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Baht expected to weaken today

NationalOct 29. 2020

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 31.26 to the US dollar on Thursday, weakening from 31.18 at close on Wednesday.

The Thai currency is likely to move between 31.20 and 31.40 on Thursday, said Jitipol Puksamatanan, senior director of the chief investment office at SCB Securities.

The financial market was in the “risk off” state again, after some European countries decided to lock down temporarily to prevent Covid-19 from spreading further. Meanwhile, the Stoxx 600 index decreased by 2.9 per cent, the S&P 500 index dropped by 3.5 per cent and the VIX index reached 40 per cent for the first time since June 11, he noted.

This market situation pressured US and German Ten-Year Treasury yields to lows of 0.77 per cent and -0.62 per cent, respectively.

The dollar however strengthened by 0.8 per cent, causing the gold price to drop by 1.7 per cent. The price of WTI crude oil also decreased, by 5.6 per cent in one day, due to investors’ concern about oil consumption amid the present Covid-19 situation, Jitipol said.

The Australian dollar weakened the highest compared to other currencies, while the Japanese yen was considered safer than the US dollar, he said.

In Thailand, the baht would weaken today, in line with the global financial market, he predicted.

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THAI Smile adjusts flights to avoid lanterns

NationalOct 29. 2020

 THAI Smile Airways has adjusted its flight schedule on the Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai routes during the Loy Krathong Festival, also known as Yi Peng in the north, from October 30 to November 1 to avoid floating lanterns.

“For passengers travelling to these destinations, please recheck your flight schedule before the departure dates and manage your time for an unusual check-in queue time and traffic congestion in the cities. We apologise for this inconvenience,” the airline said on its @ThaiSmileAirways Facebook page.

The adjusted flights are as follows:

Bangkok-Chiang Mai flights

October 31

> WE102 depart 7am, arrive 8.20am

> WE104 depart 7.35am, arrive 8.55am

> WE116 depart 3.45pm, arrive 5.05pm

November 1

> WE116 depart 3.45pm, arrive 5.05pm

> WE160 depart 11.20am, arrive 12.05am

Chiang Mai-Bangkok flights

October 31

> WE103 depart 9.15am, arrive 10.35am

> WE105 depart 9.45am, arrive 11am

> WE117 depart 5.55pm, arrive 7.15pm

November 1

> WE117 depart 5.55pm, arrive 7.15pm

> WE161 depart 1.15pm, arrive 2.50pm

Bangkok-Chiang Rai flights

October 30

> WE130 depart 7.40am, arrive 9.15am

October 31

> WE130 depart 7.40am, arrive 9.15am

November 1

> WE130 depart 7.40am, arrive 9.15am

Chiang Rai-Bangkok flights

October 30

> WE131 depart 9.50am, arrive 11.20am

October 31

> WE131 depart 9.50am, arrive 11.20am

November 1

> WE131 depart 9.50am, arrive 11.20am

For all flight schedules, visit www.thaismileair.com. For more information, contact Call Centre 1181, 0-2118-8888 or email customer.service@thaismileair.com.

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Isolated heavy rains, strong wind forecast for upper Thailand

NationalOct 29. 2020

By THE NATION

Keep your brolly at hand as the rainy season still hasn’t passed: isolated heavy to very heavy rain and strong wind is likely over upper Thailand, while strong southwesterly winds prevail over the South and the Gulf and will bring isolated heavy showers there, the Meteorological Department said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, category 3 tropical storm Molave has downgraded into a category 2 tropical depression over Ubon Ratchathani and is expected to further downgrade into category 1.

The department warned people in risky areas to beware of severe conditions that may cause flash floods and water runoff. It also advised small boats to stay ashore while all ships should proceed with caution and keep away from areas with thundershowers in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf as waves are expected to be 2-3 metres high and above 3 metres in thundershower areas.

Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Cool weather with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area and isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 21-24 degrees and highs of 28-30 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 10-15 degrees Celsius.

Northeast: Cool weather and strong wind with widespread rain and isolated heavy to very heavy rain; temperature lows of 19-21 degrees and highs of 24-28 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 12-15 degrees Celsius.

Central region: Cloudy and strong wind with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area and isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 28-29 degrees Celsius.

East: Cloudy and strong wind with thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area and isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 28-30 degrees Celsius; waves 2-3 metres high and over 3 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area and isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 30-33 degrees Celsius; waves 2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Cloudy with thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area and isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 27-32 degree Celsius; waves 2-3 metres high and over 3 metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 29-31 degrees Celsius.

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Court accused of govt bias as Move Forward MP suspended for ‘media involvement’

NationalOct 28. 2020

By The Nation

A court ruling to absolve 29 ruling coalition MPs but suspend an opposition MP over involvement in the media business caused outrage among pro-democracy netizens on Wednesday.

The Constitutional Court ruled that 29 coalition lawmakers were innocent of accusations they had stakes in media companies. However, Thanwarin Sukkhapisit, an MP for the opposition Move Forward Party, was suspended for what the court ruled was a lack of clarity over the accusation.

Six other MPs who were facing the same charge – three from the coalition and three from the opposition – resigned before the ruling.

The verdict triggered a wave of criticism on social media, where netizens accused the court of pro-government bias.

Move Forward was born from the ashes of the Future Forward Party, which was disbanded after the Constitutional Court ruled in February last year it had received illegal funding from its leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.

Thanathorn was also disqualified as an opposition MP last November, after the court said that his 675,000 shares in V-Luck Media Co violated the Constitution.

The Election Commission (EC), which brought the case, cited rules against media influence during the election campaign.

Thanathorn said he sold the shares to his mother on January 8, but there was no record of the transaction at the Business Development Department.

The court then ruled that Thanathorn still possessed V-Luck Media’s shares on the day that the names of list-MP candidates were filed to the EC.

The dissolution of Future Forward triggered pro-democracy protests that resurfaced four months ago with demands for the government to step down, the military-scripted Constitution to be rewritten and the monarchy to be reformed.

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Cabinet backs plan to set up reconciliation committee

NationalOct 28. 2020Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha 

By The Nation

The Cabinet has agreed that a reconciliation committee should be set up to find a way of resolving the ongoing political crisis, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said after attending a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

He said the committee will be appointed by the House and will include representatives of different parties, the Senate, members of Parliament and pro-democracy activists.

The Parliament’s two-day extraordinary session held to seek a resolution to the ongoing political unrest was wrapped up on Tuesday.

Pro-democracy activists have been holding protests demanding the prime minister’s resignation, amendments to the charter and reforms to the monarchy.

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Rattanakosin residents hear back from MRTA about expropriated land

NationalOct 28. 2020

By The Nation

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) has responded to complaints from residents of a historic Bangkok neighbourhood who say they have not been compensated for land expropriated to build a mass transit line.

Residents of Sam Yot posted signs demanding to be remedied for land requisitioned around the neighbourhood’s rail station to construct the Southern Purple Line extension.

The MRTA responded on Wednesday, announcing it was currently expropriating land for the Purple Line extension in several districts in and around Rattanakosin Island, including Phra Nakhon where Sam Yot is located. Construction work is expected to begin at the end of 2021.

The MRTA said the complaint covered land owned by the Crown Property Bureau. It said it had coordinated with the Royal Property Office and received approval to expropriate land in the area.

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EU launches €5m project to protect Asean biodiversity from illegal loggers

NationalOct 28. 2020

By The Nation

The European Union has announced a project to help Asean countries reduce illegal logging by strengthening sustainable and legal forest management, improving governance and promoting trade in legal timber.

The €5-million (Bt183.4 million) “Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade in ASEAN” project will be run over the next three years by the European Forest Institute.

Southeast Asia is among the world’s major deforestation hotspots, and ranks among the highest in terms of severe biodiversity loss.

Between 2005 and 2015, the region lost about 80 million hectares of forest, a rate of deforestation which would result in over 40 per cent of its biodiversity disappearing by 2100.

Forests are a major source of livelihoods, food security and material production for a significant percentage of the 650 million people in Southeast Asia.

The new anti-logging project will support the EU’s existing Plan for Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) in Asean. It covers Indonesia and Vietnam, with negotiations still ongoing with Laos, Malaysia and Thailand.

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Baby killed, parents severely burned in Prachinburi trailer accident

NationalOct 28. 2020

By The Nation

A trailer truck flipped over due to a brake and engine malfunction in Prachinburi province early on Wednesday, killing a one-month-old infant and severely burning a man and his partner.

Police were notified of the accident just after midnight and called for help from firefighters and rescue volunteers.

The trailer was almost entirely engulfed in flames after its petrol tank exploded, and the man and woman trapped inside could not be pulled out until firefighters were able to get the flames under control. They are severely burned and being treated at Nadee Hospital.

Their month-old infant was found dead on the road. Police believe the three were a family and the infant flew out of the windscreen when the trailer flipped.

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Floating lanterns can cause blackouts, explosions, warn electricity agencies

NationalOct 28. 2020

By THE NATION

Electricity authorities are calling on people to not launch floating lanterns near high-voltage power lines and substations during Loy Krathong, which will be marked nationwide on Saturday.

Rerngchai Khongthong, deputy governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, said all agencies are seeking cooperation on this matter.

“Launching floating lanterns near power lines and substations can be dangerous as they can get entangled with wires and result in serious malfunction or blackouts in vast areas, possibly affecting businesses and other public infrastructure,” he said.

“The fire could also cause sparks and explosion, putting the safety of nearby people at risk.”

Last year, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) banned the use of floating lanterns during Loy Krathong, and announced that vendors selling them in areas with tall buildings would face up to three months in jail and/or Bt6,000 in fine.

BMA has yet to announce regulations for Loy Krathong this year.

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Cabinet extends state of emergency for Covid by another month

NationalOct 28. 2020

By The Nation

The Cabinet has agreed to extend the state of emergency to curb the Covid-19 pandemic by another month from the end of October, deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Wednesday.

This is the eighth time that the state of emergency has been extended.