Initial research under the robot project has already been conducted by the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, from December 2017 to May 2019.

Thailand is forecast to become a completely aging society by 2031, and the government plans to establish nursing homes to support an increasing number of elders in the near future. But because of personnel shortage for the project, the government gave the university a grant to carry out the research.

“We are conducting research on the use of AI for analysing and examining patients’ mental health and depression through a chatbot system” said Dr Konlakorn Wongpatikaseree, project head and professor at the Faculty of Engineering. “Most high-class elders in Thailand usually live in nursing homes and appear to have mental problems, depression, or Alzheimers disease caused by loneliness of being far from their families or relatives.”

The project uses robots, which can talk to the elders around the clock to help their mental health and recover their memory from dementia. The target of this project was elders in nursing homes, where staff were not enough or could not take thorough care of them.

“We tested AI in numerous aspects – design, research ethics, clinical psychology – which can estimate and calm patients’ emotions,” explained the project head. “Clinical psychology was designed by a psychologist of music therapy. Integrated with AI, it can detect sound and process voice to text for interacting with elders. This system will help recover their memory through applications and games with the robot.”

The next phase of this project is to develop a smartphone application for use with robots, helping both people and elders to access this kind of robot from anywhere.

The project will develop into a Tele Medical Health centre, helping patients to contact psychologists through a robot or video call.

“After completing our research, we will have to see if it is indeed practical to use these robots. However, we need two more years to improve the robots for proper use with elders,” said Konlakorn.

There are numerous illegal beauty clinics or surgical services that use surgeons who are not professionals.

Those who have used these “underground” services possibly received below-standard surgery and risk endangering their health or lives.

The Yanhee centre consists of fifteen doctors who can correct botched surgery for double eyelids, noses, breasts, face, chin augmentation, and liquid silicone injections.

“The centre is expected to gain around 1,000 customers in the first year of its opening, or approximately Bt10 million,” he said.

“Our doctors are experts in plastic surgery and members of the Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Thailand. Meanwhile, the hospital’s quality standards are guaranteed by the Joint Commission International,” Supot added.

“THA has no intention to seek a ban on these services in Thailand,” she said, adding “We just want the government to issue suitable regulations on the operations of these service providers, as well as enforce related laws and quality control measures to protect customers.”

Supawan suggested that providers of short-term rental and home sharing services should be required to register with tourism-related agencies under the Ministry of Interior. They should apply for a business licence, the same requirement for hotel entrepreneurs, before commencing operation. Furthermore, these providers should display their licence numbers when advertising their services via regular and online media.

THA also wants the ministry to include short-term rental and home sharing services in the total number of hotel entrepreneurs in Thailand, so that the government can design suitable measures to promote hotel business based on the actual number of entrepreneurs in the market.

“A preliminary survey by THA revealed that there are over 21,000 providers of accommodations not listed as hotel entrepreneurs scattered around Bangkok and tourist cities. Without knowing the actual number of competitors, hotel entrepreneurs face the risk of room oversupply,” she said.

Statistics published by Airbnb earlier this year revealed that home sharing business in Thailand had generated more than Bt33.8 billion to property owners as well as local communities where the accommodations are located.

“According to a warrant issued by the Seoul Criminal Court, the suspect allegedly established a Ponzi scheme network called Pay100, inviting people to invest and promising to pay them back in the form of digital currency,” said Sompong. “The network has swindled 5,000 victims of $468 million, or approximately Bt14.1 billion.”

The suspect entered the kingdom via Don Mueang International Airport on September 1 on a visa that allowed him to stay until November 29.

“He managed to slip through inspection because information of his arrest warrant hadn’t reached the immigration police until November 27,” said Sompong. “We then tracked him down to a residence in Sa Kaeo province before making an arrest and revoking his visa. We will send him back to South Korea for prosecution later.”

The campaign will allow people to participate in increasing the green space and reduce air pollution, resulting in a beautiful city landscape dotted with yellow flowers.

BMA is giving away 1 million seedlings of plants that produce yellow flowers, such as yellow star, Burma paduak, yellow bell, silver trumpet, kalamona, and copperpot. Yellow represents the day of birth of both the late Monarch and of His Majesty King Rama X.

