MohPromt app to temporarily close registration for vaccination
The MohPromt public vaccination application will temporarily stop the vaccination queue service from 4pm on May 31 to comply with the allocation of the Covid-19 vaccine plan.
All groups of people who wish to receive the vaccine can request as follows:
1. For Bangkok area, use the Bangkok system or the system that has opened the service.
2. People in the other 76 provinces can go through three channels
– Health volunteers / General Hospital / Government hospitals close to home (No history required)
– Online application system, website or other platforms of the province
-MohPromt Line or application when it reopens
People aged over 60 and those with seven underlying disease conditions can go for the vaccination as originally scheduled.
The MohPromt system is still in normal use for all groups of people to display post-vaccination information, make appointments for the second dose, and provide evidence for obtaining a vaccination certificate.
Mass vaccination to be launched from June 7 in 76 provinces
The Public Health Ministry will begin mass vaccination in 76 provinces nationwide from June 7. The announcement was made during a teleconference with provincial public health agencies on Saturday.
Public Health permanent secretary Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit said the ministry would allocate vaccines in line with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)’s plan.
He explained that the communicable disease committees in each province would be responsible for conducting mass vaccination, recording the operation outcome via MOPH Immunization Centre (MOHP IC) platform, and issuing vaccination certificates to those who had already received two shots of vaccine.
“We have urged public health agencies nationwide to prioritise vaccination of education staff to enable the opening of a new semester,” he said.
“The information on people who have already been inoculated would be sent to MOHP IC platform, while people will be informed about their appointment for the second jab via Mor Phrom [Doctors Ready] application.”
Meanwhile, Department of Disease Control director-general Opas Karnkawinpong said the CCSA aimed to administer the first jab to 50 million people within September this year, confirming that there was sufficient vaccine for all people.
He said doctors would consider which brand of vaccine people could receive as both AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines could be administered to people aged 18 years or above.
“The vaccines would be delivered to each province weekly instead of monthly to be in line with rapid change in the Covid-19 situation,” he said.
Isolated thundershowers forecast for Bangkok and most parts of Thailand
A moderate southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand, bringing scattered thundershowers to the region, the Thailand Meteorological Department said on Sunday.
Thundershowers are also forecast for other parts of the country.
Strong wind-generated waves are likely in the upper Andaman Sea from Phuket northward, about two metres high and above two metres during thundershowers.
All ships in the Andaman Sea should proceed with caution and keep away from thundershowers, the department said.
The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
North: Cloudy with scattered thundershowers in Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Nan, Phayao, Lampang, Sukhothai, Tak and Kamphaeng Phet provinces; minimum temperature 23-25 degrees Celsius, maximum 34-37°C; southwesterly winds 10-20 km/hr.
Northeast: Partly cloudy with isolated thundershowers mostly in Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani provinces; minimum temperature 24-26°C, maximum 35-36°C; southwesterly winds 10-20 km/hr.
Central: Cloudy with isolated thundershowers in Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Suphanburi, Nakhon Prathom and Samut Songkhram provinces; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 36-37°C; southwesterly winds 10-20 km/hr.
East: Cloudy with isolated thundershowers mostly in Chachoengsao, Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces; minimum temperature 25-27°C, maximum 32-36°C; southwesterly winds 15-35 km/hr; waves 1-2 metres high and about two metres in thundershowers.
South (east coast): Cloudy with scattered thundershowers in Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung and Songkhla provinces; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 33-36°C; southwesterly winds 15-30 km/hr; waves about a metre high and 1-2 metres in thundershowers.
South (west coast): Scattered thundershowers in Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi and Trang provinces; minimum temperature 24-25°C, maximum 32-34°C.
Phuket northward: Southwesterly winds 20-35 km/hr; waves about two metres high and above two metres in thundershowers.
Krabi southward: Southwesterly winds 15-35 km/hr; waves 1-2 metres high and about two metres in thundershowers.
Bangkok and its vicinity: Partly cloudy with isolated thundershowers mostly in the afternoon to evening; minimum temperature 25-27°C, maximum 33-37 °C; southwesterly winds 10-20 km/hr.
DDC debunks rumour of pork fat in Covid-19 vaccines
The Digital Economy and Society Ministry has warned people not to believe or share news and Internet posts that claimed the Sinovac and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines contained pork fat as an ingredient.
“The ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre contacted the Department of Disease Control and was told that the information is false,” said the centre via its Facebook page. “The DDC has thoroughly inspected the ingredients of both types of vaccines and found no trace of pork fat.
“Please do not share such information, as it could spread misunderstanding amid the outbreak,” it added.
For more information, contact Department of Disease Control on tel No. 1442 or https://ddc.moph.go.th
The center added that it is investigating the origin of the rumor and will file charges against the original poster, as inputting falsified information into a computer system is a violation of Computer-Related Crime Act.
Aswin takes stock of pipe project to ease flooding in Sathorn
Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang visited the capital’s Sathorn area on Saturday morning to check progress of the pipe-jacking project to help release water during the rainy season.
Pipe-jacking is a method of laying underground pipes without digging a trench by assembling the pipes at the foot of an access shaft and pushing them through the ground with a hydraulic jack.
