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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013827

Many street vendors and taxi drivers said they are not satisfied with government measures aiming to cushion low-income earners from the impact of rising oil prices, a survey conducted by The Nation has learned.

The global price of crude oil has surged due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Those surveyed said they wanted the government to freeze the price of all necessities, not just cooking gas and NGV or LPG for taxis.

Street vendors told the reporters that they want the government to offer additional subsidies to low-income earners, while taxi drivers said the reduction of fuel prices was “too little”.

The government recently launched subsidies to help low-income earners for three months from May to July, including a discount on cooking gas and gas for vehicles.

Anusorn Thamajai, former dean of Rangsit University’s Economics Faculty, however, said three months was “too short” a period for the measures to make an actual difference. To have a palpable effect, he said, the measures should be extended for at least six months.

“The Russia-Ukraine war is expected to linger on, so immediate measures will only deal with the problem temporarily,” he said.

The academic also called on the government to update its database on people below the poverty line, so financial assistance goes to those who are actually affected.

Published : March 25, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013824

The Bang Pa-in–Nakhon Ratchasima motorway’s new gates and exits will be ready in time for the Songkran exodus, a senior official said on Friday.

Chitpol Lao-an, director of the 2nd Nakhon Ratchasima Highways District, inspected the construction of the new gates and exits and said he was confident they will be opened in time for the long holidays.

In fact, he said three gates and exits on the motorway should be open for service by next Saturday (April 2).

The first gate will be for Nakhon Ratchasima-bound traffic near Kilometre 65 marker on Mittraparp Road in the province’s Pak Chong district. The second will link the expressway to the Sikhiu-Chiang Khan elevated road in Sikhiu district and the third gate is in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Kham Thale Sor district, he said.

Chitpol said the gate and exit in Kham Thale Sor should absorb about 25 per cent of traffic from Mittraparp Road or about 25,000 vehicles daily.

Published : March 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013823

A joint House-Senate panel has amended the bill on kratom, making it now legal to sell the herb and related products online.

Dr Sanhapoj Suksrimuang, Palang Pracharath Party MP and secretary of the panel, said these changes were made when the committee met on Wednesday.

The panel had been created to iron out differences after the Senate made significant changes to the bill, which had been passed by the House.

The government had earlier delisted kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) from the narcotics list and decriminalised the use and sale of kratom leaves and related products. However, no law was enforced to regulate the sale. The Justice Ministry later submitted the national kratom bill to the House, seeking to regulate the business.

Sanhapoj said the meeting on Wednesday amended 11 Articles in the version that had been passed by the Senate.

For instance, Article 4 defining the meaning of “kratom” was amended to cover the leaves as well as tea brewed from the leaves and extract, the secretary said.

The panel also adjusted Article 9 to state the goal of the bill to cover the protection of people’s health and promote the processing of kratom leaves as products from the Senate’s version, which promoted kratom as an economic crop and only allowed traditional use of the herb.

Sanhapol said the panel also adjusted Article 24 to ensure sellers clearly the Public Health Ministry’s regulations, that the sale of kratom leaves is prohibited to persons below 18 years of age, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, etc.

The panel also changed Article 25, so the herb can now be sold online, Sanhapoj added. This article also says that the justice and public health ministers have the authority to decide where and how kratom can be sold, with details to be announced later.

Article 34 has also been adjusted to state that violators of Article 25 would face a fine of 100,000 baht instead of 50,000 baht.

Article 37, which states that people who coerce, force or abuse their power to force others to consume kratom will be subjected to a maximum of one year in jail and/or a fine of 100,000 baht, was also adjusted. The Article now says that anybody who forces people under 18, pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers and other individuals protected by the Public Health Ministry to consume kratom will face double the penalty.

Sanhapoj said the joint panel will hold more meetings to vet the remaining articles.

Published : March 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013819

Police raided the offices of a major online lottery vendor on Friday as part of moves to stamp out the chronic overpricing of government lottery tickets.

In the crackdown on Blue Dragon Lottery, police confiscated 2 million lottery tickets from its head office in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district and a branch office in the Northeast Loei province.

PM’s Office Vice Minister Seksakol Atthawong, who joined the Nonthaburi raid, said 1.8 million lottery tickets were found inside a safe in the office.

Seksakol heads the PM-appointed working group tasked with tackling the problem of lottery overpricing. He added that another 200,000 tickets were found in the Loei search.

He said an initial investigation showed that the company, which has assets of more than 100 million baht, is not eligible for a lottery quota but has amassed large amounts of lottery tickets from existing quota holders and small sellers.

