ThailandOneStopServices®

22 Dec 2015 00:44

✳️ INTERNET | CENSORSHIP ✳️

Error 451: The new HTTP code for censorship

On Friday, the group responsible for Internet standards, the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG), approved a new HTTP code to differentiate between Web pages which cannot be shown for technical reasons and others which are unavailable for non-technical reasons, such as governmental censorship.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/error-451-the-new-http-code-for-censorship/

#internet #http451 #censorship

ThailandOneStopServices®

16 Dec 2015 03:14

Airports of Thailand to Introduce Background Screening Check at Six Airports

by chiangraitimes / August 3rd, 2015

BANGKOK – Airports of Thailand (AoT) is introducing a new passenger system to check passengers as of December 1st, 2015, beginning early December inbound and outbound passengers at the country’s six international airports have to pay 35 baht each for background screening check charge.

The system called the Advance Passenger Processing System (APPS) will boost airport security by screening each passenger more closely than the current system in use.

According to Bangkok Post, It allows customs officials, airport and airline staff and immigration police to obtain the profiles of passengers from their countries of origin.

They will be able to check if passengers are blacklisted or banned from leaving a country.

Authorities will share passenger information and ordinary passengers whose profiles are clean can pass immigration checks faster.

AoT says it will take about three months to introduce the system and another month for testing before putting it in use in December.

The APPS will be put in use in six international airports namely Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Mae Fa Luang in Chiang Rai, and Hat Yai.

The APPS fee will apply to international passengers arriving and departing from the airports, as well as transfer and transit passengers, he said.

Airlines will be responsible for collecting the 35 baht additional charge, which will be incorporated into the air ticket price, AoT chairman Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said.

However, the Airline Operations Committee (AOC) has complained that airlines aren’t ready for the change as they have already sold a number of advance international flight tickets.

It has urged the AoT to consider postponing the plan for three months from December to allow sufficient time for the airlines to prepare.

Website link
http://www.chiangraitimes.com/airports-of-thailand-to-introduce-background-screening-check-at-six-airports.html

ThailandOneStopServices®

08 Dec 2015 06:35

'Awful' GMO legislation will open the door to problems, law professor warns

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM / THE NATION December 8

THE Biological Safety Bill will allow genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to damage the nation's ecology and those who will suffer the most are farmers, a law professor warned.

Somchai Ratanasuesakul, a law lecturer at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, cautioned that the bill, which recently received Cabinet approval, will cause incorrigible ecological damage and severely harm agriculture, the nation's core economy.

"There is a very high possibility that this bill will open the door for GMO liberalisation in the future in order to benefit giant biotechnology transnational companies to expand their market in Thailand," Somchai said in a recent interview.

"This bill is not drafted to prevent the possible harm of GMOs as its title indicates; instead, it will intentionally open many legal gaps for biotechnology businesses to open up the market in Thailand and escape without any punishment if their products turn out to be environmentally harmful."

Somchai, who is well known for his opposition to biological patents and GMOs, said the bill would not respect the precautionary principle. He said it must be regarded as very dangerous and harmful until scientific proof clearly points out that it is safe. Therefore, it any possible negative impacts should be treated very cautiously.

"GMOs should be treated with caution because if one 'leaks' into the environment, it is impossible to get rid of the contamination," he said.

"This bill states that it allows GMOs to be used out in an open environment, if lab tests prove that it is safe. But what if [a GMO] is found to be harmful later? There is no indication of such a case in the bill and those responsible can walk free."

Describing the content of the bill as "awful", Somchai said the country needs the Biological Safety Act, but the content of the bill should be revised to ensure that the precautionary principle is followed.

Somchai is also concerned that the bill is a "daydream turned nightmare" for Thai farmers, because they will not get high yields and disease-tolerant crops as promised. Instead, GM crops would raise their expenses with less-than-expected produce.

He argued that if we open the country to GMOs, biotechnology conglomerates such as Monsanto would be able to control Thai seed market and cause seed prices to rise.

"Many studies show that even in the United States, GM plants do not produce a better harvest than normal crops. Furthermore, GM seeds usually sell with specific fertilisers and other chemical products that will increase the cost of farming," he said.

Also, many foreign markets such as Europe lean toward organic products and 16 EU countries have already banned GMOs. Even in the US, more consumers avoid GM products and go for organic food.

"The farmers are more likely to go bankrupt than get rich," he said.

