Tour of innovative public lavatories held in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
A tour of public lavatories designed by famous architects was held in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
The ward boasts public restrooms with unique designs that have been installed under The Tokyo Toilet, a project by the Nippon Foundation to change the image of public lavatories as being gloomy and filthy.
The Shibuya City Tourism Association held the tour on Nov. 10. Ten people participated in the tour, including architecture students. They visited nine places in the ward to see innovative lavatories.
One of the facilities has walls made of special glass that is transparent when the restroom is vacant but, once the door is locked, the glass becomes opaque and cannot be seen through.
At the lavatory in Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park, the participants also observed how it is cleaned.
“We use a mild chemical agent and special equipment [to clean the lavatory] to maintain both hygiene and durability,” a cleaner explained to the group.
The tour program also included a meeting with comedian Mitsuharu Sato, who uses the alias Dr Toilet for his restroom-related activities.
“It’s great that users’ attributes and traits are reflected in the design depending on the facility,” said a Chuo University junior who took part in the tour. “I’d like to be careful about using public lavatories cleanly.”
Steam locomotives from the World War II era embarked on a historic journey from Bangkok to Chachoengsao to celebrate Father’s Day on Monday.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has organised the special train ride to celebrate HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great’s birthday, which is also National Father’s Day.
Pacific steam locomotives No. 824 and No. 850, built by Japan’s Nippon Sharyo Co, are being used to tow cabins carrying passengers from Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok to Chachoengsao station on this public holiday. The ride began at 8.10am.
Passengers will be given six hours to visit attractions in Chachoengsao province, including Wat Sothon Wararam and Ban Mai OTOP market, before the trains will depart for Bangkok at 4.30pm and arrive at Hua Lamphong at 6.10pm.
Trains will also stop at Makkasan, Klongton and Hua Mark stations in Bangkok for passengers to get on and off.
Tickets are 299 baht for ordinary cabins and 799 baht for air-conditioned cabins – snacks and drinking water included for both.
If you missed the chance to reserve a ticket for the Father’s Day’s ride, there are four other holidays when SRT provides steam locomotive rides on different routes:
• March 26, SRT’s Foundation Day; Bangkok-Ayutthaya
• June 3, HM Queen Suthida’s birthday; Bangkok-Nakhon Pathom
• July 28, HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s birthday; Bangkok-Ayutthaya
• August 12, HM Queen Sirikit’s birthday and National Mother’s Day; Bangkok-Chachoengsao
• October 23, HM King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day; Bangkok-Ayutthaya
Visitors sleep in cars as ‘Switzerland of Thailand’ overflows during chilly long weekend
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Hotels overflowed and visitors slept in their cars as tourists flocked to the “Switzerland of Thailand” for the National Father’s Day long weekend on Sunday.
Pang Ung Lake in Mae Hong Son province is home to the Pang Tong Royal Development Project, which was initiated by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, whose birthday is celebrated as Father’s Day.
Tourists were reportedly forced to camp or sleep in their cars as temperatures sank to a chilly 17 degrees Celsius at Pang Ung Lake on Sunday. Hotel rooms in the area were mostly booked up.
A popular spot was the scenic Ban Ruam Thai village on Pang Ung Lake, a testament to King Bhumibol’s success in getting locals to switch from opium cultivation to growing fruits and vegetables.
Panudet Chaisakul, chairman of Mae Hong Son Tourism Business Association, said visitors were basking in cold weather and the sea of fog that blankets seven districts in the morning.
He also urged tourists to experience another famous attraction in this area – the 4,088 curves and spectacular sights on roads 1095 and 108 between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son. Visitors who conquer the so-called “Dragon Route” can also get a certificate as a souvenir, he added.
Another beacon for tourists in Mae Hong Son is the bright yellow hills of Khun Yuam district, where wild marigolds (dok bua tong) bloom at this time of year.
The district’s Thung Bua Thong Forest Park has already seen more than 80,000 visitors over the past month, said its chief Manoch Kingmuang.
