Joint sitting dumps charter amendment bill sponsored by civic groupsSupporters of the charter amendment bill sponsored by civic groups at the parliament on Tuesday for the first day of the joint sitting. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)A joint sitting of parliament rejected a charter amendment bill providing for "a people's constitution" at its first reading on Wednesday. The bill received only 206 votes from MPs and senators, with 473 votes against. The bill required 362 votes from the joint chambers, including one-third of the Senate, or 83 senators, to pass the first reading. Supporters of the bill said the Senate was the product of the coup-makers' National Council for Peace and Order, since dissolved.

According to the Land Transport Federation of Thailand (LTFT) chairman, Apichart Prairungruang, the group has organised the protest to impress upon the government the extent to which high diesel prices are strangling their income. The LTFT is urging the government to reduce its price cap from the current 30 baht per litre to 25 baht. "If the government fails to respond to the demand by Dec 1, we will strike," he said, adding it will immediately afterward raise the cargo transport rates by 10%. "We will continue operating only if the diesel price is 25 baht per litre. He urged the LTFT to avoid piling too much pressure on the government, saying he had instructed the Transport Ministry and its state enterprise, the Transport Co, to help support the cargo transport system in case the drivers strike.

The People Go, an activists’ network, holds a press conference in front of Democracy Monument on Nov 16, 2020 to urge parliament to accept the ‘people’s version’ of the charter amendment draft. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned that the ongoing charter amendment process must leave the royal institution untouched. During the meeting, he was briefed on Tuesday's parliamentary debate on a charter amendment bill pushing for "a people's constitution". Gen Prayut was quoted by the sources as saying: "The country, the religion and the monarchy must remain [intact]. "It is strange that fewer than 100 senators are allowed to block charter amendment proposals," he said, adding senators should make sacrifices by voting to scrap the Senate.

Construction of QSNCC on course despite lockdownAn aerial view of the construction progress of the new Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Construction of the new Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) has reached 60% completion despite the lockdown of the construction site and will be completed by next September, according to SET-listed developer Frasers Property Thailand (FPT). FPT is responsible for QSNCC's construction management, of which revenue from this project should contribute around 5% of its commercial development revenue. Withawat Koottatep, first executive vice-president of commercial development of Frasers Property Commercial (Thailand). Meanwhile, the centre will link with the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center MRT station to facilitate visitors.

Listed firms perform better than expected in Q3Thai listed companies performed better than expected in the third quarter with net profits of 209 billion baht, up 19% quarter-on-quarter, of which 167 billion baht stemmed from the real sector and 42 billion baht from the banking sector. Net profits of listed companies are expected to rise to 210 billion baht in the fourth quarter. Listed firm's total profits still need some time to recover. The sSET Index stood at its highest in three years, even though small firms' profits have yet to see a remarkable recovery. "If we were to conclude that the SET Index rose because of the churning of small-medium stocks, it would not be wrong.

The rich world's climate hypocrisyMany people around the world already consider the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow a disappointment. They have previously made too many empty climate promises, undermining the interests of developing countries that have contributed little to climate change. In 2019, total climate finance channelled to developing countries was less than $80 billion; the average amount each year since 2013 was only $67 billion. Likewise, the rich world's promises of green technology transfer have become mere lip service. Only that can end the rich world's green hypocrisy and save us all.

Myanmar to reopen land borders with Thailand, China next monthFILE PHOTO: This photo taken on July 7, 2017 shows migrant workers passing the Thai-Myanmar border in an official service truck as they leave Thailand in Mae Sot, Tak province. (AFP)Myanmar will reopen its land borders with China and Thailand from next month due to improvements in its Covid-19 vaccination rate, its information ministry said on Tuesday. The reopening, for which no specific date was set, would be followed by resumption of air travel in the first quarter of next year, the ministry said in a statement.

Proposal to legalise porn, sex toys submitted to House SpeakerOnline sex performer Suthanya Nakhonjinda, 19, aka Nong Khai Nao, centre, and content creator Attapol Khaithong, right, at the parliament on Tuesday to propose the legalisation of pornographic content and sex toys. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)A group calling for the legalisation of pornographic videos and sex toys submitted its proposal to the House Speaker's office at the parliament on Tuesday. The group was led by content creator Attapol Khaithong, who said Section 287 prevented people working on sexual content from fully using their bodies and lives to make a living. The section should be amended to legalise production, distribution and trading in sexual content and sex toys. The group submitted their proposal to Sukit Atthopakorn, adviser to the House Speaker.

