Animal rights activists attend a protest rally supporting the government-led dog meat banning bill at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s parliament on Tuesday passed a landmark ban on production and sales of dog meat, as public calls for a prohibition have grown sharply over concerns about animal rights and the country’s international image.
Some angry dog farmers said they plan to challenge the bill’s constitutionality and hold protest rallies, a sign of continued heated debate over the ban.
The bill would make slaughtering, breeding and sales of dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027 and punishable by 2-3 years in prison. It doesn’t provide any penalties for eating dog meat.
Dog meat consumption, a centuries-old practice on the Korean Peninsula, is neither explicitly banned nor legalized in South Korea. Recent surveys show more than half of South Koreans want dog meat banned and a majority no longer eat it. But one in every three South Koreans still opposes a ban even though they don’t consume it.
The National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote. It will become law after being endorsed by the Cabinet Council and signed by President Yoon Suk Yeol, considered formalities since his government supports the ban.
“This law is aimed at contributing to realizing the values of animal rights, which pursue respect for life and a harmonious co-existence between humans and animals,” the legislation says.
Animal rights activists attend a protest rally supporting the government-led dog meat banning bill at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
The bill offers assistance to dog farmers and others in the industry in shutting down their businesses and shifting to alternatives. Details are to be worked out among government officials, farmers, experts and animal rights activists.
Humane Society International called the legislation’s passage “history in the making.”
“I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea, but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement,” said JungAh Chae, executive director of HSI’s Korea office.
Farmers were extremely upset by the bill’s passage.
“This is a clear case of state violence as they are infringing on our freedom to choose our occupation. We can’t just sit by idly,” said Son Won Hak, a farmer and former leader of a farmers’ association.
Animal rights activists attend a protest rally supporting the government-led dog meat banning bill at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Son said dog farmers will file a petition with the Constitutional Court of Korea and hold demonstrations. He said farmers will meet on Wednesday to discuss other steps.
There is no reliable official data on the exact size of South Korea’s dog meat industry. Activists and farmers say hundreds of thousands of dogs are slaughtered for meat each year.
The anti-dog meat campaign received a huge boost from the country’s first lady, Kim Keon Hee, who has repeatedly expressed her support for a prohibition. She has become the subject of withering criticism and crude insults during demonstrations by farmers.
The legislation doesn’t clearly specify how dog farmers and others in the industry will be supported after the ban, which will likely result in continued animosities, observers say.
“Dogs are different from cows, chickens and pigs,” said Kim Myung-ae, a 58-year-old Seoul resident. “Why would you still eat dogs when they are now seen more as family-like pets than food?”
Another Seoul resident, Jeong Yoon Hee, disagreed, saying whether to eat dog meat is a matter of a personal choice and dietary culture. “Dogs are dogs, not humans,” he said.
The suspect used a bus with a Lao registration plate to transport the the bulbuls to avoid inspection by the Thai police.
BANGKOK – The Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division police officers collaborated with the Department of National Parks’ Hawks Operations Team to raid and arrest three suspects, as well as seize evidence: 21 bulbuls, one pickup truck, and one bus with a Lao licence plate parked inside the tour parking lot on Soi Ramintra, Chorakae Bua Subdistrict, Lat Phrao District, Bangkok on January 9, 2024.
Previously, officials had received intelligence that a gang of foreigners were smuggling wild animals hidden in various products aboard an international bus that had been turned to transfer goods to neighbouring nations.
As a result, they deployed forces to the area until they discovered that products would be unloaded in a tour parking lot in the Ramindra area, so they sent forces to monitor.
The police officers discovered 21 bulbuls, which are protected wild animals, hiding in cardboard boxes.
Officers subsequently spotted the three suspects assisting with the transfer of items from a pickup truck to a bus. So they walked in to investigate and discovered 21 bulbuls, which are protected wild animals, hiding in cardboard boxes.
In addition, exotic species such as 929 turtles, 4 chameleons, and 6 snakes were discovered stowed in concealed compartments during the vehicle inspection. So they seized all of them for inspection and detained three suspects for questioning.
The police officers seized 21 bulbuls, which are protected wild animals, as evidence.
Initially, all three suspects—Mr. Nguyen Din Dai, 38; Mr. Nguyen Tien Thanh, 39; and Mr. Nguyen Duy Quy, 40—confirmed that they had been recruited for 4,200 baht to transport the bulbuls to a bordering nation. They will receive their salary once the product has been delivered. They had changed the vehicles to avoid police suspicion.
They were charged with “conspiring to possess protected wild animals without permission” before being detained with the confiscated items. Investigators from Division 1 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division will continue to work on the investigation.
Police officers conduct a search operation in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
KANAZAWA – The death toll from the powerful New Year’s Day earthquake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture and surrounding areas in central Japan has topped 200, the prefectural government said Tuesday.
Local police commenced a large-scale search operation Tuesday with around 100 personnel working at a gutted market in Wajima, where a major blaze broke out following the magnitude-7.6 quake.
More than 28,000 people were continuing to shelter in evacuation centers in Ishikawa Prefecture, with around a dozen reportedly infected with the coronavirus at three locations in the town of Shika and at least 3,300 people, mainly in Wajima and the adjacent city of Suzu, cut off due to severed roads.
More than 80 schools, including in Wajima and Suzu, were unable to hold classes due to damaged facilities.
A stray cat, a mainstay of the famous Asaichi Dori shopping street in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, Japan, January 2024 after a powerful earthquake hit the area. (Yoshie Minamidani via AP)
At the Wajima market, around 200 buildings were destroyed in the fire that started on Jan. 1, according to the local municipal government and firefighters.
There were many wooden buildings in the over 1,000-year-old morning market that was popular with tourists.
Deaths from the quake, which registered a maximum 7 on the country’s seismic intensity scale, were concentrated in Wajima and Suzu, while the number of people unaccounted for has fluctuated due to conflicting information.
Burned-out vehicles and other debris are seen after a fire near the Asaichi-dori shopping street in Wajima in the Noto peninsula, facing the Sea of Japan, northwest of Tokyo on Jan. 5, 2024, following a deadly earthquake on New Year’s Day. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s Cabinet approved the allocation of 4.74 billion yen ($33 million) from reserve funds in the fiscal 2023 budget to support the victims of the Noto Peninsula quake, including measures to help those affected to cope with the cold weather.
The government also plans to increase reserve funds earmarked in the draft budget for the fiscal year starting April from the current 500 billion yen, to fund disaster recovery efforts, according to Kishida.
Giant 3D animated cat campaign and new brand ambassador set to excite animal lovers
VetSynova Co Ltd, the leading producer of VFcore innovative pet products and the top seller of lickable pet supplements, aims to strengthen its market leadership in 2024 with a series of sales strategies including innovative products, an exciting campaign featuring a giant 3D animated cat movie shown in the Bangkok city center, and the introduction of Nonkul – Chanon Santinatornkul as the brand ambassador.
Market research conducted in veterinary clinics and pet shops across the country shows that ‘petriarchy” or pet parenting will be the 3rd highest ranking trend in 2024. Keys factors supporting this development are the increasing number of senior citizens, singles and couples raising pets as family members.
The pet product market in Thailand has expanded quickly, with the total market value rising to approximately 20 billion baht. The pet food segment accounts for 75-85%, or about 15 billion – 17 billion baht, and the trend looks set to continue.
Dr. Manaithorn Seriputra, Chairman and co-founder of VetSynova Co Ltd, said, “Over the past year, pet humanization or pet parenting has become clearer. Owners nowadays see pets as family members. They are ready in all aspects to have pets, are interested in innovations and look for the best for their pet’s health. VFcore pays high attention to this group, who make up our direct target customers. Therefore, we have created and provided innovations that meet their needs and help them strengthen the bonds between themselves and their pets. VFcore by VetSynova is the brand that helps maintain pet health and allows owners to have quality and close family bonding time with their pets. With our innovations that satisfy both pets and owners, our pet supplements have become the No. 1 in the market.”
Dr. Manaithorn added, “We have attended many international pet expos and veterinary conferences and are confident that VFcore is the first to introduce lickable pet supplements that are not in the form of a pill. It is the result of hard work and research carried out over a year by our team of experienced veterinarians who have worked closely with Thailand’s leading universities. Our products, therefore, are healthy, tasty and loved by both cats and dogs. Backed by this success, we will move on to develop even better pet lifestyle innovations to promote pet health and bonding between owners and pets.”
Apart from pet lifestyle innovations, VetSynova will also introduce two strategies in 2024 to strengthen its market leadership. One of the new strategies is to build a strong VFcore community through various activities, starting with the “#เพราะรักให้เลีย” campaign. VFcore has brought Thailand’s first 3D animated cat to the city center, where people passing through Parc Paragon and the Interchange Building at Asok intersection will be stunned by this giant 3D animated cat. This was coupled by a recent fan meet activity where over 60 owners and their beloved dogs and cats who are VFcore customers gathered and enjoyed a good time together at TRUE 5G PRO HUB, Siam Discovery.
VetSynova has also introduced Nonkul – Chanon Santinatornkul as the first VFcore brand ambassador to strengthen brand positioning and character. The company hopes that the appointment of the brand ambassador will attract new customers and grow the brand advocacy group.
The company is confident that its innovative products and killer marketing strategies and activities will not only maintain its market leadership in Thailand but also enable it to expand to foreign markets in the future.
VFcore currently offers 9 formulas of food supplements recommended by veterinarians. They are made from premium ingredients under the supervision of experienced veterinarians. The nine formulas are:
1.) Yellow LS (Lysine) for enhanced immunity, protecting cats from cat flu and reducing stress
2.) Red RB (Iron & Copper Multi-Vitamins) for blood production
3.) Green JC (Joint Care Complex)
4.) Orange KC (Kidney Care) for kidney health
5.) Gold Vitality with over 20 vitamins for health enhancement
6.) Emerald green BIO for diarrhea treatment and to enhance immunity
7.) Latte cream colored FIBER that reduces constipation and hairballs
And two new formulas:
8.) Pink SK (Skin), the latest formula for silky fur
9.)Blue UC for stress reduction and prevention of cystitis
FILE - West Germany captain Franz Beckenbauer holds up the World Cup trophy after his team defeated the Netherlands by 2-1, in the World Cup soccer final at Munich's Olympic stadium, in West Germany, on Jul. 7, 1974. German soccer great Franz Beckenbauer has died at 78, news agency dpa reports. (AP Photo, File)
MUNICH (AP) — Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup both as player and coach and became one of Germany’s most beloved personalities with his easygoing charm, has died. He was 78.
Beckenbauer’s death was first announced through a statement from his family to German news agency dpa and then confirmed by the German soccer federation.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family,” the family said in its statement. “We ask that we be allowed to grieve in peace and be spared any questions.”
The statement did not provide a cause of death. The former Bayern Munich great, who became affectionately known as the “Kaiser” — or “Emperor” — had struggled with health problems in recent years.
FILE – German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer, head of Germany’s organising committee for the soccer World Cup, plays with the Golden Ball for the World Cup in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, on April 18, 2006. (AP Photo/Jan Bauer, File)
Beckenbauer was one of German soccer’s central figures. As a player, he reimagined the defender’s role in soccer and captained West Germany to the World Cup title in 1974 after it had lost to England in the 1966 final. He was the coach when West Germany won the tournament again in 1990, a symbolic moment for a country in the midst of reunification, months after the Berlin Wall fell.
“The ‘Kaiser’ was one of the best players our sport has ever seen,” German soccer federation president Bernd Neuendorf said. “With his lightness, his elegance and his vision, he set standards on the field. … Franz Beckenbauer leaves a great legacy for the federation and soccer as a whole.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on social media that Beckenbauer “inspired generations of enthusiasm for German soccer. We will miss him.”
Beckenbauer’s death comes just two days after the announcement that Mario Zagallo, the Brazilian who became the first person to win the World Cup as a player and coach, had died at the age of 92. The only other person to achieve that feat is France’s Didier Deschamps.
Beckenbauer was also instrumental in bringing the highly successful 2006 World Cup to Germany, though his legacy was later tainted by charges that he only succeeded in winning the hosting rights with the help of bribery. He denied the allegations.
FILE – Former soccer stars Franz Beckenbauer, left, from Germany and Pele, right, from Brazil, present the World Cup trophy to photographers in Berlin Wednesday, March 12, 2003. (AP Photo/Roberto Pfeil, File)
“We did not want to bribe anyone and we didn’t bribe anyone,” Beckenbauer, who headed the World Cup organizing committee, wrote in his last column for daily tabloid Bild in 2016.
Beckenbauer and three other members of the committee were formally made criminal suspects that year by Swiss prosecutors who suspected fraud in the true purpose of multi-million euro (dollar) payments that connected the 2006 World Cup with FIFA. But he was eventually not indicted in 2019 for health reasons and the case ended without a judgment when the statute of limitations expired in 2020 amid delays to the court system caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Beckenbauer was in 2014 briefly suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee from all football-related activity for failing to cooperate with prosecutor Michael Garcia’s probe of alleged corruption in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes. The suspension was lifted during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when he agreed to cooperate.
The allegations damaged Beckenbauer’s standing in public perception for the first time. Until then, Beckenbauer had seemingly been unable to say or do anything wrong. Germans simply loved him.
“He did everything that a German is not supposed to do,” former Bayern Munich teammate Paul Breitner once said of the man popularly known as “Der Kaiser.”
“He got divorced, he left his children, took off with his girlfriend, got into trouble with tax collectors, left his girlfriend again.
“But he is forgiven for everything because he’s got a good heart, he’s a positive person and he’s always ready to help. He doesn’t conceal his weaknesses, doesn’t sweep his mistakes under the carpet,” Breitner said.
The son of a post official from the working-class Munich district of Giesing, Beckenbauer became one of the greatest players to grace the game in a career that also included stints in the United States with the New York Cosmos in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Born on Sept. 11, 1945, months after Germany’s surrender in World War II, Beckenbauer studied to become an insurance salesman but he signed his first professional contract with Bayern when he was 18.
“You are not born to become a world star in Giesing. Football for me was a deliverance. Looking back, I can say: Everything went according to how I’d imagined my life. I had a perfect life,” Beckenbauer told the Sueddeutsche newspaper magazine in 2010.
Beckenbauer personalized the position of “libero,” the free-roaming nominal defender who often moved forward to threaten the opponent’s goal, a role now virtually disappeared from modern football and rarely seen before his days.
An elegant, cool player with vision, Beckenbauer defined as captain the Bayern Munich side that won three successive European Cup titles from 1974 to 1976.
In his first World Cup as player in 1966, West Germany lost the final to host England as Beckenbauer chased Bobby Charlton around the field having been given the task of marking the England standout.
Four years later, with his arm strapped to his body because of a shoulder injury, Germany lost a memorable semifinal to Italy.
Finally, in 1974 at home, Beckenbauer captained West Germany to the title.
FILE – West German national soccer team captain Franz Beckenbauer, second from right, embraces his team mate, forward Juergen Grabowski while walking around the Olympic stadium, after West Germany beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the Football World Cup Final game at the Olympic Stadium in Munich, Germany, on July 7, 1974. (AP Photo, File)
Beckenbauer left Bayern for New York in 1977 and later recalled fondly the time spent in the United States.
“From Munich-Giesing to New York City, that was a huge step,” Beckenbauer said.
Beckenbauer said the decisive step in luring him to the Cosmos was the helicopter ride the club officials gave him from the roof of the Pan Am Building across Manhattan to the Giants stadium in New Jersey.
“That was then the most modern stadium in the world, with VIP boxes. We didn’t have that in Europe. As we flew over the stadium, I told them, ‘Fine, stop it, I am coming.’”
In that 2010 interview, Beckenbauer also recalled visits to famed nightclub Studio 54 with fellow Cosmos stars Pele and Carlos Alberto.
Beckenbauer missed the 1978 World Cup because the Germans decided not to invite players playing abroad. He returned to Germany in 1980, spent two seasons with Hamburger SV — and won another Bundesliga championship, his fifth — before returning for a final season at the Cosmos.
Although he had never coached before, Beckenbauer was hired to revive West Germany in 1984 after a flop at the European Championship.
West Germany made it to the final of the 1986 World Cup, losing to Diego Maradona’s Argentina in Mexico City. Although West Germany failed to win the 1988 Euros title at home, it went to the final of the 1990 World Cup and defeated Argentina in the final in Rome, another highlight in the year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The penalty goal came from Andreas Brehme, a defender Beckenbauer had once told to “play the piano, play the flute but not football.”
Franz Beckenbauer won the World Cup again in 1990 as coach of Germany. (DFB photo)Franz Beckenbauer celebrates with Germany players after winning the FIFA World Cup in 1990. (DFB Photo)
While his team celebrated, Beckenbauer cut a lonely figure walking and reflecting at the Olympic Stadium.
Later, at the news conference, he said he was “sorry for the rest of the world” because a united Germany would be unbeatable for years to come. But Germany had to wait 24 years before winning another World Cup title.
Once he left for New York, Beckenbauer never had a home in Munich. He lived just across the border in the Austrian Alpine resort of Kitzbuehel, where taxes were lower.
Beckenbauer was a voracious traveler and personally visited all 31 countries who had qualified for the World Cup in Germany in 2006.
FILE – Franz Beckenbauer, then President of the German Organization Committee of the soccer World Cup briefs the media during a news conference at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, June 29, 2006. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
Beckenbauer said he got the urge to travel as a child by collecting pictures for a sticker album. “There were photos from Africa, America. It got me interested … but I never thought I’d experience it personally.”
“There are many who travel but who see nothing because they are too busy. I was always curious.”
Beckenbauer retired from the West Germany job after coaching the team to the 1990 World Cup triumph. The Berlin Wall had fallen the year before and Germany was in the process of reunifying after the Cold War. The final was the last tournament game played by a West Germany-only team.
He didn’t have much success at coaching Marseille, but won the Bundesliga title with Bayern in 1994 and the UEFA Cup in 1996, both after taking over as coach late in the season. He later became Bayern’s president, until leaving most functions when he turned 65 in 2010.
Beckenbauer’s legal issues around the 2006 World Cup continued into his retirement, but he remained a much-loved figure in German soccer and society.
Firefighters search the snow-covered fallen houses in the earthquake-hit city, Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)
KANASAWA – The death toll from a New Year’s Day earthquake in central Japan rose to 168 on Monday, with more than 300 unaccounted for, authorities said, as snow and rain hamper rescue operations and efforts to relocate survivors to hotels amid fears of COVID-19 spreading in evacuation centers.
The number of people unable to be contacted increased by more than 100 from Sunday to 323, including 281 in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, according to the prefectural government.
As many people are still believed to be trapped under rubble in the city where a major marketplace caught fire and burned down, a large-scale search operation will be carried out Tuesday, the prefecture said.
A magnitude-7.6 quake rocked the Noto Peninsula in the prefecture and other areas on the Sea of Japan coast on the evening of Jan. 1.
Snow has been accumulating in many parts of Ishikawa since Sunday, affecting rescue and relief efforts for nearly 29,000 evacuees.
Fallen buildings are snow-covered in Anamizu, Ishikawa prefecture, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Rescue teams worked through snow to deliver supplies to isolated hamlets Monday, a week after a powerful earthquake hit western Japan. (Kyodo News via AP)
In the peninsula, 13 centimeters of snow had accumulated in Suzu, 12 cm in Nanao and 9 cm in Wajima as of 8 a.m. on Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The cities also observed minimum temperatures of below freezing.
At least 2,300 people in the prefecture remained cut off, mainly in Wajima and Suzu, due to severed roads, the prefectural government said.
On January 8, 2024, Mrs. Paveena Hongsakul accompanied a Thai woman to file a complaint with Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn at the Inquiry Official Association of Thailand.
BANGKOK – Mrs. Paveena Hongsakul, Chairperson of the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation for Children and Women, accompanied a Thai woman to lodge a complaint with Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, the deputy chief of the Royal Thai Police on Monday, to pursue a case against an American man.
The woman claimed that she was assaulted by an American man who made her believe that he wanted to start a happy family. However, once he was in a relationship, he secretly recorded illicit videos, engaged in violence, stole her belongings, threatened her and used the clips to exploit and sell them to various groups. It turned out that other women had also suffered similar fates.
Ms. Paveena stated that she considers this man a danger to women and fears that the videos of these women could be sold in underground markets. She suspected that there may be more victims who are afraid to come forward.
