Crypto scammers in the crosshairs
With its large user base, the company must combat bad actors on its own, collaborating with local law enforcement authorities. "Last year we received more than 47,000 requests from law enforcement agencies, and the number will be even higher this year," said Mr Jakubcek. Law enforcement must adapt to keep pace with dynamic trends, especially in the cryptocurrency world," he said. These schemes have resulted in victims losing from 10 million baht to 100 million baht, said Pol Col Thanathas. Pol Col Thanathas warned crypto users not to electronically store their digital wallet's private keys, as hackers can potentially access them.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 23, 2023 17:51 UTC
Bangkok Post - Opinion channel - Postbag
Naval dramasRe: "Charm blitz a smokescreen", (Editorial, Dec 19) & "China-made sub engine is now 'okay'", (BP, Nov 21). Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang must have greeted his appointment with very mixed emotions. On the one hand, he was warmly congratulated for becoming the first civilian minister of defence not concurrently serving as prime minister. What a headache for Minister Sutin. Over to you, Minister Sutin.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 23, 2023 01:46 UTC
PTTEP buys into North Sea wind farm
The Seagreen offshore wind farm in the North Sea, 27 kilometres off the east coast of Scotland. (Photo: PTTEP)PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP) is expanding into the clean energy business by acquiring a 25.5% share in the Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm, the largest offshore wind power generation facility in Scotland, for £522 million, or around 24 billion baht. TotalEnergies Renewables Seagreen Holdco holds a 51% share in Seagreen, so upon completion of the transaction, FutureTech will make an indirect investment in the wind farm of 25.5% proportionately. Seagreen, with power generation capacity of 1.1 gigawatts, is located in the North Sea, 27 kilometres off the east coast of Scotland, where it has strong wind potential. The investment gives PTTEP experience in offshore renewable energy operation, preparing it for further investments in clean energy businesses, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 22, 2023 18:23 UTC
Thaicom inaugurates satellite gateway
Thaicom inaugurates satellite gatewaySatellite operator Thaicom yesterday launched the Thaicom-Globalstar satellite gateway in Thailand to provide low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation services and solutions. The facilities providing the gateway are located at Thaicom's satellite station in Pathum Thani province. Globalstar is a global LEO satellite operator and a leading provider of satellite IoT solutions and mobile satellite services. The deal with Globalstar is a part of Thaicom's business development roadmap as LEO satellite business is one aspect of Thaicom's business diversification, and to complement its satellite services portfolio. LEO satellite business for IoT solutions allows businesses to streamline operations, providing safety and communication and enabling assets to be monitored remotely via Thaicom's satellite network.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 22, 2023 10:19 UTC
KBank predicts marginal gains
KBank predicts marginal gainsA man walks past the entrance to the KBank Building in the Rat Burana district of Bangkok. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)Kasikornbank (KBank) expects to book marginal growth this year, in line with economic circumstances. KBank set a loan growth target of 5-7% this year, said chief executive Kattiya Indaravijaya. In addition, higher debt repayment of commercial loans should impact total loan growth this year, she said. "We will wait for actual data in the fourth quarter before drawing a conclusion on flat or marginal loan growth for the whole year.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 22, 2023 01:51 UTC
Gang of young procurers smashed
A young woman is arrested for allegedly procuring underage girls for Chinese customers. (Photo supplied/Wassayos Ngamkham)Police have arrested seven young women, five of them under 18, for allegedly procuring underage girls who were still virgins for Chinese customers. The gang members reportedly lured the girls to fly with them from Mae Hong Son to Bangkok under the guise of entertainment. All of the suspects had sold sex to Chinese customers before becoming procurers, said Pol Maj Gen Saruti. Another young woman involved in procuring underage girls for Chinese men is arrested .
