Gratitude for tsunami aid sizzles at Tokyo grilled fish festival
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022
In a suburb of Tokyo the sights, sounds — and smells — of autumn are alive and well as the Meguro no Sanma Matsuri festival sizzles into action.
Skilled chefs cooked sanma Pacific saury over a charcoal grill in Meguro Ward where participants got a free taste of the prized seasonal fish on Sunday.
Appetites were strong – this was the first time the event has been held since the pandemic started.
And given the drop in saury catches, the organisers had considered cancelling the festival for the third straight year. But the fishing community of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture was eager to provide saury as a mark of gratitude for the Tokyo suburb’s help in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake-Tsunami, which devastated the town. Kesennuma and Meguro had allied as friendship cities just a year before the disaster struck.
This gratitude made the event possible, even if a month later than usual.
Because of the smaller catches — last year the total haul was only one-tenth of what it was 10 years earlier — only 1,000 saury were available, instead of the usual 5,000. The event still drew about 9,000 applications, showing its enduring popularity.
Kim Jong-un oversees N Korean ‘tactical nuclear exercise’
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a tactical nuclear exercise to assess his country’s “war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability” in response to recent joint military training by South Korea and the United States, Pyongyang’s state media said on Monday.
Kim “guided” drills conducted from September 25 to October 9 while US and South Korean troops staged a large-scale naval exercise in the waters off the peninsula involving the nuclear-powered Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The North’s military staged “ballistic missile launching drills under the simulation of loading tactical nuclear warheads”, it reported.
The North’s military also held a series of live-fire “striking” exercises, including “super-large” calibre missile firing drills targeting major ports of its enemies on Sunday, with long-range artillery and aviation units mobilised.
“This is the verification of the operation posture of our war deterrent and, at the same time, an occasion that proved the reliability of the thorough preparedness of the state nuclear defence posture,” Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA in its English-language report.
Kim also made clear that he is not interested in talks with the US and South Korea, instead vowing to strengthen his regime’s nuclear force.
“We have no content for dialogue with the enemies and felt no necessity to do so,” Kim said, as Pyongyang’s state-controlled media carried reports on his public activity for the first time in about a month.
The announcement came on the 77th founding anniversary of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party.
Seoul and Washington have sought to beef up their combined combat readiness by staging joint naval exercises recently in a show of force against Pyongyang’s provocations.
North Korea has long denounced such moves as rehearsals for an invasion, calling on Washington to end its “hostile” policy. The allies stressed that the exercises are defensive in nature.
Concerns are growing that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the near future, with the South’s state intelligence agency saying that it may be slated for between October 16 and November 7.
At a key party congress in January last year, Kim urged efforts to be redoubled on the development of tactical nuclear weapons that can be loaded with “smaller and lighter” warheads.
Last month, the North’s rubber-stamp parliament approved a new law that opens the door for pre-emptive nuclear strikes by its military. Kim stated that the new law makes the country’s nuclear power status “irreversible”.
The North conducted a string of key weapon tests, including the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan on October 4. The US soon redeployed the aircraft carrier to the East Sea and launched another round of joint naval training with South Korea and Japan.
The KCNA also accused South Korea’s military chief of revealing his “will for confrontation” in “unreasonable and provocative remarks”.
“Under such inevitable circumstances,” the KCNA said, the ruling party’s Central Military Commission discussed the security situation on the peninsula and decided to conduct the military drills “under the simulation of an actual war at different levels in order to check and improve the reliability and combat power of our state war deterrence and send a strong military reaction warning to the enemies”.
China’s fashion industry relies on digital avatars to bolster livestreaming
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022
A group of digital models dressed in sports outfits strutted down the runway in an online virtual fashion show during China Fashion Week in September. Led by Xijiajia, tech company Baidu Inc’s virtual spokesperson, they presented the latest garments by homegrown sportswear maker Anta Sports in different virtual scenarios – stadiums, snowfields, the Gobi Desert and even outer space.
Virtual humans and fashion shows, unbounded by time and space in the way a physical event would be, offer myriad benefits to the fashion industry, bringing to audiences a fresh, immersive and interactive experience.
Thanks to AI advances, digital avatars bearing a close resemblance to real humans in appearance and behaviour have been put to service in not only fashion and livestreaming, but also a wide range of other activities, industry experts said.
Li Shiyan, chief of Baidu’s digital human and robotics section, said that by leveraging the real-time calculation and animation rendering technologies offered by Xiling — the company’s digital avatar platform — the production cost of virtual clothing has been reduced dramatically, and production periods shortened from more than one month to just a week.
