Egg discovery scotches fear that turtles have abandoned Ao Siam National Park
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2022
Staff at Ao Siam National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan have found the first sea turtle nest this year – much later than expected.
A joint patrol by staff from the park and the Siam Marine Rehabilitation Foundation found traces of the nest while searching a beach at the tip of Koh Thalu on Wednesday. The turtle nesting season in the Gulf of Thailand usually lasts from May to July, prompting concern that the sea creatures may have abandoned the park this year.
Those fears evaporated at 8.30am on Wednesday when the patrol discovered a 66-centimetre imprint in the sand left by a mother turtle. The nearby nest was measured at 38cm wide and 32cm deep.
Staff uncovered the nest and found 137 eggs, only one of which was broken. They moved the eggs to the foundation nursery to prevent them from being washed away by waves.
Foundation staff will monitor the eggs around the clock until they are ready to hatch.
Upstream runoffs, dams discharge keep Ayutthaya and its historical ruins swamped
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2022
Ayutthaya’s Bang Ban district has been submerged for nearly a week now that upstream Chao Phraya and Pasak Jolasid increased their discharge rates to prepare for heavy rain.
Most of Thailand has been hit by heavy downpours brought by tropical storms since August.
The historical city of Ayutthaya and its ancient ruins are most at risk because both Chao Phraya and Pasak rivers run through it and often overflow.
Though Pasak Jolasid Dam has reduced its discharge rate, many areas of Ayutthaya are still inundated. All 16 subdistricts of Bang Ban are flooded with more than 8,000 households in 110 villages badly affected.
Overall, 14 of Ayutthaya’s 16 districts have reported flooding, with more than 66,000 households in 963 villages badly affected. The flooding has reportedly damaged more than 13,000 rai of farmland.
Ayutthaya villagers plead for floods to be redirected after weeks underwater
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2022
Villagers in Ayutthaya are pleading with authorities to redirect floodwaters to other areas after spending weeks underwater.
Mackerel vendor Laddawan told Reuters on Thursday that her house in Bang Ban district has been flooded for over a month, and she and her family have been suffering annual inundations for years.
Bang Ban is located in the Chao Phraya river basin and is prone to flooding every year following seasonal monsoon rains. Runoff flowing downriver from the north of the country is diverted into the area to protect the historic ruins of Ayutthaya, a Unesco world heritage site and world-famous tourism destination.
“I want to plead for sympathy and for those in dry areas to share some of our burden too,” said Laddawan. “Those of us living in the basin area cannot take it anymore. Please release water to other areas too. We can cope with a minor flood, where we can still travel around on the roads.”
Village headman Natthawut Mondopyai said Bang Ban locals are having to travel 3-4 kilometres by boat to reach the nearest highway.
According to the Interior Ministry, 27 provinces in the North, Northeast and Central Region have faced intermittent flooding since storm Noru swept through Thailand last month, swamping 224,687 households and killing four people.
While this year’s seasonal flooding is less severe than the 2011 natural disaster that left large parts of Thailand underwater, the government has prepared 23 billion baht for assistance and rehabilitation.
Thai military mulls scrapping conscription after sharp rise in voluntary recruits
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2022
The Royal Thai Army hopes that the higher number of soldiers joining up voluntarily this year means it can end conscription in 2023.
The Army is aiming to boost voluntary recruitment by using the incentive of promotions. The move is part of a reform plan announced earlier by Army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae.
The plan calls for reductions in unit sizes, expenses and officer numbers over the next three years. Meanwhile, reserve troops will be utilised more efficiently to maintain Thailand’s military readiness in line with the current global situation, Narongphan said.
The incentives for voluntary recruits would be introduced slowly to avoid affecting the military’s efficiency in war readiness, protecting sovereignty, and other missions.
Under the new plan, those who apply voluntarily to become Army privates can choose their unit. They can also take exams to become non-commissioned officers or study at the Army Non-Commissioned Officer School after they have completed their service.
Army assistant spokeswoman Lt-Colonel Patcharin Chan-arsa said the Army recruited 58,330 regular troops this year, with 6,101 applying online through the website.
She said 21,046 Thais applied voluntarily on the conscription dates, leaving only 30,646 troops to be conscripted. The number of conscripts dropped by 18,749 from last year, she added.
This is the third year of the Army’s online voluntary recruitment programme, which runs from August 29, 2022, to January 29, 2023.
This year, the number of personnel recruited by the Thai military fell by 10 per cent or 12,000 soldiers.
The military usually recruits 80,000 to 100,000 soldiers per year, depending on the annual birth rate. Of these, 70,000 go to the Army, 13,000 to the Air Force, 6,000 to the Navy, 1,900 to Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters and the rest to the Defence Ministry.
The proportion of voluntary recruits rose steadily from 22 per cent in 2010, before doubling between 2021 and this this year to 75 per cent. Ninety per cent of the voluntary recruits this year are between 18 and 20 years old.
Voluntary applications in the 2nd and 4th Army Areas (Northeast and South) have risen by 118 and 134 per cent, respectively.
The Army blamed criticism from politicians for suppressing military recruitment in previous years but said Narongsak’s reform policy could lead to completely voluntary recruitment in the future.
Thai airports checking S’pore, Hong Kong travellers for new XXB strain
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2022
Thai airports have tightened screening of foreign arrivals from Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries where the new Covid-19 XBB subvariant has been reported.
The Disease Control Department (DDC) said the decision to increase the surveillance level came after Hong Kong’s health department said it detected 29 imported XBB cases on Wednesday.
Three of those cases had travelled from Thailand.
Another 13 arrived from Singapore, five from India, two each from the UK and Indonesia, and one each from the US, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and Czech Republic.
The DDC has contacted Hong Kong health authorities to get information and travel histories for the three Covid cases that arrived from Thailand.
“Reports indicate Covid-19 is not more severe in patients infected with XBB subvariant,” said DDC acting director-general Dr Thares Krainairawiwong.
Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn, DDC deputy director-general, said XBB is not spreading yet in Thailand, where most new cases were infected with the Omicron variant.
“Health officials at all airports have been instructed to increase surveillance for respiratory symptoms in foreign arrivals, especially those from Singapore, Hong Kong, and other countries with reports of XBB subvariant,” he said.
The Department of Medical Sciences will perform random tests on people seeking treatment for respiratory symptoms at public and private hospitals, especially in tourism provinces,” he added.
Sopon also advised those planning overseas trips to remain vigilant and follow the health advice while wearing face masks in public places, maintaining social distance, and washing their hands regularly. He said a booster shot was also defence against severe symptoms, adding that people could call the DDC hotline at 1422 for information on Covid-19.
Researchers at Peking University say the XBB variant originates from the highly infectious BA.2 subvariant.
THB10,000 fine for blocking Bangkok canals as city braces for floods
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2022
Bangkokians caught dumping large items of garbage in canals or rivers will be fined up to 10,000 baht, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has warned.
The BMA issued the warning via Facebook in a bid to keep Bangkok’s main flood defences – its network of canals – free of garbage that prevents drainage. Satellite provinces of the capital were inundated this week as river levels rose, threatening a return of floods that paralysed parts of Bangkok last month.
City Hall said all oversized garbage must be dumped at designated areas only.
The normal fine for people dumping garbage outside these areas is 2,000 baht. However, those caught tipping oversize trash into waterways will be hit with a 10,000-baht penalty as punishment for obstructing drainage, one of the main causes of flooding. Members of the public who give information used to catch a dumper will be rewarded with part of the fine money, the BMA said.
It added that city residents can drop their oversized garbage at selected BMA refuse points free of charge every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to noon. Locations of the oversize refuse points can be found at http://www.prbangkok.com or by scanning the QR code.
Alternatively, residents can call their district office to pick up oversized garbage at their homes for a fee starting from 150 baht.
