#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012385

Wheat has become increasingly popular in Thailand with demand rising to 382 tons per year, said Thongplew Kongchan, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Thongplew said that the Department of Rice, Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna, Maejo University and the Office of Agricultural Research Development have been working together to grow high-quality wheat in Thailand that would be suitable for the international market.

Wheat is a crop suitable for cultivation after the rice harvest, and it can be processed in a variety of ways, which adds to the value. Therefore, we must accelerate the development of wheat production in Thailand, he said.

Nutthakit Khongthip, deputy director-general of the Rice Department, said wheat is a cold-season grain that plays a huge role in Thailand today because it takes less time to cook but provides high nutritional value.

To support wheat cultivation, the department is preparing a manual for growing winter grains in the upper northern region and a manual for the production and processing of wheat grass juice, which is slowly gaining popularity among Thais.

Published : February 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012384

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT)​ has launched a new 30-trip monthly card to help relieve the burden of passengers amid the current economic situation, in keeping with the policy of the Minister of Transport.

The 30-trip monthly pass is priced at 750 baht, excluding the 50-baht price of the card. It will average 25 baht per trip for people travelling between Rangsit and Taling Chan, a distance of 41 kilometres, saving up to only 0.60 baht per km on the Dark Red Line. Non-regular customers without this card have to pay 42 baht per trip for the same distance, the SRT said.

The Bang Sue – Rangsit train has an average of 10,000 passengers per day, which is at a satisfactory level.

Meanwhile, the frequency of trains from Bang Sue to Taling Chan was recently reduced from 20 minutes to 30 minutes from February​ 9 because the section averages only 900 passengers per day, the SRT said.

Published : February 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012382

Cooked meals for dogs are selling well in Kanchanaburi province and one vendor, who previously sold curry and rice, is making as much as Bt1,000 a day.

Surachet Kangsri, who invented the recipe for dogs, said he came up with the idea after noticing that buyers of human food from his stall later made meals for their dogs by mixing rice with other food that he had cooked.

“Human food is not good for dogs’ health in the long run, so I invented a recipe for dogs using good ingredients, like pork and beef of high quality, to create two recipes,” he said.

Once he started selling cooked food for dogs, it became his main source of income, and he quit selling food for humans. He started by using four kilograms of ingredients at the start of each day, but the increased demand for his dog meals now requires on average 10 to 15 kilograms of pork and beef daily.

One plastic box of cooked dog meals sells from Bt15 to Bt50 depending on size, while a pack of frozen meals is priced at Bt60.

Surachet said his products are available at several stalls in Kanchanaburi, and can also be ordered online.

Published : February 15, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012381

The words “work from hotel” and cryptocurrency accounted for 1,600 per cent and 263 per cent, respectively, of total Google searches in Thailand last year, owing mainly to Covid-related restrictions and rising interest in digital assets.

According to Google’s Year in Search 2021 report released on Tuesday, phrases like “new customer codes” were accounted for 50 per cent of searches, while “what to sell online” stood at 44 per cent. These were listed in the category “online lifestyle becoming mainstream”.

Meanwhile, “work from hotel” topped the list of searches in the “looking back at life” category, followed by cryptocurrency at 263 per cent, while 87 per cent looked for benefits of Vitamin D.

In the “staying away but getting closer through technology” category, search for “happy anniversary message” stood at 210 per cent and “sending gifts” at 69 per cent. “Playing online games with partners” was used 250 per cent of the time, while “sending to friends” hit 100 per cent.

In the “seeking truth” category, search for “fake news” reached 200 per cent, while “private information” reached 143 per cent. A 72 per cent surge in keywords “can be trusted” was a clear indicator that internet users want the truth.

More people showed interest in health with the phrase “online doctor’s advice” hitting 122 per cent, while “free delivery” for online shoppers rose to 60 per cent.

Online shopping apps also launched new promotional gimmicks like offering special discounts on specific dates such as 6.6 (June 6), 7.7 (July 7), 8.8 (August, etc. Previously this date gimmick was only used on 11.11 (November 11) ahead of the Christmas holidays.

Under the “internet dependence” category, searches for “5G” hit 235 per cent, while “free internet” stood at 35 per cent.

Economic hardship brought on by the Covid crisis was also apparent with “job nearby” hitting 125 per cent and “urgent loans” being sought 59 per cent of the time.

Published : February 15, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012380

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a hike in the risk allowance for Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) staff in the restive deep South, where insurgency-related violence is flaring.

Ministers green-lighted the PWA’s proposal to raise the monthly risk allowance in the four southernmost provinces from Bt5,000 to Bt7,000. The provinces covered are Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat plus four districts of Songkhla.

The increase will take effect immediately, according to government spokeswoman Trisulee Trisaranakul.

The new rate applies to 211 PWA employees working in 10 branches in areas deemed at risk of attacks by Malay Muslim insurgents.

The hike in risk allowance will cost the PWA Bt5.09 million, increasing its budget expenses from Bt12.72 million to Bt17.81 million.

The PWA said the increase would not affect its financial status or revenue for government coffers.

It added that both PWA office staff and maintenance workers who repair water pipes and other facilities were at risk from insurgency-related violence. The PWA said the hike was in line with other government agencies that have raised their risk allowance for deep South staff, including the Bank for Agricultural and Agricultural Cooperatives, and the Government Housing Bank.

The move comes two weeks after at least 13 small explosions rocked the town of Yala on January 28.

A decades-old separatist insurgency in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat has claimed the lives of more than 7,300 people since 2004, according to the Deep South Watch group which monitors the violence.

Published : February 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012378

The Government Savings Bank (GSB) on Tuesday issued a public warning about fake loans from the state bank being advertised online.

The state bank said it had investigated the website in question after the advert was widely shared via social media.

The website, which GSB declined to name, claimed the state bank was running a “Loans for the People” campaign and anyone could apply to borrow Bt200,000.

“The GSB under the Finance Ministry checked and found that the information is not true,” the GSB said in a statement.

It added that GSB offered no financial product under the name of “Loans for the People” and the website had not provided a link to GSB.

The bank accused the website of deliberately causing public misunderstanding by publishing fake information.

It also asked social media users to stop sharing information from the website. It said that if the people were in any doubt, they could check at the GSB website at www.gsb.or.th, its Facebook page GSB society or call its 1115 hotline.

This is the second time in three months that scammers have advertised fraudulent offers of GSB loans. In December, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry warned the public about text messages offering fake Bt55,000 loans from the state lender.

Published : February 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012367

Police have beefed up security around the Russian and Ukrainian embassies in Bangkok amid their diplomatic rows, a police spokesman said on Tuesday.

Pol Colonel Kritsana Patanacharoen, Royal Thai Police deputy spokesman, said security will be tightened around the compounds.

The two nations have been in conflict after Russia vowed to retaliate if Ukraine, a former nation in the Soviet Union, joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Kritsana said the police are monitoring the situation related to the conflicts and have so far not detected any move that would affect Thailand’s security.

“But the Royal Thai Police cannot be complacent. Both uniform and plainclothes police have been deployed to keep security at the two embassies and residences of their staff,” Kritsana said.

“Although the conflicts have nothing to do with Thailand, the Special Branch Police, the Tourist Police Bureau, the Central Investigation Bureau and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau have been on alert to prevent any untoward incident,” the spokesman added.

He said if people are aware of any incidents of conflicts between Russian and Ukrainian citizens, they can alert police.

Pol Maj-General Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said his superior has ordered a tightening of security around the two embassies although the two embassies have not sought help from Thai police yet.

He said officers from the Special Branch Police, patrol policemen and officials from other security agencies are monitoring the two embassies.

Jirasan said police would also try to monitor citizens of the two nations and would conduct investigations if an untoward incident occurs.

Published : February 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012366

Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting will reduce excise tax on diesel by Bt3 per litre for three months, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

The expected tax cut comes amid protests against the high diesel price by truckers and transport operators. The protesters want the excise tax on diesel cut from 5.99 baht to 0.10 baht per litre for a year. They have threatened to block Bangkok roads if the government does not meet their demands, which also include the energy minister’s resignation.

The price of a litre of diesel is now hovering around the 30-baht limit set by the government.

The current diesel excise tax rate yields about 12 billion baht in monthly revenue for the government (144 baht billion per year).

The source did not reveal when the tax cut would take effect but said it would be promptly published in the Royal Gazette after being approved by the Cabinet.

Published : February 15, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012364

The Department of Health has urged strict anti-virus measures at temples on Wednesday amid fears that Makha Bucha Day worshippers flocking to make merit could spawn cluster outbreaks of Covid-19.

The instruction comes amid a surge of new daily infections, which again exceeded 14,000 on Tuesday.

“We would like to ask religious places to take a Covid Free Setting assessment via Thai Stop Covid 2 Plus platform to gain confidence among devotees,” Department of Health chief Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai said.

He added that 2,797 of 2,997 registered places of worship had passed Covid-Free Setting standards so far.

He asked religious sites to set up temperature checkpoints and socially distanced seating and also to clean their premises and ensure separate preparation of food for monks.

Worshippers were also urged to protect themselves and each other by distancing, mask-wearing, handwashing and temperature checking.

Suwanchai said vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic diseases should make merit online instead of visiting temples.

Published : February 15, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012363

The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) announced on Monday that it is ready to tackle the intrusion of saltwater into the Chao Phraya River and rising sea levels.

Raksak Suriyaharn, MWA’s deputy governor for water production, said on Monday that the National Water Command Centre will monitor sea levels all this week.

He added that MWA has joined up with the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) to conduct a water hammer operation until Thursday to push the salt wedge out of the Samlae Raw Water Pumping Station in Pathum Thani.

MWA is also cooperating with relevant agencies to manage the timing of pumping up raw water, so it avoids saltwater as efficiently as possible.

RID, meanwhile, is also managing the release of water from dams down the Chao Phraya so there is enough force to push out the saltwater.

Raksak said the salinity of water at the Samlae Raw Water Pumping Station on Monday was lower than the 0.25 grams per litre allowed by the World Organisation. Water will only taste salty if the salinity level is above 0.5 grams per litre.

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He added that the tap water in Greater Bangkok will be of normal quality and taste, and that rising sea levels will not affect water production.

MWA will provide updates via Facebook, Line, Twitter and Instagram. People can also check the quality of water in their area via the websites rwc.mwa.co.th and twqonline.mwa.co.th or through the MWA onMobile application.

Published : February 15, 2022

By : THE NATION