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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403958

National Press Council issues statement after journalists injured in Saturday crackdown

NationalMar 21. 2021

By The Nation

After several journalists and photographers got injured during the crackdown on protesters in Sanam Luang on Saturday, Thailand’s National Press Council issued a statement calling on all parties to exercise patience and tolerance.

Saying it disagreed with all forms of violence, the council also issued a list of requests and suggestions for all relevant parties to follow:

• People have the democratic and constitutional right to hold peaceful assemblies and should be allowed to do so.

• Police should carry operations in a step-by-step manner, and clearly inform demonstrators as well as the media in advance to avoid violence and injuries.

• Journalists and photographers working in protest areas must strictly follow critical situation guidelines to avoid a possible loss of life and property.

• Agencies and media organisations must assess the situation to ensure the safety of their reporters and photographers, and use protective gear at all times.

The council also insisted that journalists and photographers must always wear the armband specifying they are from the press while on the field. However, they must also understand that this armband is not a means of defence against any party. They must also assess the situation and follow guidelines while reporting.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403957

Motorbikes dominate Thai roads, as vehicles aggravate pollution

NationalMar 21. 2021

By The Nation

The high number of vehicles on Thai roads have been blamed for the increasing PM2.5 dust pollution affecting both urban and non-urban people.

Statistics from the Ministry of Transport showed that the number of vehicles of all types across the country as of February 288 was 41,633,891 cars, or equivalent to three-fourths of Thailand’s population of about 70 million people.

Most of the registered vehicles are motorbikes, which make up half of the total vehicles, or 21,452,050 vehicles.

Passenger cars with seating capacity for up to 7 people (Sedan) account for 10,530,697 vehicles, and multi-purpose vehicles such as vans and pickups (6,897,580), and a group of specialised cars such as tractors (579,128), microbus (435,360), taxi motorcycles (168,839) and agricultural vehicles (109,284) account for the rest.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403955

90 new Covid-19 patients, half of local cases in Samut Sakhon

NationalMar 21. 2021

By The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Sunday reported 90 new cases, nine of them overseas travellers in quarantine facilities.

Of the 81 exposed to the disease while visiting high-risk areas, 16 were in Bangkok, 15 in Sakut Sakhon, six in Phetchaburi, four in Pathum Thani, two in Nakhon Pathom, and one each in Ratchaburi and Samut Prakan provinces.

Meanwhile, proactive testing led to the discovery of 36 cases, 26 in Samut Sakhon, nine in Pathum Thani and one in Samut Sakhon.

Of the nine overseas travellers, four were Thais, while the foreigners comprised one Serb, a Japanese, an Australian, a Sudanese and one from the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, 86 patients have recovered and been discharged.

As of Sunday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 27,803. Of these, 24,826 had been contracted locally, including 15,448 who were found via proactive testing, while 2,977 were returnees. So far, 26,598 have recovered and been discharged, 1,115 patients are still in hospitals, and 90 have died

According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Sunday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 123.43 million (up by 507,346), 98.66 million have recovered, 21.29 million are active cases (90,073 in severe condition) and 2.72 million have died (up by 8,152).

Thailand ranks 115th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 30.48 million, followed by, Brazil 11.95 million, India 11.6 million, Russia 4.45 million and the United Kingdom 4.29 million.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403953

People want new constitution: Nida poll

NationalMar 21. 2021

By The Nation

The majority of people want a new constitution and not just amendments to the 2017 Constitution, a poll showed recently.

The Nida Poll on “Do people wish to have a new constitution?”, was conducted on March 17-18, on 1,313 people aged 18 and above in all regions across the country.

The survey showed that 58.49 per cent of respondents wanted a new constitution, 25.13 per cent did not want a new constitution, 6.48 per cent said they would not take part in a referendum, 5.94 per cent said they would participate in a referendum and vote no, and 3.96 per cent said they were not sure.

