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- Foreign Minister Panpree resigns
Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara says that he has resigned from his ministerial position, stating that he wishes to “uphold his principles”, without offering any further explanation. His resignation comes as...
The post Foreign Minister Panpree resigns first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara says that he has resigned from his ministerial position, stating that he wishes to “uphold his principles”, without offering any further explanation.
His resignation comes as the cabinet reshuffle is announced in the Royal Gazette, which sees him removed from the deputy premiership but retaining the foreign minister portfolio.
“I am confident that my past works, as the deputy premier and foreign minister, have brought benefits to the country. I did my job to the best of my ability and my work was effectively implemented,” said Parnpree.
He added that he has not yet informed PM Srettha Thavisin of his decision, and his resignation will come into effect today.
He said he believes that a suitable person will be found to fill the roles of deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
Asked if he will continue working with the Pheu Thai party, Parnpree, a long-time senior member of the party, said he still loves the party but does not know yet and needs more time to think about it.
His resignation letter went viral on social media. When reporters asked him whether the two-page letter, addressed to the prime minister, was real, he replied “yes, it’s more than real.”
In the letter, he mentions that he travelled to negotiate for the Thai nationals taken hostage in Israel, resulting in the release of 23, as well as the repatriation of 8,000 Thais from Israel to Thailand.
Apart from fostering relationships with ASEAN, the EU, India and the superpowers, his achievements include the launching of visa-free schemes with some countries, he wrote.
He hopes that the cabinet reshuffle will result in a more effective administration of the country, which is transparent and protective of the country’s benefits.
In his letter, he thanked the premier for allowing him to work in the government for a period of time.
The post Foreign Minister Panpree resigns first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
28 April 28 2024Highlighthttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333144 - Six new faces joining Srettha’s cabinet
The first cabinet reshuffle under the Srettha Thavisin administration has officially been announced this morning (Sunday). Here are the new comers. Pichai Chunhavajira – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister...
The post Six new faces joining Srettha’s cabinet first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
The first cabinet reshuffle under the Srettha Thavisin administration has officially been announced this morning (Sunday). Here are the new comers.
Pichai Chunhavajira – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
A former chairman of Bangchak Corporation and former president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand, Pichai has been active as an advisor to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on business and the economy.
As the new Finance Minister, he will be expected to oversee and push for the success of the “digital wallet” scheme, a flagship policy much touted by the Pheu Thai-led government.
Pichit Chuenban – PM Office Minister
Phichit is best known as a lawyer who has worked closely with former prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra. Phichit served six months in jail for contempt of court in 2008, over the so-called “snack box” bribery scandal. The case prompted the Law Society of Thailand to suspend his law license for five years.
After completing his jail term, Phichit became a party-list MP for the Pheu Thai party and was part of the attempt to enact a blanket amnesty bill. The move triggered massive protests, which were followed by the coup in 2014, which ousted the Yingluck Shinawatra administration.
Jiraporn Sindhuprai – PM Office Minister
Jiraporn, 36, is on the team of deputy leaders of the Pheu Thai party. She has been elected as the constituency MP for Roi-Et province in 2019 and 2023. Jiraporn is best known for her role as an MP in openly scrutinising the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration.
Her family also has a strong background in politics. Her father was a former constituency MP for Roi-Et and one of the core members of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship, better known as the “red-shirt” protesters.
Her mother and her younger sister were also constituency MPs for the same province for the Pheu Thai party.
Paopoom Rojanasakul – Deputy Minister of Finance
At the age of 41, Paopoom is among the new-generation members of Pheu Thai party. He has been the deputy secretary-general of the party for four terms, before being promoted to deputy party leader.
Paopoom has also been active as a member of the party’s economy and policy team, who has played a major role in the proposal for the digital wallet scheme.
Suchart Chomklin – Deputy Minister of Commerce
Suchart entered into politics as a member of Chonburi provincial administrative organisation before becoming an MP of Phalang Chol party in 2011, and later in 2019 as an MP of Palang Pracharath.
Last year, Suchart left Palang Pracharath to join United Thai Nation Party (Ruam Thai Sang Chart) and was chosen as a party-list MP.
Suchart was minister of labour during Prayut Chan-o-cha government.
Last year, he was questioned in parliament by a Move Forward party MP on his handling of the welfare and human trafficking issues of Thai workers who were employed by berry farms in Sweden and Finland. He later responded that over 90 percent of the workers benefited from the scheme.
Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn – Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives
Formerly a business owner, Atthakorn followed in the footsteps of his father, who is a former deputy Transport minister and former constituency MP for Chachoengsao province.
He initially joined the Pheu Thai party and became a party-list MP in the 2011 general election. He moved to Palang Pracharath party before the 2019 election, on advice from his father, and became its party-list MP instead.
He was later chosen as the spokesperson of the Palang Pracharath party and a member of the party’s executive committee.
The post Six new faces joining Srettha’s cabinet first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
28 April 28 2024Highlighthttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333136 - Police raid illegal Bitcoin mining centres in Samut Sakhon and Ratchaburi
Officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) and officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) raided illegal Bitcoin mining operations at a vegetarian shelter and a warehouse in Samut...
The post Police raid illegal Bitcoin mining centres in Samut Sakhon and Ratchaburi first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
Officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) and officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) raided illegal Bitcoin mining operations at a vegetarian shelter and a warehouse in Samut Sakhon and Ratchaburi provinces on Friday.
In a coordinated operation, the TCSD police and PEA officials searched a vegetarian shelter in Nong Song Hong sub-district, Ban Paew district of Samut Sakhon and found 187 Bitcoin mining machines.
PEA officials also discovered that the electricity meter at the shelter had been tampered with, to show less power consumption than actual.
A man, identified as Sombat Tangnava, who claimed to be the caretaker of the vegetarian shelter, was taken into custody.
In the other raid, on a warehouse near Kaen Chan Hill in Muang district of Ratchaburi, police uncovered 465 Bitcoin mining machines. The electricity meter was also found to have been tampered with. The warehouse caretaker, Kiatkong Tumthong, was detained for questioning.
The two suspects told the police that the Bitcoin mining machines were legally imported from China and sold to members of the public who were interested in investing in the trading of several crypto currencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Tether (USDT), Binance Coin (BNB) and Dogecoin (DOGE)
Both claimed that each investor was charged 6,200 baht per month for each mining machine kept at either of the two locations, while the electricity was estimated at 9,000 baht per month per machine.
The post Police raid illegal Bitcoin mining centres in Samut Sakhon and Ratchaburi first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
28 April 28 2024Newshttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333130 - Auditor-general asked to advise the government on “digital wallet” scheme
The auditor-general has been asked by Democrat party-list MP Phisit Li-atham to examine and advise the government on its plan to implement the digital wallet scheme. In a letter to...
The post Auditor-general asked to advise the government on “digital wallet” scheme first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
The auditor-general has been asked by Democrat party-list MP Phisit Li-atham to examine and advise the government on its plan to implement the digital wallet scheme.
In a letter to the auditor-general, the former deputy finance minister warned that the scheme, under which about 50 million Thai nationals aged 16 and over will each receive 10,000 baht in digital money, will seriously impact the Thai economic system and the country’s financial status.
He said he would like to call on the audit committee to advise the government as to what it should do to ensure that the money is worth the spending.
Meanwhile, National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Secretary-General Niwatchai Kasemmongkol said the commission will take some time to study the full details of the controversial scheme, adding that a subcommittee may be set up if any issues arise which need to be studied in more detail.
He stressed that the job of the NACC is to monitor for corruption or matters which could be susceptible to irregularities. He also said that the NACC can launch a probe if there are irregularities in the scheme.
The Bank of Thailand has recommended that government scales down the amount of money to be used to fund the scheme, from 500 billion baht to about 150 billion baht, by limiting eligible recipients of the benefit to the financially fragile, or about 15 million people.
This recommendation has, however, been dismissed by the government, claiming that the scheme has already been approved by the cabinet.
The post Auditor-general asked to advise the government on “digital wallet” scheme first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
28 April 28 2024Newshttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333127 - Cabinet reshuffle: four ministers removed and six new faces
A Royal Decree was issued Saturday, announcing Cabinet reshuffle which saw the departure of four cabinet members and the entry of six newcomers and the shuffling of some cabinet posts....
The post Cabinet reshuffle: four ministers removed and six new faces first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
A Royal Decree was issued Saturday, announcing Cabinet reshuffle which saw the departure of four cabinet members and the entry of six newcomers and the shuffling of some cabinet posts.
The four ministers who were removed from the cabinet are Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew, PM’s Office Minister Puangpetch Chunlaiad, Deputy Agriculture Minister Chaiya Promma and Deputy Agriculture Minister Anucha Nakasai.
The six new faces in the cabinet are Pichai Chunhavajira who is appointed deputy prime minister and finance minister; Pichit Chuenban, PM’s Office Minister; Jiraporn Sindhuprai, PM’s Office Minister; Paopoom Rajanasakul, Deputy Finance Minister; Suchart Chomklin, Deputy Commerce Minister; and Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn, Deputy Agriculture Minister.
The cabinet reshuffle saw Srettha Thavisin retaining only his premiership post. Culture Minister Sermsak Pongpanich shifted position with Minister of Tourism and Sports Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol.
Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit also holds the position of deputy prime minister while Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara retains only his foreign affairs portfolio.
Deputy Foreign Minister Jakkapong Sangmanee is named PM’s Office Minister. Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin becomes Public Health Minister replacing Cholnan Srikaew.
Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara was removed from the deputy premiership but retained the foreign minister portfolio.
The post Cabinet reshuffle: four ministers removed and six new faces first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
28 April 28 2024Highlighthttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333121 - “Harana” or Moonlight Serenade: A Dying Tradition in the Philippines
Southeast Asia is a treasure trove of many cultures. The region’s rich diversity is clearly seen in many of its fascinating cultures and traditions, many of which are now sadly...
The post “Harana” or Moonlight Serenade: A Dying Tradition in the Philippines first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
Southeast Asia is a treasure trove of many cultures. The region’s rich diversity is clearly seen in many of its fascinating cultures and traditions, many of which are now sadly disappearing.
Today, amid progress and modernity, preserving the legacies of our past is akin to learning how these have contributed to our evolution as a region – a group of independent nations still interconnected by commonalities in traditions and beliefs.
Maria Vera, a Sociology professor at one of Asia’s leading universities, is worried that these legacies are fading away.
“As we navigate the technological and digital information era that takes us further away from the center of our society, we tend to neglect our heritage and traditions.
Preserving cultural heritage through knowledge, ideas, language, history, and literature is now more important than ever.
As citizens of this modern generation, we need to protect our culture and heritage by keeping these cultures and traditions relevant long after they have been created,” she told Thai PBS World.
In Singapore, efforts to document parts of the country’s cultural heritage have resulted in the creation of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory, an initiative of the National Heritage Board.
“Its main function is to document and identify key parts of Singapore’s culture, including heritage businesses and performing arts, that face the possibility of disappearing from the country’s cultural landscape,” said Juliana, a student at the National University of Singapore.
Love under the moonlight
One of such colorful regional traditions slowly disappearing from the fabric of society is the “harana” or “midnight serenade”.
Because of its cinematic element, this Filipino courtship ritual influenced by Spain, is often reprised in films and theatre productions.
Pepe Almonte, a playwright and stage director, described a typical “harana” scene.
“In a romantic locale, with only the moon illuminating the night, a man gets himself and his guitar ready under the bedroom window of the woman he desires.”
“Not far from him is his group of friends, each with a musical instrument, for support and accompaniment.
