Richarlison scores spectacular volley as Brazil see off Serbia
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022
Reuters
Brazil outclassed Serbia 2-0 in their World Cup opener on Thursday (November 24) as Richarlison’s second-half goals, including a spectacular overhead kick, propelled the five-times champions to the top of Group G.
The Tottenham Hotspur forward has been in fine form when wearing the golden yellow kit of Brazil this year and he opened the scoring with an easy tap-in before doubling the lead with his acrobatic effort.
Tite’s decision to go with four forwards – Neymar, Vinicius Jr., Raphinha and Richarlison – in his attacking lineup paid off handsomely as the South Americans dominated the match and made Serbia work hard every time they went forward.
Vinicius used his acceleration to good effect to constantly beat his man while Neymar, playing in a free role, often found pockets of space, but a well-drilled Serbian defence kept Brazil at bay in the first half.
Serbia had been sweating over the fitness of their all-time top scorer, Aleksandar Mitrovic, but coach Dragan Stojkovic named him in the starting lineup.
Unlike Brazil’s forward line, however, which threatened from all sides, the Fulham striker found himself isolated up front with little service.
Brazil
The second half was one-way traffic as Brazil shifted through the gears, Richarlison and Neymar wasting gilt-edged chances inside the box and Alex Sandro and Casemiro sending long-range efforts against the woodwork.
The breakthrough came just after the hour from brilliant work by Neymar to find Vinicius, whose initial shot was saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, but Richarlison was in the right place to tap in the rebound for his first World Cup goal.
Serbia had been playing conservatively up to that point and had no choice but to pour forward, which gave Brazil more space and the second goal from Richarlison brought the biggest roar of the night from the Brazilian contingent.
As Richarlison attempted to control a cross from Vinicius, the ball popped up over his head and he leapt up in the air to volley home a bicycle kick and seal the win for Brazil.
Switzerland are second in the group after they beat Cameroon 1-0 earlier on Thursday while Serbia are bottom on goal difference.
Ronaldo relishes ‘beautiful moment’ with new World Cup record
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022
Reuters
Cristiano Ronaldo said he was living a “beautiful moment” after becoming the first player to score in five men’s World Cups as he helped Portugal to a 3-2 victory over Ghana on Thursday (November 24) at the start of their campaign in Qatar.
“It’s a beautiful moment in my fifth World Cup,” Ronaldo told reporters. “We won. We got off on the right foot. It’s a very important win. We know in these competitions the first match is fundamental.
“It’s another record too,” he said. “That makes me very proud. I am very happy for the team to have put on an excellent performance. It was difficult but we deserved to win.”
Asked about his acrimonious departure from Manchester United this week, Ronaldo said the only thing that counted was Portugal’s win. “All the rest, it doesn’t matter,” he added.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos hailed his 37 year-old captain who won a second-half penalty and converted it himself to open the scoring against Ghana.
“I think Cristiano is a phenomenon, a legend,” Santos told reporters. “In 50 years time, we will still be talking about him.”
Portugal
Ronaldo was substituted in the 88th minute to a rousing reception around Stadium 974 in Doha at the start of what is likely to be his last World Cup.
Santos rebuffed suggestions by his Ghanaian opposite number, Otto Addo, that the penalty decision was incorrect – given for a shove by defender, Mohammed Salisu – and should have been reviewed by U.S. referee, Ismail Elfath, via the VAR system.
“If the VAR tells the referee that he has to have a look, he will have a look,” he said. “If the VAR didn’t call over the referee it’s because they watched the images and there was nothing to see.”
Portugal now sit top of Group H and face Uruguay next who drew 0-0 with South Korea earlier on Thursday.
‘Digital readiness key skill employers seek in staff’
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
A leading global human resources consulting firm said that digital readiness of personnel is what most employers desire in the 21st-century workplace.
Meanwhile, employers who prioritised supporting their employees to enhance their skills, advance their careers, and achieve their goals are regarded as the best employers that people want to work for, Kincentric (Thailand) said.
