Critics warn Thai ex-PM Thaksin off politics
Social spectators warn that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the new state may face problems if they accept that Thaksin Shinawatra once held control of them.
Jade Donavanik, a constitutional scholar and chairman of the College of Asian Scholars’s faculty of law, told the Bangkok Post that Thaksin’s tries to micro-manage the government will only backfire on the new prime minister and his girl, Ms Paetongtarn.
” The more he is trying to speak in public and act as if he is the manager of the government, the more resistance he will face]from opponents ].
” In special, Ms Paetongtarn could be in difficulties if Pheu Thai, of which she is the president, allows itself to be controlled and influenced by Thaksin,” Mr Jade said.
The alert comes after Thaksin spoke at an event called” Vision for Thailand 2024 “on Thursday, attended by officials, officials and buyers.
Observers said that Thaksin’s notes at the time of the meeting reinforced his conviction that he still resides as the true leader of the new government and the Pheu Thai Party.
Some claimed that Thaksin’s conversation on Thursday evening was nothing more than a condensed version of the policy declaration that the Paetongtarn government will soon give in congress.
Instead of speaking in public or dictating to others,” Mr. Jade said, it would be best if Thaksin acts slowly behind the scenes to deal with coalition friends.”
The ruling party may find itself in warm water if he had any effect, according to Mr. Jade, referring to the Political Parties Act, which forbids a group from giving in to stranger control, which could lead to party dissolution.
A party is prohibited from letting an outsider power, impose, or handle its actions in a way that affects the party’s and its members ‘ freedom.
Part 29 bars non-party people from dominating, influencing or directing party politics, both directly and indirectly, to control group members ‘ flexibility.
Section 108 states sanctions against the criminal in Section 29, with a prison term of between five to 10 times and/or a great of between 100, 000 and 200, 000 ringgit. Additionally, the offender will lose their ability to move in elections.
” Thaksin is the main element. It would be ideal if he maintained silence. But it might be challenging for him,” Mr. Jade said.
Jade: ‘ Best if he kept peaceful’
Growing stress
Mr. Jade recommended that Ms. Paetongtarn even address herself about the purchase of a contentious religious story that includes the Alpine Golf Club and a home complex.
The terrain in Pathum Thani’s Klong Luang city was donated by a lady, Noem Chamnanchartsakda, to Wat Dhammamikaramvoraviharn in Prachuap Khiri Khan again in 1971.
After her dying, the Mahamongkut Ratchawittayalai Foundation, which was appointed as the trustee of her house, sold the land to Alpine Real Estate and Alpine Golf and Sports Club, of which Ms Paetongtarn is a shareholder.
In 2017, the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct cases found that Yongyuth Wichaidit, who was acting as the interior’s acting permanent minister in 2002, abused his position by allowing the purchase of religious land to make way for the Alpine Golf Club.
The lower court’s two-year jail sentence was upheld by the Appeal Court in 2019. In 2020, the Appeal Court denied Yongyuth’s ask to appeal the ruling.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission ( NACC), which conducted the sale, found Yongyuth guilty of revoked a Land Department order that revoked the sale of Alpine Real Estate Co.
Because the price was religious property, property officers were forced to renounce the agreement by the Council of State.
Former assistant spokesman for the opposition’s Democrat Party, Chao Meekhuad, recently said Ms. Paetongtarn may return the land to the church to avoid any legal wrangling that might put her in danger of winning the election.
Mr. Jade added that he thought Ms. Paetongtarn may be subject to increased stress due to these problems, leading to her having to break the House as a result.
Given that Thaksin also faces a Area 112 event related to an appointment he gave in 2016 and that attempts to put der qualifications on the list of crimes that would be pardoned under a political asylum expenses could also spiral into another big issue for the government, he added.
But, the witness reading for the Thaksin v. Lese Majore case was postponed until July of next year.
The incident involves remarks he made on May 21, 2015, in an interview with the North Korean news Chosun Ilbo.
In the meeting, he claimed secret council supported the 2014 revolt that ousted the government of his younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.
He was even charged with machine murder in addition to the der guess under Section 112 of the Criminal Code because the meeting was posted online.
Subject to scrutiny
Past Democrat MP Nipit Intarasombat told the Bangkok Post that Ms. Paetongtarn may tread carefully to avoid falling victim to former PM Srettha Thavisin, who was fired from office on August 14 for appointing ex-convict Pichit Chuenban as a PM’s Office secretary.
