NHSO earmarks over THB1 billion for shipment of rapid test kits
In a meeting on Monday, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) earmarked 1.014 billion for the purchase of rapid antigen test kits to help uncover more Covid-19 cases nationwide.
These test kits are expected to be distributed to healthcare units nationwide in the next two months.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who presided over the NHSO meeting, said these kits will also be distributed among local and migrant workers in a bid to contain the intensifying Covid-19 situation in the country.
Foundation reports shortage of herbal pill supposed to help fight Covid
The Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital Foundation on Monday said in a statement that its stock of fah talai jone (andrographis paniculata) pills was at a low level due to the surge in demand.
The foundation said it had so far distributed fah talai jone pills via government agencies, non-governmental organisations and donors.
Demand for the herb has shot up after a recent study by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine showed that it could cure Covid-19 patients who had mild symptoms and were asymptomatic.
The medicine has long been used in Thailand and many Asian countries to cure the flu, sore throat and inflammation.
“The foundation is currently accelerating the production of fah talai jone pills to meet the surging demand,” the statement said.
The foundation also asked people not to hoard fah talai jone pills or jack up the pills’ price, to enable the country to overcome the Covid-19 crisis.
“The foundation will maintain the quality of Fah Talai Jone pills and develop new herbal medicines to combat the Covid-19 crisis,” the statement said.
Baht expected to weaken amid rising demand for safe haven assets
The baht opened at 32.86 to the US dollar on Tuesday, unchanged from Monday’s closing rate.
The Thai currency is likely to move between 32.80 and 32.95 during the day, Krungthai Bank market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.
He said foreign investors had decided to sell their assets in Thailand due to uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 situation in the country, and this would lead to a gradual weakening of the baht.
Meanwhile, the baht’s weakening will lead to importers exchanging the Thai currency for dollars, or other foreign ones. The baht would tend to weaken, or stabilise at 32.70 to the US dollar.
However, Poon predicted that the Bank of Thailand would sell dollars or other foreign currencies in order to ease the baht’s fluctuation, or delay its weakening.
Poon added that the dollar would strengthen due to market players’ concerns about the Covid-19 situation around the world, which had increased the demand for safe haven assets. In addition, this strengthening is another factor in weakening the baht, he added.
No green light for soft opening of Red Line train service due to Covid-19
The soft opening of the Red Line urban train, previously scheduled for August 2, would be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a source from the Transport Ministry revealed.
The Red Line, running from Bang Sue to Rangsit and Taling Chan stations, will help shorten travel time between the city’s heart and urban areas to under 30 minutes thanks to the high-speed (120kph) trains.
After the soft opening, the train will offer the service free of charge for about three months before its official opening for commercial use in November.
“Due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, which has prompted the government to impose a partial lockdown and curfew in 13 dark-red zone provinces, as well as limit intra- and interprovincial travel, the ministry has agreed that the soft opening next month should be postponed,” said the source.
“The ministry will announce the new opening date after it thoroughly evaluates the situation.”
The source added that construction and all system installations of the Red Line were fully complete.
“The State Railway of Thailand [SRT] and SRT Electrified Train Co Ltd have conducted trial runs of all systems periodically,” the source said. “During the delay, they will continue to conduct test runs to make sure that the Red Line operates smoothly when it finally opens for public use.”
The Red Line urban train comprises two routes. The Bang Sue–Rangsit route is 26 km long with 10 stations with a total travel time of 25 minutes. The Bang Sue–Taling Chan route is 15 km long with three stations and will take about 15 minutes. The fare ranges from THB12 to THB42.
A foodpanda delivery staff, who allegedly took part in an anti-government protest on Sunday, was arrested in Pathum Thani province on Monday on several charges.
Police on Monday arrested Sitthichote Setsawet following a Criminal Court warrant on charges that included defaming, insulting and threatening the King and Queen, arson, and violation of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations, which prohibit public gathering in maximum control areas during the pandemic.
Sitthichote had allegedly participated in a rally at Democracy Monument in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district on Sunday to demand the prime minister’s resignation, as well as more effective mRNA vaccines in the government’s inoculation programme.
