#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Ministry readies plan for Bt600 monthly giveaway for young children

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

The Social Development and Human Security Ministry has approved guidelines for providing a monthly Bt600 welfare subsidy to children aged up to six years from fiscal year 2022 onwards.

This measure was proposed by the National Child and Youth Development Promotion Commission at its first meeting, which was chaired by Deputy PM Jurin Laksanawisit, in July.

In the commission’s second meeting on Tuesday, Social Development and Human Security Minister Juti Krairiksh said his ministry will propose this measure to the Cabinet soon.

This monthly handout for children from birth to six years old aims to help poor families who cannot claim social welfare benefits due to misunderstanding over qualifications, missing documents or difficulties in the selection process.

The commission has also called on the ministry to look into the use of digital technology for the development of children and youth with 14 related agencies, such as the Justice Ministry, Thailand Development Research Institute and the Children and Youth Council. Guidelines on this measure are expected to be proposed on October 28.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Helmet sporting deviant lies in wait outside girls’ school to ‘show off’

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

A masked exhibitionist is reportedly terrorising female students in Samut Prakan by masturbating as they leave school every evening.

Pat, a 17-year-old student, said she and her friends often see this man when they are leaving school at 4pm. The man, wearing a helmet, pulls out his penis and starts masturbating before fleeing.

She said one of her friends managed to record him in action and his motorcycle’s licence plate and posted the clip on social media.

They hoped the clip would catch the attention of the authorities and that they would initiate legal action against the deviant.

The clip attracted comments from other netizens, one of whom said the pervert used to wait outside a local hotel to exhibit his prowess in front of hotel staff.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Authorities, neighbours come to aid of Mae Hong Son resident after landslide damages house

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

Mae La Noi district authorities in Mae Hong Son and neighbours aided a resident whose house was damaged in a landslide caused by heavy rain on September 29.

Kamphol Nipuna’s house was covered in a big pile of mud and dirt that came sliding down from the nearby hills. He and all of his family escaped any injuring or death in the disaster.

District chief Chuchart Khamma was notified of the incident at 8.30am on Wednesday and ordered aid and support be provided to Kamphol’s family.

Local officials had to first remove a destroyed garage to clear a path for an excavator to dig out the dirt. The neighbours then chipped in to help repair the house to make it safe again for its residents.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Triam Udom Suksa School students, teachers protest against controversial teacher transfers

NationalOct 01. 2020Photos By Tanachai Pramarnpanich 

By The Nation

Students and teachers of Triam Udom Suksa School on Thursday protested against the transfer of seven teachers, which they deemed unjustified.

At 7am, the school’s teacher club president Paradorn Natanreeb led the protesters to a bus stop in front of the school, holding signs with messages that demanded cancellation of the “unfair order” from director Sophon Kamon.Some of Sophon’s past actions since he became director at the end of 2018 have also resulted in controversy, leading to complaints being filed with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on September 22.However, the NACC has not delivered any serious action on the complaints, while Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan has remained silent thus far.A few days before his retirement on September 30, Sophon made another controversial decision by ordering the transfer of the seven teachers, who allegedly had conflicts with him, reportedly replacing them with his supporters.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Chula lecturer: Reopening of country could open a Covid-19 Pandora’s box

NationalOct 01. 2020Thira Woratanarat 

By The Nation

Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine lecturer Thira Woratanarat voiced his concern in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the government’s move to reopen Thailand to long-stay tourists will put the country at risk of a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He pointed out that the number of global Covid-19 cases recently increased from 30 million people to 35 million in a span of only 15 days.

“Many countries are still under the severe pandemic and have an infection rate 20 times that of Thailand’s, so Thailand will be at a risk of becoming a pandemic hotspot after the country is reopened,” he said, warning that the government’s move “was not different from opening a Pandora’s box”.

Thira said there is no nation which is safe from a second Covid-19 wave after reopening.

“The country will be a new endemic area if the government cannot contain the spread of the disease effectively. And even if there is a Covid-19 vaccine, it may be too late,” he said.

He urged people to wear face masks and closely monitor their symptoms otherwise it could lead to a second wave.

“If we do not help together, a second wave will be harder to overcome, while the number of cases will increase by 2.6 times, which may lead to a medical supply shortage,” he warned.

He added that the government’s decision is important, because its move will affect people nationwide.

“If the country decides to take risks, everyone must rely on themselves because this is a war between virus and humans and people need to survive,” he added.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Four foreigners, one returnee found positive in quarantine

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Thursday reported five new cases in state quarantine.

The latest cases are:

> A 48-year-old male freelance worker who returned home from Iran and went into state quarantine in Chon Buri on September 24. He was found positive on September 29.

> A 26-year-old asymptomatic Filipino, who arrived in Thailand on September 23 and went into an alternative state quarantine hotel in Bangkok. He tested positive on the first day but the result wasn’t completely clear, though it was confirmed on September 29.

> A 41-year-old Indian businessman, who came to Thailand on September 25 and went into an alternative state quarantine hotel in Bangkok. He developed a cough on September 26 and had high fever the next day. He was found positive on September 29.

> A Brazillian volleyball player and wife (both 28 years old), who arrived in Thailand on September 28 and were found positive in an alternative state quarantine hotel in Bangkok on September 29.

Meanwhile, five patients have recovered and been discharged.

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Thailand has now increased to 3,569 (631 in state quarantine). Of these, 131 are in hospital and 3,379 have recovered and been discharged. The death toll remains unchanged at 59.

According to Worldometer, as of 10am the number of confirmed cases has passed 34 million (increasing by 313,858 in 24 hours). Of these, 25.42 million have recovered, 7.7 million are active cases (65,875 are in severe condition) and 1.01 million have died (increasing by 6,209 in 24 hours).

Thailand ranks a safe 137th for most cases in the world. The US has the most number, with 7.44 million, followed by India (6.31 million), Brazil (4.81 million), Russia (1.17 million) and Colombia (829,679).

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Thailand now open to long-stay tourists

NationalOct 01. 2020

By The Nation

The Government Gazette website announced that long-stay tourists would now be allowed to enter Thailand, after the Cabinet approved the measure on September 15.

According to the gazette announcement, foreigners who intend to apply for a Special Tourist Visa (STV) should:

> Be a foreigner from a low-risk country wishing to stay for months in the kingdom under Public Health Ministry regulations.

> Accept compliance of preventive measures as prescribed by the government, including submitting to alternative state quarantine in appointed hospitals/hotels for not less than 14 days.

> Provide evidence of a place to stay during the long visit.

> Show proof of payment for hotel accommodation or admittance to hospitals chosen as alternative state quarantine facilities.

> Provide one of the following as evidence:

* Proof of payment for hotel or accommodation to be used after discharge from quarantine.

* Copy of a condominium title deed owned by the visitor or a family member.

* Evidence of renting accommodation – condominium or house.

* Evidence of payment for the purchase or lease of a condominium-type residence that foreigners can legally buy or lease.

> Proof of health and accident insurance policy, which should cover the entire period of stay in Thailand, with insurance for medical expenses in case of outpatient treatment of not less than Bt40,000 and in case of inpatient treatment of not less than Bt400,000.

Foreigners with the evidence needed above will be eligible to apply for a one-time STV from Thai embassies or consulates in selected countries. Eligible visitors will be charged a visa fee of Bt2,000 to stay in the kingdom for 90 days.

After this period expires, immigration officers will have the power to permit the visitor to renew his/her visa twice, each for another 90 days. Foreigners must submit an application and pay a fee in accordance with the rules.

With the gazette announcement, the STV policy takes effect from October 1 until September 30, 2021.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Baht strengthens, but under pressure

NationalOct 01. 2020

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 31.60 to the US dollar on Thursday, strengthening from yesterday’s close of 31.68.

The Thai currency is likely to move between 31.50 and 31.70, said Jitipol Puksamatanan, head of markets strategy at SCB Securities.

On Wednesday, the S&P 500 increased by 0.8 per cent amid investors’ hope of further financial stimulus policies. The US ADP employment change announced late showed an increase of 749,000 positions in September, he said, noting that the US MNI Chicago business activity report recovered to 62.4 points, similar to that at the end of 2019.

The US Ten-Year Treasury yield rose by 3.5 basis points to 0.68 per cent, reflecting the “risk-on” state of the market. Moreover, the dollar weakened by 0.4 per cent compared to other main currencies.

Jitipol said the baht moved in a narrow range. Investor speculation pressured the baht to weaken compared to other Asian currencies this morning, he added.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Activist Nuttaa vows to sue alleged Bodindecha School teacher over ‘assault’

NationalOct 01. 2020

By THE NATION

Activist Nuttaa Mahattana has vowed to sue a teacher who allegedly punished students by hitting their hands, which was not in line with the punishment allowed by the Education Ministry.

Nuttaa posted a video clip of the incident on her Facebook page on Wednesday (September 30).

She said the teacher in the video was said by students to be the same one who called them “very wicked” and “ungrateful”.

On Tuesday (September 29), Nuttaa shared a voice clip from Facebook page “Bodin Mai in Padetkarn” (Bodindecha Does Not Like the Dictator). In the clip, the teacher called students “very wicked” and “ungrateful” for joining an anti-government demonstration at the school on Friday.

The incident is alleged to have taken place at Bodindecha School in Bangkok. However, the hand punishment was not related to the anti-government demonstration on Friday (September 25).

The teacher allegedly said the students would achieve no success in life and were “too primitive” to be corrected by their parents.

Nuttha said that if no one recorded violence in schools, the alleged incidents of physical assault at Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School would never have come to light. She was referring to video clips published last week of a teacher assaulting kindergarten pupils.

Nuttaa reported the case to Wang Thonglang police station in Bangkok.

She concluded her post by saying society should learn from cases of abuse last week, that children have the right to live and study in safe spaces, protected from physical and mental violence.

School violence has become a hot issue on social media since last week. Several netizens have criticised the assaults and some have shared experiences of the abuse they themselves had endured.

The pro-democracy “Bad Student” group now aims to hold a protest at the Education Ministry on Friday (October 2).

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Chalermchai highlights safety, security, sustainability of Thai agriculture to international envoys

NationalOct 01. 2020

By THE NATION

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Srion held a conference to announce the government’s agricultural policies to ambassadors of 62 countries and representatives of international organisations.

“The ministry is committed to improving Thailand’s agricultural sector in terms of stability, sustainability and technological advancement to promote Thailand as the ‘world’s kitchen’,” he said. “We will work with domestic and international partners under the 3S framework, which consists of safety, security and sustainability.”

Regarding the safety aspect, the ministry would ensure agricultural products are certified under international standards from farm to table, such as GAP and GMP, Chalermchai told the envoys.

“As for security, we will promote the export of raw and processed agricultural products to as many overseas markets as possible to strengthen our goal of being the world’s kitchen and one that is ready to support the stability of food supply and prevent food shortage during unexpected events,” he said.

“The Covid-19 crisis is a good example of our efforts, which has seen Thailand increase regulations on food safety instead of resorting to export prohibitions. This ensures global food supply is not interrupted while safety standards are still maintained.

“Under sustainability, the ministry has employed sustainable approaches to manage water and soil resources for agriculture, as well as tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing to ensure aquatic resources last for generations,” he said.

“Furthermore, the ministry has established 77 agritech and innovation centres nationwide to provide information and technological support to farmers using big data to ensure they have up-to-date information on meteorological conditions and market demand, and enable them to use modern technology to add value to their products,” Chalermchai added.