The BMA also advised people to wear gloves, face masks and follow Covid-19 preventive measures when dumping large items of garbage.
Heavy rain, flash floods for Northeast and South on Saturday: Met Dept
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2022
Tropical storm Sonca will bring heavy rain, strong winds and possible flash floods to 12 provinces in the Northeast on Saturday, according to the Thai Meteorological Department.
Meanwhile, residents of the South were warned of isolated monsoon showers that could also cause flash floods and overflows, especially near waterways, foothills and in low-lying areas.
Saturday’s forecast said Sonca made landfall over Quang Ngai, Vietnam at 4am on Saturday. With winds of 65 kilometre per hour, the storm is moving west at a speed about 20km/hr and is expected to weaken into a tropical depression and then an active low-pressure cell. Sonca will bring more rainfall to the Northeast, East, and Central Region including Bangkok.
The warning of isolated heavy rain, strong wind and possible flooding covers the Northeast provinces of Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Kalasin, Mukdahan, Maha Sarakham, Roi Et, Yasothon, Amnat Charoen, Buri Ram, Surin, Sisaket and Ubon Ratchathani.
People in these areas should beware of severe condition that may cause flash floods and overflows, especially in foothills near waterways and lowlands, the department warned.
Meanwhile, the lower Gulf of Thailand will see waves of 1-2 metres, rising to over 2 metres in thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution.
Central Thailand to get break from flooding as Pasak Jolasid Dam discharge reduces
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2022
Lopburi’s Pasak Jolasid Dam’s discharge rate has been reduced now that upstream runoffs have eased, the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) said on Friday.
Runoffs from Phetchabun province have reduced significantly, so the dam’s discharge rate can be cut from 820 cubic metres per second to 650 cubic metres, RID said.
The reduction in discharge rate is expected to ease the flooding situation in downstream provinces.
The Central region, along the Chao Phraya and Tha Chin rivers, has been flooded recently due to runoffs from upstream provinces as well as rising tides.
RID also said on Friday that the amount of water discharged from dams will be reduced in line with the volume of rain and water runoffs from upper parts of the country. This will reduce flooding in downstream provinces. Members of the public have also been advised to closely monitor the water situation.
Earlier this week, RID reported that Pasak Jolasid was among 27 dams and reservoirs that had reached 80 per cent of their capacity. Now the dam has reportedly filled up to 114 per cent of its capacity.
Officials battle through chest-high floods to deliver relief supplies in Central Thailand
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2022
THE NATION
Local officials were seen wading through floods in Central Thailand on Thursday to hand out relief supplies to affected residents.
Flooding in Ayutthaya’s Bang Ban district was chest-high and officials opted for boats to get from house to house.
Bang Ban resident Prathana Khomsod, 37, said the flooding has made their lives miserable as she showed how she had to cook while standing in knee-deep water.
“I have to wade through water in my own home, cooking, washing clothes. It’s also difficult when going out to work, I have to get out via a boat. It would be fine if the house wasn’t flooded but they say this area is a basin, so this is where all the water flows to. It’s difficult.” Said Prathana Khomsod
“I want them (authorities) to release the water to other areas too, those that have always been dry. Like, in other areas like Sai Noi district, they were never flooded but they diverted the floodwater more than that side.”
The government has earmarked 23 billion baht to provide flood victims assistance and rehabilitation this year, though the inundation is a lot less severe than it was in 2011.
People in Ayutthaya have turned to catching fish to survive amid flooding that has prevented them from working.
Thirteen of the province’s 16 districts are flooded and nine have been declared disaster zones after weeks of heavy rain. Many residents are fighting a daily battle to prevent more water entering their homes as the Chao Phraya Dam upstream in Chain Nat opens its gates to relieve pressure.
The water flow through the dam has now increased to 3,154 cubic metres per second, according to the latest report. As a result, the amount of water flowing through Ayutthaya is rising increase continuously, including in the Noi River, swamping houses in the low-lying areas.
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