Prayut orders pollution crackdown | Bangkok Post: learning
The PM said the government had continuously implemented measures against the surging PM2.5 levels but the problem had deteriorated due to the current weather. As for agricultural burning, one of the main causes of the PM2.5 crisis, Gen Prayut said the problem lay with farmers lacking the proper equipment for non-burning waste disposal. Traffic police in Bangkok have been told to set up checkpoints on roads in congested areas to check vehicles emitting black fumes. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered government agencies to take action to fight the air pollution that has hit Bangkok and its surrounding provinces in recent days. Bangkok, as seen from a condominium in Bang Pho area, is covered with heavy smog on Monday.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 16, 2020 02:26 UTC
Big trouble in little Chana
Big trouble in little ChanaA quick look at the cabinet resolution on plans for the controversial Chana industrial complex in Songkhla province could lead many to believe that the government pays heed to local concerns and is taking a step back. The villagers also called for participatory strategic impact assessments to map out an appropriate development strategy for Chana. Opponents, including Dr Supat Hasuwannakit, director of Chana Hospital, insisted that the government must go back to the drawing board and revoke its earlier green light. The activists are also challenging the project's legitimacy and allege that the consideration process was tainted from the very beginning. There is certainly a long journey ahead before this dispute is resolved but any development without local participation will only be destined to fail.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 15, 2020 22:52 UTC
Forbes Thailand Thailand’s Mega Trends Forum 2020
Forbes Thailand Thailand’s Mega Trends Forum 2020The recent “Thailand’s Mega Trends Forum 2020” turned out to be a significant success. The event took place on December 3, 2020, at World Ballroom, 23rd floor, Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld. Executives of Bangkok Post PCL, Post International Media Co., Ltd., and Forbes Thailand, including Suthikiati Chirathivat, Worachai Bhicharnchitr, Dr. Ronnachit Mahattanapreut, Poomchit Balankura, and others, extended a warm welcome to 200 honourable guests, business owners, company executives, and Forbes Thailand readers. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, deliver the keynote speech on the topic of “What are the mega trends and their impacts?”. Part 2 of the first session took “Visionary Talk: Visions on Mega Trends” as its theme, with leading figures in multinational companies in Thailand addressing the macroeconomic impacts of the mega trends in Thailand.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 15, 2020 09:11 UTC
Bangkok air world's 3rd worst | Bangkok Post: learning
The air quality index (AQI) in Bangkok soared to an unsafe level on Tuesday morning, ranking the capital third in the world's worst air pollution list. The Pollution Control Department reported Bangkok's highest PM2.5 level of 118mcg/cm on Din Daeng Road in Din Daeng district, followed by 102 on Charoen Nakhon Road in Khlong San district, 100 on Ma Charoen Road in Nong Khaem district, 94 on Srinakarin Road in Prawet district and Tha Phra intersection in Bangkok Yai district, and 93 on Sam Sen Road in Phra Nakhon district. In Thailand, 50mcg/cm is the set safe level, higher than most countries. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon had ordered agencies to stop farmers burning field trash, ask industries to reduce production, facilitate traffic flow, limit construction times and put vehicles spewing black smoke off the roads, to reduce smog levels.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 15, 2020 05:37 UTC
Big Mountain Music Festival prompts warning | Bangkok Post: learning
Speaking to media after the controversy surrounding attempts by authorities to stop the Big Mountain Music Festival over the weekend, Prayut said he may use the emergency decree to prevent large public gatherings. Currently, the Covid-19 situation did not warrant such a ban, said the prime minister. "What should we do if we have an outbreak after the concert in Nakhon Ratchasima? Meanwhile, Nakhon Ratchasima governor said he had filed complaints with police against the organisers of the Big Mountain Music Festival for violating an order to end the concert early. Concert-goers crowd the Big Mountain Music Festival in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 15, 2020 02:26 UTC
2020: What a funny old year it was...
2020: What a funny old year it was...Fugging hell: Tourists take a picture in front of a sign of the village of Fucking in Austria. PARIS: The coronavirus has not given us much to laugh about in 2020. - No bull -India's National Cow Commission unveils a new smartphone chip made of cow dung which it claims protects users from radiation. Hindus hold the cow sacred with several ruling BJP MPs touting cow dung and urine as cures for the coronavirus. - Mystery monolith -A mysterious shiny monolith found in the Utah desert that sparked wild rumours of alien visitations disappeared a week later.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 15, 2020 02:15 UTC
Show some Covid control
Show some Covid controlWhen pictures of the famous Big Mountain music festival on Saturday showing blatant breaches of Covid-19 protocols, were shared on social media, they sparked outrage, with almost all fingers pointing at the organisers. With some 30,000 music fans and hundreds of concert workers, social distancing would have been difficult, especially in the absence of meticulous crowd management plans. The authorities accused organisers of not fully implementing the concert management plan they had proposed. Yesterday, the provincial authorities asked the police to take action against the organisers, saying they defied the cancellation order. Without proper planning and arrangement, music fans just seemed to do what they wanted.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 14, 2020 21:45 UTC
TEST YOURSELF: Murder in Bangkok | Bangkok Post: learning
Photo courtesy of HBO AsiaA new HBO thriller was filmed in the capitalTest Yourself is where you can improve your reading skills. The Flight Attendant is a thriller about a flight attendant whose life turns upside down when she becomes involved with a horrific murder case in Thailand. During the flight, she meets a handsome man and the two decide to spend time together in Bangkok. What unfolds is an engaging mystery thriller mixed with some dark humour to keep viewers binge-watching through the holiday season. 2. Who does Cuoco play in the show?
Source:Bangkok Post
December 10, 2020 09:56 UTC
Movie Preview: Office Uprising | Bangkok Post: learning
In the movie Office Uprising, Desmond Brimble works in the accounting department of Ammotech, a major weapons manufacturing firm. His only reason for showing up every day is to see his dream girl Samantha who got him the job. One day, Des sneaks out of a meeting to go home early and misses the free samples of Zolt! When he arrives (late again) for work the next day, his coworkers are the same, except for one major life threatening side-effect. Office Uprising will be released in cinemas on Dec 10.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 10, 2020 06:11 UTC
New charter may not be democratic
New charter may not be democraticIn this Nov 17 photo, a group of anti-government demonstrators clashes with riot police near the parliament building as a debate on charter rewrite is under way. Yet, the charter rewrite process has faced several stumbling blocks. The escalating tension causes concerns there might be a coup to suppress the dissidents and to halt the charter rewrite process. In that case, the new charter may not be democratic and will hardly be a desirable solution to the crisis. The goal is to create a people's charter, with democratic content, and no military shadow.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 09, 2020 23:12 UTC
Hopes dim for better charter
Hopes dim for better charterThe constitution has always been part and parcel of the country's political crisis. For these lofty goals to come true, the constitution drafting committee will be the key. While there are still hopes that the latest attempt at constitution amendment will bring about change for the better, sadly they are not high. How charter amendment has proceeded does not fill everyone with confidence either. They reportedly tried to block the establishment of the committee, and even attempted to derail the charter amendment process altogether by petitioning the Constitutional Court that the move does not comply with the charter.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 09, 2020 21:22 UTC
Wednesday: 25 new Covid cases | Bangkok Post: learning
A masked commuter cleans his hands with alcohol gel at Chatuchak subway station in Bangkok on Monday. (Photo: Arnun Chonmahatrakool)The government reported 25 new cases of novel coronavirus infection on Wednesday, quarantined arrivals from nine countries, including seven from Myanmar and six from Switzerland, raising the total to 4,151. The cases from Myanmar are seven Thai women, aged 25-35, who worked at entertainment places in Tachilek border town. The six cases from Switzerland are five Thai women and a Swiss man. Three cases are tourists arriving from South Korea, two cases are from Kuwait, two from Turkey and two from the US.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 09, 2020 06:33 UTC
Moving on from Penny
Photos © HBO AsiaKaley Cuoco has come a long way since her role as Penny, the hot girl next door in hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Spanning 12 seasons between 2007 and 2019, The Big Bang Theory was a successful comedy for a whole bunch of reasons. The Flight Attendant is a rollercoaster thriller about a flight attendant whose life turns upside down when she becomes involved with a horrific murder case in Thailand. I was not really involved and this flight attendant came up and thought it would be very funny to knock on the wall above my head really loudly and say, 'Knock knock, Penny! Knock knock, Penny!
Source:Bangkok Post
December 08, 2020 23:26 UTC
FAT 'ready to dump' VAR
FAT 'ready to dump' VARThe Football Association of Thailand is ready to ditch the video assistant referee (VAR) system if clubs desire so, FAT president Somyot Poompunmuang said on Tuesday. FAT chief Somyot Poompunmuang. He said the FAT introduced VAR to the top flight to ensure fairness but it is not forcing clubs to accept it. "Teams who want us to stop using it can inform the FAT," Somyot said. "Today is the day I say good bye to Shanghai SIPG, a team that made me feel at home," Hulk wrote on China's Weibo social media platform after the defeat.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 08, 2020 23:15 UTC
Teachers need to learn child rights
Teachers need to learn child rightsIn this May 22 file photo, activists display white and black masks signifying good and bad teachers in their campaign against school violence. But when it comes to abuse by teachers and school violence in Thailand, incidents like these are merely the tip of the iceberg. This culture of impunity rooted in school authoritarianism allows predators to freely exploit school students. The teacher education system must focus on proper child development, instil awareness on child rights protection, and observe classroom management with non-violent interventions. This is only possible when we start fixing the authoritarian education system which has no respect for the rights of children.
Source:Bangkok Post
December 08, 2020 23:15 UTC