The government has slashed the yearly budget for taking care of rescued wild animals from 90 million baht to just 10 million baht, prompting the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to seek food donations from wholesale giant Siam Makro.

Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said 10 million baht per year is not enough for the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNPWPC) to feed some 26,000 rescued wild animals under its care.

Hence, he said, the ministry has had to call on private firms for help and that Siam Makro has agreed to donate vegetables, fruits and other fresh food that has expired to feed the animals.

So far, it has delivered the so-called food waste to 23 wildlife nurseries, three wildlife rescue centres and at Bueng Chawak Wildlife Management Centres located near Makro malls, Varawut said.

In a Facebook post, the minister said he would also call on other supermarkets to donate their food waste to feed wild animals. Help from the public is also welcome, he said, adding that this would drastically reduce food waste that is disposed of with other garbage.

The minister lamented that though the budget has been slashed to practically nothing, the number of wild animals rescued has increased. He said the department normally requires about 55 million baht a year to take care of the animals seized in wildlife poaching cases.

Varawut said the department is having to use funds set aside for other purposes and income from entrance fees to take care of these animals.

“In 2021, the department earned 16 million baht from entrance fees and most of it was spent taking care of wild animals,” Varawut said, adding that many of the wild animals under the department’s care cannot be released to wilderness.

“For instance, the Bengal and Siberian tigers seized from the Luang Ta Bua temple [Kanchanaburi’s Tiger Temple] cannot be released into the wild because they were tamed. Now, we have 46 of them and will have to feed them for the rest of their lives,” Varawut said.

He added that some rescued animals, like wild elephants, are returned to the forest after rehabilitation.

Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013278

Animal feed manufacturers are set to call on the Commerce Ministry to remove animal feed from the list of controlled products and let the price be determined by market mechanisms. The price should also reflect the actual production costs, a news source said on Friday.

“Feed manufacturers are suffering from rising costs due to the Russia-Ukraine war,” the source said. “The two countries are the world’s biggest suppliers of corn and wheat, which are the main ingredients of animal feed.”

The source pointed out that since December, the global price of corn has risen 14 per cent and wheat 43 per cent. In Thailand, the price of corn has risen from 10.05 baht per kilogram in December to 12.65 baht per kilo this month. The price of imported wheat has risen from 8.91 baht to 12.75 baht per kilo and soybean from 19.50 baht to 22.5 baht per kilogram during the same period.

As part of a price guarantee scheme for farmers, the government has only set the floor price for corn at 8.5 baht per kilogram. However, it did not set a ceiling price, which means the price of corn could soar and boost the cost of producing animal feed. However, manufacturers cannot raise prices because animal feed is a controlled item.

“If the Russia-Ukraine war persists, animal feed manufacturers may have to consider temporarily halting production to prevent losses. The government needs to immediately roll out aid measures or risk a shortage of animal feed, which will affect the animal farming industry, price of meat and people’s cost of living,” the source said.

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Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013277

A top health expert has urged Thailand to follow the example of other countries and stop testing people for Covid-19.

Dr Prasit Watanapa, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, said free tests should end because Thailand was entering the final stage of the pandemic and the dominant variant causes milder symptoms.

“Many countries have stopped testing people for Covid-19 as Omicron rarely causes severe symptoms or deaths,” he told the “Hospital Accreditation National Forum” hosted by the Healthcare Accreditation Institute on Thursday.

“The body can build immunity to Omicron in just two weeks after infection, while the majority of people have been vaccinated against the virus which further reduces risk of hospitalisation and death.”

Prasit added that testing during the Omicron outbreak reveals a higher number of infections but does nothing to solve the problem. “Instead, we should continue to improve our public health system, especially hospital accreditation to ensure that we have proper standardised healthcare for infected patients that enables fast recovery and guards against future infection,” he said.

Improving healthcare and hospital accreditation via new technology and innovative treatment techniques would not only combat the Covid-19 crisis but also help protect people from other illnesses caused both by microbes and non-communicable diseases, added Prasit.

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RT-PCR tests no longer necessary for Covid-19 patients: state medical dept

Doctor seeks drastic changes in handling of new Covid-19 cases

Four locally made Covid-19 vaccines may be ready for public use by 2023

Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013276

The Department of Health is joining up with other relevant agencies to find a way of tackling the growing mountains of infectious waste.

Attaphon Kaewsamrit, the department’s director-general, said on Wednesday that he had discussed this issue with the Department of Industrial Works, Department of Local Administration, Office of Energy Regulatory Commission and Nonthaburi Municipality.

He said infectious waste is increasing significantly, adding that a rising number of people using ATK tests at home is also contributing to the surge.

He reckons that by April, Thailand will be producing an average of 789 tonnes of infectious waste daily, while waste disposal facilities nationwide can only handle some 342.3 tonnes daily.

Attaphol said his department and relevant agencies have resolved to find 11 additional waste disposal sites with a capacity to get rid of 1,189 tonnes of waste per day. The total disposal capacity will rise to 1,532 tonnes per day, which should be enough to deal with the mountains of infectious waste nationwide.

The department has also come up with guidelines for the disposal of infectious waste. For instance, people isolating at home are advised to separate waste contaminated with mucus, saliva and other secretions from other infectious waste because it poses a greater risk of spreading the disease. People are advised to pack the high-risk waste properly before disposal in designated areas.

Those who do not have access to infectious-waste disposal areas are advised to sanitise the waste before binning it.

Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013274

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered investigators to catch perpetrators of a bomb attack in Yala on Thursday, as violence in the insurgency-hit South spikes.

