FILE - Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon poses for the media with husband Peter Murrell, outside polling station in Glasgow, Scotland, on Dec. 12, 2019.(AP Photo/Scott Heppell, File)
LONDON (AP) — The husband of former Scottish first minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested in a party finance probe, British media reported Wednesday.
Police in Scotland did not identify Peter Murrell as the 58-year old man arrested Wednesday “in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.” However, Britain’s Press Association, the BBC and others reported it was Murrell.
“Clearly it would not be appropriate to comment on any live police investigation but the SNP have been cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so,” the party said in a statement released after the arrest.
FILE – Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband and current chief executive officer of the Scottish National Party Peter Murrel arrive for a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on June 3, 2022. (Henry Nicholls, Pool Photo via AP, File)
Sturgeon, 52, announced her resignation in February after eight years as party leader and first minster of Scotland’s semi-autonomous government. Sturgeon said at that time that serving well was knowing when to make way for someone else.
“In my head and in my heart I know that time is now,” she said. “That it’s right for me, for my party and my country.”
Sturgeon, had led Scotland since 2014, when Scots narrowly voted to remain part of the United Kingdom. While the referendum was billed as a once-in-a-generation decision on independence, Sturgeon and her Scottish National Party had pushed for a new vote, arguing that Britain’s departure from the European Union had changed the ground rules.
The Scottish government wants to hold a referendum next October with the question “Should Scotland be an independent country?”
The U.K. government in London refuses to approve a vote, saying the question was settled in a 2014 referendum that saw Scottish voters reject independence by a margin of 55% to 45%.
Officers from the Chumphon Highway Police, Chumphon Immigration Police, and Thung Tako Police Station rescued 89 Rohingyas – including men, women, and children – who were attempting to enter Thailand illegally. The Rohingyas were found crammed into three pickup trucks equipped with closed aluminium cabinets.
Investigators said the Rohingyas were lucky to have come across the police, as many of them were unconscious and gasping for breath, on the verge of collapsing as they were locked in aluminium cabinets in the sweltering heat without proper ventilation.
The victims were famished, as some of them had not eaten for two days. Moreover, many of them had not changed their clothes or showered for several days. According to the police, the sight was depressing.
The arrest took place on April 4, 2023, at around 2.30 pm. The two police cars of Chumporm Highway Police were on duty when they noticed the suspicious pickup lorry with a closed aluminium cabinet. The police then ordered the vehicle to stop and interrogated the driver, Weerapong, who revealed that there were 2 other trucks.
The police then radioed the team to impound 2 more trucks. The police seized all the disputed property and handed it over to Thung Tako Police Station for recording and further investigation.
Police have filed charges against 4 Thai suspects: Mr Weerapong Kaenghongkum, 32; Ms Bunhom Yawapee, 32; Mr Worawit Inthararuengsri, 30; and Mr Kiattisak Sripetch, 21. The charges were for allowing and assisting a foreigner to hide from arrest.
Hussen Muhammad, a 28-year-old translator, gave details to the police after talking to the victims. He found that all the victims were Rohingyas who had fled from a refugee centre or Rakhine state in Myanmar.
Their treacherous journey to Mae Sot, a district on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, consisted of boat journeys and crossing mountains on foot and took between 2 weeks and 2 months. Then they were taken from one place to another and dropped off. Some of them had not eaten for 2 days.
The translator added that the Rohingyas had to pay a total fee of 10 million Myanmar Kyat, about 120,000 Baht. When asked where they got the money, some said they got it from their parents who sold the land for them.
Some of them got the money from relatives in Malaysia. Some Rohingyas had paid the money to the brokers while others paid half. The broker asked for the money when they were all in Mae Sot.
This image released by Lucasfilm shows Harrison Ford in a scene from "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." (Lucasfilm Ltd. via AP)
Indiana Jones is swinging into the French Riviera.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the fifth film in the Harrison Ford adventure series, will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, festival organizers announced Monday. Cannes will also pay a tribute to Ford for his career.
The premiere of “Dial of Destiny,” directed by James Mangold, comes 15 years after 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” premiered at the French festival. “Dial of Destiny,” billed as the final chapter in the franchise, will open in U.S. theaters June 28.
This image released by Lucasfilm shows Phoebe Waller-Bridge, left, and Harrison Ford in a scene from “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” (Lucasfilm Ltd. via AP)This image released by Lucasfilm shows Boyd Holbrook in a scene from “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” (Lucasfilm Ltd. via AP)
“Dial of Destiny,” which had been rumored to be heading to Cannes, adds a second megawatt premiere to this year’s festival, which kicks off May 16.
On Friday, Cannes announced the premiere of Martin Scorsese’s much-anticipated “Killers of the Flower Moon,” an adaptation for Apple TV+ of David Grann’s bestseller about a series of murders of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma. Its cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. The film’s premiere, set for May 20, will mark Scorsese’s first film in Cannes since “After Hours” in 1986.
The full Cannes lineup will be announced April 13.
Former President Donald Trump arrives at the Manhattan District Attorney's office, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump surrendered to authorities Tuesday at a Manhattan courthouse ahead of his arraignment on criminal charges stemming from a hush money payment to a porn actor during his 2016 campaign.
Wearing his signature dark suit and red tie, Trump turned and waved to crowds outside the building before heading inside to be fingerprinted and processed — a remarkable reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings and an extraordinary moment in U.S. history.
He arrived at court in an eight-car motorcade that took him from Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan through the main north-south highway on the east side of the city, past landmarks such as the United Nations. Along the way, the voluble ex-president posted on his social media platform: “Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”
Former President Trump leaves Trump Tower in New York for Manhattan Criminal Court, where he will be booked and arraigned on charges stemming from a hush money payment to a porn actor during his 2016 campaign, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
The booking and appearance before Judge Juan Merchan should be relatively brief — though hardly routine — as Trump learns for the first time the charges against him. Trump will plead not guilty, according to his lawyers, and is expected to enter the plea himself, as is standard in the court.
Merchan has ruled that TV cameras won’t be allowed in the courtroom.
Trump, who was impeached twice by the U.S. House but was never convicted in the U.S. Senate, is the first former president to face criminal charges. The nation’s 45th commander in chief was escorted from Trump Tower to the courthouse by the Secret Service and may have his mug shot taken.
“He is strong and ready to go,” Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina told The Associated Press. Earlier, Tacopina said in a TV interview that the former president wouldn’t plead guilty to lesser charges, even if it might resolve the case. He also said he didn’t think the case would make it to a jury.
New York police said they were ready for large protests by Trump supporters, who share the Republican former president’s belief that the New York grand jury indictment and three additional pending investigations are politically motivated and intended to weaken his bid to retake the White House in 2024. Journalists often outnumbered protesters, though.
Trump, a former reality TV star, has been hyping that narrative to his political advantage, saying he raised more than $8 million in the days since the indictment on claims of a “witch hunt.” His campaign released a fundraising request titled “My last email before arrest” and he has repeatedly assailed the Manhattan district attorney, egged on supporters to protest and claimed without evidence that the judge presiding over the case “hates me” — something his own lawyer has said is not true.
Protesters argue at the Collect Pond Park across the street from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in New York on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
Trump is scheduled to return to his Palm Beach, Florida, home, Mar-a-Lago, on Tuesday evening to give remarks, punctuating his new reality: submitting to the dour demands of the American criminal justice system while projecting an aura of defiance and victimhood at celebratory campaign events. At least 500 prominent supporters have been invited, with some of the most pro-Trump congressional Republicans expected to attend.
A conviction would not prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.
Inside the Manhattan courtroom, prosecutors led by New York’s district attorney, Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, are expected to unseal the indictment issued last week by a grand jury. This is when Trump and his defense lawyers will get their first glimpse of the precise allegations against him.
The indictment contains multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press last week.
After the arraignment, Trump is expected to be released by authorities because the charges against him don’t require that bail be set.
The investigation is scrutinizing six-figure payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments.
The arraignment will unfold against the backdrop of heavy security in New York, coming more than two years after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to halt the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s win.
Trump was defiant ahead of his arraignment. He used his social media network to complain that he was going to court in a heavily Democratic area, declaring, “KANGAROO COURT” and “THIS IS NOT WHAT AMERICA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE!” He and his campaign have repeatedly assailed Bragg and even trained scrutiny on members of Bragg’s family.
