Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 22 -- The section of the Yom River that runs through the Sam Ngam district has run dry following months without rain, local officials said. The river has been reduced into a narrow and shallow waterway in the middle with sand dunes clearly visible along both banks. The remaining water is so shallow that the locals can walk across. Sam Ngam is located in the upper part of the province in an area that has suffered from drought for several months.
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Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 20 -- Thai Vietjet will play host to the THAIPA Airline Pilot League 2019, an annual football league for Thai pilots from airlines in Thailand. The Thai Vietjet representative and Captain Sanong Mingcharoen, Leader of the Thai Pilots Association, held a media conference at The Grand Fourwings Convention Hotel. “Vietjet is delighted and honoured to support the activity for aviation people in Thailand, which shows our lively spirit to contribute to the community,” the Thai Vietjet representative said. He said the league will be held on August 20 at Grand Soccer Pro fields on Kaset Nawamin Road from 8am to 6pm. Twenty teams from 12 airlines and aviation institutes in Thailand are taking part this year. THAIPA Airline Pilot League aims to create and strengthen relations among Thai pilots, and harmonise the pilots association with related organisations. The league kicked off in 2014, with different airlines taking turns to host the annual event. Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 18 -- Thailand were assigned in Group G alongside not just Asian powerhouses such as the UAE and regional No1 Vietnam but also Malaysia and Indonesia. The teams will play each other both home and away. It will serve as a tough baptism for newly-appointed national coach Akira Nishino from Japan, who is due to officially sign a contract with the Football Association of Thailand in Japan on Friday. The second round of Asian qualification for the 2022 World Cup consists of eight groups, each with five nations. The eight group leaders and four best second-placed teams will move into the third round and will automatically qualify for the 2023 Asian Cup in China. Thailand’s opening qualifier will be against Vietnam on September 5. Thailand were placed in a tricky group with the United Arab Emirates and arch-rivals Vietnam when the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification draw was conducted in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 1 -- The new Prayut Chan-o-cha government was sworn in on Tuesday during a ceremony overseen by His Majesty the King, signalling the return of civilian rule after five years following the military coup in 2014. The new Prayut Chan-o-cha government was sworn in on Tuesday during a ceremony overseen by His Majesty the King, signalling the return of civilian rule after five years following the military coup in 2014. The ceremony took place at 6pm in the Amphorn Satharn Throne Hall, where all 36 ministers were present. In a break with tradition, however, television cameras were not on hand to record the event. The historic occasion marked the first time that HM the King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, as head of state, together with Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, has overseen the advent of a new government - the King’s first event of such kind after his Coronation in May. Also new was the venue for the ceremony, which has previously been held in the nearby Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. Speaking afterwards, Prime Minister Prayut said the King had extended his moral support to the Cabinet, and asked it to serve the country for the benefit of the Thai people. Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said that the King also congratulated the Cabinet and wished it well in achieving a smooth working process in which ministers would overcome all obstacles. Prayut said a meeting would be called among Cabinet members before they faced Parliament for the mandatory unveiling of new government policy on July 25. He added that a government spokesman would not be appointed today, as had been expected. Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 16 -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha today pleaded for cooperation from the Thai people and all state officials to protect the democratic system with the King as head of state for national peace and order and for the preservation of the Thai culture and way of life. “Thailand is now fully governed as a democratic country with a constitutional monarch, with a parliament that is elected and a government endorsed by parliament. All rights and liberties are guaranteed by the Constitution in line with civilized nations. Pending problems will be solved through democratic processes without application of any special powers,” said the Prime Minister in his farewell speech as