Hoping to break its duck
Hoping to get the ducks in.
The drum is rolling once again for the People’s Party ( PP ), now fired up to win tomorrow’s local election in Udon Thani, a political heartland of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, which it managed to tap into in last year’s general election.
Without a doubt, the two largest parties will face off in the future Provincial Administrative Organization chair election.
Pheu Thai must avoid all costs on the one hand, where it won a clean sweep in the prior month’s surveys. Pride will be at play, remarked an spectator.
On the other hand, the PP is pulling out all the stops to get the PAO chair. Prior to being disbanded by the Constitutional Court on August 7 for undermining the democratic monarchy, its predecessor, the Move Forward Party, had suffered a number of electoral loses.
The PP, which ended the PAO losing ability, was a newcomer to the MFP.
Due to the fact that the individual PAO chairmen left their posts before their terms were up, many provinces called PAO polls.
Their defections were military, according to the spectator. Many people believed they had a better chance of winning if they resigned while they were still common rather than waited until their conditions were off, when many of their rivals would be more prepared to face off against them.
The MFP and its ally, the Democratic Action ( PM), were out in power to woo native voters and promised them changes that, in particular, decentralized decentralization, would give province residents more control over their administrative and administrative matters.
In the runoff for the PAO chair in Udon Thani, both the PP and PM have made significant investments in both manpower and resources. This might be the PP’s chance to finally win a PAO match.
The cause said PP’s optimism is justified. In the end, the MFP won a seat in the Muang city constituency, which includes the downtown area, which the ruling party had previously held for a long time, by convincingly winning.
The PP is convinced that tomorrow’s PAO surveys will show a repeat of this success.
The party’s candidate, Kanisorn Khurirung, a lawyer who goes by the name Haew ( water chestnut ), has mobilized its powerful supporters for this reason.
Mr. Kanisorn has a background in the local social field. He was elected to the Udon Thani provincial council in 2004, a part of the PAO in 2008, and a PAO vice president in 2005. He is a veteran politician.
Mr Kanisorn is giving Pheu Thai’s prospect, Sarawut Phetphanomporn, a move for his money. The electioneering staff of Mr. Sarawut has been active putting up campaign posters featuring Mr. Sarawut and Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
In the interim, the PP has recruited speakers for rallies like PM chair Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and former MFP head Pita Limjaroenrat.
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the party’s president, has suffered in the most popular opinion surveys. The group welcomed Mr. Pita from the US, where he has taken a break from studying, to bolster things. At a protest last month, Mr. Pita addressed the crowd.
Mr. Thanathorn officially visited Udon Thani twice a week and joined Mr. Kanisorn on the campaign trail.
Since 2020, Mr. Thanathorn has been working from the ground up to establish a regional support system in the territory. The PM has fielded candidates in all local polls, ranging from PAO chairman, tambon municipal mayor to Tambon Administrative Organisation ( TAO ) chair contests.
His great crack came the year after the PM won the TAO head elections in Na Sa-ard, Thon Na Lub, Phon Sung, Ban Muang, and Na Bua.
The MFP was growing in strength on the MP election before as the PM’s influence gained momentum in Udon Thani’s regional politics. Pheu Thai, which had previously been referred to as a Pheu Thai outgrowth, lost two additional seats in the state to Indian Sang Thai, who had taken one of the ten seats in the state.
It was thought Pheu Thai’s are failed owing to its dwindling help from the dark tops, once the group’s foundation.
But, almost a century of Prayut Chan-o-cha governments had weakened the red-shirt motion, with many members switching affiliation to the MFP at the top of the weight against the state.
In the interim, past leading Thaksin Shinawatra’s decision to support Mr. Sarawut on the campaign trail made things heated up the Udon Thani PAO culture.
Pheu Thai’s performance in the Udon Thani PAO ballot was predicted to be favorable by researchers. The ruling party capitalizes on elections that constantly place Ms. Paetongtarn ahead of Mr. Natthaphong. Additionally, the recently distributed ten thousand dollars to the impoverished and marginalized is likely to favor the candidate for president.
According to reports, Thaksin, who is dubbed the de facto leader of Pheu Thai, has contacted strong social figures in Udon Thani to urge them to support Mr. Sarawut.
Pheu Thai has a robust support base in the state, according to Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bhuket, project director for politicians and enhancement method at the National Institute of Development Administration. Loyal red-shirt followers even exist in large quantities.
