Thailand signs MoU with French rail business groups to boost personnel, technology
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
The Transport Ministry’s Rail Technology Research and Development Agency signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with leading French rail business groups at Renaissance Hotel in Bangkok on Thursday.
The groups included Egis Rail (Thailand) Co Ltd, Alstom (Thailand) Ltd, Vossloh Cogifer SA, Systra MVA (Thailand) Co Ltd and Poma Sas and the MoU signing ceremony was co-chaired by Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob and French Ambassador Thierry Mathou.
The aim of the MoU is to develop personnel in the rail sector, transfer rail technology and encourage the production of railway system parts and products in Thailand as part of the “Thai First” policy.
This cooperation also falls under the Roadmap for Thai-French Relations (2022-2024) which was co-signed by both countries’ foreign ministers in Paris in February. The objective of this was to establish a strategic partnership between Thailand and France by 2024.
Thais warned drinking alcohol to ‘keep warm’ can lead to death from cold
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
The Public Health Ministry has warned people to avoid drinking alcohol to keep warm during the cold season.
“People in the North and Northeast often have a misconception that drinking alcohol warms the body during cold season,” Dr Manus Potaporn, deputy director-general of the Department of Medical Services, said on Thursday.
“In fact, drinking alcohol causes the capillaries under the skin to expand and make the body feel hot, but the body then cools down faster, causing hypothermia which can lead to organ failure and death.”
Alcohol also depresses the central nervous system, increasing the risk of falling asleep in cold weather without sufficient clothing to keep you warm, he added.
He also noted the negative impacts of alcohol on families and communities, especially drinking and driving, which is a leading cause of road accidents.
Dr Sarayuth Boonchaipanitwattana, director of the Princess Mother National Institute on Drug Abuse Treatment, said people should take care of themselves during the cold season by wearing warm clothes, eating healthy foods especially vegetables and fruits, drinking warm water, taking exercise, and bathing in warm water to keep their body temperature up.
He also advised against drinking alcohol in groups during the current surge in Covid-19 infections.
Sarayuth said the New Year presented an opportunity to stop drinking or using drugs. He said those who wanted to quit the habits could contact the 1165 addiction hotline or visit www.pmnidat.go.th
“This Christmas is for everyone” — that’s the catchphrase for a project to help underprivileged children in Bangkok enjoy the festive season.
Language school Progressive Language Arts is partnering with Bangkok Community Help Foundation (BCHP) to provide 200 gifts and 200 food packs to children in poor communities under its Gifts for Kids scheme.
The school, based in Soi On Nut 70/1 in Prawet district, launched the Christmas project two years ago.
The scheme has expanded to a value of 80,000 baht thanks to a sponsorship deal with BCHP, which was founded by Greg Lange, owner of Sunrise Tacos and Margarita Storm restaurants, and entrepreneur Friso Poldervaart during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Greg and Friso have been a huge help in expanding Gifts for Kids and are providing all the food packs this year,” said Progressive Language Arts chief executive Sarisa Raktham.
“We have doubled the number of gifts and food packs from last year. Our long-term aim is to spread the scheme throughout Thailand and distribute hundreds of thousands of gifts.”
A young girl receives a gift from Sarisa Raktham last Christmas
Greg Lange and Friso Poldervaart
Another sponsorship has come from the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand and Zervi, an automotive firm that is providing 200 reusable face masks to go with the gifts.
Gifts and food packs will be handed out in the On Nut area on December 25 and in Klong Toey on December 26.
BCHF was launched to provide cleaning, renovation, food distribution and construction projects for the betterment of the Klong Toey slum community and others in need. It has since expanded far beyond Klong Toey and has more than 500 volunteers from all over the world.
Sarisa launched Progressive Language Arts in February 2020 with her American partner Chris Kayne, who got the idea for Gifts for Kids from his school days in the United States when he and the other students would receive Christmas presents from their local church.
“Many of the children we help have literally nothing. It’s heartwarming to see their smiles when they receive their Christmas gifts,” said Kayne, the school’s marketing officer.
“Our gifts have a scientific angle that allows children to play while learning.”
Progressive Language Arts (www.progressivelanguagearts.com) teaches conversational and business English and Thai to students ranging from preschool to executives. Most are Thai children aged 4-12. The school also has corporate customers.
Thailand commemorates International Universal Health Coverage Day 2022
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
On December 9, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai gave welcoming remarks at the International Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2022 event held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The event titled “Build the World We Want: A Healthy Future for All” aims to commemorate International Universal Health Coverage Day which falls on December 12 of each year.
