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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024350

Covid hospitalisations, deaths drop sharply in 3rd week of Jan

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2023

Thailand’s Covid-19 hospitalisations and deaths dropped in the third week of January, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said on Wednesday.

A total of 627 people were hospitalised with severe Covid symptoms from January 15-21, an average of 90 per day. This was lower than the 969 hospitalised from January 8-14, averaging 138 patients per day.

So far this year, 2,593 people have been admitted to hospital for Covid-19 symptoms.

The third week of this year also saw 44 deaths from Covid, or about six per day, compared to 65 deaths in the second week, or about nine per day.

So far this year, 167 people have died from Covid-19.

The DDC said 277 Covid patients are currently being treated for lung infections and 178 are on ventilators.

Eight foreign arrivals tested positive between January 8 and 21. One was hospitalised while the rest had mild or no symptoms. Three of the infected were Chinese while the rest came from Myanmar, Cambodia, Japan, Britain, and South Korea.

The Omicron BA.2.75 subvariant is currently the dominant strain in Thailand, accounting for 86% of infections, the DDC said. Strains found abroad are responsible for the remaining infections.

“People are advised to continue protecting their health against Covid-19 by wearing face masks in public, washing their hands regularly, and taking an ATK test immediately if they have symptoms of fever, coughing, runny nose, or lose their sense of smell or taste,” said DDC director-general Thares Krainairawiwong.

For information or assistance, contact the DDC hotline on 1422.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024341

4 best destinations in Thailand to go off-grid

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023

Giant online travel agency Booking.com offered tourists four off-grid places across the country since its research revealed that “Back to Basics” has become the newest travel trend among Thai tourists in 2023.

The sample group of research respondents includes 504 Thai people who plan to travel for work or pleasure in the next 12 to 24 months.

It was shown that 69% of Thai travellers are looking to escape from reality this year by embarking on an off-grid vacation. 78% desire to learn essential survival skills, while 70% want to go back to basics with only the bare necessities.

The four recommended places are O Little Tent de Koh Chang, Phuket and Phang Nga Full-day Eco Adventure, COOLLiving Farmhouse Organic, and KowitFarmstay.

In Ranong province, O Little Tent de Koh Chang, located on a private beachfront, offers tourists a variety of activities including fishing, hiking, and diving for guests to explore nature and disconnect from the world.

This location also provides internet access for visitors as 53% of the participant said that they require their devices to be connected to the internet at all times, according to the research. 

For eco-friendly tourism, Phuket and Phang Nga Full-day Eco Adventure is seen as a place where tourists can experience local life and discover beautiful natural landscapes, namely waterfalls, hot springs, natural pools, and sunset viewpoints, through trekking and paddling.

Since 78% of Thai travellers said they want to learn basic survival skills, the travel agency recommended the COOLLiving Farmhouse Organic in Nakhon Ratchasima, where guests can experience local activities such as picking vegetables, collecting eggs, feeding chickens, planting rice, and enjoying meals made with locally grown organic crops and herbs.

Eventually, the KowitFarmstay in Chaing Mai makes sense for people who are fond of travelling off-the-grid. Visitors can take part in a variety of activities, such as hiking in a natural attraction and enjoying views of the magnificent local mountain.

Related Stories: 

• Chachoengsao temple opens glass bridge above sea as new attraction
• Thailand among 23 ‘best places to visit’ in the world this year
• Flower power peaks as Tiger Queens bloom in the North

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024338

Tunnel of blooming monkey trees enticing tourists to Saraburi

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023

A tunnel of monkey flower trees, also known as “Pradu Daeng”, is ready to welcome visitors who drive along a road at the Thai-Danish Dairy Farm in Saraburi province, the Dairy Farming Promotion Organisation of Thailand said on Wednesday.

Somporn Srimuang, director of the organisation, said monkey flower trees – which Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn gave to the organisation – are now in full bloom.

“Monkey flower trees bloom once a year from January to February,” he explained, adding that they are older than 10 years and are located on a mountainous route.

Somporn Srimuang

Tourists can also visit a six-rai field of yellowing hemp, also known as “Por Tueng”.

“Tourists can visit the tunnel of monkey flower trees and the field of yellowing hemp until [the end of] February,” Somporn said.

He said his organisation is promoting the Thai-Danish Dairy Farm as a tourist attraction by encouraging farmers, students and tourists to visit the farm, which is also a dairy farming learning centre.

The farm’s landscape has been improved to attract tourists, Somporn added.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024337

Theft of life-saving machines latest scandal for Thai police

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023

In another red-faced incident for the Royal Thai Police, its spokesman announced on Wednesday that 27 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) installed around Bangkok under police care have been stolen.

Spokesman Maj-General Artchayon Kraithong said 27 out of the 262 defibrillators received for installation throughout Bangkok have been stolen. The stolen machines are worth 1.8 million baht.

He admitted the AED machines had been stolen after media reports said they were being sold online.

The spokesman told a press conference that the Royal Thai Police signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thai Red Cross on August 25 last year to receive 262 AED machines from the charity for installation throughout the capital.

AEDs can be used to resuscitate people suffering from heart conditions.

