FDA warns consumers to avoid THANOS food supplements
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022
THANOS brand food supplements cannot be considered safe because they are being sold without authorisation, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned on Wednesday.
Consumers should not buy THANOS food supplements because they are being sold under a food registration number (24-1-09957-1-0107) that was given to another food supplement company before it was canceled on March 22, 2019, the FDA said.
The FDA has not approved THANOS products and does not know the ingredients used in them, it said. The products could contain low quality or even dangerous ingredients, the FDA added.
The agency advised consumers to check its online database to verify whether food products have been legally registered.
The database is available on the agency’s website (www.fda.moph.go.th). For more information contact the FDA’s hotline: 1556.
Cops probing yakuza links in Thailand after Japanese call centre gang busted
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022
Police are probing possible yakuza criminal operations in Thailand after charging five Japanese nationals with operating a call centre scam in Bangkok.
The five men have been charged on seven counts including imprisoning a victim, said Kannayao police chief Colonel Naren Kruengsanook.
The case has been under the media spotlight since Sunday, when police and Japanese Embassy officials raided a residence in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district.
The raid was launched after a Japanese man managed to escape from the residence and alert his embassy.
The alleged victim said he travelled to Thailand on December 8 after the gang offered him a job in Bangkok.
Police arrested Kawabata Kotaro, Hirota Junya, Naramura Kenji, Tomonari Satoshi and Suzuki Takafumi and initially charged them with imprisoning a fellow Japanese national. Six more charges followed, namely international criminal activity, human trafficking, threats, imprisonment, racketeering, confiscating a person’s documents, and failing to notify authorities about relocation of residence.
Col Naren said Kotaro, 39, has tattoos consistent with membership of a Japanese yakuza criminal network. Police are now investigating whether he is connected to other international crime activities in Thailand.
Naren said the Bang Khen gang operated by calling mostly elderly victims in Japan, pretending to be hospital staff and offering discounts for treatment in exchange for their bank account details. Then, another gang member called the victim pretending to be a bank official and asked for the account’s PIN because “banking abnormalities” had been detected.
Green-certified buildings in Bangkok command a premium of 4%-11%
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022
Occupiers in Asia are paying a rental premium of up to 28% for green-certified offices in 11 major Asia cities, according to new proprietary research from JLL (NYSE: JLL), as corporations look to meet ambitious net-zero targets.
JLL analysis shows that the range of green premiums is correlated to the uneven supply-demand gap of green certified versus non-green-certified buildings across many cities which is insufficient to meet the occupier demand for sustainable buildings.
According to analysis in JLL’s report, The Value of Sustainability: Evidence for a Green Premium in Asia, when location, building age, and amenity factors are held constant, assets with green credentials generate more occupier demand and achieve rental premiums. In Asia, green certification activity gained momentum in the last decade and 75% of the existing green-certified Grade A office stock was added post-2015 with the adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
However, demand for green-certified assets continues to outpace supply, with JLL research showing that, if possible, occupiers in the region would like to get almost half of their portfolios accredited by 2025.
“Over 70% of new leases in Bangkok’s Prime office market were signed to buildings with green credentials in the past 12 months, whilst these buildings only account for 39% of gross floor area. These buildings are achieving in the range of a 4%-11% premium, compared to non-certified buildings. It is now irrefutable that buildings that resilient and sustainable buildings in Bangkok enjoy a distinct premium, against their non-certified contemporaries,” said Jeremy O’Sullivan, Head of Research & Consulting at JLL in Thailand.
According to JLL research, 42% of Grade A office stock is green certified across 14 cities. In Hong Kong, where only 29% of Grade A office stock is green certified, JLL research found the rental premium for LEED Platinum buildings is 28%, the highest in the region. Seoul, with 37% of offices green certified, is commanding a rental premium between 7% to 22%.
Meanwhile, in Singapore, where 90% of the Grade A office stock is green certified, rental premiums stood stand between 4% and 9%, with the highest rental premium commanded by buildings certified with BCA Green Mark Gold, Gold Plus or Platinum levels. Among Indian cities, despite the high availability of green-certified Grade A office stock, the green premium is highest in Mumbai (up to 20%) and lowest in Chennai (up to 12%).
