Gulf Energy Development Plc (GULF) was awarded ‘Issuer of the Year’ at the ThaiBMA Best Bond Awards 2022, hosted by the Thai Bond Market Association. The award recognizes a bond issuer who has made outstanding contributions to the development of the corporate bond market by consistently issuing debentures that have been widely accepted among investors for an extended period of time, and in accordance with good governance principles.
Ms. Yupapin Wangviwat, Chief Financial Officer, GULF, stated, “I would like to thank the Thai Bond Market Association for awarding Issuer of the Year to the company. GULF has issued debentures many times, totaling over THB 100 billion, with the first public offering of debentures to retail investors occurring in 2022. Some of the debentures were also offered as digital bonds throughthe application ‘Pao Tang’ of Krungthai Bank. Thanks to the banks and financial institutions acting as joint lead arrangers who contributed to the success of the company’s debentures issuance, and most importantly, thanks to the investors who have had strong confidence in GULF over the past 4 years since the company started issuing debentures, and we hope to continue to receive their support for future debenture issuances.”
The ThaiBMA Best Bond Awards 2022 was organized by the Thai Bond Market Association with the purpose of recognizing organizations and individuals with exceptional performance in bond transactions and encouraging organizations to develop the bond market together for sustainable growth. The awards are determined by a panel of judges, statistics, the company’s operational results, and the votes of bond market participants.
Bangkok,14 March 2023 – One Bangkok Co.,Ltd. announced the appointment of JLL as the district-wide property manager for One Bangkok, the largest holistically integrated district in the heart of Bangkok. JLL will provide a complete package of property management for office, retail, residential, and overall district common area.
Jointly developed by TCC Assets (Thailand) Co., Ltd.and Frasers Property Holdings (Thailand) Co., Ltd. One Bangkok comprises 5 premium grade A office towers, 4 distinct yet connected retail precincts, 5 luxury and lifestyle hotels, 3 luxury residential towers, 50 rai of green and open space with common facilities, and a multi-sensory Art Loop, all on the total land area of 108 rai.One Bangkok is being built with smart and sustainable centralized infrastructure to maximize performance, efficiency, safety, and user experience. The project aims to become the first LEED Platinum Neighborhood Development in Thailand and WELL Platinum standards.
Lim Hua Tiong, Chief Executive Officer, One Bangkok said, “The scale in operating a large mixed-use lifestyle district like One Bangkok requires industry-leading expertise, best-in-class comprehensive planning and management, and quality control standards. JLL stands out when it comes to property and asset management. Their undisputable reputation as Thailand’s leading property manager for prime-grade assets has given us the confidence that, with this partnership, One Bangkok will be operated and maintained with best-in-class integrated technology, modern solutions, and services.”
“Real estate has played a key role in shaping the future of urban ecosystems. The development of One Bangkok exemplifies the case well,” said Michael Glancy, Country Head of JLL. “Through a futureproof place-making concept supported by innovative technologies, One Bangkok has been designed to create a more sustainable and human-centric built environment where people, businesses, and communities will thrive. JLL is proud to be selected to be the property manager for this exciting project,” he continued.
The five-year contract commits JLL to providing integrated full project transition and handover then rolling into property management. JLL is initially bringing in an on-site property management workforce of 200 employees this year, ahead of One Bangkok’s first phase opening in the first quarter of 2024. This workforce will gradually grow to more than 300 when the district reaches full completion”
“The property management appointment for One Bangkok has also reinforced our position as the country’s leader in prime-grade property management. Today, we manage a property portfolio of over 7.5 million square metres. We also manage more commercial properties with LEED credentials than other property management service providers in Thailand,” said Mr. Glancy.
JLL has played an increasing role in One Bangkok. Prior to the property management appointment, the firm acted as a property management consultant for this high-profile real estate development project at the design stage to ensure it would be operated and maintained according to the original intent and guaranteed international standards. JLL has also recently been appointed as one of the strategic office leasing partners for the first phase of the project.
