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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403850

Phase 3 of travel subsidy campaign ‘will not be ready’ in time for Songkran

NationalMar 18. 2021Yuthasak Supasorn

By THE NATION

The latest phase of the government’s travel subsidy campaign “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” (We Travel Together) will not be ready in time for the Songkran festival, which features a 6-day-long holiday, from April 10 to 15, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said on Wednesday.

Under the campaign, eligible registrants can receive a 40 per cent discount on hotel rooms and restaurants. They will also receive an e-voucher when checking into a hotel, as well as a 40 per cent flight refund when they check out.

“The principles of phase 3 of the campaign were rejected by a Cabinet meeting on March 9, with TAT and Krung Thai Bank being asked to revise the details of the criteria to prevent fraud,” he said.

So far, more than 800 people have been prosecuted for defrauding the government under the scheme, which aims to stimulate the pandemic-hit economy.

“Even if the Cabinet were to approve the revised criteria at its next meeting on March 23, the approval of 2 million registrants under phase 3 will not be completed in time for the Songkran festival,” Yuthasak said.

“One of the anti-fraud measures is to force the applicants to book a room at least 2 weeks in advance, instead of three days, so officials will have enough time to detect any irregularity and stop the disbursement of money in time if possible fraud is detected,” he said.

“Krung Thai Bank is also considering using facial recognition technology to prevent the case of one person using another’s rights, but the system will need some time to be set up,” Yuthasak added.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403849

One death, 92 new cases reported, mostly transmitted locally

NationalMar 18. 2021

By The Nation

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Thursday reported one death and 92 new cases, 14 of whom are returnees.

Of the new cases, 64 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk areas. Samut Sakhon again leads the list with 32 cases, followed by 20 in Bangkok, four in Nakhon Pathom, two in Suphanburi and one each in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Ratchaburi, Samut Prakan and Mukdahan.

Proactive testing led to the discovery of 14 cases, eight of which were in Samut Sakhon, three in Phetchaburi and one each in Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Bangkok.

The 14 travellers found infected include five Thais, three Filipinos, one Malaysian, one American, one Briton, one Indian, one Turkish and one Pakistani who arrived from the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Sweden, Finland, Yemen, United States, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan and Belgium.

Meanwhile, 38 patients have recovered and been discharged.

As of Thursday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 27,494. Of these, 24,537 had been contracted locally, including 15,324 that were found via proactive testing, while 2,957 were returnees. So far, 26,377 have recovered and been discharged, 1,028 patients are still under treatment and the death toll has risen to 89.

The most recent fatalities include an 88-year-old Bangkok resident who suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia and chronic kidney disease. He is believed to also have infected his family members. He began developing a dry cough on February 20 and went to the hospital on February 27 after developing fatigue and having low oxygen readings. He tested positive for Covid-19 on March 1 and was immediately put on a respirator. He succumbed to the virus on March 16.

The 89th fatality from the virus in Thailand was a 65-year-old cancer patient in Samut Sakhon. On March 8, tests showed cancer had spread to his lungs. He was admitted to hospital the same day with a high fever and fatigue and died later in the day. Tests on the corpse showed he had contracted Covid-19.

According to Worldometer, the number of confirmed cases globally has risen to 121.82 million (up by 449,180), 98.21 million have recovered, 20.92 million are active cases (88,871 in severe condition) and 2.69 million have died (up by 9,712).

Thailand ranks 115th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 30.29 million, followed by Brazil with 11.7 million, India 11.47 million, Russia 4.41 million and the United Kingdom 4.27 million.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403845

Now 19kg of methamphetamine washes up on Koh Chang beach

NationalMar 18. 2021

By THE NATION

Koh Chang police in Trat province were alerted to suspicious packages that washed up on a beach in Tai subdistrict on Wednesday.

They rushed to the beach to investigate and found 19 one-kilogramme packages – all containing methamphetamine. The packages were scattered around the beach.

Police speculate that the drugs could belong to the same lot of 17 kilograms that had been found washed up on Koh Mak beach in Trat on March 7 another 17 kilograms found on a Koh Samui beach in Surat Thani last January as the packages looked identical – all were wrapped in yellow plastic with a logo of two red & white fishes and five red stars.

“Any locals who might have picked up any packages must contact police officers immediately and must not keep them as they are illegal narcotics. There is a high penalty for possessing such drugs,” said Somkid Saisang, chief of Koh Chang’s Tai district.

Koh Chang, also known as “Elephant Island”, is Thailand’s third largest island after Phuket and Samui and located in the Gulf of Thailand near the Cambodian border.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403844

New marine transport route set to connect EEC with Southern Economic Corridor

NationalMar 18. 2021

Seahorse Ferries is interested in running transport services with the Blue Dolphins ferry on a new marine route between Chon Buri (Sattahip Commercial Port), Prachuap Khiri Khan and Songkhla provinces, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchod said.

Blue Dolphins is already exempt from VAT charges by the Board of Investment and will start ferry tests from Sattahip. The tests are expected to be completed this month.

Its 7,003-gross-tonnage ferries, each measuring 136.60 metres in length with a top speed of 17 knots (31.48Km/ h), were certified safe by the Marine Department on March 12.

Saksayam said the ferry services would benefit transport operators and companies.

Water transport on the new route will be beneficial in connecting the Eastern Economic Corridor with the Southern Economic Corridor, enhancing the potential of water transport, reducing costs and accidents from land transportation and effectively reducing the PM 2.5 dust pollution problem.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403843

Baht expected to strengthen only slightly

NationalMar 18. 2021

By THE NATION

The baht opened at 30.69 to the US dollar on Thursday, unchanged from Wednesday’s close.

The Thai currency is likely to move between 30.60 and 30.75, Krungthai Bank market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.

He said the baht would strengthen in line with the weakened dollar, but it would be only slightly as importers tend to buy the US currency when the baht touches between 30.60 and 30.70 per dollar.

Poon suggested investors should monitor foreign fund flows in the short term, especially in stocks, which could fluctuate with the Covid-19 situation in Thailand.

He added that the baht could strengthen if more funds flow into Thailand.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403835

Bangkok’s official pawn shops to reduce interest rates as school reopening approaches

NationalMar 18. 2021

By THE NATION

Pawn shops in Bangkok will reduce their interest rates for three months from April 1 to June 30 in anticipation of high cash demand as schools nationwide are expected to reopen on May 15.

“We estimate that in the coming months parents and students will need financial support as many have suffered from the Covid-19 fallout,” said Wanlaya Watthanarat, deputy permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

“The 21 official pawn shops in Bangkok will therefor reduce their interest rates for Bt5,000-Bt100,000 worth of items pawned, from a progressive rate starting from Bt1 to a flat rate of 50 satang per month,” she said.

“Furthermore, the pawning limit for each customer will be raised to a maximum Bt100,000.”

To be eligible for the flat rate interest, applicants who are students are required to present their student ID card, while applicants who are parents must present a student ID of their children as well as evidence (birth certificate or house registration) proving they are the parent.

For more information, contact 02-158-0042-4.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403823

Hot, hazy day forecast for much of Thailand with isolated thundershowers

NationalMar 18. 2021

By THE NATION

Upper Thailand will see a hot to very hot day with haze while isolated thundershowers are expected in some areas as a low heat system covers the lower North and upper Central regions, the Meteorological Department said on Thursday.

It added that southerly and southeasterly winds prevail over the lower North, the Northeast, the Central region and the East, bringing hot weather and haze to these areas too.

Here’s the weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Hot day with haze; temperature lows of 26-27 degrees, highs of 35-38 degrees Celsius.

North: Hot to very hot day with haze and isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 19-27 degrees and highs of 36-41 degrees Celsius.

Northeast: Hot day with haze and isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 23-26 degrees and highs of 36-38 degrees Celsius.

Central: Hot day with haze and isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 24-27 degrees, highs of 36-39 degrees Celsius.

East: Hot day with haze and isolated thundershowers in 10 per cent of the area; temperature lows of 25-28 degrees, highs of 32-37 degrees Celsius; waves less than a metre high and 1 metre offshore.

South (east coast): Partly cloudy with isolated light rains; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees, highs of 32-36 degrees Celsius; waves a metre high.

South (west coast): Hot day with isolated light rains; temperature lows of 21-26 degrees, highs of 34-37 degrees Celsius; waves less than a metre high and 1 metre offshore.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403819

Shipping container crisis ‘over by second half of 2021’

NationalMar 18. 2021

By THE NATION

The worldwide container shortage pinching global trade will be relieved in the second half of this year as trade picks up, according to CIMB Thai Bank’s research office.

The shortage crisis blew up in mid-2020 when containers shipped to North America and Europe were stranded there by Covid-19 restrictions that meant almost nothing moved in the opposite direction. For every 10 containers shipped to North America, only four were returning to Asia, causing a huge imbalance.

The resulting shortage saw freight charges soar from about US$1,500 (Bt46,000) to $6,000-$9,000 per container in February this year, according to shippers.

Thailand is currently facing its own shortage of containers, which have been redirected to meet demand in China and Vietnam, said CIMB researchers.

The research office said the container shortage and high freight charges would hit exporters throughout the first half of 2021. They added that the container crisis would resolve in the second half of 2021, however, as Covid-19 vaccination in the US and Europe lifted levels of exports from the West.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403815

‘Deliver with Safety Campaign’ launched to boost global confidence in Thai food

NationalMar 18. 2021

The Commerce Ministry has launched a campaign to boost confidence in Thai products overseas amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The “Thailand Deliver with Safety” campaign aims to reassure buyers and importers that Thai agricultural produce, food products and halal food are Covid-safe thanks to high production standards from farm to plate.

The global trade slowdown during the pandemic has impacted Thai exporters, especially in the food manufacturing sector where consumers are now prioritising food safety.

In response, the ministry’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) is stepping up efforts to reassure global consumers that strict safety measures are imposed throughout Thailand’s food supply chain.

Meanwhile, four ministries – Commerce, Public Health, Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Interior – have joined forces to ensure Thai producers and exporters comply with Covid-19 Prevention Best Practice.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30403811

DLT launches app for payment of annual car tax

NationalMar 18. 2021Yongyut Nakdaeng

By The Nation

The Department of Land Transport (DLT) on Wednesday urged motorists to pay their yearly vehicle tax via the department’s smartphone app in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Yongyut Nakdaeng, the department’s deputy director-general, said the tax sticker and receipt will be sent by mail within five working days after payment.

“Motorists can show evidence of the payment generated by the app to police officers while they wait for a new tax sticker,” he said.

Apart from making their payments at the department’s offices, motorists can also pay their taxes via the https://eservice.dlt.go.th website, Counter Service, mPAY Wallet and True Money Wallet smartphone applications.

“These services are only available for vehicles exempted from inspection, while tax for vehicles requiring inspection can be paid at the department’s offices, post offices or linked commercial banks,” he said.

Yongyut added that 503,754 motorists in Bangkok paid their annual vehicle tax in February this year.

Of the total, 397,702 visited the department’s offices, 58,914 used drive-thru service, 31,134 paid via the department’s website, 2,024 used the smartphone app, 904 used the automatic kiosk, 11,184 used Counter Service, 1,235 paid at post offices, 621 used the mPAY Wallet or True Money Wallet smartphone applications, and 36 visited affiliated commercial banks.

People can call the DLT 1584 hotline for more information.