35k foreigners sign for jabs
35k foreigners sign for jabsMore than 35,000 foreign residents have registered for Covid-19 vaccines, according to the Foreign Ministry. Spokesman Tanee Sangrat said that as of Tuesday, a total of 35,455 expatriates across the country had registered with expatvac.consular.go.th for vaccination services. The registration site for Covid-19 vaccinations was launched on Sunday morning for foreign residents in all provinces across the country who have not yet received a dose. The applicants will be informed of the date and place for the first dose of vaccination when their slots are ready. The students must submit documents including a student visa and proof of enrolment in an educational institute abroad.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 05, 2021 22:41 UTC
Pandemic pivot
Two bags full of sushi and sashimi platters, a rice bowl and a salad arrived at my house from Maguro restaurant on Rama III Road. Launched in 2015, the brand aims to offer to sushi connoisseurs easily accessible cuisine with top quality produce yet affordable prices. Its menu, which lists more than 150 items of sashimi, sushi, salad, appetisers and hot dishes, is available online at bit.ly/3hJc5HC. The unagi and foie gras rice bowl. Thickly sliced hamachi, salmon, maguro tuna, fresh botan ebi, flash-torched engawa, foie gras and ikura roe are served on a bed of wasabi-garnished Japanese rice.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 05, 2021 20:26 UTC
Island-hopping scheme ready for takeoff soon
Island-hopping scheme ready for takeoff soonThe 7+7 sandbox island extension scheme looks set to launch this month, with registration for certificates of entry (COEs) for inoculated tourists due to be ready on Aug 15. The initiative is an attempt to boost the international tourist market taking part in the Phuket sandbox and Samui Plus schemes. In addition to Krabi, other destinations under the 7+7 island-hopping scheme include Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in Surat Thani, and Khao Lak, Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai in Phangnga. The scheme was previously scheduled to launch on Aug 1, but it was postponed due to a surge in local cases on Phuket and Koh Samui. She said tourists who want to join the 7+7 island-hopping scheme have to apply for the new type of COE, which will be launched from Aug 15, as they have to book hotels in advance.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 05, 2021 20:26 UTC
TEST YOURSELF: Couch surfing
TEST YOURSELF: Couch surfingPhoto courtesy of NetflixSatisfy your wanderlust with these showsTest Yourself is where you can improve your reading skills. While travel is mostly impossible at the moment, the itch to visit new places grows every day. Here are a few TV shows (and an app) that can take you around the world! The carefree Jack and the uptight, and at times out-of-touch, Michael make for a great comedy pairing. For those who love visiting new countries and trying their food, this is definitely a show you want to check out.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 05, 2021 04:52 UTC
BMA opens care centre for children with virus
BMA opens care centre for children with virusThe Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has opened a care centre for children with Covid-19 who must be temporarily separated from their families. In other cases, the parents are not infected but their children who contracted the virus must be away from home to receive treatment. Families whose children require treatment for Covid-19 can contact the Erawan Centre hotline at 1669 extension 2. The circle already operates a field hospital, which was opened on July 3, offering 178 intensive care unit (ICU) beds. The Army Club centre has the capacity to test 1,000 people a day who can register via the QueQ application.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 05, 2021 01:35 UTC
Pushing the limits
The first virtual theatre festival that I participated in was "Isra-Drama: International Exposure Of Israeli Theatre 2020". This past June, I participated in yet another festival I've never been to in-person: Germany's Impulse Theatre Festival. Photo: Pier CarthewBody Of Knowledge (At Home)Samara HerschThe definition of performance and the limits of personal boundaries were definitely tested during this show. These teenagers were not only performers and our guides, but they also sought our advice, opinions and perspectives. These calls were about learning to be an audience to one another, which is part of every performance.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 05, 2021 00:11 UTC
Govt starts Pfizer roll-out
A shipment of 1.5 million doses of Pfizer mRNA vaccines donated by the United States arrives at Suvarnabhumi airport on Friday morning. Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), said the DDC has begun distributing the vaccine doses donated by the United States. The surrounding provinces comprise Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, and Pathum Thani. A total of 1,503,450 Pfizer doses donated by the US arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport last Friday. The previous one-day high for Covid-19 cases was 18,912 last Saturday, when the country also matched its earlier record high of fatalities at 178.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 04, 2021 23:15 UTC
New tool to speed up vial filling: Chula
New tool to speed up vial filling: ChulaThe Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University, the Medical Sciences Department and the private sector are developing a new automation tool to speed up the vaccine-filling process to keep up with high demand for the AstraZeneca vaccine. Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and officials yesterday attended a demonstration of a vaccine-filling machine to help health personnel sort out and fill vaccine vials. The AstraZeneca vaccine is produced as a multi-dose vial, where one vial will be used for 10 doses at 0.5ml per dose. For a 6.5ml bottle, about 11-12 doses per bottle can be drawn by health personnel using low-dead-space syringes, specifically designed to minimise any wasting of the doses. "The machine is able to drain the vaccine from the bottle more precisely and quickly, which eases the workload of health personnel.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 04, 2021 21:11 UTC
For all mankind
When US astronaut Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon, his small step became "one giant leap for mankind". Chukiat said the bill will lay the foundation to new space activities and govern the use of outer space because it involves substantial benefits. Regarding the scope of application, Prasit said the draft bill stipulates that space activities require authorisation and supervision. It is in line with Article 6 of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 that requires state parties to monitor space activities. Prasit said the draft bill aligns with the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 03, 2021 23:48 UTC
Phuket tourists urged to stay on
(Reuters photo)PHUKET: Authorities will help tourists under the Phuket sandbox scheme who have stayed in the province for 14 days but could not go elsewhere due to new Covid-19 restrictions. Nanthasiri Ronsiri, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Phuket office, said the tourism office would consult with the Phuket governor and the provincial transport office on how to help the tourists who wanted to go elsewhere. For its part, the tourism office wants them to continue to stay in Phuket. Private operators in Phuket have arranged express bus services to take the tourists to Suvarnabhumi airport during Aug 4-16. As of Monday, 15,169 tourists visited Phuket under the sandbox scheme, which began on July 1, bringing in revenue totalling 818 million baht, said Ms Nanthasiri.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 03, 2021 13:51 UTC
How employers can temporarily shut down their businesses to weather the COVID-19 situation
Some have temporarily reduced employees' wages, while others have resorted to a complete or partial halt to operations. (If it is deemed force majeure, an employer may be able to withhold all wages—more on this below.) As mentioned above, force majeure events that prevent business operations may enable an employer to withhold all wages from employees. Force majeure essentially refers to damage from an unpreventable devastating event. In 2020, a regulation was enacted under the Social Security Act which also related to the definition of force majeure under section 75 of the LPA.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 03, 2021 08:26 UTC
Auto giant Stellantis posts strong profit in inaugural first half
Auto giant Stellantis posts strong profit in inaugural first halfStellantis chief executive Carlos Tavares hailed the new company's first half earnings as "very strong". PARIS - US-European auto giant Stellantis, formed by Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler, posted a sizeable net profit in the new company's first six months of existence even as a global chip shortage cut its production. Stellantis, whose brands also include Maserati and Jeep, said on Tuesday its net profit totalled 5.8 billion euros ($6.9 billion) in the first six months of the year. The company had an adjusted operating income margin -- or operating income divided by net sales -- of 11.4 percent. The company performed well in North America, with strong sales of its Ram pickup trucks and Jeep hybrids.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 03, 2021 07:41 UTC
The passing of a great
Kassav put French Antillean music (that is to say, music from Martinque and Guadeloupe) on the map. In this way, the band created a new dance style, zouk, the French Antillean creole word for an action-packed all-night party. At the height of their fame in the 80s, Kassav was the best-selling French band in France, easily able to outsell big acts like Prince. They embarked on several world tours, taking their music around the world (I saw them perform in Tokyo). Also highly recommended are two albums from their peak years: Vini Pou (1987, which includes the international hit Soleil) and Majestik Zouk (a double album released in 1989).
Source:Bangkok Post
August 02, 2021 23:37 UTC
Govt behind curve as Covid war heats up
The controversy about the donated Pfizer doses is noteworthy for a few reasons. The fact that there have been loud calls for full disclosure about who will receive the mRNA jabs shows the level of distrust that people have for the administration. The distribution of Pfizer vaccines should not have become an issue. Another point of contention regarding the donated Pfizer jabs has revolved around the 700,000 doses earmarked for frontline medical workers. The Pfizer vaccines arrived on Friday.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 02, 2021 21:56 UTC
Yet more lockdown
Yet more lockdownAs Covid cases scale new highs without any sign of slowing, the government has extended its partial lockdown for another 14 days and expanded tough restrictions to cover more provinces, up from 13 provinces to 29. The lockdown extension order was announced yesterday and takes effect tomorrow, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). It does not give a precise day when the extended lockdown will be lifted, as the decision will depend on daily caseloads. If the pandemic cannot be contained even after the extension of the lockdown, the economy will remain in a slump during the fourth quarter of this year and unemployment will rise. However, it seems that further economic stimulus is needed due to prolong restrictions and the outbreak.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 02, 2021 01:29 UTC