“We will thoroughly scrutinise this company to determine if any wrongdoing was committed such as money laundering or illegal gambling,” he said.

Meanwhile, assistant National Police chief Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakparn, who led Friday’s search in Nonthaburi, said the company sold lottery tickets for 90 to 105 baht each, which is far higher than the legal price of 80 baht per ticket.

He said the raid aimed to collect evidence as part of a police investigation for legal action against the company. Police will determine if the company actually holds the lottery tickets it sells online, otherwise, it will be charged with public deception.

Also, if it turns out the company is not an authorised distributor of lottery tickets, it will face illegal gambling charges, Surachate added.

Published : March 25, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013818

In a bid to discourage the practice of harvesting and selling unripe durians, Thai authorities issued a statement reminding sellers that it is a criminal offence and carries a penalty of up to three years in prison. Repeat offenders will also face a much harsher penalty.

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry on Friday told durian growers, harvesters and middlemen that it is against the law to sell durians that are not fully developed.

According to the Penal Code, any seller who deceives the buyer about the origin, nature, quality or quantity of goods will be jailed for up to three years and/or fined a maximum of 60,000 baht.

The Consumer Protection Act also prohibits sellers from providing false information about the source, condition, quality or essence of goods or services. If found guilty, the violator faces a jail term of up to six months and/or a fine of no more than 100,000 baht. Under this law, repeat offenders will face twice the penalty.

Earlier, the ministry had instructed its Department of Agriculture Extension and provincial agricultural offices in Trat, Chanthaburi and Rayong provinces – Thailand’s key durian growing areas – to ensure only ripe durians are harvested.

The authorities have set a harvesting schedule for popular durian varieties this year. As per schedule, the “Kradum” variety can be harvested from March 20, “Chanee” and “Puang Manee” from April 10 and “Mon Thong” from April 25.

The authorities have also set a minimum level of dryness of flesh to determine the fruit’s ripeness – at least 27 per cent for Kradum, 30 per cent for Chanee and Puang Manee, and 32 per cent for Mon Thong.

These measures are the latest attempt to protect Thailand’s reputation as the best source for durian, dubbed the “king of fruit”. Unripe durians have pale flesh and do not taste good. Thailand earns several billions of baht every year from the export of durian.

Published : March 25, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013816

Thailand on Friday joined the majority of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) members in passing a resolution that called for an end to the violence in Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine a month ago and thousands of lives have been lost since then.

The resolution received 140 votes, calling for an end to the violence, respect for international humanitarian laws, access for aid, and protection of civilians in Ukraine.

Thailand is among seven Asean countries that voted in favour, five countries (Russia, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea and Belarus) voted against and 38 countries (including Vietnam, China, India and Iran) abstained.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) leaders virtually on Thursday, accusing Russia of launching phosphorus bomb attacks in the country.

Zelensky also warned that Russia’s neighbouring countries are in danger.

Before casting the vote, Supark Prongthura, Thailand’s ambassador and charge d’affaires to the United Nations, made the following statement:

Published : March 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013815

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Friday urged Thai Airways (THAI) to exercise utmost caution when flying its Boeing 737-800 planes.

The warning was issued after a Boeing 737-800 flown by China Eastern Airlines crashed on March 21. The China Eastern Airlines MU5735, flying from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed in southern China killing all 132 people on board, including nine crew members.

CAAT director-general Suttipong Kongpool wrote to THAI listing measures the airline should take when flying Boeing 737-800 planes to prevent a similar accident. The measures are:

• Exercise more caution and instruct staff to follow the plane’s instruction manual strictly.

• The airline’s safety division should analyse and assess risks posed by THAI’s Boeing 737-800 planes.

• The airline should monitor reports on the cause of the accident as well as information from Boeing and follow its advice accordingly.

• The airline should monitor and follow the advice offered by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Published : March 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013805

The government insisted it was tackling dangerous PM2.5 smog as part of the national agenda on Thursday, two days after being sued over pollution levels in Thailand.

On Tuesday, environmental groups including Greenpeace filed a lawsuit against three government agencies – the Industry Ministry, National Resources and Environment Ministry and National Environmental Board – accusing them of failing to protect citizens’ right to clean air. PM2.5 haze, which regularly blankets Bangkok and other large cities, is linked with premature death from lung and heart conditions.

On Thursday, the government insisted its agencies had launched various measures to tackle pollution, including monitoring vehicle emissions, a ban on burning sugarcane, ridding forests of flammable material and tackling smog in neighbouring countries.

New vehicle emission standards to reduce black exhaust smoke will come into effect on April 13, it said.

