#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006515

Since the pandemic began, Thailand has implemented several rounds of lockdowns to curb surges in COVID cases. COVID-19 has affected us all, but it is the most disadvantaged groups who have been hit the hardest. Sex workers are one of these groups.

The Australian Embassy is working with SWING (Service Workers In Group Foundation) to deliver survival bags (containing food supplies and sanitary kits) to sex workers and disadvantaged groups. Australian Ambassador to Thailand, Mr Allan McKinnon PSM, said “Australia is proud to contribute to SWING through our Direct Aid Program to help ensure that no one, including the most disadvantaged, is left behind during this challenging time. Australia stands firm with Thailand as we recover from this pandemic together.”

Australian Embassy, Thailand is working with SWING to help ensure no one is left behind during COVID-19

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On 22 September, Ambassador McKinnon helped to deliver survival bags in old Bangkok. Hopping on SWING’s iconic pink food truck to deliver the bags in Trok Sake and Khlong Lot, Ambassador McKinnon and the SWING team delivered packages consisting of dry food, pain killers, oral rehydration salts powder, fingertip Pulse Oximeter, and thermometers to 150 people.

Australian Embassy, Thailand is working with SWING to help ensure no one is left behind during COVID-19

This is part of the Embassy’s Direct Aid Program (DAP) program to provide immediate support to communities most seriously affected by COVID and its restrictions. SWING was established in 2004 to promote and protect the health, human rights and dignity of sex workers around Thailand. The Embassy’s funding will also allow SWING to deliver survival packages to sex workers in Pattaya in early October. In total, SWING will deliver 1,200 survival bags through the Embassy’s funding.

Australian Embassy, Thailand is working with SWING to help ensure no one is left behind during COVID-19

Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006513

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has hailed progress in Thailand’s campaign against “fake news”, even as critics accuse the government of an unprecedented clampdown on internet freedom.

Prayut praised state agencies after the latest Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) report showed fake news was on a downward trend, government spokesperson Trisulee Trisaranakul said on Wednesday.

The ministry reported that fake news stories in 2021 had dropped by 26.43 per cent, following a 6.69 per cent decline in 2020. Meanwhile, the number of genuine news stories had risen by 28.66 per cent, it said.

The PM praised the ministry, related agencies, society, and citizens for joining hands to report the news and find facts. He added that citizens must help the government to protect society against fake news circulating on the many social media platforms now available.

The MDES launched its anti-fake news centre in 2019 following a crackdown on internet freedom under Prayut’s post-coup regime. Since then, state authorities have mainly used cybercrime laws against online content critical of the government, military or Royal Family, amid rising anti-establishment protests. Rights groups say the term “fake news” is being weaponised by the government to crack down on its critics and protesters.

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The MDES said 158 cases of fake news were prosecuted last year. So far, 135 cases have been prosecuted this year, it added.

Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006511

Local monks have launched a mission to deliver relief packages in Sukhothai province, where households are under 1 metre of floodwater.

Aweek of heavy monsoon rain has overwhelmed a dam in Lampang’s Thoen district, flooding thousands of households downstream in Sukhothai’s Si Samrong district.

The flood-hit residents have been unable to leave their houses for work or to find food for the past three days.

Monks from three local temples – Phlai Chumpol, Ban Rai and Tret Nai – have come to the rescue by delivering necessities including 400 food packages, 70 sacks of rice and 1,200 bottles of water.

According to latest reports, around 2,366 Sukhothai households have been flooded. However, tourist attractions of the Unesco-listed Sukhothai Historical Park have not been damaged by the floodwater.

Monks aid flood victims in Sukhothai, Unesco-listed heritage safe

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Monks aid flood victims in Sukhothai, Unesco-listed heritage safe

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Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006510

A drug rehabilitation facility at a Kanchanaburi temple was ordered to close on Wednesday after the mother of one of its patients complained her son was tortured by facility officials.

The facility at Wat Tha Phu Rat Bamrung was treating 274 patients – 49 psychiatric cases and 225 drug addicts – according to the Department of Medical Services.

The closure order came after an investigation of the temple by the Princess Mother National Institute on Drug Abuse Treatment, the Narcotics Control Board and related agencies.

The institute’s director, Sarayut Boonchaipanichwatana, said the temple’s abbot, who had operated the facility, had died on Monday (September 20).

“The facility must submit documents to the Kanchanaburi Provincial Public Health Office as soon as possible,” Sarayut said.

Kanchanaburi governor Jirakiat Phumsawat has ordered the 17th Military Circle to help the facility contact relatives to take back patients from the temple by today.

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Of the 274 patients at the facility, 134 have returned home, 20 have stayed to help with the abbot’s funeral, and 120 have been moved to a field hospital at the Khao Chon Kai Territorial Defence Student-Training Camp.

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Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006508

The personal details of more than 106 million international travellers to Thailand were exposed on the web without a password last month, Comparitech researchers report. The database included full names, passport numbers, arrival dates, and more.

Bob Diachenko, who leads Comparitech’s cybersecurity research, discovered the database on August 22, and immediately alerted the Thai authorities, who acknowledged the incident and secured the data the following day.

Diachenko surmises that any foreigner who travelled to Thailand in the last decade might have had their information exposed in the incident. He even confirmed the database contained his own name and entries to Thailand.

Timeline of the exposure

Dates on the exposed records ranged from 2011 to the present day. Here’s what we know happened:

August 20: The database was indexed by search engine Censys.

August 22: Diachenko discovered the unprotected data and immediately took steps to verify and alert the owner in line with our responsible disclosure policy.

August 23: Thai authorities were quick to acknowledge the incident and swiftly secured the data.

Notably, the IP address of the database is still public, but the database itself has been replaced with a “honeypot” as of the time of writing. Anyone who attempts access at that address now receives the message, “This is honeypot, all access were logged.” [sic]

Thai authorities responded quickly to Diachenko’s disclosure, though we do not know how long the data was exposed before being indexed. Our honeypot experiments show attackers can find and access unsecured databases in a matter of hours.

Thai authorities maintain the data was not accessed by any unauthorised parties.

What data was exposed

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The Elasticsearch database totalled about 200GB and contained several assets, including a collection of more than 106 million records, each of which included some or all of the following information:

– Date of arrival in Thailand

– Full name

– Sex

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– Passport number

– Residency status

– Visa type

– Thai arrival card number

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Dangers of exposed data

Any foreigner who travelled to Thailand in the last decade or so probably has a record in the database. There are many people who would prefer their travel history and residency status not be publicised, so for them there are obvious privacy issues.

None of the information exposed poses a direct financial threat to the majority of data subjects. No financial or contact information was included.

Although passport numbers are unique to individuals, they are assigned sequentially and are not particularly sensitive. For example, a passport number can’t be used to open bank accounts or travel in another person’s name on its own.

Why we reported data incident

Comparitech’s cybersecurity research team regularly scans the web for unprotected databases containing personal data. When we find such a database, we immediately begin an investigation to find out to whom it belongs, what information it contains, who could be affected, and the potential consequences for data subjects.

Once we identify and verify the owner of the data, we alert them according to our responsible disclosure policy. Once the data has been secured, we publish a report like this one to curb harm to end users and raise cybersecurity awareness.

By Paul Bischoff – tech writer, privacy advocate and VPN expert

Full article can be viewed at https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/thai-traveler-data-leak/

Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006502

The Department of Employment has been ordered to speed up the investigation into sex-trafficking cases after a Thai woman was rescued from a tricky situation in Dubai earlier this week.

Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said on Wednesday that he has ordered the department to immediately hunt down those behind the “Dubai sex trade”

The woman in question was safely brought back to Thailand on Tuesday after she sent out an SOS on social media last week, saying she had been tricked into providing sexual services in Dubai. (Related report: Labour ministry answers SOS from sex-trafficked Thai woman in Dubai)

Suchart also warned those who dupe people into paying huge sums in exchange for dubious job offers overseas, saying the fraudsters can face three to 10 years in prison and/or fines of 60,000 to 200,000 baht. 
Advertising overseas jobs without permission from the Department of Employment is an offence punishable by a prison term of no more than three years and/or a fine of no more than 60,000 baht. 
“I want to tell all job seekers to not be persuaded into going to work overseas illegally or falling for exaggerated advertising. Also realise that you are probably being deceived if you get talked into circumventing legal procedures, like getting employed under a tourist visa or working overseas without going through proper legal channels. Such offers will not only prove to be financially expensive but may also put your life at risk or you may face legal action 
“Every country has its own laws and wherever you work, the rules of that country should be respected,” the minister said. 
The Department of Employment said between October 1, 2020, and September 7, 2021, 93 illegal brokers had defrauded 195 job seekers out of more than 17.5 million baht. Most of these people were taken to Canada, Japan, South Korea, Sweden and Australia under false pretences.

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• Labour ministry answers SOS from sex-trafficked Thai woman in Dubai
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Those wanting to work overseas can contact their nearest employment office or visit the Bangkok Employment Office Area 1-10. Visit www.doe.go.th/overseas, call the Labour Ministry 1506 hotline and press 2 or call the Department of Employment 1694 hotline for more information.

Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006501

The Cabinet on Tuesday halved both employers’ and employees’ social security contributions from September to November.

“The aim is to alleviate the financial burden of business owners and their employees during the Covid-19 situation,” Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said on Wednesday. “Monthly employee contributions under Article 39 of the Social Security Act will be cut from 432 baht to 235 baht.”

Article 39 applies to those who have stopped working but wish to maintain their social security benefits.

Social Security Office secretary-general Thossaphol Kritwongwiman said this measure should help up to 480,000 businesses and 13 million employees.

For more information on social security or labour-related issues, call Labour Ministry’s 1506 hotline.

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Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006499

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will next week see which of the city’s 61 community isolation centres should be kept open now that the number of new Covid-19 cases has dropped significantly.

The issue was discussed at a meeting with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Tuesday, which was chaired by BMA deputy governor Sophon Pisutthipong.

At the meeting, it was decided that adjustments will be made based on the number of patients. For instance, only a few staff will be kept at centres with no patients, so they can be at hand in case there is a new eruption of infections.

Meanwhile, isolation centres in schools may be closed to prepare for the return of students.

District offices have been tasked with surveying community isolation centres before next weeks’ meeting, so the BMA can decide which centres should be kept open.

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Meanwhile, the number of daily Covid-19 cases in Bangkok has dropped to less than 3,000 and community isolation centres either have too few or no patients.

BMA is also scheduled to hold an online meeting on Wednesday with the Phuket Sandbox team to learn about their experiences and see how the scheme can be applied to the capital.

Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006498

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will from Thursday start servicing another 18 routes now that lockdown restrictions have been eased.

SRT announced on Tuesday that more trains will start running to the South, North and Northeast, though all measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 will be strictly observed. Trains will also not stop at “dark red” provinces during the 9pm to 4am curfew hours.

The 18 routes that will reopen are:

• Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Bangkok diesel special express No 7/8
• Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Bangkok special express No 9/10
• Bangkok-Hat Yai-Bangkok diesel special express No 43/40
• Bangkok-Hat Yai-Bangkok special express No 31/32
• Bangkok-Trang-Bangkok express train No 83/84
• Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat-Bangkok express train No 85/86
• Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani-Bangkok fast train No 139/140
• Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani-Bangkok special express No 23/24
• Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani-Bangkok diesel express No 71/72

SRT has also shifted Bangkok-Thung Song-Bangkok to Bangkok-Sungai Kolok-Bangkok serviced by fast train No 171/172.

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• Exodus from Bangkok as national bus service resumes after 1 month
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Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006497

The number of daily cases in Thailand over the past 24 hours on Wednesday rose to 11,252, though deaths were slightly fewer at 141. Of the new cases, 28 were in prisons.

Meanwhile, 13,695 people have recovered and been discharged over the past 24 hours.

Thailand’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 1,511,357 – 1,366,533 of whom have recovered, 129,071 are still in hospitals and 15,753 have died.

Separately, another 300,033 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 511,087 their second shot and 795 a booster shot, bringing total Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 46,023,016.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 230.33 million on Wednesday, 207.03 million of whom have recovered, 18.58 million are active cases (98,115 in severe condition) and 4.72 million have died (up by 8,205).

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Thailand recorded 11,252 Covid-19 cases and 141 deaths on Wednesday.

Thailand logs 10,919 new cases, 143 deaths

Thailand logs 12,709 new cases, 106 deaths

Thailand ranks 29th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 43.24 million, followed by India with 33.53 million, Brazil with 21.25 million, the UK with 7.50 million and Russia with 7.31 million.

Published : September 22, 2021