Thai Police Reassure EU Of Commitment To Fight IUU Fishing
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
A Thai Delegation Visited Brussels To Assure The European Union About Thailand’s Commitment To Fight Illegal, Unreported, And Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.
Assistant National Police chief Pol Lt-General Surachate Hakpal led the delegation of senior police officers. Thailand’s ambassador to Belgium Sek Wannamethee accompanied the delegation during their meeting with Charlina Vitcheva, director-general of EU’s directorate-general for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries on Monday (local time).
During the meeting, Surachate reported Thailand’s progress in suppression of IUU fishing practices and the Thai side also sought advice from the EU on how to effectively enforce the law against IUU fishing.
During the meeting, the EU representatives sought details about legal prosecutions and investigation of IUU practices.
The EU side also asked Surachate to explain how Thai agencies coordinate to track and arrest illegal fishing boats and they also asked for more details of legal cases of IUU fishing, which had increased, especially the legal prosecution of Thai officials involved in IUU fishing.
Surachate told reporters that the EU representatives expressed interest after hearing Thailand had stepped up efforts to try to end IUU fishing in the kingdom.
Surachate also asked the EU representatives to consider reviewing Thailand’s status now that the kingdom has been stepping up efforts to fight IUU fishing.
The EU representatives also suggested that there should be more cooperation among Thai government agencies for a more effective crackdown on IUU fishing in the long run.
Surachate told reporters that his visit to Brussels managed to draw the EU’s attention to Thailand’s commitment to fight IUU fishing and the trip should improve the country’s image in the eyes of the international community.
BOT Warns Public Against Unlicensed Forex Trading As Ponzi Scheme Unravels
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
Foreign Exchange Traders Who Operate Without A Licence Are Breaking The Law, The Bank Of Thailand (BOT) Warned On Tuesday.
The warning comes after the Department of Special Investigation laid charges over the Forex-3D scheme, which allegedly defrauded almost 2.5 billion baht from thousands of victims.
Last week, celebrity couple Pattanapon “DJ Man” Minthakhin and his wife Suteewan “Baitoey” Thaweesin became the latest suspects to be charged in connection with the scheme. Forex-3D’s owner, Apiruk Kothi, is accused of multibillion-baht fraud.
On Tuesday, BOT’s assistant governor of Financial Markets Operations said Forex-3D did not have a Finance Ministry licence to trade in foreign exchange, as required by law. Alisara Mahasandana said the ministry never issues licenses to individual forex speculators who trade on their platforms or websites.
The Forex 3-D operators therefore face charges of fraudulent borrowing, she added.
The Department of Special Investigation last Wednesday charged Pattanapon and Suteewan with violating the emergency decree on fraudulent borrowing, committing criminal fraud, and uploading false information to computer systems in violation of the Computer Crime Act. Last month, actress Savika, “Pinky” Chaiyadet, 36, and two family members were denied bail on charges of operating the forex Ponzi scheme.
Alisara said that although the charges were not under the BOT’s jurisdiction, the bank would cooperate with the probe by the Department of Special Investigation and other agencies.
The DSI says the Ponzi scheme, operated via the www.forex-3D.com website and three Facebook pages, has defrauded 9,824 people out of an estimated 2.48 billion baht since 2019.
Alisara said the BOT regularly warns the public to beware of anyone who promises high yields from forex trading, saying they could fall victim to pyramid schemes.
MEA Dealing With Exposed Wire On King Kaew Road Footpath
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
A Live Wire Seen Exposed Through Its Torn Insulation On A Footpath In Bang Phli District Of Samut Prakan Province Is Being Dealt With By Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), The Authority Said On Tuesday.
Photos of the wire jutting out of the torn insulation from a powerline on a footpath on King Kaew Road in front of Ruamkatanyu Foundation had gone viral on Monday. To prevent pedestrians from accidentally stepping on it, local people had placed a stack of tyres over the wire and painted a warning “live wire”.
The photos were widely shared and many netizens urged the authorities to take action to prevent a mishap.
On Tuesday, MEA chief of Bangna Office Wirat Yutthawichai said the wire came from a lamppost on the road, which automatically turns on at night but will have no power during the day. “MEA officials are investigating how the wire was left in that condition and will fix it as soon as possible,” he said.
Manas Seesaen, a Bang Phli resident, said the wire has been exposed on the footpath for a few years now, but luckily there had been no accidents. He said he was glad the MEA was finally doing something about it.
Thai Security Forces Prepare For Emergencies Ahead Of Apec Summit
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
Thailand’s Special Forces Held An Emergency Drill At The Crystal Ekamai-Ramindra Shopping Mall On Monday As Part Of Security Preparations For The Upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit.
The drill was held to ensure the country’s security forces are prepared for any emergencies that may crop up during the summit.
The drill on Monday included the special forces handling situations like terrorists opening fire or taking hostages.
The Apec summit under the theme “Open Connect Balance” will be held on November 18-19 in Bangkok.
“Catalyzing Next Generation” Restressed At SEAOHUN 2022 Conference
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
More Than 300 Health Practitioners, Educators, And Researchers From 30 Countries Gathered At SEAOHUN 2022 International Conference To Brainstorm Ways Forwards To Enhance Country-Level Capacities For Infectious Disease Preparedness, Detection, And Outbreak Response.
At the three-day event during 5-7 September 2022, lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic were shared and Covid-19 was touted as an alarm bell for the urgency in enhancing response capacities and capabilities.
Organized by Southeast Asia One Health University Network in collaboration with Chulabhorn Royal Academy and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (Usaid), Chevron, Zoetis, and Pfizer.
The conference themed Catalyzing One Health Citizens of the Future” brought together students, academicians, practitioners and advocates with diverse backgrounds to share their experience, research findings, and perspectives to discuss One Health education, policy gaps and partnership needs in One Health, and complex health threat issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Parntep Ratanakorn, Chairperson of SEAOHUN Executive Board and Chair of the SEAOHUN 2022 International Conference said “We selected this theme because we intend to highlight how health is a concern for all and that we all have impacts upon our wellbeing and that of other living things by the choices we make.”
In his keynote speech “One Health in the Age of Pandemics and Climate Change”, Dennis Carroll, Chair of Leadership Board, Global Virome Project, highlighted the interconnectedness of climate change and pandemics and stressed the need in equipping the next generation with multisectoral knowledge and tools to deal with the urgency, dynamics, and complex global issues.
As the globe is faced with dual challenges – pandemics and climate change, he said the situation is getting more complex and more challenging as reflected through the loss of biodiversity, threats to food security, severity and frequency of floods, storms, drought, etc.
Despite the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, the threshold has already been breached in many parts of the world and multisectoral threats have been felt by humans, animals, and the environment.
In this regard, One Health Vision could be an answer, he stressed. Starting 15 years ago, One Health seeks to identify problems and solutions, to create platforms that will enhance the next generation’s capabilities for the global population’s wellbeing, not just physical or mental health.
Supporting it are emerging technologies that can mitigate the impacts while global citizens’ change behaviours are a must “Look at risks associated with climate change and actions we need to take. Those risks are rapidly evolving and changing,” he said, urging participants to expand One Health Vision. “We know what to do. We know how to do it. What we need to do is to commit ourselves to do it now.”
SEAOHUN 2022 International Conference featured the following panel discussions: • Catalyzing One Health Citizens of the Future • Innovation to Stop Future Pandemics • Combatting a Silent Pandemic: Antimicrobial Resistance
Given the intensifying impacts, panellists at all sessions agreed on the need to develop One Health citizens of the future and equip them with capabilities and tools to prepare for and deal with imminent pandemics and other public health emergency threats.
Collaboration of all parties “whole-of-government, whole-of-society” from public and business sectors to academics including the community was underpinned to expand the One Health approach that brings multiple disciplines to work locally, nationally, and globally to obtain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment.
The panellists at the panel discussion on “Innovation to Stop Future Pandemics” amplified the importance of multi-sectoral, multi-discipline collaboration to prevent and stop diseases and spillover, either via vaccine, new drug development, and real-time data sharing platform.
At the panel discussion on “Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance using One Health Approach”, panellists voiced concerns about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as the silent pandemic may spur over-prescription of antibiotics to tackle associated infections. They stressed the need for a network where evidence and data can be collected, analysed, and utilized for shaping national policies and shared among practitioners.
The Full-On Fun For Families And Couples As Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach Debuts In Samui
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
New Beachfront Resort With The Largest Indoor Kids’ Club In Samui Opens In October 2022 With Special Grand Opening Package That Starts At THB 3,600 Per Night
Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach is a new resort set directly on the white sands of Koh Samui’s Bophut Beach, a few steps away from the famous Fisherman’s Village, and will open its doors on 1 October 2022 with a grand opening offer package.
Designed with families and couples in mind, the resort offers 203 rooms, including family suites and kids’ suites with bunk beds. Other facilities include the Essence Samui lobby lounge, an all-day-dining restaurant named Fisherman’s Table, the Lazy Coconut pool bar, and Jungle’s Book – the jungle-themed indoor kids’ club that is the largest in Samui and will delight your children with a multi-sensory experience including kitchen play zone, reading corner, gaming zone with Nintendo games, movies, a toy zone, and a tree house. Youngsters also have an outdoor playground and the Splash Pad.
The resort features Holiday Inn’s Kids Stay and Eat Free policy.
Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach is celebrating its grand opening with a promotional 20% discount package in which rates start from THB 3,600 net and include a wide range of children’s activities.
The Grand Opening Package is for a minimum of two nights and is available for booking from now until 31 October 2022 for a stay any time between now and 20 December 2022.
Guests staying two nights receive THB 800 resort credit per room per stay, access to the jungle-themed kids’ club, playground, splash pad, and all children’s activities. For a stay of three nights, roundtrip transfers between the airport and the resort are added to the package.
IHG One Rewards members earn double reward points.
Miguel Jaun, General Manager, Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach said, “I am incredibly proud of the very hard work put in by everyone involved to complete the setup and preparation of the hotel. The team and I are very excited in opening our doors to the world as of 1st October and to start welcoming guests.”
Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach
Situated at a prime area of Samui Island, on the soft white sand of Bophut Beach, renowned for its crystal blue waters, Holiday Inn Resort Samui Bophut Beach offers perfect family friendly beachfront accommodations for travellers. Families with young children can expect a one-of-a-kind experience, with the biggest kids’ club in Samui including indoor and outdoor playground and a splash pad. The resort is just 15 minutes away from Samui International Airport and only a short ride to well-known Koh Samui attractions. Everything you need is within 10 minutes, including Coco Tam’s (1 min), Fisherman’s Village (3 min), spa (3 min), shopping mall (5 min), Big Buddha (10 min), Wat Plai Laem (10 min), and direct access to Bophut Beach and water sports activities and suppliers (1 min).
Minister Honours Forest Heroes On The 126th Anniversary Of The Royal Forest Department
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
THE NATION
Minister Of Natural Resources And Environment Varawut Silpa-Archa On Sunday (September 18) Presided Over The Ceremony To Celebrate The 126th Anniversary Of The Establishment Of The Royal Forest Department On September 18, 1896.
The event was held at the statue of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in front of the department’s headquarters in Bangkok.
The event was joined by minister’s assistant Anucha Sasomsub, minister’s secretary Thanesphol Thanaboonyawat, ministry permanent secretary Jatuporn Buruspat, and executives and officials of the Royal Forest Department.
During the ceremony, Varawut placed wreaths to commemorate the actions of forest rangers who had lost their lives on duties while fulfilling the department’s mission of protecting Thailand’s forests and natural resources. He also presented honorary badges ‘Rak Pa Rak Phaen Din’ to individuals who have made contributions to the forestry industry, as well as awards for farmers, operators of community forests and civil servants under the Royal Forestry Department retiring in 2022 who have contributed to Thailand’s forest and natural resources.
In his speech, Varawut said the department’s work in forest protection has continued for over a century and will be carried on as the world is moving forward toward new challenges. “Climate changes, biodiversity, and the integration of carbon credit system to solve environmental issues are among the challenges that forest officials will face,” he said. “Besides maintaining the main mission of protecting the country’s forest and natural resources, the Royal Forest Department is also responsible for helping people get legal access to approved forest areas to ensure the efficient usage of resources.
“I hereby urge all officials to adhere to the royal idea of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, who had always reiterated the importance of sustainable forest management and protection. I also thank all forest officials for their hard work and dedication in preserving natural resources for the future generation,” said Varawut.
15-Year-Old Makes Debut For Arsenal In Easy Win At Brentford
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2022
THE NATION
Fifteen-Year-Old Ethan Nwaneri Became The Youngest Player In Premier League History When He Came On As A Substitute For Arsenal As They Returned To The Top Of The Premier League With A Comfortable 3-0 Win At Brentford On Sunday (September 18).
Goals from William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus gave Mikel Arteta’s side a 2-0 lead at the break before Fabio Vieira completed the win in the 54th minute.
Nwaneri, who is 15 years and 181 days old, came on as a substitute for Vieira in the second minute of stoppage time, the first player under 16 to play in the competition.
The previous youngest player to feature in the league was Harvey Elliott, now of Liverpool, who was 16 years, 38 days old when he made his top flight debut for Fulham.
Arsenal had suffered their first defeat of the season in their last outing, at Manchester United, but never looked in danger, controlling the game from the outset.
Saliba got things under way, heading the visitors in front in the 17th minute, rising to angle a corner from Bukayo Saka in off the far post.
Another header, 11 minutes later, doubled Arsenal’s advantage with Grant Xhaka picking out Gabriel Jesus with a perfectly floated cross from the left which the Brazilian met powerfully.
The game was put beyond Brentford in the fourth minute after the break thanks to a wonderful strike from outside the box by Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira, which rattled in off the post.
Arsenal are on 18 points from the opening seven matches of the season with defending champions Manchester City a point behind and North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur also on 17 points.
Manchester United’s Men’s Team Will Not Be In Action Again Until The Start Of October, When We Make The Short Trip To The Etihad Stadium, The Home Of Our Neighbours And Rivals City.
The postponement of the Premier League games with Leeds United this Sunday and Crystal Palace last weekend, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, has meant virtually a month-long gap between our fixtures in the division.
The international break, the last one before the World Cup gets under way in November, ensures a high proportion of the United squad will not be at Carrington for much of the next fortnight.
The players that remain there will continue preparing for what will be an eagerly awaited return to domestic football for the Reds.
United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted it is difficult to ensure more development of his side due to the absences, but the work will continue, regardless, behind the scenes.
“I don’t have the players,” he said. “What can we plan?
“We can plan work structures with the players who will be there. They will get a break but also have good sessions. We can work on specifics but, when 90 per cent of the squad is not there, we cannot work on development. That is clear.” Following the Manchester derby, United face a lengthy journey to Cyprus to meet Omonia Nicosia in the third of our Group E matches in the Europa League.
An unusual Sunday evening assignment follows, at Everton, before Old Trafford finally gets to welcome its favourites again on Thursday 13 October when Omonia will again provide the opposition.
By then, Ten Hag’s men will hope to have reestablished a rhythm that will leave us in a healthy position for what lies ahead this term.
Awesome Arpichaya Triumphs In Season Finale Thailand Mixed @ Gasson Panorama
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2022
THE NATION
Red-Hot Arpichaya Yubol Employed Her Superb Putts To Beat The Young Duo Of Ekpharit Wu And Sirapob Yapala By Four Strokes And Claimed The Season-Ending Bt5 Million Thailand Mixed Presented By TrustGolf Trophy At The Gasson Panorama Golf Club In Lamphun On Sunday.
The 2018 No 1 player on the Thai LPGA Tour was on fire from start to finish, shooting six birdies in the first 10 holes and, despite a hiccup on the 11th where she hit a double bogey, bounced back to generate four more birdies to sign off with a 64 on 23 under-par-265.
“I didn’t have the pressure at the beginning as I played in the same group with familiar players. But I felt a bit uptight on the 11th and had a double. I tried to calm down and fought my way back to shoot more scores. Hitting eight under in the final round was amazing,” said the 20-year-old Arpichaya following her second win of the year. Her previous 2022 victory came in the LET Access Series in July in Scotland.
This marked her second crown on the Thailand TrustGolf Tour after she won the inaugural edition in February last year at the Black Mountain Golf Club. In addition to the winner’s prize money of Bt750,000, the Saraburi-based also earned a berth into the Australian Women’s Open as the best female player who finished in the top five of the fifth and final Thailand Mixed event in 2022. She will join Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong who finished third in the last Thailand Mixed in the December’s Australian LPGA Tour tournament.
“I’m so proud of myself to be really patient out there until the final hole. The course sets up pretty tough but I still managed to shoot low scores. I cannot say how happy I am to win on this tour again and especially this is the last Thailand Mixed event of the year,” said Arpichaya who has won a total 12 career titles thus far.
Ekpharit, 22 from Rayong, had six birdies against two bogeys for a final 68 and a total 19 under-par-269. His runner-up position finish this week matched his best result on a pro tour after settling at this same spot in the Thai PGA Tour in Nakhon Nayok two months ago.
Also at tied second was 17-year-old Siripob who produced an error-free round 66 for his best result in a main professional tour.
Overnight leader Amarin Kraivixien had to bear another heart-broken final result after a sluggish round of 70 which placed him at lone fourth on 270. Amarin was a 52-hole leader in the previous Thailand Mixed where he lost to Artiruj Winaicharoenchai on the final day.
Of all the five Thailand Mixed tournaments this season, four were won by female players including Chanettee Wannasaen who won a record of three straight titles: the first at the Springfield Royal Country Club in Cha-Am, Sothern Hills Golf and Country Club in Songkhla and Rayong Green Valley Country Club. The fourth circuit was won by a male golfer Artiruj last month at Thana City Country Club. National player Weerawish Narkprachar settled at tied 15th on five-under-par 280 which earned him the Adidas Best Amateur Award for the men while Satonkan Thiengsri won the women’s division with a total 285 and landed joint 35th.
Surachate told reporters that the EU representatives expressed interest after hearing Thailand had stepped up efforts to try to end IUU fishing in the kingdom.
The EU representatives also suggested that there should be more cooperation among Thai government agencies for a more effective crackdown on IUU fishing in the long run.