Website link
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Awful-GMO-legislation-will-open-the-door-to-proble-30274477.html

ThailandOneStopServices®

02 Dec 2015 05:49

Thais protest over move to let foreigners practice law

PREEWADI WICHAIPRASIT
THE NATION December 2, 2015 1:00 am
RALLY PLANNED IN BANGKOK AGAINST THE PROPOSED LIBERALISATION OF SECTOR

THAI LAWYERS were getting ready yesterday to launch a rally in Bangkok today to voice their objection to an amendment to the Thailand Lawyers Act 1985, which would reportedly allow foreigners to practice law in the Kingdom.

Sarancha Sricholwattana, former secretary-general of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, said yesterday that the amendment would allow foreigners to take over this profession, which should be reserved for Thais. Hence, he said, the proposal should be held back pending a public hearing among lawyers across the country first.

In a statement on its website, the Lawyers Council explained that the amendment was actually meant to cover the position of legal adviser, which is currently held by 10 foreigners who are also members of the Thai Bar. It was also to ensure that foreigners who work in Thailand as legal advisers come under the supervision of the Lawyers Council, read the statement signed on November 25 by the council's legal research and development institute.

The statement added that the council would not support the liberalisation of the sector and also said that it has created dozens of legal adviser study programmes to back its proposal for the position to also be put under the Thailand Lawyers Act.

The council said all Thai lawyers would be given a chance to scrutinise the full draft of the legislation before it is proposed to the Cabinet.

Sarancha, who is based in Chon Buri province, said the council had submitted the amendment proposal to the Justice Ministry on March 5 without informing lawyers practising in the country, which is why many were protesting against it.

Sarancha said he too was against the proposal as it might affect Thai lawyers' profession, especially if foreigners are allowed to practice law in the country. "Over 70,000 lawyers in Thailand barely have enough work to do. This profession should be reserved for Thais - just like other occupations like hairdressing that is reserved for locals," he said.

He also said that as a courtesy, the council should seek local lawyers' opinions first, adding that the proposal should be withdrawn and a public hearing held to see if local lawyers are willing to accept it.


#Website link
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thais-protest-over-move-to-let-foreigners-practice-30274133.html

ThailandOneStopServices®

12 Nov 2015 09:04

This is Thaimaster Entertainment Radio Service

http://thaimasterradio99.blogspot.com

ThailandOneStopServices®

12 Nov 2015 07:44

Clinics in Thailand target antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea

by WHO / November 2015

Nobody wants to face the worry and stigma of being sick with gonorrhoea or another sexually transmitted infection. But until recently, being diagnosed with gonorrhoea may not have seemed so frightening because the illness could be cured by taking a single antibiotic injection or pill.

This may soon change. Gonorrhoea is on a growing list of infections that may soon become untreatable. Gonococci – the bacteria which cause the infection – are becoming increasingly resistant to the antibiotics that formerly killed them. Multidrug-resistant gonorrhoea has been reported in 36 countries.

“Ten countries have already reported cases of gonorrhoea that do not respond to the current treatment recommendations. Gonorrhoea may soon become untreatable because no vaccines or new drugs are in development,” says Dr Marleen Temmerman, Director of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at WHO.

“Gonorrhoea may soon become untreatable because no vaccines or new drugs are in development.”

Dr Marleen Temmerman, Director, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO

Untreated gonorrhoea can result in serious illness and complications, such as infertility in women, pregnancy complications, and blindness for babies who get infected during birth.

Efforts in Thailand

To prevent the spread of gonorrhoea, including the drug-resistant type, it is vital that people get diagnosed and receive appropriate care promptly. Yet people can be reluctant to seek medical help for symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) like gonorrhoea if they feel embarrassed or ashamed. This may be especially true for people who already feel marginalized, such as men who have sex with men and transgender people. They are even less likely to attend a follow up clinic, so it is vital that they are offered effective treatment when they do attend.

Thailand is a pathfinder for providing non-discriminatory health services and addressing gonorrhoea. Because they are working hard at reaching people who have gonorrhoea, they are also in an ideal position to improve surveillance – tracking how many people have the illness, obtaining some demographic information and accurately assessing what treatment they need.

Critical role of surveillance

WHO has been deeply concerned about antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea for more than 2 decades. In 1992, the Organization launched the Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (GASP) to track the emergence and spread of resistance to treatments in gonorrhoea, and re-launched it in 2008.

