‘Qatar is a mistake,’ says former FIFA President Sepp Blatter
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 08, 2022
THE NATION
Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA when Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup hosting rights in 2010, has told Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger “Qatar is a mistake,” adding that “the choice was bad.”
The decision to award Qatar the tournament has been marred by controversy, including allegations of corruption and human rights violations, since it was first announced.
Blatter, who led FIFA for 17 years, has also been embroiled in accusations of corruption during his tenure. He was cleared of fraud by a Swiss court in June. The prosecutors have appealed the ruling.
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter speaks to the media after a trial in Bellinzona, Switzerland July 8, 2022.
“It is too small of a country. Football and the World Cup are too big for it,” Blatter said of Qatar, the first country in the Middle East to host the tournament.
He said FIFA in 2012 amended the criteria it used to select host countries in light of concerns over the working conditions at tournament-related construction sites in Qatar.
“Since then, social considerations and human rights are taken into account,” he said.
Blatter said he will be watching the tournament, which kicks off in less than two weeks, from his home in Zurich.
No other country in Southeast Asia is faced with a budget problem and they have already secured broadcasting rights. The Thai government will have less than two weeks to deal with this issue.
Brazil coach Tite included nine forwards in his squad for the World Cup, highlighting his wealth of attacking options for the tournament in Qatar.
The 30-year-old Neymar spearheads Brazil’s attack while the 26-man squad announced by Tite on Monday also features a group of young forwards including Vinicius Jr., Gabriel Martinelli and Rodrygo.
Dani Alves, the 39-year-old former Barcelona right-back, was also included in the list, which features eight defenders and six midfielders.
“What kid of reference is twitter if compared with…how many Brazilian citizens do we have? I am not here to please those who are at twitter, those who express themselves at social media. It’s a group that I don’t know how much they represent the Brazilian people. Why should I have to listen them? What I can do, I do. I respect different opinions. I am not here to convince those people (at social media). Nor do I want to do so.” said Tite
“We understand that Brazil is considered one of the favourites. In my opinion…Yes, we are.”
Brazil will play in Group G at the World Cup with Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon.
Serbia and Switzerland were also in Brazil’s group four years ago in Russia, when the Brazilians lost to Belgium in the quarterfinals.
The 61-year-old Tite has already announced he will step down after the tournament after six years in charge.
Dani Alves, the 39-year-old former Barcelona right-back, was also included in the list
Defenders: Dani Alves (Pumas), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Danilo (Juventus), Alex Sandro (Juventus), Alex Telles (Sevilla), Bremer (Juventus).
Midfielders: Casemiro (Manchester United), Fred (Manchester United), Fabinho (Liverpool), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo).
Forwards: Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid), Richarlison (Tottenham), Raphinha (Barcelona), Antony (Manchester United), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Pedro (Flamengo), Rodrygo (Real Madrid).
Kusuma Grabs Lead Despite Unfamiliarity at Pattaya Country Club
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 08, 2022
THE NATION
Three-time professional tour winner Kusuma Meechai grabbed a stroke lead over EPSON Tour rookie Jaravee Boonchant and Mind Muangkhumsakul after the opening round of the Bt2.5 million SAT-TWT Open Road to World Ranking at Pattaya Country Club in Chonburi on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old from Prachinburi highlighted her round with an eagle on the par 5 hole No 3, four birdies against a lone bogey on the 12th to launch her campaign in the ninth TWT-Open with a 67 at the par 72 6,542-yard landscape.
“The course sets up pretty challenging this week. The green is quite tough and the winds are quite strong,” said Kusuma whose best attempt on the TWT was at tied second in the 6th circuit at Panorama Golf and Country Club in Nakhon Ratchasim in August.
“I’m quite happy with the way I played on the third hole. I hit to 156 yards from the pin, and although I didn’t hit the green in my next shot, I chipped in for an eagle,” added Kusuma who has yet to celebrate a crown since winning on the Thai LPGA event in 2019.
“I don’t have high expectations this week to be honest. I’ve never played on this course and it’s pretty tricky especially on the green. I have to be cautious,” said Kusuma, a one-time winner on the China LPGA event in Wuhan back in 2013.
Twenty-three-year-old Jaravee, who won the season-ending EPSON Tour Championship in Florida last month, bounced back from a slow start to shoot six birdies, five after the turn, against two bogeys for a 68.
“I didn’t hit the greens much, but I managed to come up with some good hit up and down shots and made several birdies at the back nine,” said Jaravee who is using this tournament to shape up her game before the LPGA Qualifying event in the US.
“The course is quite long with a lot of winds. There are a lot of slopes on the greens which are quite tricky. My plan is to give myself as many opportunities as I can and go for birdies,” said the promising Thai, adding that her experience with the EPSON Tour has benefited her game.
“I’ve learned to be patient around the course. Even I started with a bogey, I tried to calm down and fought my way back,” said Jaravee. Her round of 68 was also achieved by Mind who had six birdies and two bogeys.
A shot behind at 69 were Nemittra Juntanaket and Phannarai Meesom-us.
Patcharajutar Kongkraphan who has dictated five domestic titles this season opened with a 70, three shots behind the lead.
The ninth SAT-TWT Open is organized by Thailand Women’s Professional Golf Association (Thai WPGA). It will be competed in a three-day stroke-play format. After 36 holes, top 60 and ties will move ahead to the final round where they will battle it out for the winner’s prize money of Bt367,500.
The SAT-TWT Open Road to World Ranking is sponsored by the Sports Authority of Thailand, National Sports Development Fund, Siam Commercial Bank, P Overseas Steal (Public Company Limited), T.D.C. Steel Group Co.,Ltd., and Pattaya Country Club. Fans can catch up with news updates on ThaiWPGA Facebook Fanpage or at http://www.thaiwpga.com. Live coverage can be followed on the ThaiWPGA Facebook Fanpage on Thursday 10, November from 8am onwards.
BGPU part ways with Diogo Luis Santo on mutual consent.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 08, 2022
BG Pathum United can confirm that the club part company with 35-year-old Brazilian striker Diogo Luis Santo on mutual consent, effective immediately.
Diogo Luis Santo joined BG Pathum United in the second leg of the 2020-21 season and played a pivotal role in the Rabbits’ historic Thai League winning run that season.
Diogo Luis Santo is set to travel back to Brazil, with no plans to represent any Thai clubs this season, following his departure from BG Pathum United.
BG Pathum United said that it would like to thank Diogo for his contribution and dedication to the club and wish him well for the rest of his career.
Somkiat wraps up memorable world Moto2 season with overall 10th place
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2022
Somkiat Chantra became the first Thai racer to finish in the top 10 of the motorcycle World Grand Prix at the end of the season.
The 2022 FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, including the Moto2 class, ended on Sunday at the Valencian Community Grand Prix at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Spain.
Somkiat, who rode for Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, got off to a great start and moved up from 12th position to sixth but suffered a fall during the race.
Somkiat has become a phenomenon on the Thai motorsport scene with his performances this season, which included one race victory, one pole position, and four podium spots. He got 128 points from 20 races and finished 10th overall.
Meanwhile, his Japanese teammate Ai Ogura failed to compete for first place after he fell during the race, having also fallen in the previous race — the Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix — enabling Spanish racer Augusto Fernández from the Red Bull KTM Ajo team to win the title this season.
In the MotoGP class, Italian racer Francesco Bagnaia from Team Ducati won the title.
French racer Fabio Quartararo from Yamaha team was in second place while another Italian and Gresini racer, Enea Bastianini, was third.
Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez finished 13th.
Getting to know Loy Krathong, Thailand’s festival of lights
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 08, 2022
Thais will venture out to float their “krathong” in public waterways today (November 8) for the first time in three years, now that Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted.
Loy Krathong fairs and festivities have also been given the green light in Bangkok and provinces, provided partygoers keep public safety in mind.
The Nation invites readers on a journey to explore the sacred origins of Thailand’s “festival of lights” and the place it holds in the hearts of millions of modern revellers.
Loy Krathong is observed in Thailand and several other nations on the full moon night of the 12th lunar month.
