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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021497

Entertainment venues to be under strict scrutiny, police warn

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

The police will strictly monitor entertainment venues nationwide to gain the confidence of society, deputy National Police chief Pol General Torsak Sukwimol said on Friday.

He made the remarks after National Police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittipraphat tasked him with working on the issue.

Torsak said the move is in line with the order of the former National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), forbidding entertainment venue operators from allowing children aged 20 years and under in their premises. The NCPO was the military junta that ruled Thailand from 2014 to 2019.

Meanwhile, operators must close their entertainment venue at midnight and ban weapons, narcotics, human trafficking and gambling inside the venue.

From left, Pol General Torsak Sukwimol and Pol General Damrongsak Kittipraphat

He said entertainment venue operators who violate the laws would face revocation of licence or a five-year closure. Repeat offenders will face a year’s imprisonment, he warned.

“Royal Thai Police will be strict on this issue and send teams to survey entertainment venues periodically,” he said.

He also urged police officers nationwide to survey entertainment venues in order to gain the confidence of society, adding that anyone who neglects duties will face punishment.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021496

OKNation returns with a new look to welcome existing and new bloggers

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

If you love telling stories or sharing experiences, you can register with OKNation, which will be relaunched with a new look on November 1.

This lifestyle community platform was first launched in February 2007, 15 years before the emergence of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. The aim was to create an area where people can express their opinions freely.

Adisak Limparungpatanakij, Nation Group’s deputy CEO who also co-founded OKNation, said the platform offers a safe space for people to tell their stories without the fear of being bullied.

“The redesigned OKNation aims to bring bloggers back to their home,” he said, adding that the platform already boasts of more than 900,000 pieces and over 2 million images.

Adisak Limparungpatanakij

The new OKNation platform offers great mobility as it can be used on smartphones as well as computers, Adisak said.

He added that OKNation had recorded 4.32 million users and 6.04 million page views between January and September this year, even though the blog has remained unchanged over the past 10 years.

Pechsupa Tanasapan, OKNation’s system development coordinator, said the team was ready for comments and suggestions on how the platform can be improved.

Existing members can use login as usual, while new members can register from November 1 onwards.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021492

New fabric for student uniforms eliminates need for ironing, saves millions of baht in electricity costs

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

A new student uniform fabric that needs no ironing has been approved by energy authorities in the hope that the move could result in savings of millions of baht in electricity costs.

Energy authorities certified it as “Label No. 5”, which is normally associated with electrical appliances that pass the energy savings standards of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) to help people select energy-efficient appliances for their homes.

Egat has been working with the Thailand Textile Institute to develop student uniforms with a highly flexible fabric that could return them to their original state after washing and do not cause wrinkles, thus eliminating the need for ironing, which is one of the most energy-consuming activities.

The uniforms will also feature the “Cool Mode” technology that helps reduce temperature while wearing by 1-5 degrees Celsius, ensuring comfort for users in Thailand’s tropical climate.

At its head office in Nonthaburi province on Friday, Egat introduced the new students uniform by giving the well-known “Label No. 5” stamp to certify energy efficiency. Egat has manufactured 300 prototypes and delivered them to schools in Nonthaburi’s Bang Kruai district free of charge in the test run period.

“Without the need for ironing, Label No. 5 certified uniforms can potentially reduce household energy usage by 7.75 million units, or 31 million baht per year, thus reducing carbon emissions caused by electricity generation by 3.7 billion tonnes per year,” said Egat governor Boonyanit Wongrukmit. “Several manufacturers have expressed interest in adopting the technology to produce and sell the uniforms commercially.”

On Friday, Egat also awarded Label No. 5 to 43 manufacturers of three electrical appliances that have recently been added to the energy-saving standard, namely electric motorcycle chargers, removable li-ion battery for electric motorcycles, and multi-indoor-unit air-conditioners using variable refrigerant flow system.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021491

Lampang national park gets 2 great hornbills in bid to repopulate North

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

A pair of great hornbills were reintroduced to the wild in Lampang after being reported extinct in the North of Thailand for over 20 years.

