Prayut calls for constructive cooperation as Asean-EU summit wraps up in Brussels

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Prayut calls for constructive cooperation as Asean-EU summit wraps up in Brussels

Prayut calls for constructive cooperation as Asean-EU summit wraps up in Brussels

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called for countries to use constructive cooperation to bring about positive change as the 45th Asean-EU summit wrapped up in Brussels yesterday.

Prayut told leaders attending the summit that cooperation between countries should focus on issues related to security, the economy, society, and the environment.

Regarding security, countries should work together to avoid confrontations and the risk of conflict while boosting cooperation on humanitarian and economic assistance, Prayut said.

Regarding economic, social and environmental issues, it is the responsibility of all countries to unite in a battle against such problems as climate change and global warming, he said. He said the economic model known as the BCG (bio, circular and green) — which was promoted by Thailand during the recent Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok — was a way to bring positive changes to mitigate climate change and reduce global warming.

Prayut calls for constructive cooperation as Asean-EU summit wraps up in Brussels
Prayut calls for constructive cooperation as Asean-EU summit wraps up in Brussels

“I believe that the power of constructive cooperation can serve as a driving force for sustainable development. This will benefit peoples of Asean, the European Union and the world as a whole,” PM Prayut wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday.

“During this transitional period, we need global unity. The benefits of our efforts will happen for our generation and our children and grandchildren in the future. We have to start immediately today,” he said.

The Thai prime minister was in Brussels, where leaders from 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met with their counterparts from the European Union on Wednesday to celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations between the two regional groupings.

Prayut also wrote that the Asean-EU leaders discussed strategic partnerships between the groupings and exchanged views on global challenges, including post-Covid economic recovery, and changes brought about by the green and digital economies.

He noted that the meeting had economic significance as the EU is Asean’s third-largest trade partner, after China and the United States.

Last year’s trade volume between member countries of the two regional groupings totalled 215.9 billion euros (7.98 trillion baht), accounting for 10.6% of Asean’s total trade. The EU is Asean’s top source of foreign direct investment, with 144 billion euros (5.32 trillion baht) in cumulative FDI from the EU in Asean.

Prayut calls for constructive cooperation as Asean-EU summit wraps up in Brussels
Prayut calls for constructive cooperation as Asean-EU summit wraps up in Brussels
Prayut calls for constructive cooperation as Asean-EU summit wraps up in Brussels

Thailand signs partnership and cooperation deal with the EU

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Thailand signs partnership and cooperation deal with the EU

Thailand signs partnership and cooperation deal with the EU

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Thailand has signed a comprehensive partnership and cooperation agreement (PCA) with the European Union (EU).

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Asean-EU Commemorative Summit in Brussels.

Leaders from 10 member countries of Asean, including Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, on Wednesday met with their EU counterparts at the conference held to celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations between the two regional groupings.

On the same day, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai signed the draft Thai-EU PCA with Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Petr Fiala, in his capacity as president of the Council of the European Union, and Josep Borrell Fontelles, vice president of the European Commission and high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy.

Thailand signs partnership and cooperation deal with the EU

General Prayut, European Council president Charles Michel, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also attended the event as witnesses.

The PCA signing ceremony marked an important milestone in the 44 year-long diplomatic relationship between Thailand and the EU, which began when the first European Community mission in Southeast Asia was founded in Bangkok in 1978, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on its website on Thursday.

“The PCA opens up a new era in Thailand-EU relations, reinvigorating and deepening the partnership on all fronts,” the ministry said in its press release.

The PCA covers various cooperation areas, including political, economic, social and environment. “It provides a forward-looking framework for advancing cooperation in a more concrete and orderly manner,” the ministry said.

Thailand is expected to benefit from knowledge-sharing sessions, policy consultations, capacity-building activities as well as the exchange of experts.

