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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016246

The year 2022 marks the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Germany which began with the signing of the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation between Siam and Prussia in 1862. Since then, Thai-German ties have grown close and has developed into various co-operations including education, science and technology, and innovation.

To commemorate this auspicious occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand together with King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), and the Embassy of Germany in Thailand are organizing “Future EV Mobility Creative Contest for Sustainability” or the “EV Hackathon for Sustainability #EV4Sustain” from June to August 2022. The contest aims to promote exchanges of creative ideas and knowledge of electric vehicles amongst the future generation.

The “EV Hackathon for Sustainability” is open to higher education students between 18-35 years old to participate in online workshops and submit their creative presentations. Eight selected teams of three students will then compete in the final round of 24-hour EV Hackathon during August 27-28 at KMUTNB to win cash prizes of 250,000 baht in total.

Not only is the competition in line with the theme of the 160th anniversary between Thailand and Germany – “Partners for Sustainable Growth,” Thailand can also benefit from Germany’s expertise in the electric vehicle industry in transforming Thailand into a low-carbon society under the 30/30 policy with 30% of total production to be EVs by 2030. The “EV Hackathon for Sustainability” also resonates with Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green Economy policy and Germany’s Energy Transition and Climate Change policy.

The competition is made possible by support from concerned Thai agencies and leading private sectors in the field of electric vehicles such as the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok Alumni Association under the Patronage of His Majesty the King, BMW (Thailand) Co Ltd, and Mercedes Benz (Thailand), Ltd.

For more information, please visit https://ev4sustain.kmutnb.ac.th/

Published : June 03, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016244

Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (June 3) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 2,976 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 3 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 32, while 4,238 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 2,237,121.
 

Published : June 03, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016240

Admission to 155 national parks across the country is free on Friday (June 3), which is Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday and a public holiday.

Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation director-general Ratchada Suriyakul na Ayutthaya said on Thursday that the exemption of entrance fees applies to Thai nationals and their vehicles.

Ratchada advised those keen on visiting national parks on that day to do their reservation through the QueQ mobile application.

Also, he urged park visitors to follow Covid-19 preventive measures on mask-wearing and distancing.

He said that his department, which oversees national parks across the country, expects a huge number of visitors there during the coming long weekend.

Published : June 02, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016237

Cashless payments, online shopping and revenge travel were the three leading trends that would feature in the endemic world in Southeast Asia, according to a Visa report on “Consumer Payment Attitudes”.

The study showed that Thai consumers (89 per cent) lead Southeast Asia in their intention to use cashless payment methods more often, followed by Vietnam (83 per cent), Malaysia (78 per cent), Indonesia (78 per cent), and the Philippines (78 per cent).

The study also shows that Thai consumers have the highest confidence in digital payments. Over four in five (86 per cent) Thais perceived digital payments as safer than cash, followed by Vietnam (80 per cent), the Philippines (79 per cent), Indonesia (79 per cent), and Malaysia (75 per cent).

Serene Gay, Visa group country manager for Southeast Asia, said that during these past two years, the company had witnessed an acceleration in digital commerce as consumers sought out faster, safer and more convenient ways to pay.

“As countries across the region open their borders, it is critical for businesses to adapt and embrace the move to digital to cater to these evolving consumer preferences,” Serene said.

Meanwhile, new shopping channels have also gained traction during the pandemic, driven by store closures and movement restrictions. More than half (55 per cent) of Southeast Asian consumers have tried shopping online via applications or websites for the first time, a trend led by consumers in Indonesia (72 per cent), Vietnam (66 per cent), and Thailand (65 per cent).

Over 42 per cent of Asean shoppers also opted for phone orders from nearby stores for the first time, with Vietnam (57 per cent), Thailand (54 per cent), and the Philippines (45 per cent) the most likely to shop in this way. Many consumers turned to social media channels to shop, led by Vietnam (50 per cent), Thailand (49 per cent), and the Philippines (46 per cent).

Meanwhile, the study showed revenge travel, a phenomenon fuelled by pent-up demand to resume travelling freely, was also on the radar for consumers across Southeast Asia, especially those in Thailand. Almost half of Thai customers, or 46 per cent, are likely to travel overseas in the next year, followed by Singapore (41 per cent) and the Philippines (38 per cent).

“We hope these findings provide valuable insights to support Thai businesses in the transition towards an endemic period. Together with our strategic partners, we will continue to build and redefine the future of payments, making innovative payment experiences accessible to all,” Serene said.

Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories.

Published : June 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016233

Close to 20,000 people arrived in Thailand on Wednesday, the first day of the country’s “full opening”. With effect from June 1, visitors no longer need to quarantine themselves. However, a US$10,000 Covid insurance is still required for foreign visitors.

Atotal of 19,767 arrivals by air were recorded on Wednesday — 19,713 of the travellers were fully vaccinated and only 54 were not vaccinated, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported on Thursday.

From June 1, Thai nationals entering the Kingdom are no longer required to register through the online Thailand Pass system. However, foreign nationals still need to register and upload their proof of Covid-19 insurance covering at least $10,000 along with their passport.

