According to Mr Supattanapong, the resumption of the Test & Go tourism scheme on Feb 1 will also help revitalise the tourism industry. The Tourism and Sports Ministry expects the resumption of the Test & Go tourism scheme should allow the country to attract at least 8 million tourists this year. Called biodiesel B5 due to the 5% methyl ester mix, the fuel is single-grade biodiesel that Epac estimates will be sold domestically until the end of March. The mix of diesel with methyl ester aims to reduce dependence on oil and support palm oil prices, but the authorities need to reduce the methyl ester proportion as the prices of both diesel and methyl ester have increased. Epac earlier postponed offering 10% and 20% methyl ester blended diesel, forcing fuel retailers to sell only biodiesel B7 from Dec 1 last year until March 2022.

(File photo)The Tourism and Sports Ministry plans to continue travel bubble discussions with short-haul destinations following this week's resumption of the Test & Go scheme. The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is calling for a more relaxed RT-PCR testing regime to bring back at least 5 million tourists this year. As hotels must now verify Thailand Pass bookings via the new Thailand Pass Hotel & Swap System, 20% of guests were verified as of Feb 1. "If there is no new surge in cases and fatalities after the first month of Test & Go resumption, the government has to consider dropping the RT-PCR test requirement. If it does, the country is projected to see at least 5 million tourists," Mr Vichit said.

MP's son wedding gets green lightPRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: The province's communicable diseases committee has agreed to allow the son of a Bhumjaithai MP to wed the daughter of a deputy minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, after the bride and groom agreed to cut the number of guests from 4,000 to 1,000. The committee, chaired by deputy provincial governor Prompiriya Kitnuson, on Wednesday gave the green light for the wedding of Pongphan Phaoprathan, mayor of tambon Thap Sakae, to go ahead. Mr Pongphan, the son of Bhumjaithai MP Swap Phaoprathan, asked for the committee's permission to hold his wedding in a 50-rai field in front of STK Farm, near Thap Sakae Hospital, on Feb 20. According to local media, the organiser presented a Covid-19 plan for the wedding, which includes multiple screening points and strict vaccination requirements. Thap Sakae Disease Control Operation Centre will monitor the wedding activities.

Agency constructs 40 new rules to bolster lawThe National Cyber Security Agency aims to enforce security standard requirements for state agencies and CII-linked enterprises by the end of this year. The National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) aims to roll out 40 subordinate regulations of the Cybersecurity Act this year to strengthen the country's systems. Many government and private organisations are linked to the seven CII sectors, but around 100 are in the first batch subject to enforcement by this year, said Gen Prachya. Each of the seven CII sectors is expected to have cybersecurity coordination centres by the end of this year, he said. The agency received a budget of 40 million baht in its first year of operation, which was raised to 140 million in fiscal 2022.

PM lauds nation's Covid index boostPrayut: Won't let guard downPrime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has welcomed Thailand's 18-place jump on the Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking index as the country yesterday resumed its quarantine-free Test & Go scheme for vaccinated international tourists. From 44th last April, Thailand placed 26th out of 53 countries in Bloomberg's latest monthly index released last Thursday, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said yesterday. The Resilience Ranking is a monthly index Bloomberg has compiled since November 2020 comparing how Covid-19 is being most effectively addressed. The country had also received positive views from many economists who foresee Thailand achieving rapid economic recovery and growth. The PM also emphasised the need for Thailand to continue living with Covid-19 by maintaining sufficient Covid-19 control measures while at the same time working towards improving the country's economy, he said.

Bank of Thailand to let banks invest more in fintechThe Bank of Thailand (BoT) plans to allow banks to invest more than a current limit of 3% of their capital funds in fintech, except in digital assets, an assistant governor said on Tuesday. The BoT also expects to issue rules on virtual banks in the first half of the year, Roong Mallikamas told a news conference. The introduction of such lenders are expected to increase competition in the system, while existing banks will also be allowed to apply, she said. The central bank on Tuesday released a consultation on the country’s financial sector and the digital economy and will seek public opinions until Feb 28. "Innovation is good... but not every innovation is useful and good, and that needs risk management," BoT Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput told the conference.

Anutin wants household cannabis registration via appPublic Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul attends an event promoting Thai cannabis at the Department of Medical Sciences in Nonthaburi province in June last year. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday he would like small cannabis growers to be able to conveniently register via an app. "We do not want it to be difficult for people," Mr Anutin said. Regarding household use of cannabis, Mr Anutin said the bill allowed the use of parts of the cannabis plant, including as food and beverage ingredients. "The bill is aimed at allowing Thai people to benefit from cannabis," Mr Anutin said.

DITP led a discussion on January 27 with representatives of international streaming services and 15 Thai content creators to further strengthen the tie-up. “Apart from introducing local digital content creators to the international market, this project will also help boost the development of other industries like food, tourism and culture,” he said. He added that Thai TV series, films and animation have caught the attention of international streaming agencies, and “this proves that our digital content industry has the potential to expand further”. However, he said, the most important factor at this point is to make locally produced digital content more internationally acceptable and change local consumer behaviour so more digital content is consumed. Ekachat added that the Commerce Ministry is providing the industry additional support by expanding opportunities both locally and overseas via exhibitions and seminars to promote knowledge exchange and create a network among creators.

Mr Chanchai, seated left, and Wu Lin, senior executive vice-president of Bank of China (Thai) Plc (BOCT), seated right, sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Jan 28. ASL has also launched a new wealth management and investment advisory service with a focus on high-net-worth and institutional investors. ASL and BOCT signed the MoU on Jan 28, with the aim of expanding their businesses and providing Thai investors with more channels to invest in foreign stocks and investment products, while also giving foreign investors more exposure to the Thai stock market. He said that through this cooperation, Thai investors will gain greater access to investment products from the fast-growing Chinese market. At present, ASL's shareholder structure consists of Government Savings Bank (25%), the Venture Cap Co (46%), Mr Chanchai (5%) and Sethiwan group (20%).

Varuth HirunyathebA Public Health Ministry sub-committee on immunity promotion has approved the use of Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine on minors over the age of three, it was announced on Monday. Once the FDA approves it, the vaccine can be provided to minors in this age group right away, he said. In December last year, the FDA approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children between the age of five and 11. They were given Pfizer's mRNA-based vaccine for children, which requires a different preparation before administration. Thailand has 5.8 million children between the ages of 5-11, including 900,000 who are considered as vulnerable to infections.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:North: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning and thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 12-17 degrees and highs of 30-36 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 4-12 degrees Celsius. Northeast: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning and thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 13-21 degrees and highs of 28-34 degrees Celsius. Central: Cool weather with fog in the morning and thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 21-23 degrees, highs of 32-36 degrees Celsius. Bangkok and surrounding areas: Fog in the morning and isolated light rains; temperature lows of 24-26 degrees, highs of 31-35 degrees Celsius.

Pheu Thai sees by-election win as victory for 'democracy camp'Supporters of Pheu Thai candidate Surachart Thienthong at the Lak Si district office on Jan 6, when candidates registered for Sunday's by-election in Bangkok's constituency 9. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)The opposition Pheu Thai Party's win in Sunday's by-election in Bangkok's constituency 9 shows what direction Thai politics is heading, and is seen as a victory of democracy over dictatorship, Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew said. Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat congratulated Mr Surachart and the Pheu Thai Party. He said party leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon had called to console him and the team. Asked whether the by-election result was an indication that Gen Prayut was no longer sellable, Mr Sira said that decision rested with the people.

Visitors would have to show evidence of bookings for the two nights at one of the designated hotels contracted to provide testing services with partner hospitals, he said. "If they test negative in the first test, they can travel freely until the second test," Dr Taweesilp said. The revised, reopened Test & Go will be available for visitors from all countries, he said. This month, Dr Taweesilp said, 22 Test & Go visitors violated disease controls and most could not be located when their Covid-19 tests returned positive. In Canada, visitors who failed to do mandatory tests could be fined as much as C$750,000 (about 19.6 million baht), according to Dr Taweesilp, who quoted the Thai Foreign Ministry.

DLT director-general Jirut Wisanjit said inspectors checked 101,709 trucks and buses between October 1 and January 30. Of these, 483 were banned from road use after they failed emission tests. The department warned operators and owners it was against the law to use vehicles that exceed exhaust emission limits. It advised them to fix any vehicle that emitted black smoke and have it checked at a DLT office. The DLT also asked citizens to help solve the PM2.5 haze problem by sending photos of trucks or buses that emit black smoke with their plate numbers to the 1584 hotline, Line account @1584DLT, https://www.facebook.com/dlt1584, http://ins.dlt.go.th/cmpweb/, the DLT GPS app, or e-mail them to [email protected]

Royal Orchid Sheraton also plans to lure visitors with the city’s largest riverside rooftop bar, commanding unparalleled views over Bangkok and the Chao Phraya. Meanwhile, for its restaurant refurbishment, inspiration is being drawn from the hotel’s location at what was once the residence of Captain John Bush – an English mariner who served Siam during the reign of King Rama IV. The riverside restaurant is a popular viewpoint for the spectacular firework displays at IconSiam on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya.