Why Chonburi’s Sasom declined to shake hands with Buriram’s Japanese coach
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Chonburi FC coach Sasom Pobprasert has denied snubbing Buriram United’s Japanese coach on Sunday, explaining that they did not know each other.
Sasom’s clarification came after he reportedly declined to shake hands with Buriram coach Masatada Ishii before the start of the Hilux Revo Thai League 2022/23 match between the two teams on Sunday.
Speaking to the press after his team’s 0-2 defeat, Sasom said that he did not know Ishii personally, and added that he did not regret losing to Buriram United.
A video of Sasom’s apparent snub went viral among netizens. The video shows him avoiding the Japanese coach twice. Sasom had also declined to shake hands with the Japanese coach at Chonburi Stadium on August 27 when the home team lost 2-3 to Buriram United.
“Masatada Ishii is just a football coach, not a friend,” he replied in response to queries from the press.
At Chang Arena Stadium in Buri Ram province on Sunday, Buriram United beat Chonburi FC 2-0, following strikes by Supachai Jaided in the 42nd minute and Goran Čaušić in the 63rd minute.
Seven tips on mitigating cyber risks to your corporate social media in 2023
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Threats to corporate social media are evolving along with perpetrators’ social engineering skills at a blistering pace.
Sometimes their techniques reach such a high level that even the tech-savvy administrator of a corporate network can’t tell the difference between a scam and the truth.
As many businesses use social media to promote their products and services, these threats are relevant to an extremely large number of companies.
To help them stay safe, Kaspersky experts, Anna Larkina, Web content analysis expert and Roman Dedenok, Spam Analysis Expert, are offering the following advice to mitigate the cyber risks associated with social media in 2023.
Use caution with direct messages and drafts folder, delete old irrelevant information
Companies should be careful about keeping sensitive information in direct messages – it can pose cyber risks. People often use corporate social media to write directly to brands, asking for help, using the account holder’s product or service.
Also, some partnerships, such as those with bloggers, can be negotiated in direct messages. Sometimes personal or financial information is shared during these conversations, which could remain in the messages folder long after the interaction.
If there is a breach allowing cyber criminals to gain unauthorized access to the account, sensitive data may be leaked or used to organize an attack.
To avoid this risk, make it a useful habit to delete irrelevant messages when the dialog is finished and the information it contains is no longer relevant. The same applies to posts – It is worth carefully reviewing what is saved in the drafts folder from time to time.
Review old posts to minimize reputational risks
The power of reputation is growing: every word, action, and decision can either help or harm the company’s image. Everything published online is of great importance in terms of cyber security as well: when sensitive information (re)appears in public, it almost always ends up hurting a company’s reputation and could incur financial losses.
To be on the safe side, spend some time reviewing already published posts, as they might contain information that doesn’t fit into the current reality – that might be anything from inappropriate jokes to controversial advertising campaigns.
What was normal yesterday, can cause a negative public reaction today. A review of publications made over the past few years largely reduces related reputational risks.
Be careful posting your success stories
Having signed a lucrative contract or reached a deal, we want to post it on social to tell as many people as possible about our success.
But we really need to be aware of unwanted cybercriminals’ attention. If a potential attacker knows who your suppliers or contractors are, they could try to conduct an attack impersonating them or breaching their accounts and acting on their behalf.
Moreover, the clearer you reflect your company’s structure and working methods on social media, the easier it is for perpetrators to organize an attack.
For example, if it is possible to trace who is responsible for finance, an attacker can pretend to be this person’s supervisor and try to lure them into urgently transferring a large sum of money to a fake account to “close a deal” or “purchase necessary equipment”.
Exercising various social engineering techniques, a perpetrator can convincingly impersonate another person, and a victim would hardly notice the fraud.
Warn newcomers about risks associated with “new job” posts on social media
After getting a new job, newcomers usually share the news on social, but they do not yet understand how cybersecurity processes are built in this company: for example, how identification works or with whom they can share sensitive information. Therefore, a newcomer is more vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Imagine: a perpetrator tracks this person in social media and collects information about them. Then the criminal writes the new employee a malicious letter on behalf of the company’s IT administrator asking to share the password to set up a technical account.
It is highly likely that a newcomer will share the password because they do not know that the administrators would never write such a letter. Moreover, new employees are usually shy, and they might hesitate to ask their colleagues if the letter is authentic.
A tiny little post on social media might turn the employee into an entry point for cybercriminals.
To mitigate the risk, offer newcomers a course on information security immediately, and tell them to be extremely careful when posting about a new job.
Control account access (and don’t forget to change the password when an employee leaves)
Logins, passwords, and access to the email address are used to create a social media account are just as valuable as other internal corporate documents. If an employee who has access to accounts and authentication data leaves the company, it is useful to apply the same rules as when blocking their access to the corporate network.
To begin with, change the password for the e-mail account linked to the corporate social network; then unlink the ex-employee’s mobile phone number and check other authentication methods – for example, a spare mailbox.
Do not ignore two-factor authentication
Any account on a social network, not to mention a corporate one, must be securely protected. Two-factor authentication is an absolutely necessary setting for any type of account.
The email address linked to the account should be as protected as the social media account itself. Often the attack begins with an initial access to e-mail. After breaching an account, an attacker can configure filters in the mailbox settings to delete all support emails from the social network.
Therefore, a user will not be able to restore access to their account, because all emails will be deleted automatically. Not to mention that in a stressful situation we won’t be checking which filters are currently configured in our mailbox.
It is best to register a social media account using a corporate e-mail address. To begin with, it is better protected (assuming the company cares about cybersecurity). Furthermore, in-house security specialists can block access to this mailbox along with all access to the corporate network.
Provide your employees with anti-phishing training
To mitigate cyber risks in social media networks, it is not enough to protect your company’s account technically, it is equally important to conduct special training for employees on information security, various types of phishing, and other threats.
According to user statistics on the Kaspersky Gamified Assessment Tool, designed to educate workers and to assist managers in measuring their cyber skills, just 11% of nearly 4000 employees demonstrated a high level of cybersecurity awareness in 2022, while 28% could not prove sufficient cybersecurity proficiency.
Attackers use sophisticated methods of social engineering. Even the most advanced representatives of Gen Z can succumb to them. The human factor cannot be reduced to zero, but it can be minimized as much as possible with the help of dedicated training.
Upmarket developer sets sights on condo projects in prime locations
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Nongluck Ajanapanya
Frasers Property Home (Thailand) is entering the condo market as part of its effort to reach its revenue target of 13 billion baht this year, the developer announced on Wednesday.
Saenphin Sukhee, CEO of the company’s Residential Property Business unit, told a press conference that it is adding condominium development due to promising growth trends in the segment.
Saenphin said the company will focus on price and location. The price will range between 3 million and 5 million baht per unit to tap demand from young workers, its primary target for condo sales, he added. Each project will be located within 300 metres of a skytrain or subway station, as well as a department store or shopping mall, Saenphin said.
The first Frasers Property Home (Thailand) condominium project will be located on Ratchada Road, with sales commencing in the middle of this year. Saenphin said many more projects are planned for “great locations” in the coming years. He said they would be built in Ladprao, Ramindra, and Charansanitwong roads.
Thailand’s recovery from the pandemic, combined with the tourism industry’s rapid recovery, is contributing to increased domestic consumption and demand for housing, the CEO said. Young workers prefer their own space, while foreign nationals, particularly those from China, will increase demand, Saenphin added.
He made the announcement while unveiling the company’s business plan and strategy for maintaining its status as one Thailand’s top real-estate developers.
Saenphin Sukhee
“Our primary focus will remain on the premium segment group, which is [where buyers are] looking for detached houses with more luxury and privacy. The price ranges from 15 million to 150 million baht,” he said.
As the purchasing power of Thailand’s middle class strengthens, the condo market will expand and this is why Frasers is entering the segment, Saenphin said.
Frasers Property Home (Thailand) will launch 11 new projects with a combined value of more than 17.5 billion baht this year, he said. They comprise seven luxury detached housing projects, two townhouse projects, one semi-detached housing project, and one condominium project, he said.
The company will grow 14% this year and reach its revenue target of 13 billion baht, Saenphin said. Single detached housing will generate the most revenue (39%), followed by townhouses (32%).
Saenphin said the company is also looking at new locations outside of Bangkok. It plans to purchase more land in the east, where the government’s Eastern Economic Corridor is developing rapidly.
Frasers Property Home (Thailand) is a subsidiary of Frasers Property Group, a global integrated real estate company. It owns residential, industrial, commercial, and hospitality properties in Thailand.
Frasers Property Home (Thailand) saw net profit increase 63% year on year last year to 1.47 billion baht, primarily through sales of luxury single-detached housing.
Marriott focuses on human resources as part of growth strategy
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
Nongluck Ajanapanya
Marriott International would prioritise workforce training as part of its sustainable growth strategy this year, a senior company executive said.
