N3 lottery may get the chop
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 05: 11
After receiving a negative response from the people since its release in November, the Finance Ministry is considering the future of the N3 jackpot.
The three-digit lottery ( N3 ), which was introduced in a bid to defeat illegal lotteries and expensive six-digit lottery tickets ( L6), did not perform as expected during its trial phase, according to deputy finance minister Julapun Amornvivat on Tuesday.
Launched on Nov 1 as part of a six-month” platform” program, the N3 jackpot offers cards priced at 20 ringgit each through 800 authorised retailers globally. The initiative sought to entice buyers by offering a legal alternative and to reduce annual underground lottery purchases by 10 % to 20 %.
But, sales have fallen short of projections, with just 1.17 million tickets sold last quarter compared to the five million cards available per pick.
Critics claim that N3 has neglected to solve important issues like the systemic problems in the raffle distribution system and the supremacy of middlemen in the L6 market.
After the platform period is over, Mr. Julapun stated that the impact of the N3 lottery would be carefully examined. If the results remain below anticipation, the state may withdraw the effort, he said.
Govt threatens university over cop course for Chinese
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 05: 07
Siam University will face legal action from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation ( MHESI) if it does not cooperate with a Chinese executive who is accused of carrying out a contentious volunteer police training program for Chinese citizens without the university’s permission.
MinisterSupamas Isarabhakdisaid on Tuesday that the university has already affirmed that it had no involvement in, or knowledge of, the programme and did not collect any fees, but the course was promoted using the university’s logo, which is a violation of the Private Higher Education Institutions Act BE 2546 (2003).
Last year, a Chinese executive made the revelation that he had planned the training program and had charged Chinese individuals 38, 000 baht each. The training was attended by more than 20 individuals. The school denied presence and asserted that it was a person’s deed.
The secretary emphasized that if the school didn’t report a problem, the government would move in and bring expenses against it.
Because there is no need to wait, the school may move the process as quickly as possible or within one to two weeks. We are all waiting for an answer”, she said.
She explained to the government that the school had informed the government that it was a one-time program, and that a disciplinary council should be established to investigate the Taiwanese executive. Its results might lead to a warning, pay calculation, or even a contract termination.
However, Siam University President Pornchai Mongkhonvanit claimed that the institution was the victim and did not participate in the program.
He claimed that the organization formed a fact-finding commission on January 3 after receiving the report on the contentious program held from December 25 through December 27. According to its findings, the voluntary police training program was run by an outsider with knowledge of various parties, including Metropolitan Police Bureau 3 police officers.
Li Zhang, Assistant to the President for International Activities of Siam University, was the planner. The job was never approved by the school, he said.
He said Mr Li even signed the letter presumably from the school, which, if true, should have been signed by the president or an assigned people. The training program did not provide any financial support to the school.
Commentary: Squid Game Season 2 plays on the almost comical way we believe in our ability to ‘win’ capitalism
Squid Game explores the almost comical capacity people have to accept that they can thrive and emerge as the victor.
Players ‘ almost transcendental beliefs that they are the only ones who will win the game are fuelled by the game’s cruelty and violence. These wants, however, fight with the main civilization of the players.
Camaraderie develops as the people work collectively, and family relationships, earlier friends, shared experience, sympathy and religion all have a clear presence in the present. In the end, however, the overall game’s firm logic glosses over them.
The most outrageous current example of this behavior is American financier Bernie Madoff, who brutally defrauded home and kin in the Jewish community for his own gain.
” TEMPORARILY EMBARRASSED MILLIONAIRES”
Some critics lamented that Season 2 is also focused on the life of the gamers, with only season four of which actually begins the games.
However, this change undoubtedly makes the connection between the real world and the games little more obvious. In turn, it makes the movie’s critique of capitalism yet more prominent.
Although the series ‘ main draw is undoubtedly the high-stakes games, the series ‘ popularity still has a lot to do with its core message, which becomes much more clear in the second season. People can identify with the figures who bravely face hardship to reclaim their life in the face of hardship.
As American author John Steinbeck once put it, some mid- and working-class American see themselves as “temporarily uncomfortable capitalists”. This outlook perfectly captures the constant involvement in a bourgeois structure with only a passing chance of success.
This fluid is exemplified in Squid Game Season 2, which explores how people rationalize their involvement in a game that often contradicts their most fundamental human instincts.
The lyrics to Bertold Brecht’s satirical song March of the Calves comes to mind:” Following the drum / The calves trot / The skin for the drum / They deliver themselves” . ,
It serves as a somber analogy for how our willingness to sacrifice to achieve success frequently conjures it up.
