A supervisor at the Theparak 4 toll booths on Kanchanapisek Expressway (Bang Phli-Suksawat) has tested positive for Covid-19, the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) announced on its Facebook page on Wednesday.
“The man was tested at Ramathibodi Hospital on January 5 after he came down with fever. The test showed he was positive on Wednesday,” it said. “He did not work at the toll booths since January 2, as the authority had exempted toll fees for motorists during the New Year holidays. Being a supervisor, he did not issue tickets as staff do at toll booths and hence did not come into direct contact with expressway motorists.”
Exat also said it has notified the Department of Disease Control about the patient and has ordered other employees who might have come into close contact with him to take a test immediately and self-quarantine at home for 14 days.
“We had also shut down all entrances and exits to Theparak 4 toll booths and the adjacent office building from January 6 for cleaning and disinfection. Officials from the Department of Disease Control will inspect the site and give a green light for the toll booths to resume operation, which we estimate will be on Friday, January 8,” the announcement added.
Protesters aim to rally at police station to support 13 charged over petition to German Embassy
NationalJan 07. 2021(File Photo of October 26 march)
By THE NATION
Protesters have scheduled a gathering at Thung Mahamek police station to support 13 leaders who were charged over a petition handed to the German Embassy.
The United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration group announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that “tomorrow [January 7], 13 alleged offenders in the German Embassy case are scheduled to meet with the prosecuting attorney at Thung Mahamek police station. We have organised a meeting in front of the station from 10am. If you have no trouble going there, please join us to provide support to the 13 protesters”, it said.
Pro-democracy activists of the Ratsadon group had led a march to the German Embassy on Sathorn Road on the evening of October 26 to submit a petition asking the German government to look into whether His Majesty the King rules Thailand from Germany.
The 13 protest leaders were later summoned by the police and charged with violation of the Criminal Code’s Section 112, which punishes criticism of the monarchy with up to 15 years in jail.
The Meteorological Department said on Thursday that a strong high-pressure system from China will cover upper Thailand from January 8-12, resulting in cool to cold weather and strong winds, with a 5-7° C decrease in temperatures.
Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon will cause isolated heavy rain in the lower South, and the upper Gulf will see waves 2-3 metres high and more than 3 metres during thundershowers. The department advised all ships to proceed with caution.
Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 15-21 degrees and highs of 31-35 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 4-12 degrees Celsius with frost in some areas.
Northeast: Cool to cold weather; temperature lows of 13-19 degrees and highs of 30-32 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 8-13 degrees Celsius.
Central: Cool weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 21-23 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius.
East: Cool weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 meters offshore.
South (east coast): Cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area and isolated heavy to very heavy rain; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 30-32 degrees Celsius; waves 2 metres high and over 3 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 31-33 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 metres offshore.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Partly cloudy with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 23-24 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius.
Over the past five years, demand for office space in Thailand has changed significantly, with most customers now focusing on cost-effective use of leased space, said Chanwit Pasuwat, chief of design development at commercial real-estate agency, CBRE.
According to Chanwit, before the arrival of the pandemic in 2020, 53 per cent of customers between 2015 and 2019 were focused on growing their business within the existing office space.
As of 2020, cost control and risk reduction became key factors in the leasing of office space. Now, many firms in the Asia-Pacific region believe that by 2025, the outlook of office space will change, especially in line with work-from-home trends brought on by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Rungrat Weerapakkaroon, chief of CBRE Thailand’s office space department, said that in 2020, offices in Bangkok had either merged or reduced by up to 30 per cent, mostly in the advertising, automotive, legal and medical sectors.
In comparison, e-commerce and logistics businesses have expanded their office spaces by up to 100 per cent, while technology platform firms expanded by 200 per cent.
This expansion is the result of a rapid growth in online businesses over last year. Now most companies are rethinking their office space plans and weighing whether they should renew their leases or relocate.
Chanwit said that in 2021, organisations should focus on flexibility and ensuring a better experience for employees while they are at work. This may result in the modification of office space as companies make adjustments.
The Public Health Ministry has debunked online reports of a fresh surge in Covid-19 cases from an outbreak at a Samut Sakhon seafood operator.
The ministry confirmed that many of the 914 cases detected in the recent outbreak were workers at the Pattaya Food (Thailand) Co factory, which employs 3,000 people. However, it pointed out that this was old news and that new cases were spread across factories in the province.
A field hospital to quarantine infected workers has now been set up at the Pattaya Food factory, which has been shut down temporarily.
Thiraphong Chansiri, CEO of Thai Union Group (TUG), also debunked rumours that a large number of Covid-19 cases had been detected at the nearby TUG factory.
He said 23,630 of the company’s 27,522 local employees have been screened so far, with only 69 (0.29 per cent) found to be infected with coronavirus. TUG expects to complete screening of all its Samut Sakhon workers this week.
Covid-19 clusters traced to two cockfighting arenas in Ang Thong, 100 kilometres north of Bangkok, have so far spawned 38 cases across five provinces, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said on Wednesday.
The majority of the cases are in Ang Thong (30) but the outbreak has also spread to Nonthaburi (1), Ayutthaya (3), Sing Buri (3) and Suphan Buri (1).
