#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Isolated heavy rain forecast for most parts of Thailand as storm brews

NationalOct 07. 2020

By THE NATION

Continuous rainfall is likely across the country with isolated heavy showers in the Northeast, the East, the Central region, including Bangkok and its vicinity, and the South, the Thailand Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

It warned people in risky areas to beware of severe conditions, and advised all ships to proceed with caution and keep away from areas with thundershowers as waves in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf are likely to be two metres high and more than four metres in areas experiencing thundershowers.

The department also mentioned that a category 2 tropical depression in the South China Sea was moving west slowly. It is expected to move to the Gulf of Thailand by Thursday, bringing isolated heavy to very heavy rain in the lower Northeast, the East, the Central region and the South until October 9.

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

North: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees Celsius and highs of 32-34°C.

Northeast: Cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area and isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 23-25°C and highs of 32-34°C.

Central: Cloudy with thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area and isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 24-25°C, highs of 32-34°C.

East: Cloudy with thundershowers in 80 per cent of the area and isolated heavy to very heavy rain; temperature lows of 24-26°C, highs of 29-33°C; waves 2-4 metres high and over 4 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area and isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 31-33°C; waves 2-4 metres high and over 4 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-25°C, highs of 30-33°C; waves 2-4 metres high and over 4 metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 80 per cent of the area and isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 24-25°C, highs of 32-34°C.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

ERC considering Br2-billion plan to cut electricity bills in 2021

NationalOct 07. 2020

By The Nation

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is planning to give up Bt2 billion from its 2020 return on invested capital (ROIC) to restart a project in 2021 on lowering the cost of electricity.

Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said that excessive reserves of electricity would not be a long-term problem, as the old power plants would soon be removed from the system and electricity reserves would remain at 37-40 per cent of capacity while the normal rate was 15 per cent.

He has also asked the ERC to collaborate with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, the Provincial Electricity Authority and the Metropolitan Electricity Authority in order to lower the cost of electricity production, as demand had dropped by 5 per cent during the pandemic resulting in a 5 per cent increase in electricity reserves.

Komkrit Tantravanich, ERC’s deputy secretary-general, said that the commission acknowledged the Energy Policy and Planning Office’s plan on September 21, and was examining the revenues of three energy organisations.

ERC is considering giving up Bt2 billion in earnings from the ROIC in 2020, which will not affect the administration of those organisations, but further details remain to be discussed since lower electricity usage would also mean lower revenue.

However, the reduction of profits in order to help cut electricity bills would be considered from various aspects.

The management will reflect on the bills between January and April 2021, and the ERC is going to announce more details in December together with a project on reducing the cost of electricity in 2021 to promote electric vehicles.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Krungthai Asset launches new fund to ride economic recovery

NationalOct 07. 2020

By THE NATION

Krungthai Asset Management (KTAM) has launched the initial public offering (IPO) of the Krung Thai Trigger Fund 4 (KT-TRIG4), claiming that the economic recovery was the fund’s supporting factor.

The IPO opened on Tuesday and closes on Thursday.

Chavinda Hanratanakool, KTAM’s chief executive officer, explained that stock markets worldwide, including the Stock Exchange of Thailand, had risen by 30 per cent since March 2020 after the global economy was hit by the Covid-19 crisis.

The situation was a factor in support an investment in the KT-TRIG4, whose IPO is open until October 8, she said. The minimum investment is Bt10,000, but investors cannot sell the unit back in the first six months after the purchase.

The CEO said that the money invested in the KT-TRIG4 would be invested further in equity instruments, hybrid instruments, bonds, deposits, and other securities or assets approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The fund manager can adjust a proportion of investment freely, according to different market situations.

The fund manager will cancel the fund and buy the units back within five working days, in case the value of each unit is Bt10.55 for consecutives three days.

Further information can be found here 

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Grandmother faces charges for offering granddaughter to repay loans

NationalOct 07. 2020

By THE NATION

A 57-year-old woman faces human-trafficking charges for forcing her 16-year-old granddaughter to sleep with a loan shark as well as her friend as a payment for money owed.

The Pattaya resident also faces the charge of prostitution involving a person aged over 15 but below 18.

The case was reported to the Paveena Foundation for Children and Women on September 2 by the suspect’s 33-year-old daughter, who said she had heard about this incident from her relatives and neighbours.

The woman said her mother was a gambler and owed a lot of money to loan sharks. She also said her mother had tried to get her to sleep with creditors, but gave up when she got married.

The foundation took the girl under its custody on September 3 and reported the case to police.

However, the 16-year-old only spoke about the case 20 days later, saying she had been forced to sleep with men who her grandmother owed money to.

She was then taken to Banglamung Police Station to file a report.

On Monday, police told Paveena Foundation that it has collected evidence and has asked Pattaya court to issue an arrest warrant against the loan shark, grandmother and her friend. All three will face human-trafficking charges, while the grandmother will face an additional charge of prostitution involving a person aged above 15 but below 18.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

New Army chief promises to continue with reforms

NationalOct 06. 2020General Narongphan Jitkaewtae 

By The Nation

At a meeting on Tuesday, new Army chief General Narongphan Jitkaewtae announced that he will continue his predecessor’s reform policies and called on unit commanders to abide by the principles of protecting the nation, the religion, the King and the people.

He also called on unit chiefs to boost awareness among their subordinates of welfare and financial services provided by the Army to ensure shooting sprees like the one in Nakhon Ratchasima do not occur again.

