Singapore food vendors launch first hawker centre in New York
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
A Singapore-style hawker centre has opened in New York for the first time, bringing flavours from the Southeast Asian island’s mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and other cultures to an American food court.
Urban Hawker, in midtown Manhattan, features 17 vendors handpicked by the food hall’s curator, KF Seetoh, with 11 coming directly from hawker centres in Singapore. Each stall specializes in a well-known dish such as chilli crab, oyster omelettes, Hainanese chicken rice or nasi lemak, a fragrant rice dish.
“I came across Singaporeans who had been living in the United States in New York for like 20, 30, 35 years, and they still miss Singapore food,” said Seetoh.
“Street food in Singapore is not something you burn or deep fry. It’s fairly complex. They take six hours just to prepare a meal to get it ready at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m.”
The idea for the food hall was born when Seetoh met late U.S. celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain in 2013 in Singapore at a street food event. Bourdain was enthusiastic about the idea of a New York hawker market.
Seetoh later approached Eldon Scott, president of Urbanspace, a property manager who curates immersive public markets, who quickly agreed.
“The amazing thing about him saying yes was that he’s never been to Singapore,” Seetoh said.
Seetoh hopes this hawker centre will be the first of many in the country.
“It’s just like exporting grandmother’s deliciousness, the food that I grew up with,” he said.
Customer Julie Lee, on her third visit, raved about Hainan Jones’ chicken over rice. “Everyone should give it a try. So much flavour, so tender,” she said.
Ministry says inflation peaked in August, prices lower for rest of year
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
THE NATION
Thailand’s inflation rate has peaked and will remain below 6.5 per cent for the whole year, according to the Commerce Ministry.
The ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) said on Thursday that inflation had soared in recent months, driven by international conflict and economic measures in foreign countries. This had driven up energy and food costs, resulting in higher retail prices in Thailand, it said.
Inflation peaked at 7.86 per cent in August and has been slowing since then, TPSO director Ronnarong Poonphiphat said. Inflation was being controlled by government measures, including asking product manufacturers to cap prices, he added.
Ronnarong predicted that raising the daily minimum wage on October 1 would have a minimal effect on inflation, as only a small proportion of manufacturing workers are on minimum wage. He said employers were expected to implement wage-management strategies to keep their costs from rising further.
Raising the fuel tariff should have hiked inflation by 0.78 per cent but government fuel subsidies and other measures had limited the rise to 0.25 per cent, he added.
Energy prices were the main driver of inflation up to August, rising 30.5 per cent over the previous six months.
Ronnarong said the improving economic situation and declining inflation were reflected in the Bank of Thailand’s move to raise the policy interest rate from 0.75 per cent to 1 per cent on Wednesday. The TPSO reckoned the 0.25 percentage point rise will dampen inflation by 0.04 to 0.12 per cent.
“TPSO estimates that Thailand’s headline inflation this year will not exceed 6.5 per cent and be within our estimated range of 5.5 to 6.6 per cent,” said Ronnarong.
However, factors that required monitoring included fluctuating energy prices, flooding that could affect agricultural output, and the weakening of baht, he added.
BOT admits printing error in one lot of 20-baht notes, tells public no need to panic
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
THE NATION
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) on Thursday admitted that there was a discrepancy in the Thai and English numerals in the serial number of a lot of 20-baht bank notes.
The central bank’s deputy governor, Wachira Aromdee, said the lot, which has been printed by De La Rue International Limited (DLR), has different Thai and English numerals in the serial number.
She said after the central bank found the discrepancy in the printing, it ordered a halt to the release of the remaining notes from the lot to commercial banks.
The central bank is now retrieving the 20-baht notes from the lot already in circulation, she added
Wachira said the public needed not panic as the notes with the printing error could be used as normal cash. If anyone finds notes with a discrepancy in the serial numbers, they could exchange them at commercial banks or financial institutions.
She said the unusual error had led to the printed notes escaping detection under the normal process.