One of Thaksin’s younger daughters, Yaowapa Wongsawat, was tagging along with him on the campaign trail. According to reports, she pulled quite a few chords directly to improve the chances of winning.
But, Mr Phichai said the PP’s member is high-profile, which was quickly get citizens.
A fresh source of tension
Anutin: Agencies doing their work
Although Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai may not have been at odds with one topic during their first season as coalition allies, they did manage to reduce tensions.
Former prime minister Srettha Thavisin’s support for reclassifying marijuana as a narcotic was the first indication of a split when the plant’s decriminalization scheme was successfully implemented in 2022 under the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration.
Pheu Thai made a compromise by backing the passage of a bill to manage cannabis use for research and clinical reasons, a move that was widely accepted as a sign that the plant would continue to be on the drug list.
Recently, disagreements over the size of the bulk needed to pass a vote on the contract amendments surfaced. To facilitate passage of constitutional amendments, the 200-member Senate overturned the House of Representatives ‘ decision to use a simple majority rather than a dual lot.
The Senate’s walk was believed to be backed by the Bhumjaithai Party, considering that more than half of the legislators are labelled as having a “blue” associations. Blue is the color of Bhumjaithai.
Sometime after, Bhumjaithai abstained from voting to accept the Senate’s choice” for the sake of being thorough”. A combined House-Senate commission will decide the size of the bulk needed to pass charter elections.
In the meantime, the Khao Kradong land controversy in Buri Ram, Bhumjaithai’s political stronghold, has emerged, with observers suggesting that the dispute between the State Railway of Thailand ( SRT ) and the Department of Lands ( DoL ) could escalate into open conflict and strain relations between the two partners.
The SRT is overseen by Pheu Thai Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, while the Bhumjaithai Party’s president, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, is in charge of the DoL.
Also, the Chidchob community, which runs several firms, including the Buriram International Circuit and a 32, 600-seat sports facility, is reportedly linked to the discussion.
In the Khao Kradong place of Buri Ram’s Muang area, land plots totaling 5, 083 rai are at the heart of the dispute. The SRT is attempting to regain these narratives, accusing the DoL of being dishonest because it has issued area papers to undocumented residents.
After the Supreme Court determined that the land belonged to the SRT in 2021, the SRT filed a lawsuit with the Administrative Court in September 2021, demanding that the DoL reduce its 900 area title deeds and eliminate all tenants from its home. Of the 900 area title deeds, 12, which cover 179 ray, apparently belonged to the Chidchob home.
Following the judge’s order, the DoL established a commission under Section 61 of the Land Code to observe the frontiers of Khao Kradong.
The DoL commission made a decision to reject the property records, while the SRT responded quickly by appealing the DoL decision, which sparked rumors about a potential resumption of conflict between the two largest coalition partners.
But, important numbers from both parties, particularly Mr Anutin, have brushed off debate about the state agencies ‘ debate escalating into empty discord between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai.
The companies involved are simply performing their duties, according to Mr. Anutin, and the Do L’s handling of the Khao Kradong land is in compliance with the law.
He noted that because he did not ask the DoL for details, he could not answer all of the issues about Khao Kradong because doing so may put pressure on the office.
Mr. Anutin explained that the panel was established in May 2023 when he served as the minister of public health in the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration and that some members of the panel have ties to the Chidchob family. Prior to Srettha Thavisin becoming prime minister a few months later, he had not served as interior minister.
He claimed that Gen Anupong Paojinda was in charge of the Interior Ministry during the Prayut Chan-o-cha government and that he was unable to influence Gen Anupong.
It will be chaotic if you let politics permeate everything.
Some people criticize me for disproving Mr. Suriya’s claim that the SRT cannot lose the land. What he]Mr Suriya ] said is 100 % correct… similar to what I said about Koh Kut, “he said, referring to the ongoing territorial claim dispute with Cambodia.
The Bhumjaithai leader responded when asked if the Khao Kradong land dispute is being turned into a political game because earlier Pheu Thai-Bhumjaithai tensions had been resolved.
Police bust two Chinese syndicates
PUBLISHED: 23 Nov 2024 at 04: 00
In just three days, police have demolished two Chinese fraud networks that have caused more than 700 million phony calls and one million bogus SMS messages.
Thailand’s Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression ( Tactics ), led by Assistant National Police Chief and Assistant Director of Thailand’s Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression ( Tactics ), released a statement yesterday regarding two recent police raids that brought down the two scam groups.
He claimed that the businesses were carried out as part of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s essential strategy to combat international and crime.
Authorities used the numbers to contact victims to convince them to take part in phony investment schemes in the first procedure, which turned out to be a crime gang.
Despite the lack of documentation of their natural appearance in Thailand, investigations revealed that three companies with connections to Taiwanese citizens used these figures more than 730 million times. Arrest permits were issued for 24 defendants, including nine immigrants and 15 Thais, with 10 people now apprehended.
Foreign national Yang Muyi, 35, was detained in another incident for using false bottom stations installed in a car to take almost a million false SMS messages to Bangkok residents on Sukhumvit Road over the course of three days.
The communications were intended to entice phony schemes from recipients. The gear included a wireless power place, a Wi-Fi router and several smartphones.
In addition to other criminal crimes, the person was accused of using and unauthorisedly possessing telecommunication devices.
30 years of global learning
Growing up is not only a journey toward intellectual success but also a way to embrace a wider view of being a worldwide member in a world where there is a focus on cultural variety and endless possibilities.
In 1994, the International Schools Association of Thailand ( Isat ) was established to promote high standards of educational quality, ethical behavior, and student learning among its members.
Then, with 193 member schools, Isat is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and it is taking pride in fostering the education of Thai and international students in foreign schools across Thailand, preparing them to be responsible, educated, and sympathetic members of the international community.
The Isat member institutions ‘ educational standards, according to Usa Somboon, president of the organization, are in line with Thailand’s federal education policies, and are in line with the highest international standards and recognized by accreditation bodies.
Mr Usa explained that the agency’s viewpoint emphasises preparing students to be sympathetic, responsible, and future-focused individuals.
She stated that Isat is working with students to develop academic excellence and capacity for positive social contributions.
” Guided by the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, Isat promotes principles such as ecology, justice, and moral authority.
These ideas help students acquire the mindset and skills necessary to address fashionable world issues and have a positive impact on the world, according to Ms. Usa.
The head of Ruamrudee International School, Jim O’Malley, said Thai global institutions are more aware of the value of integrated development and are now focusing on providing resources to help students find balance and endurance in their lives.
He said that “schools and teachers have a part in preparing students for valuable contributions to global society as well as for academic achievement.”
Many international institutions have adopted the idea of global membership and sustainability, according to Felicity Ayre, the mind of Kids ‘ Academy International School, where students are taught to behave respectfully and globally in a cultural setting.
She claimed that this has led to significant reform in education in foreign institutions.
As the earth constantly faces climate change, systems, and geopolitics, school authorities have pointed out that scientific knowledge alone might not be enough to deal with such continued disruptions.
Duncan Stonehouse, mind of Bangkok International Preparatory &, Intermediate School ( Bangkok Prep), said that universities should help students in becoming good, engaged, and caring individuals socially and intellectually.
” Children should be globally minded, honest, responsible, resourceful, brave and respectful, “he said.
Bruce Grindlay, principal of Rugby School Thailand, said that students need to be creative, collaborative and great communicators– all the things that AI can not do.
He suggested that the educational system should provide students with more interdisciplinary work that includes specialized fields like marketing, business, basic coding, and website design.
” They need to be the jockey to AI’s racehorse, harnessing its power but controlling it from a human perspective,” Mr Grindlay added.
As global challenges are multidisciplinary issues, Sascha Heckman, the head of the International School in Bangkok, stressed the need for students to be able to think across disciplines.
” As the world keeps changing, students need to face lots of ambiguity. They must therefore have emotional laws in place to manage a range of viewpoints and establish their own opinions.
” Therefore, the school needs to equip students with social and emotional competency such as self-regulation, self-management, and relationship skills”, Ms Heckman said.
Lek Sachathep, director of Kids Kingdom Ruamrudee International Kindergarten, said that students need to have digital literacy and technical proficiency.
She added that this will enable them to effectively navigate emerging technologies and prepare them for the demands of the digital economy.
Additionally, it is crucial to work with diverse teams and adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances of the modern world. Collaboration and adaptability are also important.
Together, these skills will empower students to thrive in an unpredictable future.
She argued that” the educational systems must give students a forward-thinking mindset that addresses both current and future global challenges.”
Ms. Usa, the association’s president, stated that the association wanted to see a future where education would continue to inspire lifelong learners and kind-hearted innovators who could deal with the various turbulence.
” To make such learners, teachers should be equipped with professional teaching skills while being updated with trends and changes, able to tailor teaching according to the student’s ability, and most importantly, listen to their voices.
According to Ms. Usa,” Schools and homes must work closely to ensure the performance and well-being of the students so they can grow and be able to handle a variety of challenges in the future.”
Singapore recalls French cheese product after potential contamination with gastroenteritis-causing bacteria
SINGAPORE: A recognize has been issued for a European raw milk butter item after it was found to be probably contaminated with , Yersinia enterocolitica, a gastroenteritis-causing germs.  , The Singapore Food Agency ( SFA ) said on Friday ( Nov 22 ) that the importer, Cheese Club Singapore Pte Ltd,Continue Reading
Senator blames insurgents for Songkhla statue attack
accused of trying to sown section in restive southern provinces by secessionist BRN.
PUBLISHED: 22 Nov 2024 at 21: 23
The Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu-Patani ( BRN ) insurgent group was behind this week’s grenade attacks in Songkhla, according to a senator, saying it was intended to discredit a policy that promoted economic growth in the troubled southern border region.
The explosions at the site of a big Guanyin statue’s construction site, according to Sen. Chaiyong Maneerungsakul, were part of a BRN plan to scuttle tensions between people of different faiths and peacefully coexist in harmony, as well as thwart the region’s economic growth.
He said on Friday that the Guanyin monument will become a new local tourist monument, drawing both locals and visitors, and boosting local financial activity.
According to Mr. Chaiyong, the government’s policy to boost the southern economy is also being thwarted by the opposition to the controversial Chana professional development project in Songkhla.
Two workers from the northern provinces and a younger woman were hurt in the attacks at the monument webpage. A pickup truck was destroyed in the staff ‘ station as a result of the explosions.
Individuals who dared to work at the page and elsewhere in the southern border provinces were found by police in Thai and Burmese flyers with threats to their lives.
When completed, the 136-metre-high Guanyin memorial, owned by TPI Polene Power Plc, will become the world’s tallest location and serve as a worldview tower. The 65-rai beachside site’s construction began two years ago, and function is scheduled to start in 2026.
No one was hurt when two bombs detonated on a roads near the camp shortly after the attacks. Security personnel who were conducting the initial problems were thought to be the goal of the bombs.
Students and teachers from Yala Rajabhat University’s Demonstration School were immediately decamped and flown back to Yala after the blows started to scream at a local scout camp called Pang Yang Resort.
Ekkachai Kaewrattana, commander of Thepha area, said authorities were examining film from security cameras to detect the attackers and even questioning witnesses.  ,
India aims to stamp out farm fires with satellite images of scorched earth
Some researchers believe that producers have over day changed the hours they use to burn crop waste to avoid NASA satellites, leading to lower pollution levels this year despite the fact that the surveillance period was shorter. The government refuted a previous court order to use satellites ‘ data, sayingContinue Reading
Thaksin ‘paid for entire hospital stay’
Justice secretary defends processes related to ex-premier’s incarceration
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra paid 8, 500 ringgit a day for his place, along with all other health expenses, for the entire six-month time that he stayed at Police General Hospital, an investigation heard on Friday.
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong discussed some of the details of the businessman ex-premier’s confinement in evidence before the , House committee on state security, border affairs, national strategy and reformation, chaired by Women’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome.
In contrast to other prisoners, the committee has been looking into claims that Thaksin received preferential treatment for care.
Meanwhile, the National Anti-Corruption Commission ( NAC ) has requested medical records to establish whether Thaksin’s transfer from a prison facility on the first night of his imprisonment was justified.
According to Section 7 of the National Health Act, the hospital’s health records are at their disposal, but the doctor must obtain the victim’s consent before disclosing them, according to Pol Col Tawee.
He claimed that he had requested that the doctor make the necessary changes within 120 time, adding that he had personally seen all of Thaksin’s records, including receipts.
As long as the data was legitimately obtained, the minister said he would be happy to provide it to the council.
Thaksin returned to Thailand on Aug 22, 2023 after 15 times of self-imposed banishment. Prior to that very day, the Supreme Court sentenced him to eight years in prison, which was later reduced to one month under a royal pardon for conflicts of interest and abuse of power while he was prime minister due to 2006.
Corrections staff members decided that he needed to be moved to Police General Hospital on the first day of his stay at Bangkok Remand Prison. Six months later, after meeting the requirements for probation, he walked out of the facility without a single day of jail time.
