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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020534

Royal Thai Army eyes ending conscription next year

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

THE NATION

The increasing number of voluntary soldiers this year has given the Royal Thai Army hope it could end its conscription programme next year, and use the incentive of promotions to draw more Thais to join the Army.

Army assistant spokeswoman Lt-Colonel Patcharin Chan-arsa said the Royal Thai Army is giving priority to recruiting regular troops via voluntary applications instead of conscription. To facilitate the process, the Army has, for the last three years, opened a website for young Thai men to apply to become soldiers.

She said those who apply voluntarily to become Army privates will be given extra score for taking exams to become non-commissioned officers or to study in the Army Non-Commissioned Officer School after they have completed their service.

Currently, those who apply to become regular troops must be in service for one year, compared to two years for conscripts.

Patcharin said the voluntary recruitment programme has been a success so far, considering the increased number of voluntary recruits.

This year, the Royal Thai Army recruited 58,330 regular troops — 6,101 of them had applied in advance via the website. She said 21,046 more Thais applied voluntarily on the conscription dates, leaving only 30,646 troops to be conscripted. She said the number of conscripts had reduced from the previous year by 18,749.

The spokeswoman said the Army has started recruiting regular troops for the 2023 fiscal year. Online applications could be filed on the Army’s website until January 29, she said.

She said the number of regular troops to be on duty for the 2023 fiscal year would be reduced by 10 per cent, so the Army would reduce the number of new privates by 12,000. This would be a good opportunity for the Army to try to recruit all soldiers through voluntary applications, she added.

Patcharin said the Army this year recruited non-commissioned officers through its one-stop service exam method, which also used IT technologies to screen applicants. All types of four non-commissioned officers were recruited through one exam this year, she said. The exam system would expand to cover commissioned officer recruitment next year, she added.

She said the Royal Thai Army promoted some 4,000 regular troops to become non-commissioned officers each year.

She added that the Army chief was also giving priority to welfare and good care of regular troops in service, ensuring they would get nutritious food and remain in good health as well as provide a chance to further their studies or get promotions.

She added that this year Army Commander-in-Chief General Narongpan Jitkaewthae had visited Army conscripts and volunteer soldiers at all camps nationwide.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020530

20 countries confirm attendance at Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Bangkok next month

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

THE NATION

Up to 20 member countries and observers have agreed to participate in the 30th Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum in Bangkok, Parliament President Chuan Leekpai said on Thursday.

The rotating meeting of parliamentary officials is scheduled to be held from October 26 to 28 at Parliament building in Dusit district. This would be the first meeting of the forum since the Covid-19 outbreak.

He added that there was still about a month left for the other eight members and observers to confirm their participation in the meeting.

“However, we must be prepared in advance to ensure that the meeting will be held smoothly,” he said.

He added that the meeting would focus on preparation in the post-Covid-19 era as it is still a communicable disease even though the situation has improved.

“The discussion will enable parliamentary officials from many countries to exchange opinions to tackle possible outbreaks in the future,” he added.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020529

Environmental quality of seas around Thailand mostly good in last eight years

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

THE NATION

Most of the seas around Thailand have been in a good and stable condition during the past eight years, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry reported.

In its recent sea environment report to the Cabinet, the ministry said the condition of 75 per cent of Thai seas were “good quality”, 22 per cent were “good enough quality” and 3 per cent were “bad quality”.

The ministry reported that from 2014 to 2021, the quality of Thai seas was stable and there was not much change.

Regarding the environmental damage caused by oil spills, the ministry reported that there were 44 oil leaks caused by cargo liners, fishing boats, cruise ships, and oil tankers in Rayong and Chonburi provinces.

The ministry also reported that the authorities had removed 443,987 tonnes of garbage from beaches and coastal areas last year. The report blamed plastic bags found in the sea mainly on food delivery services, which had led to increased use of plastic bags.

On the statistics of tourists being injured by box jellyfishes, the ministry reported that from 1999 to 2021, 46 people were stung by venomous jellyfishes and 10 people were killed; one of them was killed last year in Surat Thani province.

The ministry also reported that there were 25 phenomena of sea water changing colour last year and most of them happened in Chonburi, but not in the Andaman Sea.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020527

MedPark showcases advanced medical tech, offers free Moderna vaccines

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

MedPark Hospital is demonstrating advanced medical innovations and technology, chiefly its robot-assisted knee replacement system to help surgeons perform tailor-made knee arthroplasty, at a sustainability expo in Bangkok.

A demonstration of the procedure is being carried out at Sustainability Expo 2022, claimed to be Asean’s largest expo of its kind, at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre between September 26 and October 2.

The system enhances surgical precision and reduces human error. Cyberdyne is an innovative technology that fuses human-robot interface with artificial intelligence.

It can help patients with stroke or spinal cord injury speedily relearn and regain voluntary motor functions.

Meanwhile, at Hall 4 (Better Me Zone), free Moderna vaccines are available for visitors who register. They can get vaccinated at MedPark Hospital on a desired date from today (Thursday) until October 8. Additionally, medical specialists are on site to provide free consultation.

For more information on the event, visit the Facebook page MedPark Hospital for Expats.

MedPark is also featuring its sustainable and environmentally friendly hospital building – from the design and construction stages to material management and operations.

It has received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) v.4 gold-level certification from the US Green Building Council, achieving the highest score among a handful of LEED-certified hospitals in Southeast Asia.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020512

Many provinces get flash-flood warning for today, tomorrow

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

THE NATION

Several provinces have been warned of flash floods and overflows on Thursday and Friday due to heavy to very heavy rain brought on by depression Noru.

The Thai Meteorological Department issued its 19th weather warning on Thursday morning, stating Noru was due over Kham Khuean Kaeo district, Yasothon, at 4am with a sustained wind speed of 55 kilometres per hour.

It is moving west-northwest at a speed of 10km/hr and is expected to weaken into an active low pressure cell.

The depression, together with the rather strong southwest monsoon prevailing across the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf, will bring heavy to very heavy rains and gusty winds to the North, the Northeast, the Central region including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East and the South on Thursday and Friday.

The department advised people across the country to beware of rain water accumulation that may cause flash floods and overflows, especially along waterways near foothills and lowlands. Also, residents along the seashore should beware of inshore surges, it said.

The department also forecast 2-3-metre-high waves from Thursday to Saturday in the Andaman Sea and upper Gulf, which will become higher during thundershowers.

Waves in the lower Gulf will be about 2 metres high and get higher during thundershowers.

All ships have been advised to proceed with caution and steer clear of areas experiencing thundershowers, while small boats have been warned to stay ashore until Saturday.

The areas that would be affected by heavy to very heavy rain are:

Thursday

North: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Phichit, Phitsanulok and Phetchabun.

Northeast: Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Sakon Nakhon, Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Ratchasima and Buriram.

Central: Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chainat, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Suphan Buri, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Bangkok and its vicinity.

East: Chachoengsao, Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Sa Kaeo, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat.

South: Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Ranong, Phang-nga, Phuket, Krabi and Trang.

Friday

North: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Phayao, Nan, Lampang, Phrae, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Phichit, Phitsanulok and Phetchabun.

Northeast: Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Sakon Nakhon, Chaiyaphum and Nakhon Ratchasima.

Central: Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chainat, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Suphan Buri, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Bangkok and its vicinity.

East: Chachoengsao, Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Sa Kaeo, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat.

South: Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Ranong, Phang-nga and Phuket.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/thailand/general/40020508

Bett Asia expo to showcase five tech trends shaping education in Asia in 2023 and beyond

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

For more than two years, we have seen a significant shift in technology in education due to the pandemic. The accelerated adoption of technology has brought new ways of learning at scale, and education pivots to address real-world learning. We can all agree that a learning journey is personal and happens anywhere and anytime with technology. And as we are coming out of the Covid-19 disruption, we take our lessons learned, priorities and opportunities with us.

Here are the top five trends that will shape Asia’s education in 2023 and beyond that will also be showcased at the Bett Asia Leadership Summit & Expo in Bangkok from October 11-12 at The Athenee Hotel, co-hosted with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand.

