Pol Snr Sgt Maj Pairat Yotmek and his wife, Chalermporn Sukhumthong, are shown with the crystal methamphetamine and guns seized from their house in Phunphin district of Surat Thani. (Photo: Border Patrol Police Company 417)SURAT THANI: A police officer and his wife have been arrested on charges of selling illicit drugs after crystal methamphetamine were seized from their house in Phunphin district of this southern province. Pol Snr Sgt Maj Pairat Yotmek, 52, attached to the Phunphin police station, was dismissed from the force pending a fact-finding investigation into his alleged involvement in the drug trade, Pol Maj Gen Sathit Phonphinit, chief of Surat Thani police, said on Saturday. Seized from the house were 900 grammes of crystal methamphetamine and three guns. The couple have been charged with colluding to possess illicit drugs with intent to sell and possessing weapons without permission.

11.11 shopping fest a major success in ThailandA shopper browses products on Lazada's website. Major e-commerce players Lazada, Shopee and JD Central saw significant growth in transactions at their 11.11 shopping festival this year, driven by new digital customers and heavy promotions to stimulate spending. Of the 59 million internet users in Thailand, 42 million have become digital consumers defined as those engaged in online transactions, according to the Thailand E-commerce Association. According to Lazada, the number of new users at the 11.11 festival in 2021 rose 120% compared to last year's event. Shopee, which operates in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, noted that 11 million items were sold within the first five minutes of the 11.11 festival across the region.

(CNSPhoto via Reuters)Tens of thousands of university students are under lockdown on their campuses in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, which is battling the biggest flareup in the country’s current Covid-19 outbreak, according to the Dushikuaibao newspaper. Two universities in Zhuanghe in Dalian have imposed the curbs since the port city discovered Covid cases on Nov 4, the report said, citing students. With more than 1,000 locally transmitted infections spread across 21 provinces, the current outbreak is the broadest flare-up since the virus first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019. Dalian has become the country’s latest hotspot, reporting 40 local cases on Saturday out of the 57 new infections added nationwide. The country has fully vaccinated 1.07 billion people, and 49 million have received booster shots, according the National Health Commission.

Vaccinated Korean and Japanese visitors are the first in 20 monthsA worker carries coconut palm branches on the grounds of a resort in Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa province. (AFP File Photo)The first international tourists have touched down in Vietnam almost 20 months after the country closed its borders to contain the coronavirus. Foreign tourists seeking to enter Vietnam must show Covid-19 vaccination certificates and negative pre-departure coronavirus test results. Vietnam was widely praised for its handling of the pandemic last year, with only dozens of known coronavirus cases. Vietnam has since clocked more than a million infections and almost 23,000 deaths, as it scrambles to secure enough vaccines for its 100 million people.

(AFP Photo)Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has announced Western Europe’s first partial lockdown of the winter, with at least three weeks of Covid curbs on restaurants, shops and sporting events. Cases have soared since the Dutch government lifted most Covid measures less than two months ago on Sept 25, reaching a record level of more than 16,000 on Thursday and Friday. (AFP Photo)Several European countries are reimposing restrictions in a bid to curb the worrying rise in Covid cases. The same is not true of Eastern European countries, he added. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced Western Europe’s first partial lockdown of the winter, with at least three weeks of Covid curbs on restaurants, shops and sporting events.

(Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)Night entertainment venues nationwide remain shut until at least mid-January, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). The new tentative reopening date was set for Jan 16 and only for some areas, depending on the Covid-19 situation. "We need time from Nov 15 to Jan 15 to prepare for the reopening," Dr Taweesilp said. Operators of the night entertainment venues have been asking the government to lift the alcohol ban in 17 tourism provinces and to allow pubs, bars and karaokes nationwide to reopen on Dec 1. Dr Taweesilp said on Friday the Covid task force remained worried that the reopening of night entertainment businesses could lead to more infections if no appropriate measures had been in place.

First rhino horn NFT sold at auction in South AfricaRhinos in Africa are slaughtered by poachers for their horns, which are smuggled to Asia where they are highly prized for traditional and medicinal purposes. CAPE TOWN: A digital replica of a rhino horn sold at an auction in South Africa late Thursday, as conservationists tapped into the craze for NFTs to raise money to protect real rhinos. "If worst-case scenario, if rhinos go into complete disarray then I would still own a rhino horn, because the NFT is a token of the physical rhino horn," he told AFP. It's legal to trade in real rhino horns within South Africa, but in this case, the original horn is locked away for safekeeping. Poachers killed at least 249 rhinos in South Africa during the first six months of the year -- 83 more than in the first half of 2020.