Mr. Glancy said, “The new appointment is very important to us not only because it is the largest property management contract ever awarded to JLL in Southeast Asia, but it also represents a great opportunity for JLL to showcase our full property management capabilities.”
JLL has been collaborating with One Bangkok’s Smart City team to help run the ‘Command Centre’, which will have the latest intelligent building management platforms available to real estate owners and occupiers with advanced data collection, analytics, and operational knowledge for real-time, remote monitoring of buildings and facilities. The technology layer at One Bangkok will capture operational data of equipment and facilities through a plethora of sensors and systems, such as building automation systemand security systems in critical locations, covering temperature, humidity, illumination, vibration, flood detection, etc. With centralized data storage, the property management team will be able to identify trends and anomalies, allowing continuous monitoring and fine-tuning of building services to increase efficiency, security, and transparency in operation and maintenance, as well as reduce costs and save energy.
The 140-rai “Blue Tree Phuket” is a world-class entertainment hub that offers non-stop fun and excitement throughout the day and night. As the ultimate destination for tourists in Phuket, it boasts a tagline and slogan of “Entertainment Hub, Thrill & Chill, Day & Night,” and is a popular spot for adventure seekers and relaxation enthusiasts alike. Once you’ve experienced the Blue Tree Phuket, you’ll definitely want to come back for more!
With a variety of entertainment activities that change every month, from adrenaline-pumping adventures like the Fly Board and Cliff Jumping to more relaxed options like enjoying the atmosphere and watching various performances against the stunning backdrop of the 17,000 sqm Crystal Lagoon, visitors will never run out of things to do. The latest addition is the full-scale Aquatic Shows featuring Synchronized Swimming, Super Fly, and more, all to be enjoyed up close and personal at the Blue Tree Phuket Lagoon.
Some of the highlight shows include:
FLY BOARD
Once in their lifetime, adrenaline junkies must try the “FLY BOARD” – one of the most popular extreme sports among teenagers. The rider attaches himself/herself to a form of water ski and controls the direction to float above the water and fly in the air propelled by pressure from the water. The show is performed by a Thai athlete who is a three-time “FLY BOARD” world champion. For those who want to give it a try, a special rate is being offered at only 600 baht for 2 minutes. A professional trainer will be there to guide a novice rider and control the water pressure to ensure one’s safety (details as specified).
Showtimes:
1 round on Tuesday-Thursday at 1:00 pm
2 rounds on Friday-Sunday at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
2. CLIFF JUMPING or CLIFF DIVING
Cliff Jumping or Cliff Diving is a sport that requires various skills and techniques, in which the individual jumps off a cliff and dives into the water below from a height of 10 meters.
In this “Cliff Jumping” performance, the performer is highly skilled and well-trained, with the highlight being the beauty and difficulty of the maneuvers before hitting the water surface.
Showtimes: 2 rounds on Tuesdays-Sundays at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
3. SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING
SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING is an underwater dance sport that is full of beauty and charm. The sport combines ballet, swimming, gymnastics, and water polo with beautifully designed choreography that is accompanied by music. It is another performance that creates smiles and enjoyment and impresses the audience.
Showtimes: 2 rounds on Tuesdays-Sundays at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
4. SUPER FLY
Last but not least: another show highlight – the “SUPER FLY” – is yet another signature activity of Blue Tree that is popular among tourists. You can slide down from the longest Xtreme slide in Thailand, soar through the air at a height of 6-10 meters before landing in the crystal clear lagoon, in a graceful pose. It’s an exciting and thrilling experience for both athletes and spectators.
Showtime: 2 rounds on Tuesdays-Sundays at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
After seeing it, you’ll certainly want to test your courage and try out this thrilling experience. Those who love adventure and excitement should give it a go. And those who prefer to chill can just watch and capture beautiful photos or video to share on social media.
