This year, Thailand progressed by an impressive five positions on a global scale. In this unique ranking, a lower score represents superior management of noteworthy challenges such as money laundering and terrorism financing. Among the ASEAN countries, Singapore emerged victorious with a commendable score of 4.30, landing it at the 118th spot in the world ranking. On the other end of the spectrum, Myanmar had a disheartening score of 8.13, the worst among ASEAN countries, closely followed by Laos at 7.44, Vietnam at 6.96, and Cambodia at 6.78. A total of 18 considered indicators spanned across five domains that account for the overall score. These indicators illuminate the situation regarding money laundering and terrorism financing (ML/TF) in various countries. This year’s analysis pointed to an escalating concern. It indicated that ML/TF risks are reaching an alarming level around the globe. Governments are finding it tough to adequately enforce financial sanctions…
Posts published by “Editorial Team”
In an adventurous endeavor, the Ministry of Culture has joined hands with numerous private bodies to present an exhilarating “Lamnam Wan Pen” event, an attraction as part of the celebrated 9th Bangkok River Festival 2023. Unfolding on the majestic banks of the flowing Chao Phraya River, the spectacle is set to occur in five modern piers in vibrant attendance. The grand rendezvous will occur from November 25 to November 27 and is completely free to the audience. The selected fantastic piers include Asiatique The Riverfront, SOOKSIAM at ICONSIAM, The Lhong 1919 Riverside Heritage Destination, Tha Maharaj, and Yodpiman River Walk. Here’s a glimpse into what each of the piers brings on the plate: Asiatique The Riverfront: This lively pier houses an eco-conservation floating pond, exquisite Loy Krathong lantern show, community shopping outlets accompanied by a contemporary temple fair strewn with games. You can enjoy the Chill Out concert and purchase…
In his dual role as Minister of Finance, Srettha reiterated the importance of forthcoming deliberations pertaining to tourism stimulus packages, scheduled to grace the Cabinet meetings set for today and the subsequent Tuesday. Predominant talking points centered around the management of debt, an issue borne out of both official government loans and clandestine loans from the black-market sector. A concrete plan to handle official loans is expected to be unveiled by November 28, and black-market loans will be in the spotlight by December 12. This comes in light of the critical fiscal situation within Thailand as its household debt skyrocketed by an alarming 11.5% this year. This surge has resulted in an average household in Thailand bearing the weight of a debt exceeding 500,000 baht, marking a twelve-year high. When confronted with an opinion poll reflecting public sentiment opposing the government’s ambit to borrow capital to fund its digital wallet…
Renowned for its impressive healthcare services is the acute care and outpatient facility, Bangkok Mental Health Hospital (BMHH). Notable for its prominent role in our community’s mental health support, the hospital recorded an alarming spike in depression cases in recent months. According to BMHH, sorrow’s shadow had cast over the majority of their estimated 1,000 patients treated over the second and third quarter of the year, signifying a noteworthy concern. Moving past anguish-induced fog, the winged beast of anxiety emerged as the second primary concern trailing behind depression. Stalking closely in third and fourth places were high stress environments that led to panic attacks, and the relentless emotional rollercoaster—bipolar disorder. That was the disturbing trend revealed in the hospital’s recent report. Digging deeper into the data, the hospital found that the majority of patients belonged to the somewhat still blooming 25-40 age group, painting a worrying picture. The most common…
Thailand Post, an esteemed state corporation, has cast light on an innovative venture aptly termed “Increasing Happiness”. This remarkable project sits at the intersection of community development, global marketplace expansion, and efficient product delivery–an empowering trio indeed. The underlying objective is to raise the profile of indigenous products, substantiate their value, and generate a steady stream of income for communities, says Danan Suphatthaphan, the President of Thailand Post. Currently, the project has brought into focus four local communities and their unique offerings–the Chaiya salted egg from Surat Thani, Suk Lam pickled fish from Udon Thani, flavorful Khao Hang rice from Sakon Nakhon, and mouth-watering soft dried longan fruit from Lamphun. It seems the tapestry of Thai flavors and products is vast and brilliant, being woven into a more globalized fabric of commerce. “The initiative has led to the generation of at least 1 million baht for the communities since it…
