Gold opens steady in Thai market depite spot price slump
The price of gold in Thailand on Friday morning was unchanged from Thursdays close.
The Gold Traders Association report at 9.29am showed buying price of a gold bar at THB28,350 per baht weight and selling price at THB28,450, while gold ornaments were priced at THB27,833.76 and THB28,950, respectively.
Spot gold on Friday morning dropped to US$1,801 (THB60,099) per ounce after Comex gold price at close on Thursday dropped by $5.6 to $1,808.9 per ounce, due to the rise in US government bond yield, momentum in gold sales after a robust performance by the US stock market reacting to a decline in unemployment claims.
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Hong Kong gold price dropped by HK$70 to $16,720 (THB71,742) per tael, the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society reported.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index rose by 7.16 points, or 0.47 per cent, to 1,534.82 on Friday morning.
The SET Index closed at 1,527.66 on Thursday, down 18.20 points or 1.18 per cent. Transactions totalled THB81.29 billion with an index high of 1,547.38 and a low of 1,526.91.
Krungsri Securities forecast the SET Index on Friday would fall to between 1,515 and 1,520 points despite positive sentiment from the decline in US weekly jobless claims.
It predicted higher domestic Covid-19 cases which have impacted the economy, weakened the baht and led to foreign funds outflow would pressure the index.
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It recommended selective buys as an investment strategy:
▪︎ HANA, KCE, TU, CPF, GFPT, ASIAN, EPG and SUN, which would benefit from the weakening baht.
▪︎ BCH, CHG, BDMS, DOHOME, CKP, CBG, OSP, ICHI, GPSC, BEC, GUNKUL, JWD, WICE, SONIC, NER, PSL, TTA, RCL, SINGER, JMT and JMART, whose second-quarter business turnover is expected to improve.
Baht slides to 33.27, the lowest in nearly three years
The baht hits its lowest level in nearly three years, opening at 33.27 to the US dollar on Friday, weakening from Thursday’s closing rate of 33.24.
It was the lowest the baht had slid to in two years and nine months.
The Thai currency is likely to move between 33.25 and 33.35 during the day, Krungthai Bank market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.
Poon said that the baht would continue to weaken due to the Covid-19 situation. Importers have also purchased US dollars, as they are afraid the baht could weaken quickly and sharply, he said.
Poon believed the Thai currency could easily weaken to 33.50 per US dollar in the short term if the Covid situation worsened and the dollar momentum rose. The momentum would rise if supported by the US Federal Reserve’s statement to decrease quantitative easing or the economy of the US was better than expected.
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Moreover, the baht will continue to weaken until the Covid-19 situation gets better, which is expected to be in early September, Poon added.
Covid-19 and wildfires spell big business for the air purifier industry
Between Covid-19s airborne transmission and more recently choking smoke sent aloft by western wildfires – some of which drifted thousands of miles to settle over East Coast cities – the very air Americans breathe has gone from afterthought to worrisome threat.
One sector that’s managed to benefit from these dual crises is the air purifier industry. Sales have been climbing since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, a trend that’s been turbocharged this year by unprecedented, climate change-induced infernos raging across the West.
Researchers who spend their days thinking about air quality say some purifiers can be an effective way to make inside air cleaner – and that when it comes to the coronavirus, potentially help lower risk of transmission – when coupled with other, traditional precautions.
The air treatment systems market is expected to expand by 29% this year, according to research and consulting firm Verify Markets, driven in part by the spreading delta variant of Covid-19 and smoke from wildfires in the West. It follows a growth rate of 57% in 2020, when Americans rushed to buy anything that they thought might prevent them from getting infected.
This year, when it comes to the consequences of western wildfires, Environmental Defense Fund air pollution specialist Maria Harris said “there’s no place in the U.S. not potentially vulnerable.”
As long as users follow certain guidelines and don’t get swayed by hyperbolic marketing claims, portable purifiers can be helpful in dealing with poor air quality. And you won’t necessarily have to shell out thousands of dollars to get a solid machine either.
In the U.S., search-engine queries for related terms have jumped over the past month, with the phrase “air purifier for smoke” becoming 140% more popular, according to Google Trends. Unsurprisingly, interest appeared stronger in the Northwest, where fires have been terrible this summer. But it was also robust across the country in places such as Mississippi, underscoring the broad-ranging impact of the disasters.
