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By Jonathan Fairfield One of Thailand’s largest and most popular expat football tournaments will be held in Hua Hin in December. The Hua Hin World Cup 2022, presented by Viking Club Hua Hin, will take place during the long weekend of 10-11 December, with Monday 12th December a national holiday in Thailand. The seven-a-side Hua Hin World Cup consisted of just six teams when it began but has grown to become a major sporting event with 16 teams and almost 200 amateur players set to take part in this year’s tournament. Teams are made up of local and expat football players from Hua Hin and Bangkok, with many others traveling from across the country to play in the tournament. Full story: https://www.huahintoday.com/hua-hin-news/hua-hin-world-cup-2022-to-be-held-10-11-dec/ -- © Copyright Hua Hin Today 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Engelbert Humperdinck makes Hua Hin even more romantic with seaside concert at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort — and gets charmed himself during first-ever visit to city By Online Reporter Engelbert Humperdinck is a pop music legend. He’s known worldwide for songs such as ‘Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)’ and several other smash hits. To date the British vocalist has sold upwards of 150 million records. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269667-engelbert-humperdinck-makes-hua-hin-even-more-romantic-with-seaside-concert-at-intercontinental-hua-hin-resort-—-and-gets-charmed-himself-during-first-ever-visit-to-city/

By Online Reporter Engelbert Humperdinck is a pop music legend. He’s known worldwide for songs such as ‘Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)’ and several other smash hits. To date the British vocalist has sold upwards of 150 million records. To his many accomplishments, he now adds another – his first visit to Hua Hin. Ahead of a much-anticipated beachside performance on 20 August – “The Legendary Engelbert Humperdinck in Hua Hin” at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort – the singer arrived in Thailand on 18 August and, always the consummate professional, he immediately headed to Hua Hin to prepare for the show. That didn’t mean, however, there wasn’t time for a typically warm Thai welcome and chance to experience the many delights of Hua Hin. Full story: https://www.huahintoday.com/hua-hin-news/engelbert-humperdinck-makes-hua-hin-even-more-romantic-with-seaside-concert-at-intercontinental-hua-hin-resort-and-gets-charmed-himself-during-first-ever-visit-to-city/ -- © Copyright Hua Hin Today 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Thailand’s Central Group close the deal on Selfridges by Andrew J Wood The iconic Selfridges Oxford Street is considered one of the UK capital’s premier shopping destinations in the heart of London, which occupies an entire city block Bangkok: Central Group and Signa Holding announces today they have now completed the acquisition of the luxury retailer, Selfridges Group from the Canadian Weston Family. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269664-thailand’s-central-group-close-the-deal-on-selfridges/

The iconic Selfridges Oxford Street is considered one of the UK capital’s premier shopping destinations in the heart of London, which occupies an entire city block by Andrew J Wood Bangkok: Central Group and Signa Holding announces today they have now completed the acquisition of the luxury retailer, Selfridges Group from the Canadian Weston Family. The Central Group, controlled by the billionaire Chirathivat family is the largest department store chain operating for more than 75 years in Thailand. With the acquisition of British luxury store chain Selfridges, Central and Signa aims to become a major global player in the department store sector. This transaction has created one of the world’s leading luxury department store groups, with presence in 8 countries in Europe and flagship stores in the cities' most sought-after locations, particularly the iconic Selfridges department store. In December 2021 it was reported that Thailand's largest department store owner, Central Group, was just days away from closing a 4 billion pound ($4.76 billion) acquisition of Selfridges stores in the United Kingdom. The current owners of Selfridges, agreed terms with Central around the end of November, according to a report in The Times newspaper. The Weston family owned Selfridges for almost 20 years (2003), acquiring the brand for 598 million pounds. Selfridges Group portfolio, which comprises 18 stores under 4 banners in 3 countries, namely; Brown Thomas Department Stores Ireland Arnotts Department Stores Ireland De Bijenkorf Department Stores Holland The integration will also include Selfridges Group's unrivaled e-commerce platforms, which draw over 30 million online visitors monthly and ship to over 130 countries worldwide. This will be integrated with Central and Signa's combined existing portfolio of 22 luxury department stores and 2 new stores to open soon in Dusseldorf and Vienna. The current holdings comprise Rinascente in Italy and Illum in Denmark, which are wholly owned by Central Group, KaDeWe, Oberpollinger, Alsterhaus in Germany, and Globus in Switzerland, are jointly owned by Central Group and Signa Holding. Central Group, owned by the billionaire Chirathivat family, has had a presence in Europe since 2011. Last year, the joint venture bought Swiss luxury department store Globus and other real estate assets for $1 billion. Tos Chirathivat CEO Central Group Mr. Tos Chirathivat, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Central Group, and Mr. Dieter Berninghaus, Chairman of the Executive Board of Signa Holding, will be the new Co-Chairman of the Group. “We are long-term investors with a well-established partnership and shared vision to reshape and reinvent the luxury retail industry. We are committed to creating the world`s leading luxury omni-channel platform for all our customers through both online and offline channels. We are excited to meet and work with our new colleagues, as well as brand partners, to achieve this vision,” wrote Mr. Tos Chirathivat. The transaction sees Selfridges Group become part of the combined Central and Signa portfolio of luxury department stores, which includes Rinascente in Italy, Illum in Denmark, Globus in Switzerland and the KaDeWe Group, which operates in Germany and Austria (starting in 2024). The pro-forma annual turnover for the combined department stores portfolio was €5 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow to more than €7 billion by 2024. The combination will create a complementary portfolio of leading European luxury department stores, enabling innovation and knowledge sharing across different locations, says the joint venture. Selfridges, founded in 1908 by Harry Gordon Selfridge, is best known for the giant store on London's Oxford Street. It has been controlled by the Westons since 2003. Central and Signa are expected to operate all stores in the Selfridges Group, including Selfridges, de Bijenkorf, Brown Thomas and Arnotts. Back in February 2022 Central Retail also announced it will spread $3 billion across its operations in Thailand, Vietnam and Italy. Central Retail has 23 Central department stores in Thailand and 40 under the mid-range Robinson brand, making it the biggest chain of its kind in the country. Central Retail has 3,641 branded stores (Sept 2021 ) including supermarkets, hypermarkets, sportswear, stationery, electronics and office products. Observers suggest said the latest acquisitions indicate the physical retail store business is very much alive with retail business shifting to omni-channel shopping; no longer limited to online and offline. Companies clearly believe in the potential of physical stores, reflected by the recent expansion by two e-commerce players, Amazon and Alibaba. These two already expanded into the physical store business during the pandemic. --2002-08-23

Pattaya mayor visits Live Music Benefit for Lam Morrison, the Guitar King By Tanakorn Panyadee PHOTO: บริษัท โสภณ เคเบิ้ล ที.วี.และสื่อสาร พัทยา จำกัด Pattaya — The Pattaya Mayor visited a Live Music Benefit for Lam Morrison, the Guitar King, charity concert to greet Lam Morrison, Thailand’s guitar king who was recovering from medical ailments. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269662-pattaya-mayor-visits-live-music-benefit-for-lam-morrison-the-guitar-king/

PHOTO: บริษัท โสภณ เคเบิ้ล ที.วี.และสื่อสาร พัทยา จำกัด By Tanakorn Panyadee Pattaya — The Pattaya Mayor visited a Live Music Benefit for Lam Morrison, the Guitar King, charity concert to greet Lam Morrison, Thailand’s guitar king who was recovering from medical ailments. The Pattaya mayor Poramase Ngampiches on August 20th traveled to Hard Rock Cafe in Central Pattaya to witness the Live Music Benefit for Lam Morrison – Guitar King charity concert to raise money for Lam Morrison who was idolized by his fans as “Thailand’s guitar king” to fight his ailments. Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/08/22/pattaya-mayor-visits-live-music-benefit-for-lam-morrison-the-guitar-king/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

World Sports News - Tuesday 23 August by Chili Radio Listen to the news: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269658-world-sports-news-tuesday-23-august-by-chili-radio/

