#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Teacher reported for hitting pro-democracy student over video

NationalSep 30. 2020

By THE NATION

Activist Nuttaa Mahattana has vowed to sue a teacher who allegedly punished a student for publishing her verbal attack on pro-democracy students.

On Tuesday, the pro-democracy Facebook page “Bodin Mai In Padetkarn” (Bodindecha does not like the dictator) posted a voice clip of a teacher calling students “very wicked” and “ungrateful” for joining an anti-government demonstration at the school on Friday (September 25). 

Nutta also posted a video clip appearing to show the teacher hitting the student on their hands as punishment.

The incident is thought to have taken place at Bodindecha School in Bangkok. 

The teacher added that the students would achieve no success in life and were too primitive to be corrected by their parents.

Nuttha reflected that if no one recorded violence in schools, the case of Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School would never have come to light. She was referring to clips published last week of a teacher assaulting kindergarten pupils. 

She concluded her post by saying that Thai society should learn from previous cases of abuse, that children have the right to live in safe spaces, protected from physical and mental violence.

Nuttaa has reported the case to Wang Thonglang police station in Bangkok.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Phichit road collapses from constant rain

NationalSep 30. 2020

By THE NATION

Traffic came to a near standstill in Phichit province when a road developed a one metre deep and three metre wide sinkhole on Wednesday.

The road is located in Pho Prathap Chang district, which is close to Yom River. 

Initial investigation showed that constant rain had created a cavity under the road, which then collapsed. 

The area has been cordoned off to avoid accidents.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

THAI to offer special flights to some destinations in October

NationalSep 30. 2020

By The Nation

Thai Airways (THAI) will be providing special flights to London, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Taipei and Hong Kong in October for people who wish to travel outside Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Bangkok-London flight TG916 will take off at 12.50am and arrive at 7.10pm (UK time) on October 4, 11, 18, while another flight to London will take off on October 25 at 1.20pm and arrive at 7.35pm local time.

The Bangkok-Copenhagen flight TG950 will take off on October 4, 11 and 18 at 6.50am and arrive at 1.05pm (local time) and will take off at 6.50pm on October 25 to arrive at 12.35am (local time).

The Bangkok-Stockholm flight on October 14 will take off at 7.05am and arrive at 1.10pm (local time).

The Bangkok-Hong Kong TG638 will take off at 1.55pm on October 21 to arrive at 5.40pm (local time) and at 2pm on October 28 to land in Hong Kong at 5.45pm (local time).

The Bangkok-Taipei TG632 flight will take off at 8.25am on October 8, 16 and 23 and arrive at 1.05pm local time, while the flight on October 30 will take off at 8.15am and arrive at 12.45am local time.

Wiwat Piyawiroj, the airline’s executive vice president for commercial operations, said THAI aims to help people who want to travel to these destinations in the coming month.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

PTT, GPSC to subsidise staff holidays in bid to boost tourism sector

NationalSep 30. 2020GPSC chief executive Chawalit Tippawanich 

By The Nation

Global Power Synergy (GPSC) has earmarked up to Bt18 million to subsidise holidays for its staff as part of the PTT Group’s move to boost Thailand’s flagging tourism sector, chief executive Chawalit Tippawanich said.

PTT’s flagship GPSC will encourage close to 1,000 of its employees to hit the road between October and December, and save receipts to be reimbursed up to Bt2,500 per person.

The GPSC board will also hold meetings in provinces to help generate income for local communities.

Earlier, PTT announced it was allocating Bt18 million to subsidise holidays for its staff to help boost the country’s tourism sector. The company will pay up to Bt5,000 per person for its 3,800 staff members. The programme runs from October to December.

Thailand’s tourism industry, a key engine of its economy, has been severely impacted by the lack of foreign arrivals due to the Covid-19 travel ban.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Police arrest alleged gold robber and his Laotian wife, as police chief bids adieu

NationalSep 30. 2020

By The Nation

A man suspected of robbing 216-baht-weight gold (over 3kg) from a gold shop in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district was transported by helicopter to Chok Chai Police Station for a press conference on Wednesday, presided over by National Police chief, Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda, who bid farewell to the media before retiring on Wednesday.

Chaimongkol Jaiboon-upatam, 38, allegedly committed the robbery on September 27. Police traced him to the Mor Chit terminal where security cameras recorded him taking a bus to Loei province.

Chaimongkol was arrested in Loei province while his Laotian wife Chanda Chanchok, 24, who usually helped him escape, was arrested in Nong Khai province.

On September 27, Chanda was sent to plant evidence near the shop to confuse police before Chaimongkol’s alleged heist.

They left the gold with their friend Suriya in Nakhon Pathom province and met again at the Mor Chit terminal before separating to hide themselves. Suriya was later arrested.

Chaimongkol also allegedly robbed a gold shop in Khon Kaen province on July 26, 2019, taking away Bt7-million worth of gold but managed to hide in Laos before returning to commit another crime.

He was reportedly adept at covering up his fingerprints and vehicle routes.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

World Bank revises Thai GDP forecast for the year to 8 3 per cent contraction

NationalSep 30. 2020

By THE NATION

The World Bank expects Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) to contract 8.3 per cent this year, more than the earlier estimate of minus 5 per cent.

