Thai forest rangers train to tackle wildlife crime

This file photo shows forest rangers from Thailand together with Cambodian and Laos rangers holding two armed "poachers" during a mock raid in Khao Yai National Park, Nakhon Nayok province, as part of training to tackle wildlife rime.

 

Nakhon Nayok - Camo-clad rangers ambush a camp in a lush Thai national park, kicking away a machete and a firearm and pinning two suspected poachers to the ground -- part of a training exercise to counter a lucrative wildlife trade.

"Go!" team leader Kritkhajorn Tangon yells as the group tackles the actors, who had near them sambar deer antlers and a blade covered in fake blood.

Thailand's conservationists are struggling to stamp out the multibillion-dollar black market in animal parts, finding themselves outgunned by illegal hunters and outflanked by courts.

The country is a key transit point for smugglers moving on to Vietnam and China, two of the world's biggest markets for parts from endangered and protected species.

But efforts by its 14,000 rangers to take down illegal hunters and loggers are often stymied by a lack of resources and training, with about 15 rangers killed each year in deadly encounters.

Impunity also reigns for traffickers who are well connected politically and financially, dodging jail time when there is little iron-clad physical evidence to keep them behind bars.

Gathering evidence, protecting a crime scene and using forensic analysis were some of the skills developed by more than a dozen rangers who took part in the training week led by anti-trafficking group Freeland.

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Among the participants in the event at Khao Yai National Park, which culminated in Friday's mock scenario, were four officials from neighbouring Cambodia and Laos.

"Our investigation skills are still weak... when they (rangers) encounter these situations, they leave loopholes in the collection of evidence," Kritkhajorn told AFP.

"It could result in the suspect walking free."

Freeland has emphasised the need for material evidence as "it cannot be manipulated, whereas an eyewitness can retract his testimony", said country director Petcharat Sangchai, a retired police major-general.

- Transnational gangs -

The training, funded by the British embassy in Bangkok, comes the same week a Thai court dismissed charges against a suspected wildlife trafficking kingpin.

He was accused of smuggling $1 million worth of rhino horns to Thailand but the case unravelled when the sole eyewitness changed his testimony.

A successful conviction has to be handled "correctly from the forests to the courts", said Freeland's program director Tim Redford, adding that widespread wildlife poaching and smuggling involves transnational organised crime rings.

"These criminals are exploiting loopholes in the law, they are exploiting weakness of understanding in judges and prosecutors, and that's why they are winning," he said.

One case which left the Thai public incensed involved construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta, who was arrested last February after rangers stumbled on his camp in a national park in Kanchanaburi province.

Animal carcasses -- including a rare black leopard -- and guns were found, but Premchai, one of Thailand's wealthiest moguls, denied he was poaching and was released on bail.

Investigation is pending and a court verdict is expected in March.

The tycoon's case was at the forefront of all the participants' minds on Friday as the clearest example of what the rich and powerful could get away with in Thailand.

"If you know who my boss is, you'll get shivers! My boss is Premchai!" shouted one of the "poachers" during the exercise, as the rangers laughed in a moment of levity.

Sourse - TheNation

#Bangkok a top Tet holiday choice for Vietnamese travelers

The Thai capital is the hottest destination this year for Vietnamese choosing to travel during the Tet holiday.

Agoda, a leading global online accommodation reservations provider, has used new bookings data to assess 10 most popular Tet, Lunar New Year, holiday destinations for Vietnamese this year.

Traditionally, Tet is a time when Vietnamese people return home all over the country and the world to join their family for important Lunar New Year rituals, and to visit relatives and friends as part of the festival tradition.

However, the long holiday is tempting increasing numbers of Vietnamese citizens to travel within and outside the country.

This year, Bangkok has overtaken many of famous Vietnamese tourist hotspots like Da Lat, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc. Singapore came sixth on the list, while Kuala Lumpur took the ninth position.

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 Around one million Vietnamese tourists touched down in Thailand in 2018, putting Vietnam among the kingdom's top 10 tourism markets, according to a recent report by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Citizens of ASEAN member nations can travel within the region without applying for visa and stay as a tourist for a maximum of 30 days.

Bangkok’s high popularity among Vietnamese holiday goers is reflected in the fact that 30 airlines have direct routes connecting Hanoi and Saigon with the capital of Thailand.

The Year of the Pig begins on February 5 and the Vietnamese government has approved a nine-day (February 2-10) break for the holiday.

Rising overseas travel is a result of economic development and an expanding middle class, said Nguyen Cong Hoan, vice general director of Hanoi Redtour.

"A more affluent younger generation now wants to see the world. They are willing to spend more money on experiencing new destinations," he said.

According to Mastercard, Vietnam has the second fastest growing outbound market in the Asia Pacific region after Myanmar, with projected annual growth of 9.5 percent between 2016 and 2021.

Mastercard has forecast that some 7.5 million Vietnamese travelers will venture outside the country in 2021.

