Koh Samui’s shrine to the Chinese god of loyalty, Guan Yu, has had very few visitors since Covid-19 hit Thailand and the rest of the world.
The food stalls and restaurants near the 16-metre-tall statue are also struggling from the lack of customers.
Guan Yu served as a military general under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was deified during the Sui dynasty (581-618) and is worshipped today as a bodhisattva in Buddhism and as a guardian deity in Chinese folk religion and Taoism.
Thais began holding the deity in high esteem after learning about him in the 14th-century novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, which covered the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms between 169AD and 280AD.
Guan Yu is worshipped by businessmen, police officers and even members of criminal gangs for strength, courage, perseverance and wealth.
A policeman in Phayao province has boosted his income by raising lesser bamboo rats, a species of rodents, which have become very popular.
A couple of rodents are priced at Bt10,000 to Bt15,000.
Somboon Nantapit said that there was high demand for lesser bamboo rats because they were cute-looking animals and many people wanted to have them as a pet. But the supply of rats was not sufficient to cater to online orders.
He said he had raised about 30 rats in cement ponds for two years and had fed them with corn, sugar cane and livestock feeds.
A couple of babies are priced at Bt3,000 to Bt4,000 while the breeders, weighing around 7-8 kilograms, are priced at Bt10,000 to Bt15,000.
The lesser bamboo rat is a stocky rodent with small eyes and ears. Its body is covered with soft, dense and brown fur and its legs are quite short. The physical features make the lesser bamboo rat look like a combination of a mole and a rat.
The government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported one new case over a 24-hour period on Wednesday (August 26), the 93rd day without domestic cases since May.
A 38-year-old businessman who had returned from India on August 8 tested positive in state quarantine on August 21.
Meanwhile, eight patients were discharged after full recovery.
As of August 26, the total number of confirmed cases in the country stood at 3,403 (466 in state quarantine) — 108 are under treatment, 3,237 have recovered and been discharged, and there have been 58 deaths.
Globally, the total number of confirmed cases reached 24 million, up by 240,000 on Tuesday, of whom 16.5 million have recovered while deaths stood at 823,000. Thailand ranks 120th for most number of cases. The US has the highest number (5.95 million), followed by Brazil (3.67 million) and India ( 3.23 million).
The baht opened at 31.44 to the US dollar on Wednesday morning (August 26), strengthening from Tuesday’s close of 31.47.
The Thai currency is expected to move between 31.30 and 31.50, said Jitipol Puksamatanan, head of Markets Strategy at SCB Securities.
On Tuesday night, the S&P 500 rose by 0.4 per cent, due to technology stocks and the weakened dollar. In contrast, Stoxx Euro 600 fell by 0.3 per cent, over UK issues related to Brexit.
The main trend in the financial market became the weakened dollar, while the market was in a risk-on state.
The US Ten-Year Treasury increased by two basis points to 0.69 per cent, and gold price stayed at $1,928 per cent. This showed that investors did not need the safe haven asset as in previous period, the strategist concluded.
Regarding the baht, the strategist advised investors to monitor recovery in Asian capital markets. Also, in the short term, he explained that a recovery of the production sector, as well as an increase in the price of oil, would strengthen the baht and other Asian currencies.
The Cabinet has approved a budget of Bt572.58 million for the Pid Thong Lang Phra Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting the sufficiency economy vision of King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul said on Tuesday (August 25).
The budget is allocated for use in the foundation’s projects during 2021-22.
“The budget will be divided as follows: Bt62 million for promoting model communities in sufficiency economy, Bt224.58 million for adoption of sufficiency economy in areas with security problems, and Bt286 for expansion of royal-initiated projects,” she said.
Traisulee added that the foundation has been successful in promoting sufficiency economy by using new agricultural theories to help make communities more self-reliant, in line with the government’s 20-year national strategy.
“The foundation has helped provide water to 275,714 rai (44,114 hectares) of farmlands in nine provinces and helped almost 80,000 farmers increase their rice production from 350kg per rai to 600kg per rai, effectively increasing income from Bt109.5 million to Bt2.67 billion,” she said. “The foundation has also established 71 community groups to provide agricultural knowledge and build water reservoirs in over 1,400 locations countrywide, benefiting over 181,000 rai of farmlands and almost 50,000 households.
“On the environmental aspect, the foundation is also helping reduce the farming of rotation crops and promote the expansion of forest areas over 100,000 rai in Nan province and over 6,000 rai in Uthai Thani,” she added.
A man suspected of serial sexual assaults and vulgar behaviour with women has been arrested following a complaint by a female student.
Officers from Bangplee Police Station in Samut Prakarn province on Tuesday (August 25) arrested Montri Khambai, 29, at a house in Bangchalong subdistrict after a female student of Huachiew Chalermprakiet University filed a complaint that she was assaulted on the night of August 21.
The woman told police that while she was walking home, half an hour past midnight, a man rode a motorcycle by her side. “He stopped and called me ‘sister’, then grabbed my breasts and rode away,” she said.
Police said that later on August 24, they received another complaint from a female student who said a man had tailed her on a motorcycle and poked her on the shoulder. When she turned behind, he pointed her to look at his exposed penis, and then rode away.
Police reviewed the CCTV footage and tracked the suspect down to his house, which is located near the university, and arrested him.
Montri reportedly told officials that he only wanted to tease the female student and had no intent to cause harm and that this was the first time he had behaved in that manner. However, after the arrest several female victims have shown up at the police station and identified the suspect from the lineup.
Police preliminarily charged Montri with indecent assault and are waiting to see if more victims show up.
Recent news and internet posts that the government will increase the monthly allowance of senior citizens by Bt100 per person are false, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry said, warning people against sharing such posts.
“The ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre contacted the Department of Older Persons at the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to verify this information and was told it was false,” the ministry said.
“The department said there was no change in monthly allowance for senior citizens and clarified the current criteria:
▪︎ Persons aged 60-69 will receive a monthly allowance of Bt600.
▪︎ Persons aged 70-79 will receive a monthly allowance of Bt700.
▪︎ Persons aged 80-89 will receive a monthly allowance of Bt800.
▪︎ Persons aged 90 and above will receive a monthly allowance of Bt1,000.
Additionally, the department will provide the following benefits for low-income earners:
▪︎ An additional Bt50 per month for those whose annual income is between Bt30,000 and Bt100,000.
▪︎ An additional Bt100 per month for those whose annual income is less than Bt30,000.
For further information, contact Department of Older Persons at tel 02 6424336 or visit www.dop.go.th
After weeks of heavy showers, the Thailand Meteorological Department on Wednesday (August 26) forecast less rain for upper Thailand.
The department said the monsoon trough lies across Myanmar and Laos while the southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea and Thailand.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:
North: Cloudy with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 23-25 degrees Celsius and maximum 30-35°C.
Northeast: Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature of 24-26°C and maximum 33-37°C.
Central: Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 24-26°C, maximum 35-37°C.
East: Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 25-28°C, maximum 33-35°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 32-36°C; waves less than a metre high and one metre during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Partly cloudy with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; minimum temperature 24-26°C, maximum 33-35°C; waves a metre high and 2 metres during thundershowers.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Partly cloudy; minimum temperature 26-28°C, maximum 35-37°C.
The Democrat Party says it will not support the government’s Bt22.5 billion move to buy two submarines from China, despite one of its MPs casting a crucial vote in favour of the deal last Friday.
Party members reached a consensus at their meeting on Tuesday to prioritise Covid-19 relief measures such as job creation schemes over the submarines, said Prinn Panitchpakdi, the Democrat’s deputy leader and economic team chief.
The party’s move came after its MP on the House subcommittee vetting the national budget voted with four other coalition MPs on Friday to approve the Navy’s request for two more submarines worth Bt22.5 billion each. The narrow 5:4 vote sparked public outrage over large military spending at a time when people were suffering deep hardships from the pandemic.
On Monday the Navy spoke out to defend the deal, which comes after the 2017 purchase of a sub from China for Bt13.5 billion, to be delivered in 2023 after the last of seven instalment payments is made.
The House ad-hoc committee vetting the budget bill for 2021 is scheduled to debate the issue on Wednesday (August 26). The coalition government enjoys a large majority on the panel of 47 votes against the opposition’s 24. However, Prinn said the government may choose to delay a decision on whether to go ahead and purchase the subs.
“It’s not necessary to put the deal to a vote, since the government could pull the deal from the agenda of Wednesday’s meeting,” he said..
Akradech Wongpitakroj, Democrat deputy spokesman, said the party unanimously agreed that its seven members on the ad-hoc committee will not support the deal if the Royal Navy insists on going ahead with its proposal.
Meanwhile Yuttapong Jarussatien, the Pheu Thai MP who voted against the deal with three other opposition MPs on Friday, said he raised questions about the Navy’s claim that the deal is government-to-government. The Navy had not shown any document that authorised the subs’ constructor, China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co, to represent the Chinese government, said Yuttapong.
He added that delaying the deal would not affect diplomatic relations as “Thailand could explain to the Chinese government that Thais have been hard hit by the Covid-19 crisis and public debt is also rising to a high level”.
Netizens have launched a social media campaign against the three coalition parties who voted on Friday to purchase the the subs – the Democrats, Palang Pracharath and Bhumjaithai.
During a visit to Rayong province on Tuesday (August 25), Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha checked out an exhibition organised by the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office, which showcased advances made in EEC projects.
Kanit Sangsubhan, secretary-general of the EEC Office, said the premier was told about the progress made in the high-speed train project linking three key airports. The first phase of this project is under construction and is expected to be completed by 2024.
The second-phase of the project, which will cover 190 kilometres from U-Tapao Airport to Trat province, is expected to be completed by 2028.
Kanit said the second phase was being studied by related agencies and will be proposed to the Cabinet in 2021, while bid winners will be selected by 2024.
This phase will be linked to other government projects in the EEC, such as the Eastern Fruit Corridor and expansion of urbanised areas around U-Tapao Airport.
Prayut and the Cabinet were in Rayong for a mobile meeting on Tuesday.
The food stalls and restaurants near the 16-metre-tall statue are also struggling from the lack of customers. 
Thais began holding the deity in high esteem after learning about him in the 14th-century novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, which covered the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms between 169AD and 280AD.
