Two cases of new Covid-19 subvariant found in Thailand
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023
One Thai and one foreign national have been infected with a new Omicron subvariant – XBB.1.5 – that emerged from two lineages of the Covid-19 subvariant, the Medical Science Department announced on Wednesday.
Both have recovered and no one they came into close contact with contracted the new subvariant, Dr Supakit Sirilak, the department’s director-general, told a press conference.
The department has reported the two XBB.1.5 cases to GISAID, a global science initiative that provides access to genomic data of influenza viruses.
XBB.1.5 is a descendent in the XBB lineage, which is a recombinant of two BA.2 descendent lineages.
From October 26, 2022 to February 12, 2023, 33,219 sequences of the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant have been reported from 54 countries (excluding low-coverage sequences).
Most are from the United States (73.7%). Other countries reporting the subvariant include the United Kingdom (6.6%), Canada (5.3%), Denmark (1.0%), Germany (2.65%), Ireland (1.0%), and Austria (1.5%), the World Health Organisation said at the end of last month.
There have been no indications so far that XBB.1.5 – when compared to other subvariants – causes more severe symptoms or poses a greater public health risk, Supakit said.
XBB.1.5 has been spreading fast in the US since the beginning of December, he said.
In Thailand, the BN.1 subvariant is still the dominant virus, and it is unlikely that XBB.1.5 will replace it here, he said.
BN.1 is a descendent of the BA.2.75 Omicron subvariant, Supakit said.
He advised members of the public to continue to protect themselves by wearing face masks and washing their hands frequently.
Those who have not received a Covid-19 vaccine in the last four months should get a booster shot, especially the elderly and those with health conditions that make them more likely to get severe symptoms from a Covid-19 infection, Supakit said.
‘Benz Daemon’ arrested at Suvarnabhumi over Macau online gambling website
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023
Businessman Chaiwat “Benz Daemon” Kajonboonthavornt was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday night for allegedly running an online gambling operation and money laundering.
He was arrested by immigration police on his return from Hong Kong.
The 38-year-old businessman is one of the four suspects allegedly linked to the Macao 888 online gambling website.
Chaiwat is the eldest of four brothers recently accused by actress Arisara “Due” Thongborisut in a Facebook post of running an online gambling website. In her post, she hinted that all the brothers had nicknames starting with “B”.
The suspect was taken to Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) office in Nonthaburi province at 11pm for more than an hour of interrogation.
The suspect’s lawyer, Phisit Chutipornpongchai, told the press after meeting with CCIB investigators at 12.30am on Wednesday that Chaiwat faced a hard time during interrogation on his alleged Macao 888 financial transactions.
“Chaiwat became stressed during the interrogation,” he said, adding that he was also suffering from an underlying disease.
He added that the police had not questioned Chaiwat about physical assault on Arisara, the suspect’s ex-girlfriend.
“Chaiwat denied being involved in the Macao 888 online gambling website,” he said, adding that the suspect is ready to fight the charges against him.
He added that there were no bail negotiations as it was a criminal case.
Bangkok on flood alert as heavy rain falls across 15 districts
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023
Fifteen districts across Bangkok were hit by moderate to heavy rain on Wednesday, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)’s Flood Control Centre reported.
The unseasonal thunderstorm dumped rain in Lat Krabang, Min Buri, Khan Na Yao, Bueng Kum, Suan Luang, Bang Na, Prawet, Saphan Sung, Lat Phrao, Wang Thong Lang, Chatuchak, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok Yai, Phasi Charoen and Taling Chan.
Lat Krabang recorded the highest rainfall of 62.5 millimetres.
Low to moderate rainfall is forecast in Bangkok and surrounding provinces of Prachinburi, Nakhon Nayok and Chachoengsao until Friday.
The BMA said rain is expected in 60% of Bangkok and its environs, with strong winds in some areas.
Temperatures would range from 24-26C to a maximum of 30-32C, it added.
The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning of thunderstorms in upper Thailand until Friday (February 17). It forecast temperatures will also fall by 1-3C. It cautioned residents to beware of large trees and unsecured billboards and advised farmers to prepare against crop damage.
Wind and waves in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea will also rise until Sunday (February 19).
