On Friday 17 February 2023, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB) hosted the university’s 64th founding anniversary. On this occasion, Prof. Dr. Yasunori MITANI, the president of Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Japan, and his team, visit KMUTNB to attend this celebrative event and the 4th renewal of MoU signing ceremony. The MoU signing ceremony between Faculty of Engineering, KMUTNB and Kyutech took place at meeting room 212, Faculty of Engineering, and was presided over by Prof. Dr. -Ing. habil. Suchart Siengchin, KMUTNB President, and Prof. Dr. Yasunori MITANI, Kyutech President. This 4th MoU signing will facilitate collaboration and cooperation between both institutions in a number of key areas such as co-organizing conference, and expansion of double degree program. In addition to the signing of the MoU, the Kyutech president and his team also had the opportunity to visit the temporary and the construction site of the KMUTB-Kyutech collaboration satellite office. The two institutions look forward to working closely to advance research, knowledge, and education in their respective fields.
Since KMUTNB has entered into the first MoU with Kyutech in 2009, both parties have achieved series of fruitful cooperative outcomes, such as the exchange of staff and students, the funding for research stay, the provision of doctoral and master’s scholarships for KMUTNB faculty members and students of Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Technical Education, College of Industrial Technology, Faculty of Applied Science and the Sirindhorn International Thai -German Graduate School of Engineering (TGGS), the joint publication, the co-hosting of academic conference, seminar, workshop,student camp, etc. These cooperative activities contribute to promote friendship and encourage the exchange of knowledge, academic experiences, and culture among the Thai and Japanese faculty members and students. It leads to a greater understanding and cooperation between the two countries.
Also, KMUTNB and Kyutech have initiated the short exchange program since 2014 and it has been organized annually until now. Over 200 students of the Kyutech and KMUTNB students of Faculty of Engineering joined this program.
In 2015, KMUTNB and Kyutech cooperated to launch the Double Degree in Master of Engineering. Presently, there are 3 student were graduated and 2 students are currently studied under this program. One of them is currently the CEO of the NBSPACE, which is a start-up and spinoff company of space technology from KMUTNB. Moreover, Kyutech and TGGS at KMUTNB has discussed on double degree programs in Mechanical Engineering Simulation and Design and Materials and Production Engineering Programs.
In 2019, KMUTNB celebrated the 60th founding anniversary while Kyutech celebrated its 110th founding anniversary and also celebrated 10th KMUTNB-Kyutech cooperation anniversary. To mark these milestones, the two institutions established the “KMUTNB-Kyutech Collaboration Satellite Office” at Faculty of Engineering, KMUTNB, to be the center to promote and strengthen the cooperation on the development of research and education. The faculty members, researchers, students, and alumni of both institutions will come to work together to generate new knowledge and technologies which will lead to the sustainable progress of the academic community.
TOKYO (Kyodo) – Leiji Matsumoto, a famed Japanese cartoonist known for his works “Galaxy Express 999” and “Space Battleship Yamato,” has died of acute heart failure, his production studio said Monday. He was 85.
The manga artist, who also created “Space Pirate Captain Harlock,” died at a Tokyo hospital on Feb. 13, Studio Leijisha said. Many of his works were adapted into anime television series that became popular at home and abroad.
File photo shows copies of Leiji Matsumoto’s manga works Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamato. (Kyodo)
In a tribute to her father posted on his production studio’s website, Matsumoto’s daughter Makiko wrote that he had “set off for the sea of stars” and that she believed the famed creator had “led a happy life as a manga artist who was always thinking about storytelling.”
Matsumoto first became known in 1954 while in high school and rose to fame with “Otoko Oidon,” a comedy manga series that illustrates the story of a young, poor man preparing for a university entrance exam in Tokyo, published in a magazine in 1971.
“Space Battleship Yamato,” a story depicting an uncharted cosmic voyage in the 22nd century aboard a spaceship modeled off the World War II Imperial Japanese Navy of the same name, was made into a TV series and broadcast from 1974 to 1975.
File photo taken in December 2016 shows Japanese cartoonist Leiji Matsumoto at work in Tokyo. (Kyodo)
His work “Galaxy Express 999,” set in a future world controlled by machines, illustrates the growth of the main character Tetsuro Hoshino, a boy who sets out on a space journey with a mysterious woman named Maetel.
Hailing from Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan, Matsumoto was one of the first manga artists whose manga and animation work attracted fans overseas.
