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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021973

Tight security in Skytrain stations, trains ahead of Apec Summit

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Security measures will be stepped up in Bangkok’s Skytrain mass-transit system during the 2022 Apec Summit next week, its operator BTS said on Friday.

Surapong Laoha-Unya, chief executive officer of Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), said the company is coordinating with the Royal Thai Police to boost security along its Green and Gold lines from November 14 to 19, when leaders from 21 member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) gather in the city.
Special security measures are being taken to build confidence and ensure every Skytrain passenger’s safety, he said.

The CEO also maintained that all 60 stations of the three Skytrain lines will operate as usual from 5.30am to midnight during the summit next week.
However, more than 300 explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) officials and explosive ordnance reconnaissance (EOR) teams will be on standby and regularly check all trains and stations.
Canine units will also be dispatched at all stations to conduct random searches for prohibited materials, such as weapons or sharp objects. These steps are being taken in addition to security cameras operating round the clock.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021972

Prawit satisfied with security preparations for Apec Summit

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan expressed his satisfaction with security arrangements for the Apec Summit in Bangkok next week.

Prawit chaired a meeting of the security and traffic subcommittee at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), the venue of the summit.

After the meeting, he observed rehearsals at the command centre at the venue.

He explained that the rehearsal tested the commanding system to prepare communication while security personnel could rehearse and fine-tune the process in responding to any terrorist threats.

He praised the staff for their performance, as it reflected the country’s security readiness, which will build confidence in welcoming leaders attending the summit, their representatives, and other organisations.

However, he cautioned the staff to be on alert and to defend and control any situation from affecting the meetings.

He said that every related sector must join hands in the operation to ensure its success, as it is a matter of Thailand’s honour and reputation.

He thanked every related sector and confirmed that they were ready in all aspects.
 

Related stories

• Russia confirms Putin to be absent from Apec Summit
• There’s nothing to worry about on Apec security, assures police chief
• Roads closed for 2nd rehearsal of Apec dignitaries’ motorcades

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Russia confirms Putin to be absent from Apec Summit

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not attending the Apec Summit next week and will instead be represented by First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov, the Kremlin said.

The Russian news agency TASS on Friday quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Belousov will lead the Russian delegation to the summit.
The leaders of 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) are scheduled to convene in Bangkok on November 18-19.
The Thai Foreign Ministry received an intimation of Putin’s absence from the Russian Embassy on Thursday.
Putin had previously expressed his intention to join the Bangkok summit to express his views on economic cooperation, though the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war appears to be his priority now, sources say.

So far, 14 government leaders have confirmed their attendance. They are Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Chile’s President Gabriel Boric, Peru’s President Pedro Castillo, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape.
Apec 2022 is one of the three leader meetings scheduled to be held in Southeast Asia this month. The first is the Asean Summits and related meetings being held in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh from November 10-13, followed by the Group of 20 (G-20) Summit in Bali, Indonesia on November 15-16 and the Apec Summit in Bangkok on November 18-19.
Indonesia has confirmed that Putin will not attend the G-20 meeting next Tuesday in Bali. Attending the meeting on Putin’s behalf will be Sergey Lavrov, though the president may attend the meeting online, media reports indicate.

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Permit of private foster home revoked after couple charged with child abuse

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

The Interior Ministry on Thursday revoked the permit for private foster home run by the Child Protection Foundation after the foundation’s secretary-general last week was charged with physical abuse of the children in Samut Songkram province.

Montree Sintawichai, who was in charge of Child Protection House 3 foster home, along with his wife, on November 3 was charged with alleged physical abuse and forcing the children under his care to work as cheap labour at his resort.

Late last month, the foundation, which takes care of 55 abandoned children, made headlines after a group of university students who carried out voluntary work there covertly shot a video clip of two teachers beating seven or eight children aged between 10 and 17.

The ministry’s revocation order, signed by Samut Songkram acting governor Sirisak Sirimangkhala, took immediate effect, although it allows the foundation to file an appeal within 15 days.

National Police deputy chief Pol General Surachet Hakparn said that preliminary investigation showed the foster home has violated the laws by taking in children aged below 10 years and failing to provide a certified social worker to oversee the 12 children currently under its care. This forced the authorities to revoke its permit.

Surachet added that officials are gathering evidence, if any, to consider filing an additional child trafficking charge against Montree and his wife on top of physical abuse and child labour charges.

Police expect the investigation to conclude by next week.

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Child protection foundation chief surrenders over alleged abuse, forced labour

Calls grow for action to prevent repeat of Nong Bua Lamphu massacre

Interior Ministry sets new preventive measures after Nong Bua Lamphu massacre

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Tickets for Father’s Day steam train ride to Chachoengsao on sale

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Tickets for the December 5 Bangkok-Chachoengsao steam train ride are now up for sale, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) announced on Thursday.

