#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40008004

The Surasri task force rounded up 260 Myanmar nationals who had sneaked into Thailand via Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok district on Monday.

Of them, 14 were nabbed at the Ban Phu Noi village at 8am, 34 in the Ban Thung Chang village at 9.30am and another 212 at 12.10pm in the same area.

The migrants said they hailed from Myanmar’s Dawei, Mawlamyine, Yangon, Bago, Rakhine and Naypyidaw areas and claimed to have paid between 18,000 and 23,000 baht each to agents.

They were allegedly heading to jobs in Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Chonburi, Ratchaburi, Ayutthaya and Samut Prakan.

260 Myanmar nationals caught sneaking across the border in Kanchanaburi

The task force screened each migrant’s body temperature before sending them to Sai Yok Police Station for legal procedure.

Related stories:

• Over 450 Thai, Myanmar workers test positive for Covid-19 in Mae Sot
• For immigrants, IDs prove to be a barrier to a dose of protection
• All natural borders with Myanmar boarded up

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40008002

A woman, who tested positive for Covid-19, allegedly jumped to her death from a seven-storey apartment building on Monday night in Bangkok’s Bang Kapi area.

Lat Phrao police were informed of the case at about 10.45pm and learned that the woman, identified only as Panthita, had allegedly jumped from her flat on the sixth floor. The woman, believed to be under 30 in age, was the daughter of the apartment building’s owner and had left behind a will for her share of the property.

Two initial ATK tests on the body produced Covid-positive results. The case is being investigated.

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40008001

A report questioning whether the yearly “Bung Fai Phaya Nak” (Naga fireballs) in Nong Khai was a natural phenomenon or a man-made one went viral on social media on Saturday.

The administrator of the Facebook page “PhisucnBangfiPhyanakh” (Proving Naga fireball) posted images of flare guns being fired in the air in Bueng Kan’s Muang district on Thursday and in Nong Khai’s Rattana Wapee district on Friday.

The page administrator, Somphob Khasawat, said he has been observing the event for a decade now and believes the fireballs are actually flare gun shots from the Lao side of the Mekong River.

The Naga fireballs – a natural phenomenon or a man-made trick?

He submitted evidence, including the list of 10 Laotian villages located opposite Nong Khai and Bueng Kan districts, photos and video clips, to the Laos Embassy for further investigation.

Somphob, however, said he did not want to destroy the legend of the mythical Naga, which is worshipped by people living along the banks of the Mekong River.

As for people living in the riverside Ban Tha Muang village in Nong Khai’s Rattana Wapee district, the Naga fireballs are the real thing.

The Naga fireballs – a natural phenomenon or a man-made trick?

Lamduan Senanikorn, 50, said she has been watching these pink and red fireballs rise from the Mekong River every year since she was a child. However, she admitted that the number of fireballs has dropped recently.

She also said those investigating the phenomenon should only make comments once they have accurate results.

The Naga fireballs – a natural phenomenon or a man-made trick?

Villagers Kularb Intharaksa, 65, and Pud Thongdaeng, 58, said the images of so-called fireballs posted on the Facebook page are nothing like the ones they have seen before.

They said people claiming that the Naga fireballs were caused by tracer rounds shot in the air did not have first-hand experience of the phenomenon.

The Naga fireballs – a natural phenomenon or a man-made trick?

Naga fireballs, also known as Bung Fai Phaya Nak or “Mekong lights” and even “ghost lights” are a phenomenon seen annually on the Mekong River during the end of Buddhist lent day in late October.

Glowing balls, some the size of a basketball, apparently rise from the water high into the air. The number of fireballs reported varies between tens and thousands per night.

Related stories:

• Mekong River in Nong Khai at its most beautiful now
• Solar eclipse only partly visible in Thailand
• Feast of Naga fireballs for skygazers

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40008000

Opening tourist provinces to double-jabbed foreigners from November 1 should not put locals at risk provided everybody strictly follows Covid-19 preventive measures, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)’s spokesperson Dr Apisamai Srirangsan said on Monday.

Under the plan, visitors travelling by air from 46 countries/territories that have a low level of Covid-19 infections will not be subjected to the 14-day mandatory quarantine. However, they have to prove that they have received both jabs of an approved Covid-19 vaccine at least 14 days earlier and provide a negative RT-PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours before flying.

