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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013156

Accounts of a blaze at an exclusive resort for millionaires on Trat’s Koh Kood Island have gone viral after complaints over safety.

Fire broke out on Sunday morning from Villa 63 at the Soneva Kiri Resort & Residences, an exclusive six-star hotel boasting a room tariff of Bt300,000 to Bt400,000 per night.

The news went viral after Dr Jiraporn Arunakul, a well-known Ramathibodi Hospital paediatrician, posted dramatic details of the incident on Facebook.

She said her group of 15 had fled for their lives, leaving their belongings behind as fire engulfed their accommodation.

She claimed that their villa was razed to the ground in no time because the luxury resort had no smoke detectors, fire alarms or sprinkler system.

Meanwhile, former actress Thamolpan Panuchitputtiwong, who was also staying at the resort with her family, said she had to drop all belongings except for her smartphone to escape the fire.

She said the wooden villa burned to ashes in just 10 minutes, without an alarm going off.

Soneva Kiri Resort & Residences issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that the fire was extinguished and all guests had been evacuated safely.

The statement added that all villas were fitted with smoke detectors in every bedroom, adding that fire and safety protocols at the resort were specially adapted to its forest location.

“The cause of the fire is not yet known but an investigation is underway with the relevant authorities,” the statement said.

Published : March 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013154

The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) is in talks with the Bank of Thailand (BOT) to seek alternative payment methods – including cryptocurrency – for Russian tourists in Thailand. Visa and Mastercard have suspended use of Russian credit cards abroad as part of international sanctions imposed against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

PTA president Bhummikitti Ruktaengam said he discussed the possibility of Russian tourists using cryptocurrencies as an emergency measure.

He said cryptocurrency would be a backup in case transactions could not proceed. He also discussed the possibility of linking Thai businesses with the Russian payment system Mir. Meanwhile tourism businesses are reportedly turning to the Chinese payment platform UnionPay to offer Russian visitors an alternative way of settling their bills.

Bhummikitti said there are currently 3,500 to 4,000 tourists from Russia and 300-400 from Ukraine in Phuket. Another 3,000 tourists from both countries are holidaying in Koh Samui, Krabi and Pattaya, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

The Bt1,900 fee to extend their visas has been waived by the government, while the TAT and tourism operators are discussing other measures to help Russian and Ukrainian tourists who may be stranded by cancelled flights or conflict in their home country. Russia’s Aeroflot and S7 airlines have suspended all flights to Phuket.

Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting will discuss more moves to help stranded tourists, including setting up a tourist-support centre and shelter. It will also discuss arranging repatriation flights for Russian tourists, as well as solutions to problems with travel insurance. No tourists from either country would be deported against their will, said authorities.

Published : March 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013153

Four Thai tourists have fallen in a rice paddy after the wooden bridge they stood on collapsed at Phatthalung Coffee Shop in Muang district of Phatthalung province on Monday. They have sustained minor injuries and have been rushed to Phatthalung Hospital for treatment.

Police officers investigated the scene and found that part of the bridge collapsed due to being old and rotting, while witnesses reportedly told officials that about 12 tourists were standing on the bridge before the accident happened, and suspected that the overload might have caused the bridge structure to give out.

The wooden bridge in front of the coffee shop is one of Phatthalung’s famous tourist attractions as it offers a beautiful view of green rice paddy with Oke Thalu Mountain as a background. The coffee shop owner reportedly said they will take care of the medical bills of the injured and will fix the bridge as soon as possible.

Published : March 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013150

Motorists have been advised to avoid the Srinakarin Road bridge over Saen Saeb canal in Bangkok’s Bang Kapi district until March 22 in both directions. The bridge is the site of construction work on the Yellow Line train route from Lat Phrao to Samrong.

Motorists should use one of eight detour routes instead, the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) said on Monday.