The Thai woman said she met Mr. Thomas, a 34-year-old American man, on a dating application.
The Thai woman said she met Mr. Thomas, a 34-year-old who claimed to be an off-duty soldier, on a dating app on December 6, 2023. Initially, he presented himself as a handsome and well-meaning man who expressed a desire to start a family. She was not yet ready to marry him and decided to have a relationship first.
As their relationship progressed, he began recording videos and frequently physically abusing her. Unable to take it anymore, she sought help from the Bangkok’s Bang Yai Police Station and filed a complaint against Mr. Thomas for assault.
After reporting the incident, she found out that other women, both Thai and foreign, had experienced similar abuse in different parts of Asia. Two other victims, one of whom was cheated on by Mr. Thomas through the same dating app, suffered similar ordeals.
The American man had travelled to Thailand in April 2023, deceived the first victim through the app, and began a relationship that lasted four months.
The second victim, who was treated in a similar manner, was tricked into registering a marriage and had her gold necklace, which weighed two baht, stolen. She reported the incidents to the police and tried to file for divorce, prompting Mr. Thomas to post her private clips at her workplace. As a result, the woman had to move to Phuket.
In addition to these cases, foreign victims from Indonesia and Japan were identified, all of whom were well-educated and well-off individuals.
Pol. Gen. Surachet mentioned that the perpetrator seems to follow a similar pattern to romance scammers, taking advantage of women looking for online relationships. In this case, he deceived single women through the app by making them believe false stories and relationships and then recording the clips and selling them on adult websites.
Mr. Thomas also has a criminal record for property offences in the United States.
The investigation revealed that Mr. Thomas left Thailand for Vietnam on January 7, 2024. His travel history shows frequent entries and exits from Thailand since 2022, with an average of 3-4 visits per year, each lasting about 15 days. He also has a criminal record for property offences in the United States.
Pol. Gen. Surachet instructed Bang Yai Police Station to expedite the arrest warrant and coordinate with Interpol to arrest Mr. Thomas. He also advised Thai women to check the background of people they meet through dating apps before entering into a relationship to avoid becoming victims of fraud, exploitation or illegal video distribution.
Siam Paragon and ICONSIAM reaffirm positions as No. 1 global destinations, winning two awards for innovation and corporate image from 2023-2024 Thailand’s Most Admired Company
Siam Piwat, a leading property and retail developer – the owner and operator of world-renowned destinations including Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, and a joint venture partner of ICONSIAM and Siam Premium Outlets Bangkok, has reaffirmed its position as the leading world-class destination developer that wins local and international consumers’ hearts, receiving two prestigious awards from the 2023-2024 Thailand’s Most Admired Company survey conducted by BrandAge, leading marketing media.
According to the survey, Siam Paragon enjoyed the highest vote on Innovation factor, while ICONSIAM obtained the top score on Corporate Image factor. Both Siam Paragon and ICONSIAM, moreover, ranked among Top 3 of the most trusted companies in the department store category, which reflects their potential as a must-visit global destination that magnetizes tourists across the world.
Mrs. Thanaporn Tantiyanon, Deputy Managing Director, Business Unit Executive, Siam Paragon, said: Siam Paragon, as an A-list shopping center, has prioritized customer experiences, thus leveraging creativity and innovation to curate products and services to ensure unique and unprecedented experiences. New technologies and innovations are integrated for data analysis to dive into the preferences of customers.
Siam Paragon is actively developing and coming up with layout designs to deliver uniqueness and inspire all visitors, catering to lifestyles of all generations and attracting 120,000-150,000 customers each day, or over 50 million each year, both Thai or international visitors. It is truly a place that offers the most comprehensive range of luxury lifestyles and entertainment.
Mrs. Suma Wongphan, Assistant Managing Director, ICONSIAM Company Limited, revealed: With the location sitting on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the success and remarkable image of ICONSIAM represent the prosperity of Thailand. It serves as a powerful tourism magnet that places Thailand at the top of global stage and in the hearts of people worldwide, and plays an important role in strengthening Thailand’s economy.
Throughout the past 5 years, ICONSIAM has collaborated with partners and Global Partners to organize 3,500 world-class events, attracting over 35 million tourists from around the world.
