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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023295

Police raid Mae Sot factory after Tesco labour abuse allegations

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2022

Immigration police and labour officials investigated a clothing factory in Tak’s Mae Sot district on Tuesday following reports of slavery-like working conditions.

Reuters on Monday reported that Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, is facing legal action from a group of Myanmar migrant workers, alleging dire working conditions at a Mae Sot factory that made clothes for the retailer’s F&F range.

A total of 146 workers, 140 Burmese and six Thai, allege they were made to work up to 99 hours per week on unlawful wages with forced labour conditions at the VK Garments (VKG) factory in Mae Sot between 2017 and 2020.

Deputy national police chief General Surachet Hakparn said on Tuesday that he checked the VKG factory’s working conditions and talked with some of the workers. He was told that the workers’ claim for unpaid wages was also at the appeal stage in the Thai labour court.

Surachet said police and Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW) officials also collected evidence and interviewed workers who said they were forced to work longer than legal hours. He threatened legal action if the employer is found to have broken the law.

DLPW officials also contacted the Provincial Industry Office to find temporary jobs for workers who want to stay in Thailand while they wait for the court verdict.

Britain’s Guardian newspaper has exposed abusive working conditions in Mae Sot in a series of reports over the past few days.

Charit Meesit, a lawyer representing former VKG workers in the Thai court, told the Guardian that authorities “know what’s going on but they turn a blind eye” and that the country lacks “proper enforcement” of its labour laws.

“It’s an open secret that Mae Sot is notorious for abusing workers,” he told the newspaper. “Even Burmese workers know Mae Sot is notorious but they are willing to go because they know that relatively the pay they can get is still better than they can get in Myanmar. They don’t care about the minimum wage in Thailand, they just know that working in Thailand is better paid than in Myanmar. That’s why they keep their mouths shut.”

VKG called the allegations “hearsay”, refusing to comment further amid the ongoing court case.

Related Stories

Brave teacher in Tak battles ‘claypocalypse’ to keep school open

Tak’s Thai-Myanmar border checkpoint ready for reopening

Myanmar border-village strike kills 3 Thai document holders

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023293

Bangkok motorways toll-free over New Year holiday

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2022

Toll fees on two motorways – No 7 (Bangkok-Chonburi-Pattaya) and No 9 (Bang Pa In-Bang Phli-Bang Khun Tian) – will be waived for seven days of the New Year holidays from December 29 to January 4, the Department of Highways said on Tuesday.

The move aims to minimise queues at toll booths and reduce costs for people visiting their relatives over New Year, said director-general Sarawut Songwilai.

The department will also waive toll fees on Motorway No 6 (Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima) between the Pak Chong and Kham Thalay Sor checkpoints, which are a gateway to Northeast provinces.

The 64-kilometre section of motorway No 6 will be open only for one-way outbound traffic from December 29 to 31, before switching to one-way inbound traffic from January 1-4 to facilitate motorists leaving and returning to the capital, respectively.

Over 7.32 million vehicles will use the motorway system during the New Year holidays, the department estimates. It has set up roadside assistance units at 393 locations nationwide to provide route information, drinking water, restrooms and resting zones for those who need it.

Sarawut advised motorists to download the M-Traffic mobile app or visit the Facebook page of Highway Traffic Operation Centre to check traffic conditions in real time.

The New Year holiday also brings the so-called “seven dangerous days” on roads, when the rising number of accidents leads to a spike in traffic deaths and injuries.

Related Stories

New auto toll system kicks in today on Motorway No 9

Bang Pa-in–Nakhon Ratchasima motorway to be ready for Songkran exodus

No casualties as roof of entrance to motorway collapses

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023282

Hosting Apec summits expected to be a magnet for foreign investment for next few years

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022

Nongluck Ajanapanya

The Thai Chamber of Commerce said that Thailand’s hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) CEO Summit will bring in at least 600 billion baht in foreign direct investment over the next 3-5 years.

Poj Aramwattananont, vice chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Apec CEO Summit, summed up Thailand’s achievement in organising the major international events in November at a press conference on Tuesday.

Capital is primarily flowing into the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy, the Digital Economy (including e-commerce, AI, and robotics), and service industries, such as health and wellness, beauty, as well as logistics and tourism, he said.

International investors and businesses are showing strong interest in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy.

