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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012134

Workers in the agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors face the risk of being unemployed in the near future due to a decline in working hours of between 0-24 hours per week, according to a National Statistical Office (NSO) survey on employment in the fourth quarter of 2021.

It said the number of workers at risk of being unemployed in the fourth quarter last year increased to 2.61 million, higher than 2.56 million people in the same period of 2020.

The office went on to say that the employment situation in the fourth quarter of 2021 improved, thanks to the government’s move to ease Covid-19 prevention measures, which enabled more labourers to get back their jobs in especially the service, trade and manufacturing sectors.

“The employment rate in the fourth quarter last year was 66.3 per cent,” the NSO said. “Most labourers worked in the service, trade, agriculture and manufacturing sectors, respectively.”

However, NSO director-general Piyanuch Wuttisorn said that though the employment rate is likely to improve, it is necessary to keep an eye on long-term unemployment of more than a year, which will indicate the severity of unemployment.

“In the fourth quarter of 2021, the long-term unemployment rate was 0.4 per cent, higher than 0.2 in the third quarter,” she explained. “Long-term unemployment mostly occurred for people aged 15-24 and 25-34, respectively.”

Piyanuch said the number of long-term unemployed people in the fourth quarter last year was 118,000, higher than 35,000 during the same period the previous year.

“Most of the long-term unemployed were aged 15-30,” she added.

Published : February 09, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012119

The long-anticipated decision allowing Thai households to grow marijuana was officially made on Tuesday when Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a ministerial announcement endorsing the move to remove the plant from the Category 5 narcotics list.

The Nation Thailand has gathered key information to answer the questions of those who want to cultivate the once-illegal plant in their gardens or backyards .

Question: When can I start growing marijuana at home?

Answer: Household planting can start in the next 120 days, once the the Royal Gazette announces that marijuana has been removed from the blacklist.

Question: Do I have to inform the authorities before growing it?

Answer: Prior to growing, you must notify the public health office in your province of how many marijuana plants you intend to grow, where exactly they will be grown, and for what purpose. The office will then forward the proposal to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). You can start growing marijuana only after the FDA gives the green light.

Question: What is the limit on growing marijuana at home?

Answer: Individual households can grow up to six marijuana plants. However, those who have registered with the government as a community enterprise (7 people) can grow an unlimited number.

Question: What are the allowed usages of home-grown marijuana?

Answer: People can grow marijuana at home for the propose of medical use and as an ingredient in other products. Sales of marijuana and its extraction for consumption is strictly prohibited to persons under 20 years old, pregnant women, nursing women and other individuals announced by the Public Health Ministry.

It is notable that a law aimed at preventing general abuse of marijuana products, including the use for recreational purposes, has been passed by the House of Representatives and is awaiting the prime minister’s approval.

Question: What are other limitations regarding the extraction/processing of marijuana?

Answer: All extraction, processing, sales, import and export of marijuana will need to be approved by the FDA first. The concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana products must remain lower than 0.2 per cent.

Question: Can I advertise my home-grown marijuana?

Answer: All forms of advertisement of home-grown marijuana is prohibited, except for those that have been approved by the FDA.

Question: What other plants are still on the Category 5 narcotics list?

Answer: Opium, psilocybin or magic mushroom, and cannabis extract with more than 0.2 per cent of THC are still on the list of illicit drugs.

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Published : February 09, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012117

The alcoholic beverage impact prevention network submitted a letter to Parliament President Chuan Leekpai, opposition chief Sutin Klangsaeng and coalition chief Nirot Soonthornlekha on Tuesday, asking them to consider three drafts of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act at the same time.

The first, proposed by Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi assistant professor Charoen Charoenchai and 10,942 citizens, was included in a Parliament session on Wednesday.

The second draft proposed by network coordinator Teerapat Kahawong and 92,978 citizens has been under online public hearing since February 4, while the third, proposed by the Public Health Ministry, is currently under Cabinet consideration.

“Hence, we would like to inform the Parliament president, opposition and coalition chiefs that three drafts of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act should be considered at the same time,” Teerapat said.

The main draft of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act focuses on reducing the impact of alcoholic beverages on people, especially advertisement control under Section 32, as manufacturers use their logos to produce other products, such as drinking water and soda, which could be linked to their alcoholic beverages.

There are also many improvements in the draft act, such as enabling officers to fine drinkers, specifying roles of alcoholic beverage sellers, granting rights to get compensation from drunk drivers, implementing rehabilitation measures for alcohol addicts and promoting public sector participation to tackle alcohol related issues.

Published : February 09, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012116

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a central budget of 3.15 billion baht to be paid to village health and public health volunteers in a bid to raise their morale in the battle against Covid-19.

Deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul said 1,039,729 village health volunteers and 10,577 public health volunteers would receive 500 baht each for six months from October 2021 to March 2022 in addition to the current 1,000 baht per month.

She said these volunteers would perform additional duties to contain the spread of Covid-19, such as informing the public about the situation as it develops, creating awareness about Covid-19 vaccines and boosters, conducting surveys to enable people to receive their jabs and monitoring patients at home or in community isolation facilities.

Traisulee Traisoranakul

“This aims to ensure community safety, create awareness among people and boost the volunteers’ morale,” she added.

The Public Health Ministry appointed village health and public health volunteers to monitor and contain the spread of Covid-19 in communities since February 2020.

So far, the volunteers have created awareness of the situation among 7.42 million people, screened 1.09 million at risk of infection, contacted 14 million households, sent 3,514 patients to public health facilities, reported Covid-19 ATK test results 37,643 times and invited precisely 14,864,145 people aged 60 or above and people with chronic diseases to receive their first jabs and 9,638,559 to get a second jab.

Published : February 09, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012114

The PM2.5 dust level exceeded the standard value in 20 Bangkok areas on Wednesday and might affect some people’s health, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Air Quality website reported.

It advised residents to avoid outdoor activities and areas with high air pollution. People should use protective equipment if necessary or consult a doctor if they have any symptoms.

Meanwhile, AirVisual’s Air Quality Index revealed that Bangkok’s air quality on Wednesday was the 30th highest in the globe.

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Thailand’s cool, dry winter brings back PM2.5 pollution woes

Published : February 09, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012108

Nearly 900,000 Southeast Insurance and Thai Insurance customers have registered to get their premiums back after the two companies filed motions with the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) to shut down their business.

Both are subsidiaries of Thai Group Holdings, which had announced the termination of its insurance businesses in late January due to an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 claims.

The group has reportedly paid more than 9.9 billion baht in Covid-19 claims.

In an announcement issued on Tuesday, the companies said about 889,000 customers have registered to get their Covid-19 premiums back. Some 387,000 customers have been approved so far.

Southeast Insurance and Thai Insurance will start disbursing the full amounts from Wednesday (February 9), they said.

The companies had opened registration for customers who wished to get their premiums back since February 1 at 75 branches nationwide, via the 1726 call centre or official Line account @Southeast.th.

“Customers who do not wish to withdraw their premiums will still be covered for Covid-19 as long as the companies still operate their insurance businesses,” the two firms said.

The OIC has yet to approve the companies’ motion to shut down their insurance businesses and has ordered them to submit necessary documents pertaining to plans to compensate customers and manage their debts. Until the motion is approved, Southeast Insurance and Thai Insurance are still considered to be in the insurance business and therefore are required by law to provide coverage to customers with active policies.

Related News

OIC gives insurance firms 7 days to submit necessary documents for closure approval

Motion to close Southeast Insurance still under probe, assures OIC

Insurers delaying Covid payments face THB20,000 daily fine, warns OIC

Published : February 09, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012105

Tak’s Mae Sot police station launched a “Mae Sot Smart Safety Zone 4.0” campaign on Tuesday by installing CCTV cameras in three communities to enhance the safety of locals and tourists as well as to monitor traffic.

“The CCTV camera is fitted on a metal ‘SOS pole’ which has an emergency button that people can press to call police in case of emergency,” said Mae Sot police station chief Pol Colonel Monsak Kaew-on.

“Mae Sot has been selected by the Royal Thai Police to pilot this campaign in three communities covering an area of 0.23 square kilometers. They are Wat Luang, Ruam Jai and Islamic communities.”

Monsak added that the campaign aims to use modern technology such as CCTV cameras and a network system to enhance the capability of police surveillance and help prevent crimes and facilitate traffic flow.

The police will reach out to locals and tourists to teach them how to use the SOS poles properly to report crimes or ask for police assistance.

As part of its initiative to actively prevent crimes at the community level, the Royal Thai Police is planning to expand its Smart Safety Zone 4.0 to all provinces should the pilot campaign prove successful. One police station in each province will be selected to be a central agency in monitoring the CCTV camera network throughout the province.

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Tight security in Mae Sot after clashes break out in Myawaddy

Mentally unstable Myanmar migrant freezes to death in Mae Sot

First batch of Myanmar refugees returns home

Published : February 09, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40012098

Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday (February 9) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 13,182 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 139 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 24, while 8,571 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 307,616.
 

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 2,531,051 – 2,409,877 of whom have recovered, 98,830 are still in hospitals and 22,344 have died.

Separately, another 38,732 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 48,034 their second shot and 423,077 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 117,989,818.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 401.17 million on Wednesday, 320.96 million of whom have recovered, 74.43 million are active cases (89,919 in severe condition) and 5.78 million have died (up by 11,785).

Thailand ranks 30th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 78.56 million, followed by India with 42.41 million, Brazil with 26.78 million, France with 20.8 million and the UK with 17.93 million.

Published : February 09, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012097

Deputy Interior Minister Niphon Boonyamanee has sought two weeks to summarise details of the Green Line, as there were still problems with the installation of two steel bridges, before resubmitting to the Cabinet.

The Cabinet has deferred consideration of the draft contract to invest in the MRT Green Line project, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

The Interior Ministry, which oversees the BMA, also had sought approval for extension of the concession for the Bangkok Skytrain operated by Bangkok Mass Transit System Pcl (BTSC), a subsidiary of BTS Group Holdings Pcl. 
The ministry had proposed extension of the concession for another 30 years — from 2029 to 2059 — subject to BTSC committing to freezing the maximum fare at Bt65.

Speaking after the meeting on Tuesday, Niphon said that the Cabinet had asked the Interior Ministry to review the details of the Transport Ministry’s comments, especially the issue of the installation of a steel bridge at the Hatairat intersection and Phutthamonthon Sai 2 intersection.

The ministry will quickly go back and look at all the information to summarise and present it to the Cabinet again within two weeks, Niphon said.

Published : February 08, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40012096

Phetchaburi has swung into action to defuse a population explosion among monkeys that is increasingly impacting human residents and tourists.

The central province boasts at least 1,000-1,500 macaques per district, rising to 3,000 in the prime primate real estate of Muang district. And the famously promiscuous habits of the simian swingers means these figures are climbing every week.

Locals complain that marauding bands of monkeys present a threat to hygiene and the tourism industry.

While the cheeky macaques are undoubtedly a draw for visitors, they rarely show fear of their human cousins and can snatch valuables such as phones or sunglasses if allowed to get close enough. Phetchaburi residents are getting increasingly fed up with this anti-social behaviour, saying it presents a danger to life and property. Macaques can also carry diseases including rabies.

Heeding locals’ complaints, Yuthaphon Angkinan recently paid a visit to the macaque population control project at Wat Kuti School in the north of the province.

An adviser to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Yuthaphon declared that local monkey gangs are now being controlled via sterilisation. They are also being examined randomly for diseases, he added.

The project has captured 600 macaques over the past 12 months. The monkeys are sterilised before being set free. Blood samples taken from 10 per cent of the creatures are also screened for diseases.

Published : February 08, 2022

By : THE NATION