Outside Thailand, the festival is known by many different names. For instance, it’s “Tazaungdaing” in Myanmar, “Ill Full Moon Poya” in Sri Lanka, “Lantern Festival” in China and “Bon Om Touk” in Cambodia.
The festival was traditionally held to pay respects to Ganga, the Hindu goddess of forgiveness and purification personified from India’s Ganges River. In Thailand, she is Phra Mae Khongkha, the goddess of water.
There is no historical evidence indicating exactly when Loy Krathong began in Thailand, but several narratives suggest that the Sukhothai Kingdom adopted the festival during the reign of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great (1279-1298).
One legend says that Loy Krathong was started by a Sukhothai court lady called Nopphamat, who reportedly created the first krathong.
The name Nopphamat has also become synonymous with the Loy Krathong festival, with communities selecting their very own “Nopphamat Beauty Queen”.
According to an account written by King Rama IV in 1863, Loy Krathong was a Hindu festival adapted by devout Thais to honour both Buddha and the goddess of water.
Traditionally, krathongs were made from a slice of a banana tree trunk or the base of a spider lily plant and decorated with banana leaves, flowers, incense sticks and a candle.
Modern krathongs, however, are often made of bread, paper or Styrofoam.
On Loy Krathong night, people head to river piers, canals or ponds to float their krathong with lit incense sticks and candles. Their belief is that this offering to Buddha and other venerable spirits will take away their worries, anger, hatred and other sins.
Some people even add their nail clippings or a small chunk of hair to symbolise letting go of past transgressions and negative thoughts. A coin is also included as an offering to the river spirits.
Loy Krathong celebrations in the North of Thailand, however, are very different, with northerners floating their krathongs in the air instead of in the water. The name of the festival is also different, referred to as “Yi Peng”, with “yi” meaning 2 and “peng” meaning full moon.
Apart from releasing their krathongs in the air and decorating their homes and streets with bright lanterns, northerners also mark Loy Krathong by visiting temples to make merit and listen to sermons.
Tourist dollars drive surge in Thai gold consumption
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
The demand for gold in Thailand has risen 40% year-on-year, fuelled by the rebound in tourism, the World Gold Council’s recent report on global trends showed.
The council’s regional CEO Andrew Naylor told the press on Monday that the consumption of gold in Thailand has risen from 8.6 tonnes in the third quarter of last year to 12.1 tonnes in the same period this year.
During the same period, there has been a 35% year-on-year surge in the demand for jewellery, from 1.9 tonnes to 2.5 tonnes, and a 42% year-on-year rise in the sale of bars and coins, from 6.7 tonnes to 9.6 tonnes.
“This is the longest streak of consumer demand growth in Thailand, and the seventh consecutive quarter that we’ve seen an increase in jewellery consumption,” Naylor added.
He believes the surge in demand can be put down to a rebound in tourism and dropping prices, which are encouraging retailers to replenish their inventories.
He said gold retailers and jewellers anticipate a healthy demand in the fourth quarter as they prepare for the wedding season and year-end festive season.
This trend, he said, is consistent with the global demand for gold, which has recorded a 28% increase year-on-year.
Consumption of gold so far this year has risen to pre-Covid levels, with consumers and central banks buying up the precious metal despite a notable drop in investments.
According to the report, gold remains popular with retail investors turning to gold in the face of rampant inflation and geopolitical uncertainty.
The report said most investors prefer to hedge inflation by snapping up gold bars or coins, which has propelled total demand by 36% year on year.
This was supported by significant purchases in Turkey (up by more than a five-fold year on year) and Germany (up 25% year on year at 42 tonnes). Similar movements were seen in other major markets.
Global consumption of gold jewellery has continued to rebound and is now back to pre-pandemic levels at 523 tonnes – 10% more than the third quarter of 2021.
Much of this was driven by India’s urban consumers, where demand rose by 17% year on year to 146 tonnes. Similar growth was seen in the Middle East, with jewellery consumption in Saudi Arabia rising by 20% and by 30% in the United Arab Emirates since the third quarter of 2021.
Meanwhile, a drop in the price of gold in July has boosted consumer confidence and the easing of suppressed demand has helped contribute to the modest 5% rise in China’s jewellery consumption.
