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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021849

15 slightly hurt in Nakhon Phanom ‘shockwave’ after Loy Krathong fireworks explode

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2022

Fifteen people were injured when Loy Krathong fireworks exploded in Nakhon Phanom during a festive event on Tuesday evening.

The explosion reportedly occurred behind a stage prepared for the Nopphamat Beauty Queen contest shortly after deputy governor Chawanin Wongsathitjirakal opened the annual Nakhon Phanom Loy Krathong Festival at 6pm.

The festival this year was held at Phanom Nakha Plaza by the Mekong River in Muang district.

Witnesses said the explosion at the fireworks preparation area created a “shockwave” that “pushed staffers back about five metres”, while several people nearby were injured by fireworks shrapnel and small fires.

All 15 were rushed to Nakhon Phanom Hospital. A news source said most suffered only small injuries and can return home after treatment. There were no reports of any critical injuries.

Muang Nakhon Phanom mayor Niwat Jiawiriyaboonya said he was not sure who brought the fireworks to the event, which had been planned as a fireworks-free festival.

“The province is deeply sorry for the incident and will take care of all medical expenses and any other compensation for the injured,” he said.

Fireworks are traditionally part of the Loy Krathong Festival to show respect to Phra Mae Khongkha, the goddess of water. They are, however, banned in airport areas, or “air safety zones”, along with lanterns, balloons, laser lights, drones and other items that might damage aircraft or pose a problem to pilots.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021848

Duped Thai masseuses in Nigeria to return at the month-end

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2022

Ten of twelve masseuses conned into working in Nigeria will return at the month-end and beginning of December, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said while reporting on the mission to rescue the women.

Ambassador to the United States and ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said the Department of Employment had alerted the Department of Consular Affairs of the situation on November 2 after the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation received an appeal from relatives of eight of the 12 women who were in a “distressed” condition in Nigeria.

The foundation had set up a video interview with the victims and learned they had responded to job offers advertised on Facebook to work as masseuses in Nigeria for a monthly salary of 50,000 baht.

During the first few months, they were paid US$700 (25,870 baht) per month, after which the employers demanded $1,000 for visa extension fees and even deducted part of their wages for return tickets to Thailand, according to the foundation.

Tanee said the Royal Thai Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, is taking care of the 12 victims and has found no signs of abuse or detention against their will. The embassy also said the employer has contacted it and provided all information regarding the victims’ jobs to show “good faith”. The company said it would not oppose any move if the women wanted to return to Thailand.

The embassy is processing the women’s documentation to send them back to Thailand safely, Tanee added.

Five of the victims have their passports and plane tickets ready, while four have only tickets but no passports, so the embassy will issue new ones. One woman has her passport but no plane ticket.

Another, who has her passport, had reportedly applied for another job. However, one woman wished to continue working with the same employer in Nigeria.

Tanee said those who have their documents and plane tickets ready will depart for Thailand on November 26 and December 1.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021844

Hong Kong promises full backing for Thailand’s Apec ambitions

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 08, 2022

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Hong Kong will fully support Thailand and contribute to the region’s economic recovery, a trade representative said ahead of the 2022 Apec Summit to be hosted next week in Bangkok.

Lee Sheung-yuen, director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok, also applauded the “Open. Connect. Balance” theme of this year’s Apec Summit. 

He said that with this motto, Thailand provides a critical set of values for guiding the Asia-Pacific community towards a balanced, inclusive and long-term post-pandemic recovery.

He also complimented Thailand for its efforts to steer Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) nations towards a sustainable recovery through its overarching bio-circular-green (BCG) economy concept and reviving discussions on a free-trade zone.

“Hong Kong will continue to work closely and constructively with Thailand to deliver tangible outcomes under the theme of ‘Open. Connect. Balance’ for Apec 2022,” Lee said.

He also emphasised the significance of Apec, stating that the group has implemented several business facilitation initiatives over the years, such as simplifying customs procedures and enhancing business mobility through the Apec Business Travel Card to improve the region’s business environment.

Trade between Hong Kong and other Apec economies accounts for roughly 80% of the island city’s total external trade. Hence, Hong Kong is seen as a key platform for cooperation between Apec countries on a variety of issues as well as serving as a global hub for trade and finance.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021832

NBTC plan for public funding of World Cup broadcasts slammed

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 08, 2022

Media academics are vociferously objecting to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC)’s decision to use public funds to purchase 2022 Fifa World Cup broadcasting rights.

Academics from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Communication Arts and Thammasat University’s Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communications called a press conference on Tuesday to make their objections public. The conference was held on the Chulalongkorn University campus.

In a joint statement, the academics pointed out that the broadcasting rights will cost US$42 million (1.6 billion baht) and to fund this, NBTC would have to dip into the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund for Public Interest (BTFP).

