Interested in exploring Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection? Richa can be your guide

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/tech/40022535

Interested in exploring Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection? Richa can be your guide

Interested in exploring Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection? Richa can be your guide

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

A virtual influencer, “Richa”, is ready to act as a guide to people interested in visiting attractions in the Ratchaprasong intersection of Bangkok.

Richa was developed by the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association (RSTA) and Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) under the concept of “taking people to visit attractions online”.

Interested in exploring Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection? Richa can be your guide

“This move aims to enable people of all generations to visit attractions in the Ratchaprasong intersection without using Google Map application,” the RSTA and TCEB said.

Interested in exploring Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection? Richa can be your guide

Richa will provide information about the Ratchaprasong intersection, such as routes, eateries, and places where eight Hindu gods and goddesses are enshrined.

Interested in exploring Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection? Richa can be your guide

“Richa is a young woman with youthful characteristics, such as being friendly and liking to learn new things,” the RSTA and TCEB said, adding, “People can enjoy travelling and spending time in the intersection.”

Interested in exploring Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection? Richa can be your guide

Interested people can meet Richa on the website www.bkkdowntown.com or Facebook Page: We Love Ratchaprasong.

Interested in exploring Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection? Richa can be your guide

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Extensive projects, multifaceted developers triumph at the 17th PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/property/40022511

Extensive projects, multifaceted developers triumph at the 17th PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards

Extensive projects, multifaceted developers triumph at the 17th PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Diverse, desirable developments from coast to countryside honoured at long-running awards programme

  • SC Asset wins Best Developer, one of five golden statuettes for the company 
  • Several titles presented for the first time, including the Best Mega Mixed Use Development award for One Bangkok by Frasers Property Holdings (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (FPHT) 
  • Asst. Prof. Dr. Kessara Thanyalakpark, managing director of Sena Development Public Company Limited, accepts the Thailand Real Estate Personality of the Year award

Bangnkok, November 25, 2022 — A wide array of real estate developers and projects emerged triumphant today from the gala dinner and presentation of the 17th Annual PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards at The Athenee Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok. 

The 17th PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards, presented by Mitsubishi Elevator and supported by IHI and JLL, set the Gold Standard of real estate in 55 categories, giving recognition to diverse segments, niches, and locations across the nation.  

SC Asset won Best Developer, a title the company had last won in 2015. SC Asset garnered a total of five wins, including titles for its projects Reference Sathorn – Wongwianyai, The Gentry Kasetnawamin, and Venue ID Motorway Rama 9.

SC Asset, Winner of the Best Developer (Thailand) at the PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards 2022SC Asset, Winner of the Best Developer (Thailand) at the PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards 2022

Frasers Property Holdings (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (FPHT) won the never-before-presented title of Best Mega Mixed Use Development for the integrated district One Bangkok. The large project includes One Bangkok Office Tower 4, which won the Best Office Development title.

Frasers Property Industrial (Thailand) Company Limited won Best Industrial Development for the Havi Thailand Cold Chain and Food Distribution Center while the company itself was honoured with the Special Recognition in Sustainable Design and Construction.

Multi-award winner Frasers Property Holdings (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (FPHT) receives the Best Office Development title for One Bangkok Office Tower 4Multi-award winner Frasers Property Holdings (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (FPHT) receives the Best Office Development title for One Bangkok Office Tower 4

Former Best Developer award winner Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited garnered two titles, including the coveted Best Condo Development (Thailand) award, for The Aspen Tree at The Forestias. Whizdom the Forestias by MQDC Town Royal Place Limited was honoured Best Pet-Friendly Residential Development.

The Best Housing Development (Thailand) title went to Aquella Lakeside Villas in one of three wins for Paradise Group. Fynn Development Co., Ltd also gained three wins, including the Best Boutique Developer award, plus titles for the project Fynn Asoke.

