For Valentine’s Day this year, Bangkokians have the option of soaking in the beauty of 50,000 blooms in Queen Sirikit Park in Chatuchak district. The park has been developed as a new lung for the metropolis.
“There are more than 40,000 pots of hollyhocks in different colours across the park’s 197-rai area,” the Bangkok Environmental Office said in a Facebook post on Monday. “Other flowers that will also bloom throughout February are celosia, wishbone flowers, sulphur cosmos, American marigold, French marigold and small duck orchids.”
Established in 1992, Queen Sirikit Park is believed to be one of the most complete botanical gardens in Thailand. It possesses high biodiversity and sports a large variety of butterflies and plants, including banana cultivars, palm trees, hibiscus, lotuses, more than 200 species of waterlilies and a vast variety of rare plants along with plant species endemic to Thailand.
The park is open daily from 5am to 7pm. Visitors are required to adhere to Covid-19 prevention measures, including wearing facemasks and checking in via the Thai Chana platform.
In a Facebook announcement on Monday, Phulangka National Park said that only 500 people will be allowed to enter Naga Cave per day and that all visitors must make a reservation via the QueQ app.
The announcement came after hundreds of Thai tourists found themselves stranded waiting to get down the mountain after visiting the cave.
The Naga Cave, located in Bueng Kan’s Bung Khong Long district, is part of the Phulangka National Park and is known for its scale-like markings and a rock that looks like the mystical serpent, the Naga. Thais believe a visit to the cave brings them good luck and reveals lucky lottery numbers.
The Phulangka National Park said that from Monday onwards, all visitors are required to show their ID card along with proof of reservation via the app at the park entrance. Visitors are also required to produce evidence of at least two Covid-19 vaccine shots or evidence they have recovered from the virus over the past three months. Alternatively, visitors can also present a negative RT-PCR test taken in the previous 72 hours or a negative ATK result in 24 hours.
Entry fees are 20 baht for Thai nationals (10 baht for children aged three to 14 and free for toddlers) and 200 baht for foreigners (100 baht for children aged three to 14). Thai visitors are required to pay 10 baht per person for insurance, while foreigners pay 40 baht per person.
Park chief Damras Phoprasit told Kom Chad Luek newspaper on Monday evening that he is having the incident of people being stranded on Saturday investigated.
Officials who were responsible for screening visitors have been suspended pending investigation.
“The Naga Cave can only accommodate about 500 visitors per day, and we try not to exceed this number to prevent overcrowding during descent,” he said. “Under the new rule, the number of visitors will be strictly capped at 500 per day and nobody will be allowed in after 3pm. All guides and park officials are required to adhere to this rule or they will be suspended.”
Two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine can boost the recipient’s immunity against the virus by 65 per cent and reduce the chance of developing severe symptoms or death by 88 per cent, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said on Monday.
“Those who received two jabs and then a booster are 94 per cent less likely to contract the virus, and 98 per cent less likely to develop severe symptoms or die from the infection,” DDC expert Dr Thaweesub Sirapraphasiri said.
The DDC has been studying data from vaccine recipients and Covid-19 patients in Thailand from July to December 2021, when Delta was the dominant variant and had sparked a third and fourth wave of infections in the country.
The study also found that those who had received two jabs of the vaccine in July and August are likely to have their immunity against the virus drop to around 50 per cent by November or December. However, their immunity shot up to over 90 per cent after receiving a booster shot in November or December.
The DDC conducted another study in January 2022, when the highly transmissible Omicron became the dominant strain and began spreading across Thailand.
This study, which was only conducted in Chiang Mai, showed that people who had received three Covid-19 vaccines found their immunity against Omicron rise by 68 per cent on average. Also, there was no significant difference in efficacy among vaccines.
For instance, two jabs of Sinovac followed by an AstraZeneca booster increased the recipient’s immunity by 78 per cent.
Two Sinovac shots followed by a Pfizer booster gave recipients 63 per cent immunity. Two Sinopharm shots and a Pfizer booster increased immunity by 66 per cent. Two AstraZeneca shots and a Pfizer booster increased immunity by 62 per cent. A combo of Sinovac and AstraZeneca followed by AstraZeneca booster increased recipients’ immunity by 68 per cent.
All combinations still help reduce the chance of death from the virus by 96 per cent.
“These studies show that two doses of the vaccine are effective against Covid-19, but the efficacy will reduce after a few months,” Thaweesub said. “Therefore, people who have received their two shots should get a booster of any kind as that will help reduce the chance of them developing severe symptoms and death in case of infection.”
Ministry of Public Health reported on Tuesday (February 8) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 10,398 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 202 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.
Death toll increased by 17, while 8,922 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 294,434.
The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 2,517,869 – 2,401,306 of whom have recovered, 94,243 are still in hospitals and 22,320 have died.
Separately, another 21,782 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 31,719 their second shot and 331,689 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 117,479,975.
According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 398.52 million on Tuesday, 318.06 million of whom have recovered, 74.69 million are active cases (90,367 in severe condition) and 5.77 million have died (up by 8,126).
Thailand ranks 30th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 78.37 million, followed by India with 42.33 million, Brazil with 26.61 million, France with 20.8 million and the UK with 17.87 million.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia has accepted Thai government’s invitation to visit Thailand, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said on Monday.
The Crown Prince will become the first Saudi royal to visit Thailand in an official capacity, following the state visit made by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on January 25-26. No date was given for the trip.
Don said Crown Prince Salman had conversed personally with Prayut over a state dinner, discussing everything from official topics to Salman’s recent purchase of Newcastle Football Club in the Premier League.
Thailand will stage a lavish state ceremony for Salman in reciprocation for the welcome given to Prayut during his two-day stay in the desert Kingdom, Don said.
During the visit, officials from both kingdoms will meet to work on various bilateral projects, Don said.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has contradicted reports that the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) plans to ease restrictions at its next meeting.
He said though there were 10,000 new cases a day, the ministry has already assessed and foreseen this situation as the Omicron variant is more contagious than previous strains, but less severe.
As more Thai people are getting vaccinated, the number of serious cases and deaths has declined, Anutin said.
He said Thailand is considered among countries that have controlled the disease well and effectively. He said the key thing was reaching the target number for vaccination.
As of December 2021, Thailand had a daily total of 3,500-4,000 new cases, but the mortality rate remains the same even now though daily cases have more than doubled.
“I recently had a discussion with the US Ambassador to Thailand about the coronavirus situation. He said one thing clear in Thailand’s actions is that we provide information in a transparent and straightforward manner. We also expect people to help the government prevent and manage the epidemic. We, therefore, disclose the information in its entirety to make society aware and understand the situation. We provide vaccines in time according to plan with efficiency and safety,” Anutin said.
He added that there will be no issue of shortage of vaccines as there is adequate stock.
The completion of an integrated police-civilian operation will enable victims of online frauds to lodge complaints with local police across the country, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) said on Monday.
The joint operation between the DES and the police’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) is expected to help cope with increasingly rampant online and technology crimes in addition to offline schemes, including so-called call-centre scams and phishing, DES Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn told a press conference on Monday.
The DES is conducting a workshop in which 381 TCSD officers received online training on ethics, enforcement of anti-cybercrime law and computer forensics. The trainees will be dispatched to police precincts and commands across the country to work with local officers in receiving complaints from victims and conducting subsequent investigations locally.
TCSD currently works on cases and complaints submitted centrally by victims, whereas the new joint TCSD-DES operation in the near future will see an integrated civilian-police operation serving the public locally and expected to tackle crimes more efficiently, minister said.
Chaiwut said a ministerial regulation has been endorsed by the Cabinet and will soon be in effect to tackle many crimes, especially production and distribution of fake news or content with the potential to create hate and sow division among members of Thai society.
The Department of Fisheries has suspended fishing in the central Gulf of Thailand for 90 days from February 15 to protect spawning species and boost marine stocks.
The three-month suspension runs until May 15 and covers seas off Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Surat Thani.
A survey of mackerel last year found that the ban offered effective protection for spawning fish in the gulf. The average length of spawning mackerel is 18.5 centimetres, making them vulnerable to net fishing. The area targeted by the three-month closure is also rich in other economically important species.
The ban will allow the larvae of mackerel and other species to grow undisturbed in prime spawning stretches such as Khao Mong Lai peninsula to Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
Truckers planning to block Bangkok roads to protest the high price of diesel postponed the rally for 24 hours on Monday, giving the government a reprieve but promising a bigger rally on Tuesday.
Truckers and owners of land transport businesses are threatening to park their vehicles at various locations in the capital, including outside the Energy Ministry in Chatuchak district.
The Land Transportation Association of Thailand (LTAT) said on Monday that its “Truck Power Final Season” campaign to demand the government caps diesel at Bt25 per litre for a year will take place Tuesday on a larger scale.
The government rejected the demand, saying it could not provide the Bt20 billion per month required to reduce the price by Bt5 per litre. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said military trucks were on standby to provide transport if private truck owners strike.
No Thai government has allowed the diesel price to rise above Bt30 per litre, as this would lead to a spike in the cost of living and economic harm due to higher transport costs.
The LTAT said trucks will converge at three major road junctions outside Bangkok at 10 am on Tuesday before moving to the Energy Ministry. It gave no reason for cancelling Monday’s rally.
Police had advised motorists to avoid the original rally route, from Bang Sue Grand Station to Khlong Toey.
Thailand is speeding up development of apps that serve the public in a bid to raise the Kingdom’s global e-government ranking.
Last year, Thailand ranked 57th out of 193 countries in the E-Government Development Index, coming third in Asean behind Singapore and Malaysia.
To boost that ranking, the Digital Government Development Agency (DGA) will this year accelerate collaboration with 20 ministries to provide services in six fields, DGA director Supot Tiarawut said.
The new apps will give access to education, health and medicine, agriculture, SME support, transparency, public participation and good governance, and public services.
The DGA will also push for a five-year digital government development plan (2023-2027) aimed at raising Thailand’s e-government ranking to second in Asean, Supot added.
The development plan has targeted a satisfaction level of 80 per cent public among users of digital government services. The plan will also expand e-government services to cover labour, environment, the justice system and tourism.
The DGA has already developed the Thang Rat (Government Ways) app, through which the public can access 49 services under 29 government agencies. These include social security payments, government subsidies, and support payments for newborn children.
Thang Rat also provides 31 services related to schools, labour and other sectors.
The app has been downloaded 169,332 times and used 1.17 million times.
It will soon give access for monthly elderly and disabled allowances, traffic fines payment, driving licence information, and vehicle registration tax.
The DGA also developed the ThailandPlus to boost Covid-19 safety for travellers.
So far, 268,656 foreigners have registered for the app.
Mor Chana and the Thailand Pass app for tourists were also developed by the DGA.
Last year, the DGA also collaborated with the Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Ministry to develop a digital platform to prevent diploma forgery.
He said 39 universities will this year provide digital diplomas to 160,000 graduates.
The DGA is also developing a platform for government agencies to exchange information, a central government cloud system, a platform for storing people’s welfare information, and online databases of farmers and agricultural information.
The DGA is also collaborating with the Public Sector Development Commission to provide a one-stop digital service to certify 78 different licences for 25 types of businesses. A total of 597 businesses have filed 1,119 applications via the new service, Supot said.
Meanwhile the DGA has developed a digital ID and e-signature system to speed up business transactions, he added.
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