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Buriram reports first new Covid-19 case, Chiang Mai sees four more

NationalJan 07. 2021

By THE NATION

Buriram reported its first new Covid-19 case on Thursday, while Chiang Mai saw the number of its patients increasing by four.

Buriram Governor Thatchakorn Hatthathayakul confirmed the first new case this morning, making his province the 55th with a confirmed case in this new wave.

The infected person is a woman aged 42. She had returned to her home in Buriram from Pattaya city.

She owned a food stall in Chon Buri and had reportedly visited gambling dens in that province to deliver food.

The patient went to Nang Rong Hospital in Buriram after coming down with fever, cough, a sore throat and snot. She also lost her sense of smell.

Meanwhile, Chiang Mai authorities announced four more Covid-19 cases on Thursday morning. The four had reportedly visited a local entertainment venue called “Warm Up”.

Officials urged those who visited the venue any time from December 31 to January 3 to visit a hospital immediately for a checkup.

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Covid-19 cases likely to rise sharply due to holiday travel: Chula lecturer

NationalJan 07. 2021Thira Woratanarat

By The Nation

The number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand is expected to rise sharply at the end of this week due to people travelling during the New Year holidays, Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine lecturer Thira Woratanarat said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

He pointed out that everyone could be at risk of contacting Covid-19 and not just those who visited risky areas.

Thira advised people who travelled during the holidays to see a doctor immediately if they experience any symptoms related to the dreaded virus.

He said it would be hard for the government to curb the spread of Covid-19 as soon as possible because it was not strict enough in restricting people from travelling, while there are many daily activities which would cause the virus to spread.

“For a short-term solution, it would be great if people could report their symptoms via a smartphone application as this would help the government monitor the situation and test people in risky areas,” he suggested.

Thira also advised people who have to go outside to strictly abide by rules and measures to prevent Covid-19 from spreading further.

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Gay couple caught for ‘hiding’ dead man

NationalJan 07. 2021

By THE NATION

Police officers in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district arrested a gay couple on Thursday for dropping off a corpse on Mahacharoen Road on Wednesday.

The corpse, found on Wednesday morning, was identified as insurance agent Chalit Nensap, 33.

On Thursday morning, police arrested Rungroj, 43, and Satapapong, 48, (surnames withheld) at a house near Bangkok’s Taweewattana Canal.

During interrogation, the two suspects said they had invited Chalit to a party and he had died from overdosing on methamphetamine.

They said they were afraid of being hit with drug charges, so decided to wrap the naked corpse in blankets before getting rid of it, even though the location they chose was not that far from their home.

The couple will initially be charged for concealing a corpse.

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Over a million Thai gamblers racked up Bt11.4 billion in debts in 2019

NationalJan 07. 2021

By THE NATION

The majority, or 76 per cent, of 44,050 respondents aged over 15 years across Thailand said they have gambled before, while about half said they had started when they were less than 20, with the lowest starting age recorded at 7 years, said a study by the Centre for Gambling Studies at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Economics.

According to the research, which studied Thais’ gambling habits and the resulting effects in 2019, some 96 per cent of respondents said they have known or are related to someone who gambles regularly.

The study estimated the number of gamblers by region as follows:

Northeast: 10.9 million people, an increase of 404,100 people from the last study in 2017;

Central: 5.58 million, increasing by 259,100;

North: 5.2 million, increasing by 163,500;

Bangkok and perimeter areas: 4.62 million, increasing by 418,300 people;

South: 4.09 million, increasing by 204,600.

Thailand has an estimated 30.4 million gamblers.

“Although most are in the working age group, it is worrisome that around 733,000 children aged 15-18 also gamble, with an estimated Bt10.2 billion of money rotating,” the study said. “Meanwhile, 3.05 million in the age range of 19-25 years gamble, with some Bt58.8 billion rotating.”

The most popular gambling is carried out for government lottery, followed by illegal lottery, card games, football pools and high-low bets. However, football pools have the most money rotating, at around Bt160.5 billion, followed by illegal lottery at Bt153.1 billion and government lottery Bt150.4 billion.

The study also estimated that about 1.068 million Thais who gambled in 2019 have accumulated gambling debts of up to Bt11.46 billion, or Bt10,738 per person.

