NCSA investigates two data leakage episodesThe National Cybersecurity Agency (NCSA) has confirmed the personal data of 106 million international travellers to Thailand was exposed online last month, but was quickly secured by authorities, with no sale of the data on underground websites. NCSA is also investigating the reported leakage of personal data from 15 million user records on e-commerce platform Shopee. Gp Capt Amorn Chomchoey, acting secretary-general of NCSA, said Thai authorities were alerted to the leak of travellers' data from a white hacker detecting the unsecured database. According to Comparitech, Thai authorities responded quickly to the disclosure, but the firm had no indication of how long the data was exposed prior to being indexed. He said the Personal Data Protection Act, slated for enforcement in June 2022, would be useful because it authorises fines for those who leak personal data.

OIC unmoved by soaring Covid claimsTotal claims for Covid-19 insurance ballooned to 9.43 billion baht at the end of August and are expected to continue rising as the daily infection rate remains high, says the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC). OIC secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn said the office monitors and inspects many insurance companies and has not found any systemic risk or impending liquidity crunch arising from the surge in Covid claims. By the end of August, insurance companies paid 9.43 billion baht in Covid claims. Although the increase in claim payments may affect some companies offering Covid insurance, the OIC insisted the premiums received were sufficient to sustain businesses. The OIC is overseeing companies' financial status and operating conditions, both inside and outside insurance companies' offices.

Huawei in 5G partnership with hospitalsMr Anutin (centre) attends a live demonstration of 5G smart ambulance, telemedicine and home isolation solutions for remote diagnosis and treatment of patients. Global tech powerhouse Huawei has signed a two-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Thailand's Department of Medical Services (DMS) to enhance the country's medical services using 5G-powered technologies. DMS wants to introduce enhanced smart services that apply integrated digital technologies using 5G infrastructure, artificial intelligence, big data and cloud edge computing. With advanced ICT equipment, DMS's expertise and the adoption of 5G technology, it can create equal access to quality and timely healthcare, he said, adding that the DMS and Huawei will jointly explore the benefits of 5G in the healthtech field under this MoU. Under this two-year agreement, Huawei will provide 5G technology to the two partner hospitals, enabling the immediate upgrade of their existing infrastructure, he said.

Given the lack of progress toward ending global hunger and malnutrition by 2030, the UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, will convene a Food Systems Summit in New York on Sept 23. One of Gain's donors is the pesticide producer BASF, which seeks to portray itself as a "food systems hero". UN human-rights experts have been damning in their criticism of the process, which has sidelined the UN's Committee on World Food Security (CFS). Permitting this outlook to dominate major international forums like the UN Food Systems Summit will further undermine democracy and self-determination. Sadly, the UN summit is more likely to feed corporate profits than provide hope to hundreds of millions of hungry people.

Veerathai: Bolster advanced techThe government needs to address seven pressing issues in its new national economic and social development plan, says Veerathai Santiprabhob, former governor of the Bank of Thailand. He made the remarks on Wednesday at the annual meeting of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). The first pressing issue is bloated state agencies and state enterprises, resulting in ballooning state budgets, Mr Veerathai said. This could result in Thailand becoming less interesting in the eyes of foreign investors as the country's domestic market is still small, said Mr Veerathai. The country should also focus more on human resource development, particularly in the science and technology domain, Mr Veerathai said.

The ministries recently announced school safety measures requiring at least 85% of teachers and staff to be vaccinated. The authorities also require schools to randomly conduct Covid-rapid tests on staff and students by using antigen test kits every two weeks. The schools will limit the number of students in classes by half to allow social distancing. Some ISAT member schools conducted a survey asking if parents wanted their kids to return to school. "We ask that the government allow schools to open under strict safety conditions as soon as possible."

Ciggie tax needs careNext week, the cabinet will decide on a new excise tax structure for cigarettes that will be implemented from Oct 1. Under the current rate, a 20% tax rate is applied to the retail price for packs costing up to 60 baht, and 40% for more expensive retail packs. Indeed, a flat tax rate of 40% was scheduled to be applied in October 2019. The Finance Ministry previously requested the cabinet extend the two-tier tobacco tax rate to the end of September 2020. While several countries use tax measures to reduce cigarette smoking, local tax has played far too many roles and has hardly accomplished anything.

