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December 2017 energy statistics that allow a provisional assessment to be made of trends in energy production and consumption in 2017. A more detailed analysis will be available in Energy Trends, to be published on 29 March 2018.
Published 22 February 2018
These improvements contribute to a wider goal of tackling road safety in Thailand, with an aim to cap the rising number of foreign nationals involved in road traffic accidents.
Improvements will focus on guidelines for obtaining a driving licence; how to prepare for the driving test; raising awareness of specific risks on the road unique to Thailand; and recaps on internationally-recognised driving standards.
Deputy Head of Mission for the British Embassy Bangkok, Margaret Tongue, says:
Reducing the number of road accidents involving British people in Thailand remains a key priority for the British Embassy. This important collaboration illustrates a shared aim of improving driving standards and raising awareness of specific risks on the roads, through developing engaging and accessible materials to aid the driving test process that not only British people will benefit from, but also any other foreigners residing in Thailand.
Deputy Director General of Department of Land Transport, Kamol Buranapong, says:
Department of Land Transport sees the importance in creating the understanding for foreigners wishing to attain a Thai driving licence. This collaboration with the British Embassy Bangkok on this Road Safety initiative to improve process and standard of licencing process will help enhance the understanding for foreigners and, meanwhile, protecting their right as a road user under Thai laws. Foreigners can receive a Thai driving licence with the same standard procedures with any other vehicle types by receiving training about relevant laws, rules for using roads in Thailand, written and practical tests.
Based on a survey conducted with British customers needing consular services, the partnership has helped kick start three initiatives that include the production of a 45-minute English language instructional video, covering road traffic laws, road usage, techniques for driving safely and driving etiquette. This is a part of the Thai driving test for foreign nationals.
Other initiatives are the production of a 3-minute English language video explaining the process for renewing, transferring and applying for a driving licence as a foreign national and re-translation of the online driving test for English speaking applicants.
The Department of Land Transport will use these materials for English speaking applicants at all driving test centres and transport offices across Thailand. This will ensure that foreign drivers are aware of road safety rules and regulations; the consequences of their own behaviour to themselves and to others; and law enforcement in Thailand.
Thailand welcomes just over 1,000,000 British visitors each year and it is also home to over 50,000 British people and their families.
Safety for British people visiting, living and working in Thailand is a key priority of the British Embassy Bangkok, with road safety being an important aspect of this.
Last year (2017), 5% of total casework (71 cases) from the Consular Department at the British Embassy Bangkok involved providing assistance to British people involved in road accidents.
The top five provinces for road traffic accidents involving British people are Surat Thani, Phuket, Chiangmai, Chonburi (Pattaya) and Bangkok.
Songsang.Jatupornsathien
You should only be dialling 0300 200 2020 for calls about criminal applications as the old 0121 232 5500 number has been closed.
We gave notice that the old criminal application enquiry line was closing in September 2017.
A temporary redirect was put in place to help callers to 0121 232 5500 but this has now ended.
If you have the old number saved you should update it to 0300 200 2020 now.
You will need to choose from civil, crime or technical when calling 0300 200 2020.
You should continue to use 0115 852 6000 for crime billing enquiries.
0300 200 2020 – criminal applications
0115 852 6000 – crime billing
Published 22 February 2018
Goonhilly antenna at night. Credit: Goonhilly Earth Station.
Under a new project Goonhilly, which famously beamed images of the moon landings to millions of television viewers, will be upgraded to enable it to provide deep-space tracking and satellite communication services on a commercial basis. It will be the first time the UK has had the capability to communicate directly with deep-space missions.
Science Minister Sam Gyimah said:
“We’re working hard to ensure the UK thrives in the commercial space age as part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, so it’s fantastic to see the world’s first commercial deep space communications network coming to Cornwall.
“The UK Space Agency has played a vital role in supporting this partnership and will continue to work alongside industry, local leaders and international partners to grow the UK’s share of the global space market. We already play a significant role in satellite manufacturing, with one in four of the world’s telecommunications satellites built in the UK, and want to establish the UK as a world-leading destination for space launch. ”
In future, Goonhilly will complement the capability of the European Space Agency (ESA)’s worldwide ground station network, which today comprises seven core stations supporting more than 20 earth, observatory, planetary and exploration spacecraft as well as European launchers.
Goonhilly antenna. Credit: Goonhilly Earth Station.
The contract is being funded through the LEP’s Growth Deal with the UK Government, via ESA, including €2 million which comes from the UK Space Agency’s investment in ESA. The investment will see ESA working with Goonhilly to upgrade one of its largest antennas, the 32 m-diameter GHY-6 antenna built in 1985, to meet the high-end performance and technology requirements needed by ESA, NASA and private space exploration companies for deep-space communications, including high bit-rate data links.
Colin Baldwin, Head of Local Growth Strategy at the UK Space Agency, said:
“We are delighted that the work the Agency did to support this partnership has come to fruition. We see huge opportunities for the developing space sector in Cornwall and look forward to working with local partners, including Goonhilly Earth Station and the LEP, as their plans develop.”
The investment will provide a huge boost to Cornwall’s space ambitions. Once the upgrade work is complete, Goonhilly will have the ability to track and control forthcoming robotic and human missions to the Moon and Mars, making a significant technical and economic contribution to European efforts in global space exploration.
During the approximately two-year work to upgrade the 32 m-diameter GHY-6 antenna – which carried the 1985 Live Aid concert around the world shortly after it was built – qualifying tests will be carried out under ESA’s oversight to include tracking of several of the Agency’s deep-space missions, including the Mars Express spacecraft which has been in orbit around the Red Planet since 2003.
Goonhilly CEO Ian Jones said: “We already have a great deal of interest in using the upgraded antenna from our international customer base. This includes space agencies, such as ESA, as well as some of the new private space exploration companies.
“The team here at Goonhilly, along with colleagues at the LEP, ESA and the UK Space Agency, have been working incredibly hard to achieve this fantastic outcome. We now look forward to getting on with the upgrade work which will bring a new expansion of the company.”
The UK’s Local Growth Minister, Jake Berry, said:
“It is very encouraging to see a Local Enterprise Partnership using Government’s Growth Deal funding to support a rapidly growing sector through public and private sector collaboration. This contract will create skilled new jobs in the local area while assuring Cornwall’s place in history for its contribution to space exploration.”