This condition is one of the key trends in management for long-term business growth, according to Kincentric experts who spoke at a press conference on Thursday.
Kincentric Thailand managing director and partner Adisak Chandprapalert said that Covid-19, global economic volatility, and the rapidly changing business environment have presented significant challenges to organisations, and businesses must find a way to move forward and continue to grow.
“According to our professionals in human resources and corporate management, today’s organisations must embrace new technologies while also creating a great employee experience by fostering the right culture and a work environment that allows people to succeed. This will foster creativity and drive long-term business growth,” he said.
At the same time, organisations have to build a culture of diversity and inclusion. This may be difficult as it may challenge some organisations due to their current culture, Adisak added.
Kincentric Thailand partner Napas Sirivarangkul said that as organisations embrace digitalisation in order to move forward, employees’ digital readiness is required.
She defined digital readiness as the ability to learn, be curious, and adapt.
Meanwhile, human resources departments must adapt their working methods, maintain an open attitude, and recognise that in today’s labour market, organisations choose their preferred candidates based on their needs.
According to Napas, organisations must also take advantage of accepting and respecting differences in order to improve the working environment for their employees.
Furthermore, as attitudes towards employment change, organisations are more likely to include both full-time and part-time employees, such as outsourced or independent (gig) workers, who are becoming more common in Thailand, Napas said.
“The key word here is engagement between employers and employees. Employees who are engaged will talk positively about their organisation, will stay with the organisation in good and bad times, and will devote their energy to working together to fully develop the organisation,” she noted.
Paulin Porkaew, project manager of “Kincentric Best Employers 2022”, said in order to raise awareness among the business community about the importance of effective management and for creative and sustainable growth, Kincentric (Thailand) has collaborated with Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University (Sasin) for more than 20 years to organise the Best Employers Thailand awards to world-class standards.
This year is the 22nd edition of the awards and featured 94 participants from 13 industries covering a wide range of businesses and industries including energy and utilities, finance, consumer products, and retail. Shortlisted participants are assessed in three principal areas: employees’ opinions, a public survey and corporate performance.
Paulin revealed that 11 organisations were chosen for “Kencentric Best Employers Thailand Awards 2022” based on their human resource management and how it relates to corporate strategy, human resource management efficiency, and corporate leaders’ policies. The awards ceremony was held on November 23.
The 11 companies that received awards were:
1. Cargill Thailand
2. Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand) Company Limited
3. DHL Express International (Thailand) Limited
4. Central Marketing Group (CMG)
5. B2S
6. Central Pattana Public Company Limited (CPN)
7. Robinson Public Company Limited
8. Food Passion Company Limited
9. Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT)
10. Maersk Thailand and Siam Shoreside Services
11.Bangkok Industry Gas Company Limited (BIG)
“This year, we studied our winners’ corporate management strategies using the ‘Reveal, Relearn, Rethink, and Reshape’ strategy,” Paulin explained.
She noted that this also reflects what Kincentric is attempting to emphasise, which is that being the best employer entails continuously developing the organisation and its people. Furthermore, the award is a metric that can help the company grow more efficiently and sustainably, she added.
All you need to know about Malaysia’s unity government
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022
A unity government is formed by a coalition of parties that can comprise several main blocs alongside smaller parties. In a unity government, parties from opposing sides of the political divide can form a government and govern together.
Constitutional expert Prof Shamrahayu Ab Aziz said that the royal decree issued on Thursday by the Malaysian King to appoint Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister did not specify the form of government to be constructed, although the King had previously suggested a unity government.
A unity government is a unique power-sharing structure that is formed when no single bloc gains a sufficient majority to form a government.
She said a unity government is thought to be one of the main choices because it is considered capable of achieving unity among the Malaysian communities.
“For this purpose, political parties and political players play an important role to celebrate differences and strengthen unity,” she said.
The form of government is a privilege owned by the prime minister, who will also advise the King on the appointment of the Cabinet.
