The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) has unveiled a plan to combat salty tap water that has been plaguing Bangkok for the past week.
The problem is caused by seawater intrusion at the Samlae Raw Water Pumping Station in Pathum Thani, where salinity was measured at 0.25 grams per litre on Tuesday. The World Health Organisation has set the daily intake of salt at 2 grams and recommends people do not consume tap water with sodium exceeding 0.2 grams.
Drought conditions had reduced the amount of water released from Chao Phraya dams to flush out the seawater, explained MWA director of Water Resources and Environment Development Somsak Passananon.
As a result, people living on the Chao Phraya River’s eastern bank in Lak Si, Don Mueang, Lat Krabang, Bang Phli, Bang Na and Samrong districts are suffering brackish tap water. Residents of western Bangkok receive their water from the Mae Klong River Basin and are not affected.
Salty tap water in east Bangkok is expected to persist throughout February, said MWA deputy governor Raksak Suriyaharn.
The MWA said it has a four-pronged plan to combat the crisis.
First, it is monitoring water at the Samlae pumping station, though it says it can only prevent high saline levels for four hours per day given Bangkok’s high tap water consumption.
Second, it has launched two water-hammer operations to flush seawater, on January 13-16 and January 28-31.
Third, it is providing clean water points for the public at 18 WMA offices.
Fourth, it is updating the public with reports and forecasts of water salinity on social media platforms.
A couple was arrested on Friday for allegedly prostituting underage girls in Sa Kaew province.
The suspects, only identified as 24-year-old Sawaluck and 28-year-old Benja, found and communicated with customers via Twitter.
The victims were usually girls from the neighbourhood facing financial difficulties. Sawaluck would lure them with promises of income through her so-called business.
The couple has run this virtual brothel for nearly a year now.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed at 1,496.61 on Friday, up 13.63 points or 0.92 per cent. Total transactions amounted to Bt79.35 billion with an index high of 1,498.35 and a low of 1,488.73
In the morning session, Krungsri Securities expected the day’s index to rebound to between 1,490 and 1,495 points on hopes of US stimulus rollout and the rising oil price.
“However, outflow of foreign funds would drag down the SET,” the securities firm predicted.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value today were BBL, PTT, KBANK, AOT, CPALL, SCB, EA, BAM, IVL and GULF.
As of 4.30pm, the price of oil rose by US$0.72 or 1.28 per cent to $56.95 per barrel, while gold rose by $14.50 or 0.81 per cent to $1,805.70 per ounce.
Other Asian indices were mixed:
Japan’s Nikkei Index closed at 28,779.19, up 437.24 points or 1.54 per cent.
China’s Shang Hai SE Composite Index closed at 3,496.33, down 5.53 points or 0.16 per cent, while the Shenzhen SE Component Index closed at 15,007.30, down 98.64 points or 0.65 per cent.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed at 29,288.68, up 175.18 points or 0.60 per cent.
South Korea’s KOSPI closed at 3,120.63, up 33.08 points or 1.07 per cent.
Taiwan’s TAIEX closed at 15,802.40, up 96.18 points or 0.61 per cent.
Escaped Siberian tiger hunted down west of Bangkok
NationalFeb 05. 2021Photo Credit: The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
By The Nation
A Siberian tiger has been recaptured after escaping from its cage in Ratchaburi, 100 kilometres west of Bangkok.
The 10-year-old female tiger, named Aura, broke out of its cage at the Khao Son Wildlife Breeding Station in Ratchaburi on Thursday.
Photo Credit: The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
Station chief Pakpoom Pidthong said on Friday that Aura managed to escape after it scared two workers as they tried to close the cage. Siberian tigers are the world’s largest big cats, measuring up to 3.9 metres in length and weighing up to 300 kilos.
Photo Credit: The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
Pakpoom said staff from the breeding station and local authorities followed the trail of the escaped tiger in a bid to prevent it from entering residential areas.
“Officials found Aura at 8pm near Khao Son Farm and then shot her with an anaesthetic dart before returning the tiger to its cage,” he said.
Photo Credit: The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
He said Aura woke up at 6am on Friday and is now under a veterinarian’s care.
“The next step is to make improvements to the tiger’s cage and give staff more training on safety and procedures,” he added.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has appointed a panel to oversee the wildlife station’s risk management plans.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Friday responded to an ultimatum to pay off its Bt30 billion-plus debt or see the Skytrain Green Line shut down.
Skytrain operatorBangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) delivered the ultimatum last Monday, threatening to suspend train services unless the BMA pay its debt for operating the Green Line extension since 2018. The debt includes Bt9.6 billion in wages and more than Bt20 billion for the train operating system.
The BMA’s investment arm, Krungthep Thanakom (KT), on Friday sought to resolve the dispute.
“The company [KT] has submitted a proposal letter to the BMA on repaying the debts and allocating budget to operate mass transit systems in Bangkok to ensure that services will not be affected,” said KT managing director Kriangpol Phatthanarat.
The police along with the Digital Economy and Society Ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission on Friday cracked down on people for allegedly posting fake information about the Covid-19 outbreak.
“From December 18 to February 4, officials have arrested 35 people for posting false information online,” Pol Maj-General Phanthana Nuchanart, chief liason officer for the Anti-Fake News Centre, said.
“Four of these persons had allegedly written the posts themselves, while 31 others shared fake news about the Covid-19 situation.”
Phanthana added that the fake stories being shared include reports that migrant workers have broken out of a quarantine facility, claims that Covid-19 is caused by bacteria from the 5G spectrum and not a virus and announcements that travel to some provinces is prohibited.
“Original posters will be charged for violating the Computer Crime Act and Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations, which carry a punishment of up to five years in prison and/or Bt100,000 in fines,” he added.
“Those who shared fake news were let off with a warning but were told to delete or edit their posts.
“Please verify the information you receive with related agencies before posting or sharing to avoid breaking the law,” Phanthana said.
Four Bangkok parties infect nearly 40 people: CCSA
NationalFeb 05. 2021Dr Apisamai Srirangsan, assistant spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration
By The Nation
Four private celebrations in Bangkok resulted in several confirmed Covid-19 cases, Dr Apisamai Srirangsan, assistant spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Friday.
The first celebration involved 30 attendees, of whom nine tested positive, while 10 were confirmed negative because they only arrived to deliver presents and left. The remaining 11 are under surveillance in quarantine facilities.
Investigators learned that the nine had been infected because they were sharing glasses in a drinking game, had stayed at the party for a long time, used their fingers to consume food and pick up ice and were all drunk.
The second party had 13 attendees, 10 of whom tested positive. The virus was transmitted for the same reasons – sharing glasses, spending too long together, picking food with fingers and getting drunk.
The third party had seven people attending and they were all infected. The party was held in a badly ventilated room and partygoers shared glasses and danced close to each other without masks.
All 13 attendees of the fourth party tested positive and once again the reason was sharing glasses and staying in the same place for too long.
Dr Apisamai said that despite efforts to maintain control measures, such as social-distancing, masks and using separate utensils, booze remained the key factor in infections.
Citing the World Health Organisation’s health standards, she said after two glasses of booze people start relaxing, feeling sleepy, have a low response to the environment and lose their inhibitions. These are the four key reasons why CCSA has banned the serving of alcohol in public places.
The Tourism Minister will discuss with the prime minister a request for 5 million doses of vaccination for the tourism industry and also push a vaccine passport measure to enable foreigners to return in the third quarter of this year.
Minister for Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said he is meeting Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to request 5 million doses of vaccine for 2.5 million employees in the high-risk tourism sector, such as those who have duties to welcome foreign tourists, hotel staff, restaurant staff, tour drivers and spa staff, focusing on seven major tourist cities: Chonburi, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani, and Songkhla.
According to the reopening plan, Thailand will accept foreign tourists in the second half of this year, targeting 5-10 million visitors.
Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said that TAT would find a way to bring vaccinated foreigners to Thailand, including urging the government to allow a vaccine passport. They will also discuss with the National Tourist Organisation (NTO) of Asean countries to issue visas together under the same standard for people in the Asian community to travel to other Asean countries without quarantine.
Besides, TAT has promised to start marketing aggressively. It has discussed with Middle Eastern airlines like Emirates, Qatar Airways, and hotels and travel operators to sell all-inclusive travel packages from March to April to attract foreign tourists to Thailand in the third quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, the private sector in Phuket’s tourism industry has discussed plans to mobilise Covid-19 vaccination to open quarantine-free tourism to Phuket again on October 1, 2021, when at least 70 per cent of the population has been vaccinated, under the operation #phuketfirstoctober
Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, recently revealed that to be able to open to foreign tourists on October 1, 2021, without quarantine or #phuketfirstoctober, the Phuket team have to assess five factors and have already asked the government for clarity.
1. Quarantine requirement for vaccinated tourist and limitation on the type of vaccine used on a tourist if they are not inoculated with Sinovac or AstraZeneca vaccine.
2. Vaccination plan for Phuket
3. Local government’s part to bring vaccine to the area faster.
4. Expanding the registration of other vaccines used in many countries to have sufficient applications
5. Additional measure for private individuals to purchase vaccines for employees of each business according to the capacity of each organisation
He added that Phuket’s tourism industry needs at least 70 per cent of the population to receive two doses of the vaccine by September 1, to build immunity before accepting vaccinated tourists from October 1.
