#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006557

The Department of Medical Sciences said on Wednesday that research shows an intradermal (ID) delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine uses a significantly small amount of the dose and achieves the same result as traditional intramuscular (IM) vaccination.

The study was conducted in collaboration with the Prince of Songkla University’s Faculty of Medicine and funded by the National Research Council of Thailand.

“We divided 95 candidates aged 18 to 60 who had received two Sinovac jabs into three groups. The first group of 30 received one full dose [0.5ml] of the AstraZeneca vaccine using the IM method,” the department’s director-general Dr Supphakit Siriluck said.

“The second group of 31 received a fifth [0.1ml] of the AstraZeneca jab via the ID method four to eight weeks after they received their second shot of Sinovac. The rest of the participants also received a fifth of the AstraZeneca dose via the ID method, but eight to 12 weeks after their second jab.”

Supphakit said 14 days after receiving the booster, the first group’s immunity level rose to 1,653AU (arbitrary unit), while that of the second and third groups rose to 1,300.5AU on average. Before receiving the booster, the participants’ average immunity level was 128.7AU.

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The study also found that the intradermal injection of the vaccine also raised the recipients’ immunity against the Delta variant of the virus to 234.4AU from the original 16.3AU after two Sinovac shots.

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“The intradermal approach also caused fewer side effects, as in significantly less skin irritation, muscle ache, headache, fatigue and shivering compared to the intramuscular approach,” he said.

“Since the ID application requires only a fifth of a normal dose to achieve similar results, it can help boost the rate of vaccination in areas where supplies are limited,” he added. “However, more skilled medics are required for the ID approach as the needle has to be angled 10 to 15 degrees and only pushed 1mm under the skin. The department is planning to pilot the ID method in areas where there are enough skilled medics like Phuket.”

Published : September 23, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006555

Two former prosecutors in Phuket were handed bail after they were charged and taken to court for allegedly demanding THB10 million from a foreign company in exchange for not pursuing a case of national park encroachment.

The move came after a 21-minute sound clip featured one of the former prosecutors speaking with an employee of the company.

They were allegedly negotiating a sum of THB10 million to get the foreign company off the hook. The company was accused of encroaching on national park land.

The case was brought before the prosecutor in 2019.

Ex-prosecutor Thamma Sornchai was taken to the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 8. He was charged with allegedly demanding a bribe from a foreign company. Wanchat Choonhathanom was also charged as an accomplice.

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Both were charged with violation of Section 201 of the Thailand Criminal Code.

Section 201 of the code states that “if an official in a judicial post, a public prosecutor, an official conducting a case or an inquiry official wrongfully demands, accepts or agrees to accept property or any other benefit for oneself or another person so as to exercise or non-exercise any act, whether such exercise or non-exercise is wrongful to oneself’s function or not, shall be imprisoned from five years to 20 years or get life imprisonment, and fined from 2,000 baht to 40,000 baht, or death”.

Thamma proposed a bail of THB700,000, with land in Kanchanaburi as collateral, and cash, while Wanchai proposed a bail of THB700,000 in cash.

The court released both on bail.

Two ex-prosecutors given bail in alleged bribery case over national park encroachment

Published : September 23, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006552

Phatthalung police have readied arrest warrants against the perpetrators who massacred more than a million swiftlets and stole their nests from an island cave on Monday, with damages running into billions of baht.

Locals and provincial authorities are also preparing to lodge a complaint with three House of Representatives committees in the case.

On Wednesday, Phatthalung forensic officers revisited the island to collect more evidence and DNA samples from Siamnest company workers. Siamnest has the concession to collect bird’s nests from 107 caves on the province’s seven islands.

(Related report: Horrifying Phatthalung bird massacre costs Siamnest THB5-bn in lost revenue)

Police escorted the workers to the cave to demonstrate how the bird’s nests are collected along the cave walls.

Phatthalung police ready arrest warrants for suspects in mass killing of swiftletsPhatthalung police ready arrest warrants for suspects in mass killing of swiftlets

Officials are now in the process of issuing arrest warrants to five suspects based on the evidence that had been previously collected. Meanwhile, some arrest warrants had reportedly been approved on Wednesday.

The secretary to the Phatthalung Provincial Administrative Organisation informed reporters on Wednesday that a local protection group and provincial authorities have been preparing documents and information to submit a complaint to three House of Representatives committees – under the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, the Administrative Commission and the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

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• Horrifying Phatthalung bird massacre costs Siamnest THB5-bn in lost revenue
• Phatthalung man arrested with carcasses of protected animals
• 10 gamblers arrested in raid on Phatthalung cockfighting stadium

Phatthalung police ready arrest warrants for suspects in mass killing of swiftletsPhatthalung police ready arrest warrants for suspects in mass killing of swiftlets

Published : September 23, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006546

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) launched a public hearing for the terms of reference (TOR) in the bidding of the Purple Line mass-transit rail extension project from Tao Poon to Rat Burana – known as the South Purple Line.

Interested parties from the mass transit industry and financial institutes, as well as manufacturers of heavy rail systems and general investors are invited to download public hearing documents and related information in Thai and English via the www.mrta.co.th website from Thursday (September 23) until October 17 and submit their opinions to the MRTA between October 11 and 17 via email saraban@mrta.co.th or pushearing@mrta.co.th or fax 02716-4022.