Wachirra said DLR had pledged to cooperate with the central bank to investigate the cause of the error to prevent similar occurrences in the future and DLR would work with the central bank to address the issue.
Focus on renewable energy, waste management critical, says Deloitte, as report lauds Thailand’s BCG model
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
Nongluck Ajanapanya
Deloitte has praised Thailand for initiating the Bio-Circular-Green economy (BCG) model, but urged the country to quickly implement renewable energy policies and effective waste management in order to be one of the region’s leading green countries.
Deloitte’s positive comments came during the company’s launch on Thursday of its new report, “Southeast Asia Sustainability Ambitions 2022”. The report outlines the sustainability challenges that Southeast Asian countries face, as well as the government’s ambitions to address these challenges.
The US-Asean Business Council and Deloitte Center for the Edge collaborated on a study that focuses on detailed insights on Southeast Asian countries into five key sustainability factors: energy and climate, biodiversity, water, waste, and gender equality. These factors were chosen by US-Asean Business Council members.
Duleesha Kulasooriya, managing director, Centre for the Edge, Deloitte Southeast Asia, stated during the online video conference that Thailand is outperforming its neighbours in all five areas. However, waste management is Thailand’s main concern now because the country ranks sixth in the world among plastic waste polluters of oceans.
Furthermore, urbanisation and climate change are current challenges to the country’s development. In 2020, slightly more than half of the population will live in cities, and the country’s urbanisation rate has been decreasing over the last decade.
Kulasooriya pointed out that with a sizeable proportion of the population living in rural areas, persistent challenges such as water service provision and municipal waste management remain. He also stated that climate change is causing extreme weather patterns, exacerbating and compounding these issues.
He suggested that Thailand empower the labour force while the country transitions from a developing to a developed one under the “Thailand 4.0” goal.
Drew Hasson, director (sustainability) of the US-Asean Business Council, said it is a critical and multifaceted challenge that touches on issues such as biodiversity, water, waste, and gender equality. Public-private partnerships will be critical in assisting Thailand and Asean in meeting these challenges, he said.
Kasiti Ketsuriyonk, sustainability and climate leader, Deloitte Thailand, added that Thailand’s BCG model highlights opportunities for the private and public sectors to collaborate to achieve Thailand’s net-zero economy commitment. Thailand, on the other hand, will require more investment and a strengthened ecosystem for both economic and technological solution development to keep the country on track in its decarbonisation journey.
Furthermore, he stated that there are numerous opportunities for collaboration between the public and private sectors in the areas of biomass-powered electricity generation, food waste valorisation alternatives, and wastewater network expansion through infrastructure projects and technical capacity building in order to build a sustainable and economically successful future for Thailand.
The report provides an overview of Southeast Asia and features a detailed analysis of nine countries — including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Kulasooriya stated that countries in Southeast Asia, due to geographical location and developing natural ecosystem, are more vulnerable to climate change than the rest of Asia Pacific.
“If Asean governments take decisive action on climate commitments, collaborate with the private sector, and mobilise grassroots action to address climate and sustainability issues, they will have the potential to fuel new growth engines in Southeast Asia. However, if Asean countries do nothing, they will cause damage of more than $28 trillion,” he said.
Central bank chief voices concern over increasing insecurity for young Thais
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
The Thai central bank chief has voiced concern over worsening security in the economy, society and the environment that is troubling young people.
Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput said on Thursday that the young generation serves as a key force behind the country’s development but they are experiencing insecurity in many ways.
He pointed out that when compared to previous generations, young Thais today were in a time of slower economic growth and rapid global changes, making it difficult for them to stay updated. Also, compared to previous generations, many people have debt at a young age.
“Half of the people in their 30s have credit card debts stemming from their consumption. One-fifth of people with bad debts are those aged 29 and below. They are in the working age and just starting a new family,” Sethaput said.
He was speaking at the central bank’s annual seminar on “Strengthening Economic and Financial Foundations for the Next Generation”.
