An obese macaque named “Godzilla” has taken the internet by storm after the animal was seized from its owner last week.
The monkey was displayed by its owner at a market in Bangkok’s Minburi district, where it ballooned to over 20 kilograms in weight after being fed junk food by passers-by. An average full-grown macaque weighs only 10 kilos.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) decided to seize Godzilla from its owner last Thursday, concerned that the primate would die from obesity.
Photo credit: Tusave S’anyser
The macaque is now being cared for at a DNP facility.
Its owner, Manop Aimsawan, told reporters that the animal was among three macaques left behind by their previous owner, a fellow vendor at the same market.
One had been killed by a car and the other by street dogs, leaving only Godzilla.
Manop said he contacted a government agency about the monkey, but the agency told him he could raise the animal as his pet despite the fact it was unregistered.
The monkey was then kept chained in the market, where passers-by fed it with fruit and other food. Inevitably,
Godzilla grew fatter and fatter.After the photos of the massive macaque went viral on social media, the DNP stepped in and transferred the animal to a wildlife conservation centre in Chachoengsao province.
Photo credit: Tusave S’anyser
The story should have ended there, since Godzilla’s owner acknowledged that keeping a macaque without a special permit is illegal.
Macaques are a protected species under the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act.
However, after the owner posted a message online saying he was missing Godzilla, social media users sympathised and called on the DNP to return the animal.
Today, the DNP updated its Facebook page with a message that the monkey was safe and eating healthy food at the wildlife conservation centre.
Upper Thailand will experience a hot to very hot day with haze, while some some areas will see thundershowers and gusty winds as southerly and southeasterly winds bring humidity from the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea, the Meteorological Department said on Wednesday, advising people to beware of the severe conditions.
The department also said an easterly wind prevails over the Gulf and the South, causing scattered thundershowers in the lower South.
Fom March 31-April 2, a low pressure cell over the Gulf of Bengal will move into the Andaman sea, bringing more rain to the South. Waves in the west coast will be more than 2 metres high during thundershowers.
Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Hot day with haze; temperature lows of 27-28 degrees, highs of 35-39 degrees Celsius.
North: Hot to very hot day with haze and thundershowers along with gusty winds in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 23-28 degrees and highs of 37-40 degrees Celsius.
Northeast: Hot to very day with haze and thundershowers along with gusty winds in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-27 degrees and highs of 38-40 degrees Celsius.
Central: Hot to very hot day with haze and thundershowers along with gusty winds in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 25-27 degrees, highs of 37-40 degrees Celsius.
East: Hot day with haze and thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 25-28 degrees, highs of 33-39 degrees Celsius; waves less than a metre high and 1 metre during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-26 degrees, highs of 32-36 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area and heavy rains in some areas; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees, highs of 33-36 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
Ministers at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting approved the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)’s plan to reopen the country with seven-day quarantine for foreign travellers.
The plan reduces the quarantine period to seven days for fully vaccinated tourists in Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, said government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.
From July 1, vaccinated tourists can visit Phuket without undergoing quarantine.
From October 1, the quarantine measure will be lifted in Krabi, Phang Nga, Pattaya and Chiang Mai.
According to the plan’s timeline, Thailand will lift all quarantine restrictions on foreign travellers next year, Anucha said.
Annual fishing restrictions have been imposed off Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Trang on the Andaman coast from April 1 to June 30 to allow stocks to recover.
The Department of Fisheries said the restrictions – which cover net-mesh size, fishing methods and sea conditions – have been put in place for the Andaman spawning season. The spawning season peaks in May with an average density of 690 fish per 10 square metres.
Statistics show the restrictions have been successful, with the annual catch in the lower Andaman steadily increasing from 207,236 tonnes in 2017 to 290,035 tonnes in 2020, said the department. Moreover, regulations covering the mesh size of shrimp and crab nets have also protected seafood stocks by restricting the number of undersized animals being caught.
The fishing ban covers an area of 5,000sqkm, spanning Cape Panwa in Phuket province to Laem Yong Star in Trang province.
Mahidol University’s College of Music has revealed the secrets of its success, after being named among the top 100 universities in the field of performing arts earlier this month.
Mahidol became the first Thai university listed among the global elite for performing arts in this year’s QS World University Rankings.
“Obtaining the rank is considered difficult to some extent but to hold and make it even better is a challenge for me, the college and Mahidol University,” said Prof Narong Prangcharoen, dean of the college.
“However, if we continually prepare and develop ourselves, maintaining standards is not difficult,” he added.
Narong is the first Thai composer to win the Charles Ives Fellowship in musical composition from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
He explained that the QS ranking uses two main criteria: Academic reputation and employee reputation.
The college sets out three key areas to build its academic reputation. Firstly, it has built recognition overseas by participating in international events arranged by the Pacific Alliance of Music Schools, the International Benchmarking Exercise and the International Council of Fine Arts Deans.
Secondly, it has built exchange programmes with music institutions abroad, including partnerships with leading Chinese music institutes, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Central Conservatory of Music the leading in China.
Thirdly, the college has adopted international standards and the European Music Quality Enhancement (MusiQuE) accreditation for bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes.
“This demonstrates the quality of teaching and learning of our institution and makes it known even more internationally,” Narong said.
“Also, as a composer, I have my followers following the work at Mahidol University in the knowledge that I returned to Thailand and took the role of administrator here.”
Narong studied in the US, where he was composer-in-residence for the prestigious Pacific Symphony in Orange County, California.
