Four people, including Mr Tharman, have declared their intention to contest the election. The other three presidential hopefuls are businessman George Goh, former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song and former NTUC Income CEO Tan Kin Lian. Mr Tan, who finished last in the 2011 Presidential Election, held aContinue Reading
Umphang Hospital gets B20m lifeline as more people flee conflict in Myanmar
PUBLISHED : 11 Aug 2023 at 20:05
The Ministry of Public Health has sent 20 million baht to Umphang Hospital in Tak province to help it cover the increased costs of treating the rising number of migrants fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Myanmar.
The hospital has been facing an increase in operating costs, putting a strain on liquidity and resulting in a deficit of 40 million baht, said Dr Opas Kankawinpong, the ministry’s permanent secretary.
“I have assigned officials to investigate if other local hospitals along the Thai-Myanmar border are facing the same situation as Umphang Hospital and for them to draw up solutions,” he said on Friday.
Umphang Hospital is listed under the “One Province One Hospital” scheme, under which hospitals in each health district share medical staff, budgets and resources to support one another.
Dr Worawit Tantiwattanasap, the director of Umphang Hospital, said on Thursday that this was the first year in three decades that the hospital has faced such a large deficit resulting from treatment for migrant patients from Myanmar.
One-quarter of migrant inpatients and half of migrant outpatients cannot afford medical bills, he added.
Many patients have been admitted to hospital because of the conflict in the border town of Kawkareik in Karen state and the ongoing malaria outbreak, said Dr Worawit.
As well, he said, more migrants have been crossing the border to give birth to their children as conditions at hospitals in Myanmar have deteriorated since the military coup two years ago.
Umphang Hospital has set up a community isolation programme in Myanmar in an effort to slow down migration to Thailand. However, the operating cost of the programme cannot be reimbursed from the public health ministry, resulting in a deficit in the hospital’s budget.
SINGAPORE: Two police officers were charged in court on Friday (Aug 11) with criminal breach of trust after taking money over several years from suspects they were investigating. The alleged acts by the suspects, Mohamed Mohamed Jalil and Mohamad Danial Mohamad Nazali, came to light following “proactive regular case reviews and dueContinue Reading
Total of B107 million now available to help rebuild damaged community in Narathiwat
PUBLISHED : 11 Aug 2023 at 18:15
The prime minister has approved an additional allocation of 64 million baht to help victims of the fireworks warehouse explosion last month in Narathiwat, a spokesman said on Friday.
The latest grant brings the total awarded to the victims of the July 29 incident to 107 million baht, said Anucha Nakhasai, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office who chaired a meeting of disaster relief fund board.
The funds will be spent on rebuilding or repairing victims’ houses as well as on providing other necessary aid, he said.
Caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha last week visited the stricken community in Sungai Kolok district of Narathiwat and assured residents that financial support was being expedited. He also asked his office to consider whether to grant additional funds.
The blast killed 12 people and injured 389, while three schools were destroyed and 682 houses damaged.
Sompong Nakul, 42, and his wife Piyanuch Puengwirawat, 42, the owners of the illegal warehouse, surrendered to police after returning from Malaysia last Saturday.
The couple were initially charged with negligence causing deaths, importing and/or selling fireworks without a permit and violating the Emergency Decree in the southern region.
SINGAPORE: Public Transport Council (PTC) chief executive Tan Kim Hong will step down on Mar 1, 2024 after about seven years at the helm.
Deputy group director of policy and planning at the Land Transport Authority (LTA) Leow Yew Chin will be appointed as chief executive (designate) of PTC from Sep 1, before taking over from Mr Tan on Mar 1 next year, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) said on Friday (Aug 11).
The PTC regulates public transport fares and ticket payment services, as well as advises the Minister for Transport on public transport matters.
Mr Tan was appointed chief executive of PTC on Jul 1, 2017. During his time, he oversaw six fare review exercises and a mid-term review on the Network Capacity Factor, where he sought to balance the need to ensure fare affordability and the financial sustainability of Singapore’s public transport system.
He also played an instrumental role in the recent review of the fare adjustment formula and mechanism.
“Mr Tan also led PTC to grow the Caring SG Commuters Movement and supported the Caring SG Commuters Committee to drive the transformation of Singapore’s public transport system into a more caring, welcoming and inclusive one,” MOT said.
Under his leadership, PTC further collaborated with the community and industry stakeholders to launch CARE Ride @ South West 2022 and CARE Bus with Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School.