Thai Tourist Police arrested Ndubuisi, 34, a Nigerian suspect who was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Samut Prakan Provincial Court for 4 counts of violating the law: 1. defrauding the public by impersonating another person, 2. entering false information into the computer system, 3. criminal enrichment and 4. money laundering. Police arrested him at a housing property in Pattaya, Chon Buri.
Pol. Lt. Col. Prin Sripattarakulchai, the head of the arrest team, said the suspect was one of the romance scammers whose behaviour consisted of creating a Facebook account under another person’s identity to try to get close to a female victim.
These scammers tried to lure the victim by saying that they would get married and live together in Thailand. The scammers pretend to send some high-value items as an engagement gift. They work with Thai scammers to pose as customs officials and ask the victim to pay a fee before they receive the gift. The Thai female victim was scammed out of up to THB 300,000.
The investigation team applied for an arrest warrant at the Samut Prakan Provincial Court before discovering that the suspect was hiding in a Pattaya housing estate. The team ambushed the suspect near the house and arrested him before handing him over to the interrogator at Bang Sao Thong Police Station for further prosecution and to extend the arrest to other fraudsters.
Thailand continues to be listed as “not free” by US-based NGO Freedom House in its latest annual report released on March 9. It received one point increase due to Bangkok gubernatorial election last year, however.
It’s political rights score was rated at 6 out of 40, citizens’ freedom at 24 out of the score of 40 – or 30 out of 100 in total.
“Following five years of military dictatorship, Thailand transitioned to a military-dominated, semi-elected government in 2019. The combination of democratic deterioration and frustrations over the role of the monarchy in Thailand’s governance triggered massive demonstrations in 2020 and 2021.
In response, the regime has employed authoritarian tactics, including arbitrary arrests, intimidation, lèse-majesté charges, and harassment of activists,” Freedom House stated.
FILE – Inflatable yellow ducks, which have become good-humored symbols of resistance during anti-government rallies, are lifted over a crowd of protesters in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)
The 2023 edition of Freedom in the World is the 50th in this series of annual comparative reports. It is noted the Key Findings:
Global freedom declined for the 17th consecutive year. Moscow’s war of aggression led to devastating human rights atrocities in Ukraine. New coups and other attempts to undermine representative government destabilized Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Peru, and Brazil.
Previous years’ coups and ongoing repression continued to diminish basic liberties in Guinea and constrain those in Turkey, Myanmar, and Thailand, among others. Two countries suffered downgrades in their overall freedom status: Peru moved from Free to Partly Free, and Burkina Faso moved from Partly Free to Not Free.
The struggle for democracy may be approaching a turning point. The gap between the number of countries that registered overall improvements in political rights and civil liberties and those that registered overall declines for 2022 was the narrowest it has ever been through 17 years of global deterioration.
Thirty-four countries made improvements, and the tally of countries with declines, at 35, was the smallest recorded since the negative pattern began. The gains were driven by more competitive elections as well as a rollback of pandemic-related restrictions that had disproportionately affected freedom of assembly and freedom of movement. Two countries, Colombia and Lesotho, earned upgrades in their overall freedom status, moving from Partly Free to Free.
While authoritarians remain extremely dangerous, they are not unbeatable. The year’s events showed that autocrats are far from infallible, and their errors provide openings for democratic forces. The effects of corruption and a focus on political control at the expense of competence exposed the limits of the authoritarian models offered by Beijing, Moscow, Caracas, or Tehran. Meanwhile, democratic alliances demonstrated solidarity and vigor.
Infringement on freedom of expression has long been a key driver of global democratic decline. Over the last 17 years, the number of countries and territories that receive a score of 0 out of 4 on the report’s media freedom indicator has ballooned from 14 to 33, as journalists face persistent attacks from autocrats and their supporters while receiving inadequate protection from intimidation and violence even in some democracies.
The fight for freedom persists across decades. When Freedom House issued the first edition of its global survey in 1973, 44 of 148 countries were rated Free. Today, 84 of 195 countries are Free.