In November 2015, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health is launching an enhanced local version of GASP with support from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO.

“We are eager to begin this activity that will provide key information on antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea. It will help us make sure we have the right treatment guidelines in place and to provide early information about gonorrhoea that may be difficult to treat,” says Dr Pachara Sirivongrangson, Senior Advisor on HIV and other STIs with the Department of Disease Control, Thai Ministry of Public Health.

The programme will boost the country’s existing surveillance system by standardizing procedures for testing samples of gonorrhoea in laboratories and capture additional clinical and demographic data.

“The project is being initiated at 2 sites in Bangkok: the Silom Community Clinic @ Tropical Medicine and the Bangrak Hospital STI clinic. Patients who come into the clinics who have symptoms will have a sample collected for gonorrhoea, and they will provide demographic and some behavioural information. The samples will be evaluated for gonorrhoea and possible drug resistance,” explains Dr Eileen Dunne, a medical officer and epidemiologist at Thailand Ministry of Public Health-U.S. CDC Collaboration.

ThailandOneStopServices®

10 Nov 2015 06:46

Thailand Immigration Bureau application forms

Taken by 20151110

A collection of forms which can freely be downloaded from Immigration Burea website.
All documents are available as pdf and word files.

- #Application for #Visa On Arrival (TM.88)
- #Application for #Visa On Arrival for Chinese(TM.88)
- #Information Conveyance (TM. 2)
- #Passenger List (TM.3)
- #Extension of Temporary Stay in The Kingdom Application Form (TM. 7)
- #Re-Entry Permit into The Kingdom Application Form (TM.8)
- #Permanent #Residence in The Kingdom Application Form (TM.9)
- #Endorsement of #Re-Entry Permit Application Form (TM.13)
- #Certificate of #Residence Application (TM.18)
- #Substitute of #Residence Certificate Application (TM.20)
- #Non-Quota Immigrant Visa Application (TM.22)
- #Extension of Temporary Stay During Resident Consideration Application (TM.25)
- #Form for Aliens to Notify Their Change of Address or Their Stay in the Province over 24 Hours (TM.28)
- #Notification Form for House Master, Owner, or the Possessor of The Residence Where Aliens Have Stay (TM.30)
- #Form for Alien to Notify of Staying Longer Than 90 Days (TM.47)
- #Application for Change of Visa (TM.86)
- #Application for Visa (TM.87)
- #Transfer Stamp to a New Passport Form
- #Lost or Stolen Passport Form
- #New Passport Form
- #Application Form for Residence Certificate in Thailand
- #Transfer Stamp to a New Passport Form (for residencee certificate)
- #Personal Date Form (for residencee certificate)
- #Acknowledgement of the conditions for Permitted continuation of saty in the King dom of Thailand

Direct link to the website of Thailands Immigrations Burea's download area
http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=download

ThailandOneStopServices®

09 Nov 2015 04:01

Thailand’s Labour Ministry Cracks Down on Foreign Models Working without Work Permits

Sunday, November 8th, 2015 / Posted by Editor
By Penchan Charoensuthipan

Taken from website by 20151109

BANGKOK – Thailand’s Labor Ministry’s Employment Department and the Thai Modelling Industry and Agencies Association have joined in campaign against the hiring of foreign models without a work permits.

Director-general of the Employment Department, Arak Prommanee, told the Bangkok Post many male and female models entered Thailand on a tourist visa but obtained work as models for various products without work permits.

Many modelling firms in Thailand liked to hire them, he said, adding that some models were paid as much as 50,000 baht an hour without paying tax.

Many of the models were from countries such as Ukraine, Brazil and Israel, some of them are under 18 years of age.

Firms that hire the foreign models without work-permits risk being charged with using child labor and forced labor, Mr Arak said.

The Employment Department and the Thai Modelling Industry and Agencies Association plan to hold a press conference this month to launch a campaign against modelling firms hiring foreign models without a work permit.

Foreign models working without work-permits stand to be charged with violating Section 51 of the Foreign Workers Employment Act of 2008 and are liable to five years imprisonment or a fine of 2,000 to 100,000 baht, or both.

The firms that employ illegal foreign models are liable to a fine of between 10,000 and 100,000 baht for each model hired.

