#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

PTT proposal to hike LNG charge accepted

NationalAug 29. 2020

By THE NATION

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has accepted PTTLNG Limited’s proposal to increase the commodity charge for liquified national gas (LNG), Khomkrit Tantrawanich, ERC secretary-general and spokesman, said.

PTTLNG proposed that the commodity charge be increased to Bt1.4217 per million BTU from the current rate of Bt0.481 per million BTU, which had been used from July 1, 2019 until June 30, 2020.

“The commission considered the proposal and approved the adjustment of LNG commodity charge up to Bt0.5382 per million BTU, to be effective from September 1 until December 31,” he said. “The new rate will be effective in practical terms the moment it passes the stakeholders’ hearing, after which the ERC will let PTTLNG officially announce the new rate.”

The stakeholders’ hearing for the new commodity charge rate of PTTLNG will be held from August 27 until September 2, and can be viewed from the website: http://www.erc.or.th/

Currently PTTLNG is the only agency in Thailand allowed to store and transform natural gas into liquid form. Their terminal is located in Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate in Rayong.

PTTLNG will charge two parts for their service: Fixed cost at Bt18.35 per million BTU, which will be revised every 4-5 years, or by 2022 the soonest, and the commodity cost, which will be revised every year.

The ERC also reported that the price of natural gas that PTT Plc sells to industrial entrepreneurs had gone down continually this year.

“In January the price was Bt261.56 per million BTU, while the price in October is estimated at Bt213.92, in line with the global natural gas price, which could result in reducing the cost for domestic electricity generation,” he said.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Fisheries body sends SOS to PM, says IUU regulations destroying Thai fishing

NationalAug 29. 2020

By THE NATION

The National Fisheries Association of Thailand has urged the government to solve the problem of IUU (Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing) that has been going on for more than six years, and has forced fishermen in 22 provinces to sell more than 2,500 fishing boats.

In a letter to the prime minister, association president Kamjorn Mongkholtriluck, said: “If the problem still persists, we estimate that Thai fishermen might have to sell over 5,000 boats that do not comply with the IUU regulations from the total of 12,000 fishing boats nationwide,” he said.

Kamjorn added that in the past eight months around 3,000 fishing boats had to stop working, resulting in loss of at least Bt10 billion income per month. “This, coupled with the impact of Covid-19, has resulted in loss of supply to the seafood industry with estimated value at over Bt300 billion,” he said.

“Fishermen who have to stop working due to IUU regulations want the government to help relax the regulations, or at least buy the boats from them at 100 per cent price to help them start a career in other fields.

“Furthermore, the association wants the government to fast-track loans to fishermen from Government Savings Bank (GSB) and Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC). The government had promised us Bt5.3 billion a few months ago, but so far the loans are still not ready for disbursement,” he added.

“In the letter, we put forth three demands: amend the Fishery Decree BE2558 with participation of the association’s representatives; establish a national committee chaired by the prime minister to solve fishery problems; dissolve the current committees on illegal fishery and fishery labour,” said Kamjorn. “If there is no response from the government in the next 7-10 days, we will march to Government House to demand a meeting with Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha directly.”

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on, said that the ministry had received the letter and would present the demands to the prime minister within the next week. He also said he had contacted the GSB and BAAC to arrange loans for fishermen as soon as possible.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Yemeni boxer falls to his death from Chiang Mai hotel

NationalAug 29. 2020

By THE NATION

In a suspected case of suicide, a Yemeni boxer reportedly jumped to his death from his hotel room in Chiang Mai province.

Chang Phueak Police Station in Muang district was informed about a man falling from a hotel located on Chang Phueak Road in Sriphum subdistrict at night on Friday (August 28).

Police found the body of Ahmed al-Aidros, 23, a Yemeni national, with multiple injuries caused by the fall.

Police questioned his Thai girlfriend on the fifth floor of the hotel. She reportedly told police that the deceased was a boxer who had been living in Thailand for over two years and had participated in various boxing tournaments throughout Thailand.