The bank expects the economy to expand by 4.9 per cent next year, with more than two years required for the economy to return to pre-Covid-19 levels.

Kiatipong Ariyapruchya, World Bank’s senior country economist for Thailand, added that political uncertainty was another factor affecting the economy at this time, in addition to the Covid-19 situation in the country or natural disaster.

Pro-democracy protesters gather at Sanam Luang in Bangkok on September 19.

He explained that these factors could lower investor confidence and cause the Thai economy to contract 10.4 per cent. In such a scenario, the economy would grow only 3.5 per cent in 2021, and would take at least three to recover from the virus crisis.

The World Bank also estimates that the economy in the East Asia and Pacific region will grow by 0.9 per cent in 2020, the lowest rate since 1967. It also expects China’s economy to contract by 1.8 per cent in the first half of this year, and by 4.0 per cent on average in the rest of the region.

Political uncertainty is another factor affecting the Thai economy, apart from Covid-19 or natural disaster, says the World Bank.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

First group of Thai workers leave for Israel after Covid-19 outbreak

NationalSep 30. 2020

By The Nation

The Ministry of Labour has sent the first group of more than 200 Thai agricultural labourers to work in Israel in the aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Thiwalrat Angkinan, adviser to the Minister of Labour, and Thienrat Nawamawat, deputy permanent secretary, met and boosted the morale of the Thai labourers at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Wednesday.

Thiwalrat said that due to the pandemic, the ministry had to delay their departure to work overseas. However, the situation has now resolved to some extent. In addition, Thailand has various measures to control the spread of infection. Hence the Israeli authorities are confident that the workers sent this time can start work immediately, she added.

The workers who left for Israel on Wednesday are state-to-state agricultural labourers in two groups: 131 newly hired workers and temporary resettlement workers in Thailand who had delayed their entry into Israel due to the Covid-19 situation since February, and 83 workers whose Israeli employers asked them to return to work, totalling 214.

They left by a charter plane at 11am on Wednesday morning to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

People urged to conserve water as reservoirs running low

NationalSep 30. 2020Somkiat Prajamwong 

By THE NATION

The Office of Natural Water Resources (ONWR) is calling on people to conserve water and refrain from growing off-season rice because the country’s 13 large dams are less than 30 per cent full.

“Four dams in the North, four in the Northeast, two in East, one in the Central region and two in the West are at less than 30 per cent of their capacity,” ONWR secretary-general Somkiat Prajamwong said.

“The country’s 141,489 dams and reservoirs have 42.9 billion cubic metres of water, or are approximately 52 per cent full,” he added.

The office estimates that when the dry season starts in November, the four dams that supply water to the Chao Phraya Basin, namely Bhumibol, Sirikit, Kwai Noi Bumrung Dan and Pasak Jolasid, will only have 6.27 billion cubic metres of water, which is not enough to irrigate off-season rice in the area.

“ONWR will have to carefully manage the use of water in the next growing seasons in case next year’s dry spell lasts longer than expected,” he said.

“We have calculated water for domestic consumption at 18 million cubic metres daily and urge people to conserve water so it does not exceed this amount.”

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Electricity bills to be kept low for large power consumers until year end

NationalSep 30. 2020

By The Nation

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) announced on Wednesday that it was extending discounts on electricity bills until the end of the year.

Khomkrit Tantarawanit, secretary-general of the commission, said ERC wants to offer a reprieve to large power consumers from October to December. The commission will also continue pumping irrigation water until the end of the year.

“The waiver is effective as of September 29 and is expected to help relieve the burden on large power users who have been affected by the economic slowdown,” Khomkrit said.

The measure is in line with the government’s policy to alleviate the load on businesses affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Thai Army gets ready to welcome new commander in chief

NationalSep 30. 2020Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae (left) Gen Apirat Kongsompong (right) 

By The Nation

With simmering political tensions and rumours of a coup, people are keeping a close eye on the Army even as new commander in chief General Narongphan Jitkaewtae gets ready to officially take over on October 1.

General Narongphan, nicknamed “Bie”, was born on January 1, 1963 in Bangkok and completed his secondary schooling at Amnuay Silpa School before joining the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School and Royal Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.

The general’s parents had named him “Montien Kaewtae”, but he changed it to Narongphan Jitkaewtae after graduating from the Royal Thai Army Command and General Staff College.

He started his Army career with the 2nd Infantry Division Queen’s Guard, better known as Burapha Phayak or Tigers of the East, in Prachinburi before taking the position of deputy commander of the 3rd Infantry Battalion at the 31st Infantry Regiment King’s Guard or the Army’s Rapid Deployment Force (RDF). As deputy commander, he participated in the peacekeeping operation in East Timor in 1999-2000.

Upon returning, he was given the post of commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion at 31st Infantry Regiment King’s Guard and then commander of the 3rd Infantry Battalion at the same regiment in 2004-2005.

The general was also tasked with controlling the unrest in Yala’s Than To and Betong districts in 2009, and soon after became commander of the 31st Infantry Regiment King’s Guard.

He became deputy commander of the 1st Division King’s Guard in 2012 and its commander in 2015. In 2018, he served as commanding general of the 1st Army Area and in 2019, he became assistant commander in chief before being made the 42nd Army chief in 2020.