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Gold rush in Thailand’s ‘fruit basket’ as farmers switch to durian (nationthailand.com)

Gold rush in Thailand’s ‘fruit basket’ as farmers switch to durian

NationalDec 04. 2020

By THE NATION

A survey of farmers in Thailand’s eastern fruit-growing areas shows that many plan on switching to durian next year, as prices for the crop surge thanks to domestic and overseas demand.In 2021, Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat will produce an estimated 1.6 million tonnes of four major fruit crops ¬– durian, mangosteen, rambutan and langsat – according to the Regional Office of Agricultural Economics 6 survey. The 2021 harvest is expected to be 7.11 per cent larger than this year.The biggest increase in volume will be durian (11.42 per cent), followed by mangosteen (4.05 per cent) and langsat (0.52 per cent). The rambutan harvest is forecast to fall by 0.34 per cent next year.The office explained that the price of durian has been relatively high for the past six or seven years, making the fruit popular among local growers. Thai durian has been a big hit with Chinese consumers in recent years, driving up its value.Meanwhile, the price of rambutan has dropped and the cost of harvesting the fruit is relatively high. Some growers have decided to uproot their rambutan trees and switch to other crops.The four fruits are mainly harvested in May and June.

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Gold Line monorail to open Dec 16 at Bt15 per trip (nationthailand.com)

Gold Line monorail to open Dec 16 at Bt15 per trip

NationalDec 04. 2020

By The Nation

Bangkok’s 1.8-kilometre Gold Line monorail on the Thonburi side of the river will open on December 16, according to contractors AMR Asia.

The Gold Line links up with the Skytrain Green Line after BTS Saphan Taksin station and is designed to make travel between central Bangkok and Thonburi quicker and more convenient.

Trains are now being tested on the three-station route, which runs from Krung Thon Buri Skytrain station to Khlong San District Office station.

The third station, Charoen Nakhon, will feed the vast Iconsiam shopping mall on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River.

BTS Saphan Taksin has also been upgraded with two platforms and a double track to accommodate passengers linking up with the Gold Line at BTS Krung Thon Buri station.

The second phase of the Bt3-billion project will extend the track 0.88km to Prajadhipok Station.

Driverless trains will operate on the route, which will link up with three other electric train systems – the Silom Line (Green Line) at BTS Krung Thon Buri, the MRT Purple Line at Prachathip Station and the MRT Red Line at Khlong San Station.

The Gold Line will use three Bombardier Innovia APM 300 trains of two carriages each, with capacity of up to 12,000 passengers per hour in each direction. The fare has been set at Bt15.

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BTSC justifies its decision to make maximum fare on Green Line most expensive (nationthailand.com)

BTSC justifies its decision to make maximum fare on Green Line most expensive

NationalDec 04. 2020

By The Nation

The Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) insists that the Bt65 maximum fare on the BTS Green Line is reasonable, while the Transport Ministry is ready to explain the fare calculation at a meeting with the prime minister and Interior Ministry.

Surapong Laoha-Unya, BTSC chief operating officer, said it had discussed this fare with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) when the concession for the BTS Green Line was being mulled.

He said the maximum fare includes the cost of civil work, electric train management and revenue that BTSC has to share with BMA annually.

“The maximum fare for the Green Line cannot match that of other lines because of the difference in costs,” he said.

Transport Minister Saksiam Chidchob said the ministry was waiting for an answer from the BMA and Interior Ministry on the fare’s implementation and if there may be any legal disputes.

“I believe we still have a lot of time to consider this issue thoroughly because the concession will expire in 2029,” he said, adding that this issue will not affect commuters.

Saksiam went on to say that his ministry has already prepared information regarding fare calculation, and that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will discuss this issue with the Interior and Transport ministries soon.

“The ministry has gathered information from the Department of Rail Transport and Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand [MRTA], who was granted the concession for the MRT Blue Line, and found that the fare calculation was based on Consumer Price Index [CPI],” he added.

The Transport Ministry said it has checked BTSC and BMA’s fare calculations and found that they were based on the Commerce Ministry’s CPI, which includes the food and beverage category.

“If the BTSC and BMA did not include the food and beverage category in their calculation, the maximum fare for the Green Line would drop by 20 per cent,” the ministry said, adding that the MRTA did not include this category in its calculation.

A source from BTS operator said the private sector can cut the fare to ease commuters’ burden provided they receive support from the government.

“Once the BTS Green Line is extended, BTSC will have to bear about Bt100 billion in civil work costs and share about Bt300 billion in revenue with the BMA, so this line costs a lot more than other lines, where the operators only had to bear concession fees,” the source said.

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Thailand to launch nationwide Covid-19 vaccination in May (nationthailand.com)

Thailand to launch nationwide Covid-19 vaccination in May

NationalDec 03. 2020

By The Nation

Thailand’s Covid-19 vaccination programme will begin in May 2021, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC)’s action plan revealed on Thursday.