He was 7 when World War II ended, and his experiences of the time proved a lasting influence on his works, which were frequently set amid conflicts. He called for war never to be repeated and described his memories of the harsh reality of living in Japan after its defeat.
During the war, his father served as a pilot and lost many of his subordinates. While he never flew again after the conflict, the stories he told the young Matsumoto of nighttime flights over the ocean as it reflected the stars above that “felt like flying in space” would go on to inform “Galaxy Express 999.”
Matsumoto also served as president of the Young Astronauts Club in Japan and taught at Takarazuka University and Kyoto Sangyo University.
He was honored by the Japanese government with a Medal with Purple Ribbon, an honor bestowed on those who have made academic or artistic contributions to society, in 2001. He also received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette in 2010.
In 2012, the French government decorated Matsumoto with the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.
President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral on a surprise visit, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in Kyiv. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Joe Biden paid an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a defiant display of Western solidarity with a country still fighting what he called “a brutal and unjust war” days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
“One year later, Kyiv stands,” Biden declared after meeting Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace. Jamming his finger for emphasis on his podium, against a backdrop of three flags from each country, he continued: “And Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you.”
Biden spent more than five hours in the Ukrainian capital, consulting with Zelenskyy on next steps, honoring the country’s fallen soldiers and seeing U.S. embassy staff in the besieged country.
President Joe Biden, right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace on an unnanounced visit, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)
The visit comes at a crucial moment: Biden is trying to keep allies unified in their support for Ukraine as the war is expected to intensify with spring offensives. Zelenskyy is pressing allies to speed up delivery of promised weapon systems and calling on the West to provide fighter jets — something that Biden has declined to do.
The U.S. president got a taste of the terror that Ukrainians have lived with for close to a year when air raids sirens howled just as he and Zelenskyy wrapped up a visit to the gold-domed St. Michael’s Cathedral.
Looking solemn, they continued unperturbed as they laid two wreaths and held a moment of silence at the Wall of Remembrance honoring Ukrainian soldiers killed since 2014, the year Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and Russian-backed fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine.
The White House would not go into specifics, but national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that it notified Moscow of Biden’s visit to Kyiv shortly before his departure from Washington “for deconfliction purposes” in an effort to avoid any miscalculation that could bring the two nuclear-armed nations into direct conflict.
In Kyiv, Biden announced an additional half-billion dollars in U.S. assistance — on top of the more than $50 billion already provided — for shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars and other aid but no new advanced weaponry.
Ukraine has also been pushing for battlefield systems that would allow its forces to strike Russian targets that have been moved back from frontline areas, out of the range of HIMARS missiles that have already been delivered. Zelenskyy said he and Biden spoke about “long-range weapons and the weapons that may still be supplied to Ukraine even though it wasn’t supplied before.” But he did not detail any new commitments.
“Our negotiations were very fruitful,” Zelenskyy added. Sullivan would not detail any potential new capabilities for Ukraine, but said there was a “good discussion” of the subject.
US President Joe Biden, left, delivers a statement as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listens to him at Mariinsky Palace during an unannounced visit, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Biden’s mission with his visit to Kyiv, which comes before a scheduled trip to Warsaw, Poland, is to underscore that the United States is prepared to stick with Ukraine “as long as it takes” to repel Russian forces even as public opinion polling suggests that U.S. and allied support for providing weaponry and direct economic assistance has started to soften. For Zelenskyy, the symbolism of having the U.S. president stand side by side with him on Ukrainian land as the anniversary nears is no small thing as he prods allies to provide more advanced weaponry and step up delivery.
“I thought it was critical that there not be any doubt, none whatsoever, about U.S. support for Ukraine in the war,” Biden said.
Biden’s trip was a brazen rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had hoped his military would swiftly overrun Kyiv within days. Biden, a Democrat, recalled speaking with Zelenskyy on the night of the invasion, saying, “That dark night one year ago, the world was literally at the time bracing for the fall of Kyiv. Perhaps even the end of Ukraine.”
US President Joe Biden, left, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace during an unannounced visit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)
A year later, the Ukrainian capital remains firmly in Ukrainian control. Although a semblance of normalcy has returned to the city, regular air raid sirens and frequent missile and killer-drone attacks against military and civilian infrastructure across the country are a near-constant reminder that the war is still raging. The bloodiest fighting is, for the moment, concentrated in the country’s east, particularly around the city of Bakhmut, where Russian offensives are underway.
