Month: July 2022

Posted on

Thai secondary student hides cannabis in a water bottle for school

Dr. Sutheera Uerpairojkit, a paediatrician at Ramathibodi Hospital, posted the story on her Facebook page of a secondary student who secretly brought cannabis to school in a water bottle and locked the classroom at lunchtime to smoke it, in the latest report of minors’ accessing the decriminalised drug.

Dr. Sutheera said that the story came to light during a conversation between a child psychiatrist and a teacher who witnessed the incident.

The teacher tried to stop the student, but the student threatened to punch the teacher.

In the post, the doctor further explained that the school hadasked the student’s parents to come in. The parents, who agreed that their child should be sent for treatment, said that they were “supportive” of the use of cannabis, as they both sell it.

The same paediatrician also expressed concern over the use ofthe herb as an ingredient in food and drinks, and how breast-feeding mothers using cannabis can harm their children.

The post attracted a flood of comments, with many netizens questioning the role of the Ministry of Public Health in this matter.

Since the decriminalisation of cannabis and hemp on June 9th, except for extracts containing more than 0.2% THC, there has been a boom in the cultivation, sale and use of the plants in Thailand. Although those under 20, pregnant or breastfeeding are barred from using the substances and schools have been declared cannabis-free zones, reports have emerged of some minors getting easy access to the substances, often that which has been left lying around by older family members, prompting concern.

The Thai Food and Drug Administration reported that 968,167 people have registered to grow cannabis and hemp, with 937,850 licenses already issued for cultivation of cannabis and 30,317 licenses for hemp.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

Posted on

Social protection for the forcibly displaced in low- and middle-income countries: A pathway for inclusion – OECD Development Policy Papers June 2022, No 43

This paper provides the first overview of efforts by low- and middle-income countries to extend the coverage of national social protection systems to the forcibly displaced persons they host. It presents a baseline of de jure (legal) and estimated de facto (actual) coverage in twelve countries; analyses the conditions enabling access to social protection by the forcibly displaced; draws lessons from Iraq, Sudan and Uganda in terms of challenges and successes; and offers guidance to major stakeholders on extending social protection initiatives to forcibly displaced persons.

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Posted on

BA.4 and BA.5 COVID sub-variants may become dominant in Thailand

Medical Sciences Department Director-General Dr. Supakit Sirilak has predicted that the COVID-19 Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants are likely to become dominant in Thailand,after random testing of 948 Omicron cases last week showed 489 BA.4 and BA.5 infections, 447 BA.2 infections, 10 BA.1 and two B.1.1.529 infections.

He said that there is, however, only limited information about the severity of the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants, but warned that those who have recovered from a COVID-19 can be re-infected, due to the easy transmissibility of the two sub-variants.

He said that the BA.2.75 sub-variant has not yet been detected in Thailand.

Severe illness account for just 2% of all cases, but this will increase in accordance with the rising infection rate adding, however, that it is still unclear whether the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants are to blame for the more severe cases.

Meanwhile, Head of the Department of Epidemiology Dr.Chakkarat Pittayawonganon said that small clusters ofinfections have started to emerge in schools in several provinces, but they are under control.

He warned, however, that the virus can spread within families and to the vulnerable, including people over 60, those withunderlying diseases and pregnant women.

Regarding the spread of BA.4 and BA.5 in South Africa, he said that such cases account for 64% and 27% of all casesrespectively, while, in Britain, they account for 19% and 28% of all cases. In Thailand, BA.4 and BA.5 account for 17% and 20% of all cases respectively.

1,995 new infections and 18 deaths were reported today(Monday). 677 patients are suffering from lung infections and 293 are on ventilators.

Dr. Chakkarat said that hospital bed occupancy by COVID-19 patients is now 10%, which is low, but warned that, if the occupancy increases to 50%, all hospitals must make preparations to manage the bed problem properly, adding that there is sufficient medication available to cope with the situation.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

Posted on

Collective Learning Report December 2020

The level of humanitarian need in Myanmar is likely to remain high and the drivers of crisis will continue to be complex and multi-faceted. Humanitarian actors face a continuing challenge in attempts to reach many populations in need, especially the remote townships of Rakhine State, with high vulnerability to both natural and complex disasters.

Source: Humanitarian Assistance and Resilience Programme

Posted on

AIS to acquire stakes in two internet service providers

Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) has announced its decision to acquire Triple T Broadband Plc (TTTBB) and invest in the Jasmine Broadband Internet Infrastructure Fund (JASIF) for a total of 32.4 billion baht, to expand its internet service offering in Thailand, especially in upcountry provinces.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has been notified of the acquisition and investment plan.

