(Photo: Ministry of Agriculture)Over 22 million rai covered by Sor Por Kor 4-01 documents, widely known as land rights for the poor, will be upgraded to land title deeds for agriculture within five years, according to Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow. The ministry hopes to convert the status of 22 million rai of land under its responsibility within five years. Capt Thamanat said that more than 200,000 people have registered for the land title upgrade and that the Agricultural Land Reform Office branches in each province are ready to support them. Some 22 million rai of Sor Por Kor land is now occupied by 1.6 million families. In 1995, then-agriculture minister Suthep Thaugsuban was accused of overseeing the granting of Sor Por Kor land to wealthy and connected people in Phuket.

An Ecuadorean journalist who was held hostage by gunmen during the takeover of a Guayaquil TV station and obliged to appear on camera at gunpoint told Reuters on Wednesday (January 10) the experience was "surreal."

Bitfinex, HTX and Kucoin are among eight exchanges whose apps are no longer available on the App Store in India. The move marks a significant escalation of India’s crackdown on offshore crypto platforms, which started on Dec 28 when authorities notified nine exchanges that they were suspected of misconduct. Indian crypto traders had already began moving deposits to local exchanges that abide by the country’s regulations, fearful of losing access to their funds. In 2022, authorities delivered a major blow to local crypto exchanges by introducing a tax on transactions that caused trading volumes to plummet. Local exchanges had complained that the 1% levy drove Indian crypto traders to offshore platforms that did not impose it, further hurting their revenues.

Govt gets green light to borrow to finance digital handout plan: ministerDeputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat welcomes supporters of the digital wallet scheme at the Pheu Thai Party's headquarters in October last year. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)The government’s plan to fund a 500 billion baht cash handout with special borrowing legislation got the green light from its legal adviser, clearing a key hurdle to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s controversial stimulus programme. The Council of State said it is within the government’s power to enact the borrowing bill for the cash stimulus scheme, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat told reporters on Monday. The so-called digital wallet plan could still face legal challenges from those opposed to the handout. A committee tasked to oversee the cash handout programme will meet soon to discuss the draft bill and plan the timeline of cash distribution, Mr Julapun said.

Gender not importantRe: "Robbery done to 'fund revenge plot'", (BP, Jan 6). In regard to your recent article about a "transgender woman" robbing a gold shop in Sadao district, I fail to understand why her gender identity is an important issue. This is especially unfortunate in the article's final sentence which mentions that the police "obtained clues about her whereabouts, confirming her transgender identity". What does this even mean, and again, why is it important? This is the same problem with headlines that read, "Hmong man robs store", when there would never be a headline about "central Thai man robs store".

Thaksin's daughter denies she will soon join cabinetPheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra inspects universal healthcare service at Chaturaphakphiman Hospital in Chaturaphak Phiman district of Roi Et on Sunday. (Photo: Pheu Thai Party)Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Sunday denied that she would be appointed a cabinet minister amid speculation about a cabinet reshuffle. The Pheu Thai leader also declined to comment about cabinet posts involving three Pheu Thai ministers who were speculated to resign as list-MPs. She said the matter should be addressed by the prime minister because she had nothing with this matter. Deputy Prime Minister and Pheu Thai heavyweight Phumtham Wechayachai on Sunday reiterated that there would be no cabinet reshuffle to include Ms Paetongtarn in the cabinet or nominate her as the prime minister.

The Aditya-L1 solar probe is seen at an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) facility prior to its launch. (Photo: ISRO)BENGALURU - India’s first solar mission, Aditya-L1, has reached its destination within the anticipated four-month timeframe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday. Named after the Hindi word for the sun, the mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) follows the first successful landing of any kind on the moon’s south pole, after a Russian attempt failed. The mission to study the sun is among several projects that ISRO has lined up through the year. Key among them is its first human space mission and a low-Earth orbit observatory system jointly developed with NASA, called Nisar.

NTT Data recently introduced its new operating model, effective from April 2024, along with a new executive. The company said the merger of NTT Data with NTT Ltd highlights its commitment to maintaining leadership in the IT and technology sectors. This approach enables NTT Data to combine global capabilities with local expertise, fostering close proximity and strong client relationships, he said. The merger also turned NTT Data into a financial powerhouse, gaining access to both capital and lots of cutting-edge innovation, Mr Dubey said. MARKET LEADERThailand holds a significant position as a top 15 market globally for NTT Data and its business overseas.

As so many have noted, the total fatalities in these holiday periods are no more or less than the annual average. Figures for the number of drunk driving detections are listed, but with no information on whether those drivers were allowed to continue their journey or locked up. It is a troubling acceptance of this ongoing tragedy that many Thais seem to equate road deaths with the randomness of lightning strikes. We paid for my Thai wife's daughter to do a one-week course, which included a mere 1.5 hours on trafficked roads. In Australia, learner drivers have to do 120 hours of logged driving in all conditions with a fully licensed driver.

State telecom enterprise National Telecom (NT) is eager to join the smart meter project operated by Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) and Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) by providing the two state enterprises with data communications services. According to the state enterprise, creating new revenue streams is one of its critical goals this year. New chairman Nattapon Nattasomboon said NT approached MEA and PEA regarding their guidelines for the development of the smart meter project. Mr Nattapon said NT would optimise its 700-megahertz spectrum network capacity to provide the connectivity to support the smart meter project. Telecom operators have to pay a rental fee to the single last mile provider at the standard rate.

"But when I look at the Defence Ministry's budget allocations, I wonder whether the armed forces will be able to reshape themselves," he said. He said the Defence Ministry has requested 198 billion baht, an increase of 3.8 billion baht from the 2023 fiscal year. A breakdown of budget spending shows that spending on military personnel alone was increasing every year and was now 55% of the total, and in particular, the army has spent about 64% of the total budget, he said. According to sources, the Defence Ministry's budget allocations were often slashed during past economic crises. Mr Aekkarat also criticised the Defence Ministry's secret budget, saying the law does not allow parliament to scrutinise this budget.

A sign promotes the 20-baht flat fare now in effect on Red Line trains at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. The two rail lines are therefore expected to start making profits soon, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said on Thursday. Before the 20-baht flat-rate fare was introduced, the two rail lines were losing about 6.9 million baht per day, said Mr Suriya. The Red Line is operated by the State Railway of Thailand, which already has debts exceeding 200 billion baht. They are the two most heavily used rail lines in the capital.

PTT sets up logistics venture to tap BRIThe pilot transportation of agricultural goods from Thailand to China's Chengdu by rail. GML aims to help develop Thailand into a regional logistics hub to connect the local logistics system with global logistics networks, said Chansak Chuenchom, PTT's senior executive vice-president for engineering and infrastructure and chairman of GML. GML aims to transport goods through the rail system under the BRI that connects China with Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The company partners with Pan-Asia Silk Road, a logistics and cargo transport company, to transport goods via Laos to southern China. "Using a rail system for freight transport can save 20% of costs compared to road transport.

Bold reforms are now needed to make the recovery more solid and inclusive, according to a new report by the Organisation for Co-operation and Development (OECD). Private consumption is projected to remain strong, despite the gradual phase-out of government relief measures and high levels of household debt. Further policy action to raise productivity will be key to support convergence towards higher income levels amid a declining working-age population. Recent developments have high­- lighted the need for Thailand to build a more comprehensive social safety net to support vulnerable households. Stronger incentives are needed for both domestic and foreign investment in higher energy efficiency, renewables and green innovation.

Wheel falls off Yellow Line train and hits taxi, just 9 days after Pink Line conductor rail incidentPolice inspect the wheel that fell from a Yellow Line monorail train on Thepharak Road in Samut Prakan on Tuesday night. (Screenshot from Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda Kamakorn Khao Facebook page)A wheel fell off a Yellow Line monorail train and hit a taxi on Thepharak Road in Samut Prakan on Tuesday evening. It was reported that the Yellow Line service continued and the damaged train had already entered its depot. The 30.4-kilometre MRT Yellow Line serves Bangkok and Samut Prakan, with 23 stations along the Lat Phrao and Srinakarin Road corridors. The Yellow Line is operated by Eastern Bangkok Monorail Co Ltd and the Pink Line by Northern Bangkok Monorail Co Ltd.