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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016362

Lack of measures and government interest has pulled Thailand’s environment ranking down from 78 to 108 among 180 countries, an academic said citing a Yale University survey.

Kasetsart University lecturer Witsanu Attavanich said on Sunday that Thailand has dropped eight points from 85 to 93 in the ranking for air quality. Similarly, the country has dropped to 100 and 129 from 84 and 101 in waste management and eco-preservation, respectively.

Even though biodiversity and natural habitats in Thailand have improved and it has risen in ranking to 107 from 114, the country still does not meet the global criteria, he said.

Witsanu said this drop in ranking proves that Thais pay little attention to the environment, as evidenced by the drop in funds allocated for tackling this issue.

Even though the budget for the environment has been raised to 10.22 billion for the 2023 fiscal year, it is still lower than the 10.94 billion baht allocated in 2019, 12.86 billion baht in 2020 and 16.14 billion baht in 2021, he said.

He said Thailand’s environment will suffer further if the government does not tackle this issue immediately.

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016360

There is a high chance that the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will relax the mask mandate soon in Bangkok and Phuket, chief of the CCSA operation centre, Supoj Malaniyom, said.

Supoj said on Monday that the CCSA was inclined to ease the mandatory mask policy, but Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had urged caution in taking the decision so that it doesn’t backfire and cause damage.

He said that related organisations, including the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), are meeting every week to present problems and thoughts while following the government’s policy to ease regulations with safety.

Meanwhile, the CCSA is considering allowing pubs and bars to be open until 2am. It will evaluate the situation every 10 days from June 1, including the number of new Covid-19 cases, people who were affected by the opening of entertainment places, entertainment venues that violate laws, and cooperation from citizens and operators.

Supoj said that the CCSA will consider and evaluate all factors to ease restrictions, such as allowing more entertainment venues to open with prevention measures.

Based on the current situation, he said it was likely that the mask mandate would be eased if people and entertainment venues followed prevention measures. However, it is worrying that the vaccination percentage in some areas was low, whereas it was high in Bangkok.

The CCSA will consider how to ease the mask mandate to ensure utmost safety, he said.

Supoj said that it is more urgent for people in every field to be able to work normally than to ease the mask mandate, but the CCSA would consider these two factors at the same time.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry will administer the fifth dose of Covid-19 vaccines to specific categories, such as travellers to foreign countries that require them to receive a recent dose of mRNA vaccines, and people in risk group.

He assured that the AstraZeneca vaccines have not expired, hence people did not have to worry.

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016358

All 5.17 million digital government lottery tickets were sold out on Monday, five days after going on sale in a new move to combat lottery overpricing.

The last of 5,173,500 digital lottery tickets sold via the Paotang application was snapped up at 12.55pm, said Tipanan Sirichana, a spokeswoman for the government committee tasked with tackling lottery overpricing.

Tipanan urged people who missed the chance to buy the 80-baht digital lottery tickets not to buy from vendors who inflate the ticket price.

She said buyers could check their ticket’s QR code to see if it was sold by an authorised vendor. The QR code can also be used to report overpricing, she added. Buyers can call the Government Lottery Office’s 24-hour hotline at (02) 528 9999 to report overpricing.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said the GLO board could make a decision on whether to increase the digital lottery quota.

The current 5.17-million quota was compiled from lottery tickets seized from retail vendors who were caught overpricing or reselling tickets to online platforms.

Arkhom said selling tickets via the Paotang app had proved effective in the fight against overpricing while also matching buyers’ digital lifestyle.

The digital lottery system was launched on Thursday after all other measures to combat overpricing failed.

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016355

The Thai government is confident it has done enough to be shifted from Tier 2 Watchlist to Tier 2 in the ranking on the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.

This confidence was expressed by Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin at the Thai National Anti-Human Trafficking Day event held in Government House on Monday. The day normally falls on June 5 but was marked on June 6 this year.

Suchart said the Labour Ministry has been implementing measures in line with requirements necessary for an upgrade in the TIP ranking.

Among the measures implemented, the ministry has published a standard operating procedure (SOP) for officials to use when screening for possible forced labour or victims of human-trafficking gangs, Suchart said.

He added that copies of the guideline have been sent to Labour Ministry officials in all 76 provinces to screen for human-trafficking victims.

The minister expressed confidence that his ministry’s operations would contribute to the government’s efforts to eliminate the scourge of human-trafficking crimes so Thailand’s TIP rating can be upgraded.

The US State Department downgraded Thailand to Tier 2 Watchlist on July 1, 2021, down from Tier 2 in 2020.

Meanwhile, the event marking National Anti-Human Trafficking Day was held under the theme of “No Victims No Tears”. The event was organised by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry with cooperation from other relevant agencies.

Social Development and Human Security Minister Juti Krairiksh said in a speech that the government realises that human trafficking is an international crime and severely violates people’s rights. Hence, he said, the government set June 5 as anti-human trafficking day.

He added that the government has been taking legal action against traffickers, enforcing laws to punish them severely and has been helping trafficking victims.

In 2021, the government took legal action against suspected human traffickers in 188 cases, up by 55 cases from 2020, Juti said.

The 188 cases included 107 online scams, he added. In some cases, government officials were caught over links with human trafficking, he said, without elaborating.

He added that during the Covid-19 pandemic, human traffickers used online platforms to con victims and trafficked them to become forced labour overseas.

Juti said the government has also granted migrant workers their rights in line with international conventions to protect them from human traffickers.

He said the PM’s Office has also issued directives from to prevent officials from getting involved in trafficking.

Over the past year, Thailand has helped 354 victims of human-trafficking gangs, up by 123 persons from the previous year.

The “No Victims No Tears” event at the Santi Maitree Building was opened by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

In his speech, Prayut said human trafficking was a complicated crime that severely violated human rights and posed severe threats to national security. It also adversely affects the country’s image, he said.

Hence, Prayut said, his government considers the issue very important and added the fight against human trafficking to the national agenda in 2015.

The PM added that his government has also come up with a 20-year strategic plan to fight human trafficking and boost efficiency in the battle against crimes.

He said the government is also implementing measures to protect women and children from being lured by human traffickers into pornography or forced labour.

Prayut said his government is also now focusing on helping victims first in its battle against human trafficking.

After completing his speech, Prayut handed out awards to officials, government agencies and youth for their outstanding work against human trafficking gangs.

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016351

The Oil Fuel Fund Executive Committee on Monday agreed to raise diesel price from THB32.94 to THB33.94 per litre from Tuesday (June 7).

Wisak Watanasap, director of the Oil Fuel Fund Office, said that the adjustment is due to the price of diesel in the global market jumping from US$149 per barrel to US$158 per barrel in the past week.

“The committee estimated that Europe’s sanctions against Russia, China’s reopening of the country and decreasing US crude oil reserves will continue to push crude oil price up,” he said.

The office also reported that as of May 29, the Oil Fuel Fund had a deficit of THB86.02 billion — THB40.14 billion from the oil account and THB35.88 billion from the liquefied petroleum gas account. The fund has around THB10 billion cashflow.

Current retail prices of diesel are:

Hi-premium B7 diesel: THB44.36 per litre

B7 diesel: THB32.94 per litre

B10 diesel: THB32.94 per litre

B20 diesel: THB32.94 per litre

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016350

The volume of marine resources in Thailand has increased, which has been attributed to the decline in the number of tourists in the past two years due to the Covid-19 crisis.

According to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thailand has 1.74 million rai (278,000 hectares) of mangrove forests, up 200,000 rai compared to 2014. The country also has 40,254.52 rai of beach forests.

Thailand has 261 dugongs, 3,025 whales and dolphins, and five species of sea turtles. The number of sea turtle nests has increased from 413 in 2018 to 491 in 2020.

Four rare aquatic animals, namely leatherback turtle, whale shark, Bryde’s whale and Omura’s whale have been listed in Thailand’s reserved wild animals in 2019.

Thailand also has 149,025 rai of coral reefs with 280 species. However, the damage of coral reefs in the Andaman Sea has increased, while coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand and the east were moderately plentiful.

Meanwhile, the country has 159,829 rai of seagrass meadows, of which 64 per cent were moderately plentiful.

Thailand also has 3,151 kilometres of coasts, of which 2,356.76 kilometres are free from coastal erosion.

However, 536 sea turtles, 248 whales and dolphins, and 17 dugongs were washed up on the shore and died in 2020. Up to 80 per cent of sea turtles and dugongs had died due to fishing tools, nets and boat propellers, while 65 per cent of dolphins and whales had died due to natural illness.

Department of Marine and Coastal Resources director-general Sophon Thongdee said the number of dugongs and leatherback turtles had increased and it was likely to increase further.

He added that the department also has a plan to increase the population of dugongs, whales, dolphins and leatherback turtles.

The department aims to grow 300,000 rai of mangrove forests by 2032, increase 280 dugongs in 2022, decrease the number of rare aquatic animals washing up on the shore, tackle plastic waste problems and promote participation among various sectors to maintain the environment, he said.

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016349

Statistics show that as many as 238,707 students in Thailand dropped out of school last year, as Covid-related lockdowns saw a drop in their parents’ income.

However, the Education Ministry’s “bring students back to school” has successfully brought 160,000 dropouts back to school between November and May this year.

Meanwhile, the Equitable Education Fund’s data shows that of the 5 million students, almost 1.8 million are at risk of dropping out for various reasons.

In higher education, 300,000 of 650,000 eligible students were able to enrol in university, though up to 14 per cent of them have dropped out of the education system.

Separately, Obec found that about 360,000 students face the risk of developing learning difficulties.

The Office of the Education Council (OEC) said the problem of students dropping out has worsened, with as many as 2 per cent of youngsters leaving the education system every year. Judging by these numbers, at least 16 of every 100 students in Thailand will lose an opportunity to study, OEC said.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong said she will do her best to bring dropouts back into the education system by June 10, especially those in the mandatory schooling age range.

Of the dropouts, 78,003 fall under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) 50,592 under the Education Ministry’s Office of the Permanent Secretary, 55,599 under the Office of the Vocational Education Commission, and 54,513 under the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016345

The National Security Council (NSC) said on Monday that an investigation will be launched to see if any Thai officials had a hand in the trafficking of 59 Rohingya people found on a remote island in Satun province.

NSC chief General Supot Malaniyom said he had heard that Thai officials may be involved in human trafficking.

“But police will launch an investigation to find out if they were victims of a human-trafficking gang. If not, they will be regarded as illegal migrants sneaking into the country.”

Supot added that Thai investigators will coordinate with their counterparts in neighbouring countries to ensure the procedure is in line with international standards and human rights principles.

The Third Naval Area learned on Saturday that a group of unknown people were spotted on the remote Koh Dong in Satun’s Tarutao National Park. The island is to the west of Koh Lipe.

Naval officers and park officials were deployed to check and found 31 men, 23 women, three boys and two girls on the island. All are Rohingya.

Royal Thai Navy spokesman Vice Adm Pokkrong Monthatpalin said the group was given food and drink before being handed over to the Langu Police Station for investigation.

The group reportedly told police that they were heading to Malaysia from Bangladesh on a large fishing boat, but the captain abandoned them on the island claiming they had reached Malaysia.

On Sunday, assistant police chief Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakpal said 59 Rohingya were abandoned on the island on Friday night without any food or drink until they were helped by the Navy.

He said upon interrogation, police learned that 178 Rohingya from Bangladesh and Myanmar had paid 5,000 Malaysian ringgit each to a Malaysian broker, who promised them jobs in Malaysia.

Surachate said the first group of 119 had been delivered to Malaysia, but were arrested. After the captain of the second boat learned of the arrests, he decided to abandon the 59-strong group on Koh Dong, pretending they had reached Malaysia, Surachate said.

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016344

Monkeypox is not that easy to contract and there is a low possibility of the virus sparking an outbreak in Thailand, leading virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

He added that since the disease resurfaced in May, only some 600 people in nearly 30 countries have been infected. Most or 98 per cent of the patients outside Africa are men, while the ratio of male monkeypox patients in Africa is about two thirds.

“The age range of patients outside Africa is 20-50, while in Africa monkeypox has also infected children,” Yong said. “Monkeypox is spreading rapidly outside Africa, in places like Spain, Portugal, the UK and Belgium, due to cultural celebrations that promote close contact between people.

“From the current infection rate, it is possible that monkeypox will be found in Thailand. However, it will likely spread among a small group of people who are at risk,” he said.

The virologist said care must be taken to ensure the virus is not contracted by pets. “If the virus is transmitted from humans to pets, these animals can become carriers and spread to other local species like rats, rabbits and squirrels. Then monkeypox will become endemic in that area,” Yong said.

The Disease Control Department (DDC) said last week that there have been no confirmed monkeypox cases in Thailand so far. However, DDC put 12 people under close observation after they came into contact with a confirmed monkeypox patient who had boarded a transit flight from Bangkok.

Dr Chakkarat Pitayawonganon, director of the department’s epidemiology division, said the situation is not worrying because they are low-risk contacts, adding that they will be monitored for 21 days.

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016343

Digital lottery tickets for the June 16 draw were almost sold out on Sunday after more than 5 million were snapped up via the Pao Tang application.

Atotal of 5,085,230 tickets had been sold via the digital system, which was launched this month to combat the problem of ticket overpricing.

“Of the 5,173,500 digital tickets made available, only 88,270 are left and we expect these to be sold out today,” said a spokesperson for the committee tasked with tackling overpriced lottery tickets on Monday.

She added that 10,347 vendors with lottery quota were qualified to sell their tickets via the Pao Tang app. The online tickets went on sale on June 2 at a fixed price of 80 baht. The app has recorded a total of 1,220,176 lottery transactions, with an average purchase of 4.16 tickets per person.

The digital lottery platform was launched after all other measures failed to prevent overpricing.

Authorities have urged the public not to buy from vendors who sell tickets for more than 80 baht.

They can also report overpricing to the Government Lottery Office at (02) 528 9999, available 24/7, with a reward of 1,000 baht offered for every tip-off that leads to successful prosecution.

Published : June 06, 2022

By : THE NATION