Source:Bangkok Post
December 22, 2023 01:38 UTC
Student says shooting was a part of initiation
Student says shooting was a part of initiationAnawin Kaewkeb, the 20-year-old shooter (photo: police)A 20-year-old student submitted a statement confessing to shooting and killing a vocational student and a female teacher in Klong Toey district last month, saying the slaying was part of a sophomore year induction adopted by his gang. During the Nov 11 shooting, Mr Anawin allegedly rode pillion on a motorcycle before dismounting and shooting Thanasorn Hongsawat, a 19-year-old first-year student at Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok Uthenthawai Campus. The shooting was believed to be a revenge attack stemming from a feud between students from rival vocational schools, with the teacher being collateral damage. National police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol on Wednesday told the media that Mr Anawin has admitted to the wrongdoing and regretted his action. Mr Anawin said he feels sorry for the crime and wants to atone for his actions by making merit on behalf of the victims.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 21, 2023 12:50 UTC
Red Line set to be extended
Red Line set to be extendedCommuters leave a Red Line train at Bangkok's central railway station, in the Chatuchak area. The government has instructed the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to extend its Red Line electric train system to cover Ayutthaya and Nakhon Pathom. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)The government has instructed the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to extend its Red Line electric train system to cover Ayutthaya and Nakhon Pathom. Another Red Line extension project, a 5.7km section designed to connect Taling Chan with Siriraj Hospital, is pending a review by relevant agencies, including the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council. The three Red Line extension projects will be sent back to the SRT for revision to reflect the current government's transport policy, he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 21, 2023 02:30 UTC
Bill offers leniency for accidental bad cheques
Bill offers leniency for accidental bad chequesThe House of Representatives on Wednesday passed its first reading of the government-sponsored bill seeking to decriminalise the writing of bad cheques except in fraud cases. Addressing the chamber, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said the bill to amend the Offences Arising from the Use of Cheques Act BE 2534 (1991) would prevent the use of criminal liability against individuals who unintentionally write bad cheques. They agreed that no one should be prosecuted under criminal law if they did not have dishonest intent. Anusorn Iamsa-ad, a list-MP of the Pheu Thai Party, also supported the bill and said anyone who intends to commit fraud must face legal action. Provisional clauses in it stipulate that those detained for writing bad cheques should be released when the law takes effect.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 21, 2023 02:20 UTC
Deepfake AI scams set to surge in 2024
The public is being warned by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) to brace for more widespread crime involving deepfake AI technology to swap faces and imitate the voices of others to lure victims into scams in the year to come. The concerns of national police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol were yesterday relayed to the public by Pol Maj Gen Siriwat Deephor, a deputy spokesman for the RTP. He said Pol Maj Gen Siriwat was particularly concerned about the rise in more advanced AI technology, especially the so-called deepfake AI being abused by criminals as a more sophisticated tool to lure victims into scams, said Pol Maj Gen Siriwat. "The same AI technology might sometimes be used to generate fake pornographic video clips to blackmail someone," he said. "Using AI to generate fake news intending to stir up public misunderstanding is also an increasingly worrying possibility in 2024."
Source:Bangkok Post
December 20, 2023 16:29 UTC
Thai AirAsia X considers operating Almaty flights next year
Thai AirAsia X considers operating Almaty flights next yearMr Tassapon says the airline plans to add three jets to its fleet next year. Tassapon Bijleveld, executive chairman of Asia Aviation, the holding company of Thai AirAsia, said the airline plans to add three more aircraft to its fleet of seven aircraft within 2024. Most flights have been fully booked due to robust demand in Kazakhstan for flights to Thailand. In addition to this route, Thai AirAsia X is studying new markets in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, which experienced steady growth during 2023, said Mr Tassapon. In terms of domestic routes operated by Thai AirAsia, he said the volume of passengers had already reached the same level as seen in 2019.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 20, 2023 16:24 UTC
Petitioner alleges abuse of power in 'privileged treatment' of Thaksin
Petitioner alleges abuse of power in 'privileged treatment' of ThaksinSrisuwan Janya, leader of the Patriotic People Organisation, at the Administrative Court wih his petition accusing the director-general of the Department of Corrections and three other high-level officials of providing privileged treatment for ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Srisuwan, as leader of the Patriotic People Organisation, accused the four officials of abuse of power in giving Thaksin the privilege of receiving treatment in a luxury facility at Police General Hospital in violation of laws and regulations. The persistent petitioner said Thaksin returned to the country to serve a prison term 17 years after being sentenced. By law, the minister of justice must personally approve any stay exceeding 120 days by an inmate receiving medical treatment outside a prison hospital. Only a court could decide whether or not the admission of Thaksin to the Police General Hospital was legal, Mr Srisuwan said.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 20, 2023 01:24 UTC
'Tombstone' hats remind dervishes of mortality
KONYA, Turkey - The tall light brown hats worn by whirling dervishes are as intriguing as the elliptical dance performed in honour of the Sufi poet and mystic Rumi. In Konya, a sprawling city in Turkey's central Anatolian plain where Rumi spent most of his life and died 750 years ago, one of the last workshops makes these special "sikke" hats to order. Yunus Girgic refuses to sell sikkes to tourists because they are exclusively reserved for real dervish dancers. The manufacturing secrets of these deeply symbolic felt hats — each one 26 to 27 centimetres tall — have been passed down for four generations to Girgic. The material, relatively heavy and itchy on the forehead, is a "reminder of the discomforts of life on Earth", Girgic said.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 19, 2023 17:39 UTC
Debt plan to 'return B500bn'
Debt plan to 'return B500bn'Government spokesman Chai WacharonkeGovernment spokesman Chai Wacharonke on Monday said that the government's debt solution plan will bring 500 billion baht back to the economy if successful. Mr Srettha said the plan would grant a debt moratorium to about 1.1 million debtors affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The government will also adjust a debt restructuring plan for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are indebted to state-run banks and grant them a debt moratorium for one year, Mr Srettha said. Those with irregular incomes will be offered a temporary debt moratorium, loan interest reductions or a lower rate of monthly debt payments. Farmers are already part of the government's three-year debt moratorium, aiding more than 1.5 million farmers, the PM said.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 19, 2023 11:33 UTC
Why won't states regulate artificial intelligence?
As a result, they yield to ever-greater political and economic power of the big tech companies, and pay mere lip service to meaningful regulation. The only binding requirement on AI companies is a reporting requirement if they exceed a certain threshold of computational intensity. What's more likely in the meantime is that without meaningful regulation, AI will make our corporate overlords even stronger. Far from liberating us from precarity, the AI revolution will intensify inequality and corporate power. We should remind ourselves what a more historically normal trajectory of AI regulation might look like.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 18, 2023 04:37 UTC