“Meanwhile, the government has asked the Asean Secretariat to extend the plan to tackle smog in neighbouring countries for another five years and introduce joint Asean key performance indicator [KPI] to reduce hotspots in the region by 20 per cent this year,” said a spokesperson.

Standards for PM2.5 pollution were also being improved, they added.

Among the accusations in the lawsuit filed on Tuesday was that Thailand’s safe limit for PM2.5 remains too high at 50 micrograms (mcg) per millilitre of air when the WHO says it should not exceed 15mcg.

The government went on to say that air pollution situation is improving gradually thanks to its actions.

“From November 1 last year to March 15, PM2.5 readings in Bangkok and surrounding areas exceeded the [50mcg] standard 26 times, down 61 per cent compared to 67 times for the same period in the previous year,” the government said.

“Meanwhile, air pollution in 17 northern provinces between January 1 and March 15 this year exceeded the standard on 38 days, down 45 per cent compared to 69 days in the previous period.”

Citing data from the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, the government said that the number of hotspots in Thailand between January 1 and March 15 this year was 31,082, down 61 per cent.

It added that further progress was necessary to control air pollution, such as reducing fires in forest and agriculture areas, and smog in neighbouring countries.

“Meanwhile, cooperation from every sector is necessary as everyone can cause air pollution,” the government said.

Published : March 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013798

The government will spend Bt80.24 billion to subsidise 10 measures to ease the burden of high living costs for three months amid the fuel-price crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, said Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow on Thursday.

Supattanapong said 49 per cent of the budget (Bt39.52 billion) will come from the Oil Fuel Fund, while 44 per cent (Bt35.22 billion) will come from the Social Security Fund. For the rest, 5 per cent (Bt3.74 billion) will come from the central budget, while 2 per cent (Bt1.76 billion) will be contributed by state-owned oil firm PTT.

The measures will run from May to July and are as follows:

1. Bt100 cooking gas subsidy for 3.6 million state welfare card holders.

2. Bt100 cooking gas subsidy for 5,500 vendors with state welfare cards.

3. Bt250 per month subsidy on gasohol for 157,000 motorcycle taxi riders registered with the Department of Land Transport.

4. Retail price of natural gas for vehicles (NGV) to be capped at Bt15.59 per kilogram.

5. NGV to be sold at Bt13.62 per kilo to about 17,000 taxi drivers under the “NGV for Same Breath” scheme.

6. Bt0.22 per unit subsidy for about 20 million households that use less than 300 units of electricity from May to August.

7. Diesel capped at Bt30 per litre until the end of April after which the government will cover half the price increase.

8. Price of cooking gas to be regulated from April to June and subsidised through the Oil Fuel Fund.

9. Contributions to the Social Security Fund under Section 33 will be reduced from 5 per cent to 1 per cent, covering 11.2 million employees and 490,000 employers.

10. Contributions under Section 39 will be reduced to 1.9 per cent while contributions under Section 40 will be cut to Bt180 per month. There are about 1.9 million people under Section 39 and 10.7 million under Section 40.

“The government estimates that about 40 million people will benefit from these measures,” said Supattanapong. “The priority groups are low-income earners and public transport providers since they are likely to be most affected by the energy price crisis.”

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Published : March 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013796

Vorasit “Pla Wan” Issara, owner of Phuket’s ultra-luxury Sri Panwa resort, narrowly escaped death along with three friends when his Bt30-million Bentley crashed and rolled several times before bursting into flames on Phetkasem Road in Phang Nga province on Thursday night.

Police at Thai Muang station were alerted to the accident at around 7pm. Witnesses said they saw the luxury car losing control at speed then flipping several times before coming to a rest in the middle of the road. Four occupants then exited the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames.

All four reportedly suffered only minor injuries, while police are investigating the cause of the accident and the fire.

This is the second time in the past 12 months that Issara has been involved in a serious car crash.

On March 14 last year, Vorasit was badly injured when his Subaru sports car smashed into a power pole on Sakdidet Road in Phuket’s Wichit subdistrict. He was trapped in the driver’s seat and had to be pried out using hydraulic equipment before being sent to hospital where he was treated for a brain injury. He later made a full recovery.

Vorasit, 41, is the managing director and face of Sri Panwa resort on Phuket’s east coast. Sri Panwa was built by the Charn Issara Group, a company run by his family. As the third-generation heir of the wealthy Issara family, Vorasit spearheaded the Bt6-billion investment on 80 rai to create the luxury 52-unit resort. During Covid-19 outbreak, he turned Sri Panwa into an ultra-luxury “quarantine” facility to serve high-spending tourists and celebrities visiting Phuket.

Published : March 25, 2022

By : THE NATION