MILESTONES

JAILED:

For a year by the Supreme Court, Surapong Suebwonglee, former ICT minister and Lord Voldemort courtier. Surapong slipped a special law past everyone to permit foreign purchase of shares of Voldemort’s satellite firm Thaicom.

POSTPONED:

Until Sept 15, the trial of the two Uighurs charged with blowing up Erawan shrine a year ago. The thing is that the Uzbek (yes) court translator for Adem Karadag and Yusufu Mirelli was arrested for drug dealing and then skipped bail.

SUSPENDED:

From his job as Bangkok governor to enable an investigation of graft, MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra. Among the many possible corruption cases, the general prime minister picked the New Year’s light show for his Section 44 order for an enforced holiday.

Slashed:

By about a third, rides on the pariah Purple Line to nowhere. When the trains that go from Nonthaburi got almost no riders, the general prime minister ordered — ordered! — the BEM to get bums on seats forthwith. At between 50% and 70% of standard fare, the train will likely continue to go nowhere.

ANNOUNCED:

By Thai Hotels Association president Supawan Tanomkiatipum, plans to establish HotelAsean.com. This should put all those private-sector websites offering hotel reservations out of business, by taking a smaller cut of the action. No opening date was set.

CLEARED:

Of all theft and other criminal charges, the mother-daughter team who stood up to Monta “Ying Kai” Yokrattanakan, and brought her down. Student Praphawan Jaikla and her mother Praphaporn Thongfueng were accused by now-notorious Chicken Lady of theft of millions of baht of her valuables.

TICKETED:

By a special traffic police squad trained and let loose on 10 main Bangkok streets, 12 drivers caught catching Pokémon behind the wheel. The squad, dubbed Officers Without Heart, refused to take “catching Squirtle” as an excuse.