The secretary-general of the Anti-Money Laundering Office Piyapan Pingmuang has reportedly resigned following an allegation he is involved with Chinese triads in Thailand.
News of Pol Maj-General Piyapan’s resignation was made public by former massage parlour tycoon and politician Chuwit Kamolvisit in a Facebook post on Monday.
Chuwit also attached a photo of Piyapan’s resignation letter to the post.
Chuwit said the resignation came after former Democrat MP Watchara Phetthong urged the Senate to investigate Piyapan and his deputy Theppasu Bavornchotidara for allegedly assisting members of Chinese triad criminal gangs in various illegal operations in Thailand.
However, the letter posted by Chuwit cited Piyapan’s reason for quitting as “health problem”.
Chuwit said he admired Piyapan for his swift decision to resign to ensure a transparent investigation rather than using his position as a shield.
“It is a rare sight among those in power nowadays,” he said. “I hope that his action will become a new standard for all government agencies that fall under scrutiny.”
Last month, Chuwit handed the police information on alleged Chinese triads operating in Thailand. The tip-off quickly led to an arrest warrant being issued for alleged triad kingpin Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant.
Chaiyanat is married to a senior Thai police officer and gained Thai citizenship through the marriage.
He surrendered to police on November 23 and was charged with drug-trafficking. He has denied all charges. On December 9, police seized 3 billion baht in assets allegedly belonging to Chaiyanat, including land, luxury cars and a resort hotel.
Dr Bordin Vongvitayapirom, Senior Manager – Sustainability & Climate Centre of Excellence (S&C COE) at Deloitte Thailand, shares his insights regarding the latest climate change conference.
At the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) held last month in Egypt, many expected to see the development of mechanisms under the Paris Agreement in continuation of COP26, and the progress of countries against their climate commitments. Meanwhile, severe climate impacts around the world in the past year, such as the major flood in Pakistan and devastating wildfires in many countries, heightened the focus of world leaders on damage and loss recovery. These climate crises highlighted the increased pressure for governments to act on their prior commitments in keeping a 1.5°C scenario alive and the urgency to unlock financial support to address its major impacts on developing economies.
Key developments at COP27 can be summed up in 3 main areas: (1) climate finance, which centered around the creation of a “Loss and Damage Fund” and continuing discussions on climate financing under the Paris Agreement; (2) increased emphasis on private actors, especially in the Energy and Carbon Market and; (3) the critical role of new and emerging technologies in green transitions.
Climate Finance as key support for developing countries
The Loss and Damage Fund, with the objective to aid vulnerable countries facing severe climate related impacts, took center stage of COP27. The Loss and Damage finance mechanism will be discussed at the new transitional committee meeting by March 2023. As a developing country, Thailand agrees with the establishment of the fund but still expects to see progress on the previous financial commitment of US$100 billion mobilized by developed countries for climate action in developing countries.
As one of the ten most flood-affected countries in the world, Thailand will need to rely on global funding to absorb the high economic impacts of climate change and to develop infrastructure for climate mitigation and adaptation. Meanwhile, we see a growing domestic ecosystem of private sustainable financing which will be strengthened once the Bank of Thailand’s Green Taxonomy is enforced next year. This will support financial institutions to embed sustainability and encourage the distribution of funds and financial products for energy transition, climate actions, and sustainability-linked projects. The use of these sustainable finance products and loans is an opportunity for private sector to fund their transition to low carbon organization.
Carbon Market Mechanism may become more stringent in the future
COP27 saw some developments in carbon markets, such as on the governing the use of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) with Article 6.2, and clarifications on trading of carbon credits under Article 6.4. At the conference, Thailand highlighted that it is among the first countries to tackle climate change under Article 6.2, through cooperation with Switzerland.
Thailand recently launched its first carbon credit exchange operated by the Federation of Thai Industries with the aim to accelerate the adoption of carbon credits, encourage innovation in emission reduction initiatives and enhance the quality of carbon credits to meet international standards. Companies will need to pay greater attention to the carbon market as the pressure and regulations around carbon neutrality has tightened significantly in the recent years, particularly among buyer countries such as Europe (e.g., CBAM) and other countries with mandatory carbon markets.