Other winners in the Developer categories include Comfort Max, the first recipient of the Best Mini Factory Developer title, and Aestima Asset Company Limited, recipient of this year’s Best Breakthrough Developer title.

Outstanding real estate companies from the countryside to the coast were honoured at the gala celebration. Tropical Life Real Estate was named Best Developer (Samui) while Pearl Island Property Co., Ltd. won the Best Developer (Phuket) title. The Riviera Group won the Best Developer (Eastern Seaboard) title.

The 2022 Thailand Real Estate Personality of the Year award is presented Asst. Prof. Dr. Kessara Thanyalakpark, managing director of Sena Development Public Company Limited. The award was received by Mrs. Wannipa Wuthiwatana, Assistant Managing Director, Sena Development.The 2022 Thailand Real Estate Personality of the Year award is presented Asst. Prof. Dr. Kessara Thanyalakpark, managing director of Sena Development Public Company Limited. The award was received by Mrs. Wannipa Wuthiwatana, Assistant Managing Director, Sena Development.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Kessara Thanyalakpark, managing director of Sena Development Public Company Limited, received the Thailand Real Estate Personality of the Year award. The editors of Property Report by PropertyGuru, the official magazine of the Awards, selected her to receive the award for her innovations and initiatives in the space of renewable energy and carbon neutrality. 

Accepting her award, Asst. Prof. Dr. Kessara Thanyalakpark encouraged peers to make climate action a priority in their endeavours. She said: “On behalf of Sena Development, we would like to thank you, PropertyGuru, the organiser of the Thailand Property Awards. This is the most respected and longest-running real estate awards programme in the industry. This prestigious award helps raise the bar for real estate to provide quality housing to consumers, ensuring quality of life and environmental protection. PropertyGuru is the leading resource for assisting home buyers in gaining insight and assisting domestic and international investors in making decisions. We are so honoured to receive this award and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the other companies that received awards as well.”

Hari V Krishnan, CEO and managing director of PropertyGuru Group, said: “PropertyGuru has deepened its commitment to the Thailand property market over the last year as part of the company’s journey towards becoming Southeast Asia’s Trust Platform. As we continue to explore the best proptech solutions for Thailand, the Awards remain the benchmarks of excellence for the country’s developers and projects. In this, the 17th year of the PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards, we congratulate all the companies that have created these dream homes and desirable developments.”

The annual gala dinner’s host, Mr. Jules Kay, General Manager of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and EventsThe annual gala dinner’s host, Mr. Jules Kay, General Manager of the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events

Jules Kay, general manager of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards and Events, said: “As part of the region’s most established and respected real estate awards series, the PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards have recognised industry achievements through numerous market challenges, as well as during periods of impressive economic growth. After 17 years, the Awards still stand as a testament to Thai developers’ determination, and showcase their ability to face challenges head-on, putting the needs of property seekers first. As Thailand emerges from the global pandemic, we are proud to celebrate the strength and resilience of this year’s Winners and Highly Commended awardees.”

Welcome remarks by Ms. Suphin Mechuchep, chairperson of the PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards, and chairperson of JLL Thailand Welcome remarks by Ms. Suphin Mechuchep, chairperson of the PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards, and chairperson of JLL Thailand

The list of award recipients was decided by an independent panel of judges consisting of Suphin Mechuchep, chairperson of the Awards in Thailand and chairperson of JLL Thailand; Chaiyuth Pete Thirangoon, director, Akatan Company Limited; Chaivut Saengaram, Ph.D, managing director, Chuchawal–Royal Haskoning, Dutch Design & Engineers Consulting Firm; Leong Choong Peng, director, Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, and advisor, Mentabuild Limited, Consultant Chartered Surveyor; Marciano Birjmohun, director, The Singapore-Thai Chambers of Commerce; Dr. Phongthon Tharachai, CEO, Project Planning Service Public Company Limited; Precha Suphapetiporn, president, Thai Real Estate Sales and Marketing Association; Sasivimol Sinthawanarong, design principal, Jarken Co., Ltd; and Professor Sonthya Vanichvatana, Ph.D, MRICS, associate architect, chairperson of the Department of Real Estate, MSME School of Management and Economics, Assumption University.