These are:

1. Serithai Road, from NIDA Intersection to Lat Phrao Road

2. Ramkhamhaeng Road, from Lamsalee Intersection to Lat Phrao Road

3. Lat Phrao to Navamin Road

4. Srinakarin-Romklao Road to Soi Lat Phrao 122

5. Highway No 7 (Asoke Din Daeng-Ratchadaphisek)

6. Soi Lat Phrao 94 to Ramkhamhaeng Road

7. Soi Lat Phrao 122 to Ramkhamhaeng Road

8. Soi Lat Phrao 130 to Ramkhamhaeng-Srinakarin Road

Construction will be carried out either from 10pm to 4am or 10pm to 4pm, depending on the works to be done, but MRTA advised people to avoid the Saen Saeb canal bridge at all times until March 22 for their safety.

The MRT Yellow Line will be an elevated monorail linking Lat Phrao in Bangkok to Samut Prakan province, in a joint project operated by MRTA and Eastern Bangkok Monorail Ltd. The 30.4-kilometre line will have 23 stations and is due to open in July next year.

Related News

Test run of Yellow Line monorail starts now

Bangkok’s Yellow Line nears completion, set to open mid-2022

BMA halts construction of MRT Yellow Line after crane accident

Published : March 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013149

Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob to prepare legal details and evidence for the retrial of the Hopewell case to protect the country’s interests.

“Deputy PM Anutin reiterated that the ministry’s legal department must work together to ensure the government receives justice in the Hopewell case,” government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul said on Monday.

The government will exercise extreme caution and fight to the end to make sure that taxpayer’s money is used for the country’s benefit, added the spokesperson.

The move comes after the Supreme Administrative Court last Friday (March 4) ruled in favour of the government’s request for a retrial of the Hopewell case – a two-decade-long legal battle over Bangkok’s doomed multibillion-baht mass-transit project.

Judges voted 40-10 in favour of the petition filed by the Transport Ministry and State Railway of Thailand (SRT), reversing an earlier ruling by a lower court rejecting a retrial. They cited a subsequent Constitutional Court ruling in March last year, in favour of a retrial.

The retrial offers Thai authorities fresh hope of escaping the Supreme Administrative Court’s order to pay Bt25.4 billion in compensation for the 1998 cancellation of the Bt80-billion elevated highway and railway project.

“The deputy PM [Anutin] was grateful for messages of moral support received from people all over the country when they heard about the retrial,” added Traisulee. “He said although the Hopewell dispute had started during previous governments, the current government and Transport Ministry had made it a top priority and would do everything to protect the national interest.”

Related News

Battle over Bangkok’s doomed Hopewell mass-transit project back in court

Part of Hopewell beams collapses

Court rejects plea for retrial in Hopewell case, upholds Bt24-bn compensation verdict

Published : March 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013146

Ministry of Public Health reported on Tuesday (March 8) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 18,943 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 66 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 69, while 25,005 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 843,365.
 

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 3,066,800 – 2,819,103 of whom have recovered, 224,328 are still in hospitals and 23,369 have died.

Separately, another 35,115 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 13,535 their second shot and 71,838 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 125,036,572.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 448.17 million on Tuesday, 382.34 million of whom have recovered, 59.8 million are active cases (70,246 in severe condition) and 6.03 million have died (up by 4,829).

Thailand ranks 33rd in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 80.98 million, followed by India with 42.97 million, Brazil with 29.07 million, France with 23.07 million and the UK with 19.25 million.

Published : March 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013139

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday summoned Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang to inquire about public complaints that they are unable to seek Covid-19 treatment in the capital.

Prayut told reporters that he had called the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration chief to a meeting at Government House in the morning.

“I called him here to find out about the Covid-19 situation,” Prayut said.

“I asked him what he would do about people complaining they lacked access to treatment.”

Prayut said the BMA governor replied that he would look into the details of the public complaints and the Covid-19 treatment made available by the BMA.

Prayut said the public complaints might also be a result of misunderstanding about the new measure that would regard infected people with no or mild symptoms as outpatients. Under the latest measure, people can get treatment from state hospitals and they will be administered drug according to their symptoms and they will be sent home to recover.

Earlier, several activist groups claimed that many people could not access Covid-19 treatments in Bangkok as city hospitals were refusing to admit them.

Prayut said the media should help explain the new measure to the public.

