The East Economic Corridor Office (EECO) has joined hands with Bank of Ayudhya to open the “Krungsri EEC Office”, with an aim to draw Japanese investors.The EECO representative said that the collaboration between the office and the bank, which is presently managed by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group of Japan, would draw more Japanese investors to Thailand’s EEC area.The EECO representative added that the “Krungsri EEC Office” will be the first financial institution in the EEC areas, which can specially offer access to Japanese entrepreneurs. Moreover, the “Krungsri EEC Office” will collaborate with the government in promotion of S-curve industries in EEC areas, especially those related to robotics and automotives.According to the Board of Investment of Thailand, 99 projects in the EEC proposed by Japanese investors during the first six months of 2020 accounted for 22 per cent of total projects in the area.
The Thailand Meteorological Department forecast on Monday that the rather strong high-pressure system covering upper Thailand would bring cool to cold weather with strong winds.
The temperature is expected to drop 1-2 degrees Celsius. The mountaintops will be cold to very cold with frost in some areas.
Meanwhile, the moderate northeast monsoon prevailing across the Gulf and the South brings isolated thundershowers to the South. Waves in the Gulf are expected to rise about two metres high and over two metres high during thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers, the department said.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Cold weather; minimum temperature 13-17 degrees Celsius, maximum 28-31°C; temperature on hilltops likely to drop to 3-13°C with frost in some areas.
Northeast: Cool to cold weather with strong winds; minimum temperature 13-18°C, maximum 27-30°C; temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 7-13°C.
Central: Cool weather in the morning; minimum temperature 17-20°C, maximum 29-31°C.
East: Cool weather in the morning with strong winds; minimum temperature 17-22°C, maximum 30-32°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres off shore.
South (east coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 22-26°C, maximum 30-31°C; waves two metres high and over two metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 22-25°C, maximum 32-33°C; waves a metre high and two metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather in the morning with strong winds; minimum temperature 20-21°C, maximum 29-31°C.
The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) will disburse Bt20.4 billion to some 2.4 million farmers on Wednesday after the Cabinet approved an additional budget of Bt28 billion for the government’s rice price guarantee scheme.
This amount is in addition to the originally santioned budget of Bt18 billion.
The scheme aims to compensate nationwide rice farmers of over 4.56 million households.
“The reason why the scheme needs a higher budget is that this year’s rice prices have dropped more than previously estimated,” said Kasab Ngernrungrong, BAAC deputy manager.
“The price of Hom Mali [jasmine] rice is currently Bt2,899 per tonne lower than the guarantee price, round rice is Bt877 per tonne lower, Pathum fragrant rice is Bt1,039 per tonne lower, and sticky rice is Bt933 per tonne lower.”
The scheme limits the maximum amount of rice guaranteed per household: Hom Mali rice is capped at 14 tonnes, round and Pathum fragrant rice at 25 tonnes and sticky rice at 16 tonnes.
The BAAC also has earmarked Bt15.28 billion as subsidy for farmers who keep unmilled rice in their barns instead of selling to the mills in a bid to prevent oversupply which will cause the rice price to plummet further.
“Farmers who keep unmilled rice would get Bt1,500 subsidy per tonne, and they would be allowed to sell their rice when the price situation improves,” he said.
“We estimate that towards the year-end more than 200,000 farmers will apply under the campaign.
“The bank would try to disburse the money under related schemes to rice farmers before the year-end so that they could invest in next year’s cultivation as well as spend during the new year festival. We estimate that when combined with all available measures, a rice farmer could receive up to Bt70,000 from the BAAC,” he added.
Besides rice, the BAAC is also responsible for price guarantee schemes of other crops, including rubber with a budget of Bt9.7 billion, tapioca (Bt9.5 billion), corn for animal feed (Bt1.8 billion), oil palm (Bt8.8 billion), and longan (Bt3.4 billion).
