Day: March 19, 2024

Trang, Villagers in Huai Yot, Trang Province, escape the heat by inviting their children and grandchildren to pump water and catch fish during the dry season to have fun cooking. Hoping to reduce expenses during the rubber tapping season including learning about nature and local ways of making a living The owner of an oil palm plantation at Village No. 10, Nong Chang Laen Subdistrict, Huai Yot District, Trang Province, dug a trench to retain water for shrimp, mussels, crabs, and fish that come with flooding during the rainy season to come and stay. In the dry season, we invite our children and grandchildren to pump water and catch fish for fun. In addition to being able to cool down We also did activities together. Children learn about nature Learn how to earn a living according to the local way of life. By pumping water and catching fish together There are many of them in nature, such as snakehead fish, cichlid fish, eels and other fish, which the fish are divided among. to cook food in the family Reduce e xpenses during this period which is during the rubber tapping season And escape the hot weather and go into the water to catch fish. Pumping water or catching fish during the dry season It is the way of life of Thai people. In the water there are fish, in the fields there is rice. If you really live with nature and the community way of life, every family can reduce household expenses. Because garden vegetables, if anyone has the means, they can grow their own food. Aquatic animals in nature can find food in the rainy season, flooding season, and during the dry season like this. Two turtles were also found. The villagers moved to release them back to nature in other ditches because of the area's conditions. Even though it was the dry season, there was no water. It's completely dry, so small aquatic animals including turtles can continue to live and breed. Source: Thai News Agency

Hanoi: Foreign arrivals have been on track for a full recovery since Vietnam opened its border two years ago on the back of a favourable visa policy, Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said at the National Assembly's Q and A session on March 18. The tourism sector has seen robust growth from the European market, he said, elaborating markets with sound recovery in 2023 included Spain (91%), Germany (88%), the UK (80%), and France (75%). According to Khanh, in the first two months of this year, the number of tourist arrivals from the UK surged 32.6%, France 34.6%, Germany 37.1%, Spain 48.5%, and Italy 82.3% year-on-year. Under the unilateral visa exemption that took effect on August 15, 2023, all tourists from these markets have had their visa-free stay in Vietnam extended to 45 from 15 days. Vietnam now waives visas for travelers from 25 countries, with 13 enjoying unilaterally exemption. Most recently, the Prime Minister directed competent authorities to study and recommend favourable policies on immigration, expansion of unilateral visa exemptions, and pilot grant of visa at border gates, he said. Voter Le Cong Nang, CEO at WonderTour, proposed the Government expand unilateral visa exemption for citizens from countries with a higher level of economic development, especially western countries, as well as offer short-term free visa for markets with large source of tourists like China and India. He described the expansion of visa waiver as an invitation for foreigners, helping lure more international tourists to Vietnam, adding travel firms have benefited a lot from the policy rolled out new offerings to visitors. The sector is expecting a full recovery this year and reach the levels in 2019 - the time before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, aiming to welcome 18 million international visitors, 110 domestic travelers, and gain 840 trillion VND (33.96 billion USD) in tourism revenue./. Source: Vietnam News Agency SEOUL, South Korea is anticipated to maintain an upward momentum in exports in March, the vice industry minister said Tuesday, on the back of a continued recovery in shipments of chips. "On the back of the rebound in key export products, including chips and IT products, the country is expected to maintain an export recovery and a trade surplus in March," First Vice Industry Minister Kang Kyung-sung said during a meeting held in the central city of Sejong. "The consumption, investment and exports, which are three pillars of the South Korean economy, will show a clear recovery trend, serving as the key growth engine," Kang said, noting the government will also utilize all available resources to maintain the growth. South Korea's exports fell more than 13 percent on-year in the first 10 days of March due mainly to fewer working days and weak demand for vehicles, but sales of semiconductors jumped more than 20 percent. The country's outbound shipments also moved up for the fifth consecutive month in February and posted a trade surplus of US$4.29 billion. South Korea has maintained a surplus since June 2023. Exports, a key economic growth engine for South Korea, rebounded in October after 13 months of an on-year decline. Outbound shipments decreased 7.4 percent on-year in 2023 amid the sluggish performance of chips coupled with global economic uncertainties. Source: Yonhap News Agency

Hanoi: Foreign arrivals have been on track for a full recovery since Vietnam opened its border two years ago on the back of a favourable visa policy, Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Trung Khanh said at the National Assembly's Q and A session on March 18. The tourism sector has seen robust growth from the European market, he said, elaborating markets with sound recovery in 2023 included Spain (91%), Germany (88%), the UK (80%), and France (75%). According to Khanh, in the first two months of this year, the number of tourist arrivals from the UK surged 32.6%, France 34.6%, Germany 37.1%, Spain 48.5%, and Italy 82.3% year-on-year. Under the unilateral visa exemption that took effect on August 15, 2023, all tourists from these markets have had their visa-free stay in Vietnam extended to 45 from 15 days. Vietnam now waives visas for travelers from 25 countries, with 13 enjoying unilaterally exemption. Most recently, the Prime Minister directed competent authorities to study and recommend favourable policies on immigration, expansion of unilateral visa exemptions, and pilot grant of visa at border gates, he said. Voter Le Cong Nang, CEO at WonderTour, proposed the Government expand unilateral visa exemption for citizens from countries with a higher level of economic development, especially western countries, as well as offer short-term free visa for markets with large source of tourists like China and India. He described the expansion of visa waiver as an invitation for foreigners, helping lure more international tourists to Vietnam, adding travel firms have benefited a lot from the policy rolled out new offerings to visitors. The sector is expecting a full recovery this year and reach the levels in 2019 - the time before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, aiming to welcome 18 million international visitors, 110 domestic travelers, and gain 840 trillion VND (33.96 billion USD) in tourism revenue./. Source: Vietnam News Agency SEOUL, South Korea is anticipated to maintain an upward momentum in exports in March, the vice industry minister said Tuesday, on the back of a continued recovery in shipments of chips. "On the back of the rebound in key export products, including chips and IT products, the country is expected to maintain an export recovery and a trade surplus in March," First Vice Industry Minister Kang Kyung-sung said during a meeting held in the central city of Sejong. "The consumption, investment and exports, which are three pillars of the South Korean economy, will show a clear recovery trend, serving as the key growth engine," Kang said, noting the government will also utilize all available resources to maintain the growth. South Korea's exports fell more than 13 percent on-year in the first 10 days of March due mainly to fewer working days and weak demand for vehicles, but sales of semiconductors jumped more than 20 percent. The country's outbound shipments also moved up for the fifth consecutive month in February and posted a trade surplus of US$4.29 billion. South Korea has maintained a surplus since June 2023. Exports, a key economic growth engine for South Korea, rebounded in October after 13 months of an on-year decline. Outbound shipments decreased 7.4 percent on-year in 2023 amid the sluggish performance of chips coupled with global economic uncertainties. Source: Yonhap News Agency

Future Forward Building, "Itim" confirms "Pitha" went to the area to extinguish forest fires. It was as planned before Thaksin returned to Chiang Mai. The "government spokesperson team" confirmed that going to the same area was a normal political activity. I told you to be careful. Do not create obstacles. I believe the Prime Minister understands. Mr. Parit Watcharasindhu, List of MPs Spokesperson of the Progressive Party Referring to the case where the government spokesperson team criticized Mr. Pitha's visit to the area from Chiang Mai. Limcharoenrat Over the past weekend, it was a mess. He is the Prime Minister who doesn't understand administration. that it is the duty of members of the House of Representatives to understand the problems facing the people Of course, there are many ways to understand problems. One aspect is to analyze from top to bottom what the statistics are and what the data are in order to understand the overall situation. But on the other hand, having the opportunity to experience i nteresting problems will give us a better understanding of practical problems and what the obstacles are. in a bottom-up way The fact that MPs from any party go to the area to get involved with problems that cause people to suffer is a normal part of politics. When any party is in government, I have seen every political party, whether it is the government or the opposition, doing their duty in the area and calling the people all the time. This is the first point that must be confirmed in principle. Moreover, what we gained from talking with actual fire extinguishing volunteers gave us a deeper understanding of the problem. Whether it is a problem with the equipment What kind of equipment is lacking? For example, how important is a heat-sensing drone? How many machines are there now? Or is it a problem of limited personnel? This may cause problems with welfare or compensation that may make him insufficiently stable. How does it affect your mental state at work? to the efficiency of managing teams to be able t o extinguish forest fires as quickly as possible, including problems with government administration that there are some areas that may be forest areas or forest area that may be partly responsible by one agency or some part that is responsible by another agency How to create operational problems Mr. Prit confirmed that what we entered make us understand to these obstacles more deeply And it will be beneficial to drive change in the House, whether it is proposing a budget audit law. or submitting suggestions to the management which is where we go to do our duty here It does not pose any obstacle to the frontline staff in any way. 'We are careful not to hinder anyone from accessing information. To borrow the words of the Prime Minister The Prime Minister said it himself. It is normal for the opposition government to study the same problem in similar areas at the same time because everyone is doing their best. If the suggestions are the same, we push together. or if different Having many suggestions competing should bring the greatest benefit to the people. I think the Prime Minister himself understands this point. And I hope that the Prime Minister's team will understand as well," said Mr. Prit. The part will be seen as being the spokesperson. And whether the Deputy Speaker was crowded or not, I think it's okay. What I consider is more important. That is, what information did we get from working there? How can it be driven? And the Prime Minister himself, as the head of the administration, seemed to understand his interview well. As for the case, there may still be people who view it as a measure of political power between progressing with the government or Mr. Thaksin. Must confirm the same facts that have been confirmed since before leaving from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. that this matter began with a project to study wildfire problems, which has been open since the beginning of March with Mr. Chaithawat as party leader and opposition leader visiting the Chiang Mai province This is an effort to better understand the problem and collect data to analyze and find ways to prevent it in the future. The said project has already been queued for Mr. Pitha as the prime minister candidate of the Progressive Party. Must find space to study such problems. It's just that at first it was planned to be in Chiang Rai Province, but as the date approached, the foundation that we would go and talk to. The Mirror Foundation has given information that the forest fires in Chiang Rai are already quite well managed. If you want to see the real problem, come to Chiang Mai Province. Because the forest fire extinguishing volunteers moved to Chiang Mai province, the area was moved to Chiang Mai instead. Of course, when there is a change in the location or format of the activity, there will also be a change in the group of MPs participating in the activity to be consistent with the project, so there will be Chiang Mai Provincial MPs joining the project as well. I also traveled along as a spokesperson. Confirm that it is according to the facts. Say it a hundred times and it will be like this a hundred times. Source: Thai News Agency

Future Forward Building, "Itim" confirms "Pitha" went to the area to extinguish forest fires. It was as planned before Thaksin returned to Chiang Mai. The "government spokesperson team" confirmed that going to the same area was a normal political activity. I told you to be careful. Do not create obstacles. I believe the Prime Minister understands. Mr. Parit Watcharasindhu, List of MPs Spokesperson of the Progressive Party Referring to the case where the government spokesperson team criticized Mr. Pitha's visit to the area from Chiang Mai. Limcharoenrat Over the past weekend, it was a mess. He is the Prime Minister who doesn't understand administration. that it is the duty of members of the House of Representatives to understand the problems facing the people Of course, there are many ways to understand problems. One aspect is to analyze from top to bottom what the statistics are and what the data are in order to understand the overall situation. But on the other hand, having the opportunity to experience i nteresting problems will give us a better understanding of practical problems and what the obstacles are. in a bottom-up way The fact that MPs from any party go to the area to get involved with problems that cause people to suffer is a normal part of politics. When any party is in government, I have seen every political party, whether it is the government or the opposition, doing their duty in the area and calling the people all the time. This is the first point that must be confirmed in principle. Moreover, what we gained from talking with actual fire extinguishing volunteers gave us a deeper understanding of the problem. Whether it is a problem with the equipment What kind of equipment is lacking? For example, how important is a heat-sensing drone? How many machines are there now? Or is it a problem of limited personnel? This may cause problems with welfare or compensation that may make him insufficiently stable. How does it affect your mental state at work? to the efficiency of managing teams to be able t o extinguish forest fires as quickly as possible, including problems with government administration that there are some areas that may be forest areas or forest area that may be partly responsible by one agency or some part that is responsible by another agency How to create operational problems Mr. Prit confirmed that what we entered make us understand to these obstacles more deeply And it will be beneficial to drive change in the House, whether it is proposing a budget audit law. or submitting suggestions to the management which is where we go to do our duty here It does not pose any obstacle to the frontline staff in any way. 'We are careful not to hinder anyone from accessing information. To borrow the words of the Prime Minister The Prime Minister said it himself. It is normal for the opposition government to study the same problem in similar areas at the same time because everyone is doing their best. If the suggestions are the same, we push together. or if different Having many suggestions competing should bring the greatest benefit to the people. I think the Prime Minister himself understands this point. And I hope that the Prime Minister's team will understand as well," said Mr. Prit. The part will be seen as being the spokesperson. And whether the Deputy Speaker was crowded or not, I think it's okay. What I consider is more important. That is, what information did we get from working there? How can it be driven? And the Prime Minister himself, as the head of the administration, seemed to understand his interview well. As for the case, there may still be people who view it as a measure of political power between progressing with the government or Mr. Thaksin. Must confirm the same facts that have been confirmed since before leaving from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. that this matter began with a project to study wildfire problems, which has been open since the beginning of March with Mr. Chaithawat as party leader and opposition leader visiting the Chiang Mai province This is an effort to better understand the problem and collect data to analyze and find ways to prevent it in the future. The said project has already been queued for Mr. Pitha as the prime minister candidate of the Progressive Party. Must find space to study such problems. It's just that at first it was planned to be in Chiang Rai Province, but as the date approached, the foundation that we would go and talk to. The Mirror Foundation has given information that the forest fires in Chiang Rai are already quite well managed. If you want to see the real problem, come to Chiang Mai Province. Because the forest fire extinguishing volunteers moved to Chiang Mai province, the area was moved to Chiang Mai instead. Of course, when there is a change in the location or format of the activity, there will also be a change in the group of MPs participating in the activity to be consistent with the project, so there will be Chiang Mai Provincial MPs joining the project as well. I also traveled along as a spokesperson. Confirm that it is according to the facts. Say it a hundred times and it will be like this a hundred times. Source: Thai News Agency

SEOUL, First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun met with his Czech counterpart, Jan Marian, on Tuesday to discuss various bilateral and global issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Marian, deputy minister of foreign affairs, is currently visiting the country to attend the third Summit for Democracy. Kim expressed hope for enhanced cooperation between the two countries as strategic partners, according to the ministry. He also asked for the Czech government's support for a Korean company seeking to win the Dukovany nuclear power plant project. In January, Prague selected Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. and Electricite de France as the two finalists for the project. The winner is expected to be determined by June. Marian was quoted as saying that the Czech government is well aware of South Korea's technological capabilities and experience. On North Korea, the two officials shared their concerns about Pyongyang's continued provocations and the threat posed by North Korea-Russia military cooperation to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe, the ministry said. They agreed to cooperate in preventing Pyongyang from evading U.N. Security Council sanctions and counter North Korea-Russia military cooperation, while also seeking to advance North Korea's denuclearization process and promote human rights in the reclusive North, it added. They also stressed the need for the countries to closely cooperate with the international community to swiftly end the war in Ukraine and restore peace there. Source: Yonhap News Agency

