Expect cuts in subsidy, T1 clubs told
Expect cuts in subsidy, T1 clubs toldFAT boss Somyot Poompunmuang. Football Association of Thailand (FAT) president Pol Gen Somyot Poompunmuang yesterday admitted that finding a broadcaster to replace TrueVisions for the delayed Thai League 1 matches would not be easy. Somyot said he will try to negotiate a deal with TrueVisions so that the broadcaster can beam the Thai League 1 matches live until the end of this year. He also warned the clubs to brace themselves for lower than expected income from TV rights. "This means that there is bound to be a reduction in the subsidy that each club receives from the association.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
AIS makes e-sports play with studio
The AIS e-sports studio at Samyan Mitrtown provides an immersive experience for gamers. The move is also part of efforts to turn Thailand into a hub of e-sports in Asean, said AIS chief consumer business Pratthana Leelapanang. AIS aims to be at the centre of the e-sports industry, as the new studio is "the most advanced community for gamers and the new generation in Thailand", Mr Pratthana said. In Thailand, e-sports participants numbered 1.8 million in 2017, 2.6 million in 2018, 3.3 million in 2019 and 4.1 million as of June this year. "E-sports can change the image of gaming addicts to professional e-sports athletes who can make earnings for themselves."
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
Tech tops business priorities
This is according to a recent survey of 1,000 Asean small businesses conducted by UOB, Accenture and Dun & Bradstreet. This suggests Asean small businesses are looking beyond the present challenges and are set on adopting technology to improve their competitiveness and sustainability. Beyond technology, Asean small businesses are looking to invest in developing their employees' skills (51%) and in machinery or equipment (40%). As small businesses across Asean embrace technology as a means of ensuring a more sustainable business model for the long term. Eight in 10 small businesses across the region ranked the use of digital solutions as their most preferred cash flow management method.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
People urged to keep up guard as crisis wanes
Despite the absence of local cases, the infectious disease expert yesterday warned Thais not to lower their guard as a second wave could result. Dr Sopon said the country's Covid-19 outbreak came to pass but the public should stick to the new normal because the global situation is not easing. He said several countries have experienced a second wave of infections and the resurgence is largely because people drop their guard and gather in crowded areas as they did before the lockdowns. He urged Thais in general, who have played a vital role in assisting the public health community in containing the spread of the virus, to maintain their guard and prevent a possible second outbreak. The wife of the patient, who was also unnamed, said she appreciated the efforts of both the hospital and the Covid-19 quarantine centre, according to the reports.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
Hair saga reflects authoritarian culture
Hair saga reflects authoritarian cultureIn this file photo, a barber in Chai Nat tries to fix a male student's shorn hair, a typical punishment by school teachers, which is against the students' human rights. One teacher reportedly expressed anger at the students who dared to question the hair length rule, telling them "Go kill yourself!" The school director also came out to defend the teacher, saying the rule is clear -- girls' hair must not be longer than the earlobes. It ordered boys to wear crew cuts like soldiers while girls' hair length must not exceed their earlobes. In May, the Education Ministry announced a new hair rule, allowing students and parents to have a say.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
FPO makes use of satellite data
FPO makes use of satellite dataThe Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) is using satellites and carbon dioxide density measures to study economic conditions on a more continuous basis, according to senior officials at the Finance Ministry's think tank. The data will allow the FPO to analyse data for areas to improve efficiency in tracking the most recent economic circumstances, as traditional economic indicators are either laggards or do not provide area analysis data, said Pisit Puapan, director of the FPO's Macroeconomic Policy Bureau. Satellite data and carbon dioxide density will enable the FPO to get the most current economic picture with a mere 2-3 days of delay, he said. Satellite data can be used in monitoring economic conditions by tracking night-time lights, building areas, points of interest and road length, Mr Norabajra said. Significant carbon dioxide density was spotted in some areas, including greater Bangkok, Chon Buri, Rayong, Saraburi and Lampang.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
Fate lies with 'big brother'
Fate lies with 'big brother'Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has admitted that a cabinet reshuffle could happen any time from now following a power change in the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP). As prime minister, Gen Prayut can ignore such demands and choose the best people to take the economic ministerial posts. He is also the "big brother" of Gen Prayut when they served in the military. Those PPRP politicians know that Gen Prayut may ignore them but he will definitely listen to his big brother. The country's fate is now in the hands of the two brothers in arms, the prime minister and Gen Prawit.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
Expect cuts in subsidy, Thai League 1 clubs told
