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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023026

27 Thai immigration police officers found to be aiding Chinese triads

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

Investigators believe at least 27 immigration police officers have made it possible for members of Chinese triads to stay illegally in Thailand.

Deputy National Police chief General Surachet Hakparn told the press on Sunday that investigators came to this conclusion after interrogating 27 suspects over the past two weeks.

He said some of the suspects broke down and admitted to their crimes due to overwhelming evidence.

“I believe more immigration police officers are involved,” he said, vowing to take strong action against these officers with no exceptions.

Police launched a nationwide investigation last month after former massage parlour tycoon and politician Chuwit Kamolvisit provided information on alleged Chinese triads operating in Thailand.

The tip-off quickly led to an arrest warrant being issued for alleged triad kingpin Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant.

Chaiyanat is married to a senior Thai police officer and has gained Thai citizenship through this marriage.

He surrendered to police on November 23 and has been denying all charges.

Police believe Chinese triads are operating in at least 18 provinces, including Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima and Udon Thani.

Surachet added that the case against Chaiyanat has made considerable progress and there is plenty of evidence to support money laundering charges. He said available evidence should help uproot Chaiyanat’s financial network that has been funding criminal operations in Thailand.

When asked about Chuwit’s concerns about the transparency of the investigation, Surachet said police are open to advise and will look into all evidence that turns up, including tips on social media.

“Investigation will be based on evidence and the witnesses we find, not on instincts alone,” he said.

He added that so far, more than 100 Chinese nationals have been arrested and are being questioned, while Chaiyanat has been denied bail and will remain behind bars until the investigation is over.

Related Stories

Police probe non-profit in Chiang Mai as crackdown on Chinese triads expands

Alleged Chinese drug-ring boss surrenders to police in Bangkok

Fourth ‘lieutenant’ arrested as noose tightens on triad, police say

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023013

Phichit temple offers smiles at the end of the rainbow

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

A temple in Phichit’s Wang Sai Phun district has caught everybody’s attention after getting its crematorium painted in rainbow colours instead of traditional white or cream.

Now the crematorium of Wat Nong Plong is painted bright yellow, red, blue, pink, green and purple to reportedly make mourners smile.

The renovation has also seen some small chedis storing the remains of the dead being relocated to the wall.

Monk Phra Manas said the chedis were being relocated because the area where they were being stored was getting overcrowded. He also said that now robbers may think twice about scaling the wall for fear of waking up the deceased.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023012

15th World Film Festival of Bangkok wraps up with Apichatpong bagging Victor Award

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Bangkok’s 15th World Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday evening with a word of advice from one of Thailand’s star independent filmmakers, Apichatpong Weerasethakul. While receiving the Kriengsak “Victor” Silakong Award, the filmmaker called on his peers to “never give up”.

The award was created in memory of Kriengsak “Victor” Silakong, the film festival’s long-time director who died unexpectedly on March 27 this year.

While receiving the honour, Apichatpong applauded Kriengsak for his work in making the World Film Festival a showcase for emerging filmmakers from across the world.

Remembering Kriengsak for his love for life, Apichatpong called on the audience to observe a minute of silence in his honour.

He then shared his thoughts on the 25 years he has spent in the film industry.

“So far, I honestly don’t know why I make films. To all the other filmmakers here, do you know why you make films? I only know that for me, it’s not about telling a story, but connecting to this vast world of people,” he said. “Tonight this award reminds us to keep asking questions and to appreciate the mystery of this journey.”

Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

Recounting a disparaging remark a senior government official made some 15 years ago that nobody would want to see his films, Apichatpong gleefully said: “The fact is I’m still here.”

“What I want to tell all filmmakers is please don’t give up. I’m not saying this to be spiteful, but do not give in to fear or authority. We all contribute to the grand conversation of what a filmmaker can do, so keep on recording.”

Meanwhile, Lithuania’s Edvinas Puksta, who was one of the four jurors, spoke about the 21 films in the running for the Lotus Award. He said each of the 21 films was excellent in its own category, and choosing the winners was very difficult. This is why, he said, the jury unanimously decided to hand out seven jury prizes instead of three.

(From left) Donsaron Kovitvanitcha,Edvinas Puksta, Bianca Balbuena, Anucha Boonyawata, Dušan Zorić, Matija Gluščevićna and Witawat Meksawan

Serbian directors Dušan Zorić and Matija Gluščević, who jointly won the Lotus Award for Best Director for their fantasy drama “Have You Seen This Woman”, said they were surprised they won but were glad their message had been heard.

