Six airlines will add 38 flights during the Songkran holiday to help ease the problem of expensive tickets for domestic flights, said Transport Minister Suriya Juengrungreangkit yesterday. The extra flights add 13,000 more seats during the period, said Mr Suriya following a meeting on lowering domestic fares during holiday periods held by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by representatives from Thai Airways (THAI), Thai AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Thai LionAir, NokAir, and Thai Vietjet, who agreed to 38 extra special domestic flights on April 11–12 and April 15–16 to destinations including Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, and Khon Kaen. The CAAT said the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation industry and a 30% increase in fuel excise tax are the main causes of higher ticket fares. Convenient and fast service, as well as safety and reasonable prices, are the ministry's main goals, Mr Suriya added.

Bangkok, Thailand, 28 Feb, 2024 – JustCo's inaugural Future of Work Forum, held at their newly launched One City Centre premises in Bangkok, gathered business leaders and industry experts to explore futureproof hybrid work solutions. The JustCo Future of Work Forum explored the pertinent issues in the hybrid work era, sustainable solutions that could better equip the future workforce and the importance. “Human connections matter more than ever in the hybrid work era, as businesses emerging from the pandemic navigate the search for the best hybrid work models and flexible workspace solutions that engage employees of diverse backgrounds and ages. With increased emphasis on work-life balance facilitated by hybrid work, the importance of fostering meaningful connections within the workplace has never been greater. Joy Lertpitakkit, Vice President and Head of JustCo Thailand, gave interviews with honoured guests from the Thai media and discussed the aims and insights of the first JustCo Future of Work Forum.

Pirapan says electricity bills to stay at same ratePirapan: No plan to raise priceEnergy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga on Wednesday assured the public that electricity bills will not rise from May to August as the ministry is committed to maintaining the present power tariff for households at 4.18 baht per unit. Mr Pirapan, who is also a deputy prime minister, said yesterday the current fuel tariff (Ft) rate was set at 4.18 baht per unit in January and will end in April. "We want to maintain the present rate as long as possible. "I am confident that people will not see a spike in electricity bills as we are working hard to alleviate financial burdens on the people," he said. At present, the government also provides a Ft rate of 3.99 baht per unit for households that use electricity, amounting to no more than 300 units per month.

Under the leadership of Mr. Auttapol Rerkpiboon, President & CEO, PTT has seen its brand value surge to over USD 8 billion, climbing 78 spots to rank 267th this year. Yet, PTT managed to secure a Brand Strength Index score of 82/100, showcasing a robust 25% growth in brand value to USD 8.3 billion. This growth is attributed to PTT’s diversified strategies, notably its investments in digital capital markets and expansion into renewable energy ventures. For 45 years, PTT has been at the forefront of fostering sustainable growth and enhancing the quality of life within Thai society. This continued success underscores PTT’s pivotal role in shaping the future of the energy sector, both in Thailand and across the ASEAN region.

MFP pushes for fairer labour lawsA Move Forward Party (MFP) labour network will submit its draft for a new Labour Protection Act to the House today as the current law has been in place for 26 years and has never been changed. According to the MFP's website, the current welfare system and labour protection mechanisms do not provide enough coverage for 39 million labourers. The draft demands employers pay their employees every 30 days, including weekends, holidays and during sick leave. The draft specifies that a labourer's maximum working hours be 40 hours per week, or eight hours a day. The MFP says the changes are expected to improve labourers' quality of life.

The firm reported on GoldPickaxe.iOS -- a previously unknown iOS Trojan capable of collecting identity documents, facial recognition data and intercepting SMS. This Trojan specifically targeted Thailand and Vietnam, impersonating local banks and government organisations. News on Thailand's policy on facial biometric verification was released in March 2023, to be enforced by July. Ransomware attacks in Asia-Pacific rose 39% year-on-year in 2023, with manufacturing and real estate companies the most common victims, said Group-IB. The government, military, manufacturing, and finance and banking sectors were subject to 5,789 attacks during the last six months of 2023.