Jakob Helgen, area vice president – Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, Marriott International, said during an interview on Tuesday that aside from signing more management contracts with hotel owners in Thailand as planned, the company aims to improve its professional training programme.
The company, one of the world’s leading luxury hospitality companies, would offer reasonable salaries and incentives, as well as equal opportunity in promotions to attract newcomers while keeping current skilled employees, he said.
His commitment came as Thailand’s hospitality industry showed signs of recovery after being stagnant for more than three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many hotels are dealing with a serious shortage of labour in an industry that is extremely labour intensive, Helgen said.
Employers, particularly in the luxury hotel segment, have to rely heavily on their employees to deliver premium services and provide the hotel’s unique value.
Higher wages and service charges may meet employees’ basic needs, but that does not address all aspects of their career path, he said.
“We want to be the most cherished hotel for employees, as well as the best option for our customers,” he said.
This year, Helgen confirmed that cooperation with local educational institutions, both vocational college and university, would be strengthened.
Marriott will play a greater role in course development while also providing training opportunities for interested students. Marriott also plans to expand the number of young trainees recruited from underprivileged families who could later become full-time employees.
To address the young generation’s expectations, Marriott provides equal opportunities for them to advance to leadership status if they want to advance in this career path via Marriott’s leadership programme, Helgen said.
He believes that providing opportunities for education and training to improve staff skills is one of the most effective ways to sustain the hotel business. It is not only in terms of long-term company growth, but also in terms of enhancing the whole eco-friendly ecosystem, he said.
Marriott International had earlier announced plans to open eight new hotels in Thailand in 2023, with the debut of two new brands — Autograph Collection Hotels and Moxy Hotels — aiming to blend with the rise of mixed business and leisure trips.
“We aim to provide more options for extended stay for our customers with all of the amenities of a home away from home. We also expect the opening of Courtyard by Marriott and Moxy Hotels to add to the country’s existing select service portfolio. These new openings will provide distinct value for travellers by providing all-exclusive hospitality services at an affordable price,” Helgen said.
Marriott International current operates properties across 14 brands in more than 10 Thai destinations, including Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Khao Lak, Koh Samui. Under the plan, by the end of this year Marriott will have 16 brands with 56 hotels and executive apartments across the country.
DKSH positions Thailand as R&D hub in Asia with opening of new demonstration lab and calibration center
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
DKSH Business Unit Technology has opened a sizeable, fully-fitted demonstration lab and calibration center in Thailand, elevating the market to a distinguished research and development (R&D) hub in the region.
Bangkok, January 27, 2023 – DKSH Business Unit Technology, a leading Market Expansion Services provider for technology companies seeking to grow their business in Asia and beyond, has invested in one of the largest fully-fitted demonstration laboratories and calibration centers in Thailand. This move not only solidifies the Business Unit’s position as one of the leading scientific instrumentation providers in Thailand but also strengthens the market’s reputation as a leading R&D hub in Asia.
The 2,270 square meter lab accommodates over 50 machines as well as equipment for demonstrations and 190 professionals offering consultancy and services in four areas: general laboratory equipment, analytical instrumentation, life sciences, and microbiology.
The calibration center offers ISO/IEC 17025 calibration services, after-sales and workshop services, as well as application development programs for its customers.
In addition, the lab aims at synergizing the close collaboration between academia and industries to ultimately increase research and innovation output. In the demonstration lab, university students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. DKSH Technology plans to host regular seminars featuring renowned experts from domestic and international domains.
Oliver Hammel, Vice President, Business Unit Technology, DKSH Thailand, stated: In the past three years, Thailand has shown great potential in R&D for vaccination, propelled by the pandemic. DKSH Technology contributed to combat the pandemic in Thailand, whether by developing COVID-19 mobile testing, providing surface disinfection solutions, or offering innovative instruments for research, development, and production for public and private sectors. With this new lab, we are even better positioned to advance Thailand’s potential to be a center for R&D in various fields, including pharmaceutical, food, beverage, cosmetic, chemical, agricultural product, and FMCG industries.
Somchai Chakornsiri, General Manager, Scientific Instrumentation, DKSH Technology, added: “DKSH Business Unit Technology drives the success of many brands in Thailand. Reputable Thai firms entrust us, as their trusted partner, with their R&D processes for food, medicine, cosmetics, chemical, and agricultural products, among many others. The newly launched lab enables us to provide manufacturers with cutting-edge analytical tools and equipment to advance their innovations and help them succeed.