Waves in the lower Gulf will rise from 2 metres to 2-3 metres in storms and ships are advised to proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers.
Areas covered by the weather warning:
February 15
North: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Lamphun and Tak
Northeast: Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram and Surin
Central: Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Suphan Buri, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Bangkok and its vicinity
East: Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Sa Kaew, Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat
South: Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon
February 16-17
North: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Sukhothai and Tak
“Plant Trees – Get Mushrooms” Strategy convinces farmers to save forests
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023
Chulalongkorn University successfully planted trees in the forests in Nan and Saraburi provinces through innovative seedlings with ectomycorrhiza fungi, motivating villagers and farmers to “plant trees and get mushrooms”, for extra income.
Thailand’s forests are sadly dwindling. Many of the areas in the country have been denuded and degraded forest areas where restoration seems to be impossible. Although many sectors have tried to campaign for reforestation, it has not been easy.
This is because reforestation takes a very long time and, most importantly, requires the cooperation of local villagers to continue the task of planting and maintaining the forests.
The Faculty of Science and the Center of Learning Network for the Region (CLNR) Chulalongkorn University have tried to find ways to motivate villagers to become a coalition of growers and forest guards.
The answer to this problem lies in Ectomycorrhiza fungi.
“We asked villagers to plant a forest with Dipterocarpaceae trees that will not only grow into forests but also produce many kinds of “mushrooms” around the base of the trees as by-products to help better the livelihoods of villagers and Thai farmers,” said Assistant Professor Noppadol Kitana, Director of CLNR, on the success of ecological restoration projects in forest areas in Nan and Saraburi provinces with a seedling innovation that has ectomycorrhiza.
Assistant Professor Noppadol Kitana, Director of CLNR
The Beginning of Ectomycorrhizal Seedling Innovation in Forest Restoration
Nan is one of the northern provinces that used to have abundant forests. But in recent years, as a result of modern development, the forest area has been encroached on and denuded. More than 2,000 rai (3.2 square km) of Chula’s property in Wiang Sa district, Nan province used to be a deciduous forest as well.
Assistant Professor Jittra Piapukiew, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University
CLNR reveals that the concept of forest restoration started in 2008 with a local science project to study applied environmental solutions.
At that time, Assistant Professor Jittra Piapukiew, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chula came to research and experiment with seedlings containing “ectomycorrhiza” to restore forests in Nan Province.
“We started with the culture of ectomycorrhiza in the laboratory and then propagated them to Dipterocarpaceae seedlings in the nursery. After 4-5 years of growing Dipterocarpaceae trees, mushrooms appeared on the base of the trees. Later in 2011, we expanded the research project to Chula’s property in Saraburi province, where there are degraded forests as well,” said Noppadol.
Mycorrhiza and trees – an inseparable relationship in ecosystems.
Jittra, an expert and researcher on ectomycorrhiza for more than 20 years, describes the uniqueness of “Mycorrhiza” fungi that the name is derived from the word “mycor” meaning “fungus” and “rhiza” meaning “root”.
Mycorrhiza, therefore, refers to the symbiotic relationship between fungi and plant roots. Mycorrhiza fungi find water and minerals, deliver them to plants, while plants photosynthesize them, and then create food, sending them down to the roots where fungal fibers abound.”
Apart from feeding the plants, fungi also keep plants healthy by preventing diseases from microorganisms. And it has been found that plants with mycorrhiza grow well, are drought and acidity resistant, resulting in a high rate of survival.”
According to current research, it is known that mycorrhiza plays a very important role in forest ecosystems because the underground mycorrhiza fibers that spread throughout the forest are a network through which trees in the forest communicate with each other about food and various chemicals used for growth and survival.
This is also known as the “Wood Wide Web” which allows us to learn that the forest ecosystems communicate through these mycorrhiza fiber networks.
Mycorrhizae can be divided into two types: ectomycorrhiza, a fungus that grows around the plant root and the plant root cells, and endomycorrhiza, which is a fungus that grows in plant cells.
“Ectomycorrhiza is essential to the ecosystem as they cohabitate with the roots of forest trees such as Dipterocarpaceae genus, such as resin trees (Yang Na/Dipterocarpus alatus), Yang Daeng (Garjan/Dipterocarpus alatus), Hiang (Dipterocarpus obtusifolius), Ta-khian (Hopea odorata), Pluang (Dipterovarpus tuberculstus Roxb.), Payom (Shorea roxburghii), Teng (Siamese Sal/Shorea obtusa), Rang (Shorea siamensis), etc. Fagaceae trees, Pinaceae trees, and Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) trees.
Moreover, these fungi create mushrooms, which are the sexual reproductive structure from the right moisture and temperature as their flowers, creating spores to propagate and perpetuate in the circle of life,” explained Jittra.
Plant trees for mushrooms – a Strategy for Sustainable Forest Restoration
Jittra explains that after 4 years of planting Dipterocarpaceae plant seedlings with ectomycorrhiza there will be mushrooms around the trees. At first, there will be mostly the sickeners mushrooms (Russula emetica), and in the following years, when the trees become larger, the number of mushroom will decrease, but there will be more variety on a seasonal basis.
For example, barometer earthstar mushrooms (Astraeus hygrometricus) will be found in late summer, early rainy season, or around May. In the rainy season, the most common mycorrhiza mushrooms are various types of Amanita vaginata mushrooms, the sickeners, toadstool, bolete, chanterelle, etc., The moisture content in the soil determines the type and variety of mushrooms. In addition, when the forest is more fertile, other mushrooms that are not mycorrhiza are formed, such as Termitomyces, Lentinus polychrous, and Lentinus squarrosulus, etc.
“Barometer earthstar, Amanita vaginata, Russula emetica, etc. are mycorrhiza that are expensive because they cannot be grown, but only develop around tree roots in the forest. These mushrooms grow in deciduous forests with Dipterocarpaceae trees, so if you want mushrooms, you have to plant these trees,” said Jittra.
In addition to the northern region, Jittra said that the reforestation methods in this project can be applied to reforestation in many areas throughout Thailand.
For Jittra, Dipterocarpaceae is a “magical tree” that not only generates additional income for villagers but is also one of those trees that helps to cope with climate change as well.
Forest – Mushroom – Human in a symbiotic relationship
The villagers’ lives are already tied to the forest, and mushrooms are part of the community’s lifestyle. The villagers know mushrooms, the characteristics of edible mushrooms, the seasons for collecting mushrooms, where to find mushrooms, etc. It is not difficult to connect the knowledge of the villagers with forest conservation.
Noppadol said that CLNR has held workshops for the villagers on this topic on how to plant trees and then get mushrooms in 4 years. Moreover, the center also cultivates Dipterocarpaceae seedlings which are home to mycorrhiza mushrooms, and many villagers have obtained them to plant.
“We want the villagers to be able to live in harmony with nature. When they understand the relationship between fungi and trees, they will help to grow and preserve forests and benefit from the forest. Mushrooms can also be eaten and sold for a living,” concluded Noppadol.
Agencies and interested parties can contact for free seedlings containing Ectomycorrhiza! at the Center of Learning Network for the Region (CLNR), Khaeng Khoi District, Saraburi Province, and Muang Nan District, Nan Province.
Valentine’s Day is not just a day of love for couples, survey finds
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023
A recent survey shows that most Thais believe Valentine’s Day is not just for couples, but also to express love for their family and friends.
The survey, conducted jointly by the Culture Ministry and Suan Dusit Poll, covered 6,207 respondents from different income groups and educational backgrounds.
The aim of the study was to gauge the Thai public’s views towards the “Day of Love” and it showed that for many (35.72%) it is not that important. Many also advised the Culture Ministry to use Valentine’s Day to conduct community service, like planting trees or launching a blood donation drive.
The poll results released on Tuesday also showed that most respondents want children to also be taught about safe sex.
Here are some questions posed in the survey:
Who do you want to express love for on Valentine’s Day?
• 74.27%: Parents
• 43.21%: Girlfriend/boyfriend
• 40.13%: Friends
• 29.24%: Teachers
• 7.52%: Celebrities
• 3.46%: Others, themselves, the disabled
Who do you want to be most loved by?
• 46.88%: Parents
• 20.35%: Girlfriend/Boyfriends
• 8.78%: Offspring
How would you express your love?