According to the ministry, the PCA can also be instrumental for Thailand in bringing about better management and higher standards. The cooperation under the PCA will also serve as a basis for and create an environment conducive to the resumption of Thai-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

Thailand signs partnership and cooperation deal with the EU
Thailand signs partnership and cooperation deal with the EU

ID will be required for purchase of marijuana buds next month: official

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ID will be required for purchase of marijuana buds next month: official

ID will be required for purchase of marijuana buds next month: official

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Thais will have to start flashing their citizen identification cards next month to buy ganja buds from 5,000 registered shops nationwide, a senior official said on Thursday.

Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, director-general of the Thai Traditional and Complementary Medicine Department, said that after his department issued a directive to declare marijuana buds a controlled herb it began developing an online system to monitor their sale in registered shops.

Thongchai said owners of the registered shops must inform the department what they are doing with the dried marijuana buds, where they bought them and who they are selling them to.

The online system will require buyers to insert their ID cards into card readers so that the department can identify them in real time. Buyers must be at least 20 years old.

Thongchai said the online sales-record system will help the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) feel confident about the sale of ganja buds in Thailand.

“The system can create reports for the INCB and [this will] create confidence at the INCB over the sale of ganja buds,” Thongchai said.

He said the system is expected to be ready for use next month.

About 5,000 registered shops have received approval to sell ganja buds, with about 2,000 of them located in Bangkok – mostly in tourist destinations, such as Thong Lor and Khao San Road.

Thongchai added that although the directive of his department can control the sale and use of ganja buds, it would be better to have a specific law to prevent abuses. For example, such a law could prohibit smoking ganja in public areas, he said.

31 arrested in World Cup gambling crackdown, police say

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31 arrested in World Cup gambling crackdown, police say

31 arrested in World Cup gambling crackdown, police say

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Thirty-one people were arrested during a crackdown on illegal gambling websites on Wednesday, police told a press conference on Thurdsay.

The raids coincide with an increase of gambling during the 2022 World Cup.

The police searched two locations in Bangkok and six in Chanthaburi on Wednesday. They found 20 gambling websites were being operated from the locations.

Police seized nine computers, 19 laptops, 31 computer monitors, 19 mobile phones, a camera, a whiteboard with a message promoting gambling, 21 bankbooks, a banknote counter, and three cars.

Police also seized 70 million baht. At Thursday’s press conference they said that 1.2 billion baht was circulating in the 20 gambling websites, which use pop-up ads to attract users.

31 arrested in World Cup gambling crackdown, police say

Maj Gen Teeradej Thumsutee, commander of the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said that the operators of the gambling websites advertise during the World Cup and that the websites are easily accessible.

He said one 13-year-old child gambled on one of the 20 websites.

31 arrested in World Cup gambling crackdown, police say

Teeradej admitted that he might not be able to eliminate gambling websites but said he would investigate further and make their owners “unhappy”.

Teeradej said that the evidence gathered from Wednesday’s raids could identify those who control them.

31 arrested in World Cup gambling crackdown, police say

At least 20 arrest warrants were issued for gambling and money-laundering related crimes.

Teeradej said gambling is illegal and no one ever got rich from it. He also called on parents to monitor their children’s online behaviour to ensure they did not fall victim to illegal gambling websites.

Related stories

FDA chief insists ganja no longer narcotic regardless of cannabis control law

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FDA chief insists ganja no longer narcotic regardless of cannabis control law

FDA chief insists ganja no longer narcotic regardless of cannabis control law

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration chief insisted on Thursday that all parts of ganja plants, including the buds, will remain legal no matter what the new cannabis and hemp control bill states.

FDA secretary-general Paisarn Dunkum was commenting as the House of Representatives resumed its second reading of the bill on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the House panel vetting the bill had agreed to remove Section 3, which stated that marijuana, hemp and their extracts will not be regarded as narcotics under the law. Paisarn is a member of the vetting panel.

The bill’s second reading was suspended in September when the House voted to send it back to the panel for revision. The coalition Democrat Party joined forces with the opposition and voted to send the draft back, citing a lack of protection for children. The Bhumjaithai Party, which engineered cannabis legalization, accused the Democrats of playing political games over the draft bill.

On Wednesday, MPs raised objections to Section 3 leading to its withdrawal.

However, its removal would not affect other sections of the bill, meaning ganja will remain legal, Paisarn said.

“If you ask whether ganja is still a narcotic, the answer is that it doesn’t depend on this bill. I hereby affirm that ganja is now not a narcotic under the Public Health Ministry’s directive.

“Simply put, neither the buds, flowers, stems, leaves nor roots of ganja plants are narcotics. Only extracts with THC levels higher than 0.2% are considered narcotics,” Paisarn said.

Asked what steps would need to be taken if the government wanted to relist ganja as a narcotic, Paisarn said the Narcotics Control Committee must first propose the recategorisation to the Narcotics Control Board. The board would then ask the public health minister to issue a directive relisting ganja as a narcotic, Paisarn said.

So far, the Narcotics Control Committee had not discussed returning ganja to the narcotics list, he said, adding that he was not aware of any government attempts to reverse legalisation. The new bill was merely aimed at controlling the use of cannabis and hemp for business and health purposes, he said.

Although the bill faces delays, ganja products are still regulated by other laws, he noted. If cannabis was eventually relisted as a narcotic, the whole industry manufacturing food, cosmetics and other products from ganja and hemp would have to be scrapped,” Paisarn said.

He said the FDA has so far registered 2,200 products with ganja or hemp as ingredients.

Residential electricity prices will remain stable for 4 months, regulator says

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Residential electricity prices will remain stable for 4 months, regulator says

Residential electricity prices will remain stable for 4 months, regulator says

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Home electricity rates will not rise in the first four months of next year, after the Energy Regulatory Commission on Wednesday said it would maintain the current price from January to April to help offset rising expenses faced by consumers.

The commission approved the National Energy Policy Council’s proposal to keep the fuel tariff at 93.43 satang per unit for residential users and 190.44 satang per unit for other users.

“As a result, electricity charges for residential users will remain at 4.72 baht per unit, while other users will be charged 5.69 baht per unit,” said commission secretary-general Komkrit Tantravanich.

He said factors affecting the fuel tariff calculation include fuel costs and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand’s debt repayment potential.

“Thailand has to import natural gas to compensate for a decline in [domestically produced] gas,” Komkrit added.

Related stories:

15 bank holidays announced for 2023

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15 bank holidays announced for 2023

15 bank holidays announced for 2023

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has announced 15 public holidays in 2023 for financial institutions.

The 15 public holidays are:

• January 2: Substitution for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (December 31 and January 1)

• March 6: Makha Bucha Day

• April 6: Chakri Memorial Day

• April 13-14: Songkran Festival

• May 1: National Labour Day

• May 4: Coronation Day

• June 5: Substitution for HM the Queen’s Birthday and Visakha Bucha Day (June 3)

• July 28: HM the King’s Birthday

• August 1: Asarnha Bucha Day

• August 14: Substitution for HM the Queen Mother’s Birthday and National Mother’s Day (August 12)

• October 13: HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej Memorial Day

• October 23: Chulalongkorn Memorial Day

• December 5: HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Birthday, National Day and National Father’s Day

• December 11: Substitution for Constitution Day (December 10)

Financial institutions in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun and Songkhla provinces can use Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Chinese New Year’s Day as additional public holidays.

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OAG and national police chief to oversee Tuhao triad case

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OAG and national police chief to oversee Tuhao triad case

OAG and national police chief to oversee Tuhao triad case

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

The Attorney General has appointed a special committee to investigate the case of Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant, an alleged narcotics kingpin who surrendered to police on November 23 following an arrest warrant. Tuhao is suspected of links to Chinese triad operations in Thailand.

Wednesday’s order signed by Attorney-General Naree Tantasathien classified Chaiyanat’s operation as an international crime organisation and named him as a threat to national security.

It therefore ordered a special committee led by the attorney-general and the national police chief to oversee the case. The team also includes the Metropolitan Police Bureau chief and high-ranking officials from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).

It is tasked with ensuring a speedy and accurate investigation to allow prosecutors enough time to prepare court cases.

Chaiyanat is a Chinese businessman who gained Thai citizenship after marrying a senior Thai police officer. Police said they suspect he is behind drug and other crime networks being operated by Chinese triads in Thailand.

Since his surrender last month, officials have raided several locations in Bangkok and other provinces suspected of being bases for Chaiyanat’s alleged crime network. They include 50 houses in two luxury residential projects in Bangkok, eight companies in Phuket, and a non-profit organisation in Chiang Mai.

More than 100 Chinese nationals have been arrested and are being questioned as part of the investigation, said deputy national police chief General Surachet Hakparn. Meanwhile 27 immigration police were found to have been aiding Chinese triads to stay illegally in Thailand.

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27 Thai immigration police officers found to be aiding Chinese triads

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

Thailand-approved Paxlovid cuts Covid death rate by 70%: medic

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Thailand-approved Paxlovid cuts Covid death rate by 70%: medic

Thailand-approved Paxlovid cuts Covid death rate by 70%: medic

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Paxlovid antiviral drug reduces risk of death among Covid-19 patients by 70%, and hospitalisation by 40%, Chulalongkorn University medical expert Dr Thira Woratanarat said on Thursday.

Writing on Facebook, Thira cited a study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“The study on 44,551 Covid-19 patients from January to July this year found that Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir, marketed under the commercial name of Paxlovid, was able to cut deaths by 70% and reduce the need for hospitalisation by 40%,” he said.

Patients in at-risk groups should take the antiviral drug to reduce dangers of severe symptoms, Thira advised.

“Covid-19 will be with us for a long time,” he said. “The best strategy is to prevent the infection or reinfection by avoiding risky behaviours and places, getting a booster shot at suitable intervals, and wearing a face mask whenever you can.”

Developed by Pfizer, Paxlovid is among several antiviral drugs – namely Favipiravir, Remdesivir and Molnupiravir. – approved by Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration. These drugs can be bought at any hospital or clinic under the Health Facility Act with a prescription from a physician.

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BMA hospitals will use Paxlovid to treat Covid-19 patients

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Assets worth THB2.5bn seized from Northeast drug gang posing as truckers

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Assets worth THB2.5bn seized from Northeast drug gang posing as truckers

Assets worth THB2.5bn seized from Northeast drug gang posing as truckers

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Narcotics suppression police (NSP) have seized assets worth over 2.48 billion baht during raids across the Northeast.

The crackdown followed the discovery of nearly 2 million amphetamine tablets in a vehicle at a checkpoint in Nakhon Ratchasima on June 14, said NSP chief Lt General Sarayut Sanguanphokai on Wednesday.

The resulting investigation found that a drug-trafficking ring was posing as a trucking company to ship narcotics across the country.

Assets worth THB2.5bn seized from Northeast drug gang posing as truckers

Police said the vehicle’s driver, Watthana Sriwilai, confessed to transporting methamphetamine over Northeast borders into Thailand and delivering it to customers in southern provinces.

Watthana’s arrest led to the arrests of two other suspected gang members in Sakon Nakhon and Nonthaburi, who police said provided information on the gang’s bases in seven Northeast provinces.

Assets worth THB2.5bn seized from Northeast drug gang posing as truckers

On November 15, police launched raids at over 30 locations and confiscated 200 million baht in cash, 16 trailer trucks, six houses, 17 land deeds, a sawmill, shares of two logistic companies, several guns and ammunition, and 15 bank accounts with over 550 million baht in them.

Assets worth THB2.5bn seized from Northeast drug gang posing as truckers

Sarayut said the seizures helped to block the financial network of the drug gang and would lead to the arrests of more accomplices.

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