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No new Covid-19 cases linked to infected Indian tourist

NationalNov 10. 2020

By THE NATION

The 39 people in Chiang Mai who were suspected of having close contact with a Covid-19 infected Indian man between October 30 and November 2 have all tested negative, Dr Kittiphan Chalom, Chiang Mai’s assistant public health officer, said on Tuesday.

The Public Health Ministry announced on Monday that an Indian national aged 37 years had tested positive for Covid-19 on November 5 while undergoing medical tests for a work permit.

The man, who arrived in Thailand three months ago, had travelled to Chiang Mai on October 30, then Sukhothai and Phuket before returning to Krabi on November 4, where he tested positive the following day. He is currently being treated in Krabi Hospital.

Some 290 people are suspected of being in close contact with him during the period.

“Two people in Chiang Mai were considered to be at high risk of infection, while 37 people are at low risk,” he said. “They were all asked to provide samples on November 9 and their tests came back negative.”

Kittiphan further added that three other people who might have close contact with the patient while flying had given their samples today and the test results should come out soon.

“The patient also visited an entertainment venue in Chiang Mai on October 30, where the CCTV footage showed him being in close contact with one person. We are tracking them down and will bring them in for testing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chiang Mai’s deputy governor Ratthaphol Naradisorn is calling on people to strictly follow the guidelines set by Public Health Ministry.

“Remember to check-in using the Thai Chana app every time you enter a crowded venue. Wear a face mask every time you go out and wash your hands regularly,” he said. “Business owners must also be strict in screening people and enforcing the Thai Chana check-in system, which will help trace people once an infection is found.”

Related Story: 290 people who had close contact with Indian who tested positive for Covid-19 to undergo testing

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Nonthaburi school dares parents to go to court over child abuse

NationalNov 10. 2020Prayut Petchkhun 

By The Nation

The Nonthaburi Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School has reportedly rejected the option an out-of-court settlement with 20 parents who are demanding a Bt5 million compensation for the abuse meted out to their children.

Prayut Petchkhun, deputy spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General, said on Tuesday morning that the school has sent a letter refusing to talk to parents, saying it was ready to fight the case in court.

The case of child abuse at the school has sparked public anger for months, while 13 teachers have so far surrendered to police.

Police have found evidence of 58 students being physically assaulted by teachers, some of whom are already serving a prison sentence.

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Three provinces continue struggling with severe flooding

NationalNov 10. 2020

By The Nation

The flood crisis in Nakhon Ratchasima, Suphanburi and Chumphon is showing no signs of improvement, with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reporting on Tuesday that flooding has claimed 11 lives and injured four others.

Despite the situation improving in other provinces, water levels in these three provinces remain high.

The department said it is collaborating with local officials to help those affected by the floods, including providing financial assistance from funds allocated by the Finance Ministry.

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Cabinet okays price-guarantee scheme for rice farmers

NationalNov 10. 2020

By The Nation

In response to concerns over the drop in the price of jasmine rice due to export slowdown and limited tourism owing to the Covid-19 crisis, the Cabinet has given the go-ahead to a rice-guarantee scheme for farmers who will harvest their rice crop at the end of the rainy season.

Ratchada Dhnadirek, deputy government spokesperson, said on Tuesday that under the scheme, the price per tonne of rice will be guaranteed at Bt15,000 for jasmine, Bt14,000 for off-season jasmine, Bt10,000 for ordinary rice, Bt11,000 for Pathum Thani rice and Bt12,000 for sticky rice.

The Cabinet has also okayed schemes to motivate farmers, cooperatives, farming institutions as well as rice traders to stock up on rice to stabilise market prices.

The target is to stock up 7 million tonnes via projects such as:

• Delaying the sale of rice by paying a deposit of Bt1,500 per tonne with the target of 1.5 million tonnes.

• Getting farmers cooperatives to pay 1 per cent of loan interest to stock up rice. The aim is to collect 1.5 million tonnes.

• Compensating rice merchants 3 per cent of interest with the target of stocking 4 million tonnes.

Thai rice export in 2021

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry expects more rice to be produced this year thanks to a sufficient supply of water. This may bring the domestic price of rice down, after it has been high for the past year or two due to drought.

This reduction in price will also make it more competitive in the world market, and should result in higher exports next year. It is expected that bigger orders will come from Australia and African countries.

Ratchada also said the Rice Policy and Management Committee has approved the government’s 2021-2025 strategy, which focuses on the production of rice in line with the market demand. Thai rice is grouped into seven types based on the needs of three markets:

• Premium market, which consumes jasmine and Thai fragrant rice;

• The general market that consumes soft white, hard white and parboiled rice; and

• Specialised markets that consumes glutinous rice, coloured rice or rice with special features.

The committee said it wants to develop varieties that can compete with competitors in the world market so farmers earn more.

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Guns, drugs found in home of man who ‘shot at’ Sia Po

NationalNov 10. 2020

By The Nation

Police on Tuesday found weapons and drugs in the home of a man who allegedly shot at well-known gambler Apirak “Sia Po” Chat-arnon in a dispute at a massage parlour.

In a raid on the home of Thanabodee Imjai, 32, police found four guns and bullets, while his aide Warat Wongpetkhiew, 21, was arrested for allegedly possessing ketamine.

On October 28, Apirak was accused of shooting two people at a massage parlour in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district after a quarrel at a bar.

Apirak said his brother Khemtat had a row with some people in a bar at around 10.30 on October 28, and that more than 20 members of the group followed him and his brother to a sauna. He claimed the group “fired at us more than 60 times”, which is why he shot back.

