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The new Bangkok governor is pressing ahead with “Open Bangkok Data” and various other tech innovations in hope of delivering better quality of life for the 10 million people who live in Thailand’s capital. (Photo by Markus Winkler) Harnessing digital technology to solve problems is one of the things that sets Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt’s administration apart from his predecessors. As a graduate of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the newly elected governor apparently trusts that tech solutions will make a big difference. Aside from promoting the Traffy Fondue complaints-receiving application, Chadchart is pressing ahead with “Open Bangkok Data” and various other tech innovations in hope of delivering better quality of life for the 10 million people who live in Thailand’s capital. Open Bangkok Data Relying on data-gathering technology, this initiative aims to foster citizen participation in city development, conflict reduction, and transparency. The idea is to make relevant, quality data about Bangkok available through digital platforms, handing the public a powerful tool to monitor and help shape city development. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/from-mit-to-bma-how-new-governor-chadchart-is-turning-bangkok-into-a-smart-city/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-06-15 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

Woman posts warning: They put ganja in my soup causing an allergic reaction Picture: Thai Rath Thai media continued to find every angle imaginable in the ongoing furor surrounding the removal of marijuana from the Class 5 narcotics list last Thursday. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262848-woman-posts-warning-they-put-ganja-in-my-soup-causing-an-allergic-reaction/

Picture: Thai Rath Thai media continued to find every angle imaginable in the ongoing furor surrounding the removal of marijuana from the Class 5 narcotics list last Thursday. Now Thai Rath reported on a "warning post" online about a woman who said she had an allergic reaction to a ganja leaf she found in her Tom Jeut Mara - a kind of boiled soup with bitter gourd. She only found out after she had ordered it that it contained a marijuana leaf. But she went ahead and ate it and claimed she had a severe reaction. The shop has apologized and given her her money back. The story started to play out on Facebook in a post by Sirijan Teerawan who advised traders that not everyone can tolerate ganja in their food. She said she ate the dish in the evening and was feeling terrible in the night. She claimed she had a headache, dry throat, throat swelling, great thirst, difficulty swallowing, tiredness and stomach pains. She realised this was an allergic reaction. She treated herself with paracetamol and mineral salts. She claimed she was "tortured for three days". She was advising all her friends to watch out and check before they eat. She posted a picture of the leaf and her going to get treatment at Phanat Nikhom Hospital. The media caught up with the 27 year old at her home; she who showed all the evidence associated with her claims. She said the trader who sold her the item was in touch and had refunded the 280 baht she paid. She was happy at that and the concern showed by the trader for her well-being. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-15 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

Marijuana latest: PM says everyone concerned - Anutin exasperated over "overdose" reports amid recreational use 77kaoded Thai Caption: Don't interfere!!! Changes to the regulations surrounding marijuana - that came in less than a week ago - are causing major political ructions at the top of Thai politics. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262846-marijuana-latest-pm-says-everyone-concerned-anutin-exasperated-over-overdose-reports-amid-recreational-use/

