Asia (Page 928)

A workers’ representative has reiterated a demand for a 492-baht flat rate minimum wage nationwide to increase purchasing power, calling it a more sustainable approach than a one-time cash handout.

Chalee Loysoong, adviser to the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC), said boosting purchasing power through wage hikes will lead to a larger increase in economic activity, and is a more sustainable approach than the government’s proposed 10,000 baht cash giveaway scheme, particularly when considering the multiplier effect.

He said the wage increase will not prompt businesses to move their production bases to other countries, as investment policies in the country are favourable.

Mr Chalee said the flat rate is being proposed because the prices of consumer goods are the same across the country.

“People in the provinces don’t necessarily buy cheaper goods. It’s vital to increase purchasing power across the board,” he said.

He also warned the labour minister not to intervene in the work of the tripartite wage committee, saying the wage is reviewed by the panel which comprises representatives from the state, employers and employees.

Atthayuth Leeyawanich, chairman of the Employers Confederation of Consumer Goods and Services, said criteria must be considered when reviewing minimum wage, including inflation and economic growth. At the moment, he said, employers cannot afford the 400-baht rate and urged the government to take additional measures to improve the economy.

He echoed Mr Chalee’s call for the government not to pressure the wage committee, which makes a final decision after reviewing reports from provincial committees. The approved wage is later forwarded to the labour minister and cabinet for endorsement.

“The new wage isn’t finalised and we should let the committee do its job,” he said.

The daily wage was raised across all 77 provinces to 328-354 baht in October last year, with the average daily minimum wage at 337 baht, despite the call for a flat rate of 492 baht. The increase, 5.02% on average, was approved after a freeze for over two years.

Visitor numbers expected to surge in North during cool season

Seven key national parks in the North are stepping up measures to ensure compliance by visitors with a ban on alcohol drinking, as visits are expected to surge during the cold season.

More stringent measures are needed to ensure the ban is strictly followed at a time of year when national parks in upper Thailand are a top destination, said Songkran Pakchokdee, director of StopDrink Network, a non-governmental organisation that campaigns to curb alcohol consumption.

The alcohol ban, which took effect in 2021 at parks nationwide, is aimed at protecting the rights of the majority of visitors who prefer enjoying the natural beauty to partying, said Mr Songkran.

As well, he said, banning alcohol consumption protects the natural environment from rubbish usually left behind by drunk and rowdy campers, he said.

Those found flouting the alcohol ban can be fined up to 1,000 baht or jailed for up to one month.

The seven parks stepping up enforcement are Doi Suthep-Pui, Op Khan, Phu Hin Rong Kla, Doi Inthanon, Chae Son, Phu Soi Dao and Phu Chi Fa.

Surachet Phinitngam, assistant chief of Doi Suthep-Pui, said a number of warning signs have been erected in the park to remind visitors about the alcohol ban, while regular warnings are posted on the park’s official Facebook page.

Park staff will also encourage visitors to take part in its campaign to protect the environment by bringing back all rubbish from their campsites when leaving, he said.

Wanlop Mangtha, an officer at Op Khan National Park, said the park has only one entrance and staff usually ask for cooperation from visitors, with standard checks for alcoholic beverage containers made at the entrance.

However, during the high tourism season, pre-entry checks might be insufficient, so random patrols of camping sites are needed, he said.

Jungle specialists helping police comb mountainous area of Trang

Soldiers specialised in jungle navigation have been deployed to assist in the manhunt for the escaped and armed prisoner Chaowalit Thongduang, who is believed to be hiding in the Banthad mountain range in Trang province.

Military personnel from Naresuan Camp in Phetchaburi province arrived on Saturday morning in Trang to reinforce the effort to capture 37-year-old escapee, also known as Sia Paeng Nanod.

Initially, more than 30 motorcycle officers from Trang provincial police were dispatched to the scene, where they face the challenges of dense jungle terrain and heavy rains.

Authorities have been conducting the search on foot in the mountains, as vehicle access is not feasible.

Additional officers from the southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat have also joined the operation, and police have expressed confidence that they will capture the escaped convict soon.

To facilitate the operation, locals who normally would be foraging food in the forested area have been asked to leave and avoid the mountain range for the next two days.

Warrants have also been executed on the homes of some residents suspected of aiding Chaowalit, who was held on charges of suspected murder before escaping while receiving medical treatment.

On Wednesday, Chaowalit managed to flee after he and his men, whose number and identities were not clear, were involved in a shootout with police in his hideout in the mountainous region of Trang.

According to police, the prisoner and his men were armed with war weapons and more than 600 rounds of ammunition.

Chaowalit was serving time for attempted murder and faced multiple other criminal charges, including murder. He fled from Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital on Oct 22. He had been taken there for dental treatment and was subsequently admitted after collapsing, claiming he had severe leg pains. Despite being restrained to the bed and wearing leg chains, he escaped overnight.

Chaowalit was sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison last year by the Phatthalung Provincial Court for attempted murder in connection with an armed attack on police during an attempted abduction on Sept 2, 2019, in the southern province.

He began serving his sentence at Phatthalung Prison in January 2022 and was transferred to Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison on Aug 7 this year.

Chaowalit Thongduang, alias Sia Paeng Nanod, escaped from Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital on Oct 22, with help from several others who have since been arrested. (Photo: CCTV Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital)

Five more bodies identified by Israeli authorities, four injured workers still in hospital

Five more Thais working in Israel have been confirmed dead, raising the total number of fatalities to 39, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Citing the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv, the ministry said on Saturday that Israeli authorities had completed the identification of the victims and verified that five of them are Thai nationals.

As of Nov 10, the number of Thai workers killed stood at 39 with 19 others injured and 25 taken hostage. Of the injured, four are still in hospital.

Pannabha Chandraramya, the ambassador to Israel, and Sakdinart Sonthisakdiyothin, an inspector with the Social Security Office, visited three of the injured on Friday.

The workers, who are at Sheba Tel-HaShomer Medical Center and Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), are making a good recovery, the foreign ministry said, adding that officials are making plans to visit the other injured person.

In a related development, more than 6,000 Thai workers have submitted requests for compensation from the the fund for overseas workers, said Pairote Chotikasathien, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labour.

About 3,000 of the applicants have been paid and the rest are expected to receive the compensation, at 15,000 baht each, within one week, he said, adding that some workers faced payment delays due to paperwork problems.

He said the returnees would also receive additional compensation of 50,000 baht each, as proposed by the prime minister. Families of those who were killed and workers who returned with re-entry before the violence broke out will also be paid.

The financial relief is expected to be tabled for cabinet approval on Monday, he said.

Provincial labour offices are also gathering documents from workers who paid their own way back to Thailand. About 2,400 requests have been submitted, with 1,100 seeking refunds for air tickets and the rest for airport transfers in Israel, he said.

According to Thai officials, there were about 30,000 Thai workers in Israel before the Oct 7 raids by Hamas. Some 8,000 have since been repatriated and over 20,000 Thai workers have chosen to stay despite the worsening conflict.

Efforts to secure the release of those held captive are still ongoing. Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said last week that the Thais held hostage are expected to be among the first of some 250 hostages to be freed as they were being held in relatively safe areas.