“These initiatives aim to build greater empathy and willingness in commuters to help seniors and persons with disabilities in using the public transport system,” MOT said.
It thanked Mr Tan for his contributions as PTC chief executive.
SINGAPORE: A coroner’s court on Friday (Aug 11) ruled the death of a full-time police national serviceman a suicide.
Mr Finnegan Tan Yao Jie, 21, was found dead of a gunshot wound in a toilet at the Special Operations Command (SOC) base on Aug 30, 2021.
Based on the gunshot residue on his hand and face, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda concluded that Mr Tan had fired the service revolver, which he had drawn from the armoury that morning.
The coroner found that there was sufficient evidence in his internet searches and social media posts to conclude that Mr Tan had formed the intention to take his own life.
The day before the incident, Mr Tan had written a will distributing his cash and belongings to his relatives and friends.
He also lamented that he had “messed up his life”.
The coroner said the exact reasons that Mr Tan chose to take his own life may never be known, but it was clear that he was struggling with certain issues.
The loss of S$10,200 (US$7,557) in an e-commerce job scam was likely the tipping point that drove him to contemplate suicide, said the coroner.
Of this amount, Mr Tan had borrowed S$7,000 from his father. The job scam ran on the ruse that he would earn more dividends if he put in more money, and Mr Tan lodged a police report over it.
“Unfortunately except for a few hints to friends, colleagues and relatives, Mr Tan kept his suicidal thoughts very well-hidden,” the coroner said.
He conveyed his sincere condolences to Mr Tan’s family for their loss.
Where to get help:
Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1767
Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline: 6389 2222
Singapore Association for Mental Health Helpline: 1800 283 7019
You can also find a list of international helplines here. If someone you know is at immediate risk, call 24-hour emergency medical services.
Party sees 10,000-baht handout for millions as a key to economic upturn
PUBLISHED : 11 Aug 2023 at 17:04
The Pheu Thai Party intends to reintroduce its 10,000-baht digital wallet programme once the government it is forming takes office, says deputy secretary-general Paopoom Rojanasakul.
The party shelved the policy after finishing second in the May 14 election, as the social welfare policies of the election-winning Move Forward Party were given priority when the latter was attempting to put together a coalition government.
“Now the situation has changed and Pheu Thai is now the core (of a new coalition),” Mr Paopoom said on Friday. “Today, the party would like to officially declare that it will move ahead with the digital wallet policy, using blockchain technology.
The policy involves a 10,000-baht digital handout to every Thai aged 16 and over, delivered to a smartphone. The digital money can only be spent within a four-kilometre radius of recipients’ homes and is valid for six months.
“There would be no problems for those without access to this application as they could use their national ID card to get a personal code instead,” Mr Paopoom said.
Thailand would be among the very first countries to introduce this form of digital payment, he said.
Responding to criticism from some economists who believe the policy would cause inflation, Mr Paopoom said the Pheu Thai economic team had carefully evaluated the programme and believed there would be no negative effects on the country’s financial security. It would instead spur major economic growth, he said.
In parallel with the digital handout, a capital market and securities exchange commission for digital assets would be set up, he added.
“That is to say, we will go ahead with the digital wallet scheme and make it fully operational for the benefit of the country,” he said.
Srettha Thavisin, who is expected to be nominated as the party’s prime ministerial candidate, declared during the election campaign that the 10,000-baht handout would unleash an “economic tsunami” of consumption, delivering benefits to many sectors of the economy.
He defended the cost of the policy, which the party has put at 560 billion baht, saying it was on par with the promises of other parties that were pledging to raise social welfare payments by other means.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce has predicted a GDP boost of 2.5% or more from the fund infusion. It suggested that the digital wallet rollout should start with low-income earners. It could then be expanded to entrepreneurs and small business operators on condition that they are registered in the tax system.
SINGAPORE: Former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian announced his bid to run for President on Friday (Aug 11), emphasising his belief in the importance of offering Singaporeans the chance to vote for what he described as an independent candidate.
And while fellow presidential hopeful George Goh is an “independent person”, Mr Tan said he decided to throw his hat into the ring following comments and his team’s advice that Mr Goh might not meet the qualifying criteria, resulting in a possible two-way contest between former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song and former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
“I believe I will be the only candidate from outside the establishment,” added Mr Tan, 75.
Speaking at a press conference where he launched his presidential campaign, Mr Tan added that he was initially prepared to “stand aside” when Mr Goh expressed interest.
“I have high respect for him, I have high respect for his enthusiasm and his team,” Mr Tan said of Mr Goh.
