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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022907

Sales already up 20% at Bangkok’s Motor Expo 2022, with SUVs and EVs in demand

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2022

Sales of cars and motorcycles at the 39th Motor Expo 2022 in Bangkok are already up 20% on last year, the organiser said on Thursday.

Sales in the first half of the expo (November 30 to December 6) totalled 13,521 four-wheel vehicles and 2,650 motorcycles, said Kwanchai Paphatphong. The annual motor show in Impact Muang Thong Thani’s Challenger Hall ends on Monday (December 12).

Kwanchai said 748,021 people had visited the event since last Wednesday, with another 98,347 attending online.

The improving Covid-19 situation has boosted the number of people visiting the expo in person to witness the latest automotive technology, organisers added.

Also attracting crowds is the lucky draw for people who purchase a vehicle at the fair, with a new MG ZS e-vehicle worth 1.26 million baht as first prize.

The big hits of this year’s expo are sports utility vehicles and e-vehicles, Kwanchai said.

“SUV booths are attracting the most visitors this year, while electric vehicle booths are also popular with environmentally conscious consumers.”

He also expected motoring enthusiasts to pour in at Impact during this long weekend (December 10-12).

For more info, visit motorexpo.co.th

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Triumph Motorcycles introduces ten Chrome Collection models

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022902

Thai Tourists can now make DuitNow QR payments in Malaysia via Boost

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2022

Boost, the leading regional fintech arm of Axiata, and Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), the national retail payments network infrastructure announced on Wednesday that Boost merchants in Malaysia can now accept cross-border payments from Thailand tourists via its DuitNow QR.

This new feature makes it easier for tourists to make cashless payments in the country with their own eWallets.

Tourists will just need to scan the Boost DuitNow QR code, and then receive a request to put in their purchase amount in Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). An automatic conversion will then be deducted from their country’s eWallet.

In the first phase, this feature is currently available for Thai tourists via participating financial institutions’ mobile payments applications from CIMB Thai, Siam Commercial Bank, Bangkok Bank, Krungthai Bank and Bank of Ayudhya.

Sheyantha Abeykoon, Group CEO of Boost, said: “At Boost, we have always been at the forefront of innovating our digital payments solutions to benefit our merchants and provide simplified payment options for local shoppers. Today, we are excited to offer this to regional tourists through our collaboration with PayNet‘s extensive cross-border payment network. This novel offering in the market will provide our merchants with an edge to widen their network of customers, while tourists can enjoy simplified transactions in their own currency. We aim to include cross-border QR payments acceptance to Indonesia and Singapore tourists alongside other regions within PayNet’s coverage in the coming months.”

According to Group CEO of PayNet, Farhan Ahmad, “Our role is to enable seamless, accessible and convenient digital payments in a safe, secure and efficient manner. This includes cross-border inter-operability of retail payments, particularly among Asean countries. We are delighted that our ecosystem participant, Boost, has paved the way for tourists from Thailand to make cross-border payments via DuitNow QR. This convenience not only benefits the Malaysian tourism industry but also our micro-SMEs and other retailers, which in turn boosts economic activities and growth. The multiplier effects and impacts of such enablement are immense. This is a very good start.”

Close to 200,000 Boost DuitNow QR merchants can be easily found at popular tourist hangouts around Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak, to name a few.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022897

Police arrest 3 for ‘luring Thai man to Dubai to sell sex’

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Three Thai nationals, two women and a man, have been arrested following a complaint from a Thai man that they tricked him into working in the sex trade in Dubai, Lt-Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, said on Thursday.

The Thai man – identified only by the initial “B” – said he was told he would be working as a massage therapist in Dubai, but once he arrived in the city his passport was seized and he was forced into prostitution to pay off his costs.
He was promised free food and accommodation, a free flight, and a salary of 80,000 baht a month, according to the complaint against the three suspects filed with the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division of Royal Thai Police.
After he arrived at a massage shop in Dubai on November 18 last year, a Chinese manager seized his passport, “B” told police.
He was forced into sex work to pay off a more than 70,000 baht debt he was told he owed for his travel costs.