One of the key figures in the Thai government, Deputy Spokesperson Karom Polpornklang, shed light on an unprecedented amendment bill presented by the Justice Ministry. The bill’s primary mission is to legalize same-sex marriages and to empower individuals belonging to the LGBTQ community to establish families with complete legal rights. The prompt shared by Karom presented the drastic semantic transformation currently under discussion. He specified that the civil code language surrounding marriage will be revolutionized, where traditional terms such as “men”, “women”, “wives”, and “husbands” will be modified. Words such as “persons”, “fiancées”, “engaged couples” and “married couples” will be the standard, removing any gender implications. This progressive transition would pave the way for men to legally wed men, women to marry women, all while enjoying the same legal privileges as those in heterosexual unions. In addition to the landmark aforementioned proposals, Karom also confirmed that the Cabinet had touched…
Deep in the heart of Kanchanaburi, the western province of Thailand, rests the thrillingly seismic Three Pagodas Fault. This geological wonder endures a bombardment of earthquakes every year, numbering into the hundreds. Yet, as per geology maestro Prinya Putthapiban hailing from Mahidol University’s distinguished Department of Geoscience, the majority of these temblors are largely innocuous and hardly noticeable. The fault line mirrors the layout of Myanmar’s Sagaing Fault and Thailand’s southern Ranong Fault, running alongside them in a parallel fashion. This intriguing alignment restricts the severity of earthquakes that emanate from the Three Pagodas Fault. As Prinya has elucidated, it’s unusual for tremors equivalent to those razing regions of southern China, northern Myanmar, or Nepal to originate here. Prinya’s comments were made in the wake of a fairly invisible earthquake in Kanchanaburi. The quake marked its genesis near the off-the-beaten-track Nong Lu community in the lush Sangkhla Buri District, having…
In the heartland of Thailand, within Nakhon Ratchasima, a province in the beauteous Isaan region, an audacious crime was committed. This tale of theft enters on an innocent Thai couple subjected to an unusual form of robbery that has left a mark on their lives and their construction business. The protagonists of this narrative, Somprat and Jaruwan, have found themselves entangled in a mystery that erupted ceremoniously on November 20, as robbers posed as law enforcement officers to seize their possessions. The cunning quartet arrived at the couple’s home claiming to be officers of the law, complete with a ruse of trumped-up charges against Somprat. They levelled allegations of money laundering against him, brandishing the threat of arrest with the cold steely sheen of a handgun. The crafty charlatans didn’t stop there and presented a digital search warrant to solidify their convincing pretense. They had their eyes set on Somprat’s…
The Korat Chamber of Commerce is leading the charge in promoting Korat Cat Pants as a groundbreaking cultural emblem, capable of rivaling the popularity of Thailand’s renowned Elephant Pants. An innovative strategic move, this endeavor seeks to enhance local products and services that bear the Korat trademark, thereby making them more recognizable to tourists and subsequently elevating their potential in the tourism industry. The initiative stemmed from the successful Korat Monogram design competition that took place on September 21, at the bustling Central Korat shopping centre. The victorious design from the competition has been grace various products, with shirts, hats, and bags, all being adorned by this distinctive design. The exceptional design has also been applied to the now famous, Korat Cat Pants. The stylish pants made their debut at the Mamu Ya Korat event hosted at the Thao Suranari Monument (Ya Mo Square) from November 16 to 18, and…
In the world of politics, where strategic moves and power plays define the course of the nation, a new game changer has emerged. The Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw), in a recent grand reveal, has introduced a bill of amnesty. This bill is a game-changing play as it offers pardon to everyone implicated in political pursuits stretching back from September 19, 2006, to the present day. The curtain over this comprehensive amnesty legislation was lifted during a seminar hosted by iLaw. The bill naturally caused ripples across the political scene, prompting several voices to urge the Pheu Thai Party-helmed alliance to lend their backing to this proposal. Representing a milestone towards fostering political reconciliation, the pertinence of this bill lies in its reach across all political factions. The highlight of this event was the address by Benja Apan, a political activist currently entangled in a criminal lawsuit pertaining to her…