’mobile first’ or the soaring rate of mobile Internet use;

smartphones becoming the main viewing screen;

m-commerce (transactions done via mobile phones) and social commerce;

Ariya Banomyong, managing director of Line Thailand, said that this year, these four trends would play a crucial role in Thailand’s digital landscape.

Firstly, while Thailand has been a “mobile-first” country for the past two years already, with 40 million people accessing the Internet on their smartphones. This year, the firm estimates the number of mobile Internet users will to soar to 50 million, thanks to the launch of 4G in Thailand. At present, Thais spend about 5.7 hours a day on their smartphones.

The firm claims that each day, Thais spend 83 minutes on Line chats, and that currently there are 33 million users in Thailand.

Secondly, smartphones are becoming the main TV screen as 41 per cent of TV/video content is watched on televisions, while smartphones alone represent 31 per cent.

Line’s predictions are similar to Ericsson’s forecasts for this year. According to Ericsson’s Consumer Insight Summary Report on ’10 Hot Consumer Trends 2016′, the Internet is changing and new generations are growing up with their own behaviour. One of the more significant changes is the huge amount of video content online. It said that today, around 300 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute, ten times the amount uploaded to YouTube every minute in 2011.

Today’s teens are now streaming natives. In fact, 46 per cent of them spend an hour or more on YouTube every day. Streaming natives also watch video on different platforms, spending around 59 per cent of their total viewing time on mobile screens, which is considerably more than other age groups.

The third interesting trend surrounds m-commerce and social commerce. Regular buyers in e-commerce have started wading into the newer arenas of m-commerce and social commerce already. About 60 per cent of total online transactions are now conducted via mobile devices.

It is predicted that mobile banking will grow by 33 per cent this year too. Thailand has already entered the era of m-commerce & social commerce.

Fourthly, online-to-offline or O2O services look set to be a new trend this year. This is about leveraging online media to spur traffic and/or sales offline. O2O services match with consumers’ changing behaviour.

Nowadays, there are millions of applications for consumers to download from application stores. However, consumers have an average of 39 apps installed on their smartphones, but only use 17 of them.

It is believed that the concept of “Apps within an App” will solve that issue.

For a chat app, the Ericsson report said the ’emergency chat’ is a big new trend. Today, more people communicate using text than calling on the phone. Many are also used to instantly share photos and videos via social networks.

The study mentions that 65 per cent of smartphone owners are interested in an emergency app, which would alert them in a crisis or disaster, and provide verified, rumour-free information.

The subcommittee is operating in conjunction with the Mass Media Reform Committee, and the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA).

Police Maj-General Pisit Pao-in, the first vice president of Mass Media Reform Committee and president of the NRSA’s Social Media Reform subcommittee, told The Nation that following his panel’s invitation, Line Thailand agreed to meet to discuss how to work together.

Earlier, the Social Media Reform subcommittee had three meetings with Google executives. The first was held unofficially in December 2015, while the second and third were official meetings in January. As a result, the government received good cooperation from Google to reduce processing and take-down time for “inappropriate content” from YouTube.

As president of the NRSA’s Social Media Reform subcommittee, Pisit aims to collaborate with the three main social media service providers by the end of March.

However, Line Thailand had earlier released a statement saying, it is “aware of recent news reports regarding a request for censorship made to Line. However, Line has yet to be contacted by an official entity requesting such censorship.”

“The privacy of Line users is our top priority. Once we have been officially contacted, we will conduct due diligence of the related parties and consider an appropriate solution that does not conflict with our company’s global standards, or the laws of Thailand,” it said.

Pisit insisted the government would not censor online content but it would regulate online content. He said that if the government asked them to take down content, then the authorities would process the investigation without asking service providers for users’ information.

Changes were proposed for key five major points. The subcommittee had proposed that an electoral system should be based on a two-ballot system, rather than the CDC’s single-ballot system, to reflect voters’ true intentions while preventing possible widespread vote-buying, Klanarong Chantik, the subcommittee’s vice chair said.

The constituency should be based on three constituent winners, rather than one, so that the contesting field is expanded large enough to prevent political influence and dominance of an election.

The subcommittee also preferred a mixed member proportional vote counting, under which each party’s popular votes are used to calculate the total number of House of Representatives (MP) that a party can get, as it better reflects a party popularity than a constituency-based vote counting system proposed under the mixed member apportionment developed by the CDC.

So, it had proposed that all senators should come from a total selection to maintain checks and balances of power with the Lower House, and prevent political interference. It should also have impeachment authority, it said.

Thirdly, the subcommittee disagreed with the idea to have a list of three prime ministerial candidates in advance of an election, as those failing to win an MP position could become a weak point when being proposed to take the prime minister’s seat.

The subcommittee has proposed that a certain mechanism to solve a crisis should be in place, but it must be parliamentary-based. It should be equipped with authority to call for all heads of key agencies including the Army to meet and solve a crisis together, it said.

And lastly, the subcommittee proposed changes for some other points concerning rights and freedoms, to empowerment of public scrutiny against the toppling of democracy including a direct complaint filing to the Constitutional Court.

In addition, it has proposed that a long-term strategic plan should be firmly addressed in the charter draft, along with reform plans, which should be separated and placed under another key chapter in the charter.

The CDC should develop all necessary organic laws within the time given, it noted.

She also showed off her organic vegetable garden and then mixed a salad dressing for the guests.

This is her second attempt at reaching out to the media after keeping a low profile for quite some time.

Recently Yingluck has stepped up her campaign by giving interviews to foreign news agencies, including the Wall Street Journal and Singapore’s The Straits Times.

Talking to the Straits Times, Yingluck implied that she may court more publicity. “I tried to keep a low profile for almost two years. We let the government run the country,” she said. “But sometimes we need to speak out because we worry about misunderstandings of the public.”

A source said that Yingluck yielded to repeated requests from the foreign media outlets – Wall Street Journal, CNN and Straits Times – to have interviews with her. “They complained that Yingluckonly cared about the Thai media,” the source said.

Yingluck chose the three media outlets because their questions submitted to her staff mostly focused on her life after the coup and her legal case involving the rice-pledging scheme, according to the source. Other media outlets, who were not chosen, had submitted questions that seemed to pit her against the junta, the source added.However, yesterday’s move may anger the junta that toppled her administration in May 2014, as on the previous occasion when she welcomed Thai media on January 8.

At that time, junta chief and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had cynically and angrily asked a female reporter on the Government House beat who had attended Yingluck’s interview: “Is it good? I know what you did.” Prayut did not mention Yingluck’s the reporter’s names when making the remarks. He also told the reporter that he was aware Yingluck had given Buddha images to reporters who attended the first get-together. A day later, the same female reporter protested to a government-run complaint centre that she had seen a group of soldiers near her house. Prayutreacted to the complaint by saying that maybe soldiers liked that reporter.

Yingluck is facing a charge of negligence in the controversial rice-pledging scheme during her tenure as the premier that cost the country Bt250 billion in damages. She said her Pheu Thai Party still has a lot of supporters.

Yesterday morning, she chaired a signing ceremony of a technical and research agreement between her family’s Shinawatra University and a research institute in Italy at the university’s compound in Pathum Thani province. She refused to answer reporters’ queries about the charge she faces, saying she will answer in court at the second hearing of her trial next Wednesday.

In a related development, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday said he was not surprised by Yingluck’s interview with foreign media. “We know about it. Nothing special,” he said. General Prawit also said that he did not think Yingluck’s latest move would affect Prime MinisterPrayut Chan-o-cha’s trip to the United States, where Asean leaders are to meet with US President Barack Obama for the US-Asean Summit.

Democrat Party politician Warong Dechgitvigrom yesterday said it seemed that certain Pheu ThaiParty figures were trying to misinterpret the results of a government fact-finding committee for their own benefit.

The panel probing the civil liability in connection with the Pheu Thai-led government’s rice-pledging scheme had concluded that rice farmers benefited from the difference in prices. But the panel later said Yingluck should be held responsible for an estimated Bt250 billion in damage caused to the state coffers. Warong said yesterday that Pheu Thai politicians should not attempt to play up a small issue for the party’s benefit.

Yesterday saw the third forum opened for representatives from the Central and the Eastern regions, while the South will get its latest forum next weekend. Principal agencies including the Cabinet must deliver their recommendations by Monday.

