Raphisak Malairungsakul, director of Regional Environment Office 1, which covers Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces, said many northern provinces had small particulate matter up to 10 microns in diameter (PM10) over safe levels due to many factors.

They included unauthorised outdoor burning in the region, wind direction, and the pan-shaped geological characteristics. The key factor during this period, he said, was smoke from Myanmar, which had many more hotspots than Thailand.

Pollution Control Department chief Jatuporn Burutpat said he had already sent a letter to authorities in Myanmar asking them to help control and reduce their hotspots in accordance with the Mekong sub-region environment ministers’ |agreement signed on February 24 in |Chiang Rai.

He expected the haze would linger for two to three days and, if there was rain, the situation would improve.

A Pollution Control Department report issued at 9am on Saturday said Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai had the highest PM10 level at 168 micrograms per cubic metre. It was followed by Mae Hong Son at 143 micrograms, while Lampang also reported high PM10 levels at 141 micrograms in Mae Mo district and 128 micrograms in Muang district.

The safe level for PM10 particles is under 120 micrograms. If a reading exceeds this, the smog can pose health risks.

In his weekly national address on television on Friday night, the premier cited the United Nations’ recent World Happiness Report 2017 ranking Thailand as the 32nd happiest country in the world, one place higher than the previous year.

“To move step by step steadily will help build country’s good image on the international stage. Please don’t destroy or distort one other but help to fix problems and develop the country,” he said.

The survey was conducted by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and ranked 155 countries by perceived happiness levels.

Prayut said several factors were taken into consideration for the ranking. They included GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life decisions, generosity, and trust as measured by a perceived absence of corruption in government and business sectors.

The event was announced at a press conference on Friday, which was chaired by Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan. The fair will be held from April 14 to 16 at the Loma Park at Patong Beach in Kathu district.

Meechai Nawin, president of the Phuket Bike Week Association, said the fair is aimed at allowing big bike lovers to gather to share experiences and forge friendship. He said the fair could draw some 30,000 visitors.

The 434-page book is written by former deputy agriculture minister Yutthapong Jarassathian and some other Pheu Thai MPs.

They planned to launch the book at the park ahead of the coming national book fair.

The officers posted the National Council for Peace and Order notice banning political gatherings as well as the park’s regulation prohibiting political activities. They also asked the MPs to drop the book launch.

The writers claimed that the book is about benefits farmers have gained from the Yingluck government’s rice mortgage scheme.

Yutthapong said the book is also about the plight of Thai farmers after the price of rice plummeted. He had wanted to sell the book and donate money from the sale to farmers.

He said he had no idea which parts of the book are political, as alleged.

Chakthip and other senior officers, including Commander of the Southern Border Provinces Police Operations Centre Pol Maj-General Ronnasin Phusara, were at the event to boost Thai-Malaysian police ties in exchanging information, especially in cracking down on transnational criminals.

The Royal Thai Police’s Special Branch Department representatives stationed in Kuala Lumpur coordinated work and joint bilateral meetings.

Somchai Poolsavasdi said the new Excise Tax Act will take effect 180 days, or Sept 16, after the bill was publicised by the Royal Gazette on March 20, according to a report by Thai National News Bureau. The Act brings together seven regulations.

He said the new law would allow officials to collect duty on alcohol and tobacco more effectively, transparently and in accordance with international standards.

He assured it would not affect consumers. Enactment of the bill |will be followed by promulgation |of 80 related organic laws.

Assistant Professor Rattaphong, who is also associated with Rangsit University’s Social Innovation College, has followed the recent news reports about the new casino and stumbled on the rationale of “globalisation” due to its proximity to a sports hub.

In recent years, he has been studying casinos and their impacts. The business has seen strong growth in the Asia Pacific region. This became possible due to economic growth in some countries, including China, which makes financial flows as well as tourism expansion possible across borders to feed the business.

In his paper “Casinos on the borders, Impacts and Challenges”, published some four years ago but still relevant in the eyes of some police officers, Rattaphong tried to explain this phenomenon.

Because of the rise of a major new emerging economy like China and some others, people seek entertainment that they can afford. This has prompted some countries in the region to come up with several kinds of casinos to serve the demand.

Singapore, for instance, came up with an “integrated resort”, under which casinos are on offer for visitors along with other entertainment activities.

Rattaphong pointed to the growth of the business in the region, which in 2010 was valued at around US$34.2 billion was projected to have grown to more than 49 per cent in 2015.

This is partly because the activity is legal in those countries.

However, in Thailand gambling and casinos are still considered illegal, and this prompts businesses to go underground, or even to the borders.

Rattaphong estimates that at least 10 major casinos have been opened along the borders, especially between Thailand and Cambodia.

The more interesting fact is that these casinos have also embraced betting in modern sports, including major league football from around the world. High technology and the Internet make it possible to gamble online on matches almost everywhere, including at casinos along the borders.

The latest case of the new casino, he said, could exemplify how “globalisation” works here.

“Buri Ram houses several major or world-class sports,” said Rattaphong. “The point is if the games there enter the casino and are opened for gambling, that would reinforce its globalised nature here as the place is perfect for the activity. Our law, however, can hardly keep up with this emerging trend.”

The hard reality is these casinos along the borders are mostly legal in neighbouring countries, and that has led people to believe they are involve in money laundering and other shady businesses.

As they are situated in sensitive border zones, it’s hardly possible for ordinary people to invest in them, other than big investors with political connections. As such, it’s often found that those alleged to be involved in border casinos are politicians who have firm connections with others in neighbouring countries, he said.

Thailand, meanwhile, has relied principally on the 1935 gambling act, which is outdated, Rattaphong said.

With this outdated law, it can hardly keep up with this new emerging trend of casinos along the borders, which would spur what he calls “ a huge profit” as well as other “dark” activities.

“The challenge is whether the Thai state has realised this fact and come up with proper policies and measures to address this emergence,” said Rattaphong.

The professor suggested that the state review the existing law and come up with responsive regulations and controls for each type.

“Everything is not all black or white. There are different shades for us to deal with,” he said.

The opening of the new casino came under the spotlight after anti-corruption activist Veera Somkwamkid claimed in his Facebook posts that the gambling centre was located in an overlapping border area between Thailand and Cambodia, and possibly sited in the Ta Phraya National Park, which forms part of a World Heritage Site.

Veera questioned why the military government had allowed this to happen, and suspected that the previous post he had made on the same issue had led to a warrant being issued for his arrest over a week ago for violation of the Computer Crime Act.

The casino is reported to be situated close to the Chong Sai Takoo border checkpoint in Buri Ram province where former politician Newin Chidchob, now a football-club owner, is known to be influential.

Newin on Monday filed a complaint with the police seeking charges against the Facebook account owner, apparently Veera, for posts that he claimed had also implicated him of involvement with the casino, Nation TV reported.

But in his post last Sunday, Veera did not mention Newin, but referred to some close aides of Cambodian leaders.

He also alleged that Thailand’s National Parks Department was being negligent in carrying out its duty.

This resulted in the agency undertaking an examination of the official map of the national park to prove that the casino was not located within its perimeter, followed by a prompt denial of Veera’s allegation

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said on Tuesday that the Cabinet had not considered at its weekly meeting the issue of the new casino being allegedly sited on an adjoining territory between Thailand and Cambodia. The Foreign Ministry has also not written to Cambodian authorities regarding the matter, he said.

Don added that a number of casinos had opened in border areas without posing any problems.