#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Pork is safe to eat, top official assures in reaction to rumours on social media

NationalSep 08. 2020

By THE NATION

The chief of the government’s livestock department has rubbished rumours circulating on social media and Line application that pork meat is not safe to eat at the moment due to the outbreak of some swine diseases.

Sorawit Thanito, director-general of the Livestock Development Department, urged people not to believe such rumours and to avoid forwarding messages that spread false information.

“The pork manufacturing process in Thailand is certified to be of international standard under the department’s supervision and is fully traceable,” Sorawit said. “Pork produced domestically is safe to eat provided the consumers cook it properly.”

Sorawit added that the rumours might be the work of middlemen in pork trading who aimed to lower the price of pork that has been rising after the government eased the Covid-19 lockdown which increased demand for pork.

“If you are concerned about safety and quality of pork, look for the “Livestock OK” seal on meat package, which the department has been granting to manufacturers and distributors who have passed our standards in quality control and communicable disease prevention,” he added.

“Meanwhile, swine raisers could alert the department via mobile application “DLD 4.0” if they found abnormality in swine health or pigs die of unknown reasons, and we would dispatch officials to employ preventive measures against swine diseases immediately,” he said.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Ministry tightens preventive measures in Tak amid risk of contagion from Myanmar

NationalSep 08. 2020Dr Phanumas Chanwetsakun 

By THE NATION

The Ministry of Public Health is employing preventive measures against Covid-19 on the border areas of Tak province, as the outbreak in Myanmar is escalating and several Myanmar migrants have been caught trying to slip into Thailand via natural channels such as rivers, canals and mountains.

“These illegal migrants, most of whom are seeking jobs in Thailand, carry high risk of bringing Covid-19 into our country,” said Dr Phanumas Chanwetsakun, Region 2 Public Health inspector. “The Communicable Disease Control Commission in Tak has ordered all border checkpoints to close for all migrants and only allow transportation of goods. We have also increased patrolling personnel with the help of village health volunteers to investigate at community levels. All villagers near the border have been instructed to contact officials immediately if they find strangers or suspicious activities in their neighbourhood.”

Phanumas added that the Tak Public Health Office had ordered all hospitals in the province to survey and catalog their Covid-19 related medical supplies including surgical gowns, cover-all suits, N95 face masks, shoe covers, surgical hoods, long gloves, face shields and surgical masks.

“Initially we found that local hospitals are fully equipped for at least 1-3 months, and have already asked for additional supplies from the ministry’s central stocks in case there are outbreaks in the province,” he added.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Thundershowers forecast for many parts of Thailand

NationalSep 08. 2020

By THE NATION

The Thailand Meteorological Department forecast on Tuesday (September 8) that a strong monsoon trough lies across the North and the upper Northeast, while the southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea and Thailand.

The entire country can expect more showers with isolated heavy rain in some areas. People should beware of heavy rain and accumulated rainfall, the departnent cautioned.

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

North: Cloudy with thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-28 degrees Celsius, maximum 32-37°C.

Northeast: Cloudy with thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-25°C maximum 31-33°C.

Central: Cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-26°C, maximum 34-36°C.

East: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 24-28°C, maximum 32-35°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 23-26°C, maximum 32-36°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 22-25°C, maximum 31-33°C; waves a metre high and two metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rain; minimum temperature 25-26°C, maximum 33-36°C.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Bidding for Purple Line extension set for next year

NationalSep 08. 2020

By THE NATION

Bidding for construction and operation of Bangkok’s Purple Line extension will open next year, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) announced last week.

Land will be requisitioned to extend the line south from Tao Poon station to Rat Burana district.

The 23.6-kilometre-long extension has a budget limit of Bt124.95 billion. The route will run underground from Tao Poon station for 12.6km before emerging on Suksawat Road and running on elevated tracks for the remaining 11km. The last station will be at Khru Nai in Samut Prakan.

Land surveys are currently being conducted before plots are requisitioned for construction, the MRTA said.

The tender process will start around the beginning of 2021, it added.

The Purple line extension is due to open in 2027.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Krungthai offers new investment opportunities

NationalSep 08. 2020

By THE NATION

Krungthai Bank has introduced a new fund that offers both an investment opportunity and health insurance. Krung Thai Happy Health (KTHH) is a mixed fund, with a “fund of funds” strategy.

Under this fund, 30 per cent will be spent on foreign stocks, 30 per cent on Thai stocks, 20 per cent on government debentures of between one and three years, 5 per cent on property funds, 10 per cent on Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) and the remaining 5 per cent on gold.

Krungthai said the health insurance rate can be adjusted in line with the six plans it provides. This adjustment will not affect investors’ net asset value (NAV).

Initial investment can be of no less than Bt50,000 and following investments no lower than Bt1,000. KTHH is for those who can bear medium to high risk and can invest in the long term or at least three years or more.

Fees charged include a flat 1.07 per cent per annum and no more than 8.56 per cent per annum upon sale of investment units.

The NAV of KTHH currently stands at around Bt10.05 per unit, and as of August 27, the value of the fund was Bt122.75 million.

According to the fund’s policy, dividends will be paid every quarter.

For more information, click here.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Pro-democracy activists Arnon, Phanuphong freed after global outcry

NationalSep 07. 2020Arnon Nampa, left, and Phanuphong Chadnok (Nation Photo by Wanchai Kraisornkhajit) 

By The Nation

Pro-democracy activists Arnon Nampa and Phanuphong Chadnok were today freed by the Criminal Court following five days in Bangkok Remand Prison after police withdrew a request for their detention.

Samranat police said they cancelled the request because their investigation of the two men had gathered enough facts.

Arnon and Phanuphong were detained on August 7 and charged with sedition, violating the emergency decree’s ban on gatherings and other offences, for participating at a July 18 rally at Democracy Monument. The pair were released on bail the next day, but then jailed on September 3 after the court ruled they had broken bail conditions by continuing to attend and organise rallies.

Arnon was permitted to reapply for bail and Phanuphong to pay Bt200,000 surety for his release, but both refused the conditions.

Domestic and global rights groups demanded their release and called on the government to respect people’s right to protest peacefully and not use the law to gag critics. Amnesty International urged its members worldwide to send letters to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, calling for Arnon and Phanuphong to be freed.

The government and police have defended the activists’ detention as necessary under the law.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Snooker World Cup winner Siripaporn takes on Thai contenders

NationalSep 07. 2020Photos by Wanchai Kraisornkhajit 

By The Nation

Thai snooker star Siripaporn “Baipat” Nuanthakhamjan displayed hot form as the national championships got under way in Bangkok on Monday.

A year after winning the Women’s Snooker World Cup for Thailand with Sukritthanes Waratthanun, Siripaporn trounced Nusara Rattanmaneepongsakul 3-0 in her opening match at TBC Snooker in Bangkok.Sixteen female players, divided into groups of four, are battling for the winner’s trophy and a coveted chance to represent Thailand on the world stage.The winner and runner-up in each group will go through to the next round.

The final is on Thursday (September 10).

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Hiring in some industries down 75% due to Covid-19, but situation set to improve: report

NationalSep 07. 2020

By THE NATION

The Covid-19 crisis has slashed the hiring rate of some Thai business sectors by up to 75 per cent, the online job application platform “JobThai” said recently.

In the first half of 2020, Thai businesses had combined openings for 303,776 positions. “February was the peak with 124,629 positions available, before the demand dropped 16.5 per cent during March-April, which is when the numbers and areas of Covid-19 infection in Thailand started to increase,” said the report.

JobThai also reported that sectors with the highest demand for new employees during Covid-19 are food and beverages, as people still need basic necessities despite the outbreak, while the sector that saw the biggest drop in employment of up to 75.7 per cent, were tourism-related due to lack of foreign tourists and lockdown measures in Thailand and other countries.

Sectors that were least affected by the outbreak were communications, with employment rate up by 38.7 per cent, followed by energy (up 0.3 per cent) and computer and IT (down 5.2 per cent).

JobThai predicts that the labour market from now on will gradually recover, as statistics after the lockdown period since July indicate that the demand for freelance employees, teachers and health professionals is rising compared to before and during the lockdown.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Updates on potential Covid-19 cases related to arrested DJ

NationalSep 07. 2020

By THE NATION

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) provided updates on Monday (September 7) of the people who are suspected of having been in contact with the 37-year-old man who tested positive for Covid-19 while in detention at the Central Special Correctional Institution for drug charges.

This is the first locally transmitted Covid-19 case in Thailand in 101 days.

The people the man was in contact with before and during the 14 days before he was confirmed infected were:

• 12 family members who all tested negative using the RT-PCR laboratory test.

• 137 residents of the suspect’s condo in Bangkok’s Bang Mod area, who also tested negative.

• Of the 492 people who were at Criminal Court on August 26 – the suspect’s trial date – 14 are at high risk as they were in direct contact with him. Of the 14, 13 have tested negative so far, while the last one will undergo a test on Tuesday. Of the remaining 478 persons considered to be of low risk, 146 tested negative while 332 others were ordered to stay in quarantine for 14 days.

• 6 persons at the Department of Corrections’ Hospital who had been in contact with the man but are at low risk of infection. They have been told to stay in quarantine for 14 days.

• 111 persons at the Central Special Correctional Institution who had come in contact with the man. Of them, 24 officials face a high risk of infection and will undergo tests on Tuesday and Saturday; 52 officials are considered to be at low risk and have been quarantined for 14 days, while the 35 inmates who shared the same detention cell as the patient are considered high risk. Of the inmates, all but one, whose test result is still pending, have tested negative.

• 8 persons who were transported from court to prison in the same van as the patient and are considered to be at high risk have all tested negative and will undergo a second test on Tuesday.

• 18 out of the 34 persons at a night-time venue on Rama III Road, where the patient had been working as a DJ, have tested negative for Covid-19, while the results of 16 persons are still under investigation.

• 25 out of 60 persons at an establishment on Rama V Road where the patient had been working have tested negative, while the rest are considered to be at low risk and have been told to quarantine for 14 days.

• 15 persons at an establishment on Khao San Road where the man had been working have tested negative.

• 112 persons who were at Khao San Road the same day as the patient have all tested negative.

• 3 persons at a school in Pracha Uthit area are considered to be of low risk and told to quarantine for 14 days.

• Officials are investigating a mall in Suksawad area for people at risk of infection.

As many as 990 people were in the patient’s vicinity, 118 of whom are at high risk, 856 at low risk and 16 are under investigation. So far, 520 persons have undergone tests and none have been found infected.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Government defends action against some activists, says others’ rights must not be violated

NationalSep 07. 2020Anucha Burapachaisri 

By The Nation

The Thai government does not restrict freedom to express political viewpoints, and rallies staged in the last two months showed that they were allowed to do so, Anucha Burapachaisri, a government spokesman, said.

He was responding to Amnesty International demanding that charges against 31 pro-democratic activists be dropped.

Anucha said everyone had to follow the law and respect the freedom of others so that their actions did not incite conflicts and damage national security,  which was in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The government encourages freedom of expression without vulgarity or hatred that violates others’ rights, and  police have controlled the situation to prevent any kind of violence during the protests, Anucha said.

Regarding the arrest of some protesters, Anucha said that it was in accordance with the law and their human rights would be acknowledged during the legal process.