Phasing down of all fossil fuels may come sooner than expected
In the past year, unpredictable events such as the Russia-Ukraine war has led to fluctuations in commodity prices and fueled energy crises globally. As an impact of this uncertainty, countries attempted to prioritize their economic and energy security, which stagnated the phasing down of fossil fuels. At COP27, the UN Chief highlighted the need for just energy transition partnerships to accelerate the phasing out of coal and scaling up renewables (UN News, 2022). The proposal for a full phase down of all fossil fuel was not adopted at COP27; however, we can expect further and deeper discussions on this topic in the next COPs. Shifting from fossil fuels to renewables are key solution today; however, the lack of stability and efficiency of renewable resources compared to fossil fuels is the main hindrance for many countries to increase renewable energy production.
Thailand continues to maintain reliance on fossil fuels in power generation to ensure its energy security. However, transition to renewable resources is necessary in the near future as Thailand is depleting its oil and gas reserves and aiming to achieve the Net Zero target. The Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP) 2015-2036 expects to see an increase in renewable energy share, with a target to increase the proportion of renewable energy to 30% of total energy consumption by 2036. Many companies that invest in power utilities are aiming to be part of this energy transition, which will see significant business opportunities in the years to come.
Green technology solution breakthroughs are vital to achieve Net Zero
Scaling up technology solutions for decarbonization and energy transition also took central stage at COP27. It was agreed that actualization of green technology will require components vital to unlock climate finance, stakeholders and partners in green technology development, and pathways for sectoral transformation (Deloitte, 2022).
To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Thailand needs new decarbonization technology. Climate technology solutions such as green hydrogen and Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) which developed significantly over the past years. There are now several key developments in Thailand. For example, EGCO has recently signed an MoU on clean energy with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment and PTTEP has initiated the country’s first CCS project which is expected to commence operations by 2026.
Currently, Thailand has progress in its climate change efforts, but we need more cooperation across sectors, with support from the government on policies and regulatory framework. Meanwhile, Thailand will need to increase its technical capability to unlock climate financing, enhance its market mechanism to match international standards, and develop green solution technologies. The roles of the private sector are more crucial than ever in this transition. Companies should start today by taking actions to understanding their footprint, plan to decarbonize, and explore sustainable finance products to fund the transition. All have a part to play in achieving our climate ambition, and the time to start is now.
New Miss Universe crown a dazzling ‘Force for Good’ in blue
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
The “Force for Good” crown designed and crafted especially for the 2022 Miss Universe was unveiled by Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, owner of the Miss Universe Organisation.
Speaking to the press on Monday, the transgender business mogul, who is also CEO of JKN Global Group, described the crown as a new legacy under her leadership.
The “Force for Good” crown, designed by luxury jewellers Mouawad, represents the graceful incarnation of Miss Universe’s long-standing values as a guiding light, she said.
Anne Jakapong is the first non-American national to own the Miss Universe Organisation. Before her, it was owned by former US president Donald Trump.
“Our ambition is to instil a sense of passion for ‘transformational leadership’, with the firm belief that everyone can lead, be successful and achieve their life goals,” she said.
Anne Jakapong also indicated that the beauty pageant will serve as an inspirational platform for diversity and will give women the opportunity to realise their ambitions. She said her aim is to help the Miss Universe brand evolve into one that is more relevant and appealing to the next generation.
Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip
“The Miss Universe brand is eager to play a key role in engaging people on a journey towards social inclusion, gender equality and sustainability,” she said.
The “Force for Good” crown is the second to be designed and crafted by Lebanese jewellery house Mouawad.
The crown costing close to US$6 million sports 110 carats of blue sapphires and 48 carats of white diamonds with a 45.14-carat royal blue pear-shaped sapphire as its crowning glory.
Fred Mouawad
The crown symbolises “goodness and hope for a brighter future”, said Fred Mouawad, a fourth-generation co-guardian of Mouawad.
He added that the crown is a feat of extraordinary craftsmanship with each of the 993 stones set by hand.
