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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024945

Kiatisuk says ex-Wild Boar Duangphet, who died in England, dreamt of playing for Thailand

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Thai football manager and former player Kiatisuk “Zico” Senamuang offered updates on the sudden death in England of one of the 12 boys rescued from a cave in Chiang Rai in 2018.

Duangphet “Dom” Promthep (17), one of the 12 members of the Wild Boar football team who was rescued after being trapped in Tham Luang Cave in 2018, reportedly collapsed and died on Tuesday.

After being rescued from the cave, Duangphet went to Chiang Mai to study sports and later received a scholarship to study in England.

During a Zoom conference, Kiatisuk, who is currently in Vietnam as coach of Hoang Anh Gia Lai football team, said Duangphet lost consciousness in his dormitory room on Sunday. He added that a teacher at the dormitory got him admitted in a hospital.

“On Tuesday, medical staff at the hospital told the Royal Thai Embassy in UK that Duangphet’s breathing had stopped and his body was not responding to treatment,” Kiatisuk said.

He said the embassy had informed Duangphet’s parents, but they were waiting to know the cause of death.

Kiatisuk confirmed that Duangphet was healthy, as he had taken a physical examination before going to study abroad. Kiatisuk vowed to do his best to bring Duangphet’s body back to Thailand.

“Duangphet went to England around September last year as he wanted to study at a university there,” he said.

Kiatisuk posted a message on Duangphet’s Instagram mourning his death on Thursday, saying that Duangphet was a good student, polite and considerate.

He added that Duangphet had nurtured a dream to become a professional football player and wanted to make it to Thailand’s national team.

In June 2018, the world was transfixed for 17 days as an elaborate international mission unfolded to rescue 12 members of the Wild Boars football team and their coach after they were trapped by rising water in the Chiang Rai cave system.

The 200-metre-deep Chamber 1, which visitors use to enter the complex, was the command centre for a rescue operation led by Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn and Thai Navy Seals. Duangphet was part of the second group of boys carried out of the cave on July 9.

The Wild Boars have since become celebrities, depicted in a series of films and documentaries about their ordeal.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024943

Police raid ‘unlicensed’ gay bar in Pattaya, test patrons for drugs

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Fifteen patrons tested positive for drugs after police and local officials raided Dragon Man Bar in Pattaya City in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Officials raided the gay bar in Soi Pattaya Klang 12 after 3am, following a tip that it had been operating without a permit, serving drinks after 2am, and selling drugs to patrons.

Police said they found drug-like substances in small zip-lock plastic bags that had been discarded on the floor and in trash cans. Others were found hidden in staff lockers, police said.

Used condoms were also found on the venue’s dance floor and sofas, and in dressing rooms, indicating that the Dragon Man Bar was also a sex club, police said.

Urine tests on about 50 patrons found that 15 of them – 14 men and one woman – had been using drugs.

The manager was unable to show permits for operating an entertainment venue and selling alcoholic drinks, police said. He was brought to Pattaya Police Station, along with the 15 patrons who tested positive for drugs, and charged.

Bang Lamung district chief Phisit Sirisawasdinukul will ask the provincial governor to ban Dragon Man Bar from opening for five years, he said.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024942

PM orders strict checks on Thai nominees facilitating foreign businesses

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed government agencies concerned to strictly check if any Thai tourism-related firms nationwide were nominees of foreigners, a senior official said on Thursday.

Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said Prayut has been closely monitoring the issue of foreigners using Thai nominees to open businesses prohibited for foreigners or who avoid registering their businesses.

“The prime minister has instructed government agencies concerned to closely follow up on the issue by sending officials to check firms and strictly enforce the laws to prevent foreigners from carrying out businesses reserved for Thais,” the spokesman said.

He said Prayut asked for more checks now, as Thailand has fully reopened to foreign tourists.

The spokesman said the prime minister instructed the Commerce Ministry to ensure that its commercial offices around the country and the Business Develop Department carefully checked registrations of companies and partnerships so that they would not violate the Foreign Business Act of BE 2542 (1999).

“The prime minister wants checks in all provinces, not only in major tourism provinces. The checks will focus on businesses related to tourism, such as restaurants, hotels, resorts, car renting services, souvenir shops, spa and massage parlours.

The spokesman said Prayut had been informed of the Business Development Department’s ongoing operation to check some 200 businesses in four major tourist destinations in Bangkok — Yaowarat or China Town, Huai Khwang, Samphanthawong and Ratchadaphisek.

Senior officials from the department and the Commerce Ministry announced on Monday that the ministry is checking some 200 businesses in the four areas to find out whether they are nominees of foreigners or whether they are foreigners running businesses reserved for Thais.

Earlier last month, the Business Development Department warned Thai nominees of Chinese-owned shops in Bangkok’s Chinatown that they could face up to three years in jail and/or a maximum fine of one million baht if they were found to be acting as nominees.

The warning came after some food vendors in Yaowarat alleged that Chinese nationals were using Thai nominees to run shops and eateries in Chinatown and competing with local operators.

The spokesman on Thursday listed nine types of businesses reserved for Thais:

– Newspapers, radio and TV broadcasting

– planting and gardening

– Animal raising

– Reforestation and logging

– Fisheries

– Thai herb extraction

– Trading of Thai antiques or or historical products

– Making Buddha images and bowls for monks’ alms

– Land trading

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024941

Taksin Hospital celebrates 119 years of brain treatment, calls for donations

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Taksin Hospital, a public hospital under the Bangkok Medical Service Department, celebrated its 119th anniversary of treating brain and cerebrovascular patients on Wednesday.

The anniversary ceremony, titled “119 years Taksin Hospital”, was presided over by Bangkok permanent-secretary Khajit Chatchavanich.

Among activities at the event was a video presentation of the real-life experience of patients suffering from stroke who have been treated by doctors, neurosurgeons, and the multidisciplinary teams at the hospital. There was also a ceremony to reward hospital employees who have demonstrated exceptional performance, and a presentation of mementos to the hospital’s patrons.

Taksin Hospital is seeking to improve the efficiency and quality of treatment for cerebrovascular patients but still lacks necessary machines, including the transcranial doppler ultrasound device, which is crucial in saving patients’ lives.

Donations to Taksin Hospital can be made to TMBThanachart Bank account number 033-1-07003-7, under the name “Taksin Hospital Fund”.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024939

Thonburirom Park in Bangkok extends opening hours to suit locals

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Opening hours of Thonburirom Park in Thung Khru district, central Bangkok have been extended to 4am to 9pm daily to increase service opportunities for the public, said Bangkok spokesman Aekvarunyoo Amrapala on Wednesday.

He said the move is part of governor Chadchart Sittipunt’s policy to make public parks convenient and safe spaces for Bangkokians by adjusting opening hours to suit people in each area.

Normally, public parks under Bangkok’s Environment Department open at 5am and close at 9pm daily.
However, opening hours at the following parks have been adjusted:

• Suan Luang Rama IX Park, Prawet district: open 5am to 7pm daily
• Nong Bon Lake Park and Water Sports Centre, Prawet: open 5am to 6.30pm daily
• Lumpini Park, Pathum Wan: open 4.30am to 10pm daily
• Chatuchak Park, Chatuchak: open 4.30am to 10pm daily
• Benchasiri Park, Khlong Toei: open 4.30am to 10pm daily
• Thonburirom Park, Thung Khru: open 4am to 9pm daily

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024938

Bangkok signs Asia declaration for clean water, land and air in cities

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

The Thai capital has joined other Asian cities in a binding agreement to improve the quality of their environment for citizens.

The Indore 3R Declaration of Asian Mayors on Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air in Cities was signed during the 11th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific, held last week in Cambodia.

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt’s representative Pornprom Wikitset signed the declaration during the February 8-10 event at Sokha Siem Reap Resort & Convention Centre.

The forum was co-hosted by the UN Centre for Regional Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the environment ministries of Cambodia and Japan.

The Indore 3R Declaration is a binding agreement between agencies at city and urban government level to employ the 3R principle – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle – to improve the quality of water, land and air in the city.

The 3Rs promote sustainable waste management, circular economy, and efficient use of resources to make cities clean, safe, and ready for future change.

The declaration was first acknowledged at the 8th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific held in Indore, India on April 11, 2018. So far, representatives from 50 cities in Asia have signed the declaration.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024936

Thai tobacco trade rocked by boom in online sales of illegal cigs

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Internet sellers are flooding Thailand with illegal, untaxed cigarettes and exposing children to the habit, the tobacco industry warned on Wednesday.

Thai Tobacco Trade Association (TTTA) director Thanyasarun Sangthong said illegal tobacco products have gone viral online due to low operation costs and the ability to avoid inspection by police or customs.

“Meanwhile, illegal tobacco sellers can access as many different groups of customers [online] as they want,” she said.

Online trade of illegal tobacco grew 97% from July to September last year, Thanyasarun said, citing findings from a TTTA survey.