Supporters of Former President Donald Trump gather in front of assembled media and onlookers outside Manhattan Criminal Court, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Despite that, the scenes around Trump Tower and the courthouse where Trump will stand before a judge did not feature major unrest. Police tried to keep apart protesters supporting the former president and those opposing him by confining them to separate sides of a park near the courthouse using metal barricades.
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters in Congress, staged a brief rally at the park, but the scene was so chaotic that it was hard to hear her over the crush of reporters and protesters.
“We’re the party of peace,” Greene said, thanking those Trump supporters present. “Democrats are communists.”
Embattled Republican New York Rep. George Santos also showed up in solidarity with Trump, saying, “I want to support the president.”
“I think this is unprecedented and it’s a bad day for democracy,” Santos said, suggesting that future prosecutors could target Biden and other presidents with other cases, which “cheapens the judicial system.”
One demonstrator hoisted a sign reading “Trump or death 1776 2024,” but others carried placards showed images of Trump in prison.
The public fascination with the case was evident Monday as national television carried live images of Trump’s motorcade from his Mar-a-Lago club to a private, red, white and blue Boeing 757 stenciled with his name. From there, Trump was flown to New York, where cameras followed his motorcade into Manhattan and he spent the night at Trump Tower as he prepared to turn himself in.
The former president and his aides are embracing the media circus. After initially being caught off guard when news of the indictment broke Thursday evening, Trump and his team are hoping to use the case to his advantage. Still, they asked the judge in a Monday filing to ban photo and video coverage of the arraignment.
New York’s ability to carry out safe and drama-free courthouse proceedings in a case involving a polarizing ex-president could be an important test case as prosecutors in Atlanta and Washington conduct their own investigations of Trump that could also result in charges. Those investigations concern efforts to undo the 2020 election results as well as the possible mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Many top Republicans, including some of Trump’s potential rivals in next year’s GOP presidential primary, have criticized the case against him. Biden, who has yet to formally announce that he’s seeking reelection next year, and other leading Democrats have largely had little to say about it.
Prosecutors insist their case against Trump has nothing to do with politics.
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Eric Tucker and Will Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press journalists Jill Colvin, Bobby Caina Calvan, Larry Neumeister, Karen Matthews, Larry Fleisher, Deepti Hajela, Julie Walker, Ted Shaffrey, David R. Martin, Joe Frederick and Robert Bumsted in New York and Colleen Long and Michael Balsamo in Washington contributed to this report.
OSAKA – Two men have been arrested for allegedly harming the business of Japanese beef bowl chain Yoshinoya Co. with a video of one of them eating directly from a container of toppings meant for all customers, Osaka police said Tuesday.
Ryu Shimazu, 35, and Toshihide Oka, 34, are also suspected of damaging property after a Yoshinoya restaurant in Osaka was forced to discard red pickled ginger toppings and sanitize its containers.
According to the police, on Sept. 29, Shimazu used chopsticks that he had eaten with to take some toppings from a container that he then ate, while Oka filmed him on a smartphone. The footage was posted on social media and shared widely among users.
The police said the two admitted to the allegations, with Shimazu quoted as saying, “I wanted to make everyone laugh,” while Oka was described as saying, “I asked Shimazu to do something funny. I wanted to show it to everyone because I thought it was funny.”
Shimazu was arrested on March 9 and indicted on the 29th on charges of property damage and disruption to business, while Oka’s arrest came on Monday.
In Japanese beef bowl restaurants, tables are typically pre-set with a selection of free condiments and toppings for diners to add to their meals, and pickled ginger is a mainstay of the popular dish. Separate utensils are provided to serve the toppings and ensure proper hygiene between multiple dining parties.
File photo shows a beef bowl with a serving of pickled red ginger at a Yoshinoya Co. restaurant in May 2014. (Kyodo)
Yoshinoya is among Japan’s most popular beef bowl chains, with 1,195 outlets as of February this year. The police said the affected branch approached them about the video in early February.
The arrests of the two men come at a time when the country’s major chains including revolving sushi restaurants are fighting to protect their businesses from videos of unhygienic behavior that are being shared widely online.
In a statement responding to news of the arrests, Yoshinoya Holdings Co. referenced the wider situation affecting it and businesses like it, saying that it is a “source of great regret that this has become news that calls into question the safety and security of eating out in general.”
The trend has gained momentum since the start of the year when a customer at sushi eatery was filmed licking soy sauce bottles and food traveling on conveyer belts. It has also given rise to phrases such as “sushi terrorism” to describe the behavior showcased in the videos.
On March 28, prosecutors indicted a man for obstruction of business over the filming and uploading of a video on Feb. 3 that showed him licking a tabletop soy sauce bottle at a Kura Sushi Inc. conveyor-belt sushi restaurant in Nagoya.
After the indictment, Kura Sushi released a statement saying, “We sincerely hope that society widely acknowledges antisocial acts are crimes, and that these kinds of actions are not committed in future.”
NATO flag, centre, and Finland flags flutter over the building of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Helsinki, Finland, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
BRUSSELS (AP) — Finland joined the NATO military alliance Tuesday, dealing a major blow to Russia with a historic realignment of the continent triggered by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland’s membership represents a major change in Europe’s security landscape: The country adopted neutrality after its defeat by the Soviets in World War II. But its leaders signaled they wanted to join the alliance just months after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through Moscow’s neighbors.
Finland shares a 1,340 kilometer (832 mile) border with Russia, so its membership doubles Russia’s border with the world’s biggest security alliance.
The move is a strategic and political blow to Putin, who has long complained about NATO’s expansion toward Russia and partly used that as a justification for the invasion. The alliance says it poses no threat to Moscow.
An empty flagpole stands between the national flags of France and Estonia outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, Monday, April 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
Russia warned that it would be forced to take “retaliatory measures” to address what it called security threats created by Finland’s membership. It has also warned it will bolster forces near Finland if NATO sends any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country.
Neighboring Sweden, which has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, has also applied. But objections from NATO members Turkey and Hungary have delayed the process.
Alarmed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland applied to join in May, setting aside years of military non-alignment to seek protection under the organization’s security umbrella.
Finland’s membership became official when its foreign minister handed over documents completing its accession process to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The U.S. State Department is the repository of NATO texts concerning membership.
The head of the military alliance said Tuesday that no more troops would be sent to the Nordic country unless it asked for help.
“There will be no NATO troops in Finland without the consent of Finland,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels a few hours before the country joins.
But he refused to rule out the possibility of holding more military exercises there and said that NATO would not allow Russia’s demands to dictate the organization’s decisions.
“We are constantly assessing our posture, our presence. We have more exercises, we have more presence, also in the Nordic area,” he said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the country “will be forced to take military-technical and other retaliatory measures to counter the threats to our national security arising from Finland’s accession to NATO,” the Foreign Ministry warned in a statement.
It said Finland’s move marks “a fundamental change in the situation in Northern Europe, which had previously been one of the most stable regions in the world.”
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Finland’s membership reflects the alliance’s anti-Russian course and warned that Moscow will respond depending on what weapons NATO allies place there.
But Peskov also sought to play down the impact, noting that Russia has no territorial disputes with Finland.
It’s not clear what additional military resources Russia could send to the Finnish border. Moscow has deployed the bulk of its most capable military units to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Finland’s Parliament said that its website was hit with a so-called denial-of-service attack, which made the site hard to use, with many pages not loading and some functions not available.
A pro-Russian hacker group known as NoName057 (16) claimed responsibility, saying the attack was retaliation for Finland joining NATO.
The claim could not be immediately verified.
The hacker group, which has reportedly acted on Moscow’s orders, has taken party in a slew of cyberattacks on the U.S. and its allies in the past. Finnish public broadcaster YLE said the same group hit the Parliament’s site last year.
Stoltenberg said that once it joins, Finland will benefit from NATO’s “iron-clad security guarantee,” under which all member countries vow to come to the defense of any ally that comes under attack.
“By (Finland) become a full-fledged member, we are removing the room for miscalculation in Moscow about NATO’s readiness to protect Finland, and that makes Finland safer and stronger, and all of us safer,” Stoltenberg said.
Finland’s entry, to be marked with a flag-raising ceremony at NATO headquarters, falls on the organization’s very own birthday, the 74th anniversary of the signing of its founding Washington Treaty on April 4, 1949. It also coincides with a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers.
Finland’s president, foreign and defense ministers will take part in the ceremony.
A man poses with a Nato-branded OTAN beer can (Gold Edition), in Helsinki, Finland on April 4, 2023. Finland is set to officially become a member of NATO later on Tuesday and take its place among the ranks of the world’s biggest security alliance. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto/Lehtikuva via AP)
Turkey became the last NATO member country to ratify Finland’s membership protocol on Thursday. It will hand over the document officially enshrining that decision to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken before the ceremony.
Finland’s membership becomes official when its own foreign minister hands over documents completing its accession process to Blinken. The U.S. State Department is the repository of NATO texts concerning membership.
Matichon and Khaosod, two leading online media in Thailand, have jointly launched a raffle campaign called: “MATICHON – KHAOSOD SEA GAMES 2023: Fly aboard, Cheer aloud” in the hope of supporting Thai athletes on April 5, 2023.
Interested persons can participate between April 5 – 22, 2023 by clipping the coupon from the following newspapers: Matichon, Khaosod and Prachachat Business and answering the question, “Who is your favourite national athlete?” The winner will get to see famous volleyball players like Pleumjit Thinkaow and Wilavan Apinyapong and will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the volleyball finals in Phnom Penh for 3 days and 2 nights.
Matichon and Khaosod will announce the winner on April 28, 2023 at approximately 2 p.m. at the Khaosod building and publish the name of the winner on May 1, 2023 both on their website and in the newspaper on Matichon and Khaosod.
Pleumjit Thinkaow and Wilavan Apinyapong
In addition, there is another promotion where interested people can help support Thai athletes at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) by answering the question “Will Thailand win the most gold medals or not?” People can send in the coupon between April 5 and May 17, 2023 to win the following prizes:
First prize: THB 500,000 in gold for 1 prize
Second prize: Honda Scoopy Urban motorbike for 4 prizes worth a total of THB 199,600
Third prize: iPhone 14, 128 GB for 10 prizes worth a total of THB 329,000
The winners will be announced at the Khaosod building in Prachanivate area, Bangkok, on May 31, 2023 at around 2 p.m. and their names will be published on the website as well as in the newspaper on Matichon and Khaosod on 8 June 2023
SEA GAMES CAMBODIA 2023 or the 32nd Southeast Asian Games will be held in Phnom Penh from 5 to 17 May 2023. A total of 37 sports will compete for a total of 608 gold medals, more than ever before in history.
Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery join forces to reinforce their standing as the Top-of-Mind destination for both local shoppers and visitors from around the world.
ONESIAM brings together the renowned Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery to welcome shoppers and tourists from all corners of the world with the extraordinary experiences. This summer ONESIAM has partnered with Paramount Consumer Products to collaborate on a Nickelodeon SpongeBob SquarePants themed activation across all three malls. This offers an unprecedented and extraordinary experience like no other. There is also a range of activities and promotions throughout April to keep shoppers happy.
Mrs.Saruntorn Asaves, the head of the Shopping Center Business Division at Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., expressed that Thailand continues to be a top global tourist hotspot. Notably, each April brings the highly anticipated Songkran festival, drawing in eager travelers from around the world. This year has been especially impressive as vast numbers of tourists have already made their way to Thailand.
“During the month of April, Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery have collaborated to invest over 100 million baht in captivating marketing promotions. They are confident that ONESIAM will capture the hearts of visitors this summer, claiming the top-of-mind destination. More than 10 million Thai shoppers and international tourists are expected to visit these shopping havens for an unparalleled experience throughout April 2023.”
This summer, Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery pledge to offer ‘extraordinary experiences’ that will astonish Thai customers and global tourists alike. The global partnership with Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePantsfeatures the charming yellow sponge animated character, SpongeBob, along with many of his pals. These beloved well-known characters are set to fill the shopping destination with joy and entertainment.
Siam Paragon takes the lead in captivating the hearts of local and international visitors. It will be embracing the summer season with the thrilling Siam Paragon Summer Ultrasonic “Feel the waves and beats” event, featuring SpongeBob and his pals to elevate summer enjoyment in Thailand. With the vibrant “Colorful DAY Playful NIGHT” concept of the event, from April 12-23, 2023, at Parc Paragon, guests will be captivated by impressive installation art featuring the lively world of SpongeBob and his friends, right in the heart of Siam. The amazing 7-meter-high giant slide is one of the must-see attractions.
Furthermore, Siam Paragon is collaborating with the Fine Arts Department and the Department of Cultural Promotion, under the Ministry of Culture, to host engaging activities for Thai customers. One such event involves pouring water over Buddha statues, intensifying the auspicious atmosphere during the Songkran festival. Visitors will also behold the arrival of the ancient, revered Buddha statue from Bangkok’s National Museum, to be enshrined for the admiration of both Thai locals and international visitors seeking prosperity. Captivating cultural performances from the country’s all four regions will be showcasing the mesmerizing beauty of Thai culture.
Siam Center – The Ideaopolis will be organizing the thrilling “Siam Center SpongeBob SquarePants Summer Splash” event, offering a summer journey filled with engaging interactive activities and vibrant displays. Embracing creativity, diversity, and inclusion, this event is sure to captivate the imagination of Gen Z visitors.
Siam Discovery The Exploratorium presents the exciting “Siam Discovery The Summer Exploratorium – Discovery Playground,” showcasing an extraordinary array of exclusive products at Siam Discovery. This will be a chance to browse through the handpicked collection of sizzling summer essentials available on every floor and in every lab, spanning trendy fashion items, stylish accessories, innovative IT gadgets, creative designs from ODS and Icon Craft, and eco-conscious goodies from Ecotopia.
Furthermore, Siam Discovery has enhanced the interior ambiance with playful SpongeBob SquarePants decorations, allowing visitors to capture and share delightful photos on social media to their heart’s delight. There will also be the “Hoops Basketball Festival” taking place from April 7-16, 2022, at Discovery Plaza in Siam Discovery. It is an exciting basketball court created by Siam Discovery and Hoops Station, a paradise for true basketball enthusiasts and the ultimate destination for all things basketball in Southeast Asia. Plus, the cutting-edge “True 5G PRO HUB” offers a revolutionary realm designed for the New Gen. This dynamic space on the 4th Floor of Siam Discovery thrives on creativity, exploration, and self-growth, catering to the evolving needs of future skill sets. With its limitless solutions, it seamlessly addresses three key lifestyle trends relevant to the new generation – Gamer & E-Sports, Gen Z Lifestyle, and Future Skills.
It’s time to dive into the exciting summer deals at Siam Paragon and Siam Center with their “Splash into Summer” campaign! ONESIAM SuperApp VIZ members can enjoy an exclusive offer – simply spend the designated amount and earn up to 500 VIZ Coins. The exciting month of April 2023 is ideal for shoppers to indulge in a shopping spree at Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery. Spend 5,000 baht or more per receipt as per the terms and conditions and earn up to x4 VIZ COIN rewards. Plus, use participating credit cards and get ready to enjoy a fabulous credit cashback of up to 16% for even more shopping adventures.
International travelers will also delight in the convenience offered by the “Downtown Vat Refund” service. Easily apply for a VAT refund at dedicated service counters located on the G Floor of both Siam Paragon and Siam Discovery. As part of a refreshing offer during the Songkran Festival from April 10 to May 31, 2023, all foreign visitors can present a receipt from any participating store in Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, or show their Bangkok Airways boarding pass at the Tourist Service Center on G Floor, Siam Paragon. They will be rewarded with a complimentary cup of Thai iced tea – the globally acclaimed ‘Best Non-alcoholic Drink in the world’ – from KARUN Thai Tea at Siam Paragon.
Statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports reveal that between January 1 and March 18, 2023, Thailand welcomed an impressive figure of over five million international tourists. This influx of visitors has contributed to a staggering income of more than 215 billion baht generated by tourist spending.
From January to March 2023, Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery collectively attracted over 450,000 visitors daily on average – a number reminiscent of pre-COVID times. This highlights the thriving retail landscape and bustling shopping centers that continue to reinforce ONESIAM’s global reputation as a “top-of-mind” destination for both Thai and international visitors.
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) increases green spaces in its workplaces across Thailand through its on-going “Rak Nives” at workplaces project, highlighting its commitment to mitigating the impact of climate change and increasing biodiversity. Recently, the planting of 17,000 trees across 57 farms and plants earned CP Foods the Low Emission Support Scheme (LESS) certification from the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), absorbing over 4,900 tons of carbon dioxide.
As a part of the Rak Nives project at workplace, CP Foods encourages employee participation in environmental conservation efforts and offers training courses for employees on carbon sequestration measurement and evaluation in promoting sustainability and increasing green spaces. This initiative is part of CP Foods’ vital policy to increase green spaces and promote sustainability.
Mrs. Kobboon Srichai, Head of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations at CP Foods, stated, “In 2022, CPF received the LESS certificate from the TGO for the Rak Nives project in the forestry and agriculture category. This certificate demonstrates that the green areas at CP Foods workplaces can absorb more than 4,900 tons of carbon dioxide.”
CP Foods is committed to restoring watershed and mangrove forests through its Rak-Nives Pasak Watershed, Khao Phraya Doen Thong Project in Lopburi province, which has conserved and restored 6,971 rai of forests since 2016. The Grow-Share-Protect Mangrove Forestation project covers 2,784 rai of mangrove forests in Rayong, Samut Sakhon, and Trat provinces. The company aims to preserve and increase green areas to 20,000 rai by 2030.
CP Foods encourages its employees to take action and share successful initiatives with their families, communities, and external agencies to expand green spaces in workplaces. Through the strong synergy of all executives and employees, CP Foods aims to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions both directly and indirectly to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect biodiversity.
In the month that marked International Women’s Day, Marriott invites six women in senior management roles to discuss their career successes and challenges
Bangkok, Thailand – In celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day and its theme of #EmbraceEquity, Marriott International has hosted an event in Bangkok that highlighted the power of strong female leadership and encouraged young women to follow their dreams.
Staged at W Bangkok on 27th March 2023, the “Women in Leadership” event heard from six women who hold senior management roles in traditionally male-dominated industries. This impressive panel shared their personal stories with an audience of Marriott associates, including junior team members who are currently being mentored as part of the Marriott Buddies’ Group.
Organized by the Women’s Ambassador Network, under the Marriott Thailand Business Council, this important occasion formed part of Marriott’s Women In Leadership (WIL) program, which strives to achieve equality, diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.
Panelists included Somika Phagapasvivat, Partner at Baker McKenzie, the global leading law firm; Dr. Sutisophan Chuaywongyart, CEO & Partner of Slingshot Group, which offers leadership development services to companies; Khun Supanee Anuwongworavet, Deputy Managing Director- Marketing and Operations of Microsoft, the global technology giant; Khun Utumporn Viranuvatti, Head of Securities Services, Markets & Securities Service at HSBC Thailand, the leading international bank in Thailand; Khun Chawana Keeratiyutamonkul, Managing Director at CJ WORX, Asia-renowned advertising agency; Chanisda (Dena) von der Luehe, a founder of STEM Like Her, a student-led organization dedicated to empowering and supporting women.
Together, these six inspiring women discussed the challenges they have faced – and overcome – during the course of their professional lives, and offered words of advice and encouragement to young people embarking on a career in any industry, but especially those traditionally dominated by men. The panel discussion was moderated by Phenzasinn Limthananuntha, Marriott International Senior Manager for L+D Delivery – APEC, and Alexander Kellermann, General Manager of Sukhumvit Park, Bangkok – Marriott Executive Apartments.
“As the world marks International Women’s Day, it is vital that we hear strong female voices and learn about the challenges they overcame to achieve their success. Our six panelists have all risen to the top of male-dominated industries, so their input has the potential to motivate and empower our younger associates. Marriott is a proud champion of gender quality and our WIL program has been instrumental in creating opportunities for many women. But we also understand that more work still needs to be done. We will continue to work hard to #EmbraceEquity and create a world in which everybody is equal, regardless of gender,” said Tina Liu, General Manager of W Bangkok and the first female chair of the Marriott Thailand Business Council.
Marriott International is fully committed to diversity, inclusivity and gender equality. It is regularly recognized as one of the world’s most progressive employers and featured on the “Top 75 Companies for Executive Women” list in 2022.
To learn more about Marriott International, please visit www.marriott.com.