According to Mouawad, the design evokes Miss Universe Organisation’s belief in a future that is forged by women who push the boundaries and advocate positive change.
Natalie Glebova, who was crowned Miss Universe in 2005, said the crown was not just “absolutely stunning” but also represents the women’s strength and power to inspire.
Anne Jakkapong, meanwhile, promises that the upcoming Miss Universe pageant will be a fantastic vision in blue – her favourite colour –filled with meaningful messages and content to empower people across the world.
As for who she reckons will be crowned the world’s most beautiful woman, she laughed, saying the next Miss Universe will be a true icon who is beautiful both inside and outside.
The 2022 Miss Universe will be crowned in the US city of New Orleans on January 14 by last year’s winner, Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu.
Fire damages 40th-floor condo unit on banks of Chao Phraya
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
A condominium unit in a luxury high-rise on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok’s Klong San district was damaged by fire on Monday afternoon, police said.
Police reported damage to the property, but there were no casualties.
Samreh Police Station was alerted at around 1.30pm about the fire on the 40th floor of Saichol Mansion B, a 42-floor condo building on Charoen Nakhon Road in Bang Lampu Lang subdistrict. Officials evacuated more than 100 Thai and foreign residents of the building, while the firefighters put out the blaze in around 15 minutes.
Police said the fire damaged 20 square metres of area inside the bedroom of the condo unit. The damaged items included a large bed and other household items.
Police said the room was rented by an Indian family of five. The fire, which is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, broke out when no one was in the unit. The family would be questioned later as part of an investigation into the cause of the fire.
Three people have died in floods from heavy rains unleashed by a strong monsoon in the South, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said on Monday.
The department said 51,543 families in 1,028 villages in 49 districts of Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Phatthalung, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat are under water.
The strong monsoon over the Gulf of Thailand in the South has pounded the region with heavy rain since Saturday, the department said. The rains are expected to continue until Tuesday.
So far, the following districts in nine provinces are struggling with heavy flooding:
• Surat Thani: Phunphin, Tha Chang
• Nakhon Si Thammarat: Pak Phanang, Muang, Sichon, Chalerm Phrakiat, Chian Yai, Chulabhorn
• Trang: Na Yong, Yan Ta Khao, Palian
• Phatthalung: Tamot, Srinakharin, Kong Ra, Khao Chaison, Pak Phayun, Pa Bon, Bang Kaew
• Satun: Langu
• Songkhla: Muang, Rattaphum, Khuan Niang, Hat Yai, Na Mom, Chana, Bang Klam, Ranot
• Pattani: Muang, Kapho, Yaring
• Yala: Bannang Sata, Than To, Raman, Yaha, Muang, Krong Pinang
• Narathiwat: Sukhirin, Si Sakhon, Rusoh, Rangae, Chanae, Muang, Joh I Rong, Sungai Padi, Bacho, Waeng, Sungai Kolok, Tak Bai, Yi-ngor
Crackdown on loan apps results in arrest of 2 Chinese women, 17 Thais
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
Two Chinese nationals and 17 Thais were arrested in a crack down on the operators of two mobile phone apps that offer loans at a ridiculous interest rate of 2080%.
The Centre for Countering Abuse by Loan Sharks (CCALS) announced on Monday that the ring was allegedly run by two women – Qingmei, 30, and Baolu, 34 – who are now in police custody.
Deputy National Police chief Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn, who also leads CCALS, said the gang ran the Self Service and Krapao Hai Than Mee Yuem (Wallet Providing Loans) apps.
After the initial investigation, CCALS obtained arrest warrants against 22 suspects on December 13 and joined forces with local police stations to search 22 locations in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Chonburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan.
Surachate said the raids resulted in 19 people being arrested, namely two Chinese nationals and 17 Thais.
He said the suspects face the following charges:
• Running an unlicensed loan business
• Charging interest that is far higher than allowed by law
• Intimidating debtors into repaying their debt
Surachate said CCALS has frozen 33 bank accounts with a total cash of 5.29 million baht. Police also seized five savings bank books, three computers, three ATM cards, two mobile phones, four SIM cards, and one network router.
