#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023670

Traffic slows on Bangkok-bound Mittraphap Road as rush to return begins after holidays

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

The section of Mittraphap Road passing through Nakhon Ratchasima province started to witness long lines of vehicles late on Monday morning as a lot of motorists started driving back to work in Bangkok and nearby provinces.

Monday, the last official holiday, saw a lot of motorists driving on the Bangkok-bound Mittraphap Road.

Long lines of vehicles were seen at all major intersections in Nakhon Ratchasima, including the Sida intersection in Sida district, the Ban Wat intersection in None Sung district and the Ban Pho intersection in Muang district.

Traffic was still flowing but at a slow speed.

Traffic police expected more motorists from other northeastern provinces to join the exodus back to work on Mittraphap, the main gateway to the Northeast later on Monday, so the police would monitor the traffic situation throughout the day and might turn an opposite lane into an extra Bangkok-bound lane.

Meanwhile, railway stations in northeastern provinces also reported huge numbers of passengers coming to use train services to travel back to Bangkok.

A lot of passengers were heading to Buri Ram railway station since Monday morning.

Prawit Pungsawat, chief of the Buri Ram railway station, said that train tickets from Buri Ram to Bangkok have been fully booked until Wednesday. The State Railway of Thailand is running an extra train a day to facilitate return to Bangkok for those who have not booked their tickets, he said.

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023663

Fewer Covid-19 hospitalisations, deaths during Christmas week: DDC

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

As many as 2,111 Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospital and 75 succumbed in the last week of 2022, a drop from 2,900 admitted and 89 deaths the week before.

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) said on Monday that about 302 people per day had to be hospitalised for severe symptoms in the week of December 25-31, compared to 414 daily average in the week of December 18 to 24.

The average daily death rate from Covid in the week of December 25-31 was 10, compared to 12 per day the previous week, the department added.

The total Covid-19 death toll from January 1 to December 31 last year came in at 11,971, the department said.

As for patients currently in hospital, the department said 529 are being treated for lung infection from Covid, while 352 are on ventilators.

As of December 31, 144.27 million doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in Thailand, of which 57.16 million were first doses, 53.64 million second doses and the rest third or more doses.

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023662

Thailand’s ‘7 dangerous days’ road toll rises to 218, with 66 deaths on New Year’s Day

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

Road accidents on Sunday claimed 66 lives, bringing the total death toll in the first four of the so-called “7 dangerous days” to 218, the Road Safety Centre announced on Monday.

Boontham Lertsukhikasem, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department and secretary-general of the centre, told the press that 478 road accidents had occurred on New Year’s Day on Sunday, in which 465 people were injured and 66 killed.

The centre has been monitoring road accidents since December 29 and will keep a close eye on roads until January 4, when the New Year break wraps up.

The centre has been holding a daily press conference to provide updates on road casualties to remind travellers to be more careful.

Here is what happened on Thai roads on Sunday:

Top causes of accidents

• Speeding: 37.03%

• Drunk driving: 33.26%

Vehicle type with the most accidents

• Motorcycles: 88.02%

Where most accidents took place

• Straight roads: 79.50%

Location of most accidents

• Highways: 38.49%

• Village roads: 32.22%

Time of most accidents

• 00.01-01.00: 15.69%

Age-range of most casualties

• 20-29: 23.54%

Boontham said relevant agencies have taken steps to reduce road accidents. On Sunday, a total of  55,851 officials were deployed to man 1,887 road checkpoints nationwide.

On Sunday alone, 401,164 vehicles were stopped, and legal action was taken against 59,862 motorists and motorcyclists.

Of those facing legal action, 16,696 will be charged for driving without a licence, 16,070 for riding motorbikes without a helmet and 7,109 for breaking the speed limit among others.

Songkhla had the highest number of road accidents with 27 recorded on Sunday and has the highest number of injuries at 31.

Meanwhile, Mae Hong Son, Sa Kaew, and Surat Thani had the highest number of deaths at four each on Sunday.

Boontham said the total number of road accidents in the first four days came in at 1,664, with 1,647 people injured and 218 killed.

Over the past four days, Surat Thani has had the highest number of road accidents with 56, Sakon Nakhon the highest number of injured victims at 57 and Chiang Rai the highest number of road deaths at 12.

Boontham said the centre expects thousands of people to drive back on Monday, the last day of the official holidays, so it has instructed provincial authorities to coordinate and monitor the traffic – especially on alternate routes.

He said motorists usually speed on alternative roads because the traffic is generally lighter.

The centre has also advised motorists to take a break from driving every hour or so and stop driving if they feel tired or sleepy.

Boontham added that officials will stop vehicles often to check the physical state of drivers.

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023661

Nearly 182 million meth pills seized, over 1,000 drug traffickers arrested by Army in 2022

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

The Royal Thai Army’s drug suppression operations throughout last year saw 181.93 million methamphetamine pills and 2,875 kilograms of crystal meth or “ice” seized, an RTA spokeswoman said on Monday.

RTA deputy spokeswoman Maj-General Sirichan Ngathong told a press conference that seven Army territorial protection forces along the borders carried out patrols and monitoring operations by joining forces with police and Interior Ministry officials from January 1 to December 21 last year. The operations led to 1,052 drug traffickers being arrested.

During the year-long operations, the border security forces seized 181.933 million meth pills, 201,617 ecstasy pills, 2,875kg of ice, 51.29kg of heroin, 441.90kg of ketamine, and 47.16kg of raw opium, the spokeswoman said.

She said the seizure of the drugs were higher compared to 2021. Meth pills seized were 1.25 times the previous year’s quantity, ecstasy pills by 5.66 times, and ketamine by 2.09 times.

She added that each border force would analyse its own arrest data to try to improve monitoring against drug smuggling.

She added that the border security forces had also been stepping up monitoring during the New Year holidays.

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023658

Cognitive impairment another long-Covid symptom, Danish study shows

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

People who have recovered from Covid-19 may suffer from a cognitive deficit regardless of whether they developed severe symptoms or not.

Assoc Prof Dr Thira Woratanarat from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine raised this subject in a Facebook post on Monday, citing a recent study by Danish scientists published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Thira said the study found that 53% of recovered Covid-19 patients suffer some kind of cognitive impairment.

The study covered 194 patients, 91 of whom were hospitalised for severe symptoms, while the remainder were treated at home.

They have all been free of the virus for more than seven months.

The study found that over half of the patients had trouble remembering things, managing or making decisions at work, while some of them displayed impaired verbal communication skills. This cognitive impairment was detected in both hospitalised and non-hospitalised groups but was found more often among the elderly and those with underlying chronic conditions.

“Though we now have drugs to treat Covid-19 effectively, the best strategy is to avoid getting infected or reinfected to stay safe from the virus and its aftereffects,” Thira said. “If you attended a crowded party or visited family members during the New Year holidays, it is strongly recommended to stay isolated for seven to 10 days to monitor your symptoms and take an ATK test before returning to work.”

Thira, who is also chief of Chula’s Information Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, said if you feel sick or have flu-like symptoms but test negative, then you should take a test again in three days to confirm the result. This is because some ATK kits can be inaccurate, he said.

“Most importantly, don’t forget to wear a facemask in public places and wash your hands regularly,” Thira advised.

Related Stories

Nearly 4,000 patients with Covid hospitalised in Thailand, 107 deaths reported in a week

Thailand’s Covid-19 surge being driven by hidden infections: studies

Thailand’s first Covid Deltacron-infected patient has ‘recovered fully’

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023657

Bangkok joins list of top 3 destinations for American travellers

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

A survey conducted via the Hopper travel application in December learned that Bangkok is the third most favourite destination among American tourists after Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh.

Government spokesman Anucha Buraphachaisri said on Monday that the survey also predicted that more American tourists would travel to Asia judging by the search for flights.

Meanwhile, he said, in a move to further stimulate the tourism industry, the Tourism Authority of Thailand recently linked up with its South Korean counterpart to promote travel in both countries for this year and next.

“This cooperation should stimulate the exchange of at least 3 million tourists over 2023 and 2024, and also strengthen bilateral ties,” he said.

He added that Thai tourism authorities hope to attract at least 20 million foreign tourists this year, and generate 2.38 trillion baht in revenue.

“Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is pleased that many cities in Thailand feature large in foreign tourists’ itineraries,” he said, adding that tourism is key to stimulating the country’s economy.

He said Prayut has also called on Thai tourism operators to cooperate and be welcoming to foreigners.

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023656

5G data usage soars over New Year holidays: AIS

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

The use of data has surged over the New Year break because digital technology now plays a huge role in people’s daily lives, Advanced Info Service (AIS) said on Monday.

“The Covid-19 crisis triggered a change in people’s behaviour across the world,” said Pratthana Leelapanang, AIS’s chief consumer business officer.

Citing the company’s data from December 28 to January 1, he said the use of data on the 5G network has risen by more than 648% year on year as people travelled upcountry.

He added that the use of over-the-top (OTT) application services has risen between December 31 and January 1.

“Facebook is an OTT application that is popular, followed by YouTube, Line and TikTok,” he said, adding that more people have also been using the AIS Play streaming service.

Also, he said, more than 150,000 people have opted for the AIS international roaming service while travelling overseas.

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023654

4,000 buses/vans to arrive in Bangkok today as New Year holiday ends

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

The Transport Company said it will run 4,000 interprovincial bus/van services to carry over 53,000 passengers back to Bangkok on Monday after New Year trips to visit relatives upcountry.

People began heading back to the city on Sunday, when the company ran 2,792 services for over 26,000 passengers who wanted to arrive in Bangkok early to avoid traffic congestion despite Monday being an official holiday, said Transport Co vice president Rapipan Wannapintu on Monday.

Expecting a surge in volume of returning passengers on Monday, the operator has prepared up to 4,000 bus and van trips to ensure no passengers are left at terminals. “We have also informed taxi drivers via the JS100 and FM91 radio stations to pick up passengers directly from platforms to reduce crowding at the bus terminal,” she added.

Transport Co staff are sticking to face mask and social distancing measures to prevent spreading Covid-19 and will advise passengers to do likewise, Rapipan said.

The company is also offering a discount on tickets for those who travel after January 2, as a thank-you for helping to reduce crowding at bus terminals.

Passengers who book their tickets via the e-ticket app or www.transport.co.th for any domestic trips on January 3-9 will receive a 10% discount.

For more information, contact the call centre at 1490.

Related Stories

Bus company gears up for long weekends, New Year celebrations

BMA offers free buses to Bangkok floating markets every weekend from New Year’s Eve

10% discount for long-distance bus passengers who avoid New Year holiday

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023653

Thailand logs first meth seizure of 2023 amid surging drug trade

MONDAY, JANUARY 02, 2023

Thai police made their first methamphetamine seizure of 2023 on New Year’s Day after billions of meth tablets, known as yaba (crazy medicine), flooded the country in 2022.

Two men were nabbed at a checkpoint in Phitsanulok, 350 kilometres north of Bangkok, for allegedly smuggling over 700 tablets of meth in their jacket.

Phitsanulok police detained driver Suwit Khamlert, 28, and passenger Phiphat Chollanai, 28, as they drove through Ban Tha Ngam checkpoint on Phitsanulok-Uttaradit Road in Wat Bot district.

Police stopped their pick-up after spotting one of the men trying to take something from his jacket throw it out of the window. A search revealed 701 tablets of methamphetamine hidden in the jacket.

The suspects believed that police had been deployed to New Year countdowns in Wat Bot district and left the checkpoint unmanned, officers said.

Suwit admitted they were driving from Sawankhalok to Si Samrong districts in Sukhothai province, but got lost and took the Phitsanulok-Uttaradit Road by mistake before encountering the checkpoint, they added.

Urine tests on both suspects came back positive for drugs. They were taken to Wat Bot police station for questioning and to be charged.

The price of yaba plunged as low as 10 baht per pill last year after meth labs in Myanmar’s Golden Triangle area flooded the country with supplies.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that 3-6 billion tablets of methamphetamine were smuggled through Thailand in 2021.

Jeremy Douglas, UNODC regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, called the scale of methamphetamine trade “staggering” and warned it would continue to expand if the region does not address the root causes, including governance in the Golden Triangle and market demand.

“Organised crime have all the ingredients in place that they need to continue to grow the business, including territory to produce, access to chemicals, established trafficking routes and relationships to move product, and a massive population with spending power to target,” Douglas said.

Related Stories

Thailand targets low-cost meth precursor flooding country with 180,000 pills/hour

Thai police launch manhunt for ‘big boss’ after 10 million meth pills seized

Thai, Myanmar police target precursor smugglers in bid to halt meth tide

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023645

Traffic congestion arrives early as motorists try to avoid New Year jams

SUNDAY, JANUARY 01, 2023

Traffic turned to a crawl on Mittraphap Road in Saraburi province on Sunday as Bangkok residents returned from New Year visits to their hometowns early, expecting to avoid congestion on the main roads and highways leading to the capital.

There were so many motorists attempting to avoid traffic jams that they ended up stuck on the roads, traffic police said.

Vehicles on the road between Muak Lek and Kaeng Khoi districts were almost at a standstill in the afternoon, and the situation was expected to worsen, police said.

Highway police are opening an expressway to reduce traffic congestion.

Related stories:

• New Year draws faithful to shrines and temples
• Death toll rises to 146 in first three days of deadly road-accident week
• New Year festivals are making Thailand fun again, minister says