Big Joke will be treated fairly: PM

On: April 19, 2024

Discussed: 20 Apr 2024 at 05:30

Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, claims that Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, aka” Big Joke,” who is suspected of being involved in a scandal involving money laundering, may be treated quite after signing an order to put him on administrative leave.

The Royal Thai Police (RTP ) has requested the return of Pol Gen Surachate in response to the order to allow him to receive disciplinary punishment. On March 20, he was elevated to an inert position at the PM’s business.

Mr. Srettha disclosed to the media that he had met with acting acting federal police captain Pol Gen Kitrat Panphet to talk about the situation and the situation involving federal police chief Torsak Sukvimol, who was later elevated to an inert position along with Pol Gen Surachate.

The top said Pol Gen Surachate’s disqualification was the result of the justice system, adding that Pol Gen Torsak’s case was different. A sensor panel will complete its investigation as soon as possible, he added.

On Thursday, the acting police captain signed an order suspending Pol Gen Surachate, along with four employees, over reported money laundering in connection with the BNK Master gaming site.

The four different authorities are Pol Col Kittichai Sangkhathaworn, Pol Lt Col Karit Pariyaket, Pol Sgt Natthawut Wadwaew and Pol Sgt Natthanan Chuchak.

In infraction of parts 5, 9 and 10 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Pol Gen Surachate, who was once touted as a potential federal police commander, is accused of colluding in money laundering and using his status as a state official to help the violence.

According to Pol Gen Kitrat, the RTP has established a probe panel, which will be led by deputy police chief Sarawut Kanpanich, to investigate whether the accused have committed other crimes and establish connections with their accomplices.

According to him, Pol Gen Surachate has the right to contest and testify in court under the Royal Thai Police Act.

In addition, former deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangprapai, stated that Pol Gen Torsak would face legal action if the panel finds support for allegations made by Sittra Biabungkerd’s lawyer.

Rare bee is spotted for the first time in this country

By: Barkar Nash

On: April 19, 2024

In: South-East Asia

Described: 20 Apr 2024 at 05 :27

For the first time in Thailand, experts claimed the discovery demonstrated the country’s great natural system for unusual species.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and a group of science researchers from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Sciences announced the discovery in Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park in Chiang Mai state on Friday.

A group of scientists first discovered Kaiser-I-Hind, a unique butterfly inside Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park in Chiang Mai’s Fang city, by accident past May.

To their amazement, the crew came across a class of bees with a fully black-hued stomach, bright yellow fur in the thorax area and dreary wings.

For a more in-depth examination, the group collected three tests.

One of the team’s researchers, Nattapot Warrit, believes that this discovery provides solid evidence of the existence of the unique species based on DNA testing following the release of the first image of the Alpine large honey bee, which is thought to have been taken in Thailand, in 2020.

Large bees can be found in cold weather areas at 1,000 meters above sea level and at temperatures below 25C, according to him.

These ants were seen in China, Nepal, India, Myanmar and Vietnam, with no other previous history of sighting in Thailand. The finding supports the claim that Thailand’s biological system is ideal for the cave bird. This milkweed significantly increases the inhabitants of particular plants that flourish in low temperatures, according to Mr. Nattapot.

It is also known as a cave bird because roughly 95 % of its bees were discovered in caves.

Due to its large community of 50,000-100,000 flies in one cave, it is regarded among the biggest sweet producers in the world.

Because of its ability to aid plant growth, it is a significant species in great mountainous landscapes.

The researcher also expressed his concern about the rise in temperature brought on by climate change, which may cause the giant bee population to decrease.

According to our research, the big bird migrates to Thailand in March and departs in July. But if the heat on high hills are n’t cool enough, they might never come back. “

The research team discovered three bees in the regional park and expressed assurance that there might be more in different national parks in Chiang Mai state and the northern area.

Songkiat Tatiyanond, the agency’s assistant chief, said the discovery had confirmed the department’s success in protecting the forest’s delicate natural system, adding the department had support further study of the unique bee.

Commentary: Companies that don’t adapt to flexi-work arrangements will lose out

By: Marcus Ching

On: April 19, 2024

In: South-East Asia

My studies supports this, pointing out that working from home increases employee joy and lessens the risk of leaving.