Through its subsidiary, Advanced Wireless Network (AWN), AIS has agreed to buy 7.5 billion shares (99.87%) of TTTBB from Acumen (ACU), a subsidiary of Jasmine International Plc (JAS), which includes the acquisition of two other subsidiaries of JAS, Triple T and Incloud. The deal is worth 19.5 billion baht.

The other deal is the acquisition of 1.52 billion units in JASIF, or 19% of all the investment units, worth about 12.9 billion baht.

AIS chief executive officer Somchai Lertsutiwong said yesterday that this investment marks an important step in the company’s business strategy to expand into home internet service provision and to become a complete digital technology service provider.

He also said that the deal will enable AIS to expand internet broadband service provision, through fibre optic cables, to a wider customer base so that more people will get access to the internet, especially those living in rural areas, adding that this will also reduce the need to lay new cables, which would be a duplication of infrastructure.

Somchai said that the AWN will seek permission from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission for the acquisition of the stakes in the two internet service providers, after which contracts for the share and unit acquisitions will be signed, which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year.

AIS Fibre now has 1.9 million customers, whereas TTTBB has 3.6 million customers. The deals will expand its customer base to 5.5 million, which exceeds the 4.7 million of True Online, the other internet service provider.

This latest move by AIS into broadband internet service provision will counter-balance the planned merger between True Corporation and Total Access Communications (DTAC) which, if the deal goes through, will increase the customer base to 51.3 million mobile phone users, compared to the 43.7 million of the current market leader, AIS.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

Posted on

Chula Hospital bans all visits to ward patients as new COVID-19 cases surge

Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital is now banning visits to patients in all wards, as a precautionary measure following a new surge in new COVID-19 infections.

According to the hospital, only one person is allowed to tend to each patient and they must comply with the screening measures required by the hospital.

All medical staff working on the wards are required to wear face masks at all times.

Today (Sunday) the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) confirmed 2,325 new COVID-19 infections and 19 deaths in the past 24 hours. Another 6,777 positive cases have been identified using rapid antigen tests.

678 patients are in a serious conditions and 298 are on ventilators. Hospital bed occupancy by COVID-19 cases is 10.90%.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

Posted on

Ray of Hope for Thai and Regional Traders

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious damage to economies around the world and even though the worst of the outbreaks appear to be over, countries are currently having to battle inflation as well as food, energy, and security issues. It is estimated that more than four billion people have been affected by major disruptions in the supply chain but now, according to Mr. Supant Mongkolsuthree, Chairman of APEC Business Advisory Council for 2022 (ABAC 2022), business owners in Thailand and neighboring Asia-Pacific countries can see some light on the horizon.

“The pandemic has made huge impacts on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. It has also affected the lives and livelihood of women entrepreneurs, indigenous communities, youth and other groups in the region, among others. Being at the receiving end of such great challenges, we have a responsibility to call for decisive action to deepen the economic integration of our region and to better equip our businesses, including the smallest, to achieve dynamic and sustainable growth,” Mr. Supant told Thai PBS World.

ABAC consists of 63 members appointed by the leaders of each economic zone, three members per economic zone from the 21 economies making up Asia-Pacific. The Business Advisory Council gathers every year at four council meetings and one APEC CEO Summit to discuss business perspectives and economic issues. The aim is to come up with a set of recommendations to be presented to the APEC economic leaders at their annual dialogue.

In 2022, the first and second APEC Business Advisory Council meetings took place in Singapore from February 15-18, and in Vancouver, Canada from April 25-28, respectively. The third meeting will be held in July 2022 in Vietnam while the fourth, slated for November 13-16, will precede the APEC CEO Summit on November 16-18. Both will be held in Thailand, which holds the Chairmanship for 2022.

“Committed to representing the voice and sentiments of businesses and peoples of Asia-Pacific, ABAC members work closely with economic leaders in order to help reshape the region’s trade, economy, and most of all, the lives and livelihood of our people,” added the chairman.

Honour and responsibility

Thailand previously hosted the APEC CEO Summit in 2003. This year, the summit will be held onsite for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme is “Embrace Engage Enable” and Thailand will be welcoming APEC leaders from the world’s most dynamic economies, speakers from the world’s top companies, and over 1,500 CEOs from across the Asia-Pacific region. The program will feature two days of discussions, presentations, and dialogue on a wide range of issues that will promote balanced, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth.

Vanida, the owner and operator of a small bakery in Bangkok, admitted to being familiar with APEC, but was doubtful about its relevance to her business. “At first I thought that these events were for the benefit of big businesses only. But just the same, I feel a sense of national pride that a big event like this is hosted by Thailand,” she said.

More than being a source of national pride, Thailand’s chairmanship of ABAC 2022 and the hosting of APEC CEO Summit this year entail huge responsibilities, especially for ABAC members. “We act on behalf of the businesses and communities,” said Mr. Montri Mahapreukpong, an ABAC member. “It is a huge responsibility, as we have to agree on and develop recommendations on five priorities, namely digitalization, inclusion, sustainability, trade and investment, and pandemic response,” he said.

The council is also very keen on seeing greater participation of MSME businesses, to which small bakery operators like Vanida belong, in international markets.

Greatly affected

A recent survey conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) revealed that although large companies have been affected by the pandemic crisis, the effects were greater on MSMEs. It stated that more than half of MSMEs have had substantial revenue loss and fear being out of business within three months unless public assistance is available and extended over the duration of the crisis.

According to Larry Rivera, owner of a small landscaping contracting company, “There is evidence that MSMEs are increasingly digitizing operations to adapt to changing circumstances, but temporary closures, employment, and wage reductions, and bankruptcies have occurred. The most widely used policy instruments directed at mitigating the effects of the crisis are income and profit tax deferrals, loan guarantees and direct lending, and wage subsidies.

“Digital transformation should also be promoted to help accelerate digital literacy and access to international markets, global value chains and supply chain finance – which are critical to our survival,” he said

Business of the people

Without doubt, there is a complex and challenging journey ahead. Yet, we must remain confident that the state of Asia-Pacific economies and our trading networks will continue to be robust on their way to full recovery.

“Committed and inclusive collaborations on strategic topics that truly matter are key. Today, the region’s public and private sectors are united in working together and that is one part of greater developments yet to come,” Mr. Supant concluded.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

Posted on

Virtual book community gets physical

On 16 July 2020 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Chiang Rai hotelier and entrepreneur Narumon Nilmanon set up a group on Facebook to promote reading among Thai people. Together with a few friends, Narumon co-founded a community on Facebook called “Samakom Pai-ya Nang-sue”.

“Samakom” means a club and “Pai-ya” is slang used by this generation meaning to persuade or to lure to do something. So the name of the Facebook group means to persuade someone into reading books – whether general novels or specific titles.

In two years, the group has grown dramatically, going from a handful of members to more than 115,000, many of them very active online.

“I never thought this group would become a big community like this. We just wanted to be a driving force in the book industry because we want more people to read. Personally, I love reading and I’d like this community to be a place where people who read books can meet and recommend their favourite titles to others,” Narumon told Thai PBS World.

As the virtual book club grew in popularity, Narumon convinced her friends to work as administration staff for the group and today they have a good mix of reading enthusiasts covering various time zones.

“We currently have 8 people in our admin team and they hail from Singapore, Sweden and the United States,” she said.

The team helps to ensure that the group lives up to its members’ expectations. Of course, it is far from being the only book-related group though many focus on sales rather than promoting a reading culture. “Samakom Pai-ya Nang-sue” prefers to stay out of the commercial aspects and instead focus on recommendations from real readers, reviews and introducing good book stores.

Initially, the group didn’t allow any commercial posts but that rule has now been relaxed and there is a daily thread to which members can post a book that they want to sell. Book-selling posts were earlier banned because it was hard for the admin team to trace or spot any scams or fraud.

“We played down the bookselling aspect because there are already many groups doing sales. Our group has a different feeling because we are real readers. However, we understand that some people don’t want to keep the books once they finish reading them, so they can pass them to other members at very affordable prices.

“Our community needs rules and regulations as without them, the quality would be bad. We have no time for those who post nonsense and if anyone fails to comply with the rules, we remove them from the group. We have to be very decisive in running a big group like this,” she said.

Years ago, a news headline claiming that Thais read only 8 lines a year shocked the public. Research and surveys by various organizations later showed that Thais do read more than a few lines a day. In 2015, the National StatisticalOffice (NSO) found that Thais spend an average of 66 minutes reading each day. Narumon says she and the members of “Samakom Pai-ya Nang-sue” read considerably more than that.

Today, Naruemon and her friends can proudly say they are the driving force behind the book reading culture. The group’s work is widely recognized. With active members who are genuine bookworms and book lovers, the group attracts companies that want to communicate to the group. For example, one company approached them to place an advertisement for a bookshelf.

“But so far, we haven’t got any commercial benefit from running the group. Whatever we’ve got, we return to our members. For us the best reward is feedback from group members. People have written to us expressing gratitude for the group. One person in particular suffers from depression and she shared how the group has saved her. Reading that just makes my day. It is worth more than any sum of money!”

Now almost two years old, the group is soon to meet their members face-to-face for the first time, as they has been invited by book store chain Naiin to join a book fair at the Samyan Mitrtown mall in Bangkok from 22-31 July. The group will have its own booth and it has already informed members on Facebook.