The deputy police chief also said the two apps served as portals to access 40 other lending apps that charge borrowers 40% interest per week, which adds up to 2080% per year.
He said if borrowers fail to repay the debt within seven days, the apps would send them intimidating messages or members of the gang would call and threaten them.
Surachate explained that the two Chinese women were the beneficiaries of the operation and provided funds for the loans. He added that the duo tried to leave Thailand but police managed to arrest them first.
The Krapao Hai Than Mee Yuem app has reportedly been running for about six months and is linked to some 20 bank accounts with about 1 billion baht in circulation.
He said the Self Service app has also been running for six months, with 11 bank accounts and about 1.5 billion baht in circulation.
Surachate believes the money earned from the two apps was laundered from purchasing cryptocurrencies and computer products.
Speaking at the same press conference, Pol Colonel Phadol Chandon, chief of the Economic Crime Suppression Sub-Division 5, said some victims in Chanthaburi and Samut Prakan had complained that they were being threatened by their creditors after they borrowed money through the apps.
Phadol said some 80,000 people have borrowed money via the two apps. Under the app, he said, if a person was to borrow 3,000 baht, they would only receive 1,800 baht, with the remaining 1,200 already deducted as interest. The borrower, however, would have to return the entire 3,000 baht within seven days or suffer threats and intimidation.
EXAT invites bids for building expressway that would improve access to Patong Beach in Phuket
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) on Monday invited bids from private firms for the proposed 14-billion-baht project to build an almost 4-kilometre-long expressway linking Tambon Krathu to Patong Beach in Phuket province.
EXAT governor Surachet Laophulsuk said that bidding documents could be bought from December 26 to January 25 and interested parties should submit their bid envelopes in early March.
The EXAT will take about six months to consider the bids and the winner would be announced late next year.
He said work on construction of the 3.98km Krathu-Patong expressway in Krathu district would begin in 2024 and the expressway would be opened to motorists in 2027.
Surachet said the project would cost around 14.67 billion baht – 5.792 billion baht for land expropriation and 8.878 billion baht for construction.
Currently, the popular Patong beach can be accessed only via a mountainous route that is difficult to drive on for people unfamiliar with the road and accidents happen frequently, especially on the downhill sections. When the road was hit by landslides following heavy floods, access to the beach was cut off for several days during maintenance.
Real estate experts believe the expressway would lead to more development at the beach and the surrounding areas, as it would cut travel time by more than half.
Surachet said the expressway would be a PPP (public private partnership) Net Cost project, meaning the EXAT would pay for the land expropriation and the private firm would bear the construction expenditure, as well as the operation and maintenance cost.
The bid winner would be allowed to collect expressway toll for the next 35 years and ownership of the expressway would be transferred to the EXAT once construction is completed under the Build-Transfer-Operate model.
The expressway will be an elevated road with four lanes in each direction and it would have a tunnel in the middle.
The construction would take no longer than four years.
The governor said the EXAT’s studies showed that the expressway would be used by some 35,000 motorcycles and 36,000 vehicles with four or more wheels a day.
A motorcycle will be charged 15 baht for the toll, a four-wheel vehicle 40 baht, a six-to-10-wheel vehicle 80 baht, and a vehicle with more than 10 wheels 125 baht.
Severe weather conditions keep students at home in Hat Yai
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
Heavy flooding has forced schools in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district to cancel classes until at least Tuesday.
The cancellation was in response to mayor Sakhon Thongmunee’s warning on Monday, urging schools in the district to stay closed until roads are cleared.
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a warning on Sunday, saying that a strong northeast monsoon will prevail across the Gulf and the Andaman Sea until Tuesday.
Heavy rains have been forecast in many places in the lower South, TMD said, while urging people to beware of severe conditions, flash floods and runoffs, especially along waterways near foothills and lowlands.
Apart from Songkhla, other provinces affected are Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Krabi, Trang and Satun.
One man missing after cargo ship, 2 boats capsize in Gulf of Thailand storm
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
One fisherman is missing after a cargo ship and two fishing boats sank in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Surat Thani on Sunday evening. Stormy conditions in the gulf on Sunday also claimed the HTMS Sukhothai, which sank 300 kilometres north off Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The 4th Marine and Coastal Resources Office launched a search and rescue mission on Sunday afternoon after being alerted that two small fishing boats had sunk in Bandon Bay off Surat Thani.
Office patrol boats were joined by marine police vessels and managed to locate and rescue a man and a woman from the sea. However, a 75-year-old fisherman was still missing when the team called off the search at 5pm in fading light, heavy rain and waves of over 2 metres high.
At 5.45pm, Surat Thani’s Chaiya police station was alerted by local fishermen that a large ship was adrift in rough seas and its crew had fired an SOS red flare.
The stricken Santhad Samut 2 was located drifting 2-3 nautical miles of Chaiya district’s Haad Kamnan Beach. The captain of the cargo ship launched inflatable rafts and all nine crewmembers made it to shore safely. They were taken to Chaiya Hospital for first aid before being transferred to a hospital in Surat Thani’s Muang district.
The boat was transporting 36 containers of para wood to Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi’s Si Racha district.
Samui, Pha-Ngan ferry services suspended
The captain told police that the boat was slammed repeatedly by waves up to 4 metres high, causing the containers to break loose and the ship to capsize.
Bandon Bay is enclosed by Koh Samui and Koh Pha-Ngan, where all ferry services have been suspended until further notice. The Thai Meteorological Department forecasts stormy weather in the area all day today.
Mahidol joins up with Juntendo University, Jolly Good Inc to prepare VR teaching material on infectious diseases
MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022
Mahidol University, in collaboration with Japanese innovation company Jolly Good Inc and Juntendo University, has developed virtual reality lessons for its Infectious Diseases Department.
The VR lessons were developed on the back of the virtual international medical seminar, JITMM2022, utilising teaching materials on infectious disease treatment unique to Mahidol University.
In this seminar, a lecturer from Mahidol University gave a remote VR lecture to Japanese medical students and residents with the aim of providing advanced Thai medical technology to Japanese medical educational institutions.
Thailand ranks fifth out of 74 countries throughout the world in the number of hospitals with JCI accreditation (an international standard for evaluating medical care) and has top-level medical care in Asia, in addition to which it possesses advanced treatment technology relating to a variety of infectious diseases. However, due to being an ageing society, Thailand also faces a serious shortage of doctors and medical workers.
Therefore, moving forward, Jolly Good will continue to create VR teaching materials based on Thailand’s advanced medical technology in collaboration with Mahidol University, and beginning with this bilateral medical VR seminar, Jolly Good will work to share information with overseas medical institutions in a variety of situations regarding the advanced level of Thailand’s medical technology and will support efforts to attract overseas medical professionals to Thailand.
This is a collaborative demonstration project between Jolly Good and Juntendo University for the introduction of medical education VR for the purpose of developing medical human resources through the use of VR at Royal Mahidol University and throughout Thailand.
There is a shortage of doctors in Thailand, and it is necessary to provide medical technology At present, more than 20% of the population of Thailand is at least 60 years of age, and demand for the medical industry in the country is increasing. In addition, there is one doctor per 2,000 people, which means that there is a shortage of doctors compared to other countries (one doctor per 800 people in Europe, and one doctor per 600 people in Japan), and the demand for medical workers is increasing.
Therefore, as a national policy, Thailand formed a 10-year strategic plan for becoming a medical hub in 2016, and as related organizations work together to establish advanced medical industry systems, new measures to secure medical personnel are required.
Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip
Fred Mouawad
The Miss Universe 2022 Force for Good Crown
The deputy police chief also said the two apps served as portals to access 40 other lending apps that charge borrowers 40% interest per week, which adds up to 2080% per year.
The Krapao Hai Than Mee Yuem app has reportedly been running for about six months and is linked to some 20 bank accounts with about 1 billion baht in circulation.
Speaking at the same press conference, Pol Colonel Phadol Chandon, chief of the Economic Crime Suppression Sub-Division 5, said some victims in Chanthaburi and Samut Prakan had complained that they were being threatened by their creditors after they borrowed money through the apps.
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