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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014657

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to propose a fifth phase of the “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” (We Travel Together) subsidy after rights offered under the fourth phase were snapped up on Saturday.

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said on Monday that people will get to use some 2 million travel subsidies worth 13 billion baht until May 31. He added that the scheme had been well received by the public.

Yuthasak also said the proposal will first be discussed with Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn before it is handed over to the Centre for Economic Situation Administration for consideration.

“It is up to the minister’s views about the scheme and how much money the government is ready to spend on it,” he said.

Under the scheme, people can avail:

• 40 per cent discount on accommodation of up to 3,000 baht per room per night (maximum 10 rooms or nights).

• 600 baht daily coupon that can be used to buy meals or tickets at participating venues.

• 40 per cent discount on plane tickets with a cashback of up to 3,000 baht per passenger.

TAT expects the fourth phase of the scheme to have at least 22.50 billion baht circulating in the economy.

Published : April 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014656

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department on Monday warned residents of Chiang Mai and Lampang in the North to brace themselves for high PM2.5 pollution levels.

According to the department, people in Chiang Mai’s Muang district and Lampang’s Muang and Mae Mo districts are most at risk.

As per the air4thai.pcd.go.th website, the air quality in these three districts has entered the orange level, which means people will start getting ill if exposed to the pollution for three consecutive days.

However, shortly after the department issued the warning, the PM2.5 level in the three districts dropped to yellow or moderate quality.

The website reported that PM2.5 readings in Chiang Mai’s Muang district and Lampang’s Muang and Mae Mo districts came in at 50, 45 and 41 micrograms per cubic metre of air (μg/m3) respectively at noon on Monday.

Thailand has set the safe level of PM2.5 at 50 μg/m3, while the World Health Organisation has set it at 25 μg/m3. PM2.5 refers to particles of dust that are less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter or more than 100 times thinner than human hair and can remain suspended in the air for longer periods.

Separately, the department also warned residents of 52 provinces in the North, Northeast and Central regions to brace themselves for thunderstorms on Monday as predicted by the Meteorological Department.

The Meteorological Department said on Sunday that a high-pressure mass, which causes low temperatures, will crash with high temperatures in the three regions, resulting in strong winds, heavy rains and possible hail.

Published : April 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014655

Though many areas of Mae Hong Son’s Pai district looked picture-perfect with a layer of snow-like hail, the hailstorm on Sunday afternoon left many homes badly damaged.

Images of the frosty scenery went viral among netizens on Sunday after they were shared by Radio Thailand Mae Hong Son.

However, Hua Mae Mueang village chief Suwin Piapha said the storm left many homes badly damaged and officials are looking into what can be done to help.

Noppadon Maktong, spokesman for the Foundation of National Disaster Warning Council, said a clash of hot and cold air masses in upper Thailand resulted in thunderstorms, gusty winds and hail.

“Thailand is a tropical country, so there is very little chance of snow,” he said.

The Thai Meteorological Department announced on Friday that summer storms would sweep across most of the country from Saturday to Monday.

Published : April 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014654

Railway authorities have been instructed to organise extra train services on Sunday as passenger numbers peak on the last day of the Songkran holiday.

Extra trains and other measures will be implemented to cope with the huge number of travellers returning to Bangkok all day and into the evening, said Department of Rail Transport deputy director-general Pichet Kunathammarak.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has been told to increase the number of train services during rush hour, organise special trains and extend the ticket sales period.

Pichet said five extra services have been organised on Sunday – four inbound trains (Chiang Mai-Bangkok, Ubon Ratchathani-Bangkok, Sila At-Bangkok and Udon Thani-Bangkok) and one outbound train (Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani).

“Also, railway authorities have been instructed to deploy extra officers to prevent accidents at crossings, ensure passenger safety and conduct cleaning operations to contain the spread of Covid-19,” he added.

On Saturday, around 41,000 passengers travelled between cities by train, most of whom were returnees from other provinces.

Published : April 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014652

Suttipong Chalermkiat, assistant governor in charge of EGAT’s Corporate Strategy, said on Sunday that registrations for the “Clean Your Air, Care Your Life” project will be accepted from Monday morning via http://www.egat.co.th.

The requirements are:

• One air conditioner will be cleaned per household
• The air conditioner must be wall type and less than 24,000 BTU
• Applicants must upload their electricity bill to claim their rights.

Once the application goes through, the Thai Air Conditioning Traders Association will send a staff member from a certified shop to clean the air conditioner.

Suttipong said the association has joined EGAT in its push to reduce energy costs. Cleaning air conditioners every six months can reduce electricity bills by at least 10 per cent and also cut national energy consumption by around 1.3 million units per year.

Published : April 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014651

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) recently listed the top 10 power consumers at home and offered tips on what people can do to reduce their electricity bills.

It said that apart from purchasing items with the No 5 label, people should also choose air conditioners that are in line with the size of the room. When using the aircon, people should ensure all doors and windows are tightly shut and the temperature is set at no lower than 25 degrees Celsius. Just keeping the aircon one degree higher can cut electricity consumption by 10 per cent and cleaning it every six months can save energy by 47 per cent.

With refrigerators, people should avoid leaving the door open longer than necessary and the temperature should not be set too low. Users can cut their power bill by about 49 per cent if the fridge is not too packed and kept at least 15 centimetres from the wall.

Using 7W E27 LED bulbs instead of the 13W compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs and turning them off when not in use can cut bills by 57 per cent.

Running fans at the first level and unplugging them when not in use can save energy by 43 per cent.

To further cut their electricity bills, people can iron a large number of clothes in one go and not use too much water. Using the remanent heat after unplugging the iron can save 43 per cent of electricity.

With televisions, apart from using one with a No 5 label, keeping it unplugged when not in use can save energy by 51 per cent.

Komkrit Tantrawanich, secretary of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), said on March 16 that the cost of power from May to August will possibly rise by 24.77 baht per unit. This will result in household bills rising by 3.76-4 baht per unit.

However, houses that use less than 300 units per month will pay the same rate as January to April.
 

Published : April 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014646

Bangkok and provincial authorities have been told to go on high alert to contain the spread of Covid-19 after Songkran.

Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda issued an urgent order on Sunday in line with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s concerns about another cluster of infections being sparked as people return from their holidays.

Suthipong Juljarern, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said Bangkok’s permanent secretary and provincial governors have been urged to seek cooperation from every sector to contain the spread of Covid-19.

He said people who travelled or attended celebrations during the Songkran break should observe their symptoms for seven to 10 days. They should also strictly observe DMHTA principles, including social distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, monitoring body temperature and rapid antigen testing.

“People at risk should undergo an antigen test immediately and then take another on the seventh day if they test negative,” he said. “People should avoid unnecessary gatherings and wear a mask if they must attend.”

He said companies and state agencies should have their staff work from home for the first week to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“Provincial governors are also urged to conduct rapid antigen tests on people and get ready to effectively manage Covid-19 patients,” he said.

He also urged people aged 60 and above, pregnant women and those with chronic conditions to get their booster jabs.

“The Covid-19 vaccine cannot prevent infections but can reduce the severity. So, they should get their jabs to protect themselves and their family members,” he added.

Published : April 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014639

Companies and government agencies should conduct rapid antigen tests on all staff before they start work on Monday, the premier urged on Sunday.

“People should take care of their health because daily Covid-19 cases are still high,” Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said.

Earlier, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) urged people to monitor themselves for symptoms, avoid gatherings and work at home for a week after Songkran.

DDC director-general Opas Karnkawinpong said those who have a fever, sore throat, runny nose or headache should take a rapid antigen test.

He said it was important for people to build their immunity by getting vaccinated and they must strictly obey measures to contain the spread of the virus.

Published : April 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014635

Public Health Ministry reported on Monday (April 18) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 16,994 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 76 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 124, while 25,910 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 1,823,518.

Published : April 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014634

The abbot of a Thai Buddhist temple in California passed away peacefully at 3pm on Saturday (5am Sunday Thailand time). He was 68 years old and had spent 47 years in monkhood.

The passing of Phra Munee Withet aka Chaokhun Sukhum was announced on the Wat Somdej Phra Maha Rajmangalajarn Facebook page. The temple is located in Bakersfield, California.

The late abbot was also the operation director of the Council of Thai Bhikkhus in the US.

Phra Metee Thammajarn, secretary-general of the Buddhism Protection Centre in Thailand, said Phra Munee had devoted himself to the council’s work. Also, he said, the late abbot’s frank and straightforward manner made him popular with many Buddhists.

The council’s chairman, who is the abbot of the Thai monastery in Fremont, California, chaired the bathing rites and first night of prayers for late Phra Munee.

Published : April 17, 2022

By : THE NATION