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Pro-democracy guard recounts his mysterious kidnapping

NationalJan 18. 2021Mongkol Santimetakul

By The Nation

Mongkol Santimetakul, a member of the pro-democracy protesters’ security unit, on Sunday recounted his kidnapping on Saturday night by a group of mysterious men.

Mongkol’s nightlong disappearance saw members of the pro-democracy group and guards gather outside the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) in Bangkok’s Dusit district on Sunday morning to demand answers.

Mongkol had apparently been pulled into a van as he was walking out of a convenience store on Saturday night by a mysterious man who then proceeded to send out messages on the guard’s phone claiming he was an Isoc officer. 

“All that night, this man kept ordering me to sign a document, which I refused because I could not read it,” he said.

“He also issued threats demanding that I stop participating in pro-democracy rallies.”

Mongkol said there were several men, one of whom spoke in the southern Thai dialect, adding that he had not been tortured.

As for the post reading “help” on his Facebook page, Mongkol said he did not post that message because the group had seized his smartphone, adding that he had to give them his phone password to save his life.

“Later, one of the men said they will drop me off in the border area, but then apologised because they had ‘misunderstood’.

“He then covered my head with a jacket before pushing me out of the van,” he said. “When I removed the jacket, I found myself at Soi Pang Pu 29 in Samut Prakan province and I asked staff at a convenience store nearby to contact my friends to pick me up.”

After Mongkol recounted his experience with the press, an attorney from the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights took him to file a police complaint at the Pak Nam Police Station.

Separately, Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome said this case is similar to the forced disappearance of Thai activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit, who was abducted from a street in Phnom Penh on June 4 last year.

He said Isoc should cooperate with police officers or other agencies to take legal action against those who kidnapped the guard instead of just denying the case.

“I also think the House speaker should consider a draft legislation that will prevent forced disappearances, because this problem has existed in society for a long time now,” he said.

“I would also like to emphasise that we cannot deny abduction cases, because people can be kidnapped at any time.”

Meanwhile, pro-democracy activist Sombat Boonngamanong also wrote in a Facebook post of his experience when he was abducted for nine days. He said abducting people just because they differ in political ideologies is villainous behaviour.

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Rayong infection rate dropping, 8,000 migrant workers next for screening

NationalJan 18. 2021

By The Nation

Health authorities say the rate of Covid-19 infections in Rayong, one of the five provinces under maximum controls, is dropping.

Provincial health officials reported two new cases on Sunday, bringing the total since the outbreak began in mid-December to 564 cases. Of these, 450 have recovered, 113 are still in hospital and only two remain in a field hospital.

Officials said that if no further surge in infections is seen, the virus situation in Rayong will soon be under control.

The two latest cases were traced from an infected van driver who went to several drinking parties and a friend’s house in Map Cha Lao On village, Klaeng district.

Meanwhile, a separate case hunt was launched after a 5-month-old infant was found infected – though its parents, close contacts and hospital staff all tested negative.

Rayong health officials are also preparing teams to screen about 8,000 migrant workers and about 300 food delivery workers at factories in the province.

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ACT opposes appointment as prosecutor of official involved in Vorayuth case

NationalJan 18. 2021Wongsakul Kittipromwong, Attorney-General, nominated name list for prosecutor, which was opposed by ACT

By The Nation

The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) has opposed the appointment of two officials, one involved in the botched prosecution of absconding Red Bull scion Vorayuth ‘Boss’ Yoovidhya, and another facing a criminal investigation.

In an open letter, the ACT opposed the promotion of Nate Naksuk as senior public prosecutor and Poramet Intarachumnum as inspector-general. The ACT called for reconsideration of the decision, warning it might destroy public faith in the justice system.

The list of public prosecutors and senior prosecutors from the Office of the Attorney-General has been sent to HM the King. The list included Nate, former deputy attorney-general, and Poramet, chief of the Thon Buri Litigation Department.

ACT said the decision has caused concern among the public as both prosectors are still under investigation. Nate came under fire for his decision to dismiss the final charge of reckless driving causing death against Vorayuth. Poramet was charged with drunk-driving causing danger to others and reckless driving causing danger to others in August 2020.