“We had a lot of (virtual) meetings to figure out and plan our booth so that it’s fun and lively not boring. We’re very excited to meet our members in person,” said Narumon.

Asked if “Samakom Pai-ya Nang-sue” will have more physical events in the near future, Naruemon says that she does have something in mind. “We don’t rule out any possibilities as long as the activity is in line with our intention of promoting the reading culture and strengthening our position.”

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

Posted on

Former MP questions how a defective Thai parliament building was accepted

Former Democrat MP Watchara Petthong is seeking answers from the office of the secretary-general of the House of Representatives about how it can accept the delivery of the 12 billion baht parliament building from its builder, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Public Company, despite its many defects.

In raising the questions, Watchara showed some pictures of an exhibition hall on the ground floor of the building, taken on Friday evening when Bangkok was hit by heavy rain. He claimed that rain water had leaked through the roof onto the wooden flooring of the exhibition hall and several exhibition boards collapsed, forcing workers to mop the floors in several areas of parliament, including the exhibition hall.

He claimed that the frames of two paintings had broken and two aluminium ceiling sheets, each about 1.5 m x 1.5 m in size, had collapsed during the storm. Fortunately, there was no one in the exhibition hall at the time, otherwise someone could have been hurt, he said.

Watchara said he has asked the parliament compound’s security chief, Arun Laipongpaew, why the House secretariat had not reported these defects to the public and whether people who visit the exhibition hall will have to wear crash helmets for their safety.

He claimed that there was an instruction from a senior parliamentary official for all workers and officials to keep their mouths shut and not to disclose this to the media.

The former Democrat MP also claimed that the wooden flooring did not match the contractual specification, as the wood should have been Takhian Thong (hopea odoral), but it is actually Payome (shorea roxburghii) and that the 65 parliamentary committee rooms are not sound proof, as required by the contract.

Watchara said that the Building Safety Inspectors and Officers Association had checked the parliament building and found 198 risk areas.

“Where is the dignity of parliament when the exhibition, to mark the 90th anniversary of Thai parliament, is held in a hall with wooden flooring that does not match the specification?” he asked.

The construction of parliament was supposed to be completed in 900 days, but after 3,351 days, the building is yet to be completed and there are still many defects, said Watchara, adding that the project’s builder notified the secretariat of the House of Representatives last Friday that the building is complete and ready for handover to parliament for formal acceptance.

The office of the secretary-general of the House of Representatives said in a statement today that the exhibition hall is an outdoor space, in line with the architectural design of the parliament building, for energy conservation and better air circulation and that the wooden flooring is water resistant.

During the heavy rain on Thursday, some of the booths belonging to exhibitors in the exhibition hall did collapse due to the strong wind, because they were erected for temporary use only, and they can be reassembled.

The office also claimed that pictures showing water leaking from the roof were old and that the problem was fixed some time ago.

The office also assured that acceptance of the parliament building from the builder will be strictly in accordance with regulations, to ensure that the building is worthy of the cost and will be beneficial to the state.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

Posted on

Ex-deputy commerce minister sentenced to death for kidnap and murder

Thailand’s Appeals Court has decided to change the life sentence passed on former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn to execution for the kidnap and murder of the elder brother of a senior judge in charge of a share theft case against him.

Four other co-defendants involved in the kidnap and murder of Veerachai Sakuntaprasert, brother of Judge Panida, were each sentenced to life in prison.

All five, including Banyin, were accused of abducting Veerachai from the court and holding him as hostage, as they allegedly negotiated with the judge, Panida, to acquit Banyin of charges of conspiring with others to steal shares worth several hundreds of millions of baht from a billionaire contractor, Chuwong sae Tang. The incident took place in 2020

Chuwong was found dead in a car, driven by Banyin, after it hit a roadside tree in Suan Luang district of Bangkok on June 26th, 2015. The autopsy shows that Chuwong sustained broken ribs and other wounds inconsistent with injuries caused by a car crash.

Banyin and five other men were arrested in connection with the death of Veerachai, whose body was later found dumped in a river in Nakhon Sawan province. In this case, Banyin had his death sentence commuted to life because he had confessed. He was also sentenced to eight years for forgery over the share theft case.

The public prosecutors and the judge, Panida, however, appealed against the Criminal Court’s life sentence imposed on Banyin.

The Appeals Court overruled the lower court’s decision to commute death sentence to life for Banyin on the grounds that the accused deliberately killed the victim to conceal the other offences and to avoid punishment.

The court said that the crime committed by the accused was serious and poses a grave threat to society and the justice system, citing the fact that he used to be a police officer and a government minister.

It also said that Banyin’s confession to the court was not useful to the trial of the case and, hence, it did not justify commuting the death sentence to life in prison.

Banyin and the other co-defendants still have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service