The regional panel judges consist of Alan Whitley, principal, Alan Whitley & Associates; Bobby Birt, managing director, Samui Island Realty; Bobby Brooks, founder, director, and advisor director, Bobby Brooks Property Advisor Co. Ltd.; Clayton Wade, managing director, Premier Homes Real Estate; George Willoughby, managing director, Form Realty Thailand; Mesa Wongsida, managing director, North Shore Property Co., Ltd.; Piti Suebwonglee, managing partner, Attorney Expat Pro Law; Robert Krupica, partner, Hughes Krupica; Russ Downing, managing director, Hot Hua Hin Co. Ltd.; and Sirikwan Tan, senior associate, Hughes Krupica Consulting Co., Ltd.

The selection process was made fair, transparent and credible under the supervision of Paul Ashburn, co-managing partner of HLB Thailand, member of HLB International Real Estate Group.

Established in 2005, the PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards is one of the longest-running real estate awards programmes in Asia. Major winners of the Awards in Thailand qualify for the 17th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final in Bangkok, Thailand on 9 December. The finale of the 2022 awards series takes place after the 2022 edition of the PropertyGuru Asia Real Estate Summit, the thought leadership platform of PropertyGuru, on 8 December.

Organised by Southeast Asia’s leading property technology company, PropertyGuru Group (NYSE: PGRU), the 17th PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards programme is supported by platinum sponsor Mitsubishi Elevator; gold sponsors IHI and JLL; official portal partner DDproperty.com; official channel partner History; official magazine Property Report by PropertyGuru; official PR partner Infinity Communications; media partners Discover Pattaya, Hot Magazine, Luxuo, Palace, Pattaya Trader, REm, Think of Living, and Yacht Style; official ESG partner Baan Dek Foundation; supporting association Green Building Consulting & Engineering; and official supervisor HLB. 

For more information, email awards@propertyguru.com or visit the official website: AsiaPropertyAwards.com.

Thai capital market and its role in development

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https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/business/banking-finance/40022518

Thai capital market and its role in development

Thai capital market and its role in development

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

The Thai capital market is still the main lever that drives sustainable development in the country and pushes its competitiveness in the Asean region, a study by the Capital Market Development Fund (CMDF) and Mckinsey & Company shows.

CMDF and McKinsey & Company (Thailand) Co. Ltd., a global management consulting firm has introduced a white paper report on “Improving Thailand’s Capital Market Competitiveness and Efficiency”.

They studied the opportunities and limitations of the Thai capital market structure in terms of competitiveness and efficiency to cope with changing trends and challenges in the areas of technology, economy, society and environment, both nationally and globally.

CMDF is a unit under the Securities and Exchange Act B.E. 2535, aimed at promoting the development of the capital market, organizations, and infrastructure.

The Thai capital market is also a source of long-term funding that promotes economic development and innovation, in addition to being a source of knowledge in savings and investment. 

The Thai capital market benefits the country in many ways, whether it is helping people who are transitioning into an ageing society to have savings for retirement or creating an environment that is conducive to startups and small and medium businesses (SMEs). 

However, the cost of doing business in certain types of capital markets, such as the cost of trading shares in the secondary market (with the current cost being the second highest in Asean, calculated by excluding Financial Transaction Tax that may apply) or mutual funds is still higher than the Asean average. 
As a result, the Thai capital market must adapt in order to compete with more cost efficiency. Moreover, this report provides 10 additional policy proposals for the sustainable development of the Thai capital market in the future as follows:

(i) Promote sustainable financing to help Thailand move towards Net-zero carbon emissions by advocating for Green Finance innovation in the Thai capital market.

(ii) Develop a pension fund to support an ageing society by supporting the development of the National Pension Fund.

