#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40011291

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) expects a 10 per cent boost in revenue this year after passenger numbers fell by about 50 per cent in 2021 due to the pandemic.

BMTA director Kittikan Chomdoung said that as of January 2022, the average number of passengers was 400,000-500,000 per day, down sharply from the pre-pandemic period when average daily passenger traffic was in the range of 900,000 to a million.
The sharp drop in passenger traffic had directly affected BMTA’s revenue, Kittikan said.

In 2021, BMTA recorded total revenue of THB7-8 billion while expenses amounted to THB13 billion, resulting in a loss of THB5-6 billion.

In 2022, the pandemic problem has been aggravated by the Omicron variant, which had caused the number of bus passengers to decrease further, Kittikan said.

At the end of 2021, before November 1 when the government opened the country, around 500,000-600,000 passengers on average used the bus services per day.

If the government manages the Omicron problem and can control the outbreak, he believes that people will be more confident and once again travel by bus. It is expected that the number of passengers will increase to 600,000 per day this year, resulting in BMTA’s revenue in 2022 growing by 10 per cent over the previous year, equivalent to THB7.7 billion to THB8.8 billion.

A rehabilitation plan is also being considered to expedite the process of procuring electric buses and hire private companies to run the vehicles due to the deteriorating bus condition from serving huge numbers of people. He said the BMTA is in the process of finalising information on hiring a private entity to run the buses, especially on routes that have a large number of people using the service. The details are expected to be finalised by February.

Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40011289

Amid rising pork prices, some consumers are turning to consuming crocodile meat as an alternative protein source, says Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Health.

Crocodile meat is considered an environmentally friendly product as crocodile breeding can be done without exposure to harmful chemicals. But because crocodiles are classified as reptiles, they could be contaminated with bacteria such as salmonella, which could cause diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea and digestive disorders, Suwanchai cautions.

Chefs should wash their hands and equipment every time before processing meat to avoid bacterial contamination, and avoid eating it raw, he says.

When shopping for crocodile meat that is sold in the market, it is best to choose the meat from the tail [bong ton]. Good meat should be fresh and solid, no bad smell, and you should buy only from a reliable source, says Dr Suwanchai.

Consumers should choose meat as a source of protein to suit their needs because the nutritional value and price of crocodile meat is not much different from that of other animal meat.

Key facts:

– 100g of crocodile meat has 99 kilocalories of energy, 21.5 grams of protein, 2.9 grams of fat and 65 milligrams of cholesterol.

– 100g of pork has 107 kcal, 22g protein, 2g fat and 55mg cholesterol.

– 100g of chicken meat contains 145 kcal of energy, 22.2g of protein, 6.2g of fat, and 62mg of cholesterol.

– 100g of beef has 121 kcal of energy, 21.2g of protein, 4g of fat, and 51mg of cholesterol.

Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40011288

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will propose restoring the “Test and Go” registration system within February to facilitate more arrivals and boost tourism, Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Wednesday.

Thailand had started allowing vaccinated international travellers from certain countries from November 1, 2021, exempting them from a lengthy quarantine which had been a mandatory requirement for over a year.

The government, however, temporarily suspended Test and Go registrations from December 22 due to the spread of the Omicron strain of Covid-19.

Statistics last week, from January 11-14, showed new infections peaking at around 7,000-8,000 people per day. The number of cases would tend to decrease from now, while the death toll was at a steady level, Phiphat said.

Infection rates have been in control because more than 70 per cent of the country’s population has received two doses of vaccination. It should help alleviate concerns that the infection doesn’t have as severe symptoms as in Europe and the US, said Phiphat.

Once the Test and Go policy is revived, travellers will have to follow strict public health guidelines. Visitors will be required to undergo two RT-PCR examinations, the first on the day of arrival and the second on the fifth or sixth day after entry to prevent risk as well as prepare additional contingency plans.

Hotel Isolation – a hotel ready to allow coronavirus-infected travellers to stay in quarantine without moving to hospitals or hospitels – will be added in Bangkok and other provinces, he said.

If the Test and Go policy is implemented within February, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand this year would rise to 7-8 million, Phiphat said.

It is estimated that 5 million tourists will come from the European and US markets, and 2 million from the Indian and Russian markets, generating 480 billion baht in revenue.

The ministry aims to generate 800 billion baht from the domestic tourism market by pushing Thai people to travel 160 million times. The supporting factor is the “We Travel Together Phase 4” project, which will be presented to the Cabinet for consideration on January 25, he said.

He expects to open the project for people to reserve 2 million nights by February. If everything goes according to plan, Thailand will earn about 1.3 trillion baht in total tourism revenue in 2022, Phiphat said.

Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011283

A government committee in charge of controlling prices of goods and services agreed on Wednesday to add chicken to the list of controlled goods to prevent its price from being inflated.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said the Central Committee on the Prices of Goods and Services reached the decision during its meeting.

The committee will issue a regulation for farms raising 100,000 chickens or more and for slaughterhouses that kill at least 4,000 chicken a day, Jurin said.

The farms and slaughterhouses will be required to report to the authorities the number of chickens in stock and their cost every month so that officials will calculate controlled prices accordingly, Jurin said.

He said the committee would also require 55 factories that produce chicken feed to report their production costs, prices and stock to the authorities every month.

Any rise in the prices of chicken and chicken feed must be first approved by the Internal Trade Department, Jurin said.

He said the committee’s decision needs to be approved by the Cabinet before it takes effect.

Jurin added that he would submit the committee’s decision for Cabinet consideration next week.

With the retail price of pork rising to almost Bt300 per kg, the Commerce Ministry has sought cooperation from farmers and major retailers not to raise prices further. Following two meetings between the ministry and farmers and retailers, chicken is priced at 60-75 baht per kg at three superstores – Big C, Makro and Lotus’s.

Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011280

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the Digital Economy and Society Ministry and the Royal Thai Police to step up crackdowns on call-centre scams.

Deputy government spokesperson Trisulee Trisaranakul said on Wednesday that Prayut wanted the two agencies to lead integrated operations to crack down on the scammers and bring them to book.

The prime minister gave the order after being overwhelmed with public complaints that many Thais had fallen prey to the scammers. The scams appeared to have become more rampant since of late, the spokeswoman said.

“The ministry and the police are under orders to integrate efforts with other government agencies concerned to speed up action and prevent more damage to the people,” Trisulee said.

She said the prime minister emphasised that all scammers must be hit with all counts of related laws without any exemption.

If any government officials are found to be in cahoots with scammers or take no action against the scams, both disciplinary and legal action will be taken against them, Trisulee warned.

The prime minister said all government agencies concerned must provide channels for people to inform the authorities about possible scams. He instructed the agencies to involve the public in crackdowns.

The government agencies were also instructed to launch public awareness campaigns so that people would be aware of the tricks used by scammers and would not fall victim to them, she said.

“Scammers currently come in several guises. Some claim to be employees of logistics firms and some disguise themselves as police officers, court officials or bank employees,” Traisulee said.

She said some scammers have used IP technology to make fake calls as if the calls originated from abroad.

Younger relatives should also monitor their parents or grandparents to prevent them from falling victim to the gangs, she added.

Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011279

Kamphaeng Phet 6 Road will be closed to motorists for two months from January 25 to undergo urgent repairs, the State Railway of Thailand said on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

The post came after citizens had complained for some time now about the condition of the road, saying it took the shape of a “wave” and might cause accidents.

The SRT explained that it did not ignore the problem. It had asked Italian Thai Development to repair the road as it was covered under the SRT Red Line construction so there would be no additional expense.

In the first phase, Italian Thai Development will repair the road surface from the bridge at kilometre marker 22+642 to the intersection at kilometre 23+800 from January 25.

The second phase will see repairs to the stretch from Don Mueang Police Station to the intersection at kilometre 23+800, under the Don Mueang railway station, and from Kan Kheha station to Don Mueang district office.

The SRT said the road had always undergone repairs from 2020. For example, the road in the Don Mueang area has been repaired three times in 2020 and twice in 2021.

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The SRT said it would find a long-term solution in discussion with experts as it presently has no experts to oversee road adjustments or repairs.

Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011268

The Public Health Ministry is considering the possibility of lowering the Covid-19 alert level from 4 to 3 as the current situation is “partly under control” with less than 20 deaths per day, Minister Anutin Charvirakul said on Tuesday.

The ministry raised its Covid-19 alert level to 4 on January 6 as daily infections surged. Under level 4, venues at risk of infection will be closed, while people have to refrain from travelling or gathering in order to contain the spread of the virus.

“This week the ministry will propose to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration [CCSA] that it adjust Covid-19 zones in some provinces to a lighter colour,” Anutin said.

“We will also seek an easing of some measures, including proposing that the Test & Go scheme for foreign tourists can be resumed.”

Anutin said the Department of Disease Control estimated that the Test & Go scheme could resume in February provided daily infections continued to decline, while the list of approved countries from which travellers can enter Thailand without having to quarantine will depend on the virus situation in each territory.

“The CCSA meeting on Thursday [January 20] would also discuss the opening of sandbox schemes in Samut Prakan, Chonburi, Khon Kaen and Chiang Mai. However, do not expect any discussion on reopening pubs and bars, as these venues are still considered a high risk for causing clusters,” Anutin added.

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Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011267

Had the Test & Go scheme not been suspended, the tourism industry could have welcomed 100,000 to 200,000 foreign tourists in January alone, Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) chairman Sanan Angubolkul said on Wednesday.

The Test & Go scheme, which allows fully vaccinated travellers to enter Thailand without having to quarantine, was suspended on December 21 in a bid to prevent the highly transmissible Omicron variant from spreading. After December 22 foreign travellers can enter Thailand only under the sandbox scheme or by staying at alternative quarantine hotels.

“Since December 22 there have been about 20,000 foreign tourists entering the country under the sandbox scheme, meaning we have missed around 80,000 to 180,000 visitors due to the Test & Go suspension,” he said.

“Statistics show that each foreign visitor spends 50,000 baht per trip in Thailand on average, so that’s a missing income of 4 billion to 9 billion baht for the tourism industry,” Sanan said.

“The Test & Go scheme had significantly boosted the number of foreign visitors from 15,000 per month on average to 218,788 in December alone. These visitors are vital to keeping tourism businesses solvent despite the Covid-19 crisis,” he pointed out.

“Suspending the Test & Go scheme has not only hurt local business owners, but also driven our potential customers to neighbouring countries that have more lenient Covid-19 preventive measures,” he said.

“The government must resume the Test & Go scheme as soon as possible by adjusting the criteria to suit the situation. For example, an extra requirement of a RT-PCR test could be needed five days before entering Thailand, in addition to the current requirement of three days before arrival,” Sanan recommended.

“The resumption of Test & Go will help tourism entrepreneurs keep their businesses running and subsequently help boost domestic tourism in line with the government’s plan to introduce the 4th phase of ‘Rao Tiew Duay Kan’ [We Travel Together] travel subsidy scheme this year,” the TCC chairman added.

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Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011264

The hike in pork prices and subsequent shortage has left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth, going as far as severely affecting Trang’s signature roast pork dish, which usually sells like hot cakes during Chinese New Year.

Anews source said on Tuesday that the pork price in Trang rose to 200 baht per kg for red meat, 250 baht/kg for belly, and 180 baht/kg for ground pork, while supply is limited, prompting many food sellers to reduce the amount of pork in their meals.

Yupin Thaensuwan, owner of Ko Phao Roast Pork restaurant in Mueang Trang district, said that due to the rising costs she needed to adjust the price of her roast pork from 460 baht/kg to 550 baht.

“The limited supply also forced us to reduce the pigs we roast daily. In the past we roasted 3-4 pigs per day, but nowadays we roast only 1-2 and still have leftovers,” she bemoaned.

Rungrat Rotha, owner of Mae Yin restaurant in Ban Pho subdistrict, said that since the price crisis, she has only adjusted the price up once, from 420 baht/kg to 500 baht.

“If pork prices continue to climb, I might have to raise the price to 550 baht/kg this week,” she warned.

Weena Leelakosin, owner of Ban Bua Bok restaurant, has also had to adjust the price of her roast pork to 550 baht.

“As the Chinese New Year draws close, we are seeing fewer customers compared to the same period last year,” she said.

“The contracting economy and inflated pork price have forced them to spend their money more carefully, while some are saving up for a big spending spree for the occasion.”

A customer who travelled from Bangkok to buy roast pork in Trang told the news source that last year he spent only 400 baht/kg.

“This year the price has risen to more than 500 baht/kg, but the deliciousness still makes it worth the price. Besides, it’s understandable that the price adjustment is unavoidable due to the price crisis,” he said.

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Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011262

The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) has posted pictures of full moon from the night of Tuesday (January 18), which is this year’s farthest micro full moon.

Amicro full moon or micro moon is the phenomenon that a full moon or a new moon coincides with apogee, the point in the moon’s orbit farthest away from Earth.

“The micro full moon is currently about 401,011 kilometres away from the Earth and is visible to the naked eye on the east after sunset or from 6.30pm until dawn on Wednesday,” said NARIT on its facebook page.

NARIT explained that the moon’s orbit is oval-shaped and there are days when the moon moves closest and farthest from the earth.

“When the moon is about 357,000km away, it is closest to the Earth, and farthest when it is about 406,000km away,” it said.

People from several areas of Thailand have responded to NARIT’s post by posting photos of micro full moon that they took on Tuesday night.

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Published : January 19, 2022

By : THE NATION