Gold’s safe-haven appeal obviously attracted retail investors in China amid slumping currency and equity prices.
The demand for gold has also risen thanks to central banks, whose buy-ups are expected to hit a record 400 tonnes in the third quarter.
This is in line with a recent survey of central banks, in which 25% of the respondents said they planned to increase their gold reserves in the next 12 months.
Louise Street, a senior markets analyst at the World Gold Council, said this demand reflects the metal’s status as a safe haven asset in a shaky macroeconomic environment.
She believes the demand for jewellery will remain strong in regions like India and Southeast Asia, while the technology sector will likely drop in the face of an economic slowdown.
MQDC Tasks’ DGTO Prosperous’ with Global Investments
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2022
Enterprises seeking future business opportunities must not limit their scope to only one business or the domestic market. Instead, they should explore all investment options, both locally and overseas to create new revenue sources and diversify risks.
Modern businesses must also focus on the aspects of society, community, environment, technology and innovation, as these are crucial factors that help strengthen the business foundation.
The principle aligns with the missions and goals of DTGO Prosperous (DTP), an investment arm of Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC), one of Thailand’s top property development firms.
MQDC is a property arm of DTGO Corporation Ltd., focusing on residential and mixed-use properties and theme projects development, with the well-known flagship project “The Forestias” located on Bang Na-Trat (Debaratna) Road in Samut Prakan province.
DTP serves the group as its global investment company that invests in high-potential properties worldwide to generate regular income for the group. DTP also looks for investment in various innovation businesses to strengthen its parent portfolio under MQDC’s philosophy of “Well-Being For All”, which emphasises securing sustainability via innovation.
DTP recently unveiled its latest investment plan targeting four branches of business: global investment, asset management, fund management, and VC & innovative investment to further strengthen the DTGO ecosystem.
Hansa Susayan, Chairman of the Board of DTGO Prosperous Ltd, said that DTP aims to be a global investment company that focuses on social and environmental care while conducting business in a sustainable way. The mission is guided by MQDC’s philosophy and DTGO’s concept of “Adding Value in Everything We Do”, for the sake of the public.
Hansa said all of the company’s investments are implemented under the principle of ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance). “We emphasise that our business operations must have low emissions, create positive outcomes for society, promote community participation, and be fully transparent under the corporate governance principle,” he said. “Most importantly, all operations must comply with the company’s sustainability goals.”
Thiti Thongbenjamas, DTP’s president, added that the company’s investments would focus on brownfield projects and high-potential assets to secure future opportunities in the four main business groups:
1. Global investment – DTP is eyeing investment in Thailand and overseas markets, including the United States, Europe, Japan, UAE, China, India, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia and South Africa. Just two months before the Covid-19 outbreak, the company had invested in several hotels in the UK under the Hilton, IHG and Marriott groups with a combined capacity of some thousands of rooms.
“The global hotel industry was at its peak when we bought these hotels. Over the years, their values have increased to more than the price we had bought,” said Thiti. “Furthermore, we also plan to expand our investments to related businesses such as office buildings, dormitories, apartments, and healthcare technology.”
2. Asset management – After acquiring the assets, DTP has improved the management and assets facilities to accelerate the hotels’ value. Thiti said the company had retained over 1,200 employees in the UK with no salary cuts during the lockdown, which made the hotels ready to operate as soon as the restrictions were lifted instead of facing labour shortages like other establishments.
Thiti added that DTP also applied heat-to-power conversion technology to minimise environmental impact and locked in energy rates to cut electricity bills. The company also plans to install solar panels on hotels’ rooftops to help with electricity generation.
“The company will continue to adjust the investment portfolio of hotels assets in the UK according to the changing lifestyle of the British people, who are now preferring to stay at hotels in big cities,” he said.
In the social responsibility aspect, DTP also plans to provide support to communities surrounding its hotels in Manchester as a pilot project before expanding to nearby cities. In Thailand during the pandemic, The Forestias project and its partners provided aid to nearby communities by establishing the “Sanam Saeng Haeng Jai” field hospital in Samut Prakan to help treat infected patients. DTP also channelled 2 per cent of its highest earnings for the initiation and operation of various charity projects, including the Buddharaksa Foundation, which supports the education of underprivileged children in remote areas.
