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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018433

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of 1.249 billion baht to train people in part-time occupations to help them through economic hardship.

The budget will fund three-month courses to equip people with skills such as hairdressing, packaging design, auto repair, air conditioner repair, sewing, and making household tools. The skills training aims to attract 700,000 participants in 400 local communities and generate total income of at least 12.49 billion baht.

Department of Industrial Promotion has been tasked with running the training from its 12 regional centres nationwide. The courses will run until September.

Government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul said the programme would help boost income for households, especially among those who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 epidemic. The skills training could also be developed into full-time careers, she added.

The budget will be divided to cover five categories:

– Training in production-related subjects for 350,000 people (529.9 million baht);

– Training in packaging design for 270,000 people (476.28 million baht);

– Training in services and technical subjects for 40,000 people (67.56 million baht);

– Training in business development for 40,000 people (48.56 million baht);

– Administration costs of 126.99 million baht.

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018431

A woman who says she was bitten by a Sumatran pit viper at a Bangkok shopping mall has complained that the management refused to take responsibility for the incident.

In a Facebook post, Tharathip Samart said the incident happened on Friday as she walked from the second-floor car park to the entrance of the store in Bangkae, western Bangkok.

She declined to name the mall, only saying it was a well-known department store, but posted photos of the dead snake and her swollen left foot as evidence.

She said that after being bitten she had to kill the snake as there was no security guard around to help.

Tharathip said she reported the incident to officials at the store, but they just asked her where she could receive free medical treatment. The store then took her to hospital but did not treat the incident as an emergency and failed to call an ambulance, she added.

Store officials then left her at the hospital without taking care of her medical expenses, she complained.

The hospital said she would have to be admitted for several days so they could monitor the effects of the snake’s venom on her body.

Tharathip said she called the department store but was told by an official there that it did not own the snake and therefore would not take responsibility for the incident.

After she threatened to post details of the incident on social media unless the store took responsibility, the official replied that she could do anything she liked but the store would not take responsibility as it did not raise or own the snake.

She said the official added that the senior staff member who could make a decision had not yet returned from the long holiday.

Meanwhile, well-known lawyer Decha Kittiwitthayanan said the department store could not deny responsibility as the incident happened inside its compound.

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018430

Starting October 30, Russia’s national airline Aeroflot will resume daily direct flights from Moscow to Phuket.

The airline suspended its Moscow-Phuket service in March after Russia invaded Ukraine, triggering European Union sanctions against Moscow that covered aviation.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the resumption of direct flights ahead of winter in Europe would benefit Thai tourism as Russian tourists would be eager to travel to warmer places, including Thailand.

The first seven months of 2022 saw over 76,000 Russian tourists arrive in Thailand, he added. The TAT is targeting one million Russian arrivals this year.

“Once Aeroflot resumes its flights to Thailand, other Russian airlines will soon follow,” he said.

Thailand saw a total of 3.12 million foreign tourists in the first seven months of 2022, according to TAT figures. The agency is eyeing 7 to 10 million foreign arrivals this year.

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018429

Chiang Rai Airport is expected to return to normal operations on Wednesday after it removes on Tuesday evening the stranded Nok Air plane that skidded off the runway.

Nok Air DD108 flight from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport skidded off the runway as it was trying to land in heavy rain at Chiang Rai’s Mae Fah Luang Airport on Saturday night. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft had 164 passengers and six crew on board, who were later taken safely to the terminal.

On Tuesday, airport director squadron leader Somchanok Tiamtiabrat said that the Transport Ministry’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee had approved the removal of the stranded plane from the runway on Monday, and the airport expected the task to be completed by Tuesday evening.

Somchanok added that the airport has been working with Nok Air and has received assistance from Thai Airways International Plc’s aircraft recovery team.

“We have constructed a temporary road made of crushed stone to facilitate the removal of the disabled aircraft,” he said. “Crew from PTT Plc will siphon off all fuel from the airplane, then the aircraft recovery team will insert an air mattress under the plane’s head, inflate it to lift the head up and place an aircraft mat underneath, so that the plane can be towed away safely.”

Somchanok added that the Royal Thai Air Force has provided the aircraft mat and other equipment, while the Army has deployed 60 soldiers in two shifts to assist with the task.

“Officials have been working around the clock to clear the runway as soon as possible. We expect the plane to be removed this evening [August 2], and that the airport will open as usual on Wednesday, if nothing goes wrong,” said Somchanok.