Over the past 50 years, consolidated democracies have not only emerged from deeply repressive environments but also proven to be remarkably resilient in the face of new challenges. Although democratization has slowed and encountered setbacks, ordinary people around the world, including in Iran, China, and Cuba, continue to defend their rights against authoritarian encroachment.
FILE - Grey clouds cover the sky over a building of the Credit Suisse bank in Zurich, Switzerland, on Feb. 21, 2022. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP, File)
GENEVA (AP) — Swiss bank Credit Suisse said Thursday it will move to shore up its finances, borrowing up to $54 billion from the central bank after its shares plunged, dragging down other major European lenders in the wake of bank failures in the United States.
Credit Suisse said would exercise an option to borrow up to 50 billion francs ($53.7 billion) from the central bank.
“This additional liquidity would support Credit Suisse’s core businesses and clients as Credit Suisse takes the necessary steps to create a simpler and more focused bank built around client needs,” the bank said.
Fanning new fears about the health of financial institutions following the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the U.S., at one point, Credit Suisse shares lost more than a quarter of their value on Wednesday.
The share price hit a record low after the bank’s biggest shareholder — the Saudi National Bank — told news outlets that it would not put more money into the Swiss lender, which was beset by problems long before the U.S. banks collapsed. The Saudi bank is seeking to avoid regulations that kick in with a stake above 10%, having invested some 1.5 billion Swiss francs to acquire a holding just under that threshold.
A sign displays the name of Credit Suisse on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
The turmoil prompted an automatic pause in trading of Credit Suisse shares on the Swiss market and sent shares of other European banks tumbling, some by double digits.
Speaking Wednesday at a financial conference in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Credit Suisse Chairman Axel Lehmann defended the bank, saying, “We already took the medicine” to reduce risks.
When asked if he would rule out government assistance in the future, he said: “That’s not a topic. … We are regulated. We have strong capital ratios, very strong balance sheet. We are all hands on deck, so that’s not a topic whatsoever.”
Switzerland’s central bank announced late Wednesday that it was prepared to act, saying it would support Credit Suisse if needed. A statement from the bank did not specify whether the support would come in the form of cash or loans or other assistance. The regulators said they believed the bank had enough money to meet its obligations.
Possibility of more hidden troubles
A day earlier, Credit Suisse reported that managers had identified “material weaknesses” in the bank’s internal controls on financial reporting as of the end of last year. That fanned new doubts about the bank’s ability to weather the storm.
Credit Suisse stock dropped about 30%, to about 1.6 Swiss francs ($1.73), before clawing back to a 24% loss at 1.70 francs ($1.83) at the close of trading on the SIX stock exchange. At its lowest, the price was down more than 85% from February 2021.
After the joint announcement from the Swiss National Bank and the Swiss financial markets regulator, the shares also made up some ground on Wall Street.
The stock has suffered a long, sustained decline: In 2007, the bank’s shares traded at more than 80 francs ($86.71) each.
With concerns about the possibility of more hidden trouble in the banking system, investors were quick to sell bank stocks.
FILE – The logo at a building of the Credit Suisse bank in Zurich, Switzerland, on Nov. 23, 2022. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)
A day earlier, Credit Suisse reported that managers had identified “material weaknesses” in the bank’s internal controls on financial reporting as of the end of last year. That fanned new doubts about the bank’s ability to weather the storm.
Credit Suisse stock dropped about 30%, to about 1.6 Swiss francs ($1.73), before clawing back to a 24% loss at 1.70 francs ($1.83) at the close of trading on the SIX stock exchange. At its lowest, the price was down more than 85% from February 2021.
After the joint announcement from the Swiss National Bank and the Swiss financial markets regulator, the shares also made up some ground on Wall Street.
The stock has suffered a long, sustained decline: In 2007, the bank’s shares traded at more than 80 francs ($86.71) each.
With concerns about the possibility of more hidden trouble in the banking system, investors were quick to sell bank stocks.
France’s Societe Generale SA dropped 12% at one point. France’s BNP Paribas fell more than 10%. Germany’s Deutsche Bank tumbled 8%, and Britain’s Barclays Bank was down nearly 8%. Trading in the two French banks was briefly suspended.
The STOXX Banks index of 21 leading European lenders sagged 8.4% following relative calm in the markets Tuesday.
Asian stocks fall after Wall St sinks
Asian stock markets tumbled Thursday after Wall Street sank as a plunge in Credit Suisse shares reignited worries about a possible bank crisis following the failure of two U.S. lenders.
Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney all dropped, reversing Wednesday’s gains. Oil prices edged higher.
Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 lost 0.7% on Wednesday after being down as much as 2.1% at one point following a 30% plunge in Credit Suisse’s share price. That fueled jitters about the strength of global banks that are under strain from interest rate hikes to cool inflation.
The Credit Suisse fall “shakes already fragile investor sentiment,” said Venkateswaran Lavanya of Mizuho Bank in a report.
Major banks in Asia were hit by heavy selling. Shares in Japan’s Mizuho Bank were down 3.9& while Resona Holdings, Japan’s No. 5 bank, fell 4.8%. In Hong Kong, Standard Chartered Plc lost 2.5% and HSBC was 2.5% lower.
The Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.4% to 3,250.63 after government data Wednesday showed the Chinese economy is recovering more slowly than expected following the lifting of anti-virus controls.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo retreated 0.9% to 26,974.39 and the Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed 1.3% to 19,297.81.
The Kospi in Seoul was 0.2% lower at 2,375.12 and Sydney’s S&P-ASX 200 sank 1.5% to 6,964.80.
Not just a Swiss problem
The turbulence came a day ahead of a meeting by the European Central Bank. President Christine Lagarde said last week, before the U.S. failures, that the bank would “very likely” increase interest rates by a half percentage point to fight against inflation. Markets were watching closely to see if the bank carries through despite the latest turmoil.
Credit Suisse is “a much bigger concern for the global economy” than the midsize U.S. banks that collapsed, said Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist for Capital Economics.
It has multiple subsidiaries outside Switzerland and handles trading for hedge funds.
“Credit Suisse is not just a Swiss problem but a global one,” he said.
He noted, however, that the bank’s “problems were well known so do not come as a complete shock to either investors or policymakers.”
The troubles “once more raise the question about whether this is the beginning of a global crisis or just another ‘idiosyncratic’ case,” Kenningham said in a note. ”Credit Suisse was widely seen as the weakest link among Europe’s large banks, but it is not the only bank which has struggled with weak profitability in recent years.”
International rules
The Credit Suisse parent bank is not part of EU supervision, but it has entities in several European countries that are. Credit Suisse is subject to international rules requiring it to maintain financial buffers against losses as one of 30 so-called globally systemically important banks, or G-SIBs.
Share prices plunged after Saudi National Bank Chairman Ammar Al Khudairy told Bloomberg and Reuters that the bank has ruled out further investments in Credit Suisse to avoid regulations that kick in with a stake above 10%.
In an annual report released Tuesday, Credit Suisse said customer deposits fell 41%, or by 159.6 billion francs ($172.1 billion), at the end of last year compared with a year earlier.
___
McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany. Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Ottawa, Ontario, and Angela Charlton in Paris also contributed.
FILE - Lindsay Lohan appears the Christian Siriano Fall/Winter 2023 fashion show in New York on Feb. 9, 2023. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lindsay Lohan is expecting her first child.
The “Mean Girls” star announced her pregnancy in an Instagram post on Tuesday, sharing an image of a baby onesie with “Coming soon…” written on it. The post was captioned “We are blessed and excited!”
Lohan married financier Bader Shammas in 2022, People magazine reported.
A message sent to Lohan’s representative was not immediately returned.
The 36-year-old actor, who was once a tabloid mainstay, has lived overseas for several years and kept a lower public profile.
She recently returned to acting, starring in Netflix’s “Falling for Christmas” last year, and stars in the streaming service’s upcoming romantic comedy “Irish Wish.”
