Nod for Chinese sub engine sought

Navy commander looking for cabinet approval

Adm Choengchai Chomchoengpaet, the head of the army, announced yesterday that he would ask the cabinet for permission to buy a Chinese submarine with an engine made in China, though the government may take various factors into account.

The S26T Yuan-class submarine that the Thai navy ordered from China Shipbuilding & amp, Offshore International Co ( CSOC ) will now have a Chinese-made CHD620 engine installed in it. According to Adm Choengchai, the website has now undergone inspection and approval by the army, ensuring both its security and effectiveness.

The submarine motor insurance has been extended by CSOC from two to eight times to further aid the choice of the Chinese engine. According to the military commander, this insurance will protect spare parts and call for the implementation of Chinese officials to assist with the submarine’s maintenance over the course of eight years, which may include submarine upgrades.

He emphasized how important it was for the military to acquire its first underwater in order to improve marine security and support its functions in the Southeast Asia region.

Adm Choengchai stated that Germany had declined to offer its website for a Chinese-made submarine, despite the possibility that the new government would negotiate for the German-built engine to be used in the Chinese submarine project as originally planned or would purchase an American submarine in its place. The military’s funds could be exceeded by a new procurement project, he continued. The MTU396 gasoline engine from Germany had previously been mentioned by the army for the underwater project.

Adm Choengchai, who will retire at the end of this month, stated that he would make an effort to finish the military’s ask for a submarine within the upcoming week. If the Chinese-made website is approved, the ordered Chinese submarine’s construction has already started and will get close to three more years, according to him.

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Srettha denies plan to dismiss BoT governor

Srettha denies plan to dismiss BoT governor
Needs more precision, Sethaput

A rumor that Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, the government of the Bank of Thailand, will be fired because of a dispute over the administration’s proposed digital budget scheme has been debunked by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

Mr. Srettha, who is also the finance minister, stated to Thai press on Wednesday during an exam in New York that he has never thought about firing Ms. Sethaput.

It’s hilarious, I tell you. The prime minister said,” I’ve never had such an idea, and I’m not sure how for news got out. Since I entered politics, I have had three encounters with the government of the central banks.

The government went to the Pheu Thai Party office to talk about the digital wallet plan before I took over as prime minister. I took his advice to heart and put it in writing. On the day our scheme was delivered [ on September 14 ], I afterwards ran into him at the Finance Ministry. Our conversation went smoothly, he said.

Some claim that the government of the Bank of Thailand cannot be fired by the excellent minister. Personally, I have always considered doing thus. We don’t harbor any animosity toward one another. I honor him and handle him with admiration. We are respectful of one another.

Following remarks made by Mr. Sethaput that some have interpreted as important of the digital wallet program, which he believes will play a significant role in boosting usage and reviving the business, earlier, rumors circulated on social media that his work was in danger.

Every Thai federal over the age of 16 will receive 10, 000 baht in online currency from the government, regardless of their financial situation, at an estimated overall cost of 560 billion Baht.

The money will be in effect for six months and can be used to make purchases of goods or services within a 4-kilometer spoke of the user’s home. By the first third of the following year, the program is anticipated to be launched.

Mr. Sethaput stated on September 14 that before evaluating the system, the central bank was awaiting more concise plan statements. He continued by saying that the lender does not now accept payments from online assets. Additionally, he claimed that it might be more successful to focus on those who actually require the funds.

The government stated that it would be simpler on the financial budget if the scheme was allocated to a specific segment.

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Asean 'set to launch host bid'

Thailand and Asean are prepared to compete for the right to co-host the World Cup in 2034, according to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

The announcement was made on the premier’s X ( previously Twitter ) account after Mr. Srettha met with Fifa president Gianni Infantino in New York and talked about potential ties between Southeast Asian countries and the global football governing body.

The conversation centered on Mr. Srettha’s absence from the 78th United Nations General Assembly( UNGA78 ) in New York.

The Fifa leader extended an invitation to the top, and Mr. Srettha confirmed that Thailand and Asean were willing to contend for the right to co-host the World Cup in 2034.

More than 2,000 sports organisers and people are anticipated to travel to Thailand for the 74th Fifa Congress, which will take place in November 2024, according to Mr. Srettha’s X account.

” The business value is huge, and I believe we may stimulate the economy.” The primary minister wrote,” I’ll make sure Thailand is available.

Additionally, Mr. Srettha stated that football is his favorite sports and expressed hope that his meeting with the Fifa leader would expand opportunities for the sport’s growth in Thailand.

He expressed gratitude to Fifa for helping Thai students learn about sports and for boosting World Cup finals team numbers.

Even more than that, according to Mr. Srettha, this chance may encourage more young people to play sport in the future.

The past administration gave the go-ahead for a committee to be established in March 2021 to review Asean nations’ bids to sponsor the 2034 World Cup.

The government claims that a technical working group will develop ideas for how each part of the regional bloc can contribute to the organization of one of history’s biggest sporting activities.

Thailand was to be in charge of preparing the pay plan for submitting to Fifa in 2026, according to the cabinet’s plans at the time.

Another Asian nations, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, would be in charge of carrying out a variety of supporting duties, as would the people of the ASEan Football Federation.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which had collaborate with other firms, may serve as the primary representative of the bet.

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S Korea passes new law to protect teachers from bullying parents

Teacher Kim Jin-seo at a recent protestHosu Lee / BBC

A new law has been passed in South Korea to better shield teachers from upset kids.

For nine months, instructors from all over the country have been protesting and calling for greater rights in the classroom.

They claim that parents usually harass them in order to have them fired from their jobs after deliberately reporting them for child abuse.

Some claim that they have received criticism for reprimanding a student or reports of restraints on aggressive children.

A 2014 child security legislation that mandates that teachers accused of child maltreatment are automatically suspended was used by the teachers to accuse parents of abusing the law.

Teachers will not be fired immediately after a review of child abuse under the new policy, known as the Teacher Rights Restoration Bill, and additional research and evidence may be needed.

Teachers fighting lawsuits will also have access to financial assistance, and head teachers will have more responsibility to safeguard their team.

The demonstrations started following the death in July of a 23-year-old primary school teacher who had been handling parental problems.

Teachers claimed that because of the culture of malignant complaints, they were unable to instruct or discipline their students.

The new policy was praised by the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions, which stated that it would” develop the right to tell and guard students’ rights to learning.”

The union expressed its” deepest thanks” to the instructors who protested for eight days in a row, calling for better working conditions, and claimed that their efforts were to blame for today’s success.

The government and local officials had already implemented a number of actions in recent weeks to safeguard teachers and make it simpler for them to perform their duties, but none of them were legally binding.

Teachers are permitted to remove problematic students from the school and restrain them if needed, according to new government regulations that were released earlier this month.

Additionally, the Seoul Office of Education announced intentions this week to place a robot as the first line of defense for parent issues and to document all calls made to teachers by kids.

Yet, some educators have argued that the new regulations do not go far enough.

The innovative legislation, according to Kim Yong-seo, the head of the Korean Federation of Teachers’ Unions,” is a great move ahead in protecting teachers and students ,” but there are still areas that need to be improved.

He urged officials to change the Child Welfare Act, claiming that simply punishing students shouldn’t be considered baby misuse.

Some educators also want to punish families who falsely accuse them of abusing children.

The fresh law, according to 28-year-old teacher Kim Jin-seo, who first spoke to the BBC during one of the demonstrations, did not prevent false reports of child abuse because parents may continue to deliberately accuse teachers they did not like without consequences.

The tradition of parental abuse is seen in part as a result of South Korea’s hyper-competitive society. Scientific success is regarded as the best indicator of success, so students compete fiercely for the highest levels from a really young age to get into the top universities in the nation.

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S$700 million in proceeds from first sovereign green bonds put towards expansion of Singapore's rail network

In the report, MOF stated that the expansion of public transportation system and an electric rail system is essential to reducing the carbon footprint in this business, with the property transfer sector currently accounting for about 15 % of carbon emissions in Singapore.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore( MAS ) added in a separate press release in August 2022 that the expansion of the country’s electric rail network would improve connectivity and encourage more commuters to use mass public transportation.

The Singapore Green Plan 2030’s” Sustainable Living” pillar, which aims to achieve a 75 % mass public transportation modal share, is supported by the development of the JRL and CRL & nbsp. & nbsp,

According to Ms. Rajah,” the expansion of our energy road network is a key enabler to reach our ambitious target of substantially reducing land transportation emissions in absolute terms, in line with Singapore’s target of achieving net zero by 2050.”

According to MOF, when both lines are fully operational, a complete annual carbon monoxide equivalent of between 100,000 and 120 000 kilograms will be saved.

” This is comparable to removing 22, 000 vehicles from Singapore’s roads ,” nbsp

According to MOF’s report, it & nbsp hired Morningstar Sustainalytics, an independent consultant, to create a methodology to calculate the avoided greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants due to investments in the electric rail projects. & nbsp,

It was also stated that the amount of greenhouse gas( GHG ) emissions avoided by the project ranged from & nbsp, 100,000 to 120, 000 tCO2e per year, and the quantity of emissions financed, 1, 200, to 1, 800, respectively. Both figures had two major figures rounded out of them.

Coming natural bond reports will include yearly updates on the estimated effect.

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S$700 million raised from Singapore's first sovereign green bonds put towards expansion of rail network

SINGAPORE: The government’s first sovereign green bond, raised in the amount of$ 700 million( US$ 511 million ), will be used to fund the construction of the Cross Island Line( CRL ) and the upcoming Jurong Region Line.

As of March 31, 2023, the amount represents 30 % of the S$ 2.4 billion raised in the inaugural sovereign green bond( the & nbsp, Green Singapore Government Securities ( Infrastructure ).

The Ministry of Finance( MOF ) stated on & nbsp, Thursday( Sep 21 ), when it published the first edition of the Singapore Green Bond Report, that” the remaining unallocated proceeds are expected to be fully allocated to the JRL and CRL by the end of FY2024″

The report describes Singapore’s sovereign green bond for the 2022 fiscal year, including its allocation, & nbsp, and anticipated environmental impact.

