Suankularb welcoming ceremony ‘just cosplay’, educators still dinosaurs, say netizens
NationalNov 23. 2020Photos by Tanachai Pramarnpanich
By The Nation
Suankularb Wittayalai School in Bangkok held a special ceremony to welcome freshmen called “Suan Kularb Gentlemen” on Monday in what was seen as a bid to boost students’ faith in the school.
Former students, dressed in the school uniform, also took to the stage to speak about the importance of education and the three pillars of Thai society – nation, religion and monarchy.
They also handed out wristbands and hats in the school’s colours – pink and blue.
Many netizens, however, posted messages on Facebook slamming the ceremony saying it was just cosplay.
“I finally understand what the ‘Bad Student’ group mean when they call them dinosaurs,” one netizen said, adding that he was relieved that former student Somsak Jeamteerasakul did not participate in the ceremony.
Somsak is a loud critic of Thailand’s monarchy and its lèse majesté law.
A Lopburi native surrendered to police on Sunday for shooting his father-in-law dead on November 20. The suspect said he turned himself in because he wanted to avoid a death sentence.
Wanitpong Ou-im, 39, confessed to shooting his wife’s father Pin Pusarikit, 58, in the neck, saying his father-in-law had betrayed him by not telling him that his wife had returned to her ex-husband.
After shooting Pin and fleeing the scene, Wanitpong said he became paranoid about being given the death sentence so decided to surrender.
Police have interrogated witnesses and collected evidence, including the murder weapon and bullets. Wanitpong has been charged with murder.
A 62-year-old fainted while climbing the Phu Kradueng mountain in Loei province with two of his friends on Sunday and succumbed to acute heart failure in hospital later in the day.
Forest officials were informed at 2.20pm that Manoo Wongkhanmueang had fainted and arrived at the scene almost immediately with a doctor.
Manoo had started his hike at about 10.30am.
The doctor and officials tried to revive Manoo, and even tried to stimulate his heart with a defibrillator, but failed.
The patient was then sent to Phu Kradueng Hospital at about 5.50pm, but was declared dead by 6.15pm when doctors could not revive him.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will next year launch campaigns and special travel packages that target a new, unique group of tourists.
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT executive director of tourism products, said the aim was to create travel packages for single people, such as boat trips to temples where the traveller can make merit and pray for a partner.
She added that TAT has already discussed this idea with boat operators and a package should be ready before the end of this year.
Thapanee went on to say that TAT plans to design unique packages for groups like LGBTQ, food lovers, those seeking physical or spiritual retreats or even digital nomads.
A horrific road accident in Trang province on Sunday injured about 20 people and killed a 10-year-old boy.
At 7.30pm, paramedics were summoned when a truck and pick-up slammed into each other with such force that the truck flipped over and the pick-up landed in a building nearby.
The injured were mostly passengers in the pick-up, who were heading home, including the boy who succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
The truck driver said he was driving on the left lane when he noticed the pick-up had suddenly shifted to his lane and was driving in the opposite direction.
The two vehicles then crashed, and the truck flipped over while the pick-up landed in a nearby building.
The pick-up driver said the rain had affected his vision and he did not realise a truck was coming at him from the other side.
A 69-year-old Alzheimer’s patient in Songkhla province, who had been missing since Sunday, was finally found drowned in a canal on Monday.
Puan Thong-anan was notified as missing on Sunday and police called on rescue volunteers to help find him.
The man was known to frequently walk into the canal and was usually saved by his daughter. But on Sunday, nobody was around to pull him away from the canal in time.
Puan’s body has been retrieved and the family is preparing to hold funeral rites.
The drop in temperature has led to fish in a farm in Sakon Nakhon province losing their appetite and making them susceptible to disease, a local fisherman said.
Songsak Tuamsoongnern, 43, a fish farmer, said that he was forced to sell the fish before his business faced negative consequences.
He said farmers should take proper care of fish during the winter, as the weather conditions were new to them. Fish require a hygienic environment to prevent them from contracting disease.
Songsak said that during normal periods, the farm is clean and the fish are very healthy. He said he raised catfish twice a year and was able to sell them at Bt100,000 for each lot.
By The NationThe Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Monday reported seven new cases over a 24-hour period.
A 58-year-old Thai woman returned from Germany on November 7 and tested positive on November 18 in an alternative state quarantine hotel in Bangkok.
A 30-year-old Thai female office employee who returned from Denmark on November 6 tested positive on November 20 in a state quarantine facility in Chonburi.
A 67-year-old Thai woman who returned from the United States on November 14 tested positive on November 18 in a Bangkok state quarantine hotel.
A 43-year-old Thai male chief who returned from the United Kingdom on November 16 tested positive on November 21 in a Bangkok state quarantine hotel.
A 43-year-old Thai female office employee, who had returned from Kosovo on November 16, tested positive on November 21 in a state quarantine facility in Chonburi.
A 45-year-old Thai woman who returned from Qatar on November 17 tested positive on November 20 in a state quarantine facility in Chonburi.
A 17-year-old Syrian boy arrived on November 8 and tested positive on November 20 in an alternative state quarantine facility in Bangkok with fever, sore throat and headache. The boy said his symptoms started from November 13.
Meanwhile, five patients have recovered and been discharged.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand increased to 3,920 (959 in state quarantine), of whom 94 are in hospital and 3,766 have recovered and been discharged. The death toll remains at 60.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Monday, the total number of confirmed cases increased to 58.98 million (up by 489,012), 40.76 million have recovered, 16.82 million are active cases (103,057 in severe condition) and 1.39 million have died (up by 7,409).
Thailand ranks 151st for most cases in the world, while the US has the most number with 12.59 million, followed by India 9.14 million, Brazil 6.07 million, France 2.14 million and Russia 2.09 million.
Thai Airways (THAI) intends to continue the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) project at U-Tapao Airport even though it cannot invest in any project during its rehabilitation period, a THAI report said.
The report said collaboration between THAI and Airbus in the MRO project has been delayed due to the Covid-19 situation and its impact on the aviation industry.
In September, the Bankruptcy Court approved rehabilitation plans for the national flag carrier.
THAI stated its intention to continue the join the MRO project, as it could generate a huge amount of revenue for the corporation.
The report said THAI believed the direction of the MRO project would be clarified, after the THAI rehabilitation plan is submitted and agreed upon and the virus crisis improves.
The special adviser for infrastructure development in the East Economic Corridor, Chokchai Panyayong, expected the private sector to state its decision to join the MRO project at the end of this year, or at the beginning of next year.
Moreover, the MRO centre will be opened in 2024 instead of 2021 or 2022 as announced before.
Photos by Tanachai Pramarnpanich 
