Eight provinces in the South may suffer flash flooding from heavy rains expected to hit the region for four days from Friday, the Phatthalung Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.
Heavy rains have been forecast for Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
“All boats and water vessels should proceed with caution, preferably remain anchored as thundershowers are expected to push waves up to three metres,” the office said on Friday, citing the Meteorological Department.
People have been advised to follow the weather forecast and updates from government agencies regularly.
A fire on Thursday evening at about 5pm destroyed the Chaisith Container and Paper Core factory in Samut Prakan’s Bang Bo district while collapsing structures injured five firefighters, one seriously.
The firefighter in critical condition is being treated in a hospital nearby.
It took more than five hours to get the blaze under control, though as of press time firefighters were still spraying the embers to ensure the fire is not reignited.
The factory is located on a 20-rai plot of land on Bangna-Trat Road and its paper products served as fuel, causing the blaze to spread rapidly.
The area around the factory has been blocked to outsiders and marked as a hazard zone.
A company representative estimates the damage at more than 100 million baht. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined and investigators are expected to check the premises later today (December 3).
Chiang Mai Public Health Office has offered cocktail vaccine of choice to those who have yet to receive any Covid-19 jabs from now until December 5, Dr Songyos Khamchai, chief of disease control at the office said on Thursday.
“Recipients can choose to receive one of the following vaccine cocktails for first and second jabs: Pfizer + Pfizer, AstraZeneca + Pfizer, and Sinovac + AstraZeneca,” he said. “Those who choose the first cocktail must be 12 years old and over, while the two others require candidates who are 18 years old and over.”
People who are interested in second and third cocktails can walk-in and get a jab at all district vaccination units. Residents of Muang district can also get a jab at Central Plaza Chiang Mai Airport, Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital, Suang Prung Hospital and Mother and Child Hospital. “The first jab of Pfizer vaccine for those who choose the first cocktail will be available at vaccination units in Central Festival Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai University on December 3 only,” he added.
Songyos also said that since April this year Chiang Mai has recorded total Covid-19 deaths of 130 persons, 85 per cent of whom have never received a vaccine and were in high-risk groups. “Elders aged over 60 and those who have underlying health problems should get vaccinated immediately to prevent severe symptoms and deaths from Covid-19,” he warned.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is monitoring the Covid-19 situation both globally and in the province closely after Thailand has banned visitors from eight African countries to prevent the spreading of Omicron: a new, more easily transmissible Covid-19 variant being reported on November 24 in South Africa, said BMA permanent secretary Khajit Chatchawanich on Thursday.
“Public health offices in all districts have been instructed to work together with related agencies to keep track of Covid-19 situation in their areas while staying alert for the emergence of Omicron cases,” he said. “BMA also urged general public to adhere to the Covid-19 universal prevention practices to keep themselves and their family safe from Covid-19.”
The Covid-19 universal prevention practices are:
Leave your home only when necessary.
Keep a distance of 1-2 meters from others.
Wear facemasks at all times when in a place with more than two persons.
Wash your hands regularly with soap or alcohol sanitizer, especially before eating and after using the toilet.
Avoid touching your face or facemask unnecessarily.
Elders and those with health problems should avoid public places as much as possible.
Regularly clean and disinfect contact surfaces in your home.
Separate your personal items from others.
Eat only freshly cooked food and use serving spoons.
If you are in high-risk group, take Covid-19 test via ATK method regularly.
Ministry of Public Health reported on Friday (December 3) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 4,912 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 157 of whom have been found in prisons.
Death toll increased by 33, while 5,844 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.
The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 2,130,641 – 2,037,000 of whom have recovered, 72,761 are still in hospitals and 20,880 have died.
Separately, another 207,136 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 246,818 their second shot and 73,178 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 94,280,248.
According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 264.47 million on Friday, 238.49 million of whom have recovered, 20.73 million are active cases (87,000 in severe condition) and 5.25 million have died (up by 7,095).
Thailand ranks 24th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 49.72 million, followed by India with 34.61 million, Brazil with 22.12 million, the UK with 10.33 million and Russia with 9.7 million.
The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Friday (December 3) that the rather strong high-pressure system covers upper Thailand. Cool to cold weather and strong winds are forecast in the areas, with a drop in temperature by 1-2 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the rather strong northeast monsoon prevails over the Gulf and the South while the monsoon trough lies across Malaysia. Isolated heavy rains are likely over the lower South. People should beware of the severe condition and rain accumulation that may cause overflows and flash floods.
Waves in the Gulf of Thailand are 2 meters high and more than 2 meters high during thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:
North: Cool to cold weather; temperature lows of 13-19 degrees and highs of 26-31 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 5-10 degrees Celsius with frost in some areas.
Northeast: Cool to cold weather with strong winds; temperature lows of 12-17 degrees and highs of 26-29 degrees Celsius. Temperature on hilltops is likely to drop to 7-12 degrees Celsius.
Central: Cool weather with strong winds; temperature lows of 18-21 degrees, highs of 27-31 degrees Celsius.
East: Cool weather with strong winds; temperature lows of 18-22 degrees, highs of 29-32 degrees Celsius; waves a meter high and 1-2 meters offshore.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 22-24 degrees, highs of 28-30 degrees Celsius; waves 2 meters high and over 2 meters during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 28-31 degrees Celsius; waves a meter high and 1-2 meters offshore.
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Cool weather with strong winds; temperature lows of 20-22 degrees, highs of 28-31 degrees Celsius.
The Commerce Ministry will press charges against imposters sending SMS messages to people claiming that the ministry will provide them with part-time jobs or give them money if they send friend requests, the ministry’s deputy spokesperson Lalida Jiwananthaprawat said on Thursday.
“The Commerce Ministry will absolutely take action against the perpetrators because it is a false claim using the name of the ministry without permission, causing damage to people and affecting the reputation of the ministry,” she said.
“Do not believe such messages, and please check with the ministry first to prevent further damage,” Lalida said.
In late November, many people complained about receiving a fake SMS message from the “Commerce Ministry”, inviting them to do part-time jobs or offering special money for people who send friend requests to the ministry via the Line application.
If the Omicron variant spreads in the country and the situation threatens to spiral out of control, booster vaccination shots may be necessary while the period between doses will have to be reduced, Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha said on Thursday.
But, he said, the rate of infection is not clear enough right now to conclude that the government will change its vaccination policy.
It has been found that countries with high rates of infection are those with low or poor vaccination rates, Satit pointed out.
He said that he personally feels mass immunity might not help in the case of Omicron. Therefore, the first and second doses of vaccines need to be 90 per cent effective from the current 70 per cent to prevent severe symptoms or death.
The House of Representatives voted in favour of a motion to set up an extraordinary committee to consider the opening of entertainment complexes, or casinos, to find new sources of income from foreign tourists visiting the country.
Acommittee of 60 people is being set up for the purpose.
Opposition and government MPs proposed a total of 12 motions, with 310 in favour, 9 against and 10 abstaining.
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