However, the King’s suggestions for a unity government must be given the highest consideration, she added.
“The selection of members of the Cabinet is the right of the prime minister, who at the same time determines the type of government that will serve the country.
“Even so, the recommendations or advice of the KIng about the type or form of government recommended by the King need to be given the utmost attention by the prime minister and the relevant parties.
“This is because the decree of the King is not merely a suggestion but an order that must be obeyed,” said Prof Shamrahayu.
In 2018, after resigning as prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad proposed the idea of leading a unity government across the political divide as a way out of the country’s political instability.
Other countries that had been under a unity government include Italy, Greece, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Israel, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Meanwhile, Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday that he plans to invite the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition – a bitter rival to his Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the general election – to join the unity government that he leads.
Speaking at his first news conference as premier, Anwar said the rights of the Malay majority and Malaysia’s official religion of Islam will be protected, but that he will also defend the rights of all other ethnic groups and all Malaysian territories.
“I am proposing that Perikatan Nasional consider whether they are ready to support the government which is now strong and stable” to uphold the King’s decree, Anwar said.
“This is a national unity government. All are welcome on condition that you accept the fundamental rules of good governance, no corruption, and Malaysia for all Malaysians,” he said.
The news conference was held at a golf club in Sungai Long near Kajang town in Selangor state, on the edge of capital city Kuala Lumpur.
Earlier on Thursday, PN leader Muhyiddin Yassin asked Anwar to prove his parliamentary majority.
He said PN had 115 lawmakers supporting the coalition on Tuesday, when the King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, asked for PH and PN to send in their list of lawmakers.
The number is above the minimum 112 seats needed to control the 222-strong Parliament.
Muhyiddin had on Tuesday rejected joining the unity government offered by the King.
On Thursday, Anwar said he will call for a vote of confidence to show his majority on the first day of the sitting of Parliament, on Dec 19. “So the concern of legitimacy will not arise,” he said.
Apart from his PH coalition, which has 82 seats, the Prime Minister said the members of his unity government are Barisan Nasional, with 30 seats, and Gabungan Parti Sarawak, with 23. This would make a total of 135 seats.
Speaking about the Malay-Muslim majority, which had mostly voted for PN, he said that their rights will be protected.
“I am firm in the efforts to raise the status of the Malay language as the national language. I understand the need to elevate the status of Islam as the official religion of the federation, the special position of Malays and bumiputera, as contained in the Constitution, and our system of governance that ensures the respected and sovereign status of the Malay rulers,” he said.
He added that while the Malay race and culture, and the Islamic religion, are key foundations, the new government will also guarantee the rights of all other ethnic groups and religions, and all territories of the country.
On the differences in the manifestos of various parties in his unity government, Mr Anwar said he will never compromise on core issues, such as the need for good governance, judicial independence and eradication of corruption.
Most importantly, he will address the cost of living issue to protect the welfare of ordinary people, he added.
Anwar is taking helm of the country as the economy is rebounding from the coronavirus pandemic and experiencing high inflation, like most countries around the world.
He said: “My main focus will be the economy. I am grateful because today, the situation and investors’ confidence have changed. The ringgit has strengthened and the stock exchange is energised.”
Both the stock market and the ringgit performed strongly on Thursday on optimism over Anwar’s appointment.
Faster immigration queues as Thai airports prepare for high season
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022
The Transport Ministry said it has taken steps to ease the long queues at key airports as tourists start returning to Thailand.
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said on Friday that as a first step the waiting time for passport checks has been reduced from 30 minutes to 15, with immigration officials spending no more than 1 minute per passport. Earlier airport personnel were used to fill in for immigration officers, but as a long-term solution, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered that police officers be trained and placed on standby.
Meanwhile, government spokesperson Traisuree Traisaranakul said though the problem of long waits for arrival stamps has been solved, passengers are still having to wait a long time for their baggage. This, she said, was a long-standing problem as operators reduced their staff numbers during the pandemic and have not reinstated them since.
