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Upper Thailand gets cooler, isolated heavy rain in the South (nationthailand.com)

Upper Thailand gets cooler, isolated heavy rain in the South

NationalNov 28. 2020

By THE NATION

Morning temperature is forecast to fall by 1-3 degrees Celsius due to the rather strong high-pressure system from China covering upper Thailand and the South China Sea, the Thailand Meteorological Department said on Saturday.

The strong northeast monsoon across the Gulf brings isolated heavy rain to the lower South.

People in the South should beware of the severe conditions that may cause flash floods and water runoffs. Waves in the Gulf are expected to rise 2-3 metres high and above three metres during thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers, while small boats should keep ashore, the department said.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Cool weather in the morning; minimum temperature 17-21 degrees, maximum 31-34°C; temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 8-15°C.

Northeast: Cool weather in the morning with strong winds; minimum temperature 18-21°C, maximum 31-33°C; temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 10-17°C.

Central: Cool weather in the morning with strong winds; minimum temperature 22-24°C, maximum 31-33°C.

East: Cool weather with strong winds; minimum temperature 22-24°C, maximum 33-34°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres off shore.

South (east coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-24°C, maximum 30-33°C; waves 2-3 metres high and over three metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 22-24°C, maximum 30-31°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Partly cloudy and strong winds; minimum temperature 23-24°C, maximum 32-34°C.

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Paying traffic fines becomes convenient (nationthailand.com)

Paying traffic fines becomes convenient

NationalNov 28. 2020

By THE NATION

The Royal Gazette website on Thursday published a Royal Thai Police announcement detailing how and where motorists can pay their traffic fines.

The announcement, signed by National Police chief Pol General Suwat Chaenyodsuk, stipulates that motorists who receive a traffic ticket must pay the fine within the specified date at the following:

• Police station in the area where the ticket was issued

• Any other police station in the country

• Via money order or bank draft made to the National Police chief with a copy sent to the police station specified in the ticket

• Electronically via credit card or any other method at the following venues:

Bank

Automatic teller machine (ATM)

Payment counter

Other venues that allow access to electronic transactions.

In case the ticket does not specify the amount that must be paid, motorists can pay the amount specified for each traffic offence listed in the announcement.

The case will be considered closed once motorists pay their fine via the methods and venues specified in the announcement.

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MG hopes to electrify Thai market with its new MG EP station wagon (nationthailand.com)

MG hopes to electrify Thai market with its new MG EP station wagon

NationalNov 28. 2020

By THE NATION

Automaker MG launched its new electric vehicle, the MG EP station wagon, on Thursday with the aim of penetrating Thailand’s family market.

Pongsak Lertrudeewattanavong, vice president of MG Sales (Thailand), said even though station wagons are not very popular in Thailand, he believes this model will be more widely accepted.

He said the back seats of the EP can be folded to create extra space, plus the model’s new 50.3 kilowatt battery can have the car running for 380 kilometres once fully charged. The MG EP also offers three driving modes, namely normal, eco and sport.

Pongsak added that the MG EP is imported under the zero-tax privilege based on the Asean-China free trade agreement. The price of the vehicle will be announced in the 2020 Motor Expo, which will be held at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani from December 2 to 13.

MG has been an important player in the Thai electric vehicle (EV) market, launching the MG ZS EV last year, which boosted the brand’s EV market share to over 90 per cent.

Pongsak said the EV market in Thailand will expand even though the market size is small. One problem Thai consumers face is the lack of charging stations, especially when travelling long distance.

MG plans to build 100 charging stations within this year and another 500 in 2021.

The British automaker MG, known for its sleek sports cars, was bought by a Chinese company in 2005.

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Man behind shooting at rally site surrenders, claims he shot out of anger (nationthailand.com)

Man behind shooting at rally site surrenders, claims he shot out of anger

NationalNov 27. 2020

By The Nation

Peerawut Kunamonkan, 49, dragged his 25-year-old son Passapong to Phaholyothin Police Station on Friday to face charges of attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and shooting in public without reasonable grounds.

The former Min Buri Polytechnic Technology College student is accused of shooting Prachakorn Saksritao, 20, a former student of Pathumthani Technical College, when the anti-establishment protest outside SCB headquarters was dispersing on Wednesday night. Prachakorn was a member of the protesters’ security outfit.