Wildfire smoke has covered Chiang Mai city for a week. Air quality is ranked 3rd worst in the world. In some areas, PM 2.5 levels are as high as 603 micrograms/cubic meter. while Ang Thong farmers illegally continued to burn The sky in Chiang Mai city is still filled with forest fire smog for more than a week. High pollution levels are causing people's eyes and noses to hurt. Some people have allergic skin rashes. Must wear a mask Especially people who are outdoors. Some people wear masks with up to 2 layers, visibility is poor. Cars must have their headlights on. While the Climate Change Information Center Chiang Mai University Hourly air quality report in the area of ??Ban Pang Mayao Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, Ping Khong Subdistrict, Chiang Dao District at 7:00 a.m. rose as high as 603 micrograms per cubic meter. Ban Hua Tho, Ping Khong Subdistrict, Chiang Dao District, 445 micrograms per cubic meter. IQ Air website Reported at approximately 11:00 a.m., ranking Chiang Mai Air quality is the 3rd worst in the world. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is 199 micrograms per cubic meter. While this morning Found as many as 89 hot spots, distributed in 17 districts, in Chiang Dao District, the most were 32 spots. Ang Thong part In a rice field along the Ban Khao Buat-Ang Kaeo road, Khok Phutsa Subdistrict, Pho Thong District, farmers burned rice stubble after harvesting, causing a wide fire. and spread to trees on the roadside more than 100 meters long, resulting in smoke covering the area to the point where passing vehicles could not be seen. In addition to this point, it was found that in many other places there were still farmers who illegally set fire to the rice stubble fields. To prepare the area for continuous farming causing the heating value in the floor to continually increase Despite warnings from relevant agencies Refrain from burning rice stubble after harvest. Because it affects both increasing pollution and also causing the temperature to rise. But farmers in the area still violate and burn rice stubble. This is because many people rush to plant rice before the dry season. In addition, the price of rice is still high, at 10,000 baht per ton, causing farmers to take the risk of rushing to burn stubble to adjust the rice farming area instead of plowing it, which takes a lot of time. Relevant agencies will come out and ask for cooperation to refrain from burning all types of weeds in the open. But it was found that there were violations of illegal burning every day. Until there were calls for the law to be strictly enforced with both imprisonment and fines. To reduce such problems. Source: Thai News Agency

Wildfire smoke has covered Chiang Mai city for a week. Air quality is ranked 3rd worst in the world. In some areas, PM 2.5 levels are as high as 603 micrograms/cubic meter. while Ang Thong farmers illegally continued to burn The sky in Chiang Mai city is still filled with forest fire smog for more than a week. High pollution levels are causing people's eyes and noses to hurt. Some people have allergic skin rashes. Must wear a mask Especially people who are outdoors. Some people wear masks with up to 2 layers, visibility is poor. Cars must have their headlights on. While the Climate Change Information Center Chiang Mai University Hourly air quality report in the area of ??Ban Pang Mayao Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, Ping Khong Subdistrict, Chiang Dao District at 7:00 a.m. rose as high as 603 micrograms per cubic meter. Ban Hua Tho, Ping Khong Subdistrict, Chiang Dao District, 445 micrograms per cubic meter. IQ Air website Reported at approximately 11:00 a.m., ranking Chiang Mai Air quality is the 3rd worst in the world. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is 199 micrograms per cubic meter. While this morning Found as many as 89 hot spots, distributed in 17 districts, in Chiang Dao District, the most were 32 spots. Ang Thong part In a rice field along the Ban Khao Buat-Ang Kaeo road, Khok Phutsa Subdistrict, Pho Thong District, farmers burned rice stubble after harvesting, causing a wide fire. and spread to trees on the roadside more than 100 meters long, resulting in smoke covering the area to the point where passing vehicles could not be seen. In addition to this point, it was found that in many other places there were still farmers who illegally set fire to the rice stubble fields. To prepare the area for continuous farming causing the heating value in the floor to continually increase Despite warnings from relevant agencies Refrain from burning rice stubble after harvest. Because it affects both increasing pollution and also causing the temperature to rise. But farmers in the area still violate and burn rice stubble. This is because many people rush to plant rice before the dry season. In addition, the price of rice is still high, at 10,000 baht per ton, causing farmers to take the risk of rushing to burn stubble to adjust the rice farming area instead of plowing it, which takes a lot of time. Relevant agencies will come out and ask for cooperation to refrain from burning all types of weeds in the open. But it was found that there were violations of illegal burning every day. Until there were calls for the law to be strictly enforced with both imprisonment and fines. To reduce such problems. Source: Thai News Agency