‘Everybody was screaming’: Fear, chaos at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall as gunman opened fire
A 14-year-old suspect shooter has been detained. A long-haired boy in a dark top, glasses, and hat was seen being taken into custody in video footage. & nbsp,
One of the major shopping sites in Bangkok’s capital, the upscale Siam Paragon is very well-liked by both Thais and tourists.
The store draws large crowds thanks to its upscale shops, ocean, movie theater, and dining establishments.
It was named the nation’s most photographed location by Instagram in 2013.
Earlier, hundreds of people were seen rushing into the pouring weather from the store.
According to North Korean holiday Pepper Park,” Really I was outside the mall, but suddenly a lot of people only ran away, and I thought( it is) because of this rainfall.”
” After that, some Vietnamese individuals advised me to flee. They responded that there is some violence when I asked why.
FAQ: What you need to know about DCS Card Centre and its shift from just a card issuer to a fintech provider
SINGAPORE: Following Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling’s announcement on Monday( Oct 2 ) that she will oversee strategic partnerships and business development at the financial institution, DCS Card Centre, formerly known as Diners Club Singapore, is once again in the spotlight. Seven decades after drawing attention from the publicContinue Reading
Rain caves in roof at Indoor Stadium Huamark
Just before the start of the world wheelchair basketball tournament, an incident occurs, but participants carefully flee.
PUBLISHED: 3 October 2023 at 00
Just before the 2023 Women’s U25 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship opened on Tuesday night at Indoor Stadium Huamark, a portion of the ceiling collapsed.
At 5 p.m., about 15 minutes before the event’s opening ceremony, which drew attendees from 10 different countries, an incident occurred at the Sports Authority of Thailand( SAT ) facility on Ramkhamhaeng Road.
According to SAT government Kongsak Yodmanee, some radio crew members were hurt at the scene. The facility was immediately evacuated, but sportsmen and other participants were also present in the passages.
The stadium’s roof, according to Mr. Kongsak, was nearly 60 years old but had recently undergone maintenance. However, a heavy storm just before the opening meeting proved to be too much for the building. & nbsp,
According to him, the SAT did relocate the sports competition to the Bangkok Youth Centre, which is managed by the Thai Metropolitan Administration and is located in the Din Daeng neighborhood.
1.5m sandbags to fortify Chao Phraya banks
As rain is expected to last all week, some provinces are getting ready for flooding.
Published on October 3, 2023, at 19:52.
In order to prevent flooding after the Chao Phraya Dam releases more water as a result of increased rain, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration did erect 1.5 million bags along the river’s businesses.
According to Surat Charoenchaisakul, chairman of capital drainage and sewage, officials are keeping an eye on water levels along the Chao Phraya’s distributaries, such as the Bangkok Noi, Maha Sawat, and Phra Khanong rivers.
By mid-October, the boulders may be stacked along the river, he continued.
Storm cautions and support are available to riverside residents through the BMA’s platforms: dds. Bangkok. move. th, web. the Traffy Fondue mobile app, the BMA Twitter ( X ) account, and prbangkok.com.
Up until Friday, Thailand’s northeast, central, and southern regions are expected to experience heavy rains, which will cause the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat to produce between 1,350 and 1,750 cubic meters of water per second( m3 / s ).
The Chao Phraya in Nonthaburi province may have its water level raised by an additional one to 1.5 meters as a result of the dam’s 1, 000 to 1, 400 m3 / s water release.
Bags should be stacked along riverbanks, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and residents should keep an eye out for disaster updates.
More details can be found at the department’s hotline, 1784, or @ 3384DDPM, the official LINE account for the center.
The Yom River lacks a bridge to restrict the amount flowing inland, according to Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin, who visited flood-affected Sukhothai on Monday.
Sukhothai was experience twice the harm it has in recent times due to rising water levels from northern regions like Kamphaeng Phet, Phayao, and Phrae, according to Mr. Somsak.
In Sukhothai, severe flooding has affected 4, 000 homes and more than 100 000 ray of agricultural lands, he continued.
The disaster scenario was the first subject discussed at the cupboard meeting yesterday, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
He claimed that each flood-affected constituency’s MPs had been briefed to explore the affected areas and evaluate potential compensation for flood victims, particularly producers.
” On Friday, I’ll travel to Ubon Ratchathani to get ready for the impending extreme storms in the region. According to Mr. Srettha, the state experienced significant and protracted floods last year that heavily damaged agricultural fields.
PM eyes commercial hub status
Trettha establishes financial objectives.
Three of the recently installed government’s best priorities, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, are boosting the economy, pursuing greater economic relationship with other nations, and laying the groundwork for a sustainable future.
According to Mr. Srettha, the world has been shaken by financial difficulties, social injustices, and environmental issues, many of which have been made worse by the Covid-19 crisis.
I’m going to take on these problems head-on and succeed in doing so. In addition to getting us through this trying moment, he said,” my authority from the persons is to make Thailand the region’s hub of business and commerce.”
He was giving a speech at the Centara Grand at CentralWorld’s Bangkok Post Forum 2023, titled” Thaiania: The Age of Change.” The occasion was likewise held to commemorate the newspaper’s 77th time of publication.
According to him, the Thai government intends to implement policies to encourage employment design, providing more economic aid for low-income people and other vulnerable groups. He added that doing so would help level the playing field in Thai culture.
According to Mr. Srettha, the 10, 000-baht digital wallet plan will add US$ 16 billion in cashflow to the Thai market, and the ripple effect was grow to$ 57 billion, or 5 % of GDP, in the following year.
The policy, according to Mr. Srettha, who also serves as the finance minister, would help streamline the procedures facilitating foreign investment and lay the groundwork for a countrywide blockchain-based economic payment system.
The government wants to improve the standard of living for all homeowners by 2027. We won’t keep anyone beyond, he declared.
Another top concern, Mr. Srettha government, may be foreign investment. The world is changing, and the business of the future will need hi-tech abilities for those industries, he claimed.
Thailand has react if it wants to be at the frontline of this change. Therefore, investment from businesses in these emerging sectors will not only directly support( our ) economic growth but also set Thailand up to succeed in the new global economy.
utilizing international funding
Mr. Srettha claimed to have spoken with a number of business leaders from various sectors, including companies like Tesla and Estee Lauder, who are considering expanding the scope of their business operations in Thailand, while attending the 78th session of the UN General Assembly( UNGA78 ) in New York last month.
The prime minister claimed that he also spoke with monetary institutions at UNGA78 that have expressed a keen interest in investing in Thailand.
Google and Microsoft are even thinking about opening information centers in our nation. These are not merely exchanges. To ensure that these prospects are realized, he said,” we have set up joint working teams to work strongly with those businesses.”
Mr. Srettha stated that his government aims to expand the export market and will aggressively pursue trade relations with blocs like the European Union( EU ) while also working on free trade agreements( FTAs ), in addition to boosting domestic demand and luring more foreign investment.
Additionally, the government will use preexisting cooperation frameworks like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership ( Rcep ) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation ( Apec ) to benefit from the Indo-Pacific Economic andnbsp Framework for Prosperity ( IPEF ) negotiations, he added.
We intend to play a strategic and significant position on the international stage, Mr. Srettha stated.
The government has approved a number of economic stimulus measures in the weeks since he took office, lowering electricity costs and easing debts and curiosity repayment for Vietnamese farmers.
In order to take advantage of China’s weekly National Day holiday, it more recently introduced card exemptions for visitors from China and Kazakhstan. According to statistics, hotel reservations have already increased by 6, 000 % from the same time next year.
