#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40005679

Pattaya gang charged with posing as police to kidnap female victims

Four men have been charged with posing as police officers to kidnap a woman for ransom in Chonburi.

Pattaya police arrested the four men on Monday and named them as Pakornkiat Saengpraewpraw, 28, Santi Chanthong, 37, Sukchai Horthongkham, 34, and Natthapol Treesuwan. Investigators are also seeking another suspect, Somphong (surname withheld), who has fled.

Police said the gang – some of whom are former Royal Thai Navy personnel – have kidnapped people in the same manner several times before. All their victims were connected with the drugs trade.

The mother of the latest victim said she notified police after a ransom was paid and her daughter was released.

According to Nidapan (surname withheld), her daughter had gone out to buy beer on Monday when a woman dropped a packet of drugs in front of her. Immediately, two men approached and asked her who the packet belonged to. The men identified themselves as police officers before allegedly taking her to a house where they imprisoned her in a cage guarded by fierce dogs.

Related News

Pak Chong robber offers up an unpleasant surprise

South Korean found hanging in Chiang Mai rental property

Phuket Sandbox not quite the resounding success as expected

On Tuesday at 4am, she reportedly called a friend and said the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of 50,000 baht. At 2pm, she phoned her foreign boyfriend and told him the ransom had been reduced to 16,000 baht after negotiations.

The mother said the money was then transferred to the kidnappers, and the woman was released.

She also told press that three other women had been imprisoned in the same place.

Published : September 03, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40005677

Phi Phi locals step in to feed cats left abandoned on island

People living on Phi Phi Island in Krabi have taken thousands of pet cats under their wing after their owners returned home due to a drop in tourist arrivals.

In a mission led by Suda Chuenklin, many kind locals have either adopted or started feeding the poor, helpless kitties.

Suda said she could not bear to see starving animals and has been feeding the island’s abandoned feline population since March last year.

Another local Suchada Pakdeerakpong has set up the Facebook page “Phi Phi Island’s Cats” to share the problem and seek donations of food or money.

Related News

Public transport available until 10pm daily in ‘dark red’ provinces

No buffets or barbecues yet, says Health Dept

Vaccine booster campaign by start of October: Anutin

Published : September 03, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40005676

Public transport available until 10pm daily in ‘dark red’ provinces

Public transport in the 29 “dark red” provinces can run until 10pm, so people can get home within curfew hours, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said.

Initially, the CCSA had stipulated that public transport services be provided until 9pm. From September 1, curfew hours for provinces under maximum control have been shortened to 10pm-4am.

CCSA decided to extend public transport service hours to ensure people in high-risk areas have access to public transport.

Provinces under maximum control include Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Samut Prakan, Saraburi, Chonburi and Samut Sakhon among others.

Published : September 03, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40005674

No buffets or barbecues yet, says Health Dept

Buffets and barbecue restaurants are still prohibited from serving diners in line with Covid-19 restrictions, the Department of Health said on Friday.

Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, the department’s director-general, announced guidelines for restaurants set by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration at a Public Health Ministry press conference on Friday.

Restaurants open for dine-in services are required to:

• Disinfect tables immediately after use

• Disinfect commonly touched areas and toilets every one or two hours

• Sharing of cutlery is not allowed

• Self-service in the form of buffets, salad bars or barbecues are not allowed

• Every table must have a bottle of sanitising gel

• Diners and tables must be kept 1 to 2 metres apart or divided using partitions.

• Tables in airconditioned restaurants must be kept 2-metres apart and diners are not allowed to sit opposite each other.

• Air-conditioned eateries can only fill 50 per cent of seats while open-air eateries 75 per cent. Diners are not allowed to spend more than an hour in a restaurant.

• Premises must be aired at least 30 minutes before the air-conditioning is turned on and the area must be ventilated every hour. Bathrooms should also have a good ventilation system.

• All food and beverage outlets are required to close by 8pm and consumption of alcohol in restaurants is strictly prohibited.

• Same restrictions apply to restaurants in shopping malls or similar establishments.

Related news:

• Bangkok among 8 tourism provinces to reopen in October
• Tourism extension scheme brings the buzz back to Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani
• Thailand strives to elevate tourism industry striken hard by pandemic

Published : September 03, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40005673

Vaccine booster campaign by start of October: Anutin

People who have already had two jabs of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine will receive booster shots from the end of this month or the start of October, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday.

He said the booster doses would likely be AstraZeneca and people should be able to get the jabs close to their homes.

Meanwhile, children aged 12 to 18 would be vaccinated with 5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine scheduled to arrive in October, said Anutin.

“The vaccination drive will be conducted at schools in a bid to reduce congestion,” he said.

Related stories:

• Anutin promises all expats will get jabbed soon
• Opposition submits no-confidence motion against PM, 5 ministers
• Opposition prepares to target Prayut, Anutin in upcoming censure debate

He also revealed that the country should be able to roll out at least three Thai-made Covid-19 vaccines next year, namely AstraZeneca, Baiya Phytopharm and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation’s vaccine.

If development is successful, Baiya Phytopharm is expected to produce 50 million to 60 million doses of its plant-based vaccine annually, Anutin said.

Published : September 03, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40005672

300,000 doses of vaccine donated by Japan to arrive next Wednesday

Japan has donated another 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Thailand, the Japanese embassy in Bangkok announced on Friday. The doses are scheduled to arrive on September 8.

The Japanese government previously donated 1.05 million doses to Thailand in early July.

Japan will also send 775 oxygen concentrators to help Thailand treat Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms, as well as providing equipment to support the country’s cold chain system, which is crucial in storing and distributing the vaccines, said the embassy.

“Japan will continue to provide support to Thailand, which it considers a strategic partner, to improve the country’s Covid-19 situation to the best of our ability,” added the embassy.

Published : September 03, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40005671

New species of tree discovered in Mae Hong Son

Scientists puzzled by seeds being grilled in a Mae Hong Son village were astonished to find they came from a previously undiscovered species.

The new species of tree, dubbed “Sok Lueang”, was stumbled upon recently by Wittaya Pongamornkul and his team.

Wittaya and other botanists from the Botanical Garden Organisation and Chiang Mai University noticed Karen villagers grilling seeds that they did not recognise. After conducting a thorough examination, they realised the seeds came from a previously undocumented species.

Sok Lueang is a new species of plant in the Saraca genus of flowering trees, which belong to the Fabaceae family. The new tree has been given the Latin name “Saraca thailandica Pongamornkul, Panyadee & Inta” – or plant of Thailand. The full Thai name is “Sok Lueang Mae Moei”.

The discovery was recorded in the latest edition of the Thai Journal of Botany.

Related News

Mae Hong Son unveils 2 natural wonders to attract tourists

Mae Hong Son governor clarifies on Myanmar refugees

Mae Hong Son’s Phak Wan Pa hit by wildfires

Sok Lueang is commonly found near water in dry evergreen forests at a height of 1,000-1,400 metres above sea level. Botanists believe it is probably spread over the hills that straddle the Mae Hong Son-Myanmar border. They also confirmed the seeds of the plant are edible.

Scientists said the discovery adds to the rich biodiversity found in Thailand, a global focus of preservation and research.

New species of tree discovered in Mae Hong SonNew species of tree discovered in Mae Hong Son

Published : September 03, 2021