A criminal known for her “sticky armpits” was finally nabbed on Wednesday in Samut Prakan’s Phra Pradaeng district after creating problems for several shops both in Samut Prakan and in Bangkok.
The woman, a 51-year-old Samut Prakan native called Namphoeng Netthip, was called “aunty with sticky armpits” because she used to pay for her shopping with a Bt1,000 bank note and then would hide the change in her armpits and claim she hadn’t been given it.
She has allegedly been practising this con since the start of the year.
Namphoeng was also reportedly wanted for setting alight her relatives’ vehicles. On January 7, she allegedly set fire to four cars and a motorcycle in Phra Pradaeng district.
Air pollution in 64 areas around Bangkok and its vicinity hit unsafe levels on Thursday morning, with PM2.5 readings coming in at 51 to 81 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3), the Pollution Control Department reported.
The department expects the PM2.5 level to rise on January 15-16.
Thailand’s standard for safe levels of PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter) is 50μg/m3.
The 64 areas are:
1. Kanchanaphisek Road, Bang Khun Thian district (69μg/m3)
2. Rama IV Road, Pathumwan (56μg/m3)
3. Intharaphithak Road, Thonburi (59μg/m3)
4. Lat Phrao-Chokchai 4 Road, Wang Thonglang (61μg/m3)
5. Din Daeng Road (62μg/m3)
6. Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Din Daeng (62μg/m3)
7. Sukhumvit Road, Prakanong (64μg/m3)
8. Rat Burana Road, Rat Burana (51μg/m3)
9. Garden opposite the Dusit District Office (56μg/m3)
56. Suan Siam-Ram-Indra intersection, Khan Na Yao (62μg/m3)
57. Klong Toei subdistrict (60μg/m3)
58. Bang Sue subdistrict (57μg/m3)
59. Lat Phrao district (54μg/m3)
60. Thungsonghong subdistrict, Lak Si district (58μg/m3)
61. Saphan Sung district (56μg/m3)
62. Klong Sam Wa district (68μg/m3)
63. Chom Thong district (56μg/m3)
64. Bang Khae district (58μg/m3)
Air pollution in other regions are:
North: PM2.5 readings coming in at 21 to 50 μg/m3. The overall situation is termed good.
Northeast: PM2.5 readings are 25 to 91 μg/m3. Four areas have exceeded the standard.
Central region and West: PM2.5 readings are 17 to 77 μg/m3. Eight areas have exceeded the standard.
East: PM2.5 readings are 29 to 50 μg/m3. The overall situation is moderate.
South: PM2.5 readings are 6 to 30 μg/m3. The overall situation is termed very good.
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.
Thai health officials try to clear the air amid concern over China’s Sinovac vaccine
NationalJan 14. 2021Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences director-general Dr Supakit Sirilak
By The Nation
Health officials organised a press conference to allay widespread concerns that China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine, being imported into Thailand, is not effective enough to tackle the virus.
The concerns followed tests in Brazil by that country’s Butantan Institute, with results showing that Sinovac is only 50.4 per cent effective.
However, Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences director-general Dr Supakit Sirilak maintained that a vaccinated group was able to prevent 78 per cent of infections and 100 per cent of severe symptoms.
“The advantage of the vaccine from China is that a dead virus is injected into the body to build immunity. This is considered primary technology, which is also used in hepatitis and polio vaccines. China injected its military personnel and thousands of medical staff with the vaccine and no serious side effects were found,” he said.
“We need to look at many other aspects too, such as quality, performance, price, quantity, delivery time and other qualifications that are suitable for Thailand,” Dr Supakit insisted.
“I want people to be confident that the Public Health Ministry will use a vaccine with recognised quality and without undesirable effects. WHO [the World Health Organisation] has declared that a vaccine efficacy of 50 per cent or more is applicable. So I would like to ask people to stop panicking.
“The Public Health Ministry has asked Sinovac for additional information. There is currently no impact on the Covid-19 vaccination plan,” he added.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deputy secretary-general Dr Surachok Tangwiwat said the FDA is responsible for examining drugs and vaccines for use in Thailand. These are first evaluated for quality, safety and efficiency.
Those wishing to register a drug or vaccine are required to provide information to experts in order to assess their qualifications and performance.
The FDA is now mobilising experts from all over the country to inspect and consider all aspects of a Covid-19 vaccine to make it available faster.
At present, two companies have applied to register their vaccines – AstraZeneca (Thailand), whose vaccine is in the evaluation process and expects approval soon, and Sinovac Biotech Company, which has the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation as a licensee for registration.
Another key issue is import. The importer must have evidence of purchasing the vaccine directly from the manufacturer to prevent any fakes creeping in and must take responsibility if there is a distribution problem.
The baht opened at 30 to the US dollar on Thursday, strengthening from 30.03 at close on Wednesday.
The Thai currency is likely to move between 29.95 and 30.10, said Krungthai market strategist Poon Panichpibool.
Poon said financial markets are still in a risk-on state even after negative factors – the US political situation and the reduction of quantitative easing (QE) in the country – are starting to be resolved. The Nasdaq index rose by 0.4 per cent, while the Stoxx 50 rebounded by 0.1 per cent.
The market believes the US Federal Reserve will not reduce its QE, while a QE taper will not occur as in 2013, he said.
Also, some investors are actually concerned about stocks that keep rising and want to hold on to US government bonds.
The US Ten-Year Treasury yield decreased by around 4 basis points to 1.10 per cent.
Meanwhile, the dollar strengthened, with the index increasing by 0.3 per cent to 90.35 points.
Poon said markets are still monitoring Democrat attempts to remove Donald Trump from office.
The market strategist estimated that the dollar would weaken if the Fed signals that it will not relax its QE. Under this assumption, other currencies, including the baht, would strengthen against the dollar, he added.
Pattaya Food Group (PFG) has converted its factory in Samut Sakhon into the country’s first factory quarantine facility for treating and isolating Covid-19 patients, the government’s Covid-19 Information Centre posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday.
“The factory used to manufacture canned foods under the Nautilus brand, but it is now a 600-bed quarantine facility,” the centre said.
“The facility is divided into three zones: a green zone in front is the reception area, a yellow zone is where medical professionals are stationed and where they will change their clothes, and a red zone will house infected patients,” it said.
The centre also said the red zone features a dining area, toilets, shower rooms, a washing room and an exercise area. Patients will not be allowed to leave this zone until they are cleared of the virus.
The centre thanked PFG for being socially responsible and being a role model for other businesses to convert their facilities for Covid-19 treatment and quarantine.
On Wednesday, Samut Sakhon reported 208 new Covid-19 cases, with the number of accumulated cases in the province being 3,760 patients as of now. Some 320 are undergoing hospital treatment, 564 have been cured and one person has died. The province has 1,032 persons under quarantine, while 1,843 were announced clear of the virus.
A giant dinosaur statue located on Khon Kaen-Kalasin Road in Khon Kaen Muang district’s Phra Lab subdistrict caught fire and was completely damaged while it was being disassembled on Wednesday. There were no reports of death or injury.
Firefighters spent around 10 minutes to distinguish the flames.
The Phra Lab Municipality earlier ordered the Khon Kaen Public Works and Town Planning Department to move the statue from its current location, on the street isle, to Bueng Nong Khot lake in Ban Ped subdistrict to ensure the safety of road users and to promote tourism at the lake.
Witnesses reportedly said the fire was caused by a spark from a metal cutter as the dinosaur was being disassembled. Strong winds caused the flames to spread.
Dinosaur fossils were first discovered in Thailand during mineral exploration in Khon Kaen’s Phu Wiang area in 1976. The Phu Wiang Dinosaur Museum was established in 2009 to display the fossils and has become one of Khon Kaen’s top tourist attractions.
Four dinosaur statutes had been built on roads leading to Khon Kaen as landmarks to welcome tourists to the “Land of Dinosaurs”. One statute, which was previously located on Maliwan Road, was moved safely to Bueng Nong Khot lake in November 2020. The other two are located on Mittraphap Road and are yet to be relocated.