Wildfire smoke has been linked to a range of negative health effects, including asthma attacks and more susceptibility to respiratory infections, Harris said.
That’s “particularly concerning in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said. “The pollutants in smoke can harm health in many different ways, so anything we can do to reduce exposure is a good idea.”
Choosing a product, however, can seem daunting with so many brands and models on the market. The first step is ensuring the purifier has a high efficiency particulate air filter, most commonly known as HEPA, according to Lew Harriman, the retired director of research at consulting firm Mason-Grant.
When it comes to combatting the spread of the coronavirus, Illinois Institute of Technology engineering professor Brent Stephens said the empirical evidence supporting air purifiers is newer and less concrete. But he added that he believes they can be helpful. He highlighted a July report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found in a study performed this year that a HEPA air cleaner can reduce exposure to Covid-19 indoors, particularly when combined with masking.
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Stephens normally avoids add-ons such as ionization systems aimed at inactivating viruses, because the literature on them is limited, he said. Moreover, he said there’s some indication these technologies could prove counterproductive. Some HEPA models include such features, which he just turns off.
He does recommend checking an air purifier’s clean-air delivery rate, an industry standard that helps measure efficacy. The higher the rate, the more particles the unit can filter and the larger area it can serve, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For wildfire smoke, users might want to buy a model that filters out odors in addition to pollutants, Stephens said. Harris, with the Environmental Defense Fund, also advises scanning third-party effectiveness tests.
To make sure people are getting clean air wherever they are in the home, Harriman suggests buying several small purifiers and scattering them around the house – which could also come at a lower cost than buying a larger machine. It’s more effective to be near a working air purifier when inside, he said, rather than rely on the reach of a big one in another room.
Overall, there’s no need to spend a fortune, either. Some “workhorse models” cost around $500 to $600, Stephens said, but it’s also possible to get “really good products” for $200 to $300. The price will of course depend on what’s available in a particular area and whether others are also rushing to buy the appliances.
Reliable HEPA cleaners include those made by Blueair AB, Honeywell International and Coway, among others, Harriman said. In the past three months, Coway purifier sales increased by 102.8% compared to the same period in 2020, spokesperson Jordan Weintraub said in an email. The company usually sees a spike when air quality worsens amid wildfires.
Harris said she’s experienced the reassurance air purifiers provide in reducing pollution on smoky days, in terms of how the atmosphere in her house feels and smells. But she notes that relying on appliances to deal with the threat posed by a deadly pathogen or fallout from global warming is not a long-term strategy.
Many people “lack the resources to make purchases like private air purifiers to help reduce their exposure,” Harris said. “There are societal solutions needed here, very clearly.”
Published : August 06, 2021
By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Daniela Sirtori-Cortina
Markets wrap: Stocks gain as earnings outweigh virus concerns
U.S. equities gained ahead of Fridays jobs report as investors balanced corporate results and jobless claims against the economic threat of the delta virus variant.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rose to record highs, with Booking Holdings Inc., Fox Corp. and MercadoLibre Inc. higher after earnings. Meanwhile, the dollar was weaker, gold fell and Treasuries slid after initial unemployment claims declined for a second week.
In Europe, the Stoxx 600 index also notched an all-time high following more mixed corporate earnings. Drugmakers Novo Nordisk A/S and Merck KGaA gained after raising forecasts while Bayer AG plunged on margin concerns. The pound also extended a gain against the greenback after the Bank of England left its benchmark interest rate unchanged.
“This continues to be a favorable market for equities and will probably remain that way as long as the Fed stays accommodative and companies’ earnings continue to rebound,” Carter Henderson, portfolio manager at Fort Pitt Capital Group, said by phone. “That being said, the market is up 17% for the year. We believe room to the upside is probably limited.”
The U.S. job market remains a key window onto the economic outlook, with the latest reports showing a much softer-than-expected ADP employment report but a record expansion for U.S. service industries. Data on new unemployment claims Thursday also suggested incremental improvement, with the focus now turning to Friday’s key non-farm payrolls numbers.