The list of the 46 approved countries/territories is available at: https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007828

“Please note that the governments of some countries on the list have yet to allow their citizens to travel to Thailand,” Apisamai said. “Also, the number of flights will be limited and closely monitored by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand [CAAT]. Airlines cannot resume their services to the same level as they did before the pandemic.”

As for worries that the increase in new cases in the 17 “blue zone” provinces may affect the reopening plan, Apisamai said “the CCSA and Public Health Ministry will use different criteria apart from infection rate to determine if the areas are ready to be reopened”.

The other important factors that may affect the decision include vaccination rate, the number of severe cases, deaths and readiness of the public health system.

“Only certain areas in the 17 blue-zone provinces will be reopened to foreign tourists, mostly cities with tourist attractions,” she said. “These areas have been carefully considered and picked by the provincial communicable disease committee, the Tourism and Sports Ministry, and tourist associations in the province.”

When asked if businesses that employ the “Covid-Free Setting” can refuse to serve unvaccinated customers, Apisamai said this measure was not mandatory but based on cooperation.

“The ‘Covid-Free Setting’, which includes maintaining social distancing, having staffers double-jabbed and regularly tested using the ATK, aims to keep both customers and employees safe from the virus. It can be flexible when necessary as people will need time to adjust to the new normal,” she said.

Related Stories

Vaccination mandatory in Covid-Free Settings from Oct 1

TAT comes out with initial guidelines for tourists, more blue zones to be created from Nov 1

Travelers from 46 countries can enter Thailand without quarantine from November 1

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007998

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced on Monday that it was building two more “water banks” in areas that face the risk of flooding. The new water retention areas are scheduled to be completed by December.

Bangkok already has three water banks, one under the Bang Khen roundabout which has been storing water since 2019. This bank has helped keep the Bang Khen-Chaeng Watthana areas dry. The second is under the Asok-Din Daeng Road at the entrance of Soi Sutthiphorn 2 and the third in the Setthakit housing estate in Bang Khae district.

The two new water banks will be built near the Ratchadaphisek and Vibhavadi Rangsit roads and the other at the intersection of Srinakarin and Krungthep Kreetha roads.

The five banks will have a total capacity to hold up to 27,030 cubic metres of water.

The construction of water banks, or large artesian wells to store water, is the brainchild of Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang, who was inspired by a similar setup in Japan.

Torrential rain and run-offs from the North, as well as high tide affecting local tributaries of the Chao Phraya, often leave many areas in the capital inundated. The city’s sewerage system is also unable to drain the water, while natural aquifers that once helped drain the city have been replaced by roads.

Related news:

• Keep your eyes on the water level, BMA warns people along Maha Sawat canal
• BMA officials checking Chao Phraya’s flood levees, water levels not yet at danger mark
• Health Ministry striving to solve flooded-hospital problem

Bangkok set to get two more water banks by yearendBangkok set to get two more water banks by yearend

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007996

A 70-year-old man in Nakhon Ratchasima was found unconscious on the bathroom floor in the wee hours of Tuesday – one week after he received this second Covid-19 jab.

Mao Foijapoh’s wife found him at around 3.45am with a wound on his head and a weak pulse.

She immediately called the police, who sent a rescue team to their home in Chokchai district. The man was taken to Chokchai Hospital, where he died later.

Jaew Foijapoh, 69, said her husband suffered from high blood pressure and often imbibed in alcohol. She added that Mao had received his second Covid-19 vaccine, which was AstraZeneca, last week. His first dose was that of Sinovac.

Jaew believes her husband may have lost his balance because he had a bit too much to drink. The man’s body has been taken in for autopsy to find the real cause of death.

Link sought between Nakhon Ratchasima senior’s death and AstraZeneca shotLink sought between Nakhon Ratchasima senior’s death and AstraZeneca shot

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007995

Phuket police said on Monday that they have enough evidence to identify the man who broke into a gold shop in Muang district on Saturday and made off with 10 million baht worth of jewellery.

The robber, believed to be “no older than 35”, reportedly entered the gold store through the roof, forced the two elderly shop attendants to open the safe and took off with 10-million baht worth of loot. He exited the shop the same way he arrived.

On Monday, local police said they have identified the man based on evidence and images captured on CCTV.

Related News

Artful thief enters store through roof, disappears with THB10 million in gold

Commerce Ministry vows action against firms exporting used rubber gloves after CNN probe

Super variant Delta Plus rears its head in Thailand

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007993

The even more quickly transmitted version of the Covid-19 Delta variant, Delta Plus, was detected in Thailand in September, when a 49-year-old got infected.

The man had been working in Ayutthaya province, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said on Monday.

“The case was uncovered by the Army Medical Department in September,” said Dr Chawetsan Namwat, director of the DDC’s emergency disease and health hazards control division. “The Delta Plus variant can spread more easily than its Delta counterpart. It is believed to have originated in England where it was detected in 6 per cent of Covid-19 patients.

“In Thailand, the Delta Plus situation is still at the monitoring phase,” he added.

Meanwhile, the overall Covid-19 situation in Thailand is improving, with the number of new infections and deaths generally dropping, including in densely populated areas like Greater Bangkok, DDC reported.

“However, we are closely monitoring areas where infections tend to rise, such as Nakhon Si Thammarat, Tak, Rayong and Chanthaburi,” he said. “These provinces have recently reported new cluster cases linked to funerals or other social activities where people did not wear face masks or shared meals and glasses with others.”

As of Monday, Thailand had administered 70,590,025 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with 55.5 per cent of the population having received the first jab and 39.4 per cent their second jab. Bangkok is the only province where nearly everybody has received their first jab, followed by Phuket, where 82.7 per cent of the population has received the first vaccine.

Related Stories

Benefits of Pfizer far outweigh the risk, says DDC chief, as vaccination drive for students continues

Cabinet okays purchase of 400,000 AstraZeneca doses from Hungary

Students to start getting their Pfizer jabs from Monday onwards

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007985

Ministry of Public Health reported on Tuesday (October 26) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 7,706 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 128 of whom have been found in prisons.

Death toll increased by 66, while 9,532 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 1,866,863 – 1,748,848 of whom have recovered, 98,150 are still in hospitals and 18,865 have died.

Separately, another 346,589 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 341,373 their second shot and 43,756 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 71,237,520.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 244.84 million on Tuesday, 221.97 million of whom have recovered, 17.9 million are active cases (75,325 in severe condition) and 4.97 million have died (up by 5,093).
 

Thailand ranks 24th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 46.4 million, followed by India with 34.2 million, Brazil with 21.74 million, the UK with 8.81 million and Russia with 8.28 million.
 

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007984

Officials from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Monday visited Suvarnabhumi Airport to check its Covid-19 preventive measures before the province will reopen to vaccinated foreign visitors from November 1 onward.

Bangkok will join other 14 provinces in the pilot phase of reopening Thailand to foreign tourists. Under the plan, visitors travelling by air from countries have that a low level of Covid-19 infections will not have to quarantine, but they must prove they have received both jabs of an approved Covid-19 vaccine as well as produce a negative RT-PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours before flying.

BMA checks Suvarnabhumi’s readiness before reopening

The group, led by deputy governor Pol Lt-General Sophon Phisutthiwong and representatives from Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourist Police Bureau and related agencies, witnessed the demonstration of Thailand Pass QR Code checkpoints at Concourse C Building, before visited the areas where foreign passengers will meet with staff from alternative quarantine hotels to ensure the efficient and safe transportation of passengers at Gate 9 of the Passenger Terminal.

BMA checks Suvarnabhumi’s readiness before reopening

BMA checks Suvarnabhumi’s readiness before reopening

After inspecting several areas of Suvarnabhumi Airport, officials traveled to Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park Hotel in Khlong Toei district to check the hotel’s readiness in managing guest rooms, public areas, pools, spas and restaurants under Safety & Health Administration Plus (SHA+) standard. The SHA+ standard also requires employees of the business to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at least 70 per cent of the entire staff.

BMA checks Suvarnabhumi’s readiness before reopening

After the inspection, Sophon told the press that so far Bangkok has vaccinated over 74.9 per cent of its population at two doses, while the number of people who received the first jab has exceeded 100 per cent of the province’s population in the census record.

Related Stories

Bangkok sets up panel to support city reopening

Governor sets three conditions for reopening Bangkok

No curfew after Oct 31 in Bangkok, other tourist provinces

Published : October 26, 2021

By : THE NATION