Website link
http://www.chiangraitimes.com/thailands-labour-ministry-cracks-down-on-foreign-models-working-without-work-permits.html

ThailandOneStopServices®

04 Nov 2015 07:18

Famous wooden bridge in Mae Hong Son reopened

by — Thai PBS 2015-11-04

MAE HONG SON: — Mae Hong Son governor Pipat Aekpapun joined about 200 officials, traders, monks and local residents in a merit-making ceremony to bless the reopening of the Sutongpae wooden bridge which collapsed into the stream at the end of the Buddhist Lent.

A 50-metre section of the bridge caved in and fell into the Mae Sa-ngarn stream in Ban Kung Maisak, Tambon Pang Moo, Muang district of Mae Hong Son at the end of the Buddhist Lent.

Officials and local residents helped in the repair of the bridge until its completion.

Governor Pipat assured the safety of the bridge saying it is capable of withholding up to 20 tonnes of weight. He urged tourists holidaying in Mae Hong Son to pay a visit to Ban Pang Moo and the bridge.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/famous-wooden-bridge-in-mae-hong-son-reopened

ThailandOneStopServices®

03 Nov 2015 04:19

Thailand Telecom 4G

900-MHz auctions back on for Dec 15 2015/2258

by Bangkok Post: business / 3 Nov 2015

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/752284/900-mhz-auctions-back-on-for-dec-15

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has announced the 900-megahertz spectrum auctions scheduled for next week will now be held on Dec 15, the original scheduled date.

The NBTC's telecom committee said the rescheduling was to ensure greater transparency in 900-MHz auction processes, enhance bidding competition and prevent possible collusion.

An industry source said the rescheduling order came from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The NBTC initially planned to auction two licences on the 900-MHz spectrum on Nov 12, each with 10 MHz of bandwidth.

The regulator also planned to auction another two licences on the 1800-MHz spectrum on Nov 11, each with 15 MHz of bandwidth.

The NBTC earlier said the original auction date of Dec 15 was too far from the 1800-MHz auction date, giving the winning bidders of 1800-MHz licences an apparent advantage.

NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said the information and communication technology minister would submit the rescheduling proposal to the cabinet today for approval.

The industry source said some of the four telecom committee members disagreed with the rescheduling.

Mr Takorn said even though the NBTC had strict measures to prevent collusion among bidders, the rescheduling would foster more confidence among stock investors since all bidders were SET-listed companies. Bidders failing to win a licence on the 1800-MHz spectrum could see a swing in their stock prices.

He said the rescheduling might not affect operators' plans to launch commercial 4G service.

The NBTC expects commercial 4G service to begin by next February, Mr Takorn said.

An anonymous NBTC source still believes the early 900-MHz auction date would benefit the public through faster 4G network roll-out and commercial services, lower auction costs by eliminating redundancies and faster government receipt of auction fees.

The rescheduling was a surprise to the industry, as the cabinet had just approved the Nov 12 date last Tuesday.

Another industry source said a recent article by Somkiat Tangkitvanich, chairman of the Thailand Development Research Institute, put pressure on the telecom committee.

Mr Somkiat suggested the 900-MHz auctions be at least three months after the 1800-MHz auctions to increase competition.

ThailandOneStopServices®

28 Oct 2015 06:40

Law of Thailand

An overview and further Weblinks From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(EN) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Thailand
(TH) https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%8E%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2

ThailandOneStopServices®

21 Dec 2015 00:22

https://twitter.com/BovasJohn/status/673711938577285120

ThailandOneStopServices®

10 Dec 2015 00:45

New laws ans regulations for immigrants may be setting up soon

ThailandOneStopServices®

04 Dec 2015 10:08

All immigration checkpoints ordered to step up screening of foreigners

by The Nation / December 4, 2015

Immigration Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Natthatorn Praosunthorn has sent an order to all immigration checkpoints to strictly screen incoming foreigners, a police source said.

All checkpoints were ordered to check the passports of foreigners who enter the country and to monitor for any irregularity, the source added.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/All-immigration-checkpoints-ordered-to-step-up-scr-30274309.html

ThailandOneStopServices®

18 Nov 2015 08:09

North Koreans arrested for illegal entry

Seven North Korean citizens were arrested in Nong Khai province Tuesday night after they tried to smuggle into Thailand from Laos on board a long-tail boat from Laos.

by englishnews / November 18, 2015

NONG KHAI: — Seven North Korean citizens were arrested in Nong Khai province Tuesday night after they tried to smuggle into Thailand from Laos on board a long-tail boat from Laos.

Immigration police chief in Nong Khai Pol Col Panlop Suriytakul Na Ayutthaya said a joint team of immigration and local police and the Mekong River patrol marines was on a patrol along the Mekong River when a long-tail boat with about eight people was spotted heading towards the Thai river bank at Phrao village in Muang district of Nong Khai.

But as soon as the authorities shouted for the boat driver to stop, he jumped into the river and swam away leaving his passengers on board.

All on board the boat also jumped off in bid to escape.

However they were all apprehended.

They are four men and three women.

They later told police they are North Koreans. They are aged between 22-75 years old.

They said they had escaped from North Korea to China first and later smuggle into Laos by bus before taking a boat to cross the river to Thailand.

They said they spent five days after escaping out of China to Thailand.

Police said they found Thai banknotes worth 15,000 in their possession.

Immigration police said all would be sent back and were asking help from South Korean embassy to communicate with these illegal migrants.

website link
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/north-koreans-arrested-for-illegal-entry

ThailandOneStopServices®

12 Nov 2015 07:44

The data collected at the initial sites, and others when the project is scaled up, are sent to the Thai Ministry of Public Health and will be used to adjust national treatment and management guidelines. If the data shows that there is a lot of resistance to an antibiotic that is currently recommended for the treatment of gonorrhoea the treatment guidelines will be adjusted. The data will also help WHO to monitor global trends and compare the situation in different countries.

Seeking improved approaches worldwide

Enhanced surveillance of gonorrhoea is critical because it lays the groundwork for accurate and cost effective approaches to treating the disease. Today, many patients diagnosed with gonorrhoea are given last option antibiotics that should ideally be kept in reserve, just in case their infection is caused by an antibiotic-resistant strain that won’t be cured by older medicines.

Countries with surveillance systems for antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea, such as the United States of America, United Kingdom and Australia, have successfully monitored trends in resistance and have consequently changed treatment guidelines at the right time. This ability, to assess and recommend the most effective antibiotic regimen available, has been critical for gonorrhoea control in these countries.

WHO is helping other countries to strengthen their surveillance for antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea, so that they can use their own data to formulate evidence-based local treatment guidelines. The enhanced surveillance programme will provide additional demographic and clinical data that have not been available in existing programmes to track resistance early and prevent it from spreading. Thailand will be the first country in the region to conduct enhanced GASP, and the project is meant to serve as a model for others.

website link
(EN) http://www.who.int/features/2015/thailand-gonorrhoea/en/

ThailandOneStopServices®

10 Nov 2015 07:03

Some informations about what is # (hashtag) can be found at telegram @HashtagBot and some websites too. However, hashtags in telegram are very useful and effective.

ThailandOneStopServices®

09 Nov 2015 10:04

Sukhothai Historical Park

The Sukhothai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์สุโขทัย (Pronunciation)) covers the ruins of Sukhothai, which literally means "Dawn of Happiness", capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries,[1] in what is now the north of Thailand. It is located near the modern city of Sukhothai, capital of the province with the same name.

The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 square kilometers of land.[1] There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand with help from UNESCO, which has declared it a World Heritage Site. The park sees thousands of visitors each year, who marvel at the ancient Buddha figures, palace buildings and ruined temples. The park is easily toured by bicycle or even on foot.

Website links to english and thai language
(EN) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhothai_Historical_Park
(TH) https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A8%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%8C%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B8%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%A2

ThailandOneStopServices®

06 Nov 2015 05:18

OneStopServices für Ihren sorglosen Aufenthalt in Thailand

Wir beraten Sie gerne bei Aufenthaltsbewilligungen, Arbeitserlaubnisse, Geschäftsgründungen, Investitionen, Lizenzen für Import und Export, Lizenzen für das Herstellen bestimmter Produkute, Markenschutz, Markenregistrierungen etc. Fragen Sie und wir beraten Sie gerne ohne jegliche Verpflichtungen.

Thai Master Inter Law And Accounting Co., Ltd.
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03 Nov 2015 04:30

FDA to toughen regulations on cosmetic advertisements

by The Nation November 3, 2015

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/FDA-to-toughen-regulations-on-cosmetic-advertiseme-30272122.html

THE Food and Drug Administration is drafting a ministerial regulation so that prohibited messages in cosmetics ads can be identified - and harsher punishment given to offenders.

