Lockdown does little to reduce road deaths in Greater Bangkok
Since January, Bangkok and adjoining provinces have seen 9,237 deaths and 602,914 people injured from road accidents, according to the Road Accident Victims Protection Co.
This is despite the semi-lockdown imposed to curb Covid-19 infections.
In a ceremony presided over by Deputy Interior Minister Niphon Boonyamanee on Thursday, the Road Safety Operation Centre (RSOC) launched a new integrated system that will help prevent and reduce road crashes.
The system, designed in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Stockholm Declaration, aims to reduce the rate of injuries and road deaths to 12 out of 100,000 persons by 2027.
For 2022 though, the RSOC is aiming for a more realistic rate of 22.85 out of 100,000. The rate in 2018 stood at 32.7 per 100,000 of the population.
SRT steaming ahead with deal for 2nd-hand Japanese carriages despite criticism
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on Thursday responded to criticism of its deal to procure 17 second-hand passenger cars from Japan.
The SRT said the JR Hokkaido Company had agreed to hand the used diesel carriages to Thailand free of charge if the SRT paid the shipment costs.
An initial inspection showed the carriages were in good condition despite being retired in 2016, as they had been well maintained, the SRT said. The carriages would undergo a safety inspection after being shipped from the West Japan Railway Co (JR-West), it added.
They will then be refurbished as specialist carriages, including SRT Prestige cars and air-conditioned meeting rooms on wheels, the SRT said.
Young daughter feared rape by sexually abusive repairmen, says mother
A woman’s account of being sexually harassed by two internet repairmen has gone viral after she said the ordeal left her young daughter traumatised and in fear of being raped.
According to the woman’s Facebook post on Wednesday, the two men arrived to fix the internet at an electricity pole outside her house, where she was sitting in the garden with her young daughter.
She said she noticed the repairmen looking at them and laughing. One of the men then put his mouth to the chest of the other and they laughed again. She said the repairmen then grabbed their chests and continued laughing.
The woman realised they were sexually harassing her for not wearing a bra. She was wearing only a black T-shirt and shorts at the time.
She confronted the two men and asked “what is your business” two or three times, but they denied any wrongdoing and looked away. She went inside to grab a phone to snap a photo but by the time she got back, they had driven further down the street.
The daughter then alerted her aunt. Outraged, the aunt left the house with the child and followed the repairmen down the soi to take a photo of their numberplate.
Confronted over their behaviour again, the men shouted “We are working, why are you picking on us.”
The mother said her daughter then fled back to the house. The girl began crying and asking if she would be raped.
The mother said that she wanted to tell her daughter that she would be safe for the rest of her life as a woman because everyone respected each other. But she could only tell her daughter not to be afraid.
She added that she could not believe that she was sexually harassed while sitting inside her property. She felt furious that her daughter was made to think that life is not worth living.
Netizens responded to the post in large numbers. Some suggested the poster should complain to the internet company over the repairmen’s behaviour while others pressured the company to punish the men.
50% of Thai hotels could be out of business within one month: survey
The latest survey of the Thai hospitality industry reveals the devastating impact of the prolonged Covid-19 crisis, with 50 per cent of hotels saying they only have enough cash to stay afloat for one more month.
Meanwhile, more than half of Thai hotels are considering temporary closure to cut costs if the Covid-19 crisis and restrictions last much longer.
A total of 215 hotels nationwide were surveyed in August by the Thai Hotels Association (THA) and Bank of Thailand. The resulting hotel confidence index gives a bleak snapshot of the industry, though with some glimmers of light.
The hotel operation rate rose 8.3 per cent to 48.4 per cent in August due to the Phuket sandbox and Bangkok hotels opening for long-stay visitors.
However, the liquidity of 150 hotels surveyed dropped more than 20 per cent, said THA president Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi.
“More than 140 hotels have enough cash flow to operate for another three months, while 50 per cent of them can stay in business for no more than one month,” she added.
The hotel occupancy rate in August maintained its July level, averaging 10.6 per cent – 3.1 per cent of which came from the Phuket sandbox and long-stay hotels. However, the rate is likely to drop to 9 per cent in September, according to the THA.
The hotel employment rate averaged 54 per cent of the pre-Covid-19 level.
Meanwhile, the proportion of vaccinated hotel workers in August averaged 74 per cent, up from 57 per cent in July. The South has the highest rate of jabbed hotel workers, followed by the Central, Northeast and North regions.
If the crisis continues longer than expected, 52 per cent of hotels said they would close temporarily and 9 per cent said they would shut permanently, while 30 per cent would slow down investment and 9 per cent would shift to other business.
Concerning hotel occupancy under the tourism sandbox schemes, 38 per cent of Phuket hotels and 52 per cent of hotels in Surat Thani said the situation was worse than expected. The occupancy rates are 15 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.
3 South provinces to be under state of emergency for another 3 months
The Emergency Situation Administration Committee on Thursday resolved to extend the state of emergency in three southern provinces – Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani – by another three months from September 20 to December 19.
In a meeting, chaired by Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan, the committee decided that most districts in the three provinces will be under the state of emergency.
The decree does not apply to Narathiwat’s Si Sakhon, Sungai Kolok and Sukirin districts, Yala’s Betong and Kabang districts and Pattani’s Mai Kaen and Mae Lan districts.
The committee said the extension of the state of emergency will help the authorities track down insurgents working to undermine national security via violence and terrorism, as well as ensure the safety of people in the areas.
Prawit, meanwhile, urged security officials in the South to take strict action against illegal migrants who use natural channels to sneak into the country, saying they may be to blame for the spread of Covid-19 infections in local communities.
“The government is monitoring the Covid-19 situation closely and is preparing to ease lockdown measures in provinces that show readiness to resume economic activities,” Prawit added.
Thailand’s daily caseload crosses 15,000 mark again
Thailand logged 16,031 new infections and 220 deaths over the past 24 hours on Thursday. Of the new cases, 631 were in prisons.
Meanwhile, 15,417 patients have recovered and been discharged over the past 24 hours.
Thailand’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 1,338,550 – 1,181,781 of whom have recovered, 143,038 are still in hospitals and 13,731 have died.
Separately, another 338,105 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 372,592 their second shot, and 2,757 a booster shot, bringing the total Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 38,174,738.
According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 223.44 million on Thursday, 199.95 million of whom have recovered, 18.88 million are active cases (104,023 in severe condition) and 4.61 million have died (up by 9,754).
Thailand ranks 29th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 41.40 million, followed by India with 33.14 million, Brazil with 20.93 million, the UK with 7.09 million and Russia with 7.07 million.
Volunteers come to the rescue of man stranded in Phayao mountain
A man who fell down a mountain in Phayao’s Mae Chai district while hunting for mushrooms on Tuesday was finally tracked down rescued by Civil Defence Volunteers on Wednesday.
The volunteers went looking for Boonma Kantiya, 47, as soon as they received his call and found him stuck 3 kilometres up the mountain with an injured knee. The volunteers splinted his leg and carried him down on a stretcher. The patient was then delivered to Mae Chai Hospital.
Boonma said he had gone mushroom hunting with a friend on Tuesday evening but stumbled and slid down the steep mountain. His friend then helped him up and had him settle down with a bonfire. However, he said, he could not call for help until the following morning due to the lack of a mobile phone signal.
Transport Ministry pushes for new Ayutthaya high-speed train station
The Transport Ministry has instructed the Department of Rail Transport and State Railway of Thailand to check laws related to the building of a new train station in Ayutthaya and proceed with the project.
The development of a high-speed railway from Bangkok to Nong Khai, which will then connect to the Laos-China rail line, hit a bump last year when it came to building a new station in Ayutthaya.
The Fine Arts Department has decreed that the new station must be designed in such a way that it reflects the historical value of the existing station. Though the existing station is not part of Ayutthaya’s area given the World Heritage Status, it is of great historical significance because it was built during the reign of King Rama V.
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob is scheduled to soon chair another meeting to discuss the development of the high-speed railway and its connection with the Laos-China line.
Songkhla private sector recommends Dan Nok Sandbox
The Songkhla private sector has proposed the “Dan Nok Sandbox” initiative to reopen the province to cross-border trading with Malaysia.
“It has been almost two years that Dan Nok city, which is located on the Thai-Malaysian border in Songkhla’s Sadao district, has ceased cross-border trading under government order’s to curb Covid-19 from spreading,” Sitthiphong Sitthiphatprapha, adviser to the Dan Nok Entrepreneurs Association, said earlier this week.
“We would like to propose a sandbox initiative in Dan Nok similar to the Phuket tourism sandbox scheme that allows vaccinated tourists to visit the island without the need to quarantine to jump-start the local tourism industry,” he said.
“We believe that now would be the appropriate time to start the programme as the prime minister’s promise of reopening the country in 120 days will reach its deadline in October, while the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia has been gradually improving. The Malaysian government has estimated that 70 per cent of the population would be fully vaccinated in October as well,” Sitthiphong said.
Songkhla private sector recommends Dan Nok Sandbox
Songkhla private sector recommends Dan Nok Sandbox
He proposed that under the Dan Nok Sandbox scheme, vaccinated visitors from Malaysia can enter Songkhla with no requirement of passport or quarantine, but they have to stay in a 2.7km radius of the border.
Other requirements include a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours before arrival and evidence of a hotel (or similar accommodation) booking in Dan Nok for one night at least.
“We believe the programme can help jump-start cross border trading and other related economic activities in Dan Nok,” he said.
Songkhla private sector recommends Dan Nok Sandbox
The private sector in Dan Nok also urged the government to provide 30,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine for 15,000 entrepreneurs and residents who will need to interact with foreign visitors in the early phase of the programme.
“We believe that with additional vaccines, Dan Nok can achieve a 100 per cent vaccination rate by October,” Sitthiphong pointed out.
He estimated that in the first two months of the programme (November-December), around 30,000 to 40,000 visitors from Malaysia would enter the city.
“If the programme proves to be successful, we can move forward into phase two, which is to allow foreign visitors to travel to other districts of Songkhla, such as Muang and Hat Yai,” he added.
Court dismisses case against MRTA, says it has already provided facilities for the disabled
The Central Administrative Court on Wednesday dismissed a case against the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) by Disabilities Thailand, which claimed the MRTA has not provided elevators and other facilities under appropriate safety standards for disabled persons at 16 Purple Line train stations on the Bang Yai-Bang Sue section.
The court said it is evident the MRTA has already installed elevators, stair lifts and ramps fitted with safety rails for disabled persons at every station.
The MRTA has also provided ticket booths, restrooms and parking space reserved for disabled persons, as well as different floor textures to facilitate navigation for the visually impaired in station areas, the court noted.
“Within each train car, the MRTA has also provided two parking spots for wheelchairs fitted with safety belts and locking mechanisms that can be released in case of emergency, two reserved seats for the disabled, children, pregnant women or elders, as well as signs indicating that the area is reserved for disabled persons,” the court said.
It agreed that the MRTA has complied with the Interior Ministry’s regulations on equipment and facilities for the disabled and elderly within buildings and public transport service areas.
Volunteers come to the rescue of man stranded in Phayao mountain
Volunteers come to the rescue of man stranded in Phayao mountain
Songkhla private sector recommends Dan Nok Sandbox
Songkhla private sector recommends Dan Nok Sandbox
Songkhla private sector recommends Dan Nok Sandbox
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