South-East Asia (Page 1,337)

Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, claims he has scheduled a meeting with Formula E managers the month to discuss the possibility of holding the world-famous electric car racing in Chiang Mai.

The executives are going to Chiang Mai to study an location appropriate for the race, according to the premier.

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which is actually known as Formula E, was first introduced in Beijing in 2014.

Following the recent increase in sales of electric cars in recent years, Mr. Srettha, even the finance minister, said Thailand would be a great location for the trip.

With requests for EV trucks reaching 40 % of total vehicle orders since the end of 2023, Thailand is increasingly turning to EV vehicles.

The prime minister mentioned in his X ( previous Twitter ) that he had spoken with French autosport executive Jean Todt, who formerly served as Ferrari’s CEO, at his Paris residence on Monday during his most recent trip to Germany and France.

According to Mr. Srettha, who claimed he had invited Mr. Todt to visit the country and help promote highway safety, Mr. Todt has indicated interest in supporting Thailand as a Formula E facility.

The Department of Special Investigation ( DSI) has denied the woman of Sanga” Kofuk” Kungwan, who is believed to have fled an 18- billion- ringgit tax scam case, is being released from detention so she can return with her husband worldwide.

Mr Sanga, a tribal of Ranong who holds two Myanmar- Thai citizenship, is thought to possess fled the country through a land border crossing after he was found to have falsified documents for no- observable oil exports, which he used to claim tax refunds over the course of 10 years, worth at least 18 billion baht.

The authorities said Mr Sanga actually set up an internet company based in Bangkok and also operated online gaming.

On Feb 1, some 27 sites connected to Mr Sanga’s online gaming company were raided in some regions. Seven defendants were arrested in the procedure, including Mr Sanga’s woman, and property worth more than 100 million ringgit seized.

The DSI is presently looking to use the online gambling scenario as a foundation to grow the research into the alleged tax fraud.

The DSI said that past weekend, a message was posted on TikTok claiming that a large- profile politician, with the assistance from DSI lead investigators, was lobbying to include Mr Sanga’s wife released on bail so she can return with him worldwide.

In response to the claim, the office released a statement denying Mr Sanga’s woman was being freed on parole. In fact, the DSI said that on March 9, the Criminal Court rejected her plea for bail on the grounds that the claims against her have a large abuse and that she posed a trip hazard.

Sanga: Fled the country

DSI authorities were working on both the online gaming and tax fraud situations. They have met every Wednesday to evaluate progress in the satellites and expected the situations to get wrapped up second month before recommending an accusation against the suspects, according to Wacharin Phanurat, assistant commander of the Office of the Attorney- General’s Department of Investigation.

Expected spending$ 15 million on public transportation

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand ( CAAT ), six airlines will add 104 flights and offer a discount of about 20 % on domestic flights in the early morning and late night during the Songkran holiday.

Sarun Benjanirut, the deputy director-general of CAAT, stated on Monday that the action is in response to Transport Minister Suriya Juangruangreangkit’s recent request to lower airfares during celebrations to help resolve the issue of cheap local flight tickets.

The CAAT met with six airlines on February 28 to talk about the high cost of flights, including Thai Airways ( THAI), Thai AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Thai LionAir, NokAir, and Thai Vietjet.

On April 11, 12, 15, and 16, according to Mr. Sarun, these carriers have agreed to fly 104 more chairs, which will provide 17 874 more tickets to destinations like Phuket, Chiang Mai, Samui, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen.

The fares may be lowered because many of these flights will work outside of ordinary journey hours, either in the early morning or late at night, he said, adding that the cheap would be around 20 % and be available as an economy option for Songkran travel.

He claimed that the carriers have already submitted calls to the CAAT for these additional votes, and that bookings for these chairs are anticipated to begin on Tuesday.

Travelers are advised to plan their trips and make reservations several weeks in advance, according to the CAAT assistant director-general, to ensure accessibility and affordable rates. They are also advised to make reservations through the airlines ‘ sites because the CAAT regulates and monitors the rates, with a cap for each course.

Interprovincial buses are likely to continue to be the preferred mode of transportation for those heading to the provinces in the years to come after April 11 and 17. According to the Transport Ministry, about 15.45 million people may use public transportation this year.

Mr. Suriya claimed that he had instructed the important organizations to take proactive measures to reduce road accidents and maintain safe and convenient vacation for the upcoming holiday.

For motorists who travel on the Eastern Motorway ( Highway 7 ), Kanchanapisek Road ( Highway 9 ), the Buraphawithee Expressway ( Bang Na- Chon Buri ) and the Kanchanaphiske Expressway ( Bang Phli- Suksawat ), tolls will be waived during this time. In April 13 through April 15, three motorways, Srirat, Udon Ratthaya, and Chalerm Maha Nakhon, may remain free for drivers.

Rapipan Wannapintu, vice chairman of Transport Co, which provides international bus services, said Transport Co is preparing to deal with a sizable number of passengers during the upcoming vacation.

The company has requested permission from the Department of Land Transport to employ 900 additional cars to handle passengers and will arrange about 4,200 visits for April 11 and 4, 000 visits for April 15 and April 17.

In a different growth, the Department of Labour Welfare and Protection is urging the private sector to offer April 12 as an additional day off for employees because the case just designated April 12 as a specific government holiday to allow a 5-day Songkran festival weekend.

The department also advises employers to follow labor safety regulations when requiring their employees to work on time away. This includes making sure to pay for extra and abide by the time regulations, especially if driving is involved.

The government also approved a 104 million baht resources for the extended Maha Songkran World Water Festival, which hopes to draw in over 200 000 customers and bring in$ 3.125 billion in revenue.

In a public discussion on March 25th, the Senate plans to grill the Pheu-Thai-led authorities over how it handled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Ministry of Justice’s probation to Thaksin and how the government permitted him to remain in hospital confinement until his launch on parole were the topics of Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha’s cabinet grilling, according to Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha.

None of the senators who participated in the debate are concerned about the government’s contentious management of the Thaksin event, according to Mr. Kittisak, and they are all more than willing to raise questions about the government’s handling of the case.

How can we eventually teach our children about what is correct and what is wrong if we let something go wrong without doing anything about it,” he said.

Some of Thaksin’s close partners have previously threatened to sue someone who raises the issue and causes damage to Thaksin’s reputation, he said.

A former MP has already been sued for making people a photograph of Thaksin kicking a boulder violently while living abroad, according to Mr. Kittisak, as well as a picture of the original premier in a state where he claimed he was really ill after returning to Thailand.

36 lawmakers have so far signed up to speak during the upcoming conversation.

According to Mr. Kittisak, the government will have three days to defend itself against Senate claims while the Senate has been given 12 hours to do its discussion.

According to Senator Seree Suwanpanont, the Senate had actually requested two weeks for the discussion, but the state just provided one.

And he said that if the government wo n’t change its mind and allow the debate to be extended to two days, the number of debaters might end up being cut because of the time limit.

He said,” We will try our best, and this will be our last chance to hold a general debate.”

According to Mr. Seree, the government’s reported failure to deal with economic difficulties is the most prevalent topic of discussion.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has appeared to be enjoying a lot of international visits in recent months, according to the senator, despite the country’s numerous issues.

In his power as the government’s chief whip, Pheu Thai listing- MP Visuth Chainaroon stated that the government is well-equipped for the Senate public debate, which will be followed by a related public debate being requested by the opposition after the 2024 budget bill passes its second and third readings, allegedly on March 20.