Their film, they said, was not just about a middle-aged woman’s internal and external journey, it was also about discovering our personal identities.

In his closing speech, film producer Donsaron Kovitvanitcha, who oversaw the festival this year, thanked everybody for making the event a success and promised to offer an even better line-up next year.

The 10-day World Film Festival wrapped up on Sunday at SF Cinema in CentralWorld with the handing out of eight awards.

Considered Southeast Asia’s largest film festival, the 15th edition returned after five years under the “Return to Cinema” theme. It showcased 61 top films, including 20 experimental films, from 51 countries including France, Spain, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Ukraine, Brazil, Croatia, Poland, Tunisia, Serbia, and even Mongolia.

The World Film Festival of Bangkok is run by The Nation with support from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Culture Ministry, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Thai Media Fund and the Tourism and Authority of Thailand.

2022 World Film Festival Award winners
Kriengsak Silakong Award: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Lotus Awards
Best Film: “Klondike” by Maryna Er Gorbach (Ukraine)
Best Director: Dušan Zorić and Matija Gluščević, “Have You Seen This Woman” (Serbia)
Grand Jury Prize: “Scala” by Ananta Thitanat (Thailand)
Jury Prize for Best Screenplay:
“Victim” – Written by Jakub Midvecky, directed by Michal Blasko (Slovakia)
“Stonewalling” – Written and directed by Huang Ji and Ryuji Otsuka (China)
Jury Prize for Best Ensemble
“Joyland” – Directed by Saim Sadiq (Pakistan)
Jury Prize for Technical Achievement for Cinematography
“Autobiography” – Directed by Makbul Mubarak (Indonesia)

Nongluck Ajanapanya

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023011

Nearly 4,000 patients with Covid hospitalised in Thailand, 107 deaths reported in a week

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

A total of 3,961 patients, who were diagnosed with Covid-19, received treatment in hospitals during the past week and 107 patients succumbed to the disease, the Disease Control Department (DCD) reported on Monday.

In its weekly report, the DCD said 3,961 patients were hospitalised from December 4 to 10, or an average of 566 patients a day.

The DCD said 107 people had died of Covid during the period, an average of 15 deaths a day. The number of Covid deaths since January 1 has reached 11,694, the DCD added.

The department said a total of 143,250,945 doses of Covid vaccines have been administered — 57,095,546 first doses, 53,579,321 second doses and the rest were third or later doses.

The DCD said that as of December 10, 649 patients were still being treated for lung infections and 385 of them needed ventilator support.

Meanwhile, Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs, pulmonologist of Vichaiyut Hospital, posted on his Facebook page on Monday that Thailand should closely monitor new Omicron subvariants that are spreading in India.

Manoon explained that new Covid strains, which have spread in India, would be detected in Thailand soon.

He said Thailand should get prepared to cope with the spread of XBB variant not long after the spread of the BA.2.75 variant like what had happened in India.

The doctor explained that the XBB variant was much more infectious and it could evade immunity from vaccines and natural immunity from previous infections.

Also on Monday, Yong Poovorawan, a professor of paediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University, posted on his Facebook wall that the new round of Covid spread would continue until February.

Yong said the infection rate tended to increase during the rainy and winter seasons similar to the spread of influenza.

Yong said the infection rate would decline after February and would rise again in June when the rainy season starts.

He added that by next year, almost all Thais would have immunity against Covid.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023006

NBTC team to oversee OTT streaming operators amid digital push

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has planned to set up a working team to supervise over-the-top (OTT) streaming operators to meet with changes in telecommunications technology.

NBTC deputy secretary-general of broadcasting Phoomsisth Mahavessiri said on Monday that Thailand’s telecommunications had become more complicated amid the transition towards a digital economy.

“Many organisations have improved their structure to meet with the digital era,” he said. “Meanwhile, consumers have changed their behaviour amid changes in telecommunications.”

He said the NBTC has implemented a strategy to supervise three groups of OTT streaming operators:

— Operators of websites or applications for use in daily life, such as Lazada, Uber, Airbnb, Dropbox and Google Maps.

— Operators of interpersonal communication platforms, covering social media (Facebook and Instagram) and instant messaging (Line, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp).

“The emergence of OTT streaming operators has resulted in cost burden for internet network operators,” he said, adding that the business caused difficulties in tax collection as well.

— Operators of television and video streaming platforms on the internet, such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and Line TV.

Phoomsisth added that people are now able to access internet via various channels, such as smartphone, desktop, laptop and tablet, citing the National Statistical Office’s data.

He said the value of OTT streaming in Thailand has continued to increase since 2019 and it is expected to hit $877 million (30.53 billion baht) in the next three years.

“Meanwhile, the number of OTT streaming users is expected to hit 2.1 million people next year,” he added.

Related stories:

• NBTC demands return of THB600m it gave to SAT for World Cup broadcast rights
• SAT, NBTC taken to court over exclusive World Cup broadcast rights to True
• NBTC tells True to return exclusive broadcast rights for 16 World Cup matches

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023002

UNAids praises Thailand for wiping out mother-to-child HIV infections

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

UNAids will be holding its board meeting in Chiang Mai on Tuesday in a symbolic gesture to congratulate Thailand for its success in reducing HIV transmissions and eliminating mother-to-child infections.

This is the first time in 14 years that the UNAids Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) will be meeting outside Geneva.

The meeting will run from Tuesday to Friday, deputy government spokesperson Trisulee Trisaranakul said.

“Though this is the first UNAids PCB meeting outside Geneva in 14 years, it will be the second time it is meeting in Chiang Mai,” she said, adding that the first time UNAids PCB met in Chiang Mai was in 2008.

The 2008 meeting was chaired by then-public health minister Chavarat Charnvirakul, and the one this year will be chaired by incumbent Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Trisulee said UNAids had released a statement on November 11 praising Thailand’s global leadership in tackling Aids. She said Thailand was also commended for becoming a good example for other nations to follow.

She added that the UN agency has also voiced confidence that the Chiang Mai meeting will encourage other Asia-Pacific nations to fulfil their pledges to the UN Aids programme.

Taoufik Bakkali, director of the UNAids regional support team for Asia Pacific, said on Sunday that the meeting in Thailand will motivate the fulfilment of commitments made by the community of nations in 2021.

“We are grateful to Thailand for its global Aids response leadership. The country has taken significant strides toward ending its HIV epidemic and is setting an example to the world of translating political will into action,” Bakkali said.

Thailand has made considerable progress in the battle against Aids, especially in providing life-saving tests and treatment to people living with HIV.

Thailand was the first country in the region to have been validated in 2016 for eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmissions.

The country has also joined the Global Partnership to Eliminate all Forms of HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination, the UNAids said.

Since 2010, Aids-related deaths in Thailand have dropped by 65% and new infections by 58%. Last year, some 94% of people living with HIV in Thailand were aware of their status, 91% of those diagnosed were being treated and 97% of them achieved viral suppression.

Trisulee said UNAids also congratulated Thailand for integrating HIV treatment into its universal healthcare system, thus making it possible to control HIV transmission sustainably.

“Knowledge of Thailand’s success will be shared with the 22 members of UNAids during the meeting,” Trisulee said.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/thailand/general/40022992

Improving rural farm income in Thailand

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

Thailand has made tremendous progress in reducing poverty over the past three decades, with the national poverty rate falling from 58 % to 6.8 % between 1990 and 2020.

The reduction in inequality, however, has not been as rapid. While the fall in poverty was accompanied by a decline in inequality, it has remained high. With an income Gini of 43.3 % in 2019, Thailand had the highest income inequality level in East Asia. Regional inequality in Thailand is also high.

Poverty in rural areas has remained prevalent despite the significant contribution of the rural sector to both the national economy as well as employment. In 2020, the rural economy employed close to 21 million people, comprising nearly 55 % of total employment. The farm sector employs around one-third of Thailand’s labour force and plays an important part in the country’s exports as a key supplier of agricultural products to the world market. Yet nearly 80 % of the poor live in rural areas and are mostly concentrated in agriculture. Over the past decade, farm income has persistently decreased, offsetting progress in reducing poverty and regional inequality.

A World Bank report, the Thailand Rural Income Diagnostic— Challenges and Opportunities for Rural Farmers, examines the main opportunities and challenges to improving both productivity and incomes of rural farmers. It identifies three opportunities that could boost rural farm income in the coming years.

The first opportunity relates to increasing agricultural productivity by improving access to irrigation water. With less than half of farm households being able to access water resources, dependence on rainfed agriculture is high, increasing exposure to climate risks and limiting opportunities for higher income.

The second opportunity lies in increasing crop diversification and the adoption of high value crops in irrigated areas. Rice production has played a dominant role in the Thai economy as well as the world’s export market, employing 3.5 out of 8 million farm households while generating export revenues of close to US $3.7 billion, making Thailand the second largest rice exporter in the world. However, Thailand’s rice yields have been low relative to other global rice producers over the past decade.

