Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered all related state agencies to prepare measures to mitigate the drought next year, government deputy spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said.
The Office of the National Water Resources has reported that it has developed 526 key water projects this year.
These include 16 projects in the Eastern Economic Corridor, which raises water volume in the zone by 254 cubic metres. It will rush to develop another 22 projects in the zone to ensure adequate water supply.
Bangkok police has advised motorists to avoid routes around the Bangna and Theparak intersections on Saturday afternoon due to a planned political protest in front of Imperial World Samrong department store in Samut Prakan’s Muang district until the Bangna intersection in Bangkok’s Bangna district.
The “Ratsadon” pro-democracy group announced on Friday that they would hold a political rally in front of the department store from 4pm onwards.
“We expect that the traffic would be heavily congested on Sukhumvit Road from Bangna to Theparak intersections, both on the inbound and outbound routes,” said Pol Major-Gen Jirasan Kaewsaeng-Ake, deputy Metropolitan Police chief.
“Motorists are therefore advised to avoid the road and connecting routes from 1pm until the rally ends.”
The police also recommended routes that could be used to bypass the rally venues, shown in dotted line in the picture:
1. Sukhumvit-Udomsuk-Srinakarin roads
2. Sukhumvit-Theparak-Srinakarin roads
3. Soi Sukhumvit 50-Thang Rot Fai Sai Kao Road-Puchao Saming Prai intersection
4. Sukhumvit (inbound)-Theparak-Srinakarin roads
5. Sukhumvit (inbound)-Sanphawut roads
6. Sukhumvit (inbound)-Thang Rot Fai Sai Kao-Sanphawut roads
Hunt is on for a man who is suspected of shooting dead two people in a karaoke bar in Chiang Mai province late on Friday.
Initial investigation showed that the two victims and the suspected killer were involved in a brawl at a bar in San Sai district.
Mae Jo police were informed about the killings at 12.20am.
The victims were identified as Deangmai (full name not disclosed), aged 34, and Prasert Danklang, 64. Deangmai had been shot in the right eye, while the other had been shot two times at the back of his head. Police found two 0.38 bullets in the bar.
Police suspect that it was a case of violent conflict between the two dead persons and the absconding shooter. Witnesses said that there was a brawl between the three, who were reportedly drunk.
However, the shooter escaped after he committed the crime. Officials told the press that they know the identity of the suspect.
The government has revised the tax rate for signs and billboards that had been used since 1992 to suit the current economy.
The Ministry of Interior recently announced a regulation regarding the tax rate under the Sign Board Tax Act BE 2535 (1992).
The regulation, signed by Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda, stipulates the new tax rate as follows:
▪︎ Signs and billboards that have only text in Thai will be taxed at Bt5 per 500 square centimetre and Bt10 per 500sq.cm. if the text can move or shuffle.
▪︎ Signs and billboards that have Thai text mixed with foreign text, pictures or other symbols will be taxed at Bt26 per 500sq.cm. and Bt52 per 500sq.cm. if the text/pictures/symbols can move or shuffle.
• Signs and billboards that have no Thai text or have Thai text in a lower position than foreign text will be taxed at Bt50 per 500sq.cm. and Bt52 per 500sq.cm. if the text/pictures/symbols can move or shuffle.
The new rate will be effective from January 1, 2021.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) deployed its officers to clean up the Lat Phrao intersection in Bangkok immediately after the “Ratsadon” pro-democracy protesters dispersed from the rally site on Friday.
Three protest leaders — Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, Arnon Nampa and Jatuphat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattararaksa — called off the rally at 10.27pm, and asked the protesters to follow the next announcement on social media.
At 11pm, BMA officials came to clean up the area and paint over messages which the protesters had sprayed on three lanes of Phaholyothin Road.
Meanwhile, police officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit as well as K-9 dogs scoured the area for suspicious objects before allowing traffic to resume.
A majority of retailers want the government to extend the period of the “Khon La Khrueng” (Let’s Go Halves) subsidised shopping scheme, according to Bangkok Poll.
The poll conducted by the Bangkok University Research Centre surveyed stores participating in the scheme of which 44.3 per cent were restaurants, 10 per cent were convenience stores and 9.7 per cent each were beverage and clothing stores.
Asked about retailers’ sales, 88.3 per cent of respondents said it had increased, 11.2 per cent said it was unchanged and 0.5 per cent said it had decreased.