head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and head of the outgoing government. Democratic administration may be slow because of legal, political or budgetary constraints and the need to be receptive to divergent views, said the Prime Minister, adding that these are part of a democratic system that all stakeholders must accept in order to co-exist in peace. Pete McGee กรุงเทพฯ 15 กรกฎาคม -- Kaffeeform เป็น บริษัท สตาร์ทอัพของ Julian Lechner จากกรุงเบอร์ลิน โดยพวกเขาใช้กากกาแฟมาทำเปญถ้วยกาแฟที่นำกลับมาใช้ใหม่ได้ ลองชมวิดีโอนี้เพื่อเรียนรู้เพิ่มเติมเกี่ยวกับเรื่องราวเค้าดู เฉพาะสหรัฐอเมริกาสร้างขยะจากถ้วยกาแฟแบบใช้ครั้งเดียว 120,000 ล้านครั้งทุกปีของเสียที่เกิดขึ้นจากการที่คนทั้งโลกบริโภคกาแฟนั้นไม่เพียง แต่สร้างถ้วยที่ไม่ย่อยสลายได้ยังมีกากกาแฟขึ้นอีกมหาศาล ในปี 2009 ในขณะที่ศึกษาการออกแบบผลิตภัณฑ์ Lechner ผู้ก่อตั้งบริษัท Kaffeeform สังเกตว่าเขาและเพื่อนดื่มกาแฟมากแค่ไหนในแต่ละวัน คนทั่วไปในเยอรมนีบริโภคเมล็ดกาแฟมากถึง 14 ปอนด์ต่อปี เกือบ 99% ของถ้วยกาแฟทั้งหมดหันไปที่ถังขยะและแม้แต่ถ้วยกระดาษอาจใช้เวลานานกว่า 20 ปีในการย่อยสลายอย่างเหมาะสม ดังนั้น Lechner จึงวางแผนที่จะนำกากกาแฟมาใช้ซ้ำเพื่อผลิตถ้วยกาแฟที่เป็นมิตรกับสิ่งแวดล้อม ไม่เพียงแค่ Kaffeeform การเริ่มต้นอีกครั้ง Crow Cycle Courier Collective ก็มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้องในภารกิจนี้ในการช่วยโลก The Collective รวบรวมกากกาแฟเกือบ 110 ปอนด์ในแต่ละวันซึ่งจะถูกทำความสะอาดในเวิร์กช็อป Kaffeeform จากนั้นกากะแฟจะถูกส่งไป ทำให้แห้งและผสมผสานกับส่วนประกอบต่างๆเช่น เส้นใยพืชเรซินธรรมชาติและธัญพืชบีชวูด ด้วยความดันสูงและความร้อน พวกเขาจะบีบอัดกากกาแฟ 6 ถ้วยเพื่อทำหนึ่งถ้วยการแฟและจานรอง ผลิตภัณฑ์สำเร็จรูปย่อยสลายได้ 100% และกากกาแฟ 40% ความสำเร็จของ Lechner เริ่มต้นจากมีร้านกาแฟในกรุงเบอร์ลิน 20 แห่งที่ใช้ผลิตภัณฑ์ของเขาพร้อมกับผู้ค้ากว่า 150 รายทั่วยุโรป อนาคตของ บริษัท Lechner จะผลิตภาชนะอย่างอื่นเพื่อขยายสู่การผลิตเฟอร์นิเจอร์และไลฟ์สไตล์ผลิตภัณฑ์จากกากกาแฟต่อไป BANGKOK, July 12 -- The new Cabinet led by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who will also double as defence minister, has been given the royal nod. Sontirat Sontijirawong, secretary-general of the core coalition partner Phalang Pracharat Party, has been given the Energy Ministry, which was also reportedly coveted by Suriya Juangroongruangkit, the leader of a key faction in Phalang Pracharat Party. Phalang Pracharat leader, Uttama Savanayana, has been given the Finance portfolio even though the opposition claimed his alleged role in a 2003 Krungthai Bank loan scandal disqualified him from the post. Uttama defended himself saying that during his time as senior executive at the bank, he had nothing to do with the approval of loans to ailing property firms. The new Cabinet will start working immediately after the ministers take their oaths before His Majesty the King, which is expected to be soon. The new government is led by Phalang Pracharat Party, which came second in the March 24 general election but managed to build a majority in the House of Representatives by forming an 18-party coalition. Author: Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 9 -- To conserve energy and reduce consumption, one of the most favored solutions is the use of electric vehicles (EV), thanks to their zero emissions and cheaper energy cost per kilometer, not to mention having lower cost of maintenance comparing to traditional fossil-fuel vehicles, due to a much lower number of parts. However, many potential buyers are still on the fence about converting to EVs, fearing that the current charging infrastructure is not comprehensive enough for long-distance trips. It’s the worst nightmare of EV owners to find their vehicles out of juice in the middle of nowhere, with no charging stations around. To put their minds at ease, Energy Absolute Public Co Ltd (EA), one of Thailand’s largest EV manufacturers and charging-station operators, has developed the mobile application “EA Anywhere” to conveniently find charging stations nearby. Available on both App Store and Google Play Store, EA Anywhere features the voice assistants Siri and Google Assistant to enable hands-free use while driving. Simply open the app or visit https://www.eaanywhere.com to get started. The app will ask for confirmation of your current location from a map, then choose the type of charging you need (normal charge or quick charge). If you pick normal charging, you have to select the type of connection based on your car’s specifications – Type 1, Type 2 or CCS 2. The app will display available stations near you, ranked by distance. You then can proceed to select the station and let the app navigate you to there. The EA website’s “maps” section offers a more traditional way of finding your way around and shows charging station throughout Thailand, including the locations of “coming soon” stations. EA currently has more than 400 stations in Bangkok and is aiming for 1,000 throughout Thailand (500 in Bangkok and periphery, 500 upcountry). Combined with charging stations from other operators, EV users should have no problem finding a station, especially in urban Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Songkhla. Author: Pete McGee PHNOM PENH, July 8 -- Cambodia's rice exports to the European Union fell sharply in the first half of the year following the imposition of tariffs, official data showed on Monday, but the loss was offset by increased sales to China. The EU in January imposed tariffs for three years on rice from Cambodia and Myanmar, aiming to protect EU producers such as Italy following a surge in imports from the two Asian countries. For the first six months, rice exports to the EU fell 32% from the same period last year to 93,503 tonnes, according to data from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality, a joint private-government working group. However, rice exports to China rose 66% over the same period to 118,401 tonnes, while total rice exports rose 3.7% to 281,538 tonnes, with Australia emerging as a new market. Kann Kunthy, vice president, of Amru Rice (Cambodia) Co Ltd, which exports the grain to foreign countries, said that the EU tariffs meant Cambodian long grain white rice was no longer competitive. "Exports to the EU have declined after the safeguard measure so China and other new markets, especially Australia, are picking up," Kunthy told Reuters. "Losing a market is never good, but the good thing is that we find other markets," he added. Kunthy said Amru had concluded a deal with an Australian rice importer and anticipated annual exports of about 20,000 tonnes. Sales to Australia reached 8,035 tonnes in the first half of this year. Under a trade programme known as Everything But Arms (EBA), all Cambodian exports to the EU are duty free except arms. The block accounts for more than a third of Cambodia's exports, including garments, footwear and bicycles. However, in February the EU started an 18-month process that could lead to a suspension of Cambodia's EBA status over its record on human rights and democracy. In April, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said China will help Cambodia if the EU withdraws the EBA. China had also agreed to import 400,000 tonnes of Cambodian rice, according to Hun Sen's Facebook page. Author: Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 7 -- China now is not only home to the world’s largest car market but also to one with biggest sales of battery-electric vehicles. Even Tesla plans to produce their cars there. Baojun, one of the China’s best-selling brands, says that BEVs should make up for around 20% of total car sales in 2025. Which is why Chevrolet’s sister-brand is offering the E200 BEV for sale there as an update of the E100. But as you may know well, making two-seat BEVs isn’t really a natural business case because they cost just as much to develop as four-seaters. With government subsidies, the E200 goes for 40,000 yuan (around 200,000 baht). Without state help, it’s 100,000 yuan (500,000 baht). Last year, Baojun sold 50,000 E200s mainly in its hometown of Liuzhou. Considering that Chinese-made BEVs can come to Thailand with no import duty, the E200 could retail for some 600,000 baht if adding other petty taxes. That’s the price level of an Ecocar like the Toyota Yaris. Yes, that’s already the first challenge. And the next one would probably be its size as Thais usually don’t like extra-small cars with less practicality and perceived levels of crash safety. That’s also a reason why you can hardly see a Fomm One, a super-compact BEV priced at 668,000, on Thai roads. Which is probably why the E200 won’t sell in Thailand, even if it was to be rebadged as a Chevy. But there’s still much to like about the E200. Its 2.5m length makes it a doddle to handle in tight road space and U-turns. The 1.6m width helps for ample elbow room for two on board. And speaking about that, the minimalist cabin has a new-age look with sassy colours and shapes. China’s Smart, perhaps. But probably not a Smart when it comes to the driving bit. As the E200 has been developed primarily for Chinese urban streets, Mercedes-Benz’s small car division had to ensure that Smart can handle European mountain roads and motorways. The E200 comes with an electric system developing 40hp and 110Nm. A 22kWh battery allows for 200km driving range which is certainly enough if you live and work in the same city. Around Baojun’s test track, the E200’s drivetrain does what other BEVs do: pick up power instantly upon the driver’s desires while delivering that electric swoosh on the ears. Of course, it isn’t super-quick, but sluggish it ain’t. Capping the top speed to 100kph is a good idea. It’s not that the E200 can’t go faster but for how it handles that matters more. This is an 830kg car with very compact dimensions. So while the ride’s acceptably comfortable, the E200 does have its limitations in handling. Drive over a mid-corner bump at speed and the E200 feels very much on the edge. But use it as how its maker wishes you to do, the E200 makes much sense. It’s easy to drive at real-world speeds and offers a seating package