Meanwhile, 9.8 per cent of respondents said that gambling has negatively affected their daily lives as they have become indebted, are under stress, have arguments with spouses and family members, have lost time working or studying, and are experiencing deteriorating health.

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Massage parlours plead for govt help

NationalJan 07. 2021

By THE NATION

The Charawi Association for the Conservation of Thai Massage on Wednesday handed over a letter at Government House addressed to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is also chairman of the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, urging the government to help spa and massage parlour entrepreneurs who have been forced to shut down their businesses to prevent the new wave of Covid-19 from spreading.

“Since the first wave in Thailand, massage businesses have employed strict measures advised by the Public Health Ministry, including limiting the number of customers, rearranging the service area to abide by the social distancing rule and providing thermal screening,” said Pitak Yotha, a representative of the association.

“However, spa and massage businesses were one of the first groups ordered to shut down and also the last to be allowed to reopen, which is not fair.”

Pitak said there are currently about 1,700 spa and massage businesses in Bangkok and 15,000 in other provinces.

“As many as 11,000 businesses have reported permanent closure due to lack of money, while about 4,000 that are still open are following the guidelines laid out by authorities,” he said.

“We would like the government to relax its shutdown measures on massage businesses, or at least come out with relief measures, such as exemption on property rent until the situation improves,” Pitak said.

“Many spa and massage businesses have limited access to the government’s soft loans provided via financial institutes, while other campaigns such as ‘We Travel Together’ or ‘Let’s Go Halves’ are not specifically tailored for customers of spa and massage businesses,” he added.

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Air quality unhealthy in 11 areas of Bangkok, surroundings

NationalJan 07. 2021

By The Nation

Air pollution in 11 areas around Bangkok and its vicinity hit unsafe levels on Thursday morning, with PM2.5 readings coming in at 55-87 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 11 areas are:

1. Kanchanaphisek Road, Bang Khun Thian district (72μg/m3)

2. Phutthamonthon Sai 1 Road, Taling Chan district (55μg/m3)

3. Thawi Watthana Road, Thawi Watthana district (74μg/m3)

4. Phet Kasem Road, Phasi Charoen district (55μg/m3)

5. Ma Charoen and Phet Kasem 81 Roads, Nong Khaem district (73μg/m3)

6. Ekachai Road, Bang Bon district (61μg/m3)

7. Rama II Road, Bang Khun Thian district (61μg/m3)

8. Omnoi subdistrict, Krathum Baen district, Samut Prakan (65μg/m3)

9. Mahachai subdistrict, Muang district, Samut Sakhon (87μg/m3)

10. Nakhon Pathom subdistrict, Muang Nakhon Pathom district, Nakhon Pathom (55μg/m3)

11. Bang Khae district (58μg/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 monitored on the Air4Thai.com website or smartphone app, or via bangkokairquality.com.

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No barrier to vaccine import but FDA approval needed: Anutin

NationalJan 07. 2021

By The Nation

The government is not blocking the private sector from importing a Covid-19 vaccine, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday. However, every step of the safety review process must be followed, he insisted.

He said that importing a vaccine must first be approved by the Food and Drug Administation (FDA) and the Department of Medical Sciences so it is effective and safe.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved purchase of an additional 35 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, bringing the total reservation to 63 million doses. The vaccine, expected by the end of January, is to be certified by the FDA before use.

Some two million doses of a vaccine bought from China will first be injected into 200,000 “vulnerable” people next month, like medical personnel, frontline health workers, village health volunteers and people with severe symptoms at risk of infection.

Health officials have not yet medically accepted the public use of test kits (rapid tests) to detect Covid-19, while the FDA has notified people to be careful of false negative results from the kits as these can lead to infections spreading. It instead asked the public to go to hospital for Covid-19 tests.

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Baht unchanged, currency ‘may benefit’ from international stimulus packages

NationalJan 07. 2021

By THE NATION

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

The Thai currency is likely to move between 29.80 and 30 on Thursday, said Jitipol Puksamatanan, the head of the “Easy Invest” team at SCB Securities.

He said the baht will not move in wide range in the short term, and suggested investors monitor the direction of Asian currencies and stock markets.

Jitipol believed that the result of the US senatorial election would give investors hope and they would stop selling their Asian assets.

He advised investors to monitor financial stimulus packages in the US and other countries in the short term. He explained that these packages could stimulate capital flow into the Thai market and at the same time support the baht.

Jitipol also said the market is monitoring the current political turbulence in the US. However, the situation will affect the market only slightly, he predicted.

The S&P 500 Index on Wednesday night increased by 0.57 per cent and the Stoxx 600 by 1.37 per cent.

Meanwhile, the US Ten-Year Treasury yield increased by 8 basis points to 1.03 per cent, the highest point from March 2020. The gold price meanwhile dropped to $1,920 (Bt57,494) per ounce, while the price of Bitcoin reached a new high of $36,000 (Bt1,078,019).

Jitipol said the dollar had weakened slightly due to the political situation in the US. Some investors were concerned after the ADP national employment report showed a decrease in employment in the last month, he added.

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Thai govt agency helping neighbouring countries fight Covid-19

NationalJan 07. 2021

By The Nation

Thailand is using digital technology and communication channels to help neighbouring countries combat Covid-19.

Pattarat Hongtong

Pattarat Hongtong, Director-General of the Foreign Ministry’s Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), said the agency is working to support Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos to contain the virus as that they share a border for thousands of kilometres and the outbreak is an international matter that requires sustainable and international cooperation.

“Thailand’s development cooperation, despite covering all countries, focuses on Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, which are at  the heart of Thai foreign affairs,” said Pattarat. “Any incident in neighbouring countries would impact Thailand whether on security, trade, or economic prosperity.” 

TICA has led a coordinated effort among Thai agencies to strengthen neighbouring countries’ Covid-19 response since March 2020. Recognising that each country has specific public health challenges, Thailand is now reaching out to Myanmar, where the epidemic is taking a severe daily toll of 500-1,000 new cases and 10-20 deaths. TICA is collaborating with the Thai Department of Disease Control and Department of Medicine to share medical equipment and knowledge with Myanmar medics and officials. Among its latest projects is a collaboration with the Department of Medical Sciences to develop a model for low-cost Covid-19 laboratories to boost Myanmar’s test-and-trace mission to contain the virus.

TICA is also using digital technology to raise awareness of disease prevention in communities on both sides of the border, including migrant workers. Measures feature teleconferencing to upgrade cooperation between different provinces, online medical consultations between public health offices and district hospitals, and online training to help medics and officials in neighbouring countries treat severely ill Covid-19 patients and also establish emergency operation centres. The agency also runs a public health and medicine “TICA’s Knowledge Bank on COVID-19” to share Thai experiences and expertise with neighbouring countries via YouTube and other online platforms.

Meanwhile, Thailand is delivering urgently needed medical supplies to its neighbours, especially Myanmar, including PPE kits, one million surgical masks, blood gas analysers, 70,000 doses of Favipiravir, and oximeters. Also being shipped to Myanmar is RT-PCR laboratory equipment and a disease prevention monitoring system, while Laos and Cambodia are receiving their own deliveries of Thai aid to combat the virus.

Pattarat said Thailand has adopted the Sufficiency Economy principle of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great in its regional Covid-19 response, focusing on “economical, simple and efficient” measures that ensure equal treatment for all people.

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BAAC not offering Bt200,000 loan to non-agricultural professions

NationalJan 07. 2021

By THE NATION

The Digital Economy and Society Ministry has warned people not to believe or share news or Internet posts claiming the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is offering a Bt200,000 loan to people in 108 occupations, including ones that are not related to agriculture.

“The ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre contacted the bank to verify this information and was told it is false,” it said. “The BAAC clarified that the ‘108 Occupations Loan’ campaign had been held in 2016 and has long expired. The bank presently provides loans only to farmers, agricultural cooperatives, SMEs and community enterprises under applied conditions,” the ministry said.

“Please do not share such news or posts as it could cause misunderstanding among the public,” it added. “For more information on BAAC services and products, please visit www.baac.or.th or call 02 5550555. To report fake news, please do so via website www.antifakenewscenter.com.”