No signs of “illegal activity” were found in the three-storey house occupied by Apirak, which is also used as a fabric factory that employs some 10 people.

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Thailand has relaxed issue of tourist visas, says TAT

NationalNov 10. 2020

By THE NATION

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has relaxed issue of visas to foreigners, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said.

TAT executive director for tourism products Thapanee Kiatphaibool said that the tourism situation in Thailand was recovering after the government allowed more foreigners to visit the country.

She added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had relaxed issue of visas related to tourism, especially tourism visa which allows foreigners to stay in Thailand for up to 60 days, and up to 90 days in case of extension.

As of November 5, the ministry had issued certificates of entry to 1,465 foreigners. The top three visas the organisation had granted included retirement visa, special tourism visa and privilege entry visa.

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Royalist demanding PM ‘shut down’ Thailand not such an angel

NationalNov 10. 2020

By The Nation

Pro-monarchist Krit Yiemmethakorn, who called on the premier to “shut down” the country if conflicts remain unsolved, has caught the attention of the media.

Krit, as secretary-general of the People’s Network for Protection of the Monarchy, delivered a letter to assistant to the PM’s Office Minister Suporn Attawong on Monday in which he called on the pro-democracy group Ratsadon to not undermine the monarchy.

When speaking to the media later, he burst into tears claiming that he loved the monarchy too much to bear seeing people demand its reform.

His dramatic reaction caught the attention of the pro-democracy group, who decided to find out more about the royalist.

Sombat Boonngamanong, an anti-coup activist, said in a Facebook post that this man once had a single mother put in jail out of his so-called love for the monarchy.

Then the case of Krit’s victim, Sasiwimon, who was thrown behind the bars on August 7, 2015 for 28 years for allegedly violating the lese majeste law was dug up.

She was a single mother of two who worked at a hotel beverage counter to raise her children. Now, the job is being done by her mother, who once worked as a cleaner.

Sasiwimon is just one of the many people who were arrested as part of the military junta’s witch hunt for people who allegedly undermine the monarchy.

Krit justified his action against Sasiwimon by saying he did it out of anger after she posted a message on Facebook about the Royal Family.

“Our king was a living angel. Thai people can feel it. In the last 5,000 years, there was no greater king than the Thai monarch,” he told BBC Thai.

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Bangkok-based Hungarian diplomat among four new Covid-19 cases

NationalNov 10. 2020

By The Nation

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

A 53-year-old Hungarian male diplomat, who lives in Thailand, tested positive on November 9. He had a history of contact with a patient on November 3, considered a local transmission case.

 50-year-old American male manager of a private company arrived on October 31 after taking a connecting flight from Dubai. He tested positive at an alternative state quarantine hotel in Bangkok on November 4.

A 38-year-old Indian male hotel staffer arrived on November 7 and tested positive on the same day in an alternative state quarantine hotel in Bangkok after reporting high fever.

A 27-year-old Thai female cleaning staffer travelled from Sweden and Qatar (connecting flight) on November 8. She tested positive at a Bangkok alternative state quarantine hotel the same day.

Meanwhile, nine patients have recovered and been discharged.

The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand increased to 3,844 (887 in state quarantine), 114 are in hospital, 3,670 have recovered and been discharged and 60 have died.

According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Tuesday, the total number of confirmed cases had increased to 51.23 million (up by 482,114), 36.05 million have recovered, 13.92 million are active cases (93,641 in severe condition) and 1.26 million have died (up by 6,770).

Thailand ranks 149th for most cases in the world, while the US has the most number with 10.42 million, followed by India 8.59 million, Brazil 5.67 million, France 1.8 million and Russia 1.79 million.

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No Covid-19 cases in first two groups of special tourist visa travellers

NationalNov 10. 2020Sopon Iamsirithaworn 

By THE NATION

There have been no cases of Covid-19 among the first groups of travellers who arrived in Thailand on the Special Tourist Visa (STV) on October 20 and 24, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said on Monday.

Sopon Iamsirithaworn, the director of DDC bureau of general communicable diseases, said that the first group of STV tourists arrived on October 20 and completed their quarantine period on November 2, while another group ended their quarantine on November 6. No one was found infected with Covid-19.

The third group of tourists with STV are currently in quarantine, which ends on Tuesday. 

Sopon added that tourists visiting Thailand are required to have a certificate showing they were not infected 72 hours before commencement of journey

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Baht could strengthen on news of imminent Covid-19 vaccine

NationalNov 10. 2020

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 30.52 to the US dollar on Tuesday, unchanged from Monday’s close.

The Thai currency is likely to move between 30.40 and 30.60, said Jitipol Puksamatanan, senior director of the chief investment office at SCB Securities.

On Monday night, the markets were in a positive mood with the S&P 500 rising by 1.2 per cent, and the Stoxx 600 by 4 per cent. However, the Nasdaq fell by 1.5 per cent.

The financial markets were completely in a risk-on state. The US and German Ten-Year Treasury yields rose by 10 basis points to 0.92 and minus 0.51 per cent, respectively. 

WTI crude oil at the same time increased by 7.7 per cent, touching $40 per barrel, while gold price decreased by 4.4 per cent to $1,865 (Bt56,778) per ounce.

The dollar strengthened by 0.4 per cent, compared to other main currencies. The Japanese yen weakened by 2 per cent. The Australian dollar rose by 0.3 per cent.

In Thailand, the senior director forecast that investors will still see the baht in a positive light after good news on a Covid-19 vaccine was announced, because the launch of a vaccine will enable tourists to return to Thailand.