77kaoded Thai Caption: Don't interfere!!! Changes to the regulations surrounding marijuana - that came in less than a week ago - are causing major political ructions at the top of Thai politics. It is patently clear that despite months of knowing that the law would change - some would say years of preparation for the event - the Thai government is under pressure having been caught out by the massive public interest in the issue. Yesterday Thai Rath reported comments from the Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha who essentially washed his hands of the issue saying that it was health minister and DPM Anutin Charnvirakul's baby. He said: "The government is concerned. I'm concerned. Everyone is concerned. Listen to him (Anutin)". The media said that many government agencies had been completely caught on the hop by the whole legalization issue with confusion reigning especially over recreational vs medical use of the drug. They didn't delve into what is happening in the country - "dispensaries" are openly selling flowers and buds of weed that contain enough THC (tetrahydrocannnabinol) to get even regular users stoned. This appears to not be what Anutin had in mind when he proposed that people could grow weed for medical purposes. The Thai press were getting stuck into Anutin with claims that someone had "overdosed" on the drug after suffering tightness of the chest. This set Anutin off on a tirade as he defended his policy. It was in his Bhumjaithai party's manifesto at the election in 2019 and has been his own particular hobby horse for years. He laid into the press for bringing up the subject now suggesting it was being used as an unfair means to attack the government and he knew why that was being done. "Why bring up the overdose issue now?," he stormed. "Why not before? What's the reason? You can overdose on anything if it is misused, even paracetamol". Asked if it was political he told the press to evaluate and analyze that for themselves. Then he told them: "Don't interfere in politics". He said that the people should be left to get on with the changes to the law saying that ganja was good for people. He reiterated that the government's view was always to say don't use marijuana recreationally to get high. He admitted that it was his policy and he would carry the can. He also admitted that the actual law on its use was a work in progress that would be sorted by having two meetings a week during the remaining tenure of the parliament. It would get done in time. So far the only concrete move is the removal from the Class 5 narcotics list. The rest has to be decided and the devil will be in the details. Details that at the moment are very much in the air and up for 'interpretation'. He stressed that it has always been his ministry's view that marijuana should only be used for medical purposes not recreation. This as shops sold ganja with exotic names like Gorilla Glue #4 by the gram for upwards of 650 baht at specialist outlets in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and elsewhere. "Recreational use is wrong," he said. "f there are people doing that then it will be sorted out in time." But he acknowledged that Thais have used marijuana recreationally for years before the removal from the narcotics list. Though he stopped short of saying nothing had changed. Parents had always warned their children about its use as had schools. This issue is not going away, notes ASEAN NOW with 77kaoded reporting that Prayuth had given Anutin a big stick to address the matter. But it is the press seeing what is going on in Thailand who are using their stick on both Anutin and Prayuth - and they don't like it having been caught out as political amateurs, suggests ASEAN NOW. Further context by our news team: ASEAN NOW notes that claims about several people being admitted to hospital after taking cannabis came from the new Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt. He also alleged that a 51 year old man died from heart failure after "overdosing on cannabis". City Hall said it was heart failure, NOT an overdose. US authorities say people cannot overdose on weed and there have been no such cases. Mr Chadchart was in the government of political adversary Yingluck Shinawatra. In print media Anutin called for the matter of cannabis not to be "politicized" while a senator warned of a "vacuum" if the canabis and hemp bill was not passed during the current parliamentary session adding to fears this would delay curbs on recreational use to protect the young. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-15 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

NATIONAL NEWS from Surf 102.5 FM - Wednesday June 15 2022 Listen to the news: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262844-national-news-from-surf-1025-fm-wednesday-june-15-2022/

Listen to the news: One man has died and another three remain in hospital in Bangkok after taking an overdose of cannabis just after the drug was legalized for medicinal purposes. The man that died was 51 years old while the other 3 are aged 16, 17 and 25. Meanwhile, health minister Anutin defended last week's legalization of cannabis. The price of diesel will be held at no more than 35 baht per liter until the end of this month providing the global price of oil remains relatively stable, meanwhile a proposal for an energy price subsidy through borrowing is being prepared, ahead of a government decision next week. International Arrivals at airports will no longer have to fill out the TM6 arrival and departure card, the idea is to reduce delays at airports as the country reopens to tourists. A further announcement is due from the government in about one week. A public hearing is due to be held in Phuket before deciding whether trams or an automated bus service should be implemented on the island. Both government and the private sector will also evaluate the most effective operating costs for each service. It’s hoped the new public transport system will be ready ahead of the “ World Specialized Expo in 2028. Region: Taiwans top trade negotiator says …Any Chinese military attack on Taiwan would have a greater impact on global trade flows than the Ukraine war, "There would be a worldwide shortage of supply." The Chinese government says it wants "peaceful reunification" but reserves "other options" for Taiwan, which it regards as a Chinese province. South Korean pop band BTS say they are taking a break to pursue solo projects, the band said "The problem with K-pop and the whole idol system is that they don’t give you time to mature. You have to keep producing music and keep doing something," Cloudy with showers across the country: Chiang Mai: Bright but cloudy with thunder showers 32C Bangkok: Bright partly cloudy Dry, 35C Pattaya and SE: Sunny partly cloudy Dry 32 Phuket and the South: Bright, Cloudy with thundershowers 29C Hua Hin: Sunny becoming cloudy, perhaps some isolated showers 32C Listen Live: Surf 102.5 Facebook: Surf 102.5 -- © Copyright SURF 102.5 FM 2022-06-15 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

