Cristiano Ronaldo official statement after the decision made by Man United today
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2022
THE NATION
Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence after refusing to come on and storming down the Manchester United tunnel before the final whistle against Tottenham.
The Old Trafford legend was slammed for leaving the bench before United’s 2-0 win over Spurs had even ended.
As I’ve always done throughout my career, I try to live and play respectfully towards my colleagues, my adversaries and my coaches. That hasn’t changed. I haven’t changed. I’m the same person and the same professional that I’ve been for the last 20 years playing elite football, and respect has always played a very important role in my decision making process.
I started very young, the older and most experienced players examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment get’s the best of us.
Right now, I just feel that I have to keep working hard in Carrington, support my teammates and be ready for everything in any given game. Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be left out of Manchester United’s squad to face Chelsea, the club said on Thursday after the Portugal international walked out of the team’s 2-0 win over Tottenham before the final whistle.
United manager Erik ten Hag said after Wednesday’s walkout at Old Trafford that he would “deal with” Ronaldo a day later.
“Cristiano will not be part of the Manchester United squad for this Saturday’s game against Chelsea,” United said in a statement on Thursday. “The rest of the squad is fully focused on preparing for that fixture.”
Ronaldo headed to the changing room after being left as an unused substitute in the match.
Next generation of Thai chefs getting an education on Australian Food and Wine
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2022
THE NATION
A group of industry bodies representing Australian red meat, dairy, seafood, horticulture and wine have banded together to help educate students at the MSC Culinary School in Bangkok about Australian products.
The sponsorship, from September to October, will enable the student chefs to get a better understanding and hands-on experience with products from Australia.
It was arranged by Australia’s Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) Programme, which was created to expand trade in Australian agricultural, forestry and fisheries into emerging and high-growth potential export markets worldwide.
Australian products are getting more popular as Thai consumers are increasingly paying more attention to the importance of a healthy diet, and view Australia as a reliable and reputable supplier of clean, nutritious, and flavourful products, the organisers said.
This unique sponsorship and collaboration will not only benefit the chefs but also Thai consumers who will one day be dining on dishes created by these chefs with Australian ingredients, the organisers said.
Moreover, the student and their instructors will be cooking a showcase of dishes at a VIP Australian Food & Wine event in Bangkok on November 1.
It will be attended by a select group of leading food industry professionals, Thailand and Australian government officials, importers, and distributors, the organisers.
Bangkok World Film Festival returns with a rich menu of 60+ flicks
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2022
THE NATION
The 15th World Film Festival of Bangkok is set to showcase more than 60 award-winning films from 30 countries, making this the longest repertoire the fest has ever featured.
The concept of this year’s festival is “Return to Cinema” and the aim is to welcome film lovers back to theatres now that the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided.
The festival’s new director Donsaron Kovitvanitcha said the press conference on Thursday at SF World Cinema in Bangkok’s CentralWorld shopping centre won overwhelming interest from both Thai and foreign film buffs.
Donsaron, an internationally acclaimed independent film producer who took the baton from his predecessor and World Film Festival of Bangkok founder Kriengsak “Victor” Silakong, said the festival’s spirit lives on and all presentations will be nothing but “great”. Kriengsak succumbed to a heart attack earlier this year.
“Every film featured in the festival has been carefully selected to represent various issues from diverse origins and cultures,” Donsaron said.
“Some may like them, others may hate them, but I can guarantee that everyone will go home with some good thoughts about these films.
“The World Film Festival of Bangkok has been absent for five years. We have brought it back this time, so film lovers can return to the place they love, meet international directors, make new friends, as well as share ideas and views about the films,” he added.
At the press event, Donsaron highlighted 12 films that will be showcased at the fest, namely:
• Aftersun (UK and the US)
• Alcarràs (Spain)
• In Viaggio (Italy)
• EO (Poland and France)
• No Bears (Iran)
• A Man (Japan)
• Tori and Lokita (Belgium)
• A Hundred Flowers (Japan)
• Rule 34 (Brazil and France)
• Return to Seoul (several countries)
• Tchaikovsky’s Wife (Russia, France, Switzerland)
• Close (Belgium)
These films have already won international recognition and shown at film festivals in Cannes, Venice, Toronto and Busan.
