Opinion: The Labyrinth That Is Corruption in Thailand

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5 February 2023, 11:00

Police extortion is getting out of control, flouting the justice system like never before – or was it?

Imagine if Taiwanese actress Charlene An did not have the mettle and social media followers to expose seven Thai policemen at a Huay Kwang checkpoint in Bangkok of extorting her and her three friends 27,000 baht on Jan. 4 for possession of three e-cigarettes and not carrying passport, then we would not have known about such disgraceful and corrupt behavior by these supposed “law enforcers.” One wonders how many more cases went unreported over the months and years simply because the foreign victims were not famous or too afraid to speak out.

The damage done to the Thai tourism industry must be several thousand times the amount extorted by these “policemen,” if not incalculable. As of Thursday, six out of the seven Huay Kwang checkpoint policemen were sent to prison and denied bail by the criminal court as the judges deem the case as having severe impact on Thailand’s image and justice system.

Some suspect that this was not just a random act by rouge policemen but part of a much larger systemic corrupt system where junior officers work like salesmen to extort and accept bribes to meet certain targeted monthly figures to feed not just themselves but their corrupt commanders.

There is no concrete proof of such a corrupt syndicate but have you ever wondered why it is so common to find senior police officers leading a very affluent lifestyle beyond their relatively modest salary?

This explains why some were not surprised by An’s expose and that some foreign guidebooks on Thailand advise foreign tourists to stay clear of Thai police.

Beyond the police circle, the general perception of corruption in Thailand is damning as well. Transparency International (TI) earlier this week ranked Thailand at a dismal 101 out of 180 countries in its 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), way behind Vietnam at 77, Malaysia 66 and there is no public outcry that Transparency International’s results are a lie.

In fact, many Thais feel TI was just reminding them what they observe and feel it’s a rather accurate assessment of Thai reality.

It is the sense of apathy and hopelessness which enables corruption to thrive and not just among the police force. Each of us has the duty to resist corruption which is linked to bribery and even nepotism if we want a better society for our children.

Two other examples are the recent exposure of a number of Thai university lecturers reliant on hired ghost writers to pen their numerous research papers so they could quickly apply to become an assistant professor, associate professor, and then full professor. The matter is more shocking than police extortion because this knowledge is relatively new for those outside Thai academia.

Another is some private company staff routinely markup the price of their hotel accommodation while traveling out of town overnight for work. I recently sat for lunch next to a general manager of one relatively new company which offers full online packages for companies to enable their employees to book flights, accommodation, and other transports in a transparent and potentially cost-saving way.

The GM told me that some company staff at potential client firms abhor him because his company could deprive them of means to cheat and earn extra money. That is not a surprise though he added that top executives at some companies flatly told him they cannot use such services because given the modest pay they give to their sales staff, they need to allow these staff to cheat to make ends meet.

Japanese Film Festival 2023 in Bangkok and Chiang Mai

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Khaosod English

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5 February 2023, 01:51

The Japan Foundation, Bangkok; House Samyan; and Dude, Movie proudly present the onsite “Japanese Film Festival 2023 (JFF 2023)” in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Supported by the Embassy of Japan in Thailand and the Japanese Association in Thailand, the onsite JFF 2023 is back this year with ten acclaimed films to relish these highly anticipated events, spanning a wide range of genres, including manga-adapted films, documentaries for family and early childhood’s education, an extravaganza of a rock-musical animation and many more.

10 films for JFF2023 will be screened at House Samyan from February 10th to 19th , 2023, while 4 films will be screened in Chiang Mai at Alliance Française de Chiang Maï from February 25th to 26th.

THB160 – General Audiences, THB140 – House’s Member, THB120 – Students

China Plays Down Blinken’s Canceled Visit Over Balloon

By

Associated Press

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4 February 2023, 21:06

US China — FILE - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, July 9, 2022. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool Photo via AP, File)

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China played down the cancellation of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken after a large Chinese balloon suspected of conducting surveillance on U.S. military sites roiled diplomatic relations, saying that neither side had formally announced any such plan.

“In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday morning.

AP23034450683408 — FILE – An American flag is flown next to the Chinese national emblem.(AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

Blinken was due to visit Beijing on Sunday for talks aimed at reducing U.S.-China tensions, the first such high-profile trip after the countries’ leaders met last November in Indonesia. But the U.S. abruptly canceled the trip after the discovery of the huge balloon despite China’s claim that it was merely a weather research “airship” that had blown off course.

