#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Meteorological Dept’s former chief gets jail for being far too lenient with fines

NationalOct 01. 2020

By THE NATION

The Meteorological Department’s former director-general was handed a sentence of three years and four months in jail on Wednesday for causing the department losses of over Bt300 million.

The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases issued this verdict in a case filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) against Suphareuk Tansrirattanawong.

NACC accused Suphareuk of not collecting the correct amount in fines from Technology Operation Group, which had failed to deliver super computers as specified in the contract.

In an earlier case filed against Technology Operation Group by the Meteorological Department, the Civil Court of Southern Bangkok ruled on September 5, 2013 that the company pay a fine of Bt242.52 million and Bt70.06 million in interest.

However, Suphareuk had his deputy negotiate with the company and eventually agreed to take a payment of just Bt4.33 million, which made the department lose Bt308.25 million.

The court found the defendant guilty under Article 157 of the Penal Code, which states that any official who wrongfully exercises, does not exercise or dishonestly exercises any or all of his or her functions causing injury to a person shall be punished with up to 10 years in prison and/or fined up to Bt200,000.

The court initially sentenced Suphareuk to five years behind bars but reduced it to three years and four months because he cooperated with the investigation.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Thailand Post to use electric motorbikes for delivery in bid to cut pollution

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

Thailand Post Co will add electric motorcycles to its fleet of delivery vehicles across the nation next year as part of its effort to use clean energy and reduce pollution, its president Korkij Danchaivichit said.

It has already started using an electric motorbike for parcel delivery at the Laksi and Thanyaburi post offices.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Military convoy ambushed by suspected insurgents in Songkhla

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

Four soldiers were injured when suspected insurgents ambushed a convoy of 15th Infantry Division vehicles in Songkhla province on Thursday morning.

The attack occurred in Thepa district at 11.38am, when an explosion ripped through the convoy. All four injured soldiers were rushed to hospital and the area quickly secured by troops.

Security forces say the insurgents hid explosives by the road and then waited in a hiding spot on the side of the road near Pakbang Lake Resort.

When the vehicles reached the bombs, they triggered a detonator. The four soldiers were wounded by shrapnel from the blast.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Red Planet to make itself visible in Thai skies on October 6 and 14

NationalOct 01. 2020

By THE NATION

The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) announced on Tuesday that Mars will be close to the Earth on October 6 and 14 and visible to the naked eye if the skies are clear.

The institute has also promised to provide a view of the Red Planet via Facebook Live.

Mars will be 62 million kilometres from the Earth on October 6, and its magnitude on that day will stand at around -2.6.

NARIT added that the planet’s surface will be visible clearly through a telescope.

On October 14, Mars and the Sun will be directly on either side of the Earth. This phenomenon, called “Mars Opposition”, takes place every two years and two months.

The Red Planet will be 62.7 million kilometres from the Earth on October 14 and will be visible throughout the night until the next morning.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Korat residents launch hunt for lurking crocodile

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

Many Nakhon Ratchasima locals have joined the hunt for a 1.5-metre-long crocodile that escaped from a crocodile farm after the first attempt to catch it on Wednesday failed.

Earlier this week, residents of Pha Ngat reported to police that they had seen a crocodile swimming in Bua Bueng canal.

They also shared images on social media to raise awareness and began plotting to catch the reptile on Wednesday.

Their plan was to place bait in the canal and then wait to shoot it, which they did, but the crocodile went underwater immediately after being shot.

After the hunting team could find no sign of the predator’s corpse, locals concerned for their safety decided to start hunting for the animal themselves.

Police are investigating to see why the crocodile managed to escape from the farm and if there are more dangerous animals on the loose.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

More people turning assets into cash due to uncertainty over Covid-19, says DPA

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

The Deposit Protection Agency (DPA) said that due to the Covid-19 crisis, more and more people are turning their assets into cash and depositing this money in banks.

Songpol Chevapanyaroj, president of DPA, said on Thursday that 80.82 million people had bank deposits totalling Bt14.67 trillion in Thailand. Most of the deposits are in Bangkok and its vicinity, and close to half of the account holders have Bt10,442 in their deposits. The Northeast has the lowest number of bank deposits, with half of them having no more than Bt1,628 in their account.

The DPA said the number of bank account holders under its protection has risen by 1.38 per cent or about 1.1 million, while the number of deposits under its protection has risen by 8.12 per cent or approximately Bt1.1 trillion compared to the end of last year.

DPA has divided the account holders into three groups:

• Fresh graduates (aged 23 to 35): This group have just joined the job scene and half of them have no more than Bt3,300 in their account compared to an average of Bt65,000 per person. Most members of this group hold more than one account in one or more financial institutions.

• Working people (36-59): This group earns more and invests in assets other than bank deposits. This group accounts for 46 per cent of all depositors, and though this group holds 51 per cent of deposits in the system, half of them have no more than Bt4,900 in their account compared to an average of Bt214,000 per person.

