Channel 3 reporter in trouble again

After causing an uproar by mistakenly stepping on a photograph of late Cambodian King Sihanouk while covering his funeral, Channel 3 reporter Thapanee Ietsrichai is in trouble again - this time it is for not taking her shoes off while apologising at the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok.

Messages posted on Cambodian websites and the social media dubbed her apology as being insincere, claiming she was "not genuinely penitent". One message posted by a Cambodian student called for a protest to be held at a roundabout near the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in Sa Kaew province.

An image released by the Cambodian mission shows Thapanee kneeling before a portrait of the late king with her shoes on. Neither Channel 3 nor Thapanee issued any statements in response to the renewed attacks as of press time yesterday.

Meanwhile, the student's call for protests at the border town has prompted the mobilisation of security officials. Thai officials spoke to their Cambodian counterparts, who said they had heard of the online posting, but said protests in Cambodia could not be held without permission. So far, no requests for such protests have been filed so far, Thai officials quoted Cambodian authorities as saying.

Thai Army and police commanders gathered and paid their respects at a makeshift marquee put up in honour of the late king at the Poi Pet checkpoint yesterday.