The Pentagon rejected that out of hand — as well as China’s contention that the balloon was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.

Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping up the situation.

Many users made jokes about the balloon. Some said that since the U.S. had put restrictions on the technology that China is able to buy to weaken the Chinese tech industry, they couldn’t control the balloon.

AP23033841588042 — A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)

Others called it the “wandering balloon” in a pun that refers to the newly released Chinese sci-fi film called “The Wandering Earth 2.”

Still others used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldn’t even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leapt to use the news to mock the U.S. One wrote wryly: “The U.S., because of the balloon incident, delays Blinken’s visit to China.”

Censorship was visible on the topic — the “wandering balloon” hashtag on Weibo was no longer searchable by Saturday evening.

“The U.S. is hyping this as a national security threat posed by China to the U.S. This type of military threat, in actuality, we haven’t done this. And compared with the U.S. military threat normally aimed at us, can you say it’s just little? Their surveillance planes, their submarines, their naval ships are all coming near our borders,” Chinese military expert Chen Haoyang of the Taihe Institute said on Phoenix TV, one of the major national TV outlets.

The balloon was spotted earlier over Montana, which is home to one of America’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base, defense officials said.

President Joe Biden had declined to shoot down the balloon, following advice of defense officials who worried the debris could injure people below. Meanwhile, people with binoculars and telephoto lenses tried to find the “spy balloon” in the sky as it headed southeastward over Kansas and Missouri at 60,000 feet (18,300 meters).

AP23034753830231 — Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park Jin, jointly participate in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, Friday, Feb, 3, 2023 at the State Dept. in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.

Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was “an irresponsible act and that (China’s) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.”

China has denied any claims of spying, and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. Experts have said that their response was feasible.

But analysts said the unexpected incident will not help the strained ties between the two countries, and particularly China’s initial response where it said they could not control the balloon and “regretted” that it unintentionally entered U.S. space.

On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs again emphasized that the balloon’s journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. to not “smear” it based on the balloon.

Wang said China “has always strictly followed international law, we do not accept any groundless speculation and hype. Faced with unexpected situations, both parties need to keep calm, communicate in a timely manner, avoid misjudgments and manage differences.”

Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, said China’s apology did not appear sincere.

“In the meantime, the relationship will not improve in the near future … the gap is huge.”

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Associated Press researcher Henry Hou in Beijing contributed to this report.

Pentagon: Chinese Spy Balloon Spotted Over Western Us

Lauded Fashion Designer Paco Rabanne Dies at Age 88

By

Associated Press

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3 February 2023, 23:32

France Obit Paco Rabanne — FILE - Spanish fashion designer Paco Rabanne poses with a model wearing a white dress with a metallic headpiece after presenting his 1992/93 fall-winter haute couture collection in Paris, France, on July 29, 1992. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, File)

PARIS (AP) — Paco Rabanne, the Spanish-born designer known for perfumes sold worldwide and his metallic, space-age fashions, has died, the group that owns his fashion house announced on its website Friday.

“The House of Paco Rabanne wishes to honor our visionary designer and founder who passed away today at the age of 88. Among the most seminal fashion figures of the 20th century, his legacy will remain,” the statement from beauty and fashion company Puig said.

AP23034518203722 — FILE – Franco-Spanish fashion designer Paco Rabanne acknowledges the applause at the end of his fall-winter 2000/2001 collection on March 3, 2000 in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File)

Le Telegramme newspaper quoted the mayor of Vannes, David Robo, as saying that Rabanne died at his home in the Brittany region town of Portsall.

Rabanne’s fashion house shows its collections in Paris and is scheduled to unveil the brand’s latest ready-to-wear designs during the upcoming Feb. 27-March 3 fashion week.

AP23034519826353 — FILE – Waxwork mannequins were used by Paris couturier Paco Rabanne for the presentation of his 1973 collection of paper dresses, Jan. 22, 1973. (AP Photo/Bernard Ferret, File)

He was known as a rebel designer in a career that blossomed with his collaboration with the family-owned Puig, a Spanish company that now also owns other design houses, including Nina Ricci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Caroline Herrera and Dries Van Noten. The company also owns the fragrance brands Byredo and Penhaligon’s.