“Phuket’s private team has already negotiated to buy vaccines from private hospital chains. If the government approves the private sector guidelines, we should start injecting Sinovac’s first dose before the Songkran festival (April) and gradually inject the private sector to complete as planned. The Phuket private sector has agreed that employees, especially in the tourism sector, will pay for vaccines themselves. For our future, we have to invest in ourselves,” said Bhummikitti.
In August 2021, Shrewsbury International School Bangkok Riverside will complete an ambitious 1.1 billion Thai Baht building project.
Project 2021 dramatically increases the provision for Science, Mathematics, Computing, Innovation, Sixth Form, Higher Education counselling, Dining and Sport at Thailand’s leading independent international school.
Central to the development, Riverside’s 18 new high-specification Science laboratories – set over three floors – will inspire students on their journeys to the world’s finest universities. In combination with the dedicated facilities for Biology, Chemistry and Physics, 16 Mathematics classrooms, four Computing suites, an Innovation space and Robotics lab and brand new Sixth Form centre will deliver a compelling 17,000 sqm learning environment for the Riverside community.
This additional capacity will support the growth of the community from the current Senior School role of 930 students to a broader and more diverse community of 1,370 students by 2026. In addition, the 43-rai Riverside campus retains its renowned Junior School (after 3 years) and will continue to receive students into its Senior School from Shrewsbury’s already successful primary-aged City Campus (Sukhumvit-Rama 9), which opened in August 2018.
On the ground floor, Students will dine in an all-new purpose-built 700 seat air-conditioned hall, while at the top of the new Senior School building, Shrewsbury’s A level students will enjoy wonderful views out over the Chao Phraya from a split-level 4000+sqm Sixth Form Centre. Incorporating Riverside’s award-winning Higher Education Team, a cafe, numerous breakout spaces, and quiet, flexible working environments, aspirational students will enjoy an inspiring environment that offers space to think and collaborate.
Set over 5 floors, the new 17,000 sqm Senior School building will provide top-specification facilities for STEM subjects, dining and a 4,000sqm Sixth Form centre for A level studies and award-winning Higher Education counselling.
Shrewsbury Sport has been a key part of the collaboration among students over the history of the school, and Project 2021 represents another leap forward in provision. Two basketball courts are added to the existing three, and the growing netball programme will have one of the few purpose-built courts in Thailand. With badminton and volleyball also well served by the new 1,480sqm, air-conditioned sports hall, all athletes will benefit from 340sqm of Strength and Conditioning Space beneath, as well as a new 80sqm Yoga room and 80sqm spin bike studio. This new performance complex is based on the Powerbase concept from Loughborough University, where many of the UK’s finest Olympians and elite athletes train and develop.
Project 2021 meets the ambitions of the whole Shrewsbury community. With a design informed by a range of stakeholders – including the students themselves – and supported wonderfully by the Sophonpanich family and excellent governance linked to Shrewsbury School in the UK, this new development delivers new and exciting opportunities for aspirational parents, staff and students alike.
School owner, Khun Chali Sophonpanich, is pleased with the progress made and excited with what the investment will offer students going forward. “We are proud to be delivering two wonderful buildings that, for years to come, will continue to offer Shrewsbury students a chance to find and fulfil their potential – particularly in the Sciences, Mathematics, Computing, Sports – and ultimately to secure places at world-leading universities of their choice”.
Always looking forward, Shrewsbury Riverside has already produced a campus masterplan under the leadership of Shrewsbury Alumna, Khun Julie Sophonpanich and Principal Chris Seal, and in partnership with lead architect, Robert Philip Holmes of City Realty Company Ltd and DWP Architects. This masterplan will in turn see new developments in all Senior School departments (including new plans for Music, Art and Drama) as well as renewal of the Prep and Pre-Prep buildings by 2025.
Principal Chris Seal comments, “Shrewsbury Riverside is built on aspiration. The Sophonpanich family and the Governing body showed foresight and ambition in launching this project before my appointment. I have thoroughly enjoyed bringing it to fruition and look forward to seeing the impact of these amazing spaces on our young people and their learning.”
School Principal, Chris Seal (left) with Assistant Principal – Head of Senior, Rob Millar (right)
To find out more and to apply, please visit the Riverside website HERE
Immigration police chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang went to Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Phetchaburi on Friday to oversee the operation of blocking borders, so nobody can sneak into the country.
Sompong said he is worried more illegal migrants will sneak in to escape the state of emergency in Myanmar, which will result in the further spread of Covid-19.
The military knocked over Myanmar’s civilian government in a coup on Monday.
Sompong pointed out that there are at least seven natural borders in Kanchanaburi, and that close to 400,000 Myanmar migrants are looking to enter Thailand.
“Police have been told to be on the lookout for labour traffickers,” he said.
Photo Credit: The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
Dr Apisamai Srirangsan, assistant spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration
