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Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is ready to sign a ministerial edict, which will mean that an individual found in possession of more than one methamphetamine tablet will be treated as a drug trafficker, instead of an addict. Once the edict is signed, it will be sent to the cabinet for approval and then published in the Royal Gazette prior to enforcement. Anutin said that the reduction in the amount of meth tablets in the possession of an individual, from 15 or more to two or more, to be regarded as a trafficking offense has been discussed extensively among the agencies concerned. Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/2-meth-tablets-will-be-treated-as-drug-trafficking-under-proposed-new-edict/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-01-30 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

Hanoi people cover themselves in warm clothes as they drive to work on the morning of January 30, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh A cold wave that has blanketed the north for weeks now will ease from Wednesday and temperatures will gradually increase, the weather bureau has said. Since mid-January, the region has experienced average daytime temperatures of below 15 degrees Celsius. On Monday most localities, including the capital Hanoi, would be no warmer than 22 degrees and nighttime temperatures would be 7-8 degrees, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said. Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/northern-vietnam-cold-wave-to-end-this-week-4564702.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-30

Bui Xuan Huy was fed with noodles after he was found down a cliff near Sung Co Beach, Da Nang, January 29, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Hoai Ha A traveler from HCMC was trapped inside a hole at a beach in Da Nang's Hai Van Pass for 5 days before being rescued on Sunday. Police of Da Nang on Saturday received reports that Bui Xuan Huy, 27, from HCMC, fell into a hole at Sung Co Beach while solo traveling. Huy tried to climb out of the hole himself but failed. His food slowly ran out, but he eventually managed to catch enough cellphone service and made a call for help to his family Saturday night. Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/hcmc-traveler-rescued-5-days-after-falling-off-cliff-near-hai-van-pass-4564464.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-30

Workers set a boundary maker to identify the area where Ring Road No.3 will be built in Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City, October 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Tung Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed HCMC to get a move on with its Ring Road No.3 construction and in fact finish it ahead of schedule. Construction of the 8.2-kilometer section of the road passing through the city has to be completed by April 2025, he said while inspecting the work Sunday. Work on it began last September and was scheduled to be completed by September 2025. Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/pm-tells-hcmc-to-finish-ring-road-no-3-earlier-than-planned-4564638.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-30

A still image from a video posted on social media shows a woman put on fire in Quang Nam Province, on January 26, 2023. Police in Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam have arrested two women for putting a third woman on fire on a street. Nguyen Thi Diem Phuong, 23, and her mother-in-law, Dang Thi Thong Nhat, 44, have been arrested after police identified the two as having put a 28-year-old woman on fire. The victim has not been identified. On January 26, social media users shared a video of the incident, which took place in broad daylight on a street in Duy Xuyen District. Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/woman-set-on-fire-over-romantic-jealousy-police-4564692.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-30

Vehicles line up along the Prenn Pass, Lam Dong Province, January 29, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Phuoc Tuan All vehicles will be prohibited from entering National Highway 20 section that passes through the Prenn Pass to get to Da Lat starting February 6 due to construction. The Lam Dong Province Department of Transport on Monday said an 8-kilometer section of the highway that runs through the pass would be closed, and traffic would be re-routed in order for the area to be upgraded. The project is expected to begin on February 10 and will continue for one year. The total investment cost is at VND552 billion ($23.5 million). Full Story: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/popular-pass-to-da-lat-closed-down-for-upgrade-4564753.html -- © Copyright VN Express 2023-01-30

Jose Cabrera III, chargé d’affaires at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salen Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during a meeting on January 29, 2023. Kuwait Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Facebook MANILA, Philippines — Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salen Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah condemned the killing of overseas Filipino worker Jullebee Ranara, who was found dead in the desert last week. Jose Cabrera III, chargé d’affaires at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait, visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, where Sheikh Salem expressed his condolences to Ranara’s family and to the Philippine government. “Sheik Salem added that the actions of the perpetrator do not in any way reflect the character and values of Kuwaiti society, the Kuwaiti people and the Kuwaiti government,” the embassy’s statement said. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/30/2241308/kuwait-foreign-minister-condemns-ranaras-murder -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-30

E-sabong involves remote betting on cockfights. Philstar.com MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police has reached out to the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Telecommunications Commission to take down websites engaged in e-sabong, or the remote betting on cockfights, that the government suspended in May 2022. Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Police Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said the PNP is targeting five "active websites that continue to host e-sabong games." President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 9 last December directing the continued suspension of e-sabong operations in the Philippines. The NTC has, in the past, issued orders to Internet Service Providers to block websites although freedom of expression advocates have raised that this should be done through court orders. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/30/2241319/pnp-working-take-down-e-sabong-websites-platforms -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-30