“Paco Rabanne made transgression magnetic. Who else could induce fashionable Parisian women (to) clamor for dresses made of plastic and metal? Who but Paco Rabanne could imagine a fragrance called Calandre — the word means ‘automobile grill,’ you know — and turn it into an icon of modern femininity?” the group’s statement said.

AP23034518867467 — FILE – Franco-Spanish fashion designer Paco Rabanne poses with a model on January 30, 1991 in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Pierre Gleizes, File)

Calandre perfume was launched in 1969, the first product by Puig in Spain, France and the United States, according to the company.

Born Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo in 1934, the future designer fled the Spanish Basque country at age 5 during the Spanish Civil War and took the name of Paco Rabanne.

AP23034519878336 — FILE – Fashion designer Paco Rabanne presents this dazzling kinetic minidress of plastic triangles riveted together and worn with an open-work trellis fur over bright plastic, topped with a matching cap, from his new collection in Paris, France, on Oct. 26, 1967. (AP Photo/Michel Lipchitz, File)

He studied architecture at Paris’ Beaux Arts Academie before moving to couture, following in in the steps of his mother, who was a couturier in Spain. He said she was jailed at one point for being dressed in a “scandalous” fashion.

He sold accessories to well-known designers before launching his own collection.

AP23034519086340 — FILE – A Paco Rabanne rare aluminum tunic dress is seen on display at Christie’s auction house in London, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

He titled the first collection presented under his own name “12 unwearable dresses in contemporary materials.” His innovative outfits were made of various kinds of metal, including his famous use of mail, the chain-like material associated with Medieval knights.

Coco Chanel reportedly called Rabanne “the metallurgist of fashion.”

AP23034519288047 — FILE – For spring 1975 dresses by Paris couturier Paco Rabanne in Paris in October 1974. (AP Photo/Cardenas, File)

“My colleagues tell me I am not a couturier but an artisan, and it’s true that I’m an artisan. … I work with my hands,” he said in interview in the 1970s.

In an interview given when he was 43 years old and now held in thFrance’s National Audiovisual Institute, Rabanne explained his radical fashion philosophy,

“I think fashion is prophetic. Fashion announces the future,” he said, adding that women were harbingers of what lies on the horizon.

“When hair balloons, regimes fall,” Rabanne said. “When hair is smooth, all is well.”

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Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

Over 10,000 Bamboo Scripts, Seal Impressions Unearthed in China’s Yunnan

By

Xinhua News Agency

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3 February 2023, 20:24

KUNMING, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) — More than 10,000 bamboo scripts, among which about 1,300 with written characters, and 837 seal impressions dating back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD) have been found in Yunnan Province, southwest China, said the provincial cultural relics and archaeology institute.

bamboo han1 — An archaeologist works at the Hebosuo relics site in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Sept. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

This new discovery indicates that the central government of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD) exercised its administrative power over the Yunnan region at that time, serving as important physical evidence for the forming and development of a unified multi-ethnic China.

bamboo han2 — An archaeologist cleans unearthed bamboo and wooden slips at the Hebosuo relics site in southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Sept. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

The artifacts were uncovered in Hebosuo site, Jinning District of Kunming, capital of Yunnan, a core residential area of the ancient Yunnan region. Since 2021, more than 600 historical sites including ash pits, house ruins, tombs, wells and road ruins have been found at Hebosuo.

Notably, most of the seal impressions unearthed at the site had official seals, with Chinese characters covering the names of 20 out of the 24 counties administered by the ancient Yunnan region, said the institute.

bamboo han3 — Aerial photo taken on Sept. 21, 2022 shows a view of the Hebosuo relics site in southwest China’s Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

According to historical documents, the Han Dynasty ruled over the Yunnan region as early as 109 BC and the ancient Yunnan kingdom has since become part of the multi-ethnic China.

Currently, archaeologists are still trying to discover the location of the capital of ancient Yunnan, which is believed to near the Hebosuo site.

Bobi From Portugal Is the Oldest Dog Living – the Oldest Dog Ever

By

Khaosod English

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3 February 2023, 17:03

Guinness World Records have received evidence of an older dog. A much older dog. In fact, Bobi (b. 11 May 1992) is not just the oldest dog living; he’s the oldest dog ever.

Bobi is 30 years 266 days old as of 1 February 2023.

He has lived his entire life with the Costa family in the rural village of Conqueiros, in Leiria, Portugal.

Bobi is a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, which is a breed of livestock guardian dog with an average life expectancy of 12-14 years.

