BANGKOK – Hoping to capitalise on growing regional interest in South Korean pop culture, a Thai company opened a US$275-million (S$1.4-million) Korean-themed shopping mall and entertainment complex in Bangkok on Monday.
A post shared by SHOW DC (@show_dc) on Apr 10, 2017 at 8:29am PDT
The 180,000 square metre (1.9 million square feet) building targets both Thai fans of K-Culture and foreign visitors. It hopes to get 10 million visitors a year and become a major attraction in what was the world’s most visited city last year.
“A lot of Asian people are fans of Korea,” said Chayaditt Hutanuwatra, chairman of privately-owned SHOW D.C. Corp Ltd.
“Thailand is the place where people can just fly in.”
The mall has stores with clothing, cosmetics and restaurants from Korean brands and K-pop artists. It has statues and palm prints of Korean stars and plans to bring Korean performers in to the floor it has dedicated as a concert hall.
South Korea’s Lotte Group is among the companies that will open a store there, the mall said.
Around a third of the more than 34 million tourists forecast to visit Thailand this year are from China – where interest in K-Culture has been driven underground by a recent row over Seoul’s deployment of a missile defence system.
SINGAPORE – A 38-year-old foreign worker was killed in an accident with a taxi in Woodlands on Sunday (April 9) night.
The accident occurred around 11.20pm at the junction of Gambas Avenue and Woodlands Avenue 7, the police told The Straits Times on Monday (April 10).
The 49-year-old CityCab taxi driver was arrested in relation to the case.
The pedestrian, whom ST understands is a foreign worker, was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.
Shin Min Daily News said in a report on Monday that the foreign worker was believed to have been on his way home to a nearby dormitory when he was hit.
ST understands that the taxi driver claims the traffic lights were green in his favour when the accident occurred.
ST has contacted ComfortDelgro for more information.
This article was first published on Apr 11, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
A new bevy of baby otters was born in the heart of the city this month, drawing much attention from residents and passers-by who came across them at the Singapore River.
When The Straits Times went down on Monday (April 10) afternoon, the family had just ventured out for an afternoon swim in the River.
There were five otter pups, each about six weeks old, and they were taking one of their first swimming lessons.
The scene soon drew a crowd, even as an officer from the National Parks Board (NParks) went around to put up signs on otter watching “ettiquette”.
Many took out their cameras and mobile phones to snap photos and videos as the adult otters coaxed the pups into the water.
It was quite a jump for the young pups from the bank of the Singapore River, which is a vertical wall.
One by one the seven adults and three pups dived into the water, but two babies remained on the bank.
The otters in the water squeaked and barked at the two pups, which ran along the bank for a few minutes, before jumping into the water – one after the other.
When the brief swimming lesson ended, the family ran up some steps to rest on a small patch of grass by the river side.
Before venturing on land, one of the adults peered cautiously over the edge of the river bank.
By then, about 20 people, including a group of children on their way home from school, had gathered.
Members of the otter watching group reminded them to give the otters space.
The skittish mammals can get startled when humans get too close.
“I told them to keep a comfortable distance so that the otters could do what they want to do, instead of having to be on the guard all the time,” said Mr Bernard Seah, a wildlife photographer and frequent otter watcher.
“If you give them enough space, you can also observe them for a longer time.”
When the otter saw that the coast was clear, the rest of the family followed.
While this family of otters have been sighted at the Singapore River for some time, this is the first time there are baby otters at this location.
They moved here from Marina Bay in late 2015.
On Sunday, about 80 people gathered to watch them, in a scene similar to the crowds at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park in 2015.
There was a stir when the otters there had a bevy of three pups in 2015, and photos and videos of the Bishan otter family went viral.
The Bishan otters moved to the Marina Bay area in late 2015 after winning a “territorial dispute” and “kicking out” the otters originally living there.
Soon after, the losing party made the Singapore River their new home.
Otter watchers who have been observing the families over the years said that they may face difficulties raising babies at this very public location, which has limited access to resting points on land.
“They lost their prime territory at Marina Reservoir, so now the only place to raise their kids is along the Singapore River,” said Mr Mr Jeffery Teo, a member of the Otter Working Group.
“If they lose this home due to too much human disturbance, they may have nowhere else to go to.”
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER OTTERS:
Keep your dog on a tight leash.
Don’t touch, chase or corner the otters. Observe them from a distance.
Don’t talk loudly, and don’t use flash photography.
Don’t feed the otters
Don’t litter or leave sharp objects in the water
This article was first published on April 10, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
MADRID – Valencia’s Singaporean chairwoman Layhoon Chan will step down at the end of the season, the Spanish club said on Monday, ending her much-criticised two-year spell in the role.
