at Laem Chabang police station, Lt
Treeprapat Vuthikittiwong, commander of the explosives unit of the 21st
ammunition division, Thai Royal Army, and a number of police and explosive
investigation specialists rushed to the scene.
They found a paper box wrapped around with black adhesive tape and attached
to it was a digital watch timed at 12.49.
Police asked the public to clear the area, while bomb disposal experts
checked the package and used a high-pressure water jet to cut the wires.
After 30 minutes they were able to announce with relief that the box
contained only an old motorcycle battery.
Pol Col Supathee said the perpetrators were ill-intended people who wanted
to create chaos. With the evidence police collected at the scene and
evidence supplied by witnesses, they would trace those responsible.
This was a risky area to play mindless games, he said, for there were large
storage areas of oil and gas belonging to Thai Petroleum, Thai Oil, and
Esso. Pol Col Supathee added that if a real bomb exploded here it would be
disastrous for residents and visitors, and for the peace of the country.
Police charge two Frenchmen with counterfeiting bankcards
Boonlua Chatree
Two Frenchmen have been arrested on charges of counterfeiting bankcards, and
police believe they are part of an international gang of forgers operating
in Thailand.
The investigation that resulted in the January 26 arrests was initiated by
Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamane, commander of the Tourist Police, who had gathered
evidence on the activities of the gang. He instructed Pol Lt Col Phantha
Nuchonnarot, deputy superintendent of international crime suppression, and
Pol Lt Col Wuttichart Luonsukhan, superintendent of Pattaya Tourist Police
to track them down.
 After
an intense investigation, police tracked down and arrested Alexandre Guasmia
(left) and Tachefini Smaine (right) for credit card counterfeiting.
The investigative team was provided with information from local bank
officials that indicated foreign criminals were stealing electronic bankcard
data in Pattaya. The team continued with the investigations and spotted two
suspects.
Police noticed two foreigners walking in front of a bank and acting
suspiciously. The two were detained and identified as Tachefini Smaine, age
20, and Alexandre Guasmia, 21. Both are French nationals. They were taken
into custody and found to be in possession of various materials for
counterfeiting bank cards, including a data scanner and recorder. They also
had 60,520 in baht and 1,520 euros.
Smaine and Guasmia told investigators they were paid 50,000 baht per time by
an unknown French national to use the scanner to steal bankcard data of
people who withdraw money from ATM machines. Police charged the pair with
stealing electronic data for counterfeiting, and are continuing their
investigations.
Service girls spike drinks of Indian tourists and flee with valuables
Boonlua Chatree
Three Indian tourists had their drinks spiked by service girls while they
were in their own hotel rooms, and the girls made off with everything of
value.
Police received a call at 3 a.m. on January 20 to say that three men were
lying drugged and unconscious in their rooms at a hotel on Pratamnak Road,
South Pattaya.
Officers went to investigate with medical personnel from Pattaya Memorial
Hospital. The crime had taken place in two rooms in the seven-story hotel.
Inside one room officers found Kailasn Agramal, 42, asleep on his bed,
snoring loudly. Inside the room next door they found Narendra Kumar, 40, and
Ravi Datt Bhatt, 40, in the same state of unconsciousness. Doctors
administered preliminary medical treatment before rushing all three to the
hospital, where they were treated in the intensive care unit.
Both rooms had been ransacked as had travel bags, and everything of value
had been taken away.
The culprits were service girls who had already left the scene, but hotel
staff had kept the girls’ ID cards, which identified them as Mrs Rarinratt
Bansri, 28, of Suphanburi and Miss Varaporn Rutarakang, 24, of Pathumthani.
Police kept the ID cards and the three cans of beer that the girls had
spiked to find out what sedative had been used.
Niten Dra Kumar, 47, and Sudhr Kumar, 39, brothers of victim Narendra Kumar,
told officers that the five had traveled to Pattaya together and rented two
rooms next to each other at the hotel at 11 p.m. that night. They had gone
out to Walking Street to have a meal and bought some beer before going for a
stroll on Pattaya Beach.
At the beach they met the two girls and arranged to take them back to the
hotel. The three victims took the two girls back and the other two brothers
continued with their stroll along the beach. After finishing their stroll
the two brothers returned to the hotel. They knocked on the doors, but
received no answer. After constant knocking they thought that they must all
be asleep and went downstairs to ask the receptionist to unlock the two
rooms.
Hotel staff told officers that they keep the ID cards of service girls as a
formality. The two girls left while a lot of visitors were checking in and
no one noticed them leave. The girls must have been worried that they would
have been checked when they asked for their ID cards back, so they left in a
hurry without asking for them. Police believe that the girls are part of a
gang.
Sorrow for two 12-year-old girls who drown together
Boonlua Chatree
Two 12-year-old girls drowned in the Sak Nok Reservoir on the afternoon of
January 21 when they went swimming with a group of school friends.
Police went to the reservoir with rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon
Foundation. It took divers 10 minutes before the bodies were found in the
5-meter deep water. The two girls were identified as Patcharee Robkobor, the
daughter of Pol Sgt Maj Supat Robkob, chief of the traffic group at Pattaya
Police Station, and Nareeporn Saengkloi. Both were primary school class 6
students at Wat Suthawat School.
Tanawee Chandee, a 10-year-old pupil from class 4 at Wat Suthawat, said that
the girls, along with a number of other children from the same area and
school, had decided to go swimming at Sak Nok Reservoir. The two girls
jumped into the water while he and the others stood on the bank. Nareeporn
shouted out that she didn’t know how to swim. Patcharee tried to save her,
but Nareeporn clutched her tight and the two girls began to sink. Tanawee
jumped in to try and save them but they grasped him and almost took him down
with them. He broke away and swam to the shore, and the two girls
disappeared under the water.
Pol Sgt Maj Supat, 42, said tearfully that he came to take up his position
at Pattaya Police Station only two months ago. The family lives at Amorn
Village behind Wat Sutthawat. Patcharee came to ask his permission to go to
Big C with her friends, and he didn’t know that they would go swimming. If
he had known this he would not have allowed her to go.
Gunmen shoot up newspaper office
Boonlua Chatree
A gunman shot up the offices of the Khaodet newspaper and Color TV Channel 3
in the early hours of January 24.
Police called out to the scene at Charoensuk Village 2 in Soi Sukhumvit
found that one bullet had hit the wall, one the iron door, and one the
window. The last bullet had gone through the glass and damaged a whiteboard
inside the room. An empty .38 caliber bullet casing was found on the ground.
Tanasap Noisa-Ard, the 35-year-old owner of the Khaodet newspaper and also
owner of the house, said there had been an earlier incident on January 19,
when just before dawn a gunman had shot at and damaged his black Toyota
Vios.
At the time of the second shooting Tanasap was inside the house with his
family when he heard the sound of a motorcycle pulling up outside. This was
followed by the sound of gunshots and the motorcycle leaving. Tanasap ran
outside to investigate and discovered that bullets had damaged the office
window and a sign in front of the house.
Witnesses told police there were two youths on the motorcycle. They were
dressed in black and wearing full-face helmets.
Tanasap said that with two shootings now having taken place, he is fearful
of what could happen to his family. He said he is thinking about selling the
house and moving away if the police cannot find out who is behind this.
Pol Col Nopadol Sornsamran, superintendent at Banglamung Police Station,
said that the gunmen were probably from the same group that had committed
the previous crime. He said the cause of the shooting was most likely from a
news presentation.
HIV awareness program launched for young people
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay launched a new HIV awareness program with a
presentation to 200 students from 14 schools within Pattaya at the Public
Health Center on Soi Buakao on January 22.
 Students
from schools in and around Pattaya view the ravaged bodies of victims who
succumbed to AIDS. The outing was part of the city’s HIV awareness program.
This two-day training session featured talks by Pichet Charoenket, deputy
dean at the faculty of public health, Burapha University, and Na-Anya
Chantrakat, head of the Prevention and Supervision of Infectious Diseases
Bureau at the Pattaya City Public Health and Environmental Department.
The first day was theoretical training, while the second day was an outdoor
learning session at Wat Phrabat Namphu in Lopburi Province, a temple known
nationwide for its treatment of HIV infected patients and the establishment
of the Thammarak Foundation.
The students were from the 10 schools under Pattaya City jurisdiction, and
Ban Rotfai School, Pattaya Arunothai School, Banglamung School and
Phothisamphan Pittayakarn School.
Verawat said that the huge number of entertainment outlets in Pattaya
presents many temptations for young people in incorrect behavior concerning
sexual relationships, especially students at the secondary school level.
There is also an enormous amount of peer pressure, he said. Many young
people have unprotected sexual relationships before they really understand
what they are doing, and how to protect themselves. Education is therefore
essential.
Data from 2006 reveals more than one million HIV patients and that the
number of infections is increasing by probably as much as 70 to 80 cases per
day.
The profile of sufferers is changing. There has actually been a decrease
amongst sexual service workers because they understand the importance of
condoms. There has, however, been an increase amongst young people and
married women.
Youngsters taught the basics of good driving in new campaign to reduce accidents
Trainers for the campaign
include officials from the Don’t Drink and Drive Foundation and the
Non-Infectious Disease Protection and Control Section of the Pattaya City
Public Health and Environment Department.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
A campaign to help reduce the number of road accidents by teaching school
pupils the rules of the road was launched on January 19 at Banglamung
Vocational College by the Non-Infectious Disease Protection and Control
Section of the Pattaya City Public Health and Environment Department.
Two hundred youngsters who are studying at vocational level attended the
first session.
Woman Pol Capt Pornpana Chokthai, a nurse from the Non-Infectious Disease
Protection and Control Section, said that car accident statistics in
Chonburi in 2005 were the highest in Thailand, with 58,129 accidents and 256
deaths. A concerted effort is now being made by a number of relevant
government bodies to reduce this grim figure. The new campaign is one of
them, aimed at young people who will be new to car and motorcycle driving.
Amongst the trainers for the campaign are officials from the Don’t Drink and
Drive Foundation.
Young people from Banglamung
Vocational College listen to wheelchair-bound victims of drunk driving
accidents.
Navy battalions make vow before Flag on Thai Armed Forces Day
Admiral Sathiraphan Kaeyanon,
commander-in-chief of the naval forces, presides over the ceremony.
Patcharapol Panrak
Thai Armed Forces Day, January 18, saw 12 battalions under the Royal Thai
Navy making a vow before the Armed Forces Flag at the Air and Coastal
Defense Command multi-purpose field, in Sattahip.
Captain A-Rak Kaew-Iam, commander of the Development and Construction
Regiment at Sattahip Naval Base, led the regimental combat team at the
parade ceremony, with Admiral Sathiraphan Kaeyanon, commander-in-chief of
the naval forces presiding.
The ceremony was for officers and new recruits who had not yet taken a vow
before the Flag.
“Chai Calermpol”, the Thai Armed Forces Flag that was presented by His
Majesty the King, is the national standard and is considered sacred by all
military personnel. It is used for all special occasions concerning
reputation and honor, and is the standard under which Thai forces would
fight in the event of conflict.
Memorial to Father of Thai Law to be erected outside provincial court
Pattaya Provincial Court Judge
Mrs. Prathumporn Kamnerdrit (center) leads the ceremony to relocate a
flagpole and construct a monument to the Father of Thai Law, His Royal
Highness Prince Ratchaburi Direkrit.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
A memorial to the Father of Thai Law, His Royal Highness Prince Ratchaburi
Direkrit, is to be erected in front of Pattaya Provincial Court.
A meeting of the organizing committee was held on January 24 to discuss the
proceedings, with Judge Mrs Prathumporn Kamnerdrit in the chair and Deputy
Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and public relations officer for the project, Paisan
Bundityanond also present.
Prathumporn said the memorial would be a copy of the one in front of the
Chiang Mai Courts, 2 meters in height and made of brass.
There is at present a flagpole on the site in front of Pattaya Provincial
Court, and the committee agreed to move this to the roof of the building.
This was carried out two days later, on January 26. There will be a
foundation stone laying ceremony for the memorial on February 5, at 1 p.m.
The memorial will be installed on March 26.
His Royal Highness Prince Ratchaburi Direkrit was the 14th son of King Rama
V. He was born on October 21, 1874, and in 1888 was sent to England to
study. Upon completion of schooling he chose to study law at Christ Church
College, Oxford University. Upon graduating, he returned to Bangkok and set
about modernizing the justice system. He founded law schools, wrote law
books, and revised laws. His importance to Thailand’s entire legal system is
reflected in him being recognized as the Father of Thai Law.
Anyone wishing to make a donation towards the construction of the memorial
can do so until February 28 by transferring money to the Bank for
Agriculture and Agriculture Cooperatives, into the “Donation Fund to Build
the Father” account, number 653-2-28372-7. Please send a fax of the money
deposited to 038 252 134, or make a cash donation to the public relations
department at Pattaya Provincial Court, tel 038 252 130-2 ext 129.
Training upgrades efficiency of sea rescue unit
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh
(right) addresses sea rescue officers during the training session at the Sea
Rescue Unit office in Pattaya.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh presided over the opening of a training
session for sea rescue officers on January 22 at the Sea Rescue Unit office
in Pattaya City.
The course, which ended on January 26, was designed to increase the
efficiency of officers working at accident scenes and to reduce loss of life
and property in the event of a disaster at sea.
Training included the provision of support for water related accidents,
first aid and transportation of injured people, searching underwater for
victims, and using GPS (Global Positioning System).
Forty-two officers attended the session, with trainers supplied by Queen
Sirikit Navy Hospital, the Royal Thai Navy, and the Water Transportation
Department.
The sea and seaside rescue unit was established by Pattaya City to take care
of sea safety for residents and tourists. The unit covers the Jomtien area,
which is from Sigma Resort to the Royal Varuna Yacht Club; the Pattaya area,
which is from the Royal Varuna Yacht Club to the Dusit Resort; the Wong Amat
area, which is from Dusit Resort to the Naklua Market; and the Krathinglai
area, which is from Naklua Market to the Krathinglai canal. The total length
of these beaches is 15 kilometers.
Ronakit said that all officers must be ready to work at their utmost
efficiency, both to save lives and property and to ensure that Pattaya
retains its image as a safe destination for beach and ocean leisure
activities.
Two baby calves lead rescue workers to their sick mother
Patcharapol Panrak
Two intelligent water buffalo calves led rescue workers to their sick mother
who was lying in a field, suffering from suspected snakebite.
A radio officer at Rotjana Thammasathan Foundation in Sattahip received a
call just after noon on January 24 from a man who gave his name as Surasak
Khampetch, age 31, saying that a sick water buffalo had fallen near the Krom
Luang Chumporn Park construction workers’ camp in front of the Goddess
Takhianthong Shrine, in Sattahip.
 Two
young buffalos stay near their sick mother as officials try to figure out
what is wrong - the conclusion is a possible snakebite.
Rescue workers Pichit Kliakguthan and Suthee Kitkaew went to the scene where
they found the buffalo in an empty field beside the camp. There were also
two buffalo calves, a male and a female, lying down next to their mother.
The officers poured water over the cow to cool her down, and then allowed
her to drink and so avoid dehydration. While this was being done, the
officers checked the beast over and found she had a red spot on her right
front leg, possibly a bite from a poisonous snake.
Surasak, a volunteer police officer at Plutaluang police box, said that at
about 6 p.m. the previous evening he had seen the animal lying down, but
didn’t know it was sick. The following morning a young female buffalo came
to the door and butted her head against it. Everyone was scared, thinking
the animal was mad and intended to attack. They dispersed and hid in the
house.
After 10 minutes had passed the young calf was still silent, standing
stooped by the fence. Surasak decided to look at it, and when he was nearly
there the young buffalo turned away and began walking, looking back at him.
He followed it for 150 meters and found the mother lying down. A young male
buffalo was lying beside her.
Surasak said that no one knew where the buffalos came from. They often
crossed the road to eat the grass, and sometimes they obstructed the
traffic. The officials are now trying to locate the buffalos’ owner to take
care of them, because the mother buffalo is very ill.
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