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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022879

Thai employees likely to seek new jobs if their salaries remain unchanged: survey

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Nearly 73% of job holders in Thailand said they will start looking for new openings if their salaries are not raised soon.

This was revealed in the Salary Survey 2023 released by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters on November 29. The study analysed salary trends and provided insights into Thailand’s recruitment situation in 2022 and provided predictions for 2023.

The survey, conducted in September, covered 460 respondents, 60% of whom were 40-45 in age and more than 87% held permanent jobs.

According to the report, inflationary pressure will play a key role in Thailand’s recruitment situation next year. It showed that nearly 72% of Thai professionals will seek new job opportunities if their wages are not lifted above the inflation level, while 73% of employers have said that inflation is the key factor when it comes to giving their personnel pay rises.

Meanwhile, people in several sectors have said they expect an increase in their salaries next year. For example, 94% of people in the fields of accounting and finance, 91% in procurement and supply chain and 90% in engineering and manufacturing expect a raise in 2023, the report showed.

The report also predicted that people with digital literacy have a competitive advantage when it comes to raises or recruitment. Meanwhile, workers with a “plug-and-play” skill set – skills that can be transferred when employees change their line of work – are likely to get increments of 15-30%.

Fresh talent, however, can expect their wages to be raised by 15% based on their potential, while existing employees can possibly get a 2-5% increase or 10-15% in case they are promoted.

Punyanuch Sirisawadwattana, country manager at Robert Walters Thailand, said there is a high level of competition in Thailand’s job market this year due to an imbalance in talent demand and supply.

She said that demand from 2021 and 2022 has accumulated, while the size of the talent pool has remained the same, especially since many expatriates left the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hence, she said, companies need to make appealing offers to attract talented workers.

Apart from offering better salary packages, Robert Walters also advises companies to offer flexibility and portray a clear company goal to motivate their personnel to stay on.

The survey also showed that in 2022, most people prioritised spending time with family and friends over excellent compensation and benefits of work challenges.

Conversely, in 2023, “inspiring colleagues and culture” is the issue that professionals in almost every field value the most.

Robert Walters has been surveying the hiring trend for more than 20 years, and this year’s survey is its 24th edition. It has run its recruitment business for 37 years, with its services available in 31 countries.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022874

Mysteries of Thailand’s New Year gift baskets probed by Trade Dept

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

The Internal Trade Department (DIT) is casting a suspicious eye over the New Year gift baskets being sold in supermarkets all over Thailand this month.

DIT deputy director-general Chakra Yodmani led inspections of the baskets in Bangkok malls on Wednesday.

He said DIT officials have been swooping to examine gift baskets since the beginning of December. They are checking to see whether baskets display the mandatory list of contents, size, weight, quantity, and price. The list must also appear in a font size larger than 16.

Officials are also demanding to see expiration dates on the baskets, which must last at least six months to guarantee safety and quality for purchasers.

Chakra asked buyers to report any shops that were breaking the rules via the 1569 hotline or provincial Commerce offices.

He also spoke to mall operators, who told him that spending on consumer goods has risen since Covid controls were eased and tourists returned, while manufacturers have adjusted to meet the demand.

The DIT has joined hands with malls to set up a festive promotional campaign for consumer goods.
 

Related stories

• Price controls top Thais’ New Year wishlist: Govt survey
• Free check-ups for vehicles ahead of ‘7 deadly days’ at New Year
• Chao Phraya river to light up with spectacular firework displays during new year countdown

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022872

Crypto-mining gang unplugged in operation ‘electric shock’

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

About 3,500 cryptocurrency mining devices were seized during a raid on an illegal cryptocurrency-mining gang operating in Bangkok and surroundings, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters on Wednesday.

The raid was the result of an investigation referred to as “electric shock”, which began in February last year and was conducted by a joint taskforce set up by the ministry and the Department of Special Investigations.