The Thai Chamber of Commerce estimates that total foreign investment in these sectors will be worth around 300 billion baht.

Bilateral trade and investment projects with China and Saudi Arabia will also bring in another 300 billion baht. China has pledged to support and invest in the green, digital, and EV industries. Additionally, they are actively promoting the construction of the Thai-Chinese railway.

Saudi Arabia and five other gulf nations — Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates — have expressed a desire to invest, particularly in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) zone, in the fields of energy, petrochemicals, agriculture, green technology, healthcare, and services.

“The fact that we hosted both the Apec CEO Summit and the Apec Summit this year is, in my opinion, very fortunate for all of us. We have only advantages. We have already demonstrated to the world our readiness and competitiveness. Meanwhile, we used this opportunity to let the world know that Thailand is impartial and open to working with anyone as long as it benefits people,” he declared.

Poj advised Thai businesspeople to be ready for the influx of investment. Additionally, he urged the government to streamline some regulations, lessen redundancy, and vigorously enforce those laws.

He urged the government to serve as a supporter and facilitator.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023283

Government’s tight finances delay nod for 5th phase of travel subsidy scheme

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022

The Cabinet has not given the approval yet to launch the fifth phase of the “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” (We Travel Together) scheme owing to the government’s financial constraints, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told the Cabinet meeting that the government could subsidise only 4 billion baht while the scheme in its present form would require 8.4 billion baht, Phiphat said.

“The Tourism Authority of Thailand [TAT] was also instructed by the prime minister to revise the details of the proposed project, especially on how to boost the country’s tourism in spite of having a reduced budget, in order to get approval,” he said.

If the project is adjusted, it will be proposed to the government again for consideration as the country aims to generate 2.38 trillion baht in revenue from the tourism sector – 1.5 trillion baht from the expected 20 million foreign tourists and 880 billion baht from Thai citizens travelling domestically.

Phiphat said the ministry had not proposed yet to the Cabinet the extension of opening hours at night entertainment venues.

This is not a suitable time to allow the entertainment businesses to prolong their operating hours, he added.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023276

Bodies of 4 HTMS Sukhothai crew found, hunt on for remaining 25

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022

The Royal Thai Navy announced at 4pm on Tuesday that the bodies of four HTMS Sukhothai crew members were found floating in the sea. The bodies have been taken to shore and will be identified before they are taken back to their families.

Earlier on Tuesday, the navy tweeted that it had found the second of the 31 missing HTMS Sukhothai crew members, and had taken him to HTMS Angthong for medical treatment.

“The man rescued was identified as Seaman Chananyu Kaensriya and he had been pulled out of the sea by sailors on the Phumnara cargo ship,” the navy said.

Navy personnel and volunteers have been hunting for missing personnel after the HTMS Sukhothai, a Rattanakosin-class corvette, sank during stormy weather in the Gulf of Thailand on Sunday night.

The ship sank some 20 nautical miles (32 kilometres) off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan district.

The first of the 31 missing crew members was rescued on Monday night. Chief Petty Officer Natee Timdee was spotted floating unconscious and plucked out of the sea before being taken to Bang Saphan Hospital.

Royal Thai Fleet chief Admiral Adung Phaniem said HTMS Sukhothai commanding officer Commander Pichitchai Tuannadee had done his best to deal with the disaster on Sunday night.

“The commanding officer said he has never faced such a situation over the past 10 years,” the admiral said, adding that the search for the missing crew members will continue until everybody is found.

Related stories:

• Navy ship sinks, rescue mission underway
• Navy to seek guarantee from Chinese counterpart on Chinese-made submarine engine
• Navy chief to let successor decide on buying subs with Chinese engines

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023275

BMA staring at huge losses from Green Line train operations in years ahead, Chadchart warns

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022

Bangkok may have to bear an estimated total loss of 85.7 billion baht from the Green Line train operations during 2030 to 2041, Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Tuesday, painting a grim picture of the capital’s finances in the coming years.

Chadchart was speaking at a seminar titled “Survive or Sustain”, hosted by the Alumni Association of Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University.

Chadchart said the concession for operating the Green Line extension routes (Mo Chit – On Nut and Saphan Taksin – National Stadium), currently held by Bangkok Mass Transit System, will expire at the end of 2029. These sections would have been transferred to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) from 2030.

