Rocker Artiwara Kongmalai, stage name aka Toon Bodyslam, is on a run from Yala to Chiang Rai, a distance of 2,191km, to raise money for 21 hospitals. (Bangkok Post file photo)The military has defended the use of public donations to improve an army-run hospital after taking flak from critics on social media. They say the army should divert some of its budget to this cause rather than go begging to the public. Some argued this is the responsibility of the military procurement budget and slammed the celebrity's fundraising run as an exercise -- in futility. The repair work, which the army said is expected to take three months to finish, will be carried out by military engineers and technicians.

Source: Bangkok Post October 11, 2017 21:56 UTC