PPRP woos veteran politician Mingkwan just in time for 2023 general election
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Former deputy PM Mingkwan Saengsuwan should formally join the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) next week, a high-level government source said on Monday.
The source explained that core members of the party have reportedly spoken to Mingkwan several times and both sides have decided h will join the party’s economic team.
“Mingkwan should be formally introduced as a member of its economic team next week,” the source said.
The source added that Mingkwan has been given time to make preparations for the shift before he is formally welcomed to the party by Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also PPRP leader.
Mingkwan, a former director of the Mass Communication Organisation of Thailand (MCOT), was credited for modernising Channel 9 and transforming it into Modern Nine TV. The 70-year-old veteran politician was also credited for getting MCOT privatised and turned into a listed public company.
He was also among those who unsuccessfully resisted the 2006 coup that ousted the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. He helped Thaksin declare a state of emergency in Bangkok on the phone from overseas by broadcasting it on MCOT.
The following year, Mingkwan was approached by the People’s Power Party, which wanted him to become head of the party’s economic working group.
On February 6, 2008, Mingkwan took office as deputy PM for economic affairs and commerce minister in the government of late Samak Sundaravej.
On October 2 this year, the new Rak Puen Pa Thai Party decided to change its name to Okas Thai (Thai Opportunity) and elected Mingkwan as its leader.
However, he has keep a low profile until it was reported a few weeks ago that he has joined PPRP to take charge of its economic policies ahead of the general election next year.
Mingkwan is joining the ruling party amid reports that a group of some 40 PPRP MPs might follow Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to join the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party.
Scientists call for novel approaches to tackle agricultural weeds
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
A group of leading weed scientists and researchers on Monday called for a simple but comprehensive weed management strategy to be implemented in order to sustain food security.
The suggestion came as more than 300 weed scientists and experts from 44 countries around the world gathered in Bangkok for the five-day 8th International Weed Science Congress, themed “Weed Science in a Climate of Change”.
Samunder Singh, president of International Weed Science Society (IWSS), said at the opening ceremony on Monday that the world is undergoing rapid change, with increased demand for food and agricultural goods.
He indicated that the challenges facing agriculture today are numerous, including climate and demographic changes.
“One of the most important biological factors impacted by these changes is weed. Therefore, weed scientists must devise novel approaches to managing this important agricultural pest,” Singh said.
CGIAR System Management Office’s Martin J Kropff agreed with Singh. He noted that as long as people rely on soil for cultivation, they will have to deal with weeds.
Martin J Kropff
He stated that weeds are a major issue for farmers when it comes to growing crops and increasing productivity.
As the cultivation process must be accelerated in order to produce enough food for several billion people, the world must develop innovative and simple weed management solutions, Kropff said.
Renaud Deval, head of global product biology, R&D, at Syngenta crop protection, added that new weed solutions mean you can’t rely solely on herbicides.
He explained that increasing weed resistance must be balanced with maintaining healthy ecosystems, which are heavily impacted by factors such as climate change and soil erosion.
“We must examine the weed control tool kit through the new lens. The solution must be holistic in order to safely feed the world while caring for the planet. With world-class science and innovative crop solutions, we hope to improve agriculture’s sustainability, quality, and safety,” Deval said.
In terms of herbicides, he admitted that it is impossible not to use them because weed growth and resistance are currently outpacing farmers’ ability to handle them. As a result, using a chemical is beneficial. Farmers, on the other hand, must be educated on the proper portion and method of use.
Caio Vitagliano Santi Rossi
Meanwhile, Caio Vitagliano Santi Rossi from Herbicide Resistance Action Committee pointed out that in order to promote global sustainable stewardship of weed management, a diverse strategy tailored to the context of each farmland is required.
He added that those plans must be simple and easy to implement in order for farmers to take action while also saving them time and money.
Furthermore, technologies and innovation have played a vital role in changing the nature of weed management, according to Steven A Fennimore of the University of California Davis.
He said that growing computing power at the field scale has enabled the development of weed management tools that use deep learning to distinguish between crops and weeds.
As a result, it assists farmers in eliminating weeds and increasing productivity.