At least six civilians have been killed and 17 more have been wounded in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s presidential office reported. In the eastern Donetsk region, the Russian army was using aviation to strike cities on the front line. A total of 15 cities and villages have been shelled over the past 24 hours, according to the region’s Ukrainian Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko. In the northeastern Kharkiv region, cities near the border with Russia came under fire. A missile strike hit Kupiansk, damaging a hospital, a plant and residential buildings.
“The cost that Ukraine has had to bear has been extraordinarily high,” Biden said. “And the sacrifices have been far too great.” But “Putin’s war of conquest is failing.”
“He’s counting on us not sticking together,” Biden said. “He thought he could outlast us. I don’t think he’s thinking that right now. God knows what he’s thinking, but I don’t think he’s thinking that. But he’s just been plain wrong. Plain wrong.”
Signing a guest book at the presidential palace, Biden praised Zelenskky and the Ukrainian people, closing with “Slava Ukraini!” — “Glory to Ukraine!”
President Joe Biden, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hug as they say goodbye at the Memorial Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in Russian-Ukrainian War, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
The trip gave Biden an opportunity to get a firsthand look at the devastation the Russian invasion has caused on Ukraine. Thousands of Ukrainian troops and civilians have been killed, millions of refugees have fled the war, and Ukraine has suffered tens of billions of dollars of infrastructure damage.
Biden, wearing a blue suit and at times his signature aviator sunglasses, told Zelenskyy the U.S. will stand with him “for as long as it takes.” Zelenskyy responded in English: “We’ll do it.”
The Ukrainian leader, wearing a black sweatshirt, as has become his wartime habit, said through an interpreter that Biden’s visit “brings us closer to the victory,” this year, he hoped. He expressed gratitude to Americans and “all those who cherish freedom.”
It was rare for a U.S. president to travel to a conflict zone where the U.S. or its allies did not have control over the airspace.
The U.S. military does not have a presence in Ukraine other than a small detachment of Marines guarding the embassy in Kyiv, making Biden’s visit more complicated than other recent visits by prior U.S. leaders to war zones.
While Biden was in Ukraine, U.S. surveillance planes, including E-3 Sentry airborne radar and an electronic RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft, were keeping watch over Kyiv from Polish airspace.
US President Joe Biden signs a guest book during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Mariinsky Palace during an unannounced visit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)
Speculation has been building for weeks that Biden would visit Ukraine around the Feb. 24 anniversary of the Russian invasion. But the White House repeatedly had said that no presidential trip to Ukraine was planned, even after the Poland visit was announced.
Since early morning on Monday many main streets and central blocks in Kyiv were cordoned off without any official explanation. Later people started sharing videos of long motorcades of cars driving along the streets where the access was restricted.
At the White House, planning for Biden’s visit to Kyiv was tightly held — with a relatively small group of aides briefed on the plans — because of security concerns. Sullivan said Biden gave final approval for the trip, which had been in the works for months, on Friday during an Oval Office meeting at which he was briefed on security plans for the visit.
Flowers placed by the President Joe Biden at the Memorial Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in Russian-Ukrainian War with photos of killed soldiers in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
The president traveled with an usually small entourage, with just a few senior aides and two journalists, to maintain secrecy.
Asked by a reporter on Friday if Biden might include stops beyond Poland, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby replied, “Right now, the trip is going to be in Warsaw.” Moments later — and without prompting — Kirby added, “I said ‘right now.’
Biden quietly departed from Joint Base Andrews near Washington at 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, making a stop at Ramstein Air Base in Germany before making his way into Ukraine. He arrived in Kyiv at 8 a.m. on Monday. He departed after 1 p.m.
Until Monday, Biden’s failure to visit was making him something of a standout among Ukraine’s partners in the West, some of whom have made frequent visits to the Ukrainian capital. White House officials had previously cited security concerns with keeping Biden from making the trip, and Sullivan said Monday that the visit was only undertaken once officials believed they had managed the risk to acceptable levels.
In June, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and then Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi traveled together by night train to Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Kyiv in November shortly after taking office.
This is Biden’s first visit to a war zone as president. His recent predecessors, Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, made surprise visits to Afghanistan and Iraq during their presidencies to meet U.S. troops and those countries’ leaders.