Thanadech Srisongkram, 35, chief of the Minburi vocational students guards, who accompanied the suspect, confirmed to police that the motive of the shooting was personal. He said the shooting had nothing to do with the monarchy, protest, politics or the ongoing protest. He said his group was not linked to other political groups as accused by netizens. Thai netizens have been digging through photographs of yellow-shirt royalists and claim Passapong looks like one and had joined the protest as a spy.

Thanadech said he has apologised to the security team from Pathumthani Technical College and has announced that such a problem will not occur again.

Passapong has accepted every charge and said he had been angered by Prachakorn’s sarcastic posts after his group showed displeasure towards protesters’ insulting comments about the monarchy.

He said his group joined the protest on Wednesday night as a volunteer guard, but was not wearing an armband. He also confirmed that nobody paid him for creating a dangerous situation, adding that he will pay for the victim’s treatment himself.

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Banknotes commemorating King’s coronation to be issued on Dec 12 (nationthailand.com)

Banknotes commemorating King’s coronation to be issued on Dec 12

NationalNov 27. 2020

By The Nation

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) said on Thursday it has been granted royal permission by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn to print commemorative banknotes to mark his coronation last year as King Rama X. The commemorative banknotes will be issued on December 12, marking the anniversary of the Royal Barge Procession, and are intended to be part of the national historical record, said the BOT.

The set of commemorative banknotes comprises two denominations, Bt1,000 and

Bt100. The bank will issue 10 million of the Bt1,000 notes and 20 million of the Bt100 notes.

The Bt1,000 commemorative banknote is designed in a vertical format, with the unique dynamic colour-shifting image as an advanced counterfeit deterrent. The size and security features of the Bt100 commemorative banknote are the same as the notes currently in circulation but with the colour theme changed to yellow. The reverse sides of the notes depict images reflecting the Royal Coronation Ceremony in 2019.

The commemorative banknotes can be exchanged at any commercial or government bank. Additionally, the Bt100 notes can be withdrawn from the designated ATMs across the country.

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Committee formed to push common ticket system for public transport (nationthailand.com)

Committee formed to push common ticket system for public transport

NationalNov 27. 2020

By The Nation

A ticketing policy board with 17 members will be set up to supervise a common ticketing system aimed at increasing convenience for commuters and save time on public transportation.

The Government Gazette announced the formation of a committee on a common ticketing system.

The committee will be headed by the transport minister as chairman. It will include the permanent secretaries of the Finance, Transport and Interior ministries, the secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council, the director of the Budget Bureau, the directors-general of the Land Transport, Rail Transport and Harbour departments, secretary-general of the Consumer Protection Board, Bangkok governor, and director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand. In addition, the minister will appoint four qualified people with knowledge, abilities or experience in finance, marketing, law, economics, science and technology, engineering or other aspects that are relevant.

The members will hold office for four years.

The director of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning is appointed as secretary, who has appointed two government officials as assistant secretaries.

A study on Common Ticketing System had been done in 2017. The system was expected to be launched around October 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic became an obstacle to test the system as developers based in Singapore could not work as regularly.

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Programmer links two apps to Army’s propaganda operation (nationthailand.com)

Programmer links two apps to Army’s propaganda operation

NationalNov 27. 2020

By The Nation

Leaked information has revealed that the Army allegedly uses applications to run information operations to counter pro-democratic netizens.

The now-suspended account “SaraAyanaputra” leaked some documents related to government propaganda broadcast through the Twitter Broadcast and Free Messenger apps to 17,562 Twitter accounts.

A Twitter user, who is a programmer by profession, reportedly analysed Twitter Broadcast and traced a link to mhelpme.com, which is registered under the email of a company.

According to Matichon, just one hour after the leak, the mhelpme.com website disappeared and the apps, Twitter Broadcast and Free Messenger, were pulled out of Google Play.

The programmer said the server of the company in question was located in Bangkok’s Huai Kwang district and was found to have provided training sessions to government agencies several times.

Twitter Broadcast was allegedly created to identify information operations that supported the Army and government, while it allegedly attacked the accounts of people who are on the opposite side of the political spectrum.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government has been accused of running an online propaganda operation since February, which he has always denied. The issue returned to the spotlight when hashtags supporting the monarchy began flooding cyberspace in October.

On October 8, Twitter announced it had removed 926 accounts that had concealed links to the Army. Members of the opposition said they had already been collecting information on the Army’s IO activities. Pannika Wanich, former spokeswoman for the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, said they planned to sue the Army for “using tax money to cause divisions and hatred among Thais”.

The mhelpme.com website was up and running later in the day.

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Traffic advice for motorists heading to Lat Phrao (nationthailand.com)

Traffic advice for motorists heading to Lat Phrao

NationalNov 27. 2020

By The Nation

Bangkok motorists heading to the Lat Phrao five-point crossing have been advised to avoid the following routes from 2pm onwards on Friday as the anti-establishment Ratsadon group is scheduled to hold a rally at the five-point crossing from 4pm.

Related story:

Ratsadon group plans rally today as a ‘drill against coup’

Pol Maj-General Jirasan Kaewsangek, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said Lat Phrao intersection connects with many routes and usually struggles with heavy traffic, especially during rush hour.

To avoid being caught in jams, motorists are advised to avoid:

• Phaholyothin Road (outbound) from Kamphaeng Phet to Ratchayothin intersection

• Phaholyothin Road (inbound) from Ha Yaek Lat Phrao (Lat Phrao five point crossing) to Ratchayothin intersection

• Lat Phrao Road from Ratchada-Lat Phrao to Ha Yaek Lat Phrao intersection

• Vibhavadi Rangsit Road (inbound), frontage road from Horwang Road to Ha Yaek Lat Phrao intersection

• Vibhavadi Rangsit Road (inbound), frontage road to Lat Phrao or Ratchayothin overpasses

• Lat Phrao intersection at the road level

Instead, motorists are urged to use:

• Ratchadaphisek Road

• Chokchai 4 Road

• Lat Phrao Wang Hin Road

• Senanikom Road

• Sutthisan Winitchai Road

• Vibhavadi Rangsit Road

• Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road

• Soi Chokchai Ruammit

• Soi Vibhavadi Rangsit 3

• Tollway

He added that traffic police officers will be deployed around the rally area to ensure there are no traffic jams.

Motorists can call Traffic Control and Command Centre’s 1197 hotline, use M-Help Me smartphone app or visit Traffic Police Division’s website for more information.

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Quarantine stays can now be booked on Agoda (nationthailand.com)

Quarantine stays can now be booked on Agoda

NationalNov 27. 2020Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong (left), Dr Satit Pitutecha (middle), and John Brown (Right) 

By The Nation

The Public Health Ministry is joining forces with online hotel booking platform Agoda to help Thais and foreigners book their stay at an alternative state quarantine facility.

The deal was launched on Friday at the Mövenpick Hotel BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok by Deputy Public Health Minister Dr Satit Pitutecha. Also present were Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, director general of the Department of Health Service Support, and John Brown, Agoda’s chief executive officer.

Under the new link up, people wanting to return to Thailand can conveniently look for and book quarantine packages that are suitable to their needs.

This cuts down on time required for booking a hotel room under the Public Health Ministry’s regulations.

The platform works in 39 languages, with 24/7 support and customer care provided in 21 tongues, including English and Chinese, as well as a quick and easy payment process.

Dr Tares said 113 ASQ-certified hotels are now able to generate more than Bt1.2 billion in revenue for the country. The number of hotels providing alternative quarantine stays has expanded from 37 to 100, and are expected to attract at least 30,000 tourists and generate more than Bt1 billion in revenue.

Thanking the ministry for its forward thinking, Brown said this collaboration will inevitably contribute to other projects in the future and also respond to the needs of people.

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Gold Card holders can now change hospital instantly (nationthailand.com)

Gold Card holders can now change hospital instantly

NationalNov 27. 2020

By The Nation

From January, people under the Gold Card health scheme will be allowed to change their hospital or clinic without having to wait for 15 days.

The move would improve access to medical services, said National Health Security Office (NHSO) secretary-general Dr Sakchai Kanjanawatana on Friday.

Previously, people had to wait until the 15th or 28th day of each month to change their healthcare unit.

People changed their healthcare unit 3.96 million times last year and 3.62 million times this year, said Sakchai.

“People can make the change at healthcare units and National Health Security Office Region 13 in Bangkok, or by using the NHSO smartphone application. But you can change your healthcare unit no more than four times per fiscal year,” he added.

The NHSO has also upgraded the registration system to prevent abnormal and repeat registrations, such as by using the same house registration.