The rare birds were released on Thursday in Lampang’s Chae Son National Park by the Zoological Park Organisation (ZPO).

The two released birds are among several great hornbills being raised and studied in artificial habitats.

“Researchers will continue studying the released birds to see how they nest, how they survive and raise their young,” ZPO director Atthaporn Sriheran said. “We will then use this data to supplement our study before deciding where the next pair will be released.”

He said great hornbills were an endangered species and can only be found in certain parts of Thailand. No great hornbills have been sighted in the North over the past 20 years.

Great hornbills are the largest of this species and can grow 95 to 120 centimetres long with a wingspan of 150cm to 178cm and can weigh up to 4 kilos.

Atthaporn said the breeding project kicked off in 1997 with the first great hornbill being hatched five years later.

This project is a collaboration between ZPO, six national parks in the North, Kasetsart and Mahidol universities as well as private partners.

The birds are being bred in natural surroundings and trained to survive in the wild.

Great hornbills are one of the 13 species of hornbills found in Thailand, all of which come under the 2019 Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act. The species is also included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List” of Threatened Species.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021484

Thailand’s cool season officially starts from tomorrow, says Met Dept

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

Temperatures will start dipping from Saturday and Thailand’s so-called winter will be cooler than last year, the Thai Meteorological Department said on Friday.

The weather report also said that upper Thailand can expect temperatures to drop below 23 degrees Celsius and though there will be a drop in precipitation in those areas, the rain will continue for a while.

The rain in the South, meanwhile, is not expected to ease any time soon, the department added.

Meanwhile, typhoon Nalkae, which brought heavy rain to the Philippines, is heading westward towards Thailand and should disperse when it reaches the shores of Vietnam on November 5.

Chawalit Chantararat, a water expert from the engineering consultant TEAM Group, said on Friday that the tropical storm would have no impact on Thailand though the country will be hit by a new front of cold air mass from China between Saturday and next Wednesday.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021481

Security measures mapped out for Apec Summit next month

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

A high-level government panel tasked with providing security at the upcoming Apec Summit has come up with measures to counter potential terrorist attacks and cyber threats when leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific economies gather in Bangkok next month.

The subcommittee on security and traffic management convened on Friday through electronic media.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan and attended by representatives from relevant agencies, including Deputy Defence Minister General Chaichan Changmongkol, armed forces supreme commander General Chalermpol Srisawat, national police chief Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapat, Defence Ministry permanent secretary General Sanitchanok Sangkachan, and National Security Council secretary-general General Supot Malaniyom.

Prawit led the meeting from his office at the Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation.

The meeting endorsed a plan to tackle terrorist acts and prevent cyberattacks, as well as manage traffic routes during the international conference.

Prawit instructed relevant agencies to implement security measures carefully, with close attention to detail in line with international standards. He said authorities should focus on gathering intelligence and calling for public participation in their work.

The deputy premier also said preemptive measures should be taken in providing security to all participants at all locations and all routes.

The participating agencies were instructed to be ready to immediately tackle any violent incidents or security threats that could adversely affect the country’s image.

Thailand is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit and related meetings this year under the theme “Open. Connect. Balance”. The leaders from the 21 member economies will attend their summit on November 18-19 at Bangkok’s Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021450

Minister Varawut urges officials to be proactive in tackling environmental issues

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa on Wednesday (October 26) urged officials of the ministry to use a proactive approach in handling environmental issues at regional and community levels.

He was speaking at the 3/2022 executive meeting at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE)’s headquarters in Bangkok. The meeting was joined by minister’s assistant Anucha Sasomsub, minister’s advisor Yutthapol Angkinan, minister’s secretary Thanesphol Thanaboonyawat, ministry permanent secretary Jatuporn Buruspat, executives and officials of the MNRE.

During the meeting, Varawut urged all related agencies to tackle environmental issues faced by the people in a proactive manner, including operational issues of royal initiative projects, forest fire surveillance, smog issues, corrosion of coastal areas, above and underground water resource management, implementation of BCG (bio-circular-green) economy model, and disbursement of ministry’s budget of fiscal 2023.

The minister told MNRE executives to prepare for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27, to be held in November in Egypt from November 6-18. He also suggested officials to use social media to communicate with target groups, and ordered supervisors to pay close attention to their subordinates’ operations, especially those with armed units.

Varawut then advised agencies responsible for hosting the “MNRE Meets the People” event in four regions to focus on building public awareness and understanding of the current climate situation, while presenting MNRE’s latest updates and progress in environmental projects by using easily accessible language and media.

The first “MNRE Meets the People” event will be held in Roi Et province between October 28-29, before moving to Chiang Rai, Phetchaburi and Nakhon Pathom, respectively.

On this occasion, Varawut also congratulated Pawit Chalermwat on his new position as the director of the Botanical Garden Organisation. 

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021465

Sedans earmarked for use by Xi and Putin during Apec Summit already reserved by buyers

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022

BMW i7 electric sedans shipped from Germany have arrived in Thailand for leaders of the 21 Asia-Pacific economies taking part in the Apec Summit in Bangkok next month.

The luxury vehicles set aside for Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have already been reserved for purchase by unidentified Thai buyers, according to an industry source.

“They want to buy the cars whether the leaders will use them or not, whether they come to the summit or not,” said the source.

Some leaders from major world powers are expected to use vehicles provided by their own governments. Some leaders may send their representatives to attend the conference in their place.

It was reported that the BMW cars rented by the Thai government for use during the summit would be sold to interested buyers after the event.

BMW is the “official mobility partner” for Apec 2022 to be held on November 18-19 under the theme “Open. Connect. Balance.”

The all-new model of BMW i7 has a starting price of 7.8 million baht.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021462

Chemical castration comes into force for sex-crime convicts from Jan 25

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022

A new law that allows chemical castration on sexual offenders will come into force on January 25.

The legislation, aimed at preventing repeat offences of rape and sexual crimes against minors, allows “medical measures” that include the injection of hormone-blocking drugs to reduce the sexual urge.

According to the law, convicted sex offenders can choose to get such an injection in exchange for a reduced penalty or early release from prison.

The law was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday and will come into force in 90 days.

More than 50 per cent of convicts of serious crimes committed the same offences within three years of their release from jail, according to data collected by the Ministry of Justice.

At least three countries — Indonesia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine — have enacted castration laws as punishment for rapists, involving the use of either surgical or chemical castration.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021459

Corals around Mu Koh Samersarn hit by yellow-band disease

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2022

Alarmed marine park officials and volunteers are racing against time to save the magnificent corals around beautiful Mu Koh Samersarn in Chonburi’s Sattahip district after yellow-band disease was spotted there.

Marine and Coastal Resources Department director-general Atthapol Charoenchansa said on Thursday that the coral disease was spotted two weeks ago by the Eastern Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre.

Atthapol said the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Institute reported the situation to him on October 13.

Yellow-band attacks colonies of coral at a time when they are already under stress from pollution, overfishing and climate change. It is characterised by large blotches or patches of bleached, yellow tissue on corals.

The disease can escalate at a rate of one to six centimetres per week on Staghorn corals or 1cm per month on Hump corals, Atthapol said.

The corals hit by this disease will eventually die, so officials must isolate the infected parts and replant the healthy portions – a necessary move to prevent the disease from escalating and killing entire colonies, he said.

Atthapol said his department has been cooperating with the Royal Thai Navy’s Area 1, Burapha University’s Faculty of Marine Technology and volunteer divers to isolate the infected corals.

The operation is being sponsored by AGC Vinythai, he added.

Atthapol said the cause of the disease was complicated, but experts believe the main cause was land-based pollution seeping into the sea.

He has instructed academics and coral experts in his department to be on the alert for a possible outbreak of coral diseases so that the officials can prevent mass deaths.

Atthapol said his department had also enlisted help from local communities and sea protection volunteers to monitor the distressing outbreak.

Tour operators that take tourists to Koh Samersarn and Koh Kham have also been asked to alert marine officials if they spot any coral disease.

Samersarn comprises nine islands, including the popular Koh Samersarn, where beautiful undersea corals never fail to attract divers.