The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has added three new nightspots to the list of venues being temporarily closed for sparking a cluster of nearly 400 Covid-19 cases recently.
In a Facebook post on Friday, BMA spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang called on people who visited Snail Thonglor, Babyface Superclub in Ekkamai and THAY Ekkamai since March 22 to contact the BMA via http://bkkcovid19.bangkok.go.th/ or call (02) 203 2393, (02) 203 2396 or (02) 203 2883.
Including the three new additions, 24 nightspots in eight Bangkok districts are being closed for two weeks from Friday. They are:
More than 100,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Bangkok since the inoculation programme launched six weeks ago, according to authorities.
On Thursday 7,731 doses were injected, taking the total administered in the province to 103,333 doses, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said.
However, this figure still represents less than 1 per cent of the capital’s population, estimated at 10,722,815 residents. To achieve herd immunity, around 70 per cent of the population must have antibodies against Covid-19.
Five groups prioritised to receive the vaccine in Bangkok are:
1. Public health staff and volunteers (55,126 vaccinated so far).
2. Seniors aged over 60 (11,616).
3. Workers in close contact with Covid-19 patients (10,194).
4. People with chronic diseases (7,625).
5. People living in high-risk zones (18,722).
A total of 7,121 Bangkok residents had received the two doses of vaccine necessary for full inoculation.
The BMA said it will continue to vaccinate people in priority groups, especially after the new outbreak of Covid-19 stemming from entertainment venues in the Thong Lor area.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday ordered the closure of entertainment venues, massage parlours and other nightspots in 41 provinces, for at least 14 days from Saturday.
The move is aimed to tackle a recent outbreak that has spread from pubs and clubs in Bangkok’s Thong Lor area.
The closure order covers Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Lopburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chonburi, Rayong, Chachoengsao, Sa Kaew, Chanthaburi, Prachinburi, Saraburi, Suphanburi, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Ranong, Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Songkhla, Yala, Narathiwat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Udon Thani, Buri Ram, Tak, Loei, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Phetchabun.
CCSA spokesperson Taweesin Visanuyothin said the measure will run from midnight on Friday to at least April 23.
Other provinces also have the power to close nightspots temporarily if necessary, he added.
Communicable disease committees in each province can also ask the CCSA for permission to ease restrictions if they think the Covid-19 situation there is under control.
Taweesin added that the government has talked with the private sector on procuring vaccines other than the AstraZeneca and Sinovac doses provided by the state.
A total of 559 new cases of Covicd-19 were reported by the CCSA on Friday. Most were detected in Bangkok (268), followed by Samut Prakan (46), Chonburi (46), Prachuap Khiri Khan (30), Sa Kaew (16), Pathum Thani (12) and Nonthaburi (10).
In all, 45 provinces have logged new Covid-19 cases over the past week.
By The Nation (sponsored news)The event captures the essence of Thai pride. In this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021 award ceremony, “Thai restaurant by Thai chefs using Thai ingredients” was rated by expert judges panel across Asia. The winner of 4th place which received the most popular restaurant in Asia is Thai restaurant, Ledu, by Chef Ton Thitid Tassanakajohn
Chef Ton Thitid Tassanakajohn, founder of Ledu restaurant, said that “he grown up in the family that grandfather and grandmother were always cooking. I saw every process and recipes in each dish, so I started to practice cooking since then but I hadn’t really trained it well. Then I went to study aboard, I had the opportunity to worked in some restaurant for a while and I enjoyed it but still not take it seriously. After that, I came back to Thailand and entranced in faculty of economics of Chulalongkorn University. After graduated, I started working as investment banker for one famous broker company. I resigned one month after because I realized that it wasn’t the job that I want to do and I don’t want to work in an office, so I went to United States of America to learn how to cook properly. I had an opportunity to worked in many famous restaurants and gained experience for 5-6 years. During that time, I felt that the image of Thai food in the opinion of foreigners is like street food and was rated as a simple food, not seen as a luxury or rated it as high-class food like other western food in Fine dining restaurant and as a Thai person, I want to change that idea. Thai food can also be high-class food like other country”.
The beginning of Ledu – with the passion in upgrading better image of Thai food to all over the world, after Chef Ton returned to Thailand in 2013, he found a suitable location and opened a restaurant named Ledu. The concept is Fine Dining Thai cuisine using Thai ingredients from all regions in Thailand with the menu constantly changing according to the season. Ledu is not using any imported raw materials because he wanted people who come to Ledu taste the best of Thai food and Thai ingredients. He using the cooking experience that he has been learned in aboard adapted to Thai food and also the techniques of placement and serving as well as foreign Fine Dining.
“There are no obstacles because everything is a fun experience”. First month of opening was not yet popular. Maybe LeDu’s style is something new. Even Thais are not famously choosing to eat Thai food for special occasions. But with clarity in the concept conciding with a group of people who pleasing with the concept of the chef, casusing LeDu to gradually gain more customers until it became widely known. In the beginning, the team was small with only a few emplyees. You have to do everything yourself. But within a year the team was bigger and more ready. Our chef “Ton” never stopped. He always inventing new menus, because Chef Ton never see LeDu as the best.
“We still need to keep improving and with this concept makes us comes so far. From the restaurant that no one knows to the restaurant that had been in fourth place of the most popular restaurant in Asia” said Chef Ton.
In 2015, chef Ton opened the new restaurant called “Baan” located at Wireless road right after the successful of Ledu. In early 2018, Baan expanded to Taipei, which is the first Thai restaurant there. Moreover, Baan received MICHELIN PLATES from MICHELIN GUIDE. Chef Ton still pursued his dream, in 2019, he opened the restaurant called “Samyan” in Philippine, which serves high-end food courts. In early 2020, Chef Ton had a brilliant idea to open a bar called “Mayrai Bar” which planning to locate at Ta Tien. Currently, in June 2020, chef Ton opened “Nusara”, which is the most famous and trending fine-dining in Bangkok at the moment. Nusara got MICHELIN PLATES and won ASIA’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021, at the place of 20th.
In this year, Chef Ton is the first Thai chef who won the most popular restaurant award in Thailand and also 4th place in Asia. He is a representative of the country and creates pride for all Thai people. Chef Ton revealed that even he just received awards but the main goal is to constantly developing yourself and also restaurants. Despite being the first Thai chef to received this award but I believe that in the future, there will be a new restaurant with new generation blood who create a new ideal of food and will definitely go further and better than this.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday reported 559 new cases and one death.
Of the new infections, 401 had been contracted locally, 148 found via proactive testing and 10 brought in from overseas.
The 10 arrivals, both Thai and foreign nationals, included two each from China and Belgium and one each from the UK, US, Indonesia, France, Malaysia and Estonia.
The latest death was that of a 60-year-old male prisoner in Narathiwat Prison where cases erupted last week. The victim had a history of tuberculosis and succumbed to the virus on Thursday.
Most cases were detected in Bangkok (268), followed by Samut Prakan (46), Chonburi (46), Prachuap Khiri Khan (30), Sa Kaew (16), Pathum Thani (12) and Nonthaburi (10).
Meanwhile, 27 patients have recovered and been discharged.
As of Friday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 30,869. Of these, 27,682 had been contracted locally, including 16,838 who were found via proactive testing, while 3,187 were returnees.
So far, 28,128 have recovered and been discharged, 2,645 patients are being treated, and 96 have died (36 in the second outbreak).
According to Worldometer, as of 10am on Friday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 134.51 million (up by 737,425), 108.3 million of whom have recovered, 23.3 million are active cases (101,619 in severe condition) and 2.91 million have died (up by 13,827).
Thailand ranks 113th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 31.71 million, followed by Brazil 13.28 million, India 13.05 million, France 4.93 million and Russia 4.61 million.
Several hospitals in Bangkok have suspended their Covid-19 testing service due to a shortage of beds and testing kits.
According to Springnews many hospitals, such as Piyavate, MedPark, Phyathai 1 and 2, Samitivej, Petcharavej, Vibharam, Synphaet, Ramkhamhaeng and Sukhumvit, on Thursday announced suspension of their testing service via their social media channels.
However, Paolo Hospital Kaset posted that its service would be suspended on Saturday and Sunday, but resume on Monday.
Authorities in Chiang Mai have converted the international exhibition and convention centre into a field hospital, in order to deal with the increasing Covid-19 cases in the province.
The authorities have arranged 280 beds — 140 beds each for male and female patients.The field hospital will be available from Friday.
On Thursday, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said that cases from Bangkok’s Thong Lor cluster have been found in 20 provinces between March 22 and April 7.
On Wednesday, the Committee of Communicable Diseases of Chiang Mai decided that everybody travelling from the five red-zone provinces — Bangkok,
Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom — must register on the CMChana application and isolate themselves for 14 days.After the Covid-19 clusters emerged from several entertainment venues in Bangkok and its vicinity,
Chiang Mai has also decided to close clubs, pubs, karaoke bars and other entertainment establishments for seven days from Friday.
Venues that were open on Thursday were required to provide the committee with the names and phone numbers of all patrons.
The province has also decided to prohibit the serving of alcohol at all kinds of restaurants for seven days from Friday.
The baht opened at 31.40 to the US dollar on Friday, strengthening from its close of 31.47 on Thursday.The Thai currency is likely to move between 31.35 and 31.45 during the day, Krungthai Bank market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.
He said the baht would not move in line with other Asian currencies, which tend to strengthen due to the weakened dollar.
Poon predicted that the baht would be weaker than 31.30 per US dollar, or 31.65 maximum, due to the new wave of Covid-19 in Thailand, as well as the purchasing of foreign currencies some companies to pay dividend.
He also forecast that the baht would be at the weakest point this quarter.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has increased the frequency of cleaning of public places and facilities in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19.
“BMA staff will clean roads, pavements, pedestrian flyovers, bus stops, passenger rest areas and contact surfaces at government offices in the provinces more frequently to ensure people’s safety,” said BMA permanent secretary Silapasuay Raweesangsoon.
“People using public facilities should adhere to the ‘D-M-H-T-T-A’ principles advised by the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration, which are: distancing from others, wearing mask, washing hands, checking body temperature, testing for Covid-19, and using applications such as Thai Chana and Mor Chana,” she added.
Silapasuay added that the BMA would clean public toilets every hour at four locations — Banglamphu, Dusittaram Temple, Daowadeung Temple and Bo Bae Market. “Cleaning staff were instructed to thoroughly clean all contact surfaces in the toilets including doorknobs, toilet seats, toilet flush handles, sinks and faucets,” she added. “We will also hold a ‘big cleaning day’ activity at public hospitals in the province to ensure the safety of people coming to receive medical treatment.”
People in large numbers have started to leave Bangkok for their hometowns for the Songkran holidays from April 10-15.
On Thursday night, a number of people was seen at the Bangkok Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2) in Chatuchak district.
To prevent the spread of Covid-19, passengers must pass through thermal screening checkpoints before entering the boarding areas and must wear face masks at all times.
Inter-provincial bus operator Transport Co Ltd estimated that from Thursday onwards, up to 70,000 people per day would leave Bangkok for the Songkran holidays. The company has arranged 5,500 bus trips per day to accommodate the passengers at three bus terminals, namely the Mo Chit 2, Ekamai Bus Terminal and Southern Bus Terminal.
“We have also prepared an additional 1,500 bus trips in case more passengers show up, adding to the total capacity of 110,000 passengers per day during Songkran,” said the company.
Due to the latest outbreak of Covid-19, the Transport Co is allowing those who have bought tickets for April 8 to 18 and wish to cancel their trip to get a full refund.
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