This has to do with how people ’ targets align with their work, rather than just the place of their work. When employees believe their labor complies with both their personal and professional objectives, they become considerably more productive and stay.

For instance, in our survey of more than 700 Singapore residents, which will be published in the Asian Journal of Business Ethics ( Special Issue ) in June, nearly 65 percent of those who saw a good level of personal and family well-being said they experienced a good level of personal and family well-being. Specifically, they experienced reduced labor tension, improved work-life equilibrium, a better quality of life, and maintained a better family connection.

Also, when WFH targets are well-aligned, staff ’ intentions to leave are reduced significantly. Only 14 % of those who saw position said they had a strong desire to quit.

In fact, when businesses show that they can help their employees ’ work-from-home goals, they are more likely to sustain them.

Ironically, the study found no significant differences between men and women in their opinions on WFH objective position.

This suggests a shift toward a more equal distribution of family and work responsibilities, challenging conventional female standards. It emphasizes the value of diverse policy-making that addresses the various requirements of all people, regardless of gender.

Inside the world of dupes: From clothes to electronics, can cheaper also be better?

By: Marcus Ching

On: April 19, 2024

In: South-East Asia

But does the I-want-it-now customer culture mean dupes are usually of poorer value? How great a deal are hacks, really?

To get some comments, Talking Point puts some items to the test. In a two-part exclusive, it also explores fool culture and visits China, the country’s birthplace, for an inside look at the sector.

BIG BUSINESS IN CHINA

In China, if an object is popular, there will almost certainly get a cheaper alternative, from sports shoes to Bluetooth headphones. But by far the most common fool type is garments, Talking Point found.

Take, for instance, apparel, which Qingdao M& Y Trading produces. Its best-selling things are its collection of trousers, which are hacks of “big brands”, said user Li Xue Mei.

There are, of course, distinctions between its dupes and the originals. “We made the hands larger. And for some big brands, the waistband is shorter, but … we ( Chinese ) prefer it higher to give you a more defined waist, ” she said.

“We furthermore have over 30 colors for each of our models. The colors are all very brilliant. Additionally, we made adjustments to the fit based on Asians ‘ weight and size. ”

Commentary: Malaysia’s difficult path to a low-carbon economy

By: Jing Write

On: April 19, 2024

In: Asia

Second, Malaysia should pursue the huge potential for green investment in electric vehicles ( EVs ), including motorcycles, and in hydrogen-based industries. Malaysia might become a leader in innovation, for instance, by utilizing battery-swapping systems in EVs to shorten recharge cycles and extend battery life. The opportunities for EV deployment, such as the road tax deduction and individual tax deduction relating to EV costs, are justified. An EV trend may be crucial to Kuala Lumpur’s 2030 goal of reducing coal power to 45 per share of the 2005 levels.

The biggest desire for green tech lies in a gas discovery. A clean power alternative to natural gas that produces enormous heat as a byproduct as well as water. However, its commercialism faces difficult challenges, particularly due to the high cost of producing hydrogen. The options are already growing, with gas being increasingly used in substances, cotton fabric production, cup, electronics, and metalworking.

Malaysia has great potential in this area as positive experiences emerge, for instance in Sarawak, where projects such as H2ornbill and H2biscus, in collaboration with Asian and North Korean lovers respectively, have made strides in hydrogen-based, export-oriented business.

Third, Malaysia needs to sea up administrative and financial assistance. In addition to money models, incentives, and grants for alternative technology adoption and R& development, there are other important areas of focus. D.

The state needs clearer standards and regulations in green markets, and more strict monitoring of efficient investments, to increase transparency and accountability. The state could also take into account the creation of a natural classification, which local banks have indicated would be helpful in setting criteria for approving natural loans. Lastly, enhancing the mobility and quality of data will be important for policy research, monitoring, evaluation, and future reforms.

With its big rely on fossil fuels, Malaysia faces a difficult but necessary road to decarbonisation. Yet, the country is well-positioned to plug into emerging industrial opportunities for low-carbon growth in industry and travel. Moving forward, Malaysia has confidently and quickly encourage green investments and work toward its carbon reduction objectives.

The ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute is hosting Vinod Thomas as a visiting top brother. This commentary second appeared on the Institute’s site, Fulcrum.

Cops hit vape shops eyeing students

By: Barkar Nash

On: April 19, 2024

In: South-East Asia

Discussed: 20 Apr 2024 at 04 :45

Authorities in Bangkok have seize 10,000 e-cigarettes for three million baht after conducting a search of five e-cigarette stores close to universities and community centers.

Prime Minister’s Office Minister Puangpet Chunlaiad on Friday worked with Lat Phrao police station officers and the Office of the Consumer Protection Board ( OCPB) to raid the five Lat Phrao and Ramkhamhaeng stores.

A total of 10,000 different types of e-cigarettes, including regular-shaped ones and toys pens, which look like comic figurines, were seized, worth a total of 3 million baht.

In the vicinity of a renowned personal school, Soi Lat Phrao 107, which is the largest of the raided retailers, is located.

The factory was run by two people, aged 22 and 23. They asserted that they were unaware of the owner’s identity.

The store’s customers were mostly college students, and they made about 10,000 baht per time selling e-cigarettes. According to the team, it did not sell its goods to people under the age of 20.

According to Lertsak Raktham, assistant director of the OCPB’s Special Operations Center, all the shop owners will get arrested.

In addition, Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit, the executive director of the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation, stated that he is monitoring whether the state implements e-cigarettes as Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin just gave a mandate to various organizations to do so for the first day.

There are currently authorized rules in place that prohibit the sale of toy pods in foreign countries like England, France, and Belgium, according to Dr. Prakit.

He added that a study of Thai individuals revealed that the Northeast is the place with the most juveniles who smoke e-cigarettes, followed by the South, North, and Central regions.

Police hit vape shops eyeing students

By: Barkar Nash

On: April 19, 2024

In: South-East Asia

Discussed: 20 Apr 2024 at 04 :45

Authorities in Bangkok have seize 10,000 e-cigarettes for three million baht after conducting a search of five e-cigarette stores close to universities and community centers.

A full of 10,000 different kinds of e-cigarettes, including regular-shaped e-cigarettes and toys seeds, which are nicotine smoking products that resemble cartoon figurines, were seized, worth a total of 3 million baht.

In the vicinity of a renowned personal school, Soi Lat Phrao 107, which is the largest of the raided retailers, is located.

The factory was run by two people, aged 22 and 23. They asserted that they were unaware of who the user was.

The store sold e-cigarettes for about 10,000 ringgit per day, and the majority of its customers were college students. According to the employees, it did not sell its goods to children under the age of 20.

According to Lertsak Raktham, assistant director of the OCPB’s Special Operations Center, all the store owners will be arrested.

In addition, Dr. Prakit Vathesatogkit, the executive director of the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation, stated that he is monitoring whether the government implements e-cigarette laws after Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin recently gave a first-time order to various organizations to do so.

There are currently authorized rules in place to stop the sale of doll pods in foreign countries like England, France, and Belgium, according to Dr. Prakit.

He added that the Northeast, followed by the South, North, and Central, is the region with the highest percentage of minors using e-cigarettes, according to a study of Thai students.

Can AI help solve Japan’s labour shortages?

By: Marcus Ching

On: April 19, 2024

In: Asia

By Mariko Hiya

Business columnist

Japan has a lack of staff due to a shrinking population. Many people are anticipating that artificial intelligence ( AI ) can fill the void.

Damaged or deformed vegetables and fruits are difficult to sell in a nation that is known to become obsessed with beauty.

Selling a bag of gyoza with some damaged is a great no-no if you are a professional manufacturer of Chinese dumplings, like the product Osaka Ohsho.

But as demand surged during the pandemic, its family company, Eat& Holdings, simply did n’t have enough manpower to check every single dumpling, or keep up with demand.

Therefore, it turned to systems for an answer. It set up a high-tech shop in January 2023 with AI-powered devices trained to identify any faulty gyoza on the manufacturing lines.

This service produces two dumplings each subsequent today. That’s twice as fast as the other creation places for the Osaka Ohsho.

By implementing AI, we have cut the number of people working on the production line by about 30 %, according to representative Keiko Handa.

Additionally, the company recently introduced an AI-powered eating robot called I-Robo at one of its Tokyo franchises. The firm claims that the technology will help with the labor shortage concern because it takes time to train restaurants.

Japan’s employment gap is only possible to get worse.

124 people live right now. 35 million has been falling for 13 times. Additionally, it is anticipated that Japan’s labor force will continue to decline by 12 % between 2022 and 2040, by which time it will be estimated that it will no longer have 11 million employees.

However, Asia’s second-biggest sector is currently house to the world’s oldest people, with 29 % of people aged 65 or above.

The country also has one of the lowest birth-rates in the world, with only 758,631 babies born last year. That is the smallest number since the 19th century was first recorded.

The government’s efforts to boost its birth rates have met with little success. His nation is “on the verge of a breakdown,” according to Fumio Kishida, the country’s prime minister.

Many people have questioned whether our jobs will be stolen since AI has taken over the world by storm. But for some in Japan, AI cannot arrive fast enough.

The average age of a Japanese farmer is now 68, making farming one of the nation’s fastest-aging industries. 4 years. For early detection and prevention, different types of diseases, pests, and weeds are being used in this AI research.

Nihon Nohyaku, which manufactures agricultural chemicals, has developed a smartphone app called Nichino AI. The app determines what is wrong and which pesticide may be required when a farmer looks at a picture of struggling crops.

” The accuracy rate is about 70 to 80 %, so it is not as good as real experts, but better than ordinary farmers,” says Kentarou Taniguchi from Nihon Nohyaku.

” The longer we work on this app, the more we realise how excellent the human experts are,” he explains. ” But the number of experts is shrinking, so AI tools can be useful in this situation. “

Kensuke Takahashi, a farmer who has used the app for three years, acknowledges that AI is one of the tools that will aid in the sector’s modernization. ” The number of farmers is falling sharply like a rollercoaster,” he says,” but Japan’s total amount of produce is increasing. “

Mr. Takahashi acknowledges that some older farmers may be skeptical of any recent advances in technology, such as AI, but he believes that these farmers are assisting in increasing efficiency levels. ” Once you try out a drone to spray pesticide, you cannot go back to manual spraying,” he laughs.

What about language teachers, a field that has always been in need of them?

Despite the government’s repeated efforts to increase the number of English speakers, Japan has constantly ranked low in English proficiency, due to the lack of teachers who can effectively speak the language.

A start-up called Ecumenopolis has created an AI-powered online tool that allows users to communicate with its avatar for 15 minutes per session to address this shortfall. It has already been used in 50 schools across the nation.

AI English learning app developed by Equmenopolis.

At the end of last year, students were asked to use Narita Kokusai High School, which is located on the outskirts of Tokyo, to practice there for three months.

Teacher Shoko Takiguchi tells the BBC that AI chooses the types of English conversations each student can have and the types of questions it asks. That was advantageous because it was difficult to have one-on-one conversations with each student. “

At the end of each conversation, students get feedback in six areas including pronunciation, grammar, fluency and vocabulary.

” With AI, it is easy to find out what my weakness was, so it was efficient,” says one of the students, Ko Hanyuan. However, when asked if he would pick AI over his online tutorial, he replies no. Why? It lacks the human touch.

Ms Takiguchi agrees:” It is useful to improve your speaking skills, but I found conversations to be unnatural. ” She adds that the AI is unable to assess the user’s reaction, physical condition, or change in tone.

So it wo n’t replace human teachers? ” AI can not and should not replace English lessons at school or teachers,” emphasises the school’s principal Katsutoshi Fukumizu.

Governments in Japan are also conducting AI experiments.

Yokosuka City in Kanagawa prefecture is now using AI chatbot ChatGPT to assist with administrative tasks like recording and resuming meetings because of labor shortages.

” We deal with enormous amount of documents, and it takes a very long time and effort to create those documents,” says the city’s spokesperson Kohei Ota.

Thanks to ChatGPT,” we have calculated after our trial that we save 22,700 hours of work annually,” he adds.

At the national government’s Digital Agency, which was established in 2021 to overcome inefficiency in public administration, AI is also used to train its staff.

There are” so many things” we want to do, but our workforce has n’t been able to keep up,” says Masanori Kusunoki of the agency. He adds that the government is trying to “explore how we can use AI, and spread the information” to the private sector.

However, Mr. Kusunoki does n’t believe that there will be fewer jobs as a result of AI.

Japan embraces the potential of AI with less reluctance than other nations in a region where things change slowly.

Since it has looked into every possible way to deal with the double whammy of an ageing and shrinking population for more than a decade: from robots to women, the elderly, and foreign workers.

AI may improve the efficiency of the workforce, but it is not at all ready to take over from human workers.

Govt ready to provide more aid if Myanmar violence worsens

By: Barkar Nash

On: April 19, 2024

In: South-East Asia

Asean expressed concern over a recent increase of the fight between the Myanmar government and rebel forces, so Thailand is considering providing more humanitarian aid to Burmese residents.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry gave a regular update on recent issues affecting Thailand in the past year, which was yesterday.

According to Nikorndej Balankura, a ministry spokesman, Thailand values providing humanitarian assistance to Myanmar’s citizens who are impacted by the struggling and may require additional help.

In addition, the government will work with international organizations and legal organizations to coordinate with one another as they expand humanitarian aid in the midst of the ongoing crisis.

We intend to ask these organizations to give their views the following month. We also continue to give aid to all edges evenly,” said Mr Nikorndej, even the director-general of the agency’s Department of Information.

At a meeting held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the next Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tak on March 25, the government had previously distributed 4,000 sacks of relief materials.

Rice, dried food, and other elements were packed away in the comfort sacks that The Thai Red Cross Society had given to the Myanmar Red Cross Society to get distributed in Kayin position.

Around 20,000 villagers in three captain areas in the cities of Hpa-an and Kawkareik were finally given the bags.

The second meeting of the committee’s initial meeting will be held the following week, according to Mr. Nikorndej, adding that Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, has ordered the creation of it.

He stated that Thailand is prepared to talk with all parties involved in Myanmar to find a resolution to the continued issue.

” As a neighbouring state, Thailand supports speech that will lead to peace, balance and unity in Myanmar,” he added.

Asian foreign ministers issued a joint statement on Thursday informing the country of their concern over the increase of the military discord in Myanmar.

” We are concerned over the latest escalation of problems, including in the area of Myawaddy, Kayin State, along the border region between Myanmar and Thailand and in Rakhine State of Myanmar, which have caused dislocation of citizens.

We urge all parties to end all forms of violence as soon as possible and to use the maximum restraint to preserve international humanitarian law in order to prevent further charitable effects from like escalation of all forms of conflict.

It recommended that they take all necessary steps to ease tensions and ensure the safety and protection of all civilians, including those who are citizens of Asian member states and who are not from other countries.

The Asean ministers also urged all parties to take immediate action to stop civilian casualties from being impacted by conflicts, including creating a secure and conducive environment that will maintain the proper and impartial distribution of humanitarian aid to all those in Myanmar.

They even expressed support for work by the AHA Centre and Thailand’s charitable cross-border program, which are in line with the Five-Point Consensus, as well as cooperation with the Asean head and its special envoy on Myanmar.

We call for the mobilization of support for efforts to find a lasting and extensive political solution in Myanmar in order to address the humanitarian effects there.

Fears for Thais in Israel, Iran

By: Barkar Nash

On: April 19, 2024

In: South-East Asia

Discussed: 20 Apr 2024 at 04 :00

The state is carefully monitoring the conflict between Israel and Iran to prepare for potential eviction of Thai immigrants.

Foreign Ministry official, Nikorndej Balankura, said monday that the fight had intensified in the past year.

He claimed that this prompted Eksiri Pintaruchi, the agency’s continuous secretary, to speak to the Thai ambassadors in Tel Aviv and Tehran on April 17 and to look into possible ways to save Thais there if necessary.

According to a document he received, he said 28,000 Thais are now living in Israel, and 300 are living in Iran.

The Foreign Ministry is certain that the issue has not affected any Thai citizens at this time.

He claimed that no one has requested assistance at the diplomats in either nation.

The state will keep an eye on the situation and make departure plans if needed.

” We will continue to monitor and evaluate the position carefully. The most crucial point is that we are prepared to relocate Thai individuals to secure locations within those nations if needed. If the situation escalates, we need to have an departure plan to remove them from risk,” he said.

According to Mr. Nikorndej, the government has advised against visiting these nations. He further explained that the offices in Tel Aviv and Tehran are working with Thai citizens there to keep them informed of the situation and need them to follow information information.

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