Wastewater samples of aircraft from China to be tested for Covid-19 in Malaysia
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2022
Wastewater from planes arriving from China will undergo RT-PCR testing to detect Covid-19 while all arrivals from abroad including China will be screened for fever at the international port of entry.
These are among the measures being taken by the Health Ministry in anticipation of Chinese tourists, as China prepares to lift travel restrictions for its citizens.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said international arrivals who were detected to have fever or symptoms through the screening or self-declaration will be referred to the quarantine centre or the health department.
Should Covid-19 be suspected, a test will be conducted, she said in a statement on Friday.
Meanwhile, wastewater samples from the aircraft will be sent to the National Public Health Laboratory for PCR tests and then sent for genome sequencing if detected positive for Covid-19.
“In strengthening Covid-19 surveillance in the community, environment and laboratory, further tests on positive samples of Covid-19 using the Whole Genomic Sequencing (WGS) technique were implemented to detect the early entry of new variants in the country.
“Surveillance on samples for cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) in 59 clinics and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in 18 hospitals throughout the country are still continuing, with samples sent to national health laboratories and the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) for genome sequencing if found positive for Covid-19.
To further improve the detection of any new variants, Dr Zaliha said ILI and SARI cases that seek services at health facilities and have a travel history to China within the last 14 days, or have a history of contact with individuals who have a history of travel to China within the last fortnight, will undergo an RTK-Ag Covid-19 test and the sample will then be sent for genome sequencing if positive.
She also referred to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) weekly Covid-19 report in China, which recorded a total of 148,659 cases with 442 deaths between Dec 11 to Dec 17, 2022.
“Overall, the trend of Covid-19 cases is under controlled conditions in most countries around the world including Malaysia,” she said.
Devout Chiang Mai Buddhists call on ‘Luang Por Tan Jai’ for a lucky, healthy 2023
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022
Hundreds of locals and tourists flocked to Chiang Mai’s Wat Phra That Doi Kham on New Year’s Eve to pray for good luck and prosperity.
“Luang Por Tan Jai”, a 1,300-year-old Buddha image enshrined in the temple, is believed to help fulfil wishes in exchange for offerings.
Several visitors said they were at the temple to pray for good health and a blessed 2023 for themselves and their families. Many had also arrived to admire the temple’s ancient Lanna architecture.
On Saturday, 49 Buddhist monks gathered at the temple to chant prayers for the recovery of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha, who is being treated at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital for a heart-related issue.
On Friday night, tourists also flocked to what remains of the 726-year-old city wall – the Tha Phae Gate – which has become a tourist landmark. The gate, glowing with flowers and lights for New Year celebrations, offers a beautiful backdrop for selfies. The area has been turned into a carnival, with concerts, games and booths selling street foods and souvenirs.
People will get to ring in the New Year with fireworks and musical performances at the “Chiang Mai Countdown 2023” across from Tha Phae Gate.
Thailand to offer Covid-19 shots to tourists at an affordable price
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2022
Foreigners arriving in Thailand will soon be able to pay for Covid-19 vaccines as part of a collaboration between Public Health and Tourism and Sports ministries.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Friday that the “service” will be available for tourists from any country and may possibly cost between 500 and 800 baht per person.
This is in preparation for a potential influx of Chinese tourists now that China will drop the requirement for mandatory quarantine for inbound travellers from January 8.
Though Chinese nationals can go overseas freely, the easing of the quarantine rule will make it easier for them to return home.
However, the quarantine rule is being relaxed at a time when the number of Covid-19 cases in China is reportedly rising, causing concern for many countries that are popular among Chinese travellers.
Phiphat said he will meet Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob to discuss plans for preparing for a potential surge in foreign arrivals next year. All three ministers hail from the Bhumjaithai Party.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had said earlier that it expects some 500,000 Chinese tourists to visit the country during the Chinese New Year in late January.
After travel restrictions were eased in China, TAT has adjusted its forecast for foreign arrivals in 2023 from 20 million to 25 million, with up to 5 million of them being Chinese nationals.
BMA offers free buses to Bangkok floating markets every weekend from New Year’s Eve
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2022
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is offering Bangkokians who have decided to stay behind free buses to floating markets in the capital.
The BMA announced on Friday that this is part of a pilot project to boost local tourism by linking tourist attractions to main transportation routes via feeder buses at the weekends.
The service will start this weekend, when Bangkokians can hop on a BMA electric bus at MRT Bang Khun Non station, to get off at either Song Khlong or Taling Chan floating market. After these stops, the bus will head to the Southern Bus Terminal to pick up more passengers and then head to Lat Mayom and Wat Saphan floating markets, before terminating at the MRT Bang Khun Non station.
The service is available four times a day from 9am, with buses terminating at Bang Khun Non MRT station at 4.45pm.
