South-East Asia

The People’s Party ( PP ) wants strict laws to prevent money laundering and mitigate any negative effects on society, according to its deputy leader, Sirikanya Tansakun. It is not opposed to the government’s plan to legalize casinos by integrating them with proposed entertainment complexes in a new bill.

Ms. Sirikanya, a record MP, said the group emphasizes the need for measures to ensure clarity in the licence process, stop money laundering, and protect society from dangers like a possible rise in gambling addicts.

She made the remarks after Jirayu Houngsub, a spokeswoman for the state, revealed on Thursday that some shady business owners are trying to stifle the expenses because they believe it poses a risk to their illegal income.

Mr. Jirayu also mentioned how opposition parties are pushing their own policies to legalize underwater businesses in order to better control them and generate more revenue, but they are vehemently opposed to the president’s program.

Ms. Sirikanya criticized the bill’s large language, which gives recently established committees a lot of authority but lacks specific guidelines for effective governance.

She cited a declaration from the Office of the Council of State stating the need for additional requirements to accompany the bill, which reflects its uncertainty.

Ms. Sirikanya also pleaded for clarification on issues like the selection of regions where gambling may be permitted and safeguards against ill-gotten gains.

She claimed that the PP has put together a request for changes to the legislation.

However, Bariyes Angkulkitti, a spokeswoman for the Thai Sang Thai Party, claimed a group of business rulers would travel to Hong Kong this weekend to engage in secret negotiations with Chinese and Macau counterparts regarding casino project funding.

He suggested that these discussions could raise the possibility that the bill would be proposed by these powerful figures rather than through the appropriate congressional process.

” The document act, although imperfect, does not seem to benefit the nation. On the contrary, it could cause negative impacts on the public if it remains unamended and would benefit the elites]instead ]”, he said.

Thepthai Senpong, a former Nakhon Si Thammarat MP, posted a similar post on Facebook, expressing concern about potential political gain relating to the costs.

According to Apinya Wipatayotin, some establishments do not have the necessary animal power tools and have yet to obtain a license.

Elephant tents have a significant impact on the country’s tourism market and are one of the most popular tourist destinations.

More than 200 elephant tents are visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year all over the nation. The jumbos have been trained to allowed, amuse and impress their friends.

However, a horrible dying of a Spanish tourists this quarter while visiting an elephant camp in Thailand has posed serious health concerns.

Blanca Ojanguren Garca, 22, allegedly slipped into a lake as she participated in a Phangna province’s Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre’s rhino bathing program. Losing her compromise, she caught the individual’s stem for help before the panic-stricken rhino shoved her. She suffered a brain injury before passing away in a clinic.

” Visitor health is our priority”, said Boonyakrit Pinprasong, deputy chief of the Livestock Department, which is in charge of 245 rhino tents and temples nationwide.

” We have to make certain their routines on health and pet security safeguards are in line with the law.”

He claimed that the elephant station where the incident took place was unregistered and did not register with the office.

He claimed that the ministry issued regulations for elephant facilities in August of last year that might have prevented the drama.

” These are to maintain domesticated animals are living in a good atmosphere, have no disease, are free from any torture and that the facility handles safety procedures for customers”, he said.

” All rhinoceros facilities are required to register and be inspected regularly”, he added.

One of the most important focuses of the laws is getting services to use the appropriate tools to control elephants so that tourists and mahouts can safely travel through them.

Boonyakrit: Safety is a major concern

Mr. Boonyakrit cited the department’s efforts to align all elephant features with the Q standard and get the Q mark, which certifies they comply with the National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards. By this year, he predicted that all licensed camps will keep the Q mark.

Based on the agency’s statistics, there are 5, 359 cultivated elephants in 245 rhino tents nationwide.

Chiang Mai is the main hub for elephant tents, with 90 tents and 871 animals, followed by Phuket with 41 tents and 352 animals, Phangnga with 19 tents and 112 animals, Chon Buri with 18 tents and 315 animals, and Surat Thani with 11 tents and 85 elephants.

Theerapat Trungprakan, founder and CEO of Patara Elephant Farm in Chiang Mai’s Hang Dong city, said the photographer’s death at the station in Phangnga has hit the hospitality business difficult. Many travelers planning to visit Mr Theerapat’s land, which has the Q mark, had pulled out, as they now fear for their health as a result of the media coverage.

He claimed that the incident occurred at a brand-new camp. Staff there may have had a hard time selecting elephants that are amiable with people.

Not all elephants are suitable for display, according to the article. Mahouts must assign specific elephants for specific purposes”, he said.

Elephant camps are set up to meet the demand of tourists. Some people lack the necessary equipment to control their animals, he said, and others lack the necessary skills and experience to do so.

” Our farm supports the proper use of elephant control equipment. The goal is” to ensure safety for all” rather than to harm the animal.

According to a news report, the mahout at Koh Yao Elephant Care Centre had no control over the animal at the time of the incident.

Meanwhile, World Animal Protection Thailand has urged elephant camps to stop using the animals to entertain visitors and observe ethical animal welfare practices.

Additionally, it demanded that tourists be prohibited from engaging in hands-on elephant bathing. Instead, they can observe the animals in their natural settings.

According to the statement, the organization also supports the use of equipment to control elephant behavior in light of ethical standards and proper care, it said.

Meanwhile, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Protection ( DNP ) has reported intensified conflicts between wild elephants and residents in six provinces in the eastern region.

A DNP document on Jan 8 said that 4, 013-4, 422 wild elephants were found in at least 91 forestry areas, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and no-hunting zones last year.

Wild elephant numbers have consistently increased over the past 40 years.

Year-long library of special events to mark 170 decades of relations

To enjoy the 170th anniversary of the two nations ‘ made ties, British Ambassador to Thailand, Mark Gooding, announced his plans to strengthen diplomatic relations with a number of events and activities.

He addressed the media and other guests on Thursday night at the Postal Theatre of the Grand Postal Building’s Charoen Krung Road in the Bang Rak district during the” 170th Anniversary Launch Party.”

Mr. Gooding stated that the embassy will host a number of occasions in a show that will take place in different regions of Thailand.

A UK fair will also be held to promote meetings between local Thais, mainly students, to discuss potential and potential ties between the two nations.

After this year, music shows, including displays staged by the UK government and London Symphonic Orchestra, will be on the plan, and a number of company events.

The UK and Thailand forged a proper relationship for the first time in Europe.

” This strategic relationship is a very forward-looking record but there are many places that we have to work more on collectively– things like medical and genomics, science and technology, global security.

We share interests in all of these areas, but we also want to expand our business while preserving our citizens. He continued,” There is still a lot more to perform” in terms of adapting to the changes in the world’s culture.

The Alpine Golf Club land deeds in Pathum Thani must be canceled as soon as possible, according to the People’s Party ( PP ) in opposition.

The current deputy permanent secretary for the interior, who is overseeing the Department of Lands ( DoL ), was called on by MP from the PP list MP Chulapong Yukate on Friday to expedite the nullification and restore the deeds ‘ status to monastic land.

He said the land’s position may be religious, as stated by Neum Chamnanchartsakda in her can. Neum, a rich person who has been a Wat Thamikararam Worawihan donor since the temple’s founding in 1922, was the owner at the time. In her will, she stated that the church would receive the land parcel upon her moving.

Before leaving his position as deputy interior minister next year, Chada Thaised, a mature Bhumjaithai Party member, had signed a impeachment attempt, according to Mr. Chulapong.

According to Mr. Chulapong, the delay in action puts Mr. Chamnanwit at risk of breaking Sections 49 and 54 of the Administrative Procedure Act, BE 2539 ( 1996 ), which prohibits the suspension of orders that might cause unlawful behavior.

He added that the property story never be traded legally, per se. He suggested that Mr. Chamnanwit refrain from establishing a special commission to handle the case because it involves the 5, 083-rai dispute in the Khao Kradong region of Buri Ram.

If the position continues to be a sluggish, Mr. Chulapong said he would consult Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul about the ministry’s processes in the case in the coming weeks.

Isara News speculated that the Shinawatra family might have to pay settlement in the Alpine sport course case if the present owners decide to sue the DoL for damages brought by the annulment get in response to a Sept. 2, 2024 DoL statement.

The settlement comes from a total of 439.05 million baht in loan money and 7.22 billion ringgit in estimated cost.

As part of the Alpine Golf and Sports Club Co, the home may be required to meet the DoL and the Mahamakut Buddhist University Foundation, which manages Neum’s house, in compensating 533 owners and 30 lenders, said Isara News.

Design work on 11.2-kilometre rail route to start this year

The government has approved a long-awaited electric rail mass transit project in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima.

The northeastern province is looking forward to having its own mass transit system after waiting seven years for approval, said Sarawut Choedchai, a former city mayor and member of the traffic management committee in the country’s third-largest city after Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Mr Sarawut said Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit delivered the news during a recent meeting he attended at Government House.

The first route, the 11.2-kilometre Green Line, will connecting Save One Market to the Baan Naree Sawat Protection and Career Development Centre in Muang district.

Mr Sarawut said the committee, local authorities, the Office of Transport Policy and the State Railway of Thailand hired a consultant to conduct a study on the line design and development.

The study focused on the railway system, engineering and traffic conditions, and physical features of each area along the rail route. The study also included the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the investment needed.

The report offered three choices for the Green Line which were an electronic bus rapid transit (E-BRT), a rubber-tyred tram and a steel-wheeled tram.

Mr Sarawut said the committee preferred the rubber-tyred system, with an elevated structure and an automatic control system. He said the system will be powered by electricity.

The report also proposed a public-private partnership (PPP) investment model. The first route is expected to cost 8.2 billion baht, with the fare provisionally set at 10 baht per journey.

The committee will start working on the design this year and will hold public hearings next year.

Work on the Green Line will start after the Bang Pa In-Nakhon Ratchasima Motorway (M6) opens and the Sino-Thai high-speed railway from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima is also completed, Mr Sarawut said.