Last Week In Reality

August 8th, 2008

20 SUN

In Pathum Thani, police catch the man responsible for the death of a girl found afl oat in a water tank. Arithat Komolkesarak, 25, returns after disappearing for three days and is immediately taken into custody. While being questioned he confesses to strangling 26-year-old Ratri Mandee, a karaoke bar waitress, to death, after they argue over drugs. It isn’t until the apartment residents start to notice fetid odors in their water that police discover Ratri’s body.

23 WED

In Nonthaburi, a man commits suicide by driving his car into the Chao Phraya River. Sakda Phonfarang, 41, drives to the pier by the Sanam Nua temple and attracts onlookers by reversing his car into a signboard. Sakda accelerates to top speed and plunges into the water. Bystander Chalong Muangboon, jumps into the river to save him but Sakda sees him coming and rolls down the car window to tell him to stop. Onlookers are left watching the car as it slowly sinks into the river. Police send a rescue team but they fail to pull Sakda’s body out of the vehicle and finally have to get a crane to pull the car out. Police are continuing their investigation to determine the reason behind the suicide.

25 FRI

In Petchaboon, a monk causes an uproar when he bans visitors from paying respect to the Buddha images at his temple. Head monk, Phra Kasem Aachinasrilo, 48, defends his actions saying he preaches the true practices of Buddhism written in the holy scriptures and
that they not only exclude the worship of idols but also challenge the preaching of Buddhism in Pali, as it is a language that most Thai people don’t understand. Phra Kasem asks visitors not to come to his temple if they wish to practice any other form of Buddhism than his interpretation.

27 SUN

In Bangkok, a woman pays over B14,000 in cash at a motorway toll booth. Suwana Panto is working in her toll collector booth on the motorway when a woman in a pink Honda Jazz drives up and hands her a large pile of cash. As Suwana tries to hand back the money the female driver quickly speeds off waving goodbye. The money adds up to B14,510 in total. Authorities are currently looking for the woman to return the sum of money, minus the toll way fee.