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Bangkok Post (8/6/99)



<center><bold>Warning to bars

</bold></center>

Police and city officials have threatened to close any nightspot that
serve people under 18 or violate operating hours.


About 700 nightspot operators who met representatives of the Interior
Ministry, the police and city administration, were also asked not to
modify their buildings, place vending stalls on pavements and create a
noise nuisance.

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<center><bold>Border security

</bold>

</center>The First Army is holding exercises in Kanchanaburi to assess
the national defence plan following troop incursions across the Burmese
border, an army source said yesterday.


Gen Surayud Chulanont, the army chief, will view the exercises on
Thursday and will lead an inspection tour along the Thai-Burmese border
in Chiang Mai and Tak on June 14-15. As part of the security effort,
warning systems will be installed in border areas.

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<center><bold>Border gateway to casino closed Pass helps local trade,
says governor

</bold></center>

Thirawat Kamthita

Thais can no longer cross into Burma through the Sop-Ruek temporary
checkpoint in Mae Sai to gamble at the Golden Triangle casino.


Governor Vijarn Chaiyanant of Chiang Rai confirmed the restriction when
he met members of the House local administration panel, who had queried
the decision last October to open the checkpoint.


Samphan Lertnuwat, a local New Aspiration MP, called on the governor to
close the checkpoint, saying the casino, which is to open soon and is 1km
away, would benefit directly.


Mr Vijarn said the opening of the checkpoint had nothing to do with the
casino but was aimed purely at promoting trade among people from Burma,
Laos and Thailand.


"Only Burmese and Laotians can use the checkpoint to cross into Ban
Sop-Ruek and Ban Wang Lao during the day," he said. "Thai people cannot
cross the border from this checkpoint." Local gamblers had to use the
Chiang Saen pass, 10km away.


The casino is reportedly owned by Prasit Pohsuthon, an elder brother of
Mr Prapat, a deputy interior deputy minister and a member of Chart 
Thai.


Boosarin Tiyapairat, manager of the provincial administration
organisation, had supported the opening. Most Chiang Rai councillors felt
local people would benefit, she said, but a few local politicians had

opposed the opening.


Pol Lt-Gen Viroj Pao-in, a Chart Thai MP and panel member, inspected the
checkpoint and the Chiang Saen border pass and said the governor had
acted within his authority. Furthermore, the temporary checkpoint had
undoubtedly helped boost local trade.


The Ang Thong MP, who is deputy chairman of the panel, said confusion
erupted over the governor's decision to open the checkpoint amid attempts
to link it to the gambling den.


"Whether there is a casino on the other side of the checkpoint or not is
irrelevant since it is beyond our borders," Pol Lt-Gen Viroj added.

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Police kill 7 intruders in drugs clash 


Police killed seven suspected members of the Wa State Army and recovered
more than one million amphetamine pills after a clash in Mae Chan
district early yesterday.


The clash took place shortly after midnight when a 30-strong Border
Patrol Police unit under Pol Maj-Gen Thawal Bunsoong came across 20 armed
men in the jungle near Chana-Santisuk road in tambon Pa Tung.


The armed men, believed to have crossed the border from Burma, opened
fire when told to stop for a search, and a fierce gunfight ensued for
about 30 minutes after which most of the the intruders retreated.


Seven tribesmen were killed by police who recovered 1,050,000 amphetamine
pills, three carbines, two AK47 assault rifles and three grenades.


A patrolman identified as Pol L/Cpl Chamnong Champabua was wounded in the
left hand.


Pol Gen Pracha Promnok, the national police chief, flew to the base of
327th BPP Company in Mae Chan at noon and handed over 100,000 baht to
show moral support.


He said police have to get tough with drug traffickers who are armed.


Pol Gen Pracha told the BPP to keep up with good intelligence work and
despatch patrols to find any wounded stragglers.


A police source said the pills were believed to have come from a plant in
Burma run by Lao Ta, who had hired Wa fighters as guards and to transport
the drug across the border into Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai.


The traffickers might have been involved in the murder of nine villagers
in Fang district, Chiang Mai, two months ago, he added.

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