The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Saturday that a moderate high-pressure system extends to lower China and upper Vietnam, and is expected to reach the Northeast of Thailand and the South China Sea by Saturday.
Meanwhile, the southerly and southeasterly winds bring moisture from the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand to the lower North, the Northeast, the Central including Bangkok and its vicinity, and the East regions.
In upper Thailand, hot to very hot weather is forecast together with summer storm, thunderstorm, lightning, gusty winds and hail in some areas.
Isolated heavy rains are also possible. People should keep off outdoor places, big trees, unsecured buildings and billboards. Farmers should beware of damage to crop.
The department also said that an active low-pressure cell covers the Andaman Sea, bringing isolated heavy rains to the South.
Waves 2-3 metres high are expected in the Andaman Sea and above three metres during thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution, and small boats should stay ashore, the department said.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Hot day with haze, thunderstorm and gusty winds in 20 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 20-29 degrees Celsius, highs of 36-39°C.
Northeast: Hot day with haze, thunderstorm and gusty winds in 60 per cent of the areas, hail possible in some areas; temperature lows of 22-26°C, highs of 35-38°C.
Central: Hot to very hot day with haze, thunderstorm and gusty winds in 20 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-26°C, highs of 37-40°C.
East: Hot day with haze, thunderstorm and gusty winds in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-27°C, highs of 33-37°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-26°C, highs of 32-35°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-25°C, highs of 32-34°C; waves 2-3 metres high and over three metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Hot day with haze and isolated rain; temperature lows of 26-27°C, highs of 34-39°C.
A testing facility for air-conditioners using natural refrigerant technology has opened at the Operation and Standards Centre of the Electrical and Electronics Institute (EEI).
The event is a collaboration between the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), the EEI and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The newly upgraded facility, supported by the RAC NAMA Fund, also aims to inform the public and private sectors of the new TIS 1529-2561 standard on the safety of air-conditioners using flammable refrigerants.
As Thailand is an important industrial hub in the global refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector, manufacturers need to be well prepared to adjust to the changing trends and regulations to remain competitive.
Sriwan Buranachokepisal, assistant governor for power plant planning at Egat, said: “Egat’s mission is to maintain security of the electricity system as well as support the Thai government in reaching its energy-saving and greenhouse gas [GHG] mitigation targets. Egat embraces the introduction of innovations and modern cooling technology that is energy efficient and climate friendly. In assuming responsibility for managing the RAC NAMA Fund, with a total budget of 8.3 million euros [Bt300 million], Egat has promoted the production and use of climate-friendly natural refrigerant.”
At the same time, they also place great importance on upgrading the testing facilities to prepare for market introduction of these new cooling technologies in the future, she said.
“The partnership with EEI focuses on our efforts to further enhance the existing equipment and system of the current facility to be able to conduct testing according to both Thai and global standards.”
Philipp Pischke, director of the Thailand Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (RAC NAMA) project, GIZ, underscored the important role Thailand plays in the global RAC landscape.
“Thailand hosts one of the largest RAC industries in the world, with approximately 12 per cent of global market share. With more than 60 per cent of electricity consumption, cooling is the largest electricity consuming technology sector. The RAC NAMA project is the country’s most significant climate action in the cooling sector, aiming at the introduction of climate-friendly and energy-efficient cooling technologies,” he said.
“For the past four years, RAC NAMA has been working to build up capacities of local manufacturers, stimulate market demand, develop strategies to remove barriers and showcase business cases.
“By 2021, Thailand plans to ratify the Kigali Amendment. Under the Amendment, the Thai government will gradually begin the phase-down of HFCs [hydro-fluorocarbons] and replace them with more environmentally friendly alternatives.” Pischke added.
In his keynote address titled “Roles of the Electrical and Electronics Institute in enhancing competitiveness of the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector towards green industry”, EEI president Narat Rujirat stated: “For the past two decades, EEI has been supporting Thailand’s electrical and electronics industry in increasing its competitiveness in the international trade arena as well as to adjust to the changing technological trends.
