Thai freelancers are among the top 10 globally in terms of hires via Freelancer.com, the world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace. The number of new Thai users on the platform has grown from 7,000 to more than 11,500 over the last 12 months. The No.1 registered job for Thai freelancers is translation, followed by website design, website development, data entry and writing. The top countries hiring Thai freelancers are India, the US and Australia. Thai employers aren't necessarily hiring Thai freelancers, despite their high skills.

United Thai Nation leader Pirapan Salirathvahibhaga (left) and Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew speak to reporters after earlier talks between the two parties on July 22 at Pheu Thai headquarters. Pheu Thai accepted the condition, he added. He denied that UTN was demanding the energy minister’s position from Pheu Thai. “Our 36 votes are ready to support the prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai Party. The structure of the Pheu Thai coalition would be announced by Monday next week, Mr Phumtham added.

Ranked by the most senior, they are Pol Gen Roy Ingkapairote, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, Pol Gen Kittirat Phanphet and Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn. Pol Gen Roy, member of Class 40 at the Royal Police Cadet Academy, and Pol Gen Torsak, a graduate of Thammasat University's political science faculty, are both due to retire next year. Pol Gen Kittirat, member of Class 41, will retire in 2026, while Pol Gen Surachate, member of Class 47, has eight years before his mandatory retirement in 2031. He moved up as the CIB chief, and was named an assistant police chief prior to being promoted as deputy chief. Pol Gen Surachate said that with eight years to go before his retirement he is in no rush.

(Photo: AFP)Myanmar expects its rice exports to surge in coming months as curbs on Indian sales and a spike in Thai and Vietnamese prices force buyers to seek other supply sources. Myanmar exported about 320,000 tonnes of Rice from April to July, earning just $138 million, according to data from the federation, after the government decided to prioritise selling higher-grade rice. The Indian curbs have pushed up the prices of rice from some of Myanmar’s regional competitors to 15-year highs. “We hope to take advantage, even though we’ll maintain our focus on exporting only higher-quality varieties,” Ye Min Aung said. Myanmar earned over $800 million from rice sales in each of the two previous fiscal years, according to the federation.

Meeting on Thursday expected to set date for PM voteParliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha speaks to reporters. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)A meeting at the parliament on Thursday is expected to set a date for the next joint session to vote for a new prime minister. House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the ex-officio parliament president, said before the scheduled decision on Wednesday that the parliament would call a meeting of legal experts on Thursday to discuss a date for the next parliamentary vote for a new prime minister. They filed their petitions with the court through the Ombudsman, complaining the parliament's rejection of Mr Pita's renomination affected their constitutional rights. Mr Wan delayed the prime ministerial vote on Aug 4 after the Constitutional Court postponed its ruling.

Russian central bank hikes rates as rouble faltersRussia's central bank warned inflationary pressure was still rising. (Photo: AFP)MOSCOW: Russia's central bank on Tuesday hiked its key interest rate from 8.5 to 12 percent, after the rouble crashed to a more than 16-month low against the dollar. "This decision was taken in order to limit the risks to price stability," the central bank announced after an emergency meeting earlier in the day. "In the case of a strengthening of pro-inflation risks, an additional increase of the key rate is possible," it later said, in comments published by Russian news agencies. The bank is next scheduled to consider its key rate on September 15.

Call for smooth gas production at PailinThe Pailin gas block in the Gulf of Thailand. (Photo: Department of Mineral Fuels)PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP) wants energy authorities to prevent any obstacles to continuing gas production in the Gulf of Thailand when a concession at the Pailin gas block ends in 2028. In 2018, gas production at Erawan averaged 1,280 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD). The company managed to increase gas production to 400 MMSCFD in April, up from 200 MMSCFD earlier this year. Pailin is currently co-operated by PTTEP, which made a 60% investment in the gas production, and Chevron Thailand, with a 40% investment.

A sodium tax would be collected via a progressive rate, starting with processed food products such as instant noodles, snacks and frozen food. (Photo: Patipat Janthong)The Excise Department is planning a study of sodium tax collection measures after the success of the "sweet tax" on sugar-sweetened beverages implemented in 2017 to shift consumer and industry behaviour towards making healthier choices, says director-general Ekniti Nitithanprapas. A sodium tax would be levied similarly to the tax on sugary beverages, increasing proportionally based on the level of sodium used, he said. The department plans to collaborate with the Public Health Ministry to jointly set the standards for daily sodium intake. Mr Ekniti said sweeteners are still excluded from the excise tax product categories, meaning the department is unable to collect tax from them.

Pheu Thai candidate Srettha Thavinsin arrives at the 15th polling station on Soi Sukhumvit 16 in Bangkok on May 14, 2023. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)The Pheu Thai (PT) Party is confident its prime ministerial candidate will win endorsement from parliament in the next PM vote, a party source said. Anutin Charnvirakul, leader and prime ministerial candidate of the Bhumjaithai Party, or Gen Prawit, may benefit from this situation. The "uncles" refer to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the former UTN chief adviser and its prime ministerial candidate, and Gen Prawit. If the so-called uncle parties are part of the Pheu Thai-led government, Pheu Thai will lose credibility, he said.

Mr Prasert said on Monday that key party figures had agreed and confirmed that Mr Srettha would be their candidate for prime minister. He dismissed speculation that Paetongtarn Shinawatra, another of the party's three registered candidates, could be nominated to the parliament instead of Mr Srettha. I believe that many senators will support the candidate of Pheu Thai," the party secretary-general said. "So, I am confident that Mr Srettha will be elected right away." The constitution requires a joint vote by the 500 House representatives and 250 senators to select the prime minister.

Srettha ThavisinSenators are still divided over whether to back Srettha Thavisin, a Pheu Thai Party prime ministerial candidate, in the next PM vote in parliament. "The senators want to hear Srettha explain in parliament before the vote," Sen Seree said. "Things can change before the vote," Sen Seree said. "If a prime ministerial candidate fails to meet the qualifications stipulated by the constitution, the nomination may be pulled out. He wrote that supporting Pheu Thai's PM candidate has nothing to do with the PPRP's prospects of joining a Pheu Thai-led coalition.

Parties slam new restriction on old-age allowanceAn elderly freelancer at work in Sam Phraeng community in Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok. If payment of the age allowance was based on the database for state welfare cards, only 5 million of them would be entitled to the age allowance. The requirement for the elderly to prove their poverty may prevent them receiving state welfare, which was in breach of this law. "The government ... should instead lay a foundation for state welfare for all. The Move Forward and Thai Sang Thai parties both propounded policies of paying a monthly allowance of 3,000 baht to all elderly citizens during campaigning for the May 14 general election.

Indonesia c.bank intervenes in currency marketsJAKARTA - Indonesia's central bank has intervened in the spot foreign exchange and domestic nondeliverable forward markets to prevent high volatility in the rupiah currency, an official said on Monday. The rupiah fell 0.8% to 15,325 a dollar earlier on Monday, the weakest level since March. Edi Susianto, head of Bank Indonesia's monetary management department, told Reuters the intervention was meant to "ensure a good balance of supply and demand".

Protesters slam Pheu Thai, Bhumjaithai for alliance with military partiesA protestor splashes paint in front of the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters on Phahon Yothin Road in Bangkok on Sunday evening. People using about 50 vehicles first gathered at the BTS Mo Chit station on Phahon Yothin Road at about 1.30pm. The demonstrators then moved to the Pheu Thai headquarters on Phetchaburi Road at about 4.45pm. There they dumped and destroyed Pheu Thai souvenirs including stickers, cups, calendars and shirts. Pheu Thai came second in the May 14 general election with 141 House seats and Bhumjaithai came third with 71 seats.

Russian forces kill 7 including baby in southern UkraineExterior view of a heavily damaged apartment after what officials say was a Russian overnight shelling in Kherson, Ukraine, Aug 7, 2023 in this still image obtained from social media video. (Telegram/Oleksandr Prokudin via REUTERS)Seven people including a baby girl, her 12-year-old brother and their parents were killed on Sunday by Russian shelling in southern Ukraine, officials said. In the village of Stanislav two men aged 57 and 71 were killed, officials said, adding that a woman was wounded. Kherson was one of four regions in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed last year. Late last year, Russian troops withdrew from the city of Kherson but Moscow has continued to target settlements in the region.