Lyu Bin (L) of China and Yutthana Kaensa of Thailand face off during the weigh-in prior to a WBA super flyweight fight to be held in Yongkang, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Hou Zhaokang)
Chinese boxer Lyu Bin is set to fight Yutthana Kaensa of Thailand for the WBA International Super Flyweight Championship in his hometown of Yongkang, east China’s Zhejiang Province.
YONGKANG, China, March 15 (Xinhua) — Lyu Bin, who boxed for China at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, is set to fight Yutthana Kaensa of Thailand for the WBA International Super Flyweight Championship in his hometown on Thursday.
“I’ve been waiting for my chance,” Lyu told Xinhua. “Now the time has come.”
Lyu, 28, was known for his tearful defeat in the men’s 49kg division at Rio 2016.
“What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,” he said.
Despite falling short of his Olympic dream, Lyu proved himself by claiming the national title in 2016 and then turned pro two years later.
Lyu, a native of Yongkang in east China’s Zhejiang Province, has spent months in China’s southwestern city of Kunming ahead of the upcoming WBA title bout, his first competitive fight in nearly five years.
“I’ve got a better grasp on speed and timing and have improved my punching technique a lot these years,” he said.
Apart from arduous training, Lyu has struggled to maintain his weight at around 52kg – running 10km every morning and engaging in special training for two hours in the afternoon, and eating a high-protein, low-carbon diet every day for the past five years.
“It’s absolute torture,” he admitted.
“The hunger for food was huge, but my hunger for victory is even bigger.
“To do what I love is a real blessing for me. I feel like the second spring of my career has come,” Lyu said.
Kaensa, 25, is an experienced name in Thailand’s professional boxing circuit and has a record of 24-4, with three defeats in his last five fights.
FILE - Text from the ChatGPT page of the OpenAI website is shown in this photo, in New York, Feb. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
LONDON (AP) — The company behind the ChatGPT chatbot has rolled out its latest artificial intelligence model, GPT-4, in the next step for a technology that’s caught the world’s attention.
The new system can figure out tax deductions and answer questions like a Shakespearan pirate, for example, but it still “hallucinates” facts and makes reasoning errors.
Here’s a look at San Francisco-based startup OpenAI’s latest improvement on the generative AI models that can spit out readable text and unique images:
WHAT’S NEW?
OpenAI says GPT-4 “exhibits human-level performance.” It’s much more reliable, creative and can handle “more nuanced instructions” than its predecessor system, GPT-3.5, which ChatGPT was built on, OpenAI said in its announcement.
In an online demo Tuesday, OpenAI President Greg Brockman ran through some scenarios that showed off GPT-4’s capabilities that appeared to show it’s a radical improvement on previous versions.
He demonstrated how the system could quickly come up with the proper income tax deduction after being fed reams of tax code — something he couldn’t figure himself.
“It’s not perfect, but neither are you. And together it’s this amplifying tool that lets you just reach new heights,” Brockman said.
It’s part of a new generation of machine-learning systems that can converse, generate readable text on demand and produce novel images and video based on what they’ve learned from a vast database of digital books and online text.
These new AI breakthroughs have the potential to transform the internet search business long dominated by Google, which is trying to catch up with its own AI chatbot, and numerous professions.
“With GPT-4, we are one step closer to life imitating art,” said Mirella Lapata, professor of natural language processing at the University of Edinburgh. She referred to the TV show “Black Mirror,” which focuses on the dark side of technology.
“Humans are not fooled by the AI in ‘Black Mirror’ but they tolerate it,” Lapata said. “Likewise, GPT-4 is not perfect, but paves the way for AI being used as a commodity tool on a daily basis.”
WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE IMPROVEMENTS?
GPT-4 is a “large multimodal model,” which means it can be fed both text and images that it uses to come up with answers.
In one example posted on OpenAI’s website, GPT-4 is asked, “What is unusual about this image?” It’s answer: “The unusual thing about this image is that a man is ironing clothes on an ironing board attached to the roof of a moving taxi.”
GPT-4 is also “steerable,” which means that instead of getting an answer in ChatGPT’s “classic” fixed tone and verbosity, users can customize it by asking for responses in the style of a Shakespearean pirate, for instance.
In his demo, Brockman asked both GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 to summarize in one sentence an article explaining the difference between the two systems. The catch was that every word had to start with the letter G.
GPT-3.5 didn’t even try, spitting out a normal sentence. The newer version swiftly responded: “GPT-4 generates groundbreaking, grandiose gains, greatly galvanizing generalized AI goals.”
HOW WELL DOES IT WORK?
ChatGPT can write silly poems and songs or quickly explain just about anything found on the internet. It also gained notoriety for results that could be way off, such as confidently providing a detailed but false account of the Super Bowl game days before it took place, or even being disparaging to users.
OpenAI acknowledged that GPT-4 still has limitations and warned users to be careful. GPT-4 is “still not fully reliable” because it “hallucinates” facts and makes reasoning errors, it said.
“Great care should be taken when using language model outputs, particularly in high-stakes contexts,” the company said, though it added that hallucinations have been sharply reduced.
Experts also advised caution.
“We should remember that language models such as GPT-4 do not think in a human-like way, and we should not be misled by their fluency with language,” said Nello Cristianini, professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Bath.
Another problem is that GPT-4 does not know much about anything that happened after September 2021, because that was the cutoff date for the data it was trained on.
ARE THERE SAFEGUARDS?
OpenAI says GPT-4’s improved capabilities “lead to new risk surfaces” so it has improved safety by training it to refuse requests for sensitive or “disallowed” information.
It’s less likely to answer questions on, for example, how to build a bomb or buy cheap cigarettes.
Still, OpenAI cautions that while “eliciting bad behavior” from GPT is harder, “doing so is still possible.”
Eight parties presented their economic policies to attract more money to Thailand, on Matichon Forum.
Before Parliament is dissolved and the 2023 Thai election campaign begins, the long-established newspaper Matichon and its sister companies hosted a political debate attended by the prime minister’s top candidates and party leaders from 8 parties on March 13, 2023. They all came with the aim of clarifying issues in politics and economics.
Prachachat Business has collected all the important economic policies from 8 political parties:
Democrat Party on increasing THB 300bn on SMEs
Democratic Party Policy Director Pisit Leeahtam opened the first-panel discussion with the topics of creative industries and soft power. He said Thailand could attract more tourists to the country, which is an important source of revenue for the country, boost employment and increase tourism revenue to THB 2 trillion.
He stressed the need for the country to revive tourism and help hotel businesses that have suffered losses. The Democratic Party’s Director of Policy said the party would increase support funds to THB 300 billion to create soft power and bring money into the country.
Also, Democrat Party will start a local bank with THB 2 million fund to boost the local economy.
From left above; Pisit Leeahtam, Sonthirat Sonthijirawong,, Anutin Charnvirakul, Prommin Lertsuridej / from left below; Santi Kiranand, Sirikanya Tansakun, Suwat Liptapanlop and Suphan Mongkolsuthi.
PPRP on 5 soft-powers
Sonthirat Sonthijirawong, Political Policy Director of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), said that the heart of soft power lies in cultural capital. He explained that the most important Thai cultural capital is 1. bringing Thai food to the world market 2. enriching culture and traditions through festivals 3. making the country a cultural fashion centre, 4. improving the film and cinema industry and 5. promoting Thai boxing (Muay Thai)
Sonthirat Sonthijirawong
Sonthirat added that Thailand can compete with other countries in the service sector. However, there are 3 important transitional measures that need to be implemented: clearer policies, better budgeting and better cooperation between the private sector and the government.
Bhumjaithai on universal healthcare
Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul stressed the need to reduce inequality between the rich and the poor, large corporations and small businesses. He stressed that the government must take more care of the citizens and that everyone should be equal.
