#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017881

Government digital lottery tickets for the August 1 draw sold out in just one day and seven hours on Monday – a new record.

Lawan Saengsanit, Government Lottery (GLO) board chairman, said all 7,167,500 tickets offered via the Paotang app were snapped up by 1pm on Monday after going on sale at 6am on Sunday.

Lawan said the new digital tickets sold out much faster than in the previous three draws despite an increase from the 5.1 million tickets offered last time.

He added that the number of digital lottery tickets would be increased by 1-2 million per draw to meet demand. The GLO aims to offer 20 million digital tickets per draw by the end of the year.

The digital version was introduced to combat overpricing that has plagued the lottery for years, with the 80-baht tickets typically offered for 100 baht or more by street vendors.

Vendors from Loei province responded by launching a two-day protest against the digital lottery outside Government House on Sunday.

Lawan also reiterated his warning to people seeking to profit by reselling digital tickets. He said the system records the names of the first buyers, who are the only ones eligible for prizes won. Ownership of digital lottery tickets cannot be transferred and prizes will either be transferred to the owners’ account or picked up in person at the GLO, he added.

Published : July 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017879

The Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for cash-strapped public bus operator Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) to borrow 7.516 billion baht.

The BMTA has run up a debt of 132.565 billion baht as rising fuel costs take a toll on the operator.

The loan to boost cash flow will be guaranteed by the Finance Ministry, said government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul.

According to the Transport Ministry, BMTA lacks cash flow due to insufficient compensation for the losses incurred in operating the capital’s public bus service.

Revenue from fares is currently lower than costs, which have been driven up by the high price of fuel. However, fares cannot be increased, so the BMTA’s debt and interest are rising.

Currently, the bus operator is reviewing a rehabilitation plan to deal with its debt.

The 7.516 billion baht loan will go to pay the fuel costs (2.25 billion baht), repair fees (1.422 billion baht), and increase financial liquidity (3.844 billion baht).

BMTA also expects the loan to cut its interest burden by 180.95 million baht.

Published : July 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017876

Street arts in Bangkok, Ang Thong, Nakhon Sawan, Udon Thani and Songkhla provinces are waiting for domestic and foreign travellers to take pictures and visit attractions in each of the areas.

The street arts are part of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s project to stimulate tourism in five areas, namely Bangkok’s Talat Noi community, San Chao Rong Thong Market in Ang Thong province, Yuan Island in Nakhon Sawan province, Nong Prajak Public Park in Udon Thani province and Hat Yai district in Songkhla province.

“This project aims to enable local government agencies, business operators, networks and artists to enhance potential of communities to become more creative,” said Apichai Chatchalermkit, TAT deputy governor for Tourism Products and Business.

Photo credit: Tourism Authority of Thailand

He said that street arts feature two TAT mascots named “Sukjai” and “Punsuk” visiting attractions or doing activities in each area.

Photo credit: Tourism Authority of Thailand

He added that a variety of activities are also available for tourists until July 30, such as activities to scan QR Code at street arts for special priveleges from participating stores.

For more information, visit www.travelwithsukjaipunsuk.com.

Published : July 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017875

A rescue mission was launched in Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday after a reservoir burst its banks, submerging two communities under more than 1 metre of floodwater.

Forty households were evacuated in Phimai district’s Ban Nikhom Pattana (Moo 10) and Ban Nikhom Samakkhi (Moo 11) after the Nong Kradon reservoir overflowed following heaving rain.

The resulting flash flood rose to over 1 metre high, prompting officials to evacuate women and children from about 40 households.

The flood victims have been moved to temporary shelters on higher ground.

The Phimai district office is coordinating with Tambon Rangka Yai Municipality officials to assess the damage to houses so that authorities can provide help and compensation.

Published : July 18, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017873

The Bangkok outdoor film festival and “Music in the Park” events did not spark any Covid-19 clusters, the governor said on Monday.

Governor Chadchart Sittipunt spoke to the press after attending a Public Health Ministry, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) meeting to discuss cancelling or cutting down on public events to prevent possible clusters.

The governor said the number of Covid-19 patients in Bangkok is stable, while the number of those testing positive via ATK tests has risen only slightly.

He added that the situation is not worrisome because most patients had been infected either at home or at work.

Chadchart also urged Bangkokians not to worry about infection clusters being sparked and said he will discuss the use of more prevention measures with the Public Health Ministry.

He added that BMA will hasten the administration of vaccinations and will extend walk-in vaccination services offered at the Bangkok Youth Centre in Din Daeng district. There will also be more proactive testing and administration of booster doses in communities.

Dr Wantanee Wattana, BMA’s deputy permanent secretary, also confirmed that the “Krung Thep Klang Plang” and “Music in the Park” events had not sparked any infection clusters.

She said the BMA has followed the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s guidelines on easing prevention measures to stimulate the economy while preventing the spread of Covid-19 at the same time.

Published : July 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017868

The Cabinet on Monday agreed to earmark close to 4 billion baht for the purchase of Favipiravir and rapid antigen test kits (ATK) to prepare for a new Covid-19 wave.

The purchases were proposed by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), and the 3.995 billion baht needed for it will be taken from the 500 billion baht loaned to the Public Health Ministry.

NESDC reasoned that the Public Health Ministry needed the medication and test kits to cope with the Covid situation, which is expected to worsen due to the highly infectious BA.4/5 subvariants of Omicron.

Meanwhile, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the prime minister urged the Cabinet to use the rest of the loan wisely and said all state agencies should jointly work towards preventing new Covid-19 clusters.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has also called on all agencies to strictly enforce Covid-Free Setting, especially when big events are held.

