Special Operations Unit 191 police arrested four suspects at a building in Keha Thonburi 2 in Bangkok’s Bang Khun Thian district for allegedly selling dried cannabis online.
The four are Itthiphan (last name withheld), aged 27, Kawinthin, 26, Thossaporn, 27, and Natthanan, 22.
Officers reportedly found in the building nearly 20 kilograms of dried cannabis in 25 postal packages, ready to ship to customers.
“The suspects have been [allegedly] selling dried cannabis via Line and Facebook and have been using private logistics services to make deliveries to their customers,” said Pol Colonel Piyarat Supharat, Unit 191 commander.
“An initial investigation revealed that from December last year to February they shipped cannabis to 408 customers, 110 of whom are in Bangkok and the rest in other provinces,” Piyarat said.
The suspects were charged with possessing and allegedly selling a narcotics substance. They were taken to the Narcotics Suppression Bureau for further questioning and investigation to find the source of the drug.
The Criminal Court on Wednesday denied bail for Bottom Blues singer Chaiamorn “Ammy” Kaewwiboonpan after he was arrested at Ratchathani Hospital in Ayutthaya province on Tuesday for alleged arson and violation of the Criminal Code Section 112 (lese majeste) and the Computer Crime Act.
Police arrested Chaiamorn as they believed he was one of the three suspects who set fire to pictures of the royal family in front of Khlong Prem Central Prison in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district on the night of February 28 before fleeing the scene in a car.
Chaiamorn’s mother had proposed bail of Bt90,000, but the court denied it, reasoning that the suspect has a high tendency to escape. The court, however, allowed Chaiamorn to stay for 12 days at the Police General Hospital in Bangkok’s Pathumwan district under police custody to treat wounds which he reportedly sustained from a high fall.
Chaiamorn’s mother reportedly said she would propose collateral of Bt500,000 on Thursday in another attempt to bail him out.
Investigation officers said that on Thursday they would consult the doctor responsible for Chaiamorn’s treatment to see if he could be discharged and transported to Bangkok Remand Prison, provided that the court again denies bail following a second plea today.
The high-pressure system covering the upper Northeast is weakening, while southerly and southeasterly winds are blowing humidity from the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea to upper Thailand. This will result in isolated thundershowers in the North, the upper Northeast and the Central region, the Meteorological Department forecast on Thursday.
It advised people to beware of the severe conditions by keeping away from unsecured buildings and outdoor places, while farmers should take action to prevent crop damage.
Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Hot weather with haze during the day, isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 16-25 degrees and highs of 32-36 degrees Celsius.
Northeast: Isolated thundershowers in 20 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees and highs of 30-35 degrees Celsius.
Central: Isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 33-34 degrees Celsius.
East: Isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 31-35 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres offshore.
South (east coast): Isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 31-34 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 21-26 degrees, highs of 33-36 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and over 1 metre offshore.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius.
Before and after: Funny temple statues get hilarious TAT makeover
NationalMar 04. 2021“Singha Mom” is a lion-dragon inspired by statues at Khon Kaen’s Wat Chetiyaphum.
By THE NATIONNation Thailand decided to compare the real-life and cartoon versions of characters in the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s “Himmapan Project” – with hilarious results.The TAT’s latest campaign to boost domestic travel feature cute cartoon characters based on crudely-fashioned statues seen at temples all around the country.This is not the first time that the homely temple decorations have made the news.In late December, the roughly-made statues became social media sensations for their simplicity and ridiculousness, though some netizens wondered if they were the result of corrupt renovation projects.The statues are based on mythical creatures from the Buddhist/Hindu legend of Himmapan, the forest that surrounds the base of Mount Meru.In December they inspired numerous Facebook fan-art portraits that celebrated the naïve cuteness of the stone creatures.The TAT followed up with its own campaign, which is designed to give both children and adults a fun introduction to local spiritual landmarks around the country.Here’s a comparison between the real statues and the cute characters inspired by them:
Airlines have been quick to launch promotions after Thailand began its Covid-19 vaccination programme on Monday (March 1).
AirAsia saw all 80,000 of its FlyRuaRua travel passes snapped up within 48 hours of the vaccination launch.
Demand for the Bt3,569 passes, which allow unlimited travel on domestic routes from April 1 to December 16, was beyond expectation, said AirAsia Thailand CEO Santisuk Klongchaiya.
“We are very pleased to be able to support domestic tourism and at the same time help stimulate spending, now that many provinces have relaxed their Covid-19 protocols and everyone is eager to travel again with the planned vaccine rollout in Thailand and the region,” he said.
He urged pass holders to plan their travel early and try out all 24 AirAsia destinations across the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Thai Vietjet launched a promotion with special fares from just Bt5 (not inclusive of taxes, surcharges, and add-ons) on Wednesday.
The “3.3 Super Sale” runs until Sunday (March 7) and covers flights from March 8-October 31 (exclusive of public holidays) on Thai Vietjet’s entire domestic network (SkyFUN.vietjetair.com).
Thai Vietjet has increased flight frequency in response to rising demand after the government relaxed travel restrictions in each province. The airline has also introduced “Trip Easy Plus” travel insurance with Covid-19 coverage starting from Bt180 (https://skyfun.vietjetair.com/insurance).
An SUV smashed into the steps of a bridge in Bangkok’s Bang Khunthien district on Tuesday, leaving pedestrians stranded on both sides of the eight-lane Rama II Road.
The impact demolished the base of the steps in the Samae Dam area, making them unsafe to use.
The bridge is the only way for local pedestrians to cross Rama II Road. The next bridge is about three kilometres away.
A local vendor said commuters used the bridge during the morning and evening, with students and factory workers mostly.
Thonburi Highway officials who inspected the bridge on Wednesday said repair work would begin on Thursday.
B Grimm Power Plc (BGRIM), Thailand’s leading industrial power producer, posted a 21 per cent increase in net operating profit in 2020 in spite of the adverse impact from the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy at large.
Harald Link, chairman and president of BGRIM, said the Bt2.617 billion in earnings attributable to its parent company was largely due to the increase in generating capacity and power sales to industries in Thailand. BGRIM last year added 162MW in capacity which ramped up its output by 6 per cent to 14,451 gigawatt-hours.
Power demand of BGRIM’s industrial clientele in the Kingdom rebounded strongly between September 2020 and January 2021 over the same period of the previous year, he said.
The company has seen continued broadening of its customer base after new industrial clients with a total requirement of 15MW were connected to BGRIM’s supply system in 2020.
This year, BGRIM expects more than 40MW in additional industrial demand to further consolidate the company’s customer base.
Link noted that the recognition of full-year performance of large-scale solar power farms in Vietnam and the decline in natural gas prices contributed to BGRIM’s robust results in 2020.
Last year saw the price of natural gas, the primary fuel of BGRIM’s power plants, drop by 10.4 per cent year-on-year to Bt244 per million BTU (British Thermal Unit).
PTT Plc, Thailand’s major supplier of natural gas, expects natural gas price to fall to an average of Bt225 baht/per million BTU in 2021.
Link said that in addition to the goal of expanding power purchase agreements (PPA) capacity to 7,200MW by 2025 from 3,058MW currently, BGRIM has advanced its achievements under the philosophy of “Doing Business with Compassion”.
The philosophy, practised for over 143 years by B Grimm Group, emphasises cooperation with partners in all business groups. Such a spirit extends to collaboration with companies under the group which have engaged in various businesses ranging from industries, healthcare to real estate and digital. The cooperation has been forged with partners both at home and abroad.
Testifying to this direction is an array of partnership accords struck over the past six months.
These include a partnership with Univentures Plc (UV) which engages in real estate investment and development business with various products and services; and the alliance with the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) and subsidiary PEA ENCOM International (PEA ENCOM) to pursue business opportunities for independent power supply (IPS) projects, micro grid systems, and smart micro grid system, among others.
On December 15, 2020, BGRIM made a history by starting up its large-scale solar farm in Cambodia on schedule despite the impact of Covid-19 and floods in Cambodia.
This is the first Thai power plant project to operate under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) entered with the Electricite Du Cambodge (EDC) for a period of 20 years and is guaranteed by the government of Cambodia.
Link said the conclusion of the syndicated green loan for the Phu Yen TTP solar farm project in Vietnam is another proud achievement of BGRIM last year.
This represents the first green credit in Thailand and the CLMV region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) certified by the Climate Bonds Initiative, part of an independent global environmental movement.
BGRIM was recognised for its sustainable development with five awards from four organisations in December last year, underscoring the company’s dedication. These include:
* An “excellent” (5-star) rating from the corporate good governance survey of listed companies conducted by Thai Institute of Directors Association.
* Being ranked in the Thaipat Institute’s ESG100 List for the third consecutive year in 2020 plus winning the Sustainability Disclosure Award 2020.
* Being selected for the Sustainable Stock List (THSI) by the Stock Exchange of Thailand for the third consecutive year.
* Being scored 100 out of 100 by the Thai Investors Association for the quality of holding its annual general meeting of shareholders in 2020.
BGRIM’s power projects under development have progressed with the Bo Thong Wind Farms 1 & 2 with a combined installed capacity of 16 MW in Mukdahan province being completed by 80.8% and are on schedule for starting commercial operation in the first half of 2021. Meanwhile, works on BGRIM’s nine SPPs construction have recorded 9-32% in progress, with part of them are set to begin commercial run in the second half of 2022.
BGRIM is to pay a dividend of 0.30 baht per share for the second half of last year, after offering an interim dividend of 0.15 baht per share, thus maintaining a full-year dividend payout at 45 per cent of net operating profit.
The closing date for dividend eligibility is March 10, 2021, with the dividend payment to be made on May 11.
Marriott International’s (NASDAQ: MAR) board of directors announced today that Anthony “Tony” Capuano has been appointed chief executive officer and has joined the company’s board of directors, effective immediately.
He was previously group president, Global Development, Design and Operations Services. The board of directors also announced that Stephanie Linnartz, previously group president, Consumer Operations, Technology and Emerging Businesses, has been appointed president, effective immediately.
The appointments of Capuano and Linnartz follow the unexpected passing of Marriott president and CEO Arne Sorenson on February 15, 2021.
“Tony has played a critical role in Marriott’s growth over the last decade,” said JW “Bill” Marriott, Jr, executive chairman and chairman of the board, Marriott International. “He will be a terrific leader as we continue to advance our growth strategy while also navigating the market dynamics of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tony has a deep appreciation for Marriott’s thousands of associates who ultimately deliver on our customer and brand promise and I know he will be a superb steward of our culture. Together with Stephanie in the role of President, and the rest of our exceptional leadership team, Marriott could not be in better hands,” Marriott said.
Before this appointment, Capuano, 55, was group president, Global Development, Design and Operations Services. In this role, he was responsible for leading global development and design efforts and overseeing the company’s global operations discipline.
During Capuano’s tenure leading global development, the company grew its footprint from just over 3,200 properties in early 2009 to over 7,600 properties by year-end 2020.
In addition, Capuano has overseen the tremendous growth and globalisation of Marriott’s development pipeline to 498,000 rooms as of December 31, 2020, with more than half of the pipeline representing projects outside of the US.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Capuano has led Marriott’s work on its Commitment to Clean initiative, which was designed to enhance Marriott’s already substantial cleaning protocols to provide additional peace of mind for travellers.
Capuano began his Marriott career in 1995 as part of the Market Planning and Feasibility team. Between 1997 and 2005, he led Marriott’s full-service development efforts in the western US and Canada.
From 2005 to 2008, Capuano served as senior vice president of full-service development for North America. In 2008, his responsibilities expanded to include all of US and Canada and the Caribbean and Latin America, and he became executive vice president and global chief development officer in 2009.
Capuano began his professional career in Laventhol and Horwath’s Boston-based Leisure Time Advisory Group. He then joined Kenneth Leventhal and Company’s hospitality consulting group in Los Angeles. Capuano earned his bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.
He is an active member of the Cornell Hotel Society and a member of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration Dean’s Advisory Board.
Capuano is also a member of the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s Industry Real Estate Financial Advisory Council.
Stephanie Linnartz
Stephanie Linnartz Takes on President Role
As president, Linnartz will be responsible for developing and executing all aspects of the company’s global consumer strategy, including brand, marketing, sales, revenue management, customer engagement, digital, information technology, emerging businesses and loyalty strategies.
In addition, Linnartz will oversee Marriott’s global development organisation, which is responsible for the strategic growth of the company’s 30 lodging brands, as well as the global design and operations services functions.
Linnartz will also spearhead the company’s progress on issues including the intersection of technology and hospitality, the continued growth of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty platform, the excellence of our brand portfolio, and environmental sustainability.
“Stephanie has a leadership track record and clear vision for how our core lodging business, travel platform initiatives and loyalty strategies can work together to accelerate growth,” said Marriott.
“Her deep experience across our business will enable her to work seamlessly with our owners and franchisees, innovate for our guests and customers, and champion new opportunities for our associates. Tony and Stephanie are exactly the CEO and president we need as we continue to push forward towards recovery and growth in the years ahead.”
Prior to this appointment, Linnartz, 52, was group president, Consumer Operations, Technology and Emerging Businesses, where she was responsible for brand, marketing, sales, revenue management, customer engagement, digital, information technology, emerging businesses and loyalty strategies.
Linnartz played a pivotal role during Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, overseeing the integration of business-critical systems including reservations, property management, revenue management and loyalty. In 2019, under her leadership, the company combined the Marriott and Starwood loyalty programmes to create the world’s largest hospitality loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, which currently has more than 147 million global members.
Linnartz, who began her Marriott career in 1997, served as global chief commercial officer from 2013 to 2019; global officer, Sales and Revenue Management from 2009 to 2013; senior vice president, Global Sales from 2008 to 2009; senior vice president, Sales and Marketing Planning and Support from 2005 to 2008; and prior to that, various roles in Marriott’s Finance and Business Development Department.
She currently serves on the board of directors of The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from the College of the Holy Cross, where she is a member of the Board of Trustees, and earned her Master of Business Administration from the College of William and Mary.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday revealed details of a doctor who suffered an adverse reaction after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine.
The female doctor, 28, works at Samut Sakhon Hospital and had a history of allergic reactions to penicillin. She was vaccinated with the Sinovac jab on Tuesday and then suffered nausea, dizziness and vomiting.
Anutin said vaccine experts are checking whether the symptoms were linked with the Covid-19 vaccine, but emphasised monitoring and the health records system were key to the vaccination programme.
More details about the case were offered by Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Disease Control Department. He said that the doctor looked fine immediately after being vaccinated. However, after 4-5 hours she started vomiting and was taken to hospital suffering from a serious allergic reaction and low blood pressure. Her condition improved after she was injected with adrenaline.
Health authorities reported on Wednesday that 7,262 people had been vaccinated in 13 prioritised provinces. Of these, 20 had suffered undesirable reactions – mostly fatigue, followed by muscle ache and nausea.
After providing route maps at bus stops in Bangkok to aid confused passengers, transport group Mayday and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have joined hands to find a new bus shelter design.
The “New Generation Bangkok Bus Stop” competition launched in November last year. Members of the public were invited to submit their designs under two competition categories – student and general. The bus shelter designs were then displayed at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre from February 2-14. Now, the public can vote for their favourite designs at the Mayday website, https://mayday.city/final-gallery/, until March 10.
The winner will be announced on the website on March 13.
Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan (File Photo)
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Anthony Capuano
