Mystery of Prachuap’s close encounter with UFO solved
NationalJan 14. 2021Photo credit: King Mongkut Memorial Park of Science and Technology
By The Nation
Locals in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Muang district were amazed to see a mysterious object streaking slowly across the night sky on Wednesday. Brighter than the stars around it, the object was spotted just above the horizon heading northeast.
The mystery was solved a few hours later when the nearby King Mongkut Memorial Park of Science and Technology announced via Facebook that the International Space Station had just passed over the country.
Photo credit: King Mongkut Memorial Park of Science and Technology
“Today [January 13], the International Space Station moved from southwest to the northeast, passing over countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia,” the page said.
Photo credit: King Mongkut Memorial Park of Science and Technology
It added that the space station currently has seven astronauts on board and is orbiting the Earth at a speed of 7.66 kilometres per second.
Train travellers from the five provinces under maximum Covid-19 restrictions – Samut Sakhon, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat – can no longer leave their province unless they show their trip is necessary. The move was in line with travel guidelines from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), State Railway of Thailand (SRT) governor Nirut Maneepan said on Thursday.
Train passengers who want to leave the five provinces must provide a document certifying the necessity of travel and follow ticket-purchasing procedure by presenting an ID card and filling out the Tor 8-Khor form. They will also need a travel permit from their destination provinces. They will not be able to purchase tickets for travel across the borders of the provinces unless they have these documents, said the SRT.
To enforce the new rule, monitoring has been tightened at nine Chonburi stations – Phan Thong, Chonburi, Bang Phra, Sriracha, Banglamung, Pattaya, Ban Huai Khwang, Khao Chi Chan, and Plutaluang. Guards will also screen passengers on the two services on this route, the No 283 Bangkok-Plutaluang train departing at 06.55am and arriving at its destination at 11.20am, and the No 84 Plutaluang-Bangkok train (1.35pm-6.15pm).
Temperature checks and alcohol gel are in place at all stations, and the SRT advises passengers to check-in with Thaichana or MorChana application to track their travel.
Senior Public Health Ministry officials and the Mae Sot deputy mayor on Thursday surveyed the Mae Sot International Stadium in Tak’s Mae Pa subdistrict after the province’s communicable disease committee decided to build a field hospital there to treat and quarantine Thai nationals in Myanmar who wish to return home.
“The hospital will have 70-100 beds and will be completed in 15 days with a budget of Bt4 million,” said Mae Sot deputy mayor Thirayut Chantikul.
“There are currently about 1,400 Thais residing and working in Myanmar. We will need a proper quarantine facility in case they are found to have contracted Covid-19 before entering Thailand,” he said.
Tak’s public health office had estimated that about 40 per cent of Thais living in Myanmar have already contracted the virus.
Earlier this month, Tak Governor Phongrat Phimonrat told the press that the plan to build a field hospital would have to undergo a public hearing first.
Mae Sot borders Myawadi town in southeastern Myanmar.
On Wednesday the province reported 13 new Covid-19 cases among 50 Thais who returned from the Sky Complex Casino in Myawadi.
As of Thursday morning, Tak has confirmed 100 cases. Of these, 69 are in hospital, 30 have been cured and one person has died.
NationalJan 14. 2021Photo credit: ขาเกือบพลิก (legs that almost flip)
By THE NATION
Blogger and owner of the “Kha Kueab Plick” (legs that almost flip) Facebook page was pleasantly surprised when he visited Nakhon Phanom province.
Photo credit: ขาเกือบพลิก (legs that almost flip)
The blogger, who is constantly complaining about the state of footpaths in Thailand, wrote a post complimenting Nakhon Phanom authorities for pavements that can be used by pedestrians safely and bicycle lanes.
Photo credit: ขาเกือบพลิก (legs that almost flip)He compared the developments to streets in Japan, and sarcastically commented that here is hope for Thailand’s streets.
Photo credit: ขาเกือบพลิก (legs that almost flip)Nakhon Phanom was voted as the “happiest” province at the start of 2020.
Consumer goods stocked inside a community pantry in front of the Surat Thani governor’s residence were snapped up in 10 minutes on Thursday by needy people suffering from the impact of Covid-19.
Governor Witchawut Jinto said most of the goods, including cooked food and sweets, were donated by monks from Wat Trai Thammaram.
“Government officials and others have also added goods such as rice, vegetable oil, instant noodles and fish sauces to the pantry up to three times a day,” he said.
Witchawut added that some people thanked him and food donors before availing of the goods inside the pantry.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported 271 new cases with two deaths on Thursday, including 12 people who tested positive in state quarantine facilities and near the border.
Of the returnees who tested positive, five are Thai nationals, two who flew in from the United Kingdom, one from Hungary, one from Russia and one from Germany. The cases also included an Indonesian national from Australia, two children from Pakistan, an American national, a Dutch national and a Canadian man who came from their respective countries.
A Thai woman, 29, who was caught sneaking across the Thai-Malaysia border on January 10 tested positive on Wednesday.
Of the new cases, 78 had been exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk places, of them 14 are Bangkok residents, including Myanmar and Indian citizens, and 36 live in Samut Sakhon, including Thais and Myanmar nationals.
Proactive testing led to 181 cases, including 170 foreigners and two Thais in Samut Sakhon, one Cambodian national in Chachoengsao, five Thais in Chonburi and three Thais in Rayong.
Taweesin Visanuyothin, CCSA spokesman, said Thailand’s 68th death from Covid-19 was a British man, 71, who suffered from diabetes, thyrotoxicosis and lung cancer. He arrived in Thailand on December 7 and tested positive on December 11. His symptoms worsened after he developed pneumonia and he passed away on Wednesday.
The 69th death was a 53-year-old Thai man who had diabetes. He had reportedly travelled to several provinces like Chanthaburi, Phetchaburi and Nonthaburi during the New Year holidays. His symptoms began developing and he was admitted to hospital on January 5 with pneumonia. He passed away on January 10.
Meanwhile, 717 patients have recovered and been discharged.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 11,262 – 9,050 of which were contracted domestically, including 3,187 found via proactive testing and 2,212 were returnees. So far, 7,660 have recovered and been discharged, 3,533 patients are still in hospital and the death toll has risen to 69.
According to Worldometer, as of midnight on Wednesday, the total number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 92.78 million (up by 745,811), 66.29 million have recovered, 24.5 million are active cases (112,120 in severe condition) and 1.99 million have died (up by 16,001).
Thailand ranks 128th on the global list of most cases, while the US tops the list with 23.61 million, followed by India 10.51 million, Brazil 8.26 million, Russia 3.47 million and the United Kingdom 3.21 million.
Mae Hong Son Governor Sithichai Jindaluang, accompanied by the Pai district village headman and local government officials, inspected the district on Wednesday after a series of wildfires there after 155 heat points were detected and the River Fire Control Station was called in to tackle several blazes.
Sithichai said that with the dry season arriving earlier than usual, Pai district has seen more wildfires than other areas.
Phak Wan Pa, especially, has seen a number of fires as locals, who like to grow Melientha suavis, believe that burning the area will help the vegetable bud more easily and taste better.
Each year, Phak Wan Pa locals concentrate on growing enough of the vegetable as it is popular among the general public and commands a high market price.
The Mae Hong Son Forest Fire Control Centre said that amid the forest fires and haze in the province from January 1-12, they had detected 155 heat points on the Viirs system in Pai district, compared to 96 points in previous years.
The Pai River Fire Control Station on Wednesday also reported that it was called in several times to control forest fires.
A criminal known for her “sticky armpits” was finally nabbed on Wednesday in Samut Prakan’s Phra Pradaeng district after creating problems for several shops both in Samut Prakan and in Bangkok.
The woman, a 51-year-old Samut Prakan native called Namphoeng Netthip, was called “aunty with sticky armpits” because she used to pay for her shopping with a Bt1,000 bank note and then would hide the change in her armpits and claim she hadn’t been given it.
She has allegedly been practising this con since the start of the year.
Namphoeng was also reportedly wanted for setting alight her relatives’ vehicles. On January 7, she allegedly set fire to four cars and a motorcycle in Phra Pradaeng district.
Air pollution in 64 areas around Bangkok and its vicinity hit unsafe levels on Thursday morning, with PM2.5 readings coming in at 51 to 81 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3), the Pollution Control Department reported.
The department expects the PM2.5 level to rise on January 15-16.
Thailand’s standard for safe levels of PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter) is 50μg/m3.
The 64 areas are:
1. Kanchanaphisek Road, Bang Khun Thian district (69μg/m3)
2. Rama IV Road, Pathumwan (56μg/m3)
3. Intharaphithak Road, Thonburi (59μg/m3)
4. Lat Phrao-Chokchai 4 Road, Wang Thonglang (61μg/m3)
5. Din Daeng Road (62μg/m3)
6. Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Din Daeng (62μg/m3)
7. Sukhumvit Road, Prakanong (64μg/m3)
8. Rat Burana Road, Rat Burana (51μg/m3)
9. Garden opposite the Dusit District Office (56μg/m3)
56. Suan Siam-Ram-Indra intersection, Khan Na Yao (62μg/m3)
57. Klong Toei subdistrict (60μg/m3)
58. Bang Sue subdistrict (57μg/m3)
59. Lat Phrao district (54μg/m3)
60. Thungsonghong subdistrict, Lak Si district (58μg/m3)
61. Saphan Sung district (56μg/m3)
62. Klong Sam Wa district (68μg/m3)
63. Chom Thong district (56μg/m3)
64. Bang Khae district (58μg/m3)
Air pollution in other regions are:
North: PM2.5 readings coming in at 21 to 50 μg/m3. The overall situation is termed good.
Northeast: PM2.5 readings are 25 to 91 μg/m3. Four areas have exceeded the standard.
Central region and West: PM2.5 readings are 17 to 77 μg/m3. Eight areas have exceeded the standard.
East: PM2.5 readings are 29 to 50 μg/m3. The overall situation is moderate.
South: PM2.5 readings are 6 to 30 μg/m3. The overall situation is termed very good.
People in areas where PM2.5 pollution is bad, especially the elderly, children, and patients with respiratory diseases, have been advised to monitor their health and reduce time spent on outdoor activities.
Thai health officials try to clear the air amid concern over China’s Sinovac vaccine
NationalJan 14. 2021Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences director-general Dr Supakit Sirilak
By The Nation
Health officials organised a press conference to allay widespread concerns that China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, being imported into Thailand, is not effective enough to tackle the virus.
The concerns followed tests in Brazil by that country’s Butantan Institute, with results showing that Sinovac is only 50.4 per cent effective.
However, Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences director-general Dr Supakit Sirilak maintained that a vaccinated group was able to prevent 78 per cent of infections and 100 per cent of severe symptoms.
“The advantage of the vaccine from China is that a dead virus is injected into the body to build immunity. This is considered primary technology, which is also used in hepatitis and polio vaccines. China injected its military personnel and thousands of medical staff with the vaccine and no serious side effects were found,” he said.
“We need to look at many other aspects too, such as quality, performance, price, quantity, delivery time and other qualifications that are suitable for Thailand,” Dr Supakit insisted.
“I want people to be confident that the Public Health Ministry will use a vaccine with recognised quality and without undesirable effects. WHO [the World Health Organisation] has declared that a vaccine efficacy of 50 per cent or more is applicable. So I would like to ask people to stop panicking.
“The Public Health Ministry has asked Sinovac for additional information. There is currently no impact on the Covid-19 vaccination plan,” he added.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy secretary-general Dr Surachok Tangwiwat said the FDA is responsible for examining drugs and vaccines for use in Thailand. These are first evaluated for quality, safety and efficiency.
Those wishing to register a drug or vaccine are required to provide information to experts in order to assess their qualifications and performance.
The FDA is now mobilising experts from all over the country to inspect and consider all aspects of a Covid-19 vaccine to make it available faster.
At present, two companies have applied to register their vaccines – AstraZeneca (Thailand), whose vaccine is in the evaluation process and expects approval soon, and Sinovac Biotech Company, which has the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation as a licensee for registration.
Another key issue is import. The importer must have evidence of purchasing the vaccine directly from the manufacturer to prevent any fakes creeping in and must take responsibility if there is a distribution problem.
Photo credit: King Mongkut Memorial Park of Science and Technology
Photo credit: ขาเกือบพลิก (legs that almost flip)
Governor Witchawut Jinto
Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences director-general Dr Supakit Sirilak