• Retirees (60 and above): This group accounts for 14 per cent of all depositors and hold 38 per cent of the total deposits in the system. About half of the people in this group have no more than Bt7,400 in their account compared to an average of Bt537,000 per person.

Judging from this information, DPA said depositors who have just started working cannot save much during their first three years of work because they are still under debt from the purchase of moveable assets, such as cars or motorcycles. After these have been paid up, they then start investing in real estate.

Depositors in the second group have more money to invest in the stock market, gold, jewellery or land based on their income, while retirees who have no debts after retirement take fewer risks because they do not have much income.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Prayut takes delivery of bogeys for new MRT lines

NationalOct 01. 2020

By THE NATION

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha took delivery of the bogeys for the new MRT Yellow and Pink lines in a ceremony at Chonburi’s Laem Chabang port on Thursday.

The ceremony was also attended by executives from the Transport Ministry as well as representatives of the Northern Bangkok Monorail and Eastern Bangkok Monorail.

Prayut said the new lines will offer commuters more choices, and since they run on electricity, they will not add to the Bangkok pollution.

The Yellow Line will run from Lat Phrao junction to Samut Prakan’s Samrong area, and the Pink Line will run from Nonthaburi’s Khae Rai area to Minburi in Bangkok. The lines are expected to go into operation by 2022.

The 34.5-kilometre long Yellow Line will have 30 stations, while the 30.4km long Pink Line will have 23 stations.

In 2017, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand signed a joint venture with the Northern Bangkok Monorail for the Pink Line and with Eastern Bangkok Monorail for the Yellow Line.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Oak Phansa Fest thrills crowds

NationalOct 01. 2020

By THE NATION

The Oak Phansa Festival in Nakhon Phanom province has once again proved a colourful attraction amid “new normal” measures, with the highlight being nighttime processions of boats decorated with thousands of candles.

Oak Phansa marks the end of Buddhist Lent and this year falls on October 1.

On the occasion, temples across the country hold carnivals. In the northeast, people celebrate with illuminated boat processions.

According to a report, several people in Nakhon Phanom visited the Oak Phansa Festival on Wednesday, shopping and watching boats compete to see which is the most beautiful on the Mekong River. The festival started on September 25 and goes on until October 4.

The boats are decorated with around 5,000 to 10,000 candles, depicting religion-related images, chief among which is the Buddha.

People at Wednesday’s event were required to wear masks and get their temperature checked in this new normal situation.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Policeman rides down one-way street, hits taxi, taken to hospital

NationalOct 01. 2020

By THE NATION

A policeman rode down the wrong way on Thursday, crashing into a taxi despite the taxi driver switching on his high beams to warn the officer to slow down.

Around 1am, police were informed about the accident in Bangkok’s Din Daeng.

At the scene, they found a police motorcycle and its officer lying on the road. They immediately sent him to Rajavithi Hospital.

Chalermchai Winyusak, whose taxi the policeman crashed into, explained that while he ferrying a passenger from Rangsit to Victory Monument, he saw the policeman on the motorcycle approaching from the opposite direction.

He frantically used his high beams to warn the policeman to stop, but the motorcycle subsequently crashed into the front of his car.

The driver was taken to the police station to give a detailed version of the accident.

The injured policeman will be interrogated as soon as he recovers.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Thanathorn accuses retiring Army chief of failing to fulfil his promises

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

Outgoing Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong failed to fulfil his promise of military reform in the aftermath of the Korat mass-shooting, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit said.

The co-founder of Progressive Movement and former leader of dissolved Future Forward Party said not a single step has been taken towards reform in the 236 days since the soldier got his hands on military weapons and began shooting down civilians in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

In a Facebook post, Thanathorn said Apirat’s vow of introducing reform within 100 days was a lie, adding that the general had also failed to keep his promise of delivering documents detailing the concessions granted to private companies without bidding.

Cruel initiation practices still reportedly continue in military bases, he said, adding that low-ranking soldiers were still being abused and there was no sign of improvement.

The Korat shooter, who was caught in a property wrangle with his commanding officer, first shot the officer and two others at the military camp before stealing a Humvee to drive to the mall, where he killed three shoppers and took 16 hostages.

He also shot indiscriminately on his way to the mall and detonated a gas cylinder, claiming 12 lives. As many as 30 people were killed and 57 others injured in this incident. The soldier was shot down the following day.

In his post, Thanathorn said Apirat was a member of the elite, and used the Army to maintain power despite mismanagement of the Army resulting in civilian deaths.

The government, led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha, was slammed by the public for allowing a soldier to easily get his hands on weapons leading to an unnecessary loss of lives.

General Apirat responded by saying legal steps will be taken to ensure weapons can no longer be stolen from military bases.