Thailand's return to the Chinese submarines

Everyone at Liverpool John Lennon International Airport has been quarantined because of Coronavirus.
Imagine all the people.
  

We are facing a 'population crisis' with changes in Thailand's demographic structure. The birth rate is declining, and the working-age population bears an increasing burden of care.
 -- Anukul Pidkaew, ministry of Social Development and Human Security

THAILAND ROYALTY BIRTHDAY
Thailand is going all-out to celebrate the sixth cycle aka 72nd birthday of His Majestry the King Maha Vajiralongkorn on July 28.
Festivities will include a rare procession on the Chao Phraya River of Bangkok by royal barges. Rehearsals for that even have already started.
Four of the splendid river craft have already been brought out to the Thonburi Naval dockyard, and the public is being invited.
The barges all are propelled by human rowers, mostly from the Royal Thai Navy. https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/news/general/40039515

MILITARY GENERALS
Thailand announces plan to retire general officers early

Beginning in October, at an estimated cost of 200 million-with-an-M baht* the government will offer 244 four-star officers per year, early retirement. Bean counters estimate it will save the country four and a half billion-with-a-capital-B baht.
Thailand requires four-star military officers to retire at 60. The country is estimated to have more retired generals, admirals, etc than any other country.
The plan will reduce the number of special advisers, advisers, specialists and operating officers throughout the Royal Thai Armed Forces.
*Call it US$5.5 million.

Eligible candidates for the new project will be colonel, captain, group captain or above, aged at least 50 with a minimum of 25 years time of service.

THAILAND DEFENCE PURCHASE
The (supposedly) sunken deal to buy old submarines from China revives.
Thai Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang and others with a stake in such a deal will brief Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on it next week.
Sutin said in public

 China wants a deal because they have invested a lot of time and want to see it done.

Thailand was to buy three S26T Yuan-class subs for US $1.06 billion. This has been reduced to one sub purchase for 13.5 billion baht.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is cautious about any such purchase. Ex-military dictator General Prayut Chan-o-cha (photo above) was a strong advocate of sub purchases.

THAILAND SPORT OLYMPICS
Prime Minister sends off Thai Olympic teams to Paris

At a short Government House ceremony Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin made a promise to the Olympians, and to the country.
He vowed to boost funding for national athletes and also to extend support beyond their sporting careers. There are no details.
He wished the athletes Godspeed and urged them to give their utmost in Paris.
https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-olympic-dreams-pms-promise-of-glory-and-support

THAILAND DRUGS MARIJUANA

The man who brought legalised weed to Thailand is taking a firm stand against the government's plan to re-criminalise it.
Anutin Charnvirakul (right, in photo), currently the minister of interior in the government of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, promised yesterday that if/when a new law is proposed to revert marijuana and hemp, "I will vote 'No!'"
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2826016/

PHOTO (above)
Cannabis farmers and supporters of marijuana for recreational purposes marched to the Government House to camp out and protest against government plans to re-classify weed as a dangerous narcotic.
Hiranrat Mahadisthadakul (centre, arm in air), a director and secretary of the Hemp and Cannabis Industry Association (HCIA) said to the rally
 The government needs to educate the public more. (can't argue with that)

THAILAND DIPLOMACY ECONOMY

South Korea, Thailand launch first round of talks for trade deal
It's the first round of negotiations with Thailand to seek an Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at bolstering bilateral trade and investment.
The bilateral talks began in March.
An EPA is intended to establish a mutually beneficial trade network with partner nations beyond the simple market opening, though it covers a smaller scope of areas compared with a traditional free trade agreement.
More at: https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/news/world/40039541

AVIATION BOEING 737
How to buy your way out of American criminal charges
Boeing (no names) will plead guilty and pay an eye-watering sum of money, with the result that no one at the aircraft company will have to take responsibility for those two Boeing 737 Max crashed that killed 346 people.

Families of the dead call it a Sweetheart Deal which it is. There will be no criminal charges and definitely no trial.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjjjj85z0lno

SPACE CHINA
Well, that's a catchy headline not soon forgotten

China's dirty and dangerous race to become a space superpower https://t.ly/fSVo
Beijing’s lax approach toward safety has done little to slow its progress in rocketry

Also The Telegraph, totally different subject
Shood Inglish speling bee chanjed?
The English language is illogical, complex and inconsistent. Is it time to overhaul our spelling system and write phonetically instead?

NOTE: This has been tried many times, almost always by a newspaper. For example, a terrific summary of such a campaign straight outta Chicago.
Headline
Chicago Sunday Tribune, January 28, 1934 Part 1 pp1 & 10.
Tribune Adopts Saner Spelling of Many Words
Article in PDF format: https://www.spellingsociety.org/uploaded_media/tribune-media.pdf

canceled for cancelled
catalog for catalogue
hocky for hockey

'Experts'
Coffee is a 'miracle' drink with many health benefits, experts say.
For years they acted like it was bad for us.
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2024/07/09/coffee-health-benefits/1221720458650/

TECHNOLOGY
No. Are there other questions?
Bloomberg: Should ChatGPT write your CV?
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2826364/
Nearly half of recent hires used AI to apply, according to a survey by Resume Builder released in May. The same month, Resume Templates released its own survey results, showing that 1 in 5 Gen Zers looking for a job has used ChatGPT to create a resume or cover letter.
The reactions range from "That's cheating!" to "That's smart."
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2826364/

THAILAND OPINION ANALYSIS
In Thailand, there is no sign of a 'just' energy transition
The latest draft of the Power Development Plan (draft PDP2024), which was unveiled in June, is touted by the Ministry of Energy as being consistent with Thailand's goals of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 and net zero by 2065 -- goals that already lag behind those of most countries.
This draft not only fails to bring Thailand closer to its climate goals but also risks increasing the economic, social and environmental costs.
NOTE: Sarinee Achavanuntakul, who wrote this opinion piece, is co-founder of ThaiPublica and Foundation of Internet and Civic Culture (Thai Netizen Network).
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2826399/

Julie Kelly @julie_kelly2