MILESTONES

Killed: By his angry neighbour, 20-year-old Chaiwat Yothaphakdi of Maha Sarakham, who went to his grave believing he had the right to play his hip-hop as loudly as he wanted. That neighbour, Sombun Nokkhai, 38, believed that powerful speakers should be played quietly, especially when asked.

Raised: By a record 37%, the price of gas that government has urged people to use because it’s cheap. The cost of subsidised “natural gas vehicles” (NGV), properly called compressed natural gas, went from 10.62 to 14.58 baht per kilogramme at a stroke.

Died: At 76 after a fight against pancreatic cancer, the undoubted Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Her timeless songs include I Say a Little Prayer and Respect.

Died: In suburban Paris at 90, seminal Vietnam war figure and ex-Col Bui Tin of the North Vietnamese army. He fought at Dien Bien Phu and personally took the surrender of the last South Vietnamese government on April 30, 1975. He was feted as a hero. But within years he was vastly disillusioned with communism, urged his former comrades to embrace democracy and moved to the West.

Delayed: By the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, a decision on whether to allow charges of corruption proceed against Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT). Activist and former National Anti-Corruption Commission member Charnchai Issarasenanark believes duty-free retailer King Power has failed to pay 14 billion baht for its franchise, and that AoT committed malfeasance over it.

Donated: By the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (and Thai taxpayers) a confidential number of baht for the Myanmar government to build a shrimp raising research facility. The centre will be in Rakhine state, where the ethnic cleansing by the Myanmar government has assured that no Rohingya will benefit from the Thai donations.