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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013937

Thai Airways International (THAI) said it will more than double its number of cargo flights to China and India next month, as demand for Thai fruit exports rises.

In March, THAI Cargo operated a total of 39 flights transporting fruit to the two major export countries. The major destination was Guangzhou, which saw 27 THAI Cargo flights, while four flew to Kunming, and eight from Kunming to New Delhi.

The national carrier said that figure will rise to 87 flights next month to meet growing demand from China and India.

April will see THAI Cargo operate 58 flights to Guangzhou, 12 to Chengdu, eight to Kunming, and another nine from Kunming to New Delhi.

It added that total shipments to China and India in March and April will number 126.
The Thai goods are being transported aboard Airbus A350s and Boeing 777s.

THAI said its goals to generate revenue and boost Thailand’s economic recovery rested not only on the travel and tourism sectors but also on helping Thai farmers get their products to the world market.

The company added that it would use its long experience and expertise in handling fruit to ensure the shipments were not damaged.

Published : March 29, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013934

Monday’s meeting of the National Tobacco Products Control Committee upheld Thailand’s ban on the import and sale of e-cigarettes (vapes), according to Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Kiattiphum Wongrajit.

Members agreed that Thailand, as a signatory to the World Health Organisation Convention on Tobacco Control, should maintain the ban to prevent cigarette addiction among children, adolescents and non-smoking adults, said Kiattiphum, who chaired the meeting. “The ban will also help protect non-smokers from health hazards caused by e-cigarettes and other tobacco-related products,” he said.

E-cigs were a gateway to traditional cigarettes and contain addictive nicotine,” he added “Moreover, studies show that using e-cigarettes does not help you quit smoking, therefore legalising them would leave Thailand’s tobacco controls lagging and put children and adolescents at risk.”

The committee will forward its resolution to the Cabinet and urge relevant agencies to enforce the law on tobacco control strictly.

E-cigarettes and vaping remain popular in Thailand despite the ban, noted Department of Disease Control chief Opas Karnkawinpong, the committee’s secretary-general.

“In 2021, 78,742 Thais were caught smoking e-cigarettes,” Opas said. Almost a third of these, or 24,050, were youngsters aged between 15and 24, he added.

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Published : March 29, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013931

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said there will be no water-splashing on Khaosan Road this Songkran, while urging Thais to take precautions now to prevent spreading the virus at family get-togethers next month.

Anutin on Monday poured cold water on the hopes of Khaosan Road tourism operators, insisting that water splashing will be banned for the third consecutive Songkran. Responding to pleas from local businesses, Anutin said on Monday that the ban was necessary to control the spread of Covid-19 as water-splashing involves touching and sharing water containers.

The annual Songkran “water battle” boosts revenue by drawing huge numbers of tourists to Khaosan Road but has been banned since 2020.

“I urge that we remain patient for another year and follow disease control measures until Covid-19 becomes an endemic, after which we will be able to enjoy Songkran as usual,” Anutin said.

Meanwhile, people who planned to travel or visit their families during the Songkran break (April 13-17) should start “self-clean-up” measures from April 1 to ensure they do not bring the virus home to their families and others during Thailand’s biggest holiday.

“These measures include avoiding high-risk or crowded places, monitoring your symptoms closely, and getting a booster shot of Covid-19 vaccine if you haven’t already had one in the past three months,” said Anutin.

“These moves will greatly reduce the risk of viral spread at the community level, especially among the elderly during Songkran get-togethers.”

Anutin warned that without strict disease-control measures, daily infections around Songkran could rise to 100,000, pressuring the public health system and delaying the plan to transition to Covid-19 endemic conditions by July.

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Published : March 29, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013930

The Tourism and Sports Ministry will ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to cancel mandatory PCR testing for foreign tourists and replace them with ATK tests from May.

Under the move, tourists would no longer face the expense of a PCR test and mandatory first night’s stay in an SHA+ hotel.

“We expect the move to be approved and implemented from May 1 onward, provided that there is no surge in new infections and Covid-19 deaths during and after Songkran,”

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.

He added that the “acceptable” limit is 60,000 daily infections – including those who test positive via ATKs – and 100 fatalities.

The ministry last week unveiled a plan to scrap the Thailand Pass requirement for incoming travellers from June 1 in a bid to boost tourist arrivals.

Phiphat said the move would restore normal travel to Thailand “just like in 2019” before Covid-19 triggered global travel bans.

If the government accepts the proposal, tourists will no longer be required to register for the Thailand Pass required under the Test & Go, Sandbox and quarantine schemes.

The Tourism Ministry estimates Thailand will welcome at least 7 million foreign travellers this year, lower than the previous forecast of 10 million. Tourism revenue in 2022 is forecast to rise to 1 trillion baht, or 30 per cent of the 3 trillion baht earned in 2019. The ministry is optimistic that revenue in 2023 will jump 50 per cent to 1.5 trillion baht before returning to pre-Covid levels in 2024.

Published : March 29, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013929

Ministry of Public Health reported on Tuesday (March 29) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 21,678 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 64 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 78, while 27,183 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 1,351,963.
 

Published : March 29, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013916

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned all sectors to strictly follow the measures for containing the spread of Covid-19 ahead of and during the Songkran holidays so that the number of infections would not surge.

Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana quoted Prayut as warning that all sides must strictly observe four measures:

– All people must get the Covid-19 vaccine or booster dose as soon as possible.

– People must always protect themselves by wearing masks, and washing their hands regularly.

– Avoid risky places .

– Regularly monitor their health using antigen testing kits.

The prime minister also warned business places to always use Covid-free settings by regularly testing their staff and visitors with ATKs.

The spokesman said Prayut has also instructed public health agencies to be prepared for a possible surge of infections by making arrangements for testing and treating patients to prevent deaths and minimising the spread.

On Monday, the Public Health Ministry reported 24,635 new Covid-19 cases during the previous 24 hours with 81 new deaths.

Published : March 28, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013915

The public health minister said on Monday that Thailand has enough Favipiravir anti-viral pills to treat Covid-19 patients because it is now being produced locally.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) can make this drug because it has precursor chemicals. Plus, he said, GPO is also importing the drug.

Anutin said permanent secretary Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit had told him that the ministry was managing the supply of Favipiravir well and there should be enough for patients.

He added that though some critics believe Favipiravir is inefficient in treating Covid-19 patients, the ministry has been using it as the main medicine for combating the virus.

Anutin went on to say that the Medical Services Department is also importing other drugs like Molnupiravir, Remdesivir and Paxlovid to treat patients.

The World Health Organisation recently announced that the anti-viral Molnupiravir is more effective in treating Covid-19 patients who are at high risk of developing severe symptoms.

“I confirm that the drug [Favipiravir] is being distributed to all patients and claims that we have been stockpiling the drug are untrue,” Anutin said.

He added that all provincial hospitals have been given enough Favipiravir pills to tend to local patients.

Meanwhile, Disease Control Department director-general Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said only 25 per cent of Covid-19 patients need an anti-viral like Favipiravir, so the supplies should be enough. He added that if any of the state-run hospitals across the country are in short supply they can contact the provincial chief public health officer for a top-up.

Published : March 28, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013912

The Ministry of Public Health recently confirmed it had changed the formula for administering booster doses of the Covid-19 booster vaccines.

There have been discussions on social media on whether the ministry had actually changed the formula. The Anti-Fake News Centre Thailand investigated this issue on Sunday and confirmed that it was true.

According to the ministry, the revised formula is:

1. People aged 18 or over should receive the third dose more than three months after the second dose and the fourth dose more than four months after the third dose. People could choose to receive a half dose of Pfizer vaccines for the booster dose at the doctor’s discretion.
2. People aged 12 to 17 will receive a standard dose of an mRNA vaccine for the third inoculation. They should wait four to six months after the second dose.
3. People who have been infected with Covid-19 before could follow these measures by waiting for three months after they have recovered from Covid-19.

According to information in Chiang Mai, the ministry revealed that two doses of vaccines may not prevent the Omicron infection, but it considerably increases the chances of preventing a fatality. The third dose could prevent infection for around 45 to 68 per cent of people and fatality for 98 per cent, while the fourth dose could prevent the infection for 82 per cent with no deaths.

Therefore, it is necessary to receive the third dose because it could help prevent fatality and also decrease the severity of the disease.

The ministry intends to hasten administering the booster dose to 70 per cent of elders before the Songkran Festival. It has urged people to receive booster doses according to the new formula.

Those who are interested to receive updates on prevention measures could check at the ministry’s website or call 02-590-1000.

Published : March 28, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013910

State-run interprovincial bus operator Transport Company will offer discounts to two attractions in Chiang Mai in a bid to boost the province’s tourism industry.

Travellers who buy bus tickets to Chiang Mai will be eligible for a 20 per cent discount on tickets to the Chiang Mai Night Safari or 50 per cent off the entry fee for San Kamphaeng Hot Springs. The campaign, organised in cooperation with the Pinknakorn Development Agency, runs from April 1 to September 30.

“The discount will need to be used up within seven days. Visitors to the hot springs can also exchange the entry fee discount for 300 baht off lodging if they want to stay overnight,” said Transport Company president Sanyalak Panyawatthanalikhit.

The discount is limited to one person per bus ticket and cannot be used with other sales promotions.

Tickets can be reserved via www.transport.co.th, the e-ticket mobile app or at Transport Company counters nationwide.

Published : March 28, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013909

Two containers carrying 40 tonnes of durian and one container filled with 20 tonnes of coconuts entered China for the first time on a train on Sunday.

The shipment from Rayong was loaded on the train in Nong Khai and made its way to Thanaleng Station in Laos, before entering China via the Mohan checkpoint. This is the first time that the China-Laos railway has been used to transport Thai fruit.

Wutt Rengpradoong, a customs officer in Nong Khai, said that in line with instructions from the deputy finance minister and Customs Bureau chief, steps have been taken to reduce costs and make the inspection of goods more efficient.

Now instead of shifting goods from the Nong Khai Railway Station to the customs boundary post for inspection, the customs department will send mobile X-ray units to inspect the goods.

Somkiat Mansiripibul, manager of Kaocharoen Train Transport which operates the Laos-China railway, said though there are still some problems in sending Thai fruit to China due to the Covid-19 crisis, steps are being taken to ease these difficulties. He said related organisations and agencies were helping mitigate these problems and speed up the transport of goods to China.

He also said that efforts are being made to reduce the costs of sending goods to China and make the process more efficient.

Somkiat added that rail transport appears to be the fastest, adding that it takes just four or five days for goods to be transported from Rayong to Kunming in China.

Published : March 28, 2022

By : THE NATION