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018428

Thailand’s first batch of monkeypox vaccine will arrive in the second half of this month, the Disease Control Department (DCD) said on Tuesday. The batch of 1,000 doses will be used to protect people seen as vulnerable to the virus, said DCD chief Opas Karnkawinpong.

He said the DCD was coordinating with the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) to buy third-generation monkeypox vaccine, which is easy to administer and has few side effects.

A public health committee would decide which vulnerable groups should be prioritised for vaccination with the doses, he added.

By late July, 22,816 confirmed cases of monkeypox had been recorded in 76 countries. The five countries with highest number of confirmed cases are the United States (5,189 cases), Spain (4,386), Germany (2,595), UK (2,469) and France (1,955).

Thailand has recorded two confirmed cases. A total of 42 people are thought to have come into close contact with the two cases. So far, 33 of the close contacts have been traced and tested negative. The Public Health Ministry also detected another 30 suspicious cases but all tested negative for monkeypox.

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018423

Thailand, dubbed one of the most dangerous countries for driving, saw a total of 32,190 road accidents in 2020 and 2021, mostly involving pickups, according to the Transport Ministry.

Thailand, which has been ranked as the second most dangerous country to drive in by a website, reported 21,052 accidents in 2020 and 11,138 accidents in 2021.

The Zutobi, which is a driver’s education portal website that publishes a new score annually, reported in May that Thailand scored badly on five different factors to rank it on second on the list of most dangerous nations to drive in.

The factors include estimated road death rates, maximum motorway speed limits, seat-belt wearing rates, alcohol-related deaths, and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits.

In its report in May, Zutobi ranked Thailand in second spot with 4.35 points, behind South Africa (3.41 points). The United States was third with 5.03 points.

According to the Ministry of Transport’s Data Catalogue, motorcycles did not cause the most accidents as many assumed but most accidents that happened in 2020 and 2021 involved pickup trucks (37 per cent), followed by a category of private and public vehicles (27 per cent).

Key interesting statistics from the ministry’s Data Catalogue include:

Types of vehicles in accidents:

– Pickups (37%)

– Private and public vehicles (27%)

– Motorcycles (20%)

– Trucks with at least 10 wheels (8%)

– Six-wheel trucks (6%)

– Vans (2%)

Types of roads where most accidents happened:

– Straight-ahead roads without slope (70%)

– Curves without slope (13%)

– Curves with slope (8%)

– Bridges to commercial venues (3%)

– Intersections (1%)

Types of accidents:

– Overturning on or skidding off straight-ahead roads (43%)

– Rear crash (31%)

– Overturning or skidding off curved roads (13%)

– Head-on crashes (5%)

– Crashing into traffic barriers (4%)

– Crashing at intersections (2%)

– Hitting pedestrians (2%)

Causes of accidents:

– Violation of speed limit (78%)

– Being cut in front by pedestrians, vehicles or animals (8%)

– Falling asleep behind wheel (4%)

– Drunk driving (3%)

– Violations of traffic lights or signs or vehicles malfunctioning (2%)

– Unlawfully overtaking other vehicles, not allowing vehicles on main road to pass first, or not familiar with roads (1%).

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018419

Nok Air defended its decision to keep passengers cooped up inside the aircraft for hours after skidding off the runway on Saturday night by saying it was concerned about their safety.

The DD108 flight from Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport skidded off the runway as it was trying to land in heavy rain at Chiang Rai’s Mae Fah Luang Airport.

The Boeing 737-800 aircraft had 164 passengers and six crew on board.

Nok Air said it decided against evacuating passengers via slides immediately because the ground had many puddles due to heavy rain. Also, it said, it was worried about their safety as it was dark outside and there may be dangerous animals lurking in the area.

“The crew told passengers to wait on board until we could confirm that the area was safe,” said the airline. “Nok Air follows the highest safety standards. We will try to fix the problem and improve our services to minimise the impact on passengers. We apologise for the inconvenience that you may have experienced from this incident.”

Dark and stuffy

Reports say that the captain immediately turned off the engines of the aircraft as soon as it was brought to a stop, leaving the cabin dark and without air.

The passengers were told to remain on board until buses arrive to take them to the terminal. However, only some 20 passengers were removed after about an hour, while the rest were left complaining about the lack of fresh air. After much insistence by angry passengers, the pilot eventually agreed to open one of the eight emergency exits so passengers could disembark on a slide.

Under international aviation rules, all passengers must be evacuated from an aircraft within 90 seconds of a serious incident, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) chief said.

Awaiting clarifications

CAAT has said that it will let Nok Air’s pilots and representatives, as well as airport officials, explain the incident on Wednesday. The airline is expected to explain the cause of the runway excursion as well as clarify how it followed the Air Operator Certificate Requirements in Emergency Evacuation.

Though the requirements stipulate that passengers must be evacuated in 90 seconds, it gives the crew the right to decide against evacuation if there is a higher risk outside that can jeopardise passengers’ safety.

Nok Air will also need to report remedial measures it has taken, including luggage handling of evacuated passengers and flight rescheduling options.

The airport announced it would remain closed until Wednesday to remove the stricken plane from the runway.

The airline responded by saying all flights to and from Chiang Rai airport will be cancelled until Wednesday, though passengers have the option of using Chiang Mai airport instead. Passengers will be provided shuttle buses between the two airports.

Nok Air said passengers not willing to travel to or from Chiang Mai can choose to either change their flight or re-route it for free, hang on to their travel voucher which is valid for 365 days or get a refund via their preferred payment channel.

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018415

Improper use of Covid-19 antivirals can create drug resistance, the Department of Disease Control warned on Monday.

Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, the department’s director-general, said healthy people who have been vaccinated do not need to take antivirals as most of them develop mild symptoms. 

The government recently gave private hospitals and clinics the go-ahead to prescribe the antiviral Molnupiravir to patients suffering from severe Covid-19 symptoms. 

However, Opas said that though the antivirals ease symptoms fast, they can have a negative impact in the long term if used improperly. 

“Antiviral drugs should only be taken when prescribed by a physician because improper use can create drug resistance,” he said. 

As for President Joe Biden developing a “rebound” Covid-19 infection last week after taking the antiviral Paxlovid, Opas said this was possibly because of drug resistance. He explained that drug resistance stops the antiviral from removing all the virus from the body.

Biden first contracted the virus on July 21 but developed mild symptoms. However, after testing negative for three days running, he tested positive again on July 30.

Separately, Opas said that 7,000 of the 257,500 Evusheld Long-Acting Antibody (LAAB) doses ordered with AstraZeneca will be delivered to state-run hospitals within this week. 

The drug will be prescribed to patients suffering from chronic kidney disease who require dialysis or immunosuppressants as well as organ transplant patients. 

He added that AstraZeneca will deliver the rest of the order within two months.

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018414

An investigation team will look into the collapse of the roof at the entrance to the Bangkok-Pattaya motorway in Chachoengsao and should have answers within 14 days, the Department of Highways said.

The roof above the leftmost toll booth at the Bang Pakong gate collapsed at 11.30am amid heavy rain on Monday. Nobody was harmed as there were no vehicles at the entrance at the time.

Read more: https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018388

The department director-general Sarawut Songsiwilai said the department’s Inter-City Motorway Division has been instructed to make way for motorists at the entrance and repair the area as soon as possible.

“The division has also been urged to focus on enhancing the entrance’s durability to ensure the safety of motorists and toll booth operators,” he said, apologising for the accident.

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018413

The Public Health Ministry released treatment guidelines on Monday after the second monkeypox patient was detected in Thailand last week.

Dr Naruemon Sawanpanyalert, a specialist at the Medical Services Department, said those at risk will be treated as monkeypox patients while waiting for test results from two labs for accuracy.

If the virus is not detected by either lab, then the patient will be treated for symptoms or be discharged. Suspected monkeypox patients who show no symptoms will be advised to monitor themselves for 21 days and visit a doctor immediately if they develop any symptoms.

If the virus is detected, the patient will be treated and isolated. They can only get palliative care as there are no antiviral drugs for monkeypox yet. The patient will be isolated for 14 to 21 days until their scabs fall off.

Naruemon said there are six high-risk groups that might develop severe symptoms, namely:

• People with compromised immunity like HIV and cancer patients.
• People who have received an organ or bone marrow transplant over the past two years.
• People suffering from immunosuppression.
• Children aged eight or less.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women.
• People suffering from skin disease.

The Public Health Ministry confirmed that the second monkeypox case was found in Bangkok on July 28, while the Disease Control Department said no new cases were found as of Monday.

Published : August 02, 2022

By : THE NATION