CDC spokesman Chartchai na Chiangmai said the panel had received numerous comments and recommendations from the people-based forums, and it has tried to forge a basis for consideration of the proposals so as not leave any out.

Chartchai said the CDC would divide comments and recommendations into three main groups. The first group would cover comments considered complimentary, and detailed recommendations for the draft. The CDC would consider taking them into account in the organic law enactment process.

The Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) has been flooded with recommendations for the charter draft and is seeking a means to process the proposals.

Wissanu said in order to highlight the significance of reform, the government wanted the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) to make provisions on reform a separate chapter rather than merely provisional clauses as was the case in the first charter draft presented by the Meechai Ruchuphan-led CDC.

Asked if the government agreed with other CDC proposals that have met with public resistance, such as for a non-elected PM, Wissanu said the fact that the government had said nothing did not signify it agreed.

Wissanu said it would not be advisable to reveal right now the government’s solution if the charter draft is rejected since that would bring negative consequences. “It would be like giving the public two choices before they make a decision in the referendum – that if they do not take this, they will get that,” he said.

CDC chairman Meechai yesterday urged critics to read the entire draft and see that it covers all the important issues and aims to tackle the country’s key problems.

He also said the CDC would carefully study suggestions made on its first draft and then make necessary revisions to rectify any flaws or weakness.

The chief charter drafter reiterated that in order to tackle the problem of corruption, the new constitution would ban public-office holders convicted of graft from gaining political power for the rest of their lives.

“The CDC has come up with a mechanism of scrutiny that starts early and continues until elected persons assume office,” he told a seminar on the new charter draft at Parliament.

He also said that some politicians had attempted to distort the content of the draft constitution by, for instance, claiming that government ministers would be restricted in performing their duties.

“This allegation is untrue. The mechanism set in the constitution aims to ensure discipline for government. It does not obstruct government policies as alleged,” Meechai said.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order, Colonel Winthai Suvari, yesterday urged certain politicians not to use the draft constitution to serve their political motives.

He said it appeared that these politicians were using rhetoric to provoke their supporters in the same way as they did while leading street protests. He urged them to avoid causing confusion for people in society.

“They should better suggest what should be done to improve the draft constitution and where to make revisions. It seems their main goal is to have people vote down the draft,” the spokesman said.

Winthai said the issues of concern raised by those politicians, including red-shirt leader and Pheu Thai Party politician Jatuporn Prompan, had been clearly explained by the CDC on many occasions.

Prawit, who is also a deputy PM, and Platonovich met at the Defence Ministry yesterday, at a forum entitled “Thailand-Russia Joint Working Group on Security Consultation”, to discuss economic and security cooperation at regional and international levels – including cooperation on combating crime, drugs, terrorism, piracy and cyber crime.

The meeting was held ahead of a visit to Russia by Prawit and Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak, scheduled for February 23-27. Both ministers are expected to push for concrete achievements in bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Prawit said that at the meeting, Thailand offered to sell agricultural produce, while Russia offered equipment to prevent disaster such as planes used to douse forest fires and mechanical tools.

He said the two countries did not discuss anything on military cooperation, just how to boost security, as a growing number of Russians live in Thailand.

He insisted there was no talk about buying tanks, as rumoured.

Prawit went on to explain that during his visit to Russia, he aims to negotiate an exchange of armaments and discuss the two country’s economic problems.

The defendant denied the charges, saying he had left work on May 23, 2014 at 4.30pm and was heading towards the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre when he received a Facebook message urging him to join the gathering there.

He said that while waiting on the skywalk linking the BTS station with the arts centre, he lifted a placard with a message protesting the coup. About half an hour later five soldiers arrived at the BTS station and escorted him away without explaining what charges might be pressed against him.

Apichart said he was exercising his lawful right to express disapproval of the coup, and had no intention of creating turmoil.

Science Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj told the NLA that the 1961 Atoms for Peace Act had become outdated and was not the best way to ensure safety for the people so should be replaced by the new nuclear draft legislation.

Pichet said the bill would protect the people and environment against dangers from the use of nuclear power in line with international standards.

The new legislation stipulates the formation of a committee, chaired by the prime minister, in charge of supervising the use of nuclear power as well as radiating devices and radioactive materials.