Trains added to northern, northeastern routes for New Year exodus
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2022
Six more trains will be added on the northern and northeastern routes for Bangkok residents visiting and returning from their hometowns during the New Year Holiday season, State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said on Friday.
The agency will also add cars to other trains so that they can handle more passengers, said Ekarat Sriarayanphong, its director of public relations.
With additional cars and trains, SRT will be able to handle up to 100,000 passengers per day during the holidays, Ekarat added.
The state agency will suspend two trains operating on day-trip routes and use their cars for the northern and northeastern routes for the holidays.
The six additional trains are:
Outbound on December 29
1. Train no. 955, departing Bangkok at 10.30pm and arriving in Uttaradit at 7.30am.
2. Train no. 967, departing Bangkok at 9.15pm and arriving in Udon Thani at 8.10am.
3. Train no. 977, departing Bangkok at 9.45pm and arriving in Ubon Ratchathani at 9am.
Inbound on January 2
4. Train no. 962, departing Uttaradit at 7.40pm and arriving in Bangkok at 4.10am.
5. Train no. 934, departing Ubon Ratchathani at 7.30pm and arriving in Bangkok at 6.25am.
6. Train no. 936, departing Udon Thani at 9.10pm and arriving in Bangkok at 7.30am.
Cambodia’s Phka Rumduol jasmine variety has been crowned the World’s Best Rice for the fifth time at the TRT (The Rice Trader) World Rice Conference in Phuket, Thailand on November 17.
Phka Rumduol is a type of long-grain jasmine rice and is one of the varieties exported under the “ Malys Angkor ” certification mark. The Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute says it released the variety for farmer use only in 1999, after 10 years of development and testing.
Phka Rumduol had previously won the award four times, for three consecutive years from 2012-2014, and then again in 2018 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The jasmine variety took second place three years in a row from 2015-2017.
This reputation will further help promote the quality of Cambodian rice”
The Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) has urged farmers and researchers to improve their strains after Thailand lost its crown to Cambodia in the World’s Best Rice Awards 2022.
Thailand’s Hom Mali rice, which had come top for the previous two years, fell to second. Hom Mali lost by only one point. Fragrant rice varieties from Vietnam and Laos were awarded third and fourth, respectively.
Hom Mali holds the record with seven awards.
One of the judges said the Hom Mali rice this year is not as fragrance as it used to be.”
Ambitious FTI project to use plastic for paving roads makes headway
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has completed the first phase of the pilot study into its project to use recycled plastic waste for road construction, and started the second phase, which involves practical application of the experimental results on real roads.
FTI chairman Kriengkrai Thiennukul told a press conference on Friday that this innovative road development project is one of the real examples of how Thailand is taking actual action to address the current environmental crisis.
He added that the second phase of the project, which will begin next year, will collaborate with the Department of Rural Roads to use recycled plastic on roads along a predetermined route.
This will help ensure that the country’s innovation is viable and ready for widespread adoption.
Thailand will be one of the first countries in the world to come up with such an innovative project to manage plastic waste pollution on this scale, Kriengkrai said.
The recycled plastic roads will provide Thailand with a new potential business model based on the bio-circular-green (BCG) economy, he said.
Peerapong Jitsangiam, head of the research team from Chiang Mai University’s Department of Civil Engineering, explained that the idea of using plastic as part of road construction was born after the researchers discovered some similar qualities between single-use plastic and asphalt.
He pointed out that it can be soft when heated and solidify when cooled. So, the team has spent the last 12 months attempting to quantify the appropriate amount of plastic waste to mix in the asphalt concrete mixture required to construct a road.
The researchers have moved on to the trial stage to assess the level of safety and durability of this new method of road building, constructing a road less than one kilometre long at Chiang Mai University for actual use during the pilot first phase.
Peerapong said the outcome was satisfactory. There was no microplastic leakage to harm the environment, and the road’s durability is superior to using only asphalt.
“This not only helps with reducing problems associated with plastic waste management, but also cuts the cost of road construction. Such a practice in road construction will prevent many of the environmental issues,” he said.