“Beginning with a gentle strumming of the guitar as a prelude to the oncoming love song, the man addresses the woman directly. Through his impassioned tunes, he may ask her if she is asleep, or appeal for her to look out of the window. Should the window remain shut, it means a rejection, and the sad suitor leaves.”
“But if the window opens and the lady of his affections shows herself and listens to the ballad, that means success. The lady may even respond by singing a few lines of the song, and then they both sing alternately or together in some parts. It’s a beautiful scene!” he enthused.
The “harana” first gained popularity in the early part of the Spanish Philippines period.
Using mainly music influenced by Spain and Mexico, its name is derived from the Spanish string instrument jarana, which resembles a small guitar.
“Sadly today, it is slowly disappearing or almost no longer practiced in Philippine society, except for a few re-enactments in films or stage productions,” Pepe said.
Thai similarities
The romantic Filipino courtship tradition depicted in the “harana” reveals some similarities with Thai customs and beliefs, especially how we put women in high regard.
During courtship, for instance, most Thai people still follow the traditional gender roles. Thai women should not make the first move and men are expected to initiate the courting process.
According to Kiak, a retired journalist in Bangkok, “In the past, a young man who wanted to marry a young woman, should move in with her family and work for her family for a period of around two years.
If all went well, he was given permission to marry the young woman. During the two-year period, the young man usually lived in a separate dwelling and attended a local monastery and served there as a monk for at least a few months.
“When his monk service was finished, the man was regarded as morally prepared for marriage.”
“Most Thais continue to respect traditional dating customs. Modernization and western beliefs may have made huge changes, but most of the courtship traditions still remain.”
A huge contributor to this is religion. “Most Thais are Theravada Buddhists, with views on dating still aligned with this belief, treating women with overall respect,” Kiak said.
Preserving the legacy
Today in the Philippines, the “harana” may have been replaced by modern “videoke” machines. However, some sectors, both public and private, are looking at how to preserve the legacy of the tradition.
“I just hope that it is not too late. But there have already been some efforts, such as a TV musical that featured only ‘harana’ songs,” said Pepe, who hopes that similar efforts may help preserve, if not glorify, the classic Philippine tradition of the moonlight serenade, known locally among Filipinos as “harana”.
*This is the first story in the series entitled ‘Dying Tradition of Southeast Asia’ by Thai PBS World’s Culture Desk.
The post “Harana” or Moonlight Serenade: A Dying Tradition in the Philippines first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
28 April 28 2024ASEANhttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333036 - The man who serves happiness – Manuel Palacio
Thai PBS World interviewed Manuel Palacio, a Spanish restaurateur with extensive experience in the food and beverage industry. As a globetrotter, he shares his perspective on why he finds only...
The post The man who serves happiness - Manuel Palacio first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
Thai PBS World interviewed Manuel Palacio, a Spanish restaurateur with extensive experience in the food and beverage industry. As a globetrotter, he shares his perspective on why he finds only two cities in the world truly captivating. Let’s find out which cities they are.
The post The man who serves happiness - Manuel Palacio first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
27 April 27 2024Home Awayhttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333112 - Industrial Works Dept chief reprimanded over handling of chemical fire
Director General of the Department of Industrial Works (DIW), Jullapong Thaveesri, was reprimanded by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin today, during his visit to Ban Khai district of Rayong province to...
The post Industrial Works Dept chief reprimanded over handling of chemical fire first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
Director General of the Department of Industrial Works (DIW), Jullapong Thaveesri, was reprimanded by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin today, during his visit to Ban Khai district of Rayong province to follow up the chemical fire at the Win Process Company.
The prime minister asked to see Jullapong, after he was informed that the fire at the warehouse, storing chemical waste for Win Process, has not been completely extinguished after almost a week.
The prime minister reportedly told Jullapong that he should have come to the district to address the problem much sooner than today, given the gravity of the matter.
The premier was accompanied by Industry Minister Pimpatra Wichaikul, Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew and PM Secretary-General Prommin Lertsuridej,
Then the prime minister turned to the industry minister and the permanent secretary for industry for a private discussion for about 5 minutes. It is not known what they talked about.
