Month: October 2022

Disrupting harm in Thailand: Evidence on online child sexual exploitation and abuse

PROTECTING CHILDREN IN THAILAND FROM ONLINE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE: THE WAY FORWARD

 

In the past year alone, nine percent of 12–17-year-old internet users in Thailand were victims of grave instances of online child sexual abuse and exploitation (OCSEA). While recent work to reform legislation and develop policy responses to the crime are commendable, support is needed to improve awareness, knowledge and skills related to OCSEA within the child protection sector in Thailand. The Thai government, public institutions, frontline workers, industry, and caregivers can all do more to respond to OCSEA and disrupt the harm it is causing to children.

 

Source: UN Children’s Fund

Heavy flooding leads to closure of Chiang Mai-Hod road

Motorists planning to use the Chiang Mai-Hod road have been advised to take an alternative route, via the San Pa Tong-Hang Dong road along the irrigation canal in Hang Dong district, due to heavy flooding.

 

Traffic police in Hang Dong closed off the in-bound Chiang Mai-Hod road today (Saturday), after it became impassable to all small vehicles, following 100mm of rainfall in the Doi Suthep mountain area in the past 24 hours.

 

Heavy rainfall has also been reported in Chom Thong, Doi Lo and Hang Dong districts since yesterday and more rain is forecast for Chiang Mai province from until Monday.

 

Officials in Chom Thong district have advised people to refrain from swimming or venturing into waterfalls and creeks flowing from the Doi Inthanon mountain, due to strong currents following the continuous heavy rain.

Motorists using the Chom Thong-Doi Inthanon road have also be warned to exercise extreme caution, due to slippery road conditions, fallen trees and landslides.

 

According to the provincial public disaster prevention and mitigation office, Hod, Chom Thong and Dai Tao districts have seen heavy rain since last night, resulting in the Mae Klang stream in Hod and the Mae Hat stream in Doi Tao breaching their banks and temporarily flooding farm land and households.

 

In the northern province of Phetchabun, overflows from the Khlong Lam Kong reservoir have flooded about 2,000 households in Nong Phai district.

 

Runoffs from the Pasak River have flooded the main road from Muang district to Wichian Buri district.

 

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service

Sam Khok district of Pathum Thani declared a flood disaster zone

The Pathum Thani provincial administration has declared Sam Khok district a flood disaster zone, because the entire district is under water from spilling the overflowing Chao Phraya River.

 

More than 5,000 households, located outside the flood wall, are now flooded and many residents are using boats to travel from their houses to roads on higher ground, which are not yet flooded. Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said today (Saturday) that many bags of relief supplies and survival kits have been distributed by officials to the flood victims, adding that sand bags have been provided to plug gaps in protective walls and dykes.

 

A resident of Bang Toey sub-district, in Sam Khok district, said that he left home at about 7am yesterday and returned about two hours later, only to find that he could not get his car back to his house because the water level has increased sharply.

He added that he had to park his car on the road and now uses a boat to get from home to the road to drive the car to the office.

 

Other residents said that they are used to flooding in their community, but the water level this time rose rapidly, after more water was discharged through the sluice gate in Bang Sai district of Ayutthaya province.

 

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service