Canada loosens visa rule

Thailand is among 13 countries newly added to Canada’s electronic travel authorisation (eTA) programme by its Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, the country announced on Wednesday.

Travellers who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa can now apply for an eTA instead of a visa when travelling to Canada by air, according to the website canada.ca.

Effective from Tuesday, eligible travellers from Thailand and the following countries can now benefit from the programme: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Costa Rica, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

“By making travel to Canada more accessible, we are enhancing opportunities for collaboration, trade and investment, thus invigorating our economy,” said Kevin Lamoureux, Canada’s MP for Winnipeg North.

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Discovering Tokyo’s old-school places using a 20-year-old travel guidebook

The usual images of Tokyo oscillate between two extremes: Gilded metropolis of the future and repository of the aristocratic past. The Q Guide evokes a different, real, thoroughly proletarian and much more intriguing city, most faithfully depicted in works of art and literature that I love.

I thought of Donald Richie’s Tokyo: A View Of The City, a short book published in 1999 that illuminates Tokyo’s downtown culture, when I waited in line outside Dote no Iseya, a basic but brilliant tempura restaurant in what was once a lively red-light district. Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s magnificent graphic novel, Abandon The Old In Tokyo, a collection of stories from 1970, focused on the city’s postwar, working-class culture, came to life when I ducked into Uosan Sakaba, an izakaya located on the far eastern side of Tokyo. I trailed two salarymen, obviously a little tipsy, into the steamy space. The counterman said to them, with no greeting or preamble, “Have you been drinking?”

“We had a few,” the men replied.

“Get out,” the counterman said, authoritatively, and that was it. Uosan may be cheap and loud, but they too have their rules. You can get drunk there, but you don’t enter if you’re already inebriated.

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Kin fret about Thaksin’s return

Fugitive ex-PM still faces 3 legal cases

Thaksin: Wants to come home in July
Thaksin: Wants to come home in July

The Shinawatra family wants fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to postpone his return from exile to Thailand, according to a source.

Shortly before the May 14 general election, Thaksin, who fled the country to avoid facing jail time, tweeted that he wanted to return home before July 26, his 74th birthday, to care for his grandchildren.

His planned return was discussed on Wednesday at a family get-together attended by Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra, Thaksin’s ex-wife, Thaksin’s daughters, Pintongta and her husband, and Paetongtarn.

The get-together at a Bangkok hotel took place after Ms Paetongtarn, one of the Pheu Thai Party’s prime ministerial candidates, told the press at Pheu Thai Party headquarters that her father wants to return home next month and is ready to face justice.

According to the source, Thaksin cannot wait to return but the family is not sure about the timing and wants him to postpone his plan until the formation of the coalition government.

The source said the family also thinks it is too soon for Ms Paetongtarn to try and serve as prime minister and that it would be better for her to wait five years. At 37, the clan feels she is too young to handle the political situation and there are other suitable candidates such as Srettha Thavisin and Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, the source said.

“She is young and doesn’t have much experience. She entered politics because she wants to strengthen Pheu Thai. It’s better for her to take it step by step. She also told her father she has yet to gain more experience, and he gets it,” said the source.

Early on Wednesday, Ms Paetongtarn told the media that Thaksin plans to return to Thailand in July but he is likely to look at several factors before deciding on an exact date.

She said Thaksin has made no coordination through her, but he is believed to be liaising with certain government agencies.

Ms Paetongtarn said Thaksin would face justice regardless of what government is in power.

“The last time we talked, [his plan] was still July. His return is quite important. So, circumstances and timing will be taken into consideration,” she said.

Thaksin was overthrown by a military coup on Sept 19, 2006, while he was overseas. He has since lived in self-imposed exile, except for a brief visit to Thailand in 2008.

He has spent 17 years saying he will come back. There are 18 records of him talking about his return.

The first time he was known to talk about coming home was on March 30, 2009 when he addressed red-shirt protesters in front of Government House via a video conference. “As soon as a first shot is fired at people, I’ll lead you to Bangkok,” he said.

Three years later he made a phone-in to greet red-shirt supporters at their gathering in Surin and told them: “If I go home, I’ll have to come back cool. And I’ll let you know later how to come back cool.”

The rest of Thaksin’s homecoming nods were recorded from 2021 to this May.

On May 1, he tweeted about the birth of his newest grandchild and said that all seven were born after he left the country.

On May 9, he tweeted that he wanted to return home before July 26. “I am determined to return home by July before my (74th) birthday to care for my grandchildren.”

During his absence, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment in four cases.

These range from abuse of power related to the ownership of state-owned land, malfeasance concerning the two- and three-digit lottery, abusing his position by authorising bank loans to buy equipment from a telecoms firm owned by his family, and using nominees to hold shares in that company, Shin Corp.

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Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia apologises for comedian Jocelyn Chia’s ‘gratuitously offensive’ act

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon on Thursday (Jun 8) said he was appalled by “gratuitously offensive comments” made by comedian Jocelyn Chia during a stand-up performance in New York. In a video clip of Chia performing at the Comedy Cellar club, she can be seen making jokes about Singapore’s relationshipContinue Reading

HPD to probe oil tanker bribe

The Highway Police Division (HPD) will set up a committee to look into a recent attempt by a senior official at the Excise Department to lobby the HPD to avoid taking legal action against a tanker carrying illegal oil.

Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, commander of the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD), also acting as HPD commander, said the HPD police last Saturday stopped and seized an oil tanker for inspection on Phetkasem Road in Prachuap Khiri Khan and found the oil it transported was illegal.

Following the seizure, the unnamed senior Excise Department official called the HPD team and asked for a favour to let the tanker driver go and release the tanker, which the team refused to do, said Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat.

The Excise Department official then tried contacting Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat’s team asking for help to agree to a negotiation, he said.

Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said as soon as he learnt about the caller’s intention, he immediately refused to meet that person.

“Now is time for everyone at the HPD to join hands in shaking off our bad reputation and build a new one to regain public trust,” he said.

He was referring to an ongoing investigation into the “sticker bribery” scandal of highway lorries disclosed by Move Forward Party (MFP) MP-elect Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, who cited information supplied by Land Transport Federation of Thailand chairman Apichart Prairungruang.

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Commentary: Would you dare take 365 days of paid leave given by your company?

INDISPENSABILITY DOES NOT EQUATE TO JOB SECURITY

But being indispensable at work in the belief that it equates to job security is not necessarily a good idea either. For one, it may lead to burnout, stress, or even resentment, especially if employees pursue unsustainable work hours and habits like saying yes to every assignment. 

It may also mean missing out on opportunities outside of immediate work duties, such as learning and development. We risk losing touch with industry trends, making it more difficult to make meaningful contributions in the future.

Compromising your well-being and chasing the need to be indispensable could even backfire and actually reduce the potential for growth and promotion. If we become so good at our job that no one else can replace us we might get passed over for promotion when new opportunities arise. 

Indispensable employees may also create bottlenecks or dependencies that hinder the efficiency and innovation of the organisation. Especially for those in managerial positions, being indispensable and constantly the go-to person can limit our effectiveness if we underutilise our team, inevitably sabotaging our careers. 

STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE

So if becoming indispensable isn’t the answer and being too replaceable isn’t ideal either, how can we strike the right balance between the two?

In Visier’s extensive experience working with companies, employers want someone adaptable, collaborative, proactive, and who can align their goals and values with the organisation’s vision and mission.

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Commentary: In this age of post-COVID travel, are we paying more for worse service?

However, the rebound in airline earnings has been accompanied by a rise in passenger complaints. The United States Department of Transportation received more than 77,000 complaints about airline service in 2022, 55 per cent more than that in 2021. The most common issues were flight disruptions, reimbursement and baggage. 

No doubt, the increase in complaints is in part due to the revival of the travel sector after COVID-19. But airlines may be tempted to cash in on such robust consumer demand, despite not having recovered to full pre-pandemic capacity yet.

Overbooking is one way airlines do this. Six years after a passenger was violently dragged off a United Airlines flight, US travellers are still denied boarding due to airlines selling more seats than they have available. The Wall Street Journal reported that more than twice as many passengers were bumped off flights between October 2021 and September 2022 compared to the same period in the previous year.

FALLING SERVICE STANDARDS OR MORE DEMANDING PASSENGERS?

It is natural for passengers to expect better service after paying a fortune. In Asia, recent news stories suggest passengers have lower tolerance towards poor in-flight service and meal quality.

Singapore Airlines, a regular top five airline in the world, sparked criticism after trialling paper serviceware in economy and premium economy class. Some customers deemed the paper boxes “cheap”, leading the airline to reverse its decision.

It could be that passengers expect more from Asian carriers, as they tend to outdo US and European airlines in world rankings. But individually, some airlines had been struggling even before COVID-19.

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CNA Explains: Why does Singapore need to prepare for haze this year?

Last month, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu wrote on Facebook that the NEA has convened Singapore’s Haze Task Force to review and prepare its response in the case of transboundary haze.

“As a precaution, Singaporeans may wish to make preparations to protect your loved ones, such as by ensuring that you have an adequate supply of N95 face masks and your air purifiers are in good working condition,” she said.

The NEA’s haze microsite said portable air cleaners can be used to keep particle levels low in an enclosed space. A device with a higher clean air delivery rate can produce more clean air for a room.

Who is more vulnerable?

Children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with chronic lung or heart disease are more vulnerable, according to the NEA’s haze website.

When air quality is in the unhealthy range, people with chronic lung or heart disease should not engage in prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical activities. Children, seniors and pregnant women should minimise such exertions, while healthy individuals should reduce outdoor exercise.

In 2013, clinics and hospitals in Singapore said more people were seeing the doctor for haze-related conditions. Even those without existing medical conditions felt the effects of the haze, CNA reported at the time.

The PSI reading in Singapore hit 401 in June 2013, which is in the hazardous range where healthy individuals are advised to minimise going outdoors and vulnerable people should avoid outdoor activities.

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Probe into relocation of ethnic kids

Ministry asks if move was to boost funds

ANG THONG: The Ministry of Education has ordered a committee to probe claims that 130 ethnic children were relocated from a Thai-Myanmar border town to a school in Ang Thong’s Pa Mok district against their will.

Local complaints were filed to authorities that a large group of ethnic children have enrolled in Thairath Wittaya 6 School, which has only two teachers, one director and one administrative staff member, said Ang Thong governor Rangsan Tancharoen.

The school holds classes from kindergarten to primary school, or grades 1-6.

The ministry is concerned about whether the children were lured to the school so that it would get financial support from the government and the private sector, Mr Rangsan said.

The committee will investigate the school director’s intentions, he said, adding that police have already questioned the admin staff member and the two teachers.

Pol Col Sakchai Kraiweeradechachai, superintendent of Pa Mok station, said police found that none of the 137 students were Thai.

Police said seven students are children of Cambodian migrant workers who have legal registration to work in the area not far from the school, while another 130 kids must undergo proof of nationality, said Pol Col Sakchai.

He said the 130 children could not speak the Thai language.

The ethnic children were moved from the school to Wat Sa Kaeo Orphan Aid Centre on Wednesday to await screening and find out if they are victims of human trafficking, he said.

Many children told an interpreter they were taken from an Akha village on Doi Mae Salong in Chiang Rai province, a hill separating Thailand and Myanmar.

During the interview, one Akha girl reportedly cried that she missed her parents and her home in the North. She said a group of strangers had picked her up from the village and taken other kids to Ang Thong against their will.

School director Kanlaya Tasom has refused to talk to the media.

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Conscript dies at training centre

Army chief Gen Narongpan Jittkaewtae
Army chief Gen Narongpan Jittkaewtae

The head of an army training centre is facing an investigation following the death of a conscript the morning after he was reportedly punished for smuggling an e-cigarette into the centre, army chief Gen Narongpan Jittkaewtae said on Wednesday.

A committee will look into the death at the 27th Cavalry Squadron in Muang district of Saraburi. Those involved in his training will be punished if they are found to be at fault, the army chief said.

He was responding to media reports about the death of Pvt Wanyawut Lampapa which some suggest resulted from arduous military punishment exercises. News reports cited a popular Facebook page called Big Krian (big troll) which quoted the result of an autopsy on the 21-year-old soldier. The result indicated the cause of death was a ruptured spleen.

The autopsy result contradicted a statement by the military camp where the training centre is located, which insisted the soldier died from a pre-existing chronic disease, said a post on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

The young man’s mother has taken his body back home to Chamni district of Buri Ram for a funeral and she had no problems with the cause as given, said the post. She said she was well aware that her son was physically weak and tired easily when doing exercise.

She had talked to his trainers and other parties about how he died, said the post. His mother, however, insisted her son didn’t have any chronic disease. The soldier arrived at the centre on May 16 and died on Sunday.

“We have to accept the truth no matter what. And if it really is our men’s fault, they will face disciplinary action,” said Gen Narongpan. “As for the family of the dead soldier, we will see what we can do to compensate them.”

The centre at the 27th Cavalry Squadron is one of 299 army training centres nationwide. The army chief insisted the army has an accountability policy on conscription and soldier training which can still win the trust of parents.

Army Region 1 later issued a letter expressing deep regret for the loss of Pvt Wanyawut.

It said an initial probe found he had not been assaulted leading to his death.

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