Locals on Mook Island in Kan Trang sub-district, Trang province, showed tourists the Oriental Pied Hornbill, one of 13 hornbills that are endangered and hard to see but are most common on Mook Island, more than 100 of them on the island.
In the morning, this species of hornbill goes in search of food such as fruits and insects. They frequent resorts, local orchards and peat swamp forests on the island. Therefore, tourists can see them in the morning and evening
Sornchai Srisaman, a resort entrepreneur on Mook Island, said the Oriental Magpie Hornbill has become more familiar with the locals over the past 4 – 5 years. They usually travel in pairs and sometimes drop by a resort to have a bite to eat while the tourists are there.
Sometimes they also play with the locals’ chickens. Sometimes they also pass by a motorbike, which is a sign of familiarity and trust, after the locals have tried to protect them, not to hit them, drive them away or make loud noises. The community also tries to plant wild fruits like Banyan trees, Caryota urens, and Thai Blueberry as their food.
All 13 breeds of Thai hornbill are protected wildlife under the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act, B.E. 2535. The Oriental Pied Hornbill, the smallest of all hornbill breeds, is most common in some provinces in southern Thailand.
The hornbill is honored for its royal fidelity to its mate. When one partner dies, the other partner remains alone for the rest of its life.
Britain's Prince William, left and Kate, the Princess of Wales arrive to attend the BAFTA Film Awards 2023, at The Royal Festival Hall, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photos via AP)
LONDON (AP) — Antiwar German movie “All Quiet on the Western Front” won seven prizes, including best picture, at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, building the somber drama’s momentum as awards season rolls toward its climax at next month’s Oscars.
Irish tragicomedy “The Banshees of Inisherin” and rock biopic “Elvis” took four prizes each.
“All Quiet,” a visceral depiction of life and death in the World War I trenches based on Erich Maria Remarque’s classic novel, won Edward Berger the best director award. Its other trophies included adapted screenplay, cinematography, best score, best sound and best film not in English.
Edward Berger poses for photographers with the Director Award for the film ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Austin Butler was a surprise best actor winner for “Elvis.” Baz Lurhmann’s flamboyant musical also won trophies for casting, costume design and hair and makeup. Cate Blanchett won the best actress prize for orchestral drama “Tár.”
Martin McDonagh’s “Banshees,” the bleakly comic story of a friendship gone sour, was named best British film.
“Best what award?” joked McDonagh of the film, which was shot in Ireland with a largely Irish cast and crew. It has British funding, and McDonagh was born in Britain to Irish parents.
Kerry Condon poses for photographers with the supporting actress award for the film ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
“Banshees” also won for McDonagh’s original screenplay, and awards for Kerry Condon as best supporting actress and Barry Keoghan for best supporting actor.
The prizes — officially the EE BAFTA Film Awards — are Britain’s equivalent of Hollywood’s Academy Awards and will be watched closely for hints of who may win at the Oscars on March 12.
Madcap metaverse romp “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the Academy Awards front-runner, was the night’s big loser, winning just one prize from its 10 BAFTA nominations, for editing.
Actor Richard E. Grant was a suave and self-deprecating host — with support from TV presenter Alison Hammond — for the ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall, where the U.K’s movie academy heralded its strides to become more diverse but said there was more to be done.
Richard E. Grant poses for photographers upon arrival at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Grant joked in his opening monologue about the infamous altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at last year’s Oscars.
“Nobody on my watch gets slapped tonight,” he said. “Except on the back.”
Guests and presenters walking the red carpet on the south bank of the River Thames included Colin Farrell, Ana de Armas, Eddie Redmayne, Brian Cox, Florence Pugh, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cynthia Erivo, Julianne Moore and Lily James.
Heir to the throne Prince William, who is president of Britain’s film and television academy, was in the audience alongside his wife, Kate. William wore a tuxedo with black velvet jacket, while Kate dressed in a floor-length Alexander McQueen dress that she also wore to the 2019 BAFTAs.
Britain’s Prince William, left and Kate, the Princess of Wales arrive to attend the BAFTA Film Awards 2023, at The Royal Festival Hall, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photos via AP)
Helen Mirren paid tribute to William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September. Mirren, who portrayed the late monarch onscreen in “The Queen” and onstage in “The Audience,” called Elizabeth “the nation’s leading lady.”
Britain’s film academy introduced changes to increase the awards’ diversity in 2020, when no women were nominated as best director for the seventh year running and all 20 nominees in the lead and supporting performer categories were white.
This year there were 11 female directors up for awards across all categories, including documentary and animated films. But just one of the main best-director nominees was female: Gina Prince-Bythewood for “The Woman King.”
Britain’s Prince William, left and Kate, the Princess of Wales speak to Krishnendu Majumdar, Chair of BAFTA as they attend the BAFTA Film Awards 2023, at The Royal Festival Hall, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photos via AP)
BAFTA chair Krishnendu Majumdar said the academy’s soul-searching had been “a necessary and humbling process.” He said the “vital work of levelling the playing field” would continue.
“West Side Story” star Ariana DeBose opened the show by performing “Sisters are Doin’ it for Themselves,” with an added rap shoutout to some of the nominated women, including Blanchett, Michelle Yeoh and Viola Davis.
Blanchett said it had been “an extraordinary year for female performers. To be counted among them is really special.”
Cate Blanchett, winner of the leading actress award for ‘Tar’, poses for photographers at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
It was a strong year for Irish actors at the BAFTAs, with Deryl McCormack up for the BAFTA Rising Star award — though he lost out to Emma Mackey – and Condon, Keoghan, Farrell and Brendan Gleeson all getting acting nominations for “Banshees.”
McCormack hailed the event as “the Irish BAFTAs.”
“It is a small country, but to see the talent that comes out of it is quite amazing,” he said.
Writer-director Charlotte Wells won the prize for best British debut for the affecting father-daughter drama “Aftersun.” Three-time Oscar winner Sandy Powell became the first costume designer to be awarded the academy’s top honor, the BAFTA fellowship.
The harsh world outside showbiz intruded on the awards when Bulgarian journalist Christo Grozev, who works for investigative website Bellingcat, said he was now allowed to attend the awards because of a risk to public security. He features in “Navalny,” a film about jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny that won the best documentary BAFTA.
“Navalny” producer Odessa Rae dedicated the award to Grozev, “our Bulgarian nerd with a laptop, who could not be with us tonight because his life is under threat by the Russian government and Vladimir Putin.”
Jamie Lee Curtis, a supporting actress nominee for “Everything Everywhere,” said the chance awards season provides to celebrate cinema was more important than who wins.
“It’s a moment of celebration in the midst of everything,” Curtis told The Associated Press on the red carpet. “It’s hard out there. Everywhere. All at once. All the time.”
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Associated Press writer Hilary Fox contributed to this report.
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Winners of the 2023 British Academy Film Awards, announced Sunday:
Film — “All Quiet on the Western Front”
British Film — “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Director — Edward Berger, “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Actor — Austin Butler, “Elvis”
Actress — Cate Blanchett, “Tár”
Supporting Actor — Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Supporting Actress — Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Rising Star (voted for by the public) — Emma Mackey
Emma Mackey, winner of the EE rising star award, poses for photographers at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Outstanding British Debut — Writer-director Charlotte Wells, “Aftersun”
Original Screenplay — Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Adapted Screenplay — Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell, “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Film Not in the English Language — “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Musical Score — Volker Bertelmann, “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Cinematography — James Friend, “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Editing — Paul Rogers, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Production Design — “Babylon”
Costume Design — Catherine Martin, “Elvis”
Sound — “All Quiet on the Western Front”
Casting — Nikki Bartlett and Denise Chamian, “Elvis”
Visual Effects — “Avatar: The Way of Water”
Makeup and Hair — “Elvis”
Animated Film — “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”
British Short Film — “An Irish Goodbye”
British Short Animation — “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”
Documentary – “Navalny”
BAFTA Fellowship — Sandy Powell
Britain’s Kate, Princess of Wales, right, speaks to EE Rising Star nominee Sheila Atim at the 76th British Academy Film Awards held at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)
Britain’s Prince William, left and Kate, the Princess of Wales arrive to attend the BAFTA Film Awards 2023, at The Royal Festival Hall, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photos via AP)
Britain’s Prince William, left and Kate, the Princess of Wales speak to Krishnendu Majumdar, Chair of BAFTA as they attend the BAFTA Film Awards 2023, at The Royal Festival Hall, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photos via AP)
Kate, the Princess of Wales arrives to attend the BAFTA Film Awards 2023, at The Royal Festival Hall, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photos via AP)
Richard E. Grant poses for photographers upon arrival at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Austin Butler, winner of the leading actor award for ‘Elvis’, poses for photographers at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Cate Blanchett, winner of the leading actress award for ‘Tar’, poses for photographers at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Kerry Condon poses for photographers with the supporting actress award for the film ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Barry Keoghan poses for photographers with the Supporting Actor award for ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Emma Mackey, winner of the EE rising star award, poses for photographers at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Edward Berger poses for photographers with the Director Award for the film ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Colin Farrell poses for photographers upon arrival at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Catherine Zeta-Jones poses for photographers at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Geri Halliwell, from left, Viktor Prasil, Markus Stemler, Frank Kruse, Lars Ginze and Rita Wilson pose with the sound award for ‘All Quiet on the Western front’, at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Ke Huy Quan, left, and Michelle Yeoh pose for photographers upon arrival at the 76th British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA’s, in London, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) will increase the installation of solar panels at 180 animal farms, feed mills, and processing plants across Thailand, with a total capacity of 65 MW by 2023. The company is gearing up to reach 100 MW of solar energy in its supply chain by 2025.