However, they said, BTFP’s purpose is to give a specific group of people, especially the disabled, elderly and the underprivileged, equal access to broadcasts and telecommunications. The fund is also meant to be used in promoting as well as supporting development and research in this field.

The statement also clarified that BTFP is divided into two accounts. The first is to fund the above-mentioned purposes, while the second is to be spent on the Universal Service Obligation roadmap providing everybody equal access.

NBTC had previously taken 240 million baht from the fund to finance the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT)’s purchase of broadcasting rights for the 2020 Summer Olympics, the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics (postponed from 2022) and the 2022 Asian Games.
 

SAT was eligible for this funding because Thai athletes participated in these competitions, which covered a large variety of sports.

However, the academics said the 2022 World Cup is only geared at football fans and the national team is not competing in this tournament, so it does not fall within the purview of BTFP.

Moreover, they said, NBTC published its resolution to withdraw funds from BTFP on April 28 and declared its first account had 3.44 billion baht and the second had 804.27 million baht.

However, the academics said later resolutions by the new NBTC board were not published on the NBTC website. Also, Isra News Agency quoted an NBTC source on November 3 as saying that BTFP only had about 2 billion baht left.

Hence, the academics said, if 1.6 billion baht is used up to purchase the broadcasting rights, then there will be little left for the fund’s actual purpose.

Assoc Prof Preeda Akarachantaechote, dean of Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of Communication Arts, said instead of draining BTFP, related organisations should jointly work on finding outside funding sources.

As a long-term solution, he suggested the authorities also review the “must have/must carry” rule, which stipulates that all matches are broadcast on terrestrial TV channels.

Asst Prof Munyat Akarachantaechote, Chula’s head of the Mass Communications Department, said if NBTC insists on draining the fund, then it should reveal its financial status and explain how this purchase will affect its plans and projects for next year.

The NBTC executive board is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to decide on SAT’s request for funds to buy broadcasting rights.

Related stories

• Funds to secure World Cup football broadcast rights to come from NBTC budget
• Thailand’s NBTC to decide on FIFA World Cup broadcast rights purchase
• Prawit issues instructions to secure World Cup broadcast rights

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021829

Cabinet okays THB7 billion compensation for flood victims

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 08, 2022

The Cabinet on Tuesday resolved to seek a budget of 7 billion baht from the Finance Ministry for paying compensation to flood victims nationwide.

Deputy Finance Minister Santi Promphat said the Cabinet decided to task the Interior Ministry with making the payments to flood victims with the special budget from the Finance Ministry.

The Cabinet agreed on the criteria that a family that had suffered the consequences of flooding for not longer than a month would be eligible for a 5,000-baht compensation.

Those whose houses have been flooded for over a month but not longer than two months, would be eligible for 6,000 baht compensation each. Families whose houses were flooded for longer than two months, would be eligible for 7,000 baht compensation each.

Santi said the Cabinet deliberated on and approved the compensation budget after Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan expressed concern a few weeks ago that many people had lost their income because of the months-long floods.

Santi said Prawit had expressed concern that immediate help and handouts from the authorities were not enough to alleviate the grievances of flood victims.

“The Finance Ministry did not oppose the idea as it realised the grievances of the people and so it would allocate an urgent budget to help them,” Santi said.

He said the Finance Ministry was now waiting for information from the Interior Ministry about the number of eligible families.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021827

62,000+ suspects arrested as Bangkok prepares for Apec Summit

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 08, 2022

Police have arrested more than 62,000 suspects facing weapons, drugs and other criminal charges in a month-long crackdown ahead of the Apec Summit in Bangkok next week.

National Police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas called a press conference on Tuesday to announce the results of raids conducted from October 10 to November 8.

He said the arrests were categorised as:

• 10,450 arrested in 11,811 cases related to guns, explosives and ammunition. Also seized were 36 war-grade rifles, 5,345 unlicensed guns, 936 licensed guns, 4,342 explosives and 37,045 rounds of ammunition.

• 43,024 arrested in 41,803 drug-related cases. Also confiscated were 49.58 million methamphetamine pills.

• 9,255 arrested in response to 9,465 arrest warrants for criminal cases.

Damongrongsak said he has been stepping up efforts to track down suspects wanted under arrest warrants, and so far, 50% have been arrested.

He added that Provincial Police Bureau 5 also cracked the case of modified guns being sold online. He said a suspect, identified only as Weerayuth, has been arrested for allegedly selling air guns that can fire real 9mm bullets via several online platforms, including Line and Facebook.

Damrongsak said police also tracked down buyers and 209 shops that stocked these modified guns, and arrested 54 suspects. A total of 110 guns and 13,320 rounds of ammunition were seized from these suspects.

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