• 64.35%: Through words
• 31.03%: With hugs and kisses
• 28.53%: Via social media
• 27.39%: With flowers
• 15.61%: With chocolate
What do you wish to get for Valentine’s Day?
• 66.14%: Words of love
• 32.14%: Hugs and kisses
• 27.66%: Flowers
• 26.23%: Loving messages on social media
• 16.90%: Chocolate
What is your preferred method of expressing love?
• 76.19%: Telling the loved one in person
• 46.75%: Via Line application
• 34.28%: Via Facebook
What activities do you think help strengthen love?
• 55.87%: Cooking and eating together
• 47.33%: Travelling
• 38.20%: Hanging out at home
• 27.80%: Going to the cinema
• 26.57%: Making merit
Who do you see as a role model for relationships?
• 73.70%: Parents
• 11.17%: Celebrity couple
• 7.96%: Grandparents
What words or phrases best express loving feelings?
• 88.96%: Love
• 7.22%: Stay with me forever
• 4.31%: I love you
• 2.48%: I miss you
• 2.31%: Thank you for loving me
Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer for most questions.
2 Thai soldiers killed as tank overturns in Lopburi
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023
Two military officers died after their Scorpion light tank overturned during exercises at an Army barracks in Lopburi on Tuesday morning.
The tank overturned when it hit a mound while trying to avoid a military truck at a sharp curve.
Two of the three officers in the tank, a sergeant major first class and an Army cadet, succumbed to their injuries after they were taken to Ananda Mahidol Hospital.
The exercises were being held by the 2nd Cavalry Division of the King’s Guard to ensure efficiency in disaster prevention and mitigation operations.
Keeping vapers, baraku banned in Thailand will save lives: experts
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023
Vaping devices and e-cigarettes should remain prohibited items in Thailand as they are very harmful to people’s health, several experts said on Monday.
They were speaking at a forum in Bangkok to discuss the dangers of vaping devices.
Lertsak Raktham, director of the Office of Consumer Protection Board (OCPB)’s Legal Execution Division, said Thailand has specified that any vaping devices, baraku (hookah) and electronic baraku cannot be imported, sold or used.
He said anybody caught importing, selling or possessing these items can face the following penalties:
• Up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine five times the value of the product for importing
• Up to three years in prison and/or a 60,000 baht fine for selling
• Up to 10 years in prison and/or up to 500,000 baht in fines for smuggling
• Up to five years in prison and/or a fine four times the value of the product for possession
“OCPB has joined police and officers from the Department of Disease Control 13 times to arrest the sellers of these items at Bangkok’s Khlong Thom Market,” he said.
Lertsak Raktham
Lertsak added that the next step will be to deal with large importers and sellers of vaping devices and baraku. He said there are 10 large importers, who have more than 1 billion baht in circulation.
“Once police arrest vaping device smugglers, they will ask the Anti-Money Laundering Office to find out if anybody influential is involved,” he said.
The OCPB has also joined the police to ensure that people, especially children, do not have access to online advertising related to vaping devices, he said.
The Digital Economy and Society Ministry has shut down 7,000 websites related to vaping devices, Lertsak added.
“Advertisers can also be penalised for aiding and abetting,” he said.
Prakit Wateesatokkit
Meanwhile, Prof Dr Prakit Wateesatokkit, president of the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation, said vaping devices have nicotine, toxic chemicals and ultrafine particles that can enter the bloodstream and severely harm the respiratory system.
He also said that 70% of users find it difficult to give up vaping because they are addicted to nicotine.
“There is no proof that vaping devices are safer than cigarettes,” he said, adding that proving this can take up to 30 years.
He said it is necessary for the public to realise that the nicotine hit provided by some vaping devices is equal to smoking 50 cigarettes at the same time. Prakit added that young people are attracted to vaping thanks to the more than 16,000 delicious flavours and aromas on offer.
He said it will be difficult to stop young people from accessing electronic smoking devices because they already have easy access to cigarettes and tobacco.
“The World Health Organisation has warned that vaping devices will encourage children to smoke,” he said, adding that many smokers use vaping devices to give up cigarettes.
As of 2021, 32 countries have banned vaping devices, up from 13 countries in 2014, Prakit said. This proves that more countries are becoming aware of the dangers, he added.
The number of Thai children aged 13 to 15 who are addicted to vaping has risen from 3.3% in 2015 to 8.1% in 2021, he said. Statistics also show that 33% of the Thai population was found to be addicted to vaping in 2021.
“Many countries have not confirmed that vaping devices can help people kick the smoking habit,” he added.
Cobra Gold returns to Thailand with added bite of 6,000 US troops
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023
Cobra Gold 2023 will be back to full strength at the end of this month when 30 nations including 6,000 US personnel will join the annual wargames, Thailand and the United States announced on Tuesday.
This year’s military exercise will be the first to include training for space disasters, according to the press conference at Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters in Bangkok.
The press conference, held by joint chief-of-staff Gen Thitichai Thienthong and US ambassador Robert F Godec, announced that the 30 participating nations would be divided into the following groups:
– 7 participating in main war exercises: Thailand, the US, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Malaysia.
– 3 participating in humanitarian aid exercises: China, India and Australia
– 10 nations will join as observers: Cambodia, Laos, Brazil, Pakistan, Vietnam, Germany, Sweden, Greece, Kuwait and Sri Lanka.
All in all, 7,394 military personnel will join the 42nd Cobra Gold for this “light-training year”.
Thitichai told the press conference that Cobra Gold would be restored to full operations following Covid-19 but would still observe Public Health Ministry measures during training from February 27 to March 10.
He said this year’s training includes:
– Command Post Exercise. Training on commanding large forces to deal with threats in the land, marine, aerial, cyber and space domains.
– Cyber warfare training. Participants will learn strategies to counter cyberattacks, detect cyber threats and implement standard cyber security.
– Space operation training. Participants will learn how to combat impacts from space phenomena that affect military operations, such as solar or geomagnetic storms that disrupt communications and satellite signals.
Thai, Japanese and US military and civilian space agencies will provide data and methods for the training.
– Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) training. HCA participants will construct multi-purpose buildings for schools in six training areas.
– Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response Exercise (HADR-X). The exercises incorporate the HADR Tabletop Exercise and HADR-Demo exercise.
In the tabletop exercise, the participants will be trained to deal with natural disasters by using regional and international responsive networks.
In the HADR-Demo, the participants will observe demonstrations on how to search for and rescue victims, provide urgent medical help and evacuate victims, deal with chemical leaks, and fight fires.
– Field Training Exercise (FTX). The FTX will include combined exercises of army, navy and air force troops. Joint Forcible Entry Operations will cover landfall exercises, parachuting, evacuation of civilians from war zones, and live fire training.
Brazil will join Cobra Gold as an observer for the first time this year.
US Ambassador Godec thanked Thailand for hosting Cobra Gold 23 and welcomed all 30 participating nations. He noted that 2023 marked both the 42nd Cobra Gold but also the 190th anniversary of US-Thai diplomatic relations.
“This partnership has improved the lives of both Thais and Americans and will continue to make our countries more prosperous and secure,” Godec said.
The security partnership and field training exercises would “better the lives of our farmers, students, and shop owners” in Thailand, he added.
Godec hinted at tensions in the disputed South China Sea and cybercrime/warfare in his explanation of why the war exercises were crucial.
“The Indo-Pacific region accounts for roughly 60% of the world economy and two-thirds of all economic growth over the last five years. At least a third of global maritime trade goes through the Indo-Pacific region. Our shared security partnership ensures that the goods exported by Thai and American business owners can continue flow freely, enhancing our shared prosperity. In Thailand, an estimated 35% of local financial payments are now digital. We are working together to ensure that our critical digital infrastructure is secure,” he said.
“What makes Cobra Gold special, is that it exemplifies the fabric of our friendship – a genuine friendship – that we have woven together over the last 200 years. Thousands of Thai and US military members have formed lasting friendships through Cobra Gold and other military interactions. Our 1833 Treaty of Amity and Commerce started as bilateral trade agreement and blossomed into the partnership we celebrate today. Similarly, Cobra Gold evolved from a small bilateral marine exercise into one of the world’s preeminent multinational security exercises,” the ambassador added.
Speaking at the same press conference, Colonel Kurt Leffler, US Senior Defence Official and Defence Attaché to Thailand, thanked the Thai government and Thai people for co-hosting the war exercises. Leffler is also chief of the Joint US Military Advisory Group – Thailand, also known as JUSMAGTHAI, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this September.
