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Pick a name for a newborn tapir and you could win Bt10,000

NationalJan 27. 2021Narongwit Chodchoy

By The Nation

Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, or Korat Zoo, is inviting people to name a newborn tapir and stand a chance to win Bt10,000.

Acting zoo director Narongwit Chodchoy said on Wednesday that a male tapir was born at 2pm on January 10.

He added that the newborn tapir’s father is called “Mafia” and its mother “Singha”.

Those interested can submit a name for the newborn via Korat Zoo’s website or Facebook page until February 7. The result will be announced on the website and Facebook on February 10.

For more information, contact the zoo’s business development and public relations department via mobile phone number 083-3720404.

The tapir is a large, herbivorous mammal, similar in shape to a pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk. Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of Southeast Asia and South and Central America.

Under good conditions, a healthy female tapir can reproduce every two years. A calf is born after a gestation period of about 13 months. The natural lifespan of a tapir is about 25 to 30 years, both in the wild and in zoos.

Tapirs have been classified as one of 15 reserved wild animals in Thailand.

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Ranong to send 402 migrants back to Myanmar

NationalJan 27. 2021

By THE NATION

Ranong will send its first batch of 166 detained Myanmar migrants from a total of 402 back to their home country starting on Thursday, Ranong Governor Somkiat Sisanet said on Tuesday.

The 402 were under detention at the Ranong Immigration Office’s quarantine facility for 2-5 months after they were arrested for various non-violent crimes, including illegal entry.

The detainees held a peaceful protest within the quarantine facility on Monday after the province did not send them home following their arrests. Provincial officials reasoned that the Myanmar government was not ready to take them back yet due to the escalating Covid-19 situation there.

The detainees on Monday urged the Ranong governor to contact the Myanmar Embassy to speed up the process of sending them back home now that the virus situation in Myanmar is improving.

After discussions, the governor and the embassy agreed to send the first batch home starting on Thursday, while the rest would follow soon.

Somkiat added that all the detainees had undergone Covid-19 tests and none were found to be infected.

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Baht rate stable at opening

NationalJan 27. 2021

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 29.96 to the US dollar on Wednesday, barely changing from Tuesday’s close of 29.99.

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

Financial markets fluctuated on Tuesday night due to investor concern about the Covid-19 situation around the world and unsure US stimulus measures, despite the International Monetary Fund estimating that the global economy would grow 5.5 per cent this year and 4.2 per cent in 2022.

The S&P 500 index decreased by 0.15 per cent and the Russell 2000 by 0.6 per cent, reflecting concern about a US economic recovery.

Investors are also awaiting results of the US Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Wednesday, as the Ten-Year Treasury yield moved near 1.03 per cent.

At the same time, the main currencies strengthened, compared to the dollar.

In Thailand, the baht will not strengthen more than 29.90 per US dollar, Poon predicted. Factors that would affect the Thai currency include the direction of the dollar’s movement and foreign fund flows.

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Opposition MP urges Prayut to put the brakes on Green Line fare hike

NationalJan 27. 2021

By THE NATION

Pheu Thai’s Maha Sarakham MP and party deputy chief Yutthapong Jarassathian submitted a letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday urging him to suspend the Green Line Skytrain fare increase to a maximum Bt104, which is to commence on February 16.

Despite previously promising that the fare ceiling would be Bt65 on the route, Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said last Friday that the new ceiling of Bt104 is inexpensive and would be implemented from February 16 as planned unless the government decided otherwise.

Read More: Aswin defends Green Line fare hike, rules out review unless ordered by govt

Yutthapong (File Photo)

“The fare hike will hurt people who have already been affected by the economic fallout of Covid-19. The average minimum wage of Bangkokians is Bt331. If they have to take a return trip on the Green Line, which will amount to Bt208, they will have only Bt123 left for their daily expenses, which is not livable,” Yutthapong pointed out.

“I therefore urge the prime minister to suspend the fare hike before February 16, and also launch an investigation into why the Interior Ministry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have not obeyed the Cabinet’s order of November 26, 2018, which stipulates that the BMA must borrow money to pay off debts from Green Line operational costs to the Bangkok Mass Transit System [BTSC],” he said.

The BTSC, which has been operating the Green Line extension from Bearing to Samut Prakan since 2018 and from Mo Chit to Khu Khot since 2020, has demanded more than Bt8 billion in operation costs.

The operator claims that at the fare ceiling of Bt63, it is incurring a loss of Bt93 per passenger because the fare from end to end should be Bt158.

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27 Cambodians arrested for illegal entry, disguising themselves as monks

NationalJan 27. 2021

By THE NATION

Twenty-seven Cambodian nationals have been arrested for entering the country without proper documentation and disguising themselves as Buddhist monks at Wat Talom temple in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district, Immigration Police chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang announced on Tuesday.

“We received a tip-off that the temple had several hundred monks living in a crowded space that could become a hotspot for Covid-19,” Sompong explained. “People also reported that some monks from this temple were selling food they received from the public in the morning to merchants at nearby markets for reselling.”

An investigation showed the temple had divided its living quarters into two separate areas.

“Normal monks live upstairs while migrant monks crowd the downstairs area as well as under the crematorium,” Sompong said.

“Officers found that 181 migrant monks from Myanmar, India, Cambodia, Laos and Bangladesh had proper documentation, but the 27 had neither entry papers nor ID cards stating they are monks.”

All 27, who were ordered to change out of their monk robes, were taken to Bang Saothong police station and charged with illegally entering the country and impersonating Buddhist monks.

Police have also launched an investigation of the temple’s abbot for allegedly assisting and hiding illegal migrants, Sompong added.

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Ministry extends ID card making, renewal deadline to April 30

NationalJan 27. 2021

By THE NATION

The Royal Gazette website on Tuesday published an Interior Ministry announcement stipulating that the deadline for making or renewing identification cards will be extended to April 30 in a bid to curb Covid-19 from spreading further.

The announcement, signed by Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda, added that the move aims to help people who cannot travel due to lockdown measures.

The deadline for making a new identification card or renewal of an expired card is therefore moved from within 60 days since the person becomes seven years old or since the card expires, to April 30, 2021.

Normally, those who make or renew their ID card after the 60-day limit are subject to a Bt100 fine.

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Cool-to-cold weather in upper Thailand, isolated rain forecast for Bangkok, East, South

NationalJan 27. 2021

By THE NATION

The North, the Northeast and the Central region will continue to experience cool to cold weather, with thick fog in some areas, while mountaintops are seeing cold to very cold weather as a weak high-pressure system covers the upper North and the upper Northeast, the Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

It forecast isolated rain for the East, Bangkok and its vicinity and the South.

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

North: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 14-20 degrees Celsius and highs of 31-36 degrees. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 4-13 degrees.

Northeast: Cool weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 15-21 degrees and highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 8-15 degrees.

Central: Cool weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 20-23 degrees, highs of 34-36 degrees Celsius.

East: Fog in the morning and isolated rain in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 31-35 degrees Celsius; waves less than a metre high and one metre offshore.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 20 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 30-34 degrees Celsius; waves a metre 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: Partly cloudy with light rain in some areas; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 34-35 degrees Celsius.

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Rayong gets ready to lift restriction on 10 types of businesses, public sites

NationalJan 27. 2021

By The Nation

The Communicable Disease Control Committee has agreed to allow 10 types of businesses and sites in Rayong to reopen from Wednesday.

Governor Charnna Iamsaeng said that since the number of new cases in the province is low, the following businesses will be allowed to reopen:

• Shopping centres, shops selling construction materials and mobile phone outlets

• Thai massage shops

• Beauty clinics

• Museum, learning parks, learning centres or similar establishments

• Public libraries

• Parks, natural attractions and beaches

• Sports fields and exercise grounds (team sports is not allowed)

• Golf courses

• Shooting ranges

• Flea markets

However, he said, operators of these businesses have to strictly follow prevention measures, warning that they will be immediately closed if random checks reveal a violation of rules. He added that reopening was not mandatory and depends on each business’s readiness.

Meanwhile, Rayong officials will on Friday look into whether schools should reopen on February 1 and whether interprovincial travel should be allowed.

Charnna said that no new cases had been reported in the province on Tuesday, adding that the total number of cases in Rayong stands at 576, with 544 having recovered, 31 in hospital and one death. Of the 20,633 people screened for the virus, 972 are still under quarantine to ensure they are free of infection.

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Labour network rallies for more assistance

NationalJan 26. 2021

By THE NATION

Members of the Labour Network for People’s Rights rallied outside Government House on Tuesday demanding that the government pay Bt5,000 to each member of the country’s workforce for three months.

On January 19, the Cabinet approved the “RaoChana” (WeWin) cash-handout campaign, in which Bt3,500 will be handed for two months to the self-employed, farmers and welfare-card holders. Those eligible can register from Thursday onwards and the cash can be withdrawn via a smartphone application.

The protesters said the money was too little and giving access to the assistance via a smartphone app would leave many out of the loop. They also rejected the plan of transferring Bt1,000 per week, saying some people needed more cash to survive.

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Yellow Line extension gets green light from environment board

NationalJan 26. 2021Saksayam Chidchob

By The Nation

Bangkok’s elevated MRT Yellow Line monorail extension has passed its environmental impact assessment (EIA), paving the way for negotiations to resolve a problem in the joint venture project.

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said the environment board on Monday passed the EIA for the two-station extension, linking Lat Phrao with Ratchayothin Skytrain station on the Sukhumvit (Green) Line.

The project is owned by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), which is currently negotiating to amend its joint venture agreement with concessionaire Eastern Bangkok Monorail (EBM).

However, MRTA is still negotiating with EBM over compensation for Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc (BEM), which says the extension will impact revenue from its MRT Blue Line.

Meanwhile BTS has confirmed it will fully invest in the Yellow Line extension, with construction and expropriation costs estimated at Bt3 billion-Bt4 billion. But BTS has rejected calls that it should compensate BEM, insisting the MRTA must first negotiate an agreement.

Due to open in October, the 30.4-kilometre Yellow Line will run north-south from Lat Phrao to Samrong and link with four other routes – MRT’s Blue and Orange lines, the Airport Rail Link, and the BTS Green Line – improving connections across the network.