Chiang Rai News

Tham Luang Cave Rescue Diver Sues Tesla CEO Elon Musk for Defamation

CHIANG RAI – British volunteer rescue diver Vernon Unsworth who was instrumental in the rescue of 12 boy’s and their coach trapped in Tham Luang Cave in Chiang Rai, Thailand is suing Tesla CEO Elon Musk for defamation.

Unsworth a resident of Chiang Rai is seeking more than $75,000 to compensate for the “worldwide damage” he suffered following Musk’s attacks, uttered by Musk in July to his more than 22 million Twitter followers. Unsworth, through his attorney, said Musk’s claim was baseless and lacked evidence.

“Elon Musk falsely accused Vern Unsworth of being guilty of heinous crimes,” Unsworth’s attorney, L. Lin Wood, said in a statement. “Musk’s influence and wealth cannot convert his lies into truth or protect him from accountability for his wrongdoing in a court of law.” A separate lawsuit is being filed in London for the damages Unsworth, who is British, suffered in England and Wales, his lawyer said.

Musk and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment, and it’s unclear who will represent him. Unsworth was not made available for comment.

In June, when a young boys’ soccer team and their coach was found stranded in a sunken cave in northern Thailand, rescue officials turned to Unsworth for help. The experienced cave explorer had surveyed the underground system’s narrow passageways since shortly after his first visit to the country in 2012.

As the dangerous rescue gained global attention, Musk pledged to lead a team of engineers in building a mini-submarine that could snake through the cavern’s cramped arteries and whisk the boys to safety.

An international team of divers and rescue workers – one of whom, a Thai Navy SEAL, died during the operation – ultimately brought the boys to the surface on July 10. Musk’s mini-submarine was not used.

Musk’s mini-submarine proposal had sparked immediate skepticism, including from Unsworth, who told CNN after the rescue that the “PR stunt” had “absolutely no chance of working,” and that Musk could “stick his submarine where it hurts.”

Two days later, Musk tweeted that Unsworth was a pedophile and that Musk would make a video of the mini-submarine proving Unsworth wrong: “Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it.”

On July 18, amid criticism from Tesla investors, Musk apologized and tweeted that his “words were spoken in anger after Mr. Unsworth said several untruths.” But he did not publicly disavow the claims: In a late August tweet, Musk hinted that the lack of legal action suggested proof of Unsworth’s guilt, saying, “You don’t think it’s strange he hasn’t sued me?”

Unsworth’s attorney supplied a letter to Musk, dated Aug. 6, that he was preparing a libel lawsuit against him. But in emails late last month to BuzzFeed, Musk added onto the attack, saying Unsworth was a “child rapist” who had moved to Thailand for a 12-year-old bride. He also said he was defiant in the face of a court action, writing, “I f–ing hope he sues me.”

Musk has never supplied evidence for his claims, and independent efforts to substantiate them have failed. Unsworth’s lawyer said he shares a home with his partner, Woranan Ratrawiphukkunand a 40-year-old owner of a nail salon, in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Miss Ratrawiphukkunand and Unsworth have been together for more than seven years and met while she was working in a Thai restaurant in the UK. In an interview with British Media she said “Vern is a kind person. He rarely has an argument with anyone, and everybody loves him.

“We’ve spent our life together for seven years — he’s a good man and such a gentleman. He thinks of others before himself. I cannot comment further. I don’t have anything to say to him [Musk].

Meanwhile, Musk’s tweet on August 7th has shaken Tesla, the all-electric automaker that has been struggling for months amid mass layoffs, an exodus of top executives, and what Musk has described as a hellish manufacturing and delivery slog.

The company’s stock has plunged 22 percent since its peak last month, and doubts have grown that the company can, as Musk recently promised, end its long streak of unprofitability.

Last month, Musk tweeted that he had the “funding secured” for a now-defunct deal to take Tesla private, surprising company investors and board members and sparking a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, and said his friends had shown concern that the “excruciating” workload he had given himself was damaging his physical health. Earlier this month, during an interview with the comedian Joe Rogan, he smoked marijuana and wielded a samurai sword.

The lawsuit could amplify calls for Tesla to install a high-ranking executive or co-captain who could keep Musk’s more self-destructive instincts in check. James Anderson, a fund manager at Tesla’s biggest investor besides Musk, Baillie Gifford, said last week, “He needs help, and I mean that psychologically as much as practically.”

Gene Munster, managing partner at Loup Ventures, said last week that Musk’s many self-inflicted scandals had begun to tarnish the fame he had built as “a bad-ass billionaire.”

“More recently, Musk’s aura has seemed part jerk, part bully and part liar,” Munster said. “He surely isn’t winning new fans with how he’s been acting.

By Drew Harwell
The Washington Post

Chiang Rai News

Chiang Rai Man Kills Woman’s Infant Daughter When She Refuses His Sexual Advances

Police in Wiang Kaen District of Chiang Rai Province have arrested a 50 year old man after the threatened to rape a 20 year-old woman and the proceeded to murder her 2 and half month old baby.

Police with doctors from Wiang Kaen Hospital and the Chao Luang Wiang Kaen Welfare Association were summoned to the scene of the incident to a 2-story cement house, Village No. 2, Tha Kham Subdistrict, Wiang Kaen District of Chiang Rai

On arrival they found Ms. Chanikarn, age 20, in a state of distress crying uncontrollably beside her 2 and a half month baby girl (Linlada) that was dead on the floor.

After calming Ms. Chanikarn, the child’s mother, said that at approximately 2:30 p.m she was out to collect diapers that had been dried in front of the house, while her 2 and a half month old daughter was sleep on the ground floor of the house.

She said she was suddenly approached by a Mr. Lee, about 40 years old, who lived on the opposite side of the road. He came towards her and grabbed her arm and threatened her saying if she didn’t sleeping with him he will go and kill his daughter.

Miss Chanikan refused and ran away, then Mr. Lee then walked into the house and grabbed Ms. Linlada’s leg, smashing the child’s head against the cement floor of the house. The infant died immediately.

Mr. Lee then just walked away and returned to his own home, leaving Miss Chanikan and her dead baby.

When police went to Mr. Lee’s home he immediately confessed killing the infant and was taken to Wiang Kaen Police Station for further questioning. Under caution he told police that he was sexually attracted to Miss Chanikan‘s and when her husband leave for work he took the opportunity to approach her.

He said when he saw her husband leave he crossed that road and found Miss Chanikan in the yard alone, he then threatened her to sleep with him, saying he would kill her child if she didn’t have sex with him. However when she refused he flew into a fit of rage walked into her home and murdered he baby. He said he was out of control with rage.

After killing the infant he walk across the street to his home and waited for the police to arrive. The police have charged him with premeditated murder and attempted rape. He is being held without bail at the local remand center.

Meanwhile, Miss Chanikan and her family were preparing a religious burial ceremony for the child.

Other Chiang Rai News:

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/

Chiang Rai News

Police in Chiang Rai Launch Crackdown on Cyber Criminals in Golden Triangle

CHIANG RAI: Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has authorized the establishment of an emergency cyber center operated by the Royal Thai Police to combat transnational crimes committed by call center gangs along the Thai border in Chiang Rai province.

On July 19, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin directed the Center to combat information technology crimes. The Royal Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) will crack down on call center gangs in Myanmar, Laos, and along the border.

His directive comes as call center gangs ratchet up their scams to defraud people of their money, causing concern among Thais and jeopardizing the country’s economic and social stability.

Pol. Gen. Kittirat Panphet, Deputy Commander and Director of the Police Crime Suppression Division, Assigned Pol. Lt. Gen. Thatchai Pitanilabut, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Police/Deputy Director of the Police Crime Suppression Division, has launched the operation ‘Bombing the Thieves’ Bridge’ in collaboration with the CAT Office, G., mobile phone network operators AIS DTAC TRUE NT, and local security agencies to cut the mobile phone signal and WiFi internet that criminals illegally use to deceive Thai citizens.

Pol. Gen. Kittirat Panphet, Deputy Commander and Director of the Police Crime Suppression Division

Pol. Lt. Gen. Thatchai stated that they will begin pressing the first action of the ‘Explosion of Thieves’ Bridge’ in Chiang Rai Province toward the thieves’ base of operations in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone.

The territory surrounding King Roman in Laos. King Roman is now a full-service entertainment destination with an airport that welcomes travelers from Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, he explained.

According to Pol. Lt. Gen. Thatchai, this operation will have no influence on honest people along the Thai border, and it will only target cyber criminals.

They will also increase the arrest and prosecution of unlawful service towers, such as SIM booths, which allow gangs register SIM cards to swindle the people. Dealing with criminal organizations of foreigners and Thais who band together to deceive and damage Thais.

Pol. Gen. Kittirat Panphet, Deputy Commander and Director of the Police Crime Suppression Division

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) suspended more than three million SIM cards on July 16 because the holders had not verified their identities with their mobile phone operators by the deadline, in accordance with the NBTC’s measures to combat alleged fraudsters’ mule accounts.

The names of the holders of 80 million mobile phone numbers used for mobile banking transactions did not match the names associated with the mobile banking accounts.

The NBTC would require mobile phone companies to authenticate SIM card holders and the names of their mobile banking accounts. The verification procedure is expected to be completed by the end of September this year.

In addition, the NBTC and Royal Thai Police have collaborated to combat illegal telecom towers throughout the country’s borders, disconnecting signals at 465 places, altering antenna direction at 470 towers, and dismantling antennas at 179 locations.

They are certain that the move will disrupt contact center gangs and other types of technology-based crime.

Other Chiang Rai News:

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/

Chiang Rai News

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

Police in Mae Chan, Chiang Rai, shot and killed a 28-year-old man who allegedly attacked a police officer with a machete. The officer was slashed in the right leg with the machete.

According to police, the culprit, known only as Mr. Toon, had been harassing local villagers in Mae Chan district, Chiang Rai, threatening them with a knife and using violet insults.

The village headman arrived on the scene to try to calm Mr. Toon, but he was shouting hysterically and taking swipes at him with the machete, so he contacted the police.

When the responding officer arrived at the site about 9 p.m., he attempted to calm the man, but he instead assaulted the officer, slashing his right leg with the machete. In self-defense, the cop had to fire his gun at Mr. Toon, striking him in the chest.

Mr. Toon and the policeman were taken to Mae Chan Hospital, where Mr. Toon died of a gunshot wound. Pol Sgt. Sutthikiat Phanomphraisakul was released from the hospital after receiving numerous stitches for his injuries.

Local police received a tip around 9.30 p.m. yesterday that a guy was causing mayhem in the village. When authorities arrived, they discovered 28-year-old Toon strolling along a public road, holding a large knife and threatening people. Mae Chan district officials attempted to contain the incident.

During a search of Mr. Toon’s home, authorities discovered methamphetamine consumption equipment. Locals told authorities that the man was addicted to Yaba (Methamphetamine) and an alcoholic.

The authorities are conducting an inquiry to determine Toon’s motivations and whether any underlying issues contributed to his violent outburst.