The Portuguese pooch has broken an almost century-old record; the previous oldest dog ever, Bluey (1910-1939), was an Australian cattle-dog who lived to be 29 years 5 months old.

In 1992 Bobi was registered with Serviço Medico-Veterinário do Município de Leiria (Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria), who have confirmed Bobi’s birth date.

From being condemned at birth to now being the oldest verified dog ever, Bobi’s story is a miraculous one.

He was born as one of four male pups, in an outbuilding where the Costa family stored wood.

“I was eight years old,” said Leonel Costa, now aged 38. “My father was a hunter, and we always had many dogs.”

Due to the number of animals they already owned, Leonel’s father decided that they couldn’t keep the newborn puppies.

Leonel and his brothers decided to keep Bobi’s existence a secret.

“We knew that when the dog opened its eyes, my parents would no longer bury it,” Leonel explained. “It was popular knowledge that this act could not or should be done.”

It usually takes one to two weeks for newborn puppies to open their eyes for the first time; they can only do so once their central nervous system has developed and their eyes have fully formed.

When Leonel’s parents eventually discovered Bobi, it was too late – the young pup had already opened his eyes. Bobi was now part of the family.

“I confess that when they found out that we already knew, they screamed a lot and punished us, but it was worth it and for a good reason!”

“If Bobi spoke only he could explain this,” Leonel said when discussing reasons for Bobi’s longevity.

Leonel thinks that one of the biggest contributing factors is the “calm, peaceful environment” Bobi lives in, “far from the cities.”

Bobi has never been chained up nor attached to a leash, and has always enjoyed free roam of the forests and farmland surrounding the Costa family house.

Leonel describes Bobi as “very sociable” as he grew up with many other animals.

Bobi is less adventurous now in his old age; walking is difficult so he mostly spends his time hanging out in the backyard with his four feline friends.

oldest dog3 — Bobi and one of his cat companions, Ceguinho (2022) / Guinness World Records

Bobi’s eyesight has worsened too; Leonel often notices him colliding with obstacles when he walks.

Due to his age, Bobi rests more than used to, and he likes to lie in bed after meals. On colder days he prefers to relax by the fire.

As for his diet, Bobi has always eaten ‘human food.’

“What we ate, they ate too,” Leonel said. He believes that this has contributed greatly to Bobi’s longevity.

“Between a can of animal food or a piece of meat, Bobi doesn’t hesitate and chooses our food.”

Leonel never considered that Bobi might be the world’s oldest dog until recently. In fact, when he sent in Bobi’s application for the title of oldest dog living, he didn’t even realize that Bobi would also be the oldest dog ever.

“I never thought of registering Bobi to break the record because fortunately our animals have always lasted for many years,” he explained.

Leonel said that Bobi’s mother, Gira, lived to the age of 18, and another one of their dogs, Chicote, lived to be 22.

“We see situations like this as a normal result of the life that they have, but Bobi is one of a kind.”

As Bobi looks forward to his 31st birthday in May – oblivious to the fact that he’s made history as the oldest verified dog ever – we wish him continued good health and happiness.

Court Denies Bail for 6 Huai Khwang Policemen Who Extorted Taiwan Actress

By

Khaosod English

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3 February 2023, 16:18

Six Huai Khwang policemen were detained by the Criminal Court’s order on February 2, 2023 for 12 days while awaiting extortion trial against Taiwanese actress Charlene An and three male friends.

The court denied bail saying the case severely affected the image of Thailand and the justice system.

Details released by the court include three e-cigarettes led to the extortion of 18,000 baht or 6,000 baht per vapor. One of the friends of An also reportedly told police that it couldn’t have been illegal since they bought them from a vendor in Huai Khwang District.

An additional 3,000 baht was paid for the lack of physical passport.

On January 30, 2023 Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau issued a statement acknowledging that Huai Khwang checkpoint police extorted money from Taiwanese actress Charlene An as claimed by the latter.

The statement said the investigation is still in preliminary stage and it’s not yet clear if the amount paid by An was in fact 27,000 baht.

On January 28, 2023 National Police Chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas has ordered a thorough and swift investigation on the alleged extortion of 27,000 baht from An at a Bangkok police checkpoint in early Jan, said Police spokesman Pol Maj Gen Atchayon Kraithong on Saturday. No one will be spared from criminal and legal responsibility if found guilty, the spokesman added.

The move came after An hits back at earlier remark by Thai police and a grab driver.

Taiwanese actress Charlene An rebutted late on Friday saying she didn’t drink when Thai police stopped her and friends at a Bangkok checkpoint to extort money and demand police release CCTV footage.

“Wow, that’s not true at all! I didn’t drink at all,” An wrote on her Instagram account.
An said Thai police tried to shift the topic and they should stop taking nonsense. She added that she’s contacted Interpol about the matter.

“They are saying bad things about me to make them look good and cover up the truth,” An wrote in English on her Instagram account.

The reaction came after Thai Police said late Friday the grab driver of Taiwanese actress Charlene An was summoned and told them he saw no extortion made by police and added that An was “very drunk” on that night. The driver was identified as Vichaet, 40. No family name was given.

charlene an2 — Credit : Instagram @charlene_an517

Earlier on the same day, Deputy Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, aka “Big Joke”, said if police officers were found having extorted money from a Taiwanese actress as claimed by the latter they would face criminal charges.

An said she had to pay 27,000 baht of extortion money after Thai police stopped and search her at a checkpoint at 1am and held her and her friends for two hours after she was told her visa on arrival was not valid.

charlene an1 — Credit : Instagram @charlene_an517

An, 32, posted on social media the incident occurred on Jan 4 while she and her friends were inside a taxi on the way back to hotel but were stopped by police at a checkpoint.

“The experience was like being in a Mexican film,” An said adding that she pleaded but to no avail. The actress said police also forced her to delete the video clip she took. She wrote that she would never return to Thailand ever again. “Goodbye Lousy Bangkok!”.

Possession of E-cigarette in Thailand Is Illegal and Could Be Imprisoned

Kyrgios pleads guilty to assault, has no conviction recorded

By

Associated Press

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3 February 2023, 14:45

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Nick Kyrgios had suffered severe depression, suicidal ideation and insomnia in the past, a psychologist told a court on Friday when the Australian tennis star pleaded guilty to pushing a former girlfriend to the ground two years ago.

The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up pleaded guilty in the Australian Capital Territory Magistrates Court to assaulting Chiara Passari during an argument in his hometown of Canberra in January 2021.

Magistrate Jane Campbell didn’t record a conviction against Kyrgios for reasons including that the offense was at the low end of seriousness for a common assault, and was not premeditated.

Campbell described it as an act of “stupidity” and “frustration.”

Nick Kyrgios2 scaled — Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, center, arrives at the ACT Magistrates Court in Canberra, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. Kyrgios has pleaded guilty in an Australian court to assaulting a former girlfriend during an argument in January 2021. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)

Kyrgios, who was using crutches following recent surgery on his left knee, didn’t speak to reporters as he left court but issued a statement through a management company.

“I respect today’s ruling and am grateful to the court for dismissing the charges without conviction,” Kyrgios said. “I was not in a good place when this took place and I reacted to a difficult situation in a way I deeply regret. I know it wasn’t OK and I’m sincerely sorry for the hurt I caused.

“Mental health is tough. Life can seem overwhelming. But I’ve found that getting help and working on myself has helped me to feel better and to be better.”

Kyrgios’ psychologist, Sam Borenstein, said in a written report and testimony by phone that Kyrgios had suffered major depressive episodes in the past and had used alcohol and drugs to cope. Kyrgios’ mental health led to impulsive and reckless behavior.

His recent knee injury had resulted in mild to moderate symptoms of depression, but his mental health was improving, Borenstein said.

“He’s doing very well,” Borenstein said. “His mental health has improved significantly.”

Nick Kyrgios3 — Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, left, and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic shake hands following an exhibition match on Rod Laver Arena ahead of the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Lawyers for Kyrgios had sought to have an assault charge stemming from events two years ago dismissed on mental health grounds but the application was unsuccessful.

Kyrgios had been attempting to leave Passari during an argument at 10 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2021, outside her apartment in the inner-Canberra suburb of Kingston. He called an Uber but Passari stood in the way of him closing the front passenger side door. The driver wouldn’t leave with the door open.

Kyrgios eventually pushed Passari’s shoulders backward with open palms, causing her to fall to the pavement and graze her knee, according to agreed facts read to the court.

Passari signed a police statement alleging the assault 11 months later, after her relationship with Kyrgios had ended.

His current partner, Costeen Hatzi, wrote in a character reference that she had no concerns of violence in her relationship. Hatzi was among Kyrgios’ supporters who sat behind him in court.