Listen to the news: Football - In the English Premier League Manchester United put in a strong performance in front of their home supporters at Old Trafford to beat Liverpool 2-1 leaving the Merseyside club still without a win so far this season. In Serie A in Italy Juventus were held to a 0-0 draw at Sampdoria and Roma won 1-0 at home to Cremonese Japan's Urawa Reds thrashed Thailand's BG Pathum United 4-0 last night in the Asian Champions League and will play Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea who beat Vissel Kobe of Japan 3-1 in the other semi final. Pathum were playing in the quarterfinals for the first time. Tennis - World number two Alexander Zverev has withdrawn from the US Open as he continues to recover from torn ankle ligaments suffered during his French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal. Germany's Zverev, who is 25, was not expected to be able to play after needing surgery in early June. F1 - Bernie Ecclestone has denied fraud over an alleged failure to declare about $650m in overseas assets. The 91-year-old former Formula 1 boss indicated a not guilty plea to a charge of fraud by false representation at a court in London. He is accused of failing to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank account containing funds that at the time would have been worth more than £400m. Download the Chili Radio app : https://chiliradio.app for Chili Pop and Chili Classics. -- © Copyright Chili RADIO 2022-08-23 Chili Radio: https://chiliradiothailand.com Listen Live: https://chiliradio.asia - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Discussion stages on media monitoring reveal top public concerns about present-day media by Namo Vananupong BANGKOK (NNT) - The last of a series of discussion stages to promote public participation in media monitoring has taken place. The discussions, hosted by Thai Media Fund, revealed the public was most concerned with online scams, fake news, and cyberbullying. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269657-discussion-stages-on-media-monitoring-reveal-top-public-concerns-about-present-day-media/

by Namo Vananupong BANGKOK (NNT) - The last of a series of discussion stages to promote public participation in media monitoring has taken place. The discussions, hosted by Thai Media Fund, revealed the public was most concerned with online scams, fake news, and cyberbullying. Culture ministry permanent secretary Yupha Taweewattanakitborvon chaired an activity organized by the Thai Media Fund (TMF). The activity is the fourth and last in the “TMF Power for Change” series, which is aimed at promoting public participation in media affairs. According to Ms. Yupha, the three prior stages held yielded the opinions activity participants had about media monitoring. Most participants wanted films, series, short films, and animations to be increasingly promoted. They also wanted training and seminars to be held to improve professional and amateur media creators’ capacities. Participants also indicated they wanted to see the promotion of media created to inform the public about fake news. The participants believed the groups that have the most need for safe and constructive media are children and university-age young adults. Three most prominent problems associated with the media were identified through the activities. The first involves online scams via messaging on the Line mobile application and via falsified emails. The second problem identified has to do with fake news spread on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The third problem involves cyberbullying of children and minors. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG220823002137965 -- © Copyright NNT 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Nonthaburi Preparing For Floods As Northern Runoff Heads Downstream by TNR Staff Sandbags being filled and barriers built in Nonthaburi as floods loom this week. Photos: Sanook.com HECTIC preparation for floods is underway in Nonthaburi province after an alert by the Royal Irrigation Department that the Chao Phraya Dam will be releasing more water from Tuesday to Thursday, August 23-25, Sanook.com said yesterday evening (August 22). Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269656-nonthaburi-preparing-for-floods-as-northern-runoff-heads-downstream/

Sandbags being filled and barriers built in Nonthaburi as floods loom this week. Photos: Sanook.com by TNR Staff HECTIC preparation for floods is underway in Nonthaburi province after an alert by the Royal Irrigation Department that the Chao Phraya Dam will be releasing more water from Tuesday to Thursday, August 23-25, Sanook.com said yesterday evening (August 22). Mr. Somnuk Thanadechakul, mayor of Nonthaburi city, ordered the stacking of sandbags on Chao Phraya River to protect low-lying areas including Pak Nam and Khema Phirataram temples, Sang Thien community, Nonthaburi pier and the Corrections Department, a distance of 10 kilometres, with the sandbag barrier to be around 60 centimetres high. Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/08/22/nonthaburi-preparing-for-floods-as-northern-runoff-heads-downstream/ -- © Copyright THAI NEWSROOM 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Prayut Could Continue As Defence Minister If Ordered By Court To Halt Being PM: Wissanu By Thai Newsroom Reporters Protesters at Larn Khon Muang amid dark storm clouds yesterday. Photo: INN News PRIME MINISTER PRAYUT Chan-o-cha may legally perform as defence minister, the post which he has concurrently assumed, if he is ordered by court to stop performing as head of government in the wake of a legal controversy over his eight-year rule, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam today (August 22). Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269655-prayut-could-continue-as-defence-minister-if-ordered-by-court-to-halt-being-pm-wissanu/

Protesters at Larn Khon Muang amid dark storm clouds yesterday. Photo: INN News By Thai Newsroom Reporters PRIME MINISTER PRAYUT Chan-o-cha may legally perform as defence minister, the post which he has concurrently assumed, if he is ordered by court to stop performing as head of government in the wake of a legal controversy over his eight-year rule, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam yesterday (August 22). Prayut may practically hold onto the defence portfolio and attend cabinet meetings at Government House while leaving the top post of government to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan to perform as a caretaker one if the Constitutional Court orders him to immediately stop performing as prime minister until a court ruling on his eight-year rule maximumly provided by law has been delivered, Wissanu said. Given the fact that no law prohibits a prime minister from concurrently performing in other capacities, Prayut could continue to run the defence portfolio though he may be immediately stopped by court from running the country as premier, according to the deputy premier in charge of legal affairs. Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/08/22/prayut-could-continue-as-defence-minister-if-ordered-by-court-to-halt-being-pm-wissanu/ -- © Copyright THAI NEWSROOM 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