This campaign has received the support from the public and private sectors with seeds coming from the Royal Forest Department, a mobile application “We Grow” which allows people to share the growth of trees through social media from True Corporation, and plant giveaway venues from Central Pattana (CPN).

Those who interested in this activity can receive plants at 50 district offices in Bangkok, 38 public parks in Bangkok, and 9 branches of Central Department Stores, namely, Central World, Central Plaza Lat Phrao, Central Festival Eastville, Central Plaza Ramintra, Central Plaza Grand Rama 9, Central Plaza Bangna, Central Plaza Pinklao, Central Plaza Rama 3, and Central Plaza Rama 2.

Director-General of DSI, Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said that investigating officers collected the information from the Central Institute of Forensic Science and other witnesses.

“In addition, the mitochondrial DNA from the skull also matched Billy’s mother, and the victim’s relatives with the same mitochondrial DNA are still alive,” added a member of the investigation team.

The officer explained that the point where the 9 bone fragments were found were 10 metres from where the skull fragments were discovered and that the second survey took place two months later. In addition, the fuel used to burn the bones were different from that used for the skull.

“After we examined the bones, we were able to conclude that they had been burned and soaked in water for more than 10 years. DSI has been careful in questioning the forensic scientists so as to identify the differences between the two sets of evidences and not cast doubts on the credibility of the evidence,” the officer said.

The officer added that because of the difference in the age of the bones, DSI would now expand enquiries to include persons reported missing in the past 10 years.

Related Stories:

DSI close to file charges in activist’s death

Kaeng Krachan Park ex-chief, 3 others turn themselves in to fight allegations in ‘Billy’ murder case

DSI to request arrest warrant for suspects in Billy’s murder

“A growing trend in self-care and beauty for both men and women as well as in cosmetics distributed through offline and online channels tout the illegal use of mercury and hydroquinone, both of which are dangerous,” he said.

A study by the Department of Medical Services’ Institute of Dermatology’s found that 25 per cent of 420 samples of cream distributed through flea markets and online channels in 2018-2019, contained a mixture of hazardous chemicals.

“Mercury was the most common hazardous ingredient the institute found, followed by hydroquinone and vitamin A acid,” Somsak Akksilp, DMS director general. Said. “These chemicals can cause irritation, burning, redness and peeling. Moreover, some chemicals such as hydroquinone can cause permanent black marks on users’ faces, if the facial skin has already built up an accumulation of these toxic substances.”.

Mercury is also dangerous for the nervous system, excretory system, and blood circulation and can harm the embryo when used by pregnant women.

Dr Pornthida Thepprasit, director of the Environment Centre at Suan Dusit University’s Faculty of Science and Technology, says the centre is organizing activities to promote awareness and self-protection skills against PM2.5 dust particles and other forms of air pollution among primary students (Prathom 1-6) at La-or Utis Demonstration School in Bangkok’s Dusit district. “This campaign is under the supervision of the Committee for Occupational Safety, Health and Work Environment in the Workplace, which is chaired by Suan Dusit’s deputy dean of administration, Dr Phithak Chancharoen.”

Pornthida further explained that the centre launched the programme to respond to the severe air pollution that has affected the metropolitan area since January-February. High levels PM2.5 – atmospheric particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometres – have been detected in many areas of Bangkok and are having a negative effect on people’s health.

“Suan Dusit University is especially concerned about the health of preschool and primary school children in Bangkok and its perimeter who have to commute between home and school five days a week,” she said. “We are therefore organising workshop and training sessions for students to learn about the PM2.5 situation, the health impacts of air pollution, and how they can protect themselves.”

According to Pornthida, the activities are divided into 6 stations covering different aspects of PM2.5 that children need to learn: 1) What is PM2.5; 2) What are health impacts of PM2.5; 3) Factors that cause PM2.5; 4) How to protect yourself against PM2.5; 5) How to monitor PM2.5 situation, and 6) Air quality inspection techniques.

“This campaign is also in accordance with Suan Dusit University’s policy to become an environmentally responsible institute through the ‘Clean & Green University’ initiative,” she added.