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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018148

City Hall has come up with a 16-point action plan to tackle Bangkok’s battle with air pollution.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt met representatives from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry on Monday to establish a joint task force.

The 16-point action plan is as follows:

1. Researching the causes of PM2.5

2. Launching a “dust detective” project

3. Providing protective gear to people in vulnerable groups

4. Checking all factories in Bangkok for pollution

5. Using CCTV to track vehicles emitting black smoke

6. Banning builders from using vehicles that cause pollution

7. Developing an accurate PM2.5 forecasting and warning platform

8. Promoting the Traffy Fondue app as a central platform to receive complaints related to air pollution and providing progress updates

9. Monitoring activities that can create dust, such as cremation, burning of incense

10. Developing an open data platform to provide comprehensive information on PM2.5

11. Working with related agencies to inspect vehicles emitting black smoke in city areas

12. Promoting the use of electric vehicles among Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) agencies

13. Inspecting all construction sites for pollution

14. Inspecting all BMA service vehicles for emission

15. Increasing the number of PM2.5 monitoring stations in Bangkok from 70 to 1,000

16. Setting a “BKK Clean Air Area” where activities that may cause air pollution will be restricted

Chadchart said some of these measures have already been implemented because BMA has been dealing with the PM2.5 problem for several years now. He believes that with cooperation from related agencies, including the police and the Department of Land Transport, Bangkok should see a significant drop in PM2.5 levels by the end of 2023.

PM2.5 refers to dust particles that are 2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter and can be easily inhaled. Long-term exposure to such fine particles has been linked to many chronic diseases, including acute lung and heart problems.

Published : July 26, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018146

Monkeypox will be considered a “communicable disease under surveillance” for now, the Public Health Ministry said, adding it sees no need to upgrade it to “dangerous communicable disease” yet.

Dr Jakrat Phittayawong-anon, chief of the Department of Disease Control (DDC)’s Epidemiology Bureau, said on Monday that DDC’s Communicable Disease Committee believes the current alert level is fine as the country’s public health system can handle the spread of the disease.

“As per the 2015 Communicable Disease Act, a dangerous communicable disease is defined as one that causes severe symptoms and can be transmitted easily over a short period. Monkeypox does not fit this description yet,” Jakrat said.

“For patients, DDC is coordinating with the Department of Medical Services to issue a standard treatment plan for monkeypox to be followed by all medical units. It is also getting a plan ready in case more patients are found in the country.”

The committee also agreed to upgrade emergency operation centres nationwide to make surveillance and screening of high-risk groups more efficient.

Thailand recorded its first confirmed monkeypox case in Phuket last week. The patient, a 27-year-old Nigerian man, fled to Cambodia and is being treated at a hospital in Phnom Penh.

In Thailand, health authorities are tracing the patient’s close contacts in Phuket, where he stayed for the past month. So far, 27 people who had come in contact with the man have tested negative.

The World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency on Saturday morning after monkeypox was detected in 75 countries.

Published : July 26, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018145

The Public Health Ministry reported on Tuesday (July 26) that over the past 24 hours, 1,828 Covid-19 patients have been admitted to hospitals.

The death toll has risen by 35, while 2,173 patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals. 

The number of cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022, stands at 2,355,986 with 9,526 deaths.
 

Published : July 26, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018138

A team of narcotics suppression police officers swooped in and confiscated 631 kilograms of crystal meth or “ice” and arrested seven suspects in Songkhla on Saturday.

Pol Maj-General Pornsak Surasit, commander of Narcotics Suppression Division 4, announced the raid at a press conference on Monday.

He said it is believed that the shipment was heading to Malaysia to be further shipped to Australia, where it would have fetched over 600 million baht.

The seven suspects arrested were identified as Lukman Cheduramae, 40; Wanida Asae, 41; Waemae Lomae; 38, Daki Mueli, 38; Alading Dingpo, 33; Mapaosi Salae, 24; and Nakarin Salae, 34. Six were from Narathiwat, while Wanida – the only woman – was from Pattani.

Pornsak said his team learned of the gang’s planned movements after a suspect was caught with 402,000 methamphetamine pills in Songkhla’s Rattaphum district on Friday night.

