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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001452

Isolated thundershowers forecast for Bangkok and most parts of Thailand

A moderate southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand, bringing scattered thundershowers to the region, the Thailand Meteorological Department said on Sunday.

Thundershowers are also forecast for other parts of the country.

Strong wind-generated waves are likely in the upper Andaman Sea from Phuket northward, about two metres high and above two metres during thundershowers.

All ships in the Andaman Sea should proceed with caution and keep away from thundershowers, the department said.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Cloudy with scattered thundershowers in Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Nan, Phayao, Lampang, Sukhothai, Tak and Kamphaeng Phet provinces; minimum temperature 23-25 degrees Celsius, maximum 34-37°C; southwesterly winds 10-20 km/hr.

Northeast: Partly cloudy with isolated thundershowers mostly in Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani provinces; minimum temperature 24-26°C, maximum 35-36°C; southwesterly winds 10-20 km/hr.

Central: Cloudy with isolated thundershowers in Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Suphanburi, Nakhon Prathom and Samut Songkhram provinces; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 36-37°C; southwesterly winds 10-20 km/hr.

East: Cloudy with isolated thundershowers mostly in Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces; minimum temperature 25-27°C, maximum 32-36°C; southwesterly winds 15-35 km/hr; waves 1-2 metres high and about two metres in thundershowers.

South (east coast): Cloudy with scattered thundershowers in Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla provinces; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 33-36°C; southwesterly winds 15-30 km/hr; waves about a metre high and 1-2 metres in thundershowers.

South (west coast): Scattered thundershowers in Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi and Trang provinces; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 32-34°C.

Phuket northward: Southwesterly winds 20-35 km/hr; waves about two metres high and above two metres in thundershowers.

Krabi southward: Southwesterly winds 15-35 km/hr; waves 1-2 metres high and about two metres in thundershowers.

Bangkok and its vicinity: Partly cloudy with isolated thundershowers mostly in the afternoon to evening; minimum temperature 25-27°C, maximum 33-37 °C; southwesterly winds 10-20 km/hr.

Published : May 30, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001450

DDC debunks rumour of pork fat in Covid-19 vaccines

The Digital Economy and Society Ministry has warned people not to believe or share news and Internet posts that claimed the Sinovac and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines contained pork fat as an ingredient.

“The ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre contacted the Department of Disease Control and was told that the information is false,” said the centre via its Facebook page. “The DDC has thoroughly inspected the ingredients of both types of vaccines and found no trace of pork fat.

“Please do not share such information, as it could spread misunderstanding amid the outbreak,” it added.

For more information, contact Department of Disease Control on tel No. 1442 or https://ddc.moph.go.th

The center added that it is investigating the origin of the rumor and will file charges against the original poster, as inputting falsified information into a computer system is a violation of Computer-Related Crime Act.

Published : May 29, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001448

Aswin takes stock of pipe project to ease flooding in Sathorn

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang visited the capital’s Sathorn area on Saturday morning to check progress of the pipe-jacking project to help release water during the rainy season.

Pipe-jacking is a method of laying underground pipes without digging a trench by assembling the pipes at the foot of an access shaft and pushing them through the ground with a hydraulic jack.

According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), an area along Chan Road in the Sathorn area is always flooded during rains, so the pipe construction was organised to help carry the water to the Khlong Kruay canal of the capital.

The project is targeted to finish by July 2021.

Published : May 29, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001447

Elephants on sale as Sriracha Tiger Zoo tries to cope with its losses

The Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi province has announced the sale of 11 elephants on Facebook, as part of its bid to generate money to heal its financial losses.

According to the post on Friday, the zoo asked other social media users to share the post, as a way to help find a new home for all the elephants.

The zoo explained clearly that the sales were aimed at generating funds to deal with the losses it had suffered due to the Covid-19 crisis.

In the beginning of May, the zoo’s owner, Sumeth Panyasakhon, had denied rumours of a permanent closure of the zoo as stated by the zoo’s managing director online.

Published : May 29, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001446

Suranaree University students come out on top in digital challenge summit

Five students from Suranaree University of Technology were awarded the Wai Kid Digital Challenge grand prize on Friday by the United States government, together with Facebook Thailand and DAI.

Through creative 90-second videos, the winning teams raised the importance of news literacy and identifying misinformation during Covid-19 to help the Thai public safely navigate online spaces.

