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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018812

Three nightspots in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area were hit with suspension orders for violations committed while the pandemic was at its peak.

The suspension orders were signed on Thursday by deputy National Police chief Pol General Roy Inkapairoj.

The three venues facing suspension are Otto Bar, Emerald Club and Krystal Club.

Otto Bar faces a 30-day temporary closure for selling booze without a licence. Police officers found seven customers drinking alcohol in the bar on November 3, 2019.

Emerald Club will be suspended for 60 days for violating the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Covid-19 prevention measures by failing to limit customers, not enforcing social distancing and not getting serving staff to wear masks. Police inspected the venue on April 1, 2021, and found customers being served food and booze, with live performances and dancing.

The club has 90 days to appeal the order at the Administration Court.

Krystal Club will also be suspended for 60 days and will have 90 days to appeal the order in court. Police officers found this club also violating Covid-19 prevention measures on March 30, 2021.

Both Emerald and Krystal clubs are believed to have sparked the third wave of Covid-19 infections in Bangkok and their managers were sentenced to two months in jail without suspension.

However, there is no information on whether charges were pressed against the clubs’ owners and executives.

Published : August 12, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018811

A large piece of tarpaulin weighed down with rainwater fell off an expressway construction site in Bangkok’s Bang Khunthien district and landed on a car driving by on Thursday night. The driver escaped within an inch of her life.

Thichakorn Photalay, driving down Rama II Road to her home in Samut Sakhon’s Mahachai area, said she immediately hit the brakes and got out just in time as the tarp landed on her car. The car’s roof buckled and the windscreen shattered from the weight and force of the tarp.

Nitiphan Wongraksa, 38, who had lent the car to his girlfriend Thichakorn said he believes such accidents will continue happening because many tarps weighed down with rainwater are left balanced between expressway pillars.

Representatives of the contractor Pong-Pat Enterprise and Samut Sakhon Highway Department showed up at the Samae Dam Police Station soon after the accident to acknowledge charges and promised to compensate for damages.

The officer who received the complaint from the victim will oversee compensation negotiations before concluding the case in line with the law.

Published : August 12, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018809

The tropical storm Mulan is now an active low-pressure cell over South China, upper Myanmar and upper Laos, and is expected to hit North and Northeast on Friday.

The Thai Meteorological Department forecast heavy to very heavy rain in the North and Northeast and warned people to beware of flash floods and runoffs, especially in the foothills near waterways and lowlands.

The following provinces face the risk of flash flooding:

• North: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phayao, Nan, Phrae, Uttaradit, Tak and Phitsanulok
• Northeast: Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai and Udon Thani

Meanwhile, a moderate southwest monsoon is prevailing over the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand, with moderate winds creating 2-metre-high waves in the upper Andaman Sea and higher in areas with thundershowers. Boats have been advised to proceed with caution.

For more information visit https://www.tmd.go.th/, call the 1182 hotline or (02) 399 4012-13.

Published : August 12, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018808

The Public Health Ministry reported on Friday (August 12) that over the past 24 hours, 2,455 Covid-19 patients have been admitted to hospitals.

The death toll has risen by 33, while 2,142 patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals. 

The number of cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022, stands at 2,393,077 with 10,065 deaths.

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 4,616,512 – 4,563,165 of whom have recovered, 21,584 are still in hospitals and 31,763 have died.

Separately, another 4,543 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 7,762 their second shot and 30,656 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 142,099,710.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 593.41 million on Friday, 565.44 million of whom have recovered, 21.52 million are active cases (44,307 in severe condition) and 6.45 million have died (up by 1,724).

Thailand ranks 28th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 94.48 million, followed by India with 44.22 million, Brazil with 34.17 million, France with 34.12 million and Germany with 31.49 million.

Published : August 12, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018802

The Bangkok administration is considering a plan to build an “ideal city” in a suburban area with its own infrastructure and facilities to reduce its dependence on the capital, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed on Thursday.

“Its layouts should be designed to be a complete city by itself, to help reduce travels to the big city. This is not an easy issue. It’s an idea that can be used for large plots of land,” Chadchart said.

He was speaking after a meeting at City Hall with executives of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and senior officials from the BMA’s Department of City Planning.

An initial plan calls for the new city to be built somewhere in Bangkok’s border areas of Lat Krabang, Romklao or Bang Khunthien on vast tracts of land belonging to state agencies such as the National Housing Authority, according to the governor.

He said that such a new city should not only have residential communities but also offices, school, park, hospital and transit system.

Chadchart said he has assigned the BMA’s Department of City Planning to design the proposed city’s layout so that it is self-reliant and a complete city by itself.

The Bangkok governor also said that the BMA’s database on land and building taxes needed to be updated urgently for a fairer system of tax collection. According to him, the BMA has no updated data on more than 1.1 million land plots in the city, accounting for more than half of the total.

He suggested that about 60 regulations regarding Bangkok’s city planning, mostly in use since 1959, should be revised, reviewed or even rescinded to ensure maximum benefit for the people.

Published : August 11, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018799

The Thai government has come up with new measures to fight the country’s economic crisis caused by high inflation rates.

The administration’s special committee tasked with managing the economic crisis, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, on Thursday approved four “Quick Win” emergency measures.