(Reuters photo)The government is considering replacing the RT-PCR test with other screening methods for vaccinated tourists under the Test & Go scheme, and easing high-risk close contact (HRC) rules which force airplane passengers who had sat near Covid-19 patients to undergo mandatory quarantine. Mr Yuthasak said the CCSA will also consider easing current HRC rules which force those who sit two rows in front of or two rows behind infected passengers on a plane to be relocated to quarantine facilities. As of Nov 9, 28 travellers had been detected with coronavirus, out of 28,021 arrivals. Mrs Marisa said some hotels have started to look for more convenient methods by taking guests to drive-thru testing before checking them into the hotel. The proposed new screening measure, which requires no waiting period, would provide more opportunities for hotels everywhere as tourists could travel directly to their preferred destination.

MRTA readies bidding for for Purple Line extensionThe northern section of the Purple Line is operational and the bidding for the southern extension is planned. (Bangkok Post photo)The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) is gearing up to invite companies to submit a tender for the extension of the Purple Line electric rail services, which will connect Tao Poon and Rat Burana. The process will be carried out under International Competitive Bidding (ICB) procedures, and bid envelopes can be purchased until Dec 24, the MRTA said. The decision to start the bidding process was taken after the MRTA assessed the public's opinion on the project, as well as recommendations from the Comptroller General's Department. The project, which will see the Purple Line extended by 23 kilometres, is worth 78 billion baht.

Exiled activists sent backTwo activists arrested in Thailand have been deported back to Cambodia, a source at the Immigration Bureau said yesterday. The source confirmed that Voeun Veasna and Voeung Samnang, two exiled political activists from the banned political opposition in Cambodia, were apprehended and sent back to their home country, as per reports. Thai authorities apprehended the activists while they were returning to their apartment on Nov 8 and repatriated them, Radio Free Asia (RFA) said earlier. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen previously ordered Voeun Veasna's arrest due to a poem he wrote criticising the country's leader as a traitor. It is unfortunate today that they have already sent them back," Oeur Narith told RFA.

THAI seeks B25bn loan, expands cargo flights by 30 routesA Thai Airways International plane departs Suvarnabhumi airport. (Bangkok Post file photo)Thai Airways International (THAI) is expected to seek 25 billion baht in loans to boost its financial liquidity as the airline expands its cargo flight services to a further 30 routes from now until March next year. Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said the airline's business rehabilitation plan administrators recently met Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to report about the plan. Therefore, the airline may need a loan of only 25 billion baht to boost its financial liquidity, instead of an initially estimated 50 billion baht, Mr Arkhom said. Nond Kalinta, the airline's vice president for commercial affairs, said the company will provide cargo flight services on 30 routes covering Asia, Europe and Australia, in line with the airline's winter flight schedule between Oct 21 and March 26.

Dogs to help inmates return to societyYoung beagles will play an important role in a pilot project for dog-assisted therapy that the Justice Ministry has organised to help inmates ease their depression and anxiety by raising and bonding with dogs. (Photo courtesy of Justice Ministry)The Justice Ministry will allow inmates in four prisons to raise dogs, as part of a pilot project aimed at reducing anxiety, depression and other antisocial behaviour among convicts. The department is working with animal associations and shelters to seek out dogs for the project, the minister said. Inmates will also be briefed by a veterinarian on how to handle a dog and look after it. If the project is well received, it will be expanded to other correctional facilities in the country, the minister said.

Regulator, DSI aim to raise investigative efficiencyMs Ruenvadee (second from left) chairs the SEC meeting with the DSI to discuss ways to proactively enhance their collaboration both in the process of investigating and examining offences in the capital markets. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has partnered with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to enhance the regulator's efficiency in investigating wrongdoings in the capital market. The SEC is also considering adding the nature of offences under the law on digital assets and derivatives contracts in the footer of DSI Law. The regulator is also considering developing a guideline to appoint a special case investigation officer under the Securities and Exchange Act to enhance its investigative authority, she said. She said as the SEC already has expertise and readiness in investigating securities offences, the legal investigative authority will shorten the investigation process.

Reopening a good bet with high costsNearly two weeks into Thailand's official reopening during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is time to evaluate the country's vaccine management plan, economic costs and prospects of recovery. While the reopening is worth the attendant risks, Thailand is paying a disproportionately high price for earlier mistakes and the government's mismanagement. The local production of the AstraZeneca vaccine was delayed and short of target. It should have led to the transfer and demotion of elected officials and public health bureaucrats involved but so far there has been no accountability. This means the reopening is a big bet on public health.

Wissanu: 'Don't defy charter court'The government has warned protesters not to defy the Constitutional Court's ruling which ordered them to stop any actions that pose a threat to the constitutional monarchy. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon echoed the view, saying protest groups must comply with the court's ruling and order. He also brushed aside speculation that future demonstrations may become violent, saying the court's ruling has laid the issue to rest. The statement said protesters were exercising their right to freedom of expression and to demonstrate, which was protected by the constitution. Cholnan Srikaew, the leader of the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, said that party members had been concerned that divisions could arise over the charter court's ruling.