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795 new cases reported, mostly in Samut Sakhon

NationalFeb 03. 2021

By The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Wednesday reported 795 new cases, of whom 12 are returnees in quarantine facilities.

Of the remaining 783, 24 picked up the infection while visiting high-risk areas. In this case, Samut Sakhon leads the list with 18 cases, followed by four in Bangkok and one each in Tak and Maha Sarakham.

Meanwhile, proactive testing led to the discovery of 759 cases, all in Samut Sakhon.

CCSA spokesperson Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said Samut Sakhon has had 12,746 confirmed Covid-19 infections or 78.28 per cent of total cases since the new wave broke out on December 15. Of these, 10,253 were found via proactive testing, while 2,493 had voluntarily gone to hospital for tests.

In Bangkok, meanwhile, 799 cases have been confirmed since December 15, or 4.9 per cent of cases in the new wave. Of these, 717 were found through tests in hospital, while 82 were found via a community search.

Of the 12 returnees, 10 are Thais returning from the US, the UK, Canada, Malaysia, Turkey, Russia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The other two are a Canadian and a Filipino who flew in from the UAE.

Meanwhile, 786 patients have recovered and been discharged.

As of Wednesday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 21,249. Of these, 18,757 had been contracted locally, including 11,547 who were found via proactive testing, while 2,492 were returnees. So far, 14,001 have recovered and been discharged, 7,169 patients are still in hospital and the death toll remains at 79.

According to Worldometer, as of 10am, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 104.39 million (up by 451,795), 76.26 million have recovered, 25.87 million are active cases (107,177 in severe condition) and 2.26 million have died (up by 14,679).

Thailand ranks 115th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 27 million, followed by India 10.78 million, Brazil 9.29 million, Russia 3.88 million and the United Kingdom 3.85 million.

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Annual Veterans’ Day ceremony hit by Covid-19 crisis

NationalFeb 03. 2021

By THE NATION

Covid-19 has prevented officials from holding a remembrance ceremony at Victory Monument on the occasion of Veterans’ Day, or February 3 each year.

The remembrance ceremony came into being in 1948 to commemorate the founding of the War Veterans Organisation of Thailand.

Similar to Veterans’ Day celebrations in several countries, red poppy is a symbol of the occasion, a flower which stands for peace, reminding audiences that there are soldiers fighting for freedom. But red also symbolises bloodshed on the battlefield.

Red poppies have been sold on the special day each year to generate money for supporting veterans and their families. Unfortunately, the virus crisis in Thailand has forced the commemoration to be suspended this year.

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TNSC wants container shortage fixed, bemoans freight fee increases by other countries

NationalFeb 03. 2021

By THE NATION

The Thai National Shippers’ Council (TNSC) is planning to submit a motion to the Joint Public and Private Sector Consultative Committee demanding it solve the shipping-container shortage problem faced by exporters.

“We would like the government to allow the use of containers seized by the Customs Department for export, as well as reduce freight fees to encourage businesses to import empty containers,” TNSC president Kanyapak Tantipipattanapong said.

“Furthermore, aid should be provided to exporters of agricultural and industrial products who are yet to ship their products overseas due to a lack of containers.”

The TNSC reported that exporters have been hit by the inadequate supply of containers, as more than 1,000 containers are still stuck overseas due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“The outbreak has also resulted in rising freight fees in many destinations. As of December 2020, Europe’s fees increased by 160-220 per cent compared to the previous year, while fees in Asia rose by 17-100 per cent. Meanwhile, Australian fees increased by 112-197 per cent and in the United States it went up by 73-196 per cent,” she said.

“To make matters worse, China is now ‘front-load shipping’ their products before the long break for Chinese New Year [starting on February 12], which has resulted in a further hike in freight fees,” Kanyapak said.

The TNSC estimates that total exports in 2021 will expand by 3-4 per cent due to the global economic recovery and before the impact of the new wave of Covid-19 is felt.

