The Justice Ministry and agencies under it make some tough calls as they deal with twists in high-profile criminal and drug cases, not to mention faulty monitoring devices.
DSI deputy director-general Korrawat Panpraphakorn points at the location where an oil barrel containing bone fragments was found in Phetchaburi's Kaeng Krachan National Park. Pornprom Satrabhaya
Porlajee case
1. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) reached a critical turning point in its probe into the disappearance five years ago of Karen activist Porlajee "Billy" Rakchongcharoen.
After little progress into the forced disappearance case was made initially, raising concerns among human rights activists about the effectiveness of the DSI's investigation, the DSI finally announced it had evidence that Billy was murdered.
The finding was established based on the results of DNA tests on skull fragments retrieved from Kaeng Krachan reservoir in Phetchaburi earlier this year.
The skull fragments were believed to belong to Porlajee -- who according to the evidence obtained, was murdered and the body incinerated.
After the DSI informed the public it had evidence of Porlajee's murder, it obtained arrest warrants for four people in connection with the killing.
The four are the former Kaeng Krachan National Park chief and three other suspects who are accused of murdering Porlajee. They all denied any wrongdoing and were released on bail.
Pinnapa Prueksapan, Porlajee's wife, is now receiving protection from authorities under a witness protection programme. She said she felt unsafe after the suspects were released.
The DSI is collecting more evidence and compiling witness accounts before wrapping up the investigation and forwarding its report to the prosecution for indictment of the suspects. It is not known when the case based on the new evidence might proceed to trial.
Seized illecit drugs are displayed at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau. Recent raids suggest new kinds of drugs have made their way into the market. Pornprom Satrabhaya
Cannabis abuse
2. After the relaxation in the middle of this year of the law to allow cannabis to be produced for medical and research purposes, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) has observed a worrying trend in marijuana abuse and the misuse of marijuana extracts sold on the black market.
The popularity of marijuana extracts is surging on the black market on the back of a widespread misunderstanding that the use of such extracts became legal, said Niyom Toemsisuk, secretary-general of the ONCB.
The number of patients admitted to hospital for treatment of marijuana overdoses has doubled over the past several months, he said, citing figures published by a toxicology section of the ONCB.
Also, the number of people smoking marijuana is estimated to have risen by about 130,000 this year, he said.
However, the amount of marijuana confiscated by authorities during crackdowns has not jumped. Around 20 million-30 million tonnes have been seized, he said.
The volume of marijuana smuggled into Thailand is projected to rise in the months to come, given the higher demand for marijuana extracts on the black market, he said.
Marijuana from other countries is being smuggled in as supply for the production of illegal marijuana extracts in Thailand, he said, noting large quantities of the extracts will then be exported overseas.
Marijuana extracts from Thailand are of superior quality and sought after by overseas black markets, he added.
Currently, 117 state-run hospitals and 24 institutions offering Thai traditional medicine operate clinics dedicated to medical cannabis therapies for end-stage cancer patients.
Kanyaphak Silarak, director of Phra Achan Fan Acharo Hospital in Sakon Nakhon, said the therapies are intended primarily to relieve the side effects of chemotherapy such as difficulties in sleeping, fatigue, lack of appetite and nausea.
Cannabis plants seized in Nakhon Ratchasima's Wang Nam Khieo district. Prasit Tangprasert
New narcotics drug
3. A new recreational drug has begun to find customers, prompting law enforcement authorities to devise measures to prevent its spread.
The drug takes the form of blotting paper laced with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), according to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
The recreational drug is known as "drunk paper", "death stamp" or "magic paper". Users feel euphoric and hallucinate when they place the paper on their tongue.
That hallucination may drive the users to harm others or themselves. In some cases, this drug-induced mental state can contribute to suicidal tendencies.
Until this year, "death stamp" has not been widely used in Thailand, said the ONCB.
It was seized in a drug crackdown for the first time in 2016. There have since been three drug cases involving death stamps.
In each case, only one or two pieces of the LSD-laced paper were collected as evidence by authorities.
Aside from this drug, so-called marijuana jelly is listed as another emerging recreational drug in Thailand.
It is a green jelly containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a substance found mainly in marijuana, which is legal in some countries.
Cartoon-shaped ecstasy tablets also pose a concern. Up to 28,000 tablets of the drug were seized in a crackdown in Pathum Thani early this year.
Niyom Toemsisuk, secretary-general of the ONCB, said odd-shaped ecstasy tablets were found to have been smuggled from Europe into Thailand through Cambodia and Vietnam.
The ONCB has set up a network to keep an eye out for the drugs.
Yasuaki Kawashita, the father of Tomoko Kawashita who was murdered eight years ago. Pattanapong Hirunard
Tomoko case progress
4. It's been 12 years since Japanese tourist Tomoko Kawashita was stabbed to death in Sukhothai Historical Park in 2007 and the investigation into her death has yet to be wrapped up.
DNA samples taken from more than 300 people suspected to be linked to the murder have not brought about much progress in the hunt for the killer who still is blamed for a major dent in Sukhothai's tourism.
Despite the offer of a two-million-baht reward for clues leading to the arrest of the murder, little headway has been made in the probe in the past years.
However, the investigation returned to the media spotlight when veteran politician Somsak Thepsutin, who is a Sukhothai native, was appointed justice minister.
Upon taking office, he ordered a fresh probe into the murder case, focusing on a tip-off he had obtained that an employee at a pig farm who died of poisoning in 2010 had told his drinking buddy that he had killed the Japanese tourist, a story that no one had really paid attention to.
Among fresh DNA samples collected in a new round of tests were samples taken from the dead man's two half-sisters and his 17-year-old son.
The DNA from one of the sisters matched bodily fluid taken from the victim's clothing collected from seven spots related to the murder.
DNA from the other sister and his son also matched with samples related to the murder.
According to Mr Somsak, the DNA results were helpful in shedding light on the case.
An advanced DNA test was also performed based on a sample taken from the suspected killer's father who now lives and works in Taiwan, with detailed scientific analysis now being carried out to further corroborate the identity of the culprit.
Electronic monitoring devices for inmates are displayed at an exhibition. Apichit Jinakul
Offender bracelets
5. Convicted serial killer Somkid Pumpuang, released from prison earlier this year for killing five women, looks certain to go back to jail after murdering his sixth victim.
The case has sparked an idea by Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin to better monitor "dangerous" former prisoners via the wearing of electronic monitoring (EM) devices.
He now wants every former convict who faced serious criminal offences to be placed under a new monitoring system being developed by a special committee under the ministry.
The EM devices have not previously been used on any former prisoners for fear the devices would infringe on their rights, but Mr Somsak believes their implementation will deter repeated crimes.
However, there might not be a device available for use after the Department of Probation in September terminated the 21-month contract with the company that supplied the devices.
The department rented 4,000 EM devices from the company. It scrapped the contract on the grounds the devices were faulty and demanded 83-million-baht compensation from the firm.
The department claimed the devices could be removed easily by their wearers and that they failed to send automated alerts in the event the wearer took them off.
The minister said he planned to request for a special fund to finance the procurement. About 30,000 former inmates will come under the monitoring programme from next year.
The ministry is proposing to rent the devices from a new supplier.
