Brunei To Introduce Sharia Law From April 2014 Onwards

The Sultan of Brunei announced on Monday 28 October 2013 that he will begin to phase in Shariah laws from April 2014 onwards. This will include the more controversial elements such as death by stoning for adultery, the amputation of limbs for theft, flogging for alcohol consumption and abortion, and other punishments reports Kansas City lifestyle.

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Thai Mahouts Against Elephant Ownership Bill

Yesterday, mahouts gathered with their elephants at Ayutthaya's elephant corral to persuade the government not to approve the draft Wild Animals Preservation and Protection Bill reported The Nation.

The bill has been driven by the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department who say their aim is to prevent the poaching and illegal trade of elephants.

Thailand Attorney   

Chaninat and Leeds specialize in local and international law in Thailand 

A public forum is being held on the draft bill, which will be considered by Parliament at a later date. The mahouts have also called on the government to remove Natural Resources and Environment Vice Minister Damrong Phidet from his current position after he showed support for the draft bill. 

General members of the public in Bangkok recently took part in a march to highlight the illegal ivory trade. Similar marches were held in cities across the world. 

Read the full story here.

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Flickr photo credit: rubenI

Lampang Crash Victims Should Receive Compensation Next Week

The Nation has today announced that the victims from Wednesday nights bus accident in Lampang will receive five million baht (160,726 USD or 99,000 GBP as at October 2013 exchange rate) in compensation between them.

The money should be paid to those injured and the families of the deceased within a week. Chiang Mai Transport Office chief Chanchai Kilapaeng confirmed that the bus had undergone a maintenance check on September 30, which found that its systems, including brakes, were working as normal.

Thailand personal injury lawyer, Jiraporn Thongphong commented on hearing the news, "the injured passengers are very lucky that on this occasion, the bus company, Weerapan Tour and Travel Limited Partnership, had insured them which will cover any medical costs which can be very expensive in Thailand”

Read the full article here

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Flickr photo credit: dineshobreja 

Rihanna's Helping Thai Police Crack Down on Crime

As a dedicated tweeter, it is not surprising that Rihanna shared her recent trip to Phuket, Thailand with her followers. What she perhaps might not have anticipated however was that her tweets led to three arrests being made. 

She assisted with the first arrest, but tweeting a picture of herself with a loris on the streets of Phuket. This quickly led to the arrest of two men for possessing a protected animal.

This weekend, police arrested an owner of a bar after Rihanna posted tweets describing a sex show she had seen. The owner faces charges for obscenity and running an entertainment venue without the proper license.

We are sure the police would be grateful Rihanna if you visited Thailand again soon!

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Flickr photo credit: Avrilllllllllla 

Stop The Ivory Trade: Bangkok's March For Elephants

Bangkok joined in the International March for elephants on 4 October. Around 20 cities joined in worldwide as part of an awareness campaign run by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Ivory can be seen in many places around Bangkok and the rest of Thailand for sale. It is often intimated that ivory only comes from elephants that are already dead, but this is not the case. Every fifteen minutes, another elephant is killed so poachers can use their tusks.

Here is footage from the march highlighting this very important issue:

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