Padeang Industry (PDI), which is engaged in the renewable energy business, is investing Bt2.8 billion to pick up a 51 per cent stake in two hotels — Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River and Capella Bangkok – which will be opened completely in 2021.Tommy Taechaubol, PDI managing director, said that the board of directors had approved acquisition of stake in both hotels.Tommy explained that Four Seasons Bangkok is controlled by a company named “Urban Resort Hotel”, while Capella Bangkok is held by “Waterfront Hotel”. His company will purchase 51 per cent of shares of both hotel holders from “Landmark Holdings” at a total price of Bt2.8 billion.Tommy added that total revenue generated from both hotels in 2021 would be more than PDI’s revenue from its renewable energy business.
The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) is taking action against stores that are abusing privileges under the government’s subsidised shopping scheme.
The DIT said that 277 people had filed complaints via the department’s hotline 1569 about stores taking undue advantage of the “Khon La Khrueng” (Let’s Go Halves) scheme.
DIT deputy director-general Wattanasak Sur-iam said after the government launched the scheme on October 23, the department had cooperated with provincial commerce offices in inspecting stores that participated in the scheme to prevent retailers from taking advantage of people.
He said125 people had filed complaints about Blue Flag stores and 152 had complained about stores taking part in the subsidy scheme. He said retailers used various methods to take advantage of people, such as jacking up prices, removing price tags on products, showing price tags in other languages and violating rules.
“The department has filed a lawsuit under The Price of Goods and Services Act, BE 2542 (1999) against these stores,” he said. “Meanwhile, we found that most of the stores under the scheme had jacked-up product prices to receive the government’s subsidy.”
He added that those who take advantage of people would face more than just the Bt140,000 fine or seven years imprisonment or both.
“The department would also suspend privileges of Blue Flag shops who violate the rules,” he added.
Chiang Rai has found nine new cases of Covid-19 linked to the 1G1 Hotel in Myanmar, provincial officials said.
All the nine were women aged 20-44 years, who had travelled through legal channels.
Chiang Rai administration officials held a press conference on Sunday regarding the Covid-19 situation in the province.
They said the nine women had travelled across the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge and entered the quarantine process as soon as they had returned to the country without being exposed to the community at all.
In total, there are 20 cases in Chiang Rai in the last two weeks, 14 of whom were found during quarantine in the state local quarantine facility, five had sneaked in through a natural channel, and one local was infected from a patient who had entered illegally.
Chiang Rai Governor Prachon Pratsakul said that the infections were all linked to 1G1 Hotel in the Tachilek district of Myanmar. He said the new nine cases were not unexpected, as they all worked and lived together. The province is still open to receiving Thai people who want to return, he said.
So far, 171 people have returned from Tachileik province and are all admitted to Chiang Rai Prachanukerah Hospital.
“He urged those who had sneaked in earlier to report to public health officials as soon as possible.
“I believe the situation can be controlled because most of the cases found in the state local quarantine have limited contact groups, so I believe that after 14-25 days, Chiang Rai would be safe as a New Year 2021 gift to people and tourists who want to continue visiting,” said the governor.
Dr Tosthep Boonthong, from Chiang Rai Public Health, said all the nine patients had travelled together in a group of 16. The remaining seven are not found to be infected.
As for the case of one infected local person found in the Muang district of Chiang Rai province, the authorities detected 22 high-risk people because they had visited Singha Park and many other entertainment venues. There were around 200 people at risk, but all test results showed that the risk group was negative.
Dr Chaiwetch Thanapaisal, director of Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital, said the hospital had room to accommodate up to 30 beds. The first patient from this new group of patients will complete the scheduled treatment on December 8.
Chiang Mai people welcomed the chill of winter as frost appeared at the top of Doi Inthanon mountain.
With the temperature plunging to 5 degrees Celsius, locals and tourists greeted the cold weather.
On Sunday, at the top of Doi Inthanon, in Chom Thong district of Chiang Mai province, the first frost of the year could be seen with the naked eye, spread over leaves and grass, after the temperature continued to drop for successive days.
On Sunday morning, the top of Doi Inthanon mountain recorded 5 degrees Celsius. Visitors to the area enjoyed not only the chill but also the sight of frozen dew. They also could see the beautiful sea of mist and the first light of the new day
A man in Udon Thani province went on a stabbing spree on Saturday, leaving two persons dead before he was arrested.
The man stabbed seven people, and claimed to be unconscious of his actions under the influence of a drug.
At 1.30pm, police were notified that seven people had been attacked with a knife at an intersection. Among them were reportedly minors who were severely injured.
A 16-year-old schoolgirl was stabbed in the neck and succumbed to her injuries at a hospital while a a 22-year-old woman died at the scene.
The injured included four females — a 17-year-old student, who was stabbed in the mouth, a 20-year-old, a 45-year-old and a 33-year-old. The youngest victim was a 13-year-old boy who was stabbed in the neck.
Thirty policemen and rescuers had to surround the alleged assailant before he was captured.
He could not provide useful information while being interrogated but said that he had taken two amphetamine pills and he did not know what had happened after that.
The overflowing Songkhla Lake has inundated a key road connecting Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces, causing serious traffic disruption.
The flood situation in the southern region has aggravated as the rising water level has entered residential areas.
Five districts located near the lake have been affected while the road connecting Songkhla with Phatthalung, namely Ranot-Talay Noi, has been under water.
Meanwhile, local farmers had to move their livestock to higher ground, while the youth have spent their holidays catching fish to help their families gain some income.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Sunday reported 14 new cases in quarantine, including two local infections, over a 24-hour period.
CCSA spokesperson Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin emphasised that the global situation had aggravated significantly since last month but added that Thailand was not experiencing a second wave as the numbers were still low.
Most of the new cases are Thais who had returned from abroad.
On November 20, a British man, 71, travelled from the United States.
On November 28, a Thai woman, 46, returned from Belgium, a Thai woman, 45, returned from Ukraine, two Thai boys aged 9 and 10 flew back from Saudi Arabia, and a Thai female student, 16, returned from Sweden.
On November 29, a Thai woman, 43, returned from Japan.
On November 30, a Thai woman, 31, travelled back from the United Kingdom.
On December 3, a Thai woman, 38, returned from Qatar.
Three people travelled from Myanmar — a Burmese man, 24, entered legally on November 24, while a Thai man, 70, who had stayed in Myawaddy for the last 2-3 months, and a Thai woman, 26, who was linked to a male patient, 30, reported on Saturday, did not go through the regulated screening process or the mandatory quarantine. The woman had worked in an entertainment complex in Tachilek district, in Myanmar. Five of her high-risk contacts and 10 low-risk contacts had been reached for quarantine and tested.
Two women, 26, were found positive in Bangkok and recognised as local transmissions. One had a history of travel to Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai province, from November 27-29, while another is a health officer who has duty at a Bangkok alternative stapte quarantine hotel.
Meanwhile, five patients have recovered and been discharged.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand increased to 4,086 (1,104 in state quarantine), 173 are in hospital, 3,853 have recovered and been discharged and 60 have died.
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak had reached 66.85 million (up by 620,775), 46.24 million have recovered, 19.07 million are active cases (106,022 in severe condition) and 1.53 million have died (up by 10,096).
Thailand ranks 151 for most cases in the world, while the US has the most number with 14.98 million, followed by India 9.64 million, Brazil 6.57 million, Russia 2.43 million and France 2.28 million.
Dr Sophon Iamsirithaworn, general communicable diseases director at the Department of Disease Control, said 23 cases were linked with Myanmar’s Tachilek town — Chiang Rai (11), Chiang Mai (5), Bangkok (3), Ratchaburi (1), Phichit (1), Singhaburi (1), and Phayao (1).
He revealed that 227 close contacts of the Singburi case had all tested negative and were in quarantine to ensure health safety.
As for farm festival participants in Chiang Rai, more than 2,000 people had been checked and found negative so far.
Dr Taweesin asked cooperation from the public by wearing face masks and checking-in with the ThaiChana app as the recent domestic cases took about 2-3 days to conclude and track all close contacts. If ThaiChana is fully utilised, it would help stop Thailand from entering the second wave since health officers can easily and quickly contain all risks.