According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), an area along Chan Road in the Sathorn area is always flooded during rains, so the pipe construction was organised to help carry the water to the Khlong Kruay canal of the capital.
Elephants on sale as Sriracha Tiger Zoo tries to cope with its losses
The Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi province has announced the sale of 11 elephants on Facebook, as part of its bid to generate money to heal its financial losses.
According to the post on Friday, the zoo asked other social media users to share the post, as a way to help find a new home for all the elephants.
The zoo explained clearly that the sales were aimed at generating funds to deal with the losses it had suffered due to the Covid-19 crisis.
In the beginning of May, the zoo’s owner, Sumeth Panyasakhon, had denied rumours of a permanent closure of the zoo as stated by the zoo’s managing director online.
Suranaree University students come out on top in digital challenge summit
Five students from Suranaree University of Technology were awarded the Wai Kid Digital Challenge grand prize on Friday by the United States government, together with Facebook Thailand and DAI.
Through creative 90-second videos, the winning teams raised the importance of news literacy and identifying misinformation during Covid-19 to help the Thai public safely navigate online spaces.
The Wai Kid Digital Challenge trained nearly 400 university students nationwide on content creation to promote digital literacy, critical thinking, online identity security, and positive online communications.
The summit celebrated three prize-winning teams:
Grand prize winner: Yan-Hwang Team, Suranaree University of Technology (Nakhon Ratchasima)
Most creative: Four Hearts of the Mountains Team, Srinakarinwirot University (Bangkok)
Best key message: Those with Knowledge Team, Walailak University (Nakhon Si Thammarat)
“We wanted to make a video that was relevant and timely about identifying misinformation during Covid-19,” said Teerapat Suksawat, one of the members of Yan-Hwang, the grand prize-winning team.
“I hope that my team’s video on this topic can entertain whoever watches it, and influence them to make positive changes to their daily online behaviour. We hope that they’ll also share the video with others in their own communities”.
Representatives from the US government, Facebook, DAI, and six partner universities — Hat Yai University, Mae Fah Luang University, Ramkamhaeng University, Srinakharinwirot University, Suranaree University of Technology, and Walailak University — across Thailand gathered in a virtual summit to celebrate the students’ journey in the Wai Kid Digital Challenge of becoming digital literacy champions.
Students and their Thai content creator mentors shared their key learnings from the programme and the importance of having digital literacy campaigns like Wai Kid Digital.
“The United States is proud to support young people and partners in Thailand who are developing creative ways to promote open, inclusive, and secure digital ecosystems,” said Michael Heath, chargé d’Affaires, at the US Embassy in Bangkok.
The winning teams were awarded exclusive learning opportunities with industry experts in addition to content creation equipment that will help the students continue their journey of becoming digital literacy champions beyond the Challenge.
The Wai Kid Digital University Challenge is an expansion of Facebook’s flagship “We Think Digital” digital literacy programme first launched in Thailand in 2019.
Wai Kid Digital is being implemented by Love Frankie, and is part of USAID’s Digital Asia Accelerator activity (‘the Accelerator’) implemented by DAI. Through the Accelerator, USAID is working across Southeast Asia and Mongolia to advance inclusive and sustainable economic development by increasing businesses’ and citizens’ capacities to use digital technology safely and effectively.
23 arrested as police raid drug party in Bangkok resort
Police raided a resort located in Saimai Soi 56 in Bangkok’s Saimai district at 3am on Saturday following a tip-off that a drug party was being held there.
Police found 23 young party-goers in a VIP room at the resort, two of whom were underage. They were all taken to the police station for drug testing. The tests reportedly showed that 17 out of 23 suspects had taken category 2 narcotics (ketamine). The other six reportedly said that they were only there to drink alcohol.
23 arrested as police raid drug party in Bangkok resort
A news source added that two of the arrested suspects had been infected with Covid-19 and had undergone treatment.
Police charged the partygoers with participating in an assembly in violation of the emergency decree during the pandemic, while those who tested positive for drugs were also charged with drug abuse.
23 arrested as police raid drug party in Bangkok resort
Government considering libel case against company over Sinopharm vaccine claims
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) plans to sue Accap Assets for allegedly defaming the government over claims regarding the import of Sinopharm vaccine for Covid-19.
Recently, the company’s documents to the Chulabhorn Royal Academy were published online.
According to the papers, Accap Assets claimed that it could procure 20 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine and import them to Thailand within two weeks.
The company reportedly had alluded that it was denied meetings with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, so the company wanted to discuss the procurement with the royal academy instead.
The leak of the documents led to comments from social media users questioning the government’s vaccine management and casting aspersions on the probity of ministers.
In response to the papers, DES Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn said on Saturday that Accap Assets had not registered with the Food and Drug Administration for importing the Covid-19 vaccine. Moreover, the company is registered as a real estate business, hence it is not authorised to import medicine or related products.
Chaiwut’s ministry concluded that the papers were unreliable and the company should be sued for violation of the Computer Crime Act.
The minister added that those who criticised the government for under-the-table deals for vaccine procurement could face defamation charges or for spreading wrong information.
23 arrested as police raid drug party in Bangkok resort
23 arrested as police raid drug party in Bangkok resort