Clients were charged 900 baht per session and half of this fee was deducted to pay off the debt, he said. After being traded to a second massage shop, “B” was able to get help from authorities in Dubai to escape and return home. After he returned to Thailand, he filed a complaint with police.

Police identified the suspects as Janya Phuwong, 32, Nanthaporn Kullangka, 45, and Panuwat Sapsomboon, 37. They were arrested on warrants issued by the Criminal Court on Tuesday.
The trio have been charged with “colluding to commit human smuggling for prostitution, regardless of the victim’s willingness”.
Janya was arrested in Samut Prakan’s Muang district, Nanthaporn in Bangkok’s Bueng Kum district, and Panuwat in Phuket’s Kathu district.
Janya confessed to all the charges, police said. Nanthaporn told police she was paid 3,000 baht to teach Thai massage to “B”, while Panuwat said he received 10,000 baht for persuading “B” to work in Dubai.
A police investigation found more than 4 million baht circulating in Janya’s bank accounts between May and November. It also found travel information about many other people that may be her victims, Lt-Gen Jirabhop said.
 

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022893

Free camping site available at scenic spot overlooking Korat reservoir

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

The Department of Rural Roads is offering a free camping site for tourists along a scenic rural road in Nakhon Ratchasima province.

The site is located between markers Km18 and Km19 on Rural Road 3052 of Wang Nam Khiao district of the northeastern province, which is also known as Korat.
The camping site overlooks the Baan San Kamphaeng Reservoir and is located just six kilometres from a popular viewpoint to observe wild gaurs in the Khao Phaeng Ma Non-Hunting Area. The viewpoint has become popular all year round for tourists to “check in” for Instagram photo opportunities.
Those who plan to camp out at the site are required to register in person at the Wang Nam Khiao Rural Road Office. Those who pass the screening have to follow the rules while camping out there.
The site can also accommodate cars and it has a large ground for exercise activities, such as walking, jogging and bicycling, with a “sky lane” along the edge of the reservoir.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022889

5 South Koreans arrested for telephone fraud in Chiang Mai

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Five South Koreans were arrested in Chiang Mai for operating call centres used to scam people in their home country, deputy national police chief Gen Roy Inkapairoj told a press conference on Thursday.

Immigration Bureau and the Police Cyber Task Force searched two houses and two condominiums rented by the suspects and found they were being used as call centres to scam people, Roy said.

The suspects range in age from 21 to 44 and had previously operated a similar operation in China, before setting up shop in Chiang Mai, he said.

Police seized one computer, four tablets, 11 mobile phones, and seven landline phones, he said. The suspects were also charged for overstaying their visas.

Roy said the South Korean Embassy here had asked police to arrest the five for cheating people in Korea and said they had done the same in China.

The suspects admitted that they had called 30,000 phone numbers and swindled several people out of more than 50 million baht. They have been detained by Immigration Police.

Related stories

• Don’t click on dodgy links sent via SMS, warns DES Ministry
• Taiwanese call-centre scam suspect extradited to Thailand
• Phone lines with ‘+697’ prefix too dangerous to be answered: DES

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022886

NBTC demands return of THB600m it gave to SAT for World Cup broadcast rights

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) voted unanimously on Thursday to demand that the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) repay the 600 million baht it had provided the agency for purchase of Fifa World Cup broadcasting rights, a news source said.

The source said the telecom watchdog commissioners agreed that the SAT had violated the conditions regarding broadcast of the World Cup being held in Qatar since November. Under the NBTC’s ‘must-have’ rule, several key sporting events, including the Fifa World Cup finals, must be made available on free television.

Thailand’s plan to acquire the World Cup broadcasting rights had a troubled start, as the NBTC’s contribution was not enough to purchase the broadcast rights, which was priced at 1.4 billion baht. This forced the SAT, an agency responsible for purchasing the broadcast rights of sporting events, to enter into a deal with telecom company True Corporation for funding support.