The first area involves energy savings and helping commuters cut costs by offering discounts to regular passengers.

The Energy and Transport ministries have been assigned to deal with matters involving their agencies.

The second area is tackling the higher production costs and shortage of agricultural raw materials. These measures call for increasing production and use of organic fertilisers and materials.

The third area involves the finances of households and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The measures include debt moratorium, credit guarantee for SMEs, and loans for business operators.

The fourth area calls for financial support to improve the potential of business operators to help them with restructuring and procuring new machinery and technology.

Published : August 11, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018798

The state-run Transport Company has prepared some 3,000 inter-provincial buses and vans to accommodate a surge in travellers during the long weekend on the occasion of Mother’s Day.

Transport Company president Sanyalak Panyawatthanalikhit said the state firm expects more people to travel back to their home provinces on the long weekend hence some 3,000 trips of the company’s buses, concessionaires’ buses and vans have been arranged.

The buses would be able to transport more than 35,000 passengers per day, Sanyalak added.

He said people would start travelling on Thursday evening as Friday is Mother’s Day and a public holiday. They are expected to return to their home provinces and return to work on Sunday evening, Sanyalak said.

He said passengers have already booked 80 per cent of tickets on normal bus routes.

The company expects passengers to travel throughout the day on short routes not longer than 300 kilometres, Sanyalak said.

Currently, the Transport Company operates 15 northern bus routes, 19 northeastern bus routes, 15 southern bus routes and nine bus routes to Laos.

He said passengers can book tickets in advance on its website www.transport.co.th, e-ticket application of the company and from counter services.

Sanyalak said the bus services would strictly follow Covid preventive measures.

He added that the Transport Company had not yet raised the fare for its buses even though the Central Land Transport Committee had allow a fare hike of five satang (0.05 baht) per kilometre distance.

Sanyalak said the current fares would be in use until September 30 to help people bear the cost and the company would also provide 5 per cent discount to passengers who register for Transport Company membership cards.

Published : August 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018797

The audience at the “Music for Mom” concert this Friday and Saturday will also be treated to a light show featuring the newly renovated Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC).

The event will be held at Benchakitti Park, adjacent to the convention centre, to mark Mother’s Day tomorrow, August 12. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration teamed up with the centre to organise the grand event.

Admission is free and no reservation is required. Further information is available on the QSNCC’s Facebook page or by calling 02 229 3112.

Concerts will be performed by singers Popetorn “Two” Soonthornyanakij and Mariam Grey, backed up by an orchestra.

The renovated convention centre, which is the venue of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November, has been decorated with colourful lights for the scintillating show.

This will be the first time the public will get to see the QSNCC after its renovation, said Sakchai Patarapreechakul, managing director of NCC Management and Development, which runs the centre.

He said events such as the “Music for Mom” concert are aimed at serving the public while improving the quality of life for communities.

“This is the first step for the QSNCC to be more than just a convention centre. We assimilate the active lifestyle of Bangkokians,” the executive added.

Published : August 11, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018796

A TikTok video clip of a foreign man catching parrotfish somewhere in the sea off Thailand left Thai netizens outraged on Thursday.

Thai netizens were furious after the story was posted on the popular Mor Lab Panda Facebook page and demanded legal action.

Most netizens slammed the foreigner, saying that his actions were against the law and destroyed the marine ecosystem. They also called on government agencies to take legal action against the foreigner and the boatman.

Meanwhile, the Facebook page “Drama-addict” shared the data from the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation, which said that the catching of parrotfish for entertainment or cooking had caused the destruction of many coral reefs.

“The department also urged people not to purchase or consume parrotfish,” the page said, “People can inform national park officials to take legal action against anyone who hunts parrotfish in the national park area.”

The page added that anyone who harms or takes animals away from the national park area would face up to five years’ imprisonment or up to a 20,000 baht fine, or both, under Section 16(3) of the National Park Act BE 2504 (1961).

Published : August 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/national/40018787

Communities and a host of government agencies have already been urged to cope with possible flash floods and surface water runoffs due to tropical storm Mulan, Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda said on Thursday.

His statement came after the Thailand Meteorological Department announced on Wednesday that the storm would bring isolated heavy to very heavy rains across the North, the Northeast and the East from August 11-13.

Anupong said the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation had warned people and related agencies to be ready for possible disasters, especially those in areas at risk of flooding and landslides.

The department has already checked the condition of warning towers nationwide, he said.

“We don’t want to see anyone suffer. We will assist them as soon as possible if a disaster occurs,” he promised.

Anupong said he also does not want to see Thailand hit by flooding similar to South Korea, which is seeing its worst inundation in 115 years.

The minister hoped Thailand would not see a repeat of the disastrous 2011 floods.

Widespread flooding triggered by tropical storm Nock-ten at the end of July 2011 spread across a majority of northern, northeastern and central Thailand provinces, especially those along the Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers.

In October that year, floodwaters from the North reached the mouth of the Chao Phraya and went on to inundate several parts of the capital.

The floods persisted in some areas even until the middle of January 2012, resulting in 815 deaths, three missing and 13.6 million people affected.

Meanwhile, 65 of 76 provinces were declared flood disaster zones, and more than 20,000 square kilometres of farmland were damaged.

Published : August 11, 2022

By : THE NATION