Bang Sue Grand Station set up for vaccine roll out from May 24
People working in the public transport sector in Greater Bangkok can get their Covid-19 jab at Bang Sue Grand Station from Monday (May 24) onwards. Vaccinations will be provided to the general public at this venue from June 7.
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said on Friday that Thailand’s transport sector employs more than 350,000 people, 59,000 of whom are based in Bangkok and its vicinity.
The aim is to get these 59,000 people inoculated by June 7, after which at least 10,000 jabs will be delivered to the general public at the site, he said.
Petchaburi factory closed after 682 workers test positive
An electronics factory in Phetchaburi province has been ordered to close for 14 days after 682 of its workers tested positive for Covid-19. The outbreak occurred at the Cal-Comp Electronics Thailand (CCET) factory in Khao Yoi district, about 100 kilometres southwest of Bangkok.
Testing is underway on all 3,600 workers at the factory, said the local public health office.
Cal-Comp describes itself as the largest electronics producer in Thailand, manufacturing equipment for export worldwide.
The company said all employees will be paid at the normal rate during the factory closure and quarantine. It said it will also provide meals for quarantined workers.
Thailand logged 3,481 new Covid-19 cases and 32 deaths on Friday.
The Department of Disease Control on Friday released guidelines for the general public to follow before they get their Covid-19 jab.
On the day of the vaccine:
• Drink from 500 ml. to a litre of water
• Prepare your ID card and registration documents
• Wear a facemask and clean your hands thoroughly
• Maintain social distancing
• Take medication for your chronic condition if any
The department said that so far 6.39 million people have registered via the Mor Phrom (Doctors Ready) application for a jab in June, which has already met the quota for the month.
One Indian, 4 Thais held in Chiang Rai for sneaking into Thailand
An Indian national was arrested on Friday in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district for entering Thailand illegally through the natural border with Myanmar.
The man was arrested at a pier in Wiang Phang Kham subdistrict, opposite the Myanmar town of Tachileik that has spawned Covid-19 clusters in Thailand.
“The 29-year-old had no documents and confessed to entering Thailand through the natural border. He said he was heading to Bangkok to take a flight to India. He also admitted that he had been working in Myanmar to collect money for his fare back home,” a border police officer said.
The man has been detained and will be tested to see if he is carrying the Indian variant of the Covid-19 virus.
Also on Friday, officials at the Mae Sai checkpoint arrested four Thais for entering the country without going through procedures put in place to control the spread of Covid-19.
One Indian, 4 Thais held in Chiang Rai for sneaking into Thailand
The four are Thalitha Reun-Ngam, 47, from Kanchanaburi; Kanokporn Sitthiyodpreecha, 35, from Chiang Rai; Natthee Boonnawa, 35, from Uttaradit; and Somjai Samphanphrae, 31, from Bangkok.
They reportedly said they had gone to Myanmar for work before the border in Chiang Rai had been closed off. They apparently paid a Myanmar national between 10,000 and 13,000 baht each to help them cross the mountainous route into Thailand.
All four are being detained at the Mae Sai Police Station for questioning and will be charged for violating the law.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has approved extending the Covid-19 emergency decree for two months until July 31.
The decree’s 12th extension was agreed upon during a CCSA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House on Friday.
CCSA spokesperson Taweesin Visanuyothin also confirmed that mass vaccination for the general public will launch on June 7.
“The prime minister also emphasised that no one will be left behind,” he added.
Meanwhile, the meeting approved allocating 2,000 doses of vaccine for staff and lawmakers in Parliament as well as mandatory wearing of face masks in the debating chamber.
Foreigners living in Thailand can register for their Covid-19 jab at the nearest vaccination station from June 7 onwards, Natapanu Noppakun, deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry’s Information Department tweeted on Friday.
“To register, they can use either their passport or social security number at hospitals that have their medical records or at hospitals designated by the Public Health Ministry,” he said.
Vaccination for different groups of foreigners is as follows:
Diplomats, international organisations and their families
Around 7,000 names collected by the Foreign Ministry will be sent to the Department of Disease Control (DDC).
This group can get vaccinated at their hospital, or at 2-3 designated hospitals for those who do not have health records.
Foreign government agencies
May register staff for vaccination with the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Consular Affairs.
Foreign nationals married to Thai nationals/family members of Thai nationals/retirees in Thailand/business people/foreign investors in Bangkok
Bangkok: On-site registration at vaccination centres under the Council of University Presidents of Thailand.
Other provinces: The Public Health Ministry will allocate vaccines to local vaccination centres and foreign nationals may register at hospitals with their health records.
Foreign students
The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation will arrange for their vaccination under the Council of University Presidents of Thailand.
Migrant workers
The Social Security Office will coordinate with employers on vaccination for this group.
Thai students planning to study abroad
Register online with the Department of Consular Affairs. Chulalongkorn University will arrange for this group’s vaccination on June 3-4.
India’s double mutant found among workers in Lak Si
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on Friday that the Indian variant of the virus was found among infected workers at the Italian-Thai Development camp in Bangkok’s Lak Si area.
The camp became a cluster after 1,060 of the 1,667 workers living there tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday (May 12). Of the patients, 819 have been sent to hospital, while the rest have been isolated in the sealed-off camp.
The authorities have been delivering three meals daily to all workers in the camp, who have been separated from one another.
Thailand logs 32 deaths, 3,481 new cases on Friday
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday reported 32 deaths and 3,481 new cases, including 12 overseas arrivals, over the past 24 hours.
Bangkok led the list again with 1,036 cases, followed by 457 in Samut Prakan, 163 in Nonthaburi, 162 in Pathum Thani and 127 in Chonburi.
Of the fatalities, 15 were in Bangkok, six in Nonthaburi, two in Samut Sakhon, and one each in Nakhon Pathom, Phatthalung, Surin, Yala, Nakhon Ratchasima, Samut Prakan, Roi Et, Phang Nga and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Meanwhile, 2,868 patients have recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.
As of Friday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 123,066. So far, 79,504 patients have recovered and been discharged, 42,827 are still in hospitals and 735 have died.
Separately, 78,560 people have been given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, while 29,580 people were given their second shot, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Thailand to 2,648,256.
According to Worldometer, as of 11am on Friday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 165.84 million (up by 651,684), 146.52 million of whom have recovered, 15.88 million are active cases (99,233 in severe condition) and 3.44 million have died (up by 13,032).
Thailand ranks 91 on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 33.83 million, followed by India 25.03 million, Brazil 15.89 million, France 5.56 million, and Turkey 5.16 million.
Office of National buddhism launches first online platform for Thais
Office of National buddhism (ONAB) is working with IsWhere.com to allow any Buddhist to make merit online and send prayers to any temples. Consumers select temples and choose the services needed and donate online using their credit card
Due to Covid times, Office of National Buddhism (ONAB) is working with IsWhere.com to allow any Buddhist to make merit online and send prayers to any temples. This new service allows all Thai people to find their favorite temple. Consumers select temples and choose the services needed and donate online using their credit card.
The aim of signing this MOU is to work closely with ONAB to develop many new services to connect the public to the temples. To use these services, consumers can visit iswhere.com Enter the name of temple and select the following services.
• e-Donation: You can make merit to any temples in Thailand
• e-Prayer : You can send a prayer for your wish to your favorite temple
By going online, consumers can make merit without travelling from home and send prayers anytime safely and securely.
Office of National buddhism launches first online platform for Thais
Director of the Office of National Buddhism, Mr. Narong Song-arom, says, “Working with IsWhere allows us to go quickly to market to support digitization of Buddhism. In the near future, Temples themselves can upload content, videos and their own charity campaign and consumers can easily find more information and everything about each temple online. To support this project, IsWhere will be a digital media channel connecting Buddhism. ONAB invites all Thais and corporates to kindly support the digital temple project through donations at iswhere.com/onab. All funds received will be used to administer and support this project and excess funds donated to the Phutthamonthon fund for public usage and to be a center of digital Buddhism”.
Mr.Terence Mak, Founder & CEO of IsWhere, said: “As of today, Thailand has the second largest Buddhist population in the world. IsWhere platform is ready to serve over 60 million Thais. We welcome sponsors to help us roll out the technology to make this historical project a success for ONAB and all the temples across Thailand. IsWhere technology can also be used to support other industries in Thailand. Merchants who wish to join us for this upcoming launch of the Digital Temple, register free at iswhere.com
Interested to support Digital Temple? Please contact K.Metee Veerapat at 098-641-5144 or email: metee@iswhere.com
About IsWhere
IsWhere (www.iswhere.com) is the worlds 1st digital marketing platform that allows any Government Department, Associations and all retail and tourism merchants to launch self-service digital marketing campaigns to quickly and affordably reach online consumers.
About Office of National Buddhism (ONAB)
Office of National Buddhism is a government agency that directly report to the Prime Minister. Established on 3rd October 2002, with a mission to respond to the Sangha and the State. Objective is maintaining and promote Buddhism, provides patronage, protect, and promote the development of Buddhism religion, maintain, manage religious treasures. Develop Phutthamonthon to become the center of Buddhism as well as to support and promote religious personnel development.
Images of a message displayed on BTS train calling on the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to pay its 30-billion-baht debt went viral on Thai social media on Thursday.
The message displayed on monitors in Bangkok’s Skytrain system read: “The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority [BMA] and its subordinate Krungthep Thanakom have not paid us the 10 billion baht owed for the operation of the BTS system and another 20 billion baht for the installation of the train line’s electric and mechanical systems. This money is owed for the extension of the Green Line in Bangkok and its vicinity.
“We have tried everything to continue running our service even though we have not been paid for the operation and the other expenses we have been burdened with. We call on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to attend to this problem and find a way of solving it.”
BTSC’s demand for BMA to pay up goes viral
In April, BTS operator Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) had posted a video on YouTube asking the BMA to pay up. In the video, BTSC says it has tried its best to take responsibility as well as offer solutions but said there are problems within problems that it cannot solve.
Later in the month, BTS director Surapong Laoha-Unya announced that BTSC was getting ready to file a lawsuit against the BMA at the Central Administrative Court over the outstanding debt.
One Indian, 4 Thais held in Chiang Rai for sneaking into Thailand
Office of National buddhism launches first online platform for Thais
BTSC’s demand for BMA to pay up goes viral
