BTS management to take BMA to court over Bt30-billion Green Line dues
The Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) is preparing to file a case at the Central Administrative Court against the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) for repayment of the costs it had incurred running the Green Line extension, BTS director Surapong Laoha-Unya said.
The BTS Skytrain operator has repeatedly demanded from the BMA repayment of the Bt30-billion expenditure it had incurred operating the Green Line extension and related expenses since 2018. The payment was due on March 31.
“The debt includes over Bt10.9 billion in wages for operating the Green Line extension since 2018 and purchase of a train operating system worth over Bt20.7 billion,” said Surapong.
“The company has been carrying this burden for four years while the BMA says it has no money to pay and is urging the government to take care of the debt.”
BTSC is a subsidiary of the SET-listed BTS Group Holdings Plc, and owns the Silom Line from National Stadium to the Taksin Bridge station, and the Sukhumvit route from Mor Chit to On Nut. The extensions of those two lines are owned by the BMA, which had hired BTSC to operate the service.
“As a SET-listed company with more than 101,700 shareholders, BTS Group Holdings needs to take this case to court to protect the rights of our shareholders who are mostly the general public,” added Surapong.
“We have no intention of using this debt as a condition to amend the Green Line concession contract.”
The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) has invited people to witness and take photographs of the Super Full Moon, an astronomical phenomenon that will happen on Tuesday night.
“Super Full Moon, or Supermoon, is a full moon that nearly coincides with the perigee — the closest that the Moon comes to the Earth in its elliptic orbit —resulting in a slightly larger-than-usual apparent size of the lunar disk as viewed from Earth,” NARIT said on its Facebook page.
“The perigee is about 356,400km from the Earth, and this year the Moon will orbit as near as 357,370km from the Earth on Tuesday night. Hence, observers will see the Moon about 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter compared to when it was farthest from the Earth in the past year,” it added.
The NARIT added that observers should look for the Moon as it rises in the east from 7pm.
It also suggested the following techniques to take photographs of the Super Full Moon:
• Use telephoto lens with focal length over 300mm.
• Set the ISO at 400 or over
• Use Live View system from the camera’s screen to adjust the focus by trying to focus at the meteor crater on the Moon
• Use manual mode and set shutter speed in relation to the lens’ focal length. For example: if you use 600mm lens, you should set the shutter speed at least 1/600 second
• Set aperture size at f/4.0 – f/8.0
• Turn off the lens’ anti-vibration system
• Use a stable tripod
• Save the image in RAW format for flexibility in post processing adjustment
Thunderstorms, hail and heavy rain forecast for most of upper Thailand
A high-pressure system from China covers the upper Northeast of Thailand and the South China Sea, while southeasterly and southwesterly winds prevail across upper Thailand.
Hot weather with thunderstorms, gusty winds, hail and heavy rains are forecast for the North, the Northeast, the Central and the East regions, the Thailand Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.
People should beware of the severe conditions by avoiding outdoor places, big trees, unsecured buildings and billboards, the department said.
Farmers were warned of damage to crops.
Meanwhile, the westerly and the southwesterly winds prevail across the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand, bringing scattered thundershowers to the areas.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Thunderstorms in 60 per cent of the areas; heavy rains, gusty winds and hail are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 20-24 degrees Celsius, highs of 29-36°C.
Northeast: Thunderstorms in 70 per cent of the areas; heavy rains, gusty winds and hail are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 21-25°C, highs of 29-35°C.
Central: Thunderstorms in 60 per cent of the areas; heavy rains, gusty winds and hail are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 33-35°C.
East: Thunderstorms in 60 per cent of the areas; heavy rains, gusty winds and hail are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 24-27°C, highs of 32-34°C; waves less than a metre high and over a metre during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-25°C, highs of 32-34°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 30-33°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-26°C, highs of 31-34°C.
Survey shows one in 11 Thais suspect their identity was stolen, one in 12 know it was
The most recent FICO survey on identity proofing and digital banking shows that identity theft is a tangible threat for people in Thailand. Of the respondents, 8.5 per cent said they know their identity has been stolen and used by a fraudster to open an account, while 9 per cent believe it is likely to have happened.
The acknowledged level of risk from identity theft means there is a good understanding of why identity proofing is key to banking.
Need for ID proofing
Just over two-thirds (69 per cent) of respondents recognised that identity proofing happens for their protection. However, in Thailand, some consumers are cynical about the reasons their identity is confirmed. While a large number (64 per cent) recognise there is an element of regulation driving providers to carry out more checks, 27 per cent think this is done to enable financial institutions to sell more.
A majority (62 per cent) of Thai respondents did see identity proofing as a way for banks to protect themselves, while 44 per cent regard it as a tool to prevent money laundering.
Most Thais are open to providing their bank with a biometric such as a facial scan, fingerprint, or voiceprint to secure their accounts. The survey revealed that once they understand why it’s necessary, 41 per cent are happy to provide their biometrics. Only 7 per cent said banks should never capture biometrics, while 8 per cent are willing but unhappy to provide them.