“We don’t want to have a contest between two candidates that are from the establishment, and it will also look very bad … because the people of Singapore will be very sceptical,” added Mr Tan.
In response to CNA’s questions about whether he will continue if Mr Goh qualifies, Mr Tan said he does not want to split the votes between non-establishment candidates.
“I will certainly want to make sure that there is only one non-establishment candidate, that we will not split the votes … How it is going to happen depends on who and whatever the circumstances are, we’ll know about (it) when the time comes,” said Mr Tan.
Mr Goh, who is the founder of Harvey Norman Ossia, had on last Friday addressed doubts about his eligibility by laying out details from his summary of submission to the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC).
To meet the private sector service requirement to be President, an applicant must have served as the chief executive of a company for at least three years. During this time, the company must, on average, have shareholders’ equity of at least S$500 million (US$372 million) and made a profit after tax for the entire time.
“I have a group of five companies that have a combined shareholders’ equity of S$1.521 billion over three years,” said Mr Goh, adding that this is collectively equivalent to an average shareholders’ equity of S$507 million annually for the group as a whole.
SINGAPORE: Singapore is set for tepid growth through the rest of the year, as the economy sees diverging prospects for its different sectors, economists said on Friday (Aug 11).
“The story of Singapore’s economy is really a story of two different parts,” said Oxford Economics’ senior economist Alex Holmes.
Singapore has narrowed its projection for economic growth this year, citing a weak outlook for external demand.
The growth forecast was trimmed to a range of 0.5 to 1.5 per cent, down from an earlier estimate of 0.5 to 2.5 per cent, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Friday (Aug 11).
So far in 2023, Singapore’s economy has seen tepid growth. On a year-on-year basis, gross domestic product grew 0.4 per cent in the first three months before improving slightly to 0.5 per cent in the second quarter.
On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis, the economy eked out growth of just 0.1 per cent in the second quarter, a reversal from the 0.4 per cent contraction in the first quarter.
Singapore is a small economy that is highly dependent on external demand.
From 2015 to 2019, external demand accounted for around 67 per cent to 72 per cent of Singapore’s GDP, according to a piece published by MTI in its first-quarter economic survey in May.
Key markets include the United States and the Eurozone, but growth prospects in these economies are set to slow even more in the second half of the year when the effects of elevated interest rates take hold.
China’s growth is also expected to moderate through the rest of the year, as the post-pandemic recovery in services slows in tandem with deteriorating consumer confidence.
In addition, the ongoing global electronics downturn is “proving to be a little bit more protracted” than initially thought, MTI said.
A gradual recovery is only “expected towards the end of the year at the earliest” – a view echoed by HSBC economist Yun Liu.
“Trade headwinds are not dissipating,” said Ms Liu. “While there are some initial signs that point to stabilisation in the tech cycle, tech-heavy economies have not seen a meaningful turnaround.”
On top of that, there remains a host of uncertainties such as more persistent-than-expected inflation in the advanced economies, as well as the risk of escalation in the war in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions among major powers.
PUBLISHED : 11 Aug 2023 at 14:50
KANCHANABURI: Khao Laem National Park in Sangkhla Buri district is gearing up for an influx of tourists during this three-day holiday, as entry fees for national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country will be waived for Thais on Mother’s Day on Aug 12, the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.
Abhisit Sombatmat, head of the 1,500-square-kilometre national park, said on Friday that more than 30 park officials are prepared to ensure convenience and safety for visitors from Saturday to Monday.
Khao Laem National Park is expected to welcome at least 1,000 visitors a day during the holiday period, he said.
Popular destinations, such as as Kroeng Krawia and Dai Chong Tong waterfalls and Phom Pee viewpoint, are still magnets for tourists. These attractions are located along Highway 323 (Thong Pha Phum – Sangkhla Buri route).
Other well-known attractions along this route include Saphan Mon, the country’s largest wooden bridge spanning the Song Kalia River, Wat Wangwiwekaram, also known as the underwater temple, and the Three Pagodas Pass at the border with Myanmar, Mr Abhisit said.
On Mother’s Day, Thais will have free access to national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and non-hunting areas nationwide.
Kroeng Krawia Waterfall inside Khao Laem National Park in Kanchanaburi province. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)
Kroeng Krawia Waterfall is one of the popular attractions at Khao Laem National Park. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)
Wat Wangwiwekaram is a well-known tourist destination in Kanchanaburi’s Sangkhla Buri district. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)
Myanmar workers cross the Three Pagods Pass. (Photo: Commerce Ministry)