December 5 is marked as National Father’s Day to celebrate the birth anniversary of Thailand’s beloved monarch King Rama IX.

Ekarat Sirarayanphong, SRT’s public relations director, said the authority organises special steam train rides on six key holidays every year, namely:

• March 26: Bangkok-Ayutthaya for SRT Foundation Day

• June 3: Bangkok-Nakhon Pathom for HM Queen Suthida’s birthday

• July 28: Bangkok-Ayutthaya for HM King Rama X’s birthday

• August 12: Bangkok-Chachoengsao for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s birthday, which is marked as Mother’s Day in Thailand

• October 23: Bangkok-Ayutthaya for King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day

• December 5: Bangkok-Chachoengsao for King Rama X’s birthday and Father’s Day

Ekarat said that apart from celebrating the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, the event also commemorates the many projects launched under his auspices that have greatly benefited SRT’s operations over several decades.

For this trip, SRT will use Pacific steam locomotives No 824 and 850 which were built just after World War II by Nippon Sharyo Co. The trains are normally kept at the Thonburi Locomotive Depot, also known as Bangkok Noi Train Station.

The trains will leave Hua Lamphong station at 8.10am and arrive at Chachoengsao station around 9.50am. Passengers will have six hours to check out tourist attractions in Chaochoengsao before the trains depart for Bangkok at 4.30pm.

The trains will also stop at Makkasan, Klong Ton and Huamark stations in Bangkok to pick up and drop off passengers.

Tickets cost 299 baht for ordinary cabins and 799 baht for air-conditioned cabins. Snacks and drinking water is included.

Reservations can be made via the D-Ticket mobile application or at any train station. Call SRT at 1690 or visit www.railway.co.th, facebook.com/pr.railway for more information.

Related Stories

New diesel-electric locomotives arrive to boost Thailand’s train service

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First test run of ‘Ultraman’ trains great success, says SRT

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021963

Activists jump in Benjakitti pond to warn against greenwashing policies

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Greenpeace Thailand activists jumped into a pond in Benjakitti Park on Friday to demand that global leaders stop “greenwashing” and take proper steps to tackle climate change.

The protest kicked off about an hour before Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan arrived to oversee security preparations at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) ahead of the November 14-19 Apec Summit.

Four activists jumped into the pond at the adjoining Benjakitti Park, holding up signs calling on Thai and Apec leaders to stop greenwashing.

Greenwashing, or “green sheen”, is the term used to describe tactics and policies that are used to deceive the public into believing they are environmentally friendly when in reality they have no notable sustainability effects.

Greenpeace Thailand director Tara Buakamsri said the protest also targeted global leaders attending the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) to set up a fund for countries to tackle climate change.

COP27 is being held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from November 6 to 18.

Tara also said Thailand’s so-called bio-circular-green (BCG) economy model is defective because the committee making BCG decisions comprises influential billionaires.

“We ask global leaders to pay attention to building awareness among large companies on greenhouse gas reduction, so Thailand can enhance eco-friendly businesses and help communities tackle climate change,” he said.

Related stories:

• Move allowing foreigners to own land sparks protest in Thailand
• Anniversary of October 14 uprising marked with speeches, wreaths in Bangkok
• Anti-government group gathers at Ratchaprasong intersection to launch protest against 3 ‘Ps’

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Ancient whale skeleton resurfaces near Bangkok after 3,000 years

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

The skeleton of a whale discovered almost perfectly preserved more than 3,000 years after it last swam in the Gulf of Thailand was officially registered on Wednesday.

The 3,380-year-old Bryde’s whale fossil was unearthed in Samut Sakhon’s Ban Phaeo district just west of Bangkok and 12 kilometres from the current coastline, in November 2020.

Sea levels in the gulf have fallen several metres over the past few thousand years.

The 12-metre fossilised skeleton has been carefully conserved, dated and moved to the Golden Jubilee National Geological Museum in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, said the Royal Gazette on Wednesday. The fossil has also been listed by the Department of Mineral Resources, it added.

Archaeologists dug up a total of 141 bones of the ancient Bryde’s whale, including the skull that measured 3 metres long. The rare discovery was hailed as “a window into the past”, especially for research on sea levels and biodiversity.

The fossilised remains of the giant sea mammal were uncovered during work conducted by water management consultant Bright Blue Water Corporation.

Bryde’s whales are still occasionally spotted in the Gulf of Thailand today, though the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species lists their conservation status as “unfavourable”, adding that it “would benefit significantly from international cooperation organised by tailored agreements”.

Related stories:

• New fossil fish species found on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
• Songkhla farmers introduce ‘fossil durian’ that flourishes in lignite deposits
• Woman finds ‘fossils said to date back 250m years ago’ on farm

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AOT shelves Phang Nga airport viability study for now

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

The preliminary feasibility study for Phang Nga Airport will be put on hold until the management of three provincial airports is handed over to the Airports of Thailand (AOT).

A source said on Friday that a study on the viability of Phang Nga Airport will only begin once the Cabinet has approved the transfer of Udon Thani, Buri Ram and Krabi airports to AOT.

The transfer aims to maximise efficiency in commercial operations and the Cabinet is expected to give it a green light by December or January.

The airports are currently under the management of the Transport Ministry’s Department of Airports.

AOT initially planned to launch a preliminary feasibility study for an airport in Phang Nga province this year. Some 20 million baht has been allocated for the study, which includes the exploration of 8,000 rai (1,280 hectares) of land in the southern province’s Takua Thung district.

The source said the Phang Nga project has been put on hold because the proposed location is not too far from Krabi Airport.

“If a study is conducted before Krabi Airport is transferred to AOT, it will become irrelevant if there is a change in Krabi Airport’s administration policy after management has been shifted,” the source said. “Therefore, the AOT has agreed to postpone the study until the transfer has been approved by the Cabinet.”

The source added that once Krabi Airport is transferred to AOT, it will start looking into expanding the runway and building new terminals for domestic and international passengers. This expansion will most likely affect the number of passengers landing in Phang Nga.

The source said that though no land needs to be expropriated for the Phang Nga airport because all 8,000 rai is owned by the Treasury Department, people living near the area will be affected by sound pollution. The AOT will compensate those affected as per Cabinet stipulations, the source said.

Related Stories

AOT to start managing Udon Thani, Buri Ram, Krabi airports from 2023

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Suvarnabhumi to introduce faster, more efficient check-ins from Sept 1

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Phuket’s Patong-Kathu highway reopens to 4-wheel vehicles after landslide

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

The partially collapsed section of Phuket’s Highway 4029 running from Patong beach to Kathu was reopened to four-wheel vehicles on Thursday. The road should be open to all vehicles by mid-December, said provincial Governor Narong Woonciew.

The road was closed on October 19 after heavy rain triggered a landslide that ripped away a section of the outer lane. The Phuket District Highway Office launched urgent repair work on the highway, which is the gateway to Patong Hill and normally one of the tourism island’s busiest roads.

On October 24, the road was stabilised to allow pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists to use the lane hugging the hillside.

Narong reported on Thursday that repair work has progressed to allow one lane each way to open for cars and pick-ups.

“Large vehicles such as tour buses and trucks are still not allowed to use the route for safety reasons,” said the governor. Tourist buses heading to Kamala and Kata Karon beaches will have to detour via highways 4028, 4025 or 4030, which will take longer, he added.

Kathu mayor Chaianant Sutthikul said the road’s foundations have been strengthened with boulders and cement to prevent future landslides. Officials have been deployed around the clock to manage traffic at the site until repairs are completed in an estimated 40 days.

Related Stories

Phuket’s Patong-Kathu highway reopens to pedestrians after landslide

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Body of missing Russian tourist found in Patong Bay after a 6-day search

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Prayut makes strong pitch for digital transformation, seeks unified moves to realise ‘digital Asean’

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2022

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday stressed the need for Asean member countries to work closely to achieve their common goal of making the regional grouping “digital-ready” by 2025.

He confirmed Thailand’s determination to help create an Asean digital community that is well-connected and all-embracing.
“We are ready for complete our digital integration to become a digital Asean and turn Asean into an important power in driving the economy of the region and the world for the benefit of our peoples,” he said.
Prayut was giving his keynote speech on the topic “Digital-Ready Asean” at the Asean Business and Investment Summit 2022 held in Phnom Penh.
The event was organised on the sidelines of the government leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, gathering in the Cambodian capital for the 40th and 41st Asean Summit and related meetings.

The Thai PM said that the global Covid-19 crisis over the past three years had underlined the necessity of digital technology for many sectors, particularly businesses.
He noted that in 2019, Asean realised the need for digital transformation, so it set a plan to make the community ready for digital technology in every dimension for future challenges.
“Asean’s digital economy has grown rapidly, with over 400 million internet users. The region’s digital economy is estimated to be worth over US$360 billion in three years,” Prayut said.
He called on Asean countries to prepare for digital transformation by improving the skills of the workforce and promoting strong digital startups, among others. He also said Asean countries should speed up the creation of digital infrastructure and logistics that would allow “seamless connection” between them. A common ecosystem of digital businesses is also necessary to realise Asean’s digital integration, he said.