Complex state
On Friday Pol Col Tawee told the House council that Thaksin’s shift was fair, as the jail hospital was capable of accommodating Thaksin’s difficult medical condition.
Even though the officers hospital is a part of the universal health care program, Thaksin claimed to have paid for his treatment on his own.
Pol Lt Col Theerawat Panyathammakul, the council secretary, said the place where Thaksin stayed cost 8, 500 ringgit per day, which meant that he needed to pay at least one million ringgit for his 120-day be.
In reply, Pol Col Tawee said Thaksin even needed to pay medical expenses.
Mr Rangsiman next asked the person who approved Thaksin’s move, who appeared to be a physician from the penitentiary doctor, whose identity was not revealed to the council.
According to Pol Col Tawee, the doctor approved Thaksin’s health evaluation outcomes at 11am on Aug 22, 2023, the first day of his confinement, before he was moved to the police clinics on the same day.
The council was merely told to stay clear about the benefits of the health examination because Thaksin’s condition is complicated, according to Pol Col Tawee.
Before the witness started, Mr. Rangsiman issued a disqualification for an off-the-record conversation.
Officials stationed outside of Thaksin’s room were permitted, according to Pol Col Tawee, who likewise informed the committee.
Due to the fact that the former top had previously been the target of assassination attempts, the federal police chief decided to put him in a particular area for safety reasons.
Records of all readers during Thaksin’s confinement are available for review, he said.
Even invited to the reading were Sahakarn Petchnarin, the director-general of the Department of Corrections, Pol Lt Gen Taweesilp Wechawitarn, the chairman of the police doctor, and Wattanachai Mingbancherdsuk, chairman of the Medical Correctional Institution.
India court tells smog-hit capital to step up vehicle restrictions
NEW DELHI:  , India’s top court on Friday ( Nov 22 ) ordered authorities in the smog-choked capital New Delhi to establish checkpoints on all 113 roads into the city to stop the entry of polluting vehicles. More than 30 million people live in the traffic-clogged megacity, which has beenContinue Reading
Debate in Malaysia over PM Anwar’s revelation that private firms partly funded his recent overseas trips
SINGAPORE: A win-win condition may result from private firms sharing aircraft costs with Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s committee on his new international trips, said analysts and stakeholders.
They also called for better accountability and said the practice was likewise reveal weaknesses in Malaysia’s political funding framework.
After telling parliament on Thursday ( Nov 21 ) that private companies had contributed 75 to 80 percent of Mr. Anwar’s flights over the previous two months, he sparked debate. He was on official trips to China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Peru and Brazil this month.
” If I am not mistaken, around 70 or 80 per cent of the flight charges were borne by firms with business and investment pursuits”, he said.
According to Mr. Anwar, the Investment, Trade, and Industry Ministry had invited businesses to travel to meetings worldwide, including Petronas, Sapura Energy, Sapura Energy, Proton, and other automakers.  ,
According to Mr. Anwar, as quoted by Free Malaysia Now,” we invited these businesses with business and investment objectives to meet these visits, and they paid for the tickets and expenses.”  ,
It is one of his president’s measures to control the expenses of international trips more quickly, he said. We recently made some changes because I noticed how expensive journey was frequently.
Mr Anwar was responding to Member of Parliament for Paya Besar Shahar Abdullah during Prime Minister’s Problem Day in the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia’s lower house of parliament.
Government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil clarified on Friday ( Nov 22 ) that private companies did not reimburse Mr. Anwar’s travel expenses.  ,
The total cost of the chartered Malaysia Airlines plane, an Airbus A350, was RM6.16 million ( US$ 1.38 million ) and the Malaysian government covered 27 per cent of the cost, said Mr Fahmi, who is communications minister.
” However, the company group paid 73 per share of the cost, or RM4.5 million. So it is essential for me to stress that the government paid for the prime minister’s airfare”, he said.
According to Mr. Fahmi, flying on the Putrajaya’s Jet Premier One on its own cost more than if the committee had traveled on a chartered trip during the journeys, he added, saving almost RM900,000.  ,
If the federal committee had flown on its own on the Jet Premiere One, which can hold just 20 people, it would have cost about three days more, or RM2.5 million, Free Malaysia Today reported.
Court of Appeal of Singapore rules that Parmesan and Parmigiano Reggiano are not the same cheese
SINGAPORE: In a finding that impacts how cheese can be marketed in Singapore, the Court of Appeal on Friday ( Nov 22 ) ruled that Parmesan is not the same as Parmigiano Reggiano.
According to Justices Tay Yong Kwang, Belinda Ang, and Judith Prakash, Singapore’s users do not believe Parmesan cheese to be made only in the specific region of Italy where Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is produced.
Instead, local customers have been influenced by how Parmesan is promoted and sold in Singapore as a butter that can and does come from abroad.
The Court of Appeal gave its decision after an appeal by Fonterra Brands ( Singapore ) Pte Ltd, a , subsidiary of a cooperative owned by 10, 000 dairy farms in New Zealand.
Fonterra, which sells different types of cheese under the Perfect Italiano brand, was contesting a lower court’s finding that” Parmesan” is a translation of” Parmigiano Reggiano”.
” Parmigiano Reggiano” is a type of geographical indication ( GI ). GI labels cannot be applied to products that do n’t originate from those specific territories because they identify products that are produced there.
The counties of Modena, Parma, and Reggio Emilia in Italy are represented by the GI for the cheese that comes from” the region of the county of Bologna to the left of the River Reno, the region of Mantua to the right of the River Po.”
The Gastrointestinal” Parmigiano Reggiano” was registered in Singapore in June 2019 by the , Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano , – a collaboration of manufacturers of the cheese.
The Consorzio is tasked by Italy ‘s , Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies to protect interests relating to Parmigiano Reggiano.
According to European Union law, the Consorzio also holds the designation” Parmigiano Reggiano” as a protected designation of origin ( PDO ).
In September 2019, Fonterra filed an application to specify that the Gastrointestinal” Parmigiano Reggiano” does not include the name” Parmesan” as the conditions are not equal.
The company argued that Parmesan had not come from Italy, is not regulated in the same manner as Parmigiano Reggiano, and varies in milk information, regulations, style, color and texture.
When the secretary of GIs allowed Fonterra’s program, the Consorzio filed an opposition to it. A Principal Assistant Registrar granted the criticism, and a High Court judge upheld it.
Fonterra next launched this charm.
” Thoughts DO NOT EXIST IN A VACUUM”
The dispute pitted dictionary definitions of” Parmesan”, put forth by the Consorzio, against examples of how the term is used in the Singapore market, put forth by Fonterra.
The , Consorzio used extracts from the Collins Dictionary, the , Larousse Italian-French Dictionary and the , Cambridge Italian-English Dictionary to argue that” Parmigiano Reggiano” translates to” Parmesan” in both English and French.
Top Justice Prakash, deliving the judge’s view, said the extracts may provide some assistance for the Consorzio’s case, but were not clear.
Because they were compiled by foreign publishers, who might not be aware of the use of” Parmesan” in Singapore.
” Put differently, these definitions are not written in ( and were not designed to reflect ) the language used by visitors in Singapore”, she said.
Words do not occur in a vacuum, she added, and how a certain word is used and the significance or interpretations it holds over time may change depending on the specific environment and local circumstances in which it is used.
She added that the judge was concerned about how the general public perceives Singaporeans and inhabitants as” consumers, not just people passing through.”
She claimed that this typical customer is not a member of Singapore’s expat or European community and that she lacks” special knowledge of cheese.”
In contrast, Fonterra argued that it is” customary” in Singapore for Parmesan to refer to” a hard, dry, easy to grate, or grated cheese with a sharp, slightly sweet, salty flavour”, and for this not to be linked to Parmigiano Reggiano.
More convincing was Fonterra’s argument, which included at least 10 item listings that demonstrated that Parmesan cheese products were sold in Singapore and had clear evidence that they were produced outside of Italy.
They observed noticeable differences in Parmigiano Reggiano and Parmigiano Reggiano items ‘ overall physical characteristics and obverse displays of Parmesan’s country of origin.
Additionally, Fonterra’s information included online catalogs for local stores and Amazon Singapore that categorize Parmigiano Reggiano butter in a different way from Parmesan butter.
The courts and Fonterra concurred that native users have been influenced by how investors categorize Parmesan and Parmigiano Reggiano as” two distinct kinds of cheese products.”
They ruled in favor of Fonterra and placed a restriction on the use of the term” Parmesan” in the Register of GIs, stating that the protection of the GI” Parmigiano Reggiano” should not be used.
The judges also ordered the Consorzio to pay S$ 100, 000 ( S$ 74, 204 ) in costs to Fonterra.