PTT ramps up drive to reduce CO2 emissions
PTT ramps up drive to reduce CO2 emissionsListen to this articleThe Arthit gas block in the Gulf of Thailand, operated by PTTEP. National oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc is stepping up efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its businesses by adopting carbon capture technology and preparing to run a trial on hydrogen usage to depend less on fossil fuels. The aim is to help Thailand achieve carbon neutrality, a balance between carbon dioxide emissions and absorption, by 2050, along with achieving the net-zero target, a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and absorption, by 2065. PTT emits more than 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, with additional carbon dioxide emissions also coming from its subsidiaries. He was providing an update on PTT's ongoing work to reduce carbon dioxide emissions during a forum held on Tuesday in Bangkok on "Net Zero and the Challenges of the New Global Economy".
Source:Bangkok Post
November 27, 2024 03:39 UTC
Retailers experiencing 'uneven' recovery
Retailers experiencing 'uneven' recoveryListen to this articleShoppers browse festive-related goods at a Bangkok department store. The TRA has predicted growth of roughly 3-5% for the retail sector in 2025, compared with GDP growth forecasts of 2.3-3.3%. However, the recovery has been gradual and uneven, depending upon different retail formats and geographical areas. Fashion and lifestyle shops, along with specialty retailers and restaurant chains, experienced growth rates ranging from 3-7%. Despite numerous positive developments, retailers continue to confront challenges, said Nath Vongphanich, president of the association.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 26, 2024 11:44 UTC
Philippines' Marcos vows to fight back after VP's assassination threat
In a strongly-worded video message addressing the nation, Marcos did not name Vice President Sara Duterte, his presidential running mate, but said "such criminal plans should not be overlooked". "The statements we heard in the previous days were troubling," Marcos said on Monday. Sara Duterte told reporters she had yet to hear the president's statement but would respond later. According to a senior justice department official, the vice president does not have immunity from prosecution. Rodrigo Duterte told the hearings he was solely responsible for the bloody crackdown and has urged the ICC to "hurry up" on its probe.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 25, 2024 17:30 UTC
Alarm over end of Thailand's free medicines policy
(File photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)A civil society group is unhappy with the Medical Council of Thailand's legal action against the National Health Security Office (NHSO)'s policy over free medicine for 16 ailments under the universal healthcare scheme. The NHSO deputy secretary-general Dr Attaporn Limpanyalert, meanwhile, insisted all universal healthcare cardholders will continue to benefit from the policy until the court reaches a verdict. On Tuesday, the Pharmacy Council of Thailand said all prescriptions fulfilled by pharmacists are handled with ultimate safety. The Pharmacy Council said the Medical Council seems not to object to people buying drugs at the pharmacy themselves, but has problems only with the NHSO's free medicine policy for universal healthcare card holders. It also called on the Medical Council to respect other professionals' ethics with regards to the prescriptions of medicines to the public.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 24, 2024 18:11 UTC
Thousands march in France to condemn violence against women
Thousands protested in several French cities on Saturday (November 23) to denounce violence against women, with the trial over the mass rape of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot orchestrated by her husband as a backdrop. Avignon demonstrator Marine Thebaud thanked Pelicot for publicizing her trial which she says shows that "aggressors are not monsters in the street, they're Mr. Everybody."
Source:Bangkok Post
November 24, 2024 04:35 UTC
Sectarian violence claims 18 more lives in Pakistan
People mourn over the graves of relatives who were killed after gunmen opened fire on passenger vehicles in the Kurram tribal district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Shalozan, Pakistan on Nov 22. (Photo: Reuters)PESHAWAR, Pakistan - At least 18 people were killed and 30 injured in further sectarian violence in northwestern Pakistan, officials said on Saturday, as tensions remained high following attacks on transport convoys that killed dozens of civilians this week. The latest killings in a tribal district began on Friday night, when armed men attacked a village in the district, said the chief secretary of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry. AFP reported on Saturday that 32 people were killed in the latest violence, citing an unnamed official. Most of the dead were Shia, officials said, sparking retaliatory attacks by armed groups, with markets and schools remaining shut in a curfew-like situation.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 23, 2024 22:17 UTC
Thai economic and investment landscape under Trump 2.0
Thai economic and investment landscape under Trump 2.0The global economy in the first quarter of 2025 will be shaped by three themes: US economic resilience, China's strategic pivot, and escalating economic tensions following Donald Trump's return to the White House. While employment growth has slowed significantly, the Federal Reserve's Beige Book signals a broader economic deceleration. The International Monetary Fund projects increased trade barriers under the Trump administration could slow global economic growth by 0.1 to 0.8 percentage points in 2025, intensifying to 0.2 to 1.2 points in 2026. We like companies that have earnings growth, with domestic consumption increasing, that are backed by economic stimulus and are defensive by nature. On this basis, our top picks for the first quarter of 2025 are ADVANC, AOT, BCH, CPALL and HMPRO.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 23, 2024 16:09 UTC
People's Party seeks a provincial win
In fact, he is a seasoned politician and was elected Udon Thani municipal councillor in 2004, a Udon Thani PAO member in 2008 and a PAO vice chairman in 2005. The party grabbed one of 10 House seats in the province from Pheu Thai, which also lost in two other constituencies to Thai Sang Thai, originally labelled as a Pheu Thai offshoot. Analysts have predicted a favourable outcome for Pheu Thai in the Udon Thani PAO poll. Also, the recent 10,000-baht handout to the marginalised and underprivileged is likely to help the Pheu Thai candidate. She is said to have pulled quite a few strings locally to increase the Pheu Thai candidate's chance of winning.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 23, 2024 02:47 UTC
