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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011328

More than 200,000 kilograms of frozen pork were found stored at a rented cold storage in southern Songkhla province, sources said on Thursday.

The discovery comes amid a sharp spike in pork prices following a suspected outbreak of the highly contagious African swine fever (ASF), which was initially denied by relevant authorities.

Officials found that the Songkhla cold storage, where 200,000kg of frozen pork had been discovered, had failed to report its pork stocks as required by the Commerce Ministry’s January 10 order.

Songkhla’s chief commerce official, Chatsuda Chumsang, said legal action would be taken against the cold storage owner, Piti Seafood Co Ltd, for the lapse. The company claims it was unaware of the ministerial order, she added.

However, the official clarified that no charge of hoarding would be filed against the company as its records showed regular distribution of pork from its cold storage.

Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit has ordered ministry officials to conduct checks on pork stocks at cold storages in their provinces across the country.

The owner of any cold storage who fails to correctly report the quantity of frozen pork at their facilities risks a maximum imprisonment of one year or a fine not exceeding Bt20,000, in addition to a daily fine of Bt2,000 until they can meet the requirement.

Anyone found to be hoarding goods faces a jail term of up to seven years, a maximum fine of Bt140,000, or both.

The Central Committee on the Price of Goods and Services recently set a requirement for raisers of 500 pigs or more and people having or storing at least 5,000 kilograms of pork to report the volume and price every seven days, from January 10 onwards.

In Songkhla, provincial governor Jessada Jitrat on Thursday led a team of officials, including local police, to inspect a cold storage in Chana district following a tipoff that a massive amount of pork was hoarded there.

A total of 201,650kg of pork valued at over Bt50 million was found at the cold storage. The pork was linked to a company in southern Phatthalung province.

After the discovery, Songkhla authorities said they would conduct checks at all cold storages in the province as a deterrent against hoarding.

Meanwhile in Bangkok, similar checks were conducted by a team of Commerce Ministry officials led by permanent secretary Boonyarit Kalayanamit.

The ministry’s officials and police from Consumer Protection Police Division inspected the Pitcha Meat Group cold storage in Min Buri district but found nothing suspicious.

Published : January 20, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011326

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Thursday approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children 5-11 years old.

CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin said the children will be inoculated with orange-cap formula vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech.

The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for kids 5 to 11 years of age, which comes in a multiple-dose vial with orange cap and a label with orange border, has been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration.

Taweesilp said the CCSA agreed with the plan to revive and merge databases of various agencies to a unified online database of 69.60 million Thais and foreigners in the country who are eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccine from the government. The number includes 68.60 million Thais and foreigners who have the right to receive medical treatment from the National Health Security Office and 0.9 million Thais and people without nationality who do not have the right.

The CCSA has also approved the vaccine administration plan of 11.6 million doses for February that includes vaccinating sixth-graders nationwide with the Pfizer orange cap vaccine, which is scheduled to arrive by the end of this month.

A part of the 11.6 million doses will be used to vaccinate people in tourism pilot provinces and in orange-zone provinces. Some of the vaccine doses will be sent to Singapore and Bhutan after the two countries had earlier loaned vaccines to Thailand and some would be donated to some neighbouring and African countries, Taweesilp added.

Published : January 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011324

Police commandos swooped down on four locations and arrested 17 Chinese suspects in a coordinated operation against call-centre scammers on Thursday.

Following a request by the Chinese Embassy, a team of 20 commandos raided a condominium on Soi Sukhumvit 39 and nabbed seven suspects, said Pol Maj-General Phanthana Nutchanart, head of the Police Cyber Taskforce.

Two of the seven have arrest warrants against them issued by China.

Police also searched three other locations and apprehended ten more suspects. Six have arrest warrants issued by China.

Phanthana said his taskforce was alerted by the Chinese Embassy to locate and arrest the 17 who allegedly ran a call-centre scam in Bangkok to dupe their fellow Chinese on the mainland.

He said two wanted suspects have flown the coop and are believed to have fled the country.

The searches led to the seizure of 19 notebook computers, 79 mobile phones, 167 SIM cards, Wi-Fi network repeaters, a gadget for remitting one-time passwords, 300 items for running an online gambling site, 14 luxury watches, 10 account books, three cars and one motorcycle, Phanthana added.

Published : January 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011322

The Thai government has further relaxed Covid-19 measures in “orange” provinces as well as “blue” tourism provinces, allowing restaurants to remain open for two more hours for alcoholic drinks.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Thursday resolved to extend the time limit from 9pm to 11pm following a decline in Covid clusters from eateries and growing calls from business operators, CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said.

However, the extended drinking time applies only to restaurants that meet the “Covid-free setting” requirements under the Safety and Health Administration (SHA+) and Thai Stop Covid 2 Plus standards, the spokesman said.

During the long New Year holidays, entertainment venues operating as restaurants were blamed for a spike in new Covid cases, as many of them reportedly failed to implement strict preventive measures.

