New Partners’ Group to Build Upon U.S., Thai Success to Counter Wildlife Trafficking #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006569


Bangkok, September 23, 2021 – A wide range of partners—including donors, international and regional bodies, and government and conservation organizations—aim to develop a partners’ group to more effectively collaborate and align planned counter wildlife trafficking investments in the region for greater impact.

These stakeholders also issued the Partners’ Dialogue Highlights, underscoring the importance of the One Health collaborative approach towards preventing pandemics as well as recovering from the current pandemic.

The Counter Wildlife Trafficking (CWT) Development Partners Coordination Platform for Asia was one of the results of the virtual Counter Wildlife Trafficking Partnership Forum from September 21-23, 2021, co-hosted by the United States and Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).

U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Michael Heath gave remarks at the Forum, the capstone of the USAID Wildlife Asia regional program: “President Biden is prioritizing the environmental agenda at this crucial time when the world is facing a climate crisis,” he said. “As part of our environmental initiatives, our USAID Wildlife Asia program worked with national and regional bodies in Southeast Asia to end, neutralize, and disrupt transnational environmental crime. We are honored to facilitate this program with our long-standing partners, the ASEAN Secretariat and the Government of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife Plant and Conservation, as we increase our counter wildlife trafficking efforts,” he continued.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Following the Chiang Mai Statement of ASEAN ministers responsible for Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and wildlife enforcement on illegal wildlife trade in 2019, ASEAN has been moving forward to promote dialogue on issues related to global and regional wildlife trade policies, demand reduction and enhanced law enforcement,” said ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi.

Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said: “I sincerely believe that our endeavor will further our movement towards the achievement of ending the illegal trade in wildlife and will eventually contribute to the betterment of our natural resources and environment. I wish that our virtual forum today will advance our coordinated action towards a more sustainable and resilient future.”

Since 2016, USAID Wildlife Asia has been deterring wildlife crime and protecting endangered species from extinction by partnering with Southeast Asia countries to strengthen counter wildlife trafficking laws, arrest and prosecute criminals, and reduce demand for wildlife products through game-changing consumer campaigns. The program has also helped catalyze more effective and impactful collaboration and regional integration of counter wildlife trafficking efforts.

The U.S. Embassy announced plans to continue these efforts through a new program, USAID Reducing Demand for Wildlife, which will build on the successes of USAID Wildlife Asia. This includes efforts to implement the regional Plan of Action (POA) for the ASEAN Cooperation on CITES and Wildlife Enforcement (2021-2025) developed with USAID Wildlife Asia support. The program will also work to advance the outcomes of the Partnership Forum including strengthening partner coordination and cooperation in the region.

The forum was organized in collaboration with WWF, the Asian Development Bank, World Bank Global Wildlife Program, Global Environment Facility, and United Nations Development Programme.

From 2016 to 2021, USAID’s $24.5 million Wildlife Asia program also:

  • Pioneered evidence-based and targeted demand reduction campaigns, leading to a 50% drop in the proportion of people intending to buy wildlife products in Thailand, Vietnam, and China;
  • Advanced 10 progressive laws and policies towards counter wildlife trafficking that introduced dramatic increases in fines and sentencing for wildlife crime;
  • Mainstreamed the collaborative approach among law enforcement agencies to countering transnational organized wildlife crime, with officials from 137 law enforcement agencies from 24 countries trained across Asia and Africa; and
  • Leveraged $19.6 million in public-private partnership initiatives.

Published : September 23, 2021

Motorcycle rider plunges 6 metres down hole in Bangkok #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006567


A 23-year-old man suffered severe injuries when he fell 6 metres down a hole in the road while riding his motorcycle in Bangkok on Wednesday night.

Police were alerted to the accident at the entrance of Soi Ratchadapisek 10 in Huai Khwang district. At the scene they found a crashed Honda Click motorcycle lying near a 6-metre-deep opening in the road surface, where officials had been laying underground cables.

Rescue workers used a stretcher and pulley system to lift the victim, Chai (last name withheld), out of the hole. Medics found he had suffered several severe injuries, including a broken right leg. He was rushed to Paolo Chokechai 4 Hospital for treatment.

Motorcycle rider plunges 6 metres down hole in BangkokMotorcycle rider plunges 6 metres down hole in Bangkok

Construction workers said that a portion of Ratchadapisek Road had been closed to lay underground cables from 10pm to 4am every night, and that they have deployed a warning sign about 15 metres in front of the opening.

Witnesses said the motorcycle rider was travelling at high speed when he smashed into the sign, lost control and fell into the hole as his bike skidded past it.

Motorcycle rider plunges 6 metres down hole in BangkokMotorcycle rider plunges 6 metres down hole in Bangkok

Related Stories

Gambling loss pushes Chonburi woman to suicide #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006566


A 39-year-old Chonburi resident hanged herself on Wednesday after losing a bet she had placed on a gambling website.

Police arrived at the house in Ban Bung district’s Nong Sam Sak area to find Wanwisa Samart hanging from the ceiling. There were no signs of a struggle.

Her husband, Alongkorn Dubrok, 40, said his wife went to the bedroom after dinner, but when he went to join her, he found the door locked. So, he stepped outside to look in through the window and found her hanging.

He told reporters that his wife suffered from depression and had killed herself after losing the 5,000-baht government grant on gambling.

Gambling is a serious problem in Thailand and many operators promote it through spam.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has ordered mobile service operators to block all spam messages from Thursday onwards. Text messages to be blocked are not just related to gambling, but also from loan sharks and pornography websites.

Related News

ADVERTISEMENT

Thai mobile phone operators told to block spam

Police launch manhunt for Thursday morning arsonists

Samui may allow alcohol in pubs, restaurants from Oct 1

Published : September 23, 2021

Thai mobile phone operators told to block spam #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006564


The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has ordered all mobile phone operators to block all spam text messages from Thursday onwards.

Trairat Viryasirikul, NBTC acting secretary-general, said the commission met AIS, True, Dtac, NT and 3BB representatives to discuss the topic on Wednesday. They have been told to block all messages from pornography, betting or lending websites. This move was taken in response to complaints filed by the Foundation of Consumers.

The operators have also been told to build a shared database and warned against sending spam themselves. NBTC has threatened to take severe disciplinary action if the operators are caught sending scam messages themselves.

Trairat said a list will be published on http://www.nbtc.go.th and people can check it out to protect themselves.
 

Related News

ADVERTISEMENT

Consumer body wants NBTC to crack down on online gambling, loan websites

NBTC sets aside THB1.2 billion to cover internet bills for online classes

NBTC steps in after netizen finds out hotline numbers related to Covid not free

Published : September 23, 2021

Reclaimed royal land will be used for makeshift prisons, low-income housing #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006565


The Treasury Department announced on Wednesday that it has taken back more than 100,000 rai of land owned by the Royal Property Bureau and will redistribute it among prisons and low-income people.

Director-general Yutthana Yimkarun said most of the 100,000-rai taken back from state agencies was either left unused or was being misused. The land will now be used for temporary prisons, inmate training sites and housing for low-income people.

The Treasury Department currently oversees some 500,000 rai of royally owned land.

The department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Corrections Department to use some of the newly claimed land to build makeshift prisons to ease congestion. These new prisons will also include vocational training sites to help inmates develop new skills.

Yutthana said the department has also signed an agreement with the Government Housing Bank (GH Bank) and the National Housing Authority (NHA) to build homes for low-income people.

“The department will also allocate some of the land for the Royal Thai Police Bureau to build homes for junior officers. Another 500 rai or so in Samut Prakan’s Bang Ping area will be allocated to the Department of Physical Education to build sports complexes, football fields and stadiums for local and international competitions. This project will cost about 7 to 8 billion baht.

“The department has regularly leased land to people for building homes or farming. More than 10,000 rai was allocated to more than 4,000 households this year alone,” Yutthana added.

Related news:

ADVERTISEMENT

Published : September 23, 2021

Police launch manhunt for Thursday morning arsonists #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006563


Police are collecting evidence to take legal action against a motorcycle gang that has allegedly destroyed police booths across the capital.

The move came after CCTV captured images of a group of motorcyclists setting fire to police booths in many areas of the capital between 2am and 4am on Thursday. The areas included Saphan Khwai, Pradipat, Uruphong and Mitsampan intersections.

The police suspect the arsonists may hail from the pro-democracy Thalugaz group, which has promised to cause chaos in the capital.

Members of the group are believed to live near Din Daeng intersection in Bangkok’s Ratchathewi district, where protesters have clashed with riot police almost every night over the past few weeks.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Thalugaz is a hardcore group of purportedly working-class youngsters who have disavowed the non-violent tactics of other protest groups.

Police have hit back with tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannon and snatch squads, in what has been criticised as an undisciplined and disproportionate response.

Related stories:

Published : September 23, 2021

Trang eyes opening door to tourists from Oct 15 #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006560


Trang’s tourism development committee got together on Thursday to discuss the option of opening the province under a sandbox scheme from October 15.

The meeting was chaired by provincial governor Kajonsak Charoensopha.

The plan to reopen the province is in line with the start of the high season in the Andaman region and will link Trang with Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Surat Thani, which are already open.

Trang eyes opening door to tourists from Oct 15Trang eyes opening door to tourists from Oct 15

ADVERTISEMENT

The committee considered the reopening plan from various aspects, such as tourism routes, application of tourist-tracking technology and the reopening timeline.

