South-East Asia (Page 551)

Nakhon Ratchasima: Authorities recorded 535 cases of monkeypox (Mpox) nationwide between May 2022 and October 2023, according to Dr Taweechai Wisanuyothin, director of the Nakhon Ratchasima-based Region 9 Disease Control Office, citing figures released by the Department of Disease Control (DDC).

The cases were detected in 481 Thai nationals, 50 foreigners and four others whose nationalities were not reported. One among them died.

The majority, or 313 cases, were found in Bangkok, followed by 57 in Chon Buri, 30 in Nonthaburi and 26 in Phuket.

Since August, 16 new cases have been reported.

Hanoi: Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara yesterday discussed the possibility of reviving mobile meetings aimed at increasing the amount of investments between Thailand and Vietnam.

He met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh yesterday at the end of his two-day trip to the neighbouring country.

The Vietnam trip, which kicked off on Oct 25, was Mr Parnpree’s first official trip after becoming deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister earlier this year.

It is also regarded as the Thai government’s first official trip to commemorate 10 years of strategic cooperative partnership with Vietnam.

Mr Parnpree’s discussion was aimed at improving the diplomatic relationship and cooperation in economics, trading and tourism.

Regional cooperation, especially in the Asean region and Greater Mekong Subregion, was also discussed.

Diplomatic relations between Thailand and Vietnam can be traced back many years, and the value of investments between them can be expected to reach US$25 billion by 2025, according to Mr Parnpree.

Mr Parnpree also discussed reviving mobile meetings, which may start next year.

Many topics are expected to be discussed in these meetings, including international policies under the New Momentum idea proposed by the Communist Party of Vietnam and geopolitics, as both countries are considered Asean’s strategic areas.

Mr Parnpree said he would submit the idea to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. He also discussed with Mr Pham suggestions from Thai investors on investing in Vietnam, which were received while visiting the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam in Hanoi a day earlier.

Mr Parnpree also paid a visit to ThaiCham at the Royal Thai Embassy in Hanoi to distribute the government’s policy agenda.

Two more Thai workers were confirmed killed in Israel on Wednesday, bringing the total number of Thais who have lost their lives in the conflict, which began on Oct 7, to 33, Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said.

He said that 18 Thai workers had been injured as of yesterday, while 18 others had been taken as hostages by the fighters from the militant group Hamas — not 19, as previously reported.

That said, an update released by the Israeli government on Wednesday and cited by Reuters showed out of the 220 people taken hostage by Hamas, 54 were Thais.

Citing information released by Israeli authorities, Mr Parnpree said the identities of 24 out of the 33 Thais killed in the conflict have been confirmed.

The government will strive to repatriate Thai workers who have registered to come back, the minister said, adding a team of negotiators has been dispatched to help secure the release of the hostages.

According to the ministry’s data, a total of 547 Thais arrived back in Thailand from Israel yesterday.

It said 268 arrived on El Al flight LY085 and landed at Suvarnabhumi airport at 10.20am yesterday; 145 on a Royal Thai Air Force aircraft landed at Don Mueang airport at 11.50am; and 134 on Thai Lion Air flight SL7005, landed at Don Mueang airport at 2.50pm.

Meanwhile, the bodies of seven Thai workers killed in the conflict also arrived on El Al flight LY083, which landed at Suvarnabhumi airport at 10.35am yesterday.

Pairoj Chotikasathien, the Labour Ministry’s permanent secretary, said so far 4,531 Thais have been repatriated from Israel on 27 flights.

Addressing the House of Representatives yesterday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin responded to inquiries about the government’s plan to help Thais stuck in Israel.

He said that out of about 8,000 Thais who have registered for repatriation, more than half have been brought home.

Mr Srettha acknowledged the challenges faced by evacuation teams over the past four to five days, as many Israeli employers have begun to offer higher salaries as an incentive for Thai workers to remain in the country.

The prime minister urged the workers not to worry about their wages, as the government will find ways to help clear their debts.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will attend the opening ceremony of “Naga Fire: Miracle of Faith 2023” in Phon Phisai district of Nong Khai on Oct 29, government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said yesterday.

He added that the premier will stay overnight in Udon Thani before departing for Laos a day later. This will be Mr Srettha’s first official trip to the country since he was appointed premier.

A collaboration between the government and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), “Naga Fire: Miracle of Faith 2023” will be held on that day in Nong Khai, which coincides with the end of this year’s Buddhist Lent.

Nong Khai governor Rachan Chunhua and San Sunthornthanakul, the mayor of Tambon Phon Phisai Municipality, affirmed their readiness to welcome visitors. They are expecting at least 200,000 tourists to show up this year.

This annual festival brings in billions of baht of income to the province. Moreover, the event is expected to help promote the province’s tourism while providing visitors, both Thai and from overseas, with a warm welcome, said Mr Rachan.

Events are also being held simultaneously in six of the province’s districts near the Mekong River — namely, Muang Nong Khai, Phon Phisai, Ratana Wapi, Sangkhom, Sri Chiang Mai, and Tha Bo.

These first got underway on Oct 21 and will wrap up on Nov 6.

According to Mr Chai, 80.2% of visitors to last year’s “Naga Fire” festival responded that they were satisfied with the event. Of those, 59.6% said they had attended it more than once, while 40.4% were visiting for the first time.

According to the statistics gathered by Nong Khai’s Office of Provincial Administration, 260 fireballs were shot in total: 20 in Phon Phisai district and 240 in Ratana Wapi district.

MFP-sponsored bid fails in parliament

The Move Forward Party (MFP)-sponsored motion aimed at a charter rewrite failed to get approval from the House of Representatives because critics feared it would create a biased charter amendment, according to Nikorn Jamnong, head of a sub-panel on gathering public opinions on a referendum for a constitutional amendment.

The main opposition MFP had put forth a motion aimed at asking the cabinet to hold a public referendum for a charter rewrite. The party wanted a referendum that, if approved, would lead to unrestricted access to a charter amendment and an elected assembly of drafters.

The party had faced concerns from many quarters that the changes it advocated would go too far by touching chapters containing “non-negotiable” contents in the constitution regarding the country’s indivisibility and its royal prerogatives.

On Wednesday, the lower House 262:162 against the MFP’s motion, with six abstentions.

Yesterday, Mr Nikorn said he believes the rejection had to do with a lack of clarity in the motion on how the charter redrafting assembly would be established.

Another concern is that the motion could introduce “revised contentions of the constitution, which are biased”. He is understood to be referring to bias towards the MFP’s controversial stances, particularly those related to the monarchy.

Mr Nikorn said that even though a charter amendment is an urgent policy for the government, people’s input must be gauged to ensure that the entire referendum’s design and charter reworking processes are inclusive and participatory.

Mr Nikorn said he expects the sub-committee will wrap up its work by the middle of December before its findings are presented to the main committee studying the referendum design and proposals for a constitutional amendment, led by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

After that, the findings are expected to be forwarded to the cabinet before the year is out. At this point, there will be definitive answers to questions about how many referendums will need to be held and what they are about.

Mr Nikorn added that a timeline also dictates that a referendum will likely take shape in the first quarter of next year.

Between Oct 30 and Nov 14, the sub-panel will be collecting input on a charter amendment referendum from MPs, senators and members of various House committees, students, members of the public, civic groups, the media and the business sector, Mr Nikorn said.

The sub-panel also plans to visit the MFP to seek its cooperation in designing the referendum, Mr Nikorn said.

House deliberation to start in December

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin pledged yesterday to push to pass three bills, including a draft law on “marriage equality”, which are due to be deliberated by the cabinet next Tuesday and subsequently be forwarded to parliament.

The marriage equality bill aims to amend the Civil and Commercial Code to allow anyone of a suitable age to register their marriage regardless of their gender. The current code only recognises marriage between a man and a woman.

The second bill to be examined focuses on a recognition bill and would allow transgender people to amend their gender marker in their official identity documents. The third bill would legalise prostitution by amending the 1996 Act on illegal prostitution suppression and prevention.

Mr Srettha has affirmed that the government is committed to pushing to pass all three laws and is ready to negotiate with all relevant organisations in support of them, said government spokesman Chai Wacharonke.

He was speaking after chairing a meeting on the three bills yesterday. It followed a fresh petition submitted by 36 civic groups fighting for gender equality.

The PM also promised to place these three bills high on the meeting agenda of the House, which is expected to begin deliberating them by early December, said Mr Chai.

“The PM has assured us that the government supports and will push for marriage equality and other related laws. It now looks set to negotiate with all other organisations concerned in order to [literally] tear down the wall [of inequality],” said the spokesman.

Mr Srettha also pledged to do whatever it takes to ensure these bills will sail through all the deliberations in the House and be passed into law in one go, said Mr Chai.

One concern raised by Mr Srettha at yesterday’s meeting was that the government will have to also speed up replacing conscription with voluntary recruitment so that those who change their gender marker from female to male won’t have to face forced conscription, said Mr Chai.

Mr Srettha also relayed the government’s support for a proposal that Thailand host Bangkok World Pride 2028, demonstrating to the rest of the world Thailand’s open-mindedness while stimulating the economy.

An agreement has been reached in principle for the Interior Ministry to draw up a regulation that will set the criteria for nighttime entertainment venues in areas with high tourism potential to be granted extended operating hours until 4am, ministry spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said yesterday.

Ms Traisuree said the agreement was achieved at a meeting on Wednesday chaired by deputy interior permanent secretary Chamnanwit Terat.

The meeting was attended by representatives from concerned agencies, including the Tourism and Sports, Transport, Finance, Social Development and Human Security, Public Health, Labour and Justice ministries, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), the Royal Thai Police, the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

This initiative followed a cabinet resolution on Oct 13 directing the Interior Ministry to work with relevant agencies to explore ways of extending the operating hours of entertainment venues in certain tourist areas to spur tourism and spending during the high seasons.

The meeting agreed in principle for the Interior Ministry to formulate a ministerial regulation outlining criteria for local administrations in areas with tourism potential. The administrations can then submit requests for permission to allow entertainment venues to stay open until 4am.

The Interior Ministry will consider the requests and grant permits based on the set criteria for each area, Ms Traisuree said.

She said Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had acknowledged the agreement and had instructed concerned offices to draft the ministerial regulation.