Regarding social insecurity, Sethaput said that young Thais are living at a time when the country is seeing a rise in violent social conflicts.
“What’s worrying is that social insecurity in Thailand does not appear to be decreasing in the future,” the central bank governor said.
Instead, conflicts appear to be worsening due to extreme views and biased feelings spread repeatedly among people with the same opinions through the “echo chamber”, he added.
Sethaput pointed out that environmental insecurity was caused by worsening climate change, which is damaging economies and people’s livelihoods across the world.
He said Thailand is among the first countries to be affected by severe natural disasters while the country’s capacity in dealing with natural disasters is low, being ranked 39th among 48 countries assessed.
Environmental insecurity also includes food and human settlements, he said.
The lack of security in many ways is undermining young people’s future, aspirations, readiness and opportunity, according to the central bank chief.
Constitutional Court locked down ahead of today’s 3pm verdict on Prayut’s tenure
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
THE NATION
A controlled zone has been declared around the Constitutional Court at Chaeng Watthana Government Complex ahead of Friday’s ruling on General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure.
The controlled area is off-limits to all members of the public until 6am on Monday, unless they are seeking government services. All visitors must undergo security screening.
The announcement of the controlled area, signed by court president Worawit Kangsasithiam, said the measures are to ensure safety and prevent any unrest that could occur during the verdict’s reading.
Police from Thung Song Hong station established a command centre on the ground floor of the building on Thursday evening, while mobile steel barriers have been erected around the premises.
Constitutional Court judges are meeting from 9am on Friday to discuss the case and vote on the ruling, which is due to be issued at 3pm. The ruling will be broadcast live on the YouTube channel of the Constitution Court Office at https://www.youtube.com/c/สํานักงานศาลรัฐธรรมนูญ.
The court on August 24 suspended Prayut after accepting an opposition petition seeking its ruling on whether he had reached the constitutional eight-year limit set for a prime minister on August 24.
Prayut assumed office on August 24, 2014 following the military coup he led in May that year. However, he argues that his eight-year term should be counted from April 6, 2017, when the current Constitution was promulgated.
Days after joining party, ‘Madame Dear’ takes on important role of training Democrats in effective use of social media
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
THE NATION
New Democrat member Watanya Bunnag is playing an important role in tutoring other members to use social media effectively, party leader Jurin Laksanawisit said on Thursday.
Jurin, who serves as deputy prime minister and commerce minister, said the party’s seminar “Social Media in Advance” from Thursday to Friday aims to enhance party members’ ability to communicate with the people.
He added that Watanya, also known as “Madame Dear”, is among the tutors who will enable the party to achieve success in communication.
Meanwhile, Democrat deputy leader Ongart Klampaiboon said the seminar would help create awareness of new techniques and make communication via various channels more effective.
“We believe that this tutoring will benefit people in receiving clear and interesting information,” he said.
Watanya participated in the seminar on the topic “Social media and new generation politicians”, and urged Democrat members to realise the importance of social media while advising them on ways to access various groups of people.
“Social media is a double-edged sword, which helps facilitate communication but causes fake news at the same time,” she said.
The 37-year-old politician said that after leaving Palang Pracharath in August, she had met with the executives of many political parties before deciding to join the Democrats on September 22.
Watanya, the wife of Nation Group CEO Shine Bunnag, had worked as a government whip while in the ruling party. She was a leader of the Dao Roek (Fixed Stars) group of mostly young female MPs actively working in Bangkok.
No threat to national security ahead of court ruling on Prayut’s tenure, Isoc assures
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
THE NATION
No unusual movement has been spotted in the country as the Constitutional Court is set to deliver its verdict on General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure as prime minister tomorrow, the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) said Thursday.
Isoc spokesman Colonel Winthai Suwaree said that the agency has not found anything that could be construed as a threat to national security.
“Isoc is monitoring the security situation closely as usual. There are no special missions being given to security units other than carrying out their responsibilities,” he said.