(iii) Promote small and medium enterprises (SMEs / startups) through funding, consulting, platform creation and fundraising agreements.

(iv) Expand digital assets. Various applications should be explored and confidence in risk management should be developed.

(v) Improve financial literacy through the cooperation between public and private sectors, new types of investment projects and by promoting awareness of investing from an early age.

(vi) Promote retail investor investments: Reduce the complexities of starting out in investing. Adopt digital technologies to increase the number of retail investors in the Thai capital market.

(vii) Attract long-term investments from foreign institutional investors: Create a more open environment that is on par with regional leaders and has infrastructure to support new economic sectors.

(viii) Develop domestic institutional investors: Strengthen domestic institutional investors by diversifying investments into a wider variety of assets.

(ix) Unlock data analytics: By investing in data standardization and collecting data resources for investment.

(x) Attract and nurture talent: By attracting personnel with in-demand skills into the Thai capital market and upgrading personnel in the current Thai capital market to have the expected skills.

Developing the Thai capital market according to this approach, while maintaining cost competitiveness can help the Thai capital market to build on the success of the past and create a Thai capital market that can meet the needs of a new generation. 

However, successfully creating Thailand’s capital market of the future will require committed support and cooperation from all stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

The detailed white paper report can be downloaded from the website www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/.

Stiebel Eltron eyes Thailand as manufacturing hub for region, Down Under

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https://www.nationthailand.com/business/corporate/40022534

Stiebel Eltron eyes Thailand as manufacturing hub for region, Down Under

Stiebel Eltron eyes Thailand as manufacturing hub for region, Down Under

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Stiebel Eltron, German manufacturer of heating appliances, has announced plans to expand its manufacturing facilities in Thailand to serve as a hub for ASEAN as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Roland Hoehn, managing director of the company’s Asian operations, told the press on Monday that the expanded facility will focus on producing heat pumps.

Demand for Stiebel Eltron’s eco-friendly heat pump technology has picked up in Europe as people are moving away from the use of gas and oil to generate heat due to concerns over climate change.

“Our heat pump manufacturing facilities are currently located primarily in Germany and Sweden. However, due to the increased demand in this region, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, we have considered establishing a second facility in Thailand to meet the demand,” Hoehn said.

Stiebel Eltron’s heat pumps use energy generated by the air to produce hot water, making them ideal for countries where heating is required, he said.

He added that since the company already has a manufacturing facility in Ayutthaya, adding a new production line will be easier and faster. The company entered Thailand in 2006.

However, he said, the plan is still in its early stages and reckons the new line will be available in the market within the next three years.

“We are looking for a suitable location. We are also debating whether the new plant should be rented long-term or purchased outright. If purchased, it may cost around 100 million baht, but half the price if rented,” he said.

This initiative is also part of Stiebel Eltron’s strategy for 2023, which includes the introduction of renewable energy products like air ventilators and heat pumps.

Hoehn added that Thailand’s economic recovery has also prompted Stiebel Eltron to boost its production capacity. He said the company recently set up a subsidiary in Vietnam and plans to use its 20 years of experience in Thailand to penetrate the neighbouring country’s growing market.

Stiebel Eltron eyes Thailand as manufacturing hub for region, Down Under

This strategy was devised after the company announced a better-than-expected performance in the first 10 months of this year.

He said the company’s domestic sales performance for the first 10 months has risen by 12% versus the same period last year.

“We are targeting the C-segment customer group this year with the launch of the Safe Save Series 2 campaign. This will help boost our Q4 water heater unit sales by 25%,” he explained.

The C-segment refers to middle-income groups who are willing to spend up to 3,500 baht on a product.

Vijitra Kaweetanapokin, Stiebel Eltron’s sales and managing director, said more than 300,000 Stiebel Eltron water solutions units have been sold in Thailand so far. Water heaters are still the company’s main product, accounting for roughly 70% of total sales.