Saksayam said he will hold a meeting with related personnel next week to find a solution.
He also said he has set up a committee to integrate services at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports as well as a command centre to monitor the situation.
The command centre will coordinate operations between the Airport Department, Airports of Thailand, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand and the Immigration Bureau.
Traisuree said the steps were taken in response to Prayut’s instructions that all airports be prepared for an influx of tourists now that the country is fully open.
Government pilot project ‘eatsHUB’ on route to becoming a super app after successful launch
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
A Thai food delivery platform “eatsHUB” has been a great success, bringing the country one step closer to achieving a digital economy, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) said.
The platform is part of Thailand’s National Delivery Platform project, on which the DEPA has collaborated with private sector partners to drive the economy into the new normal.
Deputy Minister of Digital Economy and Society Newin Chorchaithip told a press conference on Thursday that after a seven-month pilot project in 18 provinces, more than 600,000 people had registered for the platform, which has received over 10 million visits, bringing technology equality to more than 26,000 small and medium-sized restaurant operators and creating over 3,000 rider jobs.
He said that the eatsHUB platform has generated more than 500 million baht in economic value, which is higher than expected.
“I hoped all Thais will support this national platform,” he said. “The platform is now ready to expand services in order to become a Super Application.”
The food delivery platform, according to the ministry, is one of the e-commerce businesses that was growing in line with global trends.
It is estimated that global e-commerce sales would increase by 21 per cent in 2022 compared to last year, which had a value of US$2.8 trillion and is still growing.
Meanwhile, Newin insisted that the DES always prioritises the development of Thai entrepreneurs to become full-service e-commerce providers, particularly Thais who act as intermediaries between merchants and consumers.
“The project is regarded as a model government project aimed at entrepreneurs as well as the younger generation who want to develop applications and who can study this to enhance their work and businesses in order to drive Thailand’s digital economy to continue to grow,” he said.
(from left) DEPA director-general Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, DES Deputy Minister Newin Chorchaithip and Food Odery chairman Chatchai Payuhanaveechai
DEPA director-general Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin said that the Thai food delivery platform, eatsHUB, was officially launched in May and was able to raise awareness and reach people in 18 provinces across the country.
Bangkok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phetchaburi, Surat Thani, Phuket, Songkhla, Chonburi, Chanthaburi, Rayong, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, and Nakhon Phanom are among the pilot provinces.
With this incredible success, Nuttapon promises to keep improving its services while promoting real-world access to technology for restaurant operators.
He plans to serve all 77 provinces in Thailand by 2023, with the goal of having 50,000 restaurants on the platform and over 1 million registered users.
Furthermore, he expects that the platform will receive at least 20 million visits (including repurchase), creating jobs for over 6,000 food delivery workers and generating an economic value of over 1 billion baht.
“The next goal is to work with the private sector to upgrade the service to a Super Application, which will cover other services such as selling local raw materials directly from manufacturers to stores and consumers, adding a variety of features, and expanding coverage nationwide with standards and fairness,” he noted.
Chatchai Payuhanaveechai, chairman of Food Odery and operator of eatsHUB, said that it is a platform created by public-private partnerships to support very small businesses with lower gross profit charges.
“It is dependable and can precisely meet the needs of the customer,” he said, adding “It is creating equality by controlling the service standards of member stores to distribute products fairly and in quantities that are not different from eating at the shop.”
He confirmed that the private sector is prepared to expand its full-service support team for the next developments, including a call centre team to accommodate older people who may not have access to smartphones and a team to effectively manage systems for restaurant operators.
The eatsHUB platform was created with the intention of assisting small and medium-sized restaurant operators and providing people with opportunities to start new careers. It charges member stores about 8-10% of the revenue share, which is lower than the 30% billing rate of other platforms.
Mohan checkpoint offers Thai fruit growers new entry into China
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022
It has been confirmed that the new Mohan railway checkpoint in Yunnan will be opened in early December, offering Thai fruit growers a new gateway to China.
Alongkorn Ponlaboot, an adviser to the agriculture minister who also sits on the Thailand Fruit Board, said on Friday that Thai fruit can now be transported to the mainland via the Laos-China railway. The railway connects the Laotian capital of Vientiane, which shares a border with Thailand’s Nong Khai province, and China’s Kunming city in Yunnan. Alongkorn said he has learned from Thai diplomats based in China that construction of the Mohan checkpoint had been completed on November 22 and it would go into operation on December 3 as scheduled. December 3 marks the first anniversary of the start of the Laos-China railway.
In a move to help with the new transport option, the Fruit Board will hold a meeting with fruit growers, cooperatives, middlemen, fruit associations, exporters and logistics operators to educate them about relevant rules and regulations, Alongkorn added. So far, no Thai fruit has been delivered to Kunming via the Laos-China railway, even though the service has been running for nearly a year. This is because there was no railway inspection checkpoint at Mohan town.
Previously, Thai fruit was transported by train from Vientiane to Boten on the China-Laos border before being trucked into the mainland. Last year, Thai fruit dominated the Chinese market with a 40% share, followed by Chile (15%) and Vietnam (6%). China was also the major market for Thai durian — with 875,097 tonnes worth 109.2 billion baht exported last year. That was a historic 68.4% surge from a year ago, despite China’s “zero-Covid” policy and related restrictions.
Can’t pay your creditors? Don’t worry, just pretend you’re dead
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2022
A 19-year-old woman chose a novel way of escaping her creditors. She decided to get her death announced on Facebook.
An unnamed netizen posted a Facebook message earlier this week saying her sister, Rungtiwa (last name withheld) had died. The post was accompanied by a photo of the “deceased” at a funeral.
The post read: “Rest in peace … [I] did not think that my sister would do this. I was shocked by this unexpected event. Rest in peace, my sister. [I hope] both mother [Rungtiwa] and her daughter become angels in heaven.”
As soon as the message was posted, many friends and acquaintances responded by expressing their condolences and sharing news of her purported death.
Later, however, it was found that the post was fake and aimed to mislead her friends and creditors.
However, as of press time, the post had disappeared.
Rungtiwa’s Facebook page showed an earlier message from a user named โอ๊ต ซอยสิบเอ็ด (Oat Alley 11) saying, “Hey you, transfer the money or you will be embarrassed.”
The post came with images of chat messages between the two of them, with him asking for his money back and Rungtiwa dodging the subject.
This message was shared by several other creditors who tried to track her down.
Intrigued by this mystery, a Nation TV reporter travelled to Chonburi on Thursday to meet Rungtiwa’s friend Sudarat Chaiyasuwan, 24.
Sudarat said she had known Rungtiwa for a long time and always helped her out. She said Rungtiwa had told her this week that she was returning to her hometown in Nong Bua Lamphu province, and after that, her creditors were unable to track her.
The day after Rungtiwa “returned” to her hometown, Sudarat said she found the Facebook post announcing her death. She said she was also surprised to find out that Rungtiwa was pregnant.
“Baifern [Rungtiwa] is only 19 years old, yet she managed to trick people a lot older than her,” Sudarat said.
She said she and others had contacted the teenager’s mother in Nong Bua Lamphu, only to learn that she knew nothing about her daughter’s “death”.
After failing to get an answer from the mother, Sudarat then tried to contact the sister who had posted the death announcement. However, she said, the sister responded rudely, saying the funeral would be held in Chaiyaphum, where their father lives.
She then contacted her father, only to learn that there was no funeral and that he did not know his daughter had died.
Sudarat said judging by all these developments it is clear that Rungtiwa was faking her death and pregnancy to avoid having to pay back the money she borrowed to fund her expensive habits.
She added that she and other people will be dumping Rungtiwa and would not forgive her even if she apologises.
(from left) DEPA director-general Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, DES Deputy Minister Newin Chorchaithip and Food Odery chairman Chatchai Payuhanaveechai
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