As a cardiologist at Chiang Mai University, he has been raising awareness about the severity of the pollution issue for a decade. GOVERNMENT ROLEDue to the predictability of the annual northern haze, many assume that local governments are doing too little about the issue. "We work with different groups including universities, utilising satellite data in mapping out the relationship between haze pollution and maize production. One third of haze pollution in the Greater Mekong Subregion comes from maize production," Mr Tara said. "Singapore came up with the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act in relation to the companies based in Singapore that are causing forest fires and haze pollution across the border," he said.

(AFP photo)Pornpawee Chochuwong will vie for the All England Open women's singles title after reaching the final of the sport's oldest tournament in Birmingham, England, on Saturday. The Thai sixth seed defeated fifth seed Pusarla V Sindhu 21-17, 21-9 in 45 minutes in the semi-finals at Utilita Arena. The 23-year-old will face Nozomi Okuhara after the Japanese second seed rallied to defeat Ratchanok Intanon 16-21, 21-16, 21-19 in the second semi-final match. Pornpawee became only the second Thai player to reach the All England Open final. Second seed Okuhara knocked out another Thai hope Busanan Ongbamrungphan in three games on Friday.

However, it must ensure that social distancing and other preventive measures are conducted consistently in the coming months. A National Institute of Development Administration survey last week shows most respondents support the water splashing ban. After that, revellers usually hit the streets to celebrate the holiday by splashing water on each other. Water splashing is banned this year because it poses a disease transmission risk. While the ban on water splashing is a good start in preventing additional infections, the government must ensure that social distancing rules are followed by revellers during the Songkran holiday.

Full of beans, but feeling a bit guiltyWith all the tasty food available in Thailand it might seem to be sacrilege that on occasions I am partial to tucking into a bland plate of baked beans on toast. It must be something to do with my heritage, because in Britain more than two million cans of baked beans are consumed every day. I admit to having a certain guilt complex about baked beans. Baked beans also have a royal connection, the words "baked bean" being affectionate cockney rhyming slang for queen. Captain BeanyThe baked bean is held in such esteem in Britain there is even a Baked Bean Museum of Excellence in Port Talbot, Wales.

TEST YOURSELF: K-wave is here to stayPhoto © NETFLIXKorean TV has gone globalTest Yourself is where you can improve your reading skills. The K-wave is unstoppable. The Silent SeaA sci-fi mystery thriller set in the future in which Earth has undergone desertification, the series follows members of a special team sent to an abandoned research facility on the moon. My NameThis series follows a mobster's daughter after she joins a cartel and becomes a mole to seek the truth behind her father's death. The K-wave, or Hallyu as we call it here in Korea, is a huge moment of …10… pride.”7.

NO REST FOR THE WEARYThe SEC is being proactive, working fast and attacking each problem at its root, said Ms Ruenvadee. The organisation routinely analyses other markets around the world, and changes its regulations in line with international standards when necessary. Ms Ruenvadee wants the regulator to play a role in resetting old ways of thinking among market stakeholders and hopes to achieve this through the regulatory guillotine process that promises to scrap burdensome regulation. "The method of recruitment and work cannot follow the old ways of thinking," said Ms Ruenvadee. "I would never have thought to apply for this position, if it had not been the first place I ever worked," said Ms Ruenvadee.

It remains unknown why teachers did not immediately come to his rescue or what rescue actions were taken, if any. While the policy required all schools in Thailand to provide a swimming course, it lost momentum due to budget constraints and a lack of swimming pools in far-and-away areas. It remains unknown whether Thai students will ever receive the swimming tuition that may save their lives one day. But right now, what the Education Ministry can do to protect them is require schools to have adequate numbers of staff present and ensure that they are trained in safety procedures and rescue scenarios. After all, these are our children and our schools, not military training camps.

Govt urges military rulers to hold talks with protestersThe Foreign Ministry is urging Myanmar's military rulers to hold talks with political dissidents to end the conflict as Thailand prepares for a possible influx of refugees escaping violence there. Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said Thai authorities on the border were assessing the situation in Myanmar to make sure things don't get out of hand. "Some have already arrived," Mr Don said. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha discussed the issue with his deputies, Mr Don said. "We hope that peace will be restored soon or at least an avenue for dialogue should be kept open," Mr Don said.