An electric feeder bus seats 20 people, has a ramp for wheelchairs, free wi-fi and phone charging systems. Passengers can check the route and timetable through the ViaBus app.
27 Thais killed in Poipet casino fire ready for retrieval
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022
The bodies of 27 Thai nationals killed in the Poipet casino fire have been released by Cambodian authorities to be transported back to Thailand.
Chotinrin Kerdsom, the Interior Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, said on Friday that the ministry and Sa Kaew provincial authorities have set up a help centre at the Aranyaprathet district office to coordinate the transportation. The centre will also contact the relatives to confirm the identities and collect the bodies for funeral services.
Many Thai employees and customers are believed to have been trapped inside the casino when the fire broke out.
On Friday afternoon, 10 bodies were delivered to the Aranyaprathet district office and are being stored in cold storage units provided by the Ruamkatanyu Foundation.
Once identified, the bodies will be released to their family members for funeral rites.
Chotinrin believes the other 17 bodies, currently kept at Wat Trad temple in Poipet, will be transported to Thailand today.
Hunt for victims continued on Saturday as rescue workers slowly made their way through the 20-storey hotel, which is now tilting due to fire damage, making it difficult to access the keycard-controlled rooms.
Officials believe there are still many guests trapped in these rooms, but firefighters need to be careful when breaking down the doors as it may bring down the building.
How to avoid making 2023 countdown a traffic nightmare in Bangkok
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022
Motorists are advised to check traffic conditions before heading to Bangkok’s three New Year countdown venues tonight as many roads will be closed and parking may be prohibited in others.
Instead, they can opt for the BTS or MRT as the trains will be running until 2am.
Here are routes to the countdown venues motorists can consider:
CentralWorld (Ratchadamri Road)
Ratchadamri Road from Ratchaprasong to Pratunam intersection will be closed to traffic from 2pm.
To avoid this section, motorists can opt for Ratchaprarop, Phetchaburi, Rama I, Ploenchit, Sukhumvit, Wireless, Sarasin, Rama IV, Henri Dunant and Phya Thai.
Asiatique The Riverfront (Charoen Krung Road)
No parking on Charoen Krung Road, from Chan to Thanon Tok intersections, all day on Saturday.
Parking space at Asiatique is limited.
Iconsiam (Charoen Nakhon Road)
No road closures or parking restrictions. Parking at the mall may be limited.
Call the police hotline at 1197 for more information. Maps of suggested detours are available at facebook.com/1197Callcenter
Hua Lamphong buzzing as scores of Bangkokians head out for New Year
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022
Thousands of Bangkokians were seen queuing up to buy tickets and board trains at Hua Lamphong station on Friday – the first day of the New Year holidays.
Even though the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) set up an online booking system for people to book their tickets in advance, many people still showed up hoping for last-minute deals.
The waiting area was also full of passengers waiting for their train, with luggage, gifts and necessities piled high near them.
Despite the relatively slow and often delayed service, trains are still the preferred transport option during the holidays because they are cheaper and safer.
SRT has been urging travellers to arrive at the station at least three hours before departure time to avoid missing the train. Travellers have also been advised to only purchase tickets at the ticketing booth and avoid hustlers.
Strong winds to make weekend cooler in most of Thailand
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022
Saturday and Sunday will be cooler in the North of Thailand by 2-4 degrees Celsius and by 1-3 degrees in other parts of the country.
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) said on Friday that the cool temperatures are being brought by the strong high-pressure system from China that will extend to upper Thailand, bringing cold weather and strong wind to the areas.
From Monday to Thursday, the high-pressure system over the upper parts of Thailand will reduce and result in temperatures rising by 1-3°C, TMD said.
Meanwhile, the Northeast monsoon prevailing over the Gulf of Thailand and the South will strengthen, leading to more rain in the lower South until Thursday.
Waves in the lower Gulf and the Andaman Sea are expected to be about 2 metres high and higher during thundershowers.
People are advised to protect themselves from changing temperatures, strong winds and dry air. Ships and boats are also advised to proceed with caution.
Daughter mourns parents who died in Cambodia casino fire
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022
Reuters
The massive fire that engulfed the Grand Diamond City Casino and Hotel on the Thai-Cambodian border has left at least 27 dead, authorities said on Friday (December 30) and two of the victims were the parents of Nunthida Kongreung.
About 400 employees and patrons were in the casino and hotel in Poipet, when the fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday (December 29), leaving the building gutted by the afternoon.
“My parents were found to have inhaled smoke. The rescuers said my parents were not burnt, but they had choked from inhaling smoke. So, if help had come earlier they might have survived,” said Nunthida, 36.
Many of the victims were Thai, rescue workers said, and dozens of injured people were taken over the border to the Thai province of Sa Kaeo for treatment.