The regulation is being considered by the FDA cosmetics committee. The new guidelines will be completed this year and submitted for Cabinet approval by the Public Health Minister, FDA deputy secretary-general Prapon Angtrakul said.

The regulation would provide clear examples of advertising message formats and messages that are banned would be divided into three categories, he said.

The categories that are banned are ads that boast about a product's pharmaceutical properties in curing or treating a disease; those that claim a product can affect or alter body functions or structure, such as slimming a face or legs; and those that talk about results of using a product by citing medical research - but with no supporting evidence.

People convicted of violating these guidelines could face up to a year in jail and/or a fine of up to Bt100,000 - double the current punishments.

Prapon said the regulation would provide additional information on Article 41 (7) the Cosmetic Act 2015, which says that cosmetic advertisements must not contain "unfair messages to consumers".

"When this regulation is enforced, anyone who uses an advertisement message in these prohibited ways will be law breakers. It will cover cosmetic ads in all media including print, radio, television and online," he said.

Prapon said the new regulation would create two key impacts - advertisers would have clarity on which messages can be used and which cannot, plus consumers could use information in the regulation when considering whether to buy a product.

ThailandOneStopServices®

30 Oct 2015 09:39

BOT tells banks to tighten IT security

The Nation

BANGKOK: — The Bank of Thailand yesterday asked all commercial banks to tighten IT security and be ready to cope with any invasion of their online services, while continuing close monitoring.

The Nation October 30, 2015 7:52 am

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/BOT-tells-banks-to-tighten-IT-security-30271912.html

Recently, some commercial banks received an email from an unknown person from a foreign country, threatening to target their network and overwhelm their online services with traffic, which could affect their Internet services.

Tongurai Limpiti, a deputy governor at the central bank, said the central bank and commercial banks focused on risks to the information technology system of each commercial bank, adhering to customer data security and precision, and a system ready for continuous use.

The central bank also asked all commercial banks to have measures in place if such a situation arises so as to lessen the impact on their customers.

Four Thai banks received an email from an anonymous group, demanding payment in Bitcoins and threatening cyberattacks, a source from the IT industry said on Wednesday.

The hacker group called itself "Armada Collective", the source said.

Nothing happened today, an executive of one of the banks said on Wednesday.

Swiss hosting providers reportedly received a similar threat in September. In the email, the group demanded payment of 20 Bitcoins (approximately US$6,000 or Bt210,000). It also specified the deadline and said if payment was not made by then, the hosting providers would see all servers crashed. The payment rate would go up by 20 Bitcoins every day, it warned.

In the email, it also instructed the receivers not to contact the media or they would face permanent attacks.

The Thai Bankers Association, which was expected to issue a statement on the hacker matter on Wednesday evening, has made no move so far.

Meanwhile, only one commercial bank revealed that it had received an email threatening its online service.

In a related development, the Education Ministry website has also been attacked by hackers, the latest among Thai state agencies to be targeted. Education Minister Dapong Ratanasuwan yesterday said the attack took place on Wednesday night and the problem had been solved.

Earlier, the websites of the Information and Communication Technology Ministry and Defence Ministry were targeted in a hacker attack.

ThailandOneStopServices®

28 Oct 2015 03:30

Business operators warned of more stringent tax collection next year

by October 27, 2015 5:57 / Thai PBS

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/business-operators-warned-of-more-stringent-tax-collection-next-year

PricewaterhouseCoopers Thailand warned business operators today to brace for tougher actions next year from the taxmen to squeeze taxes of all forms from them to replenish the shortfall in government’s revenue collection.

Mr Somboon Veerawutthiwong, senior director for tax and legal affairs of PwC Thailand, attributed the tightening up of tax collection from Revenue, Excise and Customs departments to the below-target of tax collection for the past four years in a row as a result of personal and corporate tax cuts, economic slowdown and the retention of value added tax at 7 percent.

All the factors above mentioned have rendered the Revenue Department unable to fulfill its collection targets, said Mr Somboon, adding that the department has to step up its efforts to do better next year.

Pointing out that the maximum 35 percent personal tax rate is too high, he suggested that the rate should be slashed to 28 percent which will be on the same line with the rate charged on corporate entities – 20 percent corporate income tax plus another 8 percent capital gains tax.

As for VAT, he believes the government will retain the 7 percent rate for another 1-2 years so as not to affect the slow economic recovery.