Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha welcomes new baby hippo, holds contest for name - Pattaya News

Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha welcomes new baby hippo, holds contest for name

Saturday, 27 February 2021, 21:38

Chonburi-

The Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha has welcomed a new baby hippopotamus recently. The name of the baby hippo is up for voting with prizes on the line.

Mr. Anuphong Anon, the deputy director of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, told The Pattaya News, "We are very glad we have welcomed a new baby hippopotamus."

"The baby is a female hippo which was born on January 14^th last month. The hippo is, in my opinion, a present for everyone who visits the zoo and is very healthy." Anuphong added.

"The baby hippo has not been given a name yet. We now have two names we are considering which are 'Moo Wan' and 'Bacon'." Anuphong continued.

People can vote for their hippo's name in the link https://forms.gle/F6dkHzRA5hEsxWoZ7 until April 5th."

"A winner, which will be randomly chosen from the most votes for the baby hippo's name, will receive 3,000 baht. Ten others will receive free entry to the zoo. The results will be announced on April 12." Anuphong concluded.



Chonburi announces one new case of Covid-19, a Burmese migrant worker in Si Racha - Pattaya News

Chonburi announces one new case of Covid-19, a Burmese migrant worker in Si Racha

Sunday, 28 February 2021, 7:43

Si Racha-

A Burmese migrant worker was announced as the 654th confirmed case of Covid-19 in Chonburi since the virus broke out in Thailand last year.

The patient, according to the Chonburi Department of Public Health, is a Burmese migrant worker in Si Racha who has lived in Thailand for several years.

The patient was discovered when he went to renew his work permit with the Department of Labor and took a Covid-19 test. He is asymptomatic and has a low level of Covid-19 genetic material and may not be infectious according to the Department of Public Health.

The man has previously worked in Samut Sakhon, Bangkok, Rayong, and Samut Prakan.

The man has been isolated and eight close contacts of his are in the process of being tested, contact traced, and quarantined. Health officials have asked the public for calm and say the situation is under control. It is believed the man may have had the virus during a previous cluster of infections in December and January.



Paperwork delays PM's anti-Covid jab - Bangkok Post

Paperwork delays PM's anti-Covid jab

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will have to wait for the Ministry of Public Health to complete paperwork and quality checks for the batch of AstraZeneca vaccines before he gets his anti-Covid-19 jab.

Sopon: Public gets jabs in May

"We need to defer the plan to give the jab to the prime minister because the Ministry of Public Health still has to complete quality checks for the AstraZeneca vaccine," Sopon Mekthon, chairman of the subcommittee on the management of Covid-19 vaccines, said yesterday, explaining why the inoculation plan for the prime minister scheduled for today was abruptly postponed.

Dr Sopon said the first jab using another vaccine -- CoronaVac developed by China-based Sinovac -- would go ahead today as planned.

AstraZeneca (Thailand) yesterday said the state mandatory quality check for its first batch of vaccine would be completed by the second week of March.

"Even though the vaccine is now present in Thailand, it can only be used once AstraZeneca completes all steps in the quality assurance process," the company said. "Each batch of our vaccine undergoes more than 60 different quality control tests during its journey from manufacture to vaccination.

"In addition, AstraZeneca works closely with local health authorities to ensure local standards for Thais are met."

Meanwhile, the country's first jab -- with the Sinovac vaccine -- will take place today at 7.30am at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute. The Department of Medical Sciences approved the vaccine on Friday.

It is expected that permanent secretary for public health Kiattiphum Wongrajit will be the first person in the country to receive the vaccine. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his deputy Sathit Pitutecha, as well as executives of the ministry, are also expected to get the jabs.

Front-line workers and high-risk village health volunteers in 13 provinces will get the CoronaVac vaccines which will be administered to people aged 18 to 59.

People aged 60 and over, including the PM, will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine which is also pending approval from the Department of Medical Sciences, Dr Sopon said.

Dr Sopon said the public will receive their first Sinovac shots in May.

The ministry yesterday delivered the first consignment of 20,040 doses of the Sinovac vaccine to Samut Sakhon Hospital. People in at-risk groups can register for the vaccine and schedule their shots with the Line account Mor Phrom. Other people can register in advance with Mor Phrom to receive the vaccine later, he said. 

Summer is here - The Nation





The Thailand Meteorological Department announced on Saturday that Thailand has entered the summer season. In most areas of the country, the temperature has risen to around 35 degrees Celsius or over. The summer will end in May.

PM's vaccination postponed but no reason given for delay - The Nation

PM's vaccination postponed but no reason given for delay

National

Feb 27. 2021

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha

By THE NATION

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha would not be vaccinated on Sunday as scheduled, the Office of the Prime Minister informed the press. 

The new date has not been confirmed yet.

The office did not give the reason for the postponement. The press speculated that the Public Health Ministry was likely not ready for this operation. 

On Friday, the PM had stated that he was ready for the vaccination. If related agencies call him, he would visit them by himself, he had said.

The first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in Thailand on February 24, following the Sinovac vaccine on the same day. The PM was to be inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Sida 2 av 2

There were 72 new Covid-19 cases, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said on Saturday.

Of the new cases, 13 were found from proactive testing and nine in quarantine facilities.

Of the nine overseas travellers, five were Thai nationals – 3 from the UK and one each from Saudi Arabia and Myanmar.

The foreigners included an Iranian, a Nigerian and an Armenian from their home countries, and a British national from Ghana.

Meanwhile, 70 patients have recovered and been discharged.

As of Saturday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 25,881 (20,845 from the second wave). Of these, 23,119 had been contracted locally, including 14,498 who were found via proactive testing, while 2,762 were returnees.

So far, 25,022 have recovered and been discharged, 776 are still being treated and 83 have died.

Meanwhile, according to Worldometer, the number of confirmed cases globally on Saturday morning had risen to 113.98 million (up by 432,632), 89.53 million of whom have recovered, 23.02 million are active cases (91,046 in severe condition) and 2.52 million have died (up by 9,773). 

Thailand ranks 114th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 29.13 million, followed by India with 11.07 million, Brazil 10.45 million, Russia 4.22 million and the United Kingdom 4.16 million. 

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Declining a Covid-19 Vaccine Risks Penalties in Some Countries - WSJ

Declining a Covid-19 Vaccine Risks Penalties in Some Countries

Indonesia levies fines, while other governments warn of restricting access to travel and public places

By 

Feb. 22, 2021 8:03 am ET

A woman receives a vaccine in Jakarta, Indonesia. Officials in the country say sanctions are a last effort to get people inoculated.

Photo: Zulkarnain/Xinhua/Zuma Press

Some countries are sharpening their Covid-19 vaccination pitches to the public: Get a shot or face a potential penalty.

With vaccination campaigns ramping up globally and some supply shortages easing, governments are looking for ways to make sure that holdouts don't undermine efforts to vaccinate enough people to achieve herd immunity.

The penalties range from fines and restricting access to public places to threatening the loss of priority access to vaccines.

Ready for your COVID-19 jab? Thailand's inoculation plan explained | Thai PBS World

Ready for your COVID-19 jab? Thailand's inoculation plan explained

views  634

Thailand's COVID-19 inoculation programme will likely kick off on Sunday, with top government figures receiving the first jabs to boost public confidence. The vaccine brings hope that the country's year-long virus nightmare may soon be over.

If the vaccine rollout proves a success, the government will regain public faith, the economy will rebound, and life will finally – albeit slowly – get back to normal.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha is due to be the first person in Thailand to get a COVID-19 shot, with Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul next in queue. They will receive their jabs at Nonthaburi's Bamrasnadura Infectious Disease Institute, which has laid down a model vaccination procedure for other medical facilities to adopt.

Owing to the difference in age, Prayut and Anutin will get different vaccines. The AstraZeneca shot will be administered to 66-year-old Prayut, while Anutin, 54, will get China's CoronaVac.

Under Thailand's vaccination programme, people aged 60 and over will get the AstraZeneca shot, while those aged 18-59 will get CoronaVac at least until Thailand starts producing the AstraZeneca vaccine locally.

Thailand has so far acquired 317,600 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, after taking delivery of 200,000 shots of CoronaVac and 117,600 of AstraZeneca on February 24.

What Thais can expect in the coming weeks?   

Vaccination is expected to start from Monday (March 1), but given the limited supply of shots, most Thais will not be vaccinated anytime soon. They will likely have to wait at least until June to get inoculated.

The Public Health Ministry has decided to share the first batch of doses among only 13 provinces – Samut Sakhon, Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Tak (Mae Sot), Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkram, Ratchaburi, Chon Buri, Phuket, Surat Thani (Samui) and Chiang Mai.

The first nine provinces are prioritised because they have the highest infection rates or risk. The other four will receive urgent doses because they play a crucial role in the economy, as they are popular tourism destinations, attracting millions of tourists each year.

Samut Sakhon, the centre of the latest outbreak, will get the largest number of doses at 70,000, followed by Bangkok (66,000 doses). Pathum Thani will be given 8,000 doses, Nonthaburi 6,000, Samut Prakan 6,000, Tak 5,000, Nakhon Pathom 3,500, Samut Songkhram 2,000, and Ratchaburi 2,500. Of the four economically crucial provinces, Chon Buri will get 4,700 doses, Phuket 4,000, Surat Thani 2,500, and Chiang Mai 3,500 doses. A small number of doses will be held back for emergencies.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and DKSH have joined hands to ensure vaccines can be delivered to a hospital anywhere in Thailand within 24 hours via a cold chain system.

CoronaVac shots will be administered on Monday to Friday, while AstraZeneca vaccines will be given on Saturdays and Sundays only.

Who will get priority?   

Prioritised for vaccination are frontline medical and other workers, staff dealing with COVID-19 patients, staff at state quarantine facilities and patients with chronic diseases. Vaccination will be rolled out to the general population as more shots are delivered.

How to get free vaccination  

People who have a smartphone can register for free COVID-19 vaccination via the Public Health Ministry's MorProm (Ready Doctors) LINE application. Those without a smartphone will be approached by village health volunteers, if they rank among the priority groups.

People who qualify for early shots because they suffer from a chronic disease can also register with their hospital. Vaccination is voluntary.

How many Thais are willing get a shot?  

An online survey released earlier this month by the Public Health Ministry found that about 69% of respondents want to be vaccinated.

However, a recent Suan Dusit Poll revealed that only 20.7% of respondents are determined to get the jab, having no concerns over possible side effects. As many as 65.99% said they preferred to wait and see if there were any side effects in those being inoculated first.

Although both AstraZeneca vaccine and CoronaVac have already been registered in Thailand as safe for use, they are not without side effects. For example, more than one in 10 people vaccinated with AstraZeneca shots may experience soreness, itching or swelling at the injection site and feelings of tiredness, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, nausea, and fever (temperature above 38 degrees Celsius). However, these same side effects are not uncommon after vaccination for other diseases.

Less common side effects (up to one in 100 people) are dizziness, abdominal pain, enlarged lymph nodes, sweating and itchy skin or rash.

As for CoronaVac, data suggests the biggest potential side effects are localised pain, headache and fatigue.

AstraZeneca vs CoronaVac  

The vaccine developed by multinational pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and Oxford University uses a harmless, weakened version of a common virus that causes colds in chimpanzees to trigger the human immune system to fight COVID-19. This so-called viral-vector technique has been used to produce vaccines against several diseases before.

According to the World Health Organization, the AstraZeneca vaccine prevents symptomatic COVID-19 infections in 63.09% of cases. Data indicates it cuts risk of hospitalisation by 94%. Two shots are required, between 10 and 12 weeks apart.

CoronaVac, meanwhile, is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine developed by Chinese pharma company Sinovac Life Sciences. Phase III data shows CoronaVac has 50.65% overall efficacy following two doses. Meanwhile, clinical trials in Brazil and Turkey indicate the vaccine is 83.7% effective in preventing severe cases and 100% effective against hospitalisation or death from COVID-19. Two shots are required, 21 days apart.

CoronaVac's reported overall efficacy is lower than other vaccines on the market, though authorities say it is relatively safe since it uses an old, tried-and-tested production technique.

What Thais should remember 

Even after the COVID-19 vaccination programme begins in Thailand, we cannot afford to lower our guard. Vaccines may just protect against severe symptoms, not against transmission of the disease. Therefore, wearing face masks, washing hands frequently and physically distancing will be essential to preventing more outbreaks of COVID-19.

By Thai PBS World's General Desk

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said his government will consider allowing visitors who can produce a vaccination certificate to skip the quarantine and authorities will come up with a plan to track them during their stay in the country.- Pattaya Mail

 Thailand may scrap two-week mandatory quarantine for foreign visitors

Pattaya MailFebruary 27, 2021

The plan to ease rules for tourists signal a shift in Thailand's stance after months of insisting all visitors must stay in quarantine in the absence of enough evidence that inoculations can prevent virus transmission.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said his government will consider allowing visitors who can produce a vaccination certificate to skip the quarantine and authorities will come up with a plan to track them during their stay in the country.

The plan to ease rules for tourists signal a shift in Thailand's stance after months of insisting all visitors must stay in quarantine in the absence of enough evidence that inoculations can prevent virus transmission.

If implemented, the move could bolster Thailand's tourism sector that contributed about one-fifth to the nation's pre-pandemic economy.

Thailand to increase speed limit to 120kph - Thai Visa

Det verkar vara ett "begåvat" beslut.... Är syftet att öka upp de redan höga dödstalen på vägarna ?? 👎👎👎🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭

 Thailand to increase speed limit to 120kph

 

 

Thailand will increase its speed limits on major roads to 120kph, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob announced on Friday.

 

The speed limit increase applies to major highways with four or more lanes and will increase from its current limit of 90kph to 120kph.

 

The increased speed limit came following a study carried out by the  Department of Highways, Department of Rural Roads, Department of Land Transport and Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning.

 

The new speed limit will assist with traffic flow while boosting convenience and safety for road users, the minister said.

 

The minister explained that the new speed limit will be applied to straight sections of roads, with four or more lanes where there are no intersections or u-turns. There must also be meridian barriers to divide traffic, Thai PBS reported.

 

In addition, the rightmost lane or 'fast lane' will also have a minimum speed limit of 100kph in order to reduce the risk of rear-ending collisions.

 

The new speed limit will apply to vehicles with less than seven seats but the speed limit for other vehicles will also increase, the minister said.

 

The new speed limits are as follows:

 

Vehicles with more than 15 seats: 90kph
Tow trucks: 65kph
Motorcycles: 80kph
Big bikes 400cc or above: 110kph
School buses: 80kph
Vehicles with more than 7 seats but less than 15: 100kph

 

The new speed limit should be effective by April, when it is expected to be published in the Royal Gazette.
 

International passengers will be allowed to transit Thailand from Monday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has announced. - Bangkok Post



 

Airlines get nod to transit

International passengers will be allowed to transit Thailand from Monday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has announced.

The authority has also authorised an easing of some restrictions on domestic flights.

International passengers have for some time been banned from transiting at Thai airports or using them to transfer to other flights as part of the government's Covid-19 containment measures, said Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob.

The change to the transit/transfer flights policy was made following calls by airlines for Covid-19 relief measures, he said.

The CAAT's decision to allow airlines to transit Thai airports is in line with a resolution reached by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) last Monday to relax a range of Covid-19 control measures, Mr Saksayam said.

The aviation authority has also told operators of domestic flights they can resume serving in-flight meals and drinks, as well as selling souvenirs from Thursday.

However, passengers and flight attendants are still required to follow Covid-19 control protocols. These include the mandatory wearing of face masks throughout flights, except while eating or drinking.

The serving of in-flight meals and beverages and souvenir sales were prohibited on Dec 30 as part of the government's efforts to respond to the Covid-19 situation at the time under its "fourth announcement".

It was cancelled when the fifth announcement was issued and signed by CAAT director-general Suttipong Kongpool.

The government yesterday reported 45 new Covid-19 cases -- 37 local infections and eight imported -- raising the total to 25,809.

The number of daily new cases in the kingdom has come back down to two digits since Feb 20, following the surge that was sparked in Samut Sakhon in mid-December.

Samut Sakhon provincial authorities have recently been reporting effective disease-control measures in high-risk areas, including the Central Shrimp Market, the epicentre of the new wave, which has been closed for over two months.

Some officials believe the market could even reopen by Monday but the CCSA has yet to make a final decision.

Deputy governor Teerapat Kutchamath yesterday visited the market and insisted it was ready to reopen on Monday. Plans are already in place for merit-making to take place tomorrow, ahead of the anticipated reopening.

The Department of Disease Control reported yesterday that 32 cases had been confirmed at hospitals and five through proactive testing in communities.

The eight imported cases were quarantined arrivals from Germany, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the UK (a Thai schoolgirl aged six), France (2), Kuwait and the Netherlands.

Of the 25,809 total cases, 24,952 (96.6%) have recovered and 774 remain in hospital.

More than 10,000 domestic tourists flocked onto Koh Larn on first day of holiday weekend Pattaya News

More than 10,000 domestic tourists flocked onto Koh Larn on first day of holiday weekend

Friday, 26 February 2021, 21:04

Koh Larn, Pattaya-

More than 10,000 domestic tourists have flocked onto Koh Larn during a 3-day-long holiday weekend, according to Bali Hai Pier authorities.