“Through this partnership with Egat and GIZ, EEI is proud to play a part in preparing local Thai manufacturers for future technology adoption and legislation, namely the TIS 1529-2561 standard on safety of air-conditioners using flammable refrigerants. We believe the new regulation will open up new business opportunities and research and development while keeping Thailand at the forefront of green cooling technology.”
RAC NAMA is funded by the NAMA Facility on behalf of the German and British governments. Since April 2016, with GIZ as the main implementer, the project has partnered with the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, the Department of Alternative Energy Department and Efficiency and Egat as well as Thai industries to transfer technology and know-how on ozone and climate-friendly technology and financial support to the private sector, as well as in providing policy and technical advice to relevant government agencies.
A fire broke out within Krisda Nakhon 31 village in Sala Thammasop subdistrict, Thawi Watthana district on Saturday (April 3).
A building was reportedly collapsed while firefighters were putting out the flame, trapping about 20 officers under it. Preliminary report has confirmed 3 deaths.
Doctors have expressed concern at the condition of a reporter who was bitten by “Godzilla”, an obese macaque who shot to online stardom after being seized from its owner last week.
The monkey had been kept by its owner at a market in Bangkok’s Minburi district, where it ballooned to over 20 kilograms in weight after being fed junk food by passers-by. An average full-grown macaque weighs only 10 kilos.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) decided to seize Godzilla from its owner last Thursday (March 25), concerned that the primate would die from obesity.
The day before (March 24), PPTV reporter Natcha Norphong visited the home of the monkey’s owner on a news assignment.
Natcha said that she had hugged herself to avoid handling the macaque at first. However, after the owner reassured her it was safe to touch her pet, she felt more comfortable. She decided to approach Godzilla, only for the animal to sink its teeth into her flesh.
The bite cut through to the bone, she added.
Now, doctors at Paolo Hospital Phaholyothin where Natcha is being treated are concerned about her condition. They report that her white blood cell count has dropped to 3,000/ml from normal levels of 4,500-10,000/ml and she cannot leave her bed.
No virus was found in her blood, but medics suspect Natcha may have contracted a bone infection.
PPTV has asked the DNP to check the monkey for viruses. There is no evidence that Godzilla has ever been vaccinated.
A DNP veterinarian pointed out that monkeys can carry rabies and tetanus.
The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has partnered with Cofact, Thailand’s first collaborative fact-checking platform, to train Thai fact-checkers, journalists and academics.
“Fact-checking has never been more important than it is now given that we see misinformation continue to spread regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, and our organisation can provide the tools to our Thai friends to ensure they shine a light on the truth,” said IFCN director Baybars Örsek.
The IFCN is the fact-checking organisation of choice for several major media corporations, including Google and Facebook.
Orsek was speaking on Thursday at a Cofact summit held in Bangkok to mark International Fact-Checking Day (April 2).
Cofact brought together a wide range of journalists, civil society organisations, academics, and corporate representatives, including Sure and Share, AFP Fact-Check Thailand, and the Society for Online News Providers (SONP).
Cofact announced that 2022 will be “The Year of Fact Checking” in Thailand, a concerted effort aimed at strengthening Thailand’s ability to counter disinformation and misinformation.
With support from the US Embassy, IFCN will partner with Cofact to launch the first fact-checking curriculum in Thailand, an online course that will train Thailand’s local fact-checkers, journalists, and academics, equipping them with skills to identify reliable sources and debunk viral misinformation.
The Khon Kaen provincial court on Friday handed down a death sentence to Somkid Pumpuang, who was charged with first-degree murder in 2019.
Dubbed Thailand’s Jack the Ripper, Somkid was found guilty of killing his sixth victim – a 51-year-old woman at her home in Khon Kaen – on December 15, 2019.
He apparently made friends with the woman on Facebook and witnesses say a man answering to Somkid’s description stayed in the victim’s house from December 5 to 15, 2019.
Somkid was initially sentenced to death in 2005 for killing five women – a singer and four masseuses – but his sentence was commuted to life in prison.
He was released on May 27, 2019, for good behaviour, and about six months later committed the same crime.
When arrested again, he confessed initially when presented with evidence and witnesses.
However, he changed his statement and swore innocence during the trial process, leading to the court giving him a death sentence with no chance of reprieve.
The court refused to consider his earlier confession for an easier sentence.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday released the timeline of a 19-year-old Mahidol University student who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday.
His movements have been tracked as follows:
• March 20-24: Spent mostly in his dormitory in Nakhon Pathom’s Salaya sub-district, but goes to an entertainment venue in Phutthamonthon district with 11 friends on March 23.
• March 25-29: Takes an AirAsia flight with nine friends to Phuket, where he checks into a resort and uses a van to get around. He returns to Bangkok on an AirAsia flight on March 29 and is picked up and driven home by his mother.
• March 30: He drives back to his dormitory and plays badminton with eight friends in the evening.
• March 31: Attends class with some 50 classmates from 9.30am to 11.30am, spends noon to 1pm in university canteen and goes to an exhibition in Bangkok with a friend from 1pm to 4pm. He learns that an employee at the entertainment venue he visited on March 23 had tested positive for Covid-19.
• April 1: He tests positive for Covid-19 at Ramathibodhi Hospital.
“All operators, especially those running entertainment venues and fresh markets, must strictly undergo measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. Even though the vaccine has arrived, we can’t let our guards down,” said CCSA spokesperson Taweesin Visanuyothin.
He added that 203,650 people in Thailand have been vaccinated so far. Of them, 166,243 have received their first jab, while 37,407 people have received their second jab. Four people reportedly developed severe symptoms after taking the shot, but they have recovered.
The CCSA reported 58 new cases on Friday, 42 of which had been contracted locally, three found via testing and 13 brought in from overseas.
Trips between Ayutthaya and Ang Thong now high-speed adventures
NationalApr 02. 2021Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob
By THE NATION
The Asian Highway from Ayutthaya to Ang Thong province will be the first thoroughfare on which motorists will be allowed a maximum speed of 120 kilometres per hour.
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob on Thursday presided over a ceremony kickstarting the increase in speed limit from 90kmph to 120kmph. The event was held at the district highway office, which oversees Highway 32 in Ayutthaya’s Bang Pa-in district.
Part of the Asian Highway, Highway 32 is 150.5km long and runs from Bang Pa-in in Ayutthaya to Manorom district in Chai Nat province passing through Ang Thong and Sing Buri provinces.
The Transport Ministry announced on March 10 that it was raising the speed limit on four-lane highways from 90kmph to 120kmph for vehicles with fewer than seven seats. Other vehicles’ speed limits have also been raised.
“The new speed limits aim to keep the traffic moving while ensuring road users’ convenience and safety,” Saksayam said. “The new speed limits will be applied on roads that have a median barrier with no intersections or U-turns to prevent accidents. The roads must also be fitted with proper signage as well as rumble strips, so motorists are aware of the beginning and end of the speed control zone.”
Sarawut Songwilai, director-general of the Department of Highways, said that the Highway 32 section allowing a speed limit of 120kmph is 45.9km long, however, this speed can only be applied in the right-most lane.
Vehicles are required to maintain a speed of under 80kmph in the left-most lane and 100kmph in the middle lanes.
“The department will specify more roads where the new speed limits can be applied by August. The aim is to cover about 260km of roads in all regions of Thailand,” he said.
By Dr Sakchai Kanjanawatana Outgoing Secretary-General of the National Health Security Office (NHSO)
If someone asked me to describe my last four years as Secretary-General of the National Health Security Office (NHSO), I would say it was “like riding a rollercoaster”.
Not only did we need to work restlessly to improve the benefit packages and financing model for the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), one of the Thai government’s healthcare schemes covering nearly 49 million people. We also faced one of the worst health crises in history, the Covid-19 pandemic that has disrupted healthcare services, the economy, and the whole society.
