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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017817

Arrest for non-payment of traffic fines isn’t the only new rule that motorists need to be aware of, a public prosecutor warned on Saturday.

Six other traffic regulations became law after being published in the Royal Gazette on July 12, said Thanakrit Vorathanatchakul, a senior prosecutor attached to the Attorney General’s Office.

The rules involve a points system for driving-licence holders, with penalties including suspension and seizure of the licence.

Under one rule, motorists start with 12 points on their licence, with points deducted for traffic violations. Drivers whose points drop to zero will have their licences suspended for up to 90 days.

Another rule, in force from July 13, empowers police to suspend licences of anyone caught driving dangerously or fleeing the scene after causing a road accident.

Police officers are also authorised to seize the driving licences — physically or electronically — of motorists deemed no longer able to drive safely. This rule will be in effect from January 8 next year.

The rules allow drivers to appeal suspension of their licence within 15 days, by registered mail or in person. Appeals must be considered within 30 days of being received.

Another new rule will upgrade enforcement by linking Royal Thai Police and Department of Land Transport electronic records of motorists, driving licences, vehicle registration, and traffic offences.

Under a separate and controversial new rule, police will send traffic tickets to offenders by registered mail within 30 days of the offence. If fines are not paid within 15 days, a summons is sent to the offender’s registered address.

If the offender fails to pay the fine after two summonses, police can ask the court to issue an arrest warrant.

Published : July 16, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017816

The Facebook page of a doctor who died while trying to save a British tourist from drowning on Phuket was inundated with messages of condolence on Saturday.

Dr Surasit Phonglaohaphan, 55, from Chiang Mai, and British national Ali Mohammed Mian, 33, were pronounced dead at Chalong Hospital after lifeguards had pulled them from the water off Kata Noi Beach on Thursday.

Witnesses said Mian had ignored red flags signifying strong waves and rip currents and was swept away by the waves. Surasit, who was sitting on the beach, rushed into the sea to save the man.

Police reported that Mian, from London, was on his honeymoon and had checked into a hotel at Kata Noi on Tuesday.

Messages left by netizens on Surasit’s Facebook page praised him as a hero who had sacrificed himself in a bid to save a life. Meanwhile, Surasit’s colleagues at the Lampang hospital where he worked said he was kind-hearted, friendly and outgoing with everyone.

His family announced that the funeral will be held at Wat Suandok in Lampang’s Muang district on Saturday, while Surasit’s body will be donated to the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University.

Published : July 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017815

The Northeast’s Nakhon Ratchasima province is celebrating after its special “non-stinky” variety of durian was granted geographical indication (GI) certification.

The Pak Chong-Khao Yai durian, a variety of the famous Mon Thong strain, is the star of a festival at Pak Chong district’s Chokchai Farm on Friday and Saturday.

Pak Chong-Khao Yai have a winning combination of sweetness, dry, soft flesh and no strong smell, according to growers.

Nakhon Ratchasima deputy governor Chusak Chunkoh presided over Friday’s opening of the first Pak Chong-Khao Yai GI Durian Festival and presented GI certificates to 39 durian farms in the Pak Chong and Khao Yai areas.

The Department of Intellectual Property registered the Pak Chong-Khao Yai variety as a GI product last year.

Festival co-organiser the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) also invited visitors to enter the Amazing Durian Metaverse (www.amazingthailandmetaverse.com) for a virtual tour of durian orchards.

Meanwhile back in the real world, visitors gorged on durian and fruit buffets (399 baht for 49 minutes) as well as dragon fruit, longan, banana, avocado and sugar apples grown in Pak Chong orchards. Miss Universe Thailand beauty queens were on hand to sweeten the experience even further.

Published : July 16, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017812

A police officer was shot while heading home on his motorbike in Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok district in the early hours of Saturday. He succumbed to his wounds a few hours later.

Police Lance Corporal Thanakrit Reugdee, 23, from the subdistrict Su-ngai Kolok Police Station was rushed to hospital at around 1.40am after a passer-by spotted him lying in the middle of the road. He later succumbed to two gunshot wounds in his right rib cage.

CCTV footage from a camera 200 metres from the crime scene showed a motorbike with two suspects tailing the lance corporal.

“As the motorbike got closer, the suspect riding pillion pulled out an unknown type of handgun and fired four shots, two of which hit Thanakrit, causing him to lose control of his vehicle and fall,” said Pol Colonel Pratchaya Paitae, chief of the Su-ngai Kolok Police Station.

“After the shooting, the suspects drove away without stopping,” Pratchaya said, adding that the motive of the shooting is not yet clear.

However, he said, one possible theory is that a gang of motorcycle racers may be exacting revenge on Thanakrit, who was tasked with patrolling the streets of the Su-ngai Kolok subdistrict where these racers normally flock to. Thanakrit had reportedly dispersed these gangs several times during the Hari Raya festival.

Pratchaya said he does not think this killing was the work of insurgents as they usually take officers’ weapons after shooting them.

Published : July 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017811

Covid-19 patients in Bangkok and its five satellite provinces will be provided with telemedicine services in a bid to curb the spread of the virus and ease the workload of medical personnel.

This move is in response to the surge in cases caused by the currently dominant BA.5 subvariant of Omicron.

Government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said on Saturday that in addition to existing access to medicine and treatment, Covid-19 patients in Greater Bangkok are also eligible for telemedicine services through two mobile apps.

The patients can use either Good Doctor Technology or MorDee apps to access services provided by the National Health Security Office (NHSO).

Greater Bangkok includes adjacent provinces of Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon.

Rachada added that patients eligible for NHSO services are required to register with either of these apps before they “see” a doctor online. Once they are diagnosed, the patients will get medicine delivered to their homes for free.

“Now that the number of cases is surging, the government is doing its best to ensure all patients have prompt access to healthcare so their condition does not worsen,” she said.

“Telemedicine is an efficient channel to help curb the spread of the disease and reduce the workload of medical personnel in hospitals.”

Though most Omicron BA.5 patients show mild symptoms, they are advised by the Public Health Ministry to stay isolated at home for 10 days, the spokesperson said.

Published : July 16, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017810

Treatment of Covid-19 patients in home or community isolation is still covered under the National Health Security scheme, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) said on Saturday.

The NHSO made the clarification after adjusting its funding for Covid treatment on July 4, following the reclassification of the disease as endemic on July 1. Under the new funding system, people in home or community isolation will be regarded as outpatients rather than Covid-19 patients.

As for inpatients, responsibility for funding special rooms and protective equipment for Covid treatment will pass from the NHSO to the DRG (Diagnostic Related Groups) system.

NHSO secretary-general Jadet Thammathat-Aree explained that after the new funding scheme was announced, some people had mistakenly thought the home and community isolation systems were cancelled or would be no longer be covered under the National Health Security scheme.

“NHSO is still paying compensation to public health units for providing drugs, tests and services to people who contract Covid-19, whether as outpatients in home/community isolation or as inpatients,” said Jadet.

“The new payment system was implemented to help the NHSO manage its budget from government more efficiently now that the disease is regarded as endemic,” he added.

Published : July 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017807

A Facebook page raised many questions when it posted images of students in Narathiwat’s Chanae district dressed as armed terrorists in an Eid al-Adha parade on Friday.

The page, called “เสียงจากแผ่นดินแม่” (voice from the motherland), asked if these children supported or idolised terrorists, and aired concern that this might create a misunderstanding.

Many netizens responded to the post by accusing the students of supporting the insurgency in the South, while one asked why no teacher stopped them.

The page then posted another comment on Saturday after getting an answer from the Koireeyah mosque’s imam and a parade participant.

Imam Samri Jae-mae said the parade has been held every year on Eid al-Adha for the past 15 years and participants were divided into three teams – red, blue and purple.

He said each team tried to outdo each other in the contest but admitted that the red team’s costume was inappropriate.

Apologising for the misunderstanding, he said the students really only dressed this way for fun.

Meanwhile, Mahama Jae-ma said his team only wanted to attract attention. He also apologised, saying he did not mean to create a misunderstanding.

Published : July 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017806

Police swooped in on a bar in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district in the early hours of Saturday, arrested the manager for serving alcohol to minors and confiscated two bags of ketamine weighing 0.62 grams.

Ateam from the Youth and Women Welfare Centre as well as officers from the Sai Mai Police Station showed up at Pahonbar, where they found a lot of people ignoring Covid rules and sitting close together, or dancing on the stage or around their tables.

Of the 156 people in the bar, 32 were found to be underage and were openly drinking alcohol and dancing.

Police then spoke to a 21-year-old man who claimed to be the manager and asked him to produce his entertainment and alcohol licence. However, the manager was only able to come up with an alcohol licence, which resulted in him being slapped with a charge of illegally running an entertainment venue. He also faces charges of allowing drug-related crimes to take place, allowing people under 20 to enter an entertainment venue and selling alcohol to people under 20.

As of press time, it was still unclear what led the police to this bar.

Published : July 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017805

Thai K-pop superstar Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban had something sweet to offer to her 80 million Instagram followers – “stories” about Thai desserts.

On Friday, the Blackpink band member posted one reel titled “Thai desserts” displaying traditional delicacies like “luk chup” and steamed banana cakes and another of her rolling a roti with cotton candy with the caption “sai mai (cotton candy)”.

This cotton candy dessert, featuring an adapted version of the Indian roti, is a special delicacy in Ayutthaya province. Lots of well-known “sai mai” vendors can be spotted near the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital.

Many fans are curious if Lisa’s stories will spark a Thai dessert fever, much like the craze for meatballs after she spoke about her favourite meatball vendor in Buri Ram in a television interview last year.

Published : July 16, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017804

A TikTok clip showing a young Buri Ram student riding an elephant to school went viral on Friday.

The clip, posted by “@Ole FcThailand”, was quick to capture hearts as people were amazed by the love shared by the little girl and her giant friend.

Inspired by the clip, Nation TV visited the girl at home in Buri Ram’s Tha Muang district on Friday and learned that the 25-year-old male elephant is called Ole and is owned by her father Wisanchon Yongram, 38.

Wisanchon owns three other elephants, namely 22-year-old Wassana and 2-month-old Ngamta, both female, and 4-year-old male Ngamchoke.

The elephants used to perform at the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace, but Wisanchon was forced to return home with his troop when the place shut down temporarily due to Covid.

He said his daughter Phatcharapha, 11, has helped him feed and bathe Ole for years now and began riding him when she was six. Phatcharapha is now a Prathom 5 student and gets Ole to carry her the half-kilometre to school every day, so her father can save on fuel.

Phatcharapha said she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.

Published : July 16, 2022

By : THE NATION