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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007742

The Cabinet will hold an official off-site meeting in Krabi province during November 8-9 while Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha will also inspect the progress of Smart Entry programme to prepare for the reopening of selected Southern provinces, said government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana on Tuesday.

The Smart Entry programme aims to reopen tourist provinces along the Andaman Sea including Krabi, Trang, Phang Nga, Phuket, Ranong and Satun to foreign tourists, who will be allowed to enter these areas without having to quarantine provided that they have been fully vaccinated and tested negative for Covid-19.

“The Cabinet meeting in Krabi is vital to the recovery of local economy and tourism promotion in Southern provinces,” said Thanakorn. “The Cabinet has also scheduled a meeting with local entrepreneurs to address problems and discuss the government projects in developing infrastructure as well as adding value to agricultural, livestock and fishery products to promote local economy.”
 
“The Prime Minister prioritizes the safety of Cabinet members and officials participating in the meeting and has tasked Ministry of Public Health and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to prepare the meeting venue under strict disease control measures,” he added. “The number of participants and followers will also be limited to prevent crowding.”
 

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Published : October 20, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007741

Ministry of Public Health reported on Wednesday (October 20) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 8,918 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19.

Death toll increased by 79, while 10,878 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

The country’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 1,811,852 – 1,689,859 of whom have recovered, 103,507 are still in hospitals and 18,486 have died.

Separately, another 474,097 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 485,263 their second shot and 35,421 a booster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 67,587,102.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 242.34 million on Wednesday, 219.68 million of whom have recovered, 17.73 million are active cases (78,093 in severe condition) and 4.93 million have died (up by 7,160).

Thailand ranks 24th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 46 million, followed by India with 34.11 million, Brazil with 21.66 million, the UK with 8.54 million and Russia with 8.06 million.

Published : October 20, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007734

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Wednesday (October 20) that the weak high-pressure system from China covers upper Thailand and the South China Sea while the easterly wind prevails over the Gulf of Thailand, the South and Andaman Sea. Less rain will be likely in the upper part of the country with isolated heavy rain in the South.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours is as follows:

North: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-24 degrees and highs of 30-34 degrees Celsius. 

Northeast: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-24 degrees and highs of 31-35 degrees Celsius. 

Central: Thundershowers in 20 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 21-24 degrees, highs of 31-33 degrees Celsius.

East: Thundershowers in 20 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 33-34 degrees Celsius; waves less than a meter high and 1 meter during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 23-25 degrees, highs of 32-35 degrees Celsius; waves less than a meter high and 1 meter during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rain; temperature lows of 21-25 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius; waves less than a meter high and 1 meter during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 10 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 32-34 degrees Celsius.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : October 20, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007726

State Department Counselor Derek Chollet, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kin Moi and an interagency delegation visited the Kingdom of Thailand October 18-19 for strategic discussions with senior Royal Thai Government officials and civil society leaders.

The Counsellor met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai and Secretary General of the National Security Council, General Supot Malaniyom.

Following Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent trip to Southeast Asia, Counselor Chollet’s visit highlights the importance the United States places on the region and its relationship with Thailand.  The Counselor and delegation focused their discussions on the Thai-U.S. partnership, implementing ASEAN’s Five Point Consensus, and cross-border humanitarian aid. The Counselor reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Thailand and discussed our ongoing cooperation in security, trade, environment, health, and educational sectors.

The delegation will also visit Indonesia and Singapore during this trip.

By U.S. Embassy Bangkok

Published : October 19, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40007723

The recent cluster of infections in the South is mostly based in the lower part of Songkhla province, at the point where it intersects with Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, said Dr Papon Deechaisit, deputy director of the provincial public health authority.

He said the public health authority in Songkhla can administer up to 25,000 jabs daily, and if this rate is maintained then 70 per cent of the population should be vaccinated this month.

He also said the vaccine regimen will be modified from the Sinovac-AstraZeneca cocktail to Pfizer for both jabs. Of the 120,000 students aged between 12 and 18, 92,000 have received at least their first jab, he said.

Songkhla saw 498 new infections on Tuesday, though there were no deaths. Since April this year, the province has had 41,023 Covid-19 cases and 172 deaths.

Meanwhile, Pattani led the list on Tuesday with 621 cases, followed by 602 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 455 in Yala and 453 in Narathiwat.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration has predicted that if action is not taken immediately, the number of daily cases in the deep South may hit 800-1,000 from the current rate of 500-600 infections.

Published : October 19, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/in-focus/40007722

More than 200 truck operators and drivers in Chonburi, Sisaket, Amnat Charoen and Ubon Ratchathani have gathered at the main road at 10 am on Tuesday.

Land Transport Federation of Thailand with members of truck operators across the region​ has invited their members to drive on the main roads in the north, south, and northeastern to call for the government. They demand the government to freeze the price of diesel at 25 baht per litre, reduce the excise tax by 5 baht per litre, and cancel the energy fund collection for a period of 1 year.

If the government ignores the demand, the group of operators will continue to raise the level of protest in accordance with the resolution of the Trucking Federation of Thailand.

Published : October 19, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007715

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday urged the public and private sector to help stimulate the economy by planning New Year extravaganzas with local superstars.

Before joining the Cabinet meeting, the premier spoke to the tourism and sports minister as well as members of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Tourism Council and president of the Thai Restaurant Association.

The discussion focused on key policies to boost tourism once the country opens to double-jabbed foreigners from low-risk countries on November 1.

Prayut gave the Tourism and Sports Ministry the go-ahead in seeking funding from the private sector for New Year galas.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn had said earlier that he was planning to invite Thai K-pop sensation Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban and world-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli to ring in 2022 in Phuket and Bangkok respectively.

Related news:

• TAT seeking Lisa for Phuket NY countdown
• TAT produces new guidelines for tourists heading to Thailand
• Nov 1 opening will kickstart recovery of Thai economy: Kasikorn Research Centre

Prayut wants Thailand to ring in 2022 in spectacular stylePrayut wants Thailand to ring in 2022 in spectacular style

Published : October 19, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007713

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) and Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA) came up with a new guideline on Monday to further protect credit and debit cardholders. This was in response to inexplicable deductions showing up in many accounts over the weekend.

Ajoint statement said the scammers randomly used credit and debit card data to pay for goods and services from businesses registered overseas. These transactions did not require one-time password (OTP) verification.

“Since the beginning of October, the data of 10,700 credit and debit cards had been stolen to make such transactions, though mostly debit cards were used over the past weekend,” the statement said. “Frequent transactions were made using small amounts.”

BOT and TBA have launched the following guidelines to deal with such scams:

• The bank will freeze the card and contact account holders immediately if it spots irregularly frequent transactions involving small amounts, especially with overseas businesses.

• The customer will be notified of all transactions via different channels, including mobile banking, email and SMS.

• Debit cardholders affected by scams will be refunded within five working days, while credit cardholders will not have to pay either the amount or interest incurred by irregular transactions.

• The central bank and TBA will encourage credit and debit card issuers like Visa and Mastercard to apply additional verification tools such as OTP every time a card is used, especially if it is used online.

The statement said people who spot irregular transactions can have their cards suspended or credit line changed via the card issuer’s smartphone application or by contacting the call centre.

New guidelines issued to further protect credit, debit cardholders

Related stories:

• PM orders crackdown on hackers after strange payments show up in people’s accounts
• Card issuers must be responsible for ‘inexplicable’ deduction, says central bank
• BOT maintains 2021 economic forecast, expects only 200,000 visitors this year

It also advised people to check their transactions regularly and be careful when registering their debit cards on risky platforms such as online games or websites that do not require verification.

“BOT and financial institutions will next coordinate with related agencies to boost efficiency in tracking irregular transactions,” the statement added.

Published : October 19, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007712

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced on Tuesday that 5,437,553 Bangkokians or more than 70 per cent of the city’s population have been double jabbed.

It also said that 80,303 jabs had been administered over the past 24 hours, bringing the total doses used in the capital to 14,101,289 since the vaccination drive kicked off in February.

Of the over 14 million doses administered, 8,132,826 are first jabs, 5,437,553 second jabs and 530,910 third jabs or booster shots.

The BMA’s target was to have 70 per cent of its adult population double-jabbed to build herd immunity before the city reopens to foreigners on November 1.

Based on the latest civil registration records, Bangkok has 7,699,174 residents above the age of 18, and with 5,437,553 people double-jabbed, it has surpassed its target by 48,132.

Bangkok will join 14 other provinces in the pilot phase of reopening Thailand to foreign tourists. The other provinces are Samut Prakan, Krabi, Phang Nga, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Chonburi, Ranong, Chiang Mai, Loei, Buri Ram, Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Rayong and Trat. However, some provinces are only opening destinations popular with tourists.

Under the plan, visitors travelling by air from low-risk countries will not have to quarantine but must prove they have received both jabs of an approved Covid-19 vaccine as well as produce a negative RT-PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours before flying.

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Bangkok sets up panel to support city reopening

CCSA okays reopening of 15 provinces to welcome back foreign tourists from Nov

Aswin vows to have 70% Bangkokians jabbed in time for Nov reopening

Published : October 19, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007711

Four suspects were tracked down and detained in Chanthaburi province on Tuesday morning as part of the “Chanthaboon” operation.

The team nabbed the chief of Chanthaburi’s provincial administrative organisation (PAO), Soi Dao district’s temple chief and two accomplices over alleged corruption in relation to the funding of Phutthamonthon Foundation.

At 6am on Tuesday, officials from Central Investigation Bureau and the Public-Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) along with some 100 police officers raided nine locations in the province to hunt down the suspects.

Alleged graft over Phutthamonthon Foundation leads to arrest of 4 suspectsAlleged graft over Phutthamonthon Foundation leads to arrest of 4 suspects

The operation resulted in the arrest of Chanthaburi PAO chief Thanaphon Kitkan, Wat Suthiwaree abbot Phra Khru Plad Natdanai, the foundation’s director Phuwanat Bamrungphan and Ketsiam Ruamdee, a managing partner of Siam Chang Burapha Construction Company.

The team also seized assets and related documents in the raid.

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• Where a $5 billion green incentive runs into politics of coal
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• Corruption complaint filed over lavish Samut Prakan streetlights

The case surfaced when Thanaphon approved a 30-million-baht budget for the construction of the foundation’s office in 2011-2012. He then hired Siam Chang Burapha Construction Company for 12.74 million baht. However, instead of returning the remaining funds to PAO, Thanaphon pocketed the 17.26 million baht and had Phuwanat produce a false construction contract. The abbot and the construction firm’s partner were also linked to the wrongdoing.

Initial examination also showed that the foundation had received up to 106 million baht from PAO between 2009 and 2013. An investigation is ongoing.

Alleged graft over Phutthamonthon Foundation leads to arrest of 4 suspectsAlleged graft over Phutthamonthon Foundation leads to arrest of 4 suspectsAlleged graft over Phutthamonthon Foundation leads to arrest of 4 suspects

Published : October 19, 2021

By : THE NATION