Nirodha “Earth” Ruencharoen, a renowned film influencer and special guest in the press event said: “I am happy that the World Film Festival is returning to Bangkok, allowing us to witness international films and experience important issues from different cultures around the world.
“Diversity is the key that makes us open to new techniques in movie making and storytelling, preventing Thai films from becoming too monotonous.”
Also attending the press event on Thursday were representatives of the two key partners, Nation Group’s special adviser Adisak Limparungpattanakij and SF Corporation’s chief operation officer Suvannee Chinchiewchan.
The World Film Festival of Bangkok runs from December 2 to 11 at SF World Cinema, CentralWorld, Bangkok.
Thai Airways expects return to stock market by 2025 as revised rehab approved
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2022
Ailing Thai Airways International (THAI) has expressed confidence in completing rehabilitation within two years and returning to the stock market by 2025, after its new rehab plan was approved.
THAI’s CEO Suvadhana Sibunruang confirmed on Thursday that the Central Bankruptcy Court had approved the national carrier’s revised plan for financial restructuring.
He said the airline would now hire a financial adviser to implement the rehab plan as soon as possible to return THAI to sustainable profitability. He expects the plan to be implemented from the beginning of next year.
Under the plan, THAI will launch a 25-billion-baht rights issue while securing 12.5 billion baht in credit to ensure liquidity for its 2023 budget. It will also refund purchases of all unused tickets by January 31, 2024. The airline’s current cash flow is reported to be around 20 billion baht.
Suvadhana said THAI expects to resume stock market trading in 2025 after returning to continuous profit. Its profitability since filing its revised rehab plan with the Central Bankruptcy Court in July would likely continue as passenger numbers grow and the airline cuts costs and boosts revenue, he added.
The airline originally filed for bankruptcy protection in late 2019 after reporting accumulated debt of 245 billion baht. In May 2020, the Cabinet gave the rehabilitation plan the green light. The revised plan was issued after THAI halved its workforce from over 29,000 to 14,000, reduced its fleet to 58 aircraft and forecast better-than-expected performance with cabin loads at 80 per cent or higher this year.
NBTC greenlights merger of True and DTAC with conditions
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022
Thailand’s telecommunications regulator acknowledged and approved the merger of the country’s second and third largest mobile operators, True Corporation Pcl and Telenor ASA’s Total Access Communication Pcl (DTAC), on Thursday subject to conditions.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) said conditions included a price ceiling and price controls.
The delayed decision comes nearly a year after the deal was first announced amid concerns of the new entity reducing market competition.
Other conditions include requiring an independent verification of cost structure and service fee for at least five years. Service rates such as voice, data, messaging must be shown separately and based on average cost pricing.
The combined entity will overtake Advanced Info Service Pcl (AIS), as market leader. True and DTAC have 34% and 21% of mobile subscribers, respectively. AIS controls 44% of the market.
True, DTAC and AIS did not immediately respond to requests for comment
DTAC is backed by Norwegian firm, Telenor.
Thai agri-industrial conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group holds a 49% stake in True Corp with China Mobile holding 18%, True’s website shows.
Telenor and CP Group are slated to hold a third of shares each in the new entity, China Mobile with 10% and the remaining listed on the stock exchange.
Rival AIS is owned by InTouch Holdings Pcl , which counts Gulf Energy Development Pcl and Singtel as its main investors.
Diversity, equity and inclusion key to retaining talent, FleishmanHillard finds after first phase of implementation
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
FleishmanHillard, the world’s fourth-largest communications agency, has revealed the secret sauce to retaining their talented people worldwide — through a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).
Leela Stake, a senior partner and cabinet member at FleishmanHillard, told The Nation in an exclusive interview that the company had launched the DE&I practice two years ago, just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Initially intended to promote inclusion and diversity within the organisation, the outcome has been greatly accomplished with the byproduct of low employee resignation and turnover rates, said Stake.
She noted that the DE&I term became a buzzword during the pandemic, when people faced numerous challenges and difficulties.
“The workforce has been raising questions such as, ‘Have I been doing valuable work at my work or am I valuable at work?’. If they feel they are not being valued at work, they will definitely leave. If we can make people feel valued at the workplace, they will stay in that workplace,” Stake stated.
She insisted that losing employees is costly and that finding replacements takes a long time. Therefore, FleishmanHillard, which is in an industry with high turnover rates, must be mindful of retaining employees by demonstrating that the company values them and their opinions.