Amornrut Det-Udomsap, Head of Sustainability Services at JLLThailand, said “Retrofitting existing buildings in Bangkok to achieve green certification has become increasingly sought after by landlords, who are concerned about remaining competitive in the market that has seen increases in both supply and demand for certified buildings. The business case for retrofitting is strong, not only is it cost-effective, but it is the quickest way to accelerate decarbonization in the built environment.”
According to JLL research, organisations in the Asia Pacific are already prioritising efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (70%), smart and efficient lighting systems (66%) as well as low energy appliances (63%) as part of their retrofitting agenda – with one in two businesses planning to retrofit and refurbish their workplace by 2025.
Cops bust THB3bn online gambling network as Thais bet ‘billions’ on World Cup
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022
Cybercrime police have made five arrests and seized cash, vehicles and assets worth over 1 billion baht in raids at 13 locations to bust a gambling network operating http://www.scg9.club.
The website had about 3 billion baht in circulation, swelled by bets on the World Cup in Qatar, police said.
Gambling is illegal in Thailand outside of the government lottery and horse racing but the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates Thais will bet about 57.2 billion baht (US$1.6 billion) on the World Cup.
National Police chief General Damrongsak Kittiprapas said 13 locations in Bangkok and the northern province of Chiang Rai were raided to bust the online gambling network.
At five condominium units on Ratchadapisek Road in Bangkok, police confiscated 2.65 million baht in cash, three luxury cars, 39 luxury watches, 18 land title deeds, 25 luxury-brand bags, 65 bank passbooks, and jewellery. They also discovered three bags of ketamine, which led to the arrest of the Thai condominium owner on a drug possession charge.
At a commercial building in Soi Charan Sanitwong 68 in Bangkok’s Bang Phlat district, police confiscated 140,000 baht in cash, a BMW car, six land deeds, three luxury watches, 23 brand name bags and 46 bank passbooks.
Damrongsak said police had also detained four suspects, all Thai nationals, on arrest warrants dated December 9 for money laundering and advertising the gambling website. One male was arrested at an apartment in Bangkok’s Soi Phetkasem 48, while three suspects, two men and one woman, were arrested in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district.
Deputy national police chief General Torsak Sukvimol, who supervises the police’s anti-football-gambling taskforce, said that as well as bets on World Cup matches, the website offered gambling on slot machines, card games, and fishing games.
Torsak said that 10,644 people have been arrested on gambling charges since the taskforce was established in November to prevent betting on World Cup 2022 matches. Those caught include 90 operators and over 9,000 customers of offline gambling, and 28 operators and 743 customers of online gambling. Ten of the online gamblers arrested were underaged, he added.
US’ Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration discusses humanitarian cooperation with Foreign Affairs Ministry
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022
Thailand’s Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Sarun Charoensuwan on December 9 met with Julieta Valls Noyes, United States’ Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration. The meeting was a part of her visit to Thailand from December 7-10.
Mrs Noyes commended Thailand for its long-standing contribution in assisting and protecting a large number of displaced persons in the region, said the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Tuesday. It added that both sides exchanged information and views on the humanitarian situations and the provision of humanitarian assistance to people in need, including possibilities to cooperate in providing durable solutions for them.
On this occasion, the Thai side reaffirmed its readiness to assist and cooperate with the United States in accordance with Thailand’s national policies and laws, international humanitarian principles, and humanitarian tradition.
Gates Foundation gives AIT $8 million to set up sanitation systems in Asia
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated US$8 million (350 million baht) to the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) to set up a centre to launch sustainable sanitation systems.
In a press statement, AIT said the foundation set up by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda has funded the setting up of the Global Water & Sanitation Centre (GWSC).
AIT and the foundation’s representatives launched GWSC at the AIT campus in Pathum Thani on November 30.
GWSC’s aim is to provide safe, hygienic toilets and sustainable sanitary systems to developing economies in Asia, including Thailand.
The Gates decided to help because poor sanitary conditions lead to epidemics, which is a recurring problem in developing countries.
The foundation has been providing funds to AIT since 2012 to develop sanitary tools and innovations for developing countries and has been taking these innovations to other parts of the world, AIT said.