ThaiHealth launches Social Telecare platform by Tanakorn Sangiam BANGKOK (NNT) - The Thai Health Promotion Foundation and Thammasat University have launched the Social Telecare platform aimed to improve healthcare services for the vulnerable population. This platform is now being piloted at 89 hospitals across the country. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269654-thaihealth-launches-social-telecare-platform/

by Tanakorn Sangiam BANGKOK (NNT) - The Thai Health Promotion Foundation and Thammasat University have launched the Social Telecare platform aimed to improve healthcare services for the vulnerable population. This platform is now being piloted at 89 hospitals across the country. The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has announced the new Social Telecare platform, designed to help improve the livelihoods of the vulnerable population in regard to healthcare services. Developed together with the Faculty of Social Administration at Thammasat University, the platform aims to help improve access to the National Health Security services among persons with disabilities, inmates, dependent elders, and monks, among others. The platform is now being piloted in a sandbox with 89 hospitals, covering all 13 health districts. The campaign has so far provided training for some 2,000 social workers, healthcare professionals, and village health volunteers. The Social Telecare platform will be linked to primary care units, enabling real-time patient evaluating and reporting functions, with data further provided to multidisciplinary teams in order to provide more comprehensive services. The platform is aimed to help cut down on some costs associated with the public health system, while allowing data to be analyzed for policy-making purposes and address systemic issues in the future. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG220823002933968 -- © Copyright NNT 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

National Strategy Committee approves 1,026 projects by Tanakorn Sangiam BANGKOK (NNT) - The National Strategy Committee has approved 1,026 projects that cater to the national strategic goals as the national strategic development plan enters the second phase. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269653-national-strategy-committee-approves-1026-projects/

by Tanakorn Sangiam BANGKOK (NNT) - The National Strategy Committee has approved 1,026 projects that cater to the national strategic goals as the national strategic development plan enters the second phase. Presiding over the committee’s meeting today, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said the National Strategy Committee had laid out a national strategic guideline in keeping with global developments. He asked the government, general public, and private sector to cooperate in the implementation of national strategies toward concrete outcomes within a set time frame. The Prime Minister said the materialization of national strategies has entered the second phase, with the current focus being to ensure sufficient income among the general public, while the third phase will focus on the elimination of poverty. 1,026 projects have been approved and will be carried out in the fiscal year 2024. The committee also approved the draft 2023-2037 amendment for the national strategic master plan, which provides better clarity and coverage for individual goals; together with the national development guideline, and the guideline for the materialization and evaluation of the 13th National Economic and Social Development Plan. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG220823003842971 -- © Copyright NNT 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

PM admires RCEP growth by Tanakorn Sangiam BANGKOK (NNT) - The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, has already helped Thailand sustain trade growth with other member countries. Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha lauded this positive outcome and asked Thai businesses to leverage this partnership. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269652-pm-admires-rcep-growth/

by Tanakorn Sangiam BANGKOK (NNT) - The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, has already helped Thailand sustain trade growth with other member countries. Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha lauded this positive outcome and asked Thai businesses to leverage this partnership. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Thailand in the first half of 2022 recorded 169 billion U.S. dollars in trade value with RCEP partners, a 13% year-on-year growth. The country’s export to RECP partners within the same period grew 9% at 78.17 billion dollars. The Ministry of Commerce’s report suggests all categories of exported goods have benefited from the RECP deal, including processed farmed products, farmed goods, and industrial goods. RCEP is a new free trade agreement with 15 members, namely the 10 ASEAN countries, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, and New Zealand. The pact has a combined population of 2.3 billion people, and a combined GDP of 28.5 trillion U.S. dollars, or around 33.6% of the global GDP. The Thai government is encouraging businesses to fully leverage the benefits provided through RCEP, which can help reduce manufacturing costs, improve performance, and enhance competitiveness. One of the strengths provided by RCEP is its rules of origin, which allow businesses to obtain tax waivers more easily, in a more streamlined process. The Department of Foreign Trade has already set up the certificate of origin request system for eligible businesses to apply for tariff waivers and reductions. More information is available on the department’s website www.dft.go.th, or call the 1385 hotline. Story: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG220822210402909 -- © Copyright NNT 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Health Min presents Smart Family policy as a means of handling low fertility by Namo Vananupong BANGKOK (NNT) - APEC Health Week is taking place in Thailand from 22 August until Friday. The Ministry of Public Health is hosting the High Level Meeting on Health and the Economy (HLMHE) in Bangkok. Ministry officials today presented their ‘Smart Family’ policy to address low childbirth and mitigate impacts on labor and the economy. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269651-health-min-presents-smart-family-policy-as-a-means-of-handling-low-fertility/

