#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012557

Thailand is entering an ageing society and a population recession, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has warned.

The population is forecast to shrink over the next 30 years as the birth rate drops lower than the death rate, said the national planning agency.

The NESDC states that Thailand’s population of around 70 million will decline at the rate of 0.2 per cent per year in the next three decades. By 2040, the Thai population is expected to number just 65.4 million people.

The council divides the population decline according to age group.

The number of children (0-14 years) will fall from 11.2 million (16.9 per cent of the population) in 2020 to 8.4 million (12.8 per cent) in 2040.

The number of senior citizens (60 plus) will increase from 12 million (18 per cent) to 20.42 million or 31.28 per cent of the population in 2040.

3. The working-age population (15-59 years) is forecast to decline from 43.26 million (65 per cent) to 36.5 million (56 per cent) in 2040, a drop of 6.7 million.

Meanwhile, the ratio of working-age to elderly people is also declining. The 2020 ratio of 3.6 working-age people per one senior citizen is forecast to drop to 1.8:1 in 2040.

The declining ratio means the government must plan to upskill the workforce and boost automation, said the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

Nonarit Bisonyabut, a senior research fellow at TDRI, said Thailand must focus on more productive workers and technology due to its ageing society. But the government should also look after those unable to adapt to technology, by increasing payments for the elderly and offering a new-born child subsidy, he added.

He urged the government to make three tax changes to prepare for population recession:

Raise the land and building tax and lower the ceiling, while preventing distortions such as registering city land as agricultural plots; introduce a wealth tax; and tax use of new technologies such as robots and drones.

Published : February 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012552

The National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) on Sunday revealed the results of its public survey titled “Dissolve the House: when is the best time?”

NIDA surveyed asked 1,313 participants between February 14 and 17, asking them when they thought the prime minister would dissolve the House of Representatives.

The results were as follows:

– 68.09 per cent said the PM had no plan to dissolve Parliament and would stay on until his term ends in 2023.

– 8.91 per cent said before the no-confidence debate in late May 2022

– 8.23 per cent said after the Apec meeting hosted by Thailand in November

– 6.09 per cent said after two election laws are promulgated around July

– 4.95 per cent said after the budget bill is approved around August

– 3.73 per cent declined to answer or were not interested

Asked for their opinion on when the PM should dissolve the House:

– 58.79 per cent said as soon as possible

– 23.38 per cent said he should not dissolve the House and instead remain in office until the end of his term in 2023

– 5.18 per cent said after the Apec meeting hosted by Thailand in November

– 4.19 per cent said before the no-confidence debate in late May

– 3.81 per cent said after two election laws are promulgated around July

– 3.43 per cent said after the budget bill was approved around August

– 1.22 per cent declined to answer or were not interested

Finally, asked about the stability of General Prayut Chan-ocha’s government coalition:

– 43.11 per cent said there was no stability

– 33.05 per cent said it was not stable.

– 16.38 per cent said it was relatively stable.

– 7.46 per cent said it was very stable.

Published : February 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012549

Saturday’s collision between a tourist train and an 18-wheel trailer truck in Saraburi occurred at an illegal road crossing, according to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).

The train was returning from Pa Sak Jolasid Dam when it slammed into the trailer in Kaeng Khoi district, injuring the train mechanic, truck driver and a passenger.

The SRT stated that it would not be held liable for the accident as the road over the railway at this point was built without permission.

The SRT Workers Union posted photos of the scene, where the trailer was snapped in two by the impact and the truck’s cabin lay on its side.

Railway unions questioned safety measures overseen by the Transport and Interior ministries, SRT and local government.

Thailand has a total of 2,630 railway crossings. Of these, 1,409 have gates, 186 have traffic signs, five have liftable barriers, 195 are railway bridges and 215 are railway underpasses. However, the remaining 620 crossings were set up by villagers, local government organisations or private companies.

The SRT has closed 122 illegal crossings, but locals in many areas have protested that its moves block access points to main roads. Many illegal crossings have thus been reopened.

Published : February 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012550

Thanyaburi Mini Zoo will open in Pathum Thani on March 13 this year, laying foundations for the relocation of Bangkok’s famous old Dusit Zoo.

Set in a public park, the new mini zoo just north of Bangkok will showcase small animals such as spotted deer, hog deer and swamp deer, squirrel monkeys, lemurs, hedgehogs, monitor lizards, and yellow-headed temple turtles, the Thailand Infrastructure Facebook page said.

The public park also features markets to stimulate the economy of nearby communities.

The park will utilise the land before the replacement for Dusit Zoo is completed in 2027, Thailand Infrastructure said.

The Cabinet last month approved a budget of Bt1.1 billion for construction of a new zoo on the royally granted plot in Pathum Thani. The budget will be spent from fiscal years 2023 to 2027.

The Zoological Park Organisation will build the new zoo on a 300-rai plot in Klong Hok, Tambon Rangsit.

The zoo, to be built in honour of His Majesty the King, will be an international-level comprehensive facility with zones for people to learn about nature and the environment and study local and foreign wildlife.

Published : February 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012548

The Social Security Office (SSO) is conducting a feasibility study on setting up a bank to benefit people insured under the social security fund.

The move was ordered by Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin in a bid to gain confidence among the insured, SSO secretary-general Boonsong Thapchaiyut said.

A social security bank would enable users to access funds in line with the government’s policy, he said. The issue will be proposed to the social security board in March and the SSO will report progress to insured individuals, he added.

“The social security committee has received results from an ad hoc subcommittee studying labour claims and set up a subcommittee to study the feasibility launching a Social Security Bank,” he said.

The subcommittees would give transparency to the process, Boonsong said.

He pointed out that the SSO and experts invest in various assets to ensure maximum benefits for those insured under the Social Security Act.

The social security fund had invested 75.71 per cent in safe-haven assets and 24.29 per cent in risk assets, as of December 31. Investment funds totalled 2.28 trillion baht, including 1.44 trillion baht for investment and 834 billion baht interest on investment, he explained.

Boonsong said the insured could be confident that the social security and compensation funds would cover their benefits in the long term.

Published : February 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012547

A planned salinity tax on high-sodium foods will not be introduced this year, the Excise Department has confirmed. The department explained that the new tax would be shelved to allow time for the economy to recover.

Thailand had expected to collect up to Bt88 billion from the salinity tax on food this year. The new tax was proposed as a way of promoting a healthier lifestyle. Thais consume 1.8 teaspoons of salt per day on average – almost twice the daily intake recommended by the World Health Organisation. High salt intake increases blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease.

This year’s tax plans were revised after the Cabinet cut excise tax on diesel by 3 baht per litre this week to combat rising living costs.

The move relieved pressure on the Oil Fund, which is depleted after subsidising energy prices driven up by world market conditions and is unable to borrow more money.

However, cutting the excise tax by 1 baht per litre costs the government 2 billion baht per month.

The Excise Department’s main income is from tax on petrol, vehicles, beer and liquor. Revenue from tax on beer and liquor is still below the target but expected to rise once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted

Published : February 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012546

Saudia Airlines will launch direct flights to Thailand on February 28, Saudi Arabia’s national carrier announced via Facebook on Saturday.

The route will open three months earlier than the May start time announced previously by the airline.

Thai tourism authorities are targeting Bt20 billion in revenue from an expected 200,000 Saudi visitors this year.

“Bangkok is closer than ever. Our first direct flight will take to the skies on February 28 with prices starting from 1499 SAR [about Bt12,850] only,” Saudia said.

The move follows the normalisation of diplomatic ties between Thailand and Saudi Arabia after a 30-year freeze due to the so-called Blue Diamond Affair. The 1989 theft of jewels from a Saudi palace by a Thai cleaner triggered a trail of murders and suspected police corruption in Thailand.