” The judge’s ruling has set a standard, and social office-holders may be mindful,” Mr Nipit said.
He added that because she has no knowledge leading national affairs, the new prime minister may be subject to strict scrutiny from now on. Any failure to address the country’s economic problems may also put pressure on the new government.
According to Mr. Nipit, the new government faces possible legal risks if it insists on continuing with the modern finances handout plan, which is Pheu Thai’s standard policy. He also referred to a NACC warning about a number of potential pitfalls, from graft to legitimate concerns.
Mr. Nipit agreed with Mr. Nipit’s suggestion that Thaksin may keep a low-profile and quit running the new administration.
If Thaksin exerts very much obvious influence over the government, Thaksin’s competitors may be upset and prepared to rally in the roads. If the government does n’t address economic issues, things could get worse, he said.
Given his controversial registration, he added, that the new government may not be able to serve until after its first term is over. Ms. Paetongtarn may also face the same death as Mr. Srettha if she appoints Capt. Thamanat Prompow as a government minister.
Nipit: Critics prepared to march
The Palang Pracharath Party ( PPRP ), a coalition partner, has nominated the same four MPs in the last government, including Capt Thamanat, to serve as ministers in the new Pheu Thai-led cabinet.
The PPRP said it will get a replacement if the ruling party determines any of the four to get unsuitable.
According to spectators, Capt. Thamanat, who served in the previous government as the interim minister of agriculture and partnerships, may not be qualified to hold a government position despite his conviction and sentence for a drug-related crime in Australia in the 1990s.
Virot Ali, a professor at Thammasat University’s faculty of political science, said he believes the new government will be able to cope with the country’s issues, though all eyes are on whether the electric pocket handout plan may be adjusted.
” People have been concerned about the economy. They are keeping an eye on any change in the government’s policy, “he said
However, Ms Paetongtarn previously said the scheme is likely to proceed.
First, funds will be routed through the welfare card to those who are most vulnerable in cash.
The scheme, which aims to distribute 10, 000 baht via a digital wallet to about 50 million eligible Thais, hangs in the balance following the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of Mr Srettha.
Mr. Virot agreed with the theory that Thaksin’s attempts to wield power over the new prime minister might have had a negative impact.
” Criticism cannot be avoided. Now that Ms Paetongtarn]is ] prime minister, Thaksin must try to do everything he can to support her, “he said.
” But he also has to make sure he does not overshadow Ms Paetongtarn’s role,” Mr Virot said.
Virot: All eyes on digital wallet
Commentary: To contain spiralling healthcare costs in Singapore, we must remove the original sin
POLITICAL Did
Removing” as charged” or changing it necessarily requires political does because it will be unhappy and provocative.
Most people do not want to compromise and opt for an inferior strategy if they believe a better one is available because care is their life and death issue. Some people end up choosing the less logical and less realistic option because it is an emotional issue.
For instance, 60 % of IP customers choose private medical plans, which are the priciest choice, but the majority of them choose to be treated in government hospitals when they become ill and need treatment.
Even though they already paid for a personal strategy, for the majority of them, a government clinic was adequate.
In the same way, the lot does not require the full functions that go with an” as charged” program. What may work similarly may be a less expensive strategy with limitations on what can be claimed. It would be a plan with a comprehensive list of procedures with different say limits for each, not just” as charged,” as it were.  ,
My suggestion is to eliminate the” as charged” protection in IPs where MediSave resources are being used.
However, they should be entitled to this policy if they want to continue receiving it as part of a higher-end plan and are willing to pay the premiums. Just do n’t make it part of a national scheme for the majority.  ,  ,  ,  ,
This method of instantly addressing the issue is much more effective than the fragmented remedies that have been tried in recent years.
Restricting the selection of physicians in prescribed sections, as an example, is a patchwork method.
This was introduced to reduce expenses, but it quickly raised questions about how the selection of doctors was done and what happens when no members of the board are ideal.
For some patients, the physicians treating them were not even on the screen.  ,
Another example: In 2018, the officials disallowed the order of users that compensate for the entire amount of the patient’s expenses.
Users are only apparent ties to the main item, which is the” as charged” program. Instead of its sidekick, would n’t it be more effective to deal with the main culprit?  ,
Commentary: Eroding wages in Myanmar add to debate about whether garment brands should ‘stay or go’
Prices CUTS ARE TRANSFERRED TO WAGES
The legal maximum pay, as of August 2024, is essentially 6, 800 kyat per day. This includes a daily base wage ( last updated in 2018 ) of 4, 800 kyat, plus two additional 1, 000 kyat daily allowances, announced in 2023 and 2024. Since its most recent revision in 2018, the minimum wage would now be about 12, 000 kyat per day.
Real income have likewise fallen considerably. Data from H&, M- one of the few companies providing clear data – indicates that wages ( including guaranteed pay but excluding variable things like overtime and prizes ) increased from 199, 000 kyat a month in 2020 to 248, 000 kyat a month at end-2023, an increase of 25 per cent.
Over this exact time, the CPI increased an estimated 88 per cent and the cost of a typical diet, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, increased 160 per cent.
The result is that an H&, M income, which in 2020 was more than enough to supply an ordinary home, was no more do so by end-2023. While some businesses increased income by 20-30 per share in 2024 in response to post-conscription worker shortages, this has not offset decades of declining true income.
The wage drop is caused by a number of factors. The major culprit is high inflation, which is fueled in large part by the military government’s money printing and widespread disdain of the kyat.
Businesses also have a business setting that is becoming more and more ineffective. Electricity source has deteriorated: Yangon’s industrial zones then average 20 days of disruptions per day. Nearly every factory owns a machine, which pays significantly more for on 62 % of their strength.
With significant delays to get pathways to China and Thailand as a result of fighting, shipping is more expensive and complicated. Since the enlistment law was made public in February 2024, employees have also been leaving more often.
Growing difficulties are partially offset by the kyat’s loss, where companies sell in foreign currency but have the highest costs there. Factory output is also higher than the military regime’s complicated forex regime, yet with a complex forex regime.
If companies took the exact amount of US money they paid for wages in 2020- about US$ 140 a quarter, according to H&, M, and gave workers the kyat received from exchanging that now, they would get over 400, 000 kyat a quarter. Instead, H&, M’s data shows that in US dollar terms, wages were down from US$ 140 in 2020 to just US$ 94 a month in 2023.
CNA Explains: What could more voters mean for number of MPs, electoral boundaries in Singapore’s next GE?
What might the electoral boundaries of a city’s electorate be affected by more citizens?
With a voter turnout of 38,929, Hong Kah North SMC is now the only one to go beyond the 38, 000-vote control.
Independent observer Felix Tan, who has written about Singapore’s social environment, claimed it was possible to divide and unite a part of the SMC with a nearby GRC.
Then, he warned that it might be merged with a nearby GRC before the GRC might be restored to form two small GRCs.  ,
In 2020, what was then known as Sengkang West SMC had 47, 891 electors, far above the lower limit. In the end, it was transferred to a fresh Sengkang GRC.
Today, Ang Mo Kio GRC and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC are also nearing the 190, 000 upper limit ( for their five-MP wards ), with 188, 820 and 180, 319 voters respectively.
Both were originally six-member GRCs before being reduced in size in 2020.
With fresh SMCs and smaller GRCs carved out, authorities said they could stretch even more.
This was already the case with Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC prior to the next election, when a fresh Punggol West SMC and four-member Sengkang GRC were established.  ,
The average amount of Members per GRC has dropped- from five in 2011 to 4.75 in 2015 to 4.65 in 2020- while the number of SMCs has gone off ( from 12 to 13 to 14 over the same time ).
Among the individual votes, Yuhua is the smallest with 20, 362 citizens – just above the lower restriction of 20, 000.
It is the only SMC run by Grace Fu, the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, as its head.
Jurong GRC, which has no “anchor” minister at the moment, is bounded by Yuhua, which was bounded by former top secretary Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s victory in a presidential election next year.
An anchor secretary is the de facto GRC group leader, according to Ms. Kasthuri from SUSS, whose presence serves to comfort citizens and orient new candidates.
There “might get a great opportunity” Yuhua gets subsumed into a new or existing GRC, said Dr Tan.
However, not all political boundaries are redrawn at every large.
In 2020, 12 districts were undisturbed, Institute of Policy Studies research brother Teo Kay Key noted. Seven of them were left alive in 2015 as also.
Hougang SMC and the opposition-held Aljunied GRC are among them.
According to Dr. Tan,” It is probably an unwritten rule that unless the opposition wards fall, there are certainly no other strong reasons to ( redraw boundaries there” ), adding that any change in the boundaries at these wards may be viewed as “politically motivated.”
Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing said in parliament earlier this month that the EBRC features freely, without direction or power from the state.
Mr Chan, who is also Education Minister, added that the Committee prioritises the interests of voters and not any political party, including the ruling People’s Action Party ( PAP ).
The senior civil servants that make up the EBRC also do n’t have any political allegiances and can fervently suggest boundary changes, he said.
Far From Home: Migrant workers from Philippines, Indonesia chase higher wages abroad, but at what cost?
SAN ISIDRO, PHILIPPINES/KUNIRAN, INDONESIA: When Madam Gina Fabiano initially considered leaving her wooden house in the Philippines ‘ Rodriguez city to become a home contractor in Saudi Arabia 7, 000km aside, her children begged her not to go.  ,
They had never been separated, let alone been separated for such a long time due to their great length. Without her, they claimed, they may not be able to live their lives.  ,
But at the moment, the then 43 year-old mother of five- who gradually worked in the Middle East for three years between 2016 and 2019- felt that she did certainly had a choice.
Since the government decided to open a garbage near in 2002, her mother’s farmland has been losing steam.
Mdm Fabiano and her husband sifted through the thousands of tons of trash from the Metro Manila area, looking for metals, plastics, and other assets to market to recycling plants along with other families whose cropland were even destroyed.
The mother’s income was not stable. Mdm Fabiano and her husband would earn as little as 1, 000 to 2, 000 pesos ( US$ 17.10 to US$ 34.20 ) a month. The cost of her son’s education was hardly sufficient to cover the costs of meals.
Then her mother died in 2016 and Mdm Fabiano, as the next oldest of 14 relatives, had to play the role of mother for her brothers and sisters, some of whom were also in school at the time.
We did n’t have the money to take my mother to the hospital after she became ill. When I first started to worry about my mother passing away if I had worked worldwide sooner, I thought. Mdm Fabiano reached into her throat while caringssing the cross.  ,
But she jumped at the chance to work as a home worker in Saudi Arabia with a monthly salary of US$ 400.
According to statistics from the Philippines ‘ Department of Migrant Workers, 2.1 million Filipinos left their home country in search of work worldwide in 2016. This figure may decrease as a result of the pandemic before reaching a new history of 2.3 million in 2023.
The majority of them were from far-off places in remote areas and poor urban neighborhoods like Rodriguez’s San Isidro, where employment opportunities are limited, especially for those like Mdm Fabiano, who only has a junior high school certificate to her title.
Working abroad paid these Filipinos at least half the region’s minimum wage of US$ 10 per day, but it also came with some high costs.
Working abroad, for parents like Mdm Fabiano, meant missing out on significant events like the first weeks of class and graduations, as well as the chance to watch their kids grow up, commemorate special occasions like birthdays and Christmas, and watch their children grow up.
For those left behind, it meant losing someone they love, a caretaker, a coach and a shoulder to cry on.
The most challenging aspect was that I was unable to look after my only child, according to Mdm Fabiano, about her youngest baby, who was still in school when she left.
” What are you doing then?” was all I could do, so I dialed her on my phone and asked her. Did you eat? Are you going to college?’ That’s all. But the lady I took care of in Saudi: I may weave her hair, pull her correctly, tuck her to sleep”.
” I was able to take care of her, but I could n’t even take care of my own kids.”
Paetongtarn surveys flood damage on Nan visit
PUBLISHED: 25 Aug 2024 at 04: 00
As three people who just vanished in Nan’s northwestern province were discovered on Saturday, more than 20 000 homes in seven regions have been affected by heavy flood.
A full of 21, 971 homes have been affected by the flood, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, despite the fact that rainwater rates are currently declining.
Of the variety, 5, 381 families suffered injury in Chiang Rai’s 11 regions while 3, 500 in Phayao were also struck by flood.
Nan was the hardest hit, with a total of 10, 157 families affected, while 383 communities in five regions of Phrae, 1, 726 communities in Phetchabun’s three regions, and 255 in Udon Thani’s six regions, were also affected.
In Phuket’s Muang city, 209 families suffered from inundation and floods, with 13 fatalities and 19 accidents.
The worst flooding position in decades started to relieve on Friday night as the Nan River’s level remained low.
Since Friday night, ocean levels in Nan’s commercial and economic place have decreased by more than 30-40 centimetres. In some places, they have fallen by more than 1 inch. The Nan municipality’s area then allows motorcycles and cars to go. Residents were cleaning their homes and businesses as well as inspecting the injury.
But, water levels remained great in some low-lying locations along the water’s lenders as pumps were deployed to remove the excess.