WORKEST by Zenefits examined data from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics on employee turnover rates at the national level. Backfilling roles, according to analysts, cost employers roughly 20 per cent of the position’s salary in hiring, recruiting, and onboarding costs. On average, the hiring process takes at least 36 days.
According to Stake, the concept of DE&I is literally its definition. Diversity is valuing people’s various backgrounds; Equity is understanding that not everyone had the same opportunity and giving one to the needy, and Inclusion means encouraging participation and making people feel like they belong.
It is, however, easier said than done. As a result, FleishmanHillard developed a concrete practice for their employees worldwide to follow, along with a process for measuring progress.
“We formalised our DE&I plan in 2020 as a two-year plan with targets in different areas. Once a year we record the progress. The progress on DE&I can be slow and requires constant learning. You have to listen to what people are feeling within the organisation. We have a comprehensive survey to ask about DE&I, their feelings and needs. If you are not asking the employees their needs, you can’t measure what you want to achieve,” said Stake.
She added that their first phase of DE&I is now complete so they are looking forward to the next phase.
She mentioned that the next phase is to foster relationships, from which they will learn more about their research findings. It will take time and effort to develop a proactive programme.
“One example is our recent programme called ‘Strengths Finder’, in which we discover each other’s strengths and combine them to form a whole workplace. We will provide additional training to our managers all over the world. DE&I is not just the responsibility of a few people but of everyone,” Stake noted.
Aside from the benefits within FleishmanHillard, Stake highlighted the use of DE&I knowledge to benefit its clients by allowing them to have an authentic, local, and relevant voice.
“Creating a statement without understanding the local market is a common mistake made by businesses. At FleishmanHillard, we bring local expertise of those who actually live in the market,” said Stake. “We are looking forward to our DE&I survey results. By having people tell their own personal story and the challenges, we can learn more about their views and needs.”
Stake said that DE&I should be ingrained in how everyone does everything. Every piece of content and every creative campaign should be created with inclusivity in mind. Although it is not yet available everywhere, FleishmanHillard is making strides.
NBTC commissioners fail to decide on True-DTAC merger after seven-hour meeting
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022
The telecom watchdog on Thursday failed to reach a resolution on whether to approve the merger of True Corporation and Total Access Communication (DTAC).
The five members of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) voted 3:2 to confirm that it has the power to consider the matter.
But when it came to the question of whether the proposed merger between Thailand’s second and third-largest mobile network operators should get the green light, the commissioners had yet to make any decision.
The five commissioners began their meeting at about 9.30am but no decision could be reached after seven hours of deliberations.
Siam Commercial Bank and Barbara Oakley join hands to launch world-renowned course under the LHL Brainery Project to drive lifelong learning for all Thais
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
SCB Academy, Siam Commercial Bank in collaboration with Barbara Oakley (PhD, PE.) owner and co-instructor of the world’s famous MOOCs, “Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects” working together under the LHL Brainery project to remake the Thai version of this course on Coursera platform.
With aims to speed up learning skills through new approaches and brain-training techniques to equip Thai people with learning agility, helping them to keep up with the pace of change as well as setting a new mindset to be future-ready. Targeting to hand on this learning to students through university partnership networks, also pushing forward the LHL Brainery project to leverage utilization of such knowledge in areas of financial services, education sectors, and expanding into the future of Disruptive EdTech.
Mr Worawat Suvagodha, First Executive Vice President, Head of SCB Academy, Siam Commercial Bank said “We recognize the importance of learning ability and intellectual tools such as “Metacognition Skills” as the enabler for a person to learn anything despite the speed of change.” SCB Academy receiving the honor to be an entrusted re-producer of the course in Thai version on Coursera, would put us as one of the first Thai companies on the platform. With the Thai version of this course, we plan to expose through our partnered universities, government sectors, subsidiary companies, clients, and to the vast public to help elevate the ability to learn. Our collaborative relationship with Barbara Oakley (PhD, PE.) will raise public awareness to engage Thai learners in Learning How to Learn, this can become a national initiative to help raise the standards of learning approach in Thailand.”
SCB Academy’s strategy is to prioritized innovation and digitalization as core strategic goals to advance the overall development objectives through various partnerships. Providing a wider learning platform to promote innovative methods of digital learning and education. In hopes for success, our Academy as a Platform would be a place for connecting knowledge, skills and workforce with job/business opportunities.