The high-pressure system over upper Thailand is weakening, resulting in a temperature rise of 1-3° C and morning fog, but most areas will still experience cool to cold weather, with mountaintops being cold to very cold, the Meteorological Department said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon prevailing across the Gulf of Thailand and the South is also weakening, the department said. Waves are about two metres high in the lower Gulf, it added, advising all ships to proceed with caution.
Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Cool to cold weather with strong wind; temperature lows of 10-16 degrees and highs of 20-30 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 4-11 degrees Celsius.
Northeast: Cold weather with strong wind; temperature lows of 10-13 degrees and highs of 24-26 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 3-10 degrees Celsius.
Central: Cool to cold weather with morning fog; temperature lows of 14-16 degrees, highs of 26-29 degrees Celsius.
East: Cool to cold weather with morning fog; temperature lows of 14-18 degrees, highs of 27-30 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and over 2 metres offshore.
South (east coast): Cool weather with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 16-28 degrees, highs of 27-30 degrees Celsius; waves 2 metres high and over 2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 20-24 degrees, highs of 29-34 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 metres offshore.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with morning fog; temperature lows of 16-17 degrees, highs of 26-29 degrees Celsius.
One of the criteria used to screen applicants for the government’s “RaoChana” (We Win) monthly cash handouts will be the size of their bank accounts, a Finance Ministry source has confirmed. Successful applicants for the latest scheme to mitigate financial impacts of the fresh Covid-19 outbreak will be handed two monthly payments of Bt3,500 – but only if their savings fall below a certain minimum threshold. The ministry will keep the exact figure of the threshold secret in order to prevent applicants from transferring money out of their accounts to meet the criteria.
The scheme is focused on helping the self-employed and farmers. It follows the government’s “Rao Mai Thing Kan” (We won’t leave anyone behind) scheme of three monthly Bt5,000 payments, which also used savings as a criterion for eligibility.
“The government spent Bt390 billion [on Rao Mai Thing Kan], but people still protested in front of the ministry after their applications to receive Bt5,000 remedial payments were rejected. A government official found that one protester had more than Bt10 million in his account, which is why he was not eligible,” said the source.
Kulaya Tantitemit, acting director of the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO), said the RaoChana screening system will first reject people under the social security system, government officials, and employees of state enterprises.
“We want to help low-income people affected by COVID-19, so those outside the social security system such as freelancers or farmers will be eligible [for the RaoChana scheme]. But anyone with a high income will be disqualified,” said Kulaya.
The Finance Ministry will submit the eligibility criteria for RaoChana to Cabinet soon, before registration for the scheme opens at the end of this month. The first payments are due to be transferred to recipients in early February.
The new Covid-19 outbreak will wipe Bt140 billion off Thailand’s trade and tourism revenue, TMB Analytics forecast on Wednesday. Trade and tourism account for 22 per cent of Thai gross domestic product (GDP) and 6.9 million jobs.
TMB Analytics said the biggest economic fallout would be felt by the central and eastern red-zone provinces, where trade and tourism accounts for 23 per cent of GDP. It forecast the fresh outbreak, which began in mid-December, would cost these provinces Bt128 billion.
The top three worst impacted provinces would be Bangkok, which would lose Bt81.42 billion, Chonburi (Bt15.46 billion) and Phuket (Bt2.79 billion).
TMB Analytics suggested the government should issue remedial measures to support business operators including shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Bangkok Life Assurance (BLA) has extended the registration period for its Covid-19 daily hospitalisation coverage with no extra premium required. Customers who hold BLA life insurance policies directly or through Bangkok Bank can register for the coverage via the BLA QR code and web link until the end of this month.
The registration period had been due to expire on January 15.
Those insured will be compensated Bt1,000 per day for in-patient hospitalisation up to 30 days. Medical workers covered by the policy will receive Bt2,000 per day.
The compensation is offered to current and former Bangkok Life Assurance policy holders whose insurance came into effect within December 31, 2020. Bangkok Bank customers with BLA life insurance policies can register through the QR code provided at the bank’s branches or via the website. Coverage lasts for 30 days from the date of registration.
Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences director-general Dr Supakit Sirilak
Jiraseth Sukhasvasti