He has also urged all government agencies to be ready in case there is a new surge of infections.

The Cabinet moved its weekly meeting from Tuesday to Monday this week because the ministers will have to monitor the no-confidence debate that kicks off on Tuesday and continues to Friday.

The Public Health Ministry is scheduled to meet the Bangkok governor to discuss what can be done to prevent Covid clusters in the capital.

On Monday, Thailand recorded 1,813 new Covid cases and 17 more fatalities over 24 hours. These numbers do not include those who tested positive with ATK tests and are not seeking treatment.

Published : July 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017866

Hundreds of lottery vendors marched to Government House to call for the removal of the Government Lottery Office (GLO) director and board and demand lottery quotas.

The protesters started gathering on Phitsanulok Road in front of the Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon at 10am and then marched to Government House to submit their demands.

The group said they were small lottery vendors from around the country. They did not disclose their numbers. On Saturday evening, the main group of protesters, who are lottery vendors from Loei province, said some 500 of them had travelled in 14 chartered buses to camp outside the university on Sunday evening to join the demonstration on Monday morning.

The protesters started their activities at 8am by organising their own “registration of real lottery vendors” with the hope of submitting their names to the GLO to seek lottery quotas.

Their leader, Jirasak Noikam, who said he was a tentative general election candidate for the ruling Palang Pracharath Party in Loei, said the group wanted Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to sack the GLO director and board of directors and to provide a fair share of lottery quotas to small vendors.

The group said they were also opposed to the GLO’s plan to launch new products of online three-digit and six-digit lotteries as they fear the popular digital version of lottery tickets would affect small vendors because the current vendors have not yet received quotas of the digital tickets.

Police were deployed to keep security in front of Government House and the Chamai Maruchet Bridge was closed to traffic.

The protesters also sent their representatives to file a complaint with the Central Investigation Bureau in Chatuchak district at 9.15am.

In the complaint, they alleged that the GLO had unfairly revoked the quotas of 50,000 small lottery vendors and they called on the CIB to investigate alleged irregularities in the sale of digital lottery and the plan to issue three-digit and six-digit online lotteries.

They said they had to seek the CIB’s help because the Central Administrative Court had rejected their lawsuit against the GLO for alleged unfair revocation of the quotas of the 50,000 vendors.

The GLO said the 50,000 vendors’ quotas were cancelled because their tickets were found to be sold on the online platforms of some major investors at inflated prices.

The complaint claimed that the 50,000 vendors sold their tickets at 80 baht each to general people and they did not know why the tickets ended up being resold on online platforms.

The digital system was launched to combat overpricing that has plagued the government lottery for years. The Paotang digital lottery tickets are sold at the original price of 80 baht. They have proved so popular with the public that vendors are complaining they no longer have customers for their paper tickets.

Published : July 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017860

The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine and other related agencies launched a campaign to boost awareness of the proper usage of cannabis.

The campaign was launched at Khao San and Silom roads on Sunday.

Yongyot Thammawut, the department’s director general, said the campaign aims to share knowledge about the Public Health Ministry’s notification on controlled drugs, which was released to prevent people from misusing cannabis now that it has been legalised.

He said the notification focuses on three aspects:

• Preventing people aged below 20, pregnant women and nursing mothers from consuming cannabis, hemp or extracts.

• Allowing practitioners of traditional medicine to lawfully use knowledge related to cannabis.

• Enabling patients to use cannabis properly and safely.

“Cannabis has many beneficial properties but should not be used improperly,” he said.

He added that e-books on traditional medicine, in the Thai language, can be downloaded via the department’s website at: https://ockt.dtam.moph.go.th/

Cannabis was removed from Thailand’s list of narcotics on June 9, allowing people to grow the herb for medicinal and commercial purposes.

Published : July 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017851

Thai Tourist Police won a feather in their cap when they tracked down the luggage of two Saudi Arabian tourists in the early hours of Sunday.

At around 1.40am on Sunday, the two women called the police to say they had left their luggage in the taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport to their hotel.

The police took a while to track down the taxi and eventually managed to get in touch with the cabbie, and had him return the luggage.

One of the tourists, Algarz Rehub Saleh A, immediately gave a feedback thanking the police for their efforts.

“No words can describe how thankful we are. Love. Bangkok is very lucky to have such an incredible and friendly team. We will visit again because of them, they are the BEST,” the post read.

Pol Maj-General Apichart Suriboonya, Tourist Police deputy chief and spokesman, said the feedback helped boost officers’ morale and further motivated them to work towards making Thailand the world’s best destination.

He also thanked the taxi driver for cooperating and called on all Thais to be good hosts and warmly welcome foreign visitors.

“We believe this incident will impress Saudi Arabian tourists and boost their confidence in travelling to Thailand,” he said.

Published : July 18, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017849

The Public Health Ministry reported on Monday (July 18) that over the past 24 hours, 1,814 Covid-19 patients have been admitted to hospitals.

The death toll has risen by 17, while 2,361 patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals. 

The number of cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022, stands at 2,337,408.

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 4,560,843 – 4,507,095 of whom have recovered, 22,735 are still in hospitals and 31,013 have died.

Separately, another 1,319 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 2,085 their second shot and 24,578 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 140,743,315.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 567.84 million on Monday, 538.95 million of whom have recovered, 22.5 million are active cases (39,062 in severe condition) and 6.39 million have died (up by 628).

Thailand ranks 27th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 91.28 million, followed by India with 43.77 million, Brazil with 33.3 million, France with 33.02 million and Germany with 29.69 million.

Published : July 18, 2022

By : THE NATION