The conference also discussed using genomics and agronomy methods to find heat and drought-tolerant varieties.
The 8th International Weed Science Congress is being held at the Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park in Bangkok from December 4-9. Several subjects such as weed biology, weed management, herbicide resistance and climate aspects of weed science will be presented.
The conference is held every four years for weed scientists to share their progress and bring in new solutions.
Luis Antonio de Avila, secretary of the International Weed Sciences Society and vice president of the Brazilian Weed Science Society, pointed out that the whole idea of the conference is to try to cope and fight the challenges that they have now, such as climate change, the food crisis, war, and the genetic crisis, as well as other challenges that they will face in the future.
Aside from finding new weed management solutions and reducing reliance on herbicides, De Avila anticipates that the conference will help raise awareness among governments around the world to increase investment in policies for improving weed management, new technology, and public communication. This would enable farmers to have sustainable weed management methods.
Chanya Maneechote, president of the Weed Science Society of Thailand, added that this international congress will be a great opportunity for Thailand to learn various case studies of how the world tackles weed properly, rather than simply prohibiting the use of hazardous chemicals like paraquat, as the Thai government does without any other measures to back it up.
Korat farmers get free access to police station grounds to dry their paddy
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
A police station in the Northeast province of Nakhon Ratchasima is making its compound available for farmers to dry their rice after freak rains wet their harvest.
Making the one-rai compound of the Don Saen Suk Police Station in Khon Buri available also stops farmers from laying their paddy out to dry on roads.
The paddy laid out on rural roads used to be the bane of most motorists.
Deputy inspector Pol Lieutenant Phairoj Pimmai said farmers can use the grounds on a first-come-first-served basis and don’t have to worry about their paddy being stolen.
He said the paddy takes a few days to dry out, but once it is dry farmers to demand a better price from rice mills.
Phairoj said the paddy was affected by unseasonal rain this year, though the harvest appears plentiful because the area was filled up since the start of the season.
Shopee halts direct bank transfers after customer loses about 50,000 baht
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
E-commerce platform Shopee has announced that it will stop accepting direct bank transfers on its platform after a customer complained of alleged hacking.
In a message at 11am on Monday, Shopee said it was permanently removing the option of paying via direct bank transfers from Tuesday onwards.
Shopee customers can continue making purchases and pay via e-wallet services like ShopeePay, PromptPay or other payment services, it said.
The bank transfer service requires customers to tie their bank account to their Shopee account.
On Saturday, a Facebook user going by the name Guft Sichol said her Siam Commercial Bank account tied to her Shopee account had been emptied. She said she had more than 50,000 baht, but on Saturday she found out that she only had 400 baht left.
Her statement showed that nine transfers had been made from her account to Sips Shopeepay (Thailand) Co Ltd on December 1 and 2. The total amount transferred was 49,396 and there was no sign of the money in her ShopeePay e-wallet either.
The Facebooker said she had made no purchases from Shopee on those days.
Upon calling Siam Commercial Bank, she was told that the bank could do nothing because she had given consent to direct transfers by tying her account to Shopee.
Shopee, meanwhile, had not responded to the post as of press time.
SRT leasee to sell food in express trains from Tuesday
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has selected a private firm to sell foods aboard eight express trains on four routes, starting on Tuesday, its spokesman said on Monday.
Ekkarat Sriarayanpong, director of SRT’s Public Relations Centre, said Advanced Marketing Service Co Ltd has won the bidding to lease 115 bogies of eight express trains to sell foods and drinks.
The eight express trains on four routes are:
• Northern route: Utarawithi Express (Bangkok-Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai-Bangkok)
• Southern route: Thaksinarat Express (Bangkok-Hat Yai and Hat Yai-Bangkok)
• First Northeastern route (Isaan Watana Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani and Ubon Ratchathani-Bangkok Express)
• Second Northeastern route (Isaan Mankha Bangkok-Nong Khai and Nong Khai-Bangkok) express.
The SRT had halted sale of foods and drinks onboard its trains since April 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, that the pandemic has ended, the SRT decided to resume special cafeteria bogies on its trains, Ekkarat said.