Second Australian dies after Laos poisoning
Listen to this articleThe Nana Backpacker Hostel is popular with young travellers in Vang Vieng, Laos. (Photo: Nana Backpacker Hostel Facebook)A second Australian teenager has died of suspected methanol poisoning, bringing to six the number of foreign tourists who have died after apparently drinking tainted alcohol in Laos. The owner of the backpacker hostel where the two young Australians were staying before they fell violently ill has been detained by police for questioning in Laos, the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) reported. An unnamed American man and two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, are also among the victims of the suspected poisoning. He believed those who became ill could have consumed the tainted drinks at another bar in the town.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 23, 2024 02:03 UTC
Court rejects petition over Thaksin's political influence
Court rejects petition over Thaksin's political influenceFormer prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra speaks to members of the media as he attends THACCA SPLASH - Soft Power Forum 2024 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok on June 28, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)The Constitutional Court on Friday rejected a petition seeking to bar billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra from interfering in the ruling Pheu Thai Party and colluding with it to overthrow the constitutional monarchy. All nine judges agreed that the petition, filed by lawyer Teerayut Suwankesorn, did not meet the court's conditions and criteria. The petition alleged Thaksin was attempting to undermine the monarchy and influence Pheu Thai. Thaksin, the father of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has consistently denied exerting influence over Pheu Thai since his return from 15 years of self-imposed exile in 2023.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 22, 2024 18:23 UTC
Government vows to support digital assets
Listen to this articleThe Thai Digital Asset Association recently said Thailand has the potential to become a digital asset hub. The government has pledged to create opportunities and make investments in digital assets more accessible, seeking to position Thailand as a regional leader. During a keynote speech on digital assets in Thailand at a Binance TH event, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat said the government would like a partnership with the private sector to support the robust growth of the digital asset market. He said the government prioritises digital literacy, recognising the rapid pace of technological change and its integral role in people's daily lives. He said he was participating in the event to symbolise the government's commitment to creating opportunities and simplifying digital asset investment, aiming to position Thailand as a regional leader in the digital asset space.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 22, 2024 17:13 UTC
US charges Indian billionaire Adani with bribery
Listen to this articleIndian billionaire Gautam Adani addresses delegates during the Bengal Global Business Summit in Kolkata, India, on April 20, 2022. (Photo: Reuters)Gautam Adani, the billionaire chairman of the Indian conglomerate Adani Group and one of the world’s richest people, has been indicted in New York over his role in a $265-million bribery scheme, according to US prosecutors. A judge has issued arrest warrants for Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani and prosecutors plan to hand those warrants to foreign law enforcement, court records show. Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Jaain were charged with securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Jaain were charged with securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy, and the Adanis were also charged in a US Securities and Exchange Commission civil case.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 21, 2024 21:53 UTC
Jury still out on Thaksin’s ‘dual citizenship’
(Photo: Pheu Thai Party)Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa on Wednesday downplayed reports that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s role as a “campaign assistant” for the Pheu Thai Party may be illegal as he holds dual citizenship. Political activist Sonthiya Sawasdee has petitioned the Election Commission (EC), seeking an investigation into Thaksin’s involvement, following the ex-premier’s high-profile visit to Udon Thani recently. Montenegro prohibits dual citizenship but from 2019-22 it offered “citizenship by investment” to those who invested at least 250,000 euros in the country. Suriya Jungrungreangkit, the transport minister and a key Pheu Thai figure, said the party’s legal team had discussed the reports. Thaksin and Pheu Thai have been the targets of multiple legal complaints that centre on his barely concealed influence over the government.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 21, 2024 06:25 UTC
US will provide land mines to Ukraine after approval on missiles
Washington's shift on missile strikes came about after North Korean troops arrived to support Russian forces on the battlefield. Ukraine took advantage of the ATACMS approval to strike a military base on Russian territory. The Biden administration has vowed to expedite weapons deliveries and other support for Ukraine ahead of Trump's inauguration on Jan 20. Russia had been warning the West for months that if Washington allowed Ukraine to fire US, British and French missiles deep into Russia, Moscow would consider North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) members to be directly involved in the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in October that Moscow will respond to Ukraine's strikes with US-made weapons deep into Russia.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 20, 2024 17:18 UTC
Hostels demand new regulations for sector amid slump
Hostels demand new regulations for sector amid slumpListen to this articleMs Naree, centre, said many hostels have been shuttered since the pandemic due to a lack of funds. There are only 800 hostels offering 40,000 beds in Thailand, down significantly from 2019, when there were 1,200 hostels offering 60,000 beds, generating over 400 million baht revenue. She added that the hotel regulations are also too stringent in terms of the safety certification, and this usually requires a huge budget to develop the safety mechanism required. She said the government should draft the new regulation before the latest ministerial regulations allowing hostels to enter the system expire in August 2025. The Hostel Thailand Association was established last year.
Source:Bangkok Post
November 20, 2024 15:28 UTC