Royal Forest DepartmentThe Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's effort to fight climate change by using carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems as natural carbon sinks is getting a lot of flak. The ministry pointed to promising outcomes of the campaign to promote carbon credit trading in the forestry sector, as many big corporations have shown an interest in growing more forestland to gain carbon credits. According to Thailand Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory System, as of 2016, the forestry sector had sequestered over 91 million tonnes of CO2. The carbon credit exchange programme in the forestry sector has received overwhelming interest from the private sector, said Komsan Ruengritsarakul from the Community Forest Management Office of the Royal Forest Department. "So, to strengthen the carbon market, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with its partners is now improving the management of the carbon credit exchange, while additional incentives will also be introduced to attract more participants in carbon market trading."

Plastic ban to be done in phasesThe government is planning to ban plastic scrap imports in 2025, a move that will be carried out in phases over the next three years, says Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa. Members also listened to suggestions by stakeholders about the ban on the import of plastic scrap for raw materials in the industrial sector. He said the panel agreed that 14 plants located in free trade zones would be able to import plastic scrap until 2024 in two phases. He said the Department of Pollution Control will draft a 2023–2027 plastic waste management plan, focusing on four key areas, including removing plastic waste from landfills for recycling by 2027, he said. The ministry aims to reduce plastic waste yearly via a campaign to curb single-use plastic bags in department stores and convenience stores nationwide.

Chanunpat Pisanapipong, executive director of the Thai Trade Centre in Hong Kong, said more than 240 brands from 15 countries were participating in the exhibition, and Thai products received a lot of attention. She said visitors, including importers and businesses, paid particular attention to clothes and accessories made from natural materials. Chanunpat added that more than 30 business matches between Thai businesses and importers from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, India and the US had been made during the exhibition. Hong Kong is Thailand's 12th largest trade partner. In 2021, Thailand’s exports to Hong Kong came in at US$11.59 billion, up 2.65 per cent year on year.

Shrewsbury’s principal Rob Millar noted that learning outside of the classroom is just as important as learning in school. And the real-life experience gained from the “Equity Partnership's School Network Season 4” would help students develop skills they need to survive in society, he said. Earnearn, a DBS Denla British School student who is participating in the project for the second year, said it gave her the chance to apply business knowledge she learns in class. EEF's Kraiyos said the project was a model for social innovation aimed at eliminating educational inequity via collaborations among different sectors. It would also provide students with an alternative learning path to compensate knowledge gaps that opened during the pandemic, he added.

India welcomes back cheetahs, 70 years after local extinctionThis photograph taken on Saturday and released by the Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB) shows a wild cheetah being released at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh state. NEW DELHI: Eight Namibian cheetahs arrived in India Saturday, decades after their local extinction, in an ambitious project to reintroduce the spotted big cats that has divided experts on its prospects. Officials say the project is the world's first intercontinental relocation of cheetahs, the planet's fastest land animal. Cheetahs became extinct in India primarily because of habitat loss and hunting for their distinctive spotted coats. An Indian prince, the Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo, is widely believed to have killed the last three recorded cheetahs in India in the late 1940s.

The clip was posted by Facebook user “Heart MyHeart”, who said he was delivering pizza to a woman at a condo in Bangkok’s Onnut area on Tuesday. The woman had ordered two pizzas, a bucket of ice cream and a cold drink, which came up to 760 baht. The condo security guard then stepped in and asked the woman to scan the code again, which again failed. Some netizens responded to the clip saying clearly the woman is a troubled person, while others said she tried to wriggle out of paying, but her bluff was called. Several people also expressed sympathy for the delivery person, saying they have to put up with all sorts of people, especially now that there is a rising demand for food delivery services, and the competition has become fiercer.

Trade fair organiser Messe Düsseldorf Asia’s managing director, Gernot Ringling, said the printing and packaging industry has been relatively untouched by the Covid-19 pandemic and economic slowdown. The event is being organised in collaboration with the Thai Printing Association, Thai Packaging Association, Thai Corrugated Packaging Association and the Federation of Thai Industries. Ringling said the recovery in purchasing power, production capacity, marketing and advertising is beneficial for the printing and packaging industry. A recent study by worldwide packaging authority Smithers Pira found that the Asia-Pacific will account for the largest share of the packaging and printing market by 2024. However, to sustain the growth of this industry, Thailand should embrace more innovative technology along with adopting sustainable and eco-friendly concepts.