“Two days ago, he picked me up from Phuket to go on a trip to Chiang Mai,” she said. “Last night we talked about him being unable to find a boxing job due to Covid-19 before I went to bed, as we were planning to travel to Phrae the next day. Then I saw him walking out to the balcony, probably to smoke a cigarette, I thought, but he never returned until I got up to check and saw that he had already jumped out.”

Police speculated that the deceased might have decide to commit suicide due to the stress of being out of a job.

The deceased’s body was sent to Maharaj Nakhon Chiang Mai Hospital for detailed autopsy to determine the cause of death. Police have also informed the consulate-general’s office of Yemen in Bangkok to contact the deceased’s relatives.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Isolated heavy rains forecast fot the East and South

NationalAug 29. 2020

By THE NATION

The southwest monsoon prevailing over the Andaman Sea and Thailand will bring isolated heavy rains to the windward side of the East and the South, the Thailand Meteorological Department forecast on Saturday (August 29).

Meanwhile, the category 3 tropical storm “Maysak” over the western North Pacific, east of the Philippines, has intensified into a category 4 severe tropical storm. It is expected to move to the Korean peninsula and Japan. This storm does not affect Thailand.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:

North: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 24-26 degrees, maximum 34-36°C.

Northeast: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 23-26°C, maximum 32-36°C.

Central: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; minimum 24-26°C, maximum 34-37°C.

East: Cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temoerature 24-28°C, maximum 32-35°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 24-26°C, maximum 34-35°C; waves less than a metre high and one metre during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-26°C, maximum 32-35°C; waves a metre high and two metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 25-26°C, maximum 34-36°C.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Airport high-speed rail project hits budget snag

NationalAug 29. 2020

By THE NATION

The high-speed rail project to link Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao airports faces a delay due to a budget problem, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said today.The budget to demolish infrastructure to make way for the new high-speed system has not been approved, meaning delivery of the first phase will be delayed from January 2021 to February-March, the SRT announced.

The infrastructure had been earmarked for demolition but contractors would have to wait for approval of the 2021 budget before finishing the job, explained Transport Ministry permanent secretary Chaiwat Thong-Kamkoon on Friday. The budget would be approved before the end of this year, he assured. Contractors had already been hired to undertake the work, he added.

The deadline for delivery of the entire high-speed rail project was October 2021, said SRT deputy governor Sujit Chaosirikul.

Also on Friday, the SRT and Department of Highways signed a memorandum of understanding for the usage of highways during construction activities.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Koh Tao partners with UNDP for youth-led sustainable tourism push

NationalAug 28. 2020

By THE NATION

The holiday island of Koh Tao has partnered with the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) to pioneer sustainable tourism in Thailand once the Covid-19 crisis subsides.

BIOFIN has funded a communications studio with video production and editing equipment at Ban Koh Tao School, so students can present the island’s sustainability story to the world.

The students have already created their own YouTube channel called Tao Noi (Little Turtle) and a Facebook page dubbed “Tao Noi Story”. The channels are raising awareness of Koh Tao people’s efforts and challenges to create sustainable tourism on the island famous for its turtles and other natural riches.

The students said the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the tourist island hard, closing many businesses and putting locals out of work.

However, a recent fact-finding mission by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which runs BIOFIN, revealed Koh Tao’s ecosystem has made a stunning recovery in the absence of tourism.

BIOFIN was formed in 2014 as a global partnership to address sustainability efforts by building a sound business case for increased investment in the management of ecosystems and biodiversity. In Thailand, the National Economic and Social Development Council and the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning helping the BIOFIN mission with the UNDP.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Deputy police chief named as successor for General Chakthip

NationalAug 28. 2020Suwat Jangyodsuk 

By The Nation

Deputy commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police Pol General Suwat Jangyodsuk will replace Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda as new police chief once the latter retires on September 30.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over a Royal Thai Police meeting on Friday (August 28) to consider the appointment of the 12th National Police chief, during which Suwat was named as successor.

Suwat, who retires in 2022, was among the four nominees for the job along with Pol Lt-General Manoo Mekmok, Pol General Suchart Teerasawat and Pol General Chanasit Wattanavarangkul.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

UN calls on Thailand, region to criminalise ‘heinous crime’ of enforced disappearance 

NationalAug 28. 2020Wanchalearm Satsaksit was abducted in Phnom Penh by unknown assailants on June 4 this year, becoming at least the ninth Thai pro-democracy activist to disappear from a neighbouring country since the 2014 coup. 

By The Nation

The UN Human Rights Office said it is profoundly concerned over continuing reports of enforced disappearances in Southeast Asia and has urgently called on all countries in the region to criminalise the act and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

The call comes after Wanchalearm Satsaksit was abducted in Phnom Penh by unknown assailants on June 4 this year, becoming at least the ninth Thai pro-democracy activist to disappear from a neighbouring country since the 2014 coup. Two of those activists – Chatcharn Buppawan and Kraidej Luelert – were last year found dead in the Mekong River on the Laos border, with their bellies disembowelled and stuffed with concrete. Wanchalearm is still missing and his fate is unknown. 

“The time has come to end these heinous crimes in Southeast Asia. Strong commitments are needed by states to achieve that goal through adopting domestic legislation that meets international norms and standards and by fully implementing the Convention, including establishing appropriate domestic institutional mechanisms to investigate allegations of disappearances,” Cynthia Veliko, regional representative of the UN Human Rights Office in Bangkok, said in a statement marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

Only one country in Southeast Asia – Cambodia – has ratified the International Convention, while three others – Indonesia, Laos and Thailand – are signatories but have yet to become states parties.

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has documented at least 1,301 unsolved cases of enforced disappearance in Southeast Asia. 

Almost half of those are from the Philippines. In the past three years, cases of enforced disappearances have been reported in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Indonesia is also dealing with a historical legacy of disappearances, including those committed in Timor-Leste.

“Enforced disappearance is one of the worst possible human rights violations that can be committed, robbing families of the knowledge, often forever, of the fate of their loved ones,” Veliko said. “Families have the right to know and it is the responsibility of every government to urgently resolve these cases, to put in place mechanisms to prevent it from occurring, and to fulfil their obligations under international human rights law.”

The Convention defines enforced disappearance as an “arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place such a person outside the protection of the law.” 

In Southeast Asia, individuals have been targeted for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, the UN Office noted. Victims have included human rights defenders, environmental and political activists, government critics, lawyers and journalists.

“Impunity for this horrific act must end. Timely and credible investigations must be undertaken, the perpetrators must be identified and brought to justice and families provided the right to reparation,” Veliko said.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Dormant case of Maha Sarakham teen’s killing is revived as lawyer promises justice

NationalAug 28. 2020

By The Nation

The case of a teenager’s murder in Maha Sarakham province, which had been frozen since 2019, was revived by prominent lawyer Rachaporn Sirisakorn earlier this week.

The lawyer stepped up to help find justice for the family of 18-year-old Phanthakarn Khorchodklang, who was shot dead in January last year.

The family filed a complaint on Tuesday (August 25) saying that even though a new public prosecutor has been assigned for the case, police have still not made any progress with the investigation.

Mahasarakham police chief Direk Chit-aram said on Friday that the deputy chief executive of the administrative organisation of Lansakae sub-district had submitted himself and the murder weapon to police, saying his son was behind the January 20, 2019 killing.

Direk said the son was duly charged with murder, and police sent the dossiers to the public prosecutor on June 19, 2019. However, the prosecutor returned the files on July 14, 2019, saying further investigation was needed.

The provincial police chief said another request for an investigation was made this Tuesday and witnesses will be investigated on September 4.

He confirmed that nobody had interfered in the case and that the police will deliver justice to the victim.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Lose yourself in Russia’s vast beauty

NationalAug 28. 2020

By The Nation

The startling beauty of Russia’s vast and myriad landscapes is unveiled at CentralWorld in Bangkok this month and next. “The Most Beautiful Country” features 39 of the most exquisite photographic gems selected from a competition run by the Russian Geographical Society.

The exhibition is at Groove Gallery Walk on the mall’s second floor from August 21 to September 20.

Presiding over the opening ceremony were Russian Ambassador Evgeny Tomikhin, Cuban Ambassador Héctor Conde Almeida, and luminaries including Supatra Chirathivat, Suthipak Chirathivat, Watt Chirathivat and Nongnuch Petcharat.