Veera Kwanloetchit, president of the Plastics Institute of Thailand and secretary of the PPP Plastics project, lauded the accomplishment, which is in accordance with the government’s goal of reducing 50% of plastic waste in Thailand’s ocean by 2027.
“Thailand ranks 10th in the world in terms of waste discharge into the sea. We generated approximately 2.76 million tonnes of plastic waste per year as a result of our consumption. Only 500,000 tonnes of plastic waste were recycled, with the remainder ending up in incinerators, landfills and the environment. As a result, having a green innovation method of managing plastic waste will sustain our country’s prosperity,” he said.
Nicholas Kolesch, vice president of the project at the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, which provided most of the funding for the study, expressed his delight at the successful completion of Phase 1 of this historic research project.
He noted that this would pave the way for a more sustainable path, connecting people and strengthening economies while preventing plastic waste from entering the environment.
“The fact that the results of this study will be made open source allows for a faster rate of valorisation of plastic waste globally, particularly post-consumer materials that are difficult to recycle and of low value,” Kolesch said.
The study on innovation in road development using recycled plastic waste is part of the “Recycled Plastics in Roads Study” project to construct and strengthen roads using recycled plastic waste in line with the circular economy principle to achieve sustainable development.
The aim of the project is to provide knowledge on how to take advantage of post-consumer plastics and transform them into a core material for building and strengthening asphalt roads.
In addition, it helps reduce environmental problems and waste volume by utilising hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastic waste to become value-added resources for sustainability.
The FTI’s member companies and alliances launched the recycled plastic road development project in 2021. The project is funded by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
Meanwhile, the Thai Ministry of Transport, Chiang Mai University, and PPP Plastics have collaborated to turn knowledge about using plastic waste for road paving into action and to solve environmental problems in a sustainable manner.
The project is a demonstration of what public-private collaboration can do to identify and fund practical solutions that can be applied in many countries, FTI’s chairman said.
Followers of three religions to offer special daily prayers for speedy recovery of Princess
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
The leaders of three major religions in Thailand — Buddhism, Islam and Christianity — have organised prayers at their respective places of worship for Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati to recover soon from her illness.
Supreme Patriarch Somdet Phra Ariyavangsagatayana, the leader of the Thai Buddhist clergy, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand (CBCT), and the Sheikhul Islam Office issued separate announcements on Thursday and Friday on the matter.
The Supreme Patriarch’s directive, issued on Thursday, instructed all Thai Buddhist temples in the country and overseas to hold special prayers in addition to their morning and evening chanting to bless the Princess with speedy recovery and good health.
The directive was issued through the Sangha Supreme Council, the Thai Buddhist clergy’s governing body which is chaired by the Supreme Patriarch.
On Friday, the CBCT on instructions of its chairman, Bishop Joseph Chusak Sirisut, invited Christian priests and worshippers in Thailand to attend daily prayers for the Princess.
Meanwhile, the Sheikhul Islam Office announcement on Friday called on provincial Islamic councils and mosque committees across the country to ask for God’s blessings after their regular prayers for Princess Bajrakitiyabha to recover quickly from her illness and regain good health.
The Princess, who is the daughter of His Majesty the King and HRH Princess Soamsawali, is being treated at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok.
She fainted while training her dog for a contest in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Wednesday evening, the Royal Household Bureau said on Thursday. The agency said in a statement that the Princess was given first aid for her heart-related health issue at a local hospital before being taken by helicopter to Chulalongkorn Hospital for further examination and treatment.
Panda predicts Argentina will defeat France in Sunday’s World Cup finals
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
A red panda named “Tiger” at Chiang Mai Zoo has predicted that Argentina will win against France in the upcoming World Cup final, though France will lead in the first half, according to the zoo’s chief, Wutthichai Muangmun.
This is Tiger’s second World Cup prediction. On December 8, he correctly predicted that Argentina would defeat the Netherlands.
Zoo staff turned the forecast into an event.
They set up a table displaying the flags of Argentina and France, and then placed a set of food near each flag. The dishes included bananas, apples, grapes, food supplements, quail eggs and bamboo leaves.
After Tiger arrived on the table, he nibbled apples near France’s flag before settling in for a full meal near Argentina’s, Wutthichai said.
This clearly shows that Argentina will win the final match even though France will take the lead in the first half, Wutthichai said.
Zoo staff said they held the World Cup event to promote tourism and animal welfare.
Wutthichai said Chiang Mai Zoo pays close attention to the welfare of all animals in the zoo.
He also invited tourists to visit, especially during the upcoming New Year holidays. “Many activities are awaiting tourists,” he said.
The World Cup’s final between Argentina and France is scheduled to kick off on Sunday at 10pm (Thailand time).
Persistence to strive as the most sustainable data center in Thailand, SUPERNAP (Thailand) provides a solution for corporates, hyperscale’s and government desiring to consolidate their digitalization with better, and greener, digital infrastructure.
SUPERNAP (Thailand) celebrated the official opening of their first solar panel to power the most advanced data center in Thailand, reinforcing its position as the most sustainable colocation provider in the country.
With the continuous growth of data, and to cater to the green goals of global environmental protection, minimizing environmental impact by providing maximum energy efficiency and renewable energy is an urgent priority for cutting edge data centers.
During the ceremony, Mr. Yap Jin Yi, Chief Executive Officer of the company declared: “SUPERNAP (Thailand) position has always been being the leader in the industry of the region. Powering our data center IT load with renewable energy and being the most sustainable data center is another step to reinforce our position as frontrunner in the digital infrastructure in Thailand.”
As data centers are huge consumers of power, and electricity is the main cost of their operation, adding renewable energy to an energy efficient infrastructure is the key for data center sustainability.
Mrs. Ajarin Pattanapanchai, former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and newly appointed Board of Director at WHA Industrial Development Public Company Limited declared during her congratulatory speech: “Data center are at the heart of the economy, as the digital backbone of businesses and governments, hosting data globally and making them accessible. […] SUPERNAP (Thailand) is once again a success story, pathing the way in Thailand of the global movement of industries changing from digital economies to green economies.”
SUPERNAP (Thailand) selected WHA Utilities and Power Plc. (WHAUP) to install the solar power system to provide green energy to the data center, with utmost confidence to WHAUP full turnkey approach to meet the company’s business sustainability objective.
The solar farm was built next to SUPERNAP (Thailand)’s data center premises located in the Economic Eastern Corridor (EEC), outside the Bangkok flood zone and close to international network landing station with links across the country of Thailand.
“SUPERNAP (Thailand) delivers higher service capabilities than any data center in Southeast Asia. Having SUPERNAP (Thailand) as our solar power customer reinforces WHAUP’s expertise and reputation as one of the leading service providers of solar power systems in Thailand”, said Mr. Somkiat Masunthasuwun, Chief Executive Officer at WHA Utilities and Power Plc.
Built with more than 350 patents, including energy efficiency innovative technology, such as a proprietary environmental station and software for their patented air handlers, ensure a strategic decrease of energy consumption and enable SUPERNAP (Thailand) data center with the best PUE in the nation. Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is the most significant key performance indicators to show how efficiently a data center uses energy.
Furthermore, SUPERNAP (Thailand) uses less than 0.05 L/kWh, which is less than one cup of water for every kilowatt-hour delivered to servers. According to the US Department of Energy report, Water Usage Efficiency (#WUE) of an average data center is 1.8L per 1kWh.
Providing colocation and cloud, the company meets the public and private sectors demand for sustainable digital infrastructure and consolidates their leadership and competitive advantage.
Rock by the River with Anantara During the Bangkok Riverside Fest 2023
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
A standout event on the city’s social calendar, the annual Bangkok Riverside Fest is back after a three-year hiatus to bring a vibrant mix of music, water sports and alfresco feasting to the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
Taking place over the weekend of 3-5 February 2023, the festival aims to capture the spirit of the community as well as celebrate local culture and raise charitable donations for Anantara’s elephant-related projects throughout Thailand.
The third instalment of the popular festival promises a number of new surprises alongside such crowd-pleasers as overwater fireworks, VIP champagne tents, an interactive display from Thailand Kite Association, and concerts by leading Thai artists in the Music Zone.
