Thailand, Malaysia to strengthen ties
12 October 2023 at 05:58 PUBLISHED
According to federal official Chai Wacharonke, Thailand and Malaysia have agreed to increase bilateral trade, strengthen economic ties, and change the Thai-Malaysian border into growth areas.
During their appointment on Wednesday at the Malay Prime Minister’s office in Putrajaya, Srettha Thavisin and his counterpart Dato ‘ Seri Anwar Ibrahim spoke about a variety of subjects of shared interest, he said.
The visit, according to Mr. Srettha, reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation for the two countries’ common advancement and prosperity. Additionally, he suggested enhancing assistance in the fields of agriculture and foods, including halal food.
To help their program to actualize cooperation between the two nations, both leaders agreed to establish a” Task Force Group” on issues of mutual interest, such as hospitality.
Given that Thailand and Malaysia were the best trading partners in Asean, the leaders’ discussion even touched on the possibility of establishing a new bilateral industry specific. Increasing borders connection and fostering business ties are ranked highly on the list of priorities to strengthen trade relations.
Mr. Srettha demonstrated his desire to turn southern Thailand and north Malaysia into a region of development for mutual benefits by expressing an objective to enhance assistance in the online economy, natural economies, hi-tech sectors, and foreign direct investments.
The prime minister vowed to speed up infrastructure initiatives to enhance trade relations, help cargo transportation, and increase public transportation.
According to Mr. Srettha, a stronger local economy may be substantially boosted if both nations collaborated to market tourist attractions along the border. He stated that Thailand is prepared to work strongly with Malaysia to strengthen Asean and advance regional peace and prosperity.
Later, he and his group went to a meal that the Malay prime minister hosted. He leaves for Singapore now to meet with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and other prominent Taiwanese businessmen before flying back to Bangkok the following day.
Family in shock after Israel death
Strike kills Thai farm employee
12 October 2023 at 05:45 PUBLISHED
On Wednesday, the home of a Thai contractor who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli assault begged the authorities to assist in returning the victim’s body to his residence in Si Sa Ket, in the northern province.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was contacted by Phraiwan Suchat, 53, and Warunee Daosai, 30, the distraught mother and wife of Phongphat SuchAT, 29, the Thai laborer killed in a concrete harm in southern Israel, to assist in returning his brain to Ban Krachaeng Muang in the Kanthalaralak area.
When a plaster large exploded nearby while they were working, Phongphat and another Thai worker were both killed, according to Surat Suchat, 34, the victim’s brother.
When the cement circular struck, he claimed, Phongphat and the other worker were about 20 meters away.
He added that Israeli soldiers removed the bodies after the mortar large detonated approximately five seconds after a alarm sounded.
Mr. Srettha has also been asked to assist in organizing the return of his friend’s system to Thailand.
In terms of his situation, Mr. Surat claimed that he and 59 different workers were now too scared to report for duty without their employer’s presence.
When plans are made for his friend’s system and it is brought back, he declared,” I’m determined to leave Israel, saying I’ll not work in Israel again.”
A person on X who went by the name of SuperBallAI started posting on Monday about his escape from a employee camp and subsequent overnight stay at the military shelter before being evacuated by six men in an automobile traveling north.
The Thai contractor asserted that he eventually learned that his will had been used against him to be sold to a new company. I had a second suitcase in my hands and fled for cover. The gentleman posted on X,” And I urgently want to go back, but I was sold to a new company instead.
Later, the employee claimed that a friend had agreed to assist and had paid for him to sit at his friend’s house while they looked for an airline ticket back to Thailand.
Following complaints from Siamese workers in Israel who claimed they were sold to a new firm against their will, Pairoj Chotikasathien, the permanent secretary for labor, said he had called the Thai labor attaché there to inquire about what had happened and was told that Israeli law permits such behavior.
