Excitement is in the air at UOB Thailand with the announcement on June 11, 2024, of Mr. Richard Maloney as the new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2024. Mr. Maloney is all set to take over from Mr. Tan Choon Hin, who has led UOB Thailand with distinction since 2016. Mr. Tan will be heading back to Singapore to embrace a new role as the Deputy Head of Group Governance, Risk and Compliance. Meanwhile, Ms. Vira-Anong C Phutrakul will step in as the Head of Wholesale Banking and Deputy CEO of UOB Thailand. Mr. Maloney brings a treasure trove of experience to the role, with a staggering four decades in the banking industry. His illustrious career spans Wholesale Banking, Capital Markets, and Retail Banking. Since joining UOB in 2014, he has been serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Group Wholesale Banking. Before UOB, Mr. Maloney was the…
Posts published in “Thailand”
A teacher, a student, and the student’s guardian exchange wai greetings at Banbangkapi School in January. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb) In a move set to underscore cultural pride and uniqueness, the cabinet has agreed to elevate the traditional “wai” gesture as a national identity for greetings and expressions of respect. Deputy government spokesman Karom Phonphonklang shared the news, highlighting that although the roots of the “wai” trace back to Hindu and Buddhist traditions from India, the Thais have given their own distinctive twist to this beautiful gesture. To perform a “wai,” practitioners ensure their palms are straight with all fingers aligned closely together. The palms are then pressed together, drawing both hands up towards the chin, nose, the middle of the eyebrows, or chest, accompanied by a slight bow of the head. This act serves as a versatile greeting and symbol of respect towards juniors, seniors, peers, and esteemed monks, making…
The peaceful evening in Pak Kret’s bustling shopping mall took a grim turn when authorities were notified about an elderly woman’s unusual death in a sauna. The scene of the tragic discovery was nestled behind a fitness club in tambon Bang Talad, within Nonthaburi’s buzzing district. The incident occurred around 6 PM, and the victim was identified only as Thanchanok, a 68-year-old regular at the club. Thanchanok was known for her routine visits to the fitness facility, often arriving as early as 8 AM. According to the fitness club staff, she had indeed checked in that Monday morning, with no indication that the day would end so tragically. By 11 AM, there was no sign of her, and the staff assumed she had completed her daily regimen and left. Little did they know, she had endured a far more harrowing fate. It wasn’t until 6 PM when an employee made…
In an exciting move towards enhanced innovation and sustainability, IRPC is teaming up with VINIS GmbH to transform EPS production and product development. The collaboration aims to optimize manufacturing processes while gearing up for an anticipated surge in demand for specialty products. This strategic partnership was officially sealed as Lersak Thongruang, Acting Sr Exec VP: Operation of IRPC Public Company Limited, and Mr. Nico Witt, Managing Director of VINIS GmbH, put pen to paper and signed the MOU. Their shared vision? To revolutionize the Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) production landscape. The heart of this initiative is not just to meet market demand for high-quality specialty products, but also to champion the cause of sustainability. The collaboration strives to advance the capabilities in recycled plastic production, aiming for a significant reduction in the CO2 footprint of the EPS industry. This bold step promises tangible benefits for society and the environment alike. Imagine…
In a scene straight out of a disaster movie, passengers aboard Qatar Airways flight QR204 found themselves trapped in a blistering heatwave when the plane’s air conditioning system failed while sitting on the tarmac at Athens International Airport on Monday. The unfortunate ordeal left scores of travelers sweating profusely and gasping for air, transforming the aircraft into a suffocating oven. Amongst the distressed passengers were 49 members of the Thai Muay Thai team and a handful of Thai reporters, who were returning home from the IFMA Senior World Championships held in Patras, Greece. Their journey back to Bangkok via Doha was anything but smooth, thanks to this nightmarish delay. According to a Matichon reporter on the flight, the air conditioning breakdown turned the aircraft into a veritable hotbox, yet the captain insisted everyone remain onboard, with doors sealed tight. For three agonizing hours, passengers endured sweltering conditions without any updates,…
The story of Theephat Liangwatthanatham, a 43-year-old former bank employee, is nothing short of a twisted crime novel. On a rather unremarkable Tuesday, Theephat was caught red-handed with his mobile phone in front of a convenience store in Muang district of Phitsanulok. Despite the mundane setting, the charges against him were anything but ordinary. This arrest was the culmination of a convoluted saga involving fraudulent loan and auto leasing contracts, and it became the talk of the town. Pol Col Sanuwong Khongkha-in, the superintendent of sub-division 4 of the Anti-Corruption Police Division (ACPD), couldn’t have been more pleased. According to him, the suspect’s misdeeds were well-documented and now well-contained. The details of the story began to unravel swiftly after Theephat was apprehended. Apparently, back on November 28th of the previous year, the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases had issued an arrest warrant for Theephat. The charges? Malfeasance…
Over 470 enthusiastic Thai Union employees from Thailand, the United States, Africa, and Europe came together on World Oceans Day, making a significant impact by collecting over 11 tons of trash. This commendable effort aligns with the company’s ambitious target of diverting 1,500 tons of ocean-bound plastic by 2030. Volunteers from nine strategic locations spanning four continents rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to clean up various sites. The tireless Thai Union teams amassed an impressive 11,036 kilograms of trash from diverse clean-up sites, including mangroves, rivers, beaches, and urban areas in Thailand, the U.S., Ghana, the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, France, and Italy. Among the haul were common pollutants such as plastic bags, plastic bottles, foam, old fishing gear, and a staggering 10,000+ cigarette butts. Thai Union CEO Thiraphong Chansiri remarked, “As a global seafood company, protecting the ecosystems we operate in is fundamental to our purpose. Our…
Bunge (NYSE: BG), a prominent leader in agribusiness and food industries, has teamed up with Bangkok Produce Merchandising Public Company Limited (BKP), a subsidiary of Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF or CP Foods), a global titan in food production, to venture into the realm of blockchain technology. Their mission? To ensure a sustainable and deforestation-free supply chain for soy. So far, three colossal shipments, collectively weighing in at 185,000 metric tonnes of deforestation-free soybean meal, have sailed from Brazil on a destined course to Thailand, allowing CP Foods to trace the soybeans’ journey from the farm of origin right through to their processed state, subsequent transportation, and final delivery in Thailand. On the horizon, another trio of ships is ready to set sail by July 2024, bringing along an additional 180,000 metric tonnes of soybean meal. These soy products strictly adhere to both Bunge’s and BKP’s rigorous socio-environmental…
The suspects point at packets of crystal meth after their arrest on Monday night. (Police photo) In a dramatic twist that could rival any Netflix thriller, a high-profile arrest rocked Bangkok’s Huai Kwang district on Monday night. The central figure in this real-life drama? None other than Norased Thaised, the nephew of the Deputy Interior Minister, Chada Thaised. It seems the reality of their lives is more scandalous than fiction! It was around 10pm when detectives from the Metropolitan Police Bureau swooped down on a nondescript hotel, the name of which remains shrouded in mystery. In a covert operation that could put ‘Cops’ to shame, officers discovered Norased in a hotel room, accompanied by another man and two women, each entwined in this illicit saga of drugs and firearms. What did the police find? Well, apart from the quartet of dubious characters, the room bore a sinister array of illegal…
The Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) has unveiled the 2024 PWA Father’s Land Project, a heartfelt initiative to honor His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great. On a vibrant Friday morning, 7 June 2024, the scenic village of Ban Pa Sakngam in Luang Nuea, Doi Saket, Chiang Mai, was abuzz with activity and excitement. Chakapong Kamchan, the Deputy Governor (Operation 2) and current acting Governor, passionately shared, “In line with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great’s unwavering dedication to forest conservation, the PWA is fervently advancing the Father’s Land project through the Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) framework at Ban Pa Sakngam, Luang Nuea, Chiang Mai. Beyond simply planting more trees to expand the local forest, this endeavor plays a critical role in restoring ecosystem balance.” Imagine walking through lush green landscapes where the hum of bees is a sweet symphony of nature. Yes, this project also encourages apiculture farming,…