Taweesin said on Thursday that post-holiday infections linked to eateries have been on a decline after a time limit was imposed on alcohol consumption at those places.

At its meeting on Thursday, the CCSA also decided to reduce the number of “orange” provinces from 69 to 44 and “upgraded” the 25 provinces to the “yellow” zone under surveillance.

The eight “blue” tourism provinces — Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Krabi, Chonburi, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phang-nga and Phuket — remain unchanged.

Published : January 20, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011319

To the delight of tourism operators, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) decided on Thursday to resume the Test & Go scheme but modified it to suit the Omicron situation.

The revised Test & Go scheme will be reintroduced on February 1 to travellers from all countries, the CCSA announced following a meeting chaired by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Under the original scheme, which was suspended on January 7 following a surge in new Covid-19 cases after arrival of the Omicron variant, fully vaccinated foreign tourists were required to book a hotel room for just one night. They were allowed to travel freely after testing negative via RT-PCR on check-in at their hotel.

But under the updated scheme, tourists are required to book a hotel room for at least five nights. The paid booking receipt is required as evidence for applying for entry via the Thailand Pass website.

The hotels they book must possess Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus certification or be allowed to serve as Covid-19 alternative quarantine facilities.

Tourists must undergo a RT-PCR test on the first day of arrival and again on the fifth day. If they test negative, they are free to travel to their destinations, the CCSA said.

The scheme also retains the requirement for tourists to purchase health insurance worth at least US$50,000. Additionally, they must have a negative RT-PCR test result within 72 hours before departure. Kids under 6 who travel with their parents will be exempted from the test.

Tourists are also required to provide certificates of full vaccinations or medical certificates that they have contracted and recovered from Covid-19 when they apply for entry via Thailand Pass.

Tourism business operators have been calling on the government to resume the Test & Go scheme to resuscitate the dying industry. They pointed out that the sandbox schemes in Phuket and three other provinces were not enough to revive the industry.

CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin noted that the committee decided to ease restrictions after the Covid-19 situation was seen to improve and stabilise.

He said new cases after the long New Year holidays were below worst-case scenarios, when it was feared these cases would rise to some 30,000 a day after the holidays.

On Thursday, the Public Health Ministry reported that there were 8,129 new Covid-19 cases and 19 deaths in the past 24 hours.

Taweesilp said the graph of new Covid-19 fatalities was even lower than the expected projection line.

Due to the stabilised situation, the CCSA also decided to reduce the number of controlled or “orange-zone” provinces from 69 to 44, Taweesilp said.

The 25 provinces that were taken out of the orange zone were put under the “highly monitored” list of provinces, or the so-called yellow zone. Earlier, there were no provinces in this category.

People in yellow-zone provinces are allowed to consume alcohol in restaurants and events can be held with no more than 1,000 people, the doctor said.

He said the CCSA had heeded calls from business operators to extend the drinking time from 9pm to 11pm for restaurants in tourism pilot provinces, or the blue zone, as well as yellow-zone provinces.

The CCSA also heeded calls from pubs, bars and karoke shops to allow them to resume business after they adapted their venues to become restaurants.

He said these operators must obtain permission from provincial Covid-19 situation committees and their venues must meet SHA Plus or Thai Stop Covid 2 standards, while they need to enforce Covid-Free-Setting measures to be allowed to reopen as restaurants that can serve alcohol.

Due to the improved situation, the CCSA decided not to extend the Work From Home period for government agencies after this month-end, Taweesilp said.

He said large schools with 1,000 students outside orange-zone provinces may consult their provincial committees for resuming on-site studies provided they observe and implement strict Covid-19 preventive measures among students.

Published : January 20, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011320

The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Thursday said there had been no reports of 5G signals in Thailand interfering with the radio altimeter, a device used by pilots to read the aircraft’s altitude above ground during the landing process.

“Radio altimeters usually use a frequency in the range of 4.2-4.4 gigahertz, or 4,200-4,400 megahertz, while 5G signals in Thailand are on the 2.6 Ghz frequency, which is quite far from that of the aviation device,” said the statement.

“CAAT has been monitoring the issue since June 2021 after the Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] and the International Civil Aviation Organization had issued warnings to aviation authorities worldwide. Since then, there have been no reports of such an issue in Thailand, but the CAAT will keep monitoring the situation closely.”

The issue caught global media attention last week when the United States’ FAA said that some Boeing 787 passenger jets should take extra care when landing in wet or snowy conditions at airports near 5G towers.

“Interference from 5G signals could affect the planes’ altimeters, leading to delays in deploying the spoilers and thrust reversers that slow the aircraft down after landing,” the FAA said in a statement on January 14. “The presence of 5G C-Band interference can result in degraded deceleration performance, increased landing distance, and runway excursion.”

In simple terms, it suggests that an interference of signals could lead, in the worst-case scenario, to a plane running off the end of the runway.

“The issue in the United States has yet to be found in other countries, as telecom operators are usually required to use frequencies that are at least 100 to 200 Mhz away from the aviation frequency,” the CAAT said. “Furthermore, in Thailand the 5G base stations must be at least 200 metres away from aircraft landing areas to avoid creating any interference.”

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Published : January 20, 2022

By : The Star

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011308

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Environment Office has organized the “Bangkok Flora Festival” from January until July of this year as a New Year gift for Bangkok residents and to promote domestic tourism.

In January, the festival has been held at Wachirabenchathat Park, also known as Rod Fai Park in Chatuchak district, and features 30,000 sunflowers and other decorative plants in the 4-rai exhibition area.

The second phase of the festival will be held in March at Wanapirom Romklao Park in Lat Krabang district and will feature spider flowers as the highlight.

The third phase will be held in May at Mahakarn Fort Park in Phra Nakhon district. The event will focus on variety of cosmos.

The festival will be concluded in July at Chatuchak Park in Chatuchak district, where participants can appreciate the beauty of verbena finesse, among other flowers.

A total of 160,000 flowers are expected to be displayed throughout the four phases of the Bangkok Flora Festival, while participants must strictly adhere to Covid-19 preventive measures.

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New flower discovered in Ranong National Park

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Published : January 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011307

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha praised related agencies for their efforts in helping Thailand’s Andaman Sea Nature Reserves make it to Unesco’s World Heritage tentative list, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Wednesday.

The Cabinet had approved the promotion of the natural reserves on November 16 and their names were submitted to the World Heritage Centre on December 18.

“The premier also urged related agencies to pay attention to natural resources for the benefit of citizens and the country,” Thanakorn said.

The spokesman cited Prayut as saying that once the Andaman Sea Nature Reserves are made World Heritage sites, related agencies must cooperate to ensure that the area’s ecosystem is up to standard.

“We believe that the Andaman Sea Nature Reserves will be another important tourist attraction for both Thais and foreigners, which would help boost the economy and create jobs for residents in the area,” he pointed out.

The Andaman Sea Nature Reserves cover six national parks in Ranong, Phang-nga and Phuket, They are:

• Mu Ko Ranong

• Laem Son

• Mu Ko Surin

• Mu Ko Similan

• Khao Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang

• Sirinat.

Related stories:

• 6 national parks make it to Unesco World Heritage tentative list
• Cabinet greenlights proposing Andaman national parks as world heritage sites
• Thailand named 5th best in the world for cultural heritage influence

Published : January 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011306

The Public Health Ministry will not issue a school shutdown order if Covid-19 infections are found in only a few students, Department of Health deputy director-general Dr Sarawut Boonsuk said on Wednesday.

“However, a shutdown will be imposed if clusters crop up in schools,” he made it clear.

Sarawut said that if one or two confirmed cases were found in a classroom, the ministry would order the school to shut down the class for three days for a thorough clean-up. If confirmed cases were found in more than one class, the school must shut down the entire grade for three days for cleaning.

“To ensure everyone’s safety, schools may put a halt on all group activities and order students in high risk groups to take online classes only,” Sarawut said.

Since January 1 the number of infections among children aged 13-19 has risen more than children in other age groups, the Department of Health reported.

“From November 2021 to January 18, 2022, there was only one patient under 18 who died from Covid-19, which is a low mortality rate among children,” Sarawut pointed out.

So far, Thailand has vaccinated 4.5 million children in the age group of 12-18 with a first jab, or 88.4 per cent of around 5 million children in this group. Precisely 4.09 million children have received the second jab, or 79.6 per cent of this age group.

The Public Health Ministry expects to start vaccinating children aged 5-11 from mid-February.

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Covid-19 jabs for 5 to 11-year-olds in Bangkok from mid-Feb

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Published : January 20, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40011303

A key Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meeting to be held on Thursday is expected to consider easing lockdown measures and reintroducing the Test & Go scheme, a news source reported on Thursday morning.

“It is speculated that the meeting, which will be chaired by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, will approve adjustments of Covid-19 zones to reflect the current situation,” the source said.

“Some 24-27 provinces in the orange zone [high infections] will be categorised as yellow , effectively reducing orange provinces from 69 to 42-45.”

Meanwhile, the blue zone provinces, or pilot tourism areas, will stay the same at eight.

The source also speculated that the CCSA meeting would allow restaurants in blue provinces to serve alcoholic beverages until 11pm, extending the current 9pm deadline.

“The CCSA meeting will also consider resuming the Test & Go scheme that has been suspended since December 21,” the source said. “The improved scheme will have new requirements, including using a mobile application to track visitors’ movements during the first seven days of their stay in Thailand, as well as mandatory RT-PCR tests.”

The source also said the CCSA would most likely approve the extension of the Covid-19 emergency decree for two months as the current period ends on January 31.

“[But] do not expect any discussion on reopening of pubs and bars, as these venues are still considered a high risk for causing clusters,” the source added.

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Anutin mulls lowering Covid-19 alert level to 3

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Published : January 20, 2022

By : THE NATION