Somsak said the cryptocurrency- mining operation had stolen about 500 million baht worth of electricity from the national grid over two years. The mining devices had been connected directly to power supply lines outside their premises at more than 40 addresses in Bangkok and surroundings.

He said the mining devices were used in batches of about 100 at each location so that officials would not detect unusual rises in power usage. Electricity was stolen around the clock every day of the week at each location. In total, the illegal crypto-mining operation cost the government about 500 million baht worth of stolen electricity over two years, Somsak said.

The crypto-mining operation was headquartered in a building in Soi Samakkee 38 in Nonthaburi’s Muang district.

Somsak said most of the 3,500 cryptocurrency mining devices had been illegally imported from China. Combined, the devices could generate about 4.2 million baht worth of cryptocurrency per month. The crime was very lucrative because the electricity was stolen, he added.

Somsak said the devices seized in the raid were equivalent to only 1% of the total used to illegally mine cryptocurrency in Thailand.

Related Stories

Crypto domino effect pending as FTX brings down BlockFi: Thai expert

SEC warns the public of risks to investments in crypto-mining businesses

Thailand to get its first crypto mine next year

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022864

Formaldehyde found in food at 10 restaurants after 25 tonnes of meat seized

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Health officials have found formaldehyde in food at 10 restaurants in Chaiyaphum province, after 25 tonnes of meat soaked in the poisonous preservative was discovered at a food-processing plant in Chonburi province.

Inspections were launched on Monday after livestock officials checking a plant in Chonburi last week found pork, beef and offal stored in formaldehyde.

The plant is believed to have supplied fresh meat and offal to more than 60 restaurants in the eastern province.

The crackdown in Chaiyaphum discovered formaldehyde traces in samples of squid and cow offal from 10 restaurants. The samples will be sent for laboratory tests to confirm the contamination before legal action is launched, said provincial public health chief Dr Wachira Botphaiboon.

“Formaldehyde solution is banned under the Food Act of 1979. Violations are punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment, a 20,000 baht fine, or both,” Wachira warned.

He said public health officials will continue inspecting restaurants in the province, targeting at least 10 in each subdistrict to keep people safe.

Eating food contaminated with formaldehyde can result in nausea, diarrhoea, stomach ulcers, headache, chest pain and even death, said Wachira.

“If the solution touches the skin it can cause rashes or burning, so vendors of formaldehyde-spiked foods are also risking their health.”

He said customers at hotpot and barbecue restaurants should avoid fresh meat and seafood that have a vibrant colour and strong chemical smell. He advised those cooking at home to buy their ingredients from reliable sources, such as markets certified by the Department of Health, and make sure that raw meat is cooked thoroughly.

Related Stories

Over 25 tonnes of meat, formaldehyde-spiked offal seized from unlicensed factory in Chonburi

Thailand declares war on illegal pork imports amid swine fever scare

Officials seize 3,000 tonnes of chicken as crackdown on smuggling widens

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022862

BA.2.75 now responsible for 75% of new Covid-19 cases in Thailand

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 accounted for 75.9% of new cases logged in Thailand last week (November 26-December 2), according to new data released by the Department of Medical Sciences (DMS). That figure rose from 58.9% in the previous week.

BA.2.75 was found in 75.4% of new domestic infections, rising from 60.1% in the previous week, when it overtook BA.5 as the dominant subvariant, said DMS director-general Dr Supakit Sirilak.

Genome sequencing on samples from new cases in Thailand last week found that 856 were caused by the BA.2.75 strain.

The XBB strain spreading in Singapore was found in 30 samples, while the BQ.1 subvariant affecting the Americas and Europe accounted for 13 cases sampled. The DMS found only one case of XBC or Deltacron, a hybrid of Delta and Omicron found recently in the Philippines.

Supakit warned that those who had recovered from infections by previous strains could be reinfected by the newly dominant BA.2.75. However, there is no evidence it causes more severe symptoms than other strains, he added.

“People are still advised to wear face masks in public, wash their hands regularly and get a vaccine booster shot every four months to stay safe from Covid-19,” he said. “Current vaccines are still effective and can reduce the chance of infection and prevent severe symptoms.”

Related Stories

Bangkok Omicron rate rising as people ignore vaccination: lung expert

New Omicron XBB named variant of concern in Thailand

Thailand adjusts Covid-19 guidelines for possible Omicron outbreak

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022861

Google’s Year in Search reveals Thailand’s top trends in 2022

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

“State welfare card” and “Nida ‘Tangmo’ Patcharaveerapong” were the top trending internet searches this year in Thailand, according to Google’s Year in Search 2022.

Government aid and stimulus schemes were among the top searched words for the fourth year running in the annual review, which provides a snapshot of the key trends and interests over the past 12 months, based on Google searches.

Ranked first in Thailand’s top-10 searches was “State welfare card”, as people struggled with the economic impact of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis. Second was the actress Tangmo, whose death in a controversial boating accident in Bangkok on February 24 dominated the headlines for weeks.

Third place went to “Khon La Khrueng (Let’s Go Halves) Phase 5”, the government’s latest shopping subsidy scheme. “Tai Lar” (The Giver), a Thai drama series, and Indian film “Gangubai Kathiawadi” were the fourth and fifth most popular searches, respectively.

Sixth was the AI text-to-speech app “Botnoi Voice”, followed by the word game “Wordle”. Eighth and ninth places went to the Thai drama series “Duay Rak Lae Haklang” (P.S. I Hate Your) and “Khue Thoe” (Bad Romeo). Ranked 10th was “Sor Thor 02”, the government’s online platform for vocational education institutes.

Google Thailand said Thai users this year searched for ways to relax, with five in 10 trending searches involving entertainment (four dramas or films and one game). Meanwhile education-related searches such as “Botnoi Voice” and “Sor Thor 02” made the top 10, signifying people are still using the internet for learning.

Other trending searches in notable categories were as follows:

Trending news

1. Tangmo Nida
2. Mass shooting in Nongbua Lamphu
3. “Phra Bida” cult leader
4. Russia-Ukraine war
5. Nong Chompoo murder case in Mukdahan

Trending domestic destinations

1. Bangkok
2. Suphanburi
3. Hua Hin
4. Chiang Mai
5. Rayong

Trending overseas destinations

1. Singapore
2. Vietnam
3. Laos
4. Japan
5. Korea

Trending people

1. Chinese singer Jackson Wang
2. Prinn Panitchpakdi, former Democrat deputy leader
3. Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt
4. Actress Amena “Mo” Pinit
5. Actor Thanapon ‘Tle’ Nimtaisuk

The full list for Google’s Year in Search 2022 can be viewed at https://trends.google.com/trends/yis/2022/TH/.

Related Stories

Google Cloud set to launch cloud region in Thailand

‘New normal’, cryptocurrency and hardship sent Google spinning in 2021

Google Maps adds EV charging stations as searches surge in Thailand

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https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/thailand/general/40022858

“Gowajee”, a Thai Speech-Recognition AI from Chula

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

“Gowajee”, a Thai-language speech recognition AI capable of delivering speech-to-text/ text-to-speech with the accuracy of a native speaker while keeping users’ data secure.  Having been rolled out in call centres, and depression patients screening processes, Gowajee is set to be adapted to many other functions.

‘OK, Google’

We’re getting used to using our voice commands for AIs like Google or Siri to search or carry out tasks instead of typing them out.  But for Thai speakers, have you ever felt that those AI voices don’t seem to understand the Thai tone of voice that we use?  

Many times, we get a transcription that doesn’t match our words which means we need to adjust our Thai pronunciation to the AI developed by a foreign company that was aimed for multilingual adaptability, mostly standard languages like English. 