“We are confident in our ability to maintain our position as the market leader in water heaters in Thailand. We expect the B2C [business to consumers] and B2B [business to business] sales to jump by 15% by the end of next year,” she said.

Steibel Eltron has nearly 100 years of experience in environmentally friendly water solutions and employs over 5,400 people worldwide. The company’s turnover surpassed 1 billion euros in 2021, with roughly half of that coming from overseas.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Concrete actions urged to tackle climate crisis facing African countries

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/40022536

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Concrete actions urged to tackle climate crisis facing African countries

Africa is considered one of the continents most severely impacted by climate change. Despite some progress made at the UN climate conference held earlier this month, more concrete actions are urged to tackle the climate crisis facing African countries.

Chiang Wan-an wins over voters to become youngest Taipei mayor with his good looks and charisma

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40022528

Chiang Wan-an wins over voters to become youngest Taipei mayor with his good looks and charisma

Chiang Wan-an wins over voters to become youngest Taipei mayor with his good looks and charisma

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Whenever Chiang Wan-an did his rounds on the campaign trail, young women clamoured to take selfies with him. His good looks and charisma are why many people have said they voted for him in the Taipei mayoral race on Saturday.

At 43, he is set to become the city’s youngest mayor, in an election that observers say could help restore the popularity of his opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT).

With just 3 per cent of its members under the age of 40, the KMT is deemed to be facing increased political irrelevance.

The once-dominant party, whose charter calls for unification with China, has also seen support wither amid Beijing’s increased military aggression towards the island. China views Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunited, by force if necessary.

But it is not just his youthful vigour that is behind his popularity. Mr Chiang has been very much in the spotlight also because of his family background.

He is the son of Mr John Chiang (formerly surnamed Chang), a former foreign minister and vice-premier who claims to be the illegitimate son of the late president Chiang Ching-kuo.

This would make the mayor-elect a great-grandson of the late Chiang Kai-shek, the head of the KMT government of the Republic of China who led the retreat to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the civil war on the mainland to the Communist Party of China, and ruled the island until his death in 1975.

Still, the family name was seen as a potential liability during Mr Chiang Wan-an’s election campaign, and he had been careful about brandishing it. Chiang Kai-shek is remembered by many Taiwanese as a dictator.

Instead, the former legislator, who resigned from his position just two weeks before Saturday’s polls, made repeated promises to revitalise Taipei and raise the city’s international profile.

They include pledges to bring innovation to the capital and make it a high-tech place for residents to live in.

Before entering politics, Mr Chiang, who has two children and another one on the way, worked as a corporate lawyer in the United States.

The Straits Times

Asia News Network

China signals no change to zero-Covid policy as mass protests challenge Xi’s authority

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China signals no change to zero-Covid policy as mass protests challenge Xi’s authority

China signals no change to zero-Covid policy as mass protests challenge Xi’s authority

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

China has signalled it will stick with its longstanding zero-Covid policy despite mass protests across the country over harsh containment measures, with some protesters openly calling for President Xi Jinping to resign.

The unprecedented wave of protests has spread to Shanghai as well as universities in large cities, including Beijing and Nanjing.

In a rare show of public protest against the Chinese leadership, a video showed a group shouting: “Down with the Communist Party, down with Xi Jinping!”

In a front-page editorial on Sunday, the Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper said China would “unwaveringly persist” in its Covid-19 policies and that “victory will be attained only by persisting to the end”.

The editorial emphasised the need to correct “wrong attitudes”, including “underestimating the problem, indifference and self-righteousness”.

“Our prevention and control policies can stand the test of history… [and they] are scientific and effective… There is no doubt about this, and we should have full confidence in this,” the editorial read.

But after almost three years of the pandemic, many Chinese are fed up with Covid-19 policies that have battered the economy and left many cooped up at home.

Since late last week, mass demonstrations have sprung up in major cities, including ShanghaiBeijingNanjingWuhanUrumqi and others.