He was allegedly seen in one of the videoclips that were shared online while wearing a foodpanda uniform.
In response, the brand announced via Twitter that he would be fired. Foodpanda said its policies oppose “all kinds of violence and terrorism”.
The response was later shared online, triggering calls by pro-democracy protesters and even some restaurant owners for a boycott of the food-delivery app.
Amid the online backlash, foodpanda later issued an apology and said it was still examining the incident.
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha will work from home starting Tuesday in keeping with the Ministry of Public Healths measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“The Cabinet meeting on Tuesday will be held via videoconference, while the PM will work from home on most days,” said a source.
“He will still go to Government House to perform certain duties on some days, but will try not to stay long.
“PM Prayut decided to work from home to reduce physical proximity as over a dozen staffers normally accompany him when he works at Government House,” added the source.
Thailand logged a record 11,784 infections and 81 deaths on Monday. The country’s caseload has gone up to 415,170 with a total of 3,422 deaths.
The southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand is intensifying, while a monsoon trough lies across Myanmar, upper Laos and upper Vietnam.
Isolated heavy rains are likely over the North, the Northeast, the Central and the East regions, the Thailand Meteorological Department forecast on Tuesday.
People in upper Thailand should beware of the severe conditions, the department said.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees Celsius, highs of 29-34°C.
Northeast: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 24-25°C, highs of 30-32°C.
Central: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 30-34°C.
East: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-26°C, highs of 30-32°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 22-25°C, highs of 30-34°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 21-27°C, highs of 31-33°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 25-26°C, highs of 31-32°C.
Worker compensation packages in pipeline for Ayutthaya, Chonburi and Chachoengsao
The Labour Ministry will propose Covid-19 compensation packages for workers in Ayutthaya, Chonburi and Chachoengsao at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. All three provinces were recently included in the Dark Red zone of maximum restrictions including curfew.
The proposed compensation package will cover workers under the Social Security scheme, as per articles 33 and 40 of the Social Security Act.
Like workers in other Dark Red provinces such as metropolitan Bangkok, employers will get 3,000 baht per employee, capped at 600,000 baht (200 employees). Meanwhile, eligible employees will each receive payments of 2,500 baht.
Also, freelance workers aged 15 to 65 can register for compensation payments of 5,000 baht at www.sso.go.th, 7-Elevens or Big C complexes.
Thai durian producers urge rail link with China to tap soaring demand
The Thai Durian Association has urged the government to ease the bottleneck that’s strangling durian exports by linking Thailand’s rail network with the Laos-China railway.
Set for completion in 2024, the Laos-China railway offers a potential route for durian shipments to China, where demand for the Thai fruit is soaring.
However, association chairman Phanusak Saiphanich said there is currently no connection between the Thai rail network and the Laos-China link. He urged the government to reach an agreement with Laos on linking the rail routes.
Thailand currently ships durians to China via sea and road. Transportation by ship takes longer and places the products at more risk of spoilage. However, ships are a cheaper transportation method than trucks.
Despite churning out huge quantities, Thai durian producers are still struggling to meet growing demand for the fruit in China, said the association.
“They [Chinese] consume an average 2 kilos of durian per person per year and the market still has room to expand, but there is a problem with distribution,” Phanusak said.
A nurse in Nakhon Pathom jumped to her death on Monday morning, leaving behind her three-month-old baby.
It is believed that depression and stress drove her to kill herself.
Police said CCTV recordings show the 34-year-old jumping off the fourth-floor balcony of Mettapracharak Hospital in Sampran district.
The nurse’s white shoes were found placed near the jumping-off point.
The fourth floor is devoted to Covid-19 patients, and she was assigned to tend to them. CCTV recording shows the deceased walking around in the staff room for 10 minutes before walking out and jumping off the balcony.
Her husband and colleagues said the deceased had been showing signs of stress and was worried she would transmit the virus to her child. She had shown symptoms of clinical depression earlier and had reportedly asked to be moved to another department in August.
The body has been sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Siriraj Hospital for autopsy.
