A train crashed into a bus in Chachoengsao province on Sunday morning, reportedly killing 20 bus passengers, while 15 injured people were rushed to the local hospital.
The 60 bus passengers from Samut Prakarn province were heading to join a religious ceremony in Chachoengsao.
According to eyewitness accounts, the bus driver had stopped at the railway crossing for a train but he reportedly did not notice the alarm for another train coming from the other direction.
Locals said that the alarm station was abandoned and the spot blocked the sight of oncoming trains.
The bus was entirely destroyed while police were investigating the cause of the accident. Rescue teams have rushed to the site.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported two new cases in state quarantine over a 24-hour period on Sunday (October 11).
A 36-year-old Thai soldier, who had returned from the UN mission in South Sudan on September 22, was confirmed positive on October 6 in Chonburi state quarantine after three unclear tests. Thirty-one out of 181 soldiers on the Sudan mission have been infected.
A 36-year-old Japanese woman arrived in Thailand on September 24 and tested positive on October 5 at an alternative quarantine hotel in Bangkok.
Meanwhile, six patients have recovered and been discharged.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand increased to 3,636 (698 in state quarantine), of whom 126 are in hospital, 3,451 have recovered and been discharged, while 59 have died.
According to Worldometer, as of 10 am on Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases had increased to 37.45 million (up by 355,878), 28.11 million have recovered, 8.27 million are active cases (68,611 in serious condition) and 1.07 million have died (up by 5,075).
Thailand ranks 140th for most cases in the world, while the US has the most number with 7.94 million, followed by India 7.05 million, Brazil 5.09 million, Russia 1.28 million and Colombia 902,747.
Nakhonchai Air has extended until November 15 its special price offer for customers taking a round trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
The company’s chief executive officer, Kruawan Wongrukmit, said the special promotion to offer a round trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by its first-class buses at Bt617 per trip from the normal price of Bt823 since September 1 had received a good response from customers.
“To thank customers and stimulate intra-country tourism in November, the company has extended the promotion period until November 15. Also, the company has increased bus services by offering customers a round trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by gold-class buses at Bt555 per trip from the normal price of Bt617,” she said, adding that NCA Go Card members would receive an additional 5 per cent discount per trip.
“Customers can reserve seats via the company’s ticket distribution channels, such as Call Centre 1624, @nakhonchaiair Line official account, @nakhonchaiair.official Facebook page, and all branches of the company’s ticket counters. Customers must specify the travel date between October 9 and November 15.”
She said this move was in line with the government’s efforts to stimulate the economy, as there are many long holidays in October, such as Chulalongkorn Memorial Day from October 23-25, and Loy Krathong Festival from October 31 to November 1.
She added that both first-class and gold-class buses features facilities, such as an electric massage system and toilet, while it was equipped with safety equipment in line with the Department of Land Transport’s standards.
“The company’s officials would conduct preventive maintenance of the buses every day to ensure safety, as well as disinfect the buses in line with the Department of Health’s standards to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and gain the confidence of the people,” she added.
The Roi Et Lawyers Council has taken up the fight of victims of a krathong copyright infringement case, and filed a complaint at Thawatchaburi Police Station in Roi Et province on Friday against the self-proclaimed copyright agents in Thailand
Pongsakorn Thangkittrakul, chairman of the lawyers’ council, explained that Prajak Photipol, the representative from Verisec who claimed to be a copyright agent in Thailand, and his team targeted for criminal action krathongs made in the shapes of popular cartoon characters and displayed on the Facebook pages of Sukanya Kanharat and Marisa Phayaso. The two were arrested by police on the charge of copyright infringement.
“However, it was found later that Prajak’s power of attorney was fake, so the investigation officer and attorney ordered not to prosecute the two alleged offenders and the offender’s relative, Nongrak Phayaso,” he explained.
Pongsakorn explained that after the attorney ordered not to take legal action, the Roi Et Lawyers Council decided to assist the offenders and are providing legal advice since then.
“The council has helped the parents of the victims and other victims to file a complaint against Prajak’s gang for alleged perjury to the investigation officers under Section 172 of the Criminal Code, using fake documents, indirect detention by informing the police to arrest the victims, child abduction as Sukanya was arrested when she was around 16-17 years, and extortion, as the victims were ordered to pay a Bt50,000 fine,” he explained.
He added that after the investigation officer is notified, they would investigate further and submit a summary of the complaint to the attorney.
The case previously gained attention among people as no one expected use of handicraft skills in their profession would be considered a copyright infringement.
Two Myanmar truck drivers who have tested positive for Covid-19 were found to have visited a market in Mae Sot district in Tak province on Saturday, a source said.
The district shares a border with Myanmar.
