Former Deputy Democrat Party spokeswoman Chitpas Bhirombhakdi speaks from a truck as she leads anti-government protesters to the Defence Ministry. APICHART JINAKUL
By Terry Fredrickson
Chitpas Bhirombhakdi, the "Singha heiress", has won her much attention for her political activities, not all of it positive. In the latest incident, four petrol bombs were hurled into her family’s compound.
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Bomb attack on heiress home “politically motivated”
The front section of a van belonging to the Bhirombhakdi family bears a burn mark following an attack on the family home in SoiRamkhamhaeng 12 early yesterday. KOSOL NAKACHOL
"Singha heiress" Chitpas Bhirombhakdi is openly aiming for a career in politics with the Democrat party, having just finished a stint as deputy party spokeswoman.
The 27-year-old has been very active in the street protest movement giving speeches from the stage leading marches, caring for wounded protesters and even, for a brief moment, driving a bulldozer brought in to knock down police barricades
Her political activities have won her much attention not all of it positive For starters, she has made Singha family patriarch and managing director of Boon Rawd Brewery Santi Bhirombhakdi distinctly uncomfortable.
He even went so far as to write a letter to Chitpas’s father, warning that her activism could negatively affect both the company and the family.
That concern has so far been largely ignored, but early yesterday, an incident at her home required a police response
Four petrol bombs were hurled into Chitpas’s family home on Soi Ramkhamhaeng 12 in Bang Kapi district. No one was injured but one of the bombs landed on the bonnet of a van which usually transports her to the anti-government rallies.
It took a security guard at the house about 15 minutes to put out the fire, which significantly damaged the van.
Eyewitnesses told police four suspects on two motorcycles stopped in front of the house around 3am yesterday before hurling the petrol bombs into the compound
Hua Mark police station's investigations chief Hasadin Nopawong na Ayutthaya had no doubt the bombs were politically-motivated.
The attackers were captured on security camera making it easier for police to track them, said Pol Gen Jarumporn Suramanee, adviser to the Royal Thai Police Office, who attended the crime scene
Deputy city police chief Thitirach Nonghanpithak said the attack appeared to be intended as a threat rather than an attempt to hurt or kill.
Adapted from stories in the Bangkok Post
Vocabulary
activism: working to achieve political or social change, especially as a member of an organisation with particular aims - ลัทธิที่ดำเนินการเพื่อให้บรรลุผลทางการเมือง
adviser: a person who gives advice, especially somebody who knows a lot about a particular subject - ที่ปรึกษา
aim: to have as your purpose or goal - มีเป้าหมาย มีจุดมุ่งหมาย
attention: interest, especially interest that the public has in a person, event, situation etc - ความสนใจ
barricade: a temporary structure that is built across a road to prevent people from getting through - แผงหรือแนวรั้วกั้น
bear: to show something; to carry something so that it can be seen - แสดง
bonnet: hood; the metal part over the front of a vehicle, usually covering the engine - ฝากระโปรงห้องเครื่อง
brewery: a company that makes beer or a place where beer is made - โรงงานต้มเหล้า
brief: lasting for only a short time - ระยะเวลาสั้นๆ
bulldozer: a powerful vehicle with a broad steel blade in front, used for moving earth or knocking down buildings - รถดันดิน
compound: an area enclosed by a fence or wall in which people work or live - บริเวณ
concern: a worry - ความกังวล
crime scene: the place where a crime occurred - ที่เกิดการกระทำอาชญากรรม
deputy: a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation - รอง
distinctly: very clearly - อย่างเห็นได้ชัด ชัดเจน
eyewitness: someone who sees something happen - พยานในเหตุการณ์
for starters: To begin with one thing, before listing others -
guard: a person who protects a place or people - ยาม, ผู้ดูแล, ยามรักษาการณ์
heiress: a female heir, (a person who has the legal right to receive somebody's property, money or title when that person dies), especially one who has received or will receive a large amount of money - ทายาทที่เป็นหญิง,หญิงผู้รับมรดก
hurl: to throw something using a lot of force - เขวี้ยง ขว้างปา
ignore: to intentionally not listen or give attention to - ทำเพิกเฉย
incident: something that happens, usually something bad - เหตุการณ์
injured: hurt in an accident or attack - ซึ่งได้รับบาดเจ็บ
intend: to plan to do; to want to happen - ตั้งใจให้เกิดขึ้น, วางแผนไว้
investigation: the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something in order to discover who or what caused it or how it happened - การสอบสวน, การตรวจสอบหาข้อเท็จจริง
motivated: done for a particular reason - มีแรงจูงใจ ถูกโน้มน้าวใจ
movement: a group of people who share the same aim and work together to achieve it - การเคลื่อนไหวเพื่อวัตถุประสงค์ทางการเมือง
negative: bad - ที่เป็นด้านลบ
patriarch: the male head of a family or community - หัวหน้าครอบครัว
positive: in a good way - ในทางบวก
protest: a meeting or rally, sometimes forceful or violent, of people who strongly disagree with something - ชุมนุมประท้วง
protester: someone who shows that they disagree with something by standing somewhere, shouting, carrying signs, etc - ผู้ต่อต้าน, ผู้ประท้วง
rally: a large public gathering of people to support someone or to protest against something - การชุมนุม
response: a reaction to something that has happened or been said - การตอบสนอง
section: any of the parts into which something is divided - ส่วน
security: protection; systems providing for safety from attack, harm, or damage - ระบบรักษาความปลอดภัย
security camera: a camera that is put in a place to constantly record what happens there - กล้องวงจรปิดเพื่อรักษาการความปลอดภัย
significantly: in an important way - อย่างมีความหมาย, อย่างสำคัญ
stage: a raised area, usually in a theatre, etc. where actors, dancers, speakers etc. perform - เวที
stint: a period of time spent doing something - ช่วงเวลาที่ทำสิ่งใดสิ่งหนึ่ง
suspect: a person who is thought to have committed a crime - ผู้ต้องสงสัย
threat: an occasion when someone says or does something that indicates they will cause you harm or problems, especially if you do not do what they want you to do - การคุกคาม,การขู่เข็ญ
track: to try to follow and find someone or something - ตามรอย
transport: to move people or things from one place to another - ขนส่ง
wounded: injured, especially where your skin or flesh is damaged, usually seriously - บาดเจ็บ