However, back in 2012, former BMA executives had signed a contract that stipulates the Green Line operation must be awarded to private companies from 2016 to 2041, which means the city would need to pay private operators until 2041, said Chadchart.

“The BMA estimates that the cost of operation and maintenance of Green Line trains from 2030 to 2041 would be around 239 billion baht, while the revenue from train fare will be around 153 billion baht,” he said. “That means the BMA will have to shoulder a loss of 85.7 billion baht over the 12 years, or an average of over 7 billion baht loss per year.”

Chadchart added that this calculation is based on a fare of 30 baht per person for the extension sections, and it already factors in a 3% increase in number of passengers each year.

The governor said a 7-billion-baht loss per year is a heavy burden for the BMA. It is higher than the city’s public health budget (6.6 billion baht per year) and almost double the 3.6 billion baht per year it allocates for schoolchildren’s lunch.

“I’m not saying it’s anybody’s fault, as the contract was already signed and approved,” Chadchart said. “I brought this up because it is an important issue that the new generation must be responsible for. After all, the money to pay for the loss will come from taxes that we all have to pay.”

Related Stories

BMA will not default on its payments, Chadchart tells BTSC

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023271

Bus slides off road in Phetchaburi, injures 18

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022

As many as 18 foreigners were injured when a bus lost control and slipped off the road in Phetchaburi’s Khao Yoi district on Tuesday.

Rescuers, including police officers, paramedics from Khao Yoi Hospital and the Sawang Phet Dhammasathan Foundation rushed to the scene.

The bus slipped off Phet Kasem Road as it was making its way from Surat Thani to Bangkok.

Police said 18 of the 25 foreigners inside the bus were injured, adding that the passengers included young children around the age of 10.

“The passengers were given first aid before being transported to Khaoyoi Hospital,” police said.

Investigators believe the driver may have fallen asleep behind the wheel and have taken him in for interrogation.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023268

7 Thais escape slave conditions at call centre in Cambodia

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022

Seven Thai nationals managed to break out of the clutches of a Chinese call-centre gang in the Cambodian border town of Krong Bavet on Tuesday.

The victims said they were allowed out of their detention facility at 5am after their Chinese bosses learned that they had sought help via Facebook.

The victims then took a tuk-tuk to the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh to seek help to return home.

On a Facebook Live clip posted at 1am, a woman can be seen asking for help, saying they were being held against their will by security guards and electric fencing.

She said she and other victims had been forced to work for more than 15 hours daily without a break, and their employers had also confiscated their passports and ID cards.

“The call-centre gang demanded up to 100,000 baht in exchange for our freedom,” she said.

The seven Thai victims, who have only been identified by their first names, are Wanvisa, Apinan, Chantima, Saitarn, Kritsadaporn, Prayoon and Anocha.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023266

Feeder train service to connect Lat Krabang and Phra Chom Klao from Jan 3

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is launching a new feeder train service between Lat Krabang station on the Airport Rail Link and Phra Chom Klao train stop from January 3.

In the pilot phase, which will last three months, the train will run 22 return trips per day from Monday to Friday, with fare set at 10 baht per person, SRT public relations centre director Ekarat Sriarayanphong said on Tuesday.

The first train will leave Lat Krabang station at 7.10am while the last train will arrive at Phra Chom Klao at 8pm.

The feeder train will use diesel engine locomotives and is expected to transport more than 1,000 people per day, he added.

Phra Chom Klao train stop is located within King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology in Bangkok’s Lat Krabang district. The stop has been serving institute students and locals in the area who commute by train.

SRT expects the new feeder train to help commuters in the inner Bangkok area use the Airport Rail Link to reach Suvarnabhumi Airport as well as other destinations in the outer city.

To check the train route, contact SRT hotline 1690 or visit facebook.com/pr.railway

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SRT adds two trains on Bangkok-Padang Besar route

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023264

Coffee can pile-up brings traffic to a halt in Pathum Thani

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2022

Traffic was brought to a halt when some 120,000 cans of coffee fell off a trailer truck on a flyover in Pathum Thani’s Sam Khok district on Monday evening.

The accident took place on the flyover going across the Pathum Thani-Bang Pahan road in Chian Rak Yai subdistrict.

The driver, Saran (surname withheld), 58, said the rope holding the 4,032 boxes together had split, sending the shipment flying off the truck’s rear on to the road.

It took police officers and volunteers several hours to clear the road and get the traffic moving again.