Dirk Matten is professor of ecology and Hewlett-Packard head in corporate social responsibility at the Schulich School of Business, York University, in Canada. This commentary , primary appeared , in The Conversation.
River gets B95bn irrigation project
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 05: 01
A 95-billion-baht project to improve the lower northeast Chao Phraya River water system, including Ayutthaya and Phathum Thani, to avoid floods has been approved by the National Water Resources Committee.
The council on Monday agreed with the Department of Royal Irrigation’s big project to improve water flowing along the lower Chao Phraya River in order to avoid storms in the area and the money, especially during the rainy season, according to Prasert Jantararuangtong, the deputy prime minister who presided over the regional water resources commission.
The job will increase the water river network of 22 rivers, with a full length of 462.80 km, quite as Khlong Raphiphat, Khlong Prawet Buri Rom and Khlong Dan.
He claimed that the project would involve improving the canals ‘ drainage and installing irrigation systems and pumping stations to better control the river’s flow before entering the Gulf of Thailand. The project will increase the river flow rate from the present 210 cubic meters per second ( m3/s ) to 400 m3/s, which will help to prevent and lessen flooding issues on 298, 250 acres of land in the lower Chao Phraya, crucial economic and community areas.
In addition, the 22 canals will have more capacity to store water during the dry season, increasing by 17 million cubic metres per year, he said.
He claimed that the Royal Irrigation Department and the Community Organization Development Institute ( Codi ) have collaborated on a plan to get rid of 4, 940 homes along the targeted canals.
The project will need 95 billion baht in investment, of which 76.5 billion baht will be a loan, and the rest will be allocated through the government budget.
The project is anticipated to begin the following year and be finished in 2031. It is a component of a strategy to lessen the social and economic repercussions of severe floods, which are anticipated to worsen.
Ministry has fishing crew reservations
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 04: 58
A proposed visit by opposition People’s Party ( PP ) representatives to see four Thai trawler crew members being held in Myanmar will cause more harm than good, according to the Foreign Ministry.
On Tuesday, Vice Minister Russ Jalichandra stated that the government would not be able to stop PP party-listing MP Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, the president of the House’s Military Affairs Committee, from visiting the four. He further stated that he would have to ask for permission through political programmes.
He warns that the decision may cause misunderstandings because the Myanmar authorities might interpret it as putting stress and interfering, making it harder for the crew to be released. So, he asked Mr Wiroj to consider carefully and consider the consequences.
” Do not make women’s lives a democratic issue”, he said.
Prior to the incident in which a Thai fishing vessel was struck by a Myanmar ship off the Ranong beach on November 30, Mr. Wiroj stated he would inquire House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha to review his travel to the investigation of the facts of the case. The four Thai fishermen were taken into custody during the event. On January 4, Myanmar’s Independent Day, the authorities had anticipated that the four team members would be pardoned and released, but they were not.
According to Mr. Russ, the state acknowledged that their launch was still being pursued and that it anticipated their release on January 13.
Rangsiman Rome, a second PP record MP, said his committee will discuss the matter with the Royal Thai Navy and the Foreign Ministry on Thursday in his capacity as chairman of the House Committee on National Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy, and National Reform.
He argued that the government should employ every means to compel the Myanmar government to grant permission for the four Thai team members to return to their country.
The Thai government has made a number of mistakes in this case, including no protesting when the ship and its crew were taken, and citing the lack of clarity of the moderate.
This demonstrates that the government does not view the incident involving the Thai vehicle and its team as a serious problem.
He claimed that the government did not assist them with their legitimate situation.
