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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024850

Bangkok luxury home-office project suspended after construction collapse

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Bangkok’s Huay Kwang district office has suspended construction of a luxury home-office project after one of its buildings collapsed and injured five workers on Sunday.

The accident occurred at about 4pm during work on the Billion Club Villa project on Soi Wat Uthaitharam off Kamphaeng Phet 7 road in Bang Kapi subdistrict.

Huay Kwang office director Paitoon Ngammook suspended construction work and gave the project owner 30 days to implement safety measures.

The suspension order was pinned to the construction site’s wall by Paiboon himself on Sunday night.

Project owner JRY Real Estate (Thailand) Co Ltd began building a dozen home-office buildings on the site on July 8 last year, with completion due on July 7 this year. Each building has three connected living/office units with one floor underground and three floors above.

The project employs 130 construction workers, most of them from Myanmar.

Sunday’s accident saw the top floor of the fifth building collapse onto the lower floors.

A preliminary investigation found that the construction fully conformed with the approved blueprint, said Thirayut Phumsak, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

He said the accident happened after cement was poured onto the roof in just one spot instead of spreading it out.

“So, the beam under the spot where the cement piled up could not bear the weight and the roof collapsed onto lower floors,” Thirayut said.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024848

Thai govt cracks down on agents offering false hope

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023

As many as 46 suspects were prosecuted this fiscal year for allegedly deceiving 112 people into working illegally overseas, the Labour Ministry said.

Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said on Monday that Department of Employment director-general Phairoj Chotikasatien has been instructed to take legal action against suspects accused of luring people into taking up illegal jobs overseas and help the victims.

“If any agent invites you to sneak into a country or work overseas on a tourist visa, you can assume that you are being deceived,” he said.

Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin

Meanwhile, Pairoj said the Department of Employment is keeping an eye out both online and offline to see if people are being invited to work overseas illegally.

The department has also provided information on how people can apply for foreign jobs legally and how they can identify criminals.

“During this fiscal year, as many as 46 people have been prosecuted over this issue,” he said, adding that 112 people had been deceived and up to 10.16 million worth of damages incurred.

He also warned that anybody caught luring people to work overseas illegally can face three to 10 years in prison and/or 60,000 to 200,000 baht in fine.

Anybody advertising jobs overseas with permission can face up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to 60,000 baht, he added.

People interested in working overseas can visit doe.go.th/overseas or call the Department of Employment’s hotline 1506 press 2.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024849

Satellite spots heart-shaped forest in Chiang Rai for Valentine’s

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023

The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda) joined the Valentine’s Day excitement by releasing an aerial photo of a heart-shaped forest in Chiang Rai.

The photo was taken by the SPOT 6 satellite, which is 694 kilometres above the Earth and orbits in synchronicity with the Sun.

The heart-shaped dipterocarp forest is located in Chiang Rai’s Phaya Meng Rai district and is near Wat Doi Mon Pa Yang aka Wat Santitham.

Gistda spokesman Dr Siam Lawawirojwong said the forest serves as a “green heart” providing clean air for the remote Santitham village. The forest is surrounded by paddy fields and cassava plantations.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024847

Mind that sting: Phuket tourists warned against jellyfish terror

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Tourists in Phuket have been warned to look out for poisonous jellyfish at more than 20 sites around the island.

The warning was issued on Monday after more than 30 tourists complained of being stung on Kata Beach last week. Most victims suffered mild symptoms.

Signs were put up at more than 20 attractions around Phuket, including Patong, Nai Yang and Surin beaches as well as Panwa Cape to raise awareness and provide first-aid information.

Lifeguards have also been armed with bottles of vinegar to provide immediate help to some victims.

“Those stung by fire jellyfish can pour vinegar on the sting for at least 30 seconds for immediate relief,” Phuket Marine Resources Conservation director Suchart Ratanruangsri said.

He warned that pouring fresh water or alcohol on a fire jellyfish sting will only worsen the pain.

However, those stung by a Portuguese jellyfish should clean their wound with seawater or beach morning glory, instead of vinegar or fresh water. He also said that everyone is advised to see the doctor as soon as possible.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024846

Prime Minister Prayut, will you be my Valentine this year?

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023

A recent survey revealed that many people want to present a rose to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Valentine’s Day.

He featured among the top five Valentines in a “Love among Thais” survey published on Monday.

The survey was conducted by Bangkok University Research Centre (Bangkok Poll) and covered 1,150 respondents nationwide.

Here are some of the questions asked:

What does “love” mean? (Multiple choice)

• 53.8%: Understanding

• 47.6%: Caring

• 38.9%: Giving

What is your favourite love-related quote?