Ties were restored last month when Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha led a state visit to the desert kingdom for talks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the first leader-level talks between the two governments in 30 years.

The visit helped re-establish cooperation between the two countries, including on labour matters. Thai workers are being screened by the KTC Skills Testing Centre in Pathum Thani before being assigned to jobs in Saudi Arabia.

Published : February 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012542

Public Health Ministry reported on Sunday (February 20) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 18,953 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 183 of whom are foreign travellers.

Death toll increased by 30, while 13,962 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 2,712,315 – 2,527,231 of whom have recovered, 162,460 are still in hospitals and 22,624 have died.

Separately, another 61,661 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 39,717 their second shot and 182,283 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 121,583,665.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 423.80 million on Sunday, 348.79 million of whom have recovered, 69.11 million are active cases (82,601 in severe condition) and 5.90 million have died (up by 8,093).

Thailand ranks 32nd in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 80.07 million, followed by India with 42.82 million, Brazil with 28.16 million, France with 22.22 million and the UK with 18.58 million.

Published : February 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012537

About 30 per cent of motorway users have now adopted the new M-Flow toll payment system despite confusion on its launch last Tuesday, senior Transport Ministry officials said on Saturday.

Some 69,000-70,000 cars, or about 30 per cent of the 240,000-260,000 vehicles that travel Motorway No 9 daily, are passing through the M-Flow barrier-free gates, said Inter-City Motorway Division director Thanasak Wongtanakitcharoen.

He expected the number of M-Flow users to increase significantly within two weeks.

The MFlow mobile application is attracting 6,000-7,000 new users every day while MFlow’s Line official account is getting another 10,000 daily applications.

The director also said about 100 motorists per hour were applying to pay the M-Flow toll with their credit cards.

“As the number of users increases, traffic jams at the toll gates will ease,” he said.

Motorists with the older M-Pass and Easy-Pass cards can pass through the M-Flow lanes after they register for the new method of toll payment, according to the official. The barrier-free system allows vehicles to pass through the gates at 120kph.

Many motorists were confused when the new system launched on Tuesday. Some complained the system was complicated and not user-friendly, while others were worried that it could access too much personal information during user registration.

Motorists who use the M-Flow lane without registering could pay the toll at the MFlowThai website, Department of Highways deputy director-general Paitoon Pongchavalit said. They should select “Non-member passing through M-Flow lane” and then key in their car licence plate. A QR code will be generated, enabling them to pay through any mobile banking app.

Motorists can also register for the system through the MFlow mobile app or its Line chat app by adding “@mflowthai” as their friend and then keying in the required information, including credit card number.

Published : February 19, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012536

Thailand’s public health system is reaching a critical point, with hospitals at full capacity and Covid-19 infections rising by tens of thousands per day, a medical expert warned on Saturday.

Dr Chalermchai Boonyaleepun, deputy chairman of the Senate committee on public health, said that if the number of daily cases exceeds 30,000 within the next week or two, finding hospital beds for new patients would be more difficult.

The health system is capable of treating only 120,000 more Covid-19 patients over the next two weeks, he added in a Blockdit social media post.

He suggested that patients with mild symptoms should be moved from main hospitals to field hospitals, as public and private hospitals are now at full capacity treating over 64,000 Covid patients.

Almost 49,000 patients are being treated at field hospitals, so they are still capable of admitting about 50,000 more, he said.

Almost 29,000 people with Covid-19 are in home isolation as they have no serious symptoms. They are provided with medication. The Thai public health system is capable of dealing with 70,000 more such cases, according to Dr Chalermchai, formerly a lecturer at Srinakharinwirot University’s Faculty of Medicine.

“An important principle is that main hospitals should take care of patients with medium to serious symptoms. People with mild conditions should be at field hospitals, and infected people with no symptoms should be in home isolation,” he wrote.

The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 via both PCR and ATK tests has neared 30,000 per day in recent days. Meanwhile the number of cases needing treatment has exceeded 10,000 per day.

Published : February 19, 2022