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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004929

Labour network urges Covid protections for vulnerable workers, pregnant women

Representatives of the Labour Network for People’s Rights met with Labour Minister Suchat Chomklin on Thursday to discuss measures to help workers suffering hardship from the Covid-19 crisis.

 The activists were seeking aid for workers in in Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani provinces, where factories have been badly hit by outbreaks.

“We want the ministry to urge employers to launch active case-finding among workers and provide community isolation facilities for those who test positive to prevent Covid-19 from spreading to their family members,” said Sriprai Nonsee, a network representative. She also called for measures to ensure that vulnerable workers, such as pregnant women, have a safe working environment during the outbreak.

Suchart said the ministry was already supporting active case-finding campaigns among employers, adding that its “Factory Sandbox” project to curb the spread of Covid-19 was in the pilot phase.

The ministry is also offering Covid-19 vaccination to workers under the social security scheme in provinces with high infections, he said.

“As for measures for pregnant women, I have ordered the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare to draft a ministerial announcement asking for cooperation from employers to let pregnant workers work from home during Covid-19 to minimise the risk of infection,” said Suchart. “Employers are urged to pay wages in full for workers in this group.”

Published : August 19, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004928

New QSNCC debuts as largest convention centre in central Bangkok

The new Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) has opened for bookings ahead of its scheduled launch in September 2022, said operator NCC Management & Development, a subsidiary of Thai Beverage Plc, owned by billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.

The QSNCC, which crowns Bangkok’s Benjakitti Park on Ratchadaphisek Road, has been rebuilt with five times more space at a budget of 15 billion baht, said the operator.

It now stands as the largest convention centre in central Bangkok, ready to accommodate 100,000 visitors per day and all types of world-class international events, it added.

The original building was demolished in 2019, with Thai Obayashi and Design 103 taking charge of reconstruction and design work.

“This fulfils our vision and aspiration to transform the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre into the leading world-class convention centre in Asia,” said Panote Sirivadhanabhakdi, director of TCC Assets (Thailand), the property development arm of ThaiBev.

The new QSNCC boasts 78,500 square metres of event space, comprising two main exhibition halls covering over 45,000sqm, two large conference halls with nearly 10,000sqm and 50 flexible meeting rooms.

The centre is served by the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre MRT station as well as 2,700 indoor parking spaces.

Positive responses have been received from MICE operators and exhibitors, said the operator, as well as from merchandisers and food businesses for the retail space.

Published : August 19, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004927

Wo-manhunt on for Udon Thani Covid escapee

Udon Thani police are hunting for a Covid-19 patient who walked out of the hospital without completing her treatment.

Kumphawapi Police Station posted CCTV footage on its Facebook page on Wednesday showing the woman walking out of Kumphawapi Hospital at around 7am on the same day. She was seen carrying a shoulder bag and wearing a mask.

“The woman was identified as Ratathini Hongwichitpreecha, aged 32, a local of Huai Kerng subdistrict who had been admitted as a Covid-19 inpatient,” said the post. “The hospital alerted the authorities as she has not fully recovered or been discharged.”

The police added that the hospital is suing the patient for violating the Communicable Disease Act, while officers have been deployed at bus and train stations to look for the escapee.

A source revealed that Ratathini had been admitted at the hospital on August 12 after she tested positive for Covid-19 and had been categorised in the yellow group, or those who display low to medium symptoms but have underlying health problems that require close monitoring. According to the source, it is believed that she left the hospital to be with her husband who works in Samut Prakan. However, police have not been able to reach either of them so far.

People who know of their whereabouts are urged to call (042) 334 464, (081) 871 5546 or (063) 904 0564.

Published : August 19, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004925

Only checking…

The clip of a Khao Yai National Park officer coaxing a wild elephant out of her house in the wee hours of Wednesday went viral on social media on Thursday.

The hungry pachyderm had broken into the officer’s kitchen to hunt for food.

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Here’s how she dealt with the situation.

Published : August 19, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004923

Protester shot in Din Daeng clash still in coma

The 20-year-old protester who had been shot in the back of his head on Monday is still comatose, Rajavithi Hospital said in an update on Thursday.

The “Thalu Fah” pro-democracy group had gathered at Bangkok’s Victory Monument on Monday afternoon in a bid to march to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s home and demand his resignation.

Crowd-control police, however, blocked them at the Din Daeng intersection, sparking a violent clash.

Reports say that a 20-year-old protester was shot in the back of his head. He fell immediately and was later taken to Rajavithi Hospital.

The hospital said the man had been shot near his left ear. He also had a cardiac arrest, and the bullet was still lodged near the top of the spinal cord.

The patient is hooked up to a ventilator and has swelling in the brain due to cardiac arrest. Doctors said the patient is being closely monitored.

Published : August 19, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004920

Democrat Party asks why MRT Orange Line has come to juddering halt

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Democrat Party deputy leader Samart Ratchapolsitte questioned why each section of the MRT Orange Line had different bidding criteria and urged the authorities to open the line as soon as possible.

He also asked why the bidding criteria for the western section had been changed suddenly, bringing the construction of the line to a shuddering stop.

The eastern section of the 22.5-kilometre line runs from Thailand Cultural Central to Minburi. Samart said bidding for this line started in 2016 and the first round was to find bidders who met at least 70 per cent of the technical requirements and proposed the lowest price. This line is almost 80 per cent complete.

Meanwhile, bidding for the 13.4km line running from Bang Khun Non in the West of Bangkok to the Thailand Cultural Centre was set for 2020. The initial criteria for bidders was that they must meet at least 85 per cent of the technical requirements because this route includes an underground tunnel below the Rattanakosin island.

However, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) changed the criteria just before the bidding deadline to 30 per cent technical and 70 per cent financial requirements.

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The MRTA did not explain why it had cut down technical requirements even though this section requires a great deal of expertise and experience.

Bidding for this section had to be stopped after the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) filed a lawsuit against MRTA for changing the criteria.

Published : August 19, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004919

Record 301 deaths, 20,902 new infections in Thailand

Thailand crossed the 300 mark for a second day running with 301 deaths on Thursday and 20,902 new infections, 148 of which were found in prisons.

Meanwhile, 22,208 patients have recovered and been discharged over the past 24 hours.

Since the epidemic kicked off last year, Thailand has had 989,859 Covid-19 cases, 775,327 of whom have recovered, 205,946 are still in hospitals and 8,586 have died.

Separately, another 417,169 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 122,206 their second shot, and 8,936 their third shot, bringing the total Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Thailand to 25,167,060.

According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Thursday, confirmed cases globally had risen to 210.13 million, 188.24 million of whom have recovered, 17.49 million are active cases (108,059 in severe condition) and 4.40 million have died (up by 10,553).

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Thailand ranks 34th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 38.07 million, followed by India with 32.32 million, Brazil with 20.46 million, Russia with 6.66 million and France with 6.53 million.

Published : August 19, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004918

100 Covid-19 deaths reported on Aug 18 had occurred earlier: DDC

Some 100 Covid-19 deaths had not been added to the Covid-19 caseload until Wednesday because the authorities had been waiting for final autopsy results, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said.

Thailand’s daily caseload from Covid-19 hit a record high on Wednesday with 312 deaths and 20,515 infections.

Dr Chawetsan Namwat, the department’s director for emergency health hazards and disease, explained that the 100 deaths had occurred between April and August and had not been accounted for – as in the patients had either not been hospitalized or had died from unknown causes.

Dr Chawetsan also said that most of the people in this group were over 60 and had chronic diseases or had not been fully vaccinated.

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The doctor confirmed that all Covid-19 jabs, be they mRNA, viral vector or inactivated vaccines, can reduce the risk of developing severe symptoms and death.

“Therefore, vaccinating the elderly and people with chronic diseases is necessary,” he concluded.

Published : August 19, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004915

Doctors Society to GPO: Comply with PM’s order, halt purchase of Chinese test kits

The Rural Doctors Society said on Thursday that the procurement of Chinese-made Covid-19 antigen test kits (ATK) by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) does not comply with the prime minister’s order on test kits.

The GPO had announced it would go ahead with the plan to purchase 8.5 million ATK sets from Beijing-based Lepu Medical Technology through Ostland Capital, which earlier won the bid at a proposed price of THB70 per kit, despite public criticism over product quality.

The criticism stemmed from news that Lepu’s ATK sets were banned in the United States due to a high risk of false results.

“Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha issued an order published in a cabinet resolution dated August 17 page 53 paragraph 6 that the antigen test kits the GPO is purchasing must be approved by the World Health Organisation [WHO] and by Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration,” the society said in a statement on its Facebook page. “Furthermore, the PM added that the ATK sets must have a high accuracy in testing the new variant of the coronavirus to ensure timely treatment for infected patients,” the statement said.

According to the list of WHO-approved Covid-19 test kits published on July 27, Lepu’s ATK was not on it. The document can be viewed here: https://extranet.who.int/pqweb/sites/default/files/documents/210727_IVDs_SARS-CoV-2_Assessment_EUL.pdf

“The Rural Doctors Society therefore urges the GPO to comply with the prime minister’s order and put a stop to this deal with Lepu Medical Technology to ensure that Thailand procures only high-quality devices that meet international standards,” the statement read.

“We believe that the purchasing contract is still in the drafting phase and could therefore be cancelled before any damage is incurred,” it added.

Published : August 19, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40004912

Father of shot teen files complaint, believes shooter was a mere hooligan

The father of a 14-year-old boy, who was shot near Din Daeng police station in Bangkok, visited the station on Wednesday to file a complaint against the shooter.

On Monday afternoon, the Thalu Fah pro-democracy group had gathered at Victory Monument in a bid to march to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s residence to demand his resignation.

Crowd-control police blocked the group in Din Daeng before a violent clash broke out.

Reports say that after the protesters dispersed at curfew time, there was a gathering before the police station. The 14-year-old was shot in his right shoulder as he drove past the station on his way back home.

Chunhawan Homya, the father, said his son is now “safe”.

The teen told him he was attacked by a group of teenagers but that they were not among the protesters. So the father believes they could be mere “hooligans”.

Chunhawan’s lawyer said the case is not a hard one for Din Daeng police to solve as there are several CCTV cameras around the area where the boy was shot.

Published : August 19, 2021

By : The Nation