Hybrid/ Blended Learning
With the rapid digital adoption during the pandemic, schools and education institutes have changed how they deliver learning experiences to their students. Though online learning may not be suitable for all learners due to the lack of infrastructure, the Bett Asia Leadership Summit & Expo will unveil the benefits of hybrid learning as it gives flexibility and impact when used to design new learning models. Many education institutes leverage what they have built during the pandemic to create the next normal of learning.

Personalised learning
We all learn differently, based on our interests, learning styles and accessibility to resources. Learning during the pandemic has amplified each student’s uniqueness. With the assistance of technology, the learning experience can be more personal and relevant to students. Schools and educational institutes have an opportunity to create a more targeted learning experience for students in terms of content, pedagogy and assessment. Real-time data monitoring and tracking, as well as software learning analytics, can help to create student-centric learning experiences. A Thailand-based Starfish Class is a personalised, authentic assessment tool to help teachers develop skills and record learning evidence of students that could potentially enhance the learning curve of all students.

Microlearning/Bite-sized learning
Learning is best if it’s of interest and timely. The “amount” of learning is shrinking based on a shorter attention span. The “seriousness” of content and delivery are transitioning to a more “playful” way. Teachers had used social media platforms such as Tik Tok and YouTube Shorts during the pandemic as their teaching channels. An EdTech company in Thailand, Vonder takes this approach and offers a micro-learning platform where students can engage with learning in a fast and fun way, exemplifying less conventional but effective classroom learning experiences. 

Immersive learning technology – Extended Reality (XR)
Extended Reality (XR) is the umbrella term that covers Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), mixed Reality (MR), and other immersive technology. It has tremendous opportunities for learning as it offers a “real-life” learning experience without limited time and space. “Walking” through a temple in the Ayutthaya period is likely much more fun and engaging than just trying to read and remember from a history book. Extended Reality also offers a simulation environment for students who are training in medical schools or who are undertaking vocational training, for example. A national initiative such as the Aniveres Mataverse project, a partnership between 17 Thai Universities with the Ministry of Higher Education, Thailand is shaping trends on a large scale.

Lifelong learning/ Skill acquisition
The existing education system today is constantly playing catch-up with the fast-paced and ever-changing world. The curricula available in schools can be outdated very quickly as the world moves at high speed. The things students need to learn are not taught in schools. Students and employees are expected to reskill to cope with the demands in the future. The global initiative World Economic Forum is working with more than 350 organisations to provide 1 billion people with better skills and education development to close the skills gaps, with many EdTech companies in Asia also addressing this specific problem.

We indeed have learned a lot over the past two years. The pandemic forces us to rethink and reimagine how we learn and prepare for the future. With technology as an enabler, the opportunities are endless. 

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020504

Marching elephants bring vehicles to a standstill near sanctuary in Chachoengsao

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

THE NATION

Motorists on a road in Sanam Chai Khet district of Chachoengsao province were forced to halt their vehicles as a herd of elephants emerged from the forest to cross the road on Wednesday.

The incident happened in an area close to Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary. Chachoengsao is one of five provinces bordering the forest, along with Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Sa Kaeo.

The herd of about 65 elephants included some 30 calves who crossed the road behind their mothers.

It is estimated that the population of elephants in the five provinces bordering the forest had increased as more than 90 per cent of elephants in the herd were female.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020497

Storm Noru to weaken before entering Thailand tonight, Thurs morning

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

THE NATION

The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) released satellite photos on Wednesday to confirm that Typhoon Noru would reach Thailand by Thursday morning at the latest.

The photos, from Japan’s Himawari-8 satellite, shows Noru making landfall in Vietnam’s central coastal city of Hoi An.

GISTDA said the storm was expected to weaken into a depression before entering Thailand on Wednesday night or early Thursday.

It said Ubon Ratchathani would be the first to get pounded.

The province has already been hit by heavy rains since Tuesday night.

The National Disaster Warning Centre meanwhile announced that it had been asked by the Ubon Ratchathani disaster prevention and mitigation office to send an M11 code warning of heavy rains to all warning towers in tambons and districts.

In its 13th Noru storm warning at 11am on Wednesday, the Meteorological Department said the storm had already weakened from a typhoon into a tropical storm as it reached Salavan province in Laos at 1pm on Tuesday.

With sustained wind speeds of about 70km per hour, Noru is moving west at around 15km per hour.

The storm will weaken before passing lower Laos and Thailand’s lower Northeast in Amnat Charoen and Ubon Ratchathani on Wednesday night, then further weaken into a tropical depression and an active low pressure cell, the department added.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020494

Cabinet approves THB3.85bn for new Sirijaj building linking two train stations

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

THE NATION

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of 3.85 billion baht for Siriraj Hospital to build a special medical treatment building linking two electric railway stations.

Speaking to reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting, deputy government spokeswoman Ratchada Dhnadirek said the budget is divided into three sums – 2.338 billion baht for construction, 1.4 billion baht for procuring medical equipment and items, and 113.01 million baht for paying salaries of new medical personnel to be hired for the new medical facility.

She said 2.552 billion baht would come from the annual budgets for fiscal years 2023-26 and 1.298 billion baht would come from off-budget funding in the form of sponsorship.

The project to build a special medical facility as a one-stop service and best integrated care centre was initiated with cooperation between the Faculty of Medicine of Siriraj Hospital, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA).

The three agencies have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a medical facility to link two railway stations of an SRT line and an MRTA line, so that the two stations would become Thailand’s first railway stations synonymous with wellness and public health.

The new facility will have an elevated walkway linking Siriraj Station on the Orange Line of the MRTA and the Thonburi-Siriraj Station on the Light Red Line of the SRT.

The new medical facility will have services for outpatients and inpatients with a goal to reduce congestion of patients in Siriraj Hospital.

She said the project will lease 7,456 square metres of land from the SRT for 30 years.

An 81-metre-tall building will be built with 15 floors above the ground and three underground floors and with 51,853 square metres of usage area.

The building will have a car park for 79 vehicles and it will take 32 months to complete.

“Now, Siriraj Hospital has 2,100 beds and it has been treating about 3 million patients a year with about 83,000 inpatients a year,” the spokeswoman said.

“The new facility will make it convenient for people to access medical services quickly and will reduce congestion at Siriraj.”

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40020489

‘Billy’ murder suspect reinstated as conservation office director

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

THE NATION

The former chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park, Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, has been reinstated to his previous post although he has been charged in court over the disappearance and alleged murder of a Karen rights activist.

Natural Resources and Environment Ministry permanent secretary Jatuporn Buruspat signed the order to reinstate Chaiwat as director of the ninth conservation area management office of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, effective from October 1.

After Chaiwat became a suspect in the case of the disappearance and death of Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen, he was transferred from the post of office director to an inactive job at the Natural Resources and Environment Permanent Secretariat.

The ministry had issued an order dated April 2, 2021, slapping Chaiwat with graft disciplinary punishment by removing him from government service because he faced charges in the Billy case.

Chaiwat later filed a complaint with the Phetchaburi Administrative Court, alleging that the order was unlawful. On July 27 this year, the court issued an injunction, ordering the ministry to reinstate Chaiwat to his previous post before the court rules in the administrative case.

On Monday, Chaiwat and three other defendants – Bunthan Butsarakham, Thanaset Chaemthet and Kritsanaphong Chitthet – pleaded innocent after they were formally charged in the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in the Billy case.

The charges include premeditated murder, criminal intimidation with weapons, unlawful detention and concealing a corpse.

On April 17, 2014, Billy, who had been actively campaigning for the rights of Karen villagers to live in Kaeng Krachan park, was last seen when he was detained by Chaiwat and other park officials at the park’s Ma Rew checkpoint.

The checkpoint is located at the main entrance to Bang Klong village.

The court will start the trial on December 26, with inspection of the lists of evidence and witnesses submitted by both sides.

THE NATION