'Joe Ferrari' case lifts lid on police corruptionThe case of 'Joe Ferrari' has spotlighted police corruption that experts say infects almost every level of society in Thailand. The case of Thitisan Utthanaphon, a former police station chief in a rural province -- nicknamed "Joe Ferrari" for his extravagant lifestyle -- has fired up calls for reform. The footage went viral, shocking the kingdom and prompting police to arrest Pol Col Thitisan and several other officers. Pol Col Thitisan denies all the charges against him. Seven years on, the Joe Ferrari case shows how little has been achieved in stamping out police malpractice, and observers hold out little hope of serious change.

SCB, AIS shares jump over online lending JVShares in Thailand's third largest lender, Siam Commercial Bank Plc (SCB) jumped in morning trading on Wednesday, following its announcement of a joint venture with the country's top mobile network, Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS). SCB and AIS late on Tuesday announced the creation of AISCB, to provide online lending via online platforms. AIS shares rose nearly 3% against a benchmark index gain of 0.1%. AIS, which has 43 million mobile subscribers in Thailand, will hold equal shares in the venture. Rival lender Kasikornbank Plc began a digital lending push with Japanese mobile chat app operator Line Corp and launched services last year.

Mathayom 6 student hangs himselfMedics with the wrapped body of the 18-year-old boy who hanged himself at his grandparents' house in Bua Yai district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, on Tuesday night, ready to take him to Bua Yai Hospital for postmortem examination. (Photo: Prasit Tangprasert)NAKHON RATCHASIMA: An 18-year-old Mathayomsuksa 6 student hanged himself in his room at his grandparents' house in Bua Yai district on Tuesday night, leaving a suicide note, police said. Police and medics from Bua Yai Hospital rushed to the house at Non Kaphi village in tambon Non Thong Lang on being informed. Dew lived in the house with his grandparents because his father and mother were away working in Bangkok. Dew's body was sent to Bua Yai Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Personal data of 106m travellers exposed onlinePeople wait to clear immigration outside the arrivals hall at Suvarnabhumi airport in 2017. Their personal information, along with that of millions of other travellers over the past decade, could be among the details exposed online. He said the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which will be fully enforced in June next year, was an instrumental tool in dealing with such violations. Fines could be levied on those who leak personal data. The public must also do a better job of protecting their personal information, such as using two-factor authentication.

Prawit insists ties with Prayut, Anupong remain solidDeputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, left, and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha sit side by side in the parliament during the recent no-confidence debate. (Parliament photo)Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has affirmed that his ties with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda are still solid and unbreakable. Gen Prayut led his entourage to Phetchaburi while Gen Prawit, accompanied by a large number of Palang Pracharath Party MPs, visited Ayutthaya. Gen Prawit said he and Gen Prayut never had problems with each other, but the media had tried to drive a wedge between them. Gen Prawit said the only reason he did not accompany Gen Prayut was that he could not walk as quickly as the prime minister.

Carlos the Jackal seeks shorter jail term at French trialThe 71-year-old Venezuelan militant, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, has been behind bars in France sinc 1994PARIS - Carlos the Jackal, who was behind some of the biggest terror attacks of the 1970s and 1980s, will attempt to have one of his three life sentences cut at a trial starting Wednesday in Paris. "I am a professional revolutionary; revolution is my job," the left-winger who fought alongside radicalised Palestinians, Germany's Red Army Faction and the Japanese Red Army, told a French appeals court in 2018. Carlos has always denied responsibility for the attack at the Publicis Drugstore at Saint-Germain-des-Pres in the heart of Paris's Left Bank. He became one of the world's most-wanted men after leading a brazen attack on a meeting of the OPEC oil cartel in Vienna in 1975. Carlos and five other gunmen took 11 oil ministers and dozens of others hostage.

August exports up, says ministerExports increased in August but at a slower pace than in July as coronavirus restrictions hit manufacturing and logistics, the commerce minister said on Wednesday. Exports should remain positive for the rest of the year, Jurin Laksanawisit told a seminar. The ministry is due to release August trade data on Thursday. A Reuters poll forecast an annual 13.5% increase in exports in August, versus July's 20.27% rise.

The board did not announce any immediate decision and said it would meet again "soon." The board had already met with Georgieva, who denies the charges, last Thursday and Friday, immediately after the investigation was made public. The independent investigation found that during her time as World Bank CEO, Georgieva and then World Bank President Jim Yong Kim pressured staff to change their methodology to allow China not to dip in the closely watched rankings. US voices weigh heaviest in the IMF executive board, which chooses the organization's managing director, and the country also has a right of veto. The World Bank immediately announced that it would stop publishing the report.