To further pursue the goal of sanitation, the foundation handed AIT another $8 million to set up GWSC with the goal of providing academic and technological assistance to many countries.
GWSC will help give these countries access to clean water and set up citywide inclusive sanitation systems within three years.
The Gates Foundation focuses on Asia because it is very heavily populated, and though this continent has the highest economic growth rate, most of its people still lack access to adequate sanitation.
The foundation spends about $600 million per year to promote innovations and technological developments and usage in Asia and will invest more via GWSC.
Also present at the GWSC launch ceremony were Brian Arbogast, director of the foundation’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene Division; his deputy Dr Roshan Shresthra; Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Mohammed Abdul Hye; Nepal Ambassador Ganesh Prasad Dhakal; Dhaka mayor Atiqul Islam; chair of AIT’s management committee Dr Anat Arbhabirama; AIT rector Prof Kasuo Yamamoto; and GWSC directors Prof Sangam Shrestha and Prof Dr Thammarat Kuttathep.
Bikini-wearing intruder caught on CCTV trying to break into Chiang Mai shop
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022
A man wearing a wig and a bikini was caught on CCTV trying to break into a construction material shop in Chiang Mai’s Saraphi district on Monday evening.
The unidentified shop owner showed the footage to reporters to warn other shops of burglars who wear various disguises in a bid to escape the long arm of the law.
In this case, he said, the burglar had dressed as a woman, wearing a long wig and a two-piece swimsuit.
The clip shows the scantily clad intruder climbing over a chain-link fence into the compound at the back of the shop at about 6pm Monday.
The man managed to prise open a door and windows but his entry was blocked by iron grills.
He inadvertently paraded in front of the camera for several minutes before climbing back out of the compound empty-handed.
Watch out! 3D animals jump out of Khao Yai roads in bid to protect wildlife
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022
A group of eco-tourists has joined a paint company to create 3D optical illusions on the roads in Khao Yai to prevent cars from hitting animals.
The Jud Kang Tent club launched the campaign “Kang Tent Paint Thanon” (Campers Paint the Road) on Tuesday in cooperation with TOA Paint Co Ltd with a pilot project in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Khao Yai National Park.
In the pilot phase, images of banteng and a family of elephants jump out at drivers at the entrance and exit of Sai Sorn Reservoir at the park, where animals usually venture out to get a drink of water.
The aim of the 3D optical illusion is to get drivers to slow down, Jud Kang Tent club’s president Suthas Phawilairat said.
“We hope these paintings will help save the lives of both small and large animals living in the park,” he said. “Each year, more than 10,000 wild animals, including pheasants, snakes, monkeys, deer, wild cats, bantengs, tigers and elephants have been killed by speed driving.”
The project will be extended to cover other national parks, he said.
Nanthaphol Boonleua, TOA’s marketing director, said two kinds of paint have been used in the paintings. The TOA ExtraWet is applied first to ensure maximum adherence to the road surface, while details have been painted with the TOA Roof Paint, which is 100% acrylic and UV resistant. The paint is also environmentally friendly because it contains no mercury or lead.
World Bank urges government to increase tax revenue and reduce inequality
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
The World Bank is urging the government to speed up efforts to increase tax revenue and better target spending so that it focuses on helping the most vulnerable groups to reduce inequality.
It also lowered Thailand’s growth forecast for 2023 from its June estimate of 4.3% to 3.6% now, citing declining exports as one factor.
The World Bank provided its analysis and recommendations at the launch of its “Thailand Economic Monitor (TEM) : Fiscal Policy for a Resilient and Equitable Future”.
The report describes Thailand’s economic performance over the previous six months, and provides a summary of economic and policy developments in Thailand within national, regional, and global contexts.
Fabrizio Zarcone, World Bank country manager for Thailand, said the Thai economy was showing resilience despite global headwinds, pointing to its 4.5% annualised growth in the third quarter. A resurgence of private consumption and strong inflows of tourists are driving growth, Zarcone said.
Although growth is expected to be 3.4% this year and 3.6% in 2023, Thailand faces a number of challenges, the report says.
These include geopolitical uncertainty, the possibility of prolonged high energy prices, a deeper slowdown in global economic activity, and further deterioration of Thailand’s fiscal space.
Thailand must transform its economy to sustain its growth momentum, Zarcone said.
Fabrizio Zarcone
The World Bank has identified three key areas where Thailand can build a more resilient and equitable society in the medium and long term.
First, Thailand’s policies should prioritise increasing the potential rate of growth and economic resilience by increasing public investment in areas such as innovation, skills, and digital infrastructure to improve human capital. Furthermore, Thailand must liberalise the services sector and accelerate the process of household debt reduction.
Second, the government needs to ensure adequate fiscal space to meet the additional spending needs associated with an aging society and to provide a buffer for future shocks.
Lastly, focusing on more targeted social assistance spending is a cost-effective way to mitigate the pain associated with the rising risk of a prolonged period of high energy prices and other future shocks. Thailand’s low tax revenue collection contributes to a lack of investment in pro-poor spending.
According to World Bank senior economist Nadia Belhaj Hassine Belghith, inequality is one of Thailand’s most significant long-term challenges.
Despite Thailand’s low poverty rate, income distribution is very uneven, with a large revenue gap between the rich and the poor.
Belhaj proposed raising tax revenue without burdening the poor and eliminating some generous deductions and allowances to improve tax collection while making the system more equitable.
“Stop using the current universal energy subsidy scheme because it creates an unnecessary burden for the government to bear and instead focus on groups in need,” the senior economist said.
Kiatipong Ariyapruchya, senior economist for Thailand at the World Bank, added that the current crisis serves as a catalyst for much-needed structural reforms to improve the quality and allocation of spending while also raising structurally low revenue.
“Meeting the spending need while also improving the distributional impacts of fiscal policies and undergoing fiscal consolidation necessitates more efficient and targeted spending as well as additional revenue mobilisation efforts,” he said.
Japanese restaurants see record-breaking growth in Thailand
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022
The number of Japanese restaurants in Thailand rose 21.9% in 2022 over the year before, the highest jump since the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) began keeping track in 2007, Jetro said on Wednesday.
Jetro recorded a total of 5,325 Japanese restaurants in Thailand this year, up 955 from 4,370 in 2021. It said the expansion of Japanese restaurants has been prominent in Bangkok and its surrounding provinces. However, since 2019, it has been possible to find Japanese restaurants in every province, according to Jetro.
“I’m glad that more Japanese restaurants are opening in Thailand … [they] offer a great opportunity for Japanese food lovers to taste Japan’s delicious dishes and expand the market for Japan’s food industry,” said Jun Kuroda, president of Jetro Bangkok.
“Jetro Bangkok will continue to promote Japanese cuisine among Thais and facilitate the import of high quality agricultural and food products from Japan to Thailand,” Jun added.
Jetro’s latest survey found that 1,404 new Japanese restaurants opened in Thailand this year: 448 were sushi restaurants, 263 offer Japanese cuisine, and 185 focus on ramen.
However, 105 Japanese restaurants shut down in Thailand this year, a number that is significantly lower than the tally in 2021, when the Covid-19 crisis forced 231 restaurants to close their doors, Jetro said.
In the survey’s interview section, restaurant operators said sales in 2022 have increased to about 70%-90% of pre-pandemic levels. Restaurants face other challenges, including rising costs of ingredients and labour, as well as the commission taken by food delivery services and the ongoing appeal of using these services.
Jetro said its Bangkok office launched several campaigns this year to boost sales of Japanese products and services, including the “Made in Japan: Genuine Japanese raw materials” campaign that runs from November 1 until February next year. The campaign will bring Japanese beef, pork and seafood to 236 restaurants in Thailand.
Also present at the GWSC launch ceremony were Brian Arbogast, director of the foundation’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene Division; his deputy Dr Roshan Shresthra; Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Mohammed Abdul Hye; Nepal Ambassador Ganesh Prasad Dhakal; Dhaka mayor Atiqul Islam; chair of AIT’s management committee Dr Anat Arbhabirama; AIT rector Prof Kasuo Yamamoto; and GWSC directors Prof Sangam Shrestha and Prof Dr Thammarat Kuttathep.
Fabrizio Zarcone
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