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Thailand will leave no one behind development process, says Department of International Organisations

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Thailand’s relevant policies and projects will ensure that no one is left behind in the development process, said Eksiri Pintaruchi Director-General of the Department of International Organisations on February 13.

In the seminar titled “Asia and the Pacific Regional Seminar on the Contribution of Development to the Enjoyment of all Human Rights”, Eksiri gave the opening remarks about the inextricable link between human rights and sustainable development, which is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model, technical cooperation on human rights and development, as well as Thailand’s experiences and good, practices concerning business and human rights, were also addressed in the remark. 

She also had a meeting with the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights to discuss and share views on human rights in Thailand, the collaboration between the Royal Thai Government and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the review process of the Human Rights Council (HRC) and the treaty bodies.

The summary of the seminar will be reported to the Human Rights Council.

This event, which was held in compliance with HRC Resolution 47/11, was part of a series of regional seminars on the topic, aiming to allow other relevant agencies to identify challenges and gaps as well as share good practices and experiences.

Present at the seminar were also Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights,  Václav Bálek, President of the Human Rights Council and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN Office at Geneva, Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. 

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• PTT denies condoning human rights violations in Myanmar after Norwegian fund accusation
• UN rights body commends Thailand on new law banning torture, enforced disappearance

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Yahoo! Finance names Thailand 10th most advanced country in Asia

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Thailand was ranked No 10 in the latest list of 12 most advanced countries in Asia compiled by Yahoo! Finance recently.

The country earned a score of 0.80 on the Human Development Index Score, which considered per capita GDP, research and development (R&D) and the presence of large multinationals.

“Thailand has an outstanding service sector accounting for 58.3% of Thailand’s GDP in 2020,” government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Monday citing the report.

“Thailand’s industrial manufacturing output in 2021 rose by 7.31% from the previous year, generating a total revenue of US$137 billion [4.7 trillion baht].”

Thailand’s human development score for 2021-2022 was very high at 0.80, and the country spent 1.14% of its GDP on research and development in 2020.

Anucha said the 21st century is considered the Asian century because economic growth in the West is slowing down.

Business consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that Asia could account for more than 50% of the global GDP by 2040, with Asian consumers driving 40% of the world’s consumption.

“On the corporate side, Asian companies are adding an average of $19 trillion [652.58 trillion baht] to the global economy every year,” he said, adding that technology in Asia is also highly developed.

“Government and private sectors are working to enhance the potential of organisations and personnel to cope with changes,” he said.

He said the government plans to boost the potential of all sectors in order to push Thailand towards sustainability, such as boosting investment potential and bringing research and development knowledge from overseas.

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Phuket gets $1bn electric-transit jolt for expo bid

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2023

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority is ready to start building the first phase of its planned mass transit system in Phuket to support the island province’s bid for the 2028 Specialised Expo, it said on Sunday, adding that it expects to spend 35 billion baht on the first phase of the system.

The agency will hold a meeting in Phuket on Monday and Tuesday to publicise details of the 42-kilometre first phase – from Phuket International Airport to Chalong Intersection – and its extension to Tha Chatchai community.

The two-day meeting will allow members of the public and other stakeholders to express their views and ask questions, the agency added.

The first phase of the electric train system will have 21 stations: 19 at ground level, one elevated and one underground.

The trains will be equipped with backup batteries. They will pass through Thao Thep Krasattri, Thao Si Sunthon Monument and Phuket Municipality.

The maintenance centre will cover 38 rai of land near Lotus shopping centre in Thalang district, between Muang Thalang school and Thalang station.

A parking zone for 200 to 300 cars and motorcycles will be opened at Chalong station.

The agency broke down the 35 billion price tag for the first phase of construction as follows:

1. Land purchases: 1.49 billion baht

2. Civil works: 24.77 billion baht

3. Electric train system: 3.51 billion baht

4. Electric trains: 2.92 billion baht

5. Construction supervision consultant: 1.06 billion baht

6. Provisional expenses: 1.42 billion baht

Thailand launched its bid for Phuket to host the 2028 Specialised Expo in Paris in June last year, highlighting the island’s suitability to host the event under the theme “Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity”.

The Bureau of International Exposition will announce the country that will host the event in June. There are five candidates: the US, Argentina, Serbia, Spain, and Thailand.

Related stories:

Phuket governor drums up support for bid to host 2028 expo

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Purple Line southern section construction to start this year

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New amendments make it easier to set up companies in Thailand

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023

The government has adjusted requirements for the registration of limited partnerships and mergers in a bid to ease the setting up of startups.

Deputy government spokesperson Trisulee Trisaranakul said on Friday that amendments to the Civil and Commercial Code now allow a limited partnership to be registered in the name of two people instead of three.

The amendment was announced on November 8, 2022, and went into effect 90 days later, on February 7.

Trisulee added that the amendment also makes way for modern technology by allowing board meetings to be conducted online and inviting shareholders to a general meeting via online channels instead of announcements in local newspapers.