Earlier, the Public Health Ministry had announced that if Bangkok hospitals were too crowded, infected people with mild or no symptoms could visit state hospitals in 19 provinces around Bangkok and get treated free of charge.

Published : March 07, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013137

The last group of 27 Thais are finally heading home from war-ravaged Ukraine, the Royal Thai Embassy in Warsaw announced in a Facebook post on Monday.

Of them, 14 had taken Qatar Airways flight QR836 and landed in Suvarnabhumi Airport at 2.40pm on Monday. Another 12 evacuees are set to board Thai Airways’ TG971 flight on Monday, which is scheduled to arrive in Thailand at 6.50am on Tuesday.

The embassy said the last Thai national will be picked up later in the afternoon from the evacuation centre in the Ukraine city of Lviv and escorted to the Polish capital before being sent home.

The embassy also thanked relevant government agencies in Thailand and Ukrainian employers for helping evacuate 230 Thai nationals.

The embassy has also advised Thais who have chosen to stay in Ukraine with their families to leave the war-torn country as soon as possible.

They are invited to contact the embassy via its Line account or call (+48) 696 642 348 if they need assistance.

Published : March 07, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013136

Many people worldwide are paying attention to “long Covid” symptoms among patients, as it also affects their relatives and the country, Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine lecturer Thira Woratanarat wrote in a Facebook post on Monday.

Long Covid is a condition where some people infected with Covid-19 experience lingering symptoms for many weeks or even months after they begin to recover.

Thira said it also placed a burden on the country’s public health system and long-term expenditure.

Citing medical reports, Thira pointed out that patients who develop long Covid symptoms will face many problems, such as difficulties in accessing services, returning to full-time work, maintaining relationships and engaging in daily life activities.

He added that Australian researchers have urged the government and people to pay attention to long Covid symptoms, as it could have an impact on patients in the long term, citing an academic article published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

He advised people to take precautions against being infected by Covid-19, by wearing a face mask, maintaining distance from others, avoiding eating or drinking with others, and taking a day off if they feel sick.

“In addition, the government should urgently implement policies and measures to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases to reduce the number of patients who could suffer from long Covid symptoms,” he said.

Published : March 07, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40013134

The National Health Security Office (NHSO) announced on Monday that people who test positive using rapid antigen test kits (ATK) can isolate at home without having to confirm their infection with an RT-PCR test.

However, those who still want to confirm their infection with the more accurate RT-PCR test can get a free one at the following locations in Bangkok:

• Chatuchak

Chatuchak All-Age Happiness Creation Centre (call (091) 884 3231)

Pracha Niwet Sports Centre (call (098) 270 0825)

• Sathorn

Wat Suthiwararam (call (086) 957 3514)

• Suan Luang

Wat Pak Bor (call (098) 270 0825)

• Prawet

Nong Bon Flood Mitigation Operation Centre (call (098) 270 0825)

• Bang Khor Laem

Wat Sai (call (066) 005 2868)

• Nong Chok

Nong Chok All-Age Happiness Creation Centre (call (082) 348 7468 and (095) 470 3205)

• Lat Krabang

Jong Kua Yian shop (call (091) 884 3231)

• Saphan Sung

Saphan Sung All-Age Happiness Creation Centre (call (091) 884 3231)

• Bangkok Noi

Wat Srisudaram (call (087) 331 0968)

• Thawi Watthana

Thawi Watthana All-Age Happiness Creation Centre (call (087) 166 2626)

• Klong San

A mobile unit under Memorial Bridge on the Thonburi side (call (02) 023 9900)

• Bang Khun Thian

Bang Khun Thian All-Age Happiness Creation Centre (call (087) 166 2626 and (086) 303 1979)

• Bang Khae

Erawan field hospital (096-010-3099)

To be eligible for the free RT-PCR test, patients are required to present the actual ATK cassette showing a positive result or a photograph of it and their national ID card.

The list of places where free RT-PCR tests and ATK kits are provided in Bangkok and upcountry is regularly updated on the covid-lab.com website.

Published : March 07, 2022