Children seeking jasmine flowers for Mother’s Day this week could be in for a shock. Short supply coupled with high demand has sent prices for the flowers soaring 400 per cent to 1,200 baht per kilogram.
The flowers are used to make garlands that children place around their mothers’ necks and wrists in ceremonial displays of love and respect on August 12 each year.
Farmers in Khon Kaen said a kilo of their jasmine flowers is now fetching 1,200 baht as garland makers scramble to meet surging demand.
The perfumed flowers are in steady demand all year round as a popular adornment for Buddhist holy days, which happen four times a month.
However, this year the spike in demand ahead of Mother’s Day has coincided with shortages in the North after storms damaged farmers’ fields.
Somboon Ampaiwong, 60, a resident of Tambon Sila in Muang district, said jasmine from his one-rai plot is selling fast at flower shops in downtown Khon Kaen.
Normally, farmers sell the jasmine flowers for only 300 baht per kilo, he added.
He said the flower shops sell jasmine garlands for Bt50 to Bt200 each, depending on the size.
Agencies have received orders from the prime minister to tackle two urgent issues, Bangkok floods and the monkeypox outbreak.
Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department is sending 18 water pumps to Bangkok districts flooded by heavy rain since Sunday. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt says the city needs replacements for 300 ageing water pumps to tackle the ongoing rainy-season flooding.
Prayut also ordered the military to prepare personnel and supplies for relief missions to help flood victims across the country, while provincial governors and local government agencies have been placed on alert.
The PM also ordered authorities to issue rapid compensation so flood victims can get back to normal life as soon as possible, the spokesman said.
Prayut urged people in flood-risk areas to follow updates from authorities closely.
On the monkeypox outbreak, Prayut ordered agencies to monitor the situation closely.
As of Tuesday, Thailand had recorded four cases of the disease.
The first batch of around 1,000 monkeypox vaccine doses is due to arrive in the country in the second half of this month.
The Public Health Ministry says two groups will be prioritised for vaccination – medical personnel and people who have been in close contact with known cases.
Monkeypox is far less infectious than Covid-19 and therefore not difficult to contain, according to medics at Ramathibodi Hospital’s Centre for Medical Genomics. They said one monkeypox patient can spread the disease to only one or two people.
The four monkeypox cases in Thailand have suffered no severe symptoms.
Thanakorn said that people who suspect they may have come into contact with the disease can visit their nearest hospital for a test or call the 1422 hotline for information.
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) of Thailand has allayed fears about flooding of its subway, saying the system has been designed to be flood-proof even when rainfall is at the highest level in 200 years.
The MRTA issued a statement after clips were circulated on social media from South Korea of floodwaters gushing down a subway in the Gwanak district in Seoul.
The MRTA operates the Blue Line, which is a subway with a total length of 48 kilometres and 38 stations.
The statement said the the entrance to the stations have been designed to be some 1.2 to 1.5 metres above ground level, which would already make it flood-proof. The height is based on calculation of high rainfall and subsequent floodwater level from records of rainfall in 200 years, the MRTA affirmed.
Each entrance is also equipped with a foldable “Stop Log” flood-prevention barrier, which is a metre high. The Stop Log” barrier will be used if the floodwaters rise above the height of the entrance.
The MRTA added that each entrance has water-trapping holes to trap rainwater, which would be pumped out.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has told the Energy Ministry to consider subsidising electricity for vulnerable groups after he put the brakes on a planned increase in power fees for this month.
Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Prayut met with the Energy Ministry and the Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday to discuss the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat)’s plan to raise the FT rate.
The FT or Float Time is based on “uncontrollable costs” of power generating, such as fuel prices, inflation, exchange rate and electricity purchasing from private power plants.
Thanakorn said the meeting resolved that the FT rate for August will not be increased, and when the new rate for September to December is enforced, the government will partially subsidise charges for vulnerable groups.
The spokesman said Prayut asked the Energy Ministry to work out details of the subsidy with other concerned agencies and send the proposal to the Cabinet for deliberation.
Prayut also urged the Energy Ministry to coordinate with Egat and look for ways to lower the cost of generating power for the remaining five months of this year, Thanakorn added.
“The PM is concerned that the FT rate increase will affect all sectors and the government will try its best to minimise the impact,” the spokesman said.
“If the FT increase is unavoidable, the Energy Ministry will look for new measures to help ease the burden on people. The government will, in particular, consider measures to help low-income people.”
The Labour Ministry plans to propose a 5-8 per cent increase in the minimum wage to the Cabinet in September.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said on Tuesday that the increase will vary in provinces due to a difference in the cost of living. He added that it is time to boost minimum wages, especially after the hardship inflicted by the Covid-19 fallout.
“The government has helped prevent layoffs,” he said. “Now it is time for us and employers to boost workers’ morale.”
Suchart explained that the increase is based on Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP), inflation and cost of living.
The average daily minimum wage currently stands at 336 baht.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin
He said steps should immediately be taken to help workers in Phuket, Bangkok and provinces in the Eastern Economic Corridor, adding that he hopes the new wage will go into effect from October 1 as many consumer goods are getting expensive.