On February 8, a soldier shot dead his commander over a property dispute and then stole weapons to go on a shooting spree, killing 30 people and injuring 57 others. The soldier was eventually shot dead by security forces.

Narongphan said the Army will develop an application to help open channels of communication between commanders and their subordinates, adding that the call centre has received few complaints and most problems have already been solved.

“I believe reform means solving something that is imperfect, so we have to continue reforming the Army no matter how long it takes,” he said.

He also called on all Army units to help people affected by natural disasters or outbreaks without waiting for orders, because the Army’s duty is to support the people.

“We also urge the border defence forces to prevent the smuggling of drugs and illegal migrants. The country has 94 border checkpoints and 1,035 natural channels, so the defence forces, police officers and government officials must always be on the alert for incoming threats,” he said.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

School execs to face charges over 54 cases of child abuse

NationalOct 06. 2020

By THE NATION

Police will summon executives of all branches of Nonthaburi’s Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School to acknowledge charges of violating the Teacher’s Act on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Provincial Police Region 1 said investigators have found 54 cases of child abuse in the 10 branches of Sarasas Witaed schools located in areas under its jurisdiction. Up to 30 students had been assaulted, some more than twice.

Up to 13 teachers have been found responsible for the 54 cases and nine have surrendered to police.

Provincial Police Region 1 has also set aside four teams to talk to the students, and ensure all sides receive fair justice.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

New military commander vows no more coups or role in politics, despite joint chiefs being part of Senate

NationalOct 06. 2020From left, Air Chief Marshal Airbull Suttiwan, Army chief General Narongphan Jitkaewtae, military commander-in-chief General Chalermpol Srisawat, Navy chief Admiral Chatchai Sriworakhan and National Police chief Pol General Suwat Jangyodsuk. 

By The Nation

The military will no longer launch coups or play a role in politics, the new commander in chief General Chalermpol Srisawat declared on Monday.

He made this remark at the first meeting of new chiefs of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, namely Army chief General Narongphan Jitkaewtae, Navy chief Admiral Chatchai Sriworakhan, the Air Force’s Air Chief Marshal Airbull Suttiwan and National Police chief Pol General Suwat Jangyodsuk.

The new military commander called on all the chiefs to abide by the government’s and the Defence Ministry’s policies as well as the principles of protecting the monarchy and using the guidelines provided by the King to benefit the country and the people.

People have the right to express themselves as long as these comments don’t affect national security, he said, adding that the military’s job is to protect the country and its institutions.

As for the Army’s move towards politics, he said the military is constitutionally required to protect the country, not to be involved in politics.

However, he did not comment on the role the Armed Forces chiefs play as senators. It has been reported that the chiefs have decided to not be paid for their duties as senators and will contact the Senate Secretariat soon.

The new commander in chief also declared that the military will no longer launch coups because it is not indicated in the Constitution, adding that National Police should be able to provide security during the October 14 political rally.

“Like the public, we believe a democratic government with the King as head of state is not the worst kind of regime. So, we have to think about how to encourage people to use their rights to improve their quality of life,” he added.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Cabinet assigns over Bt5 billion for construction of new Interior Ministry complex

NationalOct 06. 2020Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri Photo credit: Phoeinxproperty.co.th 

By The Nation

The Cabinet has agreed to earmark Bt5.57 billion for the construction of a new Interior Ministry complex covering 18-rai in Bangkok’s Banglamphu area, government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said on Tuesday.

This land comes under the jurisdiction of the Royal Household Property Bureau.

The Budget Bureau has approved the project and will allow the disbursement of Bt900 million from the 2020 budget.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Three students celebrated for standing up against the idea of nationalism

NationalOct 06. 2020

By THE NATION

Pro-democracy group “Free Youth” applauded the three students who were brave enough to question the idea of nationalism and the abnormal state the country is in.

The pro-democracy group on Tuesday posted a clip on Facebook of a student speaking on stage with a soldier standing next to him. The clip had been recorded on October 1 at Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Benjamarachutit School. 

The school had agreed to allow the Army to deliver lectures on nationalism to Grade 7 and 8 students. 

However, after the soldiers finished speaking, three students took to the stage to speak up against the idea of nationalism. 

In the clip, one of the students can be heard saying: “What we have learned today is not the truth. Some points were adapted to celebrate a certain someone.” 

Free Youth said many people have voiced support for the three students and are demanding that they be protected. One of the three students was summoned by the school on Tuesday afternoon. 

The pro-democracy group said problems will not be solved if Thailand continues having military governments and unsuitable charters like the current 2017 Constitution.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Chuan meets US envoy to discuss post-Covid economy, charter amendment

NationalOct 06. 2020

By THE NATION

House Speaker Chuan Leekpai met US Ambassador Michael George DeSombre to discuss bilateral ties and the Covid-19 pandemic both countries are struggling with, said Issara Sereewatthanawut, deputy secretary-general of the Democrat Party.

“The House Speaker first congratulated the ambassador on taking office [on March 2] and applauded him for the work he has done in Bangkok and upcountry that has helped strengthen ties between Thailand and the US. He also commended the envoy for promoting a better understanding of Thai society and culture among Americans,” Issara said. “Chuan also expressed condolences for the US citizens who have lost their lives to the virus, and wished President Donald Trump and other American patients a speedy recovery.”

Issara said Chuan and DeSombre also discussed several topics, including the Thai-US cooperation to restore the economy once Covid-19 has passed and the timeframe for the amendment of the Constitution, which should be part of the agenda when Parliament reconvenes in November.