Thailand's Teerasil Dangda, right, is the only surviving member from Thailand's last Asian Cup appearance in 2007. Getty Images
Thailand's Teerasil Dangda, right, is the only surviving member from Thailand's last Asian Cup appearance in 2007. Getty Images

Chalermpong Kerdkaew backs Thai trio to make Asian Cup impact



The return of Teerasil Dangda, Theerathon Bunmathan and Chanathip Songkrasin may force Thailand to make a few tactical tweaks but vice-captain Chalermpong Kerdkaew said their experience will help improve the team's chances at the Asian Cup.

Dangda, who missed out on Thailand's Asean Football Federation Championship campaign last month, was named captain by manager Milovan Rajevac for the continental championship in the UAE, which kicks off on Saturday.

The 30-year-old striker, the only surviving member from Thailand's last Asian Cup appearance in 2007, has scored 42 goals in 95 appearances for his country, while the additions of full-back Bunmathan and midfielder Songkrasin give the Thais a more attacking impetus.

"It is good to have them back in the squad. We are stronger with them in the team," Kerdkaew was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post.

"However, this means that we have to make certain adjustments to our tactics and we are getting used to the changes.

"The good thing is that the weather here isn't much different from Thailand so we have adjusted well to the conditions here."

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Thailand face India in their Group A opener in Dubai on Sunday before facing Bahrain(January 10) and hosts UAE (January 14).

Despite their underdogs status, Thailand are targeting a first appearance in the knockout stage since 1972 when they finished third on home soil.

"I agree that all the teams that have qualified for the finals are strong, but we aren't afraid of anyone," Kerdkaew added.

"Of course, we should study our opponents' style but at the same time we should ensure that we that we prepare well for every match. It'll make things a lot easier for everyone."

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Armies of Sand

By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
 

Three ways to limit your social media use

Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.

1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.

2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information. 

3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.

How green is the expo nursery?

Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery

An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo

Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery

Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape

The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides

All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality

Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country

Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow

Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site

Green waste is recycled as compost

Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs

Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers

About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer

Main themes of expo is  ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.

Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months

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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

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Tuesday's fixtures
Group A
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm
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If you go...

Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).

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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind