#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Two Thai returnees in state quarantine found to be reinfected with Covid-19

NationalSep 25. 2020

By The Nation

There were two cases of reinfection of the three new Covid-19 cases in state quarantine over a 24-hour period, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said on Friday.

A 42-year-old man who had returned from Singapore on September 18 was found positive on September 23 in Chonburi state quarantine. He had been infected earlier but did not go to a hospital in Singapore for treatment. The Singapore health authority found him free from infection on June 11.

A 58-year-old man travelled back from Kuwait on September 22 and tested positive the same day. His health history showed that he had been infected and got treated in a hospital before returning to Thailand.

A 42-year-old woman returned from the United States on September 19 and tested positive on September 23 in Chonburi’s state quarantine facility.

Meanwhile, seven patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.

The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand increased to 3,519 (581 in state quarantine), of whom 100 are in hospital and 3,360 have recovered and been discharged, while the death toll is 59.

According to Worldometer, as of 10am, the total number of confirmed cases had increased to 32.4 million (up by 314,855 over a 24-hour period), 23.9 million have recovered, there are 7.49 million active cases ( 63,333 in severe condition) and 987,724 have died.

Thailand ranks 136th for most cases in the world, while the US has the most number with 7.18 million, followed by India 5.81 million, Brazil 4.65 million, Russia 1.12 million and Colombia 790,823.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Woman ‘clueless’ about sister allegedly defrauding gold shop

NationalSep 25. 2020

By THE NATION

The younger sister of a woman who allegedly defrauded a gold shop using a fake bank application has said that she knows nothing about her sister’s alleged crime.

Recently, a woman named Pichapa Kornarong, aged 46, reportedly purchased 20 baht weight gold worth around Bt578,000 by using a fake bank application, which can show a payment slip.

The shop found out 30 minutes after she had left that no money was transferred to its account.

This case occurred in a gold shop named ‘Supatra Yaowarat’ in a Tesco Lotus branch, located in Rayong province.

On Thursday (September 24), a reporter visited the place specified as the suspect’s house in Chachoengsao province, and found a woman who called herself the suspect’s younger sister.

The woman said that she did not know about the fraud or her sister’s involvenent. She said her sister had returned to the house only once in recent times.

The younger sister added that her sister’s last visit was the first one in almost one year.

The woman said that her sister had not mentioned about the fraud or related matters to her or other family members. The woman said that she waa informed about her sister’s case after a friend called her up and told her about it.

She added that the house belonged to her sister, but she, her mother and her children lived there.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Irrigation department to discuss fair compensation to farmers for building reservoir in drought-hit Rayong

NationalSep 25. 2020(Representational Image) 

By THE NATION

Officials from the Royal Irrigation Department will hold public hearings with locals of Khao Chamao district in Rayong province to discuss a fair compensation before construction of the Klong Phlo reservoir.

“The Klong Phlo reservoir will help solve the drought problem in Rayong that has been aggravating since 2019,” said Praphit Chanma, the department’s deputy director-general. “However, the construction of the reservoir would inevitably affect the fruit plantations of farmers in three districts, namely Klaeng, Khao Chamao and Wangchan,” Praphit said.

“The public hearing session will discuss a fair compensation for land owners in the affected areas, as well as elaborate the benefits for villagers and farmers in Khao Chamao district from the reservoir in providing a water source during the dry season,” he added.

The Khlong Phlo reservoir will be a zone type dam 1,680 metres long and 17 metres high with capacity to hold 40 million cubic metres of water and can irrigate more than 30,000 rai (4,800 hectares) of farmlands in five subdistricts in Khao Chamao. Once complete, it would help prevent water shortage during the dry season, mitigate flood problem during monsoon, as well as serve as a tourist attraction. Construction is expected to start in 2022 and finish in 2024.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Limited room for baht to strengthen in the short term

NationalSep 25. 2020

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 31.55 to the US dollar on Friday morning (September 25), strengthening from 31.60 at close on Thursday.

The baht this week would likely move between 31.35 and 31.65, said Krungthai market strategist Poon Panichpibool.

On Thursday night, the markets were more ready for risk, with the hope that the US Congress would be able to soon issue financial stimulus policies. Investors’ hopes were kindled after the US Fed officials demanded that their government stimulate the US economy.

However, the market is still concerned about the second wave of Covid-19 in the US and EU. This concern is reflected via the purchasing of safe haven assets. Poon explained that the purchase of US government bonds lowered slightly the US Ten-Year Treasury yield.

The strategist also concluded that investors would continue avoiding the risk by holding the dollar, if there was no positive factor in the market, such as good news on Covid-19 vaccine development.

Poom forecast that the baht on Friday would move in line with the yuan. If the yuan strengthened, other Asian currencies would strengthen by 40 or 60 per cent, he explained.

He added that the baht would not strengthen back again in the short term due to the political situation in the country, which was influencing foreign investors’ viewpoint.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Port contracts at Laem Chabang extended until 2025

NationalSep 25. 2020

By THE NATION

Public-private partnership contracts with private partners for the use of the B3 container ship port at Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi province have been renewed, Kamolsak Promprayoon, director-general of the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT), said.

He said the authority had extended contracts due to expire on December 31, 2020 until March 31, 2025.

“Under this extended contract, private partners have agreed to provide fixed fee at Bt680 million to PAT with additional fee at Bt325 per TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) throughout the contract period, which is increased from the additional fee in the original contract at Bt275 per TEU,” he said.

Kamolsak added that currently the B3 port has net present value of Bt677.16 million at 10 per cent discount rate, with minimum guarantee of containers passing though at 420,000 TEU per year, compared to 300,000 TEU per year in the original contract.

Port Authority of Thailand has allowed private partners to jointly invest in the Laem Chabang Port in the first and second phases since 1991, whereas the public-private partnership contracts have been regularly revised to suit the current maritime shipping industry, he said.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Lampang kills over 1,000 pigs in bid to stop virus from spreading

NationalSep 25. 2020

By THE NATION

More than 1,000 pigs have been killed in Lampang province after it was announced on September 18 that there had been an outbreak of PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) virus.

The Department of Livestock Development ordered the elimination in several subdistricts of Mae Tha district, said Sorn Theepatimakorn, head of Lampang Livestock Development Department, on Thursday (September 24).

“Currently the department has been able to prevent the outbreak from spreading out of the declared areas,” he said. “The total number of pigs being eliminated could be higher as officials are still collecting data from local farmers.”

Sorn urged farmers to inform department officials immediately if they find that their pigs had died of unknown causes so that officials can come in and take blood samples to determine the cause of death. “Pigs can die from other non-contagious diseases or diseases that have a cure, in which case farmers will not be forced to eliminate the rest of their pigs,” he added. “Our latest survey reveals that most of the affected farmers are small entrepreneurs with only 5-60 pigs in their barns.”

The department has restricted transportation of pigs to within a 5km radius from the outbreak’s epicenter, and also halted inter-provincial transportation of pigs. The elimination of pigs has been done by burying the carcasses in three-metre deep holes whereas the owner will be compensated at 75 per cent of the cost of the pigs if he chooses to have them eliminated by the department.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Continuous rain forecast for upper Thailand

NationalSep 25. 2020

By THE NATION

The Thailand Meteorological Department forecast on Friday (September 25) that the monsoon trough lies across the lower North, the upper Central and the lower Northeast regions while the southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea and the South.

Continuous rain is expected in upper Thailand with isolated heavy rain in the North, the East and the South. People in risky areas should beware of heavy rains and accumulated rainfall, the department said.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:

North: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-24 degrees Celsius, maximum 30-35°C.

Northeast: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 24-26°C, maximum 32-34°C.

Central: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-25°C, maximum 32-34°C.

East: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-25°C, maximum 30-33°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-25°C, maximum 32-34°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-25°C, maximum 30-33°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 25-26°C, maximum 32-34°C.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Govt expands ‘grow-your-own-veg’ scheme after demand sprouts up

NationalSep 25. 2020

By The Nation

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has extended its offer of free seeds for people to grow their own vegetables as a way of easing the financial burden of Covid-19.

Public demand for the seeds has been strong, with more than 103,000 people signing up for the scheme since its launch on May 7.

The ministry has responded by offering another 200,000 packets of seed for people to grow in gardens or pots – 100,000-morning glory, collard, choy sum, cucumber and chilli packs and 100,000 packs of collard, morning glory, holy basil and chilli seeds.

The scheme is a collaboration with seed companies Chia Tai and East-West Seed, who will deliver the packets to Bangkok residents, said Agriculture and Cooperatives minister Chalermchai Srion.

The Department of Agriculture Extension will deliver the seeds in other provinces.

the department’s website has instructions on how to grow, garden, breed and produce the plants while provincial officers are also offering advice on the scheme.

People can register for the free seeds at the Department of Agriculture Extension’s website www.doae.go.th and Facebook page by scanning the QR code.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Watana jailed for 99 years over corrupt housing scheme

NationalSep 24. 2020

By The Nation

Watana Muangsook, a core Pheu Thai Party member, was sentenced to 99 years in jail on Thursday after being found guilty of demanding bribes in the Baan Ua-arthorn housing project scandal.

The Supreme Court ruled that former social development and human security minister Watana, Mana Vongpivat, Pornprom Vongpivat, Apichart Chansakulporn and Arisman Pongruangrong had abused their positions to gain benefits for themselves from the Thaksin-era low-cost housing scheme.

They were also found guilty of breaching their duties resulting in corruption or damage to others and of accepting property or benefits for themselves.

Watana was sentenced to 99 years and Apichart to 66 years in prison, but by law their jail time will be limited to 50 years. 

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

State of emergency set to be extended through October

NationalSep 24. 2020

By The Nation

A Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) panel on Thursday said the government should extend the emergency decree for another month. The decision will be discussed by the CCSA next Tuesday before being considered by the Cabinet on Wednesday (September 30).

The current emergency decree will end on September 30.

The panel said an extension was needed to ensure cooperation and faster work in combating the virus crisis by government agencies.

The CCSA highlighted the surge of Covid-19 infections in neighbouring Myanmar, where the daily number of new cases has soared above 500.

The CCSA said it will also discuss plans to open the country to foreign travellers under the Special Tourist Visa (STV), which should be available soon.