Police ready with barriers to block anti-government protesters
Police have prepared container barriers and barbed wires to block pro-democracy demonstrators from places announced as protest sites on Saturday.
Supporters and members of the pro-democracy Free Youth group are scheduled to gather at Democracy Monument in downtown Bangkok before they march to the Grand Palace.
The Vocational Protection of the People for Democracy group has also announced that it will hold a car rally at Phan Fa Lilat Bridge before heading to Government House.
The barriers and wires had reportedly been set up since last night. According to a recent report, they were already set up on Phitsanulok and Rajdamnoen roads, where the protesters will march on Saturday.
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Police ready with barriers to block anti-government protestersPolice ready with barriers to block anti-government protestersPolice ready with barriers to block anti-government protestersPolice ready with barriers to block anti-government protesters
100,000 retailers might cease operations without government support
The Thai Retailers Association (TRA) said some 100,000 stores could close down due to the lockdown measure in Thailand, which would lead to loss of jobs for staff.
The vice-president of TRA, Chatrchai Toungratanaphan, revealed that the July retail sentiment Index (RSI) survey showed that the retail business was facing a crisis, as the RSI was at 16.4 points, the lowest in 16 months.
Retail sector revenue could contract by THB270 billion and some 100,000 stores are likely to cease operations, he added.
The RSI in the next three months is estimated to be at around 27.6 points due to delay in vaccination and a lack of relief measures. This estimate is lower than the 32.1 points in April 2020.
The RSI has drastically decreased in all retail categories of service, especially malls and restaurants. Their sales were directly affected by the lockdown measure, and were down 80 to 90 per cent from June.
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Convenience stores were affected by the 9pm to 4am curfew. Their sales had fallen by 20 to 25 per cent as they could not sell in the late-night hours, which was one of their peak business hours. Also, 40 per cent of convenience stores were located in the “dark-red” zone, he added.
According to entrepreneurs, 90 per cent of them expected the economy to return to normal only in mid-2023 or later.
The association has requested four measures to the government to help the business sector prevent loss and closure:
▪️The government must come up with compensation measures for employers to help pay rent and 50 per cent of employees’ wages for at least six months. ▪️The government must reduce utility bills by 50 per cent for six months. ▪️Financial institutions should approve soft loans for entrepreneurs to get funds quickly in 30 days. Currently, only 10 per cent of 30,000 applicants receive approval. If the approval remains slow, around 100,000 entrepreneurs will have to cease operations. ▪️Suspend repayment and freeze interest on debt for at least six months for entrepreneurs who were debtors of financial institutions.
Bubble and seal measure to be implemented in factories to contain Covid
The ministries of Industry, Public Health and Digital Economy and Society have agreed to implement the “bubble and seal” measure to prevent Covid-19 from spreading in factories, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has informed.
IEAT governor Veeris Ammarapal said that he had discussed the matter with the three ministries, and all of them agreed that the bubble and seal measure should be run in factories.
Under the measure, employees with different levels of Covid-19 risk will be grouped to reduce the possibility of infection among them. However, all employees can work as normal under the measure so that operations are not disrupted.
In addition to the grouping, employees must be examined daily for risk, and checked using antigen test kits. New staff will be quarantined for 14 days, the governor added.
Veeris explained that the bubble and seal measure had proved effective at factories in Samut Sakhon province, hence it was possible to employ the practices at other factories in the country.
Court rejects plea for retrial in Hopewell case, upholds Bt24-bn compensation verdict
The Central Administrative Court has rejected the requests of the Ministry of Transport and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) for a retrial in the Hopewell case, a news source revealed on Friday.
The source cited the court order dated July 13, which not only rejected the Ministry of Transport’s argument that the case had expired in 1998, but also upheld the verdict of the Supreme Administrative Court.
The Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling on the case in April 2019 had ordered the ministry and the SRT to pay about Bt24 billion in compensation to Hopewell for terminating the contract.
Hong Kong-based Hopewell Holding’s contract to build an elevated road and train system to ease traffic in the capital was terminated in 1997 when the country was hit by the “tom yam kung” financial crisis. About 10 per cent of the project had been completed at that point.
The long-running saga began in 1990 when the Chatichai Choonhavan government signed a 30-year concession with the private firm to build the Bt80-billion project.
Swiss embassy officials in Phuket following up on investigation into death of woman
Liaison police officers from the Swiss Embassy in Thailand have gone to Phuket to follow up on the death of a Swiss woman in the province.
The body of 57-year-old woman was found near a waterfall in Muang district on Thursday.
Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Thani Thongphakdee and the director-general of its European Affairs Department, Chulamanee Chartsuwan, on Friday met with Swiss Ambassador Helene Budliger Artieda at the ministry’s head office in Bangkok to extend their condolences on the death of the Swiss tourist.
Swiss embassy officials in Phuket following up on investigation into death of woman
The Swiss ambassador thanked the foreign minister, the Phuket governor and related agencies for their expression of condolences via telephone.
During the meeting the permanent secretary, the director-general and the ambassador observed a minute’s silence to mourn the deceased.
Monsoon weakens but thundershowers continue in parts of Thailand
The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Saturday that the southwest monsoon prevailing over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand was weakening, but thundershowers still remained over the country.
Waves in the upper Andaman Sea are two metres high and more than two metres high in thundershowers.
All ships should proceed with caution and keep off thundershower areas, the department said.
The department also said that tropical storm “Lupit” over the east coast of China was expected to move towards Taiwan by today. This storm does not affect Thailand’s weather.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees Celsius, highs of 32-35°C.
Northeast: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 25-26°C, highs of 34-36°C.
Central: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-26°C, highs of 33-36°C.
East: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 25-28°C, highs of 31-35°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-26°C, highs of 33-35°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 22-27°C, highs of 31-34°C; waves two metres high and over two metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 26-28°C, highs of 33-36°C.
— Thailand reports highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases, deaths.
The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia-Pacific countries on Friday:
The Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) reported 10,623 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,638,345.
The death toll climbed to 28,673 after 247 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH added.
The daily caseload and death toll are both the highest since April.
Strict lockdown restrictions are in place in Metro Manila beginning Friday to curb the infection surge driven by the highly infectious Delta variant spreading in the capital and other parts of the country.
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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan on Thursday confirmed 4,745 new COVID-19 cases, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Friday.
The NCOC, a department leading Pakistan’s campaign against the pandemic, said the country’s overall cases rose to 1,058,405, including 954,711 recoveries.
The number of active cases rose to 79,992, including 4,157 in critical condition.
According to the NCOC, the pandemic killed 67 people on Thursday, increasing the overall death toll to 23,702.
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PHNOM PENH — Cambodia on Friday confirmed a daily record of 588 COVID-19 cases, pushing the national caseload to 80,813 so far, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in a statement.
The new infections included 423 local cases and 165 imported ones, the ministry said.
Nineteen more fatalities were registered, bringing the overall death toll to 1,526, it said, adding that another 624 patients recovered, taking the total number of recoveries to 74,045.
An adolescent receives her first dose of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 1, 2021.
TOKYO — The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 4,515 daily COVID-19 cases, and Osaka Prefecture confirmed a record 1,310 infections, with growing concerns about the potential collapse of medical systems in Japan amid a resurgence of COVID-19.
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Japan’s cumulative total of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded 1 million on Friday.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that with the consideration of the COVID-19 situation, whether to hold the Paralympics with spectators would be discussed by a five-party meeting involving organizers and his government.
People walk past the Olympic Rings near the new National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan on July 8, 2021.
BANGKOK — Thailand reported a record number of 21,379 new COVID-19 cases, including 4,700 in the capital Bangkok, taking the national tally since the pandemic began to 714,684.
Daily positive cases have been widely rising in Thailand for a couple of months mainly due to the spread of the more contagious Delta variant. The single-day infections have been over 20,000 for three consecutive days, according to the Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
The CCSA also reported a record of 191 coronavirus-linked deaths Friday, pushing the national death toll to 5,854.
Citizens receive COVID-19 vaccines in Bangkok, Thailand, July 15, 2021.
SEOUL — South Korea reported 1,704 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Thursday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 207,406.
The daily caseload was down from 1,776 in the previous day, but it hovered above 1,000 for 31 straight days. The daily average tally for the past week was 1,515.
Four more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 2,113. The total fatality rate stood at 1.02 percent.
People wearing face masks walk across the street near Yongsan Station in Seoul, South Korea, July 8, 2021.
NEW DELHI — India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 31,856,757 as 44,643 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, according to the federal health ministry’s latest data.
Besides, as many as 464 deaths due to the pandemic since Thursday morning took the total death toll to 426,754.
There are still 414,159 active COVID-19 cases in the country, an increase of 3,083 during the past 24 hours.
Daily infections and deaths reach new high on Saturday at 21,838 infections and 212 deaths
Ministry of Public Health reported on Saturday (August 7) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 21,838 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 923 of whom have been found in prisons.
Death toll increased by 212, while 21,108 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country are at 736,522 with 6,066 total deaths.
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Daily infections and deaths reach new high on Saturday at 21,838 infections and 212 deaths
Police ready with barriers to block anti-government protesters
Police ready with barriers to block anti-government protesters
Police ready with barriers to block anti-government protesters
Police ready with barriers to block anti-government protesters
Swiss embassy officials in Phuket following up on investigation into death of woman
An adolescent receives her first dose of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Aug. 1, 2021.
People walk past the Olympic Rings near the new National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan on July 8, 2021.
Citizens receive COVID-19 vaccines in Bangkok, Thailand, July 15, 2021.
People wearing face masks walk across the street near Yongsan Station in Seoul, South Korea, July 8, 2021.
Daily infections and deaths reach new high on Saturday at 21,838 infections and 212 deaths
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