He said this year would mark the largest US participation in Cobra Gold in a decade.
“We’ve certainly returned to a ‘Cobra Gold of Old’ in terms of scale,” he added.
“The Cobra Gold Exercise provides participating countries the opportunity to practice, rehearse, and experiment together against a wide variety of challenges. These repetitions, year after year, build shared understanding and muscle memory needed to respond together against disasters in the real world, saving time in our collective response, and thus saving lives. Our effective response to regional disasters in recent decades – from floods and storms to earthquakes and cave rescues – is the direct result of millions of personnel hours of training in Cobra Gold.”
Leffler said that exercises will be focused not only on current concerns but also on those over the horizon.
Credit card users get checklist to avoid online ‘boobytrap’ charges
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023
The Central Investigation Bureau has issued a six-point checklist for credit card users to prevent bogus or scam charges online.
The CIB came up with the checklist after celebrity doctor Varanya Nganthavee (Dr Lily) announced on Facebook that her Bangkok Bank credit card was charged US$2,675 (90,600 baht) for purchases of TikTok ads she never consented to.
Varanya explained she had never used her credit card to buy TikTok ads. She informed the bank, which cancelled her card and launched a probe of the unauthorised charges.
The doctor said she then got replies for several of her followers detailing their similar problems with unknown credit card charges.
On Tuesday, the CIB warned via its website that credit card users, especially those who use social networks frequently, should check the following:
1. Check against accidentally tapping or clicking a link on your smartphone.
The CIB said smartphone users should concentrate when opening an app or reading an SMS message so that they do not accidentally tap any mischievous link.
2. Check against downloading apps unwittingly.
The CIB warned that mobile users can unwittingly download mischievous apps. For example, if an ad pops up while they are playing a game, the user may tap to close it but instead end up accidentally downloading the app.
3. Check against downloading apps from untrustworthy developers.
The CIB advised users who download apps from platforms such as the Play Store or App Store to carefully check the names of developers to see whether they are trustworthy.
4. Be careful when handling pop-up ads.
The CIB warned that illicit websites such as porn and gambling portals are full of pop-up ads. Users are advised to read the ads carefully before interacting with them by tapping the “Yes” or “No” buttons.
5. Try to avoid illicit/illegal websites.
The CIB advised mobile phone users to steer clear of illegal sites, such as gambling or porn platforms. Illegal sites may be embedded with malware to hack the personal information of users, it explained. It also advised mobile phone users to read URLs carefully before visiting the sites.
6. Android users should not download apps outside the Play Store.
The CIB noted that smartphones that run the Android operating system may be tricked into downloading mischievous apps outside the Play Store, where apps have been already scanned for safety. The CIB said mobile phone users should not download apps outside the Play Store at all.
Army chief wants military schools to teach Muay Thai
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2023
The Royal Thai Army has instructed its Army Training Command to include Muay Thai in the learning curriculum of the military schools under its supervision.
Army chief General Narongpan Jitkaewthae said that the image of Muay Thai as a national cultural heritage was bolstered during the Amazing Muay Thai Festival 2023, which saw a record-breaking 3,660 military officers gathering at Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province to perform the “wai-kru“ ceremony.
This event was evidence of the calibre of Thai soldiers, as only those with such quality would be included in the Army, he said.
He expressed his concern over the inability of some families to take care of their children during the semester break, which might cause problems, such as drowning deaths.
To help parents take care of their kids during the upcoming school break and enhance child development, the Army will offer youngsters a range of activities, including field trips to historical locations, as well as music and sports training camps, he added.
Assistant Professor Noppadol Kitana, Director of CLNR
Assistant Professor Jittra Piapukiew, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University
Lertsak Raktham
Prakit Wateesatokkit
– Space operation training. Participants will learn how to combat impacts from space phenomena that affect military operations, such as solar or geomagnetic storms that disrupt communications and satellite signals.
US Ambassador Godec thanked Thailand for hosting Cobra Gold 23 and welcomed all 30 participating nations. He noted that 2023 marked both the 42nd Cobra Gold but also the 190th anniversary of US-Thai diplomatic relations.
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