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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002872

Thundershowers forecast for all regions with isolated heavy rains in some areas

The southwest monsoon prevailing over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand is becoming stronger, while the monsoon trough lies across the upper North and Northeast into the active low-pressure cell over the South China Sea.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Hot day with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-28 degrees Celsius, highs of 34-39°C.

Northeast: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains and gusty winds; temperature lows of 25-27°C, highs of 32-35°C.

Central: Hot day with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 26-27°C, highs of 36-38°C.

East: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains and gusty winds; temperature lows of 26-29°C, highs of 33-37°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 23-27°C, highs of 33-38°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 21-26°C, highs of 32-34°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Hot day with thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 28-29°C, highs of 35-38°C.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : July 06, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002861

One dead in toxic Bang Phli inferno, THB700m damages

The inferno at Ming Din Chemicals, a Taiwanese-owned foam and plastic pellets factory in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli Yai area, had still not been completely put out as of 7pm on Monday.

The fire, which was sparked by an explosion at about 3am, has killed an 18-year-old rescuer who tripped and fell while fleeing the fire and injured close to 60 others. The damage, so far, has been estimated at 700 million baht.

Investigators have yet to determine what caused the explosion.

Residents in the 5-kilometre radius of the fire have been told to stay away from the site because of toxic smoke. More than 10 types of chemicals, including styrene monomer, a precursor chemical for foam, and polystyrene which produces styrene and benzene when exposed to high heat, are in the fumes. Benzene is a toxic substance and found to be carcinogenic, and exposure can dizziness, nausea, unconsciousness and palpitation. Long-term inhalation can lead to leukaemia.

The factory had earned a licence to set up operations in Soi Kin Kaew 21 in 1989, when there were no residences in the area. But since then, many housing estates have been built in the area.

Meanwhile, Prakob Vivitjinda, director-general of the Department of Industrial Works, said a second tank in the factory contains 20,000 litres of chemicals, not 500,000 litres as previously reported.

Published : July 05, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002860

80% of all jabs deployed to Bangkok to protect vulnerable against Delta

The Public Health Ministry said on Monday that 80 per cent of all available vaccine doses are being deployed to Bangkok, as alarm grows over the fast-spreading Delta variant of Covid-19.

The capital is at the epicentre of the ongoing third virus wave, logging 17 fatalities and 1,729 new cases on Monday.

The vaccines will be used to protect 1.8 million vulnerable Bangkok residents, namely people aged 60 and above and those with underlying health issues. At least 70 per cent of this group will be vaccinated within the next two weeks, said Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC). Vulnerable residents in surrounding provinces will be jabbed by the end of July and those in other provinces by August, he added.

Meanwhile, search, treatment, isolation, and control measures will focus on protecting these two vulnerable groups.

The ministry said it has also expanded screening and testing for the rest of the population by adding more out-of-hospital units, proactive search units, community clinics, and antigen testing at clinics, labs, or by self-administration.

Ministry Permanent Secretary Kiattipoom Wongrachit said the outbreak was being driven by super-transmissible variants, mostly in Bangkok and surrounding areas. He admitted the variant-driven caseload was worrisome but added that the ministry was not directly responsible for disease controls in Bangkok. However, it was helping by managing hospital beds and vaccination, he added.

The DDC has proposed three new disease controls:

1. Measures to find new infected people.

2. Upgrade healthcare system to deal with rising caseload.

3. Target front-line medical staff with booster vaccines.

Published : July 05, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002857

PM Prayut self-isolating after selfie with Covid-positive business leader

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has been self-isolating since returning from Phuket where he was pictured beside a business leader who later tested positive for Covid-19.

Prayut was pictured in a selfie posted by Veerasak Pisanuwong, president of Surin’s Chamber of Commerce, at the Phuket “sandbox” opening ceremony on July 1.

Veerasak announced on Sunday that he took a swab test at Surin Hospital in the morning and the result came back positive at 4.30pm.

He was then admitted to the hospital for treatment.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Monday that Prayut will continue to perform his duties from home and monitor the Covid-19 situation closely.

“The prime minister also asked citizens to strictly adhere to DMHTT practices, namely distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, testing and ThaiChana check-in, even if they have been vaccinated,” he said.

Published : July 05, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002856

Helicopters fight flames from Bang Phli factory blast

Two KA-32 helicopters were still battling flames from an explosion at a foam factory in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district on Monday afternoon. The fire took hold after a blast tore through the factory at around 2.50am.

Concerned that the flames could spread to chemical tanks at the factory, authorities have ordered residents in a 5-kilometre radius of the blast site to evacuate.

No deaths have been reported from the accident so far, though 20 people – 15 locals and five officials – have sustained injuries. Flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which lies within the 5km evacuation zone, are reportedly operating as normal.

Published : July 05, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002855

Chamber of Commerce chief tests positive after selfie with Prayut in Phuket

The president of Surin’s Chamber of Commerce has tested positive for Covid-19 just days after being pictured beside PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha, apparently at the Phuket reopening ceremony.

Veerasak Pisanuwong announced on Facebook that he had been admitted to Surin Hospital after testing positive there on Sunday.

Veerasak said that he had just returned from attending the opening ceremony of the Phuket Sandbox campaign in the southern island province. “I am sorry for making everyone worried. I urge anyone who has been in close contact with me recently to self-isolate for 14 days for everyone’s peace of mind,” he added.

Veerasak had earlier posted a selfie taken with Prayut, who led the Phuket ceremony on July 1.

The post and photo have sparked calls on social media for the PM to enter quarantine as well.

After Veerasak’s post and selfie went viral, both were deleted, making it impossible to identify when exactly the photo with Prayut was taken.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Monday afternoon that Prayut had been self-isolating since returning from Phuket and would continue to perform his duties from home.

Published : July 05, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002854

Covid closure brings rare wildlife back to Songkhla national park

Images of hornbills and other rare wild animals taken in Songkhla’s Khao Nam Khang National Park were posted on the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Facebook page on Sunday.

Parit Narasaritkul, the national park’s chief, said the discovery of up to 200 plain-pouched hornbills proves the park’s ecosystem is abundant.

“Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silapa-archa’s decision to temporarily close the park during the Covid-19 crisis, park officials’ smart patrols and communities’ cooperation to save natural resources have contributed to this,” he said.

Photo Credit: Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Park officials also spotted other wild animals during patrol, including the great argus pheasant, deer, blue long-glanded coral snake and scarlet-breasted flowerpecker birds.

Photo Credit: Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

“The blue long-glanded coral snake has not been spotted for more than 10 years,” he said.

Photo Credit: Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

The 137,800-rai Khao Nam Khang National Park – declared Thailand’s 65th national park in 1990 – straddles Songkhla’s Na Thawi and Sadao districts. Its name, which translates to “dew mountain”, was chosen by locals who had seen dew on the peak. Since it sits on the border between Thailand and Malaysia, it was used as a base by Malay-Chinese Communist insurgents until the 1980s.

Photo Credit: Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Published : July 05, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002853

Pregnant women, seniors to get 1.5m Pfizer jabs donated by US

The government plans to distribute 1.5 million doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine donated by the US government to pregnant women and seniors aged 60 and over in high-infection areas.

Leaked minutes from an official meeting on Sunday show the 1.5 million doses will arrive in Thailand this month before being distributed in July and August.

The minutes also record a senior official apparently advising the government not to give the Pfizer vaccine to doctors, saying “it will imply that the quality of the Sinovac vaccine given to them earlier is low, and it will be difficult for us to find a reasonable excuse”.

The comment sparked outrage on social media. At least two front line medics have reportedly been infected with Covid-19 despite being fully vaccinated with Sinovac.

The minutes also note that possible side effects from the Pfizer vaccine – including headache, chills, nausea and fever – tend to affect males more than females.

A gap between the first and second jabs is three weeks. The leaked minutes also specified that the vaccine will be stored at -60 to -90 degrees Celsius.

The donated vaccine will be targeted at seniors and those over 12 weeks pregnant who live in a Covid-19 red zone or Bangkok and its vicinity.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul admitted today that the leaked minutes were genuine. However, no final decision has been made about the use of Pfizer vaccine, he added.

Published : July 05, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002852

Suvarnabhumi flights ‘unaffected’ by factory explosion

Suvarnabhumi Airport said on Monday that the explosion at a foam factory in Samut Prakans Bang Phli district had not affected aviation operations.

At least 70 houses and 15 vehicles were damaged in the explosion early on Monday morning while 20 people were injured, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported.

The blast occurred around 2.50am at the Ming Dih Chemical Co factory in Soi King Kaew 21 in Rachathewa.

Residents within a 5-kilometre radius of the factory were ordered to evacuate.

Although Suvarnabhumi Airport lies within the evacuation zone, flights are operating as normal as the explosion had not affected air traffic, said airport deputy director Krittiya Konthong.

“However, the airport is cooperating with related agencies to evaluate the situation and prepare emergency plans if it worsens,” he said.

He added that the airport is cooperating with the DDPM to help people impacted by the explosion.

“Passengers can phone the AOT Contact Centre at 1722 for information about flights and services,” he said.

Published : July 05, 2021

By : The Nation

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002850

Purchase of Moderna jabs gets OAG nod

The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) announced on Monday that it has approved the purchasing contract for Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.

In response to rumours that the OAG had delayed the purchase of Moderna vaccines, the office said on Friday that it was waiting to receive the contract from the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO).

“GPO sent us the contract on Friday afternoon after we made the statement,” OAG spokesman Itthiphon Kaewthip said on Monday.

“Attorney-General Wongsakul Kittipromwong ordered that the contract be reviewed urgently as it is of the utmost importance. The legal department had been working through the weekend to ensure the contract was approved and returned to the GPO first thing on Monday.

“The Office of the Attorney-General is committed to working with all parties to resolve the Covid-19 crisis as best as we can,” said Itthiphon. “The office does not have any vaccine purchasing contracts to review. We have yet to receive contracts related to the purchase of Sputnik and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.”

Moderna is an mRNA vaccine that has been registered for use in Thailand and will be imported by Zuellig Pharma. According to the World Health Organisation, the Modern jabs will be administered to people above the age of 18 with a difference of 28 to 42 days between doses. Studies show the vaccine is about 94.1 per cent effective against Covid-19 some 14 days after the first dose.

Published : July 05, 2021

By : THE NATION