This file photo taken on November 16, 2016 shows police gathered over the body of a suspect killed during an anti-drug operation at an informal settlers' area near a port in Manila. AFP / Ted Aljibe, file MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police said there is no need for the International Criminal Court to look into deaths related to the "war on drugs" since it is already reviewing its own personnel for possible lapses in anti-narcotics operations. In a briefing on Monday, Police Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., PNP chief, said domestic proceedings are enough for accountability in case of abuses in the "war on drugs" of the Duterte administration. The Hague-based ICC last week said that it had authorized the reopening of an inquiry into the brutal anti-drugs campaign — an inquiry that the Philippine government has consistently rejected as unnecessary and without jurisdiction. "The PNP encourages the ICC to respect the Philippines' sovereignty and acknowledge the capacity of the Philippines' judicial system," Azurin said in prepared comments. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/30/2241305/pnp-internal-investigation-doj-review-enough-drug-war-accountability -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-30

Officials from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) carry a box in front of the headquarters of the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU) of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) in Seoul on January 18, 2023, as South Korea's spy agency and police raid the country's main labor union group over alleged pro-Pyongyang activities. YONHAP / AFP MANILA, Philippines — Karapatan on Monday joined labor unions in condeming raids by South Korea's government on the offices of workers' groups there under a Cold War-era national security law, with the rights group saying it is reminiscent of red-tagging campaigns in the Philippines. According to the International Trade Union Confederation, which called the raids "overt aggression and intimidation by the government", South Korea's National Intelligence Service and police searched the offices of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union on January 18 to investigate members with alleged links to North Korea. In a statement, Karapatan said the raids in South Korea had similarities to government actions in the Philippines, including the "Bloody Sunday" operations in March 2021 where activists and community leaders were killed and the raids on the offices of the National Federation of Sugar Workers and other groups in Bacolod City that led to the arrests of 40 activists. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/30/2241335/karapatan-flags-similarities-south-korea-union-raids-and-local-red-tagging -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-30

This undated photo shows Dr. Ma. Natividad Castro. Facebook / Jun Castro MANILA, Philippines — The Anti-Terrorism Council has designated red-tagged community doctor Natividad “Naty” Castro a terrorist under the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, passage of which raised fears across sectors over the potential of abuse. ATC Resolution No. 35 said the panel, chaired by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, found probable cause to designate Castro as a "terrorist individual" for alleged violations of Sections 6 (Planning, Training, Preparing, and Facilitating), 10 (Recruit, Membership) and 12 (Providing Material Support) of the anti-terror law. The power of the ATC to designate — heavily contested at the Supreme Court oral arguments but upheld mostly intact at the end — effectively triggers the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s authority to freeze Castro’s assets. Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/01/30/2241334/anti-terrorism-council-designates-red-tagged-community-doctor-terrorist -- © Copyright Philstar 2023-01-30

Fossilized Dinosaur Footprints Discovered in Kalasin Province KALASIN (NNT) - Authorities have found fossilized footprints believed to have belonged to a species of dinosaur on a massive stone bed at Phu Faek forest park in Kalasin province. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284967-fossilized-dinosaur-footprints-discovered-in-kalasin-province/

KALASIN (NNT) - Authorities have found fossilized footprints believed to have belonged to a species of dinosaur on a massive stone bed at Phu Faek forest park in Kalasin province. Damrongsak Chusrithong, head of Phu Faek forest park, together with officials from the Department of Mineral Resources, recently inspected the footprints after a resident from Ban Nam Kham reported the find to local officials. According to department reports, the footprints range in length from 21-30 cm, with a width of 17-31 cm. Officials believe the prints belonged to a carnivorous type of dinosaur that stood about two meters tall and five meters long. This is the first time traces of the species, assumed to have lived around 140 million years ago, have been discovered in Thailand. Officials said the latest footprints to be found were located 1.5 kilometers from another fossilized print belonging to the biggest carnivorous dinosaur ever discovered in Thailand. The area is expected to be developed into an education site for paleontological and geological research in the future. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230130111114685 -- © Copyright NNT 2023-01-30 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

Thailand and Turkey Hold 4th JETC Bilateral Meeting BANGKOK (NNT) - Further talks on strengthening bilateral trade between Thailand and Turkey, including negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), have taken place during the Fourth Meeting of the Thai-Turkish Joint Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (JETC). Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284966-thailand-and-turkey-hold-4th-jetc-bilateral-meeting/