Today (February 26^th) is Makha Bucha, a religious holiday and the first day of a 3-day-long holiday weekend. Tourists are more confident with domestic travel and with Pattaya's safety measures, which has seen no confirmed cases of Covid -19 for many days.

Chonburi, the province where Pattaya is located, was downgraded by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration from an "orange" zone, which was a control zone, to a "yellow" zone earlier this week, which brings more relaxed restrictions and has built confidence with domestic tourists.

Domestic tourists in the thousands were seen waiting at the Bali Hai Pier where they took boats to Koh Larn. Koh Larn had been closed for all of January to non-residents due to Covid-19, which also helped restore the natural environment and beaches. The island is popular with both foreign and domestic tourists, however, with Thailand having tight border controls due to Covid-19 primarily only domestic tourists can visit at this time. (without going through a two-week quarantine)

More than 10,000 people checked-in using Covid-19 tracking applications and sign-in measures according to Bali Hai pier officials before traveling to Koh Larn with hygienic measurements such as temperature checks, hand sanitizer usage, and wearing face masks.

Bali Hai officials were optimistic that this trend of heavier domestic tourism visitors to Koh Larn, which is nearly entirely reliant on tourism for their economy, will continue over the weekend. 



Thailand visitor numbers are down 99.8% in January - Bangkok Jack / Reuters

Thailand visitor numbers are down 99.8% in January

Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported (24-Feb-2021) 7694 visitor arrivals to Thailand for Jan-2021, a decline of 99.8% year-on-year.

February 25, 2021

Thailand has for four months welcomed long-stay visitors who agree to undergo two weeks of quarantine, following a lengthy ban on tourists and commercial flights that was imposed in April and devastated its economy.

Authorities are offering domestic travel incentives to spur Thai tourism but those efforts have been hit by a fresh coronavirus outbreak that has seen infections more than triple in just over a month, although its cases are still less than 14,000 in total.

In 2020, the foreign arrivals plunged 83% from a year earlier to 6.7 million – of that 6.69 million were in the first quarter before the ban was imposed in April.

Their spending amounted to 332 billion baht ($11 billion) compared to the 1.91 trillion baht ($63.75 billion) spent by nearly 40 million tourists in 2019, which was worth 11.3% of gross domestic product.

The state planning agency has forecast only 5 million foreign visitors for 2021. However, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith told Reuters last week that projection was still uncertain. – Reuters



South East Asia under THREAT from Chinese colonisation - Bangkok Jack

South East Asia under THREAT from Chinese colonisation

February 26, 2021

South China Sea: China has been accused of contributing to overfishing in the region (Image: GETTY)

South China Sea: Entire South East #Asia under THREAT from Chinese colonisation says expert.

Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (ATMI), a Washington based think tank, has said the region is under threat from overfishing, dredging, island building and clam harvesting with China being a major culprit.

12 percent of the fish caught in the world comes from the South China Sea. As reported by The Philippine Star, Mr Poling told the ANC's Headstart: "If fish stocks collapse there, it's gonna hit fisherfolk everywhere in Southeast Asia."

The vast region which sees one-third of international shipping pass through it has parts of the sea and islands within claimed by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Some of these nations have encouraged fishermen to fish in these waters.

Mr Poling argued: "The Chinese heavily subsidised fishers to go out to the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Vietnam does the same and even if parties wanted to do something about it, it's impossible to enforce fishery rules out there."

Mr Poling explained that it would be hard to control even if The Philippines passed a fishing ban due to lack of surveillance to monitor any illegal fishing.

Fish stocks have been depleted by to between 70 and 95 percent according to the AMTI director due to military exercises in the region.

A now-deleted tweet from Philippine Secretary for Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Junior had accused Chinese poaches of making thousands of dollars by illegally harvesting clams at the Scarborough Shoal.

Mr Poling agreed with Mr Locsin, tweeting: "The Chinese poachers aren't eating them either. They can get thousands of dollars for each shell for jewellery & figurines. They toss the meat into the sea."

The claim by China overlaps all the claims of all but three claimants.

These three claimants are Cambodia who claim part of the Gulf of Thailand along with Malaysia, who also have disputes with Singapore over the Straits of Johor and Singapore Strait.

China does not have a claim to any of these bodies of water.

The name of the sea differs for some claimants, with The Philippines referring to it as The West Philippine Sea and the Vietnamese referring to it as the East Sea.

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