Thai Airways (THAI) has announced it will operate two special flights from Frankfurt to Phuket this week and in May, as Thailand eases travel restrictions and welcomes back European tourists.
The two flights from Germany will be seen as a test for the Phuket Tourism Sandbox initiative, a trial scheme to reintroduce fully inoculated tourists to the island from July 1.
Businesses in tourism-reliant Phuket have been badly hit by the year-long Covid-19 travel ban.
The TG921 flights will depart Frankfurt at 2.45pm (local time) on April 2 (this Friday) and May 7 and arrive in Phuket at 7.10am the next day.
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha held a Songkran rite at Government House on Tuesday ahead of the actual festival on April 13-15.
“Today I poured water on a Buddha image protected by a nine-headed Naga, which signifies protection of the country,” said Prayut. “I also prayed for all Thais to be happy and good members of society, and that the members of the Cabinet can work together to solve problems.”
Prayut performed the Songkran activity after participating in a group photo with his new Cabinet in front of Government House. The traditional bathing of the Buddha image also promoted the government’s “New Normal Songkran” campaign for Covid-safe celebrations and no water-splashing this year.
The official celebrations will be held at the Makkasan Airport Rail Link Station in Bangkok on April 13-15. The ban on water-splashing marks Thailand’s second “dry” Songkran in two years, though traditional practices like sprinkling elders and Buddha statues with water are still permitted.
SCB 10X and Traveloka, Southeast Asia’s largest digital travel and lifestyle consumer platform, to form a new joint venture focusing on digital financial services in Thailand
In a move to propel its Moonshot Mission further, Siam Commercial Bank Group (“SCB”) tech holding company, “SCB 10X”, is moving forward with new investments and partnerships in high-potential tech companies and startups around the globe.
In line with that goal, SCB 10X today announced the new partnership with Traveloka, Southeast Asia’s leading consumer technology platform focused on travel, local services, and financial services; to establish “TREX Ventures”.
This marks Traveloka’s first joint venture dedicated to offering digital financial services. TREX Ventures will leverage SCB’s market leading banking platform and Traveloka’s digital capabilities to offer innovative financial products to their respective customers in Thailand.
In announcing the new partnership, SCB 10X Chief Business Development and Financial Officer Pitiporn Phanaphat said, “As part of its vision to establish itself at the forefront of regional investment, SCB 10X seeks to partner with technology companies and startups with strong potential from around the globe.
This strategic move also demonstrates the Company’s commitment in developing innovation capable of creating exponential growth for the firm.
Having recognised the potential of the tourism and hospitality industry as keys to help drive the nation’s economy both before and after the pandemic, SCB 10X welcomes the opportunity to partner with Traveloka, a world-class unicorn and a leading travel and lifestyle platform with approximately 40 million users across the region. SCB 10X expects to play a part in helping strengthen the ecosystem that it is interested in by embracing innovative digital technology for improving work and lifestyles of the future.”
“SCB 10X and Traveloka will collaborate in a strategic partnership to form a new joint venture called “TREX Ventures” that will combine the strong capabilities of the two companies to create innovative financial products and services tailored to meet the needs and lifestyles of modern travelers and lifestyle consumers in Thailand.
The partnership will leverage Traveloka’s deep understanding of user behavior gained from its multi-touchpoint engagement platform and robust data analytics platform.
Meanwhile, SCB 10X has the potential and capability to embrace technology to develop innovations taking advantage of its parent company Siam Commercial Bank’s extensive customer base of over 16 million people across the country, and a strong understanding of financial services and the Thai market”, added Pitiporn Phanaphat.
“We are delighted to partner with SCB 10X to set up our first joint venture, as we continue to grow our fintech business. SCB 10X and Siam Commercial Bank are market leading organisations with deep-set expertise in financial services, an impressive nation-wide customer base, and a track record in developing and co-creating innovations to best serve their customers. We are confident that this strategic partnership will enable us to deliver new financial products and services that match the needs of Thai users,” President of Traveloka Group Caesar Indra said.
“We believe Thailand’s consumer market offers abundant opportunities for Traveloka. With only 30% of Thai customers owning credit cards, we see similar needs to what we see in Indonesia. Leveraging our strong track record in Indonesia, we look forward to bringing tailored and accessible financial solutions that empower the people of Thailand to enjoy new experiences and explore the world around them. Our entry into financial services started after we identified gaps in the consumer journey for travel and leisure and we created solutions to bridge these. In 2018, we pioneered the Buy Now Pay Later (“BNPL”) product in Indonesia and followed up with several other innovative products, including the Paylater Credit Card, which continue to allow our users to better and responsibly realise their travel and lifestyle aspirations. We look forward to the opportunity to provide solutions that enrich our customers’ lives by making travel and lifestyle more accessible through financial inclusion,” Caesar Indra continued.
By The NationPattaya will launch its first-ever kite festival to wow tourists with a kaleidoscope of flying shapes and colours during Songkran.
“Pattaya Kites on the Beach 2021” will take place from April 9-19 in front of the Central Festival Pattaya Beach mall. The highlight of the event is the largest “bowl” kite ever made – a 35-metre-long whale kite certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Also lighting up the sky will be giant bears, dragons and kites adorned with LED lights.
Children can join kite-making workshops to make themselves a souvenir of their special day.
The kite festival will also feature traditional Songkran rites, though water splashing events are banned this year in line with Covid-19 restrictions.
Pattaya’s deputy mayor Ronnakit Eakkasing said the kites should help the city’s tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the pandemic.
Photo credit: Tusave S’anyser
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