suitable for single-person commuting, something so evident in Thailand. Like what some other brands are doing, the E200 could initially be deployed into various state or university campuses in the country. But that’s only an idea. Author: Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 5 -- Mercedes-Benz is once again expanding its performance car line-up in Thailand with the introduction of the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe.Priced at Bt10.129 million, the C 63 S Coupe competes against the BMW M4 Coupe, priced from Bt8.399 million to Bt11.399 million depending on the horsepower package. Apart from heart-thumping performance, the C 63 S Coupe also features a new system called “Mercedes me connect”. “This added service provides a seamless experience to connect owners to authorised dealers, plus convenient access to other services of Mercedes-Benz at the touch of a finger,” Mercedes-Benz Thailand vice president Frank Steinacher said. Features include an emergency call system, telediagnostics for car condition assessment submitted automatically to the service centre when repairs or maintenance is needed and remote engine start. The C 63 S Coupe is powered by a 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo engine capable of developing a whopping 510 horsepower at 5,500-6,250rpm and 700Nm of torque from 2,000-4,500rpm. Transmission is a nine-speed AMG Speedshift, and the car comes with a specially-developed rear axle with an electronically-controlled limited rear differential. Mercedes claims that it can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 290km/h. The car is also pre-loaded with special commands in the AMG menu, including engine data, boost pressure, G-forces display and race timer, which makes it perfect for circuit driving. There isn’t a drift mode, but there’s a “slippery” mode for wet or snow-covered roads, apart from the usual normal, sport, sport+ and individual modes. Author: Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 5 -- The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index at the end of June show an increase of 6.8 per cent over the previous month, marking it as the best performer in Asia, and up 10.6 per cent from the end of 2018 to 1,730.34 points. The average daily trading value of SET and Market for Alternative Investment (mai) in June was Bt60.53 billion (approximately US$1.95 billion), up 3.1 per cent from the preceding month. Foreign investors were the net buyers of Thai shares for the third straight month in June, gaining the highest monthly net inflows in the region. Forward and historical P/E ratios of SET were 16.4 times and 18.6 times respectively at end-June, compared with the average of the Asian peers of 14.5 and 16 times respectively. Dividend yield ratio of SET was 2.98 per cent at the mid-year point, above Asian stock markets’ average ratio of 2.79 per cent. A combined market capitalisation of SET and mai at end-June jumped by 10.9 per cent from end-2018 to Bt18 trillion, moving in tandem with the SET Index. Funds mobilized through IPOs during the first half of 2019 stood at Bt8.53 billion. In June, the average derivatives trading volume rocketed by 65 per cent from the previous month to 590,647 contracts per day. SET Senior Executive Vice President Soraphol Tulayasathien said that the SET Index rose to the highest among Asian bourses with the most value of foreign net inflows in June, boosted by the prospect of continuity in Thailand's economic policies following a clearer picture of local politics, coupled with a string of positive external factors including US-China’s easing of trade tensions and the US Federal Reserve’s gradual move in monetary policy. Author: Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 5 -- Investors want the incoming government to stick to its investment plans for infrastructure mega-projects and release budget plans for them as soon as possible, said the head of private banking at Kasikornbank (KBank). The government’s planned infrastructure projects will draw in further foreign investment into the country, which is seen as an attractive and low-risk investment market, Siriporn Suwannagarn, managing director and financial advisory head of Kasikornbank's Private Banking Group, said at a press conference on Friday. Foreign and domestic investors would like plans for the next government budget to be released as soon as possible, she said. This way, investors will be able to adjust their investment strategies to optimise returns on sectors that will benefit from new government policies. "For instance, if the government announces its plans to roll out more Pracharat policies directed to the grassroots economy, then the agricultural sector will stand to benefit. On the other hand, if the government increases its focus on the Eastern Economic Corridor, then there may be further investment opportunities in the manufacturing sector," she said. Growing foreign investment flows into the country along with a strong current account surplus have strengthened the baht in recent months, creating a key opportunity for Thais to invest abroad. However, Siriporn cautioned investors on the high level of stock market volatility around the world as the global economy has entered a late-growth cycle. "Global markets have been overreacting to the 'good' financial news as the US Federal Reserve has signalled lower interest rates and the US and China agreed to resume trade talks at the G20 meeting," she said. The Thai stock market has been part of this trend. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index at the end of June showed an increase of 6.8 per cent over the previous month, marking it as the best performer in Asia. It is up 10.6 per cent from the end of 2018 to 1,730.34 points. The average daily trading value on the SET and the Market for Alternative Investment (mai) in June was Bt60.53 billion (US$1.95 billion), up 3.1 per cent from the preceding month. However, the US policy rate has not been lowered yet and the US tariffs on Chinese goods have not been reduced, Siriporn said. If these factors worsen, investors should readjust their portfolios and invest less in equities, focusing more on assets such as gold and bonds, she said. Author: Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 4 -- Doctor Napassaporn "Eem" Chamnansit, who became the first Thai woman to summit Mount Everest in 2016, announced last week that she made it to the top of the highest mountain in North America. Dr Napassaporn, a dentist, wrote on her Facebook page that it took her an entire year to prepare to conquer Mount Denali. She and her team began the journey to the top last month and reached the summit on June 28. The team started out with several members, but many dropped out along the way. By the end of the trip, there were just four people left, including Dr Napassaporn. She said her successful climb to the top of Mount Denali followed a failed attempt last year. The peak, which is located in Denali National Park and Preserve in the US state of Alaska, was a tough challenge for her, she said. Fewer than 40% of climbers have managed to make their way to the top of the summit, which has an elevation of 20,310 feet (6,190 metres) above sea level. "We spent more time and resources preparing for this project than any other peak-scaling trip, except for the trip to Everest," she wrote on her Facebook page. The team said Dr Napassaporn devoted the first half of last year to vigorous physical training for the Denali project. The amount of effort that went into the physical exercises was on par with the training that she underwent before climbing Mount Everest. During her failed Denali attempt last year, she and her team faced extreme weather conditions and were stuck on the peak for six days. They were unable to continue the arduous journey and had to wait for the rough weather to clear up until they could move again. According to Dr Napassaporn's Facebook post, the team was forced to turn back and return to Thailand after food and supplies ran out. However, Dr Napassaporn and her team managed to secure a new sponsorship for this year's summit effort from Suunto, a Finnish sporting accessories company, under the Train Savannah Thailand project. Dr Napassaporn added Mount Denali to her list of summits after having conquered six additional peaks including Mount Everest in 2016 and Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Author: Pete McGee BANGKOK, July 3 -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand has used a New York rally to raise awareness on equality of sexual orientation to lure tourists to the kingdom. Thailand sent a contingent to join the parade at the World Pride event in the US city on Sunday for the first time as part of the "Go Thai Be Free" campaign. Charinya Kiatlapnachai, director of the TAT office in New York, said the Thai tourism agency used the event to send a message to LGBTQ travelers that they are welcome in Thailand, VOA Thai reported on Wednesday. LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. TAT estimates there are at least 5 million people who identify as LGBT in the US. "We think they are our target and this market segment has potential to grow," VOA Thai quoted her as saying. The agency also targeted the same group in Latin America, which has about 20 million LGBT people. It organized a meeting with 40 tourism operators from Central and South America in May. Millions lined the streets of New York on Sunday to wave rainbow flags, celebrate the movement toward LGBTQ equality and renew calls for action in what organizers billed as the largest gay pride celebration in history. Event organizers and city officials said 150,000 parade marchers and up to 4 million visitors commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising that triggered the modern LGBTQ movement, with corporate sponsorship and police protection that would have been unthinkable half a century ago. Author: Pete McGee |
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