As a leader of the NHSO, I must thank my staff and people in our networks who, despite this most challenging time, have kept working hard and never lost sight of our core value: to ensure every Thai’s right to healthcare.
This value is based on the concept that all humans are born equal. Their dignity must be respected. Therefore, they must have the right to access affordable healthcare services without begging for mercy or charity from others. It is the government’s role, and the NHSO’s, to make this happen.
But it cannot be achieved without creating the right ecosystem comprised of an effective health financing model, multi-sectoral collaboration, and transparency.
Let me start with the effective health financing model.
In the past four years, the NHSO convinced central government to increase the UCS capitation budget by 24 per cent.
When I was elected as secretary-general in 2017, the UCS capitation budget was around Bt3,110 per head per year. It was increased to Bt3,853 in the 2021 fiscal year. The overall NHSO budget was also increased from Bt152 billion to Bt202 billion in the same period.
Thanks to the central government, which prioritises the people’s health, the increased budget allowed us to add new items to the UCS benefits package. These include free automated peritoneal dialysis provided to people with kidney disease, expansion of the free flu shots programme, a new medication for hepatitis C patients, and treatment for children with hearing loss.
The availability of UCS funding has also allowed us to manage and control the spread of Covid-19 effectively. We can provide free coronavirus testing and treatment, personal protective equipment, and compensation for health workers at the frontline.
Multi-sectoral collaboration is another essential component of an ecosystem that has led to achievements in many areas.
NHSO has initiated many collaborative projects with partners and networks of health professionals, patients, and civil society. One of these is the Community Health Fund, in which the NHSO works closely with local administrative organisations across the country to run health promotion and disease prevention programmes.
Over 20,000 projects were launched last year with several activities, including Covid-19 health literacy training for village health volunteers and local communities, distributing free face masks and hand gel to people at the community level.
Early this year, we piloted a programme involving private clinics providing physical therapy to UCS patients with stroke, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, under a collaboration with public and private health providers.
We also work with pharmacists across Thailand to deliver medicines, first aid, and health consultations for patients in local communities, so they do not need to travel far to hospitals.
Collaborating with a wide variety of networks, we have been able to reach out to vulnerable populations, including the elderly, monks, ethnic people, and prisoners in recent years. The Thai health system cannot be inclusive without ensuring healthcare access for vulnerable people who are left out due to disadvantaged backgrounds and discrimination.
Finally, the ability of the NHSO to expand health financing and multi-sectoral collaboration depends largely on ensuring transparency – a key to build trust between NHSO and multi-stakeholders.
We organise public hearings annually and run a series of focus group interviews with all stakeholders to hear their ideas for improving UCS.
Amid travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, we managed to hold virtual public consultations via social media platforms, mobile application, and a hotline. UCS beneficiaries can direct messages and concerns towards us and review the scheme’s spending on the NHSO website and annual report.
This open environment is reflected in the “A” rating granted to the NHSO by the National Anti-Corruption Commission. We also won the Ministry of Finance’s 2020 award for the best working capital management and outstanding organisational performance. The award recognises Thai governmental organisations that uphold transparency and accountability.
Despite many challenges, the NHSO has achieved many things. But, of course, this is not an ending point.
Though my term ended at the end of March, I am confident that the remaining NHSO staff and their new leader, Dr Jadej Thammathataree, will continue their journey to ensure every Thai’s healthcare right.
And not just because this is the NHSO’s core value, but because it also restores value to their life – which was my own deep feeling during my rollercoaster years with the NHSO.
Thailand Post has launched a new set of stamps under the “Reusi Dat Ton” (Thai Hermit Exercise) series to celebrate “Nuad Thai” or Thai massage, which was named Thailand’s intangible cultural heritage for humanity by Unesco in 2019.
The launch on Friday was also timed to mark Thai Heritage Conservation Day, which falls on April 2 every year.
The hermit exercises are a series of stretches that have been traditionally used to ease aches and pains. The postures are depicted in statues at Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho) that were placed there during the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851).
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Photo credit: Tusave S’anyser
Somkid Pumpuang
Taweesin Visanuyothin
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob
