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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012431

The Cabinet has approved six National Electrical Vehicle Policy Board measures to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand and support the EV manufacturing industry, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Wednesday.

“The measures proposed by the EV board contain both tax and non-tax measures to attract people to purchase EVs and increase investment in EV manufacturing and related industries,” he said.

According to Thanakorn, the six measures that have been approved are:

1. Import tariffs on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with less than 10 seats and costing under 2 million baht will be exempted if the original tariffs are less than 40 per cent, and will be reduced by 40 per cent if the original tariffs exceed 40 per cent until 2023. Excise tax on BEVs in this category will also be cut from 8 per cent to 2 per cent until 2025.

Additionally, buyers of BEVs sporting battery capacities of 10 to 30 kilowatts/hour will also receive a subsidy of 70,000 baht per vehicle, while BEVs with batteries of more than 30 kilowatts/hour will receive a subsidy of 150,000 baht per vehicle.

2. Import tariffs on BEVs with over 30 kilowatts/hour batteries and costing 2 million to 7 million baht will be exempted if the original tariffs are less than 20 per cent, and will be reduced by 20 per cent if the original tariffs exceed 20 per cent until 2023. The excise tax on BEVs in this category will also be cut from 8 per cent to 2 per cent until 2025.

3. Buyers of BEV pickup trucks costing less than 2 million baht will receive a subsidy of 150,000 baht per vehicle. This only applies to CKD (completely knocked down) vehicles manufactured domestically with batteries of over 30 kilowatts/hour.

4. Excise tax on BEV motorcycles costing less than 150,000 baht will be cut to 1 per cent, whereas each purchase will receive a subsidy of 18,000 baht, applicable to both imported and domestic motorcycles.

5. To promote new investment in the EV industry, manufacturers or assemblers of BEVs in Thailand which are located in tariff-free zones can use the value of battery cells imported from overseas to calculate the cost of domestic manufacturing at a maximum 15 per cent of the vehicle’s price. This measure is valid until 2025.

6. Import tariffs on selected EV parts will be exempted for domestic manufacturers or assemblers until 2025. These parts include batteries, traction motors, compressors, battery management systems, drive control units, on-board chargers, PCU inverters, DC/DC converters and reduction gear.

To qualify for the reduced import tariffs, manufacturers must build an electric vehicle in Thailand for every vehicle imported until 2024. The deadline could be extended to 2025, but the ratio will be increased to building 1.5 EVs for every vehicle imported.

If the retail value of each EV imported is under 2 million baht, manufacturers can build any EV model to compensate. However, they must compensate for importing pricier models by building the same models in Thailand.

“With the help of these measures, Thailand aims to manufacture electric vehicles at 30 per cent of total automotive production by 2030, or approximately 725,000 EVs per year,” Thanakorn added.

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Published : February 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012429

Three workers were killed when a scaffold collapsed at a construction site of a hotel at the One Bangkok project on Rama IV Road in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district, Italian Thai Development (ITD), which is responsible for the project, said in a statement on Wednesday.

ITD said the scaffold collapsed while the workers were pouring mixed concrete at a structure in the hotel’s basement floor on Wednesday morning. Two workers were found dead under the rubble while another worker was rushed to Kluaynamthai Hospital but later succumbed to injuries.

The company did not disclose the names of the workers, but promised it would provide aid and benefit to the families of the deceased as soon as possible.

A news source said two of the deceased were females aged 42 and 58.

Lumphini police station chief Pol Colonel Nimit Nuphonthong said officials have summoned the company’s representative for questioning and have asked the Engineering Institute of Thailand to send experts to investigate the construction site along with forensic officials to determine the cause of the accident.

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Published : February 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012422

Ministry of Public Health reported on Thursday (February 17) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 17,349 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 245 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 22, while 11,561 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 432,976.
 

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 2,656,411 – 2,489,812 of whom have recovered, 321,318 are still in hospitals and 22,538 have died.

Separately, another 34,995 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 23,674 their second shot and 123,453 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 120,702,893.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 418.19 million on Thursday, 341.7 million of whom have recovered, 70.62 million are active cases (84,471 in severe condition) and 5.87 million have died (up by 11,311).

Thailand ranks 31st in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 79.79 million, followed by India with 42.75 million, Brazil with 27.81 million, France with 21.98 million and the UK with 18.45 million.

Published : February 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012420

With over 1.5 million visitors, Thailand was the number one destination for Russian tourists in Southeast Asia before the Covid outbreak, Russia’s Ambassador to Thailand, Evgeny Tomikhin, said in an exclusive interview with The Nation Thailand.

Tomikhin said that even amid the Covid outbreak, Russians top the list of foreign visitors to Phuket, without providing a figure.

In a sign of greater people to people contact, the number of Thais travelling to Russia – before the pandemic struck – also doubled since the 2018 World Cup, said Tomikhin, speaking on the occasion of Russian Diplomats Day, which was commemorated on February 10.

Tomikhin lauded the close bilateral ties based on mutual historical values, mutual interests and good reciprocal understanding, underscoring that in 125 years of diplomatic relations Thailand and Russia had never interfered in each other’s internal affairs.

Trade between the two countries was worth US$2.3 billion last year, not much different from 2020, he said, adding Russia is now pushing for greater agricultural cooperation with Thailand. Thai corporate giant Charoen Pokphand Group is investing more than US$1.8 billion (Bt58 billion) in Russia, the ambassador said.

He said the Russian government continues to offer scholarships to more Thai students, both civilians and military cadets.

Regarding Russia’s standoff with Ukraine, Tomikhin played down the war-mongering rhetoric of US and Western media.

“Rumours started to be floated last year that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine,” he said, adding, many people buy those rumours despite repeated denials by Russian officials.

The ambassador also questioned the existence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to this day, even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and pointed to the Warsaw Pact, created by the Soviet-led bloc as a counter to Nato, which was dissolved in 1991.

The US-led Nato wants to make Ukraine a member, while Moscow sees any move by Kiev to join Nato as crossing a red line

“Nobody wants to see World War III. Because it might be the last World War. If superpowers start using nuclear weapons, it will be the end for everyone. But at the same time, Russia must protect the interests of the country and guarantee stability for the benefit of the Russian people,” the ambassador argued.

Published : February 16, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012419

Two Thai men and a Myanmar man were arrested on Tuesday in Kanchanaburi province for allegedly poaching tigers and wild cats.

The Natural Resources and Environment Crime Division on Wednesday announced the arrests of Maitree Boonsetsiri, 39, Duangdee Moolsamart, 32 and Thewin, 44, a Myanmar man.

The press conference was addressed by deputy national police chief Pol General Roy Ingphairoj in his capacity as the head of the centre for suppression of natural resources and environment crimes.

Roy said officials of his centre had received tip-offs on January 20 that some villagers in the Song Kalia village in Kanchanaburi’s Sangkhlaburi district had been poaching wild animals in Myanmar to sell their hides to a tycoon.

An undercover policeman then contacted the suspects and offered to buy some wild animals’ carcasses for Bt20,000.

After the undercover police wired the money to them, the suspects were arrested at the Sukanya Resort in Tambon Nong Lu in Sangkhlaburi when they were about to hand over the tigers’ hides to the undercover policeman.

Police seized three leopard cat’s kitten, one tiger hide, hides of three clouded leopards and hides of two leopards from the suspects.

The three were charged with being in possession of protected wild animals and the carcasses of protected wild animals without approval.

If the officials prove later that the carcasses were smuggled from Myanmar, they would face another charge — of importing carcasses of animals protected under the CITES without approval.

The Myanmar man was also charged with entering the country without proper travel documents.

Published : February 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012417

A 12-year-old street musician performed live on his Facebook page for his late father, to raise donations for the funeral.

The boy, Chanadej Khiewsen, who has been singing and playing guitar on streets since he was five, went live on his Facebook page on Tuesday night.

He informed his fans that his father, Chatchai Khiewsen, had died of cancer and he needed money for his funeral.

“The day I don’t want to come has arrived. But Dad told me to live in the world of reality. I would like to do this for Dad for the last time. I’m performing a live concert for Dad. Today, I’m begging for Dad’s funeral. I don’t want to use this term at all,” he posted in the description of his Facebook Live section.

He was seen playing music with tears in his eyes. For some moments, he was choked with emotion.

The boy lived with his father alone and he has been playing music on roadsides since he was five years old. Initially, he played for donations for his school expenses.

But during the past several months, his father was diagnosed with cancer so the boy played music to raise donations for the medical cost of treating his father.

Chanadej once took part in a music competition for kids in the Kidzaa TV programme. He has been playing guitar and singing at Chatuchak Weekend Market and Siam Square, and has become a recognised figure. His fans often shot clips of him playing music and posted them on YouTube. After his father became ill, he played music on his Facebook page instead of going out.

Those who are interested can transfer money to Kasikornbank account No. 0771212867

Published : February 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012416

The government is considering seeking the help of social media influencers to create a seductive mood that would encourage young Thai couples to have babies, in an effort to correct the worrying decline in birth rate over the last 50 years.

The government has been working on many solutions to correct the problem of low birth rate, Deputy Public Minister Satit Pitutacha said on Wednesday, revealing for the first time a proposal to seek the help of online influencers.

The media has dubbed it the “Wow Factor”. Satit said it could be expanded and further enhanced by projecting celebrities who have children as role models, to encourage couples to have children or influence young people to get married.

Satit said the government is ready to play a supportive role in the Wow Factor initiative, through long-term solutions such as tax incentives, scholarship,s or even a subsidy for each newborn – like those provided in Singapore or Japan, although they have not been very successful.

If pushed as a national agenda, more governmental support would be provided as short-term solutions, excluding those involving fiscal policy and effective budget planning.

Published : February 16, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012413

More than 300 Thais have applied for work in Saudi Arabia where the high-skill category offers a minimum salary of 100,000 baht a month.

Pairote Chotikasthira, director-general at the Department of Employment, said that Thailand is currently in the process of signing a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia on state-to-state jobs, which is expected to be completed in early March.

Once the agreement is finalised, it will begin the process of recruiting Thais to work in Saudi Arabia in various fields.

He said it was in the process of inviting requests to work there.

The request has been open for 10 days. There are 320 people who have applied so far. Most of them are technicians, labourers and factory workers from Bangkok, the Northeast, Chonburi, Songkhla, Pattani and Yala, he said.

After completing the agreement, the job seekers will be notified about their travel details and their salary in Saudi Arabia. Those who are chosen to work will be charged the application fee, airfare, and daily expenses in Saudi Arabia, he said.

Saudi Arabia is in need of personnel in highly skilled groups such as engineers, industrial professionals, specialised occupations, followed by semi-skilled labourers such as cooks, semi-skilled workers, officers in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Unskilled workers can earn a minimum wage of 2,000 riyals or 17,000 baht/month, semi-skilled workers can earn a minimum wage of 3,000-9,000 riyals (25,000-75,000 baht/month), and the high-skill group can earn minimum 15,000 riyals/month (100,000 baht/month), Pairote said.

Published : February 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012412

The government said it has “rushed” to help tourism operators financially and introduced travel subsidy schemes amid the Covid-19 crisis because the businesses are an important force in driving economic recovery.

It listed the ways in which it has helped businesses:

1. Enhanced liquidity with low-interest loans featuring total credit lines of more than 150 billion baht, such as the GSB Soft Loan project.

2. Provided measures to reduce the burden of collateral deposits by tour operators to 30 per cent, resulting in a return of collateral to 6,639 operators, amounting to more than 498 million baht.

3. Reopened the country to international visitors and stimulating domestic tourism. This includes helping to restart the tourism business, organising seminars, developing policies to revitalise the industry, introducing the Health Safety Standards (SHA) certification and promoting domestic tourism by offering subsidies on hotel rooms, flights and food.

The government hopes to attract around five million foreign tourists this year, with revenue of more than 350 billion baht. It also aims to see 90 million domestic trips, generating over 299 billion baht in tourism revenue.

Published : February 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012415

Provincial governors will organise a week of road safety awareness from February 21 to 25 under the theme “Campaign to prevent accidents at zebra crossings”.

Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda has instructed the governors, in their capacity as heads of provincial road safety office, to launch awareness campaigns among motorists to respect traffic laws and ensure safety of pedestrians at zebra crossings.

Anupong said an accident at a zebra crossing in Bangkok that killed a female doctor prompted Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, chairman of the Road Safety Centre, to hold a meeting, which resolved to launch awareness campaigns on road safety nationwide.

The campaigns will focus on making motorists aware of possible loss of life if they violate traffic laws, Anupong said.

During the campaign week, traffic police will step up arrests of traffic law violators who will be subject to maximum fines.

Officials concerned will also repaint markings on roads to make zebra crossings clearer, and will put up road signs to warn motorists ahead of the crossings, the interior minister added.

The campaigns will also tell motorists to slow down ahead of zebra crossings near schools, in community areas and ahead of hospitals.

“Most of all, the campaigns will tell motorists to give priority to pedestrians at zebra crossings,” Anupong said.

He said the safety awareness campaigns will continue on the 21st of every month.

Published : February 16, 2022

By : THE NATION