Cooperation key to building EV ecosystemGWM's G-Charge Supercharging Station at Siam Square, Bangkok. More private-state cooperation is needed to build an adequate electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem in Thailand, following the recent launch of EV fast-charging facilities at Siam Square in Bangkok. EV ecosystem development is part of the government's efforts to promote clean energy and transform Thailand into a low-carbon society. The G-Charge Supercharging Station features three charging units, each with two CCS Type 2 connectors. "Urgent infrastructure development is the key factor for tangibly building Thailand's EV ecosystem," said Steven Wang, vice-president of GWM Asean and Thailand.

Pirom Nilthaya said the province is expected to resume tourism by the New Year while Betong can reopen even sooner next month, as 90% of locals in Mueang district and 70% in Betong district have already been vaccinated against Covid-19. Narin Rueangwongsa, deputy president of the Betong Tourism Association, said the association has spoken with members of the tourism sector, noting they wanted the province to reopen next month to rejuvenate their businesses. Mr Narin said Betong tourism operators have agreed to join the government's tourism stimulus programmes, which will last until January. Pruek Wongnamroj, president of the Betong Hotel Club, said 26 of 28 hotels, with a total of 1,773 rooms in Betong district, have been approved under the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) standards and two other lodgings are undergoing the process. On Oct 15, he held a meeting with border officials and private sector members who urged the government to speed up the reopening of border checkpoints to resume border trade.

Court hits prohibited websitesA court has ordered the blocking of 71 URLs related to illegal gambling over the past week, according to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES). DES Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said that between Nov 8-14 the court authorised the blocking of 80 URLs found to have violated the computer crime law. According to Mr Chaiwut, the DES ministry has asked the court to block a further 418 URLs for publishing illegal content. He added that legal action was also being pursued against a group of people associated with nine URLs with illegal content. Of the total, six URLs were based on Facebook while the remaining three were on Twitter.

Ex-Yakuza cuffed for medical glove fraudA Japanese man said to be a former Yakuza gangster, was arrested twice over the past week on suspicion of rubber glove fraud reportedly worth 286 million baht. He said the suspect was a former member of the Sumiyoshi gang in Japan. Last Thursday police also arrested the suspect's Thai wife -- identified only as Supanida, 24 -- on suspicion of selling the merchandise, many orders of which were also never fulfilled, Pol Col Neti said. Last Friday, police found over 10 million more pairs of the gloves in six cargo containers at a container yard in Chon Buri's Si Racha district, Pol Col Neti said. Buyers had been lured into handing over at least 286 million baht, but the suspect had transferred most assets to close aides, Pol Maj Gen Phuthidej said.

Maya Bay reopening set for Jan 1Tourists jam-pack the beach at Maya Bay in Krabi in 2017, before the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation closed it in June 2018. (Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park photo)The famed Maya Bay in Krabi province will probably be reopened to tourists on Jan 1, with regulations in place to preserve the rehabilitated beach and bay from the ecological ruin it previously suffered. He said Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park was in the final stage of building an improved pier on the island and defining the swimming zone for beachgoers. The minister, in Krabi for a cabinet meeting, said reopening of the bay will come with strict conditions. #BangkokPost #tourismDepartment of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation pic.twitter.com/sX14JtlowS — Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) November 15, 2021Park officials have planted coral on reefs over more than 10 rai of the bay.

VIENNA: Austria became the first EU country on Monday to impose a lockdown on the unvaccinated and the first to start inoculating children as young as five, as the virus strengthens its grip on the continent.

FILE PHOTO: A Vietnam Airlines Aribus A321-200 plane prepares to land at Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi, Vietnam April 18, 2019. (Reuters)Vietnam is welcoming foreign tourists this month for the first time since the spring of 2020 as the Southeast Asian country gradually reopens its tourism sector amid the pandemic. Khanh Hoa Province on the south-central coast received two flights carrying foreign tourists from Japan and South Korea as of Thursday, newspaper Nguoi Lao Dong reported. About 430 US tourists are expected to arrive in the Unesco World Heritage Site of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province on charter flights Nov 17-18, while Phu Quoc Island plans for about 250 foreign tourists Nov 20, the newspaper said in a separate report. Vietnam’s transport ministry has proposed a three-phase plan to resume regular international flights next year, according to a posting on the government’s website.