The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health, and the National Health Security Office (NHSO) and attended by over 200 participants from the Diplomatic Community, relevant agencies, and civil society. The event also marked the 20th anniversary of NHSO.
Don reiterated Thailand’s unwavering commitment to ensure universal and equitable access to health services for all, as well as people’s fundamental right to health. UHC schemes must be implemented in parallel with disease prevention and health promotion. In addition, Thailand has aspired to transform Phuket and its vicinity into an international medical hub, centre of medical excellence, and research facility for academic development by 2027, he said.
Don also highlighted UHC as an effective tool for pandemic containment and the solid foundation for re-building a safer and fairer post COVID-19 world, as well as the global health security. He urged the international community to work together to keep UHC high on the international agenda, including through the development of a new ‘pandemic treaty’ under the World Health Organization, the High-Level Meeting on UHC in September 2023 and through the efforts in putting health-related Sustainable Development Goals back on track.
In his conclusion, Don insisted that UHC will truly be universal, only when it is making health not a “privilege” for some, but a “right” for everyone.
During the panel discussion on “20-year pathway of Thailand’s UHC – challenges and the way forward”, speakers which include representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, WHO Representative to Thailand, civil society and medical students’ association, shared their perspectives on how to further advance Thai UHC in the next decade, the role of the Ministry of Public Health as a smart regulator in the UHC scheme and relevant recommendations on health financing.
In this regard, they suggested that UHC could help transform “illness” into “wellness” through measures such as preventive medicine, close engagement with youth and dissemination of information on UHC through social platforms.
The event contributed to galvanizing wider support for UHC and allowed relevant stakeholders to discuss progress and challenges, as well as sharing best practices related to the implementation of UHC, while reiterating the importance of Member States to renew their political commitments at the upcoming High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on UHC in September 2023 in New York.
Bangkok soul-food icon Sky High to close after 46 years
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
Bangkokians have just six weeks to get their last taste of Sky High Restaurant, before the culinary legend disappears for good after 46 years.
The restaurant delivered the bad news to its army of loyal customers on Thursday, in a Facebook post announcing it is shutting down for good on January 31.
Sky High earned its reputation as a culinary icon with Thai soul food including rice porridge made on a charcoal brazier and spicy chicken-leg soup. After tickling tastebuds for almost half a century on Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Phra Nakhon district, the restaurant moved to The Sense shopping mall in Bangkok Noi district in 2020. Ironically, the eatery is now rooted to the ground floor though the quality of the food reportedly still soars.
The owners explained sales had fallen after Covid-19 arrived and the restaurant can no longer cover operating cost, before thanking its loyal customers for their years of patronage.
Although Covid-19 restrictions have now been lifted and the overall economy is recovering to pre-pandemic levels, not all restaurants are managing to bounce back from the crisis.
Among the obstacles to revival after Covid are rising costs for raw materials and labour, as well as the switch to food delivery services driven by the outbreak.
10% discount for long-distance bus passengers who avoid New Year holiday
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
Interprovincial bus operator Transport Company is offering a 10% discount on bus tickets for those who travel just before and after the New Year holidays, in a bid to reduce crowding over the December 30-January 3 holiday period.
Many Thais head to their hometowns to visit relatives over New Year, resulting in heavy traffic congestion and the so-called “seven dangerous days” of increased road accidents.
Passengers who book e-tickets via the app or at https://www.busticket.in.th/ for any domestic trips on December 21-27 and January 3-9 will receive 10% discount, said Transport Co’s president Sanyalux Panwattanalikit on Thursday.
“Also, holders of Transport Co membership cards will get double reward points for every booking in December,” he added.
The company is also offering free car check-ups for motorists from December 19-29 at its Rangsit service centre. The move aims to ensure that people’s vehicles are safe and roadworthy, reducing the chance of traffic accidents during New Year trips.
THB337-billion plan in the pipeline to tackle Thailand’s flooding and drought issues
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Thursday endorsed in principle a large-scale plan to tackle flooding and drought issues across the country that would require a budget of over 337 billion baht.
The massive plan for water resource management involves 63,589 projects that require total funding of 337.7 billion baht to implement in 2024.
General Prawit, acting as caretaker prime minister while PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was on an official trip to Belgium, gave his endorsement while chairing a meeting of the government subcommittees tasked with driving the water management master plan and the development of water resources.
Prawit attended the meeting through a videoconferencing system from his office at the Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation.
