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Finance Ministry working on handout scheme for those hit hard by second Covid-19 wave

NationalJan 11. 2021

By THE NATION

The Ministry of Finance is planning to propose to the Cabinet a handout scheme tailored for specific groups who have been affected by the new wave of Covid-19, a source revealed.

“After the nationwide lockdown last year, the ministry had provided Bt5,000 handout per month for three months to about 10 million farmers and 14 million self-employed people,” said the source. “However, since there will be no nationwide lockdown during the new wave, the ministry estimated that the number of affected people would be smaller and limited to only specific groups.”

The source added that up to four measures are now being studied. The most favoured option is an economic stimulus campaign and not cash handouts. “The “Kon La Khreung” (Let’s Go Halves) co-payment shopping scheme has more than 12 million registered users who have spent Bt2.73 billion while the government has helped contribute another Bt2.61 billion to the economy,” the source added.

Under the scheme, registered users get 50 per cent discount on their daily purchase up to Bt150 per day, capped at Bt3,000 per month in the first phase and Bt3,500 per month in the second phase.

Meanwhile, Patricia Mongkhonvanit, director-general at the Public Debt Management Office, has said that the government still had Bt470 billion leftover from the Bt1-trillion loan that it had got earlier to remedy the fallout of Covid-19 outbreak.

“The Bt1-trillion loan was divided into three parts: Bt45 billion for public health, Bt550 billion to help affected people, and Bt400 billion for economic stimulus,” she said. “The Bt550-billion portion now has Bt470 billion left after some was used as Bt5,000 handout for three months.”

The office also estimated that the Bt1-trillion loan will drive the country’s public debt at the end of 2021 fiscal year to 57 per cent of gross domestic product, compared to 50.46 per cent of GDP as of November 2020.

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Govt urged to impose restrictions on people’s movement in Covid-19-hit provinces

NationalJan 10. 2021Chulalongkorn University professor of medicine Dr Thira Woratanarat

By The Nation

Chulalongkorn University professor of medicine Dr Thira Woratanarat has suggested that the government impose restrictions on people moving around within the province as well as inter-provincial travel where new Covid-19 cases have been found.

His comment comes as Thailand reports another day of more than 100 cases in the second wave of Covid-19, starting in December.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Thira said that the Thai government should tell people to stay home and lockdown should be from two to four weeks.

The government’s response to the second round of the outbreak has demonstrated a lack of unity, he said, referring to authorities changing restriction measures. 

“When the government keeps changing the restriction measures or makes a u-turn on decisions, it does not boost confidence among people,’’ he said.

The government should not see the task of combating the virus as a budget burden, and the government should not issue threats about not taking care of those illegally entering the country or those who engage in illegal gambling, he said.

Such threats could lead to the virus spreading more, as the infected people may go underground, he warned.

The government needs to help everyone not only on humanitarian basis but also to contain the infections.

Everyone must wear face mask, he added.

Cumulative cases worldwide rose to almost 90 million on Sunday and the number of total deaths rose to 1.9 million.

Among Asean countries, Myanmar reported 566 new cases on Saturday, with 14 new fatalities. Cumulative cases in Myanmar reached 130,049 and the death toll rose to 2,826, or 2.2 per cent fatality rate.

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Dam water floods Pattani, situation to persist for five days

NationalJan 10. 2021

By The Nation

Key econonic areas in Pattani province came to a standstill after water released from the Bang Lang Dam in Yala, inundated low-lying areas.

Vehicles struggled to move while the authorities deployed a large water pump to accelerate the drainage of water into Pattani River, which is close to overflowing the bank.

Mahama-Piskree Wamae, director of Disaster Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Regional Centre 12 Songkhla, which oversees the flood situation in four provinces — Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani — revealed on Sunday that the flood situation in Songkhla, Yala and Narathiwat provinces had already been resolved. The flooding, however, persists in some lowland areas.

However, Pattani needs to be vigilant as the Bang Lang Dam had to accelerate the discharge of water, causing flooding in seven districts, namely Muang Pattani, Mae Lan, Saiburi, Nong Chik, Kapo, Mai Kaen and Yarang. A total of 16 subdistricts, 101 villages, and nearly 10,000 people were affected. He expects the water level to rise further and it will take about five days for the situation to return to normal. The flooding has been caused by the heaviest rainfall in seven years, the director said.