Kyrgios, wearing a dark suit and using the crutches for support, first spoke in court when the magistrate asked him if he could stand to enter a plea.

Kyrgios replied: “Yep, no worries, Your Honor,” as he rose to plead guilty.

In February last year, Kyrgios opened up about his performance at the 2019 Australian Open, saying what appeared to be a positive time in his life had been “one of my darkest periods.”

“I was lonely, depressed, negative, abusing alcohol, drugs, pushed away family and friends,” he wrote on Instagram. “I felt as if I couldn’t talk or trust anyone. This was a result of not opening up and refusing to lean on my loved ones and simply just push myself little by little to be positive.”

Kyrgios made further references to his mental health struggles during his runs last year to the final at Wimbledon and the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open.

After ending Daniil Medvedev’s U.S. Open title defense last September to reach the quarterfinals, Kyrgios expressed pride at lifting himself out of “some really tough situations, mentally” and “some really scary places” off the court.

The 27-year-old Kyrgios had a career setback last month when he withdrew from the Australian Open because the knee injury which later required arthroscopic surgery.

Thai Universities Welcome More Myanmar Students

By

Khaosod English

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3 February 2023, 14:00

BANGKOK — Thai universities are seeing a tenfold increase in the enrollment of students from Myanmar after the country fully reopened to foreign visitors.

Rangsit University said roughly 1,000 Myanmar nationals were enrolled in its international college during the current academic year. The most popular courses were health sciences, biomedical science, art and design, international business, and communication arts, according to the private university.

“Myanmar students choose to study at Rangsit University because of word of mouth,” Supattana Nirukkanaporn, head of the university’s international affairs office told Prachachat. “We entered the Myanmar market many years ago. Myanmar’s universities have limited seats for students and we believe the current situation in the country is pushing the new generation abroad.”

Supattana also suggested Thailand’s close proximity to Myanmar and academic reputation were among the factors attracting students from Myanmar.

“Thailand is their main destination. It’s not far from their country and they don’t find it difficult to adjust themselves here,” she said.

The shares of international students in Thailand were once dominated by Chinese students, but now students from Southeast Asian countries appear to take up the majority due to China’s border closures during the pandemic.

Another private school, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), said it is expecting more students from the neighboring countries, especially graduate students. The university currently enrolled 200 Myanmar students and has campuses in Yangon and Mandalay.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for the government to promote Thailand as an academic destination for foreign students,” Nattapan Buavaraporn, dean of UTCC international college, said. “We are quite outstanding among ASEAN countries. Most of our graduate students from Myanmar are entrepreneurs and this means they believe in our quality.”

There are about 27,000 international students in Thailand in the 2021 academic year, according to the higher education ministry.

CP Foods’ Smart-IA helps raise food safety standards.

By

Contributor

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3 February 2023, 13:54

Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods) has initiated the program to equip its internal auditors with extensive knowledge and expertise on food safety to ensure that its food products are safe across supply chains comply with its PS 7818: 2018: CPF Food Safety, Quality and Sustainability Management System” standard. The program will be adopted by the chicken and duck value chains to meet global compliance or obligations and to safeguard consumers including build the customer and stakeholder trust.

Mr.Siripong Arunrattana, Chief Operating Officer – Livestock Business of CP Foods stated that the internal food safety audit and competent auditors play a vital role in ensuring that safe and hygienic food comply with global standards, thereby enhancing the company’s credibility with customers and other stakeholders. The company has launched the “Smart IA-Internal Audit” project in accordance with international standard ISO 19011:2018 to enhance auditors’ abilities, competence, and comprehensive knowledge of auditing techniques.

In addition, this will standardize the efficacy and precision of the internal food safety, quality and sustainability auditing procedures. As a preliminary step, the company was assigned to implement the program in the chicken and duck supply chain. This year, the integrated duck value chain will implement the program following the integrated poultry business in Korat, Thailand.

This project is a component of the CPF Food Standard, which aims to introduce a higher level of food safety, quality and sustainability throughout its value chain in order to establish worldwide consumers trust in food safety and quality of its sustainable products.

Under the “Kitchen of the World” initiative, CP Foods’ Global Standard System Centre will continuously implement this program for three consecutive years to amplify skills and knowledge of internal auditors to become Smart Internal Auditor (Smart IA) aiming to maintain greater credibility with customers and its other stakeholders as well as to strengthen company

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