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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000796

34 dead, 1,983 new cases as third wave continues hitting Thailand

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported 34 deaths and 1,983 new cases, including nine returnees, over a 24-hour period on Wednesday.

Of the deaths, 13 were in Samut Prakan, 10 in Bangkok, two each in Pathum Thani and Nakhon Pathom, and one each in Suphan Buri, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Phetchabun, Chonburi, Nakhon Nayok and Sa Kaew. Also included among the fatalities was a Finnish expat.

The ages of those who succumbed to the virus ranged from 33 to 93, and they all reportedly suffered from chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, etc.

Meanwhile, the nine returnees included five Thais – two from Laos, and one each from Germany, Switzerland and Cambodia. The other four arrivals were three Malaysians and one Cambodian from their own countries.

Bangkok again topped the list with 976 new cases, followed by 266 in Nonthaburi and 110 in Samut Prakan.

Over the last 24 hours, 2,006 patients have recovered and been discharged.

As of Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 88,907. Of these, 85,491 infections had been contracted locally, including 25,629 who were found via proactive testing, while 3,416 were returnees.

So far, 59,043 have recovered and been discharged, 29,378 patients are still in hospitals, and 486 have died.

Meanwhile, another 6,021 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, while 31,090 were given their second shot, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in Thailand to 1,935,565

Separately, according to Worldometer as of 11am on Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 160.34 million (up by 710,122), 138.12 million of whom have recovered, 18.89 million are active cases (106,125 in severe condition) and 3.33 million have died (up by 13,444).

Thailand ranks 99th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 33.55 million, followed by India 23.34 million, Brazil 15.28 million, France 5.8 million, and Turkey 5.05 million.

Published : May 12, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000793

Almost 2 million Thais register for Covid-19 jab

Nearly 2 million people across Thailand have signed up for a Covid-19 vaccine, the Mohpromt (Doctors Ready) Facebook page announced on Wednesday.

Of the 1,924,538 people who have registered for their jab, 560,931 are Bangkokians.

The page added that 16 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are being prepared for the priority group, comprising 11.7 million elderly people and 4.3 million people with chronic diseases.

Published : May 12, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000791

PM wants Covid-19 vaccinations to become top priority

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he proposed to a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that Covid-19 vaccinations should become a national agenda in which the government would prioritise procurement and distribution of vaccines, and he would therefore like to urge people to register to get the all-important jab.

So far, about 1.6 million people aged 60 and above and those with seven types of underlying health conditions have signed up for vaccinations. Of this number, more than 500,000 are in Bangkok and over 200,000 in the northern province of Lampang.

The government has opened registration channels via the Mor Phrom (Doctors Ready) Line application and at provincial health offices and public hospitals since May 1.

“The vaccines procured by the government have passed the Public Health Ministry’s safety standard and are effective against the virus. They are the same kinds of vaccines that have been given to tens of millions people in several countries with low occurrences of severe side effects,” Prayut pointed out.

“These vaccines can almost 100 per cent prevent patients from developing severe symptoms or dying if they contracted the coronavirus,” he said.

“Me and other members of the Cabinet have already been vaccinated without any undesirable side effects,” he added.

Prayut also said he wants Thailand to become a hub for manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine in Asean. He vowed to procure enough vaccines for every Thai citizen and subsequently purchase more doses to keep in reserve.

On Sunday AstraZeneca (Thailand) announced that samples from test batches of its Covid-19 vaccine made in Thailand by Siam Bioscience had passed quality testing at AstraZeneca’s designated laboratories in Europe and the US.

“This significant progress means we are getting closer to delivering the first batch of the vaccine to the government of Thailand,” the company said.

Published : May 12, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000790

500,000 more Sinovac doses coming

Some 500,000 doses of Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine will be delivered to Thailand soon, the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok said on Wednesday.

These vaccines were donated by the Chinese government.

The embassy also encouraged Thais to overcome the Covid-19 crisis as soon as possible.

Published : May 12, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000781

BAAC rolls out measures to help clients hit by impact of Covid-19

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) will offer a debt moratorium from six months up to a year to clients who are farmers, cooperatives, village funds or agricultural communities which have had debts with the bank as of April 1, 2021, in a bid to alleviate the financial burden of its clients amid this severe third Covid-19 wave.

“We estimate there are about 2.82 million clients who will benefit from this measure,” said BAAC manager Thanarat Ngamwalirat on Tuesday.

“Clients can choose a moratorium period from six months to one year on a voluntary basis. During this period they will have to pay only interest and not the capital.”

Thanarat said the BAAC would also offer emergency loans of THB10,000 per person to prevent its clients from going to loan sharks.

“The emergency loan will have a 0.35 per cent monthly interest rate, six months grace period and require no collateral. Clients will need to pay back the loan in three years,” he added. “The bank has earmarked THB10 billion for this campaign.”

Both programmes will run until December 31.

To apply for a debt moratorium or emergency loan, visit www.baac.or.th, Line official account BAAC Family or call 02 555 0555.

Published : May 12, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000772

Cabinet okays THB6-billion subsidy to further reduce burning of sugarcane fields

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a THB6.056 billion subsidy for sugarcane farmers who cut fresh cane for sugar factories instead of burning them, in a bid to reduce air pollution caused by the burning of plantations, deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said.

The move was proposed by the Industry Ministry, with the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives chosen to handle disbursement of the subsidy.

“The ministry aims to subsidise approximately 300,000 farmers at THB120 per tonne throughout crop year 2020-2021. The money will be transferred around June to September to BAAC accounts,” Ratchada said.

“The target of this year’s campaign is to have at least 56 million tonnes of fresh sugarcane fed to sugar factories nationwide, or 80 per cent of total cane output, which is estimated at 70 million tonnes throughout the crop year,” she said.

During the previous crop year (2019-2020), the programme dispersed a subsidy of THB3.45 billion to 133,000 farmers, managing to reduce the amount of burnt sugarcane to 49.65 per cent of total cane output from 61 per cent in crop year 2018-2019.

The Cabinet also acknowledged the programme’s target to reduce burnt sugarcane fields from 10 per cent of total cane output in crop year 2021-2022 to less than five per cent in 2022-2023 and zero in 2023-2024.

Published : May 12, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000770

Hot day forecast for much of Thailand, thundershowers in some areas

Upper Thailand as well as the Northeast, the central region including Bangkok, and the East will experience hot weather on Wednesday with thundershowers and gusty winds in some areas, while the South will see isolated thundershowers, the Meteorological Department said.

Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Hot day with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the area; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 27-28 degrees, highs of 33-37 degrees Celsius.

North: Hot day with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 22-27 degrees and highs of 35-39 degrees Celsius.

Northeast: Hot day with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 24-27 degrees and highs of 36-37 degrees Celsius.

Central: Hot day with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 23-27 degrees, highs of 37-39 degrees Celsius.

East: Hot day with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 25-28 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-27 degrees, highs of 33-36 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-27 degrees, highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : May 12, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000765

SRT Red Line may not open this year as scheduled

Bangkok’s Red Line (Bang Sue-Rangsit) may not start running by the end of this year as planned due to several problems that need to be solved first, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) announced recently.

The first problem is a delay in the delivery of the electromechanical system and passenger bogies, which according to the contract were to be delivered between February and September.

The SRT had signed the contract with MHSC, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industrial, Hitachi and Sumitomo Corporation.

The legal team is working on the matter and expects to have a new deal by mid this month. The service was scheduled to start trial runs by July and start running commercially by November.

SRT sources also say that THB10.35 billion is still required to complete the construction of the line and that the agency is preparing a report for the Transport Ministry’s consideration.

Meanwhile, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) may provide additional funding if it is sought by the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO).

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) and the SRT have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the construction of the THB20-million tunnel connecting the Bang Sue Grand Station and MRT Blue Line.

The drilling of two connecting points has started, and the first point is expected to be completed by July in time for the line’s trial run. The second point is scheduled to be completed by October in time for the commercial opening in November.

Separately, fares on the Red Line will range between THB12 and THB42, averaging at THB1.01 per kilometre. The Bang Sue-Rangsit line will have 13 stations and commuters will have a choice of three types of tickets:

1. Monthly cards: A 20-trip card goes for THB700, with each trip averaging at THB35; a 30-trip card is priced at THB900, which works out to about THB30 per trip; and a 50-trip card that goes for THB1,250, with the fare averaging at THB25 per trip.

2. Student cards: Children under 90-centimetres in height can travel for free, while those under 14 years of age and no taller than 120cm will get a 50-per-cent discount. Students get 10 per cent discount.

3. Seniors card: Everybody above the age of 60 will be given a 50-per-cent discount. The discount is applicable on both smart cards and regular tickets.

Published : May 12, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000768

Bangkok canal commuters get more boats amid virus fears

Saen Saep canal boat operators are adding more services amid concern that crowding from high passenger numbers could help spread Covid-19 in Bangkok.

Athirat Rattanaseth, Deputy Minister of Transport, said the Marine Department has imposed social distancing and regular cleaning aboard boats on the capital’s main canal, as well as ordering more frequent services. However, the number of passengers using the canal service is still high, he said.

Boat operators will now add more trips during the morning rush hour from 7am to 8.30am and in the evening from 4:30pm to 6pm. The service frequency will increase from 5-7 minutes to 2-3 minutes to prevent crowding on both boats and piers.

Published : May 11, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000766

Thai court frees Myanmar journalists from threat of swift deportation

Three Myanmar reporters and two associates charged with illegally crossing the border will not be deported back to their country immediately, a Royal Thai Police spokesman revealed on Tuesday.

Police sent the case to Chiang Mai district court on Tuesday but were told to detain the journalists for investigation, which could take up to 30 days.

The clarification came in response to a Foreign Correspondents Association of Thailand (FCCT) statement calling on Thai authorities to release and offer protection to the reporters, who were arrested in Chiang Mai on Sunday.

The three journalists had covered anti-coup demonstrations in Myanmar and would face arrest or worse if deported, said their employer DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma), which has been banned by the Myanmar regime.

Police spokesman Krisana Pattanacharoen said the five were arrested in Chiang Mai’s San Sai district at 2.30pm on Sunday following tipoffs from locals. Police found the five Myanmar nationals with passports but no Immigration stamps.

All were arrested and sent for Covid-19 tests after confessing to entering the country via a natural border crossing, said the spokesman.

Police will now consider whether there is a legal basis to deport the reporters, he added. At this time deportation was not being considered, Krisana said.

The Thai Foreign Ministry said “humanitarian” solutions were being sought for the case.

Published : May 11, 2021

By : The Nation