Nation TV’s Anothai Named ‘Best Reporter’ By Crime Reporters Assoc
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
THE NATION
Nation TV Reporter Anothai Skulthong Was Named “Best Reporter” By The Crime Reporters Association Of Thailand.
The ceremony was organised at Phranakhon Rajabhat University’s Phutthawitchalai Building on Tuesday in a bid to encourage reporters, police officers and volunteers in their careers.
Anothai said this was her first award in more than ten years in her career. She thanked the association for recognising her commitment to her job and Nation TV for allowing her to work as a reporter.
“This award may not guarantee achievement in my life, but it will remind me to become a reporter who maintains virtue in society,” she said.
Besides Anothai, four other reporters – Channel 3’s Chayot Mookdaharn, Channel 7’s Rossarin Nootor, Khaosod Online’s Phuwadej Chattivaporn and Channel 8’s Nuttaphong Thamtae – were awarded in the same category.
Separately, a number of police officers were also recognised for their work.
Metropolitan Police Bureau investigation chief Pol Maj-General Noppasin Poolsawat was awarded for his investigations, while Royal Thai Police deputy spokesman Pol Colonel Siriwat Deepor bagged the public relations award.
Legal Expert Urges NBTC To Disqualify True-Dtac Merger Advisor Finanza Securities Due To A Conflict Of Interest
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
THE NATION
On September 20, Ekachai Chainuwat, A Legal Scholar, Travelled To Submit A Complaint To The Office Of The National Broadcasting And Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), In The Matter Of A Lack Of Qualifications And Irregularities In The Opinion Of The Independent Advisor (Finanza Securities Co., Ltd.), In The Case Of The Merger Between True And Dtac, Which Was Presented To The NBTC And The NBTC Secretary-General.
Ekachai, a legal expert, said that after closely following progress in the considerations of a merger deal between True and Dtac, he had never seen any explanation from the NBTC on the issue of the independent advisor (Finanza Securities Co., Ltd.), about which he had suspicions, and wished to protest about this issue.
Independent advisor is a stakeholder with the parties requesting the merger
In the last paragraph of Section 10 of the NBTC announcement of 2018, in the matter of measures to regulate and oversee businesses, it is written that, “The Secretary-General of NBTC appoints an independent advisor with qualifications pursuant to the appendix to this Announcement, for preparing an opinion on the issue of the business merger.” In the appendix, the independent advisor must, “Be independent and have no connection or stake holding with the licensee, or persons with authority to control the licensee, or other licensees merging their business with the licensee, or persons with authority to control that licensee.” In section 2.2, “… it does not have shares held by a licensee or persons with authority to control the licensee, or business units in the licensee’s group, or subsidiary companies of the licensee, or a judicial person who may be in conflict with the licensee, or persons with authority to control the licensee.” However, the facts appear as follows:
Concerning Finanza Securities Co., Ltd., who is the independent advisor, whose name was sent to NBTC by the parties requesting the merger, to be appointed to give an opinion to support the considerations, Finanza Securities was indeed connected and had a stake holding with persons with the authority to control directors of True, which was a party requesting the merger. That is, Finanza Securities is 100% held by FSS International Securities, an investment advisor. FSS Securities is 89.99% held by Finansia Syrus Securities, of which Mr Chaval Chearavanont holds 1.63%. Mr Chatchaval Chearavanont, who is the father of Mr Chaval Chearavanont, holds the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Mr Chatchaval Chearavanont concurrently holds the position of Executive Director in True, otherwise one of the parties requesting the merger.
Therefore, Finanza Securities lacks qualification in the matter of independence and may not fulfill its obligations as an independent advisor, which would provide an opinion for the considerations of NBTC, pursuant to the Announcement on business mergers of 2018. This is because Mr Chatchaval is the chairman of a company which has an indirect shareholding in Finanza Securities of 89.99%, and would inevitably present an opinion to the NBTC in the matter of the merger, which would be of benefit to the parties requesting the merger.
Regarding this, the House of Representatives’ Extraordinary Committee to consider and study the impact of the telecom business merger between True and Dtac sent a letter to the Prime Minister dated 28 April 2022, submitting study results and suggestions to the Prime Minister to put the merger on hold. The study had found that the qualifications of the advisor may not be truly independent, and may be in conflict with the NBTC’s stipulated selection criteria. The House Committee warned representatives of NBTC who were attending the meeting, but NBTC did not make any explanation to clear up the suspicions, or take any other action in this matter.
Independent advisor’s report was invalid and incomplete
Concerning the working procedure of the independent advisor with the Office of the NBTC, it was found that Finanza Securities, which had been appointed, normally was required to perform studies, discover information and give various opinions as ordered for action by NBTC, but it appeared that when Finanza Securities had submitted the report of its opinions to the Office of the NBTC to consider, the Office of the NBTC had the opinion that on some issues, the information was incomplete and requested additional study, otherwise it would be considered an invalid report. However, Finanza Securities refused to undertake this, despite the Office of the NBTC’s statement to True and Dtac. Eventually, through the assistance of the Office of the NBTC for the deal to proceed successfully, the Office of the NBTC became the party conducting its study and making additions to the report itself instead of the independent advisor. For this reason, NBTC was not able to use this report to support their considerations. The independent advisor was required to make additions, otherwise it would be an incorrect report, and incomplete according to the procedure stipulated in the Announcement.
Council of State’s opinion is not binding on NBTC
As for the NBTC’s consultation on its authority with the Council of State for the second time, the legal expert had the opinion that NBTC was an organization with the independence to regulate and oversee broadcasting and telecommunications businesses pursuant to the Thai Constitution of 2017 Section 60, while according to the Council of State’s own regulations, it was clearly stated that it only had the obligation to give legal opinions to government agencies under the authority and oversight of the executive branch. Therefore, the opinion of the Council of State was not binding on the NBTC, because this was in conflict with NBTC’s obligations as an independent organization, which was the reason that NBTC could not cite it in any consideration.
Ekachai concluded that he was requesting the NBTC board to consider revoking the appointment of Finanza Securities Co., Ltd. as an independent advisor to prepare opinions supporting considerations of the merger on this occasion, and appoint an independent advisor who was completely qualified pursuant to the Announcement on business mergers of 2018, and who would be genuinely independent, without any interference from or conflict of interest with the group of companies requesting the merger.
The Severity Of Covid-19 Is Declining Thanks To Vaccinations And Improved Diagnostics And Medication, Chulalongkorn University Expert Virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan Said On Wednesday.
In a Facebook post, Yong said the severity of the diseases has been gradually declining since it was first discovered in China in late 2019.
Yong, who is chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, said the early version of Covid-19 had a mortality rate of 3-5 per cent as the virus infected the lungs and developed into pneumonia.
“However, as new waves occurred, we saw a declining trend in disease severity,” he pointed out.
Yong cited a report from the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which said the hospitalisation rate during the Omicron outbreak dropped to 4.9 per cent, compared to 15.1 per cent during Delta.
“In Thailand, the mortality rate of Covid-19, when it first spread in the country [in 2020], was around 1 per cent. This has dropped to less than 0.1 per cent these days, while the hospitalisation rate has also declined significantly, with most new patients being treated at home now,” he added.
Yong said the reason behind the declining severity is the fact that most people have been vaccinated, creating herd immunity against the virus.
“Furthermore, diagnostics methods and technology have also improved over the years, resulting in faster, more accurate detection of infections and therefore improving the chance of cure,” he wrote.
“We have also developed more efficient drugs to counter symptoms and reduce the chance of hospitalisation and death.”
On Wednesday, Thailand recorded 1,129 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 13 deaths in the past 24 hours, while 934 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.
The number of cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022, stands at 2,452,097, with 10,970 deaths.
Vietnamese Arrested For Allegedly Pickpocketing Singaporean Tourist In Bangkok
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
Police Have Arrested Two Vietnamese Suspects For Allegedly Pickpocketing A Singapore Tourist At The Erawan Shrine In Bangkok And Making Off With 1,700 Singapore Dollars (44,000 Baht) And Three Credit Cards.
Metropolitan Police commissioner Pol Lt-General Samrarn Nuanma and Lumpini Police Station chief Pol Colonel Nimit Nuphonethong held a press conference on Tuesday to announce the arrest of a Vietnamese man, Nguy Van Cong, and a Vietnamese woman, Do Thi Kim Hoa.
Nimit said another suspect was still at large.
Nimit said the Lumpini Police Station was alerted through the Smart Safety Zone 4.0 complaint receiving centre that the Singapore tourist was pickpocketed while paying respects at the Erawan Shrine on September 3. The tourist was identified as Holai Fung Elisie.
Nimit said police checked security cameras at the area and saw three Vietnamese persons committing the crime.
Nimit said the Vietnamese woman was arrested at a hotel on Soi Indhamara 49 and the male suspect was arrested at a border checkpoint in Pong Nam Ron district Chanthaburi province while he was about to flee the country.
The two suspects pleaded innocence. They were charged with collaborating to steal another persons’ belonging and using others’ electronic card.
Thailand Has Almost Always Suffered Flooding During The Rainy Season, But Now With Global Warming Worsening, It Is Being Hit With Bigger, More Devastating Floods Frequently. In A Bid To Mitigate The Losses, Thai Authorities Are Working To Come Up With Effective Solutions.
Now Thailand is hit by La Niña phenomenon, but no storms to cause huge floods like 2011
Thailand was hit by major floods in 2011 due to the La Niña phenomenon, which made the rainy season arrive sooner than usual. This was made worse by five storms that had hit Thailand that year, increasing the average rainfall by 27 per cent.
The La Niña phenomenon has also taken place this year, resulting in rains arriving sooner than expected, however, Thailand has not been directly hit by storms this year, while the average rainfall so far has been recorded as 21 per cent above the normal amount.”
There are estimates that there will be around 10 per cent more rainfall than usual, rising slightly from 8 per cent more last year.
Causes of flooding in Thailand
Natural causes: – Low pressure masses – Storms, such as depression and tropical storms and typhoons – Monsoon trenches – Southwest monsoon – Northeast monsoon – Dams collapsing
Mismanagement: – Disagreement between government and local administrations – Lacking capable officials to deal with natural disasters – Lacking coordination among government agencies – Ignorance of people in remote areas
Severe flooding incidents during 100 years
– 1942: Heavy downpours in Chao Phraya basin provinces caused severe floods. The Royal Plaza was under 1.50-metere-deep water and floods last three months. It became the severest flooding event before large dams, like Bhumibol and Sirikit dams, were built.
– 1983: Two depression storms hit Thailand, leading to excessive water upstream of large dams. Water released from dams caused floodings in several provinces. The floodwaters in Bangkok were aggravated with rising sea level. Boats could travel on Bangkok roads due to high-level of floodwaters.
– 1994: A tropical storm hit Bangkok, resulting in 200-mm-level rains, the heaviest in the capital. It was labelled 1,000-year rains that caused traffic gridlock and power blackouts in several areas.
– 1995: Thailand was hit by several storms, causing the water in the Chao Phraya River to be as high as 2.27 metre high, the same height with that of 1942.
– 2011: The country suffered flooding in many parts from the beginning the end of the year. La Nina phenomenon and five storms that hit the country unleashed heavy rains, causing floods that severely affected agricultural and industrial sectors, as well as the country’s economy.
Flood preventive measures:
– Establishment of National Water Resources Office – Enactment of 2018-2037 natural resources master plan – Enactment of strategic plan for management of water resources – Enactment of Water Resources Act of 2018 – Enactment of Water Basins Royal Decree of 2021
King Rama IX’s flood prevention initiatives: – Building flood embankments – Building waterways for diverting floodwaters – Canal dredging – Dams building
Brave Teacher In Tak Battles ‘Claypocalypse’ To Keep School Open
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
Teachers In Tak Province Are Battling A Wet Season “Claypocalypse” To Keep Schools Open For Children.
While people in other provinces struggle with floods, residents of Tak’s Umphang district are getting bogged down as clay-soil roads turn into rutted orange swamps. Short journeys in the district are now taking up to six hours, with vehicles at risk of becoming stuck in the deep sludge. Local officials are now on standby with tow trucks to extract motorists from the sticky situation.
Narong Puangkham, a teacher at Umphang District Informal Education Centre, said locals were totally reliant on four-wheel drive vehicles and trail motorcycles during the rainy season.
He explained that many schools were located in Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary, where road conditions are especially bad. He also admitted to being exhausted by the daily battle he faced travelling to school.
“However, I am proud of my work as a teacher, helped by colleagues, students and villagers,” he said, vowing to continue his duties at the education centre.
The Thai Meteorological Department forecasts heavy to very heavy rain will bring flash floods and runoff across most of Thailand until Wednesday. It warns of isolated heavy to very heavy showers in the North, Northeast, Central region including Bangkok, East and South.
Thai Police On Vietnam Mission To Combat Multibillion-Dollar Cross-Border Crime
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
Senior Thai Police Officers Landed In Vietnam On Tuesday On A Mission To Fight Transnational Criminal Networks Exploiting Southeast Asia’s Porous Borders.
The cross-border trafficking of illegal drugs, people, wildlife, timber and counterfeit goods in Asean generates “tens of billions of dollars” each year, according to the UN.
Led by assistant national police chief Prachuap Wongsuk, the Thai visit marks an escalation of the battle against cross-border crime under a knowledge-sharing and cooperation agreement between the two countries. It comes after Vietnam was demoted to the bottom tier in the latest US Trafficking in Persons report.
The Thai delegation met with representatives from Vietnam’s Public Security Ministry and Immigration Bureau in Hanoi.
The two sides discussed cooperation to combat online gambling websites, online fraud and other cybercrime, people trafficking, and the arrest of suspects wanted on Interpol warrants. Exchanging information on transnational drug trafficking rings and seizure of their assets was also discussed and the two sides agreed to exchange police coordinators.
Prachuap said a Thai police coordinator will be stationed in Hanoi to coordinate with Vietnamese, Lao and Taiwanese police in crime suppression efforts.
The two sides also agreed to a training exchange for police officers.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Prachuap expressed satisfaction with the results, saying the two sides had committed to implementing Thai-Vietnamese cross-border crime suppression agreements.
Last year, all 10 countries in the region signed the Asean Border Management Cooperation Roadmap to improve policy and collaboration on transnational crime at and along borders.
Thai Police Reassure EU Of Commitment To Fight IUU Fishing
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
A Thai Delegation Visited Brussels To Assure The European Union About Thailand’s Commitment To Fight Illegal, Unreported, And Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.
Assistant National Police chief Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakpal led the delegation of senior police officers. Thailand’s ambassador to Belgium Sek Wannamethee accompanied the delegation during their meeting with Charlina Vitcheva, director-general of EU’s directorate-general for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on Monday (local time).
During the meeting, Surachate reported Thailand’s progress in suppression of IUU fishing practices and the Thai side also sought advice from the EU on how to effectively enforce the law against IUU fishing.
During the meeting, the EU representatives sought details about legal prosecutions and investigation of IUU practices.
The EU side also asked Surachate to explain how Thai agencies coordinate to track and arrest illegal fishing boats and they also asked for more details of legal cases of IUU fishing, which had increased, especially the legal prosecution of Thai officials involved in IUU fishing.
Surachate told reporters that the EU representatives expressed interest after hearing Thailand had stepped up efforts to try to end IUU fishing in the kingdom.
Surachate also asked the EU representatives to consider reviewing Thailand’s status now that the kingdom has been stepping up efforts to fight IUU fishing.
The EU representatives also suggested that there should be more cooperation among Thai government agencies for a more effective crackdown on IUU fishing in the long run.
Surachate told reporters that his visit to Brussels managed to draw the EU’s attention to Thailand’s commitment to fight IUU fishing and the trip should improve the country’s image in the eyes of the international community.
BOT Warns Public Against Unlicensed Forex Trading As Ponzi Scheme Unravels
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
Foreign Exchange Traders Who Operate Without A Licence Are Breaking The Law, The Bank Of Thailand (BOT) Warned On Tuesday.
The warning comes after the Department of Special Investigation laid charges over the Forex-3D scheme, which allegedly defrauded almost 2.5 billion baht from thousands of victims.
Last week, celebrity couple Pattanapon “DJ Man” Minthakhin and his wife Suteewan “Baitoey” Thaweesin became the latest suspects to be charged in connection with the scheme. Forex-3D’s owner, Apiruk Kothi, is accused of multibillion-baht fraud.
On Tuesday, BOT’s assistant governor of Financial Markets Operations said Forex-3D did not have a Finance Ministry licence to trade in foreign exchange, as required by law. Alisara Mahasandana said the ministry never issues licenses to individual forex speculators who trade on their platforms or websites.
The Forex 3-D operators therefore face charges of fraudulent borrowing, she added.
The Department of Special Investigation last Wednesday charged Pattanapon and Suteewan with violating the emergency decree on fraudulent borrowing, committing criminal fraud, and uploading false information to computer systems in violation of the Computer Crime Act. Last month, actress Savika, “Pinky” Chaiyadet, 36, and two family members were denied bail on charges of operating the forex Ponzi scheme.
Alisara said that although the charges were not under the BOT’s jurisdiction, the bank would cooperate with the probe by the Department of Special Investigation and other agencies.
The DSI says the Ponzi scheme, operated via the www.forex-3D.com website and three Facebook pages, has defrauded 9,824 people out of an estimated 2.48 billion baht since 2019.
Alisara said the BOT regularly warns the public to beware of anyone who promises high yields from forex trading, saying they could fall victim to pyramid schemes.
MEA Dealing With Exposed Wire On King Kaew Road Footpath
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
A Live Wire Seen Exposed Through Its Torn Insulation On A Footpath In Bang Phli District Of Samut Prakan Province Is Being Dealt With By Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), The Authority Said On Tuesday.
Photos of the wire jutting out of the torn insulation from a powerline on a footpath on King Kaew Road in front of Ruamkatanyu Foundation had gone viral on Monday. To prevent pedestrians from accidentally stepping on it, local people had placed a stack of tyres over the wire and painted a warning “live wire”.
The photos were widely shared and many netizens urged the authorities to take action to prevent a mishap.
On Tuesday, MEA chief of Bangna Office Wirat Yutthawichai said the wire came from a lamppost on the road, which automatically turns on at night but will have no power during the day. “MEA officials are investigating how the wire was left in that condition and will fix it as soon as possible,” he said.
Manas Seesaen, a Bang Phli resident, said the wire has been exposed on the footpath for a few years now, but luckily there had been no accidents. He said he was glad the MEA was finally doing something about it.
Nimit said the Vietnamese woman was arrested at a hotel on Soi Indhamara 49 and the male suspect was arrested at a border checkpoint in Pong Nam Ron district Chanthaburi province while he was about to flee the country.
Prachuap said a Thai police coordinator will be stationed in Hanoi to coordinate with Vietnamese, Lao and Taiwanese police in crime suppression efforts.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Prachuap expressed satisfaction with the results, saying the two sides had committed to implementing Thai-Vietnamese cross-border crime suppression agreements.
Surachate told reporters that the EU representatives expressed interest after hearing Thailand had stepped up efforts to try to end IUU fishing in the kingdom.
The EU representatives also suggested that there should be more cooperation among Thai government agencies for a more effective crackdown on IUU fishing in the long run.
SootinClaimon.Com 