The AED machines were purchased by the Thai Red Cross and it still owns them because not all of them have been installed yet, Artchayon said.

Lt Gen Thiti Saengsawang, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau – which is in charge of the AED project – has instructed all police stations to search for the AED thieves.

Police stations where AED machines were stolen in the areas they serve and protect, must first register the thefts and then investigate as soon as possible, Thiti said.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024336

Health department warns restaurants to strictly follow regulations on cannabis

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023

The Department of Health inspected restaurants in Bangkok’s Taling Chan district on Wednesday to ensure that operators are strictly following regulations on selling of foods and/or beverages with cannabis as additive.

The department’s director-general, Dr Attapol Kaewsamrit, said all restaurant operators who sell foods and/or beverages with cannabis as an additive must clearly set up signboards with clear messages about the content.

Citing the Public Health Ministry’s announcement, he said operators must also show all available menus of foods and/or beverages with cannabis as additive, and provide safety recommendations to consumers:

■ Children aged below 20 years, pregnant women and nursing mothers should refrain from consuming foods and/or beverages with cannabis as additive.

■ People who develop symptoms should stop consuming foods and/or beverages with cannabis as additive and see the doctor.

■ People who are allergic to cannabis should refrain from consuming foods and/or beverages with cannabis as additive.

■ People should avoid driving or working with machines, as cannabis could cause drowsiness.

“Restaurant operators who violate the guidelines could face up to 50,000 baht fine,” Attapol said, adding local agencies had been instructed to ensure that restaurant operators strictly adhere to the guidelines.

He said restaurant operators must also request permission on setting up restaurants with local agencies, otherwise they could face up to six years imprisonment or up to 50,000 baht fine.

“Many restaurants have removed menus with cannabis as additive for the safety of consumers,” he said.

He added that the Department of Health would hold training sessions to create awareness among entrepreneurs and consumers on how to use cannabis and hemp appropriately.

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20 more Kana Pure cannabis outlets to be opened in Thailand next year

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024335

‘No police officer offering VIP services to tourists will be spared’

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023

The national police chief has ordered the police inspector-general to launch an investigation after a popular Facebook page alleged that VIP fast-track entry services sponsored by Thai police have been advertised in China for more than 10 years.

Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas said on Wednesday that he had assigned the police inspector-general to set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the allegations.

“Please be assured that no one will be spared,” the national police chief said.

Damrongsak was responding to a post on the “Lui Chin” (“Shoot to China”) page that said many ads of fast-track entry services aided by Thai police have been advertised by China’s e-commerce platform Taobao for over 10 years.

The ads claim, according to the page, that Thai police could help Chinese tourists receive fast-track immigration clearance without having to stand in line and that the tourists could even hire Thai police to provide motorcade escorts to their hotels.

If the probe implicates any police officers, they will face both disciplinary and criminal action, Damrongsak said.

“But please give us some time to gather facts because it involves tourist and traffic police, and [possibly] more. There could be other accomplices, such as tour guides, so the probe will be carried out at all levels,” he said.

After the comprehensive probe is completed, the police inspector-general will tell the media who will face charges, Damrongsak said.

Damrongsak said the police inspector-general would be the sole authority to talk to the media about the scandal.

“From now on, the spokespersons of all police bureaus will not be allowed to speak on the issue as they could cause public confusion with conflicting information,” Damrongsak said.

The national police chief added that he was certain that no international terrorists had bought such services because they had been blacklisted and would not escape police scrutiny before entering the kingdom.

Uniformed officers can not provide VIP services to tourists – even after their shifts, the police chief said, adding: it would be wrong even if they used personal vehicles to escort tourists to their hotels.

The investigation will make all police personnel too afraid to ever provide such services again, Damrongsak said.

When asked whether the police would summon the Chinese influencer whose VIP service clip went viral for interrogation, Damrongsak said the woman in the clip might have left Thailand.

The Chinese woman in the clip claimed she paid 6,000 to purchase a police escort from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to her hotel in Pattaya. She also claimed police whisked her through immigration.

Her clip prompted the Facebook page to expose ads in China saying Thai police offer VIP services for a price.

Related stories:

Facebook page exposes ‘VIP fast-track’ entry services for Chinese tourists

Airport cracks down on police following Chinese influencer’s video

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024330

Thai cat with ‘diamond’ eye goes viral on TikTok ahead of lottery

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023

TikTok clips of an orange tom cat with a shiny diamond-like left eye went viral on Wednesday, with netizens advising its owner to take good care of him because he will bring prosperity.

Four clips posted by @user3026088746242 show a male cat with a bizarre left eye in various poses. One clip drew 1.5 million views as of early Wednesday afternoon.

Most comments informed the cat’s owner that the cat would bring prosperity.

Some netizens also took the opportunity to predict lucky numbers for the February 1 lottery. Numbers may have been selected based on the TikTok user’s name or lucky numbers associated with dreaming of cats (usually 4, 8 and 7)

Many Thais believe that a cat with a diamond-coloured eye will result in diamonds being given to its owner. This belief was depicted in the 1972 Thai film “Cat’s Eye Diamond“.

However, what Thais refer to as a diamond eye in a cat is usually caused by glaucoma, not luck.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024329

Airport cracks down on police following Chinese influencer’s video

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023

Suvarnabhumi International Airport has sent a notice to police, customs and excise agencies to ensure their personnel comply with security measures following a viral clip of police providing fast-track entry services for a Chinese tourist.

Jiraporn Wongtala, director of the security division of the airport, issued the circular on Monday, addressing it to the headquarters of Samut Prakarn Provincial Police, Tourist Police Division 1, Immigration Police Division 1, the Suvarnabhumi Customs Office and the Samut Prakan Excise Office 2.

The five agencies must instruct their personnel to strictly wear uniforms and carry ID cards openly when they enter the airport, Jiraporn said in the notice.

The airport has to seek cooperation from the five agencies to remind their personnel of the airport’s security regulations after the video clip of a Chinese influencer went viral, Jiraporn said.

Airport security reviewed the video clip and concluded that the Chinese influencer was received by persons dressed like police after she exited her plane. She received fast-track clearance through immigration and was led by a siren-blaring motorcycle from the airport to her hotel in Pattaya.

The clip shows that security measures at the airport were compromised, Jiraporn said, referring specifically to entry and departure regulations.

Two tourist policemen and a traffic policeman are now under investigation over the incident.

The airport’s security division concluded that the incident will damage confidence in security at the airport, as well as the country, Jiraporn said.

Consequently, the five agencies must ensure that their personnel strictly comply with all security measures at the airport, he said.

Officers who arrive in plainclothes without ID badges clearly displayed will be permanently banned from entering the airport, the notice says.

Related story:

Facebook page exposes ‘VIP fast-track’ entry services for Chinese tourists

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024328

Facebook page exposes ‘VIP fast-track’ entry services for Chinese tourists

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023

A Thai Facebook page has exposed that multiple fast-track entry services have been available for Chinese tourists on a Chinese e-commerce platform despite denial by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

The page “Lui Chin” (Shoot to China) said in a post on Tuesday that multiple “VIP” fast-track entry services at Thai airports were sold on China’s Taobao e-commerce platform.

The post on the FB page was apparently in response to an announcement by the TAT earlier on Tuesday that its offices in China could not find the ad offering such fast-track entry services to Chinese tourists.

The TAT had issued the statement after three Thai policemen were “advertised” in a viral clip of a Chinese female influencer that she had bought a fast-track police VIP service to take her through Immigration with a police motorcycle escort from Suvarnabhumi Airport to her hotel in Pattaya.

The “Lui Chin” page said Chinese tourists could conveniently buy the VIP services on the Taobao platform.

The page said the ads of such services on the platform during the past 30 days were similar. They advertised that Chinese tourists, who buy the services, would be escorted via fast-track services at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai and Phuket airports.

The ads said the tourists would not have to wait in line and would not have to fill entry forms and display their bank statements, according to the “Lui Chin” page.

The page added that the ads also boasted customers could buy the visa-on-arrival option.

Earlier, when the Chinese influencer had posted her “fast-track” entry clip, a spokesman for the Royal Thai Police claimed she has applied for e-Visa that allowed all the documents to already be checked online so she could by-pass checking at the Immigration counter.

The Lui Chin page said Taobao was not the only platform that provided such fast-track services.

#ThailandFastPass in Chinese, using Google translation, would reveal a lot of such ads elsewhere.

Nation TV reported on Wednesday that it had used the trick of “Lui Chin” and found many ads of VIP services at Suvarnabhumi Airport, costing about 265 yuan (1,325 baht).

The ads said that once their planes land at Suvarnabhumi, a staff would hold a sign to welcome the tourists who had bought the fast-track services, and they would be assisted in getting through the Immigration check in 20 minutes without having to wait in the line.

Suvarnabhumi Airport displays a sign offering fast-track entry services to diplomats, senior government officials, first-class and business-class passengers and Thailand’s Elite Card holders or E-visa applicants.

BOI investors, attendants of special seminar, flight crew and the handicapped are also eligible for fast-track entry services, but not general tourists.

Meanwhile, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said tourism operators found that the reported fast-track service by Thai police for Chinese tourists had severely dented Thailand’s image among foreign tourists.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024327

Fake eggs from China is fake news, says livestock dept

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2023

The Department of Livestock Development has denied rumours that fake eggs from China are flooding Thai markets, saying that Thailand has enough supply of eggs that it does not need to import them.

Manufacturing artificial eggs is probably more expensive than traditional egg farming, the department added.

The department was responding to a video clip circulating on social media. It shows the process of making a delicacy called “century eggs” in a factory in China.

The department said the video only showed the process of making salted and preserved eggs, but some viewers might misunderstand and think they were artificial eggs that could be entering Thai markets to meet high demand during Chinese New Year.

The department advised consumers to buy eggs from reliable stores or look for the “Livestock OK” sticker, which is given to farmers who pass the Good Agricultural Practice system and meet the department’s safety standards.

“Always check the expiration date before buying fresh eggs, and keep them at the temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, ideally in the egg compartment of your fridge, especially when you don’t plan to use them all in a few days,” the department said.
 

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