The amendment also stipulates that the memorandum of association (MoA) will expire in three years if the company does not complete its registration process in time. This move should benefit companies that want to use the same name as listed in the MoA.

The code also acknowledges a new type of business merger – assimilation – in which one company keeps its juristic entity status after merging with another company, which loses its status. Under the new stipulation, merging parties will no longer have to register as a new company after the merger.

The amendment also includes a new protection clause for shareholders. Now, the payment of dividends must be completed within one month after a general meeting or directors’ voting session. Before this, the law did not specify a deadline.

Details of the amendment in Thai can be read here. 

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Thailand’s new 300-baht ‘landing’ fee for foreigners gets go-ahead

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023

The Cabinet on Tuesday greenlighted the 300-baht “landing fee” for foreigners arriving by air, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.

The fee is expected to go into effect from around June 1, or 90 days after it has been published in the Royal Gazette.

The “Kha Yeap Pan Din” (fee for stepping on Thai soil) for foreigners arriving by land or sea will be halved, as people in this group usually only stay for a few days, he said.

Foreigners entering the country via a border pass, those on a one-day trip or those with a work permit will be exempted.

Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports

When the fee was proposed last year, Phiphat said the money earned would be used to buy insurance for foreigners and leftover added to the tourism development fund. The fund will support the building of entrances for the disabled and toilets at tourist attractions.

He said medical expenses incurred by foreigners at public hospitals from 2017 to 2019 have cost the government up to 400 million baht. If the ministry collects this fee to cover insurance, then it will not have to seek a separate budget.

This decision has been slammed by netizens both in Thailand and overseas.

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Power bills could start dropping in May, says Energy Ministry

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023

Power bills for both residential and business users could drop after this year’s second fuel tariff (Ft) adjustment in May, Energy Ministry permanent-secretary Kulit Sombatsiri said on Monday.

Kulit was speaking after a meeting of the National Energy Policy Council (NEPC), which forecast electricity usage will reach a peak in April and start to drop in May.

It also predicted a drop in the price of imported liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the same period, enabling the country to reduce diesel used for electricity generation and substitute it with cheaper LPG.

“These conditions could prompt the Energy Regulatory Commission [ERC] to consider lowering the Ft for the second adjustment period of the year,” said Kulit, adding that the ERC could return to the same rate of under 5 baht for both household and business users.

Currently the household rate is 4.72 baht per unit, while businesses are charged 5.33 baht. The Ft aims to help household users, who use less energy than the business sector, by using natural gas from the Gulf of Thailand to produce electricity for this group, resulting in cheaper power bills.

ERC secretary-general Khomkrit Tantrawanich added that the commission will adjust the Ft based on three core factors: The price of imported fuels, currency exchange rate, and the amount of natural gas flowing from the Gulf of Thailand.

Other factors that could affect Ft adjustment include the amount of the fuel tariff paid to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), which is currently 0.22 baht per unit, he said.

If Egat requires a higher rate to maintain electricity generation, the Ft adjustment in May could result in little change to power bills, he added.

The ERC reviews the Ft every four months – in January, May and September.

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Household power bills to hit 4 baht per unit for first time during May-Aug

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Bleak Expectations: Govt urged to open doors for 1.3 million at-risk youths

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 05, 2023

Nongluck Ajanapanya

The Equitable Education Fund (EEF) is urging Thailand’s government to reform the educational system to make it more resilient and adaptable to students for the over 1.3 million Thai youths not enrolled in school, seeking employment, or training.

Fund director Kraiyos Patrawart took the figure from a recent study by the Thailand Development Research Institute. The study refers to young people between 15 and 24 who are not enrolled in any educational, employment, or training system.

These youths are an underutilised human resource, the EEF said.

“We must find and bring these young people back into the system for development, whether studying in or outside the work system or self-improvement according to the appropriate approach,” Kraiyos said.

According to the study, the 1.3 million young people comprise 10% of the taxable population and 14% of total Thai youth. 

Furthermore, their number is expanding at a 1% annual growth rate, despite the fact that the number of people in this age bracket has declined by 1.2% over the last decade.

Young women comprise 65% of the 1.3 million figure and the main reason they are in the group is that many dropped out of school due to pregnancy.

About 8% of 1.3 million youths comprise housewives who have only completed high school.

According to Unesco, if these out-of-school youths are not brought back into the educational system, the economy will lose 330 billion baht per year, or 3% of total gross domestic product.

Kraiyos noted that Thailand’s education system deteriorated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, because the population is aging, Thailand cannot afford to allow a single young person to fall behind in development.

“We have to find a way to help them now for future positive changes in Thai society,” he said.

He urged the government to broaden access to quality education and diversify educational options, citing a study that found that more than 16.1 million people in the working-age population (15 years and older) have only a junior high school diploma or less.

Kraiyos Patrawart

Although this generation can complete compulsory education, the majority of its members remain informal workers with insufficient skill sets for the job market.

They will experience income insecurity and the lack of social protection for the rest of their lives, Kraiyos said.