What Thailand’s Legalization of Marijuana Means for Southeast Asia's War on Drugs Chad de Guzman file photo Southeast Asia, a region of 11 countries and some 680 million people, has long been infamous for having the strictest anti-drug laws in the world. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262839-what-thailand’s-legalization-of-marijuana-means-for-southeast-asias-war-on-drugs/

file photo by Chad de Guzman Southeast Asia, a region of 11 countries and some 680 million people, has long been infamous for having the strictest anti-drug laws in the world. But in a sign that regional leaders are mulling a new approach, Thailand became the first country in Asia last week to decriminalize marijuana for medical and other purposes. Smoking weed for fun is still illegal, Thai’s health minister clarified to CNN, but he expects legal cannabis production to boost the economy. Over 3,000 inmates incarcerated in Thai prisons for marijuana-related offenses were also freed. This, coupled with changes to Thailand’s Narcotics Code last December to include alternatives to imprisonment for drug offenders, are signs that the country is slowly abandoning its strict drug policies, says Gloria Lai, regional director of the International Drug Policy Consortium. Lai tells TIME that Thailand’s government has recognized the problem of locking up so many people, most of them poor, for low-level offenses. Thailand has the largest prison population among ASEAN countries—some 285,000 people—and more than 80% of inmates are there on drug-related charges. There are major issues of overcrowding at Thai prisons. Full story: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/what-thailand-s-legalization-of-marijuana-means-for-southeast-asia-s-war-on-drugs/ar-AAYsuKN?ocid=EMMX&cvid=b76b8e5485ef475b8c32d61c62e4298c TIME -- 2022-06-15

World Sports News - Wednesday 15 June 2022 by Chili Radio Listen to the news: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262837-world-sports-news-wednesday-15-june-2022-by-chili-radio/

Listen to the news: Football - In last night's Nations League matches England were hammered 4-0 at Molineux by Hungary, Germany beat Italy 5-2, The Netherlands defeated Wales 3-2 and there were also wins for Scotland, Moldova, Latvia, Belgium, Bosnia, Turkey and Montenegro. Costa Rica became the last team to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a 1-0 victory over New Zealand. EPL side Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a £30m deal for Brighton & Hove Albion's 25 year old midfielder Yves Bissouma and Liverpool have completed the signing of Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez from Portuguese side Benfica on a six-year-deal for an initial £64m.The 22-year-old could become the club's record signing, with the fee rising to a potential £85m with add-ons. Cricket - England beat New Zealand in the second test to lead the series 2-0. Chasing 285 in their second innings they scored 299 -5 with Johnny Bairstow scoring 136. Download the Chili Radio app : https://chiliradio.app for Chili Pop and Chili Classics. -- © Copyright Chili RADIO 2022-06-15 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

Police still probing ‘booze fest’ party at which Russian woman died in Phuket – 3 to be charged by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor Provincial Police Region 8 commander Police Lieutenant General Amphon Buarapphon told reporters last week that the Russian diplomatic mission was satisfied with police enquiries into the death of 37-year-old Evgenia Smirnova (inset left) who died after falling 80 ft from an external staircase (inset) Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262836-police-still-probing-‘booze-fest’-party-at-which-russian-woman-died-in-phuket-–-3-to-be-charged/

Provincial Police Region 8 commander Police Lieutenant General Amphon Buarapphon told reporters last week that the Russian diplomatic mission was satisfied with police enquiries into the death of 37-year-old Evgenia Smirnova (inset left) who died after falling 80 ft from an external staircase (inset) at the Emerald Terrace condominium building in the Patong nightlife area of Phuket in the early hours of June 7th while in a highly intoxicated state. Three foreigners at a booze and sex party held at the 7th and 8th-floor apartment prior to the incident were later arrested and have been charged with negligent homicide in relation to the death. by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor Police chief in Phuket warns of the danger to foreigners who become intoxicated and the duty of care that exists to foreign visitors who are arriving on the island in increasing numbers as police continue the investigation into the tragic death of a 37-year-old Russian woman in the morning of June 7th in the Patong nightlife district with three foreign tourists already facing charges. Police in Phuket are still examining the case of a 37-year-old Russian woman who died after falling from a balcony of an apartment in the Patong area on Tuesday, June 7th after determining that charges of negligent homicide should be brought against three foreign nationals who were at the apartment at a booze and sex party at the time. It is understood that police have still not ruled out a more serious charge as the investigation proceeds. This week, the second Russian woman at the scene, 35-year-old Natalia Kosenkova, revealed she had been released from custody and accused one of the foreign men who was at the apartment when the incident took place, Jordanian Ahmad R., of behaving ‘inappropriately’ although she insisted to police that the death of her compatriot had been purely an accident for which no one is to blame. Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2022/06/14/phuket-police-still-probe-russian-woman-death/ -- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2022-06-15 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

Public Health Ministry to propose revocation of body temperature checks in airports and public places By Nop Meechukhun Bangkok – The Ministry of Public Health is planning to propose the cancellation of body temperature checks in public places to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), reasoning the low effectiveness and showing false results. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262835-public-health-ministry-to-propose-revocation-of-body-temperature-checks-in-airports-and-public-places/

By Nop Meechukhun Bangkok – The Ministry of Public Health is planning to propose the cancellation of body temperature checks in public places to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), reasoning the low effectiveness and showing false results. Dr. Rungruang Kitphati, a consultant at the Ministry of Public Health and chairman of the MIU (Ministry of Public Health – Intelligence Unit), said on Monday, June 13th, that the body temperature checks upon entering the country and public indoor places had been applied in the past due to the severity of the Covid-19 spread. However, the current situation has greatly decreased as people are vaccinated and more than half of those who are infected only have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic. Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/06/14/public-health-ministry-to-propose-revocation-of-body-temperature-checks-in-airports-and-public-places/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-06-15 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

Ferrari Joe could still face death penalty when case outcome is later reviewed by the Court of Appeal by James Morris and Son Nguyen The former police chief in the city of Nakhon Sawan Police Colonel Titisan Utthanaphon or ‘Ferrari Joe’ and six of his subordinates had the verdict of the court in Bangkok relayed to them on Wednesday last which saw six of them receive the death sentence which was immediately commuted to life in prison while one former officer received five years and four months for failure to perform his official duties, via a teleconference facility at the city’s infamous Bang Kwang Central Prison. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262833-ferrari-joe-could-still-face-death-penalty-when-case-outcome-is-later-reviewed-by-the-court-of-appeal/

The former police chief in the city of Nakhon Sawan Police Colonel Titisan Utthanaphon or ‘Ferrari Joe’ and six of his subordinates had the verdict of the court in Bangkok relayed to them on Wednesday last which saw six of them receive the death sentence which was immediately commuted to life in prison while one former officer received five years and four months for failure to perform his official duties, via a teleconference facility at the city’s infamous Bang Kwang Central Prison. This was followed by a statement from an official at the Office of the Attorney-General who explained to reporters that the judgement, in this case, is not yet finalised as even if the defendants do not appeal the verdict, it is still likely to be reviewed by the Court of Appeal as a matter of procedure. by James Morris and Son Nguyen The Ferrari Joe case involving the torture and murder of a 24-year-old drug suspect in police custody on August 5th last in Nakhon Sawan shocked and horrified Thailand. The case raised unsettling questions about the sense of impunity which drove the city police chief and his subordinates to act in the way they did. Later revelations about the mid-level young policeman’s extraordinary wealth also painted a disturbing picture. Ferrari Joe and his subordinates whose fate was relayed to them last week by a court verdict in Bangkok to the city’s central prison could still face a death sentence in a review by the Court of Appeal after six of the seven men including Police Colonel Thitisan Utthanaphon, received a life sentence for the murder under torture of drug suspect Jeerapong Thanapat in Nakhon Sawan on August 5th last. That is according to Itthiporn Kaewthip, an official at the Office of the Attorney-General who told reporters last Thursday that the verdict and judgement in the case cannot yet be considered final. Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2022/06/13/ferrari-joe-could-still-face-death-penalty/ -- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2022-06-15 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

UPDATE: Immigration forms to be temporarily scrapped for non-Thais travelling by air The cabinet has agreed to temporarily exempt the use of immigration forms, known as “Tor Mor 6”, for foreigners entering or exiting Thailand by air, to facilitate immigration checks and reduce congestion at airport immigration checkpoints, according to Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Traisoranakul. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262796-departurearrival-card-tm6-temporary-scrapped/?do=findComment&comment=17420352

Immigration forms to be temporarily scrapped for non-Thais travelling by air The cabinet has agreed to temporarily exempt the use of immigration forms, known as “Tor Mor 6”, for foreigners entering or exiting Thailand by air, to facilitate immigration checks and reduce congestion at airport immigration checkpoints, according to Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Traisoranakul. There is no timeframe yet when this measure will become effective, but it is expected to take a week. The same immigration forms for Thai nationals were withdrawn by the military junta five years ago, she said. Non-Thais entering or exiting Thailand by land or by sea are, however, still required to complete the forms. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/immigration-forms-no-longer-required-for-non-thais-entering-or-exiting-by-air/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-06-15 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

Is Thailand creating a Cannabis tourism empire? by Michael Bridge The government has said the people in Thailand can now grow cannabis plants in their homes and even sell the crop after the nation removed marijuana from its banned narcotics list. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262832-is-thailand-creating-a-cannabis-tourism-empire/

by Michael Bridge The government has said the people in Thailand can now grow cannabis plants in their homes and even sell the crop after the nation removed marijuana from its banned narcotics list. Thailand is the first country to endorse such a move in South-East Asia, a region normally known for its stringent drug laws. Now it would be fair to say the government’s policies are still not clear, which is often the case when they announce new laws. So people will need to be a bit wary at first. However we have already seen a large number of Cannabis cafes and restaurants sprouting up around the resorts and across Bangkok. A cup of cannabis tea however is unlikely to get you running to buy a box of Mars bars. The government’s aim is by developing a local cannabis trade, they expect it to boost agriculture and tourism. "It is an opportunity for people and the state to earn income from marijuana and hemp," said Anutin Charnvirakul, deputy prime minister and health minister. Giving seedlings away They are even giving away one million cannabis seedlings to citizens to encourage pick-up. Not sure if it will catch on with the Golden Triangle. This is the area where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong rivers. It remains one of the world’s major sources of illicit drugs, a top Thai police chief has confirmed, He says that illegal operations in this region include opium production and heroin manufacture. However, in recent years the cultivation of the opium poppy in Myanmar has constantly decreased. While the production of synthetic drugs in the Golden Triangle has been on the rise, especially methamphetamine tablets (yaba) and crystal meth (“ice”). Medical benefits Cannabis is of course being touted as a remedy to cure several medical conditions and can also assist with helping people to sleep too. With the correct medical reasons and a recent medical test report, patients can get supplies of various strengths of cannabis oil. They even supply a certificate in case you need to show the police too. Not sure if Bangkok will turn into a Cannabis capital such as Amsterdam, but now any incentive to attract international tourists will please the Tourism Authority of Thailand. So currently Thai homeowners will be able to cultivate up to six cannabis pot plants at home if they register with authorities, and companies can also farm the plant with a permit. Restaurants will be able to offer cannabis-infused menus and clinics across the country freely can also more freely offer cannabis as a treatment. And businesses will be ample to export cannabis oil and items made of hemp too. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-15 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

to continue: Thailand Live Wednesday 15 June 2022 https://aseannow.com/topic/1262831-thailand-live-wednesday-15-june-2022/

Four admitted to hospital, one dies after using cannabis following decriminalisation Four people were admitted to hospital for treatment after cannabis overdose and one later died of heart failure in the first known cases of hospitalisation after the decriminalisation of cannabis use in Thailand on June 9th, according to Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262784-four-admitted-to-hospital-one-dies-after-using-cannabis-following-decriminalisation/

Cannabis flowers proposed to be classified as controlled herb to prevent abuse The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine has proposed to classify cannabis flowers as a controlled herb, to prevent misuse and curb recreational use following the decriminalisation of the plant, and pending deliberation of the Cannabis and Hemp Bill in parliament. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262808-cannabis-flowers-proposed-to-be-classified-as-controlled-herb-to-prevent-abuse/

Departure/arrival card (TM6) temporary scrapped BANGKOK: — The cabinet approved the temporary lifting of the requirement for foreigners to fill out departure and arrival cards or TM6 form. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1262796-departurearrival-card-tm6-temporary-scrapped/