PM suggests creating sub-panel for foreign investors in EEC

PUBLISHED: 5 November 2023 at 5:00
Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, announced yesterday that a subcommittee would be formed to promote the Eastern Economic Corridor( EEC ) among foreign investors.
He claimed that the call occurred while he was on a portable meeting on special train No. 995. He left Hua Lumphong’s Bangkok Station at 8.30 a.m. yesterday to visit Laem Chabang Station in the Sri Racha neighborhood of Chon Buri and conduct an EEC study.
He was given a statement on EEC-area infrastructure development initiatives that aim to ease traffic congestion. Buyers required these, he said, so they could continue.
All infrastructure and facilities, including water and electricity flowers, transportation centers like ports and airports, must be in place because the EEC attracts foreign investors.
He said,” We need to investigate whether there is any problem that foreign investors will encounter if they want to invest in EEC.”
” In the interim, we also want to continue promoting the jobs because they can strengthen the economy.”
The top finally suggested creating a sub-committee to further encourage the projects and attract foreign investors. Additionally, he claimed, it will reduce issues with documents that might prevent investments.
Part of the concept is to improve other advantages, such as tax-free steps. He stated that in order to convince buyers that the EEC is a region with great potential, we had to inspire as many foreign assets as possible by enhancing the city’s system.
Mr. Srettha visited the Nong Phlalai Reservoir in Rayong’s Pluak Daeng city after arriving at the Laem Chabang train depot. He then went to the Sri Racha city of Chon Buri.
Mr. Srettha was given a statement on the port at Laem Chabang Seaport.
Laem Chabang Port has served 11, 700 cargo ship rides since the beginning of this year, with a total of 94.1 million metric tonnes of goods, or 8.67 million Twenty-Face Equivalent Units( TEU ), according to government spokesman Chai Wacharonke.
The interface is currently going through a second period of expansion, which, when finished in 2029, aims to manage up to 18 billion TEU.
Ministry’s ambitious Clean Air Bill to go before cabinet this month

Published on November 5, 2023, at 5:00
To stop the issue of air pollution from getting out of hand, the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment( MNRE ) will push a draft Clean Air Act for cabinet consideration later this month.
The act has been posted for people comment on its website until November 13 according to Pol Gen Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, the environment minister.
The costs will be delivered to the government secretary office on November 16 so that state agencies can continue to offer their opinions before it is presented to them in November 21.
According to Pol Gen Phatcharavat, the act focuses on pollution prevention measures and reducing government red tape when carrying out pollution-reduction actions.
Additionally, once passed, the legislation will eliminate obstacles to addressing the causes of smoke from forest fires, a long-standing trans-border problem, and enable an integration of work by all parties through the Public-Private-People Partnership approach to reduce air pollutants.
” Hygienic air is a fundamental right. According to him, the MNRE has set up the Center for Air Pollution Mitigation [ CAPM ] for publishing real-time daily reports on air pollution and will issue an emergency if the situation worsens.
However, the MNRE is implementing steps to reduce air pollution in accordance with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s policy directive, according to government lieutenant spokeswoman Kenika Ounjit yesterday.
Studies of PM2.5 waste will be posted on the CAPM’s Facebook page at 8.30 a.m. every day following the creation of the program.
When the level of PM2.5 exceeds the healthy level, the center may even sound the alarm.
A federal committee on preventing fire, haze, and haze pollution has been established by Pol Gen Phatcharavat after consulting with a number of parties.
The committee, according to Ms. Kenika, did investigate how to manage wildfires in agricultural areas on a national level as well as problems with international air pollution and collaborate with neighboring nations to clean up the area.
The MNRE will set up operations centers in 17 northeastern provinces the following month, under the direction of provincial governors who will carry out national agendas at the municipal level, she stated.
The toxic ultra-fine PM2.5 dust pollution had increased to 32.1 to 61.3 microgrammes per cubic meter, which is an unhealthy level, from about 5 to 7 am, according to a report from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Environment Department yesterday.
42 mini drug-rehab centres open nationwide

Published on November 5, 2023, at 5:00
42″ Mini Thanyarak ,” or drug rehab centers, have been established by the Public Health Ministry in 27 counties.
According to the curate Dr. Cholnan Srikaew monday, it’s a part of an effort in which the government hopes to include opened centers across the country by the end of this year.
The Ministry of Public Health’s Quick Win battle, or guidelines that the government hopes to implement in 100 times or by December, includes the plan” One Province, One Mini Thanyarak ,” which is being used to open them.
The Mini Thanyarak network push, according to him, is being supported by the Princess Mother National Institute on Drug Abuse Treatment ( PMNIDAT ) and six local thanyrak hospitals.
He stated that” we hope rehabilitation solutions in every state will help lower the number of pharmaceutical customers.”
The Mini Thanyarak centers will soon be open, thanks to PMNIDAT. Additionally, they provide guidelines and standards for managing pharmaceutical clients.
The PMNIDAT and the six Thanyarak facilities will also take people if the centers need to move them, he said.
Hospitals may convert separate structures into rehab facilities, according to Opas Karnkawinpong, the ministry’s continuous secretary.
Additionally, the government will train the employees, and the hospitals may have qualified medical staff to handle drug patients.
Patients’ travel prices will decrease once each state has a Mini Thanyarak center, making it simpler for people to get exposure to those who want to stop using drugs, he said.
The Public Health Ministry provides a budget to treat drug users, according to Sarawut Boonchaipanishwattana, director of PMNIDAT.
To access the service, they can use their membership in government skilled programs, including the gold card program.
Looking beyond child rearing
The state needs to think outside the box when it comes to the delivery charge.
Countries all over the world struggle with a drop in delivery costs, and Thailand is no exception. Thailand’s average delivery charge from 1963 to 1983 was roughly 1 million per year. The overall number of newborn infants decreased to 502, 107( the lowest in 71 times ) by the year 2022, while the suicide rate was 595, 965.

Sustarum: Take Scandinavian lessons.
The total fertility rate( TFR ) should be at least 2.1 children per woman in order to maintain the demographic scale of the nation. Thailand’s annual TFR was roughly 6.1 births per woman in the 1960s, but over the past ten years, it has dramatically decreased to 1.4 – 1.5.
Although the government has implemented initiatives to increase the nation’s baby price, they have not yet been successful.
The Public Health Ministry just unveiled its new initiatives to promote increased childbearing among lovers. To help couples who have problems with duplication, one must open at least one fertility clinic in each province.
Cholnan Srikaew, the minister of public health, added that the government is thinking about promoting a express welfare program that extends parental leave for couples or increases child support payments from 600 to 3, 000 baht per month.
But, Assoc Prof. Sustarum Thammaboosadee, a professor at the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Thammasat University, cautioned the Bangkok Post that increased state support for child rearing might not always lead to higher delivery costs.
It is unquestionably beneficial to the public to support state-funded childbearing policies, especially if the ministry can include fertility services in the Universal Coverage Scheme ( UCS ) or social security coverage. Nevertheless, he claimed that there are factors outside of state security that motivate people to have children.
Fewer persons, no issue
According to Assoc Prof. Sustarum, birth rates have decreased over time even in nations with robust social security systems, like Nordic nations.
The 2022 TFR is 1.6 births per person in Norway, 1.7 in Denmark, and 1.8 in Sweden thanks to well-supported parenting tools, such as paid maternal leave, subsidised childcare and care facilities.
Despite having a smaller population, the Norwegian market is more robust than that of many other regions of Europe.
This could serve as a wake-up call for Thailand to embrace cutting-edge technologies like automation and artificial intelligence to take the place of labor in some sectors, like the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
According to Assoc Prof. Sustarum, world is shifting to financial models that no longer heavily rely on population growth as fewer babies are born.
He asserted that having fewer kids and older kids is not always a bad thing. In reality, emotionally and financially responsible parents frequently have a better handle on child raising.
Assoc Prof. Sustarum stated that Thai laws governing borrowing by same-sex people should also be taken into consideration, in addition to encouraging heterosexual couples to have more children.
He expressed his opinion that” taking care of live births in our land regardless of their status is no less crucial than encouraging society to reproduce.”
A shift in norms
The growing pattern of childlessness may be accelerated by monetary constraints that prevent young people from affording to raise children. Even those who are eager to have children still think that state-subsidized care is necessary.
The National Institute of Development Administration ( Nida ) released a survey titled” Let’s Have Children” on October 1st that looked into how people felt about having children.
65.1 % of the 1,310 respondents said that free training up to the college degree is the most desired form of state security for encouraging people to have children, and 63.6 % said they want a child support give until their kids turn 15 years old.
Even so, a lot of people today choose to live differently so they can pursue higher education, go job hunting, or travel the globe without worrying about their kids.
Individuals may have had children in the past to complete their marriages. Lifelong values were associated with caregiving or giving birth to a baby. It is very diverse today. Being a parent may determine the meaning of life for some groups of people. However, for many more, living in a nation where they are guaranteed justice and equitable wealth distribution may allow them to live fulfilling lives, which is also of great importance, according to Assoc Prof. Sustarum.
He claimed that if Thailand can change its socioeconomic scale in line with its declining population size, worries about a large labor force or declining productivity will go away. ” If citizen welfare is properly taken care of, the nation’s economy will grow.”
Police identify third warden in case of convict who escaped

Published on November 5, 2023, at 5:00
NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: On October 22, police will detain a third prison warden who is allegedly involved in the release of Chaowalit Thongduang, alias” Sia Paeng Nanod ,” an inmate, from the hospital.
Weerachai Nuduang of Nakhon Si Thammarat Central Prison was given an arrest warrant by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases on Friday nights. According to municipal police commander Pol Maj Gen Somchai Suetortrakul, he was charged under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, which deals with dereliction of duty.
A time prior to Chaowalit’s medical escape, Mr. Weerachai is said to have altered his constraints. In the case, he is the fourth governor to appear before an arrest warrant.
Chaowalit, 37, was incarcerated for attempted death when he escaped from Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital on October 22. He was taken for medical care and later admitted after collapsing due to back pain that had been reported. He’s still out there.
Two prison wardens — Warinthorn Thongprachong, 41, and Ekkalak Chaiyakarn, 35 — were charged with dereliction of duty in connection with Chaowalit’s escape and had their arrest warrants approved by the court on Friday.
Pol Maj Gen Somchai was contacted by Mr Warinthorn and Mr. Ekkalak yesterday morning via their attorney to surrender, according to authorities.
According to police, Mr. Weerachai’s second arrest warrant has been submitted, and his superior will order him to turn himself in.
According to the authorities, seven defendants who reportedly assisted Chaowalit in escaping have been detained.
The Phatthalung Provincial Court last month gave Chaowalit a 20-year, six-month prison term for attempted murder in connection with an armed assault on police on September 2, 2019, in the state.
In January 2022, he started serving his sentence at Phatthalung Prison, and on August 7, that incarceration was changed to Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison.
S Korea says it regrets spurning Thai visitors

Published on November 5, 2023, at 5:00
According to the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry, the North Korean Foreign Ministry regrets that its immigration officers have a reputation for turning away Thai visitors.
The # BanTravellingtoKorea( in Thai ) trended on X( previously known as Twitter ) after many Thai internet users, including influencers and singers, shared their experiences with South Korea Immigration officers denying them entry to the country. Saran Charoensuwan, the Thai permanent secretary of foreign affairs, and Chang Ho – jin, South Korean First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, were present at this annual meeting.
The tweet rose to the top 10 of the social media project’s regular rankings after a traveler claimed she had visited South Korea four days but had been turned down on her most recent trip despite having an official return ticket and hotel reservations.
She claimed in the post that the immigration official denied her admittance after asking if she hadn’t previously visited the country enough times. Over 9.2 million views and 22, 000 memes have been posted in response to her Oct. 24 post, which was then followed by messages from another Thais who had similar experiences.
Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, pledged to investigate the matter on Tuesday. Therefore, Mr. Saran expressed worry about Thais’ negative perceptions of traveling to South Korea.
He claimed that Mr. Chang responded that he regretted the situations and did not want them to have an impact on people’s opinions or the diplomatic ties between the two nations.
He claimed that Mr. Chang clarified that some officers may include enforced the stricter regulations, but added that the nation does not have any policies in place to prevent Thai tourists from entering.
In order to deter Thai nationals from working illegally in the nation, the North Korean Ministry even put in place some steps.
The volunteer withdrawal program, which enables undocumented workers to appear before South Korean officials before being returned to Thailand without being placed on a blacklist, is one of the measures. The Employment Permit System ( EPS ) quota, which permits 4, 800 Thai laborers to work there legally each year, is another measure.
To further investigate the issue, both nations agreed to hold a diplomatic proper conference.
In the meantime, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the minister of labor, warned the Thai Travel Agents Association ( TTAA ) and the Department of Tourism against allowing Thais to work illegally in South Korea.
In comparison to the 93, 118 Vietnamese workers who had found employment through the president’s EPS services, the government estimated that about 100, 000 Thai laborers worked fraudulently in South Korea.
According to him, the ministry had established a specific task force for screening illegal laborers at the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang flights because it was aware of South Korea’s issue with illegal employees.
According to Mr. Phiphat, the department also has a task force that is repressing social media advertisements for illegal employment in South Korea.
Isoc brass return fire following criticism of unit
Published on November 5, 2023, at 5:00

Yesterday, the Internal Security Operations Command ( Isoc) emphasized the significance of its contribution to resolving national security and conflicts in the Deep South.
The Move Forward Party’s( MFP ) bill, which seeks to dispel Isoc and” misconceptions” about the work it does, was the subject of a press conference yesterday that was presided over by Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree, the spokesman for the organization.
Isoc, he claimed, is a specific government organization that reports directly to the Prime Minister. It focuses on national surveillance by evaluating the seriousness of any circumstance that might have an impact on the kingdom’s security.
According to Maj Gen Winthai, who added that Isoc’s responsibilities do not overlap with those of other security agencies, his work aims to increase public awareness of the need to protect the three main institutions— the nation, religion, and monarchy— while maintaining peace in the nation.
Without Isoc, the government would be unable to collaborate effectively with other organizations on national security initiatives, particularly the turmoil in the Deep South, he claimed. The three frontier provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat are referred to as the Deep South.
He claimed that if Isoc were to near while security issues in the Deep South persisted, the nation do feel the effects.
Maj Gen Winthai responded that spending was covered by the commission’s annual budget, just like all other agencies, in response to the rumor that an Isoc bank worth$ 7 billion existed in a secret budget.
He claimed that Isoc does not have a secret budget to invest on operations.
Out of the six billion baht set aside for Isoc’s job in the Deep South, Gen. Nopphanan Chanpradab, a former officer in that organization, claimed that at least five billion of those funds were used to give soldiers stationed in Command Region 4.
He stated that” The spending is audited, and Isoc will not try to evade any investigation.”
He claimed that the management of Isoc was standardized and adhered to all standards for Thailand’s common organizations.
He claimed that adding the actions may make the situation in the Deep South worse and result in a lack of resources for safety function. Dissolving Isoc may do more harm than good.
According to Gen Nopphanan,” Isoc is governed by a civilian-led National Security Council and has citizens like the Prime Minister as inspector.”
Social activist Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, on the other hand, questioned the necessity of maintaining Isoc on Facebook yesterday, emphasizing the organization’s sizable budget in comparison to results and its high pay scale for officers.
PM doubles down on digital wallet

Published on November 5, 2023, at 5:00
Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, insisted yesterday that the state would never retract its announcement of digital currency, saying that more information would be made public on Friday.
Regarding the scheme’s development, Mr. Srettha stated that the specifics of the initiative, including how it will be funded, would be revealed at a particularly scheduled press conference.
” A timeline and standards will be evident. The modern bag system is crucial. Everyone is in agreement that economic stimulation is required. But we must talk about the appropriate level of economic stimulation.
Mr. Srettha, who also serves as finance minister, said,” As I always say, I’m willing to listen to ideas.”
When asked if the government should proceed cautiously with the plan because it cannot obtain to back out of it, Mr. Srettha replied,” I don’t think of taking a step back.” I must proceed, give it my all, and follow the law for the good of all. ”
Additionally, he assured that the payments would be distributed using the Pao Tang phone app, an open-platform digital wallet run by Krungthai Bank.
He was acting in accordance with the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Banking’s( JSCCIB ) recommendation that using the app for the digital wallet scheme would result in cost and time savings.
According to the JSCCIB, the government could also use the app to expand into social welfare initiatives and various state programs.
The prime minister responded that all of its policies are extremely important when asked if the Pheu Thai-led state is placing high bets on the plan. Allow the people make their own decisions, he continued.
The modern bag was needed to boost the economy, according to Pichai Chunhavajira, a prime minister’s advisor, but it was unlikely to be implemented in February as planned.
The program, which is scheduled for September and is anticipated to be funded by the monthly budget, will be delayed by seven months.
The number of qualified individuals is thought to be around 40 million, according to Mr. Pichai, who added that the range will be adjusted to take into account issues from various quarters.
To ensure that the money is distributed equally, he said, the 4 km spoke restriction in which the online money can be spent is also likely to be revised to include an entire area.
To monitor the distribution of the digital currency, which was first made available to everyone 16 and older regardless of their financial situation, the government has established a committee. This committee will also consider potential changes, such as reducing the number of people eligible to receive it.
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