City slum clusters demand special care
City slum clusters demand special careThe Kloen Toey slum, with up to 1.2 million dwellers, is a new hotbed for Covid-19 infections. Just when we were made to believe that the Thong Lor cluster had subsided, the Klong Toey cluster emerged. As the country's largest slum, Klong Toey houses around 1.2 million people, although only 800,000 are registered as residents. Apart from field hospitals, a centre or shelter that takes care of the children will be needed. If dense communities are not a priority for treatment, similar clusters will emerge.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 05, 2021 21:33 UTC
'Let's move' buzz no threat
'Let's move' buzz no threatThe Prayut Chan-o-cha government is getting serious about a popular FB group that provides advice to people wishing to settle down in a foreign country to avoid Covid, get a vaccine jab, and for some, escape government incompetence. Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn, the new Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DES), was irritated with the page, Yai Prathet Kan The, or Let's move abroad. The minister alleged that the page has an ulterior political motive, and labelled those with critical views as "nation haters" who want to intensify polarisation. A working group has been formed under the DES to keep an eye on the movement. The threat prompted the page administrator to open another FB page with a more ambiguous name and private status.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 05, 2021 21:22 UTC
Thamanat fit to hold post: court
Thamanat fit to hold post: courtThamanat: Can stay onThe Constitutional Court on Wednesday ruled that Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister and Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) MP for Phayao, Thamanat Prompow, is qualified to hold his positions despite having served four years in an Australian prison in 1994. The MPs wanted the court to decide whether Capt Thamanat should be disqualified as an MP and cabinet member under sections 98, 101, 160 and 170 of the constitution. Therefore, Capt Thamanat is still qualified to be an MP and a cabinet member under the constitution, the court ruled. After initially denying being jailed in Australia, Capt Thamanat's version of events shifted several times after Sydney court files revealed the extent of his involvement in the heroin-trafficking operation. Capt Thamanat has said the case does not have any bearing on his qualifications as a minister.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 05, 2021 21:22 UTC
Thais warned about vaccine tourism to US
A woman gets a Covid-19 vaccine at Lotus superstore in Klong Toey district on Tuesday. In general, people aged 16 and more who live in or have legally entered the US can seek Covid vaccination free of charge. For example, he said, vaccine recipients are required to have permanent residences or jobs in some states. According to Mr Tanee, many states in the US have taken steps to bar vaccine tourism. Apart from the slow speed of vaccination, many are upset about the lack of vaccine choice.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 04, 2021 12:20 UTC
Clearing up confusion about fah talai jone
There has been a surge in demand for the traditional Thai herb fah talai jone (Andrographis paniculata) since the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with the herb selling out in several provinces. Also known as green chireta, the traditional cold medicine has long been used to cure the flu, sore throat and inflammation in Thailand and Asian countries. Currently, the department has conducted more research by prescribing the medicine to Covid-19 positive people at Thammasat University Field Hospital. However, there are misunderstandings about the properties of fah talai jone. That's why the department has recently launched the Fah Talai Jone Hotline to clarify misconceptions and answer all questions people might have about the medicine.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 03, 2021 23:15 UTC
Yum optimistic on prospects
Yum optimistic on prospectsA digital rendition of the new KFC flagship which will open in Ekamai. The delivery arm of Yum Restaurant Thailand recorded a new high in the first four months of this year, driven by the third wave of the pandemic. From the Songkran holiday period until now, its delivery business grew 1.5 times compared with the same period last year. Some 790 KFC stores provide delivery service to customers. Restaurants Development Co (RDCL), a franchisee partner, is also preparing to open its 100th store, a KFC standalone branch in Ekamai.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 03, 2021 22:52 UTC
Staying healthy at home
Researchers have also noticed that more than half of the world's population has gained weight during lockdowns due to Covid-19. In Japan, 38% of around 400 surveyed Japanese women had also gained weight -- ranging from 1-7kg -- during lockdowns. Chalat said that not only has people's food purchasing behaviour changed during the pandemic, so have their eating habits. "Pay attention to healthy ingredients rather than those high in, say, sugar and sodium. Snacks should be healthy ones like dried fruits or peas."
Source:Bangkok Post
May 03, 2021 22:52 UTC
Govt drops ball again as Covid deaths mount
Govt drops ball again as Covid deaths mountThe government seems to be pinning its hopes for salvation on big lots of AstraZeneca vaccines scheduled to be rolled out in June. It's not just the death rate that has been accelerating, rising from two on April 17 to more than 30 yesterday, but the number of patients with severe symptoms. Why stop at 100 million doses? It mainly depends on the vaccines' rate of efficacy and the virus's reproduction rate. If these rates change, the government is likely to need more than 100 million doses to achieve its goal.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 03, 2021 22:30 UTC
Can Power help Biden's foreign policy?
Can Power help Biden's foreign policy? There is little doubt that Mr Biden wants to use foreign assistance as a key tool to accomplish the US's broader foreign and strategic objectives. Ms Power is a well-known US policy maker as she has advocated humanitarian intervention in Africa and Syria. These challenges will also test the US leadership in the world under Mr Biden. In the past 100 days, Mr Biden has been able to undo some of Mr Trump's misdirected foreign policies.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 03, 2021 22:30 UTC
Slum cluster was avoidable
Yet, the emerging Klong Toey cluster proves the opposite to be the case. According to the Public Health Ministry, a total of 304 Klong Toey slum members tested Covid-19 positive in April. It should be noted that these worrying numbers contradict the impression projected by the Klong Toey District Office. She was quoted by Thai-language media as saying that Klong Toey cases, as of April 28, were dwindling. The agency admitted that the new surge was linked with the Thong Lor cluster as some entertainment workers live in the slum.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 03, 2021 22:28 UTC
Napoleon and world history: What if...?
Napoleon and world history: What if...? Napoleon Bonaparte doesn't come up much in conversation these days, which is hardly surprising given that he has been dead for two centuries. People often compare Napoleon to Hitler, another dictator who allegedly tried to "conquer the world", but that's just wrong. Hitler never wanted to conquer the world. The plan was abandoned because nobody told Napoleon that those warships could carry enough drinking water for such a large army.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 03, 2021 19:30 UTC
Rising border fears of virus spill
Rising border fears of virus spillAn official checks the temperatures of illegal Myanmar migrants rounded up near the border in Sangkhla Buri district of Kanchanaburi on Sunday. "Authorities are intensifying border checks with Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos," Apisamai Srirangson, a spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Monday. Along the 370 kilometre border in Kanchanaburi, almost 300 people from Myanmar were caught illegally crossing into Thailand last week. On the southern border, Malaysia has reported detecting new coronavirus variants first identified in South Africa and India and regarded as highly contagious. Soldiers patrol the Thai side of the border with #Malaysia in Songkhla's Sadao district to prevent a possible spread of #COVID19 through illegal crossings.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 03, 2021 11:48 UTC
Food delivery sector enjoys hike in orders
Online food delivery operators have seen a substantial growth of orders during the third wave of the pandemic. “We experienced a nearly 26% increase in food orders from March to April, with the largest volumes on weekends and long holidays,” he said. Food delivery continued to experience growth as an increasing number of consumers chose to dine in during the pandemic. Food delivery app Robinhood under Siam Commercial Bank also saw a surge in orders following the third wave of the pandemic. Food merchants took the hardest hit from the fresh outbreak, he said, adding other food delivery platforms should consider reducing gross profit (GP) or commission fee applied for food vendors.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 03, 2021 11:48 UTC
Always spread your bets around
The Department of Medical Sciences reveals that tests show AstraZeneca vaccine samples produced by Siam Bioscience meet all requirements. It has raised the number of infections to over 65,000 and deaths to more than 200, stretching the country's public health system to its limit. I think the government is too complacent about its vaccine management. The government distributed about 1.3 million doses between Feb 28-April 28, accounting for only 1.7% of the entire population. It has now ordered an extra 60 million doses of Pfizer's booster jabs.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 02, 2021 23:37 UTC
Upbeat Patty ready for home challenge
Upbeat Patty ready for home challengePatty Tavatanakit in action at the HSBC Women's World Championship. (HSBC Women's World Championship photo)SINGAPORE: Major winner Patty Tavatanakit is ready to establish herself as a strong contender for this week's Honda LPGA Thailand after enjoying a tied-third finish at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore on Sunday. But if anything, I'm just really happy to be back in Asia and play again," said Patty. Patty is also looking forward to her homecoming, having been away from Thailand for more than a year already. The Honda LPGA Thailand will be held at Siam Country Club in Chon Buri.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 02, 2021 23:26 UTC