E-commerce growth stuntedThailand posted its smallest e-commerce growth on record during the third and fourth quarters of 2021, attributed to tepid consumption and the reopening of physical shops, says SET-listed Kerry Express Thailand, a major parcel delivery service provider. "In the previous two quarters, Thailand and Southeast Asia witnessed the slowest e-commerce growth in history," Alex Ng, chief executive of Kerry Express Thailand, told the Bangkok Post. Thanawat Malabuppha, chief executive of shopping search engine Priceza and president of the Thai E-Commerce Association, said the country's e-commerce growth in 2022 is expected to be lower than last year because of a decline in purchasing power, inflation and a hike in utility charges. Vincent Yang, chief executive of JD Central, an e-commerce player, is still optimistic about the country's e-commerce outlook, despite an economic slowdown and a decline in purchasing power. The average basket size for JD Central doubled the average for the e-commerce industry, he said.

Mrs Marisa said in addition to a shrinking young population because of a declining birth rate, the government should pay serious attention to the quality of education for students and young adults. BIG CHALLENGE AHEADMr Tanit said another big challenge for Thailand's labour sector is the growing number of senior citizens. Thailand's birth rate in 2020 dropped below 600,000 for the first time and took the country's TFR down to 1.51, which is "extremely low", according to global organisations. Thailand's birth rate was 1.2 million in 1970. Mr Pailin said he is worried about the extreme dip in Thailand's birth rate because it can lead to labour shortages for the next 30 years.

"We find it necessary to keep those troops due to a very tense situation and very unfriendly environment," Peskov said in an interview with U.S. broadcaster CNN. Russia has to take measures of precaution in response to NATO military build-up, drills and frequent flights of fighter jets and reconnaissance planes near the Russian borders, he said. However, Russia is not considering a military action even if negotiations with the United States and NATO on security guarantees fail, Peskov stressed.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he signed on Dec. 31 the notice of award to BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd., an Indian-Russian aerospace and defense joint venture. The company’s name BrahMos is a portmanteau formed from the names of two rivers, the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva in Russia. The project, which was negotiated with the Indian government, includes the delivery of three batteries of BrahMos missiles, training for operators and maintainers, as well as the necessary integrated logistics support package. The awarding of the contract came just days after the Department of Budget and Management issued two special allotment release orders amounting to P2.83 billion on Dec. 27, as initial downpayment covering 15 percent of the total contract price. The Philippine Navy Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile Acquisition Project was part of the second horizon (2018 to 2022) of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.

The Revenue Department has the authority to collect taxes from cryptocurrency trading as profits from such activity can be considered assessable income under Section 40 of the Royal Decree amending Revenue Code No.19. The financial transaction tax applies to share sales by individual investors trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The ministry is still considering whether the transaction tax should be applied to revenue per transaction of share sales or only to the profit. The Revenue Department expects to gain revenue of around 20 billion baht from this transaction tax. This plan would increase department revenue and ensure fair treatment for all, he said.

Djokovic bid for tennis history over for now - and perhaps foreverNovak Djokovic lost his case against deportation from AustraliaMELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic has never hidden his craving to be remembered as the greatest men's tennis player of all time, but his chance to make Grand Slam history is over for now -- and perhaps indefinitely. He won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon last year to assert his status as the world's top player. Medvedev denied Djokovic the US Open and a calendar-year Grand Slam last year to win his maiden major and is favourite in Melbourne to win back-to-back Slams, now that Djokovic is out. Djokovic has occupied the world number one spot for a record number of weeks, but that could also be in danger now. Despite missing the Australian Open he will remain top of the ranking points even if Medvedev wins, but his position will be in jeopardy the more tournaments he misses.

Japan sets 13-day quarantine for arrivals from ThailandPassersby wearing protective face masks walk on a street in Tokyo on Saturday. (Reuters photo)Air travellers arriving in Japan from Thailand and four other countries must enter quarantine for 13 days starting Monday. The Thai ambassador to Japan said all arrivals from Thailand will be subject to quarantine for three days at accommodation arranged by Japanese authorities after they enter the country. Thailand and four other countries have been added to the list of countries experiencing an Omicron outbreak by the Japanese government. Japan allows only people with permanent residence in Japan, diplomats and people with humanitarian reasons to enter the country.

Retirement no mere snoozeOn New Year's Day, International Living -- a global travel magazine -- released its annual compilation of the world's best places to retire in 2022. Even after completing the bureaucratic maze that is needed to acquire a retirement visa, retirees have to maintain their status by regularly reporting to officials, and that means keeping up with changing rules and regulations. Similarly, Portugal, which ranked 4th on the list, issues residency to remote employees earning at least €702 (26,500 baht) per month. Thailand should make the most of its international reputation as a great destination for remote work, business, and retirement to boost its pension fund. After all, should Thailand not also be a good place for the average Thai to retire in as well?

NHSO pays out B1bn in jab side-effect claimsThe National Health Security Office (NHSO) has provided 1 billion baht in financial compensation to 9,551 people who have developed undesirable effects from Covid-19 vaccinations. So far, the NHSO has approved compensation for 9,551 (74%), worth 1 billion baht. The office has rejected requests by 14% who failed to meet criteria while 11% of claims remain under consideration. The criteria for claiming compensation were set by the NHSO on May 16 last year. If a claim is rejected, it is possible to lodge an appeal with the NHSO secretary-general within 30 days, he added.

Soaring pork prices linked to supply hoggingThe soaring prices of pork could stem from traders hogging supplies, said Deputy Agriculture Minister Prapat Pothasuthon. Mr Prapat told reporters on Saturday the domestic prevalence of African swine fever (ASF) may be only partly to blame for the hike in pork prices. "It's interesting to ask why the pork prices keep going up," Mr Prapat said. The answer could lie in pork supplies being hogged during the festive period from November to December last year, which drove up retail prices, he said. Mr Sorawit said the DLD also was working with the Commerce Ministry to inspect cold storages and warehouses to prevent the hogging of pork supplies ahead of the Chinese New Year next month.

Huge Tonga volcanic eruption felt around the worldThe eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano spewed smoke and ash in the air, with a thunderous roar heard 10,000 kilometres (6,000 miles) away in AlaskaNUKU'ALOFA (TONGA) - The massive underwater volcanic eruption in Tonga was so powerful it was recorded around the world and triggered a tsunami that flooded Pacific coastlines from Japan to the United States, scientists said Sunday. Dramatic satellite images showed the long, rumbling eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano spew smoke and ash in the air, with a thunderous roar heard 10,000 kilometres (6,000 miles) away in Alaska. The US Geological Survey recorded Saturday's eruption as equivalent to a 5.8 magnitude earthquake at zero depth. In New Zealand, more than 2,300 kilometres from Tonga, 120 people were evacuated from northern coastal areas and several boats destroyed when a huge wave crashed into a marina. The National Weather Service Alaska reported the Alaska Volcano Observatory had recorded the eruption in Anchorage and Fairbanks "6,000 miles from the volcano."

But attempts to develop smart guns have stalled: Smith & Wesson got hit with a boycott, a German company’s product was hacked, and a New Jersey law aimed at promoting smart guns has raised the wrath of defenders of the Second Amendment. Sceptics have argued that smart guns are too risky for a person trying to protect a home or family during a crisis, or for police in the field. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry trade association, says it does not oppose smart guns as long as the government doesn’t mandate their sale. The 2019 law replaced a 2002 law that would have banned the sale of any handgun except smart guns. “The other side tipped their hand because they used smart guns to ban everything that’s not a smart gun,” said Scott Bach, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs.

Cambodia internet soon to be like ChinaPHNOM PENH: The day Kea Sokun was arrested in Cambodia, four men in plainclothes showed up at his photography shop near Angkor Wat and carted him off to the police station. Cambodia's National Internet Gateway, set to begin operating Feb 16, will send all internet traffic — including from abroad — through a government-run portal. "The National Internet Gateway is merely centralizing what has been a decentralised system of control over Cambodia’s internet," he said. "But the National Internet Gateway gives them a much more powerful tool to crack down on free expression and dissent." "There is a real risk that the National Internet Gateway will be used to block and censor dissenting opinions online," she said.

(Reuters photo)Good asset quality and strong competition in the Thai consumer banking sector are the main reasons United Overseas Bank (UOB) is buying Citibank's retail arms in four Asean markets, says an executive. Under the asset integration, UOB expects to double its retail customer base in the four markets to 5.3 million by 2026. The Thai market has the largest retail customer portfolio among the four countries at 2.4 million, of which 1.3 million are clients of UOB (Thai) and 1.1 million of Citi Thailand. Asset integration in Thailand is expected to be completed by the first half of next year, he said. Following legal vetting of the asset integration, UOB plans to gradually rename the brand from Citi to UOB over the next 6-24 months, he said.

RTP helping free officers from debtThe Royal Thai Police (RTP) has provided help to about 2,800 of approximately 7,300 police officers taking part in its new debt-relief programme, with those in the scheme among almost 165,000 officers said to be heavily in the red. Debt-saddled officers account for about 80% of all 205,448 officers in the RTP, said government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana yesterday. Their combined debt, as of mid-November last year, amounted to just over 322 billion baht. "Through its cooperatives, the RTP can provide police officers relief on debt-payment burdens through various measures including lower interest on loans," he said. Additional measures include debt restructuring and transference of debt from other financial institutions to police cooperatives, said the spokesman.