Cabinet sees nation as halal hubA visitor looks at food items at a halal food fair. Mr Srettha said he discussed with the King of Brunei and the prime minister of Malaysia jointly developing a halal food centre. The majority of these exports were in the naturally halal food group, including rice, grains and sugar cane. There are 15,043 halal food producers and more than 3,500 halal food establishments in Thailand. "The government is fully committed to establishing halal industry centres and expanding the halal product market, especially efforts to make Thailand a global halal kitchen."

India's 'no' at WTO may just mean 'not yet'Farmers shout slogans as they burn an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers at a protest site at Shambhu Barrier, the border between Punjab and Haryana states, on Friday. India's welfare state, like so many others, is not set up for modern concerns and problems. This very week, some of India's farmers are protesting again -- a reminder that, if India says no, it is because a large subset of Indians are saying no. And a large subset of Indians can often mean a group of people larger than the populations of most WTO member states. India's "no" at the WTO is sometimes "not just yet".

Dip in deposits for 2023Customers use automatic teller machines and cash deposit machines at a department store in 2021. In 2023, deposits amounted to 16 trillion baht, down by 80.4 billion baht or 0.5% compared with the previous year. Mr Songpol said the factors for this shift came from two segments —deposit amounts not exceeding 1 million baht, and deposits exceeding 10 million baht. Mr Songpol said deposits in the top-tier segment, or those exceeding 10 million baht also declined last year. Normally, deposit growth would be in line with GDP growth.

"Whether or not Thaksin is involved with Thai politics, I believe most entrepreneurs would like to see the nation's economy left intact," he said. In terms of politics, he said Thaksin's release might redefine the image of Mr Srettha and who is the real political baron overseeing the government's economic policies. He said Mr Srettha should implement short-term economic stimulus that neither borrows nor adds to public debt, aiming to generate revenue quickly. "Economic stimulus will be implemented to boost economic growth, as Thaksin comes from the private sector and has a better understanding of economic issues and conditions than someone from the public sector," he said. While serving as prime minister between 2001 and 2006, Thaksin implemented an economic policy, widely known as Thaksinomics.

A New York state jury found that former National Rifle Association chief Wayne LaPierre mismanaged the gun rights group and cost it $5.4 million, ruling in a civil corruption case brought by New York's attorney general.

A procession transports the relics of the Lord Buddha and his chief disciples — Sariputra and Moggallana — from the National Museum to the ceremonial pavilion at Sanam Luang. The parade included flower-festooned vehicles and performances from Thailand, India and various ethnic groups. The relics will be displayed at Sanam Luang from today until March 3, before being exhibited in Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani and Krabi. The relics came from India. (Photos: Nutthawat Wichieanbut)

Atta Gallery invites art lovers to reconsider traditional definitions of art and bridge the gap between art practices during "Seam-less" which is running until April 14. This cross-disciplinary exhibition showcases Prins' jewellery and wall art alongside Morakot's paintings and painting installations, fostering a dialogue among the artworks, allowing viewers to perceive relationships within the exhibition. photos courtesy of ATTA GalleryBoth artists eloquently demonstrate in their works how the seam or junction between distinct materials and practices leads to seamlessness, evident in both their art and artistic approaches. By juxtaposing these artists and their works, the exhibition seeks to dissolve boundaries between art practices, encouraging audiences to appreciate diverse art forms without predetermined hierarchies or binary classifications commonly observed in the region's art scene. Atta Gallery is located at Warehouse 30, Charoen Krung 30, and opens Wednesday to Sunday from 1-6.30pm.

Hundreds of senior doctors held a rally near the presidential office in Seoul on Sunday (February 25) to support young doctors and protest against a government plan to increase medical school admissions.

The Hautacam Ski Resort in southwest France has had a mostly snowless winter. In January, the resort rebranded itself the "Hautacam Plage" on social media channels, showing deckchairs and barbecues instead of white slopes and hot chocolate. "Will this become the only recipe for our resort in winter? I don't know," said Marie-Florentine Hulin, the resort's communications and marketing manager.