Lack of smartphone not a problem for RaoChana beneficiaries
Beneficiaries of the RaoChana (We Win) cash-handout scheme who do not have a smartphone can start purchasing goods with that money from Thursday.
People can visit the RaoChana website to see if they are eligible for the THB7,000 handout and then start spending that money by presenting their national ID card at participating shops.
Here is how to check if you are eligible for the handout:
PM orders more personnel for Covid-19 hotlines after his calls went unanswered
Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered that more personnel be deployed to man the 1668 and 1669 Covid-19 hotlines and helplines after nobody answered his call.
“Itried both numbers, but nobody answered. I want to find out if this is because there are too few health personnel manning the lines, or if they are too busy tending to patients in hospitals,” he said. Prayut said now that private hospitals have also joined the battle against Covid, he does not want to hear that ambulances are unwilling to pick up patients because there are no beds available. “I want the Public Health Ministry to urgently deal with this problem. I can’t accept the fact that entire families are getting infected because they are being denied medical help,” the premier said. Meanwhile, Dr Apisamai Srirangsan, spokesperson for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), admitted at a press conference on Wednesday that there are not enough people to answer thousands of calls on the two numbers. She advised people to remain calm as health workers are doing their best in ensuring every patient has a bed and promised that the CCSA will try to solve this problem as soon as possible.
No outbreak in central Chinatown, insists Bangkok official
Bangkok officials have debunked rumours that Covid-19 has been spreading rapidly through Yaowarat (Chinatown), stating that only one shop in the area had reported an infection.
Bangkok officials have inspected the area and confirmed that no outbreak has taken place, said Khachit Chatchawanit, deputy permanent secretary for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
One person tested positive for Covid-19 at a shop on Ratchawong Road and was sent to a nearby hospital for treatment, he said. The shop has been closed for cleaning, while people exposed to the infected person have been quarantined for 14 days.
Khachit also responded to fears triggered by the sight of an official in full biohazard gear spraying disinfectant in Yaowarat. He said the BMA had not ordered its Ratchawong office to take such action and would instruct employees on the right way to conduct cleaning operations.
Suicide prevention expert issues Covid-19 warning and advice
A psychiatrist has advised people on how to combat mental stress caused by Covid-19, which was highlighted on Tuesday when a coronavirus patient in Bangkok committed suicide.
The victim was a 59-year-old railway policeman who tested positive on Sunday and was treated at the Police Hospital in Bangkok. On Tuesday, he was placed under intensive care after his blood-oxygen level dropped. At around 3pm a witness saw him visit the toilet but then fail to return. At 4pm, a nurse went to investigate and found him hanging in the toilet. A medical team tried to revive him but without success, and he was pronounced dead at 5pm.
The results of an investigation into why the patient committed suicide are expected in a few days, said the Department of Disease Control. Police have speculated that the victim had felt guilty for placing his family members at risk of infection.
Dr Prakarn Thomyangkoon, a psychiatrist and suicide-prevention expert, commented that the Covid-19 crisis was impacting not just people’s physical health but also their mental well-being.
People are worried that they may catch the disease, said Dr Prakarn, who is also an adviser to the Medical Services Department.
He said this fear becomes stress which can trigger anger towards everything – infected patients, health systems, medics and even people of a certain race – as seen in the spate of attacks on Asians in the US.
Dr Prakarn urged people to monitor those around them closely, stay in the present, and help each other to relax with Covid-safe activities such as listening to music, watching movies and exercising. He also advised people not to constantly check news updates about the virus, as this can cause too much stress.
“If we or someone close to us becomes infected, the first thing needed is to be mindful,” he emphasised. “This disease can be treated, so don’t panic. Just remain calm and clear-headed.”
KU Animal Hospital shuts for a day after customer tests positive
Kasetsart University’s Animal Hospital in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district announced on Thursday that it would close for a day after learning that a customer who visited the hospital last night tested positive for Covid-19.
“The customer brought his dog in for emergency treatment at night and we later found that he was infected,” the hospital said on Thursday.
“During the closure, we will disinfect the premises to prevent Covid-19 from spreading, while owners who have left their pets at the hospital were contacted to take the animals home,” the hospital added.
Fah Talai Jone herb can stop Covid-19 but offers no protection: study
The Andrographolide substance in the Thai traditional herb Fah Talai Jone (Andrographis Paniculata) can prevent Covid-19 from entering body cells and therefore dividing itself, announced Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine director-general Dr Amporn Benjaponpitak.
“The department has been conducting research into the effectiveness of Fah Talai Jone in Covid-19 patients in cooperation with the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Chulabhorn Research Institute, the Department of Medical Sciences and the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation,” she said.
“Since December 2020, we have given Fah Talai Jone to 304 Covid-19 patients with non-severe symptoms. Most of the patients responded to the herb immediately and their condition actually improved in five days. The medication also did not have any adverse effects,” she explained.