The plan calls for increasing the capacity of reservoirs by 1,400 million cubic metres to cover an area of 6.23 million rai (about 1 million hectares) to benefit 5.64 million households while protecting 5.37 million rai of residential and agricultural areas from severe flooding.
The plan is aimed at ensuring sufficient supplies of water for consumption and industrial production, dealing with flooding, and preserving and restoring the water resource ecosystems.
During the meeting, General Prawit instructed the Royal Irrigation Department and relevant state agencies to carefully study potential risk factors to prevent a delay in the plan’s implementation and an increase in funding needs.
The meeting also approved a project to improve the irrigation system along the lower section of the Chao Phraya River from Ayutthaya to Samut Prakan province on the eastern side, and from Ayutthaya to Samut Sakhon province on the western side. The goal is to speed up the release of water runoff into the sea to help alleviate severe inundations in flood-prone areas.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha being treated for heart-related issue: Royal Household Bureau
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022
Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati fainted on Wednesday evening while training her dog for a contest in Nakhon Ratchasima, the Royal Household Bureau said on Thursday.
The agency said in a statement that the Princess, His Majesty the King’s daughter with HRH Princess Soamsawali, obtained first aid treatment for her heart-related health issue at Pak Chong Nana Hospital in the northeastern province.
She was later taken by helicopter to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok for further examination and treatment.
According to the statement, Princess Bajrakitiyabha fainted while she was preparing to take part in the Thailand Working Dog Championship by Royal Thai Army 2022. The event is being held at the Military Dog Battalion in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district from December 10 to 19.
Their Majesties the King and Queen went to Chulalongkorn Hospital on Thursday afternoon as many well-wishers were gathering following news of the Princess’s illness.
Jirawat Prem-udomkit, one of the well-wishers, said that the Royal couple stopped to talk with them on their departure from the hospital shortly before 3pm. The man said he told the King and Queen that the well-wishers simply wanted to offer their moral support.
The Queen accepted his bouquet of flowers and told him that she would give it to Princess Bajrakitiyabha, Jirawat said.
New, expanded markets may see Thai rice exports cross 2022 target
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
Thailand will likely achieve its goal of exporting 7.5 million tonnes of rice this year, and may even go beyond the target, the Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) said.
Ronnarong Phoolpipat, the department’s director-general, said on Friday that exporters have sought to ship out up to 8.58 million tonnes of rice this year, adding that the baht’s exchange rate has made prices very competitive.
Also, he said Iraq’s import of 1.3 million tonnes of rice in the first 10 months of this year has helped rice exports grow by 500% year-on-year.
Export of rice to the US and the Philippines – both of which are Thailand’s key markets – has grown by 25% and 44% respectively.
Ronnaraong said he expects rice exports to rise further in 2023 thanks to the exchange rate and the easing of Covid-19 measures.
He also said Indonesia and Bangladesh have expressed interest in importing rice from Thailand because their harvests are not large enough to cover domestic demand.
He said DFT will meet key rice exporters next month to set an export target for 2023.
The department also plans to hold a Thailand Rice Convention next year, as well as participate in international fairs like Germany’s BioFach, UAE’s Gulfood 2023, Foodex 2023 in Japan, the China-Asean Expo 2023 and Fine Food 2023 in Australia to promote Thai rice.
Foreign investment jumps 74% to THB112 billion, with largest share from Japan
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022
Thailand saw foreign investment worth over 112 billion baht in the first 11 months this year, up 74% from the same period last year, Deputy Commerce Minister Sinit Lertkrai said on Friday.
He said the biggest investor was Japan, with 39 billion baht from 137 entities. Japan also accounted for 26% of the total 530 foreign investors registered between January and November.
China was the second-largest foreign investor at 22.6 billion baht – despite having the fewest number of investors among the top five countries/territories with 25 (5%).
Singapore ranked third with 11.9 billion baht from 85 investors, said Sinit, citing data from the Department of Business Development.
Hong Kong was fourth with 8.4 billion baht from 38 investors while the US was fifth with 3.3 billion baht from 70 investors.
Foreign investment projects in the first 11 months are expected to create 5,008 new jobs in Thailand, Sinit said.
The number of investors rose from 500 last year to 530 this year – a 6% increase.
Most of the foreign investment was in projects related to infrastructure development and supporting industries, according to the deputy commerce minister. They included subcontractors for an electricity plant for U-Tapao Airport, upgrading Map Ta Phut Industrial Port, design and development of electric vehicle charging stations, international goods distribution centres, and software and digital data services.
A young girl receives a gift from Sarisa Raktham last Christmas
Greg Lange and Friso Poldervaart
SootinClaimon.Com 