The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned people against consuming a canned fish brand called “Tra Petch”, after a hook was found in a sample produced on August 24, 2020.
FDA said its officials inspected Kiatfah Foods in Samut Prakarn province where the canned fish had been produced on November 6. Some products were collected at that time and sent to the Department of Medical Sciences for scientific examination.
The department found a fish hook in a can of the product produced on August 24, 2020, which will expire on the same date in 2021.
Four teenagers who had allegedly stolen a pair of shoes and made a mocking gesture at a CCTV camera were brought to police by their parents after video footage of their actions went viral recently.
On January 10, the teenagers visited an apartment where their friend lived, in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakarn province. They saw the shoes an owner had placed outside his room and allegedly stole them, without realising that their actions were recorded by a CCTV camera.
The video footage of the theft was later uploaded online. Fearing that they will be arrested, the four teenagers, wearing helmets, returned to the apartment and placed the stolen shoes back outside the owner’s room. This action took place on January 15.
However, before leaving, the teenagers made a mocking gesture before the camera. Again, the CCTV footage was released online and went viral.
On Friday, the teenagers’ parents took them to Bang Phli Police Station. They were all male and aged between 15 to 17. They were charged with stealing at night.
The Interior Ministry issued an urgent order to local government organisations nationwide to postpone the collection of land and building tax of 2021 for two months, in a bid to alleviate the financial burden of people during a new wave of Covid-19 outbreak.
The order was signed by ministry permanent secretary Chatchai Promlert.
Under the Land and Building Tax Act of 2019, local government organisations were to announce estimated prices of lands and buildings in their jurisdiction in January, dispatch tax forms to property owners in February, while the owners would have had to pay the tax within April. This postponement will, therefore, push the estimated price announcement to March 2021, followed by dispatch of tax forms in April 2021, and deadline for paying tax at end of June 2021.
The act came into effect from January 1, 2020, aiming to encourage the productive use of land and improve tax collection, as well as control the supply of condominiums and houses by collecting more taxes from those who own unused lands and from property projects with unsold units.
Last year, due to the Covid-19 situation, the deadline for land and building tax payment had been pushed to August 2020 and again to October 2020 to help people during the economic downturn caused by the outbreak.
The head of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) has clarified that there were no political motives in his meeting with the PM’s secretary-general.
NVI director Dr Nakorn Premsri called a press conference on Friday evening after his meeting with PM’s secretary-general Disthat Hotrakit at Government House earlier that day was interpreted by some media channels as involving political issues, especially regarding questions raised by a prominent politician on vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca.
On Thursday, leader of the Progressive Movement, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, had questioned the government over its purchase of 26 million doses from UK’s AstraZeneca plus 2 million doses from China’s Sinovac, saying it might not be enough to inoculate the entire population. He also questioned why the government-funded Siam Bioscience was the only corporation given the right to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine in Thailand.
“The meeting with the PM’s secretary-general along with Food and Drug Administration secretary-general [Dr Paisan Dankhum] was about the registration of Covid-19 vaccine in Thailand,” he said.
“We discussed related laws, regulations, and quality control of the vaccines. There were no discussions about political issues or about AstraZeneca as speculated by some media channels.
“We urge the media to maintain their journalistic professionalism by refraining from publishing news without confirming the source, as well as remove fake news from all their communication channels,” he added.
Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei province is extending its closure until January 31 to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Park director Samret Phusaensri said on Friday that it had earlier been closed from January 5 to 18 after the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported that about 70 per cent of tourists visiting Phu Kradueng are from provinces in the maximum control zone, also known as red zone, where a high number of infections were found.
“After considering the fact that the outbreak is still active in many provinces, the park has decided to remain shut until January 31 for the safety of tourists and park officials,” said Samret.
“Tourists who have reserved lodging and camping areas in the park can get a refund by contacting tel. 02579 6666 ext. 1743, or email: banpak025795269@gmail.com
Phu Kradueng is among Thailand’s best-known national parks, famous for its sea of mist, cool temperature and rich flora and fauna spread over 217,576 rai (34,800 hectares). Its diverse landscape features soaring cliffs, waterfalls, fields and forests, which draw domestic and international visitors throughout the year.
The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Saturday that a weak high-pressure system covers upper Thailand while westerly winds prevail over the upper North. Temperature is expected to rise 1-3 degrees Celsius with morning fog and thick fog in some areas.
All transport should move with caution due to poor visibility, the department said. Mountaintops remain cold to very cold with frost in some places.
Meanwhile, the weak northeast monsoon prevails over the Gulf and the South.
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 13-17 degrees Celsius, highs of 30-34°C; temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 5-13°C with frost in some areas.
Northeast: Cool to cold weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 14-18°C, highs of 31-33°C; temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 6-12°C.
Central: Cool weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 17-19°C, highs of 32-34°C.
East: Cool weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 19-22°C, highs of 31-34°C; waves less than a metre high and a metre high offshore.
South (east coast): Cool weather with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 20-24°C, highs of 30-32°C; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 21-24°C, highs of 32-34°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres offshore.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with fog in the morning and thick fog in some areas; temperature lows of 20-22°C, highs of 32-34°C.
Students at Ban Prakob Aok Border Patrol Police School in Songkhla wore face masks to class on Friday as measures were tightened against an outbreak of Covid-19 over the border.
The school is located in Na Thawi district, just 3 kilometres from the border with Malaysia, where a severe outbreak of the virus his spawning around 4,000 new cases per day.
Face masks have become a new toy for many kids in the Covid-19 era, enabling them to show off at school while also being socially responsible.
One member of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) team has been identified as facing the highest risk of infection after a TV anchor tested positive on Friday.
Paveena Faktong, who works closely with the anchor, was named as high risk after the entire team, including spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, underwent swab tests and got negative result.
Meanwhile, members of the press were told to leave Government House earlier than usual due to a sanitising operation. A big clean is planned for Santimaitree Building in the complex. The building is an operation centre for CCSA and where a press briefing is held twice a day.
Pro-democracy protesters gathered outside the Commerce Ministry on Friday to demand that the government cut spending on the military and monarchy in order to help Thais suffering amid the second wave of Covid-19.
Ratsadon protesters led by Panupong Jadnok attempted to deliver a petition of their demands but were blocked from entering the ministry building in Bangkok.
Panupong said they were demanding that the government offer monthly payments of Bt3,500 to all Thais aged 18 and over for three months. He said this measure would cost around Bt52.5 billion.
The Ratsadon group also called on the government to import more Covid-19 vaccines and distribute them as fairly as possible. This would not only curb the pandemic but also help stabilise the country’s economy, they said.
Meanwhile the government must help relieve people’s living costs by reducing water, electricity and internet bills for at least three months, said the protesters. Students’ tuition fees should also be reduced as they had been forced to study online due to the virus crisis.
Ratsadon’s petition was received by a ministry representative, before the demonstrators dispersed.
Panupong vowed they would return next Friday if there was no response to their demands.
“The government should not treat us like beggars. The remedial cash must be distributed as widely as possible”.
People flocked to Samut Prakan’s Pak Nam area on Friday to pick up giant river prawns at ridiculously cheap prices.
The catch had been brought to the Deep Sea Fishery Technology Research and Development Institute’s parking area by Nakhon Pathom breeders, who claimed their prawns were free from Covid-19.
This offering was part of a cooperation between Samut Prakan’s Provincial Commercial Office, Provincial Fisheries Office and Provincial Agriculture and Cooperatives Office.
Dr Nakorn Premsri
(File Photo)
