Don't derail charter fix
Don't derail charter fixThe recent ruling issued by the Constitutional Court on the power of parliament in amending the 2017 charter has led to various interpretations amid predictions that if things go wrong the country could head into another period of intense conflict. Like it or not, parliament and the government are obliged to follow the contentious ruling which stipulates a referendum ahead of the charter amendment. The government, particularly Prime Minister Prayut, should be reminded of its commitment on the charter rewrite, which was a party election campaign policy. Even better, the government with its majority must accelerate the referendum bill, so it is promulgated in time for the forthcoming charter referendum. If most people give the charter rewrite a yes, parliament can resume the third reading for Section 256, vote and immediately kick off the election of the charter drafting assembly.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 17, 2021 23:48 UTC
The fight for a freer web continues
The fight for a freer web continuesThe social media platform Telegram has over 500 million users with over 55 million active every day. The slickness of the platforms is not quite there yet and others like Rumble still have more and longer ads than YouTube. That said I recently watched a longer clip on YouTube and faced 10 ad breaks averaging four minutes apart. - I'm looking to put together a new computer, specifically for music production and hosting a digital studio workstation or DAW. - A warning that while using Google Chrome's browser in "incognito" or "stealth" mode Google is still secretly tracking your web activity.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 17, 2021 03:11 UTC
NT pays first instalment of 700MHz licence fee
NT pays first instalment of 700MHz licence feeMr Viroj (fifth from right) led NT's executives on Tuesday as the company made its first instalment payment of 3.6 billion baht to the NBTC. National Telecom (NT) on Tuesday paid for the first instalment of the 700-megahertz spectrum licence fee, ending speculation that the merged unit of CAT Telecom and TOT may ditch the frequency over concerns about the viability of the 5G business plan. For the 700MHz licence, the winning bidders are obliged to pay the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) in 10 instalments for the licence fees. The first instalment must be paid at least 15 days before the 700MHz range is made available for usage on April 1. On Tuesday, AWN also paid 1.83 billion baht for the first instalment of the 700MHz range fee, including VAT, to the NBTC.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 16, 2021 23:27 UTC
Ratchanok targets semis place
Ratchanok targets semis placeThailand's Ratchanok Intanon is seeded fourth at the All England Open. Ratchanok Intanon will lead the Thai challenge at the All England Open, which begins on Wednesday in Birmingham. Ratchanok, who has lost in the All England Open final twice, aims to reach the semi-finals this week. The 26-year-old had unconvincing results in the Bangkok tournaments but that could be a boon for her. Sixth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong, who secured a sensational win over Ratchanok in Bangkok, will take on world No.60 Ksenia Polikarpova of Israel.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 16, 2021 23:15 UTC
One vaccine isn't enough
One vaccine isn't enoughAs Germany, France, Spain and Italy continue to temporarily halt the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine over a few incidents of blood clotting, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha led members of his cabinet to take the shot yesterday. To prove that the government has the public's health and state of the economy at heart, it must strive to reduce the risk of being overly dependent on a single vaccine. An offer from AstraZeneca to make Thailand a vaccine production hub through a transfer of technology agreement would upgrade the country's capability as well, Mr Anutin noted. According to Mr Anutin, the number of people to be vaccinated should be large enough to achieve herd immunity. Isn't it too much of a risk to bet the health and welfare of most Thais and by extension the economy on a single brand of vaccine?