In the letter, the ACT urged the attorney-general to reconsider the appointments and clarify the reason behind the decision which could stain its reputation as the defender of justice.

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Bangkok reports 575 infections since Dec 20

NationalJan 18. 2021

By The Nation

A total of 575 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Bangkok since the new outbreak began on December 20, said City Hall on Monday. Of these, 431 are Bangkok residents and 134 are from other provinces.

Most of the infections were contracted either from close contacts at home, from visiting entertainment venues or red-zone provinces, and at large gatherings, said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

The BMA highlighted the 445th case, a female businesswoman, who mostly stayed home and ordered food via delivery applications. However, she went out with a friend on January 3 to grab dinner. Her friend sneezed at her while not wearing a mask. After learning on January 6 that her friend had contracted the virus, she visited hospital for a test and was confirmed infected with Covid-19 on the morning of January 8.

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Thai retailers plead for hourly staff rate, protections after 12% contraction

NationalJan 18. 2021

By THE NATION

The Thai Retailers Association is pleading for government help after Covid-19 sent the retail index plunging from 2.8 per cent growth in 2019 to a deficit of 12 per cent last year – its first ever two-digit contraction.

Association chairman Yol Phokasub asked the government to allow hourly employment in addition to monthly employment in the retail sector. Hourly employment would protect least 52,000 positions and could be expanded to 200,000 in the long term, he said.

Meanwhile the government should grant soft loans to SME operators and farmers, through retail platforms accessible to them, said Yol.

He also urged the government to collect VAT and import duty from imports sold in the e-marketplace in Thailand. The Thai e-commerce market, which is worth around Bt300 billion per year, should be managed to ensure fairness and protection for domestic SMEs, he added.

The association also pushed the government to stimulate the domestic market by focusing on customers with purchasing power. It also urged imposing duties on certain imports, especially lifestyle products.

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Aid measures for insurance firms, policy holders extended to June

NationalJan 18. 2021

By THE NATION

Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) is extending the deadline for its measures to help insurers and insurance businesses that have been hit by the Covid-19 outbreak to June this year.

“The OIC board has agreed to extend the measures introduced when Covid-19 first hit Thailand early last year. These measures were to expire in December 2020,” OIC secretary-general Suthiphon Thaweechaiyagarn said on Monday. “OIC’s legal committee is reviewing the details. Once that is completed, the measures will be announced and become retroactively effective from January 1 to June 31.”

The measures that OIC rolled out last year include:

• Allowing insurers to delay the payment of insurance premiums by 60 days. More than 420,000 applied for this aid.

• Allowing casualty insurance premium to be paid in instalments. Over 1.1 million have applied for this measure.

• Allowing temporary suspension of coverage under accident insurance for tour operators and tour guides. About 6,200 have applied for this measure.

• Allowing travel and transport entrepreneurs to pay insurance premium in instalments. Over 26,000 entrepreneurs have applied for this.

• Allowing changes in coverage of casualty and car insurance. Over 255,000 insurers have applied.

• Allowing car insurance premium to be paid on daily, monthly or quarterly basis instead of yearly basis. Over 10,500 insurers have applied for this measure.

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ERC keeps rates low to encourage building of new EV charging stations

NationalJan 18. 2021

By THE NATION

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said it will determine the new rate for charging electric vehicles (EV) once the time period for the current rate of Bt2.63 per unit is over.

ERC secretary-general Komkrit Tantravanich said the EV charging rate had been set at Bt2.63 per unit because it wanted to encourage relevant agencies to set up more EV charging stations in the provinces.

He said ERC will determine a new, more permanent rate once more stations are set up.

Meanwhile, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has been studying the setting up of new charging stations to see whether they should be a collaboration between Egat and petrol-station operators, or a standalone sub-station.

Egat assistant governor Jiraporn Sirikum added that her organisation will focus on the construction of quick-charge stations in the provinces to encourage people living upcountry to opt for electric vehicles. She also said details of the charging-stations operations should become clearer within this year.

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Automotive industry expects slight rise in sales this year

NationalJan 18. 2021

By THE NATION

The automotive industry estimates this year’s sales to come in at 840,000 vehicles marking a rise of 6 per cent compared to 2020, though it will depend on how fast the economy recovers from the new wave of Covid-19 infections.