Mr. Peerapong Krinchai, Executive Vice President – Corporate Engineering at CP Foods, reveals that the company continually promotes solar energy at its operations in all forms, including solar rooftop, solar farm, and solar floating, in an effort to transition to food production that utilizes renewable energy. This complies with the company’s commitment to increase the proportion of renewable energy consumption in its supply chain and strive toward to a net-zero goal.
So far, CP Foods has already completed installing solar energy systems in their second phase. In the first phase, solar panels were installed on the rooftops of 27 factories. 10 solar farms and 2 floating solar sites were installed in additional operations for the second phase.
The company is currently in the third phase, with plans to install solar rooftop and solar floating systems at an additional 67 operations and to set up solar panels on more than 80 locations in the fourth phase.
By 2025, approximately 34 operations of aquaculture business from more than180 operations, including shrimp farms, aquafeed mills, and food processing plants across Thailand, will have installed solar panels to generate electricity for its operations.
This initiative will help the company reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its production by about 44,000 tons of CO2 equivalents.
“CP Foods works promote the use of solar energy throughout the value chain to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable cost optimization. The company had earlier this year announced that it had successfully phased out coal use across all of Thailand’s operations in accordance with coal free 2022 campaign. The business substitutes biomass energy for coal.,” Mr. Peerapong said.
The company aims to maximize the proportion of renewable energy consumption in its value chain to 50% by 2030 and to become a food company that utilizes 100% renewable energy across its value chain.
In order to become a food company that uses 100% renewable energy throughout the value chain, the aim is to increase the amount of renewable energy consumption in its value chain to 50% by 2030.
Currently, the company’s renewable energy utilization in its food value chain accounts for 30% of total energy consumption. This is comprised of energy from biogas 30%, biomass energy 68% and solar energy 2%, which helps mitigate 600,000 tons of GHG carbon dioxide equivalent or planting 64 million trees on 320,000 rai of land.
In addition, CP Foods has announced its commitment to Science Based Target initiatives (SBTi) with the net zero goals by 2050 to limit the global average temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Tourists are seen in a mangrove swamp at Phi Phi Islands national park in Krabi, Thailand, Feb. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
KRABI, Thailand, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) — As sightseeing boats headed into the turquoise waters of Maya Bay, a floating buoy rope kept them a few hundred meters away from the glistening beach, leaving tourists to appreciate the beauty from afar before the boats turned back and departed.
These boats then need to navigate around to the back of the bay, where a floating pier has been built for brief stops. From there, tourists disembark and walk along a wooden pathway through the jungle to the white sand beach, a place made famous after featuring in a 2000 film “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
A beach at Phi Phi Islands national park in Krabi, Thailand. Phi Phi Islands national park, with an area of about 388 square kilometers, attracts numerous tourists every year. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
This has now become a common pattern for visitors coming to Phi Phi islands’ famous scenic spot on the Andaman Sea coast.
It’s hard to imagine that five years ago, the beach was inundated with thousands of speedboats and tourists daily, leaving in their wake a trail of devastation on the coral reef and marine ecosystem, compelling authorities to make the difficult decision to close Maya Bay in mid-2018.
Then, the unexpected arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic also provided this place with a breather and allowed for the restoration of its marine environment.
“It is one of the most successful marine actions in many years not only for Thailand but for the whole world,” Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University, told Xinhua in a phone interview.