Realizing this problem, a team led by Ekapol Chuangsuwanich of the Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University has developed “Gowajee” a genuine Thai speech-recognition AI that understands and execute commands in the Thai language more naturally and accurately.  Actual usage has shown only a 9% incidence of linguistic inaccuracy compared to 15% for other language-recognition AIs.
 
The name Gowajee derives from the word ‘Go’ and ‘Wajee’ which means words.  The word is designed as a command similar to ‘OK Google’ or ‘Hey Siri’. The word Gowajee was designed in such a way as not to replicate any other word being used in the Thai language.

Thai language AI with a Thai sound database

Ekapol and his team began the task of compiling a Thai sound database from 2017 up until the present.   As he recalled, “….we applied a variety of methods and formats such as creating a website for people to log in and read a text to be stored as a sound database, getting people to engage in a conversation or actors to perform emotional speaking.  Altogether, we achieved a compilation totalling five thousand hours which made us confident that we had a big enough database to transcribe Thai accurately.”

This database was enough to enable the Gowajee team to develop an accurate Thai language recognition AI that could be adapted for use in three main features:

1. Automated Speech Recognition (ASR)
which turns speech into text. “For example, if we record a lecture, the AI will transcribe it into texts for us to read without having to transcribe it ourselves,”  Ekapol suggested.                                                                                                                        
2. Text-to-Speech (TTS)
works by transcribing a passage into spoken words in the same way that we might be familiar with the use of Google or Siri except that Gowajee will deliver more natural speech thanks to a larger Thai database. 

3. Automatic Speaker Verification (ASV) is an identity verification through sound which can be used when contacting a call centre or indicating the speaker and time frame. 

Gowajee – a perfect solution for call centres
Ever since it was developed, Gowajee has been used by various agencies, like universities, and the public and private sectors, especially at call centres, both for speech-to-text, and text-to-speech functions. Gowajee’s error is only at 9% compared to 15% by other AIs.  

“Most clients have been satisfied with Gowajee’s level of accuracy.  It is an improved version of what they have previously used and the price is also more affordable.  As for the errors, we are certain that they will decrease as the database grow.”

In search of meaning in the voice: Gowajee helps to screen patients with depression

As a result of data gathering of voices that convey various emotions, Gowajee has been able to help develop the systems used in DMIND for screening patients with depression.

“DMIND proved to be very challenging for us.  Aside from transcriptions, a model of classifying and decoding emotions from voices in at-risk groups is also needed.  Crying is usually involved which makes voices difficult to transcribe and decode, but Gowajee was able to do considerably well by determining the important keywords for decoding.”

How can Gowajee be adapted for use in other areas?

Gowajee and AI technology can be used in many other areas such as …
•    A dental assistant takes notes while the dentist is doing dental work on the patient and needs to record some notes.   
•    It can be used to detect a stroke risk in patients with slurred speech.
•    Act as a life coach by asking questions and analyzing people’s life goals from video interviews, use as part of students’ and employees’ orientation.
•    Modify and amplify sounds for the hard-of-hearing so that they can hear more clearly. 

Your data is safe with Gowajee

“Data safety” is what puts Gowajee above other speech-recognition AIs.  As Ekapol tells us “Normally other transcription programs store their data on the cloud or compile them on users’ computer.  With Gowajee, all the data is stored on the user’s database ensuring its safety.  This is useful for organizations like banks which need high data security.”

AIs are becoming increasingly clever with the enhanced linguistic abilities that are getting closer and closer to human beings which have caused many to worry about being replaced by technologies.  In terms of AIs for Thai language transcription, Ekapol only sees them as enablers that will make life easier for us in the present and the future.  

 “AIs aren’t that disrupting to our lives.  We are disrupting ourselves.  Ageing societies and a shortage of working-age labour are making it necessary for us to create technologies to substitute what we can’t find humans to do.” Ekapol also concluded by saying “I’m not expecting that my work is going to be helpful to the aged of today but I’m thinking that in the future when I reach an old age I will be making use of these technologies.”