Several pro-democracy groups announced on Thursday that they would gather in Bangkok on Friday afternoon ahead of the much-anticipated court ruling. Kana Lomruam Prachachon (Melting Pot Group) said that it would gather at the Ratchaprasong intersection at 5pm. The United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, Rassadon Group, and Thai Mai Thon (Impatient Thais) said they would gather on the Skywalk above the Pathum Wan intersection at 2pm.
The court had on August 24 suspended Prayut from his duties as PM after it accepted a petition seeking its ruling on whether he had reached the eight-year limit set for prime minister by the Constitution on August 24, as claimed by the opposition.
Section 158 of the 2017 Constitution bars any individual from serving as PM for longer than eight years in total.
Prayut assumed office on August 24, 2014 – following the military coup he led in May that year. However, he has argued that his eight-year term as premier should be counted from April 6, 2017, when the current Constitution was promulgated.
When asked how Isoc would react if the court rules that Prayut must give up his premiership, Winthai said that Isoc has been tasked with maintaining internal security as per the laws and will continue to do so based on the command’s guidelines.
Pro-democracy groups to gather tomorrow as court rules on Prayut’s PM tenure
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
THE NATION
A host of pro-democracy groups will gather at Pathum Wan district in Bangkok on Friday as the Constitutional Court issues a crucial ruling on General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure as prime minister.
The United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration group, the Rassadon Group, and Thai Mai Thon (Impatient Thais) said they would gather at the Ratchaprasong skywalk at 2pm to await the court verdict.
Kana Lomruam Prachachon (Melting Pot Group) announced it would gather at Ratchaprasong Intersection at 5pm to “stop any coup leaders” from taking possible action.
Meanwhile, there was a report that National Police chief Pol General Suwat Jangyodsuk told a Defence Council meeting that he had prepared a plan to handle protests. He however believed the situation would not be as bad as the protests in 2009 and 2010.
Army spokesman General Santipong Thampiya said the Royal Thai Army would perform its duties “normally” and it is up to the police to decide whether to request the help of soldiers in handling the situation.
On August 24, the court suspended Prayut as prime minister after accepting an opposition petition for review on whether he had reached his eight-year limit set for prime ministers by the Constitution.
Chadchart, industrial estate chief visit Min Buri industrial estate
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
THE NATION
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Thursday visited the Bang Chan Industrial Estate in the capital with the governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) to assure businesses of effective flood prevention measures.
Chadchart visited the industrial estate with IEAT governor Wiris Amrapal.
After the visit, Wiris told reporters that he and Chadchart had assured business operators and the developer of the Bang Chan Industrial Estate and the communities around it that they did not have to worry about flooding.
Bangkok is expected to be hit with heavy rains under the influence of tropical storm Noru that hat hit the Northeast, leading to fear of more floods after several parts of the capital were inundated because of days of heavy rains during the past few weeks.
Waris said the IEAT has taken the following measures to prevent flooding of the Bang Chan industrial estate:
– Rehearsal of flood prevention measures
– Lowering water level of resources in the area to be able to receive more water
– Dredging sewers and canals around the industrial estate in line with the annual plan
– The Global Utility Services Co Ltd (GUSCO), which operates the estate, has been monitoring forecasts from the Thailand Meteorological Department to coordinate with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to drain rain and floodwaters.
– The GUSCO will coordinate with the Min Buri district office and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to seek urgent help if needed
– The operator of the estate will alert business operators via emails, Line messages and SMS messages in case of floods.
Waris said the Bang Chan Industrial Estate can drain water at the rate of 16,800 cubic metres per hour so it could accommodate 58,700 cubic metres of rainwater at one time. It has a flood embankment that is 5.7 kilometres long.
Speaking to reporters after the visit, Chadchart said he had made the visit to check the estate’s readiness to cope with floods.
He said the Bang Chan Industrial Estate has a part of Saen Saeb Canal running past it and it also has the 5km-long Bang Chan Canal. He said the estate has built an embankment along the canals and the estate could receive 170mm of rain.
