Several roads in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces were flooded on Wednesday morning due to heavy rains since 1am.
At 7am, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road at Lak Si Intersection was swamped under water up to half the height of car wheels, while Ratchadaphisek Road from Ratchayothin Intersection to the Criminal Court was flooded at footpath level.
Meanwhile, at Kasetsart Intersection on Phaholyothin Road, flood water rose above footpaths, leaving only one usable lane for traffic on each side, but for large vehicles only. More than a dozen vehicles got stuck after their engines malfunctioned.
Chaeng Wattana Road from Government Complex to the entrance of Muang Thong Thani also reported footpath-level inundation.
Meanwhile, on Soi Lat Phrao 64 in Wang Thonglang district – which serves as a shortcut to Pracha Utit, Sutthisarn and Pracharat Bamphen roads – parents walked their motorcycles and children through high flood water to reach schools.
Bangkok’s Drainage and Sewerage Department said about 70 per cent of Bangkok and surrounding provinces experienced thundershowers in the morning, with heavy rains in some areas.
The department said it would continue to drain flood water from major roads so traffic can flow smoothly again.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has told the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department to speed up relief operations for people affected by floods and storms, a top official said on Wednesday.
Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said that Prayut was concerned about people affected by storms and floods recently and did not want them to wait too long for help.
The prime minister has instructed the department to work proactively with local administrations to survey the affected people and pay compensation to them as soon as possible.
The spokesman said Prayut wanted local administrations to send officials to survey the damage as soon as there is flooding or a storm hits their area.
The local administrations must also make sure that the interests of people in their jurisdictions will not be jeopardised by the natural disasters, the spokesman quoted Prayut as saying.
“The prime minister instructed the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department to speed up coordination with provincial administrations or other agencies to survey the damage and provide primary help,” Thanakorn said.
“The agencies must immediately repair damaged houses so the affected people will have shelters.”
The spokesman said Prayut had also instructed the Royal Thai Army to deploy engineering corps to help repair houses damaged by storms and flooding.
Thailand is now under the influence of southwest monsoon over the Andaman and the Gulf of Thailand and a high-pressure mass from China that has brought thunderstorms and heavy rains to many parts of the country. People should monitor weather warnings from the government constantly, the spokesman added.
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a draft budget of THB3.18 trillion for fiscal year 2023.
The draft will be proposed to the House of Representatives, said government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.
The budget includes a THB590.47 billion central budget, THB1.09 trillion for government agencies, THB218.47 billion for integration expenses, THB772.1 billion for personnel expenses, a THB206.98 billion working capital and THB306.6 billion for debt repayment.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved a water management plan for fiscal year 2023 worth THB334 billion.
Of this, THB159.22 billion has been allocated to the Agriculture Ministry, THB142.1 billion to the Interior Ministry, THB22.17 billion for the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, THB6.27 billion for the Transport Ministry, THB2.13 billion for the Prime Minister’s Office, THB1.26 billion for the Defence Ministry, THB645 million for the Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Ministry and THB398 million for the Digital Economy and Society Ministry.
The Cabinet also approved a budget for publicising the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, which Thailand will host this year.
Separately, the Cabinet gave the green light for the third phase of an action plan to improve the quality of life for the elderly between 2023 and 2037, and extend the operation of the Asean-Japan Centre for another five years until May 24, 2027.
The centre aims to boost the economic partnership between Asean and Japan through trade and investment promotion, skills and technology exchange and tourism.
Many residences in Phang Nga’s Panyi Island were inundated due to rising seawater on Tuesday.
Charoen Srithong, village health volunteer president, said residents were forced to move their belongings to higher ground.
He said the phenomenon occurs up to three times annually, with each lasting three days.
“The latest phenomenon occurred in November last year,” he noted.
Panyi Island is a fishing village notable for being built on stilts by Malay fishermen. The island is one of the main tourist attractions, often serving as a lunch stop for tours of Phang Nga Bay from Phuket.
With an increase in tourists, a number of seafood restaurants have opened on the little island, along with various stalls selling souvenirs. In addition, a floating football pitch serves as a major attraction.
Governors of 26 border provinces have been instructed to increase border security to prevent the smuggling of fuel to neighbouring countries.
Interior Ministry permanent secretary Suttipong Juljarern said on Tuesday that he ordered governors of the 26 provinces that share borders with Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar to look out for gangs smuggling fuel for sale in foreign markets for high profit amid the global energy price crisis.
The provinces are Chiang Rai, Phayao, Nan, Uttaradit, Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Trat, Ranong, Chumphon, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Tak, Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai.
“Border security officers have been instructed to increase the frequency of patrols and coordinate with the police, Excise Department, Customs Department and local volunteers in monitoring checkpoints and other channels that smugglers could use,” Suttipong said.
“Also, all vehicles that have been approved to transport fuel across borders must be checked to see if the amount of fuel they carry matches the manifest.”
If you find any irregularities or have information regarding fuel smuggling, contact the district chief’s office or hotline 1567.
The Public Health Ministry did not ask the Cabinet to declare Covid-19 as endemic in a meeting on Tuesday despite the situation in Thailand improving.
“The ministry will evaluate the situation again after the next meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration before considering proposing the move to the Cabinet,” Deputy Minister Satit Pitutecha said on Tuesday.
Satit said the Covid-19 situation in Thailand has been improving steadily with fewer daily infections and mortality.
“The expected infection surge after the Songkran holidays in April also did not materialise, therefore the plan to transition to the endemic phase is still right on track. We just do not have the exact date yet,” he said.
“Furthermore, we are also closely monitoring the infection situation in North Korea, which could affect the global situation,” Satit said.
“Currently we do not have detailed information of the fresh outbreak there. The ministry is coordinating with the World Health Organisation to get the latest updates, especially regarding the possibility of the virus mutating and spreading due to a lack of comprehensive vaccinations.”
On Wednesday Thailand recorded 5,633 Covid-19 cases and 45 deaths in the past 24 hours, while 8,042 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospital. Cumulative cases in the country since January 1 are 2,165,175.
Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday (May 18) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 5,633 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, one of whom has arrived in Thailand from abroad.
Death toll increased by 45, while 8,042 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 2,165,175.
The Cabinet has allocated an additional 594 million baht for the rice quality development project as registered farmland exceeded the target by nearly 600,000 rai.
Deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said the Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Commerce Ministry’s proposal to inject more funds into its rice management and quality development project. This was after 62.11 million rai of farmland was registered, exceeding the target of 61.53 million rai by 583,699 rai.
Under the project, eligible farmers get a subsidy of 1,000 baht per rai capped at 20 rai per household to grow specific breeds of rice. The farmers have until September 30 to plant the crop, while the money will be disbursed until August 31.
Ratchada added that the additional funds will come from the leftovers of the rice price guarantee scheme. With an additional 594 million baht, the project will have a total of 55.56 billion baht for the 2021-2022 crop year.
As of April 11, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives had transferred 53.87 billion baht to 4.63 million farming households.
The Commerce Ministry will host a meeting with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) trade ministers to discuss the long-delayed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).
The Apec Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting, held at Centara Grand in Bangkok from Thursday to Sunday, will be led by Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit. Several representatives, including ministers from the US, Russia, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Brunei and Vietnam, will be at the meeting in person, though the Chinese minister will attend online.
Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Department of Trade Negotiations, said the meeting on Saturday and Sunday will focus on cooperation to support the growth of economies in Apec.
The trade ministers will also discuss support for the multilateral trading system and will exchange ideas with the Apec Business Advisory Council on how to drive FTAAP in the fallout of Covid-19 and the policies for economic growth.
A seminar on building awareness and cooperation between the public, private, academic and citizen sectors on FTAAP and free trade in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis will be held on Thursday.
FTAAP first came up in a joint statement of Apec trade ministers in 2008 and was again part of the agenda in November 2021, as part of Apec’s Putrajaya Vision 2040 implementation plan.
Meanwhile, Friday will see the Apec BCG Symposium 2022 with a focus on boosting MSMEs’ competitiveness through necessary knowledge for a sustainable future, providing policy guidance on incentivising and stimulating the private sector to apply the BCG model for more sustainable businesses, and building networks for stakeholders across the region.
“Apec is a stage that focuses on free trade and reducing trading obstacles. This year, Thailand has the chance to become a host for the first time in 20 years,” Auramon said.
“The result of the meeting will set a guideline on how to recover and stimulate Thailand’s economic growth sustainably after the Covid-19 era and respond to the change in trading with efficiency.
“It will also be an opportunity for Thailand to display readiness for country opening, to welcome tourists and business operators from across the world,” she said.
Apec was formed in 1989 as an informal forum for member nations to discuss free-trade and economic cooperation along the Pacific Rim.
Apec members include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, US and Vietnam.
Schools across Thailand reopened on Tuesday for the first time in two years, and though most students got to attend class, one 14-year-old girl couldn’t.
The Phatthalung native, who lives in Songkhla with her family, had been a student of Satri Phatthalung School for two years.
The reopening of schools meant she had to head to Phatthalung so she could attend classes. However, she had nowhere to stay there.
Besides, she and her family have been in dire financial straits for the past two years. And to add to her woes, her parents had separated and her mother developed a gambling habit.
Despite that, the youngster did not give up and asked for permission to rent a place and find a part-time job to support herself in Phatthalung. However, her request was denied.
According to the youngster’s last social media post, she then called her school adviser for suggestions but was told more or less the same. The post read that the adviser instead told her to find another school because her parents did not care for her and would only cause problems.
So, the youngster decided that suicide was the best way out and killed herself on May 13. She was cremated in Songkhla on Saturday.
The school’s side
School principal Malee Keolaaid put the tragedy down to misunderstanding and explained what had taken place.
She said that she learned from a teacher on May 9 that the student was still in Songkhla and could not return to Phatthalung because she had nowhere to live and no guardian. So, Malee said, she asked teacher Chanya Choomek, who is in charge of counselling students, to step and help the 14-year-old.
On May 11, the student’s class teacher identified only as Surawat, called the teen to ask if she had returned to Phatthalung. The student said she wanted to return but could not, without elaborating.
He then took the case to Chanya and both came up with a couple of solutions, which Surawat then offered to the teenager. They were:
Enrol at a school in Songkhla, so she can live with the family, or
Contact the Children and Youth Centre if she wanted to return to study at the Phatthalung school.
Malee said she did not know about the young girl’s situation but only knew that the law requires her to get her mother’s permission if she wants to live on her own.
The principal also defended the counsellor, saying she always helped students and had no bad intentions.
The principal also said the school had set up measures to help students and that this tragedy had taken place due to misunderstanding.
Malee also said the school never demands that tuition fees be paid in time and that parents are always informed in advance. Also, she said, students can apply for a discount or exemption.
Chanya also confirmed that the school and teachers always help students and that this misunderstanding may have occurred when the student recounted the conversation to her friends.
She also denied rumours that the student did not get the scholarship she had been entitled to.
Ongoing investigation
The school has tasked vice-principal Montree Kamchuai to set up an investigation committee.
Committee member Parinya Anuphinij, who is a lawyer at the Phatthalung Education Office, said an investigation is necessary because there is too much confusion.
He said this school always focused on the students and its caring system had inspired many other schools.
He also said that the media should present both sides of the story because the school and teachers were not to blame for the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the student’s family has refused to provide any information, saying they were too depressed and wanted this incident to end.
Guidelines from Education Ministry
If tuition fee has been collected during the Covid-related shutdown, then it should be returned to the students.
If the school needs to collect fees, then it must postpone or extend the period of collection.
Schools must prepare measures to help parents affected by the Covid crisis.
State organisations must ensure schools follow these measures that were put in place from 2021 onwards.
Thailand is now under the influence of southwest monsoon over the Andaman and the Gulf of Thailand and a high-pressure mass from China that has brought thunderstorms and heavy rains to many parts of the country. People should monitor weather warnings from the government constantly, the spokesman added.
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