The country last week signed a Bt6-billion deal to buy 26 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine to immunise 13 million people.

The vaccine will first have to pass safety and quality checks applied by the Thai Food and Drug Administration and Department of Medical Sciences under the Public Health Ministry, said DDC director-general Opas Karnkawinpong.

Secondly, the DDC will prepare vaccination centres at more than 10,000 subdistrict health promotion hospitals nationwide to reach communities quickly and prevent crowding in large hospitals. A cold-chain transport system to maintain vaccine quality is now being prepared, and officials are being trained for the mass vaccination programme. The first to be called for registration will be medical staff, young children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups.

Local health authorities will then summon registered participants for vaccination at health promotion hospitals or mobile health units.

The vaccinations will begin in May 2021, according the DDC action plan.

A programme to monitor any adverse side effects will run from July until January 2022.

A public information campaign will also explain that groups with high natural immunity don’t need to be vaccinated right away.

Opas confirmed that vaccination will be provided free of charge by the government. Private hospitals can source their own vaccine supply, he added.

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150 Thai nationals seek to return home as Covid-19 infections rise in Tachilek (nationthailand.com)

150 Thai nationals seek to return home as Covid-19 infections rise in Tachilek

NationalDec 03. 2020Thailand-Myanmar border gate at Mae Sai, Chaing Rai. 

By The Nation

As many as 150 Thais who work or live in Myanmar’s Tachilek district have asked for permission to return to Thailand via Chiang Rai, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, told the press on Thursday.

In addition, more than a million health volunteers will be deployed to knock on doors to see if anyone has sneaked across the border from Myanmar.

Maj-General Narit Thawornwong, commander of the Pha Muang Force, said on Wednesday that he had met with relevant agencies to come up with a plan to block crossings via the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district. Agencies at the meeting have also agreed to deploy more troops and at least 80 officials to intercept illegal border crossings.

As of press time, 15 new Covid-19 infections had been detected in Tachilek, bringing the total number of cases to 64.

The local border committee was told by the manager of the 1G1 hotel-cum-entertainment complex that up to 180 Thai nationals work there. Many of the Thai women who sneaked back into Thailand and were found to be infected with Covid-19 worked at the 1G1.

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Motorists advised to avoid Royal Plaza on Thursday afternoon (nationthailand.com)

Motorists advised to avoid Royal Plaza on Thursday afternoon

NationalDec 03. 2020

By THE NATION

Bangkok police have advised motorists to avoid routes around the Royal Plaza in Bangkok’s Dusit district on Thursday afternoon, when the Jaroen Maha Mongkol religious chanting ceremony will be held from 4pm.

The ceremony will be held in remembrance of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great ahead of the anniversary of his birthday on December 5.

“Uthong Nai Road will be closed to traffic from Uthong Nai intersection to the Royal Plaza,” said Bangkok police chief Jirasan Kaewsaeng-Ake. “From 4pm, traffic on Si Ayutthaya Road will be one-way only, from the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn to the Wat Benchamabophit [Marble Temple] intersection.”

“People wishing to attend the ceremony can park their vehicles on the side of Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, Si Ayutthaya Road before the Wat Benchamabophit intersection, Nakhon Pathom Road, Luk Luang Road and Phitsanulok Road,” said Jirasan.

“If you are not attending the ceremony, please avoid using the abovementioned roads and use the alternative routes of Nakhon Ratchasima, Sam Sen, Ratchawithi, Sukhothai and Rama V roads – and plan your travel ahead,” he added.

Traffic information is available on the 1197 hotline, at www.trafficpolice.go.th, or by downloading the mobile application M-Help Me.

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Hunt launched for more than 500 people who came into close contact with infected border crossers (nationthailand.com)

Hunt launched for more than 500 people who came into close contact with infected border crossers

NationalDec 03. 2020Dr Opas Karnkawinpong 

By The Nation

Health officials are working on tracking those who have been in close contact with people who sneaked into Thailand from Myanmar, Disease Control Department’s director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong told the press on Thursday.

So far, 10 Thai women have been found to have sneaked into the country since November 24 and most of them are in the North and Central regions, namely Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phichit, Ratchaburi, and Bangkok.

The cases include a 29-year-old who entered Chiang Mai on November 25 and has put 108 people at high-risk through close contact and 224 at low-risk.

Two women, aged 26 and 23, who entered Chiang Rai on November 28 have put four people at high risk and 24 at low risk.

An asymptomatic 25-year-old woman who entered Chiang Rai on November 26 and checked into a hotel in Mae Sai district put nine people at high risk and 11 at low risk.

Three asymptomatic women, aged 28, 25 and 23, who entered Chiang Rai and Phayao between November 27 and 30, have put 21 people at risk in total, 14 of whom are at high risk, and seven at low risk.

Three women, aged 21, 25 and 36, who entered Bangkok, Phichit and Ratchaburi between November 27 and 30 have put a total of 298 people at risk of infection, of whom 40 face a very high risk.

Dr Opas has asked agencies and locals to cooperate in finding out if there are more people who may have sneaked across the border. He also said that those who are concerned about being at risk can ask to be tested, especially those who were in Zone C of the Singha beer garden in Chiang Rai, where one of the Covid-19 patients had stopped for a drink.

He has also called the general public to stay calm and strictly follow hygiene practices since that is always the best weapon against infections.

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Argument among friends ends with one dead (nationthailand.com)

Argument among friends ends with one dead

NationalDec 03. 2020

By THE NATION

A man was shot dead early on Thursday morning near a restaurant’s parking lot in the capital’s Bangkok Noi district.Police were notified of the shooting near a Por Kung Pow branch on Boromaratchonnee Road at 2am and arrived with a doctor from Siriraj Hospital.The victim, identified as fruit vendor Damrong Taweekhet, 49, had two gunshot wounds in his chest.A witness told police that he was talking to his friends when a motorbike rode up to park nearby Damrong. The motorbike rider and Damrong were seen arguing before the rider pulled out a gun and shot at least four times, witness said.Further investigation shows that the shooter is about 30 years old and was Damrong’s friend. The two men had previously argued inside the restaurant, before the shooter walked out and returned later, when the eatery was closing.Police say the motorbike was seen heading down Boromratchonnee Road after the shooting.

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13 new Covid-19 cases reported, including 6 Thais who sneaked in from Myanmar (nationthailand.com)

13 new Covid-19 cases reported, including 6 Thais who sneaked in from Myanmar

NationalDec 03. 2020

By The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported 13 new cases in state quarantine facilities over a 24-hour period on Thursday.

The cases include Thais and expats who have returned legally as well as those who have sneaked into the country through natural borders.

A 35-year-old Indian petrochemical researcher who arrived on November 11 and checked into a quarantine hotel in Bangkok, where he was found positive on November 23.

A 31-year-old Thai restaurant employee, who flew back from the United States via South Korea on November 19 and checked into a quarantine hotel in Bangkok, tested positive on November 30.

A 46-year-old Thai dressmaker who returned from Mexico via the Netherlands on November 28 and checked into a state quarantine hotel in Chonburi where she tested positive on December 1.

A 32-year-old Egyptian doctor who flew in from Sweden via Dubai on November 29 and checked into a quarantine hotel in Bangkok, where he tested positive the following day.

A 37-year-old Pakistani national who arrived on November 26 and checked into alternative state quarantine in Samut Prakan, where he tested positive on December 1.

Two Thai women, aged 42 and 49, arrived from the Netherlands on November 28 and checked into alternative state quarantine hotels in Bangkok and Chonburi, respectively. They were both found positive on December 1.

The six Thai women who recently sneaked into Thailand from Myanmar and were found positive are now being treated in hospital. Meanwhile, provincial health officers are tracking their close relatives as well as anyone who may have come in contact with them. (Read more: All six Thai women who sneaked in from Myanmar test positive for Covid-19)

Meanwhile, 10 other patients have recovered and discharged.

The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 4,039 (1,068 in state quarantine), 147 of whom are in hospital, while 3,832 have recovered and been discharged. The death toll remains unchanged at 60.

As of 10am according to Worldometer, the total number of confirmed cases worldwide has risen to 64.83 million (up by 634,524, the highest daily figure since the outbreak). Of them, 44.93 million have recovered, while 18.4 million are active cases (106,472 in severe condition) and 1.5 million have died (up by 12,372).

Thailand ranks 151st in terms of most cases in the world, while the US tops the list with 14.31 million, followed by India 9.53 million, Brazil 6.43 million, Russia 2.35 million and France 2.24 million.

Relate Story:

Hunt launched for more than 500 people who came into close contact with infected border crossers

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Trains stay away from flooded Thung Song for now (nationthailand.com)

Trains stay away from flooded Thung Song for now

NationalDec 03. 2020

By The Nation

State Railway of Thailand train services to Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Thung Song district have been temporarily suspended due to severe flooding.

As water levels began receding on Thursday, people started working hard to clean public sites like the train station as well as their own homes.

Meanwhile, 4th Army Area troops deployed trucks to provide transport for passengers at Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport, where flooding has blocked entry for cars.

The airport is currently servicing 6,000 to 7,000 passengers per day.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reportedly said 255,162 households in the provinces of Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Trang, Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat were still struggling with floods.

“The department is cooperating with soldiers and related officials on assisting victims and mitigating the situation,” DDPM said.