Barkar Nash (Page 41)

Cabinet approves resources for peace-building effort in southern provinces and components of Songkhla

The government has approved an annual expenditure of 721 million ringgit to raise the wages of spiritual teachers in Islamic schools in Thailand’s southern provinces as a part of a peace-building program.

The money will be allocated to religious universities in Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Satun regions. They will also get allocated to Chana, Thepa, Saba Yoi and Na Thawi districts in Songkhla, assistant state official Anukul Prueksanusak said on Tuesday.

Tadika (kindergarten ) teachers at Islamic schools teaching the moral code in communities will have their wages raised by 3, 000 baht to 3, 500 baht a month. &nbsp, Those conducting religion classes in pondok ( boarding ) schools will receive raises between 2, 000 and 4, 000 baht a month.

The regular salary for an Islamist college professor at a government institution may range from 30, 000 to 35, 000 ringgit depending on knowledge and skills.

Educators in private schools that offer the national education as well as Islamic content will have their monthly earnings lifted by 2, 000 to 3, 500 rmb, while those from Islamist private schools outside the program will get raises ranging from 1, 000 to 3, 000 ringgit.

The budget allocation will begin in the next fiscal year starting in October, said Mr Anukul.

A Hong Kong gentleman wanted for a drug-related crime has been arrested in Pattaya, Thai officials said on Tuesday.

Immigration officers arrested the Hong Kong regional at a rented home in the beach area in Chon Buri on Monday. He was staying with a Thai sweetheart, said Pol Lt Gen Panumas Boonyaluck, deputy director of the Immigration Bureau.

The think identified only as Truong, 25, was wanted by Hong Kong authorities on charges of assaulting a friend who eventually died in Sha Tin area of the Chinese capital on March 16.

Hong Kong authorities said two persons were involved in the murder. One of them was Truong, who fled to Thailand on the evening of the shooting, said Pol Lt Gen Panumas.

The death arose from a fight over an illegal drug offer. Hong Kong government issued a subpoena for the perpetrator’s imprisonment and sought assistance from the Royal Thai Police.

Immigration authorities tracked the think to the rented apartment in Pattaya and arrested him. He may be deported to Hong Kong, said said Pol Lt Gen Panumas.

Bangkok Pride activities from May 30 to June 1 will promote country’s capacity

Thailand has declared its readiness to sponsor WorldPride 2030, using this week’s Bangkok Pride Festival as a platform to demonstrate its features.

Waaddao Chumaporn, president and founder of Bangkok Pride, said on Tuesday that this year’s event marks the beginning of a four-year strategy leading up to the country’s charge for WorldPride 2030. The 2025 event will run from May 30 May to June 1, under the style” Born This Way”, celebrating variety of personality.

The event will have forums, performances and a great festival on June 1, with individuals marching for 2 miles from the National Stadium to CentralWorld from 2pm to 10pm.

” This year’s event will be a landmark time, proving Thailand’s ability to network WorldPride 2030″, Ms Waaddao said, adding she is assured the occasion would demonstrate Thailand’s determination to equality on a global level.

” We want this week’s Pride Festival to be part of Thailand’s investment for its WorldPride 2030 pay”, she said.

She also highlighted the rapid expansion of Bangkok Pride, noting that enrollment numbers have soared from 20, 000 in 2022 to 100, 000 in 2023, and 250, 000 in 2024, with an expected 300, 000 participants this year.

The event also comes in the wake of a historic step for Thailand’s LGBTQ group — the passage of the Marriage Equality Bill on Jan 23.

Mr Waaddao also stressed the importance of pushing for more legitimate acknowledgment of women’s right, including the Gender Recognition Bill and the energy to decriminalise sexual function.

Linthiporn Warinwachararoj, Marriage Equality Bill Commissioner of the governing Pheu Thai Party, noted that the Pride Festival is particularly important as it will be the primary held since the passing of the wedding justice costs.

She also emphasised the financial impact of LGBTQ addition, citing a 2024 review by the online travel booking firm Agoda, which estimated that union justice could get an extra 4 million international visitors per year, generating US$ 2 billion (68 billion ringgit ) and supporting 152, 000 new employment.

With Pride events planned in 40 provinces, organisers remain committed to securing WorldPride 2030.

” Pride events ensure equality while boosting the national economy”, she added.

North province among the world’s most polluted locations suddenly

Chiang Mai is struggling with serious air pollution as fires continue to spread across many districts, with over 150 hotspots detected.