Related stories:

Trang eyes opening door to tourists from Oct 15Trang eyes opening door to tourists from Oct 15

The province, in the meantime, will speed up the delivery of jabs to ensure 70 per cent of the population is inoculated to create herd immunity. Agencies will also implement measures related to public health, logistics, Covid-19 screen and community participation and will also make preparations for emergencies.

Published : September 23, 2021

Samui may allow alcohol in pubs, restaurants from Oct 1 #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006561


Alcoholic beverages can be served in bars and restaurants in Koh Samui from October 1 under the “Samui Vaccine Green Zone” scheme, Surat Thani authorities announced on Thursday.

This will be allowed only if every member of staff has received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. The authorities also require people working in restaurants and bars to undergo antigen tests regularly.

Koh Samui’s district chief Teerapong Chuaychoo said the aim was to stimulate the local economy and promote the island as a sandbox area in the future.

Teerapong had said earlier that the “Samui Plus Model” will be replaced by the more liberal “sandbox” scheme from October 1 if approved by the government.

Under the Samui Plus Model, launched on July 15, fully vaccinated tourists can enter the island without the need for quarantine.

Related News

ADVERTISEMENT

Reopening of Thailand set to be postponed until November

Phuket opens its doors to people who have had both Covid-19 jabs

Phuket teams up with Germany’s GIZ to reduce plastic waste

Published : September 23, 2021

Thailand’s daily caseload rises to 13,256 cases, 131 deaths #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006559


Thailand’s daily cases rose to 13,256 over the past 24 hours on Thursday, though deaths dropped slightly to 131. Of the new cases, 478 were in prisons.

Meanwhile, 13,829 people have recovered and been discharged over the past 24 hours.

Thailand’s total caseload from Covid-19 stands at 1,524,613 – 1,380,362 of whom have recovered, 128,367 are still in hospitals and 15,884 have died.

Separately, another 240,789 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, 404,841 their second shot and 889 a booster shot, bringing total Covid-19 vaccine doses administered nationwide to 46,669,535.

According to Worldometer, confirmed cases globally had risen to 230.88 million on Thursday, 207.59 million of whom have recovered, 18.56 million are active cases (97,801 in severe condition) and 4.73 million have died (up by 9,319).

Related News

ADVERTISEMENT

Thailand recorded 13,256 Covid-19 cases and 131 deaths on Thursday.

Thailand logs 11,252 new cases, 141 deaths

Thailand logs 10,919 new cases, 143 deaths

Thailand ranks 29th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 43.40 million, followed by India with 33.56 million, Brazil with 21.28 million, the UK with 7.53 million and Russia with 7.33 million.

Published : September 23, 2021

Intradermal jabs may resolve vaccine shortage issue #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40006557


The Department of Medical Sciences said on Wednesday that research shows an intradermal (ID) delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine uses a significantly small amount of the dose and achieves the same result as traditional intramuscular (IM) vaccination.

The study was conducted in collaboration with the Prince of Songkla University’s Faculty of Medicine and funded by the National Research Council of Thailand.

“We divided 95 candidates aged 18 to 60 who had received two Sinovac jabs into three groups. The first group of 30 received one full dose [0.5ml] of the AstraZeneca vaccine using the IM method,” the department’s director-general Dr Supphakit Siriluck said.

“The second group of 31 received a fifth [0.1ml] of the AstraZeneca jab via the ID method four to eight weeks after they received their second shot of Sinovac. The rest of the participants also received a fifth of the AstraZeneca dose via the ID method, but eight to 12 weeks after their second jab.”

Supphakit said 14 days after receiving the booster, the first group’s immunity level rose to 1,653AU (arbitrary unit), while that of the second and third groups rose to 1,300.5AU on average. Before receiving the booster, the participants’ average immunity level was 128.7AU.

Related Stories

Medical expert suggests intradermal inoculation to multiply vaccine usage

No FDA nod for use of Sinopharm vaccine in children aged 3 and above

Thai-made Baiya vaccine enters 1st human trial this month

The study also found that the intradermal injection of the vaccine also raised the recipients’ immunity against the Delta variant of the virus to 234.4AU from the original 16.3AU after two Sinovac shots.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The intradermal approach also caused fewer side effects, as in significantly less skin irritation, muscle ache, headache, fatigue and shivering compared to the intramuscular approach,” he said.

“Since the ID application requires only a fifth of a normal dose to achieve similar results, it can help boost the rate of vaccination in areas where supplies are limited,” he added. “However, more skilled medics are required for the ID approach as the needle has to be angled 10 to 15 degrees and only pushed 1mm under the skin. The department is planning to pilot the ID method in areas where there are enough skilled medics like Phuket.”

Published : September 23, 2021