The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a draft law for expropriation of land to build the 336-kilometre Northeast railway between Khon Kaen and Nakhon Phanom. The plan hands the State Railway of Thailand a budget of Bt10 billion to requisition land along the route linking Ban Phai in Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, Roi Et, Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom.
The Cabinet has approved a total budget of Bt66.84 billion for the project, which includes expropriation expenses.
Residents whose homes are expropriated will be compensated with affordable rental housing at an eight-storey project of 360 units on Kamphaeng Phet 6 Road in Don Mueang District, Bangkok. Construction of the project is due to begin in April next year for scheduled opening in October 2022.
The SRT will negotiate compensation payments for households who do not take up the affordable housing option.
Separately, the Cabinet heard performance results from the SRT and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) bus agency for fiscal year 2019 and the first half of 2020. The SRT reported a loss of Bt2.893 billion in 2019 and Bt1.494 billion in the first half of 2020. The BMTA reported losses of Bt2.255 billion and Bt996 million, respectively, for the two periods.
Thai National Shippers Council (TNSC) expects exports this month to only grow by 3 to 4 per cent, as the new wave of Covid-19 infections is expected to further affect the export sector.
TNSC president Kanyapak Tantipipattanapong, however, admitted that the new normal and the work-from-home trend has somewhat boosted the demand for food, medical supplies and consumer products.
However, she pinpointed four negative points that will affect Thailand’s export sector this year, namely:
• A new wave of Covid-19 outbreak, which is likely to be more severe, especially in the UK, rest of Europe, South Korea and Japan.
• A shortage of containers and rise in freight rate.
• Appreciation of the baht after Thailand was added to the US watchlist for currency manipulation, which has resulted in foreign exchange speculation.
• A likely drop in oil price due to a slowdown in production, tourism and export of goods made from petroleum.
In order to deal with these problems, she said the government and central bank should launch urgent measures to mitigate the outbreak’s impact on businesses, such as cutting fees for contacting government agencies, extending the period of soft loans and reducing expenses.
“The government should also solve the shortage of containers as soon as possible by either using the Thai Customs Department’s containers, launching measures that allow the export of goods without requiring containers, allowing 400-metre vessels to enter Laem Chabang port or checking for the availability of containers elsewhere in the country. The government should also cut port charges,” she said.
“In the long-term, the government should launch measures to stimulate the economy, transform the current economic system into a digital one and accelerate free-trade agreements.”
She added that locking down the country to curb Covid-19 has brought the logistics process to a halt.
“The government should take care of the transport sector if it has to impose lockdown measures in the East of the country,” she added.
Thailand’s exports for the first 11 months of last year stood at $211.38 billion, down 6.92 per cent year on year, while import was $187.87 billion, down 13.74 per cent year on year, resulting in a $23.51 billion trade surplus. The export of agricultural and industrial products from January to November last year dropped by 4 per cent and 6.6 per cent, respectively.
In November alone, export was $18.93 billion, down 3.65 per cent year on year, while import was $18.88 billion, down 0.99 per cent year on year, resulting in $52.59 million trade surplus. The export of agricultural and industrial products in November dropped by 2.4 per cent and 2.9 per cent, respectively.
People who have recently visited any of 11 areas linked to the Covid-19 outbreak should contact the Health Department immediately, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said on Tuesday.
BMA spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang said people can contact the Health Department via the website http://bkkcovid19.bangkok.go.th/.
The 11 risky areas are:
1. Samut Sakhon
2. Nakhon Pathom: Nakhon Chai Si district (Bang Rakam subdistrict), Kamphaeng Saen district (Sa Si Mum, Huay Muang and Sa Phatthana subdistricts), and Bang Len district (Bang Luang and Don Tum subdistricts)
3. Nonthaburi: Bang Yai Central Market in Sao Thong Hin subdistrict, Bang Yai district
Thailand’s measures to control the spread of Covid-19 are strong enough to not warrant special measures against travellers from the United Kingdom, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thanee Saengrat said.
As for the mutated strain of Covid-19 in the UK, she said the British family of four went into 14-day quarantine immediately upon arrival and though they tested positive on Sunday, they had not come in contact with anyone.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has said there is no conclusive evidence on how serious this strain of Covid-19 is and there is no information as to whether it is exclusively from the UK.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the first 200,000 doses should arrive in Thailand in February, followed by another 800,000 in late March and 1 million by late April.
The government has also signed an agreement for an additional 35 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which are due to arrive in May or June. Thailand had already ordered 26 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“The total doses of Covid-19 vaccine ordered will be enough to inoculate 60 million people, who will receive two doses per person,” said Prayut.
All of the Covid-19 vaccines ordered must be approved by Thai and international health authorities, he said.