“While jobless claims have been a bit erratic over the last few months, we’re starting to see less file for unemployment week over week, suggesting that more are taking jobs. And the historic low on the trade deficit front is a testament to the demand we’re seeing from consumers,” Mike Loewengart, managing director of investment strategy at E*Trade Financial, said. “So while there may be supply shortages on the labor and goods front, it’s encouraging to see robust demand in the face of delta fears weighing on investors.”
Crude oil was higher after several days of losses. Bitcoin rose above $40,000. And in Asia, equities edged up in Japan but slipped in Hong Kong and China.
Here are some key events to watch this week:
– Reserve Bank of India monetary policy decision, briefing Friday
– The U.S. jobs report is expected to show another robust month of hiring Friday
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These are the main moves in markets:
– – –
– The S&P 500 rose 0.6% as of 4 p.m. New York time
– The Nasdaq 100 rose 0.7%
– The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8%
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– The MSCI World index rose 0.4%
– – –
– The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
– The euro was little changed at $1.1836
– The British pound rose 0.3% to $1.3931
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– The Japanese yen fell 0.2% to 109.75 per dollar
– – –
– The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced four basis points to 1.22%
– Germany’s 10-year yield was little changed at -0.50%
– Britain’s 10-year yield advanced one basis point to 0.52%
– – –
– West Texas Intermediate crude rose 1.5% to $69.20 a barrel
– Gold futures fell 0.4% to $1,806.70 an ounce
Published : August 06, 2021
By : Syndication Washington Post, Bloomberg · Vildana Hajric
Biden calls for half of new cars to be electric or plug-in hybrids by 2030
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Thursday unveiled a far-reaching, multipronged plan to make U.S. cars and light trucks more fuel-efficient and to begin a shift to electric vehicles over the coming decade. The move marks one of the administrations most consequential pushes so far to combat climate change and tackle the nations biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
The suite of new goals and mandates, forged after months of talks with car manufacturers, autoworkers and environmental groups, is meant to transform the kind of vehicles Americans drive and to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. The move comes with political risks for Biden, who has faced pressure from activists and industry representatives alike. But it represents a key part of his promise to try to slow rising global temperatures and propel the country toward a future in which the vehicles on roads and highways rely on little or no gasoline.
“Today, labor and industry, state and local leaders, are all working together to write the next chapter in the American story,” Biden said on the White House’s South Lawn. “We’re in competition with China and many other nations for the 21st century. To win, we’re going to have to make sure that the future will be made in America.”
But it remains to be seen whether Biden’s call to action will be enough to get the American auto industry to shift gears to cleaner cars quickly enough as part of a broader effort to tackle global warming.
The president signed an executive order calling for half of new passenger car sales to be of electric vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells or plug-in electric hybrids by the end of the decade. Executives from auto companies, including Ford and General Motors, as well as lawmakers and United Auto Workers members joined Biden at the White House on Thursday afternoon.
Biden, a self-described “car guy,” turned to GM chief executive Mary Barra during his remarks and quipped: “When they make the first electric Corvette, I get to drive it.”
In the near term, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department were also set Thursday to propose new requirements on greenhouse gas emissions and fuel efficiency for cars, SUVs and pickup trucks through model year 2026.
That rulemaking represents the Biden administration’s first major effort to use the federal government’s regulatory authority to cut carbon emissions. It also is a repudiation of a freeze on fuel-efficiency standards imposed under Donald Trump, one of the former president’s biggest environmental rollbacks. Trump scaled back the requirements put in place under the Obama administration in 2012, which would have ramped up average fuel economy to 54.5 miles per gallon by model year 2025.
The Biden administration expects its actions to conserve about 200 billion gallons of gasoline and forestall around 2 billion metric tons of carbon pollution.
Looking further out, the Biden team is also kicking off its push to set longer-term pollution standards for everything from tiny sedans to huge semitrailers made in the second half of the decade.
Taken together, the administration’s effort to spur the sale of electric vehicles aims to slash emissions from the nation’s top driver of global warming: The transportation sector, in which more than 90 percent of the fuel used today is derived from petroleum.
Yet to get Americans into cleaner cars, the administration faces a bumpy road ahead.
“What we need to be doing is figuring out how to get really dramatic reductions [in emissions] going forward,” said Mary Nichols, the former chair of the California Air Resources Board who helped forge a deal with five major automakers in 2019 to tighten their mileage standards beyond what the Trump administration set.
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The Biden team modeled its near-term tailpipe targets on the California agreement. “We’ve been heating up, choking up and burning up on the West Coast of the United States,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in an interview Thursday. “We’ve been waiting for this announcement for years.”
A fast-growing fire that tore through the Northern California town of Greenville this week, he added, underscores “the fact that we need to step up our efforts to address the underlying cause here.”
But it is difficult to make up for lost ground in improving engines after the Trump administration eased regulations. Dave Cooke, senior vehicles analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that while he had not yet seen the administration’s final proposal, his group and others have been pressuring the White House to push beyond the parameters of the California deal.
“They are not really forcing the industry to do a full course correction after the Trump [rollback],” Cooke said. “It puts us far behind where we need to be.”
And it’s still unclear whether the Biden administration will do enough to put the country on the path to reach its goal under the Paris climate agreement. The president wants to cut U.S. emissions in half by 2030, compared with 2005 levels. With his executive order Thursday, Biden hopes to send a signal to other countries to set their own aggressive climate goals ahead of a major climate conference in Scotland in the fall.
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In Detroit and other industrial cities, electric vehicles represent a challenge to autoworkers as factories shift from making internal combustion engines to battery-powered ones. A concern among factory workers is that their employers may be able to get by with fewer workers on the assembly line since electric vehicles have fewer parts. Both Ford and GM are investing in battery factories in the United States.
Brian Rothenberg, a spokesman for the United Auto Workers, which endorsed Biden last year, said the union’s focus “is not on hard deadlines or percentages, but on preserving the wages and benefits that have been the heart and soul of the American middle class.”
Meanwhile, the nation’s Big Three automakers – Ford, GM and Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler – rallied around a “shared aspiration” less ambitious than the Biden goal. They are proposing that 40 to 50 percent of their annual U.S. sales be battery electric, fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2030. Ford chief executive Jim Farley said that based on early demand for electric F-150 trucks and other vehicles his company is “well positioned” to meet that mark.
But in a joint statement, the automakers said the shift “can be achieved only with the timely deployment of the full suite of electrification policies” from the federal government, including new financial incentives for drivers to buy zero-emission vehicles.
On Twitter, Elon Musk, a chief executive of electric vehicle giant Tesla, suggested his company was snubbed from Biden’s event. It “seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited,” Musk wrote.
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Reaction was mixed from environmental groups.
Simon Mui, deputy director for clean vehicles and fuels at the Natural Resources Defense Council, praised Biden’s proposal for getting the country “back on the road to cleaning up tailpipe pollution.” But he added: “This proposal delivers less carbon pollution reductions than the Obama-era standards and includes unfortunate loopholes that undercut progress.”
Without a quick transition, the United States risks sliding even further behind Europe and Asia in making batteries and other key components for electric vehicles. Biden’s action will undoubtedly face comparisons with what other developed nations are doing to speed the shift to electric vehicles.
“Whether U.S. manufacturers and workers see the benefits of this transition really depends on actions now,” said Zoe Lipman, director of manufacturing and advanced transportation at the BlueGreen Alliance, a coalition of labor and environmental groups.
The European Union last month proposed changes that would effectively phase out the sale of new gasoline-powered engines by 2035, part of a far-reaching package of measures intended to put the 27-country bloc on pace to reach net zero emissions throughout its economy by mid-century.
The U.S. government must play a role in hastening its own shift, Nichols said, because some automakers are reluctant to move away from selling the highly profitable but gas-guzzling SUVs and trucks that remain popular today.
“They are not going to do it any faster than they have to,” said Nichols, who is now a visiting fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.
Advocates for electric vehicles, in both government and industry, must also sway an American driving public worried about not being able to find spots to plug in and recharge.
“The auto companies are there. We need the consumers to be there,” said Don Stewart, executive vice president of public affairs at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group that represents carmakers. “And the federal government plays a huge role in that.”
A big question is how much financial support Congress will provide.
Plans to provide new tax breaks for buying electric vehicles hinge on Democrats passing a budget bill with razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate. And a bipartisan infrastructure plan includes just $7.5 billion for dotting U.S. corridors with vehicle chargers – half the amount Biden first called for to build 500,000 recharging spots.
“Now Congress has to act because this goal won’t be met just by setting it,” said Rep. Daniel Kildee, D-Mich., whose district has been decimated by factory closures. “We have to have industrial policy in this country that is about something.”
Published : August 06, 2021
By : The Washington Post · Dino Grandoni, Brady Dennis
SET slides as Covid cases surpass 20,000 for 2nd day in a row
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed at 1,527.66 on Thursday, down 18.20 points or 1.18 per cent. Transactions totalled THB81.29 billion with an index high of 1,547.38 and a low of 1,526.91.
The index was pressured by rising Covid-19 cases as Thailand’s daily caseload surpassed 20,000 for the second day running. Thailand logged 20,920 new infections and 160 deaths on Thursday.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value today were 7UP, IVL, PTT, KCE, PTTGC, GPSC, SCB, GULF, ADVANC and PSL.
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Other Asian indices were down with one exception:
Japan’s Nikkei Index closed at 27,728.12, up 144.04 points or 0.52 per cent.
China’s Shanghai SE Composite Index closed at 3,466.55, down 10.67 points or 0.31 per cent, while the Shenzhen SE Component Index closed at 14,872.23, down 117.88 points or 0.79 per cent.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed at 26,204.69, down 221.86 points or 0.84 per cent.
South Korea’s KOSPI closed at 3,276.13, down 4.25 points or 0.13 per cent.
Taiwan’s TAIEX closed at 17,603.12, down 20.77 points or 0.12 per cent.
AstraZeneca vaccine over 80% effective against severe disease, death after first dose, study shows
The AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine against Covid-19, Vaxzevria, has been found to be effective against severe disease or hospitalisation caused by the Beta and Delta variants.
Real-world data from Canada shows 82 per cent and 87 per cent effectiveness after one dose of the vaccine against hospitalisation or death caused by the Beta/Gamma and Delta variants respectively.
The effectiveness of the AstraZeneca jab after one dose against hospitalisation or death was similar to that of other vaccines tested in the study. The follow-up time was not enough to report on its effectiveness after two doses, though other studies have shown increased effectiveness after two doses.
Vaxzevria was also found to be effective against milder symptomatic infection, though data was collected after the first dose. Vaccine effectiveness against any symptomatic disease was 50 per cent against Beta/Gamma variants and 70 per cent and 72 per cent against the Delta and Alpha variants respectively.
Trials carried out by the University of Oxford in the UK and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa in January showed limited efficacy against mild disease primarily due to the Beta variant. The study was unable to properly ascertain vaccine efficacy against severe disease, including hospitalisation and death, given that the subjects were predominantly young, healthy adults who only experienced mild symptoms.
Mene Pangalos, executive vice president of research and development at BioPharmaceuticals, said: “With different variants threatening to disrupt our route out of the pandemic, this real-world evidence shows that Vaxzevria, along with other vaccines used in Canada, provides a high level of protection against the most serious forms of the disease, even after just one shot. It is essential that we continue to protect as many people as possible in all corners of the world in order to get ahead of this deadly virus.”
The analysis included 69,533 individuals who tested positive for Covid-19 between December 2020 and May this year in Ontario, Canada. Of the subjects, 28,705 (6.8 per cent) tested positive for non-variants of concern and 40,828 (9.7 per cent) were positive for a variant of concern.
Vaxzevria, formerly AZD1222, was co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the Covid-19 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.
The vaccine has been granted a conditional marketing authorisation or emergency use in more than 80 countries across six continents. More than 700 million doses of the vaccine have been supplied to 170 countries worldwide, including more than 100 countries through the Covax facility.
The Civil Court on Friday ordered Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to lift all restrictions banning media on reporting news that may incite public fear or affect national stability.
The restrictions were issued under Article 9 of the Emergency Decree and were put into effect on July 30.
Media organisation Reporter Production filed a court petition against the restrictions on August 2 and the court said on Friday that the order will be suspended until it is changed.