“Last year’s total sales was expected to come in at 790,000 vehicles, or 20 per cent less than the previous year due to the outbreak,” said Charnchai Trakarn-udomsuk, president of Mazda Sales Thailand. “As for this year, the company expects total sales to hit 840,000 units, a slight increase from last year, because the country is still struggling with the new wave.

“Mazda will strengthen its line-up for this year with the new BT-50 pro-pickup truck, which should help push the company’s sales past the 50,000 milestone or rise 27 per cent year on year,” he added.

Meanwhile, Phongsak Lertrudeewatthanawong, deputy managing director at MG Sales (Thailand), agreed that the auto market will witness sales of up to 840,000 units this year, with the most popular choices being small vehicles and pick-up trucks.

“MG will launch a new electric vehicle to add to our ZS EV and EP series,” he said. “We will also build an additional 600 quick charge stations nationwide to ensure our users have access to a comprehensive charging network, while urging normal car owners to switch to electric vehicles.”

Toshiaki Maekawa, president of Tri Petch Isuzu Sales, said the auto market has been improving gradually since September last year, especially in the small truck and pick-up truck sectors due mostly to the expansion of e-commerce and home-delivery services.

“Many people have returned home after losing their jobs in big cities and started new professions in agriculture or delivery, which has driven up the sale of pick-up trucks for commercial use,” he said. “However, the sale of large trucks is still low because the export industry is struggling under the Covid-19 restrictions imposed by foreign trade partners.”

As for motorcycle markets, Shigeto Kimura, president of AP Honda, said the sale of motorcycles rose slowly in the last quarter of 2020, coming in at 1.52 million units all year.

“This year, we expect sales to come in at 1.54 million units or a 1 per cent rise despite the new wave of Covid-19, since we believe in the government’s measures to keep the outbreak under control.”

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FDA rejects claim by private hospital on registration of Covid-19 vaccine

NationalJan 18. 2021

By The Nation

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a private hospital’s claim that the state agency was taking three months to register Sinovac Covid-19 inactivated vaccine.

FDA secretary-general Dr Paisan Dankhum said that there is a registration for Sinovac by Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO), not from the hospital. The FDA also had never been contacted by the private hospital, except registration for approval of vaccine reservation on January 11.

The FDA is responsible for reviewing the vaccines that will be used in Thailand, which must be evaluated before use. To be suitable for Thai people, the vaccine will be evaluated for quality, safety and effectiveness. A person who wants to register must show documentary information to assess the qualifications of the vaccine in all three areas, after which the FDA is ready to fully facilitate registration.

The secretary-general added that the FDA was aware of the current situation regarding the Covid-19 epidemic and had adjusted operating guidelines to allow all types of health products to meet the needs of people during the period, including offering advice or answer questions all the time.

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SRT expects to deliver land for airport high-speed rail link by Feb

NationalJan 18. 2021

By The Nation

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is hastening the delivery of land for the three-airport high-speed railway link, with construction scheduled to kick off within this year.

The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee said that CP Group is currently studying SRT’s study and is expected to confirm the layout by next month. The project will link Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports.

Meanwhile, CP has said the entrances in some stations, such as Pattaya, Sri Racha and Chonburi, are not large enough considering population density, which will cause traffic jams.

“CP has to spend time designing, adapting construction details. If the layout adjustment is not completed, construction for the first phase – Suvarnabhumi-U-Tapao – cannot begin in time even if land is delivered in October. The contract stipulates that construction of the project has to be completed in five years from the date of land delivery. Land for the Phya Thai-Don Mueang section is expected to be delivered by October 2023,” an EEC source said.

As for expropriation of land, SRT has had to apply for permission again amid the new wave of Covid-19 infections, and due to the outbreak, it will take time for officials to enter the areas being expropriated.

The contract, expected to be drawn up by January 20, will detail the plots of land being taken, how much owners will get for it and when. Those who do not accept the compensation have the right to demand that SRT conduct another survey. Negotiation for the land plots is expected to be completed by August.

Meanwhile, contracts for areas around Suvarnabhumi Airport are not very clear because the land to expropriated overlaps with areas under the Highways Department jurisdiction.