3. Fund Management – DTP recently established DTPHREIT, a real estate investment trust (REIT) valued at 4.1 billion baht in September. DTPHREIT invested in MQDC’s hotels and service apartments in high-potential areas, such as the Waldorf Astoria Bangkok hotel, Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard service apartment, and U Khao Yai hotel. DTPHREIT is a buy-back type REIT in which the original owners commit to buying back their properties when the investment period is over.
4. VC & innovative investment – To ensure growth opportunities in the changing world that is not limited to only the property field, DTP channels its investment to venture capital and innovation with scalable business models. Examples of these investments are REDDS Technology Fund and chatbot technology.
Thiti said DTP’s investment strategy emphasises three aspects: Business synergy – the projects that add value and expand under the DTGO group; Monetisation – Can generate income to support continued re-investment; and Risk diversification in all types of risks – industrial, location, and financial.
“By avoiding investing in similar fields to generate the highest turnover possible, this strategy helps minimise investment-related risks, especially when an economic crisis emerges,” he said. “DTP aims to be an asset-light company that buys an asset, expands, develops and then sells it while still managing the asset via REIT or private property developers. This strategy enables us to raise funds and secure new partners for new projects, ensuring continued investments in various businesses.”
“These partners help DGTO Prosperous become a global investment company that focuses on social and environmental care in the communities we invest in to ensure sustainable growth of all parties,” said Thiti.
The Nation and VGI team up to bring “APEC Updates” to BTS screens
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2022
The Nation, a leading English-language media, and VGI Public Company Limited, the leader of Offline-To-Online Solutions media, has joined forces to produce news updates in English to support the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC 2022 Thailand), hosted in Bangkok.
The news service will start on Wednesday 9 via screens on BTS Skytrain. It is considered another crucial step for The Nation and VGI to provide modern news services to meet the needs of city life and to benefit passengers travelling by BTS.
APEC 2022 Thailand has been promoted to educate the public throughout the year 2022. The summit will take place from November 18-19.
Thailand previously hosted Apec in 1992 and 2003. This year the Thai government and related agencies want the public to know the background of the important event and the importance of APEC as being involved in various aspects to influence people’s lives?
The Nation is a major English language media of Thailand, has served to provide information about Thailand to the world community for over five decades.
The media outlet has been well recognized for its quality, the variety of news coverage, and impartiality. The Nation has realized the importance of APEC Summit and believed in the opportunity with VGI in expanding media and news services in English language to multiple channels, said Adisak Limparungpatanakit, consultant of Nation Group (Thailand) Public Company Limited
“This cooperation will help BTS passengers to receive news about the APEC meeting in English language, especially those who mainly speak English and passengers who are interested in the latest news. They will benefit greatly from “APEC Updates“, said Adisak.
VGI, as the country’s leading advertising platform on BTS Skytrain, has a mission to build a sustainable business with concerns about all stakeholders as well as society and related parties.
We recognize the importance of access to information for the public sector. The fact that Thailand hosts the APEC 2022 meeting this time is an important agenda that people should be informed of. The company therefore directly supports the media space for professional media with expertise in this field, such as The Nation, to let the city people receive updated information from the important national agenda this time, said Nelson Leung, CEO of VGI Plc.
“English is another important language of communication for Thai people. Providing a channel for BTS passengers to learn and use English in daily life through various media of VGI with information that is of interest is another channel that helps consumers to learn, and it benefits the society.
This collaboration with The Nation is met with our goal to help push the use of English into their daily lives while providing people with relevant news and information,” added Nelson.
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter speaks to the media after a trial in Bellinzona, Switzerland July 8, 2022.
Dani Alves, the 39-year-old former Barcelona right-back, was also included in the list
Brazil Squad World Cup 2022
Somkiat has become a phenomenon on the Thai motorsport scene with his performances this season, which included one race victory, one pole position, and four podium spots. He got 128 points from 20 races and finished 10th overall.
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