He said the SRT sold bidding documents for the leasing of 115 bogies for serving as mobile cafeteria from September 27 to October 17 and three companies had bought the documents.
He said two of the firms, Bogie FB Co Ltd and Advanced Marketing Service Co Ltd, submitted their bid envelope on November 3 and Advanced Marketing Service.
Advanced Marketing Service won the right to lease 115 bogies on eight express routes for three years, from December 6 2022 to December 5 2025, Ekkarat said.
The spokesman said the company will sell both hot and cold drinks and ready-made dishes as well as One Tambon One Product goods. Every dish on the menu will clearly state the price and the company will be required to ensure the quality of foods sold.
Next month, the SRT will also invite the private sector to bid for rights to sell foods on 10 other rapid and express trains:
– Bangkok-Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai-Bangkok express trains (No. 13 and 14)
– Bangkok-Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai-Bangkok rapid trains (No. 51 and 52)
– Bangkok-Sungai Kolok and Sungai Kolok-Bangkok express trains (No. 37 and 38)
– Bangkok-Trang and Trang-Bangkok rapid trains (No. 83 and 84)
– Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat and Nakhon Si Thammarat-Bangkok express trains (No. 85 and 86).
Ekkarat said the winner is expected to be selected by April so that the food services on these trains could be resumed as soon as possible.
Be compassionate to save this world, advise business leaders
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
The word “sustainability” can be confusing and many people don’t know how it can be applied to their lives. Yet, sometimes only one small step or gesture is required to protect our planet.
This was highlighted by Duangkamol Limpuangthip, head of SME Banking Group at the Bank of Ayudhya, who told us about an “embarrassing but enlightening” experience she had while travelling upcountry.
She checked into her hotel and upon getting to her room, she said, she could not find toothpaste in the set of complimentary toiletries. So, obviously, she called the front desk to complain.
A housekeeping staff then showed up to explain that her toothpaste was actually a tablet. This was the hotel’s small contribution to reducing plastic waste.
Another example she cited was a tiny Thai business that sells bamboo toothbrushes, which have now caught the eye of many international five-star hotels.
Duangkamol said these little gestures can mean a lot to the environment.
She was speaking at the Sustainability Forum 2023 hosted by the Nation Group’s Bangkokbiz news last month.
Duangkamol was among several local and foreign business representatives to share their thoughts on driving the Thai economy towards sustainability.
She said green products and services are becoming popular because more and more people are concerned about the environment.
She also said that the Bank of Ayudhya has come up with a funding model for green businesses and suppliers of green energy. It is also ready to support enterprises that apply the concept of a circular economy.
Varawut Silpa-archa
Start with what you are good at With climate change, sustainability has become a keyword for all sectors in recent years.
Responsibility is now more important than profitability, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said.
“The globe is like a creature. Even a one-degree change in body temperature can make a human ill. It is the same with the planet,” he said, urging everybody to act quickly before it is too late.
Varawut said everybody can do their part by starting with one small task that they are good at.
This viewpoint was echoed by TPI Polene Power, a leading energy company in Thailand.
Pakkapol Leopairut, TPI’s executive vice president, said the energy business is a leading contributor to climate change. However, he said, TPI improved its waste-management system and transitioned from fossil fuel to renewables to generate clean energy. TPI is one of the best waste-to-energy power plants in the world, he said.
Apart from providing electricity at affordable prices to households, TPI also provides a solution for eradicating waste without having a negative impact on the environment, Pakkapol said.
“We’re pretty good at getting rid of trash. We already have a waste-disposal facility, so rather than burning the trash, we have devised a method of turning it into something useful. That is where waste-to-energy plants come in,” he stated.
If you realise you are not good at something important to your business, just keep investing in it, advised Dan Pathomvanich, CEO of NR Instant Produce Plc (NRF).
NRF is a local leader in clean food technology.
He said the food industry emits as much carbon as the energy industry and as a result, it is necessary for food companies to transform their processes to reduce emissions.
“Investing in technology is one solution while changing the process of producing food in collaboration with farmers is another,” Dan said.
He also highlighted the new trillion-dollar business idea of removing carbon in food and agricultural industries.
Though companies around the world try to reduce their carbon emissions, it is nearly impossible for some manufacturers, particularly in the agriculture sector, to not generate carbon.
Hence, some developers are trying to use the carbon they emit, he explained.
“A new by-product called biocarbon has been created, which when added to the soil, helps boost its capacity to absorb water. This will ultimately increase per-rai productivity by more than 30%,” Dan said.
Supachai Cheawavanont
Work together Though it’s great that everybody does their job, it is even better when everybody does it together, said Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, president and CEO of Thai Beverage.
This comment was backed by Supachai Cheawavanont, CEO of Charoen Pokphand Group, and Auttapol Rerkpiboon, president and CEO of PTT Plc – two giant firms in the Thai food and energy industries.
The three execs spoke about their companies’ strategy to become carbon neutral and even net-zero carbon companies by 2065, five years ahead of Thailand’s own net-zero goal for 2070.
Collaborations and partnerships, be they small or large, are key to achieving this, they said.
Harald Link
Don’t forget to be kind Harald Link, chairman, CEO and owner of B.Grimm Power, said the secret to long-term success is conducting business with kindness.
“Doing business with compassion for the development of civilisation in harmony with nature is always the way forward,” said Link, who inherited his century-old family business in Thailand.
He also urged other businesses to preserve and protect what is left of this Earth, while searching for a sustainable solution.
Gita Sabharwal, the United Nations resident coordinator in Thailand, agreed. In her remarks onstage, she emphasised the importance of both the public and private sectors paying equal attention to nature and biodiversity as they do to climate change.
She encouraged all parties to consider nature-based solutions to preserve the environment.
Though it may appear difficult, it is not impossible, said Stephane Nuss, president and CEO of Schneider Electric Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.
He said digitisation in conjunction with electrification has become a role model in producing and consuming energy without emitting more carbon into the atmosphere.
Therefore, he said, there is still hope for a better future, provided everybody takes it seriously.
These commitments were made at the Nation Group’s Sustainability Forum 2023, held at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel on November 30. The aim of the event was to demonstrate the importance of taking action and adjusting to a low-carbon society.
Four alleged members of notorious call-centre gang arrested
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
A call-centre gang consisting of four members have been arrested at a condominium in Muang district of Samut Prakan province, the Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT) said on Monday.
The arrest came after victims lodged a complaint against this call-centre gang online, claiming that the gang had lured them to invest in a fake company named E-Shipping.Shop.
“Police also seized three computers, nine smartphones, five account books and 38 Subscriber Identity Module [SIM] cards as evidence,” said 5th PCT chief Pol Maj-General Teeradet Thammasutee.
He said this call-centre gang is dangerous, as all suspects used their knowledge when they were call-centre employees in neighbouring countries to operate a call-centre scam in Thailand.
Explaining their modus operandi, he said the call-centre gang would open a Facebook account using a picture of a beautiful woman as avatar to lure people to invest in their fake company.
“Victims will be lured to enter a Line group,” he explained, “After that, a fake investment expert will offer investment plans, claiming that the victims will gain high returns once they transfer cash.”
He added that victims will be left in the Line group with stand-ins pretending that they receive returns after transferring cash.
“However, victims will be unable to withdraw cash once they transfer money, while the call-centre gang will lure them to invest more,” he said.
He added that victims of this call-centre gang can lodge complaints via Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau’s hotline: 1441, PCT call centre: 081-8663000 or visit www.thaipoliceonline.com.
He also warned people who seek call centre jobs in neighbouring countries that they would become criminals if they join the call-centre gang.
Martin J Kropff
Caio Vitagliano Santi Rossi
The spokesman said the company will sell both hot and cold drinks and ready-made dishes as well as One Tambon One Product goods. Every dish on the menu will clearly state the price and the company will be required to ensure the quality of foods sold.
Varawut Silpa-archa
Supachai Cheawavanont
Harald Link
SootinClaimon.Com 