ASEAN is a Priority in Canada’s Foreign Policy

(30-04-2013)

H.E. Mr Donald Bobiash, Ambassador of Canada to ASEAN, presented his Letter of Credentials to H.E. Mr Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN, yesterday at the ASEAN Secretariat.

Ambassador Bobiash expressed his honour to be accredited as Ambassador of Canada to ASEAN. He reaffirmed that relations with ASEAN remained a priority in Canada’s foreign policy, and expressed Canada’s support for ASEAN Community building efforts, with more concrete cooperation plans and measures. SG Minh thanked Canada, one of the important longstanding Dialogue Partners of ASEAN, for its consistent support to ASEAN in the realisation of its goals and priorities, including the ASEAN Community building efforts; and looked forward to working with Ambassador Bobiash in contributing to the enhancement of the ASEAN-Canada dialogue relations.

Ambassador Bobiash and Secretary-General Le Luong Minh also exchanged views on ways to move forward the ASEAN-Canada Enhanced Partnership, as well as on other potential areas of cooperation between the two, such as connectivity, transportation, sustainable development and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

ASEAN-Japan Enhance Further Cooperation in Information and Communication Technology

(30-04-2013)

H.E Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN and H.E. Shindo Yoshitaka, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan discussed on the current and future activities of ASEAN-Japan cooperation in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and disaster management communication and Japan’s support for the implementation of ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2015 (AIM2015) yesterday at the ASEAN Secretariat.

SG Minh informed Minister Shindo that ASEAN shared the same view with Japan that the growth of ICT was mainly driven by users’ need. Therefore, the role of telecommunication providers was to ensure the availability of high capacity infrastructure and quality services while the role of the government was to regulate the supply and demand in assuring an equal and affordable access and safety for the public and fair competition amongst providers.

Minister Shindo shared Japan’s experience on the utilization of ICT for communication in disaster management. He highlighted the importance to have a standardized protocol of network in the distribution of computing information of early warning to the population for wider areas. He further stressed on the urgency to inform the evacuation scheme to the affected population by introducing the protocol of evacuation, and the need to filter the initial information on the early warning system prior to its transfer to the affected population. Minister Shindo expressed Japan’s willingness and readiness to provide support to ASEAN and to strengthen ASEAN-Japan cooperation in this area.

While appreciating Japan’s support in the provision and setting up of ASEAN’s current ICT Disaster Management System, SG Minh expressed the interest of ASEAN to learn more from Japan’s experiences in the design and implementation of ICT systems in Telemedicine Practices in remote areas and Energy Consumption Monitoring for environmental improvement.

SG Minh thanked Japan for the continued cooperation with and support to ASEAN on information security. In this regard, SG Minh and Minister Shindo shared high confidence that the upcoming ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Policy Meeting on Cyber Security Cooperation, to be held in September 2013 in Japan, will yield important outcomes to further enhance ASEAN-Japan Cyber Security Cooperation in, among others: (1) strengthening the support for the less secured countries to improve their system of cyber security; (2) promoting collaboration in proactive response against cyber-attacks; (3) strengthening security awareness raising initiatives; (4) providing training programs for cyber security; (5) Promoting information exchanges between cyber-security researchers; and (6) Sharing best practices for protecting personal data and children online.

ASEAN Community 2015 is High on the Agenda of 22nd ASEAN Summit

(29-04-2013)

H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN shared his thoughts and briefed the diplomatic community, representatives of international organisations, and media on the highlights and outcomes of last week's 22nd ASEAN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan, today at the ASEAN Secretariat.

SG Minh highlighted the good progress on the three ASEAN Community pillars. “The Leaders reviewed the progress made in the implementation of the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community across three Community pillars. They agreed to redouble efforts to ensure the realisation of an ASEAN Community 2015 which is politically cohesive, economically integrated, culturally harmonious and socially responsible,” said SG Minh.

SG Minh also briefed the participants on the Chair’s initiatives including visa-free travel in ASEAN countries for ASEAN nationals, ASEAN immigration lanes, an ASEAN Business Travel Card, and an ASEAN Conference on Financial Literacy in 2013.

According to SG Minh, during the Summit, the Leaders had extensive discussions on three key clusters of issues: (i) intensifying efforts to realise the ASEAN Community by 2015 and strategising for a post-2015 ASEAN agenda; (ii) enhancing ASEAN’s central role in the evolving regional architecture; and (iii) exchanging views on regional and international issues of common interest and concern. He also underlined key statements made by the Leaders—especially on regional and international issues such as South China Sea, situation in the Middle East, and developments on the Korean Peninsula.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Moscow supports cooperation between Thailand and Russia in the field of electricity energy management

(01-05-2013)

On 15 April 2013 H.E. Lt.Cdr. Itti Ditbanjong, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Russian Federation and the officers from the Royal Thai Embassy welcomed Prof. Emeritus Dr. Direk Lavansiri, Chairman of the Energy Regulatory Commission of Thailand and the delegation from the Energy Regulatory Commission, who visited Russia from 14-17 April 2013 for a study visit in the fields of electricity energy regulatory policy and management as well as electricity generating policy. The delegation visited the MOSENERGO Power Plant, the Federal Tariff Service and GAZPROM company. The study visit will contribute to the promotion of further cooperation between Thailand and Russia in the field of electricity energy regulatory management.

Outcomes of 2/2013 ED Tech Fund Commission Meeting

(02-05-2013)

MOE– Mr. Phongthep Thepkanjana, the Minister of Education, revealed after presiding over the 2/2013 meeting of the Committee of Educational Technology Fund at Ratchawanlop Conference Room on April 25, 2013, that the meeting participants had agreed that the first funding period for projects should be May – June 2013.

The Minister of Education said that the committee had agreed that project owners should make their funding requests from May 1 – June 28, 2013. Any individuals, schools, educational institutes and public or private organizations who are interested in applying for funding should submit the following required documents to the Office of the Secretary of Educational Technology Development Fund.:

• a copy of house registration,
• a photograph, and
• a project proposal that relates to the production, research, or development of educational technology,

A corporation must also attach copies of other registration documents. In the case of the government sector, the Head of that sector must submit the documents on behalf of the sector.

The projects that request funding must go in line or emphasize educational technology development as stated in the 2013 Operational Plan of the Educational Technology Fund. They should be truly beneficial for the development of technology for national education and should be genuinely practical, Research and innovation projects will receive special consideration.

In addition, there is no limitation to the amount of funds a project can request. This is to provide opportunities and support for high-budget projects that will bring great benefits to the nation. According to the data of April 19, 2013, the Educational Technology Fund currently has a total budget for funds of 155,109, 993 baht.

Everyone in the meeting was informed of the above amount as the present financial status of the fund and acknowledged the appointment of three subcommittees, which are:

1) A subcommittee for Work Planning and Academic Development, led by the MOE Deputy Permanent Secretary,

2) A subcommittee for Fund Allocation, led by the MOE Permanent Secretary, and

3) A subcommittee for Overseeing, Supervising, and Performance Evaluation, led by the Director Inspector of MOE. 

For more information, please contact the Office of the Secretary of Educational Technology Development Fund, Office of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, 5^th Floor of KorSorNor Building (Non-Formal and Informal Education). You can also make contact by phone: 02-281-8775 or via the website: www.moe.go.th/edtechfund.

VEC presents elderly care curriculum

(02-05-2013)

Mr. Chaiyapruk Serirak, Secretary-general of the Vocational Education Commission (VEC) said that Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, the Prime Minister, called representatives from the relevant offices to a meeting and insisted that women, disadvantaged people, and senior citizen must receive good care. VEC was assigned a policy on the care of disadvantaged people and senior citizens. The meeting discussed the issue of disadvantaged people by focusing on the problem of youths who have to work after completing Mathayom 3 education level but are unable to do so because of the Labor Law.  VEC is planning to encourage this group of young people to work and study vocational education at the same time. As for senior citizens, VEC is going to create vocational training projects in 121 vocational training centers all over the country. These centers are also part of the government policy to enhance the potential of colleges to provide vocational training to people in general. For example, Chiang Mai Vocational College is outstanding in the knowledge of international food so it offers a 75-hour training course for senior citizens so they can use their newly learned skills to earn some income.

The Secretary-General also said that, besides training courses, VEC also offers a child and elderly care curriculum which awards a high vocational diploma in Home Economics Management. This does not gain much interest from the public because many people believe that they will not have steady careers after graduating in this field. However, career professionals in the elderly care business today are in high demand in the job market. In the year 2012, four more institutes offered this kind of curriculum. The course in Chiang Rai Vocational College had 17 students, Phon Vocational College had eight students, in Det Udom Technical College there were three students, and, at Suvannabhumi College, there was one student. VEC is planning to cooperate with the people working in this area, for the course can upgrade student skills and increase the competence of business owners.

No university to produce exam questions for screening teacher assistants

(02-05-2013)

OTEPC is concerned that some Educational Service Areas will not be able to find higher education institutes to produce exam questions for the next screening of teacher assistants, insisting that any areas with this problem must inform OTEPC by May 3, 2013.

On April 25, Ms. Rattana Sriherun, Secretary-General of the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission (OTEPC) talked about the 2013 screening examination to select applicants to fill the positions of teacher assistants, saying that all Educational Service Areas will work together and arrange the examination into 12 districts. Higher education institutes in each area will produce exam questions, instead of using one exam paper throughout the whole country as in the past. So far, the only problem reported has been that some areas cannot find an institute to produce the exam questions. Some institutes refused to do so because it would not be convenient for them. OTEPC is now considering whether to allow such Educational Service Areas to produce their own exam papers. Whatever the decision, it must be reasonable and based on the resolution of OTEPC.

“If the subcommittee of any Educational Service Areas are preparing the examination for screening teacher assistants but are unable to follow the rules and regulations, they must inform OTEPC of the problem and the reasonsby May 3 so that the matter can be considered at the next meeting” the Secretary-General said.

The Thai Economy Expected to Remain Resilient Despite the Stronger Baht

(01/05/2013)

The Monetary Policy Committee has expressed concern over recent volatility and the rapid appreciation of the baht. Despite exchange rate appreciation, it expects the Thai economy to remain resilient, which is in line with other agencies’ assessments.

The Monetary Policy Committee on 30 April 2013 attended a regular monthly macroeconomic briefing, organized by the Bank of Thailand, and discussed recent exchange rate developments.

According to its statement, the Monetary Policy Committee has been closely monitoring the recent baht appreciation and assessing its implications for the Thai economy. The committee sees that the recent gain in baht is largely attributable to foreign investors’ confidence in the strength of the Thai economy.

On the positive side, the baht appreciation has been conducive to business investment to enhance their productivity. However, the stronger baht also has negative impact on exporters, particularly small and medium-sized firms and those that rely heavily on domestic raw materials, agricultural products, and labor.

Nonetheless, the export sector’s continued structural and productivity improvements have helped alleviate the adverse impact to some extent. Recent volatility and rapid appreciation of the baht at times have not been justified by economic fundamentals.

The committee, therefore, agreed on the need for a timely implementation of appropriate policy mix as warranted by circumstances, in close coordination with the Ministry of Finance and other agencies.

Another statement, issued by the Bank of Thailand, said that the Thai economy in the first quarter of 2013 stabilized at a level comparable to the previous quarter. Private spending continued to be the key driver of economic activities, and tourism was buoyant.

Meanwhile, merchandise exports gradually recovered in line with a stabilizing global economy. On the stability front, unemployment was kept low, and inflation moderated. The currency appreciated from a surplus in the current account coupled with strong capital inflows in the form of direct investment and debt security investment by non-residents.

A report from the Office of the Board of Investment (BOI) indicates that investment in Thailand has continued to grow. Between January and March 2013, a total of 610 projects, worth 275 billion baht, sought BOI promotional privileges. The number represented an increase of 38 percent over the same period of 2012. The value accounted for an increase of 24 percent. Most of the projects involve services, public facilities, agro-industry, and automobiles and auto parts.

Foreign direct investment during the period rose by 8.3 percent, with 338 projects worth 157.67 billion baht. In terms of value, it increased by 17.5 percent. Japan remained the largest group of foreign investors in Thailand during the three-month period, followed by Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and Singapore.

Public Relations Department of Thailand and Its Work in International Public Relations

(01/05/2013)

The Government Public Relations Department (PRD) celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2013. As the major public relations organization and information center of Thailand, PRD has carried out both domestic and international public relations work.

Regarding international public relations, its mission is to promote better understanding of the Thai government’s policies and strategies in the world community through information dissemination and foreign media relations activities.

The Media and Information Management Division under the PRD Foreign Office is responsible for international media monitoring, press card services for members of the international media, and other media relations activities, such as those concerning press tours, press conferences, and press centers. It also produces publications in English and publicizes information about Thailand and government policies.

As for international cooperation, PRD has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in the fields of broadcasting, news exchange, information, and communication with six countries: Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Australia. Apart from exchanging media activities under the MOUs, it has also promoted cooperation with international media organizations and other cooperation frameworks, namely the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD), the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Southeast Asia-Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association (SEAPAVAA).

International public relations are also carried out through Radio Thailand World Service, which broadcasts to international audiences in 10 languages, namely English, Chinese (Mandarin), German, Lao, Khmer, Vietnamese, Myanmar, Japanese, Malay, and Thai, through the English programs of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT), and through the National News Bureau of Thailand’s English website and NBT World.

