NATIONAL NEWS from Surf 102.5 FM - Wednesday 8 November 2023

Thailand's defence minister says the deal to secure a frigate instead of a submarine from China should be concluded by the end of the year., he said negotiations were complex and ongoing. 

He was speaking while visiting the Defence & Security exhibition, at IMPACT arena north of Bangkok.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the hacking and selling of personal information of more than 15 million people to illegal enterprises. 

One of the arrested told police … the hacking was made possible via software developed to conduct financial transactions via a browser without using a mobile banking application. 

Health authorities report that a flu virus lineage detected in Thailand, with its genome sequenced locally, is one of the three strains chosen by World Health Organization advisory groups for the 2024 Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine.

The influenza virus surveillance network includes local hospitals and the Thailand office of the US Center for Disease Control.

The "Safety Phuket Island Sandbox '' program is set to launch on November 26 at PaTong beach, the pilot initiative will be aimed at enhancing health and safety for tourists. Services provided will include a medical response team known as the "sky doctor," and health-promoting hotels and tourist attractions will receive Green Health certificates.

This program will be expanded to cover 13 provinces that attract a significant number of tourists.

Around The Region:

China’s  Belt and Road Initiative, has become the world's largest debt collector with over US$1 trillion dollars owed, mainly from countries facing financial difficulties. Some nations like Malaysia and Myanmar are renegotiating agreements to reduce costs. Beijing claims that over 150 countries, from Uruguay to Sri Lanka, have joined it’s global infrastructure initiative launched by President Xi Jinping a decade ago.

The Weather:  

Chiang Mai and the north: partly cloudy, thundershowers 32C

Bangkok: Bright  Partly Cloudy, thunder showers , 32 C

Pattaya, sunny,  partly Cloudy, thunder showers 31C

Phuket and the south: sunny partly cloudy showers 31 C

Hua Hin: Sunny Partly cloudy  31C

Credits: Bangkok Post, The Nation, Asean Now, Khaosod English,  Hua Hin Today, Royal Coast Review, Kulsawek Sawekwannakorn, Thainewsroom.com, The Pattaya News, Phuket News, Channel News Asia, South China Morning Post, The Straits Times. The Irrawaddy. Windy.com. Wunderground.com

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