The jump in illegal online trade is blamed on contraband cigarettes smuggled over the border to avoid tax duty before being sold via the internet.

She said 91% of illegal tobacco trades were performed via Twitter, followed by Facebook (9%).

“There are three reasons why illegal tobacco is popular among netizens: the cheap price compared to legal products, the taste, and convenient trade channels,” she said.

She added that TTTA conducted the survey after the Tobacco Authority of Thailand announced a price rise for cigarettes to 66 baht per box following a tax hike.

Illegal online sellers are also free to advertise their products or cut prices, unlike their legal counterparts, she added.

The TTTA chief pressed the Excise Department, Finance Ministry, and Technology Crime Suppression Division to urgently tackle the growing illegal online tobacco trade.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024935

Turkey receives relief supplies donated by Their Majesties

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Relief supplies donated by Their Majesties the King and Queen were transported to Turkey by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) on Wednesday.

Privy Councillor Chirayu Isarangkun na Ayuthaya was assigned by Their Majesties to deliver the relief supplies to Turkey’s ambassador to Thailand, Serap Ersoy, at the RTAF’s Military Air Terminal 2, Wing 6 in Bangkok.

The ambassador expressed her gratitude for Their Majesties’ generosity.

The supplies were then loaded onto an RTAF Airbus 340 and flown to the Turkish capital of Ankara to relieve the suffering of people affected by the massive earthquake on February 6.

The donated relief shipment comprises tents, duvets, winter sleeping bags, small power generators, dried food, milk, and drinking water.

The RTAF Airbus is due to arrive back in Bangkok today, bringing back Thai nationals from Turkey.

The death toll in Turkey and Syria climbed above 41,000 on Wednesday, with more than 100,000 people also injured and over 12,000 homes and buildings destroyed.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024924

Bangkok governor rewards ‘active citizens’ for tracking down smog sources

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt has thanked “active citizens” for helping to identify sources of air pollution in the city.

The governor invited eight citizen whistleblowers to lunch at the City Hall on Tuesday after they provided vital intelligence on sources of PM2.5 fine dust via the city’s online Traffy Fondue platform.

PM2.5 refers to dust particles that are 2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter and linked with lung and heart problems.

“Anyone who provides such information is considered an ‘active citizen’ who enables the city to tackle the problems at their source,” said Chadchart. The governor added he was happy and surprised to see so many people using Traffy Fondue to contact authorities, despite hiccups reported at the platform’s launch.

On January 16, Chadchart invited Bangkokians to alert the city via Traffy Fondue if they saw vehicles, factories or other sources emitting black smoke or other air pollution.

Citizens have responded in huge numbers over the past month, prompting the governor to invite eight Traffy Fondue whistleblowers for lunch and a chat at the City Hall in Din Daeng district.

Chadchart said useful information disclosed via the platform included burning of garbage in Nong Chok district, public buses belching black smoke in Thonburi, and misreporting by air-quality monitoring stations in several districts.

In response, black-smoke traffic checkpoints were set up, and air-quality monitoring stations recalibrated for accuracy.

“Some of the fixes are temporary, but at least it makes responsible agencies aware of the problems, which will lead to a permanent solution in the future,” said Chadchart. “With cooperation from all related parties, together we can make Bangkok a better city.”

City authorities said over 220,000 complaints have been posted via Traffy Fondue, 180,000 of which have already been addressed. It has also forwarded complaints on issues that are not under its jurisdiction to relevant agencies.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024922

Bangkok emergency services on standby as thunderstorms hit city

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Bangkok emergency and response teams have been put on standby as thunderstorms are forecast for the city until Friday, said city permanent-secretary Khajit Chatchavanich.

The Thai Meteorological Department forecasts thunderstorms, strong winds and hail in areas of central Thailand from February 14-17.

The city has placed emergency teams in all 50 districts on 24/7 standby, with equipment readied to tackle emergencies such as fallen trees blocking public roads or cutting power lines, Khajit said on Tuesday.

City firefighters and rescue teams are also on standby to help people affected by thunderstorms, floods or hail. Municipal police officers have been instructed to monitor the flood situation in their jurisdictions and follow Thai Meteorological Department updates until Friday.

District offices will deploy traffic officials to flooded roads to assist affected motorists and may dispatch vehicles to help transport stranded commuters, Khajit added.

He also asked people to check trees on their properties and contact the city to take care of any at risk of falling in the storms. Bangkok officials can be reached at any district office, the hotline 1555 or via the Traffy Fondue application.

For emergency assistance, call the 199 hotline at any time.

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