According to Mr. Srettha,” I intend for my authorities to become action-oriented, focusing on high-impact fast wins while planning for long-term improvements.”
focusing on conservation
The government may make an effort to prioritize improving people’s livelihoods while also keeping a strong eye on conservation. & nbsp,
According to Mr. Srettha, Thailand is one of the few countries that has offered universal health care insurance since 2002. He claimed that at UNGA78, he shared Thailand’s practice of this with other countries.
I even made a commitment to improve that program. Our objective is to make sure that by 2027, the number of families experiencing health poverty is below 0.25 %, he said.
He added that Thailand’s coming is promising and that the nation is well-equipped with the resources and skills to prosper in the years to come.
The state will do everything in its power to ensure that we succeed as a country, but in order to achieve this, we must collaborate with the private business and everyone else. There has never been a better opportunity to invest in and interact with Thailand, he claimed.
Seniors ‘require special attention’
According to Timothy Emen Lersmitivanta, CEO of Thonburi Wellbeing Co., the government has think outside the box to find a solution to Thailand’s rapidly aging world, lest it want the country ‘ senior citizens to burden future generations.
Mr. Timothy voiced his concerns about the government’s policies for the country’S senior citizens, which he deemed” insufficient” to ensure a good quality of life, at the Bangkok Post Forum 2023 titled” Thailand: The Era of Change” at Centara Grand at CentralWorld.
Thailand, along with Japan, is on track to become the only developing country in the world to be classified as a” hyperaged society” due to its rapid ageing.
He explained that since 1970, the number of people entering the workforce year after year has continued to fall, which results in lower performance.
This results in higher income for those who work in the workforce, but higher prices also results from a lack of output production.
He told the platform market,” The elder may save more as they now live longer.”
Together, the outcome means that the state will receive less income income, he said.
Mr. Timothy criticized the policies implemented by previous administrations over the prior 25 years, claiming that they were not intended to increase support recipients’ financial independence.
He used the One Tambon One Product ( OTOP ) program and various handouts that previous administrations had approved as examples.
According to Mr. Timothy, these programs” gave bad people bass instead of teaching them how to carp.”
” The perspective of the state needs to change.” A policy may keep the old out of the decision-making process in order for it to be effective. They should also be upskilled, he said, to improve their skills and boost their output.
He continued by saying that the government may survey its compulsory retirement policy, increase the retirement age, move out tax incentives, and encourage businesses to hire top citizens.
Additionally, it ought to cover the cost of insurance for the old, he said.
” We ought to be fully aware of where we are right now. We may fail if we don’t have the proper attitude, he said.
He claimed that the government may have learned from the Covid-19 pandemic how to better prepare its old population for any scenario.
But, Mr. Timothy claimed that the information appears to be against him.
The CEO claims that 41 % of Thais do not make retirement plans. Additionally, he claimed that about one-third of Thais over the age of 60 are still in debts.
The Thonburi Wellbeing CEO, but, asserted that the government still has time to fund initiatives that may support the country’s expanding elderly people.
The government needs to look into expanding the health insurance program for people 65 and older, mortgage programs for the elderly, specific business loans for businesses hiring older people, creating career opportunities for seniors, and facilitating career change training during that period.
He claimed that Thailand’s old won’t be able to prosper without powerful public and private cooperation.
Talent development ‘key’ to digital, AI push
Huawei urges businesses to digitize more quickly.
According to a website held now, the government needs to concentrate more on skill development if it wants to prioritize artificial intelligence technology across the board.
According to David Li, Director of Huawei Technologies Thailand, Thailand’s labor force needs to be upskilled in order to spur coming development through scientific innovation.
At the” Innovation Driving Thai for the New Future” conference, which is a part of the Bangkok Post Forum 2023, he stated that because Thai companies are more eager to adopt new technology and create new business models than their counterparts around the world, the government must look into how to create and use AI systems to drive development into speed.
Several Thai workplaces have really digitized their operations to improve efficiency, Mr. Li noted, despite society’s general openness to new technologies.
According to the CEO of Huawei Technologies Thailand, as the use of AI systems has become more widespread across many industries, it is now crucial for the labor force to get up in order to benefit most from their software.
He cited a McKinsey research that predicted the world market would grow by between US$ 2.6 and 4 trillion as AI technology was adopted across numerous industries, including healthcare, education, financial risk management, and climatology.
In reality, many of the region’s nations have incorporated AI into their regional strategies, with Singapore taking the lead in 2020. These nations are fundamentally rethinking business models in order to reap benefits and spur fresh areas of growth, he said, not only adopting systems.
We strongly believe that Thailand may contribute to the development of cutting-edge systems in this area.
DIFFICULTIES IN GOING Electric
Three important factors need to be taken care of when it comes to online change, he said: data infrastructure, real-world application, and talent preparedness.
Increased investment in infrastructure growth has aided Thailand’s push to get online. He stated that the government must then concentrate on increasing the potential of its human resources and support the use of AI-based technology across numerous industries.
He claimed that in order to ensure that the ecology is available, in sync, and open, the government must instantly participate in furthering its ICT infrastructure rather than relying on secret investments to fuel the change.
AI LOCALIZED
According to Mr. Li, Huawei is adamant about developing more modern talent, offering partners like Thailand the best services, and continuing to invest in regional data centers.
According to him, the organization is also dedicated to providing the nation with the most cutting-edge technology to help make it the state’s center for ICT.
More important, he said, Huawei did keep collaborating with neighborhood colleges and other organizations to develop regional rules and applications that will benefit countless industries.
For instance, the company unveiled the Pangu weather forecasting model in collaboration with the Thai Meteorological Department( TMD ) at the recent Huawei Connect 2023 event in China.
According to him, this model has already been shown to be 20 % more appropriate than conventional prediction technologies, increasing weather preparedness and lowering costs.
According to Mr. Li, Huawei has contributed to Thailand’s digital transformation over the past 24 years by directly creating 6,500 work across the nation and employing about 2, 000 people there, or 77 % of them locally.
Three native data centers in Thailand were also built by Huawei with an investment of 1.4 billion ringgit.
With more than 300 of its associates, including local colleges, Huawei has so far trained over 70,000 skills.
Post forum tackles banking digitisation
3 October 2023 at 19:20 PUBLISHED
According to the head of Citibank Thailand, digitization may spur economic growth in Thailand and boost bank effectiveness.
The nation’s banking sector is evolving into a modern banking enterprise that is supported by the advancement of modern technology. Narumon Chivangkur, Citi’s state head for Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, spoke now at the Bangkok Post Forum 2023 on the topic of Banking Revolution, The Catalyst for Thai Economic Revival. With digitization, banking services may lessen pain points in the three core areas of transparency, speed and operating cost.
Digitization can significantly increase productivity and efficiency in addition to helping users with their problems. For instance, Citibank individually handled 200 to 300 foreign exchange transactions per day in 1996, whereas this yr 10, 000 similar transactions occur and are managed by only half as many employees, she said.
” With digitization, the banking industry’s landscape has changed from one that was product-driven in the past to the present, with a potential environment driven by technology and solutions.” In the meantime, change is happening quickly in the modern era, according to Ms. Narumon.
As of July of this year, there were approximately 70.9 million personal licenses for modern banking platforms, an 8 % increase over the previous year. Biller ID registrations are at 152, 000, growing 43 %, corporate registration are up 25 %, and PromptPay transactions are 1.68 billion, representing a 35 % increase.
According to Ms. Narumon, Citibank is prepared to assist local and foreign clients with both inbound and outbound purchase and growth as part of its global Citi 95 networks. Thailand is also a popular place for foreign direct investment, and local businesses are eager to grow abroad in search of fresh company prospects.
In addition, Citibank formed a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the World Bank and an importer of ocean purifiers in Vietnam. She expressed the hope that identical initiatives will soon be carried out in Thailand.