Chan was brought in as an ally of the club’s Singaporean owner Peter Lim but under her watch Valencia have endured two disappointing seasons.
“Layhoon Chan has presented her resignation from the position of chairwoman, as well as from the board of directors at Valencia CF, effective from July 1st, 2017,” the club said in a statement.
“Anil Murthy, the current executive director at the club, will take on the role of chairman following that date.”
Valencia finished 12th in La Liga last season and also sit 12th with seven games to go this term.
MADRID – Valencia’s Singaporean chairwoman Layhoon Chan will step down at the end of the season, the Spanish club said on Monday, ending her much-criticised two-year spell in the role.
Chan was brought in as an ally of the club’s Singaporean owner Peter Lim but under her watch Valencia have endured two disappointing seasons.
“Layhoon Chan has presented her resignation from the position of chairwoman, as well as from the board of directors at Valencia CF, effective from July 1st, 2017,” the club said in a statement.
“Anil Murthy, the current executive director at the club, will take on the role of chairman following that date.”
Valencia finished 12th in La Liga last season and also sit 12th with seven games to go this term.
SINGAPORE – About 30 people were evacuated from a mall in Clementi on Sunday (April 9) afternoon after a car caught fire in the carpark.
The fire occurred at about 1.15pm at the entrance of the carpark at The Clementi Mall, Lianhe Wanbao reported on Monday (April 10).
The vehicle caught fire suddenly as it was entering the carpark at the basement, and the driver escaped just in time, Wanbao said.
Smoke from the fire activated the fire alarms and building security evacuated the customers and stallholders in the mall.
A food stall vendor in her 40s, who gave her name as Madam Zhang, told Wanbao: “I first heard the fire alarm. Then, security came to tell us that there was a fire, and told us not to panic and walk to the first floor.
“Later, when I reached the escalator, I smelled smoke and saw black smoke coming out of the carpark.”
An employee at a pet store who gave his name as Mr Weijie, 26, said that he had initially thought it was a fire drill.
“After that, a regular customer told me that a car was on fire at the entrance, and I realised it was real,” he said.
The fire involved the engine compartment of the vehicle, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told The Straits Times.
SCDF was alerted at 1.15pm and dispatched two fire engines, two Red Rhinos and two support vehicles.
It extinguished the fire using fire extinguishers, a compressed air foam backpack and an internal hose reel.
Approximately 30 people were evacuated by building security, SCDF said.
There were no reported injuries, and the cause of the fire is being investigated.
This article was first published on Apr 11, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
SINGAPORE – Shoppers and stores at Bishan’s Junction 8 Shopping Centre were left in the dark on Sunday (April 9) morning after a power trip cut electricity to parts of the mall for seven hours.
The trip occurred at about 7am on Sunday morning, affecting 20 stores and affecting business, Shin Min Daily News reported on Monday (April 10).
Shops affected at the mall at 9 Bishan Place include electronics chain Best Denki, BreadTalk, FairPrice supermarket and several restaurants.
Some of the amenities such as escalators, washrooms and air-conditioning were affected by the power cut.
One employee of an electronics store who declined to be named told Shin Min that business was halted temporarily as a result.
“The escalators weren’t working, and the crowd lessened,” he said, adding that business dropped by at least 50 per cent as they lost potential sales from the Sunday crowd.
A shopper who gave her name as Madam Lin, a 53-year-old housewife, told Shin Min that she had planned to buy groceries at the supermarket, but left as there was a blackout.
Junction 8 posted an apology on its Facebook page at 1.50pm on Sunday.
“Dear shoppers, thank you for your patience and support,” it said. “The mall’s power supply has been restored and all the stores are open for business. We look forward to welcoming you in our mall.”
One disgruntled shopper said on the post that the mall was “too warm to be in” and that FairPrice was closed.
The post has since been taken down.
Junction 8’s centre manager Ms Maggie Chua told The Straits Times on Monday (April 10) that the power trip occurred in the mall at about 7.20am on Sunday, causing a partial power failure that affected about 20 tenants.
“We immediately activated our contractor to look into the matter and investigate the cause of the power trip. After resetting the electrical system, the disrupted power supply was progressively restored from 1.30pm and fully restored by 2.30pm yesterday,” she said.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to the affected tenants and shoppers, and will continue to provide assistance where required.”
This article was first published on Apr 11, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
ComfortDelGro’s new flat fare option has largely won positive reviews from commuters for its simplified charges, while cabbies from the biggest taxi operator are hoping to win over more customers with it.
ComfortDelGro, which owns close to 16,500 cabs, yesterday joined ride-hailing apps Uber and Grab in offering commuters the convenience of a single and upfront fee for bookings made through its mobile app.
The new offering comes less than a fortnight after five other cab operators – SMRT, Premier, Prime, Trans-Cab and HDT – launched a dynamic pricing system for some 10,600 of their taxis under Grab’s JustGrab function.
ComfortDelGro said it has received an “encouraging” response to its flat fare system, which does not have a surge variable but factors in the distance travelled and is computed based on existing surcharges.
This means its fares do not surge upwards during periods of high demand, like those of Uber’s and Grab’s.
ComfortDelgro spokesman Tammy Tan revealed that about 2,000 bookings were made yesterday morning with the flat fare option, and the firm expects the volume to grow.
‘UPDATE’
“Many have yet to update their app and we expect more to (do so) in the next few days,” Ms Tan said.
With the update, app users will be shown two sets of fares when they enter their pick-up and drop-off points: a flat fare or a metered fare given in a range.
Opting for the former means they will not have to pay additional surcharge levies, unless they change destination or make unplanned stops along the way.
Electronic Road Pricing tolls are applicable.
This simplification has won over commuters like Ms Betty Bai, 32, a senior public relations consultant.
She said the flat fares offer “peace of mind”.
“I would not worry if the taxi driver takes a longer route or I am stuck in a traffic jam,” she said.
Her trip from Rendezvous Hotel to AXA Tower in a Mercedes cab yesterday cost her $10.50, compared with the $12 to $13 she would normally pay.
Another commuter, events manager S. Pang, 32, however, said she was not sure if the flat fare is always the best choice, after she booked a taxi from Park Royal Hotel to Ion Orchard.
“A metered ride would cost from $7.50 to $9.50 according to the app, while the flat rate was $9. To me, it is a gamble as there is a chance that I would only have to pay $7.50,” she added.
Checks by The Straits Times found that flat fares could be cheaper than their metered equivalents but not all the time.
Taxi drivers like Mr Mohammad K., 56, said flat fares will help put taxis on a more level playing field with private-hire car services.
Cabby P. Gunasagaran, 52, said: “I think flat fares can win over those customers who worry about the meter fares ‘jumping’ in a traffic jam. There are also many surcharges currently, which commuters find confusing.”
adrianl@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on April 11, 2017. Get The New Paper for more stories.
SINGAPORE – A driver was trapped in a garbage truck, dangling precariously over a third-floor railing of an incineration complex in the Senoko area on Monday (April 10) night.
A photo circulating on WhatsApp showed a man in the front car of a Sembcorp truck dangling over a railing. A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer is shown at the site, along with what appears to be an SCDF vehicle on the paved road below.
SCDF told ST that it received a call for help at about 7.20pm for a driver who was trapped in a garbage truck on the third-level ramp of an incineration complex at 30 Attap Valley.
As the truck was slightly over the ramp edge, SCDF had to rescue the male driver using an aerial rescue platform, said the spokesman.
The driver was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
Responding to ST queries, a Sembwaste spokesman confirmed that an incident involving one of its trucks occurred at Attap Valley Road on Monday night.
“No one was injured in the incident, however the driver was conveyed to the hospital for observation,” said the spokesman.
“Safety is very important to Sembwaste. At this point it is not clear how the incident occurred. We are investigating the matter and will be working with the authorities in this regard as well,” she said.
Additional reporting by Ariffin Jamar
This article was first published on April 10, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
SINGAPORE – While most motorists look out for road markings for directions, an unusual road marking along Sims Way drew attention from drivers for the wrong reasons.
The marking, which read “Nicoll U’pass”, indicated the direction of a new underpass linking the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) to Nicoll Highway.
However the apostrophe separating the letters “U” and “P” was relatively small compared to the letters – leaving some motorists to read it as “up a**” instead.
A photo of the marking posted on the Facebook page of website The Monitor SG on Friday received more than 400 shares, drawing laughter from netizens.
“So much for the myth that Singapore is a conservative society,” read one comment.
Motorist Mohammed Farhan was driving past the area on Friday with his wife when they spotted it.
“She had to do a double take when she saw it,” said the 35-year-old commercial artist.
However, when The Straits Times visited the site on Monday, the road marking had been painted over to read “Nicoll H’way” instead.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said these were temporary markings and that they have been updated and replaced with new markings as motorists have become more familiar with the new road network.
Aimed at easing traffic congestion at the KPE’s original Nicoll Highway exit, the $45 million underpass was completed last December.
However, its opening was held back to April 2 to minimise disruption to motorists.
Motorists coming from the KPE and Sims Way can use the two-lane, 300m underpass to head to Nicoll Highway or Stadium Drive.
This article was first published on April 10, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