“This group of workers needs to be developed from unskilled to skilled workers, which is a worthwhile investment for the country, ” he said, explaining they have the potential to generate more national growth, increase tax collection, and help Thailand escape the middle-income trap.

As the rise of digital technology creates a new model of working, Thailand must conduct an urgent review and develop a concrete action plan to increase the competitiveness of Thai youths, Kraiyos said.

The EEF is working with the World Bank, Thammasat University, and the National Statistical Office to develop policy recommendations for human-capital development in Thailand as part of the “Adult Skills Assessment in Thailand” study.

The study is Thailand’s first survey of the skills and readiness of the young working-age population (16-24 years). It aims to assess their lifelong learning, working, and social-emotional skills.

The study is expected to deliver valuable information to formulate policies and strategies to develop and upgrade skills to meet the needs of the labour market.

The study’s findings are expected to be released in the middle of this year.

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Energy Ministry closely monitoring electricity costs

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 03, 2023

The Energy Ministry will continue monitoring factors that could affect the price of electricity despite a decline in the global price of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said on Friday that the price of LNG had dropped from US$40 per million British thermal unit (BTU) to $17 per million BTU.

However, the price of LNG could increase due to the Russia-Ukraine war and rising demand during the winter.

The ministry has asked state-owned PTT to speed up its purchases of LNG to ensure Thailand buys it while the prices are low, Supattanapong said.

He said PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) had been told to increase natural gas production in the Gulf of Thailand as soon as possible.

PTTEP took over operation of the Erawan gas field in the Gulf of Thailand from Chevron last April. Natural gas production in the field has reached 50% of the production rate Chevron was at, the minister said.

“Natural gas production is expected to increase to 75% of Chevron’s production capacity this year,” he said, adding that the production is expected to return to normal at the beginning of next year.

Supattanapong said higher domestic production would help Thailand reduce reliance on imported LNG.

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Thailand’s ‘little ghosts’ have until end-Feb to leave South Korea

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 03, 2023

Thais working illegally in South Korea are being offered one last chance to return home without having to pay a huge fine, the government announced on Friday.

Deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said more than 100,000 Thai illegal workers, referred to as “Phi Noi” (little ghosts), are working in South Korea and Seoul has set February 28 as the deadline for them to return home.

She added that illegal workers can contact South Korean immigration authorities or visit www.hikorea.go.kr to organise their return.

She said if the workers return within February, they will not have to pay the 30 million won (about 800,000 baht) penalty.

“South Korea opened channels for Thai illegal workers to return home since November 7 last year,” she said.

She said Thais who wish to continue working in South Korea should follow the regulations set by the Department of Employment.

“People should not accept invitations to work illegally in South Korea as they will not be granted welfare,” she said.

She added that illegal workers are open to exploitation, low wages and are forced to lead lives in the shadows.

“If illegal Thai workers return home under this offer, then they will be able to return to South Korea again,” she said, adding that if they do not take the correct steps, they will face difficulties in the future.

For more information, call the South Korean Immigration Contact Centre at 1345 (Thai interpreters are available) or the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul: +82 10 6747 0095, +82 10 3099 2955, email: kumkrong.sel@mfa.go.th, or visit the embassy’s Facebook page.

Related stories:

Widow of illegal worker killed overseas offered job back home

Uncertain future stares at stateless Chiang Rai hilltribes

Illegal workers, employers fined over Bt15m in past 6 months

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Minister pushing for legalisation of vaping devices

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 02, 2023

The government should legalise vaping devices in order to eliminate smuggling of the devices into Thailand and extortion related to their use, Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said on Thursday.

His comment follows rising public confusion about the devices after Bangkok police allegedly took a bribe from a group that included a Taiwanese actress after finding they had vaping devices.

Two police captains and five sergeants from Huay Kwang station are facing disciplinary and criminal charges after detaining actress Charlene An for carrying a vaping device on January 5 and then letting her go in exchange for 27,000 baht.

Former politician and massage parlour tycoon turned whistleblower Chuwit Kamolvisit asked on his Facebook page on Wednesday why vaping devices are still illegal in Thailand even though cannabis was legalised in June of last year.

Chaiwut said vaping devices are used daily by some Thais and are legal in many countries, including the US, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Making vaping devices illegal in Thailand resulted in smuggling for sales both offline and online, as well as extortion, he said.

“We should legalise vaping devices,” he said, adding that the government can generate revenue from taxing them.

Chaiwut, who is also deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), said he would push for vaping device legalisation as part of the party’s platform in the upcoming general election.

“If PPRP is allowed to set up the government again, we will legalise vaping devices,” he said.

Chaiwut said that 12 online lottery platforms had been shut for overpricing so far, but some lottery platform operators were still opposing government regulations. He expects the court to rule on the remaining operators soon.

“It is up to the police and Department of Special Investigation to collect evidence as lottery platform operators may be involved in other issues, such as money laundering,” he said.

Related stories:

Six Bangkok policemen charged with extorting Taiwanese actress’s group

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