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Official press release on this matter
As became known to the public that, on 2 August 2021, the Civil Court has accepted the petition brought to the Court by REPORTER PRODUCTION Co., Ltd et al. against Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha seeking the revocation of the enforcement of the Regulation Issued under Section 9 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (2005) (No. 29) (hereinafter Regulation) and the emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction enjoining the defendant from enforcing such regulation, the Civil Court has conducted the hearing for such motion in Civil Action No. 3618/2564 and has fixed the day for the delivery of an order on 6 August 2021 at 1.30 pm.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Civil Court has examined and assessed the witnesses and the documentary evidences brought before the Court and do hereby order this 6u day of August 2021, as follows:
“Article 1 of the Regulation prohibiting the dissemination of information having a risk of frightening people is not limited to those of misrepresentation according to raison d’ere and the necessity of enacting the Regulation as indicated therein, thereby ensuing the deprivation of right and freedom of the plaintiffs and people as protected by Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (B.E.2560(2017).
Such Article is, also, not compatible with a part of the Regulation indicating the necessity of creating the measures to render reasonable the exercise of right and freedom of expression in accordance to legal frame as established by the Constitution. Moreover, the phrase “information having a risk of frightening people” as indicated in such Article is of an ambiguous character and opens a possibility to a broad interpretation, thereby rendering the plaintiffs, people and those working in media field unconfident about expressing their opinion and communicating in accordance with the freedom protected by Article 34 Paragraph 1.
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Article 35 Paragraph 1 of the Constitution. Such Article results in a superfluous and unnecessary deprivation of people’s right and freedom, which makes it, in effect. incompatible with Article 26 Paragraph 1 of the Constitution.
Also, such Article provides no stipulation on the criteria or guideline regarding the performance of official duties lest the treatment ensue unreasonable vexation of people, as designated in Section 9 Paragraph 2 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (2005) (No. 29).
Considering that Section 9 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (2005) (No. 29) provides Prime Minister has no authorization to suspend interment services provision, Article 2 of the Regulation authorizing the suspension of internet services provision against the Internet Protocol address (IP address) of which the user has disseminated the information not compatible with the Regulation is in contrary to the law.
The importance of the internet access is recognized throughout the society. particularly, in the current situation of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic and of the enforcement of lockdown measures. Furthermore, such Article is not limited to the suspension of internet services provision in one specific act, yet extending such suspension to a future act.
Such Article, as a result. hinders the communication and information’s dissemination of those not having malicious intent, thereby rendering it incompatible with Article 36 Paragraph 1 of the Constitution.
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Thus, leaving open the possibility of continuing the enforcement of such regulation runs the risk of
irreparable damages. Therefore, by virtue of Section 254 (2), Section 255 (2)(d) appurtenant to Section 267 Paragraph 1 of the Civil Procedure Code, the Court views as just and appropriate to grant a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction having an effect of suspending the enforcement of those two Articles of such Regulation. It is in the view of the Court that, considering the existence of several legal instruments establishing the measures concerning illegal dissemination of information and the government’s capability to educate people, develop a public better understanding and examine false information, the
suspension of the enforcement of such Regulation does not pose any obstacle to public administration in emergency simulations and public interest.
WHEREFORE, the Court orders that the defendant be provisionally enjoined from enforcing the Regulation Issued under Section 9 of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations B.E. 2548 (2005) (No. 29), pending entry by the Court of a changed order in this action.”
Anybody participating in protests will be charged with violating the Emergency Decree and can face up to two years in jail and/or 40,000 baht in fine, police announced on Friday.
Supporters and members of the pro-democracy Free Youth group are scheduled to gather at Democracy Monument in downtown Bangkok at 1pm on Sunday before they march to the Grand Palace.
The Vocational Protection of the People for Democracy group has also announced that it will hold a car rally at Phan Fa Lilat Bridge before heading to Government House. However, it did not specify when this gathering will take place.
Police said provincial forces were being brought in to control the situation. According to records, since July last year, there have been 2,233 protests in the country and 524 related prosecution cases.
Meanwhile, deputy commander and spokesman for Metropolitan Police, Pol Lt-General Piya Thawichai, said any gatherings are in violation of the Emergency Decree, which has been put in place to control the spread of Covid-19. He added that police officers will be deployed to keep protesters away from all important sites in the city.
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