Covid-19 emergency decree set to be revoked from October 1
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
The emergency decree in place since Covid-19 struck Thailand over two years ago will be revoked from October 1, if the CCSA agrees to a recommendation from its operations centre.
General Supot Malaniyom, operations chief of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said on Thursday that the operations centre resolved to suggest revocation of the emergency decree now that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand has improved considerably.
He cited a recent announcement by the Public Health Ministry that new domestic cases of Covid-19 have been on a constant decline, with fewer casualties and serious infections that require breathing aid.
The emergency decree has been in place since March 2020 following a severe local outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
General Supot said that if the CCSA board agreed with the operations centre’s recommendation at its meeting on Friday, the decree would be revoked with effect from October 1.
“If the CCSA agrees to the revocation of the emergency decree, the CCSA will be disbanded, along with all the units under it. All the orders issued by the CCSA will be rescinded,” he said.
The general also doubles as secretary-general of the National Security Council.
He said preparations have already been made for some time on the mode of operation after the emergency decree is annulled and the CCSA is dissolved.
In response to a media question, General Supot said the planned revocation of the emergency decree had nothing to do with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit that Thailand will host in mid-November.
“We look at the country’s general situation. What’s important is we want the country’s economy to recover and return to normal and people can make a living. Our tourist numbers are very good now despite international conflicts,” he said.
Indorama plant in Nakhon Pathom partially closed after chemical leak
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
THE NATION
Indorama Polyester Industries Plc was ordered by the authorities to partially suspend operations at its plant in Nakhon Pathom province following a chemical leak on Thursday morning.
The Nakhon Pathom Industry Office ordered Indorama to suspend operations in the area where the chemical leak had occurred until the problem was fixed and it was certified by an engineer.
The office cited Section 39 of the Factories Act to order partial suspension of the operation.
The Indorama factory in question is located in Moo 4 village in Tambon Khun Kaew in Nakhon Chai Si district of the province.
The authorities said the chemical leak occurred at 6am and workers managed to close a valve to stop the leak at 6.15am.
The smell of the leaked chemical spread in the vicinity.
Nakhon Pathom provincial Governor Surasak Charoensirichote and Nakhon Pathom chief industry officer Samruay Khemthonglang led officials from government agencies concerned to inspect the factory at 10am.
The officials found that the leakage had occurred inside the second plant that refined plastic.
They found that about 30 litres of a chemical used for a cooling system called hot oil dowtherm DT1. The chemical is made of biphenyl and diphenyl oxide.
Officials said as the chemical is light, it spreads easily across a wide area. Inhaling it can cause inflammation in the respiratory system hence people living in nearby areas were advised to wear masks and to stay in the areas with good ventilation.
Indorama Polyester Industries manufactures polyester chips, polyester staple fibres, polyester pre-oriented yarns, polyester filament yarns and fully-drawn yarns The company makes about 127,000 tonnes of polyester products a year.
Senator confident arrested Myanmar business partner not involved in drugs
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
THE NATION
A Thai senator on Thursday gave the benefit of the doubt to his Myanmar business partner Tun Min Latt, who was among suspects arrested in Bangkok for alleged drug trafficking.
Senator Uppakit Pachareeyangkun made the comments after more than 100 police from the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Division 2 raided five spots to arrest drug suspects, including Tun, on September 17.
Uppakit said he needed to study the details of the case after which he would hold a press conference on Friday.
He admitted that he had business dealings along the border with Tun but he believed the Myanmar man was not involved in drug trafficking.
Uppakit added that he was involved in a hotel business with Tun and he used to report this business to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, but he has stopped doing the hotel business since 2015.
The senator said Tun was an agent of a weapons trader from Israel, and represented the firm to deal with the Myanmar government. Uppakit said he was not involved in the weapons business because it went against his religious belief.
“Since my parents passed away, I have entered Buddhism to make merit and I have stopped taking the lives of animals, so I’m not interested in this kind of business,” Uppakit said.
Schools closed as chemical leak at Nakhon Pathom factory pollutes air
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
THE NATION
Some schools in Nakhon Pathom suspended classes for a day on Thursday after chemical leaked from a factory in Nakhon Chai Si district.
The Phraram 199 emergency radio centre reported at 9am that the leak occurred at a facility in Tambon Khun Kaew, and an offensive smell spread across a wide area, including to adjacent Thawi Watthana district.
District firefighters and rescuers rushed to the factory to help get workers to safety and plug the leak.
According to the Thawi Wattana district office, the factory was Indorama Polyester Industries on Phetkasem Road in Tambon Khun Kaew.
The office said the factory managed to shut the valve to stop the leak, but the chemical that had already seeped out had caused a stench across many areas, as well as those adjacent to Bangkok.
Officials said the chemical was sulphur dioxide and the seepage occurred from a leaked oil coil of a machine.
The leakage prompted Mahidol University, located in Tambon Salaya of Nakhon Pathom’s Buddha Monthon district, to warn its students to stay inside buildings and wear face masks all the time to prevent possible respiratory issues.
The university advised its students and personnel to meet doctors immediately if they developed any breathing difficulty.
Mahidol Demonstration International School, Phra Tamnak Suan Kularb School and Kanchanapisek College announced they had suspended classes on Thursday for the safety of students and teachers.
Allowing venues to open till 4am will eliminate ‘under the table’ deals: Chadchart
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
THE NATION
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt believes that extending the opening hours of entertainment venues to 4am will eliminate any “under the table” deals and put everything under the eye of the law.
Chadchart was answering press queries after speaking at a seminar titled “Bangkok’s Vision in Tourism and the Hospitality Industry”, hosted by the Thai Hotels Association on Wednesday.
“Extending the hours will put everything that is under the table on the topside [of the table]. Operators can no longer bribe officials to look the other way while they exceed the closing hours,” Chadchart said.
He pointed out that these “under the table” deals could be a safety loophole as officials would skip inspecting these venues for safety and legal compliance.
“Once these deals are gone, officials can fully inspect these venues,” he said. “I personally do not oppose the move, as long as it does not affect surrounding communities or businesses.”
The move to extend the opening hours of entertainment venues to 4am was proposed in August by Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, who eyes Bangkok’s Khao San Road as a pilot area to test out the measure.
The move is aimed at boosting tourism and helping entrepreneurs get back on their feet amid an economic downturn.
The 4am closing will be allowed only on weekends – Friday, Saturday, Sunday – in selected zones in eight tourist destinations, namely Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, Phang-nga, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai.
The ministry is working with authorities to draft regulations to control any noise so these businesses don’t become a nuisance to surrounding communities, said Phiphat.
Govt helped almost 100,000 settle legal disputes over debt in 8 months
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
THE NATION
The Justice Ministry has helped nearly 100,000 people settle legal disputes regarding debt repayments in eight months of 2022, saving them legal expenses of nearly 7 billion baht.
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said on Wednesday that the ministry had organised 78 debt settlement fairs so far this year in several provinces, in line with government policy that 2022 would be a year for fixing household debt problems.
During the fairs, creditors and debtors were invited to settle disputes in front of ministry mediators, who helped them reach terms acceptable to both parties.
In the eight months of 2022, precisely 92,531 people successfully settled their debts amounting to 22.28 billion baht.
“The ministry’s efforts have saved people from paying legal expenses of 6.95 billion baht had the cases been taken to court,” said Somsak.
So far this year the ministry had also disbursed 382 million baht to 7,540 crime victims under the Damages for Injured Persons and Compensation and Expenses for the Accused in Criminal Cases Act, and disbursed 310 million baht under the Justice Fund Act to pay for legal consultation for 2,458 people who could not afford such fees during trial, he said.
The ministry is also pushing for an amendment of a law to prevent recidivism, especially for serious or sexual offences, the minister said.
One of the planned measures is to use electronic monitoring bracelets for up to 10 years.
“This is also a year in which the ministry has taken concrete action against drug sellers, with total assets seized from suspects exceeding 10 billion baht so far, much higher than the average of 600 million baht annually in past years,” Somsak added.
Police Nab Man Who Allegedly Snatched Millions From Pickup
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
THE NATION
Chonburi Police On Wednesday Caught A Wily Bag Snatcher Who Allegedly Took Off With Almost 3.5 Million Baht Belonging To A Siam Commercial Bank Customer In Ban Bueng District.
The robbery took place on Tuesday when Praphaporn Boonmeesanom, 29, had just left the bank with a bag containing 3.46 million baht in cash that she had withdrawn to pay her employees.
As she was getting into her pickup truck, a man wearing a green jacket of a delivery service appeared out of nowhere, yanked open the vehicle’s door and attacked her driver, Kritchaphat Surakul, 24, while yelling in anger that Kritchaphat was sleeping with his wife and that he has a gun.
An obviously terrified Kritchaphat managed to escape the attacker’s clutches and darted into a nearby soi. The assailant looked like he was about to give chase but changed his mind and went back to the vehicle.
Praphaporn frantically tried to explain that he had the wrong person.
The man then grabbed her bag of cash and scooted away on a grey motorcycle with no licence plate.
Using CCTV footage and a video clip taken by a witness, police found the bike abandoned in a sugarcane field about 100 metres from the road.
The trail eventually led to a man named Jatuphol and his sister Praphaporn (last name withheld), who were promptly nabbed at their home on Wednesday with the allegedly stolen cash. The siblings reportedly confessed to the crime.
Police suspect the attack on the pickup driver was a ploy to get him to run away so the thief could grab the bag with ease.
Officials are interrogating the siblings and will have them re-enact their alleged crime on Thursday.
EC Sets May 7 As General Election Day: News Source
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
THE NATION
The Election Commission (EC) Has Set May 7, 2023, As The General Election Date, With Candidates Required To File Their Applications From April 3 To 7, A News Source Said On Wednesday.
The source said the commission based its schedule on Section 102 of the Constitution, which stipulates that an election must be held within 45 days after the House of Representatives’ four-year term ends [which is on March 23].
According to the source, the timeline for the next general election is:
March 31 – EC announces the election date and the candidate application period.
April 3-7 – Application registration for MP candidates.
April 11 – The last day the EC announces the polling stations and list of eligible voters.
April 14 – The EC announces the list of MP candidates.
April 16 – The last day the EC sends voting notifications to each residence and appoints polling station officials.
April 26 – The last day the EC announces a change of polling stations, and also the last day that residents can add/remove their names from households.
April 30 – Early voting.
May 1-6 – The period when people can notify the EC why they cannot cast their vote on election day.
May 7 – General election.
May 8-14 – The period when people can notify the EC why they did not cast their vote.
Last week the commission barred politicians and political parties from giving any “handouts” after September 23 as they may be violating the electoral law.
In a statement, the EC said the election campaign period goes into effect on September 24 – that is 180 days before the House of Representatives’ four-year term ends on March 23.
Election candidates would be violating the organic electoral law if they distribute items to potential voters after Friday, as doing so would be construed as buying votes.
Varawut Launches The World’s First Clean Energy And Carbon Credit Trading Platform
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022
THE NATION
Natural Resources And Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-Archa On Wednesday (September 21) Presided Over The Agreement Signing Ceremony Between The Federation Of Thai Industries (FTI) And Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) To Jointly Operate A Carbon Credit Trading Centre.
The event, which was organised under the concept of “Take action to combat global warming: The solution for Thailand’s and the world’s survival”, also launched the “FTI : CC/RE/REC X” platform, or FTIX, a trading platform focusing on carbon credit, renewable energy and renewable energy certificate.
In his keynote speech, Varawut said: “What we launched today is the world’s first trading platform for clean energy and carbon credit, which will show the global communities that Thailand is committed to fighting climate change issues. The Federation of Thai Industries and Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization have paved the way toward sustainability, as well as inspired organisations in Thailand to take part in reducing their carbon footprints.”
Varawut added that his ministry and the FTI will together continue to work with the ASEAN Secretariat to invite companies and agencies from neighbouring countries and ASEAN members to use the FTIX platform to promote carbon credit trading in the region, hence boosting the efficiency in tackling climate change problems.
FTIX serves as a trading platform for carbon credit, renewable energy and renewable energy certificate (REC) for enterprises aiming to use 100 per cent of renewable energy (RE100). It also fully integrates with TGO’s system.
The FTI had entered the FTIX platform in the ERC Sandbox 2 project organised by Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to pilot a trading platform that is transparent and reliable for small, medium and large entrepreneurs.
Promoting Futures Literacy Using Skills Of Tomorrow To Create A Better Today
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
Chula Joins Hands With Unesco To Nurture Tomorrow’s Leaders With Futures Literacy Skills To Create A Better World For Today Emphasizing The Prime Position As An Educational Institution That Brings About Changes In Sustainable Learning In The 21st Century.
As Albert Einstein famously said almost a hundred years ago, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Nowadays, the world is talking so much about Futures Literacy as a vital skill in the 21st century that emphasizes “imagination” for an improved and better future.
