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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023393

Subsidies to blame for slump in Thai agriculture competitiveness: expert

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2022

Populist policies like generous subsidies for farmers are being blamed for Thailand’s drop in global agricultural competitiveness for the first time in two decades.

Assoc Prof Witsanu Attavanich from Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Economics said Thailand is now lagging behind many Asian countries, including its neighbours, in terms of its agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP).

AGTFP, a key aspect of sustainable agricultural development, measures the agricultural output produced from the combination of land, labour, capital and material resources employed in farm produce.

Witsanu, who is an expert in climate change and agriculture, said Thailand’s AGTFP index fell below the global average for the first time in 2020, citing the US Department of Agriculture’s latest International Agricultural Productivity report released earlier this month.

He said that before 2020, Thailand’s AGTFP often exceeded the global average. Now, he said, countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, China and India have all outperformed Thailand.

The academic added that key reasons for Thailand’s poor performance were agricultural policies that focused on market intervention and unconditional financial aid for farmers.
“These policies are aimed at wooing voter support,” he added.

The populist policies, he said, included the rice price-pledging scheme, debt moratorium for farmers and compensation for lost income. He said these policies require more than 100 billion baht per year and have weakened the country’s agricultural productivity and output quality as there are no conditions for farmers to change their behaviour and improve their harvests. As a result, farmers continue to be poor with rising household debts.

The academic said the only way Thailand can improve its competitiveness sustainably is if it sets conditions for farmers to be eligible for government aid and subsidies. For instance, he said, to be eligible farmers can be told to follow good agricultural practices, refrain from burning farm waste and adopt digital technology.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023389

Salvaging sunken warship will cost 100 million, Navy says

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2022

It will cost about 100 million baht to salvage the HTMS Sukhothai and a private contractor will have to be hired to do the job, according to the Royal Thai Navy.

Navy spokesman Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin told a press on Friday that the navy lacks the expertise to salvage sunken ships, so it has to hire a private company to do the job.

It has budgeted 100 million baht to salvage the vessel and, as in any other government project, a contract will be awarded through a bidding process, Pokkrong said.

The HTMS Sukhothai corvette warship sank in the Gulf of Thailand on Sunday about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province after it was knocked over by four-metre waves and strong winds.

The vessel was carrying 105 military personnel. The bodies of six sailors have been recovered and 23 remain missing.

Search and rescue operations for the missing sailors remain active. The Royal Thai Air Force and volunteer diving teams are participating in the search.

The salvaging mission will be launched after the vessel’s missing crew members are located, Pokkrong said.

The ship has to be salvaged to prevent its oil from leaking, he said, adding that leaking oil would be disastrous for marine life.

“The ship went down to a depth of only 40 metres, so its wreckage could still block the path of other vessels,” Pokkrong said. By comparison, the Titanic sank to about 100 metres, he said.

The spokesman described the sinking of HTMS Sukhothai as a “historic loss” to the navy, with estimated damages of over 1 billion baht, excluding the cost of lost lives.

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Search for 23 HTMS Sukhothai sailors resumes after 6 bodies found

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Navy ship sinks, rescue mission underway

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023385

Air pollution has risen to unsafe levels in Bangkok, officials warn

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2022

Bangkok residents should heed air-quality measurements in their vicinity to protect their health as air pollution increases, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Environment Department said on Friday.

The capital’s air quality is unsafe due to lower air circulation and it is expected to remain unsafe until Saturday, the department said, urging city residents to protect themselves.

It said air quality entered unsafe levels in 22 districts on Friday morning, citing PM2.5 measurements. PM2.5 levels refer to airborne dust particles and droplets, which the Environment Department said are ranging from 30 to 64 micrograms per cubic metre in Bangkok. Safe levels for PM2.5 are under 50mg per cubic metre.

The Environment Department said the 22 districts with unsafe PM2.5 levels are: Pathumwan, Yannawa, Thonburi, Khlong San, Phasi Charoen, Bang Khen, Bang Phlat, Bang Khun Thian, Sathon, Lak Si, Chom Thong, Don Mueang, Rat Burana, Bangkok Yai, Taling Chan, Thawi Watthana, Nong Khaem, Bang Bon, Thung Khru, Bangna, Prawet, and Bangkok Noi.

PM2.5 levels can be found on the websites bangkokairquality.com and pr-bangkok.com, as well as the Facebook pages of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Environment Department, and Air Quality and Noise Management Division, or the AirBKK smartphone application.

Related stories:

• Bangkok residents urged to check air safety levels as PM2.5 rises
• PM2.5 pollution crosses safe levels in 19 Bangkok districts today
• Bangkok pollution: BMA to survey factories, building sites on Tuesday

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023383

Booby trap! Police raid fake silicone factory in Suphan Buri

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2022

Police recently raided an unlicensed silicone factory in Suphan Buri and seized more than a 3.5-million-baht worth of silicone meant for plastic surgery.

Suphan Buri police along with officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called a press conference on Friday to provide details on the crackdown.

Officials were acting on a tip-off that a former rice mill in Si Prachan district had been converted into a factory to produce silicone for plastic surgery that was supplied to many aesthetic clinics.

In the crackdown on Tuesday, police said they found more than 1,100 pieces of nose and forehead silicone inserts, as well as 43 blocks of silicone that could be used to make up to 43,000 items. The confiscated products were valued at more than 3.5 million baht. They also confiscated five silicone casting machines and 68 moulds.

Police arrested the owner, Natpaphas (last name withheld), 32, on the charge of manufacturing medical supplies without a licence.

The suspect reportedly confessed that she previously worked as a sales representative for a company supplying silicone products to aesthetic clinics, and used her knowledge to open the factory about two years ago. She has three people in her employ.

Natpaphas was reported as saying that she supplied as many as 5,000 to 10,000 pieces of silicone monthly to well-known aesthetic clinics in Bangkok and other provinces.

FDA secretary-general Dr Paisarn Dunkum, meanwhile, warned that using substandard silicone can cause inflammation and infections, as he urged all aesthetic clinics to only use products from licensed manufacturers.

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Macro-textured breast implants banned in Thailand as of Friday

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023376

Pattaya cancels New Year fireworks as nation prays for Princess

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2022

Pattaya has cancelled its New Year fireworks display – one of the country’s largest – as Thais pray for the recovery of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati.

Firework displays scheduled for December 29-31 as part of the Pattaya Countdown event were cancelled by the city mayor in a Facebook post on Thursday.

However, the countdown concerts and fair will go ahead as planned on the three days, the post said.

The move by Pattaya city came after agencies under the Office of the Courts of Justice were instructed to cancel pre-arranged New Year festivities.

The instruction came as people across the country prayed for the speedy recovery of the Princess, who is being treated for a heart-related condition at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok after losing consciousness on December 14.

His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch has also asked Thai temples at home and abroad to hold daily prayers for the Princess.

Chon Buri Municipality also announced the cancellation of its New Year’s Eve event on December 31 and alms giving to monks on the morning of January 1.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government had not suggested cancelling pre-arranged New Year celebrations.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023378

4 more houses in Bangkok found stealing electricity to mine crypto

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2022

Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) officials and police officers raided another four houses in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district where electricity was being stolen to mine cryptocurrency.

The crackdown was conducted on Thursday after the team received search warrants. They estimated the damage at about 8 million baht per month or 192 million baht over two years since the crypto-mining operation was launched.

The team also seized 138 crypto-mining tools and four computers, while a manhunt has been launched for possible suspects.

An earlier crackdown on December 16 resulted in MEA staff and police checking five sites in Bang Bon district and seizing 223 crypto-mining tools and four computers. This mining operation allegedly caused damages of up to 10 million baht yearly.

The crackdown was prompted after the MEA reported to Tha Kham Police Station about the alleged electricity theft on December 13.

Last month, the Department of Special Investigation launched an “Electrical Shock” lightning operation to inspect 41 sites in Greater Bangkok where electricity was being stolen to mine cryptocurrency.

The authorities believe the MEA incurs losses of about 20 million baht per month from stolen electricity.

Read more

Read more:

• 7 Thais escape slave conditions at call centre in Cambodia
• 31 arrested in World Cup gambling crackdown, police say
• Burglar wearing bikini bra was not a man in disguise: police

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023372

Pattani locals swap cars for boats as river overflows

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2022

Pattani city was hit by floodwater almost 2 metres deep on Thursday as the Pattani River overflowed and inundated towns and villages across the southern province.

Flooding affected 462 villages in all 12 districts of the province, causing hardship for about 90,000 residents.

Residents in Pattani city’s Muang district swapped cars for boats as roads turned into rivers.

Pattani deputy governor Trakool Totham ordered more relief parcels for flood victims in Yarang district, which was been underwater for four consecutive days.

The Thai Meteorological Department forecasts isolated monsoon thundershowers in Pattani and the rest of the lower South on Friday.

Waves will rise to two metres in the lower Gulf, and higher during thundershowers, it added.

“All ships should proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers,” the Met Dept said.

Related stories:

• Global heating behind THB12.6tn flood damage, 2,000 Thai deaths: NESDC
• Severe weather conditions keep students at home in Hat Yai
• Heavy rains cause severe flooding and damage in Phuket

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023371

Manhunt for 4th person who helped in Thai ‘Jack Ma’s’ escape attempt

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2022

The police have launched a manhunt for a fourth person who allegedly helped with the escape attempt of a wealthy businessman suspected of running a fraudulent investment ring.

The so-called businessman, Prasit Jeawkok, was nabbed just as he tried to escape while taking a toilet break during his Criminal Court hearing on Thursday morning.

Sorawit Limparangsri, the Court of Justice’s spokesperson, said on Thursday that three suspects – Prasit’s secretary, friend and the secretary’s spouse – have been arrested, so far.

“The police is on the hunt for Prasit’s second secretary,” he said, adding that this escape attempt had obviously been planned in advance as police found disguise equipment and 10,000 baht in cash on the suspects.

He added that Prasit will face another charge for trying to escape.

“Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Pol Lt-General Jirapop Puridet will hold a press conference about the case on Friday,” he added.

Aryut Sinthopphan, director-general of the Corrections Department, said a committee has been set up to investigate the escape attempt and ensure measures are put in place to prevent a repeat of the incident.

He added that Prasit was shifted to a high-security zone in Klong Prem Central Prison after the incident.

Prasit, 46, was arrested last year following complaints by hundreds of people who said they had been talked into investing in businesses run by him and his colleagues that promised high returns. The investment opportunities included tour packages, a savings cooperative, luxury products and gold. However, the investors found all their money gone.

Prasit has been in detention after the court denied him bail due to extensive damage and the possibility of evidence tampering.

Once viewed by many as a model of success, Prasit was registered as a director of at least 10 companies involved in diverse businesses, including online hotel booking, air ticketing, tourism, real estate, wholesale computer hardware and software, and IT system design.

Their corporate website that carried his name, Prasitjeawkok.com, used to describe him as the “Jack Ma of Thailand”, referring to the successful Chinese magnate and multibillionaire who co-founded Alibaba Group. It also said that Prasit “in the future will develop his business so that it progresses and gets bigger than Google”.

Related stories:

• Inside job suspected in fraud case defendant’s attempt to escape from court
• Corrections Department working on plan to deal with possible flooding in prisons
• BMA to use prisoners for cleaning sewers from July 1