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The South Purple Line is an extension of the Purple Line route from Bang Sue to Bang Yai and will connect Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon and Thonburi districts to Nonthaburi province.

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The line comprises 17 stations covering a total distance of 23.6 kilometres.

Ten stations will be located underground across 13.6km while seven stations will be built on elevated platforms across 10km.

Construction is expected to start this year. The line will be operational in 2027.

Published : September 23, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006537

Ministry of Public Health reported on Thursday (September 23) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 13,256 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 478 of whom have been found in prisons.

Death toll increased by 131, while 13,829 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country are at 1,524,613 with 12,778 total deaths.
 

Published : September 23, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006523

Thundershowers are forecast across the country with isolated heavy rains in some areas as a monsoon trough lies mainly over the Central region, the East and the lower Northeast, while the southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand, the Meteorological Department said on Thursday.

It warned people residing in risky areas to beware of rain water accumulation that may cause overflows and flash floods, while advising all ships to proceed with caution and keep away from areas with thundershowers as waves in the Andaman Sea and the gulf are about 1-2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.

The department also mentioned that an active low-pressure cell in the South China Sea is expected to intensify and move into Vietnam and Thailand’s lower Northeast by Friday.

Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 31-32 degrees Celsius.

North: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees and highs of 30-33 degrees Celsius.

Northeast: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees and highs of 29-33 degrees Celsius.

Central: Thundershowers in 80 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 30-33 degrees Celsius.

East: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-27 degrees, highs of 30-32 degrees Celsius; waves 2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 23-24 degrees, highs of 30-34 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 19-25 degrees, highs of 28-32 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

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Published : September 23, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40006521

The Cabinet has approved a vaccine exchange deal with Singapore and a batch of 122,400 AstraZeneca doses from the island state will arrive this weekend, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said on Wednesday.

Singapore is also sending 200,000 rapid antigen test kits and 500,000 nasopharyngeal swabs as part of the deal.

The shipment is scheduled to land at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday.

The Foreign Ministry made a similar deal with Bhutan in August under which Thailand received 150,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Under the cooperation, Thailand is expected to return the same number of doses once the vaccine becomes more easily available.

Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40006520

The reopening of five tourism provinces including Bangkok looks set to be postponed until November so as to boost their vaccination rate to 70 per cent.

“Although the opening of pilot areas in all five provinces may have to be delayed until November 1, the TAT is not worried,” said Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn after meeting with Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) officials on Wednesday.

October 1 was the original start date for quarantine-free international travel to Bangkok, Chiang Mai (Muang, Mae Rim, Mae Taeng and Doi Tao districts), Chonburi (Pattaya, Bang Lamung and Sattahip districts), Phetchaburi (Cha-am), and Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin).

However, Yuthasak said many locations under the plan were still waiting for vaccines to be delivered.

Authorities have set a threshold of 70 per cent vaccination of the local population before it is safe to reopen to foreign tourists.

Last week, Bangkok reported that only 37 per cent of residents had been fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Chiang Mai province said it will not accept direct international flights during the first phase of reopening. Foreign tourists must instead join the Phuket Sandbox 7+7 Extension scheme, staying on the southern island for at least seven days before they can travel to Chiang Mai.

The delayed reopening is a blow to the Thai tourism industry, which was gearing up for the start of the high season on October 1. Tourism operators will now have to switch focus from the international market to domestic travellers.

Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40006519

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday insisted Pfizer vaccine was safe for children aged 12-17, after parents voiced concern over a rare side effect. Last month, the US Federal Drug Administration said 1 in 5,000 teenage boys injected with Pfizer were at risk of heart inflammation.

Anutin said studies had found Pfizer vaccine was safe for use in children.

He added that vaccination of children in Thailand was a must before schools reopen next month, though jabs would be given only with consent from parents.

The first batch of Pfizer vaccine under the free government rollout is scheduled to arrive on September 29, with the full order of 30 million doses to be delivered before year-end.

Meanwhile, the Thai FDA is waiting for additional data from the vaccine manufacturer before registering Pfizer as safe for use in children aged under 12. Once registered, the Public Health Ministry will expedite procurement of more Pfizer doses.

Published : September 22, 2021

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40006518

Bangkok police have warned they will not ease pressure on Thalu Gas protesters when the curfew is lifted, which is likely to be at the end of this month. The warning means nightly clashes at Din Daeng intersection that have disrupted local life for weeks are likely to continue into November.

Locals complain that police douse the area in stinging tear gas almost every evening, while Thalu Gas youths on motorbikes rampage violently through the neighbourhood.

Anti-riot officers have also unleashed water cannons and rubber bullets in Din Daeng against protesters wielding firecrackers, slingshots and ping-pong bombs.

The Thalu Gas group of mainly working-class youths have disavowed the nonviolent tactics of the student-led protest movement.

Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Piya Tawichai said Tuesday evening’s rally at the intersection in north Bangkok followed the same pattern of violence.

Protesters threw giant firecrackers, and fired catapults, flares and various small explosives at officers and local residents near the Royal Thai Army band HQ and the Veterans Hospital, he said.

Property was also set ablaze under the expressway, while protesters burned motorcycle tyres on the road causing thick, black smoke to pollute the air, Piya said.

Police had a duty to prevent violence in the city whether or not a curfew is in place, he added.

However, officers would reduce their use of tear gas in Din Daeng after receiving complaints from locals, he said.

Published : September 22, 2021