Cops catch court escapee
Tiger population on the rebound
KHON KAEN: A man who escaped from the provincial court on Wednesday after being convicted for drug offences was recaptured at a resort in this northeastern province yesterday morning.
Police surrounded the resort in tambon Sila of Muang district following a tip-off that Ratchaphon Khiannok, 35, and his 20-year-old accomplice, Palangwatchara Khunsinchairat, were staying in one of the rooms.
When police stormed the room, they f ound Ratchaphon and Mr Palangwatchara using illicit drugs. They were arrested with 8,000 methamphetamine pills.
Pol Col Pornsak Ngamdee, investigation superintendent at the Khon Kaen provincial police station, said a massive manhunt was launched after Ratchaphon escaped on Monday evening shortly after the court found him guilty in a drug case.
While being led to a prison vehicle, Ratchaphon, with fetters on, ran off, climbed over the court fence and fled on a waiting motorcycle ridden by Mr Palangwatchara.
They later went to the home of one of Mr Palangwatchara’s relatives in tambon Phra Lap in Khon Kaen’s Muang district to have the leg chains removed before fleeing in a car to Chiang Yuen district of Maha Sarakham to retrieve 14,000 meth pills before returning to Khon Kaen around 5am yesterday.
Police officers swooped on the resort and arrested both men later in the morning.
During the arrest, some methamphetamine pills were found flushed down the toilet.
Prison clothes, leg chains, a crashed helmet and two mobile phones were found at the house where the two had stopped.
During questioning, Ratchaphon admitted to being arrested by police in Khon Kaen for having 8,600 speed pills on Jan 29 this year.
He also confessed to planning to deliver the 14,000 speed pills found in Maha Sarakham to a customer.
Both men were charged with possessing illicit drugs. Ratchaphon faces an additional charge for escaping, and Mr Palangwatchara is charged with aiding in the escape of a convicted felon.
WILDLIFE: The tiger population in Thailand rose from 41 in 2014 to 100 in 2022, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP).
DNP director-general Atthapol Charoenchansa said yesterday he had assigned deputy DNP directorgeneral Rungnapa Phatthanawiboon, along with other DNP officials, to attend the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference (SFTLC), which was held in Paro, Bhutan between April 22 and 23.
Ms Rungnapa said at the conference Thailand’s mission to protect tigers in the country started in 2005 and has been continuously funded and supported by the government.
She said this contributed to the success of the first Thailand Tiger Action Plan (2010-2022) by increasing the tiger population in Thung Yai Naresuan-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary from 41 in 2014 to 100 in 2022.