Li noted that an increasing number of brands are looking to use virtual beings in livestreaming and other marketing campaigns, which is expected to help enterprises reduce at least 50 per cent of operational costs by cutting spending on brick-and-mortar livestreaming locations, hardware and hiring real human anchors.
“The virtual human industry is still in an early stage, and there are some challenges, such as how to produce low-cost digital assets and digital content, and how to make digital humans interact with real people more naturally,” Li said.
Resolving these issues relies on the iteration of technologies such as natural language processing and computer vision, Li said, adding that the company will continue to pour capital and manpower into the digital human industry.
The size of China’s virtual human market is forecast to reach US$37.9 billion by 2030, according to an industry report released by Qbit-AI, an industry services platform focusing on AI and other cutting-edge technology.
According to experts, the fashion landscape is rapidly expanding its virtual horizon to prepare for a future populated by digital avatars, and the most accessible way for fashion brands to engage with virtual replicas is by dressing them in their latest collections.
“The application of virtual humans in the fashion field has distinctive advantages. Holding virtual fashion shows doesn’t just mean moving real-world shows online; more importantly, we can utilise digital space to expand our interpretation of fashion and imagination for what is possible,” said Chen Duan, director of the Digital Economy Integration Innovation Development Center at the Central University of Finance and Economics.
Chen said, for example, people can make use of textures that do not exist in the physical world, and digital humans are able to go beyond the physiological limits of real humans and present new fashion styles in new ways.
Digital humans are increasingly being used in brand promotion, advertisement, livestreaming, gaming and entertainment, said Zhu Xiaowen, an analyst at Lead-Leo Research Institute. However, she added that a new set of problems have also emerged, such as personal privacy protection and data security. Experts said unregulated use of digital humans might open a way for fraud, given that digital humans can be difficult to distinguish from real people.
China’s first virtual influencer Ayayi, who debuted on the social-media platform Xiaohongshu in May 2021 and garnered over 20,000 followers overnight, has attracted the attention of well-renowned fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Guerlain.
Pan Helin, co-director of the Digital Economy and Financial Innovation Research Centre at Zhejiang University’s International Business School, said he is optimistic about the business prospects of virtual humans in fashion and livestreaming, and called for more efforts to improve 3D modelling, rendering and motion capture technologies to bolster the development of the country’s digital human sector.
Commerce Ministry takes steps to flood Saudi Arabia with Thai exports
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
The Commerce Ministry has come up with an action plan to flood the Saudi Arabian market with Thai goods, especially now that bilateral ties have been restored.
At a press conference on Monday, Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said his ministry will make export regulations less stringent and far simpler.
“We intend to increase our bilateral trade value to 10 billion baht within a year,” he said.
Jurin, who also doubles as deputy PM, was speaking after attending a meeting with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), senior officials from the Commerce Ministry and Foreign Ministry and the Livestock Development Department.
The minister, who led a contingent of business leaders to explore the Saudi Arabian market in late August, said the Commerce Ministry will provide establish an “export clinic” to provide consulting services to Thai businesses that are interested in tapping the Saudi Arabian market.
Jurin said that apart from halal food, there is a high demand for trees and plants in the Middle East, which can prove to be another lucrative market for Thai farmers.
The ministry is planning roadshows to promote Thai products in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the food, petrochemical, construction, and automobile industries, and will also work on showcasing Thai businesses at trade events in the Mideast.
The Commerce Ministry is teaming up with FTI and Saudi Arabia’s Investment Ministry to host a webinar to promote trade and investment in key sectors like petrochemicals, construction, steel, aluminium, food, agriculture, automobiles, and auto parts, with the goal of exchanging information and encouraging exports.
As for the free-trade agreements between Thailand and Gulf countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Jurin said all parties have pledged to expedite the process to achieve results as soon as possible.
FTI chairman Kriengkrai Thiennukul, meanwhile, lauded the government for helping the private sector enter the Saudi market, adding that it will be easier for Thai businesses to enter the Middle East market, especially if they are armed with an FTI certificate.
He said he expects the FTI to work closely with the Commerce Ministry and other government agencies to identify new opportunities and solutions for the economy’s long-term viability.
Saudi Arabia has shown good growth potential for Thai exports. Between January and August 2022, Thai exports to Saudi Arabia rose 15.9 per cent year on year to 43.11 billion baht. Exports included machinery and machinery parts, animal feed, canned and processed seafood, timber and wood products, rubber products and automobiles, equipment and parts.
The baht opened at 37.60 to the US dollar on Monday, weakening from Friday’s close of 37.37 to a 26-year low.