The general public has been told to strictly adhere to DMHTT practices, namely distancing, mask wearing, hand washing, testing and ThaiChana check-in.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has also said that people travelling from high-risk areas, especially “red” zones, must isolate themselves for 14 days.
Meanwhile, all high-risk areas in controlled “red” provinces must be closed, CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said on Tuesday, adding that dining in at restaurants will be prohibited from 9pm to 6am, all stores are required to set up checkpoints to screen people entering the area and ensure visitors check-in via the MorChana application. Also, inter-provincial travel is banned unless absolutely necessary or involving the transport of goods, while field hospitals will be set up if needed.
“Red” or highly-controlled provinces include Tak, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Lopburi, Singburi, Ang Thong, Nakhon Nayok, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Suphanburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Chachoengsao, Prachinburi, Sa Kaew, Samut Prakan, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Trat, Rayong, Chumphon, Rayong and Bangkok.
Of these provinces, Samut Sakhon, Rayong, Chonburi, Chanthaburi and Trat have been recognised as maximum control provinces or “maroon” zones where new patients continue rising due to risky behaviour and gambling dens.
There will be strict surveillance of all people’s movements and hygiene practices in these provinces.
Camping and water activities in Trat’s Koh Chang National Park have been prohibited until January 31 in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19.
An announcement on Monday from Nipon Pinyo, acting head of the national park, said Trat is one of the provinces marked “red” by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration based on the number of Covid-19 infections and strength of measures taken.
“Since the situation in the province is likely to escalate, we have decided to ban overnight camping and water activities in the national park from January 4 to 31 to ensure the safety of tourists and national park officials,” the announcement said.
Chiang Mai governor has cancelled the winter festival and has made the Red Cross fair virtual after the province’s 50th Covid-19 case was discovered.
The 25-year-old food vendor’s timeline showed that she had visited flea markets and entertainment venues in Chiang Mai, Lampang and Phrae.
The patient first developed a high fever, cough, sore throat and headache on Sunday. Seven days before that she had travelled to Lampang and Phrae.
The patient’s movements from December 26 to Monday are as follows:
December 26
7am-11am: Attending sister’s wedding in Chiang Mai’s San Pa Tong district.
11am-7pm: Staying home in Chiang Mai’s Muang district.
7pm-midnight: Attending wedding reception.
Midnight-2am: Partying at DC Chiang Mai bar.
December 27
At home all day.
December 28
10pm-10.30pm: Partying in Tha Chang district area.
10.30pm-12.30am: Partying at Infinity Club.
December 29
10.30am-1pm: Renewing driving licence at Lampang Bus Terminal.
1pm-3pm: Visiting relative in Lampang’s Muang district.
9pm-9.30pm: Shopping at Mr DIY store in Kamthieng Lotus department store in Chiang Mai.
December 30
4pm-10pm: Shopping at Lotus Kamthieng flea market in Chiang Mai.
December 31
8pm-8.30pm: Shopping at Lotus Kamthieng flea market.
8.30pm-1am: Partying at Chiang Mai’s Warm Up Cafe.
January 1
5pm-7.30pm: At Central Festival Chiang Mai shopping mall.
10.30pm-2am: Partying at Warm Up Cafe, Chiang Mai.
2am-3am: Partying at Pretty Exclusive Club.
January 2
4.30pm: Driving off to Phrae with her mother and picking up friends along the way.
7.30pm: Arriving at a friend’s house to attend a birthday party and staying there overnight.
January 3
1pm: Heading back to Chiang Mai.
4pm: Pit stop at PTT, spending five minutes in 7-Eleven convenience store with mask on.
7.15pm-8pm: Dining at Im Mee Pe Mum hotpot buffet in Star Avenue Mall, Chiang Mai.
9pm: Heading to private hospital for Covid-19 test.
January 4
Virus detected and patient transferred to Nakhonping Hospital.
Chiang Mai Communicable Disease Committee has ordered that the five entertainment venues the patient visited in the province be closed for three days from Monday and members of staff quarantined for 14 days.
Chiang Mai governor Charoenrit Sanguansat has announced that everyone entering the province via all channels must register themselves using the “CM Chana” application, while travellers from 28 “red” provinces must be quarantined for 14 days.
Pubs, bars, karaoke joints must close at 11pm and can reopen at 5am. All customers must register through the “Thai Chana” application only.
Entertainment venues can only be 75 per cent full, no dancing allowed and people from “red” provinces will not be allowed to enter.
At buffet restaurants, customers are prohibited from serving themselves, while restaurants are prohibited from serving alcohol from 11pm onwards. Events or gatherings of 50 or more people are banned.
The authorities have cancelled the winter festival, which was to run until January 10, with the exception of the Miss Chiang Mai beauty pageant, which will be held but with limited participants. The Red Cross lottery event will be held, but will be broadcast live.
Pongsakorn Kwanmuang
Prayut Chan-o-cha