About DKSH
DKSH’s purpose is to enrich people’s lives. For more than 150 years, we have been delivering growth for companies in Asia and beyond across our Business Units Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Performance Materials, and Technology. As a leading Market Expansion Services provider, we offer sourcing, market insights, marketing and sales, eCommerce, distribution and logistics as well as after-sales services. DKSH is a participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principles-based approach to responsible business. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, DKSH operates in 36 markets with 33,100 specialists, generating net sales of CHF 11.1 billion in 2021. The DKSH Business Unit Technology offers complete solutions for specialized industrial applications. With around 1,600 specialists, the Business Unit generated net sales of CHF 430.3 million in 2021. www.dksh.com/tec
10 more Japanese companies offering Thailand solutions for carbon neutral businesses
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
The Japan External Trade Organisation has introduced the “Virtuous cycle of environment and growth Vol 2” as part of the Thailand-Japan Sustainable Business Seminar and Business Matching for Carbon Neutrality project.
It lists 37 Japanese companies with solutions, innovations and technologies in sustainable business for carbon neutrality, including 10 more companies from the previous volume.
In January 2022, Jetro Bangkok had renewed and signed the cooperation Memorandum of Intent with the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO) and Thailand Board of Investment (BOI).
These companies also participated in the project organised twice last year with the EECO and BOI to help deepen the existing close partnership with the two state organisations and build a more resilient supply chain between Japan and Thailand, making contributions to the policies of both countries including the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) policy of Thailand.
In the pursuit of realising a virtuous cycle of environment and growth, both countries are working on achieving carbon neutrality, with the former promoting the “BCG Economic Model” as its national strategy and the latter formulating the “Green Growth Strategy”.
The businesses are categorised into nine fields: carbon recycling, hydrogen, renewable energy, energy sufficiency, agritech, biomass, upcycling, waste reduction, and water treatment.
Peel Lab KK is the first plant-based leather business in Asia. Based in Osaka, Japan, the upcycling fruit peel manufacturer uses pineapple leaves, coconuts and bamboo as alternatives to leather.
It is inexpensive, light-weight, waterproof and durable, and is used in the interior of automobiles, furniture, and fashion items promoting eco-friendly and contributing to minimising food loss and prevention of animal abuse.
Shizen International Inc provides solar energy power purchase agreements for the manufacturing industry and is working towards promoting a lifestyle with safe and sustainable energy by building natural power plants across the world.
Aiming to engage in 10GW worth of power generation businesses across the world by 2030, they currently have solar power and wind power businesses in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil.
TBM Co Ltd uses scraped plastics and “Limes”, a new material with limestone and “CirculeX”, which contains more than 50% recycled materials.
It can be processed into Limes sheets instead of paper, packing material, containers, and daily products with existing moulding machines. This contributes to recycling and the preservation of resources with a high risk of depletion such as petroleum, water, and forest resources.
Chinese yearning for overseas trips in 2023: Report
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
A recent report by tourism website Qyer unveiled that most Chinese visitors plan to travel overseas within a year, as the country’s adjusted Covid-19 response has lifted restrictions on overseas trips.
It revealed that Chinese travellers are yearning for overseas trips — 75.4 % of the subjects paid attention to outbound tourism content while they were browsing travel tips.
About 38.5 % of the subjects wanted to have an outbound travel within half a year and 12 % planned to do so during the approaching Spring Festival holiday. Over half said they wanted to have a 10-day overseas trip.
They were most concerned about air ticket prices and the destinations’ policy toward Chinese tourists. The search volume about outbound travel, such as overseas hotels and visas, on Qyer had a sudden increase.
The report showed that Chinese visitors were most interested in natural scenery, famous destinations, exotic culture, food and shopping concerning outbound travel. Their most favourite overseas destinations of 2023 were Thailand, Japan, Spain, France, the United States, Italy, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Most subjects believed that travel was an inevitable part of life. In 2022, over half of them travelled twice in China and about 20 % travelled four times.
Last year, the most popular among Chinese visitors were short-distance trips, delicious local food, culture and arts activities, outdoor tourism and parents travelling with children. Hiking, camping and cycling were popular among outdoor travellers.
They preferred to gain inspiration for their travel plans from tourism tips sharing platforms, recommendations from travel influencers, online platforms and friends, and shooting locations from films, television and variety shows.
The top 10 popular domestic destinations of 2022 were Hangzhou, Chengdu, Beijing, Sanya, Chongqing, Shanghai, Lijiang, Suzhou, Macao and Dali.
Philippine police chief on ICC’s drug war deaths probe: We’re not hiding anything
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday maintained that it is not concealing anything as it called on the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) to respect the country’s sovereignty and recognize that its judicial system can investigate the drug war killings during the previous administration.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. assured the public on Monday that they are “fully cooperating” with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in reviewing the cases of its personnel found liable for procedural lapses in anti-illegal drugs operations.
“We are not hiding anything,” Azurin stressed in a news briefing. “What we are asking is for ICC to also give due respect to the judicial processes that we have in our country because we are a sovereign country. We have our own judicial proceedings.”
Azurin then urged the ICC to instead submit evidence should they find any. He, however, reiterated that the country’s judicial bodies “will do the process.”
“It’s a matter of reaching out — who are these people complaining to the ICC so that they can engage us. And we promise, the PNP will help to make sure that they will be served justice if that’s what they’re asking for,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Azurin further said: “The PNP is committed to upholding the rule of law in all our actions, and we call on ICC and all international bodies to respect the jurisdiction and sovereignty of our country to address these cases under Philippine laws.”
52, so far, facing raps During the time of former PNP chief Guillermo Eleazar, some 300 cases against police personnel who allegedly committed procedural lapses in anti-illegal drug operations were submitted to the DOJ, according to Azurin.
Formal cases were lodged against 52 PNP personnel.
“That’s why we don’t see any reason why the ICC would come in to investigate because there are continuous investigations being done by the police in tandem with the Department of Justice (DOJ),” the top cop said.
Azurin noted that no additional cases have so far been forwarded since he assumed the helm of the PNP, but he assured the public that they are frequently looking into drug war-related cases involving police personnel.
Last week, the ICC said it would resume the full-blown probe into the numerous deaths in Duterte’s bloody drug war and the Davao death squad killings.
DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, however, called this move an insult to the government’s justice system which, he argued, is already conducting its own investigations on the matter.
Several lawmakers and human rights groups welcomed the ICC call as they urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to cooperate with the probe and prove that the Philippines, under his administration, is an ally of human rights.
Sinking towns, crumbling homes show cost of India’s infrastructure push in Himalayas
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
Jaswant Singh Butola says he is shocked by the state of his village of Maroda, as he, like hundreds of others around the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, will be forced to abandon his home where his family have lived for generations.
The land around the village of 45 households began subsiding around 18 months ago, Butola said, when work started on a new railway line that the Indian government is building deep into the Himalayas.
“Generations after generations have lived here. And now this is the condition of the village. This is unimaginable,” Butola told Reuters.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s government is on an overdrive to bring large-scale infrastructure into the Himalayas, building hydro-power plants, railway lines and highways — including strategically vital roads to support military deployments on the fractious border with China.
But some of these projects, located in unstable mountainsides once covered by glaciers, are unsettling the delicate ecological balance in the Himalayas, triggering landslides, flash floods and now the destruction of settlements.
The focus in recent weeks has been on Joshimath, about 100 kilometres (km) north of Maroda, where over 850 buildings have developed cracks and some completely crumbled since early January, forcing more than 900 people out of their homes.
“All their memories are from here. Everyone is leaving. What can we do,” said 68-year-old resident, Ganeshi Rawat, as she was reminiscing about her children growing up in her home that she is now having to leave.
Around the town, the government’s largest power producer, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), did not conduct relevant studies before digging a tunnel for its 520-megawatt hydropower plant, according to two experts involved in the initial planning for the project.
State authorities last year noted that there was also improper drainage throughout Joshimath, which resulted in rainwater and wastewater seeping into the mountain, and cavities forming from the removal of soil.
“We definitely need development, but we need sustainable development,” urged 26-year-old Shubham Rawat who moved back to his hometown to start a business.
The conditions in Joshimath have resulted in over 220 families being shifted to relief camps in the safer areas in the area, the Chamoli District Magistrate told Reuters.
The 120-billion-rupee ($1.48 billion) Char Dham project, one of many helmed by the Modi government to expand Himalayan connectivity, was green-lit by the Supreme Court in December 2021 partly because the wide highways would help the military. Environmental groups had challenged the project in the courts since 2018.
Construction on 83 km of tunnels, part of the 125 km railway project from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag, was
completed on January 7, according to the federal railway ministry, even as reports from the crisis in Joshimath had started making headlines.
Saenphin Sukhee
SootinClaimon.Com 