It was unclear what started the blaze but Sek Sokhom, head of the Banteay Meanchey provincial information department, said it may have been due to an electrical short circuit. A government committee has been set up to investigate the cause.
A key part of Cambodia’s tourism industry, casinos in the capital of Phnom Penh and on the borders with Vietnam and Thailand are a draw for visitors from Asian nations that ban gambling.
Nunthida Kongreung, daughter of victims of the Grand Diamond hotel-casino fire, reacts as she receives documents from officials, in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province near Thailand-Cambodia border, December 30, 2022.Thai and Cambodian rescuers gather in front of the Grand Diamond hotel-casino as they struggle to extricate dozens of people feared trapped after a fire broke, killing at least 10 and injuring dozens in Poipet near Thailand border, Cambodia, December 29, 2022.
Rescue workers search for victims on higher floors of hotel after deadly Poipet casino blaze
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2022
Vincent Macisaac
Rescue workers on Friday morning gained access to the upper floors of the 355-room Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino in Poipet, in Cambodia, after most of the casino was razed by a 12-hour blaze that erupted in its main gambling room late on Wednesday night, witnesses told The Nation.
Special Report from Cambodia
Vincent Macisaac
They said rescue workers were seen lowering bodies from the hotel’s upper floors on Friday morning as the search for victims extended above the hotel’s ground floor.
The high-rise hotel, located behind the gambling area, is ranked the No. 1 hotel in Poipet by TripAdvisor.
The blaze that erupted shortly before midnight on Wednesday destroyed the casino’s gambling area and spread to another casino on the opposite side of the main road that leads through the town from Thailand.
Witnesses said that the fire had spread from Grand Diamond to Poipet Resort and Casino via pedestrian walkways that connected the two casinos, which are operated by Grand Exclusive Poipet Cambodia.
The two casinos are the first to greet Thai gamblers crossing the Cambodian border to Poipet – the main border checkpoint between the two countries known for its abundance of casinos.
Both casinos are reportedly owned by fugitive Thai politician and former deputy interior minister Vatana Asavahame, who is believed to have fled to Cambodia after an arrest warrant was issued for him in 2008 on corruption-related charges. He was also convicted in 2018 to three years in jail in a land fraud case.
As of 11.30am on Friday, the death toll had reached 25. It is expected to rise further as rescue crews search more rooms in the hotel. On Wednesday night, numerous hotel guests were filmed jumping from their rooms to escape the blaze as crowds outside wailed in horror. The shocking videos are circulating widely on social media in Cambodia and around the world.
Andrew Wallace, director of compliance at Cambodia’s National Quality Inspection Centre for Fire Equipment, Fire Safety Systems, said investigations were underway to identify the cause of the fire as well as the fire-fighting arrangements at the casinos.
He said that casinos in Poipet had their own fire-engines, but added it was too soon to determine what infrastructure – if any – Grand Diamond to Poipet Resort and Casino had put in place to deal with a blaze.
“I’ve just arrived at the scene this morning and have not yet examined the [architectural] drawings of the casino,” he told The Nation.
Wallace said it would be difficult to rescue people from a tall building in any country, explaining that rescue cranes cannot reach very high floors. Hence, it is critical for tall buildings to be equipped with their own fire-fighting equipment.
Although Cambodia still lacks a building code, it does have legal requirements for fire safety, Wallace said, adding that he had helped draft these for the country’s Ministry of Interior in his capacity as vice-president of the Association of Fire Prevention Enterprises. The fire safety code was drafted in 2019 and a “prakas” (ministerial declaration) earlier this year made it legally binding. Wallace said the delay between the draft code and the “prakas” was the result of Covid-19.
He said the code applies to old buildings, newly constructed ones, and those under construction, among other facilities at risk of fire.
He said it was too early to determine the cause of the deadly blaze, which has been attributed to several factors, including a gas explosion and electrical fire, by Cambodian media.
Wallace, who works closely with the Interior Ministry, said Cambodia was making great strides in fire safety.
Two staff who survived the blaze told The Nation that they did not hear fire alarms on the floors of the hotel where they were working. “I learned there was a fire when I heard people screaming below,” said one, who requested anonymity.
Both casino employees were unaware of any fire drills taking place at the complex.
Meanwhile, parents of missing casino employees are posting photos and messages on social media asking anyone who has seen their children to contact them immediately.
Others expressed shock as well as condolences to the families of those who had died.
An official at Cambodia’s gambling regulator, the General Secretariat of Commercial Gambling Management Commission, said it was not the commission’s job to inspect casinos for fire hazards before issuing a licence. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
The commission renewed the licences of Cambodia’s 70 casinos in the second quarter of this year, saying it would help boost tourism revenue.
Management at Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino and Poipet Resort and Casino did not reply to requests for comment. They did, however, post an announcement online saying the casino will be “temporarily closed”.