Thailand’s Huge Investments in Water Management Infrastructure and Transport Projects

(30/04/2013)

Thailand will invest 350 billion baht, or 11.5 billion US dollars, in a well-integrated water management infrastructure and flood prevention system. It will also invest 2.2 trillion baht, or 66.7 billion dollars, in transportation and logistics projects.

Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi spoke about Thailand’s huge investments in the future, in his inaugural address at the Ministerial Segment of the Sixty-ninth Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) on 29 April 2013 at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok.

The theme topic for the annual session is “Building Resilience to Natural Disasters and Major Economic Crises.”

Mr. Plodprasop stated that building resilience to natural disasters and major economic crises calls for a new paradigm of thinking. It is imperative that this new paradigm will be taken further in the deliberation of the post-2015 development agenda.

He explained that Thailand was not without disasters of its own. The flood crisis in 2011 caused severe damage to Thailand’s economy and society. In comparison to natural disasters around the globe, this mega-flood was perhaps ranked the fourth since 2005.

For Thailand, he said, this flood crisis provided an important opportunity to re-evaluate and thus introduce a holistic and integrated approach to water management and flood prevention. This includes the establishment of a much-needed single command authority to coordinate water management work, which is capable of making prompt decisions while monitoring day-to-day situations and during times of crisis.

Thailand will host the 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit on 19-20 May 2013 in Chiang Mai. At this summit, leaders of the Asia-Pacific region will come together to share views and foster cooperation under the theme “Water Security and Water-Related Disaster Challenges: Leadership and Commitment.”

Mr. Plodprasop said that another significant prerequisite for resilience is economic growth, which can be achieved through economic integration and regional connectivity. With this mindset, he said, the Thai Parliament had approved an act that would allow huge investment in transportation and logistics projects in the country. This includes high-speed trains and dual train track development, as well as better road networks linking the Greater Mekong Subregion and ASEAN economic corridors, sea ports, and border facilities.

He pointed out that these investments are being made to ensure Thailand’s competitiveness, which is one of the four pillars of its long-term national strategy. The remaining three strategies are building the country’s growth to make it more inclusive, restructuring the economy and society so that it becomes greener, and improving the country’s internal process to ensure more balanced, resilient, and sustainable growth in the long run.

Moreover, these investments will consolidate Thailand’s role as the region’s connectivity and logistics hub, supplementing the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity and ESCAP’s “Asian Highway” and the “Trans-Asian Railway.”

Asia-Pacific Leaders to Gather in Thailand for the Second Asia-Pacific Water Summit

(28/04/2013)

Asia-Pacific leaders will gather in Thailand from 14 to 20 May 2013 for the second Asia-Pacific Water Summit (2nd APWS).

The event will be hosted by the Thai government, in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Water Forum. It will take place at the International Convention and Exhibition Center Commemorating His Majesty’s 7th Cycle Birthday Anniversary in Chiang Mai province.

The summit will consist of three parts. First, the Leaders’ Forum will be held on 20 May, when participating leaders will be invited to deliver statements addressing the theme “Water Security and Water-related Disaster Challenges: Leadership and Commitment.

Second, Focus Area Sessions will be held on 19 May, when representatives and experts from relevant organizations and other stakeholders will discuss issues of water security and water-related disaster challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.

Third, technical workshops and exhibitions will be held between 14 and 18 May. Participants will learn about technical and practical aspects of water management, including an exhibition on Royal Projects.

The Thai government has invited 49 Asia-Pacific leaders, ministers, and delegates from international organizations and the private sector to attend the summit and related events. Leaders from nine countries, as well as vice-presidents, deputy prime ministers, and ministers of several countries, have so far accepted the invitation. The President of the 67th United Nations General Assembly will deliver a keynote address.

The summit will provide an opportunity for regional leaders to exchange views and approaches to water-related crisis management. It will help reinforce disaster prevention and management mechanisms for flood and drought. The event will also provide a water-centric forum where leaders and senior officials may discuss regional cooperation in this issue.

The summit is expected to produce an outcome document that will synthesize regional leaders’ key messages, representing their commitment to cooperation on water resources management. It will disseminate knowledge on integrated water management and provide best practices and technologies on water management for reducing disaster risk and impact.

All countries in the region will be urged to incorporate a water resource management plan into their national economic and social development plans and to recognize water management as a key factor in sustainable development.

Thailand, on its part, will share the water-related royal initiatives of His Majesty the King and the country’s lessons learned from the flood crisis in 2011. Recognized as the Father of Water Resource Management in Thailand, His Majesty the King is aware of the importance of water. His initiatives in managing water resources have eased the water shortage problem and others concerning pollution, drought, and flooding.