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TAT organises first ever ‘Elephant Wellbeing’ roundtable at WTM 2019 in London

Bangkok, 3 November 2019 The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) organised the first-ever Elephant Wellbeing and Thai Community event that took place at the World Travel Market (WTM) 2019. Inspired by the increasing global concern for elephant welfare, in connection with the tourism industry, TAT hosted a well-rounded panel of experts and key stakeholders to partake in an open discussion about the topic.

Hosted by Mrs. Srisuda Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas, TAT’s goal was to elevate the standards of elephant husbandry by suppliers and handlers, with elephant care at the heart of it all. 

“The session was held as a first step of TAT’s goal to improve education and engagement about elephants across Thailand, providing a platform to start a discussion about the current situation and how we can, collectively, move forward towards more sustainable solutions for elephant-based tourism in Thailand and worldwide,” Mrs. Srisuda, added. 

A guest panel of experts included Dr. Chatchote Thitaram, Associate Professor, Chiang Mai University; Ms. Claire Jenkinson, Head of Sustainability, ABTA (a UK travel trade association for tour operators and travel agents); Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO of PATA, and Dr. Ingrid Suter from Asian Captive Elephant Standards.

Ultimately, everyone wants to do what is best for Asia’s elephants and to see a higher adoption rate of welfare standards by elephant-related businesses, as there are currently no basic policies in place for consumers to make a more informed decision.    

TAT is looking to invite a group of stakeholders, animal welfare charities and media to Thailand to continue the discussion and set in motion a more universal set of standards that benefits everyone – elephants, their mahouts, elephant business owners, DMCs, and tour operators. The goal is to ultimately educate consumers on how to have the most responsible and rewarding elephant experience while on holiday in Thailand.   

ABTA will release their updated, stricter, set of animal welfare guidelines on 2 December, 2019, which they will share with all in due course.   

The main takeaway message was that there is a clear need for communication, cooperation and compromise. Guidelines are good, but they need to work with local communities to be successful. A transitional period will be needed for camps to make any necessary management changes. A standardised accreditation process would be beneficial, as there is a strong ability for industry reform and success. 

In general there was a diverse range of opinions on how to correctly handle elephants while preserving the livelihood of local communities.

Associate Professor Dr Chatchote said, “We are discussing elephant welfare, but we also need to discuss mahout welfare. We need to teach and train elephants to live with humans. Cruelty is being phased out, as we train elephants in a positive way and from a very young age. Riding a saddled elephant places less stress on an elephant than elephants in free-ranging camps. The elephants with no riding activities get no exercise. What is actually best for elephants? 

PATA’s Dr Mario Hardy noted that Western countries tended to overlook a deep sense of culture in communities that have elephants.

“We need to be supportive of private-public cooperation that supports those communities that  live with elephants and tourism with funding for projects that improve elephant welfare, space, and dietary requirements.“

A cross section of comments from private sector tourism operators showed the complexity of the issues at hand, and the need for both better guidelines and clearer lines of communication.  Audience comments and opinions included: 

Tour Company: “G Adventures does not support any elephant-based tourism out of concern about smuggled elephants from Burma (Myanmar). Western customers are very much aware of issues and demand high standards. Supportive of ABTA welfare guidelines.” 

Destination Management Company: “Customers are still booking elephant-based tourism. There is still a high demand for elephant riding and bathing from many tourism demographics.” 

Elephant Camp Owner: “We need to be careful to not destroy businesses by saying ‘no touching the elephants’. We need a long-term plan and this needs to include mahout training and education.”  

Thai Elephant Alliance: “Any guidelines and agreements created need to work with and include the people on the ground (mahouts, camp staff, etc). Otherwise, it will be difficult to incorporate into organisational practice.”

Save the Asian Elephants NGO: “We do not agree at all with elephant riding. ABTA guidelines should be compulsory. Working to create legislative bans of any elephant tourism advertising in the UK.” 