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Read this book, Thanathorn tells children and their parents

NationalJan 10. 2021Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit shows the book, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, which he has recommended for reading to children and adults. Photo Credit: Thanathorn’s Facebook page. 

By The Nation

The recommendation by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit for children and adults to read the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”, has drawn huge support from fans of the opposition leader, amid the lingering political divide between the younger generation and the elders.

“On the occasion of Children’s Day, I do not have a motto or adage but I would like to recommend that Thai children and their parents read the book ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, which will cultivate fundamental values of democracy, and it serves everyone,” Thanathorn, a leader of the Progressive Movement, posted on his Facebook page on Saturday.

Thanathorn’s book recommendation comes as many pro-democracy leaders, including teenagers, have faced severe charges of sedition, lese majeste and violation of the emergency decree, a result of their participation in political rallies last year. The political divide has also affected Thai families as youths are fighting for true democracy while many of their parents still believe in conservative and authoritarian cultures.

As of Sunday noon, Thanathorn’s post had drawn 55,000 likes, 2,600 shares and 1,400 comments.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel by American Harper Lee and published in 1960. According to Wikipedia, the book was “instantly successful, widely read in high schools and middle schools in the United States, it has become a classic of modern American literature, winning the Pulitzer Prize. The plot and characters are loosely based on Lee’s observations of her family, her neighbours and an event that occurred near her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, in 1936, when she was ten.

“Despite dealing with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality, the novel is renowned for its warmth and humour. Atticus Finch, the narrator’s father, has served as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for lawyers. The historian Joseph Crespino explains, ‘In the twentieth century, To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely read book dealing with race in America, and its main character, Atticus Finch, the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism.”

Thanathorn added that he hoped children would grow up and keep their faith in humanity. The book is translated into Thai language by Nalunta Khupt, and is priced at Bt345, according to Thanathorn.

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Nearly 6,000 Covid-19 cases in less than a month

NationalJan 10. 2021

By The Nation

More than 5,800 people have tested positive for Covid-19 after the latest outbreak.

Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesperson of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, revealed that from December 15 to January 10, 5,866 cases had been found, with most cases in Samut Sakhon, Chonburi, Rayong, Bangkok and Samut Prakan provinces.

The data corresponds with the report of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) on Saturday that seven people had died and 2,308 were being treated in hospitals with six of them needing respirators, and 1,849 were being treated in field hospitals. About 1,500 patients have recovered and been discharged.

“The number of deaths in the new outbreak is less than 1 per cent, which is considerably lower than in the first wave. Among countries in the region, Thailand’s mortality rate is similar to that of Singapore,” DDC director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said yesterday.

This outbreak also marks the first time in Thailand where the recovered patients were more than new cases because most patients have relatively few symptoms, especially in the case of the central shrimp market in Samut Sakhon.

There are 20 provinces with cumulative cases of 1-10 people, 10 provinces with 11-50 patients, 10 provinces with more than 50, and 19 provinces with no cases in the past seven days; and 19 provinces had no previous cases.

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Red Cross appeals for blood donations amid depletion of reserves

NationalJan 10. 2021

By The Nation

The Thai Red Cross has appealed for blood donations as their stocks are dwindling.

“We invite people to unite in donating blood through the Covid-19 crisis as hospitals across the country are in a critical condition.”

Healthy people can donate blood on Sunday at the National Blood Center, Thai Red Cross Society.

The number of donors has dropped by 50 per cent while the mobile unit has cancelled its blood collection drives due to difficulty in travelling and Covid-19 preventive measure, Red Cross said.

Red Cross also urged blood donors to truthfully answer questions about their health and travel. “If unsure, you should temporarily refrain from donating blood for four weeks, wear a face mask every time you travel, donate blood, wash your hands frequently and keep a distance.

Donate blood at:

▪︎National Blood Service Center, Thai Red Cross Society

▪︎Blood and Plasma Donation Center, 11th Red Cross Station, Wiset Niyom and Bang Khae branch

▪︎National Blood Service Sector

▪︎Blood donation service

▪︎Provincial hospitals across the country

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Where are the smiles on Children’s Day?

NationalJan 10. 2021Some children in Pattani province celebrate Children’s Day on Saturday by swimming on a flooded road.

By The Nation

While the country marked January 9 as Children’s Day, 13 teenagers are fighting charges for engaging in political activities, the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights Centre (TLHR) said.

Children’s Day this year was in stark contrast with previous years, as a large number of school children aged under 18 years had participated in political rallies nationwide last year, the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights posted on their Facebook page on Saturday.

School children last year had called for abandoning strict rules imposed on them, such as mandatory short hair and wearing school uniforms. They had also called for upgrading education quality and demanded that teachers respect their human rights, such as freedom of expression. Their rebellion came amid repeated news reports of school teachers punishing students disproportionately, sexual harassment in schools and suppression of student political voices calling for reform in the country.

The lawyers centre found that many teenagers had been intimidated by the authorities and teachers. Some of them were expelled from their own homes by their parents.

The centre revealed that between July 18 last year to January 7 this year, 13 youths faced police actions, and police had formally charged eight of them.

Three leaders of Bad Student group were accused by police of violating the emergency decree after they gave speeches at a political rally on October 15.

Two of them faced lese majeste charges; one of them is just 16 years old.

Thanakorn, 17, faced three charges — sedition, lese majeste and violating the emergency decree. Another youth aged 17, faced four charges after participating in several rallies, according to the TLHR.

Police also arrested two youths without arrest warrants.

After being arrested, the youths were sent to the Juvenile and Family Court. And they usually face many procedures before they are released on bail. Such practices result in severe human rights violations. Adult suspects are somehow treated better than youths, according to the TLHR.

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245 new Covid-19 cases, while more than 800 have recovered today

NationalJan 10. 2021

By The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported 245 confirmed cases on Sunday.

The confirmed cases include 17 Thais working at an entertainment venue, who returned from Myanmar, a Thai female student from India, a Thai woman from Turkey, as well as a Hungarian man and an American man from their respective countries.

Of the cases, 74 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk places. Provinces with two-digit cases include Chonburi (12), Bangkok (14), and Samut Prakarn (18).

Proactive testing led to 43 positive cases being found — 23 in Samut Sakhon (one Thai and 22 migrant workers), 10 Thais in Chonburi, 4 in Samut Prakarn (one Thai and three migrant workers), and six migrant workers in Bangkok.

In addition, the source of infection of 107 cases is still being sought, most of them found in Samut Sakhon (50), Chonburi (27) and Rayong (15).

CCSA spokesperson Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin revealed that 17 patients in hospitals had entered the severe stage.

Meanwhile, 882 patients have recovered and been discharged.

The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has increased to 10,298 – 8,157 of which were contracted domestically, including 2,791 migrant workers, and 2,141 were returnees. So far, 6,428 have recovered and been discharged, 3,803 paitents are undergoing treatment in hospitals, while 67 people have died.

According to Worldometer, as of midnight on Friday, the total number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 90 million (up by 727,131), 64.46 million have recovered, 23.68 million are active cases (108,529 in severe condition) and 1.93 million have died (up by 12,437).

Thailand ranks 129th in the global list of most cases, while the US tops the list with 22.69 million, followed by India 10.45 million, Brazil 8 million, Russia 3.37 million and the United Kingdom 3 million.

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Military officers in Tak provide face masks, handwash gel to locals

NationalJan 10. 2021

By The Nation

Naresuan Force has deployed its military officers to provide face masks and alcohol-based gels to people living near the Vachiraprakan Military Camp in Tak province.

The military officers on Sunday also advised people to follow the Public Health Ministry’s guidelines to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Tak is one of the 28 red-coded provinces where threat of infection is seen as high. The total number of Covid-19 cases currently stands at 40 people.

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Khao Kheow zoo closed until January 31

NationalJan 10. 2021

By The Nation

Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province has been closed until January 31 due to the second wave of Covid-19.

The zoo’s assistant director, Anupong Anon, said on Saturday that the move was in response to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration adding Chonburi to the list of red-coded provinces where threat of infection is seen as high.

“The zoo has been closed until January 31 or until a change is made, to ensure tourists’ safety,” he said.

He added that the zoo had implemented preventive measures, such as providing cleaning areas and setting up hand sanitising points to win the confidence of tourists.