This year, the festival line-up features a number of top acts including mini-concerts from PiXXiE, POLYCAT, VIOLETTE WAUTIER, MEAN, LIPTA, 4EVE, patrickananda, Wanyai Feat. Mon Monik, as well as live DJ sets for dancing on the grass.
Families will find a dedicated Kids’ Fun Park with bouncy castles, kiddie paddle boats and giant bubbles, a bustling Flea Market with local vendors selling everything from handcrafted items to Thai souvenirs, and of course the Foodie Village treating the hungry crowds to festival food staples, Thai street food classics and international dishes from Thailand’s top restaurants and Bangkok’s favourite chefs. Guests can also relax with an indulgent artisan cocktail in the beer and wine gardens while taking in the water action.
During the day, the sporting events on the mighty Chao Phraya will be the main attraction with elephant boat racing teams battling it out for a chance to win luxury prizes. The competitively-minded among public will also be offered a healthy challenge by signing up for kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding contests. After dark, the action will shift to the Music Zone with performances running late into the night.
To make a weekend out of it, guests can combine their festival experience with a stay at the adjacent Anantara Riverside Bangkok.
During the festival, Anantara Riverside’s complimentary shuttle boat will be running an hourly service between the BTS station – Saphan Taksin and the resort’s jetty until late.
EGCO Group and Hitachi cooperating on development of smart industrial estate
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022
Electricity Generating Plc (EGCO Group) and Hitachi Group will jointly study technology and intelligent systems for the EGCO Rayong industrial estate, according to a memorandum of understanding between the two.
The estate in Rayong is being developed into a smart and green industrial estate for advanced industries, such as electric vehicle manufacturing, in the Eastern Economic Corridor ( EEC ).
EGCO Group together with Hitachi Asia (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and Hitachi Energy (Thailand) Limited signed MOU to carry out a project to study the development of technology and intelligent systems under the project named “Accelerated Digital Transformation: DX Study” for the “EGCO Rayong” Industrial Estate Project which seeks to jointly develop appropriate technology and smart system plan in this industrial estate, as well as apply the study results to other development projects of EGCO Group as appropriate.
This cooperation is in line with EGCO Group’s goal to develop the “EGCO Rayong” Industrial Estate Project, located in Map Ta Phut Municipality, Muang Rayong District, Rayong Province, covering an area of 621 rai, to be a smart and green industrial estate.
The Special Economic Promotional Zone which has been announced in the Royal Gazette is to support both S-Curve and New S-Curve industries. The four targeted S-Curve and New S-Curve industries which will be promoted to invest in the Special Economic Promotional Zone comprise the digital industry, next-generation automotive industry, robotic manufacturing industry, as well as aviation and logistics industries.
Thepparat Theppitak, EGCO Group’s President, said, “EGCO Group is committed to developing the “EGCO Rayong” Industrial Estate to respond to the needs of modern industries in all aspects including research & development and business promotion according to the targeted industries, such as the production of electric vehicles, modern battery production, supporting the aviation industry and data centre, etc., resulting in using expertise in the power business to support the demand for renewable energy and clean energy.”
It also places great emphasis on environmentally friendly management, caring for the community and society as well as all stakeholders according to EGCO Group’s strategic direction for driving the organization towards sustainability under the concept of Cleaner, Smarter and Stronger to Drive Sustainable Growth.
Andrew Hamilton, General Manager of Digital Transformation Consulting & Marketing Group, Hitachi Asia (Thailand) Co., Ltd., said, “Hitachi Asia and Hitachi Energy see this MOU as a great opportunity to work with EGCO Group to co-create the digital transformation roadmap for the “EGCO Rayong” Industrial Estate Project.”
The objective of the roadmap is to guide EGCO Group on its journey toward planning, designing, constructing and operating smarter and more sustainable industrial estates thus contributing to Thailand’s targeted S-curve industry’s growth in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
Worawut Waruttamapornsu, Country Managing Director, Hitachi Energy (Thailand) Limited said, “Hitachi Energy and Hitachi Asia are excited to work with EGCO Group for achieving its smart and green goals for the “EGCO Rayong” Industrial Estate Project. Hitachi affirms the knowledge and expertise of the teams for the collaboration for the roadmap based on the commitment to developing social innovation solutions for a smart, green and sustainable energy future for allCurrently, the “EGCO Rayong” Industrial Estate Project is in the process of designing details to prepare the infrastructure management system and allocation of usable space for maximum benefit.”