“We use the future to innovate the present. Once we can foresee the future then we can bring about new creations and build a better present since it is imagination that nurtures hope in the hearts of human beings. The hope to be able to enjoy a better quality of life and better health are the motivating forces that enable the creation of various things. Therefore, creativity is always there at the start of various inventions or innovations.” Associate Professor Natcha Thawesaengskulthai, Global Chief Innovation Officer of Chulalongkorn University discussed this at the “Futures Literacy in a Post-COVID-19 Asia: Solidarity and Transformative Learning” international academic online conference that Chulalongkorn University recently co-hosted with the Thai National Commission for Unesco.
Futures Literacy is a vital skill to get us through the world’s crisis Today we are experiencing tremendous turmoil and confusion.
The situation has been exacerbated by the post-Covid-19 situation in a world that is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic whether in terms of public health, the economy, travel, and logistics, food security, and politics.
Other than that, we are also faced with climate variability problems that have been the cause of various calamities, political strife, racism, oppression, etc.
These have put human beings into a state of fear and hopelessness and left them with the inability to imagine their future.
According to Reil Miller of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), an expert on ideas and imagination for the future, “Human beings still need to envision hope. The Futures Literacy skill is therefore a learning skill of the 21st century. It helps to endow us with the power of imagination and to increase the ability to be prepared for whatever changes may take place.”
This has resulted in the initiative to create projects like the Unesco Futures Literacy and Unesco Global Futures Literacy Network in several countries.
In the case of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University has been part of this network since 2020 during which time it has consistently worked on promoting a better understanding of Futures Literacy in the Chula community.
What is Futures Literacy? Unesco has defined Futures Literacy as the skill related to the use of our thinking and imagination to anticipate various opportunities, options, and possibilities that might happen in the future based on knowledge and reality.
“We can all undergo training and achieve this competence. As a skill, it is no different from learning to read or write since thinking and imagination are human capabilities. Such skills will enable us to anticipate future events and occurrences to be prepared with the strategies to better deal with them, prioritize and make the necessary decisions,” Natcha explained.
Those who have this awareness and practice this skill will adopt the potential to see diverse forms of options. They will have the hope and inspiration to effect positive change in the present.
How is Chula instilling Futures Literacy in its students? Natcha described how Futures Literacy is being instilled and emphasized that empowering and extending human imagination requires “new methods” and “cooperation beyond differences” in terms of disciplines, cultures, age, occupation, etc.
For this reason, the CU Innovation Hub and CU Social Innovation Hub have been established to serve as a cross-disciplinary platform for students and researchers from different faculties and disciplines to come together with their creativity, forming new problems of the present and the future to solve through various methods or innovations.
“Learning through a performance of actual tasks gives students diverse ways of thinking and perspectives. As long as the university prepares a conducive environment for students’ trials and experiments without any fear of whether the results will come out well since failure isn’t necessarily bad since it can serve as a lesson to prevent it from happening again in the future.”
The atmosphere that promotes creativity while supporting the initiative to take on various tasks and accepting mistakes as part of the learning process gives birth to numerous creative ideas and innovations.
In the past year, for example, the university has supported over 304 creative teams for social innovations like Covid-19 vaccines by Baiya Phytopharm Co., Ltd., the ViaBus application for real-time tracking of transport, Tann:D protein egg-white noodles, low in calories without starch and gluten, and SOPet, an online veterinary clinic.
Recognizing Futures Literacy as a crucial skill of the 21st century, Chulalongkorn University has made sure that the students and members of this community be prepared to use their imagination of the future to create a better present.
Chula has also employed learning paradigms of the 21st century, for example, critical thinking, collaborative efforts, and entrepreneurship to support lifelong education for its students, the Chula community, and the general public with the strategic goal of creating leaders of the future who will bring about change in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Chula has been successful in transitioning to a Research University that provides instruction and support in creating a sustainable society through innovation companies, research projects, and the kind of education that tackles problems at both the local and global levels,” Natcha concluded.
Nakhon Pathom provincial Governor Surasak Charoensirichote and Nakhon Pathom chief industry officer Samruay Khemthonglang led officials from government agencies concerned to inspect the factory at 10am.
They found that about 30 litres of a chemical used for a cooling system called hot oil dowtherm DT1. The chemical is made of biphenyl and diphenyl oxide.
Indorama Polyester Industries manufactures polyester chips, polyester staple fibres, polyester pre-oriented yarns, polyester filament yarns and fully-drawn yarns The company makes about 127,000 tonnes of polyester products a year.
The leakage prompted Mahidol University, located in Tambon Salaya of Nakhon Pathom’s Buddha Monthon district, to warn its students to stay inside buildings and wear face masks all the time to prevent possible respiratory issues.
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