Long tail boats are seen at Phi Phi Islands national park in Krabi, Thailand, Feb. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
According to the marine biologist, under official management, the number of people entering Maya Bay beach has been reduced from around 7,000 per round to just 375, with strict limitations on their activities and length of stay on the island.
Tourists are only permitted into shallow waters and stand in a spot where the sea level is below their knees. Thon specifically emphasized this detail as a means of avoiding any disturbance to the coral’s delicate ecosystem.
This regulated form of tourism has resulted in the rapid restoration of the marine environment in Maya Bay. Thon mentioned that he had observed over 100 black-tip reef sharks swimming in the shallow waters of the bay.
The current achievement should give credit to the private sector, which has also played an important role in repairing the island’s ecosystem, Thon said, giving an example of the Marine Discovery Center, the first institution of its kind in Thailand.
Established in 2018, this center is located within a luxury resort on Phi Phi Don island, serving as a comprehensive institution for education and marine life cultivation.
According to Kullawit Limchularat, sustainability development senior specialist at Singha Estate, the developer of the resort, the center operates multiple projects such as breeding clownfish and bamboo sharks, in collaboration with government agencies and national parks.
As of now, approximately 50 clownfish and 25 bamboo sharks have been released back into their natural habitats, including the four sharks that were recently returned to the sea, Kullawit told Xinhua.
In addition, the center is open to the local community and schools, organizing activities for visitors to participate in beach cleanups and mangrove replanting.
Since its opening, the center has seen close to 17,000 visitors and has effectively raised awareness among many people, Kullawit said.
Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2023 shows tropical fish at Phi Phi Islands national park in Krabi, Thailand. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
As tourism begins to pick up in the Phi Phi islands after the pandemic-induced lull, hotel operators are expecting an influx of tourists later this year.
Saii Resorts cluster general manager Bart Callens has expressed support for the authorities’ efforts to manage visitors in sensitive areas like Maya Bay. He believes that government and local businesses can work together to make the environment better for everyone.
Thon is also optimistic about the current situation. He said that the most challenging part of building a system to balance tourism and ecology is behind them and that the focus now should be on ensuring that the system works effectively in the long term.
Bangkok (February 20, 2022) – To drive the MICE industry (Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions), deliver extraordinary experiences, and reinforce its position as global legendary landmark , Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., a leading real estate and retail developer, the owner and operator of world-renowned properties, such as Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery, and a joint venture partner of ICONSIAM and Siam Premium Outlets Bangkok, has appointed Ms. Kritsana Janyasakulwong as the Managing Director of Siam Alliance Management Co., Ltd., a leading venue management company that oversees such world-class conference and exhibition centers as Royal Paragon Hall on the 5th Floor of Siam Paragon and TRUE ICON HALL on the 7th Floor of ICONSIAM. This move will not only further underline Siam Piwat’s leadership in the MICE industry but also boost tourism and the Thai economy as well as establish Thailand as a top destination for international conferences and exhibitions.
As one of its core businesses, Siam Piwat’s venue management is operated by a team of veteran professionals who work as one to deliver fresh ideas and inspiration to customers and business partners. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Siam Piwat was able to create a ground-breaking venue management phenomenon – the first virtual inspection and online reservation system in Asia and in the MICE industry, answering the needs of event organizers around the world and enabling them to bring to life extraordinary events for all attendees.
Ms.Kritsana Janyasakulwong stated, “We strive to strengthen our leadership in the global venue management industry, and our team of professionals are ready to make our entertainment and event venues household names. For this year, Royal Paragon Hall will be renovated to better accommodate world-class events and take full advantage of its location in Siam Paragon, which is undergoing a transformation to redefine the global legendary landmark in the heart of Bangkok, to reach new heights of excellence and meet new lifestyle needs of the future. In addition, TRUE ICON HALL, which is a world-class event venue, will undergo improvements in preparation for a diverse range of entertainment and academic events, such as a series of concerts by world-class artists slated for this year as well as international conferences and exhibitions. The goal is to reinforce Thailand’s strength as a destination for international events and welcome tourists, travelers, and visitors from across the globe.”