The construction is expected to commence in mid-2023. Meanwhile, EGCO Group is in the process of finalizing business and marketing plans, in line with the needs of the industries and to support the needs of targeted customers who expressed their willingness to invest in this industrial estate.
EctoLife : the world’s first artificial womb facility?
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
It looks like a scene from The Matrix. Rows upon rows of babies are developing in the ‘world’s first artificial womb facility,’ which can supposedly incubate up to 30,000 lab-grown children per year.
EctoLife, the ‘world’s first artificial womb facility’ is just a concept for now, which offers a way for parents to produce customised babies. The concept is the brainchild of Berlin-based Hashem Al-Ghaili, a producer, filmmaker and science communicator and molecular biologist by trade”, as per his website.
It offers parents to ‘produce’ customised babies with the help of artificial wombs. An ‘Elite Package’ would allow people to choose their baby’s level of intelligence, height, hair, eye colour, physical strength and even skin tone.
The concept of EctoLife is based on over fifty years of groundbreaking scientific research” by researchers globally, says Al-Ghaili
The facility – which would run on renewable energy -plans to house 75 labs, each equipped with up to 400 growth pods or artificial wombs. These pods are designed to provide the same environment that is present inside a mother’s womb.
Parents can keep a track of their baby’s growth and development through a screen on the pods that showcase real-time data. This data can also be monitored via an app on the phone.
On his website (https://hashem-alghaili.com) Al-Ghaili says he uses his “background in science and technology to develop brand-new concepts”. He speaks of “imagining the future,” though some online have clearly mistaken his latest film as a real-life advert.
In the video, for a fictional facility called EctoLife, we hear that artificial wombs could provide a solution for cancer patients who’ve had their uteruses removed, that they could reduce pregnancy complications, and that the pods will help countries experiencing population decline, such as Japan, Bulgaria, South Korea.
Hashem says he believes this technology is ready and that we could see such facilities in as little as 10 years.
Experts believe the technology is not that far-fetched and could become a reality in the future. Al-Ghaili believes that artificial womb facilities could become a reality in 10 years or so if ethical restrictions are removed. “Every single feature mentioned in the concept is 100 per cent science-based and has already been achieved by scientists and engineers”, he said.
He says once ethical constraints are relaxed, people can be willing to adopt the technology in the near future.
“In terms of timeframe, it really depends on the ethical guidelines. Right now, research on human embryos is not allowed beyond 14 days. After 14 days, embryos must be destroyed due to ethical concerns”, the producer said.
“If these ethical restrictions are relaxed, I give it 10 to 15 years before EctoLife becomes widely used everywhere”.
“Add to that five years of public awareness and education to help people become more receptive to the technology”, Al-Ghaili added.
The first round was held in Poland in July and the second was held in the US in October.
Athletes in each category are competing in four motos to win more points for the prizes.
Thai athletes took all top three placements in the first moto in the Pro-AM Ski Stock division. Nantawat Singurai won the gold, while twins Tanawin and Tanawid Molee took second and third, respectively.
Nantawat took first place in the second moto, while Tanawid snatched second place from his twin. Tanawin came in third.
Nantawat finished his first day with 120 points while the Molee twins took 101 points each.
The result will be decided after another two motos on Saturday.
In the Pro-AM Runabout Superstock division, only one moto was completed on Friday. Hungarian Zsolt Cseke won, while Thai Katanyu Chomim took second place and UAE racer Khalid Almazmi came in third.
Athletes will compete in the last three races on Saturday.
The competition will also be broadcast on TrueVision on Saturday and Sunday. Channel 5 will broadcast Sunday’s matches from 11am to 12pm. MCOT HD will also broadcast the event on Sunday, from 2pm to 4pm.
Kriengkrai Thiennukul
SootinClaimon.Com 