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THAI’s third quarter results show little light ahead

NationalNov 12. 2020

By THE NATION

In response to Thai Airways International (THAI)’s poor earnings in the third quarter of this year, acting president Chansin Treenuchagorn said the airline is doing its best to reduce costs to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 from the previous quarter.

The airline has been providing cargo services in certain routes and also organising special flights to repatriate Thai nationals. It is also placing more emphasis on the domestic market after its subsidiary, ThaiSmile began flying local routes from June 1 this year.

In the third quarter of this year, THAI and ThaiSmile’s passenger production had dropped 95 per cent, while passenger traffic had decreased 97.8 per cent. The average cabin factor was 34.9 per cent lower than last year, when the average factor stood at 80 per cent.

So far, only 490,000 passengers have been transported in the third quarter, marking a drop of 91.9 per cent from 2019. Freight production, meanwhile, was 96.2 per cent lower than the previous year, while freight traffic had dropped 93.6 per cent compared to 2019. The average freight load factor, however, was 91.2 per cent higher than the previous year, when the average stood at 52.2 per cent.

The total revenue earned by THAI and its subsidiaries in the third quarter this year was Bt3.73 billion baht less or 91.7 per cent lower than the Bt41.3 billion earned in the same quarter last year. The main reason for this was that revenue from passenger and cargo transportation had dropped by Bt37.66 billion (95.1 per cent) and revenue from other activities had dropped by Bt1.72 billion (56.2 per cent).

The airline’s total expenses stood at Bt19.38 billion or 59.5 per cent less than the Bt28.48 billion incurred last year, mainly due to reduction in flights.

Fixed expenses, however, remained high, while revenue earned was not enough to compensate for operating loss of Bt15.65 billion, which was Bt12.8 billion or 450.6 per cent higher than the same quarter last year.

THAI and its subsidiaries recorded a net loss of Bt21.53 billion, which was Bt16.85 billion or 360.1 per cent more than the losses incurred in the previous year.

Losses attributed to the owners of the parent company was Bt21.54 billion, representing a loss of Bt9.87 per share compared to last year’s loss of Bt2.14 per share.

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Thai troops quarantined after meeting with infected South Korea soldier

NationalNov 12. 2020Santipong Thampiya

By The Nation

The Army has ordered 177 officers into home quarantine after they attended a meeting in Rayong with a South Korean soldier who tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. The November 2-6 meeting was held in Ban Chang district to plan next year’s Cobra Gold military exercise and was joined by officers from 10 countries. 

The unnamed Korean soldier arrived in Thailand on October 17, spent two weeks at an alternative quarantine hotel in Bangkok and then travelled to Rayong’s Bang Chan district for the meeting. He tested positive after returning to South Korea on Sunday.  

Army spokesman Santipong Thampiya said the 177 Thai officers had been sent home for 14 days of quarantine. Tests on 129 of the officers had come back negative, with 48 still waiting for their results, he added.

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THAI Warehouse Sale proves to be a resounding success

NationalNov 12. 2020

By The Nation

Thai Airways International (THAI) announced on Wednesday that all products put on sale via the TG Warehouse Sale Facebook page have been snapped up.

Related story:

THAI now selling products via Facebook

“We want to thank customers for their response and the company will process the orders as soon as possible,” the airline said, adding that more products will be made available soon.

The move was initiated by THAI’s management team to generate revenue and avoid the wastage of plates and utensils in stock since the number of flights is expected to drop significantly in the next couple of years due to the Covid-19 crisis.

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Ruling party mocks Thanathorn after car mobbed

NationalNov 12. 2020

By The Nation

A spokesperson for the ruling Palang Pracharat Party has mocked Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit after angry yellow-shirt protesters surrounded what they believed to be his car.

“I want to show my support for Thanathorn, to help him wake up and see the future because, in reality, Thailand is developing very fast,” said Thipanan Sirichana, after the incident in Nakhon Si Thammarat on Wednesday.

The royalist protesters mobbed the car and shouted for Thanathorn to “get out of Thailand”, accusing him of seeking to topple the monarchy.

Thipanan asked why Thanathorn had chosen the route when he knew a group of royalists was lying in wait for him.

However, the car’s driver later posted on Twitter that the Progressive Movement leader had not been in her car, which was occupied by five women.

She added that her mother was a lawyer and they were preparing to take legal action against the royalists who had mobbed her vehicle.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Movement said Thanathorn, who is in the South campaigning for candidates in local elections, had cancelled his visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat and will instead visit other provinces.

Nakhon Si Thammarat residents have also issued an apology for the aggressive act, and asked not to be judged based on the actions of one group of people.

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Meteor shower to light up Thai skies from 7pm tonight

NationalNov 12. 2020

By The Nation

The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) on Thursday has said that people should keep an eye out for the Northern Taurid meteor shower that will light up the eastern skies from 7pm onwards.

NARIT said the meteor shower will have five meteorites streaking across the sky every hour with the centre in the Taurus constellation.

“The Taurid meteor shower usually appears between October 20 and December 10 every year, when the Earth crosses a stream of debris created by the 2P/Encke comet. The debris burns up in the atmosphere turning into a streak of light running through the sky,” NARIT said.

