#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013645

A group of environmentalists on Monday stepped up their call for the Treasury Department to take back the plot at the foot of Doi Suthep from the Appeal Court Region 5, so it can be reforested.

At a press conference in Chiang Mai on Monday morning, the Network to Reclaim Doi Suthep Forest slammed the Office of the Judiciary for dragging its feet in dismantling structures and handing the plot over to the Treasury Department.

The plot was taken over by the Appeal Court Region 5 to build an office-cum-housing complex for judges, but environmentalists discovered many of the planned residences encroached into the forest zone. Eventually, the Courts of Justice agreed in August 2018 to relocate the project to Chiang Rai.

However, Theerasak Rupsuwan, a leader of the network, pointed out that four years have passed, yet no progress has been made to return the land to the Treasury Department.

He also quoted the department as saying that there is no law to base the receipt of residences and furniture from the court. As many as 45 houses and nine condominiums have been built on the controversial plot.

“But we see this as a tactic to buy time, as the court does not want to move out of the area,” Theerasak alleged.

He added that the government has allocated 9 million baht for reforesting the area and the budget has not been touched yet. Theerasak added that members of his network were ready to go into the area to plant trees before the arrival of the rainy season, but they were being blocked from entering the area.

He also pointed out that the new housing project in Chiang Rai was allocated 737 million baht and construction began on October 24, 2019. Yet, he said, the project has only progressed by about 10 per cent even though the deadline for completion is September 7 this year.

He said the contractor appears to have abandoned the project, which is another indication that the court does not intend to relocate the judges from the foot of Doi Suthep.

Theerasak added that the network has resolved to file lawsuits against all relevant agencies if the plot is not returned to the Treasury Department for rehabilitation. He also said the network will hold a demonstration on April 29 to mark four years of its campaign for the return of the plot.

Also on Monday, the group handed a letter to Kornchak Chuthip, chief of the Treasury Department’s office in Chiang Mai, who said he will pass the letter on to the head office for consideration.

He added that his office was unable to take the land back from the court because the houses and furniture could not be converted for public use and that it was up to the head office to consider what can be done.

Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013640

The police on Monday warned government officials to carefully cross-check the identity of those seeking information from them, saying they could be used by fake call-centres to assist their scams.

Royal Thai Police deputy spokesman Pol Colonel Siriwat Deepor said the scammers could disguise themselves as public prosecutors, judges, officials of the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and other government agencies.

Siriwat said the scammers would call local administrations and certain private organisations to seek information about their targets.

The scammers would claim that they wanted personal information of certain persons to seek arrest warrants. Sometimes, they called to check the names of residents of a household or a company’s employees.

In some cases, officials of the organisations were deceived into contacting the targets for the scammers to create trust.

The spokesman said some scammers even tried to deceive certain police officers to help them contact their targets.

“But the Royal Thai Police has a protocol for checking such practices so our police officers do not fall prey to the scammers. They instead informed their superiors and we are conducting investigations to try to arrest the scammers in these cases,” Siriwat said.

Siriwat said officials of local administrations, government agencies or private firms should cross-check information of the names and positions of the callers. They should always demand proof or an official letter seeking their cooperation so that they would not be deceived.

Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013637

Thailand is the 61st happiest country in the world, according to the latest World Happiness Report.

The report surveyed data from 146 countries over the past three years (2019-2021). The data came under six criteria: gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy at birth, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption.

In Southeast Asia, Singapore came out top with a ranking of 27th, ahead of Philippines (60), Thailand (61), Malaysia (70), Vietnam (77), Indonesia (87), Laos (95), Cambodia (114) and Myanmar (126).

Finland topped the global rankings as the world’s happiest country this year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, Norway, Israel and New Zealand.

The report showed that measures of emotions play an even greater role in the analysis of life under Covid-19.

“This is partly because Covid-19 has affected various emotions differently and partly because emotions based on yesterday’s experiences tend to be more volatile than life evaluations, which are more stable in response to temporary disturbances,” the report said.

It said worry and sadness have been rising over the past 10 years, especially during 2020, the first year of Covid-19, before improving somewhat in 2021.

It added that some of the evidence showed that large crises can lead to improvements in trust, benevolence and well-being if it leads people to reach out to help others.

“Looking to the future, it is important to know whether trust and benevolence have been fostered or destroyed by two years of the pandemic,” the report concluded.

Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013635

World Down Syndrome Day has been marked on March 21 every year since 2006 in a bid to build awareness about the disorder and promote equality and inclusion in society.

The 21st day of March was chosen to signify the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

Genetic materials, contained in the 21st chromosome, are responsible for controlling people’s characteristics such as eye colour, sex and organ systems.

Down syndrome systems are different depending on each person, such as problems in the nervous system, muscles, cardiovascular system, digestion, sight, hearing, growth and development.

Hence, treatment for children with Down syndrome focuses on monitoring symptoms that may affect their health. The treatment also includes measures to boost development so they can learn to adjust themselves and coexist with others happily.

Screening for Down syndrome can be done when the baby is at the foetal stage as women aged 35 and above are at risk of giving birth to babies with Down syndrome.

There are many ways to screen for the syndrome, such as ultrasound or checking the baby’s genetic material from the mother’s blood or amniotic fluid.

“Taking a Down syndrome screening during pregnancy is beneficial for mothers and families to decide on the issue,” said Maliwan Tengsujaritkul, head of Chiang Mai University’s Medical Genetics Unit.

“Apart from monitoring health and honing skills, creating awareness and accepting people with Down syndrome are necessary to ensure they can live happily among ordinary people,” she added.

British physician John Langdon Down discovered the syndrome in 1866 and described it as “Mongolism”. The term Down syndrome, named after the doctor, only became more widely used in the early 1970s.

Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013632

Fuel prices will be gradually raised from May following the increase in global energy prices due to fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war, the Energy Regulatory Commission said on Monday.

The stepped increases is the “Ft” tariff will last until April next year.

The fuel adjustment cost, or Ft, is a variable tariff that reflects changes in the uncontrolled cost of utilities, such as fuel costs and purchasing power, which differ from the base tariff. The ERC reviews the Ft every four months – in January, May and September.

ERC secretary-general Komkrit Tantrawanich said the commission had calculated the energy cost based on the current situation and concluded that the Ft for May-August should be increased to Bt0.24 per unit to cover the cost. This will result in household electricity bills rising from Bt3.76 to Bt4 per unit.

“The commission will hold a public hearing on the adjustment this week, before announcing the official Ft value for the May-August period,” he said. “As for the September-December period, the ERC estimates that the Ft will be raised to Bt0.64 per unit, while the January-April period of next year will see the Ft rise to Bt1.1 per unit.”

Komkrit added that Ft adjustment estimations are based on the current global energy situation and the ERC’s energy cost management policies. These include the purchase of electricity from Laos’s Nam Theun hydropower plant and domestic SPPs/VSPPs (small power producers/very small power producers), waiving excise tax for B0 diesel and fuel oil used in electricity generation, and the energy pool price initiative.

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Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013627

A&W fast food restaurants opened for their last day of trading on Sunday before shutting down for good, ending 39 years of operation in Thailand.

The iconic root beer-and-waffle brand, which has been part of Thai’s lives for two generations, bid a fond farewell to its army of loyal followers with a message on its Facebook page.

“Thanks all customers for your continued support and years of good memories at A&W. Rooty [the company’s mascot] will always think about you. It’s been a pleasure,” the post on Sunday said.

Over 1,000 netizens quickly replied with comments lamenting the company’s closure of business in Thailand. Meanwhile customers who visited 26 A&W branches on Sunday grabbed the chance to take one last photo of themselves posing with the Rooty mascot displayed in front of the restaurants.

The American fast food chain has been in Thailand since 1983 but announced the end of its Thai operation earlier this month. It cited financial losses suffered since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic more than two years ago.

In 2021 the company recorded a loss of Bt70 million in Thailand as Covid-19 restrictions took a toll on public life.

As soon as A&W announced it was leaving Thailand, people began flocking to the outlets for their signature waffles and root beer floats.

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No more A&W root beer floats in Thailand if negotiations fall through

How people react to A&W leaving Thailand

Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013622

One of the world’s riskiest jobs is cleaning the windows of skyscrapers, and window cleaners put their lives in danger regularly to earn a living.

However, apart from being brave, window cleaners also have to undergo a lot of training. 

Every day, before they climb terrifying heights, every piece of equipment is carefully checked so nothing snaps and results in tragedy.

Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013616

The Thai Meteorological Department issued a severe weather warning on Monday as a tropical depression barrels in from the Bay of Bengal.

The depression will bring isolated heavy rain to the North, Central Region, East and the South this week, the department said.

The cyclone was now centred on the Bay of Bengal but was expected to make landfall in Myanmar tomorrow (Tuesday) with winds of up to 55 kilometres per hour, said the department.

The weather system has brought strong southerly and southeasterly winds to Thailand’s North, Central Region, East and South. More rain and isolated heavy to very heavy rains are forecast in the North, Central, East and South regions.

“People in these areas should beware of severe weather conditions,” the department said.

Strengthening winds and waves of 2-3 metres high are likely in the upper Andaman Sea, while the lower Andaman will see waves of 1-2 metres rising to 3 metres in areas hit by thunderstorms. Thunderstorms in the Gulf of Thailand will whip up waves to 2 metres.

“All ships should proceed with caution and avoid areas of thunderstorm. Small boats in the upper Andaman Sea should keep ashore until March 22,” the department said.

It also advised people to stay tuned for weather updates.

Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013614

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department has placed low-lying districts in four southern provinces on high alert for flash flooding and water runoff until Tuesday.

The areas covered by the alert are:

– All districts of Ranong province

– Five districts in Phang Nga province, namely Takua Thung, Khuraburi, Kapong, Takua Pa, and Thai Muang

– Three districts in Phuket province, namely Muang, Thalang, and Krathu

– Three districts in Krabi province, namely Muang, Khao Phanom, and Plai Phaya

The department said that a tropical depression over the Bay of Bengal is expected to make landfall over Myanmar on Tuesday, bringing rain to Thailand’s North, western part of Central Region, and the South. Heavy to very heavy rain is forecast for the Andaman coast.

The department is coordinating with local administration offices, military personnel and related agencies to monitor the situation closely and prepare necessary equipment for flood prevention and mitigation, including sandbags, boats and water pumps. It also advised people to follow regular weather updates issued by the Thailand Meteorological Department.

To report a disaster or ask for assistance, call the 1784 hotline or message Line @1784DDPM.

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Rain brought by tropical storm gives Bangkok respite from heat

North, Central, South of Thailand to be hit with heavy rains on Sunday

Storm warning for Upper Thailand as cyclone swirls in Bay of Bengal

Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013605

Ministry of Public Health reported on Monday (March 21) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 23,441 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 38 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 88, while 23,153 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 1,153,975.
 

Published : March 21, 2022

By : THE NATION