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Baht likely to move in step with dollar

NationalJan 22. 2021

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 29.93 to the US dollar on Friday, unchanged from Thursday’s close.

The Thai currency is likely to move between 29.85 and 30 on Friday, Krungthai market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.

Poon mentioned that the financial markets had started to face speculation, after it continually grew from the improved US political situation. So, the US stock indices dropped slightly, such as the Russell 2000, which decreased by 0.64 per cent.

Meanwhile, tech stocks increased, especially big ones like Apple and Intel, pushing the Nasdaq up by 0.55 per cent. Besides, the Ten-Year Treasury yield grew by 2 basis points last night.

Poon also said that the European Central Bank’s relaxed policies did not help the market to be ready for risk, due to investors’ concerns about Covid-19. The Stoxx50 decreased by 0.16 per cent.

The market strategist said that the US economic recovery tended to slow down from the virus crisis, as the labour market had not recovered. The initial jobless claims this week were 900,000 positions.

In Thailand, December export data to be announce this month would show contraction by 2 per cent year on year, due to container shortage around the world.

The baht would still move in line with the dollar and foreign funds flows, while Thailand’s surplus balance was not high.

Besides, the currency would still move in a predictable range as most market players were awaiting the results of a key Bank of Thailand meeting next month, Poon added.

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Nobody found infected in GMM Grammy building

NationalJan 22. 2021

By The Nation

Teams under the Department of Disease Control showed up to test everybody in the GMM Grammy building on Friday after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19 recently.

All 331 people exposed to the patient underwent swab tests. Of the 331, 12 face a high risk of infection.

So far, all tests have come out negative. The authorities have advised everybody in the building to strictly follow public health measures, including wearing a mask, keeping hands clean and practising social distance.

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Drying up of Yom River marks early arrival of drought

NationalJan 22. 2021

By THE NATION

Thailand’s yearly drought has arrived earlier than usual, with Yom River in Phichit and Sukhothai completely drying out and water sources in Chanthaburi getting low.

Farmers in Phichit have started digging wells to pull up water, so their rice crops can be irrigated. Digging wells is not new for Phichit residents, but they usually do this in March.

Farmer Pradit Chimpipop said pulling water up from underground was the only way of irrigating his 30 rais.

Yom River runs through Phichit’s districts of Sam Ngam, Pho Prathap Chang, Bung Narang and Pho Thale.

This dreaded dryness was also reported in Sukhothai, while authorities in Phrae have built dikes on the Yom River to avoid a shortage of water.

Meanwhile, the Khao Soi Dao waterfall in Chanthaburi’s Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary is running low, which will affect water sources in the East of the country.

An official at the wildlife sanctuary said drought this year has arrived a month earlier.

Sutat Weesakul, the Hydro Informatics Institute chief, was quoted by Thairath newspaper as saying that the La Niña phenomenon had in August 2020 brought heavy rain and floods to the South. If this phenomenon were to continue, then there should be regular rainfall in other regions from April onwards.

He also said that rain this year should be 9 to 10 per cent more than last year.

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309 new Covid-19 cases reported, most found in Samut Sakhon

NationalJan 22. 2021

By The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday reported 309 new cases over the past 24 hours, including 12 people who flew in from abroad.

Of the new cases, 80 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk areas, 49 of whom were found in Samut Sakhon, eight in Bangkok, five in Tak and the rest in other provinces.

Proactive testing confirmed 217 cases, which included 196 foreigners and 16 Thais in Samut Sakhon and five Myanmar nationals in Bangkok.

Of the 12 returnees, four are Thais with one each returning from the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Sudan and Sri Lanka.

Also testing positive was a Portuguese national from the UK, a Dutch national from Germany, and one each from Estonia, Italy, Sudan, Switzerland, Britain and Lebanon.

Meanwhile, 382 patients have recovered and been discharged.

As of Friday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 13,104. Of these, 10,765 infections had been contracted domestically, including 4,384 who were found via proactive testing, while 2,339 were returnees. So far, 10,224 have fully recovered, 2,809 patients are still in hospital and the death toll remains unchanged at 71.

According to Worldometer, as of midnight on Thursday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 98 million (up by 664,932), 70.47 million have recovered, 25.52 million are active cases (111,345 in severe condition) and 2.1 million have died (up by 16,578).

Thailand ranks 128th on the global list of most cases. The US tops the list with 25.19 million, followed by India 10.63 million, Brazil 8.69 million, Russia 3.66 million and the United Kingdom 3.54 million.

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Aswin defends Green Line fare hike, rules out review unless ordered by govt

NationalJan 22. 2021

By THE NATION

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said on Friday that the new fare ceiling of Green Line BTS Skytrain at Bt104 throughout the route is inexpensive and would be implemented from February 16 as planned unless stayed by the government.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) last week announced a fare hike of Bt3 per station on the Green Line BTS Skytrain route, which consequentially upped the fare ceiling to Bt104, much higher than the previously promised ceiling of Bt65 by Aswin. The announcement led to the Ministry of Transport dispatching a letter to BMA asking it to postpone the hike.

Read more: Bangkok governor insists fare ceiling for BTS Green Line is Bt65

Read more: BMA hikes fares on some Green Line routes

“The fare hike is necessary as BMA has no cash to pay train operation fee to Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc [BTS],” said Aswin. “The only way we will postpone the new fare rate is that the order comes directly from the government. Without such an order, the new rate will be effective on February 16 as planned.”

The Bangkok governor insisted that the Green Line rate was not expensive and the fares of other train lines were not any cheaper.

“For example, when comparing km per km, the Blue Line has an average fare of Bt1.62 per km, while the Green Line is only Bt1.23 per km,” he said. “Furthermore, the construction of other train lines was partly funded by the government at over Bt100 billion, while the Green Line was privately funded and did not require a single baht from the government.

“The new Green Line fares are in full compliance with the regulations of the Public-Private Partnership Act. If anyone suspect otherwise, they can file a case with the National Anti-Corruption Commission,” said Aswin.

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Air quality unhealthy in 36 provinces, including 14 Bangkok districts

NationalJan 22. 2021

By The Nation

Air pollution in 14 districts around Bangkok and its vicinity hit unsafe levels on Friday morning with PM2.5 readings coming in at 52 to 114 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3), the Pollution Control Department reported.

Thailand’s standard for safe levels of PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter) is 50μg/m3.

The 14 districts where air pollution hit unsafe levels were:

In Bangkok: Bang Khun Thian (114μg/m3), Bangna (92μg/m3), Prawet (94μg/m3), Thonburi (92μg/m3), Bangkok Yai (92μg/m3), Thawi Watthana (92μg/m3), Nong Khaem (97μg/m3), Bang Bon (97μg/m3), Thung Khru (91μg/m3), Chom Thong (97μg/m3) and Bang Khae (95μg/m3).

In Samut Prakan: Muang (100μg/m3) and Bang Sao Thong (94μg/m3)

In Samut Sakhon: Muang (108μg/m3).

The other regions where air quality was unhealthy are in Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Phrae, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Phichit, Uthai Thani, Lopburi, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Prachinburi, Sa Kaeo, Chachoengsao, Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Chonburi, Rayong, Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom, Khon Kaen, Roi Et, Chaiyaphum and Nakhon Ratchasima provinces.

Readings in different regions:

North: PM2.5 at 33 to 71μg/m3.

Northeast: PM2.5 at 36 to 117μg/m3.

Central and West: PM2.5 at 55 to 86μg/m3.

East: PM2.5 at 40 to 62μg/m3.

South: PM2.5 at 12 to 39 μg/m3.

People in areas where PM2.5 pollution is bad have been advised to monitor their health and reduce time spent on outdoor activities, especially the elderly, children, and patients with respiratory diseases.

The PM2.5 situation can be followed via the Air4Thai.com website or smartphone app, or via bangkokairquality.com.

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Body of tourist found at bottom of Pha Diew Dai cliff in Nakhon Nayok

NationalJan 22. 2021

By THE NATION

Officials of Khao Yai National Park were alerted to a person possibly going missing on Thursday after tourists spotted a motorcycle parked at Pha Diew Dai cliff, a famous scenic point in Nakhon Nayok province, for two days with no sign of the owner.

Officials investigated the scene and found the body of Thatchaphong Phongmee, aged 27 years, lying at the bottom of the cliff, which is about 60 metres high. Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased was a local of Ang Thong province but has been working in Samut Prakarn province. One of his acquaintances reportedly told officials that the deceased had travelled to Khao Yai National Park alone on his motorcycle.

The body of the deceased was brought to Nakhon Nayok Hospital for detailed autopsy to determine the cause of death. Police estimated that it could be either accident or murder.

Thanya Nethithammakul, director-general of the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, has said that the scenic point at Pha Diew Dai cliff is a dangerous spot and that the department had proposed to build a railing around the cliff, but many parties had objected to it.

“The department will revisit the railing idea after thoroughly investigating this incident,” he added.

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Arrest warrant issued for pro-democracy guard over alleged false claims of abduction

NationalJan 22. 2021

By THE NATION

The Bangkok Military Court has issued an arrest warrant for Mongkol Santimetakul, 23, one of the pro-democracy movement’s guards who had claimed that he was abducted by mysterious men on Saturday night.

Mongkol’s night-long disappearance led to members of the pro-democracy group and guards gather outside the Internal Security Operations Command in Bangkok’s Dusit district on Sunday morning to demand answers over Mongkol’s disappearance.

“After Mongkol had filed a police complaint on Sunday afternoon, a team of investigators checked CCTV footage in the area indicated by Mongkol to find clues of the so-called abduction,” said Chumpol Pumpuang, Samut Prakan police chief on Thursday.

“The footage showed that he went to Ingthan Place building in Soi Bang Pu Municipality 47 and spent the night there alone, before leaving the building at 11.57am on Sunday. The team also reportedly found he had used an ATM at the time he claimed he was abducted.”

Mongkol was summoned by police to acknowledge his charge of reporting false information at Muang Samut Prakan Police Station on Monday, but he failed to show up. This prompted police to investigate his record and found that he had also deserted the military, which he was serving in December 2019, so the police requested the Bangkok Military Court to issue an arrest warrant.

“We are still unable to locate him after visiting his residence in Samut Prakarn’s Praekasa district and questioning his family,” added Chumpol.

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‘High doses of Vitamin C cannot prevent Covid-19’

NationalJan 22. 2021

By THE NATION

The Digital Economy and Society Ministry has warned people not to believe or share news and Internet posts claiming that injecting 10,000 milligrams of Vitamin C can help prevent Covid-19.

“The ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre contacted the Department of Health Service Support, Ministry of Public Health to verify this information and was told that there was no concrete evidence proving that a Vitamin C injection could help prevent the new coronavirus,” said the Centre via its Facebook page.

“Any hospital or clinic providing vitamin injection services that makes such a claim is committing puffery and could be punishable by either imprisonment or fine,” it said, adding, “To protect oneself from getting infected with Covid-19, people must maintain social distancing, wear a face mask in public, wash their hands regularly, and eat freshly cooked foods.”

Please do not share wrong information, as it could spread misunderstanding amid the outbreak, the ministry said.

For more information, contact Department of Health Service Support on tel No. 1667 or www.hss.moph.go.th.”

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Fog and warmer weather forecast for upper Thailand

NationalJan 22. 2021

By THE NATION

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Friday that the weak high-pressure system covering upper Thailand woul push temperature up 1-2 degrees Celsius with morning fog and thick fog in some areas.

People in upper Thailand should beware of poor visibility, the department said. Mountaintops are still cold to very cold with frost in some places.

Meanwhile, a weak northeast monsoon prevails over the Gulf and the South.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 12-15 degrees Celsius and highs of 30-33°C; temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 3-12°C with frost in some areas.

Northeast: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 12-19°C, highs of 30-33°C; temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 5-11°C.

Central: Cool weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 16-18°C, highs of 32-33°C.

East: Cool weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 18-22°C, highs of 30-33°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres offshore.

South (east coast): Cool weather with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 19-24°C, highs of 30-32°C; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 22-24°C, highs of 31-34°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres offshore.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 19-20°C, highs of 32-33°C.