Tackling household debt high on govt's 2022 agendaTackling household debt is one of the main missions for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha this year. (Government House photo)The government has set its sights on hastening the economic recovery and marking 2022 as the year of tackling household debt, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in his New Year message. Public spending spurred by Phase 3, which ended on Friday, amounted to over 200 million baht, he added. The government is prioritising the kingdom's household debt problem, which has reached a crisis point, Gen Prayut said, adding the government hoped to resolve household debts through a variety of channels and mechanisms, including debt negotiations and restructurings. According to a Reuters, Thailand's household debt to GDP ratio stood at 89.3% in the third quarter.

A sharp rebound in consumer demand coupled with supply disruptions and depleted supplies have pushed up prices and shipping costs globally. CASHLESS SOCIETYThailand is using less cash for transactions because of collaboration by related parties to develop the county's digital payment platforms. The central bank also developed a digital payment platform for businesses under its Smart Financial and Payment Infrastructure for Business project. Newcomers in the domestic EV market, including Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motor, have rolled out cars with novel designs, providing more choices for consumers. Industry analysts predict AI will become a common technology adopted by organisations to help make decisions and gain customer insights.

Fruit to transit Ping XiangMangosteen from Thailand is popular in China. (Photo: Saritdet Marukatat)China will allow the transport of Thai fruit by rail via Ping Xiang border crossing in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region starting on Tuesday, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said on Sunday. The efforts finally paid off with Chinese authorities confirming that Ping Xiang border checkpoint will once again be open to Thai fruit arriving by rail starting tomorrow. Ms Rachada said Chinese authorities will arrange the necessary import documents so these fruit can come in via the checkpoint in Ping Xiang instead. China, she said, won't hesitate to close the checkpoint to Thai fruit if a shipment is found to be tainted with the novel coronavirus.

Thai educators have now learned the basics of education in a digital world. In 2022 they must go beyond just teaching in front of a screen and develop the digital skills needed to offer a complete and quality education. Thai educators have shown the willingness to do new things like generate discussions in a digital environment, reimagine student evaluation, and make the most of digital communication. Everyone involved in education, especially front-line educators, have to confront the new reality and take responsibility for upskilling themselves. They must admit that updating the necessary digital skills and capabilities will make their work easier.

Clear up tenure doubtThe length of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's tenure is back under the spotlight, after a legal team from the House of Representatives claimed that he is entitled to serve as premier until 2027. As such, it said, Gen Prayut is entitled to serve until 2027, as a premier can only serve for a total of eight years. The team rejected the views of those who argue that Gen Prayut's tenure began in 2014, when he took over in a coup as the head of the National Council for Peace and Order. They vowed to seek a Constitutional Court ruling in August on the matter, saying to them, Gen Prayut's tenure began in Nov 2014 and as such, he must step down on Aug 24. After the coup, Gen Prayut's government announced its plan in a 2,000-page document to reform the country.

Fatema's plight is shared by millions in Afghanistan, where patriarchal tradition, poverty and a lack of education have held back women's rights for decades. According to the United Nations, 87 percent of Afghan women have experienced some form of physical, sexual or psychological violence. "They said this is not a safe place for women, that their place is at home," said another. And it is not just the women seeking shelter who are vulnerable, with Amnesty International saying shelter workers also "risk violence and death". One of the few shelters open -- albeit discretely -- is run by Mahbouba Seraj, a pioneer in the struggle for women's rights in the country.

Road toll hits 73 on Day 3 of breakTravellers at Mo Chit Bus Terminal, Bangkok, on Dec 30, 2021. A total of 574 people were injured, the Road Safety Directing Centre of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, reported on Sunday. As a result, 85,196 people faced legal action for violating traffic rules, including 24,279 who were not wearing a crash helmet and 21,815 driving without a licence. Officers and volunteers have been deployed to ensure road safety and reduce accidents across the country. Motorists are advised to comply with traffic rules and regulations, respect speed limits and get enough rest while making long journeys.

As long as it's a bit better than last yearIt's that time of the year for columnists to suggest what could be in store for the next 12 months. Let's just hope things are a bit more enjoyable than the last couple of years which frankly have been a nightmare. In addition they noted that some of the vocals were a bit "ruff". June: Railway authorities announce that the Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok, which was supposed to have closed for good last December will now carry on operating forever. Let us hope this year is a bit more fun than 2021.

Victims turned activists: Iraqi women battle abuseIraq has no specific law dealing with violence against womenBAGHDAD - After a day's work in an Iraq public sector job, Azhar offers legal support to women who are victims of domestic abuse, something she knows well given her experience with a brutal husband. From marriage of minors to economic coercion, feminists and lawyers struggle to defend the rights of women in the overwhelmingly patriarchal country. - 'Victims pay the price' -The marriage of minors is on the rise in Iraq, according to a government survey. A key provision of the bill is the creation of shelters for victims of domestic violence, said lawyer Marwa Eleoui. Now she works with Al-Amal and makes house calls to tell women about their rights.

3,112 new Covid cases, 12 more deathsTravelers at Bangkok Bus Terminal (Chatuchak) during the New Year's holiday. (Bangkok Post photo)There were 12 more Covid-19 fatalities and 3,112 new cases registered during the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry said on Sunday morning. Since the pandemic started early 2020, there have been 2,229,558 Covid-19 cases, with 2,174,730 complete recoveries so far. The vast majority of the Covid cases and deaths have occurred since April 1 last year, around when the third wave of Covid-19 began. The highest number of cases was 23,418 on Aug 13.

But all of a sudden, there came an unexpected turning point – the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. A new outbreak of the highly-transmissible strain in many countries has consequently dealt another blow to Thailand's tourism yet again. The decision by the government on Dec 22 to suspend the Thailand Pass registration, however, has badly affected many tourists intending to visit Hua Hin, he said. The province was the first to pilot a partial tourism reopening last year. The number of foreign visitors is expected to begin rising between the first and second quarters of this year.

A charging station is seen at a Beijing showroom for Nio Chinese-made electric cars. (Reuters File Photo)BEIJING: China will end subsidies for electric and hybrid cars at the end of the year, authorities have announced, saying the strength of sales in the sector meant state support was no longer needed. “Vehicles registered after Dec 31, 2022 will not be subsidised.”Sales of electric and hybrid cars have boomed in China, with increases of more than 100% year-on-year in recent months. The association estimated overall growth in the world’s largest vehicle market in 2021 was 3.1% — the first year of sales growth since 2018. China, the world’s largest polluter, has set ambitious goals for the widespread adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles, and aims to have the majority of cars powered with clean energy by 2035.

China's official manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 50.3 in December, up from November's 50.1, the National Bureau of Statistics reported Friday. It also marked the second straight month in which the manufacturing PMI figure remained above the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. Even as production weakened, market demand for China's factory output showed marginal improvement in December, with a measure of domestic orders increasing slightly. Beyond the factory floor, China's services sector enjoyed a tepid recovery following the latest round of coronavirus control measures. The subindex measuring construction activity declined to 56.3, compared with November's 59.1, as construction was dampened by unseasonably cold weather.

That represents 41.07% of the SET's total market trading value of 21.31 trillion baht. The total trading value rose 30.27% from 16.36 trillion baht in 2020 while the average daily trading value was at 88.44 billion baht, up 31.36% from 67.33 billion baht in 2020. Fewer foreign funds flowed out of the market as foreign investors' net selling dropped from 264.39 billion baht in 2020 to 48.78 billion baht. Meanwhile, retail investors were net buyers of 112.24 billion baht in 2021, down from 216.71 billion baht in 2020. The main products with the highest trading volume on the TFEX in 2021 were single-stock futures with a total trading volume of 70,326,055 contracts, followed by SET50 Index futures with a trading volume of 47,620,961 contracts.

S.African report on Zuma-era graft to be released TuesdayZuma, pictured in October, presided over an era that was notorious for corruptionJOHANNESBURG - South African investigators next week will hand over their first report in a long-awaited probe into state corruption under former president Jacob Zuma, the government said Friday. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday "will formally receive the first part of the report of the judicial inquiry into allegations of state capture, corruption and fraud," a minister in the presidency, Mondli Gungubele told reporters. The report will be released to the public either the same day or on Wednesday, he said. Zuma, 79, is accused of enabling the plunder of state coffers during his nine years in office. In a separate case, Zuma is facing 16 charges of fraud, graft and racketeering relating to a 1999 purchase of military equipment from five European arms companies when he was deputy president.