Source:Bangkok Post
March 16, 2021 23:15 UTC
Nestlé drives sustainability strategy through ‘Every Little Act Matters’
Nestlé drives sustainability strategy through ‘Every Little Act Matters’New campaign encourages Thai behavioral change for a waste-free futureNestlé, the world’s leading food and beverage company, is focussing on its sustainability strategy to help create a waste-free future by encouraging behavioral changes among Thais, starting with small and easy steps. The “Every Little Act Matters” campaign is expected to drive ideas and inspire people to adapt their behavior. Nestlé Thailand has made tremendous progress in developing innovative eco-friendly packaging. Therefore, Nestlé is driving sustainability as one of its core strategies in 2021 by launching the “Every Little Act Matters” campaign, with a video that explains it’s easy to help create sustainability in this world. Nestlé believes every little act matters and can lead to big changes.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 16, 2021 04:18 UTC
Hallyu is here to stay
This has boosted the profile of Korean content and increased its quality, helping it get more investments and new fans across the globe. This year marks the fifth anniversary of multinational streaming giant Netflix expanding its service worldwide and entering South Korea. We've seen a huge surge in interest in Korean content, especially amongst our Asian audiences. When comparing 2019 to 2020, the number of people watching Korean content has grown four times. The Silent SeaA South Korean sci-fi mystery thriller starring Bae Doona, Gong Yoo and Lee Joon.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 15, 2021 23:03 UTC
Short-term 'fear factor' a gamble that can't last
Short-term 'fear factor' a gamble that can't lastWhat does the pro-monarchy camp gain by applying the controversial lese majeste law with full force? Leaderless, the anti-government protest which saw ten of thousands of demonstrators at its peak has dwindled. In the course of four months since the PM made a U-turn to reapply the lese majeste law, what was once unthinkable has become plain to see, and not just on social media. If heavy-handed tactics and the lese majeste law have only brought a once hidden anti-monarchy agenda into the mainstream, how much force will it take to contain in future? The fear factor may seem satisfactory to the powers-that-be right now but they constitute a major gamble considering the resources they have in store at the moment and what the future holds.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 15, 2021 22:52 UTC
High time to end land row
High time to end land rowThe government has made yet another promise to end the prolonged land conflict between the Karen villagers in the upper Bang Kloi village in Phetchaburi's Kaeng Krachan National Park and state authorities. Back in 1981, the government also declared the area a national park, even though there was ample evidence which suggested human habitation long before that. Their first demands call for the NRE Ministry, in particular Mr Varawut, to cease hostilities against Bang Kloi villagers and that park officials stop distorting information about the dispute. Researchers, however, said they have difficulties communicating with the villagers, as they fear park officials. The land conflict has dragged on long for enough, and it requires political will to really resolve it.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 15, 2021 22:52 UTC
Leadership in the fear zone
When we’re in the fear zone, we inevitably feel afraid or anxious and start to lose some of our confidence. The very first step — which many organisations are facing today – is taking that leap into the fear zone. The role of business leaders begins with guiding their people toward regaining their confidence in the fear zone. While in the fear zone, people can be overwhelmed by the many things thrown at them. The leap from the comfort zone to the fear zone is a daunting one, a journey we wouldn’t choose to jump into immediately.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 15, 2021 00:00 UTC
Helping students help themselves
Recently, in a guidance class, a teacher asked junior high school students to fill out a form, so that the information could be used to help students discover themselves. Students had no idea that a counsellor was supposed to help them figure out what they were good at and what kind of careers they could pursue. Thus, they could not effectively help students to plan their future. If students have better counsellors, they may be less confused and able to make a better choice for their future. This is not the first case in which a Thai teacher discouraged a student and it surely will not be the last.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 14, 2021 23:26 UTC
Protesters must keep showing restraint
Protesters must keep showing restraintPro-democracy protesters take part in a demonstration in Bangkok on March 13. afpA group of anti-establishment protesters, calling itself the People Go Network (PGN), has defied police warnings not to camp overnight in front of Government House, and are settling in for a long stay at that very spot. Interestingly, the demand for reform of the monarchy, which is one of the priority demands of the Ratsadon group, was not mentioned. The movement itself is also suffering from internal conflict and its key leaders have been remanded in prison on lese majeste charges. Only Piyarat was spared the lese majeste charge. The protesters' mentor, exiled former Thammasat lecturer Somsak Jeamteerasakul, said later that protests without leaders do not work and urged the protesters to return home, regroup and start over.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 14, 2021 23:15 UTC
Meditating on a new kind of criminal
In October last year, former national police chief, Pol Gen Chaktip Chaijinda, appointed him as head of a new bureau established to deal with internet-related criminal activity. "It was a challenge to be the first to head up this bureau because I had to start from scratch. Pol Lt Gen Kornchai wants to collaborate more with the Department of Corrections to keep more of an eye on former inmates. Pol Lt Gen Kornchai said cybercrime police is working closely with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. As with other police forces around the world, we are becoming ever more proficient in tackling this type of criminal.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 14, 2021 23:15 UTC
Debate host a model in cool
Debate host a model in coolWith her intense gaze and a pen in her right hand, Jomquan Laopetch has become a household name as she moderates heated debates between those on different ends of the political spectrum. The termination of her contract with Thairath TV at the end of January made headlines and prompted widespread speculation about her next move. Straight Talk with Jomquan ran on Thairath TV for five years. Jomquan's courage and reputation for tackling controversial issues make her one of this year's Bangkok Post Women of The Year. However, after working on up to eight shows a week in her youth, the job began to take its toll.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 14, 2021 23:15 UTC
Don't derail charter push
Don't derail charter pushAfter the March 11 ruling by Constitutional Court over the charter rewrite, the ball is now in parliament's court. Parliament is scheduled on Wednesday to vote for the third reading of a charter amendment draft paving the way for the setting up of a charter drafting assembly. However, it is highly possible the court's ruling would be interpreted by most government MPs and senators as a way to derail the charter amendment process for their own ends. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha earlier vowed to push for constitutional amendments and his government presented its own version of a charter rewrite bill. The parliamentary session on Wednesday will prove the sincerity of the government and the prime minister towards the charter amendment plan.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 14, 2021 23:15 UTC