People are advised to choose a location where the sky is completely dark to enjoy the meteor shower.

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BMTA labour union decries use of public buses as barriers against protesters

NationalNov 12. 2020

By THE NATION

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) labour union said on Thursday that the police should not be using public buses as barriers in protests because these buses belong to the public and have been bought using the taxpayers’ money.

Boonma Pongma, president of BMTA labour union, said his organisation has handed in its objections to the BMTA director and Transport Ministry. He said using public buses for political purposes may have people thinking that the BMTA is not neutral.

He said police had told the BMTA thrice to provide buses for use as barriers against pro-democracy protesters.

The BMTA was told to provide 22 buses for use on October 14, 44 on October 25 and 55 on November 8.

In the three days, six buses were damaged and the BMTA also lost out on earning during those days because so many public buses had been put out of action. Boonma said BMTA made losses worth Bt66,000, Bt132,000 and Bt165,000 during the three days.

He also said the police should be held responsible for the damages, not protesters.

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Ultra-royalist ex-singer protests charter-change move

NationalNov 12. 2020

By The Nation

Royalist former singer Haruethai Muangboonsri led a small protest outside Parliament on Thursday morning against what she claims is a Jewish-led foreign conspiracy to bring down the Thai monarchy.

Haruethai and around 10 fellow members of the ultra-royalist group Thai Pakdee held up a sign that read “Stop Soros’s draft”.

The sign referred to a draft bill for a constitutional amendment to reform the monarchy that was written by human rights group iLaw, which has apparently received some funding from the Open Society Foundation, a philanthropic initiative of Jewish-American billionaire George Soros.

Last week, in a heated televised debate with a pro-democracy leader, Haruethai asked: “Who is iLaw? Why are they taking money from the American Jewish World Service? How can they take money from Jews?”

Right-wing groups such as Thai Pakdee have sought to discredit pro-democracy protests by claiming they are funded by Soros, the US government or other foreign actors, but have offered no credible evidence for their claims.

A petition to forward the iLaw draft to Parliament was backed by the signatures of more than 100,000 Thai citizens.

It has been tabled for debate along with six other charter-change motions during a special session of Parliament on November 17-18.

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News of Thai embassy in Tokyo putting up exiled anti-monarchist Pavin fake: Foreign Ministry

NationalNov 12. 2020Pavin Chachavalpongpun

By The Nation

The Foreign Ministry has denied reports that the Thai embassy in Tokyo has provided accommodation for Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an anti-establishment academic who lives in self-exile in Japan.

Tanee Sangrat, director-general of the Department of Information and Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the news was fake.

“I want to inform the public that Pavin has not been allowed to stay inside the embassy compound and the mission has not provided him with any accommodation,” Tanee said.

Pavin has been openly critical about the government and the monarchy and has created a Facebook group called Talad Luang to exchange views about monarchy reform.

The activist claims this closed group has close to 2 million followers. The government had closed a previous version of the page, but Pavin set up a new one, which he claims has as many followers as the old one.

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Chong Nonsi canal area will be turned into beautiful walkway by Songkran, promises BMA

NationalNov 12. 2020A: Bangkok governor Asawin Kwanmuang, left, explains BMA’s plan on improving the landscape around Chong Nonsi canal.

By The Nation

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has decided to improve the landscape of Chong Nonsi canal and turn it into a park in time for Songkran next year.

Bangkok governor Asawin Kwanmuang presided over the opening ceremony of the project on Wednesday at the Chong Nonsi Skywalk, overlooking the Sathorn-Narathiwat intersection.

The governor said the plan is to not just improve the drainage of the canal, but also to beautify the area as it is in the centre of the capital and linked with several public transportation routes.

The private sector in the area is also ready to cooperate in developing the area, he said.

The BMA Public Works Department has explored the area and come up with a preliminary sketch. The area will be designed so it is green and connects the business district and surrounding communities with walkways.

A preliminary sketch of the new Chong Nonsi canal.

The Chong Nonsi canal walkway will be about 4.5 kilometres long, and start from Surawong, run through Bang Rak, Sathorn and Yannawa areas before ending at the bank of Chao Phraya River.

The governor said economic growth and increase of population has resulted in the construction of more homes and buildings, cutting down on open, green spaces, which leads to problems like wastewater, air pollution, noise pollution to name a few. Hence, boosting the city’s green spaces is part of BMA’s long-term strategy for the capital.

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Hundreds of pigs squashed to death in grisly Pathum Thani road accident

NationalNov 12. 2020

By The Nation

Hundreds of baby pigs were killed in an auto accident and many others heavily injured when a truck transporting them flipped over in Pathum Thani province at 4am on Thursday.

The accident site was like something out of a horror film, with baby pigs screaming in pain and others lying dead.

The truck driver did not sustain too many injuries and the vehicle was removed at 8am by police from the nearby Khu Bang Luang Police Station

Officers believe the driver fell asleep behind the wheel and ran into a concrete barrier, the impact of which made the truck flip. He faces charges of reckless driving.