Flu guidelines aim to curb waves among at-risk groups
3 October 2023 at 19:15 PUBLISHED
Recommendations for treating patients with mild or serious flu symptoms have been published by the Department of Medical Services.
The rules, which are directed at health workers and public health officers, were released on Monday on the agency’s website and social media.
Serious symptoms include asthma or a blood oxygen levels below 95 %, as well as neurological symptoms, an appetite loss, thirst, or other problems.
People who are overweight, pregnant, older than 60, or have severe conditions like cancer, immunodeficiency, genetic and developmental disorders, respiratory, cardiovascular, liver or liver diseases, and asthma are among the at-risk groups. & nbsp,
They are thought to be in serious need of close monitoring and antiviral medication. According to the rules, if their problems don’t get better within 48 hours, they may be admitted to a doctor.
Additionally, if patients have asthma brought on by a bacterial infection, bacterial medications must be given to them.
People who are not in the at-risk parties will receive treatment based on their symptoms. If an viral medication exhibits any concerning signs within 48 hours, it may be taken into consideration.
Unless symptoms of an ear infection or conjunctivitis show up, bacterial medications are not required. People who fit this description may receive treatment at home, but they must wear face masks, keep a safe range, wash their hands frequently, and stay out of crowded areas. A doctor’s consultation is recommended if symptoms continue after two weeks or pulmonary issues develop.
The recommendations call for the administration of Oseltamivir primarily, while Favipiravir will only be given to patients who only have minor ailments. Viral medications work better if they are taken within the first 48 hours of contracting virus.
Depending on the patient’s age and weight, specialists may also think about giving them five days of drug. In babies of nursing mothers, drug can result in birth defects and other abnormalities.
However, Vichaiyut Hospital pulmonologist Dr. Manoon Leechawengwongs urged people to get the flu vaccine to lessen the severity of related symptoms and lower fatalities in a post on his Facebook accounts on Tuesday.
Philippines taking the fight to China in South China Sea
MANILA-” Sama Sama transcends simple military exercises with this show of force and lively wedding of our allies and partners ,” Philippine Navy Chief Rear Admiral Toribio Adaci said at the recent start of extensive naval drills with allied countries in the South China Sea.
The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, as well as corporate allies like Japan, Great Britain, and Canada, are all taking part in the two-week-long” Samasamia” drills, which will cover anti-submarine war, search and rescue operations, air defense drill, land phases, among other activities.
The activities, which are taking position in the southeastern part of the island of Luzon and will last until October 13, were attended by spectators from Australia, France, New Zealand, and Indonesia.
China has not been specifically mentioned by any of the individuals, but the monthly exercises’ nature left little room for creativity. Gilbert Teodoro, the secretary of defense for the Philippines, compared the Eastern superpower to a” school troublemaker” just before the exercises began, in light of recent events in the South China Sea.
In the meantime, the Philippine Department of Justice and the nation’s Solicitor General are looking into a fresh international arbitration case against China over its alleged abuse of Spanish vessels, including the looking of’ military grade’ lasers at Filipino sailors, water cannon blowing of supply ships, and unilaterally erecting barriers around the contentious Scarborough Shoal, as well as economic damage in Manila-claimed areas.
The Southeast Asian country is taking the battle to China through a new two-pronged technique that combines coastal defense with constitutional warfare and promises to enrage the neighboring superpower, buoyed by foreign support and led by an increasingly assertive Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The Philippines’ complaints about the region have been regularly dismissed by China, and it was recently forewarned against any provocations in the contentious maritime region.
The latest maritime disputes between China and the Philippines are primarily caused by the Philippine side constantly stirring up trouble and spreading false information, according to China’s foreign ministry, which just placed the blame for the recent rise in tensions on Manila.
In an effort to stop competitors from challenging its broad states across the crucial global lake, China is also planning to hold its own military drills in the South China Sea. Beijing’s perceived reckless behavior and harsh statements have irritated Spanish authorities, who have significantly abandoned diplomatic etiquette.
The Harvard-trained Teodoro said,” I can’t think of any clearer example of intimidation than this.” He continued colorfully, indicating an increasingly aggressive response to China’s actions at water,” It isn’t the problem of stealing your lunch money, but it is really a question to steal your picnic, your seat, and even enrolment in school.”
Vice Admiral Karl Thomas of the US Pacific Command forewarned that smaller countries like the Philippines’ sovereign rights are” under attack every day on the great seas” prior to this month’s” Sama Sama” naval training.
Thomas emphasized the need for upholding a” rules-based international order” in the face of attempts by revisionist powers to create one that” benefit ] s ] not all nations but one nation.” There’s no better way to ensure sovereignty and security than to sail and to operate together ,” he said.
The US naval national continued,” I am convinced that no potential attacker should be under any magic other than that this is a strong team of governments, one army flying and operating together.”
The tasks were also praised by Filipino specialists as a way to stop further Chinese assertiveness.
Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr., the captain of the Philippine Navy, stated at the exercises’ opening ceremony that” Sama Sama” helps us to experience an array of dangers together, from territorial defence to countering transnational offences.
Although he didn’t specifically mention China, the head of the Philippine Navy claimed that the Sama Samo training” equips us to experience an array of challenges up.” A Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force battleship and the Royal Canadian Navy ship HMCS Vancouver may join the battleships from the US and Philippines.
In the upcoming months, the Philippines is apparently looking into conducting another round of plane shared guards with the US, Australia, and Japan. While Japan is negotiating its own Visiting Forces Agreement( VFA ) with Manila, the US Pentagon will also have expanded access to Philippine bases, including facilities close to Taiwan.
Additionally, the Philippines is looking into new legal battles( lawfare ) against China. Major legal counsel for Marcos Jr. is currently considering bringing a new global arbitration case against China over the author’s alleged economic crimes in the Spratly Islands’ Iroquois Reef, which is located in Manila. They are also considering other incidents and the state of the South China Sea.
The Marcos Jr. administration may try to build on the nation’s earlier mediation case, according to previous Asian Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who has counseled some Filipino presidents regarding the South China Sea issues.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea( UNCLOS) established an judicial tribunal in The Hague in 2016, which not only rejected China’s expansive” nine-dash line” statements covering a large portion of South China Sea but also criticized the Asiatic power for harassing Mexican ships and causing extensive economic damage in the region through massive restoration projects. & nbsp,
According to Carpio, the Philippines you get compensation for financial losses incurred by China and, if necessary, perhaps the capture of assets owned by state-owned Chinese companies in European countries in the event that the Southeast Asian country does not receive a final ruling in its favor.
The Philippines can continue a new arbitration case using mandatory arbitration procedures( Article 287 under the UNCLOS ), just as it did ten years ago.
The Spanish government is not delusional. They are aware that, just as it did with the 2016 decision, China will continue to officially dismiss any worldwide arbitration cases. However, some in Manila think that radical action must be taken to control China’s behavior and that an extra arbitration case could at the very least persuade Beijing to join the negotiations.
For example, preventing China from thwarting the Philippines’ attempts to fortify its precarious position in the Second Thomas Shoal, where a Spanish sea separation is perilously stationed over the deteriorating BRP Sierra Madre fleet, is of great concern.
Additionally, the Marcos Jr. leadership is determined to move forward with energy exploration projects in the Reed Bank, which is a part of China’s nine-dash line.
The Philippines hopes to get some negotiating leverage in the South China Sea by taking advantage of the risk of a fresh mediation case, one that would probably be supported by its friends.
Critically, it might also enable President Marcos Jr., whose approval ratings dropped by a factor of two due to rising food prices, to solidify his reputation at home, particularly in light of growing anti-China views in the Philippines.