Foreign travellers are required to show their vaccination certificate while those who are unvaccinated need to produce the result of their PCR testing taken at least 72 hours before entering Thailand.

Meanwhile, all the 3,522 entertainment places applying for the Thai Stop Covid 2 Plus certification were approved, said Sumanee Wacharasint, director of the Department of Disease Control (DDC)’s Risk Communication and Health Behavioural Development Bureau.

Sumanee, in her capacity as a CCSA assistant spokesperson, told a press conference at Government House that those venues represent 94 per cent of all 3,761 registered entertainment places across the country.

Of those venues, 3,196 are in the green and blue provinces where alcohol drinking is allowed until midnight from June 1.

However, the DDC will work with the Interior Ministry in checking those bars, pubs and karaoke lounges from time to time, to check if they are strictly abiding by the standard requirements, the spokesperson said.

She added that those failing to follow the requirements would get a warning, and repeated failure would lead to suspension of business.

The Covid-19 situation in Thailand has been improving substantially, with a constant decline in new cases and deaths, according to the spokesperson. However, with the relaxed restrictions, the number of new cases could increase, so personal preventive measures and booster shots are advised.

Sumanee pointed out that 53 per cent of the 34 Covid deaths on Wednesday were unvaccinated patients. All of them were aged over 60 or had chronic diseases.

Published : June 02, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016232

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Thursday that he would seek further relaxation of Covid rules for the capital, including ending the mandatory wearing of mask and extending the closing hour for night places.

Chadchart said he would consult experts at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Health Department on whether wearing of masks in public places could be voluntary instead of being mandatory.

He said Phuket has lifted the mandatory mask requirement and Bangkok is in a similar situation as the southern province.

“The measure is interesting and the situation in Bangkok and Phuket are not different,” Chadchart said.

“Bangkok must move on, so I’m planning to ease the restriction as soon as possible.”

He added that the proposal from night entertainment place operators and their patrons to extend the closing hour from midnight to 2am is also interesting.

He said he would urgently consult the concerned government agencies about the proposal.

He said the closing hour should be extended not only for pubs and bars but all other nightlife places and public parks.

He was speaking to reporters at the BMA head office.

Asked whether he had arrived at the BMA head office at 4am, Chadchart smiled and confirmed it.

He said he had arrived so early to exercise by running around the Giant Swing ground and then he took a shower and changed into clothes to work at the BMA without returning home first to save time.

He said he planned to run around Wat Phra Kaew soon to observe the atmosphere in the early hours and he would soon check pubs and bars in line with his “midnight governor” policy.

Chadchart also led reporters to observe the work in the CCTV monitoring room. He said the capital’s CCTV cameras have been connected to a platform to allow city residents from all districts to file complaints about city woes in real time. They could inform the BMA of traffic snarls, floods, blockades of sidewalks, for example, and the officials would use available CCTVs to monitor the issues to try to tackle them as fast as possible.

Published : June 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016231

The Disease Control Department (DCD) on Thursday expressed concern that the first cases of monkeypox in Thailand may emerge next week when a lot of foreign LGBT members attend the Pride parade in Bangkok.

The concerns were aired by Jakkarat Pitthayawonganon, director of the epidemiology division of the DCD.

The Pride parade is scheduled for June 5 to celebrate sexual diversity while raising issues of gay marriage, social justice and gender inequality.

The procession is scheduled to start at 4pm at Maha Uma Devi Temple, or Wat Khaek, on Pan Road, ending at Silom Road.

Jakkarat said no suspected and confirmed monkeypox cases have been detected in Thailand so far.

“But during the week when there is the Pride parade in Bangkok, monkeypox cases are expected,” Jakkarat said.

He explained that the event would draw many participants from abroad so some infected people might be among them.

He said Thailand would have to keep close surveillance on arrivals on direct flights from the countries where the cases have been found, such as central African nations, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain and Canada. He added that the health officials would also watch arrivals from Germany.

Jakkarat said the organisers of the event did not contact the Public Health Ministry to seek cooperation on observation measures during the event.

But the Public Health Ministry will closely watch patients who may see doctors in Bangkok hospitals for possible monkeypox cases, Jakkarat added.

He said monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease (STD) but the ministry is seeking cooperation from the network of agencies taking care of STDs because monkeypox can be transmitted through intimate contact with infected persons.

He said the STD clinics were asked to alert the ministry if they detected any suspicious case.

Jakkarat said if participants at the parade practise universal prevention measures, it would be hard for them to get infected because the disease is transmitted only via close contact.

He also urged participants of the parade to see a doctor if they get blisters.

Jakkarat said the disease has an incubation period of 5 to 21 days, so people who are in close contact with persons suspected to have the virus should monitor themselves for at least three weeks.

“After the Pride parade, even if the participants do not have blisters, they should practice universal prevention measures and stay away from the others as much as possible,” Jakkarat said.

Published : June 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016228

Twelve people who came into contact with a confirmed monkeypox patient are low-risk contacts as they have no symptoms, the Disease Control Department (DDC) said on Thursday.

The 12 are under close observation after they came into contact with a confirmed monkeypox patient who had taken a transit flight from Thailand, the Public Health Ministry said on Monday.