“Mae Sot Hospital has set up a Covid-19 screening checkpoint on the Thailand-Myanmar border in Tha Sai Luad subdistrict, Mae Sot district to screen drivers of trucks that carry products to and from Myanmar since October 7,” said the source.
“Out of over 200 truck drivers tested, two have been found with Covid-19. They had reportedly visited the local market on their arrival date. They went back to Myanmar on the same day.”
Mae Sot Hospital has yet to make an official statement of the infected persons’ travel history.
On October 5, a Thai businessman aged 43 years and his Thai wife, 47, returned from Myanmar via the checkpoint and were tested positive for Covid-19 on October 7 while they were staying in a local quarantine centre. A local hospital reported that they had submitted patients’ samples to test at a hospital in Phitsanulok province to confirm the result as the couple have shown no symptoms so far.
On October 9, the Myanmar government reported 1,461 new cases of Covid-19 and 31 more deaths, with accumulated cases at 23,906 and total deaths at 566. Yangon has reported the highest cases in the country at 814 patients in one day.
The lungs of people who have recovered from Covid-19 do not regain 100 per cent of capacity initially, the director of communicable diseases, Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn, said after the recent case of actor Sarunrat “Lydia” Visutthithada. Lydia recovered from Covid-19 but found her lungs working at only 60 per cent of total capacity.
The doctor said there is only a small possibility of the lungs returning to 100 per cent after recovering from Covid-19, but a lower capacity does not mean the lungs cannot do their job.
Lydia revealed on March 16 that she had contracted Covid-19 from her husband, actor Matthew “Deane” Chanthavanij. She and her husband left the hospital on April 18.
Arrival of Chinese tourists in Phuket under STV scheme delayed to Oct 26
NationalOct 10. 2020Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn
By THE NATION
A group of Chinese tourists travelling under the STV scheme will arrive at Phuket Airport on October 26 instead of October 8 as earlier scheduled, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said.
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), another group of 120 tourists from China’s Guangzhou city, who also will be issued special tourist visa (STV), will arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport on October 20, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.
He explained that the delay in the arrival of visitors was because Phuket authorities wanted them to come after the Vegetarian Festival ends on October 25. This group also 120 tourists.
Phiphat explained that both groups of Chinese would be subjected to alternative state quarantine for 14 days. The TAT will arrange activities for them during the quarantine period.
Phiphat said that he was confident the STV tourists would not be infected, and wanted the STV tourism to proceed to the second phase, which allows STV tourists to walk in other spaces of the quarantine hotels, apart from their rooms, after the first seven days of quarantine.
If infected persons were found among STV tourists, the operation will not proceed to the second phase, or even the third phase that would allow tourists to travel freely, if they are proved to be free from infection.
A drone light show will be held on October 13, to commemorate the anniversary of the passing of King Rama IX.
The show will be held at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus, after the commemoration ceremony to the late King.
A total of 700 drones will be deployed, using software developed by students trained by the National Research Council of Thailand. The show lasting 11 minutes and 49 seconds will make 10 drone light images.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported six new cases in quarantine facilities over a 24-hour period on Saturday.
One patient had arrived from Japan, one from the UK, one from Germany, one from Kuwait, and two from India. The two Thai nationals had come from the UK and Kuwait.
The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand increased to 3,634 (696 in state quarantine), 130 are in hospital, 3,445 have recovered and been discharged and 59 have died.
According to Worldometer, as of 9am on Saturday, the total number of confirmed cases increased to 37.09 million (up by 348,630), 27.89 million have recovered (up by 245,733), and 1.07 million have died (increasing by 5,748).
Thailand ranks 139th for most cases in the world, while the US has the most number with 7.89 million, followed by India 6.97 million, Brazil 5.05 million, Russia 1.27 million and Colombia 894,300.
One of two prisoners who escaped from Krabi province last month was arrested on Friday in a hut in Sikao district of Trang province.
On September 30, two prisoners, Anon Denmat, 32 and Monton Kansaman, 47, escaped from a prison in Krabi province. Both were convicts in narcotic cases.
On Friday, police approached a hut where the two of them were suspected to be living. However, only Anon was found sleeping there with a gun in his hand.
The man was arrested immediately, together with two other persons who police suspected had a crime history.
Initially, the police acknowledged that Anon had escaped from Krabi to Trang and changed his hideouts several times. He had reportedly lived in the hut for a few days.
In addition to guns and bullets, police found over 3,000 amphetamines hidden in the hut.
Photos by Korbphuk Phromrekha 
According to eyewitness accounts, the bus driver had stopped at the railway crossing for a train but he reportedly did not notice the alarm for another train coming from the other direction.
The bus was entirely destroyed while police were investigating the cause of the accident. Rescue teams have rushed to the site.
Sopon Iamsirithaworn 
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn 