In addition, ICONSIAM has been recommended by CNN Website (2022) as one of the top 10 countdown destinations in the world, reinforcing its reputation as the top venue for Thai and international tourists, especially for the annual event of Amazing Thailand Countdown, which is broadcast globally through social media and global news agencies, shaping this location a world-class landmark that proudly builds reputation for Thailand.
In addition, “ICONSIAM” has proactively promoted and aligned with government policies, generating income from tourism through partnership with government and private sectors to build on our strength as a global destination, showcasing Thailand’s soft power through creativity to step onto a global stage in all dimensions including food, movies, fashion, designers, and etc.
BrandAge Magazine and BrandAge Online, Thailand’s leading business marketing media, have conducted the 2023-2024 Thailand’s Most Admired Company survey to find the best companies of each category in 24 industrial groups, among which include shopping centers, food business, restaurants, beverages, electrical appliances, automobiles, and banks.
Napassawan Pinkaew, the teacher who shared the children's story, visited the children's home in order to help them get back to studying at school.
RANONG – A primary school teacher in Ranong province, southern Thailand, visited the home of three Burmese siblings who had been absent from school. She went to their home to investigate and was so moved by the children’s difficult living conditions that she posted their story on social media.
This led to government agencies offering to help the children.
The children’s family is a group of Burmese migrant workers. The grandmother is the head of the household and has three daughters and 10 grandchildren. All the daughters have left their children with her, although she is in poor health and suffers from anemia. She receives some support from the Thai government’s 30 baht Universal Healthcare Program.
The children’s home, which has no real house number, is a simple building in a rubber plantation on a country road.
The only member of the family with Thai citizenship is Miss Thanyaret Aumpai, the grandmother’s eldest granddaughter. Her father is Thai and her mother is Burmese. They have divorced.
Although she is 16 years old, Thanyaret is only in the fifth grade. She only started school at the age of 11 after her mother left her with her grandmother. Her mother only sends the grandmother 1,000 baht a week.
The second child, 11-year-old Aow Sae U, is also in the fifth grade. He also lives with his grandmother. Aow Sae U is a hard worker and likes to work to support his grandmother. He earns money by tapping rubber trees and doing farm work. The third child, 10-year-old Yu Mae, is in the fourth grade. He follows his older brother to work and collects rubber latex to deliver to his employer.
Aow Sae U, 11, is a hard worker and likes to work to support his grandmother. He earns money by tapping rubber trees.
The three siblings missed school because they could not afford the 400 baht a month bus fare to and from school. The bus travels on a winding road along the coast of the Kraburi River.
Moreover, the family’s income was not enough to feed everyone, so the two boys stopped going to school to work in the fields. This allowed her older sister to continue her education, but she was afraid of being a burden to her younger siblings, so she stopped going to school to help her grandmother with the housework.
After the story of the three students was shared on social media, the relevant authorities in Ranong province visited the children’s home and provided assistance.
The relevant authorities in Ranong province visited the children’s home on Sunday, January 7, 2024.
On January 7, Paisal Mongkol, Senior Permanent Secretary who serves as the Mayor of Ranong, as well as representatives from the Department of Social Development and Human Security of Ranong Province, Dr. Supansa Kroksomrong, the principal of Ban Khao Nang Hong School, and Ms. Napassawan Pinkaew, the teacher who shared the children’s story, visited the children’s home to provide assistance and gather more information.
The children’s home, which has no real house number, is a simple building in a rubber plantation on a country road between Ban Hin Chang and Tha Ruea Ranong in the district of Pak Nam in Ranong province.
Napassawan said to the three students, “All the teachers in the school are worried about you and we are here to support you. From now on, please stick to the promise you made to us that you will all go to school and complete grade six.”
NTSB Investigator-in-Charge John Lovell examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)
Investigators were searching Sunday for the piece of fuselage that blew off a Boeing airliner over Oregon on Friday, hoping to gain physical evidence of what went wrong.
The gaping hole in the side of the Alaska Airlines jet opened up where aircraft maker Boeing fits a “plug” to cover an emergency exit that the airline does not use.
The plugs are on most Boeing 737 Max 9 jets. The Federal Aviation Administration has temporarily grounded those planes until they undergo inspections of the area around the door plug.