“Each patient was given the herb containing 180 milligrams of Andrographolide three times a day before meals. However, the use of the herb must be under doctor supervision only,” she advised.
However, Amporn made it clear that although Fah Talai Jone is effective in stopping Covid-19 from progressing, it cannot provide any actual protection against the virus.
“If you suspect that you may have contracted Covid-19, get a test immediately, then stay in isolation and follow the measures suggested by the Public Health Ministry,” she said.
“Fah Talai Jone has been traditionally used to treat fever, cough and a sore throat. However, if your symptoms do not improve in two days of usage, you should see a doctor,” she added.
Hot day with isolated thundershowers forecast for most of Thailand
If you live in upper Thailand expect a hot to very hot day as a heat cell covers the region, the Meteorological Department said on Thursday, adding that the Northeast, the Central region, including Bangkok and its vicinity, and the East are also in for a hot day with isolated thundershowers as a southwesterly wind brings moisture from the Andaman Sea and the Gulf.
Meanwhile, large areas of the South will experience thundershowers too.
Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:
Bangkok and surrounding areas: Hot day with isolated light rains; temperature lows of 25-27 degrees, highs of 34-37 degrees Celsius.
North: Hot to very hot day with haze and isolated light rains; temperature lows of 23-27 degrees and highs of 36-41 degrees Celsius.
Northeast: Hot day with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 23-26 degrees and highs of 36-37 degrees Celsius.
Central: Hot day with isolated light rains; temperature lows of 24-27 degrees, highs of 36-38 degrees Celsius.
East: Hot day with thundershowers in 20 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 25-27 degrees, highs of 33-37 degrees Celsius; waves less than a metre high and over 1 metre during thundershowers.
South (east coast): Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 24-25 degrees, highs of 33-35 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.
South (west coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the area with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 31-33 degrees Celsius; waves 1-2 metres high and 2 metres during thundershowers.
PM visits Bangkok’s 4th field hospital as Covid spreads
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha oversaw the preparations at Bangkok’s fourth field hospital on Wednesday as Thailand battles its third wave of Covid-19.
The Erawan 2 field hospital is housed at the Bangkok Arena in Nong Chok district.
Joining Prayut at the opening were Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
The prime minister also appointed government agencies to provide disease-control services such as hotlines, transportation and vaccine administration.
The Erawan 2 field hospital was built to cope with the increasing number of Covid-19 cases. The field hospital can accommodate 400 asymptomatic patients – 180 men and 220 women.
Its services include meals, wireless internet, CCTV cameras and security guards to ensure safety. Patients will be informed of the rules before they enter the field hospital.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is implementing three plans to combat the rising Covid-19 caseload: Boosting capacity at Bangkok hospitals, modifying hotels to become “hospitels” for asymptomatic patients, and launching field hospitals.
As of Wednesday, the total number of beds in Bangkok’s four field hospitals was 1,700, of which 723 beds were occupied:
Bang Khun Thian Geriatric Hospital: 449 beds
Ratchapipat Hospital: 185
Erawan 1 (84th Anniversary Stadium, Bang Bon): 89
Erawan 2 (Bangkok Arena, Nong Chok): 0
(Erawan 2 currently has no patients but will begin admitting cases once disease investigations have been completed.)
Phase 3 of ‘We Travel Together’ scheme opens for tourism operators
Hotels, restaurants and tourism operators who joined previous phases of the government’s “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” (We Travel Together) travel subsidy campaign can register for the third phase until April 30.
The third phase has added another 2 million subsidised room nights plus tighter regulation to solve corruption issues.
Hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, One Tambon, One Product (OTOP) operators, massage shops, vehicle rental and transport businesses who joined previous phases can register for the third phase at the Rao Tiew Duay Kan website on the following dates:
Central Region from April 21 to 26: Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Lopburi, Chainat, Singburi, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Suphanburi and Ang Thong.
North from April 22 to 27: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Uttaradit, Nan, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Tak, Uthai Thani, Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Lampang, Lamphun, Nakhon Sawan and Phichit.
South from April 23 to 28: Songkhla, Satun, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Narathiwat, Yala, Pattani, Phuket, Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Trang, Krabi, Chumphon and Ranong.
East from April 24 to 29: Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Sa Kaeo, Chachoengsao and Samut Prakan.
Northeast from April 25 to 30: Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, Khon Kaen, Roi Et, Kalasin, Mahasarakham, Nakhon Phanom, Sakon Nakhon, Mukdahan, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Buri Ram, Surin and Si Sa Ket.
The registration period for operators who did not participate in previous phases will be announced later.
Meanwhile, the May 7 deadline for travellers to apply for discounts under the campaign is likely to be postponed due to the third wave of Covid-19.
