Dec 23, 2015

Thailand to put 3.755 Billion Bahts for digital economy drive

Thai cabinet authorized 3.755 Billion Baht budgets for digital economy drive projects as proposed by ICT Ministry.

6 facet of the objectives are
    ⁃    promote use of digital technology in SMEs, in e-tourism cluster and new start-ups
    ⁃    support quality society for the people to use digital technology wisely and responsibility, toward digital society, and access to media and knowledge and government's e-services
    ⁃    develop e-services for digital government, transforming work flow into digital one, facilitate government service by reducing steps, making the process quickly, transparent, availability for auditing.
    ⁃    develop  computer and network infrastructure to be updated, stable, can respond to crisis situations, and support integrated-service in the future, expanding broad-band links to serve needs in suitable (affordable) price.
    ⁃    develop cities / areas to bring digital technology to apply in improving quality of life for the people, and socioeconomic aspects (smart city)
    ⁃    develop human resource for digital world (digital age workforce).

Examples of projects are
    Project to develop community digital network
    Project to develop basic computer and network infrastructure
    Project to build quality society with digital technology
    Project to promote use of digital technology in SMEs
    Project to develop digital service in government
    Project to develop human resources for digital work
    Project to develop smart city
    Project to support management of projects to drive digital socioeconomy.

Translated from Blognone

May 9, 2015

Grand Challenges for research and development

The Grand Challenges Thailand initiative for researches will be funded by the Royal Thai Government under the framework of Thailand Research Organization Network (TRON) whose members include สวทช. National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), สกว. Thailand Research Fund (TRF), National Science Technology and Innovation Policy Office (STI), Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI), Agriculture Research Development Agency (ARDA), Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC), and National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT).

Ref: Impatient Optimists

Mar 31, 2015

Chief Justice of Thailand's Administrative Court suspened duty

Bangkok, March 30, 2015. A meeting of the justice commissioners of the administrative court voted 8:3 to suspend duty of the Chief Justice of the Administrative Court, pending further investigation, based on the case when a former Secretary Genereral of the Administrative Court was accused of sending a private request note to a former Police Department's (Director General) Commander recommonding a promotion of a junior police officer.

Ref: Matichon newspaper

Mar 30, 2015

PM: current Thai government worked a lot to solve human trafficking problem

Current Thai Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-o-cha gave an interview today arguing critics who criticized that the current Thai government had not done enough to solve problem of human trafficking and exploitation. He said his government has done a lot. A bill against human trafficking has been passed through the parliament.  Almost 70,000 fishing boats have been registered. Alien workers have been registered to prevent illegal exploitations. He also ordered that workers jailed in foreign countries be assisted. He said we are trying hard, as if picking up each pebble. He does not want to blame who caused our lowered ranking of Thailand into the US list of tier 3 countries.

Ref: Matichon

Mar 27, 2015

Thai cabinet approved 8 year 1.9 trillion Baht infrastructure plans

Deputy Spokesman of the Office of the Prime Minister announced that the Thai cabinet has approved 8 year plan for development of transportation infrastructures, 2015-2022.
The total investment would be 1.9 trillion Bahts, in following areas:

1) highway constructions for 620 billion Baht
2) dual train tracks for 490 billion Baht
3) city electric trains for 570 billion Baht
4) ports and travel destinations for  100 billion Baht
5) expansion of airports for 50 billion Baht
6) road networks in Bangkok's proximity areas for 65 billion Baht

Ref: Prachachat newspaper

Mar 19, 2015

Thai Taxi driver returned forgotten bag of 1 million Baht

March 19, 2015. Bangkok.
A Thai Taxi driver kindly drove to return a bag of over a 1 million Baht cash left on his taxi to his passenger at her residence after he was alerted by the next passenger and informed a traffic radio channel.

Thai news from voicetv

Note: There is a high frequency of this kind of news in Thailand that I started to think that it might be a good idea to try to keep track of them as evidence that our society still has lot of good people.

Mar 12, 2015

Defense Industry Park to be set up in Thailand

Governor of the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand said that there would be signing of agreement between his agency and the Ministry of Defense for an possibility study for establishment of a defense industry park. A land plot of some 1000 acres would be needed and private corporations would be invited to set up firms to produce weapons or military equipments. The primary purpose is to reduce imports into Thailand. This project might materialize in the next 2 years.

Re: Than News

Mar 3, 2015

MOPH promotes medicinal plant for detoxification for hospital use

The Department of Thai Traditional Medicine and Alternative Medicine Development is now promoting the use of known local medicinal plant, known in Thai as รางจืด ('Rang Jeud', Thunbergia laurifolia) in government hospitals for detoxifications.

Number of suicides in Thailand for year 2013 was 3,939 cases, equivalent to a rate of 6.08 per 100,000 people. The common methods used were hanging, consuming either herbicides or insecticides.

Ref: ASTV Manager