#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022525

E-sport a gamechanger for Thailand’s digital economy: Democrats’ Madame Dear

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

E-sport is not just a leisure pursuit but also a big opportunity to boost Thailand’s digital economy, Democrat Party member Watanya Bunnag said on Sunday.

However, the main obstacle to Thai e-sport development is the lack of government support, she added.

Watanya, also known as “Madame Dear”, was speaking at a seminar titled “E-sport: More Than Just a Game” organised by the Democrat Party’s Bangkok strategy committee at Siam Square.

Many people assume e-sport is just a hobby and are not aware it has a big role to play in Thailand’s digital expansion, she said.

“The main question is what the government can do to make e-sport more than just a sport,” she said.

Watanya noted that other countries are paying serious attention to electronic sport as an economic driver, adding that South Korea has a plan to promote e-sport as soft power.

Experts had demonstrated how e-sport can be used to grow economies, but Thailand was still lagging compared with other countries, she said.

Rathanon Phalanon, founder and director of e-sport agency Invate, agreed that many people fail to see the economic value and potential of e-sports.

Pointing to lucrative rewards from the fast-growing gaming industry and player income, he urged the government and other sectors to promote e-sport in Thailand.

National Basketball League (Thailand) CEO Payu Nerngchamnong said Thailand was a world leader in adopting e-sport, which he defined as a bridge to boost business.

Thailand is the biggest video-game market in Southeast Asia, worth US$1.24 billion (47.48 billion baht) last year. That figure is forecast to rise to $1.4 billion (53.53 billion baht) this year.

The country recognised e-sports as professional sport last year.

Related stories:

• Thai stuns Liverpool’s Jota in online football match
• Tesla halts use of video games in moving cars amid safety probe
• Federal regulators probing Tesla over drivers ability to play video games in moving cars

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022524

SF woos movie buffs with popcorn feast at CentralWorld today

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Popcorn and movie-lovers on Monday are queuing up at SF World Cinema CentralWorld with their container of choice for the “Bring Any Container for 199 baht of Popcorn” event.

The one-day offer, hosted by SF Group at CentralWorld shopping centre in Bangkok’s Pathumwan district, is available only on November 28 from 11am.

Customers who have registered can bring any container to fill up as much as they can of the theatre’s popcorn for 199 baht, plus a refillable serving of Coca-Cola.

Containers of choice for most customers are oversized water buckets, while others select multi-purpose plastic containers with wheels for easy movement.

Just last month, the “Popcorn Beast” campaign by Lotte Cinema theatre in Vietnam went viral and became popular on the internet. Customers brought unusual containers, such as water buckets and rice cookers, to get free popcorn for a limited time.

Related Stories

AIS Play, SF Cinemas to show Man Utd-Liverpool encounter in Bangkok

Film exhibition marks 25th anniversary of HK special administrative region

Bangkok World Film Festival returns with a rich menu of 60+ flicks

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022516

Thailand clamps down on smoking in Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

Cannabis shops have been warned not to use Thai traditional doctors to get around the ban on recreational smoking inside stores.

The Public Health Ministry issued the warning on Sunday after cannabis shops on Bangkok’s Khaosan Road hired traditional doctors to staff their Amsterdam-style weed cafes.

The ministry has struggled to prevent rampant recreational use of the herb after cannabis shops sprang up across the capital following legalisation earlier this year.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said cannabis businesses should not seek loopholes to the ban on smoking in stores.

“The ministry did not campaign for people to use cannabis for recreation, so they cannot smoke the decriminalised herb in stores,” he said on Sunday. He added that the use of cannabis will be regulated by law.

Cannabis can however be smoked in stores if they have permission to operate as medical facilities, according to the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine.

Department director-general Thongchai Lertvilairattanapong said his staff will conduct random surveys of stores where cannabis is being sold in the next two weeks to ensure compliance with this rule.

Decriminalisation of the herb occurred in a legal vacuum that has left shops and users uncertain of their rights. Consumption of cannabis in public remains banned.

Meanwhile, legislation to control cannabis use and trade is pending, though some MPs and doctors want legalisation to be revoked.

Related stories:

• Cannabis buds cannot be sold to anyone under 20, pregnant or nursing women
• Apec host Thailand’s budding marijuana industry faces backlash
• Blocking cannabis law for political reasons will do ‘more harm than good’

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

E-cigs can help you quit smoking? Fake news, says Thailand

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2022

The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry says reports that electronic cigarettes can help you quit smoking are fake news and should not be taken seriously.

In the ministry’s fake news weekly update on Sunday, spokesperson Noppawan Huajaiman said reports and posts about e-cigarettes were among the top 10 fake news items it detected between November 18 and 24.

“Several research studies have concluded that using e-cigarettes still increases the risk of diseases caused by smoking normal cigarettes,” Noppawan said.

US and UK health authorities, however, have found evidence that e-cigarettes can be useful in helping smokers to quit the habit.

The ministry’s anti-fake news centre said it monitored 5.18 million online posts and messages during the week and detected that 225 were spreading fake news on 100 topics. The majority of the fake-news topics (64) were related to government policies, it said. Notably, three of the topics were scare stories about Covid-19 after the recent rise in infection rate.

The top 10 fake news items circulating from November 18-24 according to the ministry:

1. E-cigarettes can help you quit smoking.

2. Antiparasitic drug Ivermectin can treat Covid-19.

3. Lime juice can be used to treat kidney disease.

4. The Labour Ministry is hiring people to work from home.

5. A weed called Ya Khai Hao (Mollugo pentaphylla) can treat all kinds of cancer.

6. Others can know your bank account balance from your mobile phone number used to register with Promptpay.

7. The Stemonaceae plant, which is used to make traditional Thai insecticide and anti-parasite concoctions, can cure cancer.

8. Parents of children under six can register to receive a government subsidy of 1,400 baht per month.

9. Eating vitamin-C along with shrimps will immediately kill you.

10. E85 gasohol can remove black spots on your skin.

Related Stories

Stroke cure, bargain stocks among Thailand’s top 10 fake news stories

Govt policies feature big in Thailand’s latest fake news list

Thai social-media users falling less for fake news: DES Ministry

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022506

Phuket medical tourism hub at stake when host of ‘Specialised Expo’ picked Monday

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2022

Phuket’s future as a global medical tourism destination will be at stake on Monday when the host country of the “Specialised Expo 2028” is announced. Thailand and four other countries, the US, Spain, Serbia and Argentina, have submitted proposals to organise the international expo.

“The proposed 22.56 hectare site on Mai Khao Beach at the northern tip of Phuket island encompasses a sandy white beach, lush green forests, and exotic wetlands. It is part of a wider area reserved for the ‘Phuket World Medical Tourism City’ project, which was initiated to transform Phuket into a world-class centre for medical tourism and holistic healing,” reads Thailand’s proposal.

“The selection announcement will be broadcast from Paris at 8pm,” the Southern MICE Facebook page said on Saturday.

Thailand’s proposal to host the expo in Phuket will be broadcast on the Facebook page at 10pm.

Vachira Phuket Hospital in Thalang district will be the proposed venue under the theme “Future of Life: Living in Harmony, Sharing Prosperity”.

The government is vying to host the expo in line with its 20-year national development strategy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

“This expo will generate revenue, create jobs and maintain the balance between social, economic and environmental development, the Southern MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) page said.

“Apart from promoting Phuket as a medical tourism destination, this expo will also prove that Phuket is ready to organise other big events,” it added.

Related stories:

• TCEB, 11 partners launch “SPIRE Thailand” campaign to boost domestic exhibitions at year-end
• Bangkok to compete with HK, S’pore in move to become MICE destination
• Songkhla touted as southern Thailand’s hub for medical tourism, MICE activities

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022503

Macro-textured breast implants banned in Thailand as of Friday

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2022

Thailand’s ban on the manufacturing and import of macro-textured breast implants went into effect immediately after the Public Health Ministry’s directive was published in the Royal Gazette.

The directive, signed by Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha on October 20, was published on Friday.

The directive says that macro-textured breast implants are banned because they may cause implant-related anaplastic large cell lymphoma – a rare form of cancer.

A macro-textured implant has a textured, irregularly shaped surface and when it is implanted in the human body, it adheres to the surrounding breast tissue, which makes it very stable. This helps ensure that the implant stays precisely where the surgeon put it.

The ban covers macro-textured silicone implants that have an average surface roughness larger than 50 microns.

Last year, the Thai Food and Drug Administration and the Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery recalled macro-textured silicone implants after they were found to be associated with 800 breast cancer patients across the world.

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022502

Thai police nab 653 on Saturday for World Cup gambling

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2022

Police officers in charge of cracking down on World Cup-related gambling announced on Sunday that 653 suspects were arrested this weekend alone.

The suspects had placed a total of 111,000 baht on wager.

The arrests were announced by Pol Lt-General Phanurat Lakboon, who oversees the centre in charge of preventing and suppressing gambling on World Cup matches.

He said on Saturday, six bookmakers and 614 gamblers were arrested for offline gambling, while 33 were arrested for betting online.

The centre has been on the lookout for people placing bets on World Cup matches since November 19, one day before the tournament kicked off last Sunday. Since last Saturday, 3,179 suspects have been arrested for placing bets worth a total of 1.08 million baht. Those arrested include 70 bookmakers and 13 representatives.

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022499

Chula expert slams deal to hand Thailand’s World Cup rights to True

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2022

A Chulalongkorn University academic has questioned why the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) handed control over the country’s World Cup broadcasting rights to True Corp.

Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, an associate professor at CU’s Political Science Faculty, complained after a court ordered AIS Playbox to stop broadcasting the quadrennial football tournament on Friday. The court order came after True filed a court for an injunction to protect its exclusive rights to broadcast 32 of the 64 World Cup matches.

True insists it owns exclusive rights to broadcast those matches, including the final, on internet and OTT (over the top) platforms. It said other operators in Thailand can broadcast the matches on terrestrial TV, pay cable and satellite TV platforms.

Siripan noted that SAT was approved by Fifa as the World Cup broadcast licence-holder for Thailand.

She added that SAT had received 600 million baht of public money from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to purchase the rights to ensure that all Thais can watch the World Cup via all channels.

“The question is why SAT allowed True, which contributed 300 million baht, to decide on World Cup broadcasting,” she said.

She also demanded that SAT reveal details of the contract and clarify the issue.

“The 600 million baht [from NBTC] belonged to the country and its people, so this issue should be transparent,” she added.

The NBTC’s 600 million baht was topped up by private corporations to meet the purchase price for World Cup broadcast rights of 1.4 billion baht.

True contributed 300 million baht, PTT 100 million baht, and Thai Beverage 100 million baht. True then reportedly did a deal with SAT for exclusive rights to broadcast half of the matches on OTT and internet platforms.

Related stories:

• Mbappe double gives France spot in World Cup knockout stage
• Messi magic guides relieved Argentina past Mexico
• Apec, ganja, World Cup football and the weakness of Thai planning

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022497

Tom yum or somtam? Which do you think is most Thai?

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2022

Tom yum koong (spicy shrimp soup) topped the list in a recent survey when respondents were asked to name the dish that best reflects Thailand’s “food identity”.

The Suan Dusit Poll was conducted between November 19 and 24 on 1,044 respondents, who were allowed to choose more than one answer.

Here are some of the questions, and the answers:

• What dish signifies Thai cuisine?

57.65%: Tom yum koong (spicy shrimp soup)

33.17%: Phad thai (stir-fried rice noodles)

23.89%: Somtam (spicy green papaya salad)

22.11%: Kaeng khiao waan (green curry)

13.23%: Massaman curry

• What makes Thai cuisine so different?

83.96%: Precise recipes

81.17%: Rich and nutritious

75.98%: Local wisdom

• How difficult is it to cook Thai food?

90.75%: Difficulty in replicating the taste

74.95%: Difficulty in replicating quality

68.02%: Few people keeping old traditions alive

• What can be done to maintain the identity of Thai cuisine?

88.85%: Should be promoted as soft power

82.5%: Boost awareness among the young

77.31%: Campaign for all Thais to keep old cooking traditions alive

• Who should be responsible for maintaining Thai cuisine’s identity?

70%: All Thais

65.38%: Culture Ministry

63.37%: The older generation

• Do you think the Apec Summit last week helped promote Thai cuisine internationally?

51.44%: Moderately

29.7%: A lot

Akkarapol Waichiangkha, a home economics lecturer at Suan Dusit University, said the history of Thai cuisine should also be told when it is being promoted via various channels, especially online.

Also, he said, all sectors should join hands when it comes to promoting Thai food, especially traditional dishes and old recipes.

Kanchana Fuengsri, another home economics lecturer at Suan Dusit University, said Thai cuisine varies vastly. For instance, the same dish can taste different in different parts of the country, the recipes can differ as can ingredients and cooking methods.

She too believes building an awareness of the history of Thai cuisine and its various benefits are key to preserving the identity of Thai cuisine.

Related stories:

• Thailand’s tourism industry revving up thanks to Covid-19 downgrade, say pollsters
• Most Thais struggling to make ends meet, latest poll finds
• Over 50% of Suan Dusit Poll respondents feel Parliament likely to be dissolved

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40022494

Most Thais believe sexual violence is not just physical: survey

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2022

An opinion survey conducted recently shows that most Thais have a good understanding of what constitutes sexual violence.

The pollster, National Institute of Development (Nida), came to this conclusion by asking 1,311 respondents 10 questions in phone interviews between November 10 and 15. The respondents were at least 15 years old and the result of the survey was released on Sunday.

The 10 questions posed to respondents were:

• Do you think the mental angst caused by cheating spouses is sexual violence?

52:17%: Yes

47.83%: No

• Do you think online scams in which victims fall in love and transfer funds is sexual violence?

50:88%: Yes

49:12%: No

• Do you think scams in which women are talked into sending their nude photos and then blackmailed for money is sexual violence?

84.90%: Yes

15.10%: No

• Do you think sharing photos of scantily clad women on social media without her knowledge is sexual violence?

76.81%: Yes

23.19%: No

• Do you think a boss telling lascivious jokes and sharing pornographic images in the office is sexual violence?

76.81%: Yes

23.19%: No

• Do you think that a husband who forces his wife into prostitution by threatening to throw her out of the house if she refuses is sexual violence?

91.30%: Yes

8.70%: No

• Do you think a senior male student trying to rape a younger female student is sexual violence?

97.86%: Yes

2.14%: No

• Do you think a woman suffering attacks by a jealous boyfriend is sexual violence?

83.14%: Yes

16.86%: No

• Do you think a husband forcefully having sex with his wife without her consent is sexual violence?

72.12%: Yes

27.69%: No

• Do you think male relatives hugging and kissing young girls against their will is sexual violence?

71.32%: Yes

28.68%: No

• What are the causes of sexual violence? More than one choice was allowed:

64.15%: Men do not respect women

50.04%: Men do not understand what consent means

47.52%: Men believe they can make a pass if the woman is in a revealing dress

3.51%: Men like to imitate what they see on media or TV soaps

1.53%: Drugs and alcohol.