Government confirms progress in developing digital verification systems
She said the Cabinet also acknowledged the progress of framework and action plan on Thailand's digital verification service development between 2022 and 2024, covering eight strategies:1. The Digital ID must support people, juristic persons and foreigners on verification, such as electronic signature, authorisation and consent. Juristic persons can perform transaction via Digital ID once authorisation is received. The Department of Business Development is responsible for providing transparent information on juristic persons to support their transactions via Digital ID. People can access government service via digital verification without having to register again in line with international standards.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 08, 2022 20:03 UTC
NBTC demands return of THB600m it gave to SAT for World Cup broadcast rights
The source said the telecom watchdog commissioners agreed that the SAT had violated the conditions regarding broadcast of the World Cup being held in Qatar since November. Under the NBTC’s ‘must-have’ rule, several key sporting events, including the Fifa World Cup finals, must be made available on free television. Thailand’s plan to acquire the World Cup broadcasting rights had a troubled start, as the NBTC’s contribution was not enough to purchase the broadcast rights, which was priced at 1.4 billion baht. This forced the SAT, an agency responsible for purchasing the broadcast rights of sporting events, to enter into a deal with telecom company True Corporation for funding support. Under the contract, True contributed 300 million baht to the SAT in exchange for exclusive rights to broadcast 32 matches on its ITPV and online platform, while leaving terrestrial TV broadcasting free for other channels.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 08, 2022 09:07 UTC
TMBThanachart hikes loan interest rate but GHB maintains status quo
Piti Tantakasem, chief executive officer of TTB, said his bank had to raise the interest rate after the policy rate was increased for the third time this year. On November 30, the Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to raise the policy interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25% to control inflation. Piti said TTB raised its MRR (minimum retail rate) for retail customers by 0.20 percentage point to 6.68% per annum while the MLR (minimum loan rate) for big clients was raised by 0.25 percentage point to 6.625% per annum.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 08, 2022 09:07 UTC
River of Kings
Ring in the Holiday Season on Bangkok’s “River of Kings” with an Exclusive Festive Dishes and Heritage Countdown Party at SirimahannopThe end of the year is fast approaching, so make sure you celebrate in style! Sirimahannop, the reimagined Thai tall ship and refined dining destination, is inviting guests and local residents to ring in the holiday season with a festive feast and with a heritage New Year dinner and party on the Chao Phraya, Thailand’s iconic “River of Kings”. Then on December 31, 2022, gather your family and friends and step onboard Sirimahannop, which is docked at Asiatique The Riverfront. Sail Into New Year Package for up to six guests at The Bridge & Hidden Rum Bar is available for THB 120,000 net, including food, soft drinks, free-flow beer, white wine, red wine, sparkling wine, premium spirits and two bottles of Champagne. Package for up to 20 guests at the Stern is available for THB 280,000 net, including food, soft drinks, free-flow beer, white wine, red wine, sparkling wine, premium spirits, four bottles of Champagne and personalised service.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 08, 2022 06:18 UTC
“Gowajee”, a Thai Speech-Recognition AI from Chula
Aside from transcriptions, a model of classifying and decoding emotions from voices in at-risk groups is also needed. Gowajee and AI technology can be used in many other areas such as …• A dental assistant takes notes while the dentist is doing dental work on the patient and needs to record some notes. Your data is safe with Gowajee“Data safety” is what puts Gowajee above other speech-recognition AIs. As Ekapol tells us “Normally other transcription programs store their data on the cloud or compile them on users’ computer. With Gowajee, all the data is stored on the user’s database ensuring its safety.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 08, 2022 02:25 UTC
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
ANN news highlights: Wed, Dec 7, 2022Bringing Asia CloserSociety Indonesia INew Criminal Code which among others criminizes nonmarital sex is a set back for civil liberties - Jakarta PostIndonesia updated its Criminal Code (KUHP) on Tuesday, when the House of Representatives passed a newly revised version that has ushered the country into a new era in which illiberalism and religious conservatism prevail. Society Indonesia IIEditorial: Conservative turn - Jakarta PostFor decades, Indonesia has maintained its status as a country that is “neither religious nor secular” — a philosophical compromise, or conundrum, that reflects the longstanding ideological tensions between conservative and liberal forces in the country. Environment MalaysiaOil palm plantation picked as The Earthshot Prize finalist | The StarA pioneering partnership between a non-governmental organisation and an oil palm plantation in Malaysia was selected as one of the 15 finalists for The Earthshot Prize 2022, the world’s most prestigious environmental prize led by Prince William and the Royal Foundation. Unlock ChinaMore COVID curbs eased in Beijing, other cities - China DailyAuthorities in several Chinese regions eased COVID-19 restrictions to varying degrees on Tuesday, slowly and steadily adopting a new approach to deal with the virus and making life less regimented for the people.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 07, 2022 11:11 UTC
Firmenich announces Dragon Fruit as 2023 Flavour of the Year
This proprietary in-depth study of natural ingredients identified that people are very excited about dragon fruit. In terms of consumer perceptions, dragon fruit triggers associations with adjectives like bold, exotic, exciting, impressive and fun. In fact, dragon fruit use in CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) is growing more quickly in foods than beverages, where innovations typically appear first. Jeff Schmoyer, Firmenich Global Head of Human Insights, commented: "Dragon fruit may be still a 'rare' fruit flavour for CPG food & beverage brands, but it is no longer rare to consumers. "For this reason, Firmenich believes that its flavour creativity will play a key role in amplifying the taste and celebrating combinations of dragon fruit with other flavours," Schmoyer concluded.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 07, 2022 04:03 UTC
Travel agents urge region to reopen
AFPOngoing travel restrictions and entry requirements in some countries are the most critical obstacles to expanding the tourism sector, according to the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA). Even though the seat capacity on flights to the country is only at 60% of pre-pandemic levels and airfares are extremely expensive, Thai tourists have continued to travel there since Japan's reopening in October. Travel flow is expected to remain strong until next year's Songkran festival, said Mr Charoen. He said if regional governments let tourists travel freely, with promotional campaigns to introduce unexplored destinations, tourist flows would be increased and countries that take part would benefit. Mr Charoen said given strong support from the local government, the number of Thai tourists visiting Kyushu could increase to at least 100,000 over the next year.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 07, 2022 00:46 UTC
Sizzler alters strategy to cater to customers' hunger for premium experience
Kreetakorn Siriatha, chief of financial and strategy officer, The Minor Food Group Pcl, Sizzler's parent company, told a press conference on Tuesday that specialty is a food trend for 2023. There is a demand for premium foods that make consumers feel special, he explained. Many players are working hard to win over consumers' hearts in order to win over their loyalty, while newcomers are entering the market with new and amazing concepts. Though it is beneficial for customers to have more options, we must transform ourselves as quickly as their demand changes in order to stay on top of our customers' minds," Kreetakorn elaborated. Aside from being concerned about healthy food and its safety, they want something premium and unique that will add value to their experience.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 06, 2022 21:01 UTC
Samsung, LG plan multi-billion-dollar additional investment in Vietnam
Samsung, LG plan multi-billion-dollar additional investment in VietnamMotorcyclists pass restaurants and stores on a street near the Van Trung Industrial Park in Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province, Vietnam. (File photo: Bloomberg)HANOI: South Korean electronics giants Samsung and LG plan to pour billions of United States dollars of additional investment into Vietnam, state media reports and the Vietnamese government said on Tuesday. The announcement comes after Samsung cut smartphone production in Vietnam twice this year in response to weaker global demand. Samsung Electronics, the largest single foreign investor in Vietnam, will invest $2 billion more in the Southeast Asian country, raising its total to US$20 billion, Vietnamese state media said. The state media report and the government statement did not provide further details on the investment by the two companies.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 06, 2022 19:22 UTC
Thailand’s Joon Wanavit joins Forbes’ list of Asia’s top philanthropists
The institute will coordinate research at the university, provide grants, assist course development and link students with alumni in the field. A Rakuten online donation site started in February has raised nearly ¥1.3 billion from over 70,000 contributors to support aid efforts in Ukraine. This includes HK$150 million to fund research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine and over HK$70 million to fight Covid-19. To date, it has granted over 1,600 bursaries totalling about S$1 million ($727,000) to students from primary school to pre-university levels. The foundation is also a longstanding donor to the Singapore Management University, to which it contributed S$3 million in April to set up the JLFO-LHF Scholarship.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 06, 2022 11:08 UTC
New party in the spotlight
INQUIRY LINES: UTN secretary-general says if Prayut joins new party, the PM must change how he worksThe United Thai Nation Party (UTN), also known as Ruam Thai Sang Chart, has been thrust into the spotlight as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is widely expected to join the newly-established party. "With former Democrats joining the UTN, the party may seem like a branch of the Democrat Party, but that is not the case," Mr Akanat said. We will make the party a political institution, not just an ad hoc party created for a specific purpose." Mr Akanat said he had a close bond with the Democrat Party, with his mother, Srisakul Promphan, being a former Democrat Party MP for Nakhon Ratchasima, while several of his relatives are also staunch supporters of the party. If the party secures seats in the upcoming election and continues to do so in future elections, then it is proven that that party is not an ad hoc party for Gen Prayut," he said.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 06, 2022 08:52 UTC
Be compassionate to save this world, advise business leaders
She checked into her hotel and upon getting to her room, she said, she could not find toothpaste in the set of complimentary toiletries. Another example she cited was a tiny Thai business that sells bamboo toothbrushes, which have now caught the eye of many international five-star hotels. Duangkamol was among several local and foreign business representatives to share their thoughts on driving the Thai economy towards sustainability. She said green products and services are becoming popular because more and more people are concerned about the environment. She also said that the Bank of Ayudhya has come up with a funding model for green businesses and suppliers of green energy.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 06, 2022 02:04 UTC
Thais can now apply for a new passport at this year's Red Cross Fair
The fair is being held as a hybrid event – both at Lumpini Park and online – from December 8 to 18. Deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said 70 passport applications will be accepted daily at the Foreign Ministry booth near Gate 3 of the park near Rama IV Road. Queue numbers will be distributed from 1pm and applications will be processed until 8pm.
Source:The Nation Bangkok
December 05, 2022 20:00 UTC
Chinese cities relax testing rules as zero-Covid policy eases
Chinese cities relax testing rules as zero-Covid policy easesLocal authorities across China have begun a slow rollback of Covid restrictions that have governed daily life for years. BEIJING: Businesses reopened and testing requirements were relaxed in Beijing and other Chinese cities on Monday as the country tentatively eases out of a strict zero-Covid policy that sparked nationwide protests. And Zhengzhou -- home to the world's largest iPhone factory -- on Sunday said people will be allowed to enter public places, take public transport and enter their residential compounds without a 48-hour negative test result. The World Health Organization has cheered China's loosening of its zero-Covid policy, which came after hundreds took to the streets across the country to call for greater political freedoms and an end to lockdowns. "Students can't go to school without a 24-hour negative test," wrote a user on China's Twitter-like Weibo.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 05, 2022 16:57 UTC