Sunday’s protests broke out after an apartment fire three days earlier in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang region, killed 10 people and injured nine others.

China signals no change to zero-Covid policy as mass protests challenge Xi’s authority

Urumqi’s local government denied that evacuation of residents was hampered by lockdown measures, despite evidence to the contrary in widely circulated videos.

The case proved to be a rallying point for those angry over the draconian measures employed to keep people at home.

“Lift lockdown for Urumqi, lift lockdown for Xinjiang, lift lockdown for all of China,” chanted a crowd of dozens in Shanghai, seen in a video on social media.

On Sunday night, about 50 protesters gathered in Beijing’s embassy district to sing the Chinese national anthem and The Internationale, following the example of other protests that have erupted across the country.

They also held up blank sheets of paper as a symbol of protest against censorship, as uniformed police patrolled both sides of the Liangma River in the district. The protesters lit candles and offered flowers as a tribute to victims of the Xinjiang fire.

At Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University, hundreds gathered to sing the Chinese national anthem while holding up blank sheets of paper. In Nanjing’s Communication University of China, dozens held up similar pieces of white paper, illuminating them against the night sky with torchlights from their mobile phones.

Unhappiness over Covid curbs has been brewing for some time in China. On the eve of the Communist Party congress in October, a man draped banners over the side of the busy Sitong Bridge in Beijing’s Haidian district, calling for an end to Xi’s rule and the strict controls.

Analysts are now watching to see if the demonstrations across China gather momentum.

China signals no change to zero-Covid policy as mass protests challenge Xi’s authority

“The protests in China are like the tiny ant holes in the dam. While none of them is fatal on their own, enough of them, at strategic locations and times, could ultimately lead to the collapse of the mighty structure,” Singapore Management University law professor Henry Gao posted on Twitter.

At the moment, the protests are unlikely to cause Beijing to change course, said Associate Professor Alfred Wu from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

“The government’s policy priority is very clear: regime stability is No 1,” said Prof Wu, pointing to the state media’s latest editorials and signals from the party congress in October. “From the state, from the government’s perspective, the only solution now is to crack down on these protests.”

The Chinese authorities are in a bind as protests are coming at a time when cases are surging because of the highly infectious Omicron variant, meaning harsher lockdown measures would be needed to get a grip on infections.

Nationwide case counts reached 39,791 on Saturday, hitting a record high for the fourth day in a row. There was also another death, bringing total fatalities to 5,233. The figures are thought to be a small fraction of the true Covid infection rate.

Beijing reported 4,245 cases on Saturday. In some housing communities, people have questioned local officials over the legal basis of lockdown measures and defied requests to stay home, city residents told the Straits Times.

To make sure that residents stay at home, some community officials have resorted to bolting building doors shut, as media worker Bernie Lee, 36, found out. He said the main door to his housing tower was chained shut on Sunday morning, and the lock was removed only after residents called the police.

“I was horrified. This is a fire hazard. What happens if there is an emergency? A lock like this is not something you can just pull apart,” he said.

In a regular press briefing on Sunday evening, Beijing officials promised to improve anti-Covid measures, including banning the practice of barricading the gates and entrances of buildings and residential compounds in high-risk areas. In addition, passages must remain clear for medical transport, emergency escapes and rescues.

The Straits Times

Asia News Network

Clashes erupt in Brussels after Belgium lose to Morocco at World Cup

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Clashes erupt in Brussels after Belgium lose to Morocco at World Cup

Clashes erupt in Brussels after Belgium lose to Morocco at World Cup

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Reuters

Clashes erupted in Brussels on Sunday (November 27) after the Morocco beat Belgium at the World Cup in Qatar.

Supporters lit fires on the street and threw missiles at police. About a 100 officers in riot gear used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the rioters.

“It started at half time. We don’t know who started it, who lit the fire, we don’t know,” said local resident Abdellah Nadi.

“Normally, once the match has been won you have to celebrate it the right way but now… we don’t understand.”