TUI Group: “We need to be very respectful of local communities and we cannot come in with our strict vision. Many things that are being discussed are not feasible to implement. Fighting will not implement standards, we need cooperation.”  

Thai Elephant Camp: “It is very easy for people from the West to point fingers, but being too stringent can have adverse effects. Everyone needs to work with camps to facilitate change.”  

EXO Travel: “There is confusion at elephant camps. Initially ABTA had no problems with riding, now they do. Now, they have an issue with bathing. Why? Now, we cannot use these camps. Things need to be communicated better.”  

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Students develop home security system alerting owners via smartphones

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NAKHON SI THAMMARAT (NNT) – Students from a vocational college in Nakhon Si Thammarat have developed a village security system with devices in each house, that can detect a burglary, a fire, or gas leaks, and send out alerts to home owners and a village security team via their smartphones.

This is a model of a secure village system developed by students from Thung Song Technical College as a submission at the vocational colleges innovation and science project contest this year in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

The contest is intended to encourage innovative skills among students and youths, which will help with their careers and contribute to national development after graduation.

The system enables house owners to remotely switch lights and appliances on and off, with ambient light sensors working to measure the brightness emanating from each lamp. It also has security features able to detect a burglary using heat sensors at doors and windows, as well as detecting fire and gas leaks.

These sensors are controlled by an ESP 8266 circuit board, which can send out alerts to a registered LINE account on a smartphone, allowing house owners and security officers to be aware of suspicious activities in real time, regardless of their location. This innovation is well suited to modern lifestyles, and practical for actual implementation.

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More Bank Runs Worry Chinese Regulators, Investors

News Analysis Warning signs are flashing all over China’s banking sector. Chinese regulators have seized or bailed out lenders at an unprecedented pace amid a surge in bad debt, while forcing banks to step up lending at increasingly lower interest spreads. That keeps banks in business, but it’s not a recipe for future longevity. Increasing […]

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Another leatherback sea turtle egg nest found on Phang Nga beach

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PHANG NGA (NNT) – Good news from the south has emerged with the discovery of the another leatherback sea turtle nest of eggs, found this month on Ban Bo Tan beach in Phang Nga close to Khao Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang National Park. It is suspected the eggs were laid by a second leatherback sea turtle, that came up on to the beach. Five leatherback sea turtle egg nests have been found over the past two years, reflecting the much improved natural surroundings.

Khao Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang National Park has reported on its Facebook page the discovery of a leatherback sea turtle egg nest on Ban Bo Tan beach in Phang Nga. The national park office had earlier been notified that there was a sea turtle coming up onto the beach to lay her eggs. Upon arriving at the beach, officers found a turtle egg nest, also thought to be from a leatherback sea turtle, based on the marks it left on the sand.

The officers have measured the footprints to gauge the size of the mother turtle. The distance between her left and right frontal flippers is 150 centimeters, with a 40 centimeter wide chest, 55 centimeter length from the midline to each flipper, and 40 centimeter long flippers. It is believed that this is not the same turtle as the one that laid her eggs on 17th November.

The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Director General Sopol Thongdee, immediately flew into the area after receiving the news. He has closely observed the nest and talked with the villager who informed the department of the development.

As the nest is located 15 meters away from the water, officials are unable to count or relocate the eggs. They have placed a thermometer at the site and are putting up protective barricades, with officers being rostered to oversee the nest, allowing for a natural hatch to occur. An online CCTV camera will be installed, enabling real-time online monitoring.

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2019 exports expected to shrink 2.5-3%

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BANGKOK (NNT) – The October 2019 export figure has been recorded at 20.757 billion U.S. dollar, which is a 4.5 percent decline. This leaves overall export growth in 10 months at a negative 2.3 percent. The private sector has now lowered its annual projected export figure by 2.5 to 3 percent due to the lack of positive factors.

The Thai National Shippers’ Council (TNSC) President Kanyapak Tantipipatpon, said today the council has readjusted the year-end export sector performance projection to a negative 1.5 to 3 percent as opposed to the previous projection of a negative 1.5 percent.

The lower than expected performance is expected because of risk factors caused by the trade war between the U.S. and China, continuous appreciation of the Thai currency, a slowdown in domestic economy stimulation, higher taxation by the government to boost revenue, minimum wages adjustment, a chemicals ban in farming, and both sugary and salty food and drink taxes.

The council is on the lookout for potential negative factors from the discontinuation of the GSP benefit by the United States which will raise costs among exporters, despite the government’s efforts to find substitute markets in Free Trade Area agreements.

Next year, the TNSC is expecting export sector growth of between 0 to 1 percent. The council is still concerned with chain effects caused by the export sector slowdown which may lead to lower manufacturing output, affecting employment and household incomes, which would eventually lead to less cash flow in the consumption sector.

The TNSC suggests the government should focus on the promotion of Thai products in international markets by implementing strong measures to prevent further appreciation of the Thai baht, and by instituting urgent measures to help cut down manufacturing and logistic costs.

The government should encourage manufacturers to make the transformation to clean and alternative energy, along with an automation investment, and improving technological skills among farmers;meanwhile the adjustment of minimum wages must take into consideration factors relevant to each location.

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BOT’s Market Conduct fostering good governance

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BANGKOK (NNT) – The Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) Market Conduct measure, introduced to promote good governance by financial institutions and ensure that the basic rights of Thai citizens are respected, has found that most complaints are related to money transfers.

The Assistant Governor of the BOT’s Financial Institutions Policy Group, Thanyanit Niyomkarn, indicated today that the Market Conduct measure has improved financial services in Thailand as compared to the three years prior to 2019. According to the official, financial institutions and service providers, including non-banks, have adapted well to the measure. Of the over 250,000 complaints filed with the BOT this year, 80% were to do with money transfers whether due to system errors, human error by users, or online mishaps.

The Market Conduct measure has mandated serious punishments for financial service providers while also raising awareness among members of the public of the importance of choosing appropriate financial products. The measure has sought to better inform citizens of common money scams, field complaints and more transparently publish data to do with banking problems.

The central bank is now working with the National Broadcast and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to develop the “Kankuan” mobile application, which will protect citizens from telemarketers and other cold calls. The app is to be available for both Android and iOS devices.

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Thai Cabinet approves new economic stimulus measures

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Thailand Business News

The Thai Cabinet today approved three new stimulus packages to prop up the softening economy, said Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana.

The government expects the measures to propel full-year economic growth to 2.8% from a projection of 2.6% recently announced by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).

The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has recently announced that Thailand’s Q3 2019 GDP growth came in at 2.4 percent, adjusting the overall GDP growth this year down to 2.6 percent, citing negative factors from the trade war affecting the export sector.

The aim is to boost the economy during the remainder of this year and the first quarter of next year

Finance Minister, Mr Uttama Savanayana

1. Grassroot economy  booster

The first package is to boost the grassroots economy and is divided into three sub-projects, namely a village fund for 71,742 villages graded A, B and C. 

Each will receive 200,000 baht to invest in community rice barns, space to dry crops, rice mills, organic fertilizer, water sources or machinery for processing farm products.

There is also the Credit for Community Business project under which the BAAC will provide credit lines, amounting to 50 billion baht, to Village Funds and urban communities for investment in small businesses. The credit line will be for three years at an annual interest rate of 0.01%.  The program will start on December 1st and end on November 30th 2023.

2. Helping farmers to reduce costs

To help farmers cover harvesting and rice quality improvement costs for the 2019-20 crop year, each household will…

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Smarter strategies for sharing South Asia’s rivers

Author: Ashok Swain, Uppsala University South Asia is facing severe water scarcity. As the region’s population grows and its economies develop, a lack of sustainable water development strategy is leading to increasingly acute water shortages. The region is home to nearly 2 billion people, almost half of which depend on the large river systems shared […]

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