Japan automakers to invest B150bn in Thailand over 5 years: govt
Japan automakers to invest B150bn in Thailand over 5 years: govtFILE PHOTO: A Toyota EV car is seen at the Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok, March 30, 2022. (Reuters)Major Japanese auto manufacturers will invest 150 billion baht in Thailand over the next five years, a government spokesperson said on Monday, supporting the country's transition to making electric vehicles. Toyota Motor and Honda Motor will invest about 50 billion baht each, while Isuzu Motors will invest 30 billion baht and Mitsubishi Motors 20 billion baht, spokesperson Chai Wacharoke said, adding this would include the production of electric pickup trucks. Japanese manufacturers have dominated the Thai auto sector for decades, but Chinese EV makers have recently been making large investments. The investment by the Japanese automakers will support the government's policy of transitioning from combustion engine vehicles to EVs, Mr Chai said.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2023 17:18 UTC
Activists call for a review of drug laws
Rawitsara Piakhuntod, Institute of HIV Research and InnovationBesides sections 113 and 114 of the code, Ms Rawitsara said she was also concerned about Section 115. The problem, Ms Rawitsara said, is that a search can be ordered at the discretion of law enforcement officials. And if they are drug dependent, they must be treated as patients, Ms Rawitsara said. The death penalty, imprisonment, custody, fines and confiscation are approaches which are only suitable for those who traffic drugs," Ms Rawitsara said. She said that the Office of Narcotics Control Board's harm reduction programme should be there to reduce harm in society, not harm the people it is supposed to serve.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2023 09:05 UTC
Pita and Move Forward trounce Srettha and Pheu Thai in popularity poll
• 22.35% for Srettha Thavisit, the current prime minister, citing his knowledge, ability and straightforwardness as well as their support for the Pheu Thai Party. • 5.75% for Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra due to her being a new generation politician and their support for the Pheu Thai Party and the Shinawatra family's past achievements. • 1.70% for Anutin Charnvirakul of the Bhumjaithai Party, citing his ability to befriend people of all groups and his past achievements. • 1.65% for Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party, citing her past experience and their desire to see women in the country's administration. A combination of 1.85% were for other political parties including Thai Sang Thai, Chartthaipattana, Pheu Thai Ruam Palang, Prachachat, Chart Pattana Kla and Seri Ruam Thai Party.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 25, 2023 02:24 UTC
Search continues for 2 missing passengers on scuba tour boat
Search continues for 2 missing passengers on scuba tour boatA navy soldier on board Tor 995 patrol boat uses binoculars to search for two missing passengers on a scuba-diving tour boat that sank near the Surin Islands National Park on Saturday. (Photo supplied)PHUKET: A search and rescue centre has been set up to look for two men - a Thai cook and a British tourist - who were still missing after a scuba-diving tour boat sank near Ko Torinla or Ko Khai island on Saturday. The island is part of the Surin Islands National Park, an archipelago of five islands in the Andaman Sea some 55 kilometres from the mainland. Tor 995 patrol boat was dispatched from the centre at 7.45am to search for the missing men in an area northwest of where the boat, the Reggae Queen, went down. The scuba-diving tour boat had 18 passengers on board when it sank; 16 were subsequently rescued and taken to nearby Khura Buri Pier.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 24, 2023 18:07 UTC
Iran threatens closure of Mediterranean
“They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, (the Strait of) Gibraltar and other waterways,” Tasnim quoted Brig Gen Mohammad Reza Naqdi, coordinating commander of the Guards, as saying. The White House on Friday said Iran was “deeply involved” in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Iran has no direct access to the Mediterranean itself and it was not clear how the Guards could attempt to close it off, although Naqdi talked of “the birth of new powers of resistance and the closure of other waterways”. “Yesterday, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became a nightmare for them, and today they are trapped … in the Red Sea,” Naqdi was quoted as saying. The only groups backed by Iran on the Mediterranean are Lebanon’s Hezbollah and allied militia in Syria, at the far end of the sea from Gibraltar.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 24, 2023 01:06 UTC
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