Democrat leader Jurin Laksanawisit said his party supports marijuana for medical uses but is opposed to recreational use. Disagreement over the proposed legislation is threatening to destabilise the coalition government. The Bhumjaithai Party is upset after fellow coalition partners, including the Democrats and ruling Palang Pracharath, on Wednesday joined the opposition in voting to withdraw the bill from ongoing House deliberation. The Cannabis and Hemp Bill was proposed by the Public Health Ministry, which is headed by Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul.

PTT has its own plans to assemble EVs, produce batteries, expand EV charging facilities and provide EV rental services, all of which are making good progress, according to Mr Auttapol. PTT and Foxconn are jointly developing an EV production facility worth US$1-2 billion in the Eastern Economic Corridor. Thailand is the third country with a semi-solid battery production facility in Asia after China and Japan. CHARGING FACILITIESMr Auttapol sees a crucial need to develop more EV charging facilities in order to fuel the growth of the domestic EV industry. This prompted PTT, together with manufacturers of cars and EV chargers, to invest in developing and expanding EV charging infrastructure.

Facing up to dope changesDelays to the second reading of the cannabis and hemp bill are just disheartening. The bill now goes back to the committee that has already spent three months revising the bill, for another round of changes. The cannabis policy has been in action for two years and decriminalising it has been underway since June. Nevertheless, the cannabis policy has caused worry in society and there are reports about its misuse, especially among teenagers and school students. No matter how divisive this cannabis policy is, the solution is not to pull the bill.

People walk past Casino Lisboa in Macau. The new casino licences are expected to begin in 2023 and are crucial for the six incumbents to keep operating their multi-billion dollar properties. They have collectively invested some US$40 billion in Macau since casinos were liberalised more than 20 years ago. The bidding comes as Macau casinos have been slammed by ongoing Covid curbs and travel restrictions. Genting will still be able to operate its hotel resort even if it does not win a new casino licence, according to Macau laws.

(Photo: Somchai Poomlard)The stronger dollar has weakened the Bank of Thailand's international reserves, but the central bank says the country's external position and financial stability remain strong. The bank's foreign reserves declined to US$240 billion from $278 billion at the beginning of this year. The stronger dollar meant the valuation of multiple-currency assets in dollar terms declined, said the central bank. She said the Bank of Thailand's foreign reserves remain in solid condition at $240 billion, representing 48% of the country's GDP, with the total ranking 12th globally. Year-to-date foreign investors have bought around 160 billion baht of Thai assets -- more than 160 billion baht in stocks and small sales of around 700 million baht in bonds.

Electrification InitiativesIntroducing electric motorcycle models to meet wide-ranging customer needsAnticipating market expansion, Honda will introduce electric motorcycles that accommodate a wide range of customer needs. To fulfill such demand, Honda has been offering the Honda e: Business Bike series models and accelerating the global launch of business-use electric motorcycles. By fulfilling customer needs with highly efficient Monozukuri, Honda will continue to offer the joy of mobility with affordably-priced electric motorcycle models. Regarding the battery, a core component of electric vehicles, Honda aims to equip its electric motorcycle models with an all-solid-state battery Honda is currently developing by making active use of its own resources. The company plans to begin its motorcycle battery sharing service this fall.

“This is an unprecedented increase in new sections during the vetting of a bill. It would have been acceptable if only four or five sections had been added but it was unusual to see over 40 new sections added to the original draft,” Prasert said. He said the vetting panel had gone too far to change the original draft to indirectly allow recreational use of ganja. “Several sides have voiced opposition to the vetted draft. Most Move Forward MPs voted to send the draft back to the vetting panel.

Hotel rates low despite surging costsHotels are struggling to raise room rates amid intense competition in the industry, despite pressure from higher operational costs due to surging electricity bills and wages. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said those two expenditures usually account for the largest costs in hotels’ operations. “Operational cost is surging though the number of guests is still modest,” she said. Moreover, 61% of hotel operators remain concerned about the number of international tourists this year, which could be lower than expected. “In terms of energy management, small hotels that have individual air control in each room can manage the cost better.”