A stock analyst at Krungsri Securities expected the SET Index on Wednesday (January 15) to fluctuate between 1,580 and 1,593 points.

“Although the SET Index may gain due to the US and China preparing to sign the first phase of their trade agreement on Wednesday, there are rumours that the US will not reduce import duties on Chinese goods,” the stock analyst said.

“The US will review the reduction of import duties on Chinese products by US$360 billion after the US election in November, leaving investors sceptical of the future of trade between the two countries.”

The stock analyst added that there also were rumours about foreign funds maintaining “net sell” at approximately Bt3 billion for four days, and fluctuation in the stocks of banking groups during the budget announcement for fiscal year 2020, which would lead to high fluctuations in the Thai bourse.

The SET Index on Tuesday closed at 1,587 points, up 0.74 points or 0.05 per cent, while the trading value was approximately Bt60 billion. Foreign investors sold a net of Bt843 million and also had net sales of Bt2.14 billion in the bond market, while the Thailand Futures Exchange has 3,688 net long-term contracts.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)’s secretary-general, Worawit Sukboon, revealed on Wednesday (January 15) that Nopparat Benjawatananun was investigated by the NACC after he was a suspect in corruption cases during 2014 to 2015, when he was the office director.

The NACC investigations showed the former director and his wife were wealthy unusually, he said. They possessed investment units, lands, buildings, vehicles and life insurance policies, which were not matched by their earnings, he added.

Also, the NACC found that Nopparat and his wife, as well as six other close persons, possessed deposits and numerous assets, when Nopparat was the office director from October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2014.

The NACC informed the eight people of the allegations and asked them to identify the source of their earnings. However, the persons could explain how they were worth so much, he said. The total value of their properties has been estimated at Bt575.170 million.

The former director possessed wealth in his own name worth Bt98.659 million of value — Bt71.974 in deposits, Bt12.580 million in investment funds, and Bt14.105 million in insurance policies.

His wife possessed properties worth Bt196.039 million — Bt122.921 in deposits, Bt6.815 million in investment funds, Bt760,000 in land, Bt3.809 million vehicles, and Bt61.733 million insurance policies.

The NACC has sent the case to the Office of the Attorney-General for prosecution in the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases.

The district office is planning measures to cope with the situation, and one of them is to standardise crematoriums emitting smoke.

The deputy director of the district office, acting Sub-Lieutenant Rittiphan Nanthasupakorn, revealed that the district officer often visited temples to check crematoriums.

District officials will use equipment and smoke charts under Ringelmann’s method to measure the opacity of soot from the cremation furnace, which will be read every 15 seconds totalling 120 times in 30 minutes, then calculated. The result must not exceed 10 per cent of the standard. Ringelmann’s method quantifies emissions according to the density of the observed smoke.

The crematorium officer of Wat Makut Kasatriyaram Ratchaworavihan said that cremation pollution was caused by incomplete combustion, such as the body is too large or personal items were put into the coffin that contained metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury and dioxins and furans. He urged deceased relatives to refrain from adding materials more than necessary into the coffin.

In the 50 districts in Bangkok, according to 2019 records, 313 crematoriums used diesel fuel while only seven still used firewood.

The division said the level was at 86 centimetres, the lowest level in the past one year with the possibility of a further decrease.

Also, the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge’s piers can be seen clearly at this time. The bridge was located near the Hydrological Division.

The drop in water levels has revealed sand dunes in the middle of the river. This has affected boat traffic and the river’s ecosystem.

The Bureau of Research, Development and Hydrology said that the Mekong River’s level was lower than its normal level in numerous provinces, namely Chiang Rai, Loei, Nakhon Pathom, Mukdahan and Ubon Ratchathani.

Importantly, the organisation informed that there was a possibility that the river level would continue decreasing by around 5 to 8 centimetres per day.

Deputy Government Spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said on Tuesday (January 14) that the Cabinet had approved the Ministry of Defence’s proposal for a draft agreement on sending Thai troops to study in the military academy under the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Defence.

“The commander of the National Defence Studies Institute under the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters or the authorised representative will sign the draft agreement,” she said.

“However, if the details of the draft agreement need to be changed without affecting any substance stated in the draft, the Ministry of Defence can proceed as appropriate as proposed.”

She explained that the draft agreement aimed to set the guidelines on sending Thai troops for training courses held by the Russian Ministry of Defence.

“The Thai Ministry of Defence will propose the list of training courses to the Russian Ministry of Defence by January 15 every year. Meanwhile, the Russian side will inform the Thai side by June 15 every year on the courses they can support,” she said.

“Thai soldiers chosen to study these courses must pass a preparatory course and undergo Russian language training for 10 months, starting from October every year before taking the cadet courses.”

She added that Russian President Putin had approved Thailand as a friendly country that can receive unconditional scholarships, especially Russian Federation cadet courses, while other courses will be considered case by case.

He said that the current model of the industry could lead to more monopoly, more power of the authority and less development of technology and manpower.

Pita Limjaroenrat, a Future Forward Party MP and team leader of this project, added that the purpose of this new act was to resurrect agriculture in Thailand. Pita said the existing law prevents local farmers from turning their products into liquor, which can encourage small spirits business.

The proposal is expected to get the backing of local farmers who acknowledge that their potential is limited by the current law, Pita said.

With smog posing a major threat to public health, many provincial authorities are taking measures to fight smoke emissions, which are mostly caused by the burning of agricultural fields, especially for sugarcane harvesting.

Suphanburi Governor Nimit Wanchaithanawong had called all agencies, sugar factory owners and district chiefs on Monday (January 13) to find a solution to the problem of smoke and law enforcement after delaying the agricultural burning ban for a year for locals to adapt to the new measure. However, some farmers continue to burn their fields, especially at night. The governor has announced a reward to people who inform authorities of any such violations by farm owners.

Meanwhile, Lampang, Phrae, Kamphaeng Phet, Phetchabun and other provinces, where there are sugarcane plantations, will encourage farmers to use other methods for harvesting and also install more PM2.5 detectors.

Some sugar companies said that the remedial measures have forced sugar companies to procure sugarcane harvesters as farmers do not have the ability to buy these machines. Sugar factories that need sugar must supply the harvesters. If there are not enough sugarcane harvesters for the farmers to supply to the factory, it must reduce the quantity and the planting area.

“In 2005, Thailand signed the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement [TAFTA] and the Thailand-New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership Agreement [TNZEP], which erected tariff barriers on certain agricultural produce in order to protect domestic products,” she said. “The agreements will, however, gradually lower the tariff and limits over the years until fully free trade conditions are achieved, meaning unlimited quantities of the products can be imported free of tariff.”

In 2020, onions and potatoes as well as their seeds from Australia and New Zealand will become free of import tariff under TAFTA and TNZEP, therefore the Cabinet has ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to draw up regulations for importers of these produce, as follows:

➤ Importers of onions and potatoes as well as their seeds must be a juristic person registered as an importer of the respective produce with the Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce. The registration must be renewed annually.

➤ Importers must apply for certificate of import tax exemption under the free trade agreement.

➤ Importers must use those produce for their own manufacturing and processing. Resale and transfer of the produce is not allowed.

➤ The produce must be processed at Customs checkpoints that have plant, food and drug quarantine stations.

Ratchada further added that the Office of Agricultural Economics had studied the impact of free trade of these products and concluded that it should not pose negative effects on domestic farmers. “Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture has been urging local farmers to improve their product quality using new technologies through the smart farming initiative, which should help boost their competitiveness against imported products.”