Under the contract, True contributed 300 million baht to the SAT in exchange for exclusive rights to broadcast 32 matches on its ITPV and online platform, while leaving terrestrial TV broadcasting free for other channels. This has resulted in users of IPTV of operators other than True being unable to watch the matches, effectively violating the NBTC ‘must-have’ rule that aims to make sport programmes available to all people, said the source.

The source added that NBTC would give the SAT 15 days to return the money from the day it receives the notification, and the agency would be charged interest at 5% interest per year in case of delayed payment.

Meanwhile, SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee told The Nation on Thursday that the agency had not violated any conditions and that the broadcast of World Cup 2022 was already available to all people on free TV, in adherence to the “must-have” rule.

He said he had dispatched an explanatory letter to the NBTC as soon as he became aware of its resolution.

Kongsak clarified that users of some IPTV boxes could not watch the games because of a dispute between True and other operators that requires a court ruling. He said it had nothing to do with the SAT, which had already fulfilled its duty of disseminating broadcast signals received from the licensor via various channels, including terrestrial TV, IPTV, and other platforms.

Related Stories

World Cup now available on all internet TV platforms as True loses exclusive rights

NBTC approves THB600 million from its fund for acquiring World Cup broadcast rights

FIFA World Cup will be free to watch in Thailand, says SAT

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022880

Justice minister targets seizing THB100 billion a year from drug dealers

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsuthin has set a target of seizing 100 billion baht in assets from those involved in the narcotics trade this fiscal year and is promising to raise the target if his party is reelected.

Somsak, a senior member of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, said on Thursday that 6.87 billion baht in assets had been confiscated from narcotics rings in the first two months of this fiscal year.
“If I [can] return to the Justice Ministry next year, the target will not be only 100 billion baht. It will be an amount multiplied to several hundreds of billions [per year],” he said.
The next general election is tentatively scheduled for May 7 but could take place earlier if the House of Representatives is dissolved before its four-year term ends on March 23.
More assets have been confiscated from large drug rings under the new anti-narcotics law, which came into force on December 9 last year, Somsak said, describing the legislation as an “important tool” for Thailand’s battle against the narcotics trade.

The justice minister said that before he took office, no more than 900 million baht in assets were seized from the drug trade. Citing data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, he said that amount was only a fraction of the estimated 2 trillion baht per year of illicit drugs produced in the Golden Triangle.
Somsak made the comments while chairing a meeting of senior officials from 11 state agencies involved in the fight against the drug trade, including his ministry, the Office of the Attorney General, the Narcotics Control Board, and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau of the Royal Thai Police.
The justice minister also thanked Chuwit Kamolvisit for information he provided that led authorities to investigate a Chinese gang allegedly involved in the narcotics trade. “He is an exemplary and courageous citizen,” Somsak said of the former massage-parlour tycoon.
Chuwit is eligible for a reward equivalent to 5% of any assets seized based on the information he provided, the minister said, adding that if the total value was 2 billion baht, Chuwit would receive 100 million baht.
 

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022881

15 ‘drug smugglers’ killed in gunfight with soldiers in Chiang Mai

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Police in Chiang Mai said 15 suspected drug smugglers were killed in a gunfight after they were intercepted by the Pha Muang task force late Wednesday.

They were part of a group of 30 that had entered Thailand from Myanmar in a remote area of the northern province’s Fang district, police said.

Members of the Pha Muang task force had been watching a trail in Doi Ang Khang used by smugglers when they saw the group approaching, police said.

The smugglers opened fire after members of the task force intercepted them, police said.

The gunfight lasted about 10 minutes, but police were unable to access the scene until Thursday morning. When they did, they found 15 bodies and 29 backpacks containing methamphetamine. One gun and one grenade were also found at the scene, police said.

Chiang Mai police commander Maj Gen Thawatchai Pongwiwatchai said an investigation had been launched to find the remaining smugglers.

Pha Muang taskforce commander Maj Gen Suparerk Sathapornpol said that the amount of methamphetamine being smuggled into Thailand was increasing and more people were being killed by it.

He made the comment after inspecting the scene of the shootout with district officials and doctors. Smugglers usually drop their drugs and run when they encounter members of his task force, he said.

Related stories

• Fifty luxury houses linked to alleged Chinese drug lord under police scrutiny
• Thai, Myanmar police target precursor smugglers in bid to halt meth tide
• Special Operations Squad deputy chief wanted for alleged extortion of drug suspect

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022879

Thai employees likely to seek new jobs if their salaries remain unchanged: survey

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Nearly 73% of job holders in Thailand said they will start looking for new openings if their salaries are not raised soon.

This was revealed in the Salary Survey 2023 released by recruitment consultancy Robert Walters on November 29. The study analysed salary trends and provided insights into Thailand’s recruitment situation in 2022 and provided predictions for 2023.

The survey, conducted in September, covered 460 respondents, 60% of whom were 40-45 in age and more than 87% held permanent jobs.

According to the report, inflationary pressure will play a key role in Thailand’s recruitment situation next year. It showed that nearly 72% of Thai professionals will seek new job opportunities if their wages are not lifted above the inflation level, while 73% of employers have said that inflation is the key factor when it comes to giving their personnel pay rises.

Meanwhile, people in several sectors have said they expect an increase in their salaries next year. For example, 94% of people in the fields of accounting and finance, 91% in procurement and supply chain and 90% in engineering and manufacturing expect a raise in 2023, the report showed.

The report also predicted that people with digital literacy have a competitive advantage when it comes to raises or recruitment. Meanwhile, workers with a “plug-and-play” skill set – skills that can be transferred when employees change their line of work – are likely to get increments of 15-30%.

Fresh talent, however, can expect their wages to be raised by 15% based on their potential, while existing employees can possibly get a 2-5% increase or 10-15% in case they are promoted.

Punyanuch Sirisawadwattana, country manager at Robert Walters Thailand, said there is a high level of competition in Thailand’s job market this year due to an imbalance in talent demand and supply.

She said that demand from 2021 and 2022 has accumulated, while the size of the talent pool has remained the same, especially since many expatriates left the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hence, she said, companies need to make appealing offers to attract talented workers.

Apart from offering better salary packages, Robert Walters also advises companies to offer flexibility and portray a clear company goal to motivate their personnel to stay on.

The survey also showed that in 2022, most people prioritised spending time with family and friends over excellent compensation and benefits of work challenges.

Conversely, in 2023, “inspiring colleagues and culture” is the issue that professionals in almost every field value the most.

Robert Walters has been surveying the hiring trend for more than 20 years, and this year’s survey is its 24th edition. It has run its recruitment business for 37 years, with its services available in 31 countries.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022874

Mysteries of Thailand’s New Year gift baskets probed by Trade Dept

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

The Internal Trade Department (DIT) is casting a suspicious eye over the New Year gift baskets being sold in supermarkets all over Thailand this month.

DIT deputy director-general Chakra Yodmani led inspections of the baskets in Bangkok malls on Wednesday.

He said DIT officials have been swooping to examine gift baskets since the beginning of December. They are checking to see whether baskets display the mandatory list of contents, size, weight, quantity, and price. The list must also appear in a font size larger than 16.

Officials are also demanding to see expiration dates on the baskets, which must last at least six months to guarantee safety and quality for purchasers.

Chakra asked buyers to report any shops that were breaking the rules via the 1569 hotline or provincial Commerce offices.

He also spoke to mall operators, who told him that spending on consumer goods has risen since Covid controls were eased and tourists returned, while manufacturers have adjusted to meet the demand.

The DIT has joined hands with malls to set up a festive promotional campaign for consumer goods.
 

Related stories

• Price controls top Thais’ New Year wishlist: Govt survey
• Free check-ups for vehicles ahead of ‘7 deadly days’ at New Year
• Chao Phraya river to light up with spectacular firework displays during new year countdown