The party plans to continue and develop the so-called ’30 Baht Universal Healthcare’ program by providing access to more people in each province and adding more diseases and treatments to the programme, such as cancer, radiotherapy, dialysis and hemodialysis.
Anutin Charnvirakul
With regard to education, Anutin proposed that his government if elected will provide an interest-free loan without guarantors. He will adjust the law to make it fair to the people.
He said he was confident, given the country’s reputation, that the government could find a soft loan. This would allow state-owned enterprises to seek fewer profits and return them to the public.
Phue Thai Party to triple agriculture income in 4 years
Prommin Lertsuridej, director of the Phue Thai Party for Politics and Economy, said that the Thai economy has experienced a recession in the last 8 years and has lagged behind. He added that the government must tackle the root of the problem by first helping low-income citizens while strengthening the country’s economy.
According to a study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), if the economy of the 20 percent richest class grows by 1 percentage point, total economic growth will fall by 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, if the country strengthens the economy of the bottom 20 percent of society, GDP will increase by 0.48 percentage points, a 7-fold difference in overall economic growth.
The Phue Thai Party insisted on its all-encompassing policy-making. Short-term measures aim to revive tourism to attract foreign money, increase revenue from agriculture, which accounted for 8 percent of GDP within 4 years, improve marketing and financing for small and medium enterprises, increase productivity and create a life-long learning environment through the use of advanced technology.
Move Forward and Chartthaipattana focus on raising wages
Santi Kiranand, the Chartthaipattana Strategic Committee, said his party was not only focusing on increasing the minimum wage but also on skilling and retraining the labour force within the entire economic system.
He suggested that the government should use tax incentives to attract the private sector and focus on the skills of informal workers, as well as the education system.
Sirikanya Tansakun, deputy leader in the policy of the Future Forward Party, said the party will aim to increase the minimum wage to 450 THB per day and increase the wage every year, taking into account inflation and GDP.
Sirikanya Tansakun
“Our party will systematically raise wages every year to end the wage policy campaign and strengthen the bargaining power of all workers. [The party] will make a rule for upskilling and career change through online training,” Sirikanya said.
The party will help small and medium enterprises with wage increases by allowing them to stop paying for workers’ social security for 6 months, and they can reduce the 2-times tax on wages.
Suwat: new THB 5trn economy
Chart Pattana Kla Party Leader Suwat Liptapanlop revealed the party plan to increase more money to the country during high spending periods. He promised the new THB 5 trillion economy.
In his opinion, the fastest way to generate revenue is through tourism. In the next 4 years, he said, he wants to double the current record, double the number of tourists from 40 million to 70 million, increase the length of stay from 10 to 12 days, and increase spending from THB 5,000 to THB 6,000. If you add up all the figures of 70 million tourists to 12 days stay and 6,000 THB per day, you get a turnover of THB 5 trillion.
Suwat Liptapanlop
Suwat emphasised the 5-Fs soft power economy through film, fighting [boxing], fashion, food and festival. He also mentioned the improvement of agribusiness, which could create several million jobs and higher income.
He also planned to reduce costs through changes in the energy structure to reduce the cost of oil, gas, electricity, refinery margin (spread), marketing and the cost of renewable energy. He also mentioned the new tax regime whereby people earning up to THB 40,000 will be exempt from income tax.
Cancelled 1,400 laws to benefit businesses
Suphan Mongkolsuthi, deputy party leader and head of economic policy of the Thai Sang Thai Party, said the party aims to create scope for small businesses to increase the country’s income.
He insisted that the government must help smaller businesses through the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). Suphan said small businesses deserve their own branch where there is a one-stop service to help them expand in the export industry to bring money into the real economy and financial markets.
Suphan Mongkolsuthi
Suphan said that there are several ways to increase the country’s revenue. For exports, it would be better if the country helped create tens of thousands of small businesses. He said Thailand needs to focus on the country’s strengths in agriculture and tourism and use the Ta system to support them. In addition, the private sector and the government need to work together.
“There are more than 1,400 laws that hinder the business. [We] need to halt these laws.”
