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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001119

Thundershowers forecast for Bangkok and all regions

The Thailand Meteorological Department said on Friday that a rather strong southwest monsoon prevails over Thailand, the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, leading to thundershowers, isolated heavy rains and gusty winds in the South and the East.

People in these regions should beware of the severe conditions, the department said.

Waves in the Andaman Sea are above two metres during thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution, the department said.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Hot to very hot day with thundershowers in 10 per cent of the region; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 24-29 degrees Celsius, highs of 37-40°C.

Northeast: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 24-27°C, highs of 35-37°C.

Central: Thundershowers in 20 per cent of the region; gusty winds are possible in some areas; temperature lows of 25-27°C, highs of 36-38°C.

East: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the region with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-26°C, highs of 32-36°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the region with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 24-26°C, highs of 33-36°C; waves 1-2 metres high and two metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Mostly cloudy with thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas and isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-26°C, highs of 31-34°C; waves two metres high and over two metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 20 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 24-26°C, highs of 34-37°C.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : May 21, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001109

Bangkok convenience stores to offer jabs from June 7

All adults in Bangkok can book their Covid-19 vaccination at convenience stores from June 7, City Hall said on Thursday.

“We are now asking operators to help to reserve vaccinations through convenience stores, malls and hospitals,” said Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spokesperson Pongsakorn Kwanmuang.

Guidelines for people aged 18-59 who want to reserve a jab from June 7 would be announced next Tuesday (May 25), he added.

The announcement came after the National Communicable Diseases Committee instructed all provincial governors to launch on-site registration for jabs from June 7.

Bangkok has reserved all of its allocated vaccine to inoculate at-risk medical and frontline staff battling 34 cluster outbreaks in the capital. The Public Health Ministry is deploying additional vaccine doses to the worst-hit districts. So far, 519,022 doses have been administered in Bangkok.

Another 2.5 million jabs are expected to arrive in June, allowing vaccination centres across Bangkok to open to all adults aged 18-59.

Meanwhile, those aged over 60 or with chronic health conditions who have already registered for jabs via the Mor Prom app and other channels are still advised to get vaccinated at hospital so they can be monitored by a doctor

Published : May 21, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001108

Bangkok bus drivers jabbed from Monday

Bangkok public bus drivers and conductors will be vaccinated against Covid-19 at Bang Sue Grand Station from May 24-31, Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) said on Thursday. The move is part of efforts to vaccinate all frontline transport workers to boost confidence among commuters and contain the surge of infections in the capital, said BMTA director Surachai Iamwachirasakul.

Bangkok recorded 1,001 new Covid-19 infections and 11 deaths on Thursday.

Bangkok authorities have urged all operators of buses, taxis, tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis to register for free Covid-19 vaccination by tomorrow (May 21). The jab rollout at Bang Sue station will launch on Monday.

Published : May 21, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001107

Bussarakham field hospital gets another 1,000 beds as virus grips Bangkok

The newly launched Bussarakham field hospital is being expanded by 1,000 beds to accommodate soaring Covid-19 cases in metropolitan Bangkok.

The hospital at Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi was filling up quickly after opening last week, Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Kiattiphum Wongrajit said on Thursday.

The hospital is currently treating 406 patients, 323 with mild symptoms and 83 with moderate symptoms. A total of 677 beds are still available.

“The number of Covid-19 patients admitted to Bussarakham is expected to increase, so we will expand the hospital by an additional 1,000 beds,” said Kiattiphum.

Patient care systems were now fully operating at the hospital, with sufficient medical staff plus CCTV and internal communications, he added. He also praised a Bussarakam volunteer scheme under which symptomless Covid-19 cases are helping to support weaker patients.

Bangkok logged 1,001 new infections and 11 fatalities on Thursday.

Published : May 21, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001105

Myanmar troops shell Thai border village

Myanmar troops shelled a Thai border village in Mae Hong Son province on Thursday, prompting Thai forces to beef up security.

Myanmar’s 341st Battalion troops fired three 60mm shells into Tha Ta Fang village in Mae Sariang district at around noon, according to local reports. Villagers fled from the shelling in terror, while damage from the attack is still being assessed.

Thai forces responded by mobilising heavy weapons – two K120mm mortar guns – to support frontline soldiers at the neighbouring village of Tha Ta Kiang.

The shelling by Myanmar troops was retaliation for an attack this morning on their Da Kawin military base by Karen National Union (KNU) soldiers. Myanmar forces then threatened to shell Tha Ta Fang village as a suspected hideout for KNU rebel troops.

Myanmar troops shell Thai border village

A KNU source said Myanmar troops in the area were running short of munitions and waiting for an air shipment of heavy weapons.

Published : May 20, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001102

Exceptions to Japan’s ban on Thai travellers, says Foreign Ministry

Japans move to ban entry of foreigners who have stayed in Thailand over the previous 14 days does not affect repatriation, semi-commercial and transfer flights, the Thai Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Japan’s ban on foreign travellers will be extended to Thailand and six other Covid-hit nations from Friday May 21.

The six other nations are Cambodia, East Timor, Mongolia, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Saint Lucia.

There are now 159 countries and territories covered by Japan’s travel ban.

Foreign residents of Japan will still be allowed to re-enter the country, except for those who have been in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal or the Maldives within 14 days of arrival. The entry ban does not cover Japanese nationals and their families.

Japan has banned arrivals from South Asian countries in a bid to curb the spread of the Indian variant of Covid-19.

Published : May 20, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001100

Thai govt must halt politically motivated charges against children: Amnesty

Amnesty International Thailand set up 41 mannequins at a Bangkok shrine on Thursday in a protest against what it said were politically motivated charges against children.

Each of the child-sized mannequins in front of Mae Thorani Shrine in Phra Nakhon district carried a sign displaying the age and charges filed against a minor for taking part in pro-democracy protests.

“From our documentation and observation, at least 41 children under 18 years old have been charged in 37 cases for involvement in public assemblies and expressing their views,” Amnesty International (AI) Thailand’s director Piyanuch Khotsarn said.

Thai govt must halt politically motivated charges against children: Amnesty

“Of these, five individuals in six cases, including a 14-year-old child, are facing charges of lese majeste charge and other serious criminal offences.”

He added that this was the first time children had been charged with lese majeste (royal insult) under Article 112 of the Criminal Code.

AI Thailand said that in addition to the uptick in prosecutions against protesting youths, many had been arrested forcefully and denied their right of access to their parents, legal counsel and prompt medical care.

Thai govt must halt politically motivated charges against children: Amnesty

The rights group called on the government of Thailand, as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to uphold the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly prescribed in the Constitution.

It said the government must halt politically motivated prosecution of children and youths for exercising their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Meanwhile, state authorities must stop using violence against children and youth at assembly sites and ensure that arrests are carried out in line with the law. Children who have been illegally abused must have recourse to justice from authorities.

Thai govt must halt politically motivated charges against children: Amnesty

AI Thailand added that the state must urgently implement policies to protect the rights of children and youth to express their views and participate in peaceful assemblies. It said training should be given to raise awareness of officers about the rights of children, including their right to participate in political affairs, right to be heard and right to participate in peaceful assemblies.

Thai govt must halt politically motivated charges against children: Amnesty

Published : May 20, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001101

Donation of antiretroviral drugs a boon to HIV patients in Mae Sot: doctor

A Mae Sot Hospital doctor posted a message on Facebook thanking Atlanta Medicare for donating 3,700 bottles of an antiretroviral drug worth 3.55 million baht.

The doctor, who prefers to remain anonymous, posted the message on the Rueng Lao Mor Chai Daen (Story of Doctors at the Border) Facebook page.

“Even though the drugs are about a year from their expiration date, they can still extend HIV patients’ lives,” she said.

The doctor added that Mae Sot Hospital was facing an acute shortage of the drug due to an overwhelming number of patients, both local and across the border from Myanmar. She added that the hospital had called on several global funds and pharmaceutical companies for supplies.

She said that sometimes she has had to cover the cost of the medication to prevent HIV-positive patients from dying unnecessarily.

For instance, she said, on Wednesday a migrant worker and her daughter showed up at the hospital to ask for antiretroviral drugs.

“When I asked if they had money to pay for the drugs, the daughter wanted to know if they were expensive,” she said. “The daughter also told me she worked at a cornfield from 6am to 7pm for a daily wage of 300 baht.”

Though antiretroviral drugs are produced locally, they can still be quite expensive for people in the low-income bracket.

She added that if she hadn’t bought the drugs for them, the daughter would have become an orphan because her father had died from a brain infection a long time ago.

“It is our duty to offer help to our patients, but it would be even better if international organisations lend a helping hand,” she added.

Published : May 20, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001099

AstraZeneca jabs for Bangkokians, BMA says

People getting their Covid-19 jab next month will most probably get an AstraZeneca dose, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced on Thursday.

BMA spokesperson Pongsakorn Kwanmuang said because supplies are limited, only people at risk, such as medics, volunteers, public bus drivers, cabbies, motorbike taxi operators and teachers are being inoculated now.

However, he said, the general public can get their jab from June 7, and it will most probably be AstraZeneca, not Sinovac.

Pongsakorn said BMA is talking to operators of housing complexes and convenience stores about setting up facilities for people to book their vaccines. Details on this cooperation will be announced next week, he added.

Meanwhile, people can also book their jabs via the BMA website.

Published : May 20, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001098

‘Star’ MPs join battle against virus outbreak in Bangkok

Six MPs from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party visited Covid-19 mobile testing units at Bangkapi Market in Bangkok on Thursday to support public health staff and interview locals.

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Wednesday closed the market for three days after a cluster outbreak there spawned 53 new cases. Mobile units have been deployed to test residents of nearby communities while the market has been sealed for disinfection.

‘Star’ MPs join battle against virus outbreak in Bangkok

On Thursday, Bangkok reported 1,001 new infections and 11 deaths, driving up the cumulative toll in the province to 34,262 cases and 312 deaths.

The six MPs are from the “Dao Roek” (Star) group, led by party-list MP Watanya “Madam Dear” Wongopasi. Other members include Siriphong Ratsami, Koranis Ngamsukhonrattana, Phada Worakanont, Thitiphas Chotidechachainant and Thanikarn Phornphongsaroj. The media nicknamed the group to reflect their characteristics as bright, young political minds who always work together.

‘Star’ MPs join battle against virus outbreak in Bangkok

During an interview with locals, the group promised to push the government to launch more active case-finding campaigns in crowded communities to prevent new outbreaks.

‘Star’ MPs join battle against virus outbreak in Bangkok

Published : May 20, 2021

By : THE NATION