WHY THE PLUG IS THERE
Some larger Boeing 737s have emergency exits on fuselages behind the wings to meet a federal requirement that planes be designed so passengers can evacuate within 90 seconds even if half the exits are blocked.
The more passenger seats there are on a plane, the more exits are required.
Alaska Airlines N704AL, a 737 Max 9 which made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport after a part of the fuselage broke off mid-flight on Friday, is parked at a maintenance hanger in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
Some carriers, including Indonesia’s Lion Air and Corendon Dutch Airlines, cram more than 200 seats into their Max 9s, so they must have extra emergency exits. However, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines configure their 737 Max 9s to have fewer than 180 seats, so the planes don’t need the two mid-cabin exits to comply with U.S. evacuation rules.
On Alaska and United, the only two U.S. airlines using the Max 9, those side exits near the back of the plane are replaced with a permanent plug the size of an exit door.
ARE THEY ONLY ON MAX 9s?
No. Boeing also makes bigger versions of its 737-900 — a predecessor to the Max — and the Max 8 with space for extra exits in the back. Buyers of those planes also may opt to have either exit doors or plugs installed.
This photo provided by an unnamed source shows the damaged part of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, Flight 1282, which was forced to return to Portland International Airport on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (The Oregonian via AP)
WHO INSTALLS THE PLUGS?
A spokesman for Spirit AeroSystems — which is unrelated to Spirit Airlines — confirmed to The New York Times that the company installed door plugs on Max 9s, including the plug on the Alaska Airlines plane involved in Friday’s incident. The spokesman told The Associated Press that the plugs are assembled into 737 fuselages at Spirit’s factory in Wichita, Kansas, but declined further comment.
Boeing declined to comment on the issue.
THE BOEING SUPPLIER
Spirit is Boeing’s largest supplier for commercial planes and builds fuselages and other parts for Boeing Max jets. The company has been at the center of several recent problems with manufacturing quality on both the Max and a larger plane, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Last year, Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems discovered improperly drilled fastener holes in a bulkhead that keeps 737 Max jets pressurized at cruising altitude.
THE INVESTIGATION
Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board, led by the board’s chair, Jennifer Homendy, arrived in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday to begin an investigation that is likely to last a year or longer. Homendy declined to discuss possible causes when she briefed reporters on Saturday night.
The NTSB team includes a metallurgist, and Homendy said investigators will look at the exit-door plug if they can find it, as well as its hinges and other parts.
This image from video provided by Elizabeth Le shows passengers near the damage on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, Flight 1282, which was forced to return to Portland International Airport on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (Elizabeth Le via AP)
Examining the damage to the door will be crucial to the investigation, according to independent experts.
“The good thing about metal is that metal paints a picture, metal tells a story,” said Anthony Brickhouse, who teaches accident investigation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. “I’m pretty confident they will find the piece that came off, and they will be able to speak to scientifically what happened to cause this failure.”
Brickhouse said the exit doors, whether plugged or not, are not necessarily a weak point in the fuselage. He had never heard of an exit door plug falling off a plane before Alaska Airlines flight 1282.
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy speaks to the media about the investigation on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)
WERE THERE WARNINGS?
Aerospace analysts for the investment bank Jefferies wrote that the plane involved in Friday’s incident experienced pressurization issues on two earlier flights. The NTSB has not commented on the plane’s history, but Homendy said investigators would examine maintenance records even on such a new plane.
OTHER FUSELAGE BLOWOUTS
There have been rare instances of holes opening in the fuselages of airliners. In most cases, they have been the result of metal fatigue in the plane’s aluminum skin.
In the most horrific case, a flight attendant for Aloha Airlines was blown out of the cabin of a Boeing 737 over the Pacific Ocean in 1988 after an 18-foot-long chunk of the roof peeled away. Her body was never found. The tragedy led to tougher rules for airlines to inspect and repair microscopic fuselage cracks before they tear open in flight.
In 2009, a hole opened in the roof of a Southwest Boeing 737 flying 35,000 feet over West Virginia. And in 2011, a 5-foot-long gash unfurled in another Southwest Boeing 737, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing at a military base in Arizona. No one was injured in either of those cases, both of which were blamed on metal fatigue.
