Cyclists banned from riding downhill in Chiang Mai’s Doi Inthanon
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
Visitors to Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai have been warned against flying downhill on bicycles in three areas for safety reasons.
An announcement published on Monday warned that the mountainous terrain and slippery roads could put tourists at risk. Visitors, however, can ride their bikes uphill but are required to take public transport on the way back.
The announcement said more than 200,000 people have visited the national park this year, and many brought their bicycles along. To ensure their safety and prevent damage, the national park has asked tourists to refrain from riding their bicycles downhill on Highway No 1009 (Chom Thong-Doi Inthanon), Highway No 1192 (Doi Inthanon-Mae Chaem) and Road No 4016 (Khun Klang-Khun Wang).
Violators stand to face punishment under the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation regulations.
Interior Ministry issues urgent order for New Year celebrations
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
The Interior Ministry has issued five rules for New Year celebrations in an urgent order sent to all provincial governors.
Issued on Monday, the ministry order explains that government agencies and the private sector can still organise celebrations, but organisers must strictly stick to the following five rules:
1. Entertainment venues must close at specified hours and keep underage people, weapons, drugs and other illegal items out of their premises.
2. Local authorities must conduct safety and legal checks on venues and areas where New Year’s events will be held.
3. Organisers must deploy measures to prevent overcrowding which risks a repeat of October’s crowd-crush tragedy in South Korea’s capital Seoul.
4. Public Health Ministry Covid-19 controls must be implemented in public spaces.
5. Local authorities and police must conduct regular patrols during the New Year festival (December 30-January 2) to ensure public safety and quick response in cases of emergency.
Doubt was cast over Thailand’s New Year events after the government and judiciary ordered their offices to cancel celebrations amid nationwide prayers for the recovery of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha. The Princess is being treated for a heart-related condition at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok after losing consciousness on December 14.
Two major New Year’s events were subsequently cancelled, with Khao San Road calling off its countdown and Pattaya scrapping its December 29-31 fireworks display. However, concerts and fairs to ring in the New Year will still go ahead at both of the tourism hotspots.
Navy chief expresses sorrow at funerals as search resumes for missing crew
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengpaet, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy, expressed sorrow at not being able to save the lives of HTMS Sukhothai crewmen as he presided over funeral rites on Monday.
Choengchai was speaking at rites for four victims of the ship’s sinking held at Sattahip Navy Crematorium in Chonburi.
The four were identified as Petty Officer Third Class Sarawut Nadi, Seaman Suthipong Hongthong, Seaman Jirawat Thuphom and Seaman Worapong Boonlakhon.
The admiral said the bodies would be returned to their families for funerals in their hometowns.
“As Navy chief, I would like to express condolence to the families of the deceased sailors for being unable to save their lives,” he said.
He also vowed that the search mission for 11 HTMS Sukhothai crew still missing would continue, saying he still had hope more survivors could be found.
He said the Navy has also handed out cash relief to families of the deceased sailors and will recruit members from each family.
Meanwhile the Navy is accelerating its investigation of the sinking by using evidence from survivors and video clips, he said. Choengchai vowed to provide a full and transparent explanation of the disaster as soon as possible.
He added that it would take time to lift the wreck of the HTMS Sukhothai from the seabed as the salvage mission depended on weather, winds and waves.
The search mission was launched after the Sukhothai, a Rattanakosin-class corvette, capsized during stormy weather with 105 crew onboard on the night of December 18.
The ship sank some 20 nautical miles (32 kilometres) off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan district. As of press time, the bodies of 18 sailors from the ship had been found, while another 11 were still missing.
“Haemophilia” – a Disease that May Not Be Cured But Opportunities for a Good Life Are Still Possible
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
Patients suffering from Hemophilia, a genetic disease that lasts throughout one’s lifetime and has no long-term cure can still expect a quality of life.
A Chula medical specialist recommends preventive replacement factor treatment that uses an application to record abnormal bleeding along with regular communication with one’s physician.
Bleeding when one is wounded is a common occurrence for everyone. Yet there are cases where a person experiences bleeding without having had any cuts or wounds. There can also be instances of bleeding without any wounds or only a slight injury and the bleeding shows no sign of stopping especially in the joints or muscles. These symptoms shouldn’t be ignored since they might mean that a person has Hemophilia.
Dr Chatphatai Moonla, General Medicine Instructor, General Practitioner in Hematologic Diseases, Division of General Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital explains that “Haemophilia is a genetic disease that is found only in males. Out of a population of ten to twenty thousand, one haemophiliac might be found. This disease is caused by a genetic disorder that impairs the body’s ability to make blood clot. Patients usually display abnormal bleeding patterns from the time of their birth while in some cases they are found in their childhood or adolescence if they experience joint bleeds or easy bruising during the motor development process.”
At present, around 1,800 people suffer from Hemophilia but it is hoped that more patients can be diagnosed, especially those displaying only mild symptoms. This would require more awareness among the public and medical professionals in all areas to realize the importance of detecting this disease.
What causes Haemophilia Haemophilia is caused by a disorder of the gene that creates the coagulation factor which is called factor for short. There are two important factors: factor VIII and factor IX. Those lacking factor VIII have haemophilia A and those without factor IX have haemophilia B. In 2020, Thailand had 1,600 patients with haemophilia A and 200 with haemophilia B.
Dr Chatphatai explained that haemophilia A and B are both X-linked recessive disorders which is why it affects males who acquire the X haemophiliac chromosome from their mothers while females with the haemophiliac gene are carriers but asymptomatic.
How much bleeding indicates that it’s haemophilia? Characteristic symptoms for haemophilia vary according to severity. 80-100 % of the bleeding is joint bleeding whereas 10-20% is muscle bleeding that happens after an accident or collision such as in a sports tournament. The severity of the disease depends on the level of factor VII or factor IX and can be divided into 3 levels as follow:
Severe haemophilia symptoms (factor level less than 1 %) usually show signs of bruising on their bodies from the time they are very young, and experience joint or muscle bleeding without having had an accident or collision.
Moderate haemophilia symptoms (factor level of 1-5 %) will experience joint or muscle bleeding after only a slight accident. In only some cases will they experience joint bleeds on their own. Slight haemophilia symptoms (factor level between 5-40 %) usually don’t bleed on their own but will find it hard to stop the bleeding after an accident or surgical procedure like tooth extraction, for example.
Easy bleeding makes life difficult. Patients with haemophilia have to be extra cautious in avoiding crashes and collisions. This affects their way of life, especially for those in their childhood where active fun and games are a part of their physical development and learning process.
“Active kids who take part in strenuous physical activities that affect their muscles and joints may encounter situations of bleeding. Many need to refrain from such activities and some need to be absent from school whenever they start bleeding and require treatment. Those who fail to receive treatment when they are young will go through osteoarthritis or joint impairments that adversely affect their way of life and put them in need of caregiver’s assistance and worse yet, disabilities leading to them being crippled.”
Diagnosis of hemophilia Dr Chatphatai advises male babies born to families with a history of haemophilia to be tested for the disease by way of assessing their blood clot ability and factor levels of factor VII and IX from the time of their birth or during infancy.
“A family with a child who shows abnormal bleeding in the joints or muscles or has bleeding marks on the skin after only a small bump should bring the baby to his paediatrician for assessment.”
“Patients showing slight or moderate signs who encounter bruising or bleeding in the joints or muscles, or those who continue to bleed after a tooth extraction or surgery should make sure to see their physician for further diagnosis as well.”
Forms of treatment to ensure a better quality of life We have yet to find a cure for haemophilia but there are two forms of treatment available – treatment and prevention of bleeding episodes.
“Prevention is the best form of treatment which is done by replacing the missing blood clotting factors 2-3 or more times a week. Here in Thailand, there are still some limitations based on budgetary concerns whereas in some foreign countries, factors could be given every other day to prevent abnormal bleeding and successfully delay joint osteoarthritis.”
Since care for haemophilia patients needs to be done continuously throughout the patient’s lifetime, systems and technologies have therefore been developed to help both the patients and their doctors to follow up on their symptoms and provide extended care. Various applications such as the HemMobile recommended by King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital have been tested on patients. The application works like a personal assistant for the patient recording all instances of abnormal bleeding and factor injections onto the application that will process that data onto the physician to observe the patient’s bleeding patterns leading to greater accuracy and appropriate treatment.”
“Care for a haemophiliac is a lifelong process. The patient and his family must understand the disease as well as the treatment. The team of doctors treating the patient must be knowledgeable and engage in a close relationship with the patient. This will ensure that the patient will receive appropriate care in the long run and be able to live with haemophilia while enjoying a good quality of life, especially for children who should be able to grow up with a strong life and with the least occurrences of osteoarthritis.” Dr Chatphatai concluded.
2,684 companies close in November; construction sector worst hit
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
The construction sector suffered the highest casualties among 2,684 companies that went out of business in Thailand in November, according to the Department of Business Development.
The shuttered companies had total registered capital of 9.417 billion baht.
Construction firms accounted for 236 closures or 9% of the total. Second-worst hit was real estate with 108 closures (4%), followed by restaurants with 64 (2%).
Firms with less than 1 million baht in authorised capital accounted for most closures, at 1,935 or 72.09%. Another 611 or 22.77% of those shuttered were firms with 1-5 baht million in capital. A total of 128 shuttered businesses (4.77%) had 5 to 100 million baht, while the remaining 10 closures (0.37%) were of companies with capital of more than 100 million baht.
November also saw 5,773 businesses apply for registration, with capital totalling over 20 billion baht.
The top three sectors for business registration were real estate (492 firms), building construction (486), and restaurants (252), accounting for 9%, 8%, and 4% of registrations, respectively.
Of new registrants, 3,600 companies or 62.36% had capital of less than one million baht, 2,067 (35.81%) had 1-5 million baht, 89 (1.54%) had 5-100 million baht, and 17 (0.29%) had over 100 million baht.
Foreign companies accounted for 50 registrations in November. Foreign investment from January to November rose 74% from the same period last year to 112 billion baht.
The three largest investors were Japan (12 investors adding a total of 1.2 billion baht), Singapore (10 investors adding 307 million baht), and the US (six investors adding 16 million baht).
Control on booze consumption to reduce road deaths this New Year’s, says govt
MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022
Government agencies have been instructed to ensure motorists do not drive in an inebriated state, so there are few road accidents during the New Year break.
Deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Monday that police and the Interior Ministry have been instructed to strictly screen drivers during the holiday period to ensure they are not drunk and follow traffic law.
Violators will be punished, she said.
“The PM has issued these instructions as many Thais will be travelling out of the city during the New Year break, especially now that Covid-related restrictions have been lifted,” she said.
Traisuree said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has also asked police and local officials to work on an action plan to control the consumption of alcohol during the break.
The action plan includes surveying venues where alcoholic beverages are sold to ensure operators are complying with laws, such as refraining from the sale of alcohol to people below the age of 20 and closing entertainment venues at prescribed times, she said.
Motorists caught drunk driving will also be sent to rehabilitation centres after the New Year break, she added.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha
Citing data from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Traisuree said the last New Year break saw 2,707 road accidents, 333 deaths and 2,672 people injured.
She said 29.51% of these accidents were due to drunk driving.
“Up to 15,000 people were charged for drunk driving during last year’s New Year break,” she said, citing Court of Justice’s data.
Ten Thai stories that trended the most on social media in 2022
MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022
The death of TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong topped trending topics during 2022, according to a study by analytics company Wisesight published on Monday.