by Namo Vananupong BANGKOK (NNT) - APEC Health Week is taking place in Thailand from 22 August until Friday. The Ministry of Public Health is hosting the High Level Meeting on Health and the Economy (HLMHE) in Bangkok. Ministry officials today presented their ‘Smart Family’ policy to address low childbirth and mitigate impacts on labor and the economy. On the first day of APEC Health Week, deputy public health minister Sathit Pitutecha inaugurated a policy dialogue on the topic of Smart Families. He said 17 of the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) are facing demographic problems. Specifically, overall fertility rates in these 17 economies are lower than the rates needed to sustain their populations. This results in a tendency for a population decline and could have long-term impacts on each of the 17 economies. Mr. Sathit said Thailand is one of the said economies, with the country of 66 million having recently become an ageing society. The country is on course to becoming a ‘super-aged’ society in due course. The deputy health minister explained today’s meeting allowed APEC representatives to have exchanges on their economy’s demographic situation. Health officials, family planning experts, civil society members, and private sector representatives also participated in the talks. Among the sub-topics discussed included fertility planning, avoiding unintended pregnancy, and Thailand’s ‘Smart Families’ program. Department of Health Director-General Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai said Thailand had implemented 3 phases of demographic policies. The initial phase had to do with encouraging people to have more children. This resulted in Thailand’s population rising to 26.3 million in 1960 from 14.5 million in 1937. The second phase involved the promotion of family planning, starting in 1970. Consequently, the rate of people practicing birth control rose from 14% to 72%. The third phase is the present period, when the demographic structure is more complex than in the past. Unintended pregnancy, teenage pregnancy, unwanted pregnancy, and unsafe abortion also exacerbate Thailand’s decline in fertility. In support of the Smart Family policy, a number of laws and relevant policies have been issued. Among these were the 2nd national fertility development strategy and a law on the prevention and remedy of teenage pregnancy. The latter has allowed the delivery figure among teens aged 15-19 to drop by half. It also mitigated the problem of teenagers dropping out of the education system by enabling welfare for teenage mothers. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG220822212745938 -- © Copyright NNT 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Scammers are bombarding Thai customers with spam numbers File photo Over the past few weeks, many have been receiving calls from various numbers that start with +697. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1269650-scammers-are-bombarding-thai-customers-with-spam-numbers/

File photo Over the past few weeks, many have been receiving calls from various numbers that start with +697. It is very annoying and although you must not answer, the ringing goes on for over 60 seconds. According to Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES), they say it is most likely a scam call centre trying to swindle you out of money. If a number starting with +697 rings you, don't answer, as it can be extremely dangerous. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry warned people against answering calls with the prefix “+697”, saying that the prefix was used by call-centre scammers. The warning was made by DES spokesperson who explained that the +697 prefix was assigned to numbers based on IP (Internet Protocol) telephony. They said that since IP phone numbers do not have to be registered with the authorities, call-center scammers tend to use them to make untraceable calls to victims. As a result, the DES asked the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and mobile phone operators to assign incoming IP calls with the +697 prefix to alert customers of the potential danger. “To avoid being deceived, people should not answer such calls.” The DES recommends that people who receive SMS messages or calls from suspicious numbers can tell their mobile phone operators to block them. It has now happened to a colleague who wrote down the numbers that had tried to call them and called DTAC their phone provider. He was told to use his own phone to block these calls. In view of the large numbers being affected, you would have thought that providers would be more proactive!!! Scammers seem to be everywhere especially using celebrities to endorse products. You see a photo of a well-known international celebrity investing in a particular fund that can make you instant profits. It is so obviously a scam it is surprising that Facebook with all its clout cannot stop them immediately. Anyway having blocked the +697 numbers on his mobile it will be interesting to see if they stop calling. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-23 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information