• 31%: True lovers are never apart

• 27.6%: Love the one who loves you

• 14.5%: True love exists

• 8.8%: To love is to suffer

• 5.3%: Love only comprises two people

• 12.8%: Others, such as love is blind

What do you want to do on Valentine’s Day? (Multiple choice)

• 57.8%: Do activities together like dining, travelling or making merit

• 19.4%: Confess love

• 10.9%: Fulfil partner’s wishes

• 7.8%: Hand out a rose

• 5.6%: Hand out ring or jewellery

Who do you want to give a rose to on Valentine’s Day? (Top five choices)

• 7.4%: Actress Patchrapa “Aum” Chaichua

• 7.0%: Blackpink’s only Thai member Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban

• 6.1%: Actress Ranee “Bella” Campen

• 5.8%: Superstar Thongchai “Bird” McIntyre

• 5.7%: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024844

BMA launches ‘Healthcare in the Park’ service in Lumpini Park

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration on Sunday launched its first healthcare service inside a public park by deploying a mobile healthcare unit to Lumpini Park.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt chaired the first “Health in the Park” event, which was held in the morning at the indoor-sports building and on the lawn in front of the Lumpini Youth Centre’s fitness facilities.

The Health in the Park project is part of the BMA’s Care for Public Health campaign, Chadchart said. The campaign deploys health personnel to meet Bangkok residents in their neighbourhoods instead of waiting for them to visit BMA clinics or hospitals.

The Health in the Park project aims to encourage people to take better care of health by educating them and encouraging them to exercise, eat healthy diets, and use safe healthcare products, the governor explained.

The activities in the first Health in the Park event included:

• Preliminary health checks for possible ailments and subsequent treatments
• Covid-19 vaccinations
• Hearing capability checks
• Eyesight and eye condition checks
• Lungs x-rays with digital x-ray machines
• Mental health checks
• Providing nutrition knowledge
• Providing knowledge on how to protect oneself from PM2.5 pollutants
• Providing knowledge on how to perform CPR for heart-attack patients
• Providing rabies vaccines for dogs and cats
• Neutering dogs and cats
• Selling goods well-known to Pathumwan district where the Lumpini Park is located.

The BMA is in charge of providing primary healthcare for residents of the capital, so the city administration must go out to meet people as much as possible, Chadchart said.

BMA clinics and hospitals are primary healthcare units for larger hospitals of the Public Health Ministry under the Gold Card universal healthcare programme.

“Sometimes, it’s not convenient for people to come for services at our public health centres, so we have a policy to launch mobile healthcare units to serve people in their communities,” Chadchart said.

“Today is the first day that we launch our healthcare services in a public park.”

He said the BMA used public parks as venues for mobile healthcare services because people of all ages and genders visit them.

Apart from people’s health, the mobile unit also neutered cats and dogs, the governor said, adding that he realised the capability of the mobile unit cannot fully meet demand for this service.

The BMA will deploy specialised teams to neuter pets as well as expand services for people at mobile health units, Chadchart said.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024843

3-airport rail link amendment ‘will not benefit CP-led consortium’

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023

An adviser to the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO) has rejected any concern that amendment of the 276.5-billion-baht public-private rail contract to link three airports will benefit the private partner.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is currently amending the contract the government signed with a Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group-led consortium in October 2019 to link Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports.

Both parties have agreed the contract needs adjustment to ensure that CP’s subsidiary Asia Era One Co Ltd is properly compensated for reduced passenger volume on the Airport Rail Link during the Covid situation.

EECO’s special adviser, Kanit Sangsubhan, said SRT and EECO have been carefully considering the contract amendment to ensure the project can continue and the government retains benefit from it.

“The amendment is not aimed at benefiting the private partner, but to ensure that the project can go ahead and not affect other projects in the EEC,” he said.

Kanit, who is a former EECO secretary-general, said impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict – both of which occurred after the contract was signed – had caused the budget to rise by over 200 billion baht, prompting both parties to revise the contract to ensure the project’s bankability.

Kanit said the amendment will bring forward the schedule of payments to Asia Era One for construction work from the 7th year to the 2nd year. In return, the company will take over SRT’s job in constructing the link from Don Mueang airport to the national rail hub at Bang Sue.

The faster payment schedule will save the government 26.49 billion baht in SRT budget and interest while ensuring the project is finished in time, said Kanit.

The amendment also allows the private partner to pay SRT for the right to manage the Airport Rail Link during Covid-19 in instalments to reduce its financial burden, he added.

“This move will not cost the government anything as SRT is still entitled to the 11.73 billion baht for the Airport Rail Link rights,” said Kanit.

“Moreover, the operational loss of 200-300 million baht per year during the outbreak will still be covered by the company.”

Kanit said other parts of the contract remain intact, including the stipulation that reduces the CP-led consortium’s return on investment from 5.52% to 5% due to risks such as inflation, rising interest rate, and increasing construction cost.

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