Expect cuts in subsidy, Thai League 1 clubs toldFAT boss Somyot Poompunmuang. Football Association of Thailand (FAT) president Pol Gen Somyot Poompunmuang on Sunday admitted that finding a broadcaster to replace TrueVisions for the delayed Thai League 1 matches would not be easy. TrueVisions, the official Thai League 1 broadcaster, informed the FAT last week that it would only show live matches until Oct 25, but expressed its willingness to negotiate a new contract to ensure live broadcasts till Dec 31. Somyot said he will try to negotiate a deal with TrueVisions so that the broadcaster can beam the Thai League 1 matches live until the end of this year. "This means that there is bound to be a reduction in the subsidy that each club receives from the association.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
To catch an online predator
Little did she realise that pressing the send button would lead to serious consequences because the young man who she believed she had fallen in love with was an online child predator looking to con young women into sending intimate photos in the guise of a blossoming romance. For one, the global pandemic has done little to deter perpetrators from the online exploitation of countless children who are at home during Covid-19, putting them at higher risk of online criminal activity as they spent more time online. Concurrently, lax adult supervision left a loophole for online cybersex predators, most of whom are already on the prowl to abuse children. Catching online predators has many challenges. Wirawan said that while outside factors related to online cybersex exploitation of minors include widespread availability and affordability of high-speed internet and rise in mobile phone ownership, predators target young children online, specifically teenagers, because they are at an age where they are curious.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
Patients a virtue after lockdown
The Sports Clinic is one of the facilities at the BDMS Wellness Clinic. While medical tourism is muted at the moment, its prospects have lured many countries to jump into the market. Of that value, wellness tourism accounts for $639 billion, with Asia emerging as the top gainer in wellness tourism trips and revenue. The Sports Clinic is one of the facilities at the BDMS Wellness Clinic. The Dental Clinic at the BDMS Wellness Clinic.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
Growing back better
Green shoots of growth are starting to emerge after the global pandemic, but they will require careful nurturing. The pandemic is the wakeup call for all stakeholders to rebuild a better society," she said at the virtual UN Global Compact Leaders' Summit recently. The Global Compact, initiated in 2000 by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, is the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, with about 10,000 business participants. "Companies participating in the Global Compact need to move beyond policy and take action that will underpin a better understanding of the impacts and lead to performance improvements," she said. Even though the crisis is unprecedented, Mr Suphachai said it also would help business to transform, and come back better and stronger.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
Learning from the lockdown
Learning from the lockdownAs with so much else, international development has been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Governments also need to be able to transfer cash to vulnerable citizens quickly. Although learning is possible outside of physical schools, the pandemic is sure to set back education for many children. But remote learning obviously isn't an option for students who lack internet access, have special needs, or share one computer or phone among many family members. Here, research shows that intensive, repeated "learning camps", in which students are grouped at their current learning level, rather than by age or grade, can be immensely helpful.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
Marriage for everyone
Marriage for everyoneSince my university days, I have had a number of gay friends, most of whom are living happily either in Thailand or abroad. While it doesn't go as far as endorsing same-sex marriage, the Civil Partnership Bill allows same-sex couples -- at least one party must be a Thai national -- to legally register their union, a significant move in what remains a largely conservative nation. Globally, anti-discrimination laws are gaining traction, though same-sex marriage is still seen mainly in Western countries. In China, demands to make gay marriage legal have not been met, even though it was among the top suggestions made by the public last year when lawmakers sought opinions on the country's first civil code. Pushing same-sex marriage in a country that is not ready for it doesn't sound sensible to me.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
PM must learn to turn other cheek
The media is not high on the list of people that the prime minister had planned to meet. For the media, the prime minister's "new normal" approach is nothing new. Former prime ministers Thaksin Shinawatra and Abhisit Vejjajiva did it. For Prime Minister Prayut has his back against the wall. In my opinion, the prime minister now needs friends and their moral support.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC
500,000 Hong Kongers cast 'protest' vote
500,000 Hong Kongers cast 'protest' voteA volunteer holds a QR code for people to scan and vote during primary elections in Hong Kong on Sunday. (AFP photo)HONG KONG: Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong citizens queued to cast ballots over the weekend in what the Chinese-ruled city's opposition camp says is a symbolic protest vote against tough national security laws directly imposed by Beijing. Defying warnings from a senior Hong Kong official that the vote might fall foul of the national security law, residents young and old flocked to over 250 polling stations across the city, manned by thousands of volunteers. "They can arrest or disqualify any candidate they don't like under the national security law without a proper reason," said Owen Chow, a young democratic "localist" candidate. "It's a proxy referendum against the national security law," said Democratic lawmaker Eddie Chu outside a metro station.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 10:52 UTC