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Prayut received a report of the bomb attack, which injured four patrolling rangers and two civilians in front of a school in Bannang Sata district.

The PM also ordered authorities to tighten security around transport routes including the railway and roads in the area.

Meanwhile, Yala Governor Pirom Nilthaya was instructed to visit the injured in hospital and their homes.

Prayut also ordered tighter security plans and measures in every area, especially vulnerable points.

The spike in clashes between security forces and insurgent combatants comes after the government restarted peace talks with the separatist Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) group earlier this year.

Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013270

Satellite images show forest fires that normally blanket the North in haze have dropped sharply during this year’s burning season. The images revealed 3,717 hotspots in northern national forests from January 1 to March 8 – more than four times fewer than the 17,289 hotspots in the same period of 2020, and 25,770 hotspots in 2019, said the Pollution Control Department (PCD) on Thursday.

“Hotspots indicate either forest fires or the burning of crops or weeds by people living near national forest areas, which are a major source of air pollution including dust, smog and PM2.5, explained PCD director-general Atthaphol Charoenchansa.

He added that the PCD has been working with local communities to persuade northern farmers to stop burning their fields after harvest while constructing firebreaks around national forest areas that are prone to fire.

However, the PCD chief warned that smog from Cambodia and Laos could soon enter Thailand’s East and Northeast regions. His department has complained to Asean’s Secretariat, which said it has notified Cambodia and Laos of the problem, he said.

Thailand’s burning season runs from January to March, when large areas of the North including Chiang Mai suffer high levels of smog.

The PM2.5 situation can be followed at Air4Thai.com or via the Air4Thai mobile app.

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Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013268

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index is expected to fall to between 1,635 and 1,640 points on Friday after peace talks between Russia and Ukraine made no progress, Krungsri Securities said.

It added that the 7.9 per cent rise in the US Consumer Price Index, the highest in 40 years, would trigger the Federal Reserve to tighten its monetary policy, further pressuring the index.

“Hence, we advise investors to buy stocks that enjoy specific positive sentiment,” Krungsri Securities said.

It recommends the purchase of the following as an investment strategy:

• SCC, GPSC, BGRIM, SCGP and EPG will benefit from falling stocks and oil prices.

• TOP, SPRC, BCP and ESSO will benefit from the rising gross refining margin price.

• PSL and TTA will benefit from the rising freight rate.

The SET Index closed at 1,647.08 on Thursday, up 3.44 points or 0.21 per cent. Transactions totalled 100.15 billion baht with an index high of 1,659.29 and a low of 1,643.39.

Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013267

The Public Health Ministry has warned that people in six groups are at risk of heatstroke now Thailand has entered the hot season.

“Heatstroke is a condition where the human body is unable to adjust its internal temperature after the outside temperature increases sharply,” said Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, Department of Disease Control (DDC) director-general on Thursday. “Patients will display symptoms such as fever, a rise in body temperature over 40 degrees Celsius, fainting, being delirious, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, shock and seizures.”

Opas said that people in the following groups have a higher risk of heatstroke:

1. People who work in the sun or engage in outdoor activities for prolonged periods

2. Small children and elders

3. Those with high blood pressure or cerebrovascular disease

4. Obese people

5. People who get do not get enough sleep.

6. People who have consumed alcohol, as alcohol causes the body to dehydrate and raises heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to shock or even death in heatstroke patients.

Opas advised people to avoid going out in the sun for long and try to stay in a properly ventilated area. “Wear breathable clothes of light colour, hats, sunglasses, or use an umbrella when leaving your house,” he added. “Most importantly, make sure you drink at least 2-3 litres of water daily and avoid drinking alcohol.”

He also advised people to exercise in the morning or evening when the temperature is not too high.

“If you find someone who is displaying symptoms of heatstroke, give them cold water to drink and wipe their body with a towel soaked in cold water while remaining in a well-ventilated area. If their symptoms do not improve, call an ambulance immediately or contact the DDC hotline at 1422.”

Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013266

Thai actor and national artist Sorapong “Ek” Chatree died of lung cancer at Bumrungrad Hospital on Thursday (March 10) afternoon after years of battling the disease.

His family has announced that the funeral will be held at Wat Thep Sirinthrawat Temple in Bangkok’s Pom Prab Sattru Phai district from Friday.

Sorapong is survived by four children and had married two times. His current wife, Duangduaen Jithaisong, came runner-up in Miss Thailand World 1986.

Sorapong was born Pittaya Tiamswate on December 8, 1950 in Maha Rat district, Ayutthaya province. He launched his acting career in 1968 and appeared in minor and supporting roles in Thai television soap operas and films.

In 1971, film director Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol handed Sorapong the male lead in the science fiction movie “Out of the Darkness”, which is considered Sorapong’s breakthrough picture.

Sorapong was one of Thailand’s top male stars by the mid-1970s, eventually displacing the older Sombat Metanee from the limelight. Despite ageing, he retained his popularity till the end of his life and became known as a key supporting actor.

He was named a National Artist of Thailand in 2009. His hometown was transformed into a museum and cultural tourism destination where the story of his life is exhibited.

Sorapong acted in almost 600 films and about 100 soap operas. He received many awards and accolades for his iconic roles in several films, including “Sat Manut”, “Chewit Bud Sop”, “Meu Peun”, “Meu Peun II”, “Salawin”, “Ong Bak II” and “Sia Dai II”.

Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013260

Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (March 11) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 24,792 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 80 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 63, while 22,062 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 913,214.
 

Published : March 11, 2022

By : THE NATION