The Singapore government’s first issuance of sustainable debt was the 50-year & nbsp, sovereign green bonds, which were issued in August 2022. On September 4, 2023, the second tranche of Green SGS ( Infra ) bonds was issued. The report for the following year will include information on its allocation and impact.

By 2030, the state and its legal board plan to issue up to S$ 35 billion in sovereign and public sector natural ties.

Four green categories— clean transportation, waste management, green building, and sustainable water — have seen the issuance of S$ 8.2 billion worth of green bonds as of March 31. & nbsp,

According to Indranee Rajah, second minister for finance and regional development and chair of the Green Bond Steering Committee, climate change is the” defining problem” of our creation. In the report, he stated that” sustainable funding plays a pivotal role for decarbonization to tackle this weather problems.”

Natural relationship proceeds can be used for projects like renewable energy, energy efficiency, preventing waste, and climate change adaptation. They must follow regulations.

Singapore’s transition to a low-carbon market may be made easier thanks to the projects funded by these alternative bond money, and the nation will also be better positioned to meet its climate targets under the Paris Agreement and pledges outlined in the Sustainable Development Agenda of the United Nations. & nbsp,

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Tourism sector applauds PM’s vow to tackle cannabis

According to hoteliers, the proliferation of marijuana shops and outdoor smokers causes more harm than good.

Tourism sector applauds PM’s vow to tackle cannabis
a marijuana store on Bangkok’s Khao San Road. ( Image: Wichieanbut Nutthawat )

As they believe illegal marijuana shops have done more harm than good to tourism over the past month, tourism users have praised the prime minister’s promise to outlaw recreational cannabis use within six weeks.

In an interview with Bloomberg this year, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin insisted that the state would change the hemp scheme so that it could only be used for medical purposes within six months.

He previously stated that he personally disapproved of using the plant for outdoor purposes.

According to Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, team executive director of Sunshine Hotels and Resorts in Pattaya,” You can now easily find a cannabis store every 200 to 300 meters along the roads of Pattrayan, and 90 % of them are not for health functions.”

He claimed that because there have been a couple instances of hotel guests using excessive amounts of cannabis and needing to be taken to the hospital while unconscious, the loosening of regulations and weak police have had more negative effects on tourism than positive economic effects.

Additionally, there were issues for visitors from nations that forbid the consumption and importation of marijuana products, many of whom were unaware that some items purchased here, such as foods and beverages, contained marijuana.

According to Mr. Thanet, law enforcement may be stricter if we want to use it for health purposes to ensure that we can provide them with health care that is healthy for their health.

He claimed that while Thailand was failing to properly control this industry, the majority of tourists were abusing the loophole and had no intention of traveling there solely to smoking cannabis.

After the flower was taken off the cocaine list, many cannabis shops opened on every street in Phuket, according to Suksit Suvunditkul, chairman of the Thai Hotels Association’s southern book.

He claimed that most resorts must forbid cigarettes in their rooms because it annoys other guests, particularly families with young children.

He claimed that if the government restricts cannabis use to just clinical uses, hotels completely concur.

In order to prevent unchecked business expansion, the private sector in the provinces recently discussed the effects of uncontrolled businesses and proposed planning cannabis use for outdoor purposes.

Phuket’s tourism industry, however, would not be impacted if the authorities decided to close all cannabis-related businesses because the area is already recovering to a 2019 level, even without marijuana liberalization.

According to Mr. Suksit,” European guests have recovered by 80 %, with forward bookings reaching 40 – 50 % in the upcoming high season.”

” The hospitality industry would not be impacted if the government closed marijuana stores.” Yet before cannabis was legalized, Phuket experienced steady progress.

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Pakistan national election to be held end January 2024

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan struggles with overlapping social, economic, and security crisis, the election commission announced on Thursday( Sep 21) that elections will be postponed in January of next year. Since the country’s most popular legislator, former prime minister Imran Khan, was imprisoned for bone and barred from running for office,Continue Reading

Open door on moving BTS train shocks passengers

Swiftly resolving the issue, Skytrain operator agrees to evaluate safety precautions.

Open door on moving BTS train shocks passengers
On Wednesday, a BTS Skytrain is seen traveling between the Bang Chak and Punnawithi channels in Bangkok with its door opened, according to an image taken from an Instagram user’s picture. ( Star111042 ) Tiktok user

After an online video of the incident went popular, a BTS Skytrain running with one of its doors wide open shocked people and drew harsh criticism.

On Wednesday, the train was traveling between the Bang Chak and Punnawithi stations in Bangkok when one door was visible in the video, which was initially posted by a TikTok user using the account @ star111042 and later widely shared elsewhere.

No one was hurt, but the incident alarmed several passengers and raised concerns about the operator’s safety precautions.

The event was apologized for by Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc on Thursday. It stated that a difficulty had arisen with the door on Wednesday but made no mention of it.

Train control staff were notified by the control center to take staff to stand close to the door to stop passengers from approaching it. When the coach reached the following place, the issue was resolved.

The operator promised to carefully evaluate the aforementioned BTS train carriage and devise plans to stop the incident from happening again.

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