Move Forward’s Pita thanks Bangkok for support, vows to work hard for votes

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Move Forward's Pita thanks Bangkok for support, vows to work hard for votes

Move Forward’s Pita thanks Bangkok for support, vows to work hard for votes

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2022

Thanking Bangkokians for naming him as the best PM choice in a recent survey, Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat said he would work very hard to get elected.

Pita was responding on Monday to a National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) opinion survey in which Pita beat PM Prayut Chan-o-cha as Bangkok voters’ top choice for prime minister.

Pita said the results of the survey boosted his morale and inspired him to work very hard.

“I hope Move Forward will become a solution for the country during this time of crisis,” he added.

The October 21-27 Nida Poll showed that 20.40 per cent of respondents preferred Pita as the next PM, compared to 15.20 per cent for Prayut.

Pita also beat Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who won support from 14.10 per cent of the respondents. Other candidates won less than 10 per cent “yes” votes.

However, a nationwide poll conducted by Nida in September showed Paetongtarn as the most popular choice, with more than 21.60 per cent choosing her. Pita in comparison was the top choice for only 10.56 per cent of respondents, while Prayut came in third with 10.12 per cent.

Paetongtarn also beat Pita by a wide margin in an October 9 Nida poll in the Northeast, where she came away with 36.45 per cent compared to Pita’s 12.65 per cent.

Prayut, meanwhile, was the most popular choice for voters in the South, an October 23 Nida poll showed. The incumbent premier came away with 23.94 per cent, followed by 13.24 per cent for Paetongtarn and 11.24 for Pita.

The Move Forward leader said that though he was the top choice for Bangkok voters, opposition leader Pheu Thai had beaten his party in the same poll. Therefore, he said, his party will have to work harder.

“We will have to meet the public more often to introduce our candidates and policies, as well as assure them that we are ready to run the country during this ongoing economic crisis,” Pita said.

He pointed out that Thailand ranks sixth among Asean countries in terms of growth and is trailing behind Malaysia and the Philippines when it comes to direct foreign investments.

He also blamed Prayut’s government for increasing the number of poor from 14 million to 27 million over the past eight years.

Related stories:

Move Forward’s Pita beats Prayut in Bangkok’s best choice for PM poll

Prayut preferred as next PM by southern voters: survey

Private sector to research government move allowing wealthy foreigners to own land

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/policies/40021625

Private sector to research government move allowing wealthy foreigners to own land

Private sector to research government move allowing wealthy foreigners to own land

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2022

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Thailand’s private sector intends to hire experts to research the latest government policy that would allow wealthy foreigners to own property in the country.

Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Banking (JSCCIB), announced the plan at a press conference on Tuesday.

He said that the JSCCIB is planning to draft a framework outlining the scope and issues on which the JSCCIB should focus before hiring an agency to gather information and conduct research to determine the benefits and drawbacks on foreigner land ownership.

He added that the study also aims to identify risks and other aspects that Thailand should consider before enforcing the regulation that allows foreigners to own land.

“The research findings are expected to be published in December,” Sanun said. “Rather than being a right or wrong issue, it is preferable to view it as another avenue for attracting foreign investment into the country.” 

Meanwhile, the chairman of the JSCCIB stated that he believes the government has good intentions.
 

The move comes as the government faces criticism for allowing wealthy foreigners to purchase land in Thailand. The policy, according to the majority of opponents, will make Thais poorer.

Despite strong opposition, the Cabinet agreed on Tuesday to allow foreigners to buy houses and up to a rai of land if they can show an investment of at least 40 million baht.

The directive will be in effect for five years after it is published in the Royal Gazette, which the government expects to happen soon.

Nongluck Ajanapanya

Cabinet passes ‘half measure’ in bid to sink progressive liquor bill

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Cabinet passes ‘half measure’ in bid to sink progressive liquor bill

Cabinet passes ‘half measure’ in bid to sink progressive liquor bill

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2022

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a ministerial regulation easing controls on alcohol production ahead of Parliament’s deliberation of the opposition’s “progressive liquor bill”.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the ministerial regulation was approved because the first regulation passed in 2017 was too strict.

He said the government had loosened controls on production after considering the Move Forward Party’s draft liquor bill. Move Forward MP Taopiphop Limjittrakorn has accused the government of trying to derail the bill, which would reduce barriers to allow small brewers to enter a market currently dominated by two giant companies. The bill passed the first reading in June and is due to be debated in its second and third readings in Parliament this week.

Wissanu said the Move Forward bill was too loose and might endanger consumers and state revenues.

Wissanu, who is in charge of the government’s legal affairs, said he was not trying to outsmart the House of Representatives with the new ministerial regulation. Instead, it addressed demands for relaxed regulation on liquor production, especially homebrewing for non-commercial purposes using local folk wisdom, he said.

The regulation would not affect government revenue while allowing small brewers to operate without permission from authorities, he added. It will come into effect after being published in the Royal Gazette.

Wissanu also claimed that Move Forward Party’s progressive liquor bill was no longer necessary as the new ministerial regulation was almost the same.

He denied the move was political, saying the regulation had been drawn up six months before the progressive liquor bill was proposed.

Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat have asked the public to monitor the second reading of the bill in Parliament on Wednesday. MP Taopiphop sent an open letter on October 26 warning Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to stay away from the bill.

Related stories:

UN rights body commends Thailand on new law banning torture, enforced disappearance

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UN rights body commends Thailand on new law banning torture, enforced disappearance

UN rights body commends Thailand on new law banning torture, enforced disappearance

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2022

The UN Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia (OHCHR) has welcomed Thailand’s enactment of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, 2022.

The promulgation of this law is a critical milestone in combating torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearances in Thailand, the OHCHR posted on the website on Monday.

The law includes provisions that will hold perpetrators to account under criminal law and incorporates key principles of non-derogation and non-refoulement, prohibiting officials from expelling, deporting and extraditing a person to another country where they may face substantial risks of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or enforced disappearance.

It will take effect 120 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette on October 25.

Cynthia Veliko, regional representative of OHCHR Regional Office for Southeast Asia, said: “The enactment of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act 2022 is a major step in fulfilling Thailand’s commitments to achieving zero tolerance for acts of torture and enforced disappearances, as well as providing justice to the victims of torture and enforced disappearances.”

“With this Act, victims and families of torture and involuntary and enforced disappearances will have a new framework to seek legal redress, and to hold perpetrators of such heinous crimes to account,” Veliko said.

Thailand has 76 outstanding cases of enforced disappearances with the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances that remain unresolved.

Veliko, however, highlighted three provisions that needed to be amended to ensure full compliance with international human rights laws and standards.

These include the application of amnesty for offences proscribed under the Act, the admissibility of evidence obtained through torture in criminal proceedings, and the imposition of a statute of limitations for cases of enforced disappearances.

“OHCHR commends Thailand for fulfilling commitments made during its last Universal Periodic Review by the enactment of this law. With this domestic legal framework now in place, Thailand can move ahead with ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance as well as the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,” said Veliko.

Related stories:

Police warn of ‘foreign nightlife mafia’ after inspecting Bangkok pubs

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021624

Police warn of ‘foreign nightlife mafia’ after inspecting Bangkok pubs

Police warn of ‘foreign nightlife mafia’ after inspecting Bangkok pubs

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2022

Police warned of “foreign nightlife mafia” as they inspected six Bangkok pubs in the early hours of Tuesday in a crackdown on drugs, guns, and underage customers.

Deputy national police chiefs Torsak Sukvimol and Surachate Hakpal led the inspections by 200 tourist police ahead of the tourism high season.

The targeted venues were Space and K Bangkok on RCA; Hollywood, Brooz, and Asgard in Huai Khwang; and Baby Face in the Khlong Tan area.

Torsak warned that pubs where drugs, guns or underage patrons are found could have their licences revoked for five years.

He also said foreign investors are operating like mafia in Thailand’s nightlife sector, adding that police and immigration officials are working together to eliminate them.

He said police would be fair with pub operators over drug abuse. If tourists are found to have used drugs inside the venue after buying them outside, police would focus their efforts on tracing the origin. However, entertainment venues will be severely punished if drugs are sold inside, he added.

Surachate said police would be monitoring pubs owned not just by Chinese operators but also Thais.

He admitted to receiving tip-offs from former politician and massage parlour tycoon Chuwit Kamolvisit.

Related stories

Beware of box jellyfish, beach tourists warned

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Beware of box jellyfish, beach tourists warned

Beware of box jellyfish, beach tourists warned

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2022

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has urged tourists to beware of poisonous box jellyfish, which are often found near the beach during the rainy season.

“Box jellyfish, named after their body that looks like a clear cubic box, have high toxins in their tentacles,” DDC acting director-general Dr Thares Krainairawiwong said on Tuesday.

“There are two types of this jellyfish that people should beware of: the single tentacle type can cause victims who are stung to experience muscle ache, nausea, and sometimes even become paranoid,” he said.

“The multiple tentacle type, on the other hand, is more deadly,” warned Thares. “Victims will display a rash or burn mark where they were stung, causing excruciating burning sensation. If they receive toxins at high volume, they would feel lightheaded, followed by heart stopping, failure of the respiratory system, and eventually death within 2-10 minutes.”

Thailand recorded 48 cases of serious injuries and deaths from box jellyfish from 1999-2021.

Thares advised visitors to the beach to avoid swimming in the sea right after it rains, or when there are corpses of jellyfish scattered on the beach.

“If you wish to swim, make sure to wear clothes that cover most of your body like long sleeve shirts and pants,” he said.

The DDC also urged local authorities to survey their beachside attractions for signs of jellyfish and put up warning signs for tourists, or consider deploying anti-jellyfish net around the area. Attractions in risky areas should also provide bottles of vinegar to treat the jellyfish sting.

“If you are stung by jellyfish, try to get out of the water or ask others for help. Do not stay in the water, as you could pass out and drown,” said Thares. “When you reach the shore, pour vinegar on the wound for about 30 seconds. Avoid using other liquids like fresh water, liquor, urine, or alcohol. Do not rub the wound, as it will only spread the poison.”

If the victim is unconscious, give them a CPR and call the emergency medical team, or DDC hotline 1669.

Related Stories

Tourists urged to beware of jellyfish sting in Krabi national park

Tentacles of hope for Thai fishermen as jellyfish season arrives

1 arrested as Chinese man loses little finger but escapes alleged captors in Pattaya

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1 arrested as Chinese man loses little finger but escapes alleged captors in Pattaya

1 arrested as Chinese man loses little finger but escapes alleged captors in Pattaya

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2022

A Chinese national was arrested in Bangkok on Tuesday morning for allegedly holding a fellow countryman for a ransom of 30 million yuan (150 million baht) and chopping off his little finger.

Police officers tracked the suspect down to a condominium in Bangkok’s Ekkamai area after a Thai woman filed a complaint in Pattaya that her Chinese boyfriend had gone missing since early Sunday.

The suspect, identified only as Dadao, was taken to Pattaya Police Station for interrogation and information about his collaborators. The detainee reportedly indicated there were four others involved in this case.

Alisara Supasiribanthit, 20, had filed a complaint with Pattaya police on Sunday morning saying her boyfriend, 41-year-old Ren Haibo, had been kidnapped.

She said Ren, a real-estate businessman, drove his Toyota Fortuner SUV out of their Pattaya home at 12.30am on Sunday, saying he was meeting some Chinese friends at Walking Street.

Alisara said that at about 9.30am, Ren’s brother showed up to say he had been kidnapped and that she was to contact the kidnappers via the Telegram app.

She added that the kidnappers then sent her a video clip of Ren being tied up at his hands and ankles and blindfolded. One of his little fingers was then placed on his lap.

1 arrested as Chinese man loses little finger but escapes alleged captors in PattayaThe kidnappers demanded that she send them 30 million yuan in exchange for Ren’s release. However, she said, she did not have that amount, so she sent them 50,000 baht three times via her crypto wallet instead.

Alisara said when Ren was not released, she decided to take the case to the police.

However, on Monday, Ren managed to escape by jumping down from the second floor of a house in Pattaya where he was being detained.

Ren managed to make his way to a house nearby, and the owner then alerted the police who rushed to pick him up at the scene. The incident happened at The Village at Horse Shoe Point housing estate in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district.

He said he managed to escape because his captors had fallen asleep after consuming ketamine.

Police said Ren’s little finger on the right hand had been cut off entirely and he had also sustained wounds on his right hand, stomach and left arm. His body was covered in bruises from beating and his right leg had broken when jumped from the second floor.

Ren was rushed to Bangkok-Pattaya Hospital before police then returned to the house where he was being detained only to find the suspects had fled the scene. Police then tracked one of them down to Ekkamai and have now launched a manhunt for the others.

Cute Pokémon monsters adorn Bangkok BTS trains to promote new games

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Cute Pokémon monsters adorn Bangkok BTS trains to promote new games

Cute Pokémon monsters adorn Bangkok BTS trains to promote new games

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2022

Various Pokémon “pocket monsters” can be spotted peeking out from BTS trains around Bangkok nowadays.

Familiars like Pikachu, Eevee, Gengar and Gyarados have been engaged to promote the latest Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet video games.

Cute Pokémon monsters adorn Bangkok BTS trains to promote new games

Legendary Pokémon monsters Koraidon and Miraidon will, meanwhile, will embellish BTS trains on the Sukhumvit (Kheha-Khu Khot) and Silom Line (Bang Wa-National Stadium) lines.

The new games are scheduled to be released on the Nintendo Switch video game console on November 18.

Cute Pokémon monsters adorn Bangkok BTS trains to promote new games

Pokémon video games are developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo and the Pokémon Company under the Pokémon media franchise.

The monsters, created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori, first showed up in 1996 in Game Boy handheld consoles in Japan as Pocket Monsters Red and Green, before going international as Pokémon Red and Blue.

Cute Pokémon monsters adorn Bangkok BTS trains to promote new games

The main series of role-playing video games (RPGs), referred to as the “core series” by their developers, have starred in each generation of Nintendo handhelds with different Pokémon, storylines and characters.

While the main series were developed by Game Freak, several other companies have developed spinoffs encompassing other genres like action role-playing, puzzles, fighting and digital pet games.

Cute Pokémon monsters adorn Bangkok BTS trains to promote new games

Pokémon is said to be the largest media franchise, with successful anime series, films and merchandise, with spinoff games like Pokémon Go having crossed 1 billion downloads worldwide. As of March 2022, the series had sold over 440 million units worldwide.

Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween

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Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween

Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2022

Zombies, vampires and ghosts invaded Bangkok’s Khao San Road on Monday night in a carnival celebration for the “Khaosan Halloween 2022” party.

Many had dressed up to look especially scary to win the top cash prize in the Halloween contest.

Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween

Police officers from Chana Songkram Police Station were on standby to ensure everybody’s safety, setting up checkpoints on Chakrabongse and Tanao roads to ensure nobody carried weapons or firecrackers.

Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween

Sumrit Sumalee, a Phra Nakhon district officer, said every venue’s fire exits and lighting set-up were checked and officials ensured they were not overcrowded.

Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween

He said only 10,000 people were allowed to join the carnival to ensure efficient evacuation in case of unexpected occurrences.

Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween

“Shops were also instructed to limit the number of visitors to reduce congestion,” he added.

Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween
Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween
Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween
Zombie nuns join demons to stalk Bangkok’s Khao San on Halloween

14 world leaders confirm they will be at Apec Summit in Bangkok, Putin undecided

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14 world leaders confirm they will be at Apec Summit in Bangkok, Putin undecided

14 world leaders confirm they will be at Apec Summit in Bangkok, Putin undecided

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 01, 2022

Fourteen world leaders have so far confirmed they will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit in Bangkok on November 18-19, according to Government House on Monday.

The 14 leaders who have confirmed they will be at the summit, to be hosted by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, are:

1. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Australia)

2. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (Brunei Darussalam)

3. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Canada)

4. President Xi Jinping (China)

5. Chief Executive John Lee (Hong Kong)

6. President Joko Widodo (Indonesia)

7. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (Japan)

8. President Gabriel Boric (Chile)

9. President Pedro Castillo (Peru)

10. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr (Philippines)

11. President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (Vietnam)

12. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (New Zealand)

13. Prime Minister James Marape (Papua New Guinea)

14. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore)

Thailand is awaiting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response on whether he will attend the Apec Summit, Government House said.

Five other member countries have given various reasons for sending lower-level representatives to the Apec Summit and meetings, being held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in central Bangkok:

1. Mexico: Preoccupied with internal economic affairs.

2. Malaysia: Parliament dissolved on October 10 ahead of an election due on November 29.

3. South Korea: After Saturday’s deadly Halloween stampede in Seoul, President Yoon Suk-yeol decided to appoint representatives to attend the summit.

4. Taiwan: Vice President Lai Ching-te will attend as a representative of President Tsai Ing-wen amid tensions with China.

5. United States: Vice President Kamala Harris will attend in place of President Joe Biden, who will be attending his granddaughter Naomi’s wedding.

Three non-Apec members will also attend the summit at the special invitation of host Thailand:

1. Cambodia – Prime Minister Hun Sen

2. France – President Emmanuel Macron

3. Saudi Arabia – Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman