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Jurin eases restrictions on big ships to tackle container shortage

NationalFeb 05. 2021

By The Nation

Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit has resolved to tackle the global shortage of cargo containers by easing restrictions at Laem Chabang Port in Chon Buri.

Jurin, who doubles as deputy PM, said the ministry and the Port of Authority of Thailand had agreed to requests from shipping companies to allow large cargo vessels of 18,000 TUE (400 metres-plus) to dock at the port without asking permission.

Meanwhile export permits for shippers will take just one day to process and be valid for two years.

The new measures will enable large vessels to transport Thai exports directly to target countries without transferring via Singapore or any other port, which will help reduce costs, Jurin said.

Also, products that do not need to be shipped in containers – such as fruit, coconuts, rubberwood and other agricultural produce – will be redirected to ordinary ships to save container space for exports.

The measures will be implemented from the third week of February.

Meanwhile the Port Authority will ask the Cabinet for permission to reduce fees for importing empty containers as an incentive for shippers to ease the shortage.

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Krabi’s tourism sector sees light at the end of Covid tunnel

NationalFeb 05. 2021Krabi Airport

By THE NATION

To see the disastrous impact of Covid-19 on Thailand’s tourism industry, look no further than Krabi. Tourist arrivals in the southern holiday province plummeted from an average of 6 million per year to just 1.5 million in 2020. Meanwhile tourism revenue fell from around Bt120 billion to only Bt29 billion.

Towards the end of last year it seemed the worst was over, but then came another calamity.“There was hope when we saw some tourists return to Krabi after the first outbreak of Covid-19 in Thailand. But my businesses have suffered again from this second outbreak,” local restaurant owner Amarit Siripornjutagun told The Nation last week.

Amarit SiripornjutagunThere were now 80 per cent fewer customers at his Ruen Mai restaurant, said Amarit. Before the pandemic the place was regularly packed. Nowadays, “they even have to queue for dining”, he complained.Despite the downturn in business, so far none of his staff has been laid off. However, their hours would have to be cut if the virus situation fails to improve in February, he said.

Amarit’s Ruen MaiAmarit said he wants soft loans to be made more accessible during this new outbreak, along with practical assistance from social security.Meanwhile, Krabi city mayor Keeratisak Phukaoluan is confident the crisis will be resolved soon. He said the province plans to double the number of tourist arrivals in the future.

Keeratisak PhukaoluanHe cited the ongoing expansion of Krabi airport to accommodate parking slots for 30 jetliners. This will boost Krabi’s status as a tourism hub, thanks to its own attractions as well as those in surrounding tourism provinces such as Phuket and Phang Nga. Traffic in Krabi was also less congested than in Phuket, he added. Krabi airport

In more good news for the province, Absolute Clean Energy joined hands with Krabi City Hall on January 29 to build a zero-waste incineration plant. This will burn through 200 tonnes of daily waste in municipal areas and 800,000 tonnes dumped in local landfills since 1996.The new waste-disposal facility would also help tackle the impact of increased tourist numbers in the future, Keeratisak said.ACE incerination plant

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DLT unveils new rules on power, speed of electric vehicles

NationalFeb 04. 2021

By The Nation

New Department of Land Transport (DLT) regulations governing the minimum speed and power of electric vehicles (EVs) were published in the government gazette on Thursday.

The rules apply to the engine size of electric cars, pickups, taxis, three-wheelers and motorcycles.

The first category covers inter-provincial service vehicles carrying up to seven passengers – taxis, rental cars, pickups and small four-wheel trucks.

These must have an electric motor of least 15 kilowatts (kW) and a top speed of not less than 90 kilometres per hour. They must also show a letter E for regular EVs or S for small EVs at the rear of the vehicle.

The second category covers personal vehicles carrying up to seven people – personal cars, trucks and SUVs. These must have an electric motor of at least 4kW and a top speed of at least 45kph.

For the third category, three-wheelers must have a minimum 4kW of power and a speed of at least 45kph.

Meanwhile, electric motorcycles must be at least 250 watts and be capable of 45kph. E-motorcycles for public use (taxis, etc) must not exceed 4kW.

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Celebrity DJ admits alcohol secretly brought in at his birthday party

NationalFeb 04. 2021

By The Nation

After completing his first 15 days of treatment for Covid-19, celebrity DJ Techin Ploypetch, aka “DJ Matoom”, admitted in an Instagram post that his friends had secretly brought alcohol to his birthday party. The January 9 party ended up infecting at least 26 people.

He said his friend brought the alcohol in from outside because the hotel where the party was being held refused to serve any in line with government regulations.

The DJ also apologised for his irresponsible behaviour.

Meanwhile, Techin has chosen to stay on in hospital until he has fully recovered even though doctors believe he is well enough to go home.

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Thai consumers will hold off on spending this quarter: UTCC

NationalFeb 04. 2021

By THE NATION

Thailand’s Consumer Confidence Index has dropped from 50.1 points in December to 47.8, the lowest in nine months, due to the second round of Covid-19 infections, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC)’s Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting announced on Thursday.

UTCC president Thanavat Phonvichai said consumers will spend less money until the beginning of this year’s second quarter as they wait for the crisis to ease.

However, he said, the government’s three stimulus schemes – Khon La Khrueng” (Let’s Go Halves), “Rao Chana” (We Win), and “Rao Rak Kan” (We Love Each Other) – should help generate more than Bt300 billion and create up to 900,000 jobs.

He added that the gross domestic product should grow 3.4 per cent if tourists start returning to the country in the fourth quarter.

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No celebrations to mark arrival of the Ox

NationalFeb 04. 2021

By The Nation

There will be no Chinese New Year celebrations in Bangkok’s Chinatown this year, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced on Thursday.

The festivities are being cancelled to curb the spread of Covid-19.

“As the country is suffering a Covid-19 crisis, we have decided to suspend festivities this year to protect people,” said Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang.

The Year of the Ox arrives on February 12.

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Thanathorn in court to defend his comments on govt’s Covid-19 vaccine plan

NationalFeb 04. 2021Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit

By The Nation

Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit showed up at Bangkok Criminal Court on Thursday to answer questions.

Also present were officials from the Digital Economy and Society Ministry.

The court is looking into remarks Thanathorn recently made about Thailand’s Covid-19 vaccine plans, in which he also accused the government of granting exclusive AstraZeneca vaccine production right to Siam Bioscience, which is fully owned by the Crown Property Bureau.

The Digital Economy and Society Ministry responded by seeking a court order to remove Thanathorn’s comments from all online sources, claiming it raises doubts among people.

When the court ruled on Sunday to block his statement under the Computer Crime Act, Thanathorn submitted an objection.

The court is scheduled to rule on the case on Monday.

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Police net ‘Sia Po’, 11 others linked to his gambling network

NationalFeb 04. 2021

By THE NATION

Former celebrity boxer and net idol Apirak “Sia Po” Chatanon, 28, was arrested on Thursday morning over allegations of money laundering and running the online casino, “Galaxy Online”.

Police also raided his house in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district along with seven other sites in the capital as well as neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom.

Along with Apirak, police arrested 11 other suspects, two of whom were charged with possessing illegal weapons and consuming controlled substances.

Police said six other gambling websites were found related to Apirak’s network, adding that the link will be investigated further.

Several bank accounts involving transactions worth more than Bt1 billion were also found linked to the suspects.

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Army offers military bases for Covid field hospitals

NationalFeb 04. 2021

By The Nation

The Army has made 6,000 camp beds available to help the government battle the new wave of Covid-19, Army chief Narongpan Jitkaewthae said on Thursday.

The Army had earlier provided more than 3,000 beds for field hospitals in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of Thailand’s new outbreak, he added.

Narongpan said the Public Health Ministry could now specify which military bases to use for field hospitals, including Khao Chon Kai training camp in Kanchanaburi and the Royal Thai Army Aviation Centre in Lop Buri.

“Army soldiers are ready to sacrifice their beds for people if this is not sufficient,” he said.

He added that the Army is closely monitoring Thailand’s borders in a bid to prevent immigrants from sneaking into the country, especially the western border with Myanmar.

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Uncertainty forces Myanmar corn traders to rush stocks across border

NationalFeb 04. 2021

By The Nation

Businesses in Myanmar’s Myawaddy province, which borders Tak’s Mae Sot district, rushed to have their stocks of corn shifted to Thailand.

Thailand has agreed to allow the free movement of corn for animal feed across the border from February 1 to August 31.

Farmers and small traders in Myanmar are also rushing to sell their corn harvest to large merchants over worries that export costs will rise significantly after the military seized power on Monday.