Governor Verasak Vichitsangsri announces his plans to return to Samut Sakhon after being discharged from Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok on Friday. (Photo by Chanat Katanyu)Governor Verasak Vichitsangsri returned to Samut Sakhon on Friday after battling the coronavirus for almost three months, during which he came close to dying. Governor Verasak Vichitsangsri returns a wai to well-wishers at the provincial hall in Samut Sakhon. Samut Sakhon has registered 22,170 infections since the new surge on Dec 18, according to CCSA figures. “Samut Sakhon must get back on its feet,” he said.

Fourth seed Ratchanok Intanon will play seventh seed Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark in the quarter-finals today. (Photo: AFP)Ratchanok Intanon cruised into the quarter-finals of the All England Open Badminton Championships in Utilita Arena in Birmingham yesterday. Ratchanok, who is seeded fourth at this week's US$850,000 tournament, will play seventh seed Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark in the last eight today. The Thai ace is hoping to win her first All England Open crown after finishing runner-up twice in 2013 and 2017. Momota became the first Japanese player to win the All England Open when he did so in 2019.

The original Reverso featured a black face with contrasting indexes, which was referred to as "the dial of the future". The turning point was when the brand's Italian distributor fitted the last remaining 200 Reverso cases with mechanical movements, and they were all sold within a month. Along with the revival of mechanical watches, the Reverso featuring various complications with rectangular movements was introduced in the 1990s. Fortunately, the renewed interest in mechanical watches led to the resurgence of these crafts. The set of four Reverso watches each bore a reproduced miniature of a work by the Art Nouveau master Alphonse Mucha.

Buriram gain upper hand in race for T1 second spotFormer champions Buriram United broke two points clear of Port in the race for second spot in Thai League 1 after a 2-0 home win over Bangkok United last night. The Thunder Castle improved their points tally to 57 after Port were held to a scoreless draw by Ratchaburi on Wednesday night. BG Pathum United, who are at top of the table with 74 points, have already been assured of this year's league crown. This brings the number of Thai teams in the ACL group stages to three with Pathum and Port being the other two. The centralised matches for Group G will take place in Thailand from June 21 to July 7.

From left are Mr Suriyan, Ms Varaporn, ACM Siripol and Mr Narongchai, all part of a webinar calling on the government to prioritise aviation and logistics investment in the EEC. More robust investment will support the aviation and logistics sectors as the government aims to build a high-tech industrial hub, he said. Mega-projects like U-tapao aviation city, the MRO centre and a high-speed railway linking three airports are essential to EEC development. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, executive director of the Mekong Institute, said he believes GMS will help make Thailand an aviation and logistics hub. Some 70-80% of Thai logistics businesses are operated by SMEs, he said.

Sinking of bill bodes illFollowing the fierce showdown between the opposition bloc and the governing coalition, which had the backing of the pro-military Senate, parliament on Wednesday night sank the charter amendment bill -- a move that bodes ill for the country's return to democracy. The bill was dropped as, with 208 "yes" votes, it failed to garner support from at least half of parliament. The sinking of the bill came as no surprise. The sinking of the bill may be deemed as a convenient triumph for Prime Minister Prayut and the PPRP in that it could secure another term for the army-chief-turned-premier. Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul tried to downplay the rift but whether it can be mended remains to be seen.

C-Level Livestock best practices in the spotlightFood Industry value chain challenges addressed over dinner by VNU Asia PacificVNU Asia Pacific on 10 March 2021 organised an Exclusive Dinner Talk on “Food for Good: Best Practices and Lessons Learned” in Bangkok. Mr. Heiko M. Stutzinger, Managing Director of VNU Asia Pacific and VNU Europe/VIV Director led the panel discussion which was the highlight of the event. The three speakers touched on the topics of “How to put our heart into Food Production / People’s Productivity / Packaging and Branding” giving attendees great ideas to apply in their management practices. He explained that, “As food safety concerns and food delivery have become prominent during the COVID 19 pandemic, the importance of food packaging has increased significantly. Stay tuned at www.vivasia.nl and www.meatpro-asia.com or contact VNU Asia Pacific at +662 1116611 (Bangkok’s Office).