BANGKOK (NNT) - Further talks on strengthening bilateral trade between Thailand and Turkey, including negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), have taken place during the Fourth Meeting of the Thai-Turkish Joint Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (JETC). Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai held bilateral discussions with Turkey’s Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank in the Turkish capital Ankara. Both sides also co-chaired the 4th JETC to revitalize cooperation between both nations. The 4th JETC meeting discussed cooperation under the JETC framework - 20 years after the previous session in 2003. Both sides expressed their intention to hold high-level dialogues in order to enhance bilateral relations, especially amid common geopolitical challenges including food and energy security. One of the issues discussed at the meeting was expediting negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Thailand and Turkey to increase bilateral trade to US$2 billion. Both sides also held talks on enhancing reciprocal investment, especially in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor, as well as potential areas of cooperation such as science, technology, and innovation, renewable energy, the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economic Model and the defense industry. After the meeting, both ministers presided over the signing of a memorandum of understanding on development ties between the Thailand International Cooperation Agency and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency. They also signed the minutes of the latest JETC meeting, which will serve as a guideline for future cooperation, as well as promoting new potential areas of collaboration such as defense frameworks. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230130160151812 -- © Copyright NNT 2023-01-30 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

Thailand Businesses Lead the World in Business Health BANGKOK (NNT) - Grant Thornton’s latest International Business Report (IBR) shows that Thailand’s business health is at its highest point since 2017. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284963-thailand-businesses-lead-the-world-in-business-health/

BANGKOK (NNT) - Grant Thornton’s latest International Business Report (IBR) shows that Thailand’s business health is at its highest point since 2017. Grant Thornton released their International Business Report this month, showing that the business health of the Thai mid-market has been at its highest point since 2017. In the second half of 2022, Thailand’s business health improved by 3.8 percentage points over H1 2022, with the index reaching 8.8 – marking the highest point in five years and exceeding regional and global averages for the first time since 2017. In contrast, ASEAN business leaders are more cautious, while Asia Pacific and Global business leaders remain bearish. Ian Pascoe, CEO and Managing Partner at Grant Thornton in Thailand, said this on the findings: “Business leaders are better prepared after having gone through 3 years of unprecedented economic turbulence as Thailand emerges from the pandemic. Our business survey indicates Thai businesses share a positive sentiment in their outlook for 2023 and are more positive about the effects of the external factors on their business.” We can determine business health by combining the overall economic outlook with the sentiment on restrictions. The three major economic outlook indicators of general economic optimism, business conditions and investment intentions declined by 2.1 percentage points, 0.5pp, and 3.4pp respectively, in the second half of 2022. Improving sentiment on restrictions has significantly bolstered Thailand’s business health index. Business concern over demand constraints dropped by 9.6 percentage points from H1 2022, while worries over supply constraints fell by 7.4pp. Despite ongoing challenges of inflation, high energy prices, and cultural phenomena such as the Great Resignation, businesses in Thailand remains more positive in their outlook as compared to the past 5 years, indicating that businesses have adapted and built resilience into their operations in preparation for 2023. In Thailand only 49% of survey respondents across the region listed economic uncertainty as a major constraint, an improvement of 18pp from the second half of 2021. Businesses remain cautious when it comes to fiscal expenditures and investments. Just 36% of Thailand’s mid-market companies indicated that they would increase their headcount in 2023. The availability of skilled personnel is certainly not a limiting factor, at least currently. Only 26% of respondents in Thailand said talent scarcity was a significant issue, compared to 37% of respondents in ASEAN and 57% globally. Despite encouraging signs of recovery, companies across Thailand are planning only modest investments in information technology (49%; down 12pp from H1 2022), plant and machinery (39%; down 5pp from H1 2022), and personnel (36%, as mentioned above; down 12pp from H1 2022). Tanva Mahitivanichcha, Partner at Grant Thornton, commented, “these results indicate that business leaders in Thailand are planning to invest cautiously, at least in the near term. The challenges of inflation, energy prices, and interest rates remain. However, economic uncertainty dropping by 12pp since the first half of 2022 and nearly 20pp compared to the second half of 2022 indicates the nation’s resilience and ability to adapt to the post-covid environment. As Thailand continues to re-open its tourism sector, business health will continue trending upwards.” Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230130163355828 -- © Copyright NNT 2023-01-30 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

Government Halts Proposed Plans for Baby Milk Formula Price Hike BANGKOK (NNT) - The Department of Internal Trade Promotion (DIT) has temporarily frozen plans by manufacturers to raise prices for baby milk formula and canned fish to cover increased production costs, citing regulations being enforced by the government. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284962-government-halts-proposed-plans-for-baby-milk-formula-price-hike/

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Department of Internal Trade Promotion (DIT) has temporarily frozen plans by manufacturers to raise prices for baby milk formula and canned fish to cover increased production costs, citing regulations being enforced by the government. According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek, the DIT has informed the manufacturers that both products are considered "controlled" and require approval from the department before any price hikes can be implemented. In the case of soymilk, which was expected to see a 1-2 baht per pack increase, Rachada noted that it is not a controlled product, but the price adjustment must reflect the real production cost. The Internal Trade Department is currently looking into the production cost structure of the particular item to determine a fair price adjustment. There are currently 56 products and services under price control in Thailand, with officials closely monitoring their price movements and particularly those classified as sensitive, such as pork, fresh chicken meat and cooking oil. Rachada added that the department may also consider imposing new measures if shortages are found in products such as soap, dishwashing liquid, powdered milk, toilet paper or ready-made meals. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230130124133720 -- © Copyright NNT 2023-01-30 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

Deputy House Speaker Calls for Accelerated SEZ Development BANGKOK (NNT) - Deputy House Speaker Suchart Tancharoen has called for the government to speed up the development of Chiang Rai as a special economic zone (SEZ) in order to keep up with the rapid growth of the Golden Triangle SEZ in Lao PDR. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284961-deputy-house-speaker-calls-for-accelerated-sez-development/

BANGKOK (NNT) - Deputy House Speaker Suchart Tancharoen has called for the government to speed up the development of Chiang Rai as a special economic zone (SEZ) in order to keep up with the rapid growth of the Golden Triangle SEZ in Lao PDR. Suchart made the remarks during his recent visit to Laos to discuss investment and trade opportunities in the Golden Triangle region, where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar share a border. The gathering was also attended by Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister, Vilay Lakhamphong, the managing directors of the Golden Triangle SEZ Council, and scores of high-ranking officials. According to Suchart, Thailand - given its geographical advantages - should begin working with its neighbor to eradicate decades-long criminal activities in the area and transform the Golden Triangle SEZ into a major transport hub. Chiang Rai is also taking an active role in the regional redevelopment by constructing the Thailand-Laos Bridge. The project is seen as a major step towards strengthening the economic ties between Thailand and Laos and further promoting regional development. It is expected to be completed within the next few years and will serve as a major hub for trade and commerce in the region. Officials said the Chiang Rai SEZ will attract significant investment, boosting the local economy and creating new job opportunities. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230130114704705 -- © Copyright NNT 2023-01-30 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

National park chief promises examine every complaint of unfair transfer About 300 officials in Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, who claimed they were unfairly transferred, have been asked to file complaints with an ad hoc committee, which has been set up to resolve the problem. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284960-national-park-chief-promises-examine-every-complaint-of-unfair-transfer/

About 300 officials in Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, who claimed they were unfairly transferred, have been asked to file complaints with an ad hoc committee, which has been set up to resolve the problem. Newly-appointed director-general of the department, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, has promised these officials that he will personally open and read their sealed letters of complaint, before sending them to the committee for consideration. He said that all the complaints will be treated fairly, addingthat the most important thing about this exercise is to put the right man in the right job. Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/national-park-chief-promises-examine-every-complaint-of-unfair-transfer/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-01-30 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

Air Force Officer Arrested After Snatching Gold Necklace at Nonthaburi Shopping Mall An air force officer was immediately arrested after he snatched a gold necklace from a gold shop at a shopping mall in Nonthaburi. Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1284959-air-force-officer-arrested-after-snatching-gold-necklace-at-nonthaburi-shopping-mall/

An air force officer was immediately arrested after he snatched a gold necklace from a gold shop at a shopping mall in Nonthaburi. The Anti-Trafficking in Person Division (ATPD) Commander Major General Sarut Kwaengsopa told TPN media that on Sunday (January 29th) Major Prawet Sangprom from the ATPD who was off duty in the shopping mall in Pak Kret heard someone shout out for help. The man was running while some people were chasing after him. Major Prawet immediately caught the man. The suspect was taken to the Pak Kret police station. Seized from him was a gold necklace worth about 30,000 baht. He was identified as Master Sergeant Supan Insawang, 40, from the Royal Air Force Academy. Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/01/30/air-force-officer-arrested-after-snatching-gold-necklace-at-nonthaburi-shopping-mall/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-01-30 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.