Ms.Kritsana is a co-founder of Siam Alliance Management and has over 25 years of experience in the venue management business. She has obtained various professional certifications through programs offered by globally recognized MICE associations and federations, including Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Incentive Specialist (CIS), and Digital Event Strategist (DES) by the Event Industry Council; UFI-Exhibition Management Degree (UFI-EMD) bythe Global Association of Exhibition Industry (UFI); and the Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) Program by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE). She has also contributed to the success of Royal Paragon Hall for the past 16 years as well as of TRUE ICON HALL, which has been open for four years. Highly talented and dedicated to her duties, she has been behind numerous achievements that have earned Siam Piwat’s venues an international reputation. Siam Piwat is confident that guided by its vision as the Visionary ICON, Ms. Kritsana will steer the business towards even greater achievements in the future.
Suvarnabhumi International Airport / photo by Matichon
Rinthipond Varinvatchararoj, deputy secretary of the Pheu Thai Party, urged the government to act quickly to address congestion and delays at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
She said on February 20th that after Thailand fully opened its country to tourists in July 2022 in the hope of boosting the economy, there was an increasing number of travelers, more than 10 million, visiting Thailand. She added that according to the Kasikorn Research Centre, about 20 to 24 million tourists will visit Thailand in 2023, which is about 60 per cent of the 2019 record.
Rinthipond, however, pointed out that tourism management in Thailand is still not efficient, causing tourists to fret about the slowness of immigration checks, which take about 3–4 hours, as well as baggage claim and taxi queues.
Rinthipond Varinvatchararoj, deputy secretary of the Pheu Thai Party
She said that since the government has the forecast of daily arrival flights, it should use the data to increase the number of immigration officers during peak hours and introduce the technology of pre-filling documents for automatic passport control to give tourists a better impression of the country.However, she said the problems were never solved.
“Thailand’s GDP is growing at the slowest rate in ASEAN. Tourism is the only source of revenue that the Prayut government has been able to maintain, but it is still overlooked,” said Rinthipond.
Earlier, Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is under the Airport of Thailand (AOT), told that the AOT is keeping a close eye on the problem of rising visitor numbers. It is estimated that 1 million Chinese tourists will visit Thailand by next August.
AOT press conference on February, 17, 2023 at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
He added that the airport’s services have improved: Baggage claims will not be delayed more than 30 minutes and the airport is increasing the number of taxis from 2,200 to 3,909. The AOT also plans to increase the number of taxis to 4,500 by next April.
Currently, about 20 flights of Chinese tourists from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau to Thailand are expected every day between January 8 and February 15.
The number of incoming Chinese tourists is 161,502, or about 4,142 people per day. It is also estimated that the number of Chinese tourists will reach 500,000 people by May 1, 2023, rising to 1 million by August 20, 2023.
The domestic violence also happened to a police family.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panya Pinsuk, 59, commander of the Royal Thai Police, was shot by his wife, who was also a policewoman, with a 9 mm. Pistol. He was shot in the right chest and under the left armpit and found dead at his home at 70 Soi Boromratchonnanee, Sala Thammasop sub-district, Thawi Watthana district, Bangkok, on 19 February 2023.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panya Pinsuk / photo by Matichon
Pol. Maj. Pornprapa Pinsuk, 67, the perpetrator, wept when she reported the incident to the police that he had shot himself. However, she later admitted that she had used a gun to kill her husband but did not disclose the motive as she was not ready. The police officer initially charged her with murder.
She was later granted bail after relatives submitted 500,000 baht in assets as surety.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panya Pinsuk, 59, commander of the Royal Thai Police found dead at his home.crime scene
Pol. Lt. Gen. Panya was famous for his cases related to natural resources, the environment and security. Among his prominent works was the illegal hunting of wildlife in the western Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, where Premchai Karnasuta, a former president of the Italian-Thai Development PLC was the prime suspect.
The case of the illegal hunting of wildlife in the western Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary
He has also been part of many investigative teams, including the takedown of the gambling website Macau888, where the team recently completed the Taiwan trip to ask for information from Dew Arisara Thongborisut, the whistleblower in the case on 15 February 2023.
The Macau 888 investigation team asked for information from Dew Arisara in Taiwan.
Domestic violence has become increasingly normal in Thailand and is reported by the media every day. The majority of victims are women, especially when there is a separation and the woman refuses to reconcile. Most often, it is physical violence or murder.
According to the 2022 United Nations data, Thailand consistently ranks among the top 10 countries with the most cases of violence against children and women. It also states that 1 in 3 of the assaults is mental health related. However, few women have been brave enough to tell their stories of abuse and ask for help.