The CCSA reports that 68 per cent of cases are symptomless and most of them are men, with a ratio of 5.3 males to one female.
The centre said it expects no more cases from the cluster since all contacts from the outbreak are thought to have been traced.
U-Tapao Airport announced on Wednesday that it was closing services until the end of January. The airport, which is two hours from Bangkok in the eastern province of Rayong, is cancelling all fights this month because it falls in “red zone”.
Provinces marked “red” have been designated “maximum control zones” based on the number of Covid-19 infections in the new wave.
Three airlines flying out of U-Tapao, namely Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air and Bangkok Airways, have cancelled their flights until further notice. The airlines fly to Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket and Udon Thani from this airport.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Government Savings Bank (GSB) has adjusted closing time for its branches inside department stores nationwide to 6pm from Wednesday (January 6), until further notice.
The bank apologised for any inconvenience caused to customers.
GSB branches that will now close at 6pm are:
Big C Wong Sawang
Central Plaza Ladprao
Green Plaza (Wanghin)
The Avenue Ratchayothin
Supreme Complex Samsen
IT Square
Big C Chaengwattana
The JAS Ramindra
Esplanade Ratchadapisek
Central Plaza Grand Rama 9
Big C Ladprao 2
The Mall Bang Kapi
Central Plaza Ramindra
Sammakorn Place Ramkhamhaeng 110
The Paseo Town
Imperial World Ladprao
Ladprao 101
Central Festival Eastville
The Crystal
The Promenade
Big C Kheha Rom Klao
Big C Hatairat
Fashion Island 2
iPlace Lat Krabang Industrial Estate
Big C Suwinthawong
Siam Square One
Siam Paragon
Platinum
MBK Centre
Chamchuri Square
Central World
Gateway Ekamai
Tesco Lotus Rama IV
Paradise Park
Seacon Square
Thanya Park, Srinakarin
The Scene Town in Town
Central Plaza Bangna
The Nine Centre Rama 9
Tree on 3
Central Plaza Rama 3
Green Place Plaza
Int Intersect
The Mall Bangkhae
The Paseo Park, Kanchanapisek
Seacon Bangkae
Big C Rama 2
Big C Bangpakok
Central Plaza Rama 2
Iconsiam
Central Plaza Pinklao
Bluport Huahin
Robinson Lifestyle Phetchaburi
Big C Ban Pong
HomePro Nakhon Pathom
Big C Aom Yai
Central Plaza Salaya
The Mall Ngamwongwan
Central Plaza Chaengwattana
Central Plaza Rattanathibet
Sammakorn Place Ratchapruek
Index Living Mall Bangyai
Central Plaza Westgate
The Crystal Ratchapruek
Robinson Suphanburi
Big C (V Square) Nakhon Sawan
Tesco Lotus Phetchabun
Big C Lom Sak
Robinson Lifestyle Lopburi
Big C Lopburi 1
Big C Kamphaeng Phet
Big C Tak
Robinson Lifestyle Maesot
Big C Phitsanulok
Central Plaza Phitsanulok
Tesco Lotus Phitsanulok Tha Thong
Big C Sukhothai
Central Plaza Chiangmai Airport (Central Airport Plaza)
Several areas in the capital are being cleaned to prevent the spread of Covid-19 as well as cut down on pollution. The areas targeted include Thung Khru, Klong Sam Wa, Phya Thai, Sai Mai to name a few.
Under collaboration with several agencies and local communities, Bangkok officials washed several roads, footpaths, footbridges, bus stops, ATM booths and any other frequently touched areas with alcohol and antiseptic solutions on Wednesday. They also sprayed water in the air to ring down dust particles, especially in crowded places.
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) on Wednesday released a list of bank holidays for 2021 in response to the Cabinet’s announcement on December 29 about introducing additional days off to stimulate the economy.
The central bank agreed to declare February 12 and September 24 as special bank holidays, and defer the substitution for Chulalongkorn Day from October 25 to October 22.
However, banks will provide service usual on Monday, April 12 and Tuesday, July 27 in order to not increase the burden on businesses.
The list of holidays for financial and specialised financial institutions in 2021 are as follows:
January 1 (Friday): New Year’s Day
February 12 (Friday): Special Public Holiday
February 26 (Friday): Makha Bucha Day
April 6 (Tuesday): Chakri Day
April 13 (Tuesday): Songkran Day
April 14 (Wednesday): Songkran Day
April 15 (Thursday): Songkran Day
May 3 (Monday): Substitution for Labour Day
May 4 (Tuesday): Coronation Day
May 26 (Wednesday): Visakha Bucha Day
June 3 (Thursday): Her Majesty Queen Suthida’s Birthday
July 26 (Monday): Substitution for Asanha Bucha Day
July 28 (Wednesday): His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s Birthday
August 12 (Thursday): Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother’s Birthday and National Mother’s Day
September 24 (Friday): Special Public Holiday
October 13 (Wednesday): His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Memorial Day
October 22 (Friday): Substitution for Chulalongkorn Memorial Day.
December 6 (Monday): Substitution for His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol’s Birthday, National Day and National Father’s Day
(Representational image)
(File Photo of October 26 march)