The passenger was in Bangkok for two hours before he caught a flight to Australia, where he was confirmed to have monkeypox.

The DDC said on Thursday that there was no confirmed case of monkeypox in Thailand so far.

Dr Chakkarat Pitayawonganon, director of the department’s epidemiology division, said that the situation is not worrying because they are low-risk contacts. He added that they will be monitored for 21 days.

He explained that monkeypox is a disease needing observation; it was not a dangerous communicable disease. People who were infected could treat themselves. However, patients should see a doctor immediately when they have symptoms.

Chakkarat said the department would monitor the situation to decide if they should distribute monkeypox vaccines to medical personnel. If the disease spreads, vaccines must be distributed to prevent more people from being infected.

However, if the disease does not spread, side-effects from vaccines might be more severe than being unvaccinated, Chakkarat said.

If vaccines need to be given, they will be made available first to risk groups, such as people who have come from foreign countries or medical personnel.

Moreover, they will have to decide which group of medical personnel should get the vaccines because there are a great number of medical personnel, he said.

Published : June 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016227

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has called for expeditious development of the Udon Thani-Nong Khai railway to form a link to the Laos-China high-speed rail in a move to facilitate all-important exports.

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Thursday that Prayut ordered related organisations to speed up the development of the railway logistics system.

He emphasised that the Udon Thani-Nong Khai railway station area is a Northeastern strategic point for exports, so it should be advanced, efficient and respond to demands, especially for exporting popular Thai agricultural products.

From January to April 2022, Thai exports ballooned by 13.7 per cent, or US$97.12 billion (THB3.33 trillion), with top exports comprising agricultural products, agro-industrial items and industrial goods.

Monthong durian, latex pillows, silk, malt rice, asphalt, plastic pellets and Thai food are some of the items in demand in China.

With the Laos-China high-speed railway in operation, Thailand has the opportunity to develop a linking, efficient railway system to facilitate increased exports to China.

Thanakorn said Prayut is monitoring and supporting moves that promote Thai products on the world market while improving logistical capabilities to help the country become a centre of transportation in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

The prime minister thanked every sector for solving problems as they arise. He also asked related organisations to work together and strictly follow trade policies and an efficient logistics strategy to achieve concrete results.

Published : June 02, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40016224

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is happy that government lottery tickets sold fast and smoothly on the first day they went on sale via the Paotang app on Thursday.

“General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the prime minister, is pleased with the overall picture of the digital lottery sale,” Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said.

“The prime minister would like to thank all the concerned agencies for successfully implementing measures against overpriced lottery tickets.”

Thanakorn said that after the digital version of lottery tickets started selling on the app at 6am on Thursday, the Paotang system of Krung Thai Bank ran smoothly without hiccups as earlier feared.

Within the first hour, 79,800 lottery tickets were sold, he said.

The sale averaged 1,330 tickets per every 10 minutes, he added. So far, 10,104 out of 10,354 vendors, who registered to sell on the app, have sold their tickets, he said.

Going by this pace, some 5.27 million digital tickets would be sold out in about five to seven days, he said, adding that the app would help lottery vendors sell their tickets much faster than selling on the street.

“This shows that the selling of lottery tickets via Paotang app has received warm support from buyers,” the spokesman added.

The Paotang app was initially used to distribute cash by the government under several subsidy schemes, including the Khon La Krueng co-payment programme.

Unlike the Kong Salak Plus and Blue Dragon platforms, the Paotang app does not show scanned tickets. Buyers can key in the digits they want by keying all six digits or digits in any of the six positions. The app will show available numbers and will state from which vendors the tickets are available.

Buyers are required to have a Krung Thai Bank account and state the account number on the app for the winning money to be deposited. In case, a buyer wins the first prize, he or she must show proof of purchase via the app to the GLO head office to claim the prize money.

Vendors must apply to sell the digital version and their ticket numbers will automatically be uploaded by the GLO to the app system.

Currently, 10258 vendors are selling 5,279,500 online tickets via the system.

Government Lottery Office (GLO) Noon Sansanakom said the Paotan app system ran the online sale smoothly after the sale opened at 6m.

At 11am, five hours after the sale started, 110,000 people had bought almost 500,000 tickets, or about four to five tickets per buyer.

Noon said the tickets that sold the fastest were those having the same number as the six digits on the face of the ticket. He said tickets with repeated six digits have sold out.

“The GLO monitored the reactions of netizens in the morning and found that they were happy about purchasing digital lottery tickets because it is convenient for them to buy, and every ticket sells for THB80,” Noon said.

He added that the GLO also provides 362 retail points in Bangkok and other provinces around the country that will sell lottery tickets priced at THB80 to meet the needs of customers who find it inconvenient to buy them online.

The GLO director said the selling of digital tickets via Paotang app will continue from 6am to 11pm every day. About 5.27 million tickets will be available via the app for each draw. On the draw days — the first and 16th of a month — tickets will be sold until 2pm.

The GLO will later assess the sale and decide whether to increase the number of digital tickets to be sold via Paotang app.

Published : June 02, 2022

By : THE NATION