House speaker row set to go to the wire

On: July 2, 2023

In their meeting with the other six potential coalition parties yesterday, the Move Forward Party ( MFP) and the Pheu Thai Party were unable to resolve the House speaker position deadlock, but representatives said they hoped to do so today.

The purpose of the meeting at MFP offices was to settle the argument over who should hold the House author’s seat. Pita Limjaroenrat, the chief of Move Forward, will be the new prime minister, according to an earlier agreement between the eight friends.

Following the meeting, Mr. Pita reported that the discussions regarding the House speaker topic had been fruitful.

But, he added, the MFP was still awaiting Pheu Thai’s definitive response.

” We has apologize if people are confused. We firmly intend to establish a state and address the issues facing the populace, Mr. Pita stated.

Regarding the potential for a different candidate for the House speaker’s seat, he chose not to notice. According to Mr. Pita,” Fresh speculation is not welcome because it could change the formation of the government and deceive people.”

The MFP previously stated that it wanted Phitsanulok MP Padipat Suntiphada to take over as Speaker of the House, while Pheu Thai steadfastly argued for it to be given the position of legislative branch brain.

When investigators questioned what may happen if Move Forward and Pheu Thai were ultimately able to reach a compromise, Mr. Pita even declined to comment.

Following the meeting, Pheu Thai innovator Cholnan Srikaew declared that the party may consult with its members today at an internal meeting in the hopes of coming to an agreement.

” If the result differs from what people had anticipated, it would have an impact on coalition allies and the establishment of the state ,” he said. By noon now, he hoped the problem would be resolved.

Dr. Cholnan responded,” That is difficult to answer, but I am convinced that every issue will be resolved by July 4 ,” when asked if it was probable for a group from another alliance to make another House speaker candidate in place of Pheu Thai.

Move Forward, according to Dr. Cholnan, may include 14 ministerial seats, plus the excellent minister’s, and Pheu Thai should hold 14 government ministers’ positions in addition to the House speaker.

One of the eight potential coalition allies, the Prachachat Party, led by Wan Muhammad Nor Matha, expressed yesterday his hope that the MFP and Pheu Thai would either” the people’s victory” over the next 40 days or that a” non-democratic bloc would rise.”

Mr. Wan, a former House speaker, responded that Prachachat, which won nine House seats in the May 14 election— the third-largest number after the MFP and Pheu Thai — also wants to do everything in its power to help establish” the people’s government.”

He claimed that in order to establish a new state, the party is willing to put its own objectives at risk.

Mr. Wan stated that he was unable to disclose the details of tonight’s meeting but thought Move Forward and Pheu Thai may come to a compromise.

Before tomorrow’s important ballot for a new House speaker, MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon announced that his party had resolve the matter with Pheu Thai.

Tourist numbers set to rise

By: Barkar Nash

On: July 2, 2023

In: South-East Asia

This time, the country will welcome 25 million visitors.

According to the state, there were over 12 million new arrivals late last month and will likely reach 25 million by the end of the year.

According to deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul, from the beginning of the year to June 25, there were 12.46 million tourist arrivals, an increase of 539 % over the same period last year.

Malaysia received 1.9 million visitors to the kingdom this year, followed by China( 1.3 million ), Russia ( 784, 488 ), South Korea ( 741, 909 ), and India ( 732, 523 ).

The significant increase in traveler traffic is consistent with the Airports of Thailand’s report of a sharp increase in airport apply beginning in October of last year.

Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Ching Rai, Phuket, and Hat Yai have been the six busiest flights. During the October to May time, they welcomed a total of 34.3 million, an increase of 635 % year over year.

202, 700 domestic and international flights were handled by the flights, which is 175 % more than during the same time last month.

According to her, citing the Fiscal Policy Office, continuously growing tourist arrivals are providing an important motivator for economic development.

As flights add more planes to their autumn schedules, the business anticipates that foreign tourist arrivals may exceed 2 million per month in the final quarter of this year.

According to Ms. Traisuree,” Hospitality is a major driver of the economy’s growth for the remainder of that year.” The resurgence of hospitality helps to balance out the erratic export market.

Prayut Chan-o-cha, the prime minister, has instructed state companies to reduce barriers that are impeding commerce, such as travel restrictions.

According to her, the elite is paying particular attention to requests from tourism operators to simplify and expedite the issuance of tourist visas.

Gen Prayut was aware that initiatives like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MOF ), the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the Thailand Tourism Authority ( TAT ), and the Royal Thai Police were working together more closely to make improvements.

In order to generate 1.5 trillion ringgit in revenue, the government has set a goal of welcoming 25 million visitors to the country this season.

As Chinese visitors are anticipated to increase to five million this season, the TAT has expressed confidence that the goal will get met.

The Visa Pre-screening System( VPSS ) will be introduced later this month by the TAT and the MOF in an effort to expedite visa applications for foreign visitors.

The holiday income has been moved from June 1 to January of next year, according to tourism and sports secretary Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.

The new government will take into account the income, which will be 300 ringgit each for visitors arriving by surroundings and 150 ringgit for those arriving on land or by boat.

Docs warn of monkeypox sex risk

By: Barkar Nash

On: July 2, 2023

In: South-East Asia

According to health officials, the number of monkeypox cases in Thailand increased dramatically last month, and they are cautioning people who have sex with men to exercise caution because all novel cases were reported in this group.

Since the nation’s first case of monkeypox in July of last year, 91 additional instances have been documented, according to Dr. Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control.

According to him, there were up to 48 novel circumstances last month alone, compared to 21 in May.

According to the director-general, 22 of the new cases involved people who had intercourse with other people and had documented HIV infection.

Seven immigrants and 41 Thais make up the 48 new circumstances. 38 people reside in Bangkok, three in Samut Prakan, two in each of the regions of Chon Buri and Nonthaburi, and one each in the cities of Pathum Thani, Phuket, or Smut Sakhon.

According to Dr. Tares, the majority of new cases involved sexual without shelter or with strangers before getting sick. He continued,” No people have died or experienced severe indicators.”

The director-general stated that avoiding close contact with people or those who are thought to be infected with monkeypox and abstaining from having sex with strangers may help prevent this ailment.

Within 21 days of touch with patients, people at risk may notice if they have rashes on their sexual organ, anus, lips, or brain, as well as a chilly, headache, muscle aches, and enlarged lymph nodes. Those who experience signs may visit a doctor right away, Dr. Tares advised.

The disease’s spread in June was attributed to risky behavior among people of sexual age, particularly people who had intimate relations with men, according to Dr. Sophon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control.

He advised those who might be at risk to develop self-defense skills, particularly when engaging in sexual activity. He also suggested eating just fully cooked foods and frequently hand washing with soap and water or an alcohol-based finger brush.

According to the World Health Organization, people in high-risk groups or those who are infected may sequester themselves for 21 weeks and use condoms as a preventative measure before engaging in sexual activity for 12 weeks after their illness.

Police arrest serial rapist in Chon Buri

By: Barkar Nash

On: July 2, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Wattana: Trapped after violation

A serial murderer with a lengthy criminal history has been detained by police in Chon Buri.

Wattana Srikhaney, also known as Tum Chonburi, was detained on May 14 after he sexually assaulted a lady in the country’s Ko Chan area, according to Pol Maj Gen Teeradej Thumsutee, main of studies at the Metropolitan Police Bureau, who reported this to the Bangkok Post on Sunday and NBPSP.

He is connected to a number of other assault cases. Police claimed that before raping and robbing his patients, he used the Omi game to locate them.

In other instances, victims included cash, gold necklaces, cellular phones, and other valuables. In one instance, a woman was sexually assaulted and left it totally naked.

According to police, the boy’s criminal history dates from 2009 to the present.

He has a lengthy legal history and has spent time in and out of prison.

He raped someone on January 29 in Chon Buri’s Phanat Nikhom city in 2009, and he did so again two years later.

In between, in February 2009, he was detained for robbery in the neighborhood.

He was accused of drug use in 2017 in the Si Racha area of Chon Buri, and a fortnight later in Pathum Thani’s Khlong Luang district, he was also charged with the same offense.

He robbed and raped people in the Lat Krabang neighborhood of Bangkok’s Chorakhe Noi neighborhood in April of this year.

He sexually assaulted a different target in May in Chon Buri’s Ko Chan neighborhood, where he was eventually apprehended, according to the authorities.

According to Pol Maj Gen Teeradej, the suspect would pose as a” nice guy” online.

He took each of his subjects on dates and offered to pick them up. He had then, according to the police, trust his acts.

No agreement on House speaker yet

By: Barkar Nash

On: July 2, 2023

In: South-East Asia

Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew, second left, shakes hands with Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat during a press conference after eight coalition allies held a meeting at MFP headquarters on Sunday. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

The Move Forward Party (MFP) and the Pheu Thai Party, the two main coalition allies, were unable to agree on the House speaker position in their meeting with the other six parties on Sunday but said they hope to resolve the issue on Monday.

The meeting at MFP headquarters was planned to solve the dispute over the House speaker’s seat. The eight allies earlier agreed to support MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat as the new prime minister.

After the meeting, Mr Pita said the eight parties had discussed the House speaker issue and the talks were positive.

However, he said MFP was still waiting for a definitive answer from Pheu Thai.

“If people are confused, we must apologise. We have a firm intention to form a government and solve people’s problems,” Mr Pita said.

He declined to comment on the possibility of another nominee for the House speaker’s seat. “New speculation is not welcome because it could affect the government formation and confuse people,” Mr Pita said.

Earlier the MFP said it wanted Phitsanulok MP Padipat Suntiphada to be the new House speaker while Pheu Thai stood firm it should get the seat of the head of the legislature.

Mr Pita also refused to comment when reporters asked what would happen if MFP and Pheu Thai were unable to eventually reach a compromise.

Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said his party would discuss the contents of Sunday’s meeting with its members on Monday and hoped hoped his party would be able to reach a resolution on the matter.

“If the outcome is different from people’s expectations, it would affect coalition allies and the formation of the government,” he said. He hoped the government’s formation would be resolved by noon on Monday.

Asked if it were possible for a political party from another bloc to nominate a differnt House speaker candidate instead of Pheu Thai, Dr Cholnan said: “That is difficult to answer but I am confident that every issue will be resolved by July 4.”

Earlier Dr Cholnan said MFP should have 14 ministers’ seats – plus the prime minister’s – and Pheu Thai would have 14 cabinet ministers’ posts plus the House speaker’s seat.

Wan Muhammad Nor Matha, leader of the Prachachat Party which is one of the eight coalition allies, said he hoped MFP and Pheu Thai would turn the next 40 hours into the time of “the people’s victory” or else “the non-democratic bloc would rise”.

The House secretariat set the House vote for its speaker on Tuesday.

Mr Wan Mohammad Nor said he could not reveal the content of Sunday’s meeting but believed MFP and Pheu Thai could reach an agreement.

MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon said his party would settle the issue with Pheu Thai on Monday before the vote for the House speaker on Tuesday.

Monkeypox cases leapt in June

By: Barkar Nash

On: July 2, 2023

In: South-East Asia

A team of provincial health officials cleans a condominium in Phuket where the country’s first recorded case of monkeypox was found on July 22. (Photo: Department of Disease Control)

Health authorities say the number of monkeypox cases in Thailand soared last month and warn men who have sex with men to take precautions as new cases have been spreading among them.

Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said on Sunday that since the country had its first case of monkeypox in July last year, a further 91 cases have been recorded.

“Last month alone there were as many as 48 new cases, about 2.3 times the 21 new cases in May,” he said.

The 48 new cases were all men who had sex with men and 22, or 45.8%, of them had records of HIV infection, the director-general said.

Of the 48 new cases, 41 are Thais and seven are foreigners. Thirty-eight live in Bangkok; three in Samut Prakan; two each in Chon Buri and Nonthaburi provinces; and one each in Pathum Thani, Phuket and Samut Sakhon.

Most new cases had sex without protection or had sex with strangers before falling ill, Dr Tares said. No patients developed severe symptoms or died.

“This disease can be prevented by avoiding close contact with patients or those suspected of being infected with monkeypox and refraining from sex with strangers,” the director-general said.

People at risk can observe if they have rashes on their sex organs, anuses, mouths or bodies or have a cold, headache, muscle ache and swollen lymph nodes within 21 days of contact with patients. Those with symptoms should see a doctor without delay, Dr Tares said.

Dr Sophon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said the spread of the disease in June reflected risky behaviour among men of reproductive age, especially men who had sexual relations with men.

Are escalators and moving walkways safe?

By: Barkar Nash

On: July 2, 2023

In: South-East Asia

A moving walkway speeds a pilot between terminals at at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York City on Dec 5, 2014. A woman at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok recently lost part of her leg after it was caught in a moving walkway, but such injuries on the walkways, and escalators, are extremely rare. (Karsten Moran/The New York Times)

An airline passenger had part of her leg amputated this past week after an accident on a moving airport walkway in Bangkok, authorities said.

The accident, involving a 57-year-old woman, occurred Thursday in the domestic terminal of Don Mueang International, the older and smaller of two major airports that serve Bangkok, the capital.

It’s unclear precisely what happened. Local news media initially reported that the woman’s leg had been pulled into the walkway’s machinery after she tripped on her suitcase. But her family said Saturday that she had been walking normally when part of the walkway collapsed.

What’s clear is that her leg was amputated up to the kneecap after the accident. Thai authorities are now trying to determine if the accident resulted from human error or equipment malfunction.

Walkways: widely used and seldom feared

Such walkways are known as “moving walks” to government regulators and construction companies in the US and “travellators” elsewhere. Moving walks are often talked about in the same breath as escalators because they use similar technology and move at about the same speed — generally 100 feet per minute, or about 2kph.

The main difference is incline. An escalator sits at about 30 degrees, but a moving walk’s incline is typically no more than one-tenth of that. Many moving walks are flat.

Escalators and moving walks ease the movement of billions of people through airports, shopping malls and other public spaces each year. The National Elevator Industry, an industry group in the United States, estimates that about 105 billion passengers ride escalators annually — the world’s population, multiplied by 13 — in the United States alone.

Escalators and moving walks are widely seen as very safe. But, like virtually any form of public transportation, they occasionally malfunction.

In Australia, for example, inspectors in the state of Queensland found two recent examples of moving walks that were operating with a missing pallet, the technical term for the metal slats that separate passengers from the whirring machinery below.

And in Thailand, a passenger at Don Mueang International Airport reported losing a shoe to the machinery of a moving walk in 2019, Thai news media outlets reported this past week.

How likely is an accident on an airport walkway?

Data for the safety of moving walks is scarce. But if we go by escalator-safety data, the answer is “not very”.

An average of 2 deaths per year in the United States involve escalators, lower than the figure for lifts, according to a 2013 review of US government data by the Center for Construction Research and Training, a nonprofit group in Maryland.

The risk of injury is higher: About 10,000 escalator-related injuries result in a trip to the emergency room in the United States each year. But even that figure is exceedingly small if you consider the sheer volume of escalator and moving walk trips that people take every day.

The moving walk where the accident occurred this past week had been used at Don Mueang International since 1996, the airport’s director, Karant Thanakuljeerapat, told reporters.

Don Mueang carried more than 13 million domestic passengers last year, and nearly twice as many in the years immediately before the coronavirus pandemic, according to government data. So, over nearly three decades, a moving walk there could have carried many tens of millions of passengers.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Warning out for serial rapist, robber luring victims via dating app

By: Barkar Nash

On: July 2, 2023

In: South-East Asia

A mugshot of rape and robbery suspect Wattana Srikhaney, alias Tum Chonburi (Photo: Metropolitan Police Bureau)

The Metropolitan Police Bureau has warned the public to be on high alert for a man with a 15-year criminal record of using a dating application to meet women and then rape and rob them.

According to the warning, the man, who was identified as Wattana Srikhaney, alias Tum Chonburi, has recently used the Omi app to find his female victims.

Posing as a “nice guy”, he offers to pick the woman up and take her on a date to a certain place. He then takes her to a different location and rapes her.

In one case, a woman was raped at the edge of a rice field and abandoned there completely naked.

Some of the victims, after being raped, were robbed of cash, gold necklaces, mobile phones and other valuables.

Police believe many other women had been victimised but had not dared to file a complaint with police, or were unsure of his real identity.

The man was on police record as having committed the following crimes:

• A rape in Phanat Nikhom district, Chon Buri, on Jan 29, 2009
• A theft in Phanat Nikhom district, Chon Buri, on Feb 19, 2009
• A rape in Phanat Nikhom district, Chon Buri, on Sept 11, 2011
• Charged with drug use in Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani, on July 13, 2017
• Charged with drug use in Si Racha district, Chon Buri, on June 3, 2017
• A rape and a robbery in Chorakhe Noi area in Bangkok’s Lat Krabang district on April 27, 2023
• A rape in Ko Chan district, Chon Buri, on May 14, 2023

Police are hunting for the man.

Women warned about serial rapist, robber luring victims via dating app