Limited rides to Lopburi offered on Japan’s Kiha 183 trains
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is offering one-day trips from Bangkok to Lopburi in the Northeast on the refurbished Kiha 183 diesel-powered trains from Japan.
The trips, available on February 11, 12, 18 and 19, will cost 599 baht and only 200 seats will be available each day.
The train leaves Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Railway Station at 12.15pm and arrives in the historic city of Lopburi at 2.45pm. The return trip starts at 8.30pm and ends in Bangkok at 11.05pm.
The trip includes a sightseeing tour of the historical area of Lopburi, which dates back over 3,500 years ago, as well as cultural performances and light-and-sound shows.
Seventeen second-hand passenger train carriages from Japan’s Hokkaido Railway Company arrived at Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi last December, with SRT covering the shipment cost of 42.5 million baht.
The trains have been refurbished at SRT’s maintenance and repair centre in Bangkok’s Makkasan area.
Carriages of the Kiha 183 series were manufactured between 1981 and 1982 and decommissioned in 2017. They had been used as limited express trains in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost prefecture.
With a maximum speed of 110kph, the trains were developed specially to withstand the harsh, snowy winters in northern Japan. The driver’s cab of Kiha 183 is elevated for better visibility during snowfall. Its locomotive features a “slant nose” designed to keep snow out of the front of the train while on the move.
Host Cambodia has dropped Muay Thai from disciplines for the 2023 SEA Games, and replaced it with its own version, Kun Khmer. This led to protests by Thailand that the host country had simply changed the name of the sport from Muay Thai to Kun Khmer.
Cambodia, however, argues that Kun Khmer is an ancient martial art, from which Muay Thai was born.
Thailand decided to boycott the Kun Khmer competition on grounds that the Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) has announced that boxing martial arts that involve the use of fists, knees and elbows must be called “muay” only.
What are the differences between Muay Thai and Kun Khmer?
The origin
Muay in Thai means boxing.
Muay Thai has existed since the ancient days but there are no official records of when the martial art came into existence.
Kun Khmer in Khmer means a traditional martial art of the ancient Khmer people. Sometimes, it is called Pradal Serey.
It is believed that Kun Khmer originated from the Khmer Empire period in 802AD. There is no evidence on whether Kun Khmer developed from the local people’s culture or from India.
Experts believe Muay and Kun Khmer share the same cultural origin before they diverged into Thai and Cambodian martial arts.
The modern era
Muay Thai
In 1913, international boxing was taught at the Suan Kularb College.
This led to the coining of Muay Thai to differentiate the local martial art from international boxing.
In 1921, Muay Thai became a profession with a dedicated permanent stadium in Thailand for the first time. The stadium was used for both Muay Thai and international boxing. Referees were used for the first time and Muay Thai fighters had to wear gloves for the first time.
Kun Khmer During the colonial era (1863–1953), the French saw Kun Khmer as a cruel, so they improvised it into a sport by dividing the competition into rounds and requiring fighters to fight on stage with gloves.
Style Although the two martial arts are similar, IFMA general secretary Stephan Fox said “Kun Khmer is not Muay Thai, like judo is not karate.”
Traditional dance before boxing Muay Thai dances or wai kru that precede boxing originated from the Sukhothai period. There are many postures of the dance.
Kun Khmer dance is called kun kru or thvayobangkoum krou. There are 17 postures and most originate from the Ramayana epic.
Music Muay Thai’s traditional music is performed by a Java wind pipe, two drums and tiny cymbals.
Kun Khmer calls its traditional music vung phleng pradall or vung phleng klang khek.
The music is performed by a sralai or a pipe, two sampho drungs and tiny cymbals.
Muay Thai and Kun Khmer music sound similar.
Fighting rules Muay Thai and Kun Khmer have similar fighting rules.
Participation in SEA Games Muay Thai has been held in the SEA Games for five times — in 2007, 2009, 2013, 2019 and 2022.
Kun Khmer is being held in 2023.
In 1995, Cambodia had suggested that Muay Thai, be referred to as “Sovannaphum boxing” or “SEA Boxing”, which represented Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Sovannaphum means “golden land” in Khmer and is written as Suwannabhumi in Thai.
However, other nations especially Thailand, were not keen on this change, arguing that Thailand was responsible for making its boxing style an international sport.
Thais warned of tsunami of fake news as election approaches
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023
Farida Waller
Preventing online manipulation and the tsunami of fake news in the run-up to an election is urgent and necessary to protect democracy and peace, speakers at a conference on Friday agreed.
“Disinformation is one of the biggest challenges in democracy. It is a right-now problem, and we need to reform the media system to defend democracy,” said political scientist Cleve Arguelles.
Disinformation manipulates public opinion especially during elections, said Arguelles, who lectures at De La Salle University Manila.
He called for a systematic strategy to make society resilient to misinformation.
Fellow academic Yvonne Chua agreed, saying: “We can’t dismantle [misinformation] overnight, but it’s important not to give up.”
Chua, an assistant professor of journalism at the University of the Philippines, said it is up to citizens to ask themselves what they can do “to face the enemy of misinformation”.
The conference’s goal was to inform Thai citizens about the impact online manipulation had on the last election in the Philippines, which researchers say was swayed by social media accounts, many of which were fake.
It was organised by CoFact, The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, ChangeFusion, and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.
“Manipulation systematically deploys a strategy, and for a large portion [of the population] it has become acceptable,” said Moritz Kleine-Brockhoff, head of The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Southeast and East Asia.
Kleine-Brockhoff said the multitude of communication channels that exist now, and the tsunami of fake news, make it more difficult to decide what to believe.
CoFact co-founder Supinya Klangnarong urged everyone to investigate and verify information.
Chua noted that extensive studies globally found that 70% of people are aware that they are being exposed to misinformation. The number rises to 90% in the Philippines and the most common fake news there is political, she said.
She and Arguelles agreed that education is vital to prevent people from falling victim to disinformation. Social media and video-based platforms like TikTok make it harder to fact-check information, they added.
Chua co-created the first fact-checking project in the Philippines (Tsek.ph). It has weekly fake news updates and quizzes for the public.
Jason Gonzales, director of the Liberal Party of the Philippines, said Facebook remains the main platform for misinformation. It generated 67 million interactions during last year’s elections in the Philippines, Gonzales said.
“Visual formats are the hardest to track down,” he added.
Stithorn Thananithichot, director of the Office of Innovation for Democracy at King Prajadhipok’s Institute, said: “It is our duty to take precautions and alert others [to disinformation].”
Michael Vatikiotis, senior advisor at The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue explained the need for context and education to facilitate dialogue. “More active teaching of the recent past to the public, young voters, and younger politicians is needed,” he said.
Narrative is more important than facts because it conveys context and meaning, several speakers agreed. “If people have a story and narrative, they can make their minds up,” Vatikiotis said.
Janjira Sombatpoonsiri, who leads Thailand’s Monitoring Centre on Organised Violence Events, cast some doubt on the conference’s validity, saying: “It is near impossible to compare Thailand to the Philippines.”
However, she added, information warfare is common during elections and it targets specific groups.
“Peace needs to be the campaign that everyone respects,” Janjira said.
Every Thai party has financiers with shady businesses: ex-EC member
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023
Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said on Saturday that it was “natural” for Thai political parties to be financed by owners of “shady” businesses.
He said many of these people became election candidates of parties to which they made donations, mostly contesting for party-list MP seats.
Somchai, now a key member of the opposition Seree Ruam Thai Party, said that party-list candidates often come from three groups of people in the political party – senior party executives, technocrats and experts, and financiers.
“If these financiers donate a lot of money, they have a good chance of being among the top party-list candidates. They hope to get political protection,” he said.
Somchai served as a member of the Election Commission (EC) between December 2013 and March 2018.
He also noted that the law does not clearly prohibit donations from party financiers, who may have shady businesses. Though it is against the law for political parties to accept donations from illegal sources, these people can exploit loopholes, he added.
“It is natural for every political party – not just the Democrat Party – to have financiers like this,” said Somchai, who was a member of the coalition party before branching out on his own.
On Friday, the Democrat Party insisted that its former election candidate Ekachai Khajonboonthavorn, suspected of being involved in an illegal online gambling business, has left the party.
Democrat spokesman Ramate Rattanachaweng said Ekachai contested the 2019 general election as a party-list candidate but has quit the party “for some time already”.
The spokesman also said that nothing out of the ordinary popped up when Ekachai’s background and qualifications were being checked ahead of the elections.
“There were no legal problems that would prohibit the person in question from contesting in the election. The party took the usual steps prescribed by law,” the spokesman said.
He added that the Democrat Party has a clear policy of not supporting any illegal activities like online gambling, and maintained that the party does not accept financial support from those involved in underground businesses.
Pets are like marriage, both need long-term commitment: veterinarian
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023
Nongluck Ajanapanya
If you are thinking about getting a puppy or kitten as a Valentine’s Day gift for your loved ones or even for yourself, think twice.
Dogs and cats may appear cute when they are young, but their charm may wear off as they get older, warned Nawaporn Chounpreecha, veterinarian and marketing director of Thonglor International Pet Hospital.
Besides, she said, if the pet is a gift from a boyfriend or girlfriend, it can get easily dumped if the couple splits up, adding that all animals are living beings and have feelings like humans do.
“So instead of just falling in love with their appearance, which can be short-lived, it is better to study the animal you want to adopt,” she said.
According to her, each breed and pedigree has its own distinct personality. Some dogs and cats may be fierce, some can be very sensitive, while others may fall ill easily. These characteristics can pose problems for owners in the long term if they don’t first understand and seek advice on how best to handle them.
Not understanding or being prepared for the pet can result in the owner dumping them by the roadside or temples, she said.
Nawaporn Chounpreecha
Nawaporn was speaking in response to a survey conducted by the College Management Mahidol University, which revealed that more than 49% of Thais prefer pets to having children, while others said they want a companion to get over their loneliness.
However, the veterinarian pointed out that getting a pet is like getting married – it needs a long-term commitment of more than 10 years at least.
“You must be responsible not just for your pet, but also the community you are bringing the pet into,” she said, adding that the number of Thais raising dogs and cats has grown dramatically in recent years.
Boonpaween Boonmechote, who owns five dogs and two cats, said that apart from giving them love and care, he has to budget every month for their food, vitamins, care products and medical check-ups – which he admits can add up to quite a lot. However, he said, he is willing to pay because they are all part of his family.
“My fatigue vanishes when I return home from work and they are there to greet me,” he said.
Unfortunately, not all Thais share his sentiments. According to the Department of Livestock Development, Thailand will have approximately 1.92 million stray dogs and cats by 2027, with the potential of this rising to 5 million over the next 20 years.
Most of the strays are expected to be in Bangkok, posing a significant problem in terms of hygiene, disease and financial burden on the government.
The most common reasons for cats and dogs being abandoned is the heavy cost of raising them and some owners’ inability to cope with some of their behaviours. Many pets are also abandoned when they get ill or old.
Though the government has been trying to implement a registration system for pet owners since 2018, the rate of pets being abandoned is still alarmingly high.
Experts warn that Thailand needs stricter pet ownership laws, as well as a more defined system of dealing with abandoned animals as Thailand’s pet market grows.
According to the Commerce Ministry’s Department of Business Development, the Thai pet market will grow at an average annual rate of 8.4% to 66.75 billion baht by 2026.
Having pets as a companion should not cause social issues if people think carefully before becoming pet owners, Nawaporn said.
Thai sniffer dogs become stars of earthquake rescue efforts
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023
Thailand’s search and rescue team searching for survivors of Monday’s devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria has drawn applause on social media for its 43 people – and two canines.
The female Golden Retrievers in the team from Urban Search and Rescue Thailand have become social media stars in Thailand because many Thais were unaware of the vital role sniffer dogs play in search and rescue missions.
Photos of seven-year-old Sierra and six-year-old Sahara have been shared widely on social media, along with an outpouring of concern for those affected by the catastrophe.
The team left Thailand on Thursday and started work on Saturday in Hatay, a southern Turkish province on the Mediterranean coast that borders Syria.
The temperature dropped to 2 degrees Celsius at their base. Both canines were put in sleeping bags to keep them warm while waiting to start their work.
Sierra and Sahara, from the Environmental and Social Foundation, had passed training certified by the International Rescue Dog Organisation.
Their main task is to search for earthquake victims in the rubble and signal to their handlers if they find someone. The canines’ handlers are their unnamed owners.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in southern Turkey and northern Syria, leaving about 24,000 people dead and affecting millions more in both countries.
As of Saturday afternoon, the number of dead reached 24,000 – 20,665 in Turkey and more than 3,500 in Syria.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, acting on behalf of the Thai government, donated 5 million baht (about US$149,000) to the relief effort through the Turkish Embassy in Thailand.
The Thai Red Cross Society also donated 2 million baht (about $60,000) to the Red Crescent societies of Turkey and Syria, and is urging members of the public to make personal donations.
Police seek to extend detention of 5 suspects in programmer’s assault, hunt for 2 more
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023
Police sought court permission on Saturday for further detention of five people accused of assaulting and robbing a programmer of an online gambling platform.
Investigators from Bangkok’s Chokchai Police Station asked the Criminal Court for the detention of the accused for another 12 days pending the completion of an investigation.
Police opposed a bail request by the accused on grounds that the offences carry heavy penalties and they could escape during temporary release. Police also argued that the accused could interfere with evidence and witnesses.
On February 6, the programmer filed a police complaint, saying he was assaulted, extorted, detained and robbed by the five suspects last month after they suspected him of skimming money from the illegal gambling website’s revenue.
The programmer, who was not identified by police, also claimed that a senior police officer holding the rank of major-general who allegedly owns this gambling website had ordered the assault.
The complainant told police that he had worked as a programmer for the online gambling platform for over five years and was responsible for providing advice to customers about money deposits and withdrawals.
His alleged assailants, who acted as administrators of the website, later suspected him of hiding some money for himself. They told him to meet them at a coffee shop in Chonburi on January 12 and began attacking him when he denied any knowledge of the missing money.
They then took his phone and tablet computer before transferring 25,000 baht from his bank account through a mobile application. They later took the programmer to his home in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao area and helped themselves to some of his belongings.
The five accused – three men and two women – were identified as Patchawan Pumriab, Montri Kasa, Chaichana Chuayboonnak, Ramita Sudjit, and Thanet Lekbanjong. They were arrested on Friday.
Police are still hunting for two other men allegedly involved in the incident but still at large. They were identified as Krissada Jamjamras and Suthat Pimsen.
Leatherback hatchlings emerge from ‘turtle beach’ this morning
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023
About 80 leatherback hatchlings emerged from their nest on a beach in Phang-nga province and raced into the Andaman Sea before dawn this morning.
The first hatchling emerged from the nest on Bang Khwan beach in Takua Thung district at about midnight on Friday, officials from a local conservation centre said.
The first group to emerge made paths around the nest for their siblings to follow to the sea, officials from the district’s Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Centre said.
Female leatherback sea turtles began digging four nests on the beach in December last year.
The 78 that made it to the sea before dawn were from the fourth nest, which had 116 eggs,
Eight more are receiving care at the conservation centre. Five died, and 25 eggs were not fertilised, officials said.
Their mother dug the nest on Bang Khwan beach on December 17. The eggs took 56 days to hatch.
3 Thais, 1 Malaysian get death penalty for murder of businessman
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023
The Songkhla Provincial Court on Friday sentenced four of six defendants to death for the murder of a Malaysian businessman in 2015.
He was killed following a legal dispute over a debt of about 270 million baht.
Lee Ah Han, 54, had been involved in a legal dispute with another Malaysian national who reportedly owed him 35 million ringgit (about 270 million baht).
Lee was killed to wipe out the debt, police said.
On December 4, 2015, Lee and his wife were shot by a man using an automatic rifle while they were in their black Mercedes-Benz S300 on Kanchanawanit Road in Hat Yai district.
They had been trailed by three vehicles. Lee’s wife was injured but survived.
The three vehicles were driven by a group comprising one Malaysian man, four Thai men, and one Thai woman.
The arrest of one of the suspects
Three of the men, including the Malaysian national, and the woman plead innocent. All received the death penalty.
The shooter and his driver, both Thai, admitted their guilt and were sentenced to life in prison.
Thirty witnesses were questioned during the trial.
Provincial attorneys carefully reviewed the evidence and interviewed the witnesses because it was a high-profile, violent crime, said Kosolwat Inthujanyong, deputy spokesman of the Office of the Attorney General.
Kosolwat said that the pair who pleaded guilty initially said they were innocent.
After learning that their accomplices – who had hired them to murder Lee – were trying to blame the murder entirely on them they admitted their guilt, Kosolwat said.
Executions in Thailand are done by lethal injection.
Jet-ski championship will electrify Thailand’s image globally
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023
Phuket will host an international jet-ski tournament in March to showcase Thailand’s marine attractions globally and promote the use of electric engines for jet skis and boats, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn told reporters on Friday.
The WGP#1 Offshore World Championship 2023 will be held on the resort island from March 16 to 19, Phiphat said.
It will promote Thailand as a global destination for marine sports and will be broadcast on the channels of Eurosport which reach 155 million households worldwide.
“The WGP#1 Offshore World Championship 2023 will promote an eco-friendly approach for sporting events by introducing jet skis using 100% electric engines,” the minister said.
“We hope to [completely] replace fossil-fuel jet skis in the tournament with electrical ones over the next three to five years, which will serve as a model for other boats in Phuket,” he added.
The event’s opening ceremony will take place on March 16. The second day will be dedicated to showcasing Phuket’s marine attractions.
Races for the world championship title will take place on March 18 and 19 on a route two to three kilometres offshore, from Laguna Beach to Phrom Thep Cape and back. The two-lap races cover 120km.
Athletes from around the world will compete, including world champion Jean-Bruno Pastorello, said Phiphat.
The tournament is a collaboration between the Sports Authority of Thailand and Laguna Phuket Hotel Group, which will provide accommodations.
Nawaporn Chounpreecha
The arrest of one of the suspects
SootinClaimon.Com 