72 new Covid-19 cases Thursday | Bangkok Post: learning
People receive food handouts in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic at Wang Som community in Bang Kapi district, Bangkok, on Wednesday when the country confirmed 72 new Covid-19 cases. (Photo by Arnun Chonmahatrakool)The government on Thursday reported 72 new Covid-19 cases - 63 local infections and nine imported - raising the total to 25,764. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said 43 cases were confirmed at hospitals and 20 were found through active testing in communities. Of them, 27 were confirmed at hospitals (14 Myanmar and 13 Thais) and three Myanmar cases in communities. Pathum Thani found 18 new cases -- 16 at hospitals (11 Thais and five Myanmar) and two cases at hospitals (Thai and British nationals).
Source:Bangkok Post
February 25, 2021 06:56 UTC
Buri Ram woman gets her identity back, after 12 years waiting
Buri Ram woman gets her identity back, after 12 years waitingLamyai Thammada, 52, of tambon Salaeng Phan in Buri Ram's Lam Plai Mat district, shows her delight after learning she will get her ID card back in three days. (Photo: Surachai Piragsa)BURI RAM: A 52-year-old woman in Lam Plai Mat district whose identity card was wrongly issued to another woman 12 years ago is finally getting her name back, along with her lost rights to government assistance. A Soeng Sang district official suggested she contact the Lam Plai Mai district office, where her ID card was first issued. The 52-year-old woman had reported her card lost and filed for a replacement at Lam Plai Mat district office. Lack of an ID card has deprived her of the right to state health care and other social welfare benefits.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 25, 2021 06:38 UTC
FAD to help restore Wat Ratchapradit
The Fine Arts Department will restore the pearl engraved wooden windows and doors of a prayer hall in Wat Ratchapradit in Bangkok. (Photo courtesy of The Fine Arts Department)The Fine Arts Department (FAD) will repair the 156-year-old windows and doors inlaid with pearl at Wat Ratchapradit. It was built by King Rama IV in 1864 and the wooden windows and doors of its Viharn Luang or the main prayer hall were created in 1865 in Japan. The Japanese research team will travel to Thailand to work with the FAD for the task. To show support, visitors are ready to eat local food (67%), shop locally (64%), speak with the locals (61%), and get involved with local tours (48%).
Source:Bangkok Post
February 25, 2021 04:30 UTC
Dept denies claims virus came from Thailand | Bangkok Post: learning
Customers visit pet shops at Chatuchak market in Bangkok last month. The department said it had tested various types of wildlife and found the claims were untrue. A Russian news agency reported there are bats in Thailand with a new coronavirus that matches the one that causes Covid-19. The new virus was found in the blood of five bats in eastern Thailand, the report said. The government insisted the coronavirus found in the bats doesn't cause any illnesses in humans despite its similarity to Covid-19.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 25, 2021 03:00 UTC
Natural born killers
At the Tropical Insect Sanctuary, you can get up close and personal with some cute cannibals and other captivating creaturesThe peacock mantis is among the top stars at the Tropical Insect Sanctuary this time of year. (Photos: Wissarut Sukhaket)'That's a peacock mantis," said Wissarut Sukhaket as he saw me observing a dull-looking little fellow in a nursery box at the Tropical Insect Sanctuary in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district. He noted that other than the peacock mantis, at this time of year visitors also can see flower mantises, including the pinkish orchid mantis. Wissarut and his colleagues at TISTR have been working on several projects that aim to seek eco-friendly solutions for farmers. There was so much to learn at the Tropical Insect Sanctuary and the Lamtakhong Research Station as a whole, the recent trip to Pak Chong was an eye-opening one for me.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 24, 2021 21:56 UTC
Peoples' power versus military might
Peoples' power versus military mightMillions and millions of protesters swarmed onto the streets throughout Myanmar earlier this week in an overwhelming rejection of the military's seizure of power. This is something similar to what happened in 1958, when the then prime minister, U NU, temporarily handed over power to the army chief General Ne Win. Fresh elections were indeed held in February 1960 -- four months after the military caretaker government took office. It reflects a military that intends to stay in power for a very long time," he told the Bangkok Post. The fact that the military launched the coup when it could not get its own way clearly reflects the army's mentality and priorities.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 24, 2021 21:22 UTC
Myanmar needs help
Myanmar needs helpWhen a member of the clan goes wayward, the rest of the family should not sit idle. Ms Marsudi has been travelling across Southeast Asia to rally support for a special summit of Asean foreign ministers on the Myanmar crisis. The meeting between Ms Marsudi and her Myanmar counterpart on Thai soil may help restore the country's image. But Thailand needs to contribute more. Myanmar needs to be reminded of the hardships it faced when it was slapped with sanctions for decades.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 24, 2021 21:22 UTC
3 ministers get jail sentences | Bangkok Post: learning
(Photo by Chanat Katanyu)Three cabinet ministers were among 26 people who were on Wednesday given jail sentences for their roles in street protests that ousted the Yingluck administration. They were indicted on several charges including insurrection, criminal association, illegal assembly and obstructing others from casting votes during street protests between November 2013 and May 2014 to oust the Yingluck Shinawatra government. Mr Buddhipongse was sentenced to seven years; Mr Nataphol received seven years and four months and Mr Thaworn received five years. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Wednesday the cabinet ministers lost their posts as soon as the jail sentences were handed down. Besides the cabinet ministers, former PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban received five years; Democrat MP for Chumphon, Chumpol Julasai, received 11 years and Democrat list-MP Isara Somchai received eight years and four months.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 24, 2021 21:22 UTC
RESILIENCE AND AGILITY: THE NEW MANTRAS FOR THAI BUSINESSES IN THE POST COVID-19 ERA
The trend also boosts the prospects of Thai startups which thrive on its resilient and agile business models looking to scale up to the global market. Since the beginning of 2020, Thai startups have raised over US$130 million, compared with around US$97.55 million by 35 Thai startups in 2019, and US$61.15 million raised by the same number of startups in 2018. To date, Thai corporates are the largest investors in Thai startups at the growth stage both in the form of fund-of-fund shareholding and direct investment. Meanwhile corporate venture capital funds (CVCs) support most of the Thai startups at the pre-seed and Series A levels. There have been several major startup funding rounds during the past few years, including Series C, highlighting the growing prospects of the Thai startup ecosystem.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 24, 2021 09:11 UTC
93 new Covid-19 cases Wednesday | Bangkok Post: learning
The province detected seven new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, of 93 reported nationwide. (Photo: Apichit Jinakul)The government on Wednesday reported 93 new Covid-19 cases, 71 local infections and 22 imported cases, raising the total to 25,692. Of these, 51 were confirmed at hospitals (37 Thais, 13 Myanmar and one Lao) and five Thai cases found in communities. Ayutthaya saw five new cases - Thais confirmed at hospitals. Bangkok recorded two new cases, Thai, at hospitals.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 24, 2021 06:33 UTC
317k vaccine doses fly in | Bangkok Post: learning
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha speaks to reporters after the cabinet's meeting at Government House on Tuesday. The provinces with the highest infection rates are Samut Sakhon, Bangkok (western), Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Tak (Mae Sot district), Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkhram and Ratchaburi. The doses arriving in Thailand are from two manufacturers -- 117,000 from British-Swedish multinational AstraZeneca and the rest from Chinese firm Sinovac. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's Facebook page said the first 200,000 doses from Sinovac will be given to priority groups within three days. A doctor had warned that the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine had been tested only on 18-59-year-olds and its efficacy and side effects were not known in other age groups.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 24, 2021 02:59 UTC
Port's agony continues at MT United
Port's agony continues at MT UnitedMuang Thong's Willian Popp reacts after scoring against Port on Tuesday night. Port's slump continued when they lost 2-1 at bitter rivals SCG Muang Thong United in Thai League 1 on Tuesday night. In-form forward Sardor Mirzayev of Uzbekistan gave Muang Thong the lead after 51 minutes at SCG Stadium. Spain's Sergio Suarez equalised for the visitors 10 minutes later only for Brazilian Willian Popp to scored the winner in the 67th minute. Spectators returnFans will be allowed at most stadiums in Thai league matches from this weekend, officials said.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 23, 2021 23:22 UTC
Pavements still a problem
Pavements still a problemAmong the many pain points of living in Bangkok, the struggle with poorly designed, shabbily made pavements must be ranked among the worst. Lawsuits have been pursued by people who were either injured from substandard walkways or believed the pavements were not properly designed to accommodate pedestrians. His post coincided with a few other social media stories showing the sad state of the city's pavements. It's true Bangkok pedestrians have to struggle with them everyday but it's not a do-or-die problem. But the condition of a city's pavements can have far-reaching impacts on the health of the city and its people.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 23, 2021 23:15 UTC
'Guillotine' regulations to lift economy
'Guillotine' regulations to lift economyIn this Feb 1 photo, craft beer brewers, together with bar operators, pour alcohol over themselves outside the Health Ministry during a protest against the ban on sales of alcohol at restaurants. Despite the relief programme, the Thai economy hasn't yet recovered and even slowed down now those schemes are over. In 2019, the TDRI studied and reviewed laws related to licences and permits to reduce unnecessary or obsolete laws and regulations called the "Regulatory Guillotine". It offers a systematic review and clear analytical process which the reviewer can apply to all the laws and regulations. These are the exact reasons why the government should rapidly guillotine our regulations.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 23, 2021 23:15 UTC
Covid-19 restrictions eased | Bangkok Post: learning
Officials in Bangkok on Tuesday began to loosen Covid-19 restrictions, allowing transit passengers at Suvarnabhumi airport and alcohol to be served in restaurants and pubs until 11pm. Transit passengers at Suvarnabhumi had to show fit-to-fly and Covid-free certificates, as well as health insurance documents. They will be confined to a specific area in the terminal, and not be allowed to visit shops there," said Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesman Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin. "Yacht crews and their passengers might even be allowed to swim in the sea during their quarantine period," said Dr Taweesilp. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on Tuesday said that City Hall had agreed that entertainment venues, pubs, bars, karaoke shops and soapy massage parlours should be allowed to resume normal opening hours.
Source:Bangkok Post
February 23, 2021 21:56 UTC