“We expect to see the highest growth in the food sector as well as products that are related to working from home,” she added.

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Air levels unsafe in 19 provinces

NationalFeb 03. 2021

By The Nation

Air pollution in 19 provinces hit unsafe levels on Wednesday morning, the Pollution Control Department reported.

Thailand’s standard for safe levels of PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter) is 50μg/m3 or below.

The 19 provinces are Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Lampang, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, Phichit, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Lopburi, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi, Chachoengsao, Ratchaburi, Chon Buri and Rayong.

Here are some details as of Wednesday morning:

North: PM2.5 readings coming in at 17 to 68 μg/m3.

Northeast: 16 to 38 μg/m3.

Central region and West: 42 to 62 μg/m3.

East: 47 to 65 μg/m3.

South: 11 to 29 μg/m3.

Bangkok and its vicinity: 39 to 80 μg/m3.

People in areas where PM2.5 pollution is bad, especially the elderly, children, and patients with respiratory diseases, have been advised to monitor their health and reduce time spent on outdoor activities.

The PM2.5 situation can be followed on Air4Thai.com and bangkokairquality.com websites, or via Air4Thai and AirBKK smartphone applications.

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Baht unchanged, not expected to weaken more than 30.10 per US$

NationalFeb 03. 2021

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 29.99 to the US dollar on Wednesday, unchanged from Tuesday’s close.

The Thai currency is likely to move between 29.95 and 30.05 on Wednesday, Krungthai market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.

On Tuesday, markets were in a risk-on state as investors hoped Joe Biden’s government would be able to come out with $1.9 trillion (Bt56.9 trillion) in fiscal stimulus.

The markets were also supported by company turnovers in the last quarter, which turned out to be more positive than investors expected.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes increased by 1.4 and 1.6 per cent, respectively, while the EU’s Stoxx 50 closed up by 1.7 per cent.

The market situation pushed the US Ten-Year Treasury yield to a 2-basis-points increase, to 1.10 per cent. Also, the dollar strengthened compared to other main currencies.

Poon said an economic recovery in Asia would slow down slightly in the short term because of Covid-19 preventive measures.

In Thailand, the market is awaiting results of a key Bank of Thailand (BOT) meeting. Poon added that the BOT tends to freeze the interest rate at 0.50 per cent and would signal that the Thai economy is worse than expected in December.

Poon said the baht would not weaken more than 30.10 per US dollar, despite the dollar strengthening.

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Personalised licence plates get initial Cabinet nod

NationalFeb 03. 2021Image: Facebook @Rachadaspoke

By THE NATION

A Cabinet meeting on Tuesday approved in principle the use of a person’s name on vehicle licence plates, deputy government spokeswoman Traisulee Traisaranakul said.

“The name must comprise of at least two consonants and can have vowels or tone marks, and can be followed by a number. This licence plate will be considered a ‘special format’ and is eligible for personal vehicles which have less than 7 seats,” she said.

Traisulee Traisaranakul

“For example, I can choose to have a licence plate that reads ‘Traisulee 1 Si Sa Ket’. The special plates can be obtained via an auction to be hosted by the Department of Land Transport, with revenue from the auction going to the Road Safety Fund,” she added.

Department deputy director-general Jantira Buruspat explained that the words to be allowed on the special licence plates could be a name or any word, as long as it does not contradict the department’s regulations, such as being immoral, impolite, having negative meaning or duplicating letters that have already been assigned to other plates by the department.

Jantira Buruspat

“The department is reviewing the details of regulations as well as the criteria for auctioning, and is expected to submit these to the Council of State for approval by mid-2021,” she added. “The regulations will then need to be approved by the Cabinet again before being announced in the Royal Gazette to become effective.”

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Bangkok shuts daycare centres, kindergartens in three districts

NationalFeb 03. 2021Phongsakorn Kwanmuang

By THE NATION

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang issued an urgent order at 8pm on Tuesday that daycare centres and kindergartens in Bangbon, Phasi Charoen and Nong Khaem districts must be shut down from today, Wednesday, until further notice for the safety of children amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The order came after a press release earlier on Tuesday, in which Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesman Phongsakorn Kwanmuang announced the results of active case findings at a factory in Phasi Charoen district.

“Tests found that 27 persons at the factory are infected, with 130 suspected of coming into close contact with them and must therefore be put in quarantine,” Phongsakorn said.

“The BMA has ordered the immediate shutdown of the factory, which has 887 workers – 300 Thais and 587 Myanmar nationals,” he said.

“The BMA also ordered the closure of Chanpradittharam School, which is located nearby, until February 5,” he said.

Phongsakorn added that the company which owns the factory also has a subsidiary with about 1,300 workers. The provincial public health office has already collected saliva samples from 800 employees for testing, and is expected to collect samples from the remaining workers by Wednesday.

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Robber snatches almost Bt1 million in necklaces from Koh Samui gold shop

NationalFeb 03. 2021

By THE NATION

An unarmed thief darted into a gold shop at Tesco Lotus in Koh Samui, grabbed 19 necklaces worth nearly Bt1 million from a display rack and swiftly disappeared through the department store’s rear exit. There was no report of any injuries.https://if-cdn.com/2JyzObh

Koh Samui’s Bo Phut police were alerted to the robbery at the Yaowarat Krungthep gold shop at precisely 11.34am on Tuesday and rushed to the scene.

The shop owner reportedly told them the thief – a man aged 35-40 years, tall and thin built, wearing black jeans, a blue jacket, a black and white cap and a face mask – stole the gold necklaces which weighed about 38 baht and cost almost Bt1 million.

There were only two of the shop’s staff and no customers in the store at the time of the robbery. The owner added that the thief did not brandish any weapon or talk to anyone.

CCTV footage showed that after leaving the mall, the robber jumped on a black Honda PCX motorcycle and sped away using a shortcut leading to Samui International Airport.

Police are now tracking the man and have set up roadblocks at possible escape routes.

Officers also said the suspect had dropped a bag containing an asthma inhaler while he ran away, so they speculated he might have asthma.

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Upper Thailand gets warmer, with morning fog, thundershowers in the South

NationalFeb 03. 2021

By THE NATION

The upper North and the Northeast will see a 1-2°C rise in temperatures but continue to experience cool to cold weather and morning fog, while the lower North, the Central region, the East and Bangkok and its vicinity will also see rising temperatures but with morning fog, the Thailand Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon across the Gulf and the South will lead to isolated thundershowers in the South, with waves up to 2 metres high during thundershowers, the department said.

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

North: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 14-21 degrees and highs of 31-36 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to be 4-11 degrees Celsius.

Northeast: Cool weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 15-20 degrees and highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to be 10-15 degrees.

Central: Cool weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 21-23 degrees, highs of 34-36 degrees Celsius.

East: Cool weather with fog in the morning; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres offshore.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 31-32 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres offshore.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Fog in the morning; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 34-36 degrees Celsius.

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Bankruptcy auction of Chiang Mai resort hits snag over reserve price

NationalFeb 03. 2021

By The Nation

Plans to auction off the bankrupt Dhara Dhevi Hotel in Chiang Mai have been suspended after its operator opposed the Legal Execution Department’s reserve price of Bt2.116 billion.

Inter Far East Energy Corporation (IFEC) chairman Thavich Taychanavakul said an independent assessor estimated the hotel was worth Bt3.728 billion, adding that Chiang Mai Provincial Court will investigate the case on March 15 this year.

Dhara Dhevi Hotel Chiang Mai opened its doors in 2002 as one of Thailand’s top luxury resorts. Boasting Lanna-style architecture, its 123 rooms sprawl across 153 rai (24.5 hectares) in the middle of the northern capital’s Muang district.

The hotel closed operations on November 18 last year after business was badly hit by the Covid-19 outbreak.