He said police had been monitoring the group until they received a tip-off on Friday that the group was planning to ship the haul to the deep South.

In the early hours of Saturday, police spotted two vehicles heading towards a highway police checkpoint in Ratthaphum district’s Khuha Tai area. Police also spotted a third vehicle trailing behind and stopped apparently to see the situation of the two other vehicles at the checkpoint.

Officers then searched the three vehicles, one of which was a pick-up truck, and found the drugs hidden in 14 bags. The seven suspects, including three drivers, reportedly said they picked up the shipment from Nakhon Pathom’s Bang Len district and were delivering it to a contact in Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok district.

Pornsak said all seven were charged with illegal possession of illicit drugs with the intent to sell.

Police have impounded the three vehicles along with a plot of land with a house worth a total of about 5.1 million baht to find out if they were bought from the proceeds of drug trafficking.

Pornsak said the gang chose to smuggle the drugs by road after learning that security checks at airports and piers had been stepped up.

Published : July 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018132

Thirty Miss Universe Thailand 2022 contestants participated in an activity to preserve Thai tradition and culture at Wat Benchamabophit in Bangkok’s Dusit district on Monday.

The contestants, clad in traditional Thai dress, offered alms to 30 monks at the temple and received blessings for prosperity in return.

The preliminary Miss Universe Thailand competition will be held on July 27 and the final on July 30 at Iconsiam.

Published : July 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018131

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan insists the government is working hard to make Thailand’s fishing industry – one of the world’s largest – sustainable.

Prawit was speaking on Monday at a meeting of the National Fisheries Policy Committee to review efforts to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The meeting focused on illegal fishing in Thailand’s largest inland fishery, Songkhla Lake, as well as efforts to preserve marine species at risk of extinction.

Only 14 Irrawaddy dolphins were found in the latest survey of Songkhla Lake, where overfishing has also severely depleted other marine species.

On Monday, agencies were ordered to follow the Marine Mammal Protection Act and action plans for conservation, especially reducing plastic waste in fisheries.

Thailand has made progress in curbing marine plastic trash, dropping from sixth to 10th on this year’s UN list of the world’s largest ocean polluters.

Monday’s meeting heard that Thailand’s three-pronged preservation strategy was to restore the ecosystem and biodiversity, integrate fishery resources and sustainably manage those resources.

Thailand announced this month it would no longer issue licences for bottom-trawling – the destructive practice of dragging heavy nets along the sea floor.

The country has also cracked down on human trafficking and other abuses that led the European Union to threaten a ban on Thai seafood imports.

However, Prawit ordered the Department of Fisheries and related agencies to cooperate with international organisations and the public sector in protecting labours and other fishing industry stakeholders.

Published : July 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018125

Up to 851 medical staff and alumni of Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital joined forces in a campaign to close loopholes in the cannabis legalisation.

This move came after a statement on July 9, claiming that loopholes after Public Health Ministry’s removed cannabis from the list of narcotics on June 9 had impacted consumers, such as cannabis overdose and the use of herbs for recreation.

The statement also expected loopholes in cannabis legalisation to cause tremendous impact on the country in the long term, especially on children.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Smith Srisont, head of Ramathibodi Hospital’s forensic unit, urged the government to close loopholes in the cannabis legalisation immediately and open hearings from related parties in order to tackle the issue properly.

He asked the university’s medical staff and alumni to participate in the campaign via Google Forms. He also asked people to participate in the campaign on Change.org.

As of 2.02pm on Monday, the campaign on Change.org had drawn more than 10,853 supporters.

Published : July 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018121

Heavy rains last week have left 14 provinces inundated and cost two lives, but the situation has returned to normal, the government spokesman said on Monday.

Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha met with National Water Resources Committee (NWRC) on Monday to discuss the heavy flooding in many provinces last week.

At the meeting, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported that the provinces of Chiang Mai, Lampang, Uttaradit, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Phichit, Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Rayong, Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi and Yala had been flooded last week. As many as 29 subdistricts, 63 villages and 392 households were affected, with two deaths reported in Chonburi.

The department said that as of Monday, the overall situation had returned to normal.

Thanakorn said Prayut has asked the department to coordinate with local authorities to monitor the situation and provide assistance to those affected. The PM has also instructed the department to prepare necessary equipment for flood prevention.

“Related agencies have also been instructed to clear sewers and waterways of garbage to ensure maximum drainage after heavy rains,” Thanakorn said.

“People living in flood-prone areas should move their properties to higher ground, ensure their home’s electrical system is safe and beware of poisonous insects and reptiles that come with floods.”

People have also been advised to keep up with weather updates from the Thai Meteorological Department or download the “Thai Disaster Alert” mobile app.

Meanwhile, the department said on Monday that Thailand will see less rain this week as the southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea, the South and Gulf is weakening.

On Friday and Saturday, however, the southwest monsoon prevailing over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand will strengthen, bringing more rain, with isolated heavy showers in the East and the South.

Published : July 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018120

A top Thai virologist reckons that monkeypox is far too difficult to control or eliminate, and will soon become an endemic disease.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Dr Yong Poovorawan, chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, pointed out that monkeypox is spread through sexual contact.

“Any disease that is spread via intimate touch is difficult to control or be eliminated. Venereal diseases have existed for hundreds of years. We have good medicine to treat them, but we cannot eliminate them,” Yong said in his post.

“Likewise, monkeypox will be difficult to control or eliminate. Unless we develop vaccines that provide immunity against all variants, which will cost a lot, we will just have to live with this disease.”

Yong said that since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared monkeypox a global health emergency on Saturday, all countries should join hands to control and reduce the infection rate.

On Sunday, Thailand responded by upgrading its monkeypox alert to the national level after the public health minister called an emergency meeting with health agencies.

Yong said so far over 16,000 people in some 75 countries have been infected and five have reportedly died, though the WHO has not yet confirmed monkeypox-related fatalities. However, he said, monkeypox is normally not that severe and the fatality rate is as low as 3 in 10,000.

Published : July 25, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40018115

Thai taxi, tuk tuk and motorcycle taxi drivers were reminded that the point deduction system introduced to control their behaviour will go into effect from January 1, 2023.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the Thai Taxi Driver Federation said the point system was to be introduced on December 1 last year but had to be postponed due to the pandemic.

A point system has been devised by the Department of Land Transport (DLT) to control the behaviour of public vehicle drivers and promote safety.

“Each public vehicle driver will start with 100 points, which will be deducted every time an offence is committed. Once all points are gone, the driver’s licence will be suspended,” the post said.

Offences that warrant point deduction are as follows:

Category 1 offence: 10 points

• Failure to display ID card

• Use of an unregistered vehicle

• Vehicle does not match registration papers

• Using a personal vehicle to pick up passengers

• Being a nuisance to passengers

Category 2 offence: 20 points

• Not using a fare meter or GPS certified by DLT

• Refusing passengers

• Taking unnecessary detours or using routes not agreed upon by passengers

• Abandoning passengers

• Displaying poor manners, being rude, insulting, sarcastic or aggressive

• Consuming alcohol or intoxicants while driving (less than 50mg per 100ml of blood)

• Using vehicles that have crossed their lifespan

Category 3 offence: 30 points

• Displaying obscene behaviour in the presence of passengers

• Driving recklessly that can cause damage or injury

• Tampering with the fare meter

• Consuming alcohol or intoxicant while driving (more than 50mg per 100ml of blood)

• Using an expired or suspended licence

• Demanding more fare than stipulated.

“Some serious offences will result in all points being deducted immediately, including offences that that affect the country’s image or reputation, driving with no consideration to people’s safety and wellbeing, and causing accidents resulting in multiple injuries or deaths,” the federation warned.

According to DLT rules, licences will be suspended for 90 days once all points are deducted. Two suspensions in three years will see the driver losing their licence for 180 days.

To rebuild their points, all drivers must undergo DLT’s training courses and pass the exam. A two-hour course will win them 50 points, and a four-hour course 100 points. Drivers can undergo training once a year, and those who fail the exam can retake the test three times in seven days.

Published : July 25, 2022

By : THE NATION