Despite its relatively low profitability, rice production has continued to dominate the use of limited irrigated land, with the planting of paddy rice accounting for two-thirds of total irrigated areas. While improving rice productivity is critical, particularly in areas that have a comparative advantage for growing rice, there remains a considerable opportunity to raise farm incomes through crop diversification and crop rotation.

The third opportunity involves improving access to markets. Improving rural connectivity provides the opportunity to reduce transport and logistics costs in addition to enabling farmers to move up the agricultural value chain to agro-processing and distribution.

How can Thailand seize these opportunities to raise rural incomes? The report suggests four policy options:

Enhancing agricultural productivity by expanding access to irrigation and promoting the adoption of water-efficient irrigation methods, promoting risk mitigation strategies to cope with increasing weather volatility, facilitating access to finance, and strengthening agricultural R&D to raise competitiveness in export markets and to adapt to climate change.

Improving access to markets by expanding rural infrastructure to strengthen the connection between farmers and markets, as well as promoting the development of e-commerce to create new opportunities to raise incomes through improved matching of farmers with buyers, reduced transaction costs and reduced barriers to move up the value chain.

Addressing factors that create inefficiencies in the use of land and water resources. These measures focus on policies to further strengthen farmers’ incentives to invest in higher quality inputs, modern machinery as well as other productivity-enhancing tools and utilize water resources more efficiently to improve crop yields and farm productivity. One example would be the review of policies that weaken tenure security. Strengthening tenure security and facilitating long-term leases of farmland could incentivize longer-term investments in farmland and widen access to credit.

Finally, strengthening farmers’ skills in adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies. While it is not a panacea, the application of digital technology for farming opens up several possibilities to raise agricultural productivity. For example, it provides a platform for the sharing economy which allows smallholder farmers to use modern equipment that would otherwise incur large upfront costs. It also provides a platform for e-commerce which broadens access to markets and can be used as a platform for farmer extension services and for early warning systems. To help unlock the potential of digital farming technology, promoting farmers’ digital literacy is a critical first step.

Thailand has the potential to support faster and sustained income growth of rural households. Seizing these opportunities to help rural households improve farm productivity has the potential to create an outsized impact in supporting the country’s poverty alleviation efforts, contributing to economic growth and shared prosperity.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022990

Bangkok police bust alleged Japanese call centre gang after ‘victim’ escapes

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

A call centre gang comprising five Japanese men were arrested at a residence in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district on Sunday and charged with imprisoning a fellow Japanese national.

Kannayao police and Japanese Embassy officials raided the address and detained Kawabata Kotaro, Hirota Junya, Naramura Kenji, Tomonari Satoshi and Suzuki Takafumi.

Officials also seized a laptop, printer, tablet, four smartphones and lists of alleged Japanese victims as evidence.

Kannayao police chief Colonel Naren Kruengsanook said the arrests came after a Japanese man managed to escape from the gang and alert his embassy.

“The victim – identified as Yuki Ogura – escaped from the call centre gang’s residence after they deceived him into luring other Japanese nationals to Thailand,” Naren said.

The alleged victim said he travelled to Thailand on December 8 after the call centre gang had offered him a job in Bangkok.

However, the gang kept him at its residence and banned him from using any communication devices, he said.

“The gang then threatened me unless I started working to lure other Japanese [to Thailand],” Ogura said.

He added that he contacted the Japanese Embassy immediately after escaping from the gang on Saturday.

Related stories:

• 5 South Koreans arrested for telephone fraud in Chiang Mai
• Four alleged members of notorious call-centre gang arrested
• Avoid calls from numbers with +698/+697 prefix: NBTC

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022989

Temperature to dip 3-5C in Bangkok, upper Thailand this week: forecast

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

The temperature in upper Thailand including Bangkok will drop sharply this week, according to the Thai Meteorological Department.

A high-pressure system will see temperatures in the North, Central, East and Greater Bangkok drop by 3-5 degrees centigrade, said the department’s forecast.

The Northeast will experience an even bigger dip of 4-6C.

It advised people to look after their health during the sudden temperature change.

The department also warned of flash floods and overflows from heavy to very heavy rain in the South on Monday and Tuesday (December 11-12). Waves in the lower Gulf are expected to rise to two metres, and higher in thundershowers, it added. Boats in the lower Gulf should proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers.

Regional weather forecast for this week (Dec 12-17):

North: Mornings cool to cold with strong wind and 3-5C drop in temperature. Lows of 13-21C, highs of 29-32C. Temperature on hilltops likely to drop to 4-14C.

Northeast: Mornings cool to cold with strong wind and 4-6C drop in temperature. Lows of 13-20C and highs of 28-31C. Temperature on hilltops likely to drop to 8-14C.

Central: Mornings cool with strong wind and 3-5C drop in temperature. Lows of 16-22C and highs of 29-32C.

East: Mornings cool with strong wind and 3-5C drop in temperature. Lows of 17-22C and highs of 29-32C. Waves about 1 metre, 1-2 metres offshore.

South (east coast):

Monday: Scattered thundershowers and isolated heavy rain.

Tuesday-Saturday: Mornings cool in upper South. Isolated thundershowers in lower South.

Lows of 21-25C, highs of 26-33C.

Surat Thani upward: waves 1-2 metres and higher in thundershowers.

Nakhon Si Thammarat downward: Waves 2 metres and higher in thundershowers.

South (west coast):

Monday-Tuesday: Scattered thundershowers and isolated heavy rain.

Wednesday-Saturday: Isolated thundershowers.

Lows of 21-25C, highs of 26-33C. Waves 1-2 metre high and higher in thundershowers.

Greater Bangkok:

Monday-Saturday: Mornings cool with strong winds and 3-5C drop in temperature. Lows of 19-23C, highs of 29-33C.

Related stories:

• Prepare for rain and temperature drop this week: Thai Met Dept
• Heavy rain, flash flood warning issued for South, holiday islands on Sunday
• Cooler days ahead in upper Thailand as cold winds blow in from China

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022981

World Film Fest salutes Thailand’s unrivalled filmmaker Mom Noi

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2022

Jarupong Krisanaraj

The Thai film industry was very lucky to have had a unique filmmaker like ML Pundhevanop Dhewakul, or “Mom Noi”, panellists at Bangkok’s 15th World Film Festival said.

They were speaking at a seminar held on Saturday alongside the festival, which is showcasing 61 feature films and 20 experimental films from 51 countries.

The 10-day film fest, which wraps up on Sunday (December 11), is being held at SF World Cinema, CentralWorld in Bangkok.

Mom Noi’s contribution to the Thai film industry was celebrated at the festival with the screening of three of his films, namely “Chan Poo Chai Na Ya” (The Boys in the Band), “Nang Nuan” (The Seagull) and “Mahasajan Haeng Rak” (Miracle of Love).

Mom Noi succumbed to lung cancer at age 69 on September 15 this year, just as his last creation, “Maya Pitsawong”, was gracing cinemas nationwide.

Mom Noi had spent more than three decades in the Thai film industry after releasing his first feature film “Plerng Pitsawat” in 1984.

Euthana Mukdasanit

Speaking at the seminar, director, screenwriter and National Artist Euthana Mukdasanit said he and Mom Noi had known each other since school, and both worked together on many films after Mom Noi dropped out of university.

“His films were awe-inspiring, filled with beautiful dialogue,” Euthana said, adding that though the late filmmaker was quiet by nature, he was fierce when it came to his filmmaking principles.

Mom Noi fearlessly tackled controversial subjects in his films like conflict, politics and unrequited love, he said.

“Mom Noi’s creations were noteworthy and helped the Thai film industry grow,” he said, adding that his films were very different from what is hitting the screens nowadays.

Chokanan Skultham

Echoing Euthana’s remarks was assistant director Chokanan Skultham, who said that though Mom Noi was a strict director, he was thoughtful and always gave others a chance.

“He taught me how to add value to work,” he said, adding that he hoped to emulate Mom Noi’s passion by paying attention to the finished product.

“Mom Noi taught me to love the script and the film before directing it,” he said.

He added the 100 days of Mom Noi’s passing will be marked with an event at Pak Nam Pran Village in Prachuap Khiri Khan province on December 23.

“The event will feature two of Mom Noi’s films, namely ‘Anda and Fah Sai’ and ‘Plae Kao’,” he said.

Sanchai Chotirosseranee

Sanchai Chotirosseranee, the Film Archive’s deputy director, said Mom Noi was a true artiste who never cared about the sponsors’ comments or requirements.

This is why, he said, Mom Noi’s films were so exceptional.

“No matter what people say or think, Mom Noi will make films in his own way,” he said.

He added that the Thai film industry was lucky to have had an inimitable filmmaker like Mom Noi, who knew where his passions lay since childhood.

Sanchai said he hoped the new generation will be able to develop a love for films and a passion for telling stories like Mom Noi did, so the Thai film industry could make a deeper mark internationally.

Related stories:

• International film experts pinpoint the main hurdle facing Thai cinema – Thais
• Thai film industry ‘held back by lack of funding and audience support’
• From red carpet to silver screen

Jarupong Krisanaraj