The Wai Kid Digital Challenge trained nearly 400 university students nationwide on content creation to promote digital literacy, critical thinking, online identity security, and positive online communications.

The summit celebrated three prize-winning teams:

Grand prize winner: Yan-Hwang Team, Suranaree University of Technology (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Most creative: Four Hearts of the Mountains Team, Srinakarinwirot University (Bangkok)

Best key message: Those with Knowledge Team, Walailak University (Nakhon Si Thammarat)

“We wanted to make a video that was relevant and timely about identifying misinformation during Covid-19,” said Teerapat Suksawat, one of the members of Yan-Hwang, the grand prize-winning team.

“I hope that my team’s video on this topic can entertain whoever watches it, and influence them to make positive changes to their daily online behaviour. We hope that they’ll also share the video with others in their own communities”.

Representatives from the US government, Facebook, DAI, and six partner universities — Hat Yai University, Mae Fah Luang University, Ramkamhaeng University, Srinakharinwirot University, Suranaree University of Technology, and Walailak University — across Thailand gathered in a virtual summit to celebrate the students’ journey in the Wai Kid Digital Challenge of becoming digital literacy champions.

Students and their Thai content creator mentors shared their key learnings from the programme and the importance of having digital literacy campaigns like Wai Kid Digital.

“The United States is proud to support young people and partners in Thailand who are developing creative ways to promote open, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems,” said Michael Heath, chargé d’Affaires, at the US Embassy in Bangkok.

The winning teams were awarded exclusive learning opportunities with industry experts in addition to content creation equipment that will help the students continue their journey of becoming digital literacy champions beyond the Challenge.

The Wai Kid Digital University Challenge is an expansion of Facebook’s flagship “We Think Digital” digital literacy programme first launched in Thailand in 2019.

Wai Kid Digital is being implemented by Love Frankie, and is part of USAID’s Digital Asia Accelerator activity (‘the Accelerator’) implemented by DAI. Through the Accelerator, USAID is working across Southeast Asia and Mongolia to advance inclusive and sustainable economic development by increasing businesses’ and citizens’ capacities to use digital technology safely and effectively.

Published : May 29, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001445

23 arrested as police raid drug party in Bangkok resort

Police raided a resort located in Saimai Soi 56 in Bangkok’s Saimai district at 3am on Saturday following a tip-off that a drug party was being held there.

Police found 23 young party-goers in a VIP room at the resort, two of whom were underage. They were all taken to the police station for drug testing. The tests reportedly showed that 17 out of 23 suspects had taken category 2 narcotics (ketamine). The other six reportedly said that they were only there to drink alcohol.

23 arrested as police raid drug party in Bangkok resort

A news source added that two of the arrested suspects had been infected with Covid-19 and had undergone treatment.

Police charged the partygoers with participating in an assembly in violation of the emergency decree during the pandemic, while those who tested positive for drugs were also charged with drug abuse.

23 arrested as police raid drug party in Bangkok resort

Published : May 29, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001444

Government considering libel case against company over Sinopharm vaccine claims

The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) plans to sue Accap Assets for allegedly defaming the government over claims regarding the import of Sinopharm vaccine for Covid-19.

Recently, the company’s documents to the Chulabhorn Royal Academy were published online.

According to the papers, Accap Assets claimed that it could procure 20 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine and import them to Thailand within two weeks.

The company reportedly had alluded that it was denied meetings with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, so the company wanted to discuss the procurement with the royal academy instead.

The leak of the documents led to comments from social media users questioning the government’s vaccine management and casting aspersions on the probity of ministers.

In response to the papers, DES Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said on Saturday that Accap Assets had not registered with the Food and Drug Administration for importing the Covid-19 vaccine. Moreover, the company is registered as a real estate business, hence it is not authorised to import medicine or related products.

Chaiwut’s ministry concluded that the papers were unreliable and the company should be sued for violation of the Computer Crime Act.

The minister added that those who criticised the government for under-the-table deals for vaccine procurement could face defamation charges or for spreading wrong information.

Published : May 29, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001443

Amid continuing surge of Covid-19, Thailand sees over 4,800 new cases

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Saturday reported 4,803 new cases, among the highest on a single day since the outbreak, and 34 deaths over a 24-hour period.

The new cases included 2,702 infections found in prisons and 51 overseas travellers in quarantine.

Bangkok led the list with 1,054 cases, followed by 215 in Samut Prakan and 186 in Nonthaburi.

The infected overseas arrivals included 50 Thais – 47 from Cambodia and three from Saudi Arabia. The other case was a Serbian from Serbia.

The Thai capital also led the list of fatalities with 21 deaths, followed by two each in Samut Prakan, Chiang Rai and Pathum Thani, one each in Phetchaburi, Phetchabun, Nonthaburi, Ayutthaya, Ratchaburi, Songkhla and Saraburi provinces.

Meanwhile, 4,434 patients have recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.

As of Saturday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 149,779. So far, 102,311 people have recovered and been discharged, 46,480 patients are still in hospitals and 988 have died.

Meanwhile, another 96,599 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, while 60,476 were given their second shot, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Thailand to 3,504,125.

According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Saturday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 170.12 million (up by 505,813), 151.95 million of whom have recovered, 14.64 million are active cases (93,398 in severe condition) and 3.53 million have died (up by 11,968).

Thailand ranks 84th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 34.02 million, followed by India 27.71 million, Brazil 16.39 million, France 5.64 million, and Turkey 5.22 million.

Published : May 29, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001440

Green sea phenomenon off Bang Saen baffles observers

A Facebook user has kindled curiosity after he shared on Friday pictures of the greenish seawater at Bang Saen Beach in Chonburi province.

FB user @shopjungbangsaen posted pictures of a greenish sea, saying it looked “exactly like green tea”. The post said that the phenomenon had happened in the last few days.

“This phenomenon is called plankton bloom and is caused by Noctiluca scintillans, a unicellular marine organism of green colour that divides itself faster during this time of year in the Bang Saen sea,” said the post.

Green sea phenomenon off Bang Saen baffles observers

“Besides seeing water that looks like green tea, people visiting Bang Saen will also experience the smell of fish, which will become stronger in the next few days,” the FB post said.

The locals call this phenomenon khee pla wan (whales’ excrement) due to the foul smell.

The post added that the plankton bloom could kill aquatic wildlife in the area, as it also causes a depletion of oxygen levels in the water.

Green sea phenomenon off Bang Saen baffles observers

“Bang Saen sea often experiences this phenomenon during the rainy season. Usually it returns to normal after 3-7 days as the waves will eventually sweep the bloom away,” it said.

Bang Saen Beach is located about 108km east of Bangkok, in Chonburi’s Saen Suk subdistrict, and is highly popular because of its proximity to Bangkok and Pattaya.

Published : May 29, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001439

Bankok among worlds five most overworked cities

Bangkok ranked among the most overworked cities in the world, along with Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Singapore and Seoul, according to the “Cities with the Best Work-Life Balance 2021” rankings by Kisi.

Tech company Kisi explained that its ranking was organised by “comparing data on work intensity, institutional support, legislation, and livability”.

“The study ranks cities based on their success in promoting work-life balance of their citizens before, during and beyond the pandemic,” Kisi said.

To begin the study, they selected a list of in-demand metropolises worldwide with sufficient, reliable and relevant datasets.

They then finalised a shortlist of 50 cities to include those known for attracting professionals and families for their work opportunities and diverse lifestyle offerings, as well as those which frequently top livability indexes.

Next, Kisi looked into the amount of Covid-related economic support residents received over the last year in each location, as this had an immense impact on their livelihoods.

To determine the extent to which residents receive equal treatment, it also evaluated their access to state-funded health and welfare programmes, as well as institutional support for gender equality and social inclusivity of minorities and the LGBT+ community.

“The study then appraised each city’s livability by examining its affordability as well as its citizens’ overall happiness, safety and access to wellness and leisure venues — allowing us to assess whether its residents can enjoy their environment after office hours under normal circumstances,” Kisi said.

Finally, it looked into the effect of the pandemic on a city’s work-life balance in several key areas — case numbers, the severity of lockdown measures, and economic losses — which were combined to determine an overall “Covid Impact” score.

The result is an index of 18 factors analysing the work-life balance of 50 cities worldwide, recognising those who encourage a healthy balance both directly and indirectly through policies and urban infrastructure, while also bringing attention to those who have been adversely affected by the pandemic, Kisi said.

According to the survey, the five most overworked cities were: Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Buenos Aires and Seoul, in that order.

The top cities in the rankings for best work-life balance were: Helsinki, Oslo, Zurich, Stockholm and Copenhagen.

Published : May 29, 2021

By : The Nation