“In a lot of Asian countries, fingerprinting, identity cards and authentication apps have been commonplace for some time,” said Subhashish Bose, lead for fraud, security and compliance in the Asia Pacific. “There is less concern around privacy and the survey shows there is broad acceptance of the benefits that biometrics deliver when it comes to securing bank accounts and stopping money laundering.”
Asia is all about smartphones … and branches
In Thailand, 44 per cent of consumers prefer to open bank accounts digitally and 44 per cent prefer branches. However, over the last year, thanks to the pandemic, 66 per cent of Thais are more likely to open an account digitally than a year ago; while those who attend branches often do so for social and technical reasons.
“Digital account opening has been available in Thailand for some time, it just remained unused by some segments of the market who either hadn’t discovered it or weren’t willing to trust it,” said Bose. “This has created a belief that accessing a branch offers a more informed and secure account opening process.”
As attitudes change and more people experience the benefits of digital banking there will be further opportunity for banks who adopt multichannel strategies and can engender trust in new channels.
Don’t ask me to jump through hoops
Thais who open an account digitally, prefer to carry out the process entirely in their chosen channel whether it be smartphone or website. If customers are asked to move out of channel to prove their identities, many of them will abandon the application, either giving up on opening an account completely (4-5 per cent) or by going to a competitor (7-9 per cent). Of those who don’t immediately abandon, up to an additional 21 per cent will delay the process.
The survey found that any disruption matters. Asking people to scan and email documents or use a separate identity portal causes almost as much application abandonment as asking them to visit branches or mail in documents.
This survey was conducted in January 2021 by an independent research company adhering to research industry standards. Of the respondents, 1,000 were Thai adults, along with 13,000 consumers in the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
FICO will discuss the results at its free virtual event – Success Realised: Digital Transformation Delivered (APAC) – which runs from April 27 to 29.
National Security Council (NSC) chief Gen Natthapon Nakpanich said the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will decide on Wednesday whether to impose a lockdown in Bangkok.
The proposal to lock down the capital follows successive days of record rises in Covid-19 cases, with another 901 infections and four deaths recorded in Bangkok on Monday.
Natthapon said the CCSA subcommittee would review options for the capital on Monday before forwarding its recommendations to the full committee chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday.
However, the CCSA would wait to hear from the Public Health Ministry whether the situation has evolved into a crisis that requires further restrictions, said the NSC chief.
Bangkok went into partial lockdown on Monday, with mask-wearing mandatory in public and 31 types of businesses closed for two weeks.
Natthapon said the NSC and CCSA would also discuss the proposed 21-day quarantine for those travelling from Covid-19 hotspots abroad, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Baggage swapped for jabs as Suvarnabhumi check-in counters become vaccination points
Suvarnabhumi Airport has converted check-in counters into vaccination points as part of efforts to inoculate staff at Thailand’s main international gateway.
Those targeted for vaccination are front-line staff working for Airports of Thailand, airlines and other agencies at Suvarnabhumi.
To boost speed and social distancing of the inoculation programme, a total of 42 counters on the 4th-floor departure hall are now serving as vaccination service points, said Kittipong Kittikajorn, deputy general manager for Suvarnabhumi Operations 1.
The vaccination points are manned by medical staff from Bangplee Hospital and Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, communicable disease control officers, and representatives from various airlines.
Autopsy ordered on woman, 24, who died 2 days after Covid jab
Officials are investigating why a 24-year-old woman died soon after receiving a Covid-19 vaccination in Angthong province, the Public Health Ministry revealed on Monday.
Relatives of the dead woman have consented to an autopsy as part of efforts to find out if the cause of death was related to the vaccine.
The woman died two days after being injected with the Sinovac vaccine, which has been linked with at least seven cases of partial paralysis in Thailand. All seven cases made full recoveries.
Dr Chawetsan Namwat, acting director for emergency health hazard and disease control at the Department of Disease Control, said a full autopsy was necessary as part of the investigation into the cause of the woman’s death.
Samut Sakhon preps 500-bed field hospital for Bangkok Covid patients
After the Interior Ministry asked provincial governors to aid national disease-control efforts, Samut Sakhon province is preparing 500 field-hospital beds for patients from Bangkok.
The capital is at the epicentre of the country’s third wave of Covid-19, recording 901 new cases and four deaths on Monday.
As part of efforts to contain the Bangkok outbreak, Samut Sakhon deputy governor Surasak Ponyangsong led an inspection of field hospitals in the province on Monday. Surasak checked beds and other facilities designated for hundreds of Covid-19 patients from Bangkok, 40 kilometres to the northeast.
The field hospitals should be ready to receive Bangkok patients from Wednesday.
PM Prayut first person to be fined for not wearing mask
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha became the first person to be fined under Bangkok’s new mandatory mask rule on Monday.
According to Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang, Prayut was fined THB6,000 for not wearing a mask during a meeting.
The PM was photographed barefaced at the meeting.
Bangkokians woke up to new Covid-19 restrictions on Monday, with mask-wearing mandatory in public places and 31 types of businesses ordered to shut for 14 days.