According to Mr. Pairoj, he finally gave the labor attaché in Tel Aviv instructions to start visiting Thai staff in makeshift shelters all over Israel in order to provide them with moral support and assistance in registering for their returning to Thailand. At least 5,000 people have so far registered for a government-arranged free journey back to Thailand.
Commentary: Breaking the vicious cycle of haze and climate change in Southeast Asia
TO Alleviate HAZE, GET ON THE Earth
South Asian maritime haze pollution is recognized as a complex issue that necessitates multi-stakeholder engagement with local communities, municipal governments, corporations, and civil society.
Since the 1990s, ASEAN has been actively working to reduce haze, and in 2015, the Singaporean government passed a law prohibiting intergovernmental waste. Researchers have spent years carefully analyzing the haze’s underlying reasons, factors, impacts, and implications. But the issue keeps coming up every season.
It is now time to move beyond the realms of diplomacy and academia and engage the public to convince towns, businesses, and institutions that it is in their best interests to protect peat. Simply put, every effort we make to keep our coal reserves in our peatlands may contribute to the prevention of our climate and haze.
In this regard, the region’s current speed in using carbon prices tools and the creation of voluntary carbon emissions trading markets( as Indonesia has just done ) may provide a window of opportunity to encourage stakeholders to scale-up their conservation efforts and produce high-quality carbon credits that can be monetized.
For instance, the United Kingdom has developed the Peatland Code, a cutting-edge organic capital financing mechanism that uses an independent standard to provide independent validation and verification for projects involving the restoration of peatlands.
Through this, the UK has been using a combination of public and private funding to register about 200 peatland jobs in its nationwide registry and track the total amount of emissions reduced and the place restored. The need for individualized job reviews is replaced by the Code, which reassures investors of best practices.
Development toward these opportunities in the peatlands of Southeast Asia may be diverse. According to international standards, the results may be measurable, actionable, and factual.
In the current brass environment, this may be difficult, but the advantages are well worth it. For peatland populations, this might lead to better standard of living. The same could contribute to corporate conservation moves. They may improve national carbon products account for governments. It might eventually signify for the area the realization of the” Haze-Free ASEAN” perspective.
At the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s ASEAN Studies Centre, Sharon Seah serves as Senior Fellow and Coordinator. At the University of Malaya’s Department of International and Strategic Studies, Helena Varkkey teaches climate politics and leadership as an associate doctor. This article first appeared on the website Fulcrum of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.
Commentary: Singapore banksâ latest anti-scam measures may be inconvenient, but would you rather lose your life savings?
THE PROBLEM May CONTINUE.
The bad news is that these offenders will only be motivated to innovate as they already have by the allure of quick bargains. Scammers are already using new technologies, like artificial intelligence, to produce deepfakes that can be used to have convincing telephone or video conversations.
Fortunately, the government and economic institutions have taken action. In the midst of a wave of SMS hacking schemes, Singaporean businesses announced new steps in January 2022 to increase the security of online banking.
The measures include removing clickable links from SMS or email notifications sent to clients, establishing a South$ 100 or lower threshold for funds exchange transaction notifications, and mandating that new gentle tokens be activated on portable devices at least 12 hours in advance.
Whenever a request to transform these details is made, businesses may also notify the current mobile number or email that has been registered with the lender.
More safeguards included a cooling-off period prior to the implementation of important accounts changes, such as contact information, and more numerous scam education alerts.
Additionally, devoted and well-equipped customer service teams are needed to handle feedback on possible scams cases on a priority basis.
Banks must then, among other things, request additional verification in order to approach major changes to user accounts and other high-risk transactions discovered through fraud surveillance, set the default transaction limit for virtual funds transfers to S$ 5, 000 or lower, and offer an emergency self-service” kill switch” so customers can quickly suspend their accounts if they believe their bank accounts have been compromised.
Members of the public have also been warned by the Singapore Police Force not to download suspicious Android package kit( APK ) files from unauthorized or suspicious websites because doing so could result in malware being installed on their devices. Anti-virus software installation comments have also been made.
Carabao band calls it quits
12 October 2023 at 05:05 PUBLISHED
The famous songs-for-life band Carabao is saying goodbye after more than 40 years with a farewell performance scheduled for April of next year.
Yuenyong Opakul, also known as” Ad Carabao,” a singer for the band, revealed on Tuesday that the group intended to cut up.
Due to the poor health of several of its members, Yuenyong said it was time to call it a day. The leave music is scheduled for April 1 of the following month.
But, Yuenyong, who has been named a national artist, stated that he will keep writing music with up-and-coming players.
Yuenyong, Kirati Promsaka na Sakonnakhon, and Sanit Limsala, who were studying in Manila, the Philippines, founded Carabao, which means” water bison” in Tagalog and denotes hard work, in 1980.
CNA Explains: Why is Telegram becoming a hotbed for crime?
Law enforcement organizations may also face difficulties with data recovery, particularly with fog and web-based store technology, he said.
Law enforcement efforts are further complicated by the sheer size and scope of messaging action on communication apps, according to Mr. Wee.
” Areas frequently have thousands of users, and they can all privately communication one another.” Additionally, new populations or groups can appear almost instantly, making scanning and detection challenging, he continued.
According to a CNB voice, cautious knowledge gathering and thorough investigations are used to cut off the supply of controlled drugs and neutralize drug activity in its anti-drug campaigns.
These drug offenders might believe that using such talk programs do allow them to conduct business secretly. Drug offenders may avoid the long arm of CNB’s police efforts, the spokesperson said, regardless of the strategy or platform used in an effort to avoid detection.
Does TELEGRAM BE CONSIDERED Guilty?
According to two attorneys CNA spoke with, it will be challenging to hold Telegram responsible for the legal actions carried out on the communications app.
According to Mr. Wee, Telegram may say that it has no control over the content that is exchanged on the application. He also added that the use of end-to-end encryption enables the company to” assert that its knowledge of the contents of message exchanges”
Messaging apps like Telegram are frequently found in countries where it is challenging to enforce decisions or orders, he continued.
Establishing legal duty, which frequently involves objective, against Telegram, a” significantly bona fide software for communication ,” according to Mr. James Gomez, may be difficult.
However, the attorneys CNA spoke with emphasized that the recently passed Online Criminal Harms Act 2023( OCHA ), which was passed in Parliament on July 5, may hold messaging apps like Telegram legally responsible for criminal activities carried out on their platform.
According to Mr. Ng, the OCHA will help the government deal with illegal content electronically more effectively.
” The OCHA enables the government to give instructions to online companies where legal activity is carried out.” It applies to specific criminal offenses, such as website gambling, drug trafficking, physical crimes, and online frauds.
Where instructions have been disobeyed, the state may issue orders prohibiting non-compliance, such as directions blocking or restricting access to the relevant communication system in Singapore. Additionally, the communication system may be ordered to be taken out of Singaporean application stores by the government, he added.
According to Mr. James Gomez, the Act” gives law enforcement agencies better access to control website illegal activities and to enable them to better regulate unlawful online activities.”
According to Mr. James Gomez, the Act enables law enforcement to get information from online service companies like Telegram, which improves the effectiveness of tracing criminal activity.
Abuse claim rocks MFP
12 October 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
Nuttawut Buaprathum, the deputy leader of the Move Forward Party( MFP ), acknowledged yesterday that a party MP’s claim that she received sexual harassment text messages from him has merit.
In response to a complaint made against Prachin Buri MP Wuttiphong Thonglour, Mr. Nuttawut served as the group’s disciplinary committee chair.
According to Mr. Nuttawut, a sensor is currently being conducted after the MFP received the issue in August.
As information is being gathered, the MP has not yet been invited to address the group about the matter, he added, adding that it is impossible to predict how huge the investigation will last or when it will be finished.
He claimed that in order to decide the accused MP’s fate, the administrative panel must review the situation in accordance with the recently updated MFP regulations.
Since both the accused and the defendant have provided contradictory information, Mr. Nuttawut added that the operation may be time-consuming.
” In order to meet women’s anticipation, the MFP will need to discuss this issue. Every action will be taken based on the evidence, according to Mr. Nuttawut.
When asked if the argument against Mr. Wuttiphong had any merit, he replied that the group believes the situation does. The sufferer has been brave and self-assured, and she has given the party enough details to submit a plea.
He added that if the accusations are proven to be true, the party may either remove the MP or prevent him from running in the upcoming elections. Any punishment meted out to him would depend on the seriousness of the wrongdoing.
According to Mr. Nuttawut, the MFP has stringent verification standards for its applicants, and in some cases, testing takes place before a candidate joins.
Nevertheless, he asserted that the MFP cannot absolve itself of accountability for the actions of its users.
The MFP often holds workshops to promote gender equality among its members and candidates. Sasinan Thamnithinan and Nittaya Meesri, two attorneys with experience in relevant legal matters, he claimed, have joined the administrative commission.
He continued,” We are not dragging our legs, but we must take the time to carefully consider the evidence before a decision is made.
In the meantime, Deputy House Speaker and former MFP part Padipat Santipada stated that if the MP is the subject of a conventional complaint, the legislature may launch an investigation.
He claimed that while the new opposition leader is being named, Parliament has not yet established its morality council.
Veg fest to generate B9bn: TAT
PUBLISHED: 12 October 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
The Phuket Provincial Commercial Office reported that fruit prices are lower than they were during the same time last month, and the monthly 10-day vegetarian event is anticipated to bring in over 9 billion ringgit.
The Phuket Tourist Association’s chair, Thanet Tantipiriyakit, stated that in October, the low season, also known as the green season in Phuket, comes to an end.
Phuket is hosting its yearly vegetarian festival from October 15 to October 24 to commemorate the change to the beach island’s high season, which lasts from November to April.
According to Mr. Thanet, the TAT’s Phuket Office predicts that more than 9 billion baht in revenue may be brought in during the festival, compared to 3.4 billion for the previous occasion.
According to him, lodging will account for 20 % of the anticipated revenue, the culinary industry for another 20 %, and local products for the remaining 20 %.
He stated that over 70 % of the city’s ability for hotels in Phuket is also anticipated to be occupied.
According to Mr. Thanet, the salad event will draw a sizable number of visitors to Phuket as the green season comes to an end.
He claimed that the public and private businesses both contributed to Phuket’s amenities and lodging. While some hotels or restaurants will provide an all-you-can-eat vegetable buffet, others may change their menus to include vegetable dishes.
According to Mr. Thanet, vegetarian food will make up about 80 % of the menu in Phuket.
Woranit Apiratjirawong, director of the Phuket Commerce Office, added that officials often check the ingredients in Phuket’s areas.
To prevent customer exploitation, especially during important festivals, the office will dispatch inspectors to monitor present ingredient costs.
She claimed that prices for carrot, white sugar, water spinach, bean sprouts, and cabbage are 20 to 30 % lower than they were during the same time last year.
Deep South emergency decree extended
12 October 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
According to the order administration panel that ordered the extension, the emergency order imposed in the deep South may be extended by an additional three months but lifted in six regions and reinstated in one.
Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin, who presided over the board meeting yesterday, announced the improvement.
However, the purchase must be approved by the cabinet meeting on October 16 before it can go into effect.
After examining the security situation in the heavy South, the board decided to extend the order for an additional three months starting on October 20, when it expires.
Before deciding whether to prolong the order, Mr. Somsak claimed that Interior Ministry officials had conducted a survey to ascertain the opinions of locals and sought feedback from the National Security Council and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center.
According to statistics, the insurgency-related murder in the southwestern border provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and portions of Songkhla has frequently decreased between 2007 and the present.
Although the number had decreased to 70 on average per year during the crisis, in some times, the violent incidents peaked at 100 on an annual average.
The number of incidents may rise this year, but according to the authorities, it won’t exceed 100 for the entire time.
According to Mr. Somsak, the decree would be lifted in three districts — Krong Pinang in Yala, Thung Yang Daeng in Pattani, and Yi-ngo in Narathiwat — and replaced by the National Security Act. Additionally, the screen has decided to restore the decree in Narathiwat’s Sri Sakhon district, where unrest has been resurging for the past five years.
Sutin Klungsang, the defense minister, was reportedly attempting to expand the emergency decree that was being enforced in the southernmost provinces in response to requests from some local communities.
The defense minister claims that while groups of Tibetan occupants called for the order to get upheld, some Arab residents have urged the government to scrap it.
The so-called Intellectual Network Council suggested the government revoke the order last Friday at a meeting, claiming that the restrictive actions had already been extended 73 times, which was sufficient.
Israel conflict claims lives of more Thais
20 people were killed, and 14 more were kidnapped: accounts
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, more studies of Thais being kidnapped or injured have also been made, and two more Thai workers in Israel have died as a result of Hamas attacks.
According to Kanchana Patarachoke, director-general of the agency’s Department of Information, attacks and underwater bombardments continued close to the Gaza Strip, with reports of fatalities and injuries coming from both sides.
Based on illegal information from employers and Thai nationals on the ground and pending official confirmation from Israeli authorities, she claimed that the two Vietnamese workers were killed in a jet attack, bringing the total number of Thai deaths to 20.
Thirteen Thais were injured and fourteen were kidnapped as a result of the reports of three additional abductions and four additional injuries.
According to Ms. Kanchana, the Thai consulate checked the list of names and found no Thais among the 14 captives who had lately been freed.
According to Ms. Kanchana, who likewise serves as the agency’s representative, 5, 174 Thai employees have registered for deliberate repatriation in full, and 64 have confirmed they may stay in Israel. There are about 30,000 Thai people living in Israel.
She responded that the first 15 Thais were scheduled to return to Thailand on an El Al journey at 10.35 a.m. today when asked about evacuations.
According to her, officials have also reserved 80 seats for Thais on commercial airlines for departure on Wednesday.
According to Ms. Kanchana, the Royal Thai Air Force( RTAF) has transport plane ready to return more Thais back as other nations are first requesting permission to fly through their aircraft. The RTAF may take its aircraft to remove Thai citizens from Israel on Sunday and October 24 once it has been given permission.
According to her, the Thai consulate in Tel Aviv is also working with professional airlines to set up planes to help more Thai people leave Israel.
According to Ms. Kanchana, Thai citizens in Israel have also requested assistance from Siamese diplomats in Jordan and Egypt in entering those nations from Israel.
The offices, according to her, are prepared to assist them, but they must move across borders with more caution.
According to Ms. Kanchana, the Thai consulate in Tel Aviv has been in contact with Israel’s foreign affairs ministry and a number of Israeli officials to hasten the removal of Thai citizens from high-risk areas to protected areas.
Thai citizens among the hundreds of citizens who have been evacuated to protected areas. For the time being, she said, they may either labor on agricultural estates or stay in makeshift shelters.
According to Ms. Kanchana, Pannabha Chandraramya visited a group of Thai residents in Tel Aviv to provide support and raise their spirits. He was also the Thai embassy to Israel and the labor attaché to the embassy.
When the first 15 Thais return today, immigration officials may arrange their entrance, and they will finally be taken to the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute for health check-ups, according to Naruchai Ninnat, assistant director-general of the Department of Consular Affairs.
The 15 Thais are entitled to 15, 000 ringgit in compensation each from the ministry’s bank that was established to assist Vietnamese staff abroad, according to Samas Pattamasukhon, inspector general at the Labour Ministry.
According to Mr. Samas, they will each receive an additional 15, 000 baht if they sustain injuries and a health document certifying their conditions.