Asked about retailers’ views on how the scheme had helped, 68.0 per cent of respondents said it enabled them to access technologies, 61.2 per cent said it facilitated payment, and 57.3 per cent said it enabled them to use money transfer application efficiently.
Asked about the scheme’s role in stimulating the country’s economy, 63.5 per cent of respondents said it helped a lot, 35.8 per cent said it did not help much and 0.7 per cent said it did not help.
Asked what the government needed to do to improve the scheme, 28.5 per cent of respondents said they should extend the period, 2.10 per cent said they should expand the number of registrants and 17.8 per cent said they should improve the application.
Asked about retailers’ participation if a scheme like “Khon La Khrueng” were launched next year, 97.9 per cent of respondents said they would participate, 1.9 per cent said they were not sure, and 0.2 per cent said they would not participate.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Saturday reported five new cases, including a domestic patient.
The domestic case was reportedly a Thai woman, 29, who had come back from Myanmar. Her case was found in Chiang Mai province, and the infected person is currently being treated in Nakornping Hospital in the province. She had suspected symptoms such as anosmia, headache and diarrhoea, since November 23.
The other cases in quarantine included an Indian man, 27, and Indian woman, 31, who were both asymptomatic, and two Thai men, aged 24 and 34, who had returned from the Philippines and Sweden.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 3,966 (1,004 in state quarantine), 111 are in hospital, 3,798 have recovered and been discharged and 60 people have died.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Friday, the total number of confirmed cases worldwide since the outbreak rose to 61.98 million (up by 612,825), 42.78 million have recovered, 19.2 million are active cases (105,224 in severe condition) and 1.44 million have died (up by 10,814).
Thailand ranks 151st for most cases in the world, while the US tops the list with 13.45 million, followed by India 9.35 million, Brazil 6.23 million, Russia 2.21 million and France 2.19 million.
Bangkokians this morning enjoyed “very good” air quality as pollution levels dipped sharply.
The Air Quality and Noise Management Division of Bangkok said that the level of particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5) was around 9 to 27 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3).
The Air Visual application reported on Sunday that Bangkok’s air pollution level, according to the US Air Quality Index (AQI) standard, stood at 49, with the level of PM2.5 at 12 per cubic metre (µg/m3).
As of 9.30am, Bangkok ranked 67th on the list of cities with the worst air quality in the world, while Chiang Mai was at 42nd with PM2.5 at 24 micrograms per cubic metre.
AQI is a standard that indicates the quality of air and level of pollution. Level 0-50 is good air quality, 51-100 is moderate quality, 101-105 starts affecting sensitive groups, 151-200 is slightly harmful to health, 201-300 is highly harmful and 301-500 is extremely dangerous.
By THE NATIONThe country’s outstanding public debt stands at Bt7.84 trillon, or 49.34 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), a Ministry of Finance announcement said on the Royal Gazette website on Friday.
The ministry reported on the public debt situation as of September 30, as well as on government loans and guarantees from April to September 2020.
The report said that as of September 30, public debt comprised Bt6.73 trillion of government debt, Bt795.98 billion of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) debt, Bt309.47 billion of debt at government-guaranteed financial SOEs – which refers to a state enterprise that undertakes lending business, asset management and credit guarantees – and Bt7.82 billion of other government agencies debt.
The report also divided public debt into long-term and short-term ones based on the deadline for the debt to be paid. Bt6.77 trillion, or 86.26 per cent, of total public debt has a deadline of more than a year, while Bt1.07 trillion, or 13.34 per cent, must be paid in less than a year.
Based on origin Bt7.704 trillion, or 98.22 per cent, is domestic debt while Bt139.39 billion, or 1.78 per cent, is overseas debt.
The Government Savings Bank (GSB) on Saturday opened a debt consolidation programme for individual customers. Registration is open until December 31.
The campaign aims to alleviate the financial burden of customers during the economic contraction due to the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Customers who have multiple loans with the bank that are not yet classified as non-performing loans (NPLs), and are not late for payment for more than three months, are eligible to apply.
“For example, if a customer has outstanding debt from home loan of Bt3.5 million under a collateral value of Bt4 million, and outstanding credit card debt at Bt200,000, which does not exceed the collateral value when combined with the outstanding debt from home loan, they can enter the debt consolidation programme,” the bank said.
“When approved, their credit card debt rate will be adjusted down to not exceed the minimum retail rate.”
