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After more than 200 oil spills in 50 years, here’s how Thailand can clean up its act Two recent oil spills off Rayong province are just the latest in a long line of similar disasters in Thai seas. Records reveal that more than 200 oil spills have occurred over the past five decades, with little apparently being done to tighten regulations, restore the environment or compensate locals for the damage to their livelihoods. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250093-after-more-than 200 oil-spills-in 50 years-here’s-how-thailand-can-clean-up-its-act/

Two recent oil spills off Rayong province are just the latest in a long line of similar disasters in Thai seas. Records reveal that more than 200 oil spills have occurred over the past five decades, with little apparently being done to tighten regulations, restore the environment or compensate locals for the damage to their livelihoods. Now, experts are urging the government to shift the compensation burden from public funds onto the companies that cause the disasters. This could be done via mandatory environmental insurance and also an Environmental Guarantee Fund (EGF) for businesses such as mines, petrochemical plants, ports handling hazardous goods, coal-fired power plants, oil refineries, and petroleum operations. “If we adopt an EGF, government agencies will not have to dig into their own pockets to clean up oil slicks and compensate those [local people] affected,” said Sonthi Kotchawat, an independent expert on environmental health. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/after-more-than-200-oil-spills-in-50-years-heres-how-thailand-can-clean-up-its-act/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Woman who robbed dying man in Pattaya is "not a nurse" says hospital director - "she looks after patients" Sanook Thai Caption: She's NOT a nurse The director of Banglamung Hospital in Pattaya told the media that the woman who stole a dying man's ATM card then helped herself to 4,500 baht of his cash at a cash machine is not a nurse. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250090-woman-who-robbed-dying-man-in-pattaya-is-not-a-nurse-says-hospital-director-she-looks-after-patients/

Sanook Thai Caption: She's NOT a nurse The director of Banglamung Hospital in Pattaya told the media that the woman who stole a dying man's ATM card then helped herself to 4,500 baht of his cash at a cash machine is not a nurse. Dr Wasan Kaewwee said the relatives of the victim were probably confused about different jobs in hospitals. He said that the thief was in fact a person who looks after sick patients. Picture: Sanook In Thai this is a "phu duu lae khon khai" not a "nang phayaban". Anyway, the head of section was going to repay the family for their loss and Dr Wasan had set up a disciplinary committee., reported Sanook. The thief could lose their job as well as face criminal prosecution. There would also be a review of how patient's possessions are kept. He said that people should not bring valuables to hospitals. The man who died was fine when he came into the hospital with Covid but later developed bad symptoms and was in ICU. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

Eight years for murder of "win" rider - Does this send a message to Thailand's "hotheads"? Daily News Thai Caption: This will happen to "hotheads" Daily News carried a story after a court judgment in Bangkok suggesting that a lawyer was pleased that a murderer of a motorcycle taxi rider was jailed. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250089-eight-years-for-murder-of-win-rider-does-this-send-a-message-to-thailands-hotheads/

Daily News Thai Caption: This will happen to "hotheads" Daily News carried a story after a court judgment in Bangkok suggesting that a lawyer was pleased that a murderer of a motorcycle taxi rider was jailed. It was claimed that this sent a strong message to Thailand's out of control "hotheads" who resort to gun violence to settle arguments. Yet the murderer got just 8 years three months for murder. Halved because he admitted it and paid off the mother of the victim about 660,000 baht. The judgement at the South Bangkok criminal court was against Khanaporn "Nu" Meuang-iam, a meat trader at Klong Toei market in the Thai capital. On 10th December 2019 he shot "win" rider 21 year old Somchai "Best" Yortpetch dead. The victim was shot in the head. A cousin of the deceased - Phitak Hormjit - was also hit in the attack outside a pork processing plant. Khanaporn was given 16 years for the murder, and six months for weapons offences and other charges. This was reduced to 8 years 3 months because he had admitted the crimes and proved helpful in the investigation. He was ordered to pay the mother of the deceased 659,333.34 baht plus 7.5% interest up to April 2021 and 5% interest thereafter until the money is all paid. He also paid 7,000 baht to the cousin. Lawyer Ananchai told the media this sent a message to Thailand's "hua rorn" or hotheads that settling arguments with a gun was not the way to go. So what is your opinion? Is eight years sufficient deterrent to would be murderers or does it confirm what many people online claim: That Thailand is soft on gun crime and murder. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

Viral video: It's not just Thailand where people get violent over blocking parking spaces! Sanook Thai Caption: Selling things in a parking area A video that Sanook said was "sut viral" (more viral than viral) was garnering a lot of interest from the Thais after it was posted online. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250088-viral-video-its-not-just-thailand-where-people-get-violent-over-blocking-parking-spaces/

Sanook Thai Caption: Selling things in a parking area A video that Sanook said was "sut viral" (more viral than viral) was garnering a lot of interest from the Thais after it was posted online. As the media said - arguments of this nature can occur anywhere. This one happened to be in Malaysia but it might just as well have been Thailand. The video is seven minutes long - fast forward to 4 minutes plus for the start of the action. It involves people setting up a fruit stall and blocking a parking space. Sanook said this kind of thing - using public space to sell stuff - was a problem everywhere. Thais often like to claim they are the Land of Smiles and calm ones in the region and that their neighbors are the hotheads who resolve things with violence. As the women and men in this video demonstrate - on this occasion they may have a point! Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

Big Joke tells sex offenders preying on children: "I'm coming after you no matter who you are" Daily News Thai Caption: Buying sex with children Thailand's special advisor to the RTP Lt-Gen Surachate Hakpan was in Surat Thani yesterday with a simple message to politicians, civil servants, doctors and influential people. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250085-big-joke-tells-sex-offenders-preying-on-children-im-coming-after-you-no-matter-who-you-are/

Daily News Thai Caption: Buying sex with children Thailand's special advisor to the RTP Lt-Gen Surachate Hakpan was in Surat Thani yesterday with a simple message to politicians, civil servants, doctors and influential people. "I don't care who you are. If you prey on children for sex I am coming after you". The man known in Thailand as Big Joke was in no laughing mood yesterday as he met with the provincial police chief Pol Maj-Gen Sathit Pholphinit to review developments in an underage sex for sale ring. The case emerged after a 13 year old girl was involved in an argument at the Grand Garden Hotel back in November. Five other children aged 14-16 were identified. Four procurers were subsequently arrested as previously reported on ASEAN NOW. Now the police have identified six men aged 48 (3), 32,41 and 52 who bought sex with the minors. Arrest warrants were issued for four of these. One of them is the son of a former well-known politician in Surat Thani. He is still at large but the other three are in custody. A victim said that she was forced into sex with the politician's son at his house and at a hotel in Muang and Phunphin districts. Evidence against the two other men is being gathered but Surachate said that one of them is a doctor at a government hospital. Surachate told Daily News that it doesn't matter if the people buying sex with children were civil servants, politicians, doctors or well connected people with influence. It was all the same to him - he intended to put them all behind bars and follow through on government policy to end the child sex trade in Thailand. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

Woman filmed in the ladies' bathroom at Chiang Mai town hall - governor notified about possible "inside job" Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported that a female employee at Chiang Mai town hall working on the fifth floor was secretly filmed on an iPhone while she used the toilet. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250084-woman-filmed-in-the-ladies-bathroom-at-chiang-mai-town-hall- -governor-notified-about-possible-inside-job/

Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported that a female employee at Chiang Mai town hall working on the fifth floor was secretly filmed on an iPhone while she used the toilet. The case came to light after a Facebook post by a 25 year old male co-worker who said: "It's not safe here". CCTV in the area was broken. The lady concerned filed a report with the Chang Pheuak police. Reporters went to the town hall and found that there are four sets of toilets on each floor. On the fifth floor there are no members of the public and it happened between the ISOC office and the Community Development office. The person who filmed the lady did so from above. The victim screamed and went to see who was responsible but they had disappeared. Siriporn Reureua of the Damrongtham office said that the matter had been reported to the provincial governor who decided to have every male employee in the building interviewed separately as it looked like it was an inside matter. The CCTV on the fifth floor - broken for a year - was being replaced. The people concerned feared that the video clip would find its way onto social media as female workers in the Town Hall spoke of their fear. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

COVID-19: Thailand reports 16,330 new coronavirus cases, 25 deaths, 9,205 recoveries File photo Thailand on Saturday (February 12) reported 16,330 new COVID-19 cases, 9,205 recoveries and 25 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250083-covid-19-thailand-reports-16330-new-coronavirus-cases-25-deaths-9205-recoveries/ //CLOSED// /Admin

COVID-19: Thailand reports 16,330 new coronavirus cases, 25 deaths, 9,205 recoveries File photo Thailand on Saturday (February 12) reported 16,330 new COVID-19 cases, 9,205 recoveries and 25 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250083-covid-19-thailand-reports-16330-new-coronavirus-cases-25-deaths-9205-recoveries/

File photo Thailand on Saturday (February 12) reported 16,330 new COVID-19 cases, 9,205 recoveries and 25 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. ▶︎ Infections outside prisons: 16,180. Prisons: 150 ▶︎ Recoveries: 9,205 Saturday’s cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand to 2,577,445 with 22,412 deaths. The news comes as Thailand’s leading virologist has indicated that injecting the 3rd shot of AstraZeneca vaccine, following two initial jabs of the same vaccine, does not provide a substantial boost to COVID immunity. Dr. Yong Poovorawan, head of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, explained that the practice, dubbed “Triple A”, yield less potent result due to the fact that the immunity provided by two AstraZeneca doses would decrease over time. And after receiving an AstraZeneca booster dose, immunity increases by “one log scale or a little higher” than after receiving two doses of the vaccine. According to Dr. Yong, a study by his office produced an identical result as the one from Oxford University on the matter. *NNT contributed to this report Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

Two four year old cousins drown in pond - it's believed that one tried to save the other Picture: Thai Rath Tragedy struck in a village in Taling Chan sub-district of Muang district Suphanburi in central Thailand yesterday evening when two four year old cousins drowned in a pond behind where they lived. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250081-two-four-year-old-cousins-drown-in-pond-its-believed-that-one-tried-to-save-the-other/

Picture: Thai Rath Tragedy struck in a village in Taling Chan sub-district of Muang district Suphanburi in central Thailand yesterday evening when two four year old cousins drowned in a pond behind where they lived. Noraphat or Beam and Natthaphat or San had wandered off together unnoticed around 5 pm sparking a search that was put on social media. When that proved fruitless rescue teams were called to inspect three ponds. In the third - 20x30 meters in area and 5-6 meters deep - they found the two boys had drowned. There were scratch marks on the bank made by hands. Their aunty Pornthip Sangwian spoke to the media who said that nobody saw them go off together. Capt Phisit Pathumsute of the Muang Suphanburi police attended noting that it was most likely that one of the boys fell into the pond with the other trying to save him but he fell in and drowned too. Autopsies were being performed. Drowning remains one of the two leading causes of death in Thai children, notes ASEAN NOW. It is only rivalled by death on motorcycles, reported Thai Rath. Many hazardous unguarded and unprotected ponds and klongs exist in the Thai countryside just waiting for tragedies such as this. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

UPDATE Phuket assassins latest: Guns were owned by retired cop and soldier It has been revealed that the guns used to shoot an Indian with Canadian nationality in Phuket last week were owned by a retired police officer and a soldier. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250080-phuket-assassins-latest-guns-were-owned-by-retired-cop-and-soldier/

Phuket assassins latest: Guns were owned by retired cop and soldier It has been revealed that the guns used to shoot an Indian with Canadian nationality in Phuket last week were owned by a retired police officer and a soldier. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250080-phuket-assassins-latest-guns-were-owned-by-retired-cop-and-soldier/

Picture Thai Rath It has been revealed that the guns used to shoot an Indian with Canadian nationality in Phuket last week were owned by a retired police officer and a soldier. The weapons were found 20 meters off the beach and 150 meters from the scene of the crime, reported Thai Rath yesterday. Investigations are underway to determine if the policeman and soldier had anything to do with the hit. The brazen shooting of Jimi Singh Sandhu in Rawai on Friday was carried out by two men who have now fled Thailand and are believed to be in Canada, a fact admitted by RTP chief Pol Gen Suwat Chaengyodsuk after it was initially believed the assassins were still on the island or in Thailand. In latest developments it has now emerged that the two killers flew to Bangkok from Phuket International Airport where they arrived separately one hour apart on Sunday February 6th, two days after the shooting and one day after a maid found the body in the parking lot of a villa. They then boarded separate flights to Canada via Europe, it was previously reported. One of the men was caught on CCTV calmly strolling through Phuket airport dressed in blue jacket, dark shots, white sneakers and socks, face mask, carrying a large black shoulder bag. Thai Rath said he looked like a sportsman. Chalong police have been busy gathering evidence for the issuing of warrants to send to Interpol and the Canadian police in the next day or two to try and get the assassins arrested and brought back to Thailand. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

Thailand set to increase daily minimum wage to 492 baht By Online Reporter Workers in Thailand on the minimum wage could be about to get a pay boost, according to a new proposal. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250078-thailand-set-to-increase-daily-minimum-wage-to-492-baht/

By Online Reporter Workers in Thailand on the minimum wage could be about to get a pay boost, according to a new proposal. The move, still to be formally approved by the government, would see the daily wage increase from between 313 and 336 baht to a new flat rate of 492 baht. The 492 baht minimum wage has been put forward by agencies representing workers in the Tripartite Wage Committee. The need to increase the minimum wage is due to increases in daily and monthly expenses among labourers. Expenses include food costs and travel fees, rent and utilities. Full story: https://www.huahintoday.com/thailand-news/thailand-set-to-increase-daily-minimum-wage-to-492-baht/ -- © Copyright Hua Hin Today 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Thailand set to delay collection of 300 baht tourist fee By Online Reporter Passengers at Suvarnabhumi airport. File photo Thailand is set to delay the collection of a proposed tourist fee from all international visitors for at least two months. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250077-thailand-set-to-delay-collection-of-300-baht-tourist-fee/

Passengers at Suvarnabhumi airport. File photo By Online Reporter Thailand is set to delay the collection of a proposed tourist fee from all international visitors for at least two months. The 300 baht tourist fee was set to be collected from all foreign tourists from April 1. However, implementation of the fee will likely be delayed because details of how the fee will actually be collected are yet to be finalised. The delay is due to two main issues. For tourists arriving by air, the fee is expected to be added as a form of tax when purchasing an airline ticket. Full story: https://www.huahintoday.com/thailand-news/thailand-set-to-delay-collection-of-300-baht-tourist-fee/ -- © Copyright Hua Hin Today 2022-02-12 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Additional System Approved to Welcome Visitors BANGKOK, Feb 11 (TNA) – The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration approved the Thailand Pass Hotel & Swab System that will complement the Test & Go entry scheme by monitoring the movements of visitors after their arrival. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250075-additional-system-approved-to-welcome-visitors/