The systems of three people who went missing on Wednesday were discovered after the waters dried up. Charan Tankab, 52, was found in Thung Chang city, while Yutthaphum Sirirat, 40, and Anan Chaisalee, 59, were found in Tha Wang Ha area.
Between Monday and Wednesday, Nan was hit by heavy rains, which caused flash floods and landslides in several places. These also damaged fields, fisheries and cattle. Numerous organizations visited disaster victims and gave them guidance and supplies for relief.
On Saturday, Nan’s Muang district’s flood victims were visited by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Nan’s Muang city.
The prime minister traveled by boat to explore people in impacted areas and give them food and products, along with Pheu Thai MPs. To avoid electric hazards during the flood, the Provincial Electricity Authority of Thailand shut off supply of electricity.
People were now experiencing a electricity shortage as a result of the flooding, according to Ms. Paetongtarn.
Citizens of our country were pleased to see us. We gave them social support. She said that the new government will take immediate steps to assist them as soon as possible once it actually takes business.
Illegal Chinese guide arrested in Pattaya
Vehicle taken from a man who claimed to have charged consumers B2, 400 each
PUBLISHED: 24 Aug 2024 at 18: 27
A Chinese nationwide has been detained in Chon Buri, where he is accused of working as an illegal trip link.
Wang Hao, 41, was detained on Thursday at the Pattaya Floating Market in Bang Lamung area, according to Pattaya holiday officers.
Even seized was a car used to bring travellers, they said on Saturday.
Mr. Wang allegedly behaved like a local guide while visiting the floating business with three Foreign tourists, who were not allowed to travel there.
According to reports, the suspect admitted to driving visitors to different locations in Pattaya while running a tour company and working as a tour link. He charged 2, 400 ringgit per man, authorities said.
He was accused of operating a tour company without authorization, performing as a tour guide without a license, and being an mysterious acting without authorization.
Nearly 300,000 Bangladeshis in emergency shelters after floods
FENI, Bangladesh: Nearly 300, 000 Bangladeshis were taking refuge in emergency shelters on Saturday ( Aug 24 ) from floods that inundated vast areas of the low-lying South Asian country, disaster officials said. At least 42 people have died in Bangladesh and India as a result of the storms, manyContinue Reading
Teen shot dead over online chats
14-year-old think apparently angered that target chatted with his partner
PUBLISHED: 24 Aug 2024 at 17: 53
LOB BURI: A 14-year-old child has been detained after shooting a 16-year-old child tragically in a bitterness spree prompted by online conversations.
According to Pol Lt Col Chayan Seekiang, an official at the Sa Bot authorities station, the incident occurred at the Nong Krathum crossing on Friday night.
Suphakit, the survivor, was found lying in a pool of blood with a bullet wound to the neck when police arrived. He died before reaching doctor, police said.
The victim’s companion claimed that they were attacked by two people while they were out shopping on another bike. One of them shot Suphakit, who he claimed was seated on the up.
Afterwards, when police located the shooter, they discovered that he was the other motorcycle’s driver and that his girlfriend was the traveler.
According to police, the shooting was motivated by resentment because the victim frequently exchanged website messages with the suspect’s sweetheart. Police have detained the partners for further questioning.
Black Myth: Wukong could drive Chinese investment in big-budget games
Then, Zhou sees a chance for the local industry’s environment to change. More money will definitely be injected into the field as a result of Black Myth’s success, which will encourage more game developers to try to create for large projects, he said.
However, it might not gain people equally.
” Intelligent investors may choose older clubs”, Zhou said. But resources will merge toward the best game designers.
The success of Black Myth “definitely gives Foreign game designers a boost in confidence,” said Olivia Qin, a Shenzhen-based mobile game designer specializing in model activities.
” It proves that even for those working on genres not considered as lucrative, it will still yield good results if ( developers ) put their hearts into it”, she said.
Qin, however, added that she will not acquire making AAA game herself. ” The price is too great and it takes to long”, she said. Not all small studios are eligible for Google purchase.
When China may see another AAA title, particularly one with the ability to become yet another world hit, game developers are cautious about speculating.
The success of Black Myth “may be able to been replicated, but that time could be very long”, Chan said. ” Game Science has spent about a century accumulating the knowledge and the capacity to create for game.”
Zhou said a few great single-player names are already under creation, and are expected to launch within three years. But for something else on the size of Black Myth: Wukong, “it may take nine centuries, optimistically”, he said.
This article first appeared on SCMP.