“We will put forth a Learning How to Learn Academy to be an ingrained part of the platform. Together the Panel would help identify the needs to replace outdated learning approach with new methodologies that are widely accepted by all top-ranked experts and neuroscientists,” said Mr Worawat.
Dr Barbara Oakley, owner and co-instructor of the world’s famous MOOCs, Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects, said that the course starts the complexity of the brain and how you learn, with using simple, fun metaphors to help people understand that these ideas are not that difficult, but in fact practical.” This could serve as a pioneering program to lay the foundation of metacognition skills for students, academicians, technologists, industry luminaries and experts, as well as large corporate and tech employees in Thailand.
“With our collaboration, SCB Academy has been using the insights of Learning How to Learn to become a learning organization so that employees can rapidly master even the toughest new skills demanded by today’s information economy and of course, this helps the them to stay ahead of the competition. Because digital “know how” is at the heart of the modern banking industry. These digital “know how” can be some of the hardest skills to learn and teach. It is certain that knowledge from Learning How to Learn can help close this knowledge gap and also allowing the Bank to give back to Thai society by creating value for through learning,” said Dr Barbara.
“These types of solid, research-based learning programs can help the country as a whole maintain a competitive edge. They also allow a way for the magnificent new neuroscientific insights about learning to flow into Thai ways of thinking about learning,” she said.
Overall, LHL Brainery is a project established to promote development of Metacognition Skills using principles of neuroscience. With taken fundamental concepts from one of the most popular online courses on Coursera, Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental Tools to Help You Master Tough Subjects. The project began during COVID, our team of learning enthusiasts reached out to Barbara Oakley (PhD, PE.) for endorsements to adapt concepts from her course for Thai audience. Where she did not hesitate to grant us the opportunity to give back to society.
Sugar shortages make sweet festivities bland in Malaysia
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2022
With Deepavali around the corner, those celebrating fear there could be sugar shortages. Some families in Malaysia’s Klang Valley said there were fewer sugar packets at grocery stores and that the ones still there appeared to have less sugar in them.
Housewife A Latha, 46, said she noticed there was less sugar in the packets she bought from her neighbourhood sundry store.
“Sugar is essential in making traditional Indian sweets or desserts such as laddu, jalebi and halva which are a must-have during our family’s Deepavali celebrations.
“Any shortages would definitely put a damper on this,” she said.
Another housewife, who wanted to be known only as Visithra, 42, said she was also facing a similar problem.
“On my usual trips to the local grocery store, I noticed sugar stocks were growing more scarce, besides there was less amount of sugar in the remaining packets sold there.
“Due to this, I have had to fork out more money to buy more sugar packets [when they are available],” she said.
“Given that I am also currently making Deepavali cookies for both extended family members and close relatives this year, the amount of money spent on sugar alone [for the cookies] has also been quite substantial compared to before,” she said.
Sundry shop operator Mohammad Faiz Yahaya said sugar supplies were few and far between.
“I am really not sure why this is happening. The supply takes longer to arrive now compared to before.
“Previously, it would take between two and three days for the ordered stock to arrive, but now it can go up to two weeks or more, with customers also complaining about it,” he said.
He also said he had checked with his usual suppliers but was informed that they too were running low.
“The supplier mentioned there were many orders [for sugar] coming in, but they were unable to cope as they did not have stock as well,” he said.
Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) president Mohideen Abdul Kader said some sundry shops in Penang were also experiencing a shortage in sugar supplies.
However, it was for a different reason.
Sundry shops here mentioned how restaurants and bigger industry players were buying the smaller sugar packets, which are cheaper, in bulk.
“The smaller sugar packets are usually purchased by households, and when bigger establishments purchase these stocks, it leaves consumers with a lower supply of items,” he said.
He also proposed that the government come up with a tiered system, stating that only households could buy the smaller packets, whereas restaurants would have to go for the large ones.
“If industries and big restaurants that rely heavily on sugar continue to purchase the smaller and cheaper packets, a more acute shortage could occur in the near future.
“This may even see the price of sugar going up, with stock hoarding potentially taking place,” he said.
It is, however, easier said than done. As a result, FleishmanHillard developed a concrete practice for their employees worldwide to follow, along with a process for measuring progress.
