Thailand

Prayut sacks the Lottery board and chief, Army Commander-in-Chief Apirat Kongsompong

Published

2 weeks ago

May 12, 2019

The Thaiger

Thailand’s Government Lottery Office board has been removed by an executive order issued by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The board was chaired by the ultra-loyalist Army Commander-in-Chief General Apirat Kongsompong.

The same executive order appointed Mr. Patchara Anantasilp, director-general of the Excise Department, as the new board chairman. The order was made coming into immediate effect.

Three other people were also appointed to the new board – Associate Professor Thanawat Pholwichai, General Sakda Niamkham and Pol Lt-Gen Suwat Jaengyodsook. Mr. Patchara, Thanawat and Pol Lt-Gen Suwat were members of the former board.

No reason was given for the replacement of the Lottery board but is thought to stem from the GLO’s failure to resolve the problem of lottery over-pricing.

The old board introduced two-ticket lottery sets to solve the problem of over-pricing of tickets sold in sets of 2 up to a maximum of 15 tickets at 100 baht a ticket, or more if the numbers are considered lucky.

During the initial period of the NCPO, General Apirat was assigned to crack down on lottery overpricing. Under his leadership the crackdown was a success, with vendors selling lottery tickets at the set price of 80 baht per ticket and several lottery wholesalers, who had been awarded substantial lottery quotas, were replaced.

The same problem of overpriced tickets in sets, however has resurfaced after General Apirat was appointed the army chief.

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Bangkok

IKEA Thailand launches full online store

Published

5 hours ago

May 24, 2019

The Thaiger & The Nation

“…it took IKEA about two years to study the market demand, develop the infrastructure, and prepare everything before launching their e-commerce service in Southeast Asia.”

by Kwanchai Rungfapairsarn

IKEA Thailand has announced the official launch of its IKEA Online Store as it gets set to better provide for individual customers across the Kingdom.

IKEA Thailand say the seamless online shopping experience will offer the same journey and impression customers get when they visit a physical IKEA store.

“We see the potential – it is a potential in Thailand for IKEA. We have only been accessible within Bangkok so far, and now we will be accessible for people from across the country,” Lacia Sherlock, the deputy retail manager for Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, said.

“The delivery prices need to be affordable and all the services need to be accessible for consumers living outside of Bangkok, so that they are able to get the assembly or whatever they need.”

IKEA has developed the full e-commerce platform for modern shoppers providing a convenient channel to access it products and inspirations, 24 hours a day and from anywhere in Thailand.

Sherlock said it took IKEA about two years to study the market demand, develop the infrastructure, and prepare everything before launching their e-commerce service in Southeast Asia.

“We aim to provide an impressive online shopping experience similar to the shopping experience customers get when visiting our physical stores. The online store has been available in Singapore and Malaysia within Southeast Asia.”

“We are pleased to now be able to provide this access to Thais. We have been wanting to do this for a long time, along with providing them with a superior experience and inspiration through both of our two Bangkok stores,” said Sherlock.

IEA soft-launched its e-commerce service in Thailand on March 26 in order to test the system and procedures and ensure they were fully functional before yesterday’s official launch.

“We are looking at achieving 17,000 online orders this year. We believe that the IKEA Online Store will help strengthen IKEA Thailand and drive sustainable growth, as our popular in-store shopping experience is complemented by our new online offering.”

IKEA Thailand launches full online store | News by The Thaiger

PHOTO: The Nation

Bangkok

Thanathorn is able to attend this afternoon’s opening of Parliament

Published

6 hours ago

May 24, 2019

The Thaiger

PHOTO: Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, heading to the opening of Parliament today?

Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has been told he can attend the opening of parliament today by His Majesty the King in the conference hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

But the 41 year old leader of Future Forward is yet to confirm his attendance after being told yesterday he would not be able to be part of the opening proceedings.

Sorasak Pienwech, the secretary-general of the House of Representatives, says his office is yet to receive a formal order from the Constitutional Court temporarily suspending Thanathorn’s parliamentary membership so, as far as they’re concerned, he is still a member of parliament and is permitted to attend today’s opening at 3pm.

The Constitutional Court voted 8:1 yesterday to suspend Thanathorn’s parliamentary membership after it unanimously voted to accept the Election Commission’s media share ownership case against him.

As for the meeting of MPs tomorrow, in the conference hall of TOT Company on Chaengwattana road, he said Thanathorn can attend because he has not yet taken an oath as constitutionally mandated.

After the oath-taking ceremony, however, he will have to stop performing his duties as an MP and will have to leave the meeting, according to Mr. Sorasak.

Informed sources said that Mr. Pornpektch Wichitcholachai, former president of the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly, will be nominated as the only candidate and he is likely to be elected the Senate speaker because of his close connection with the junta, especially Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

SOURCE: Thai PBS

Thailand

“Medical cannabis is no panacea” – Thai FDA

Published

6 hours ago

May 24, 2019

The Thaiger & The Nation

“Medical cannabis is no panacea” – Thai FDA | The Thaiger

The Thai Food and Drug Administration is again warning the public that cannabis is not a magic medicine that can cure all illnesses.

The FDA deputy secretary-general Dr Surachoke Tangwiwat has repeated the warning that cannabis cannot cure many illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems as well as mental illness. The doctor has issued the warning after noting the types of people surrendering their marijuana and registered themselves as cannabis users during the three-month medical marijuana amnesty period that ended last Tuesday.

He was surprised when most of the residents who showed up to register were teens. He said that, under the regulations, no teens were allowed to use marijuana and that they have to get written permission from their parents.

“I wish to make it clear that cannabis will not help heal those illness. Those who use the plant to cure a disease could suffer side-effects. We do not know for sure the exact amount each patient needs and the suitable breed of the plants.”

“Some ingredients of the herb could cause side-effects such as hallucinations.”

His office has received a series of reports from the intensive care units of several hospitals reporting they had treated patients suffering from headaches and fainting after using cannabis,” Surachoke said.

The existing laws do not permit cannabis use by those under 20 years old.

On Tuesday, the last amnesty day, about 20,000 people showed up to surrender the herb they possessed, the FDA chief said.

SOURCE: The Nation