Source - VN Express

#Myanmar (Burma) - Bagan ready for heritage listing experts

The Department of Archaeology and National Museums is ready to answer questions on the Bagan heritage area from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), says the department’s director.

Richard Mackay, an expert from the council, conducted a survey last September for a report that will be submitted to UNESCO regarding Myanmar’s application to list the ancient city as a World Heritage Site.

“We are preparing to answer the questions of the ICOMOS expert, who wants more information before submitting a final report to UNESCO in March,” department director U Aung Aung Kyaw said. 

He did not say what questions would be asked.

U Thu Ya Aung, secretary of the Myanmar Archaeology Association, said there are three possible outcomes to the listing application process.

“One is Bagan is added to the World Heritage List; two is that listing is deferred as in 1994, when UNESCO requested that stronger laws and a management plan be created to protect Bagan; and three is that the application is denied.

“At present, the management of the Bagan heritage area prioritises development over protection. The authorities are still allowing new hotel projects and roads in the heritage zone, even though there is enough space outside the zone,” U Thu Ya Aung said.

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To reduce traffic within the ancient city last year, the regional authorities re-opened Tharabar Gate, the last wall from the Bagan era. The increasing number of vehicles using the route is worrying to experts.

“Even though Tharabar Gate has a security team, some domestic travellers are climbing up its wall. The traffic and crowds of people are threatening the long-term sustainability of the gate,” U Thu Ya Aung said.

Recently some Bagan and Nyaung-U residents protested to call for more information about the proposed cultural heritage law.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture is amending the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage Regions Law, which has passed the Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House) and Attorney General’s Office and will be tabled in the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House).

“The new law proposes that people not be allowed to do any renovation, even for building a fence in the heritage zone, without obtaining permission from the Department of Archaeology.

 We want regulations to be more flexible for residents of the heritage zone,” Daw Khin Moh Mon Aung, a resident of New Bagan, said.

Source - MMTimes

#Cambodia’s largest waterfall flowing between two nations

Located in Preah Vihear province, it is Cambodia’s largest waterfall with 26m of tiered rock-face and goes by three names – the Sopheakmit waterfall, the Lbak Khoun waterfall and the Preah Nimith waterfall.

Sitting slap bang on the Cambodian-Lao frontier, the upper Mekong waterfall is a spectacle to behold, as its turquoise-blue stream cascades over a gauntlet of limestone rocks, frothing and churning as it races downstream. 

Located in Preah Vihear province’s Preah Lean Community Forest, it is Cambodia’s largest waterfall with 26m of tiered rock-face, and goes by three names; the Sopheakmit waterfall, the Lbak Khoun waterfall and the Preah Nimith waterfall. 

Previously, due to poor infrastructure leading to the waterfall, both local and international tourists who wanted to see the beautiful view had to travel via Laos to visit the site. 

But a recently constructed road has now opened up this attraction for tourists and locals in Cambodia, says Kong Vibol, the provincial tourism department head. 

Previously, due to poor infrastructure leading to the waterfall, both local and international tourists tourists who wanted to see the beautiful view had to travel via Laos to visit the site. The water is at its most clear and calm between November and May.

“This cascade has been in Preah Vihear since the province was established in 1964. But at that time we did not have good infrastructure to reach there, it was quite hard to develop the community. 

“According to primary school books, we call it Lbak K houn.

But the name Sopheakmit emerged when Steung Treng province officials brought tourists to the place and famous singers began writing songs using the name Sopheakmit. 

The name Preah Nimith occurred when the local community worked with tourism department to change its name back to the original one,” Vibol says. 

He said that though the road is dusty and difficult, Preah Nimith waterfall welcomes visitors all year round, but between November and May, the water is at its most clear and calm.

To reach the waterfall, drive from Preah Vihear town on National Road 9 through the deserted Prey Long forest to Chhaeb II commune’s Dorng Plet village and continue on the dusty road roughly 65km from Steung Treng town.

Source - PhnomPenhPost 

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#Thailand - Round ’em up, ship ’em out – another 500 foreigners arrested in crackdown

Authorities rounded up 503 foreigners for overstaying their visas, illegally entering Thailand and other crimes during simultaneous searches at 217 locations around the country early Friday.  

 Immigration Police Bureau deputy chief Pol Maj-General Itthipol Itthisarnronnachai says the raids are part of the government’s crackdown on transnational scammers, card skimmers and drug traffickers, as well as foreigners breaking immigration laws.

The searches took place at locations including four schools, 73 private firms and shops, six service establishments and 50 hotels and hostels, he said.4 Iranians,3 Lao, two Russians and an American, an Indian, a Chinese and a Mongolian were charged with overstaying their visas.

94 Lao, 86 Burmese, 68 Cambodians, 2 Vietnamese and an Indian and South Korean were charged with entering the country illegally.

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There was an additional 121 Thais, 50 Cambodians, 40 Burmese, 6 Lao, 6 Vietnamese, 3 Indians, 2 Filipinos, 2 Chinese, 2 Australians, 2 Russians and a Briton, a South Korean, a Greek and a German who were detained on numerous other charges.

He said 43 separate operations were included in the clampdown and resulted in the arrest of 6,971 foreigners.

Last year in October, following a deadline set by the Thai PM to seek out, arrest and deport overstayers and criminals, it was declared there were no more illegal foreigners living in Thailand.

Source - TheNation 

#Bangkok - Health, pollution top social media discussion topics

Online channels being increasingly used for complaints about hospital services.

STROKES AND dust were the two most-discussed topics among Thai netizens last year, a recent survey has revealed. 

Conducted by the data company, Backyard Co Ltd, the survey found that Thais were particularly interested in the quality of private hospital services, strokes, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) and facilities for elderly care during their time online.

Net users often “talked” about hospitals in relation to their services (54.94 per cent), Backyard’s co-founder Kittipong Kitithawornkul said. This was followed by topics like complaints, scamming, lack of medical ethics and hype (22.75 per cent), hospitals’ environment (11.80 per cent), fees (7.30 per cent), location (1.72 per cent) and facilities (1.50 per cent). 

Interestingly, data also showed that people are turning to online channels to submit complaints about hospitals, up from 16 per cent in 2017 to 22 per cent last year, reflecting the growing importance of online comments, he said. 

Data also pointed to Thai people’s growing interest in certain diseases. Strokes, for example, ranked No 1, with people discussing the topic 111.42 per cent more than the year earlier, followed by CRDs (59.88 per cent) and chronic kidney disease (34.91 per cent). 

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Researchers believe the move to ban trans or unsaturated fat by the Thai food agency may have inspired more discussions about strokes. 

In terms of online conversations related to medical check-up packages, data showed that Thai netizens “talked” more about packages for chronic respiratory diseases, 233.33 per cent more from the year earlier, chronic kidney disease (163.76 per cent) and strokes (89.32 per cent). 

Interestingly, as Bangkok struggles to cope with smog and fine PM2.5 dust particles, conversations about smog-related diseases such as allergy, heart disease, asthma and lung cancer are also on the rise.

In addition, online conversations regarding the wellness industry grew 75 per cent compared to the year earlier, though real estate topped the list. 

Meanwhile, online conversations about elderly care facilities rose as much as 180 per cent from the year earlier. 

People seem to be less interested in yoga, with 58 per cent fewer conversations about the subject compared to the year earlier. Now people seem to be more interested in healthy diets, with 128 per cent more discussions compared to 2017. This has been attributed to the popularity of intermittent fasting and the keto diet. 

Thai netizens also talked less about low-fat and low-calorie diets, and showed more interest in gluten-free (179.02 per cent up from 2017) and vegan diets (166.05 per cent). Unsurprisingly, there was also more discussion about protein alternatives. 

In order to combat office syndrome, researchers found that people were most interested in manipulative and body-based methods, with acupuncture and cupping therapy at the top of the list. 

“Online data shows that the healthcare and wellness business is very attractive, especially because online conversations related to this business grew as much as 85 per cent from 2017 to 2018,” Kittipong said.

Sourse - TheNation

 

 

International tourist arrivals up 6% to 1.4 billion in 2018: UN

The number of international tourist arrivals rose by 6 percent last year to 1.4 billion, according to an estimate published Monday by the World Tourism Organization.

The increase was driven by travel to southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the Madrid-based UN body, citing economic growth and cheaper air travel as key factors.

Although arrivals to the Americas grew by a modest three percent -- four for North America -- Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific performed better, with rises of six, seven and six percent respectively.

In 2010, the WTO had forecast that international tourist arrivals would only hit the 1.4 billion mark in 2020 -- but it now said that stronger economic growth, more affordable air travel and an easier visa regime around the world had helped boost the market.

"The growth of tourism in recent years confirms that the sector is today one of the most powerful drivers of economic growth and development," WTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili said in a statement.

Total arrivals to Europe were 713 million but the WTO noted that arrivals in northern Europe were flat last year, citing uncertainty over Britain's impending exit from the European Union.

Closer focus on data for Africa, which welcomed 67 million visitors in total, saw the north of the continent register 10 per cent growth in arrivals staying at least overnight. Sub-Saharan arrivals were up six percent.

Middle Eastern arrivals rose 10 percent to 64 million.

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 The Caribbean suffered a drop of 2.0 percent in arrivals as it continued to feel the effects of the September 2017 hurricanes Maria and Irma. The storms caused catastrophic damage in tourist hotspots such as Barbuda, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 

 The WTO predicted a global overall increase of between three and four percent for the current year, broadly in line with historical trends. Stable fuel prices would "translate into affordable air travel while air connectivity continues to improve in many destinations", it predicted.

Outbound tourism from emerging markets, "especially India and Russia", but also from smaller Asian and Arab markets is expected to continue to grow strongly, it added.

But at the same time the WTO warned that uncertainty related to Brexit "as well as geopolitical and trade tensions may prompt a 'wait and see' attitude among investors and travelers".

Source - TheJakartaPost