Deeper Dive Thailand

Thanks to the new visa regulations issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it’s never been easier to visit Thailand and stay in the country long-term. But the devil is in the details, and to help us take an in-depth look, Dave Kendall is joined by Naruchai Ninnad, Deputy DIrector-General of the Department of Consular Affairs at Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Read the accompanying article in the Bangkok Post at https://bit.ly/3Yzu62e

Once again, northern Thailand is choking under a blanket of toxic smog. What’s really causing it – and how can we get rid of it for good?

Many experts believe cutting down forests to plant corn for animal feed is a major cause of the air pollution, with Chiang Mai ranked the world's worst for several days in mid-March.

Animal agriculture is the elephant in the room when it comes to climate change, as portrayed in the documentary narrated by Kate Winslet, "Eating Our Way to Extinction".

Check out these articles in the Bangkok Post:

⁠Feeding the beast: Chiang Mai smoke seen as world's climate change problem ⁠

⁠Slaughtering the planet - on a farm⁠

More reading:

⁠Global elimination of meat production could save the planet⁠

References:

⁠The animal agriculture industry, US universities, and the obstruction of climate understanding and policy⁠

Reijnders S. Quantification of the environmental impact of different dietary protein choices. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 78, Issue 3, pp. 664S–668S. Published 2003. Accessed 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/78.3.664S

Bala G, Caldeira K, Wickett M, et al. Combined climate and carbon-cycle effects of large-scale deforestation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Published online April 9, 2007:6550-6555. doi:10.1073/pnas.0608998104

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . Climate Change and Land: An IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems. In press; 2019:12

The new cannabis bill grinding its way through parliament toughens penalties and includes jail terms for growing, selling and importing without a licence, and for marketing and advertising of the traditional drug that was delisted as a narcotic in June 2022. But its most controversial provision is the imposition of fines for recreational smoking, even in one’s own home. This has drawn condemnation from many, including long-time cannabis legalisation advocate and entrepreneur Chokwan Kitty Chopaka.

About 100 species of plants and animals go extinct every day, and 1 million are on the brink. One of the causes -  smuggling of endangered wildlife – could also wipe out humans by sparking the next pandemic.

Freeland CEO Steve Galster paints a horrifying picture on the Bangkok Post podcast, Deeper Dive.

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Thailand is a hub for the smuggling of protected wildlife, the fourth most lucrative global crime after drugs, humans and arms. Meet the enforcement officers trying to stop the trafficking of pangolins, macaque monkeys, leopard cubs, exotic birds and reptiles to dinner tables, experimentation laboratories and Chinese traditional medicine makers.

There are signs of a thaw in the long cryptocurrency winter, but the digital asset world has been rocked by bankruptcies and scandals. ‘Topp’ Jirayut Srupsrisopa,  founder of Thailand’s leading exchange Bitkub, explains the fallout, outlines the possibilities and offers some tips to stay safe in cryptoland.

Read the accompanying articlein the Bangkok Post at https://bit.ly/3qEpQQs

Although corruption has long blighted Thailand, the number of alleged police graft cases in the past few months have made headline news in Thailand and overseas. Soapy massage king turned anti-corruption crusader Chuvit Kamolvisit sheds light on the latest cases and suggests some long-term solutions.

Cyberscamming has become a trillion-dollar industry, with the numbers of both scammers and victims soaring over the past three years.

Many young Thais have been enticed by online job advertisements promising well-paid work in Cambodia and Myanmar. but once they cross the border into these "special economic zones" (SEZs), many wind up in the hands of Chinese gangs who confiscate their passports. They’ve been scammed, and now – on pain of death or torture - they’re scammers themselves.

On this edition of Deeper Dive, host Dave Kendall explores the scams, explains how to avoid them and speaks to Nikkei Asia’s Dominic Faulder, author of the award-winning article “Asia’s Scamdemic: how Covid-19 supercharged online crime”.

Read "Fighting Thailand's scamdemic" in the Bangkok Post.

A quick introduction to Bangkok Post's new podcast, Deeper Dive Thailand, where Dave Kendall takes you beneath the surface of Thailand's big issues with insight, analysis and interviews with key players. Please follow (subscribe) and rate the show.