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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023238

EXAT invites bids for building expressway that would improve access to Patong Beach in Phuket

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022

The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) on Monday invited bids from private firms for the proposed 14-billion-baht project to build an almost 4-kilometre-long expressway linking Tambon Krathu to Patong Beach in Phuket province.

EXAT governor Surachet Laophulsuk said that bidding documents could be bought from December 26 to January 25 and interested parties should submit their bid envelopes in early March.

The EXAT will take about six months to consider the bids and the winner would be announced late next year.

He said work on construction of the 3.98km Krathu-Patong expressway in Krathu district would begin in 2024 and the expressway would be opened to motorists in 2027.

Surachet said the project would cost around 14.67 billion baht – 5.792 billion baht for land expropriation and 8.878 billion baht for construction.

Currently, the popular Patong beach can be accessed only via a mountainous route that is difficult to drive on for people unfamiliar with the road and accidents happen frequently, especially on the downhill sections. When the road was hit by landslides following heavy floods, access to the beach was cut off for several days during maintenance.

Real estate experts believe the expressway would lead to more development at the beach and the surrounding areas, as it would cut travel time by more than half.

Surachet said the expressway would be a PPP (public private partnership) Net Cost project, meaning the EXAT would pay for the land expropriation and the private firm would bear the construction expenditure, as well as the operation and maintenance cost.

The bid winner would be allowed to collect expressway toll for the next 35 years and ownership of the expressway would be transferred to the EXAT once construction is completed under the Build-Transfer-Operate model.

The expressway will be an elevated road with four lanes in each direction and it would have a tunnel in the middle.

The construction would take no longer than four years.

The governor said the EXAT’s studies showed that the expressway would be used by some 35,000 motorcycles and 36,000 vehicles with four or more wheels a day.

A motorcycle will be charged 15 baht for the toll, a four-wheel vehicle 40 baht, a six-to-10-wheel vehicle 80 baht, and a vehicle with more than 10 wheels 125 baht.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023235

Severe weather conditions keep students at home in Hat Yai

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022

Heavy flooding has forced schools in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district to cancel classes until at least Tuesday.

The cancellation was in response to mayor Sakhon Thongmunee’s warning on Monday, urging schools in the district to stay closed until roads are cleared.

The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a warning on Sunday, saying that a strong northeast monsoon will prevail across the Gulf and the Andaman Sea until Tuesday.

Heavy rains have been forecast in many places in the lower South, TMD said, while urging people to beware of severe conditions, flash floods and runoffs, especially along waterways near foothills and lowlands.

Apart from Songkhla, other provinces affected are Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Krabi, Trang and Satun.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023234

One man missing after cargo ship, 2 boats capsize in Gulf of Thailand storm

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022

One fisherman is missing after a cargo ship and two fishing boats sank in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Surat Thani on Sunday evening. Stormy conditions in the gulf on Sunday also claimed the HTMS Sukhothai, which sank 300 kilometres north off Prachuap Khiri Khan.

The 4th Marine and Coastal Resources Office launched a search and rescue mission on Sunday afternoon after being alerted that two small fishing boats had sunk in Bandon Bay off Surat Thani.

Office patrol boats were joined by marine police vessels and managed to locate and rescue a man and a woman from the sea. However, a 75-year-old fisherman was still missing when the team called off the search at 5pm in fading light, heavy rain and waves of over 2 metres high.

At 5.45pm, Surat Thani’s Chaiya police station was alerted by local fishermen that a large ship was adrift in rough seas and its crew had fired an SOS red flare.

The stricken Santhad Samut 2 was located drifting 2-3 nautical miles of Chaiya district’s Haad Kamnan Beach. The captain of the cargo ship launched inflatable rafts and all nine crewmembers made it to shore safely. They were taken to Chaiya Hospital for first aid before being transferred to a hospital in Surat Thani’s Muang district.

The boat was transporting 36 containers of para wood to Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi’s Si Racha district.

Samui, Pha-Ngan ferry services suspended

The captain told police that the boat was slammed repeatedly by waves up to 4 metres high, causing the containers to break loose and the ship to capsize.

Bandon Bay is enclosed by Koh Samui and Koh Pha-Ngan, where all ferry services have been suspended until further notice. The Thai Meteorological Department forecasts stormy weather in the area all day today.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023233

Mahidol joins up with Juntendo University, Jolly Good Inc to prepare VR teaching material on infectious diseases

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022

Mahidol University, in collaboration with Japanese innovation company Jolly Good Inc and Juntendo University, has developed virtual reality lessons for its Infectious Diseases Department.

The VR lessons were developed on the back of the virtual international medical seminar, JITMM2022, utilising teaching materials on infectious disease treatment unique to Mahidol University.

In this seminar, a lecturer from Mahidol University gave a remote VR lecture to Japanese medical students and residents with the aim of providing advanced Thai medical technology to Japanese medical educational institutions.

Thailand ranks fifth out of 74 countries throughout the world in the number of hospitals with JCI accreditation (an international standard for evaluating medical care) and has top-level medical care in Asia, in addition to which it possesses advanced treatment technology relating to a variety of infectious diseases. However, due to being an ageing society, Thailand also faces a serious shortage of doctors and medical workers.

Therefore, moving forward, Jolly Good will continue to create VR teaching materials based on Thailand’s advanced medical technology in collaboration with Mahidol University, and beginning with this bilateral medical VR seminar, Jolly Good will work to share information with overseas medical institutions in a variety of situations regarding the advanced level of Thailand’s medical technology and will support efforts to attract overseas medical professionals to Thailand.

This is a collaborative demonstration project between Jolly Good and Juntendo University for the introduction of medical education VR for the purpose of developing medical human resources through the use of VR at Royal Mahidol University and throughout Thailand.

There is a shortage of doctors in Thailand, and it is necessary to provide medical technology
At present, more than 20% of the population of Thailand is at least 60 years of age, and demand for the medical industry in the country is increasing. In addition, there is one doctor per 2,000 people, which means that there is a shortage of doctors compared to other countries (one doctor per 800 people in Europe, and one doctor per 600 people in Japan), and the demand for medical workers is increasing.

Therefore, as a national policy, Thailand formed a 10-year strategic plan for becoming a medical hub in 2016, and as related organizations work together to establish advanced medical industry systems, new measures to secure medical personnel are required.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023229

Red flags up in Koh Samui beaches as strong winds make sea dangerous

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022

Beachfront hotels in Koh Samui have put up red flags warning visitors against getting into the sea due to strong winds and waves.

The Thai Meteorological Department said on Sunday that the Northeast monsoon prevailing over the Gulf and the South will strengthen on Monday and Tuesday, bringing heavy to very heavy rains. Also, 2- to 4-metre-high waves are expected in the Gulf and the Andaman Sea, which will rise higher in thundershowers.

A hotel operator at the popular Chaweng Beach has also deployed staffers to keep an eye on guests and ensure they don’t get into the sea.

“The red flags are for visitors’ safety, as swimming in high waves can be dangerous,” a hotel staffer said. “Once conditions improve, the hotel will remove the flags and guests will be able to swim in the sea as usual.”

He also urged visitors to follow the latest weather updates before planning to vacation in Samui.

He added that most foreign tourists were obeying the warning and spending their time at restaurants and bars or visiting other attractions on the island.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023228

Princess in ‘stable’ condition, says Royal Household Bureau

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022

The condition of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha is currently stable with her heart rhythm being controlled by medication, the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement on Monday.

The Princess – the daughter of His Majesty the King and HRH Princess Soamsawali – has been treated at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok for a heart-related issue since December 15.

Doctors said the Princess’s heartbeat is not yet optimal but an angiogram of the coronary artery found no abnormalities.

The team of doctors will continue treating the Princess with medication and machines to assist her heart, lungs and kidneys, while monitoring her condition closely, said the statement.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha fainted on the evening of December 14 while training her dogs for a contest in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima. She was given first aid at Pak Chong Nana hospital before being airlifted to the hospital in Bangkok.

People have poured into the lobby of the hospital’s Bhumisiri Mangkhalanusorn Building for the past few days to leave tributes and pray for the Princess.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023227

Navy ship sinks, rescue mission underway

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022

The HTMS Sukhothai, a Ratanakosin-class corvette, sank during stormy weather in the Gulf of Thailand on Sunday night, according to a Royal Thai Navy spokesman.

The ship sank 20 nautical miles (32 kilometres) off the coast of Bang Saphan district, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Navy spokesman Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin said.

A rescue mission was launched on Monday for 31 crew still missing after the sinking, according to local media reports.

The warship was on patrol when it began listing in strong winds and waves, causing seawater to flow through its exhaust pipe and flood the electrical system, said Pokkrong. This caused the engine and pumps to stop. The crew lost control and were unable to right the vessel as the hull flooded. The ship sank beneath the waves at 11.30pm. The Ratanakosin-class ships were built for a crew of 15 officers and 72 enlisted men.

The RTN launched a search and rescue mission with three ships – HTMS Angthong, Bhumibol Adulyadej and Kraburi – and two helicopters. Crewmembers were rescued and brought aboard the HTMS Kraburi, the Navy said.

The Sukhothai is one of only seven corvettes in the Navy.

The Ratanakosin-class ships comprise two corvettes built in the United States by Tacoma Boatbuilding Company in 1986. The Sukhothai’s sister ship is the HTMS Ratanakosin.

The Sukhothai was commissioned on February 19, 1987 and measures 76.82 metres long with a beam of 9.55 metres and a draft of 2.44 metres. Two MTU 20V1163 TB83 diesel engines gave it a maximum speed of 26 knots (48 km/h) and a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,600km).

The Sukhothai was commissioned for sea combat, anti-submarine and air-defence missions.

It was equipped with a 76/62mm cannon, a 40L70mm double-barrel machine gun, two Oerlikon 20mm cannons, eight Harpoon (missile) launchers, eight surface-to-air Albatross missile launchers and six torpedo tubes.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023221

Bangkok opens halls, offices for royal tributes

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2022

Bangkokians can leave well-wishes for Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati at designated areas throughout the city from today.

Members of the public can leave tributes and pray at two city halls in Phra Nakhon and Din Daeng districts, as well as at district offices of all 50 districts.

People can also write messages for the princess in books placed in front of her portrait at each location, said Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Sunday.

The princess, His Majesty the King’s eldest daughter with HRH Princess Soamsawali, is being treated at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Pathum Wan district.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha, 44, fell ill last Wednesday while exercising her dogs in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima. She was initially treated for a heart-related issue at Pak Chong Nana hospital before being airlifted to Chulalongkorn Hospital.

Alternately, people can visit the hospital’s Bhumisiri Mangkhalanusorn Building, which will be open for people to record their messages daily from 8am to 6pm.

His Holiness the Supreme Patriarch has also instructed temples across Thailand to pray for the princess.

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