The huge waste dump that caught fire on May 3, is now nearly under control while water sources at four areas adjacent to the dump site are ready to prevent another fire, according to the Ayutthaya Governor Witthaya Pewpong.

The dump site fire at Baan Pom sub-district, which was caused by the burning of rice stubble, is now 95% under control and only smoke can be seen from the south of the rubbish site. The fire is expected to be completely extinguished today (May 5). Local people were evacuated to Kasattrathiratch Temple and provided with meals as trying to cook was not convenient. Meanwhile some patients were sent to the municipal hospital.

“At present, rice stubble burning is still found; any farmer found guilty will be sentenced to a maximum of 7 years in jail. Burning outdoors will cause fire and smog affecting nearby people, therefore laws relevant to public health and the environment will be enforced strictly,” said Governor Witthaya.

Burning rice stubble actually reduces cropping due to a lack of plant nutrients in the soil and consequently more fertilizer is needed which means more investment. This leads to less profit and smaller crops, he added.

The Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) has stated that while the current drought is resulting in less agricultural output, the political situation is in fact more worrisome.

Bhumsak Rasri, the Director General of the OAE, reports that the drought situation is lowering agricultural production in the country — especially that of rice and para rubber.

However, he went on to say that the reason for the decrease in exports is due not so much to the drought in the country, but rather the ongoing political conflict, now seemingly prolonged to an indefinite date.

This, said Mr. Bhumsak, has the adverse effect of lowering consumer confidence in the foreign sector. In other words, foreign companies are decreasing their orders as they are unsure whether or not Thailand will be able to deliver their ordered goods on time, due to the political conflicts within the Kingdom.

The Board of Investment, Regional Investment and Economic Center 6 is introducing a seminar to support SME entrepreneurs in the south of Thailand, by submitting a form for investment assistance from the BOI before its policy of support expires at the end of this year.

Mr. Suwitch Chauvichiean, Chairman of the Regional Investment and Economic Center 6 or BOI Surat Thani, announced that from 27th-30th May, the BOI Surat Thani will hold a seminar on “BOI’s benefits for SMEs” to help entrepreneurs in SME schemes to make a decision to submit financial support requests to the BOI before the expiry date of the measure.

The event will be conducted on May 27th at the Chawlada Hotel, Nakhon Si Thammarat , and on May 28th at the Maritime Park & Spa Resort, Krabi while it ends in Phuket at Royal Phuket City on 29th May.

Families of royal lineage along with royal courtiers are paying their respects to His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion of the Coronation Day celebrations.

Top government officials along with families of royal lineage are honoring His Majesty the King at Klai Kangwon Palace, Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.

M.L. Walvipha Jaroonrod, stated that despite the hot weather, she was proud to wear her full uniform and to be paying respects to His Majesty the King; and that she was elated to see the King in good health.

M.R. Supinda Chakapan recounted her visits with her father to see the King and stated that there is no other king in the world that has devoted his life to working so hard for his country, as has the King of Thailand — adding that Thailand is indeed fortunate to have such a great king.

A Royal Assistant Secretary, Khun Chantanee Thanarak, told the story of how His Majesty was never a wasteful person in that he would use both sides of a piece of paper and even reuse envelopes. She said that she felt lucky and safe when thinking about His Majesty the King.

May 5th of each year marks the celebration of Coronation Day in Thailand when Thais commemorate the accession of His Majesty the King to the throne.

Police are on alert to protect demonstrators who will march to Sanam Luang today to pledge their allegiance to His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion of the coronation day anniversary. Police believe there will be no incidents or disturbances during the march .

The Commander of the Metropolitan Police Division II Major General Samrerng Suwanpong, said that he had assigned police to marshal the PDRC protesters who will hold an event this afternoon to mark today’s 64th anniversary of the coronation. The number of police will be in accordance with the number of protesters. Their purpose is to facilitate traffic and offer protection in the area.

There is no planned demonstration reported, as the PDRC’s cordial intention is to honor His Majesty King Bhumibol on Coronation Day, 5th May.

Bangkok, 5 May 2014 (NNT)-Police are on alert to protect demonstrators who will march to Sanam Luang today to pledge their allegiance to His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion of the coronation day anniversary. Police believe there will be no incidents or disturbances during the march .

The Commander of the Metropolitan Police Division II Major General Samrerng Suwanpong, said that he had assigned police to marshal the PDRC protesters who will hold an event this afternoon to mark today’s 64th anniversary of the coronation. The number of police will be in accordance with the number of protesters. Their purpose is to facilitate traffic and offer protection in the area.

There is no planned demonstration reported, as the PDRC’s cordial intention is to honor His Majesty King Bhumibol on Coronation Day, 5th May.

The outlook for electric appliances exports has been positive and projected to grow at 5 percent, to the tune of USD 24.15 billion, says the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) under the Ministry of Commerce.

The outlook of electric appliances exports has been revised positively compared to the previous year’s, on the back of economic growth in the U.S and Japan markets, Thailand’s major export destinations, according to DITP’s Director General Nantawan Sakuntanaga.

The export figure expanded by 4.9 percent, amounting to USD 5.856 billion during the first quarter of this year (Jan.-Mar.).

In addition, the exports of television and digital television sets between June and July have been projected to jump 35%, particularly in Japan, U.S.A, and China, due to the upcoming World Cup 2014.

The DITP has initiated policies to promote Thailand as a hub of electric appliances manufacturing, especially air-conditioner, cooler, and related products.

The Public Health Ministry is on high alert to monitor the health conditions of people living close to a landfill in Ayutthaya province that recently caught fire.

The ministry also dispatched mobile medical units into the area as an assistance measure. Even though firefighters have successfully put out the fire on the landfill, they have continued to spray water at some areas to assure that the fire has completely died down. Blankets of smoke are still visible in the area.

According to the ministry’s permanent-secretary, Dr. Narong Sahametapat, orders have been made to the Ayutthaya Public Health Office and the Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya Hospital to closely follow up on cases of victims affected from the burnt landfill.

A war room is also set up to discuss a short and long-term solution to the problem, serving as a channel to connect with related agencies and manage medical mobile units.

Special attention would be given towards taking care of groups of people at risk, which are the elderly and pregnant women.

Dr. Narong urged the Pollution Control Department (PCD) and the Department of Disease Control (DDC) to keep an eye on the environment and weather conditions.

An assessment of the risky areas surrounding the burnt landfill within a 1 kilometer radius will be conducted on a daily basis.

The National Institute of Education Testing Service (Niets) has announced its decision to cancel the launch of the controversial University National Educational Test (U-Net).

The Niets board unanimously agreed to call off the initiative and postponed the organization of the exams this year and next.

The Office of the Higher Education Commission (OHEC) and other agencies had earlier criticized the graduate examination. Student networks from 27 state universities had also declared their opposition to the U-Net exam, saying it places more burden on already-overloaded students.

Niets is now to develop a new assessment system for graduates and says an opinion survey will be conducted prior to its launch.

The agency added that a new system will be designed to evaluate graduates at bachelor, master and doctorate levels, stressing that these exams can be taken on a voluntary basis.

According to Srihattaya Chusuwan, Trang Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office, more and more families are single parent households. As a result, children aren’t always able to get proper guidance, many youths are not always generous and take advantage of others. They also have access to media related to sex and social issue have arisen like premarital sex, unplanned pregnancy and drug abuse.

These can be resolved if the youths are guided to become good members of society. Therefore, the Trang Good Youth Camp has been set up to create new leaders and help Trang to become a place of happiness, as well as prepare them when AEC is officially launched next year.