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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011078

The Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul on Thursday announced the latest measures for Thais wanting to return home either under the Test & Go or sandbox schemes or by opting for alternative quarantine (AQ).

“Those who registered for the Thailand Pass before December 22, 2021, and have already received their QR code can enter Thailand under the Test & Go scheme. Under this scheme, they are required to take an RT-PCR test 72 hours before departure,” read the embassy’s Facebook post. “If they wish to change their travel date, an email must be sent to testgo@consular.go.th explaining why the date was changed along with a copy of the passport, vaccination certificate and payment evidence for the AQ hotel and plane tickets. Change in travel plans will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.”

Since the Test & Go scheme was suspended on December 22 in response to the surge in Omicron infections, people who have registered for the Thailand Pass after that date can only enter the country by quarantining at an AQ hotel or opting for a sandbox scheme.

The AQ method requires travellers to provide proof of advance payment of the hotel stay – seven days for the fully vaccinated and 10 days for the unvaccinated or those yet to get their second shot.

Those required to quarantine for 10 days will also have to pay for two RT-PCR tests.

The sandbox scheme, meanwhile, does not require an RT-PCR test, but candidates must be fully vaccinated and land in either Phuket, Samui or Krabi. They will be allowed to travel in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and three islands of Surat Thani under a sealed route for seven days. Travellers are required to produce proof of payment for SHA+ certified hotels in these provinces.

The embassy also added that Thai nationals under the age of 18 can enter Thailand under the following conditions:

• Those aged 12 to 17 who have received at least one Covid-19 jab can enter Thailand without an accompanying parent via an AQ hotel or through the sandbox scheme.

• Those who are unvaccinated must be accompanied by a parent and quarantined based on the parent’s vaccination status (seven or 10 days).

• Children below the age of 11 are not required to be vaccinated but must be accompanied by parents and the quarantine period will be based on the parent’s vaccination status.

• No RT-PCR tests are required for young travellers in both age groups.

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Published : January 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011077

356 rai of lands and 341 buildings in Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom will be expropriated to build a road that links the two provinces, said a news source from Department of Rural Roads on Thursday (January 14).

“The new road will be 12 km. long and starts from Nakhon-In Road in Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai district. The six-lane road will run through three districts, seven subdistricts and 28 villages and eventually links with Salaya Road in Nakhon Pathom’s Phutthamonthon district,” said the source. “The department has set the project’s construction budget of 4.4 billion baht and earmarked additional 2.7 billion baht as expropriation cost.”

Department of Rural Roads expected to finish the expropriation process within 2024. The construction will take 3 years and the new road will open for public use in 2027.

The National Environment Board had earlier approved the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study of the project on December 17 of last year, after the Royal Gazette on September 16, 2020 had announced the areas to be expropriated to build the road.

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Published : January 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011076

Even though most of the current Covid-19 vaccines provide little protection from the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, it is still necessary to get the jabs, expert virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan said on Thursday.

“The Omicron variant has a shorter incubation period. When a human body is exposed to the virus, it cannot build up its immunity in time despite being vaccinated, which eventually leads to infection,” the virologist from Chulalongkorn University said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

“However, Omicron has a mutation in its spikes that stop it from fully evading the body’s immunity,” Dr Yong pointed out. “This means a vaccine can help build immunity over time and prevent the infection from becoming severe, hence significantly reducing hospitalisation and fatalities.

“To fight against Omicron, people must get booster shots at the right time to keep their immunity at a high level and mitigate symptoms in case of infection,” Yong said.

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Published : January 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011068

Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (January 14) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 8,158 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 242 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 15, while 3,942 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 2,308,615 – 2,211,922 of whom have recovered, 74,795 are still in hospitals and 21,898 have died.

Separately, another 52,332 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 128,885 their second shot and 361,472 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 108,313,948.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 320.96 million on Friday, 264.11 million of whom have recovered, 51.31 million are active cases (96,654 in severe condition) and 5.54 million have died (up by 7,299).

Thailand ranks 26th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 65.24 million, followed by India with 36.57 million, Brazil with 22.82 million, the UK with 14.97 million and France with 13.24 million.

Published : January 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011067

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Friday (January 14) that the westerly and southeasterly winds cover the upper North of Thailand while the high-pressure system covers upper Thailand and the South China Sea. Cool weather and morning fog are forecast in upper Thailand with isolated rains in some areas of the North.

Mountaintops in the North and the Northeast are cold to very cold with temperature ranging from 7 to 16 °C. All transports should take caution due to poor visibility.

The Department also mentioned that the northeast monsoon across the Gulf of Thailand and the South brings isolated light rains to the South.

During January 15-18, the westerly trough is expected to move pass the upper North and the upper Northeast and causes isolated thundershowers and gusty winds in the area.
 

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:

North: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 17-21 degrees and highs of 29-35 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 7-16 degrees Celsius.

Northeast: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 17-20 degrees and highs of 30-33 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 9-16 degrees Celsius.

Central: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 20-22 degrees, highs of 33-34 degrees Celsius.

East: Cool weather with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 19-23 degrees, highs of 31-34 degrees Celsius; waves less than a meter high and over a meter high offshore.

South (east coast): Partly cloudy with isolated light rains; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees, highs of 30-33 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 meters high and about 2 meters high during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Partly cloudy with isolated light rains; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius; waves less than a meter high and about a meter high offshore.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Partly cloudy with light fog in the morning; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : January 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40011057

The Subcommittee for Resolving the Covid-19 Situation in Bangkok approved new guidelines on Thursday for treating infected people as quickly as possible.

Those who have been assessed and have moderate symptoms or are at risk of more severe symptoms will be referred to a hospital, field hospital or a specialised hospital as soon as possible, initially set for no more than 12 hours.

Those who will be referred to hospital for treatment should have the following symptoms:

1. A fever higher than 39 degrees Celsius lasting more than 24 hours.

2. An oxygen saturation value less than 94 per cent.

3. Breathing faster than 25 breaths per minute (for adults).

4. Those aged more than 60 years, patients with seven underlying diseases, and women who are 12 weeks pregnant or more.

5. Children with symptoms as described in items 1-2, with difficulty breathing or rapid breathing, drowsiness, and no interest in eating.

If a person is asymptomatic or has mild symptoms, he/she will be asked to go into home isolation. Medical staff will deliver medicines and necessary items within 24 hours.

Published : January 13, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011051

Crocodile meat is flying off the shelves in Thailand as the soaring price of pork and chicken force consumers to change their diet.

Acrocodile farm in Nakhon Pathom province is offering its meat via Facebook at Bt70 per kilogram.

But there is a catch. The offered price applies to purchases of at least 30 kilos – small purchases are priced at Bt105 a kilo, according to the owner of Hia Sak Farm in Nakhon Pathom’s Kamphaeng Saen district.

That’s still a bargain compared to the price of pork, which has skyrocketed to around 230 baht per kilo as pig production falls.

The farm began selling to local consumers after Covid-19 restrictions prevented the export of its meat to mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, said the owner.

Local demand for crocodile meat has risen sharply in line with the soaring pork price, he added.

Customers on his Facebook page said they were turning to crocodile meat for its affordability and flavour. “It tastes like chicken. Very delicious,” one netizen said.

Pork is currently being sold at Bt190 to Bt260 per kilo – up to 30 per cent higher than a year ago. The price has jumped Bt20 to Bt40 over recent months due to a sharp drop in local pig supplies attributed to a suspected outbreak of African swine fever.

The rise is also having a knock-on effect on chicken prices, which have increased about Bt5 per kilo.

Published : January 13, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011050

Crowded dormitories and apartment buildings have spawned new Covid-19 clusters in Bangkok as more unvaccinated residents fall victim to the virus, a senior public health official said on Thursday (Jan 13).

Dr Suthat Chottanapund, director of the Urban Institute for Disease Prevention and Control, told a press conference that a significant increase in new cases has been found at dormitories and residential buildings, such as the Police Flats.
 

“Residents should avoid risky areas and follow the safety measures strictly,” said Suthat, whose agency is part of the Public Health Ministry’s Department of Disease Control.

On January 12, the city logged 939 new cases with three fatalities and more than 300 patients being treated, he said.

He added that more than 60 per cent of people dying from Covid-19 were unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

Along with crowded residential buildings, night entertainment venues operating as restaurants also pose infection risks due to poor ventilation, Dr Suthat said.

The official said Bangkok has readied field hospitals for a new surge in Covid-19 cases. He advised those who test positive to call 1330 for registration and treatment.

Published : January 13, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011046

A major tourism and food & beverage operator in Thailand has called on the government to resume the Test & Go scheme or at least open more “sandbox” destinations to help the tourism business.

Minor International board chairman William Ellwood Heinecke made the call in his open letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Heinecke said that although the government may not be able to contain the spread of the Omicron variant in a short time, it should take into account that the strain caused much less severe symptomatic disease, resulting in much fewer hospitalisations and deaths.

As a result, he said the government should deal with Omicron differently from previous Covid-19 waves.

He urged the government to speed up vaccinations of people who have not been inoculated and quickly administer booster shots instead of shutting the country’s doors to foreign tourists.

The Minor International chairman said the government should use the same regulations as other countries for accepting foreign tourists as strict rules are no longer necessary under the Omicron situation.

For example, the requirement for health insurance against Covid-19 and advance room reservations are no longer necessary, he insisted.

Heinecke said foreign tourists should be required to provide only a vaccine certificate and Covid-19 negative test results.

Because of the milder symptomatic disease associated with Omicron, the government should resume its Test & Go scheme or open more “sandbox” areas soon, he added.

The Test & Go programme, which allowed fully vaccinated tourists to stay just one night in a quarantine hotel as they await their RT-PCR test results, has been indefinitely suspended. Instead, the government is allowing tourists to visit Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Tao under extended sandbox schemes.

Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn meanwhile said the Public Health Ministry would consider resuming the Test & Go scheme once the Omicron situation improves.

The Public Health Ministry announced on Thursday morning that there were 8,167 new Covid-19 cases in the previous 24 hours.

Yuthasak said the Omicron spread has not affected tourism in Phuket so far.

On Tuesday, 3,800 foreigners applied to visit Thailand via the Thailand Pass online system, with 3,700 of them seeking to visit Phuket and the other 100 planning to head to other “sandbox” provinces, the TAT governor said.

He said that although the number of new Covid-19 cases in Phuket had increased, most of them did not display any symptoms so they could be quarantined in their hotels.

Yuthasak said TAT held a meeting with Phuket Governor Narong Woonsiew on Monday and the governor expressed confidence that the provincial administration could handle the Omicron situation.

The governor reported that most tourists who were infected with Omicron did not feel ill so they were allowed to choose to quarantine in hospitals, hotels or hospitels.

Most chose to quarantine in their hotel rooms, the TAT governor said.

So far, the number of hotels for quarantining tourists with expected Omicron has been increased to around 800 rooms, Yuthasak added.

Published : January 13, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011043

Phitsanulok governor Ronnachai Jitwiset has been working with the province’s commerce and livestock development offices to sell pork at affordable price to people amid the crisis of soaring pork price.

“From now until January 31, the province will sell special priced pork at 150 baht per kilogram at 7 locations. Each location will have a supply of 50 kilogram per day,” said Ronnachai on Wednesday.

These locations are:
– SKF Shop on Ekathossarot Road (opposite Ruam Jai Market)
– BMP Fresh Shop on Ekathossarot Road
– Thor Karnkha Shop, Hua Ror subdistrict
– Je Eng Shop, Thessaban 1 Market
– Je Eng Shop, Thessaban 5 Market
– Ajjima Farm Shop, Ban Khlong Market
– Ajjima Farm Shop, Pho Pu Dam Shrine Market

“Furthermore, every Friday of January the province will also sell special priced chicken, eggs and fish at Farmers’ Market in front of the city hall,” added the governor. 

Ronnachai also said that about 100 swine farmers in the province had to destroy about 3,000 pigs that had contracted porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) to prevent the disease from spreading. “The province has earmarked 13 million baht to compensate these farmers and expected to disburse the money within this month,” he added.

Pork price in most of Thailand has been climbing continually since after New Year holidays due to various factors, including increasing price of animal feed and swine communicable diseases. The Talad Thai market on Wednesday reported retail pork price at 195-200 baht per kilogram.

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Published : January 13, 2022

By : THE NATION