Johor-Singapore SEZ: ‘Build-as-they-invest’ model prudent but businesses raise concerns over infrastructure delays, red tape
Teh Kee Sin, the consultant to the Small and Medium Enterprise Association of South Johor, shares these views.  ,
The company president noted that the market-response approach is “more reasonable” as it manages risks cautiously, especially given the Indonesian government’s fixed resources.  ,
” But on the other hand, would foreign investors come if they see that there is no assurance on basic infrastructures like Wi-Fi (or ) electricity.” Every entrepreneur would only go in if these are all fundamental (amenities ), Teh said, “because nobody is going to spend if there is no set infrastructure.”  ,
He added that there have been cases in Johor where businesses have relocated to industrial facilities only to discover that the power they have is not sufficient for their businesses.  ,
Organizations must use resources to throw their own wires. International businesses may not be able to accomplish this, and they will evaluate the situation differently ( in terms of whether to spend ), he said.  ,
However, scholar Anthony Dass, who is the senior director of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, was more optimistic about the fresh design, pointing out how it adapts system to the specific needs of investors.  ,
The project “avoids the hazards of oversupply seen in earlier projects like Iskandar Malaysia,” Dass said,” thereby reducing useless spending on underused assets, improving efficiency and reducing economic chance.”  ,
But he, too, acknowledged that the unit could lead to delays especially if traders adopt a wait-and-see method.  ,
” The SEZ’s progress may advance haphazardly, which could hinder its general impact”, added Dass.  ,
SPLIT FUNDING ‘ FAIR’, LEVERAGES ON Analytical Rewards: ANALYSTS ,
Rafizi even made a point about how the money for the SEZ will be split, with Singapore granting funding for business expansion and investment facilitation while Malaysia will provide for the financial zone’s infrastructure.  ,
PM orders cabinet to tackle air pollution
Wants PM2.5 degrees lower than last year
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 04: 56
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has instructed the government to address PM2.5 fine particulates and reduce the pollution levels this year from those of last year.
Following the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Ms. Paetongtarn held a press conference at Government House to discuss the PM2.5 sand problem, as satellite images now show an increase in temperature areas and rising sand amounts in some regions.
The elite then urged sugar farmers and relevant ministries to put in place precise steps and to follow the instructions.
Last year, 70 % of dust pollution came from burning, but this year, the figure has dropped to 30–35 %, thanks to farmer cooperation efforts led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to reduce burning, she said.
The Transport Ministry has been instructed to track big cars that emit increased exhaust fumes and put strict controls on them, while the government has been instructed to concentrate on limiting fuel pollution.
The Ministry of Interior was given the task of instructing the provincial rulers, local administrative bodies, and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation ( DDPM) to make the best efforts possible in dealing with issues.
The primary minister assured that the government is working effectively across all industries as a result of the latest high public exposure.
Ms. Paetongtarn continued, citing the success of numerous organizations ‘ efforts and their belief in a significant reduction in pollution levels this year compared to last year.
The worst air pollution levels were detected in Bangkok on Tuesday night, with fine sand formation at “red” hazardous-to-health amounts in the money and opposite provinces.
At 10 a.m., the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency ( Gistda ) discovered particulates measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter ( PM2.5 ) at an average of 88.6 microgrammes per cubic meters of air over the previous 24 hours in Bangkok. The government-set secure level is 37.5µg/m³. PM2.5 was at dark degrees in all 50 regions of the money. The worst, 96.7µg/m³, was in Bang Kho Laem city. Local regions of Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Pathum Thani even faced dark ranges of PM2.5- at 83.6, 80.9, 79.5 and 79.1µg/m ³ both. According to the Pollution Control Department, PM2.5 levels in Greater Bangkok will increase from Wednesday through Friday.
Paetongtarn defends dad
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 04: 49
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has come under fire for his allegedly racist comment, saying that her parents had no intention to make for contentious notes.
” I’m convinced that he had no intention to make prejudiced remarks,” said Ms. Paetongtarn.
He really intended to say that he didn’t like Thai women to have surgery, but that they should be encouraged to do so in order to maintain their natural beauty and enter beauty contests, she said.
There is no way for him to be prejudiced; however, people in other nations have their own lovely customs.
Pheu Thai, which is led by his daughter Ms Paetongtarn, is commonly believed to be the de facto leader of the country. He received criticism for making a statement at a campaign rally in Chiang Rai on Sunday that encouraged more Thais to get employment in the entertainment sector.
Nevertheless, he made disparaging remarks about designs from Africa in his statement.
Africans are paid millions of ringgit to get designs because they have dark skin and smooth faces that make it difficult to breathe. Thai citizens look much better. There’s no need for]our persons to acquire ] head, neck or chest augmentation”, Thaksin said.
” It’s time to promote more Thais, including those from racial organizations like the Karen, who possess natural beauty, to be global types”, he said.
Cheap electricity touted
PM sounds Thaksin on 3.70 ringgit per product specific
PUBLISHED: 8 Jan 2025 at 04: 43
After her father, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said during a campaign protest last week that the cost of home energy may be lowered to 3.70 baht per product this year, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has suggested that the cost might be lower.
This was one of the president’s interests, according to Ms. Paetongtarn, to lower the rising cost of living.
” The country will benefit from cooperation from all factors. The government hopes to reduce household energy costs to 3.70 rmb per unit. It is one of the president’s interests”, the prime minister said.
” Lowering the price to 3.70 baht is possible”.
She questioned how the federal do accomplish this, citing the need for discussions with other interested parties.
Thaksin stated at a campaign rally in Chiang Rai on Sunday that he anticipated a 3.70 ringgit increase in electricity prices this year.
The state will also make sure that the charges of animal feed, fertilizer, and treatments will decrease, according to Thaksin, who is regarded as the de facto leader of the decision Pheu Thai Party.
Salakjit Tiyapairat, a former head of the Chiang Rai Provincial Administrative Organization ( PAO ), was campaigning in Chiang Rai with Thaksin.
” All kinds of dominance may be dismantled so that people may have a lower cost of living, higher wages, and better options. All of this may happen in 2025″, he said.
Thaksin claimed that they discussed ways to reduce household energy costs from currently being around 4 ringgit per unit during subsequent discussions with Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga.
The goal may seem tough, but it is probable, said Thaksin, adding that he ultimately wants to see 3.5 ringgit per device.
In the past, Mr. Pirapan spearheaded a campaign to lower energy prices and faced strong opposition from the United Thain ( UTN) Party.
According to reports, gathering financers and power business leaders were unhappy.
His new charge is earning his party acceptance with the public, however.
Before Thaksin’s notes, Mr Pirapan denied any split with Ms Paetongtarn or Pheu Thai over power issues, saying his work was completely supported by the government.
Thaksin even refuted rumors that Mr. Pirapan would become expelled during a cabinet reshuffle.
Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, the president of the Thai Sang Thai Party, stated on Tuesday that she supported the decision to target 3.70 baht.
However, as has been done, taxpayers ‘ money cannot be used to temporarily subvention the prices. She argued that the government may reform the energy system and be courageous enough to abolish cartels to lower the cost of energy and fuel.
Former Democrat Party MP Thepthai Senpong wrote on Instagram on Tuesday that the decision to lower the cost of energy is only a political strategy to gain voting support.
” Formerly, Pheu Thai had not been significant about tackling higher energy costs. When Mr. Pirapan made a plan to rebuild energy costs, the general public praised and praised him.
According to a new Nida poll, Mr. Pirapan and the UTN’s popularity ranking had increased. According to Mr. Thepthai, that was probably the reason Thaksin had to discuss lowering the cost of energy.
101 Digital appoints Sachin Rajat Sharma as chief commercial officer to accelerate global growth
- 20 decades experience in driving change in finance, payments &, plan
- Originally the main product &, business agent at Audax Financial Technologies
101 Digital, a next-generation supplier of electronic banking solutions enabling embedded financing, new modern banks, and the modern conversion of conventional banks, has announced the appointment of Sachin Rajat Sharma ( photograph ) as its chief commercial officer. In addition to bringing a wealth of knowledge, Shani has a proven track record for transforming businesses in Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East.
Founded in 2018 by Rana Peries and Rajiv Ellepola, 101 Digital has been at the vanguard of delivering cutting-edge banking alternatives to major financial institutions across Africa, the UK, Southeast Asia, and above. Sachin’s interview comes at a crucial time for the business as it looks to grow and strengthen its presence in these sectors.
With over two decades of experience, Sachin has led revolutionary efforts in finance, obligations, and plan. He is renowned for launching innovative solutions such as discourse, a multi-award-winning banking-as-a-service system, alongside another industry-first innovations in online banking and client engagement. Prior to joining 101 Digital, Sachin previously held the position of general goods and business officer at Audax Financial Technologies, where he co-founded the business and expanded it to provide many business customers in its first year.
In his new role, Sachin does generate 101 Digital’s global development strategy, guide market expansion, and develop partnerships with important financial institutions. His administration will focus on delivering distinguished value propositions, building high-calibre teams, and fostering innovation to change the online banking landscape.
Rana Peries, co-founder and chief product officer of 101 Digital, commented:” We are delighted to welcome Sachin to the 101 Digital family. His deep understanding of digital transformation and commercial strategy will be of a crucial role as we continue to provide financial institutions with cutting-edge solutions. Sachin’s vision perfectly fits our goal to influence the direction of banking in the future.
Rajiv Ellepola, co-founder and director of delivery, added:” Sachin’s extensive work in driving new business models for banking perfectly complements 101 Digital’s vision of enabling large-scale banking transformation. As we move into our next growth stage, we anticipate having him aboard.
Sachin said:” I am thrilled to join 101 Digital at this exciting juncture. As financial institutions embrace embedded finance and digital-first strategies, 101 Digital is uniquely positioned to lead the transformation. Working with the talented team at this company will help us bring about positive change for both our clients and their customers.