Authorities asked the public to avoid the central Brussels area and several metro stations, bus and tram lines were shut down. It is unclear what caused the violence and authorities have so far not apportioned blame.

General view of a car on fire as a police vehicle approaches during clashes after the World Cup match between Belgium and Morocco General view of a car on fire as a police vehicle approaches during clashes after the World Cup match between Belgium and Morocco

Reuters

River Kwai Bridge lights up to tell its tragic history

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40022514

River Kwai Bridge lights up to tell its tragic history

River Kwai Bridge lights up to tell its tragic history

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

The River Kwai Bridge Week and the 10-day Red Cross Fair should bring about 40 million baht in revenue to Kanchanaburi, governor Thossaphol Chaikomin said on Sunday.

The 10-day annual fair kicked off on Saturday and will wrap up on December 5.

The River Kwai Bridge Week was first launched in 1980 in memory of the brave Thai soldiers who helped rescue World War II prisoners held captive by the Japanese army and forced to build the bridge over the River Kwai.

Some 250,000 Southeast Asian civilians and over 60,000 Allied prisoners of war were subjected to forced labour, which claimed some 90,000 civilian lives and killed more than 12,000 Allied soldiers.

The history attached to the bridge inspired Pierre Boulle’s 1952 novel “The Bridge on the River Kwai” and a film of the same name in 1957.

River Kwai Bridge lights up to tell its tragic history

The highlight of the event is a 40-minute light and sound show telling the history of its construction and how World War II ravaged the Southeast Asian region. The show starts at 7pm daily.

The adjoining Red Cross Fair features more than 400 booths showcasing OTOP goods, raffle draws and games. All earnings will be spent on underprivileged and disabled people.

The fair will also have a theme park and free concerts by popular singers. Admission is free.

River Kwai Bridge lights up to tell its tragic history

Thossaphol said the festival should generate at least 40 million baht during the festival as people have started travelling more now that Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted. The event was suspended last year due to the pandemic.

River Kwai Bridge lights up to tell its tragic history

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Head to Kanchanaburi’s Srinakarin Dam for starry nights and chilly mornings

Enough time for cannabis bill readings before House dissolves: Chuan

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40022529

Enough time for cannabis bill readings before House dissolves: Chuan

Enough time for cannabis bill readings before House dissolves: Chuan

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

The current House of Representatives still has enough time to deliberate on the second and third readings of the Marijuana and Hemp Bill before its tenure ends in March.

Parliament President Chuan Leekpai said on Monday that the bill is now the second topic on the House’s agenda and can be moved up after a week’s notice.

The marijuana bill, which was engineered by coalition partner Bhumjaithai, was sent back to the House committee that vetted the bill for a review in September.

Bhumjaithai Party cried foul, asking why a coalition partner was trying to undermine its political popularity. The party had promised to legalise marijuana while campaigning for votes ahead of the 2019 general election.

The House voted 198:136 to return the bill to the ad hoc panel for review after the Democrat Party, also a coalition partner, said legalising marijuana would promote its recreational use. Democrat MPs also voiced concern that young people would abuse cannabis as a drug. A similar concern was raised by the Rural Doctors Society.

Chuan, who is also House speaker, was speaking to reporters after meeting with the coalition, opposition and Senate whips to discuss how to make most of the time left before the House dissolves on March 23.

The whips were informed that the House would hold an extra meeting each Friday because several MPs have pending overseas missions later, Chuan said.

The whips agreed to extend weekly meeting hours to 8 or 9pm to avoid having to hold extra meetings to clear the backlog.

The whips have also agreed to first study each case on the agenda to see if the extra Friday meetings are necessary.

Chuan added that both the House and Senate are scheduled to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday to deliberate on some issues. If the remaining issues on the agenda are also cleared then another joint meeting will not be necessary, he said.

Chuan said he has also asked Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam to coordinate with the government to ensure that all coalition MPs attend House meetings so there are no quorum issues.