The currency will likely move between 37.50 and 37.75 against the greenback during the day and between 37.20 and 37.90 during the week, Krungthai market strategist Poon Panichpibool predicted.
Poon said that the fluctuating baht might weaken to near its resistance level between 37.80 to 37.90 if the market remains in a risk-off state over concern of another US Federal Reserve rate hike and the falling gold price.
He advised monitoring inflows to Thailand after a slowdown in selloffs of Thai assets by foreign investors helped curb the baht’s weakening.
Meanwhile, he said the dollar could continue to strengthen and advised close monitoring of US inflation via the latest consumer price index. Concern over recession is also supporting the dollar as a safe-haven asset, he added.
The market strategist also advised investors to use hedging tools such as options to manage risks in a highly volatile currency market.
As well as the US inflation report for September, investors are advised to watch for the International Monetary Fund’s latest twice-yearly World Economic Outlook, due this week.
Time for Prayut to turn his back on Myanmar junta and back a bolder Asean response
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha must be enthusiastic about attending the Asean leaders’ biannual summit in Phnom Penh next month, especially the session on measures to end the Myanmar junta’s killings and oppression.
Prayut’s nearly unconditional support for junta leader General Aung Min Hlaing has made it more difficult for regional leaders to reach decisive agreements because they know Prayut with come to Hlaing’s rescue.
Prayut’s failure to change his attitude will be damaging to the central role Thailand has long played in Asean. When Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo hosted an Asean emergency summit in Jakarta on April 24, 2021, the Thai premier did not turn up, citing the Covid-19 pandemic and his busy schedule. At the summit, General Hlaing vowed to comply with a five-point consensus that included the immediate cessation of violence against civilians and a dialogue with all concerned parties in Myanmar, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
Once he arrived home, Hlaing refused to carry out his pledge. After seizing power from the democratically elected government of Suu Kyi in February 2021, Hlaing immediately contacted Prayut, seeking guidance on how to stay in power. Hlaing had come to the right person, not only because Prayut was his close friend, but also because the Thai Army general had himself toppled the elected civilian government of Yingluck Shinawatra.
Prayut holds a unique position among Asean leaders but is similar to the Myanmar’s junta leader. Prayut launched a coup against prime minister Yingluck, the sister of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, in 2014 and appointed himself the prime minister. A questionable general election in 2019 granted him another four years of rule. Last month, the Constitutional Court rejected a petition by opposition parties on an end to Prayut’s premiership. The opposition groups had argued that the prime minister had already completed his constitutional limit of eight years in power, counting his time as coup leader. The court said the term limit law had come into force in 2017 after the Constitution was promulgated, and therefore, Prayut would reach his term limit only in 2025.
Thailand is scheduled to hold a general election next year, as does Myanmar. Thailand is very familiar with military coups and constitutional amendments. The country has seen 13 successful and nine unsuccessful coups. It has also revised its Constitution 20 times. Despite its political vulnerability, the country remains stable and its economy continues to grow.
Next month in Cambodia, Asean leaders will host meetings with their dialogue partners from China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India and Russia. The endless atrocities in Myanmar will be an important topic of discussion. Hopefully this time around, the Thai leader will distance himself from Hlaing for the sake of Myanmar’s people and Asean unity. Several Asean leaders have expressed their intention to get tougher on the Myanmar junta, and the group has barred General Hlaing from attending next month’s summit.
Unwavering support for the Myanmar junta will cost Thailand its traditionally strong influence in the regional grouping. If that happens, it will be big a loss not just for Thailand but also Asean.
The bloc was established in Bangkok on August 8, 1967. Since then, Thailand, the only nation in the region that has never been a colony of foreign forces, has always played a decisive role in Asean. It plays the leadership role especially for the other Asean countries where the Mekong River flows: Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Asean foreign ministers are scheduled to hold a special session this month to issue their recommendations to their leaders ahead of their summit in Phnom Penh next month. They are now closer to the opinion that tougher action against Myanmar’s military regime is unavoidable. They will no longer wait for General Hlaing to repent. These bolder measures are supported by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, while Malaysia, Cambodia and Brunei will be unlikely to resist the initiative, as the Myanmar junta has upset them. An option to suspend Myanmar’s Asean membership is not impossible, especially if the leaders agree to amend the 2007 Asean Charter with regard to the non-interference principle.
President Jokowi, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yakoob and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have openly expressed their support for dealing directly with Myanmar’s ousted leader Suu Kyi and the military. New Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr has also voiced a similar view.
After taking over Asean’s chairmanship from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen next month, President Jokowi will be in a stronger position to facilitate more decisive action against the Myanmar junta.
Prayut can exercise his power and influence to convince Myanmar to follow Asean’s way, or face punishment from the grouping. Thailand has been generally silent about the Myanmar issue. In representing Prayut at the UN General Assembly in New York last month, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said in his address to the UN Assembly that as an immediate neighbour to Myanmar, Thailand had a vital interest in seeing a quick return to peace and stability in Myanmar.
“Thailand fully supports the constructive role of Asean and believes that Asean is best placed to help Myanmar through the time-tested Asean practice of consultation, cooperation and consensus. Thailand will continue to play an active and constructive role to support this Asean process,” Don said.
The statement was too general and lacked clarity as to whether Thailand would throw its weight behind bolder Asean moves against Myanmar. Thailand used to play a key role in the policy-making of Asean. During the years-long negotiations among the warring parties in Cambodia in the 1980s and early 1990s, Indonesia was the chief negotiator, but without strong support from Thailand, as well as Vietnam, long-lasting peace would never have returned to Cambodia.
Now it is time for Prayut to demonstrate his statesmanship. He must work together with other Asean leaders to help Myanmar’s people gain freedom from the military’s oppression and atrocities.
Kornelius Purba
The Jakarta Post
Asia News Network
(The writer is a senior editor at The Jakarta Post.)
Opposition seeks special Parliament session for debate on Thailand’s drugs plague
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022
THE NATION
The opposition leaders said they will seek an extraordinary Parliamentary session for an urgent debate on drug abuse and trafficking, which they blamed for the Nong Bua Lamphu massacre.
Leaders of opposition parties met on Monday virtually to discuss the issue of seeking a special Parliamentary session to discuss Thailand’s drug problems. The Parliament is in recess now.
Before starting, Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew asked the participants to observe a minute’s silence in memory of the Nong Bua Lamphu victims.
The opposition leaders then discussed Thailand’s scourge of drugs, which they said requires urgent attention, and agreed to submit a motion for the special session with Parliament President Chuan Leekpai.
The leaders said the number of opposition MPs may be enough to meet the quorum of a third of the members of both chambers, or 243 lawmakers, to submit the request for an extraordinary session.
Cholnan also told other parties that Pheu Thai had sent a statement to the Constitutional Court to defend draft organic laws that seek to amend the MP election and political party act.
Small parties want the court to find the two bills unconstitutional, but Pheu Thai does not believe the two bills contravene any article of the charter, Cholnan said.
Over THB9 million in cash donations received for families of Nong Ba Lamphu massacre victims
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022
THE NATION
More than 9 million baht in cash will be handed over on Tuesday to relatives of victims of the Nong Bua Lamphu massacre, the Royal Thai Police said on Monday.
A 34-year-old ex-policeman went on a gun and knife rampage at a nursery in Uthai Sawan subdistrict on Thursday last week that left 36 people dead, including 24 young children.
National Police chief Damrongsak Kittiprapas said donations from the police, public and private sectors as of Monday amounted to more than 9 million baht.
He added that the police recently had received 2.5 million baht in donations from the public and private sectors.
“The police will hand out the cash donations to the victims’ relatives on the cremation day on October 11,” he said.
He advised people to donate cash to reliable organisations and to beware of criminals who may want to take advantage of this tragedy.
He added that police officers and their families are still able to donate cash to relieve the suffering of the victims’ relatives via the National Police’s bank account.
Nonthaburi levees cave in as runoffs burst Chao Phraya’s banks, causing metre-high floods
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022
THE NATION
Surging water from the swollen Chao Phraya River broke through flood levees in many parts of Nonthaburi province on Sunday night, causing flooding as much as a metre high, local residents and officials said.
The temporary levees in Nonthaburi, which were made off sandbags, could not withstand the flow of water from Chao Phraya, whose levels have been continuously rising due to runoffs from upstream provinces. Most of the flooding happened in Muang Nonthaburi Municipality at about 8pm.
Officials reported that the water level at that hour had peaked at 2.88 metres above sea level.
The official residence of the Nonthaburi governor was among the areas inundated after the Chao Phraya overflowed.
The gushing water inundated the lawn in front of the house and also flooded the garage. Municipal officials rushed to fix the levees and drain the floodwater. They took about half an hour to drain the water.
The sandbag levee in front of the Prison Museum also caved in, causing water to gush in and flood Nonthaburi 1 Road in front of the Corrections Department where the water was about 30 to 50 centimetres high.
Municipality officials and Corrections officials fixed the levee and drained the floodwaters shortly.
Residents of the Buri Rangsan housing estate in Tambon Suan Yai and the Nakhon In Temple community also said their areas were flooded after the levees were breached. The roads in the housing estate were about 70 to 100 centimetres under water. The floodwaters then spread to the Phraram 5 intersection, causing inundation about 30 to 50cm deep.
Meanwhile, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) confirmed on Monday that runoffs from upstream provinces had reached the central provinces.
The GISTDA released satellite images that showed many provinces are being flooded. It said a total of 1.948 million rai (311,000 hectares) of land had been flooded so far, breaking down to:
– Nakhon Sawan, 455,022 rai (72,803h)
– Phichit, 281,349 rai (45,015h)
– Ayutthaya, 253,630 rai (40,581h)
– Sukhothai, 180,187 rai (28,830h)
– Suphanburi, 174,441 rai (27,910h)
– Lopburi, 92,737 rai (14,838h)
– Phetchabun, 64,036 rai (10,245h)
– Kamphaeng Phet, 57,428 rai (9,188h)
– Chainat, 40,738 rai (6,518h)
– Uthai Thani, 40,259 rai (6,441h)
– Saraburi, 39,956 rai (6,393h)
– Ang Thong, 39,164 rai (6,266h)
– Singburi, 28,869 rai (4,619h)
– Chaiyaphum, 11,417 rai (1,826h)
– Nakhon Nayok, 6,452 rai (1,032h)
– Prachinburi, 2,197 rai (351h)
The GISTDA said runoffs from the North are gradually flowing through Ayutthaya to Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Bangkok provinces and running into the sea while the runoff in Chi River in Chaiyaphum province is flowing into Mool River and joining the Mekong River in Ubon Ratchathani province.
Two Thais arrested in Nonthaburi with 9,000 fake US$100 notes after sting operation
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022
THE NATION
Thai police in collaboration with US Secret Service officials arrested a Thai woman and a Thai man in Nonthaburi province and seized 9,000 fake US$100 banknotes from them.
The joint operation between the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau and the US Secret Service officer of the US Embassy led to the arrests of Monsaji La-ongnual, 49, and Panudet Wongnamnong, 58.
Both were arrested in Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district.
The two agencies planned the operation after they received a tip-off that a ring has been selling fake US dollar banknotes to customers via social media.
Thai police and US officials planned the arrest and had an undercover policeman contact Monsaji to buy 2,000 fake notes from her.
The suspect was arrested at her condominium building when she came out of her room to deliver the fake notes to the undercover policeman.
Monsaji later implicated Panudet, saying she got the fake notes from him. The officials then had Monsaji call Panudej to deliver 7,000 more fake notes to her at a shopping mall in Muang Thong Thani and arrested him there.
Pol General Torsak Sukwimol, deputy police commissioner-general, said the printing of the fake notes was high quality and looked very similar to real greenbacks.
The two suspects were charged with collaboration to make fake foreign currency banknotes with the intention to sell.
Torsak said Thai police have detected that fake US banknotes have been spreading in Thailand and sometimes to neighbouring countries. Sometimes, the fake notes were found exchanged at money changers at the Singapore airport.
Torsak said the US dollar fake notes were often found in Laos.
Had the 9,000 notes been exchanged at exchange shops, it could have caused damage worth 34 million baht, Torsak said.
The minister, who led a contingent of business leaders to explore the Saudi Arabian market in late August, said the Commerce Ministry will provide establish an “export clinic” to provide consulting services to Thai businesses that are interested in tapping the Saudi Arabian market.
FTI chairman Kriengkrai Thiennukul, meanwhile, lauded the government for helping the private sector enter the Saudi market, adding that it will be easier for Thai businesses to enter the Middle East market, especially if they are armed with an FTI certificate.
Cholnan also told other parties that Pheu Thai had sent a statement to the Constitutional Court to defend draft organic laws that seek to amend the MP election and political party act.
Municipality officials and Corrections officials fixed the levee and drained the floodwaters shortly.
Meanwhile, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) confirmed on Monday that runoffs from upstream provinces had reached the central provinces.
The GISTDA said runoffs from the North are gradually flowing through Ayutthaya to Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Bangkok provinces and running into the sea while the runoff in Chi River in Chaiyaphum province is flowing into Mool River and joining the Mekong River in Ubon Ratchathani province.
The suspect was arrested at her condominium building when she came out of her room to deliver the fake notes to the undercover policeman.
Pol General Torsak Sukwimol, deputy police commissioner-general, said the printing of the fake notes was high quality and looked very similar to real greenbacks.
Torsak said Thai police have detected that fake US banknotes have been spreading in Thailand and sometimes to neighbouring countries. Sometimes, the fake notes were found exchanged at money changers at the Singapore airport.