The prime minister later met with people living in the neighbourhood of the chemical company, who complained that they have been demanding that the chemical waste be removed from their locality for years, but without success.
Later, the prime minister issued guidelines for relevant authorities to address the chemical waste problem at Win Process and elsewhere.
The guidelines call for:
-Residents affected by the chemical fire to lodge complaints with the Damrongtham Centres in the province
-The Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department to extinguish the fire at Win Process Company fully and to restore the situation to normal
-The police to speed up their investigation and bring those responsible for the fire before the courts.
The post Industrial Works Dept chief reprimanded over handling of chemical fire first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
27 April 27 2024Highlighthttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333108 - Thailand voted the World’s best country to visit in your lifetime for 2024
On CEOWORLD magazine’s list of “World’s Best Countries To Visit In Your Lifetime 2024”, Thailand is ranked top, according to Government Spokesman Chai Wacharonke. The ranking is based on feedback...
The post Thailand voted the World’s best country to visit in your lifetime for 2024 first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
On CEOWORLD magazine’s list of “World’s Best Countries To Visit In Your Lifetime 2024”, Thailand is ranked top, according to Government Spokesman Chai Wacharonke.
The ranking is based on feedback from over 295,000 readers, making it the highest level of participation in the magazine’s history.
According to CEOWORLD, Thailand offers a diverse range of experiences, such as wild nightlife, delicious food, vibrant art and culture, great shopping options, winding rivers and canals, Buddhist temples and night markets. Visitors can also visit more peaceful locations in Bangkok, such as Bang Krachao Island.
The rankings are:
1. Thailand, 72.15%
2. Greece, 67.22%
3. Indonesia, 65.15%
4. Portugal, 64.32%
5. Sri Lanka, 60.54%
6. South Africa, 59.76%
7. Peru, 59.76%
8. Italy, 57.77%
9. India. 57.65%
10. The United Arab Emirates, 57.38%
Responding to the survey results, Chai said that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has confidence in the potential of Thailand and the government has promoted all aspects of tourism, to develop the country into a tourism hub for the region.
The post Thailand voted the World’s best country to visit in your lifetime for 2024 first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
27 April 27 2024Highlighthttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333103 - Reservoirs in Korat drying up in the hot weather
Water levels in 27 reservoirs in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima have dropped to about 40.61% of their full capacities, or only a combined 494.16 million cubic metres, due...
The post Reservoirs in Korat drying up in the hot weather first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
Water levels in 27 reservoirs in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima have dropped to about 40.61% of their full capacities, or only a combined 494.16 million cubic metres, due to the continuing hot weather.
The usable water is estimated at 431.69 million cubic metres, or 37.40% of the combined capacities of all 27 reservoirs.
At the Lam Takhong reservoir in Si Khieu district, which is the largest in the province and the main source of water for five districts, only 110.54 million cubic metres remain, but only 87.82 million cubic metres are usable, which is just30.10% of the capacity of the reservoir.
The water situation in three other main reservoirs is also critical. The Lam Phra Phloeng reservoir in Pak Thong Chai district now contains 82.17 million cubic metres of usable water (53.26%).
To ensure sufficient supply for households, businesses and industry in the province for the remainder of the dry season, the irrigation office is exercising great caution in the management of water, with household use of water being given priority.
In Soeng Sang district, several durian orchard owners have complained that their fruits have fallen from the trees, due to the hot weather and water shortage.
Chalerm Pakaya, who grows 150 durian trees on 0.8 hectares,admits that the weather this year is so hot and dry that young durian fruits are falling from the trees, despite deploying a pump to water his small plantation.
An official from the Department of Agriculture predicts that durian production in Soeng Sang district this year may drop by as much as 60% due to the dry weather and shortage of water.
The post Reservoirs in Korat drying up in the hot weather first appeared on Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world.
27 April 27 2024Around Thailandhttps://www.thaipbsworld.com/?p=333098