When asked who should be tasked with drafting a new constitution, 59.86 per cent said the majority of members of the constituent assembly committee should be elected nationwide, 21.86 per cent said members of Parliament, 17.75 per cent said a constituent assembly committee drawn from universities, 11.88 per cent said senators, 10.97 per cent suggested a constituent assembly committee selected by the government, 9.75 per cent said a committee selected by Parliament and 8.38 per cent did not offer an opinion.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403951

Summer storms, thunderstorms and hail forecast for upper Thailand on hot day

NationalMar 21. 2021

By The Nation

A strong high-pressure system from China that now covers Vietnam is expected to cover the Northeast and the South China Sea by Sunday, creating hot to very hot weather conditions in upper Thailand.

The Thailand Meteorological Department on Sunday forecast summer storms followed by thunderstorms, gusty winds and hail first in the Northeast, then the North, the Central including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East, and the upper South regions.

The department has urged people to stay safe from the severe conditions by keeping away from open areas, big trees and unsecured billboards. Farmers have been warned of damage to crops.

From March 22-25, the easterly winds across the South and the Gulf will strengthen with more rain in the South. Strong winds are likely in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, with waves 1-2 metres high and above two metres during thundershowers.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Hot to very hot day with haze; scattered thunderstorms with gusty winds and isolated hail mostly in Phayao, Nan, Phrae, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Phichit and Phetchabun provinces; minimum temperature 19-29 degrees Celsius, maximum 39-42°C; southwesterly winds 10-15 km/hr.

Northeast: Scattered thunderstorms with gusty winds and isolated hail mostly in Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Kalasin, Roi Et, Yasothon, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen and Maha Sarakham provinces; minimum temperature 24-26°C, maximum 33-35°C; easterly winds 10-20 km/hr.

Central: Hot to very hot day; isolated thunderstorms with gusty winds mostly in Lop Buri and Saraburi provinces; minimum temperature 24-27°C, maximum 37-40°C; southerly winds 10-20 km/hr.

East: Hot day with scattered thunderstorms and gusty winds mostly in Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo, Chachoengsao, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces; minimum temperature 25-27°C, maximum 32-36°C; southeasterly winds 10-30 km/hr; waves below a metre high and about a metre in thundershowers.

South (east coast): Partly cloudy with isolated light rain; minimum temperature 21-26°C, maximum 32-37°C; easterly winds 15-30 km/hr; waves about a metre high.

South (west coast): Partly cloudy with isolated light rain; minimum temperature 21-26°C, maximum 34-36°C; easterly winds 10-30 km/hr; waves below a metre high and about a metre offshore.

Bangkok and its vicinity: Hot day with haze; minimum temperature 26-27°C, maximum 34-37°C; southerly winds 10-20 km/hr.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403935

Thailand 48th happiest country, Finland tops the list again

NationalMar 21. 2021

By THE NATION

Thailand was ranked the 48th happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report 2021, while Finland was the happiest country for the fourth consecutive year.

The latest report was published on Friday.

Finland was followed on the list by Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

The ranking was based on gross domestic product, social welfare, healthy life expectancy, level of freedom, generosity as well as perception of corruption in the country.

The latest report also surveyed people of each country about the Covid-19 situation, and their happiness in the last year, compared to the previous ones.

Singapore was the best-ranked in Asean at 32nd. Philippines ranked 61st, Vietnam jumped four places to 79, ahead of Malaysia (81), Indonesia (82) and Cambodia (114).

Afghanistan was the least happy, at the bottom of 149 nations evaluated.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403934

Distraught mother hits back over ‘wargames’ that killed her son

NationalMar 21. 2021

By THE NATION

The mother of a schoolboy in Kalasin, who drowned during boy scout “wargames”, has filed a police complaint against teachers for carelessness.

The body of 15-year-old Noppakao Sita was discovered in a swamp near the school on Tuesday.

Investigators believe he was forced to jump into the swamp even though he did not know how to swim as part of activities organised by the Ban Na Kor Wittayakom School.

On Wednesday, the boy’s parents and school friends plus representatives of the school were summoned by police for interrogation.

Noppakao’s friends told police the activity featured wargames, in which students had to jump into the swamp to avoid “bombs” – stones aimed at them by their teachers. No life jackets or rubber boats were provided for them for safety, while students said teachers did not indicate which parts of the swamp were deep or shallow.

On Saturday, Buachuen Sita, 48, and the boy’s stepfather filed a complaint against the teachers at the Huai Mek Police Station.

Some teachers were also charged with violating the Alcohol Beverage Control Act as they had been drinking during the boy scout activity.

Police said several staff members and the director had been summoned for interrogation, but most of them postponed the meeting.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403859

Fitch forecasts improvement in Thai corporates’ credit outlook this year

NationalMar 21. 2021

By The Nation (sponsored news)

Fitch Ratings Thailand expects Thai corporates’ credit outlook to improve this year as vaccination is rolled out and economic activity recovers.

However, the pace of recovery for tourism would be slow amid prolonged travel and social distancing restrictions, the credit rating agency warned in its briefing on Wednesday.

It added Thai banks would face restricted profitability for the next few years amid the sluggish recovery. In April last year, Fitch lowered its operating environment mid-point score for Thai banks from BBB+ to BBB due to pressure from the pandemic.

Wednesday’s briefing also identified corporate sustainability as a trend that was “shaping longer-term structural trends that will affect many of these sectors beyond the recovery”.

In 2021, the outlook for the oil & gas and petrochemical sectors will remain negative, as leverage will remain high despite a recovery in earnings, said Fitch. Telecoms companies should have enough rating headroom to absorb an increase in spectrum payments and 5G investment, it added. In comparison, the outlook for the food retail sector would remain stable as earnings rebound. Fitch expects the outlook for the building material and power & utilities sectors to be stable in the coming years.

On global ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) trends, sustainability considerations are increasingly being incorporated into policies, corporate governance frameworks, and the lending and investment decisions of financial institutions, said the agency. This would increase the influence of ESG considerations on company strategy, financing and operating environments in 2021.

It also expects that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed rules to support sustainability-linked bonds will increase the number of corporates able to issue ESG-related bonds.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403933

10% of Thais living below poverty line when Covid hit

NationalMar 20. 2021

By THE NATION

Around 10 per cent of low-income Thais fell below the poverty threshold in 2019, according to the latest report by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).

The new report measures income before the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the economy and household finances.

However, it provides a useful baseline to measure the impact of the pandemic on poorer citizens, with the 2020 survey expected to show a surge in poverty.The NESDC’s income distribution report for 2019 divides low-income Thais into 10 groups according to their income level. The top group earned an average Bt32,663 a month while the poorest earned only Bt2,049 per month.The NESDC surveys poverty and income distribution every two years.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403932

Bangkok on alert for summer storm

NationalMar 20. 2021

By THE NATION

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)’s Department of Drainage and Sewerage has dispatched officials to check the condition of drainage canals and tunnels as well as water pumping stations to prepare for the upcoming summer storm on March 21-22.

The Thailand Meteorological Department has forecast that a strong high pressure area from China will extend to cover upper Thailand, bringing summer storms, thunderstorms with gusty winds and hail to the Northeast, the North, the Central, including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East and the upper South regions.

“We are checking the condition of our facilities to make sure that they can drain rainwater in time during the storm,” said BMA permanent secretary Silapasuay Raweesaengsoon on Saturday.

“Officials have been sent to dredge up the canals and pick up floating weeds and trash in flood-prone areas as well as install water pumps to maximise the draining capacity.

“We have also trimmed the branches of large trees near public roads to prevent accidents that could happen due to strong winds knocking over tree branches,” she added. People can report hazardous trees to the nearest district office to get them trimmed. A fee will be charged for privately owned trees.

The BMA has also contacted owners of billboards to make sure that the structure can withstand gusty winds during the storm. Owners of billboards that are too old or damaged must fix them immediately or take them down for public safety, she said.

“We have coordinated with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority to prepare for power outages during the storm as well as provide backup power in case of emergency during the blackout,” said Silapasuay.

“People can monitor the weather conditions in Bangkok from the website http://dds.bangkok.go.th/ or get latest updates from Facebook and Twitter @BKK_BEST, or download mobile application Bangkok Connect.”