He also said that this push for a wage increase was not a move to win votes, but was being sought to secure the country’s economy and security.
Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) chairman Sanan Angubolkul said the agency agreed with moves to boost the minimum wage because rising inflation has triggered a surge in the cost of living.
However, he said, the plan should be studied thoroughly from all dimensions.
“TCC agrees that wages should be increased based on the cost of living in different provinces,” he said.
However, TCC vice chairman Visit Limlurcha said the impact of rising production costs in each business sector is different.
For instance, he said, industries that consume a lot of electricity will see their costs rise higher than others. Also, he said, the increase in the minimum wage may subsequently increase the price of goods and services, thus resulting in an impact on consumers.
“Hence, it is necessary to thoroughly study the issue to ensure that workers can survive, businesses can continue operating and there is less of an impact on the economy,” he said.
Visit said the minimum wage increase will boost production costs by 5 to 20 per cent, depending on the number of workers a business has.
For instance, he said, industries that are automated may only face a 5 per cent increase in production costs.
To mitigate the impact of rising wages on the business sector, he said, the government should offer mitigating measures like supporting manufacturing technology, promoting alternative energy and giving entrepreneurs easier access to funding. He also said a National Single Window system should be developed to make it easier for businesses to apply for licences.
Motorists have been advised to avoid using roads around the construction site of the 18.7-kilometre expressway linking Rama III, Dao Khanong and Bangkok’s Western Outer Ring Road for several months.
Surachet Laophulsuk, Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) governor, said on Monday that work on the expressway has been accelerated and is already 33.46 per cent complete.
He added that though motorists have been advised to avoid the area, EXAT has also implemented measures to ensure everyone’s safety.
“According to data, no fatal accidents have taken place in the area so far,” he said, adding that that fact alone makes it a “zero-accident zone”.
The areas that have been closed are as follows:
• Rama II Road traffic island from KM600+000 to KM12+000 closed until October 2024.
• Rama II Road traffic island from KM600+000 to KM1+000 closed until April 2024.
• Road behind Suksawat toll plaza (inbound) closed until June 30, 2023.
• Left lane at the Rama IX Bridge exit (Thonburi side) from September to June 2023.
• Left lane at the Rama IX Bridge exit (Bangkok side) closed until March 30, 2023.
• Front of the Dao Khanong toll plaza closed from September 2022 to December 2023.
After the Chonburi pub blaze claimed 15 lives and injured dozens of others last week, Bangkok authorities have launched a citywide hunt for safety violations to prevent a similar tragedy.
While inspecting venues in Chatuchak district on Monday, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt ordered an eatery in Soi Ratchada 36 to close because it did not meet legal requirements for live shows and had not put in place fire safety measures.
Chadchart was checking the area with district chief Pornlert Penpas.
Steps are being taken to avoid a repeat of the Mountain B Pub blaze in Sattahip district, which was found to be illegally operating as an entertainment venue despite only having a restaurant permit.
Meanwhile, the restaurant in Soi Ratchada 36 was ordered closed because it failed to comply with fire safety standards as it had no fire exits and not enough fire extinguishers. According to the law, each public site must have one fire extinguisher for every 100 square metres.
The restaurant was also found to be operating as a live music venue without the correct permit.
The governor ordered the restaurant to close until it has met all requirements and received relevant permits.
Pornlert said officials have so far inspected 28 restaurants operating as entertainment venues in Chatuchak district. Of them, 11 are in compliance with the law, while 17 have been ordered to make rectifications. Another 18 restaurants in the area are pending inspection.
No casualties were reported in the fire that broke out in a building inside the Joint US Military Advisory Group Thailand (Jusmagthai) complex in Bangkok’s Sathorn area on Monday night.
Five fire trucks arrived at the scene at around 7.35pm and spent some 30 minutes extinguishing the fire. The flames had originated from an uninhabited two-storey building in the compound, which is close to the German Embassy premises.
Officials have blocked Soi Sathorn 1 to traffic as they are inspecting powerlines for possible damage.
The cause of the fire had not been determined as of press time and investigation is underway.
Chonburi authorities and foundations have come together to offer 354,400 baht each to the families of the 15 people who died in the Mountain B Pub blaze last Friday.
The fire at the unlicensed entertainment venue in Sattahip district also injured 40 others. Officials are investigating the cause of the blaze, the venue’s operation as a drinking establishment with just a restaurant permit as well as illegal alterations made to the building.
Chonburi deputy governor Naris Niramaiwong said on Monday that several state agencies and foundations have agreed to make contributions to aid the families of the deceased. The agencies and foundations making contributions are the Sattahip Municipal Office, the PM’s Disaster Relief Fund, Chonburi Justice Provincial Office, Chonburi Social Development and Human Security Office, Rajaprajanugroh Foundation, Sawang Rojana Thammasathan Foundation, Poh Teck Tung Foundation and Ngek Sian Hong Te Shrine. The compensation offered will also include 50,000 baht per person offered by the owner of the pub.
Naris added that victims who had taken out life insurance policies or social security will also receive compensation as stated.
The deputy governor added that the ad hoc administration centre for fire victims will be shut down so officials can return to their normal duties.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin
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