Wildfires continued to burn on Tuesday in rocky places in the northern state, with 150 effective areas across 15 regions. The hardest-hit towns include Warm with 34 areas, Chiang Dao with 26 and Phrao with 23.

Heavy smoke continued to cover the city — the world’s third most poisoned as of Tuesday morning — causing eye and mouth irritation among residents.

IQAir said Chiang Mai had a PM2.5 fine sand intensity of 170 microgrammes per square inch (µg/m³ ), far above the safety level at 34.7 μg/m3.

Waste levels remain dangerously high, prompting local authorities to stimulate fountains and apply water-spraying vehicles along the ancient town moat to increase moisture and lessen the haze, especially in densely populated areas.

Data from the Climate Change Data Center at Chiang Mai University showed disturbing PM2.5 levels in many places on Tuesday night. In Chiang Dao city, PM2.5 levels reached 240 µg/m³.

In Mae Hong Son, however, a flame near Ban Mae Sa Pe Tai, a town in Khun Yuam neighborhood, had been brought under control, said Pornthep Charoensuebsakul, chairman of Protected Areas Regional Office 16.

The victory was attributed to nearer participation between the office, the Area 3 Forest Fire Control Centre and the Royal Thai Air Force.

An air pressure BT-67 plane, guided by the forest fire command center, conducted two planes on Monday, releasing 6, 000 litres of water over the burning places.

Earth support teams coordinated with aircraft via stereo, ensuring appropriate water drops. According to impenetrable terrain, flying firefighting remains a vital technique in tackling fire in Mae Hong Son.

Ekkawit Meepian, the state’s chancellor, has integrated tools, including planes from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and BT-67 plane from Phitsanulok, to fight the wildfires until the condition improves.

Despite the latest victory, Mr Pornthep stressed the need for long-term teamwork between government agencies, private organisations and the public to avoid forest and agricultural using and promote green conservation efforts to safeguard northeastern Thailand from future waste crises.

A woman and two kids were just photographed in Tak’s Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary, the latest indicator of progress in Thailand’s efforts to preserve the affected species, especially in the Western Forest Complex.

Porayut Waiwong, chairman of the Protected Area Regional Office 14 in Tak state, said on Tuesday the unusual sight was caught by an involuntary camera bait. &nbsp,

The woman, codenamed F22, and two kids aged 4-6 times were filmed on the day of Feb 15-16, up and evidently in great health.

Sanctuary key Piya Pinyo said lens nets were initially installed in the area in 2022, with help from the World Wildlife Fund.

That time, F22 was caught on camera for the first time, sparking desire that kids were in the future.

Next December, rangers found cat designs, both large and small, in the sanctuary’s border region near Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary. They were believed to belong to F22 and her kids.

The revelation led to more lens baits being installed in Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary, Mr Piya said. On the day of Feb 15-16, &nbsp, F22 was photographed with two kids. &nbsp,

He said the same camcorders also showed a lion inspecting its hunting ground, wolves, wild pig rooting for meals, wild elk and a crying deer.

Mr Porayut said lions, which were threatened with extinction, were showing signs of restoration. They were at the top of the food chain and may live only in places where there was abundant wild game. &nbsp,

Tests tested by business body traced to shuttered Chinese-owned shop in Rayong

The architects of the under-construction business building that collapsed in Bangkok during last Friday’s disaster evidently used poor metallic bars made by a stock that had been shuttered by authorities.

Examples of two different sizes of metal bars collected from the site of the State Audit Office creating failed tests by the Iron and Steel Institute of Thailand for their large, chemical structure and ability to withstand pressure before bursting.

The material was made by a company whose stock had been shut for another violations since December, Thitipas Choddaechachainun, the mind of a working class at the Ministry of Industry, said without identifying the business.

Pictures of the metal bars shared by the government and local media displayed the company “Sky”, made by Xin Ke Yuan Steel Co, which had a mill in Rayong state. Authorities closed the factory on safety grounds in December due to an accident involving a gas tank leak and seized more than 2, 400 tonnes of steel.

The 30-storey building was the only building to crumble in the Thai capital in the wake of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday. The crash killed at least a dozen workers and trapped dozens more.

The discovery of the substandard steel comes amid a separate investigation ordered by the government to uncover the reasons for the building collapse.

Xin Ke Yuan Steel is the second Chinese company to draw Thai scrutiny. The skyscraper was being constructed by ITD-CREC, a joint venture between SET-listed Italian-Thai Development Plc and China Railway Number 10 Thailand Co.

Authorities will collect more steel samples and collaborate with the probe panel, Industry Minister Akanat Promphan said on Tuesday.

China Railway Number 10, which could not be reached for comment, is also set to be investigated by the Department of Special Investigation to see if it used Thai nominees as proxy shareholders, Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said.

A phone operator at the Xin Ke Yuan Steel plant said the factory operations remained suspended. Executives at the firm couldn’t be reached. The company was registered in 2011 with nine Chinese nationals holding an 80 % stake, according to the Department of Business Development database. A representative for Italian-Thai could not immediately be reached for comment.

The viral images of the dramatic collapse of the building, which was about 45 % complete, have raised questions about the design, construction and quality of materials used. An anti-corruption watchdog said on Monday that it had raised a number of concerns about the project.

The crash stood out in the city that withstood much of the impact of the temblor, in contrast to widespread devastation close to the epicentre in Myanmar where more than 2, 700 people have been confirmed to have died so far.

The government will take action against the steel factory under Thailand’s Industrial Products Standards Act, Ms Thitipas told reporters late on Monday, adding that the government has been cracking down on low-quality steel.

” We can prosecute any manufacturer and seller of substandard products”, she said. ” We’ll also inspect the factory in the meantime to see if it had violated the shutdown order and check the inventory that we have seized”.

A sensor has detected 70 symptoms that could be missing persons deep inside the dust of the fell State Audit Office building in Bangkok. &nbsp,

The device, supplied by the US Military, detected the evidence in the centre of the fell tower, between the 17th and 21st surfaces where most of the missing persons had been working when the disaster struck on Friday, the Ruamkatanyu Rescue Foundation reported on Tuesday night.

Bangkok lieutenant governor Tavida Kamolvej said it was unclear whether all 70 indications were missing people. But, six had been identified as people systems. &nbsp,

The tower had pancaked, the fell flooring lying on top of each other, so it was not known which flooring each man was on, Ms Tavida&nbsp, said. &nbsp,

Firefighters said they were were making the best improvement they had, but admitted it was a struggle to get to the stuck individuals.

The 30-storey State Audit Office tower had been under design, so there was no perfect framework of the tower, rescuers said. The partitions were about one inch solid, making digging difficult.

The page was still too uncomfortable to use heavy digging equipment. Employees had to eventually replace the dust. pulling and clearing it from the best down. &nbsp,

With the evacuation now in the second day, the program was being constantly adjusted with the goal to save as many people as possible, she said.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration at 8am said the proved toll&nbsp, 13 useless and 19 injured, with results also missing.

Bird-eye perspective of the fell State Audit Office building in Bangkok. ( Photo: Fire and Rescue Facebook page )

PHUKET- Three visitors and a link were injured while swimming near a boat that exploded in embers near Koh Mai Thon, off the beach of Phuket, on Tuesday night.

Two staff members of the Thana Marine 555 were likewise injured, including the commander. All six were taken to doctor.

The ship had earlier left Tha Chalong wharf, taking 33 visitors and a guide to Mai Thon area.

It developed motor problems then caught fire and exploded about 9am, after arriving at the beach, according to Nachaphong Pranit, chairman of Phuket sea business.

When the fire erupted there were three people on board, the skipper and two team. Some visitors were swimming in the sea near. &nbsp,

The skipper and one staff member suffered fires. Three visitors and the link sustained shrapnel scars from the blast that left the boat burning strongly, Mr Nachaphong said. &nbsp,

Marine department officials were sent to check. The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre dispatched HTMS Hua Hin to aid in the activity. The Phuket municipal management company sent a fireboat and another boat and staff to help extinguish the flame. The Thana Marine 555 was gutted by the fireplace.

The boat cakes near Koh Mai Thon off the Phuket beach as visitors are transferred to another vessel. ( Photo: Phuket marine office/ Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre )

A firecrew hose down the lights that gutted the boat. ( ( Photo: Phuket marine office/ Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre )

The boat was gutted by the hearth. ( Photo: Third Naval Area )

Myanmar’s coup president’s involvement in the Bimstec ( Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation ) summit in Bangkok this week is questionable following a 7.7-magnitude disaster last year, according to network Thailand.

But, all leaders of the member states are also expected to attend, a Thai foreign department spokesperson told a typical presentation on Tuesday.

Junta main Min Aung Hlaing may also go electronically, the spokeswoman said. The devastating disaster struck Myanmar on March 28, even causing significant injury in Thailand.

The mountain of Bimstec is due to take place from Wednesday to Friday.

The gathering includes Thailand, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.