The company used its Zocial Eye tools to collect data from social media users in Thailand between January 1 and December 20.
The top 10 trending topics were:
1. Tangmo’s case (248.33 million engagements)
The death of the TV actress in late February sparked many theories and plenty of debate, such as police investigation, attitude of Tangmo’s mother Panida Siriyudthayothin, and criminal charges against six suspects.
Tangmo, 37, reportedly fell off a speedboat into the Chao Phraya River on February 24 and her body was found two days later. Police ruled out murder and concluded on April 26 that she had died in an accident caused by negligence and recklessness.
2. Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 (118.50 million engagements)
The 22nd World Cup from November 20 to December 18 went viral in various ways, such as news of football clubs and players and disputes over broadcasting rights.
Thailand’s plan to acquire the World Cup broadcasting rights had a troubled start, as the NBTC’s contribution was not enough to purchase the broadcast rights, which was priced at 1.4 billion baht. This forced the SAT, an agency responsible for purchasing the broadcast rights of sporting events, to enter into a deal with telecom company True Corporation for funding support.
3. Thailand’s floods (99.52 million engagements)
Flash floods and runoffs triggered by tropical storm “Noru” caused many areas of Thailand to be inundated. Many netizens talked about the situation in Ubon Ratchathani province, which was severely affected by the tropical storm.
4. Miss Grand International 2022 (96.02 million engagements)
Miss Grand Thailand Engfa Waraha’s remarks and attitude went viral on TikTok and Twitter after she was crowned on April 30.
However, Engfa bagged the runner-up title of Miss Grand International 2022 while Brazil’s Isabella Novaes Menin took the crown on October 25.
5. Russia-Ukraine war (61.58 million engagements)
Netizens were forced to monitor the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine as it had ramifications for the world economy, society and product prices.
6. “One Man and the River” Mekong charity swim (54.37 million engagements)
The fundraising project to procure medical supplies for hospitals in Thailand and Laos was initiated by Thai actor and singer Phakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak.
His move to swim across the Mekong River to Laos and back on October 22 raised 87 million baht for Nakhon Phanom Hospital in Thailand and Khammouane Hospital in Laos.
Netizens’ reactions were divided over Tono’s move. Some netizens feared for his life, while others said he had helped medical staff in both countries.
7. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt (44.87 million engagements)
Chadchart became talk of the town after he won the Bangkok gubernatorial election in May. Chadchart’s Facebook page has drawn 2.6 million followers as of Monday with more than 270,000 engagements per post.
8. Nong Bua Lamphu shooting massacre (42.12 million engagements)
This tragedy happened in October when a dismissed policeman shot dead 37 people, including very young children, in a nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu province before killing his own family and himself.
Many netizens monitored the case until the hashtag #กราดยิงหนองบัวลําภู (Nong Bua Lamphu shooting massacre) started trending on Twitter.
9. Mango sticky rice soft power (38.49 million engagements)
This demonstration of Thai soft power was courtesy Thai rapper Danupha “Milli” Khanatheerakul, through her gesture of consuming the dish at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April.
Commanding the stage in a skimpy red outfit, Milli took a break from her twerk-heavy dance routine to grab a bowl and take a mouthful in an effective show of soft power.
Milli’s move caused the hashtag #milliliveatcoachella to trend on Twitter. Meanwhile, netizens praised Milli for promoting Thailand’s soft power.
10. SEA Games 2021 (34.38 million engagements)
The 31st competition was held in Hanoi in May this year. Even though Thailand was ranked second among countries on the medals table, the hashtag #ซีเกมส์2022 was trending on Twitter during the period.
Sunny outlook for Thai farmers as Malaysia runs short on eggs
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
Thailand’s association of egg farmers has shifted its focus to the Malaysian market after learning that the neighbouring country is running low on eggs.
A source from the association told the Thansettakij publication that Malaysia is having to import eggs mainly from India to meet the surge in demand.
In a nationwide survey, the association has learned that the consumption of eggs in Thailand was high during the Christmas-New Year holidays, the source said.
The cooperation also said it expects the price of eggs to remain high for at least one month, while the price of animal feed will remain high until mid-next year.
The source added that the association is concerned about the falling price of poultry meat, as it is also bringing down the price of meat from decommissioned laying hens.
On Tuesday, chicken meat from decommissioned hens cost 32 baht per kilogram, while chicken meat from poultry farms cost 41 baht per kilo.
The Livestock Development Department announced on Tuesday that the price for large hen eggs was 4.15 baht apiece.
Thai tourism industry waits expectantly as China scraps travel restrictions
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
Thailand’s tourism industry can expect a boost from China’s move to scrap measures on overseas travel of its citizens from January 8, the Tourism Council of Chiang Mai said on Tuesday.
China’s National Health Commission announced the move on Monday after nearly three years of strict pandemic border restrictions effectively prevented tourists from leaving the country.
Visitors from China were Thailand’s largest tourism market before the pandemic struck in 2020.
Council chairman Punlop Sae-Jew, however, said it was neccessary to monitor China’s reopening as there could be a change in the future.
He expects Chinese businessmen to visit Thailand in the first quarter of next year. Chinese tourists are expected to visit Thailand from the second quarter onwards, he added.
“In my opinion, the Chinese government would keep its citizens in the country during the Chinese New Year festival in a bid to stimulate their own economy before allowing them to travel abroad,” he said.
“Chinese tourists would not be able to travel overseas immediately as their passport may already have expired.”
Punlop confirmed that hotel operators in Chiang Mai are ready to welcome tourists. However, he said operators of some businesses are accelerating recruitment of employees, such as masseurs and bus drivers.
Meanwhile, La-iad Bungsrithong, adviser to the president of the Thai Hotels Association Upper North Region, said the occupancy rate of hotels in Chiang Mai in the fourth quarter this year was great.
“The occupancy rate in October and November was 70% and 75%, respectively,” she said, adding the occupancy rate in December was around 80% to 90%.
She expects Chiang Mai’s tourism in the first quarter of next year to recover gradually as Thailand has entered the tourism high season.
She added that the number of flights is a key to stimulate tourism in Chiang Mai as it can facilitate travel for tourists.
“We would hold talks with airlines on the number of flights to Chiang Mai,” she said, adding that the association would also hold talks with tourism entrepreneurs on what tourists need in the post-Covid-19 era.
“We have to set the prices of products and services to be affordable in a bid to attract tourists to the province,” she added.
Thailand minting fewer coins as people opt for online transactions
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2022
With Thailand fast becoming a cashless society, far fewer coins are being minted yearly.
Chamroen Phothiyod, the Treasury Department’s director-general, said on Tuesday that the department will mint 1.07 billion coins in the 2023 fiscal year compared to 1.60 billion in fiscal 2022.
The minting of coins for 2023 kicked off in October this year, he said.
Chamroen said he expects the production of coins to drop further over the years, though he believes the number of coins in circulation will not drop much as the department has to replace damaged coins.
He said the department replaces some 3 billion damaged coins on average per year.
“There are 38 billion coins worth 79 billion baht currently in circulation,” he said, adding that there is still a high demand for coins, especially among retailers.
He added that a drop in coin production can bring down his department’s revenue. He expects the production of coins in fiscal 2023 will generate about 900 million baht in revenue, compared to around 1 billion baht in 2022.
“To maintain its revenue, the department has decided to start producing commemorative coins,” he said, adding that the department also produces special coins for private agencies and other countries.
Earlier, the Bank of Thailand said the PromptPay application is a game changer as it helped turn Thailand into a cashless society.
PromptPay, which was introduced in 2015, allows people to make electronic transactions with a cheaper transaction fee.
It also allows government agencies to make transactions accurately and transparently, the central bank said.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha
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