UPDATE: Chon Buri nightclub blaze kills 13 & injures 41 people. Government confirms that Mountain B was open without a license. The owner was arrested last month for opening illegally. By leahFriday, August 5, 2022 11:38.

UPDATE: 

The Thai government has confirmed that Mountain B pub, which was struck by a devastating fire last night, was open without a license.

Police reported that the pub owner, Pongsiri [surname reserved] was arrested on July 16 this year for opening Mountain B without a license and for opening beyond the times permitted by law.

An initial investigation reveals the venue had only two fire extinguishers, which is not enough for the capacity and space of the venue.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Thirteen people died and more than 40 were injured last night after a fire broke out at the Mountain B night club in Chon Buri province.

Located on Sukhumvit Road in the Sattahip District of Chon Buri, a blaze ripped through the one-story glasshouse, that has only one entrance in and out of the building, at about 1am when the club was about to close.

Jiraphan Turaphan, who survived the blaze informed police officers that the fire started from the ceiling. The 51 year old man said he heard several exploding sounds as the fire spread quickly through the club.

It was reported that there were over 50 people inside the club at the time. They tried to flee from the scene but there was only one door at the front. A number of people perished at the door as a result of the rush to exit the club

Club staff revealed the fire engulfed the building within five minutes and it took firefighters over two hours to control the blaze. Firefighters made public there were many flammable materials inside.

The last update at 7.11am today, reported that 13 people were killed at the scene, nine men and four women, and more than 40 people were injured and sent to hospitals nearby.

Police officers from the Plu Ta Luang Police Station believe a short circuit caused the fire but added they were still conducting an investigation.

Chon Buri Provincial Governor Pakkathorn Tienchai announced the victims would get compensation.

Pakkathorn said the people who were injured would get 4,000 baht, those who were disabled by the fire would get at 13,300 baht, and the families of the dead people would get 29,700 baht.

SOURCE: Thairath | JS100

Thirteen people – 9 men and 4 women – died and more than 30 were injured in a blaze in a pub in Sattahip district of Thailand’s eastern coastal province of Chon Buri early this morning (Friday). Read more: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thirteen-killed-over-30-injured-in-fire-at-pub-in-chon-buri/ PBS World



BREAKING: Thailand confirms its fourth #monkeypox case in a 22-year-old Thai female in Bangkok, who recently visited an entertainment venue in the capital. PBS World

 

🇹🇭 THAI NEWS REPORTS: #COVID19 on Friday ⬆️ 2,253 new cases in hospital ⬆️ 34 deaths ⬇️ 21,113 active cases ⬆️ 911 serious cases. Richard Barrow / TNR



CCSA English Briefing on Thursday 4th August 2022 (Unofficial translation). Please note, this briefing is now twice a month. Richard Barrow



 CCSA English Briefing on Thursday 4th August 2022

(Unofficial translation). Please note, this briefing is now twice a month. 

1. Recap on Thai Briefing 

- The CCSA General meeting chaired by Prime Minister will be held on Friday, 19 August 2022.

- The precautionary measures for Monkeypox are quite similar to the precautionary measures for COVID-19. The Public Health authority is monitoring the situation, while urging people to maintain precaution public health measures.

 

2. General Situation

- New confirmed cases is 2,166, making 21,377 active cases. The number of accumulated cases stands at 4,598,725 cases with 4,545,856 cases total recoveries. There are 29 new fatalities, with the accumulated total at 31,492 cases.

- The current top ten provinces with the highest number of COVID-19 patients are Bangkok (1,228), Samut Prakarn (135), Chonburi (106), Khon Kaen (70), Nakhon Si Thammarat (60), Pathum Thani (44), Nonthaburi (27), Chumphon (25), Chiang Mai (24), and Nakhon Pathom (22).

3. Vaccination Progress

- On 3rd August 2022, we administered 42,088 doses of vaccines, increasing the accumulated number of vaccination to around 141.72 million doses.

- The total number of first vaccine dose administered now amounts to 57.1 million doses, covering 82.2% of the total population.

- The total number of second vaccine dose administered now amounts to 53.5 million doses, covering 76.9% of the total population.

- The total number of booster dose administered now amounts to 31 million doses, covering 44.7% of the total population.

4. Update on COVID-19 prevention measures

- The Royal Gazette recently published a revision in the emergency decree's Article 9, which goes into effect on 1 August 2022. The article was revised to prepare for an expected surge in infections worldwide due to the highly transmissible Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants now that countries are reopening and easing restrictions.

- Therefore, agencies have been instructed as follows:

 - Mark all areas nationwide as COVID-19 surveillance zones in line with the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)'s order.

 - Enforce COVID-19 prevention measures to contain the spread of the virus in risky venues and provide guidelines for filming television shows, films and videos.

 - Prevent activities that may trigger infection clusters unless authorised by the authorities.

 - Welcome foreigners in line with the country's reopening policy and public health measures.

 - Prepare medical staff and supplies, including COVID-19 vaccines, to deal with possible outbreaks and encourage people, especially the vulnerable, to get booster doses.

 - Prepare plans to transition COVID-19 from a dangerous communicable disease to a disease under surveillance to help people make adjustments and live safely.

- As COVID-19 situation is persisting, we encourage everyone to observe health precautions. Business operators should step up their compliance with disease control measures. Members of the public are also encouraged to keep wearing a mask in crowded areas or places with poor ventilation, especially if they belong to the '608 group' of persons at risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms, as well as to get their booster shots. 

5. Entry Statistics and information 

- Up to date, there are around 1,070,000 incoming international travelers with the top three countries; Malaysia, India, and Singapore. The increasing numbers of international travelers are due to gradual opening up of the country, fewer procedures, and new prevention measures.     

- Started on 1 July 2022, all travelers, both Thais and foreigners, are no longer required to register for Thailand Pass. The current 10,000 USD insurance requirements for COVID treatment for foreign travelers will no longer be mandatory but is highly recommended.

- Travelers still need to show proof of either a vaccine certificate OR COVID-Free test results. Vaccine certificate or Pro-ATK/RT-PCR results (within 72 hours) will be checked by airline staff at check-in and once again when travelers arrive in Thailand.

Full CCSA English briefing can be viewed here >>> https://fb.watch/eH4X9ZYRU1/

Source: CCSA, Public Relations Department, and Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)

Over 200,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 via ATK last week. Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, CCSA’s spokesman, said there will be a CCSA executive committee meeting on August 19 to assess the situation and consider various measures with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presiding over it.- Thai Newsroom

CCSA: Over 200,000 people tested positive for Covid-19 via ATK last week

August 4, 2022  TNR Staff

THE Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said this afternoon (August 4) that last week, July 24-July 30, as many as 201,554 people tested positive for this highly-infectious disease via antigen test kit (ATK) or an average of 28,793 cases a day with this total being worrisome, Naewna newspaper said.

Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, CCSA's spokesman, said there will be a CCSA executive committee meeting on August 19 to assess the situation and consider various measures with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presiding over it.

While today's tally is 2,166 new cases and 29 fatalities taking the death toll to 31,492, the former is the number of patients hospitalised. Another 2,700 patients were cured with total recoveries since the start of the pandemic reaching 4,545,856.  Altogether 21,377 patients are still under treatment of whom 905 are in serious condition and 476 requiring oxygen. The cumulative confirmed total since the start of the pandemic has now reached 4,598,725.

Of the 201,554 out-patient self-isolation (OPSI) cases testing positive last week most were in the 608 group, that is the elderly over sixty years age, those suffering from chronic diseases and pregnant women, with most not having received a booster jab or suffering from congenital disease.

Yet the bed occupancy rate stands at 17.1%, with the Public Health Ministry confirming that it is possible to add more.

Regarding a key Covid medicine, Molnupiravir, the ministry has said that it has adequate supply to treat people. 

The public was warned to only obtain Covid medicine through a doctor's prescription, which the government will be paying for, as the quality of unregistered ones is uncertain and could be dangerous.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said that the number of tourists entering the country after relaxation of the Thailand Pass measures increased to 1.07 million last month from 760,000 in June. 

Random checks of 15% of a total of 770,614 people arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport in July, totaling 117,567 people, showed that the majority had vaccination certificates with only 13 not doing so, which is a very low number.

🇹🇭 THAI NEWS REPORTS: #COVID19 on Thursday ⬇️ 2,166 new cases in hospital ⬇️ 29 deaths ⬇️ 2,166 active cases ⬇️ 905 serious cases. Richard Barrow / TNR



TAT will seek THB1-million budget to attract more foreign arrivals. The Tourism Authority of Thailand will seek a budget of 1 million baht to boost foreign arrivals so the country achieves its targeted tourism revenue of 1.5 trillion baht this year. The Nation

The first seven months of the year have seen 3.33 million foreign tourists visit the country.

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said he would wait for the economic situation administration centre to hold its meeting, during which he would raise the budget request.

Yuthasak said TAT would need precisely 1.035 million baht to carry out its so-called "booster shot" measure to stimulate the entire tourism industry, so that the 1.5 trillion baht revenue target this year could be reached.

The target would be 50 per cent of pre-Covid levels in 2019, when the country gained 3 trillion baht in tourism revenue, Yuthasak noted.

TAT hopes to lure 10 million foreign tourists, who are expected to generate 844 billion baht in income, and encourage Thais to make 160 million trips to create extra revenue of 656 billion baht, he said.

The number of foreign tourists has significantly increased following the easing of Covid travel restrictions, Yutthasak pointed out.

He said 3,334,326 foreign tourists visited Thailand from January 1 to July 31 from the following top ten nations:

- Malaysia: 420,660

- India: 337,282

- Singapore: 183,836

- UK: 167,232

- Laos: 157,831

- United States: 152,635

- Cambodia: 148,897

- Vietnam: 131,770

- Germany: 124,930

- South Korea: 120,321.

Yuthasak said the top five entry points for foreigners were Suvarnabhumi Airport (1.92 million arrivals), Phuket International Airport (603,974), Don Mueang International Airport (191,893), Sadao border checkpoint (141,337) and Nong Khai border checkpoint (77,401).

He noted that after the government cancelled the Test & Go measure on May 1, the number of tourists that month jumped to 532,177, compared to 297,365 in April.

When the government cancelled quarantine for foreign arrivals on June 1, the number of visitors soared to 788,258 that month.

And after the government scrapped Thailand Pass in July, the number of foreign arrivals last month rose to 1.21 million, the TAT governor said.

"After Thailand Pass was abolished, about 33,000 to 49,000 foreign tourists arrived each day in July, raising the total number for the month to 1.21 million," Yuthasak added.

Half a million young people seeking jobs prefer admin to tourism. Nearly 10 times more people are searching for admin jobs than travel industry jobs. | Thaiger

Half a million young people seeking jobs prefer admin to tourism

By 

Neill Fronde 

Wednesday, August 3, 2022 14:38

The Employers' Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry released a new report analysing job applications on JobThai.com this past month revealing some interesting statistics about what jobs people want and where. Young job applicants – and there are around 490,000 to 510,000 of them who recently graduated and now entering the workforce – are eschewing the glitz and glamour of tourism work and opting for the stability of administrative and office jobs instead.

The analysis looked at applications from 2 million job hunters on the popular employment website and found that 29.7% of people applied for administrative work, compared to just 3.63% who were interested in tourism jobs. Factory work was second most popular and jobs like accounting, technicians, logistics and engineering ranked highly as well.

Most sought-after jobs

• 29.70% administrative work
• 16.00% factory work
• 10.10% accounting
• 10.10% technicians
• 9.85% shipping, import and export
• 9.59% engineering
• 9.31% retailing
• 8.33% human resources
• 8.28% customer services and call centres
• 6.77% marketing
• 5.82% IT, electronics and computer software
• 3.63% hotels, restaurants, spas, tour guides

About 75% of the people job-hunting between the ages of 20 and 30 years old have a bachelor's degree or higher, but there were also many unskilled labourers looking for work, while the market seeks skilled workers.

Just over half of the searches on JobThai.com were for jobs around Thailand's capital, with the 50.8% in Greater Bangkok more than the 15.8% in the Eastern Economic Corridor, 12.4% in the Northeast, 8.31% in the North, 7.76% in Central Thailand and 4.73% in the South all combined.

Most sought-after job locations

The economy still has a ways to go before it fully recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic when nearly half a million people lost their jobs in the first wave of Covid. A survey in June of 300 countries showed that 52.6% had to downsize their staffing and 36.8% laid off employees. Only 15.8% of businesses reported hiring new staff.

Tourism was particularly affected and EconThai says there are still not enough international tourists to allow a full economic recovery this year. Travel restrictions have eased and the country is fully reopened, but it will take time for tourists to return in greater numbers anywhere close to what they were pre-pandemic. Only then will the economy be likely to fully recover.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

THAILAND’S DANGEROUS ROAD STATUS CONFIRMED – AGAIN! - The Zutobi, which is a driver’s education portal website that publishes a new score annually, has reported that Thailand scored badly on five different factors to rank it on second on the list of most dangerous nations to drive in. The factors were estimated road death rates, maximum motorway speed limits, seat-belt wearing rates, alcohol-related deaths, and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits. Royal Coast Review

THAILAND'S DANGEROUS ROAD STATUS CONFIRMED – AGAIN!

August 2, 2022

The Zutobi, which is a driver's education portal website that publishes a new score annually, has reported that Thailand scored badly on five different factors to rank it on second on the list of most dangerous nations to drive in.

The factors were estimated road death rates, maximum motorway speed limits, seat-belt wearing rates, alcohol-related deaths, and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits.

The world's safest countries for driving this year have seen little change from the previous year. For the second year in a row, Norway is the safest country in the world for driving, while runners up Iceland and Estonia ranked in last year's top five safest countries.

Switzerland rose into the top ten countries with the safest roads, up three places from last year.

The most dangerous countries for driving have remained consistent since last year, with the three most dangerous seeing no change. 

Zutobi ranked Thailand in second spot behind South Africa. The United States was third.

The full report and complete country rankings can be seen at https://zutobi.com/static/assets/the-worlds-safest-roads/common/safest-roads-zutobi-2021.pdf

What can be done to avoid road accidents and unnecessary road fatalities?

Zutobi says that first of all drivers should be aware of the main reasons accidents occur – by narrowing the list down to the major reasons, drivers can also focus specifically on not making those mistakes.

Major reasons include speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, and lack of scanning, among other things. Government awareness campaigns can also help educate drivers to avoid these behaviors.

Second, drivers also need to have proper knowledge of driving safety practices and the rules of the road before beginning to drive. A good way of attaining a proper foundation is by reading driving theory and doing practice tests.

Thailand saw a total of 32,190 road accidents in 2020 and 2021, mostly involving pickups, according to the Transport Ministry.

According to the Ministry of Transport's Data Catalogue, motorcycles did not cause the most accidents as many assumed, however the Ministry information does not relate to injuries or fatalities.   

Most accidents that happened in 2020 and 2021 involved pickup trucks (37 per cent), followed by a category of private and public vehicles (27 per cent).

Key interesting statistics from the ministry's Data Catalogue include:

Types of vehicles in accidents:

– Pickups (37%)

– Private and public vehicles (27%)

– Motorcycles (20%)

– Trucks with at least 10 wheels (8%)

– Six-wheel trucks (6%)

– Vans (2%)

Types of roads where most accidents happened:

– Straight-ahead roads without slope (70%)

– Curves without slope (13%)

– Curves with slope (8%)

– Bridges to commercial venues (3%)

– Intersections (1%)

Types of accidents:

– Overturning on or skidding off straight-ahead roads (43%)

– Rear crash (31%)

– Overturning or skidding off curved roads (13%)

– Head-on crashes (5%)

– Crashing into traffic barriers (4%)

– Crashing at intersections (2%)

– Hitting pedestrians (2%)

Causes of accidents:

– Violation of speed limit (78%)

– Being cut in front by pedestrians, vehicles or animals (8%)

– Falling asleep behind wheel (4%)

– Drunk driving (3%)

– Violations of traffic lights or signs or vehicles malfunctioning (2%)

– Unlawfully overtaking other vehicles, not allowing vehicles on main road to pass first, or not familiar with roads (1%).

Third monkeypox case in Thailand confirmed. The Nation

Third monkeypox case in Thailand confirmed

He said the tourist was a 25-year-old man who entered Thailand on July 18 to visit Phuket.

The provincial administration will report the detailed timeline of the German tourist to the DCD as soon as possible in a bid to find and monitor all people who came into close contact with him.

Opas said that shortly after the tourist entered Thailand, he developed symptoms, so the DCD believed he contracted the virus before entering the country.

The man had visited Thailand several times earlier, the DCD chief added.

Health officials are trying to locate all the people who had been in close contact with the German tourist to monitor their condition. So far, none of the identified persons known to have been in close contact with him have tested positive.

Opas said those who come in close contact with monkeypox patients must be monitored for 21 days, during which they do not have to be quarantined but should not touch or be in close contact with others.

He noted that all the three confirmed cases so far are men.

"This is in line with World Health Organisation data that 98 per cent of the patients are homosexual men," he said.

The two other confirmed patients detected in Thailand are a Nigerian man and a Thai man, Opas added.



🇹🇭 THAI NEWS REPORTS: #COVID19 on Wednesday ⬆️ 2,432 new cases in hospital ⬆️ 32 deaths ⬇️ 21,940 active cases ⬆️ 917 serious cases. Richard barrow / TNR





Another foreign monkeypox fugitive flees Thailand. Belgian man suspected to be infected with monkeypox allegedly flees Thailand | Thaiger

Belgian man suspected to be infected with monkeypox allegedly flees Thailand

By 

leah

Tuesday, August 2, 2022 10:07

On Thursday, Thailand recorded its second case of monkeypox. The second case, a Thai man in Bangkok, suspects he caught the virus from a Belgian man who he had close relations with. However, the Ministry of Health suspects the Belgian man has already fled Thailand.

A total of 18 people in contact with the Thai man all tested negative for the monkeypox virus. However, the Thai man says he suspects that a Belgian man he had sex with is the source of his infection. Officials have tried to track down the Belgian man to test him for the virus, but they can't find him. He is suspected to have left the country already, said the Director-General of the Department of Disease Control Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong.

Thailand's first case of monkeypox, recorded in a 27 year old Nigerian man in Phuket on July 18, also fled Thailand and was arrested in Phomh Penh, Cambodia on July 23. Health officials tested 50 at-risk people who were in contact with the man, who all tested negative for the virus.

"Most cases of monkeypox found in Asia so far were found in men who had a history of having close relations with foreign men," said Dr. Opas. Dr. Opas wants to reassure the public not to be fearful of catching the virus, which is only transmitted through very close contact. Sex is a certain risk factor, said the doctor. The Department of Disease Control suggests avoiding monkeypox by not having sexual relations with strangers, said Dr. Opas.

Due to monkeypox's low transmissibility rate, only certain target groups – such as high-risk groups and frontline healthcare workers – need to be vaccinated against the virus, not all Thai people, said Dr. Opas. The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) announced that Thailand will receive 1000 doses of the smallpox vaccine from America this month, which are effective against monkeypox.

If Thailand did face a monkeypox outbreak and didn't have enough imported vaccines, Thailand's population can be vaccinated using Thailand's 40 year old stock of smallpox vaccines, which are still safe to use and 85% effective against preventing monkeypox, according to Thailand's Department of Medical Sciences.

SOURCE: KhaoSod



New public assembly ban imposed in Thailand to contain COVID-19 | Thai PBS World

New public assembly ban imposed in Thailand to contain COVID-19

views  326

An announcement has been issued by Chief of Thailand's defence forces, Gen. Chalermpol Srisawat, in his capacity as the chief officer in charge of solving emergency situations related to security affairs, and published in the Royal Gazette yesterday, banning unauthorised public assemblies and gatherings in the wake of clusters COVID-19 infections resulting in a rising number of hospitalisations, severe cases and fatalities, despite more people getting their vaccine booster doses.  

The move is in line with and complementary to the State of Emergency, in place since March 2020 and extended for the 19th time to the end of September 2022. Despite calls by pro-democracy and rights groups for the Emergency Decree and related bans to be scrapped, claiming that the restrictions have been used to suppress political movements and freedom of expression, the Decree remains and is expected to stay until at least November, when Thailand hosts the 2022 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit.

Under the terms of this edict, police can seek help from the military to enforce the ban and anyone who violates it is liable to two years imprisonment and/or a fine of 40,000 baht if convicted. Gatherings are allowed only when permission isgranted by authorities concerned.

The announcement claims that the ban is in line with the government's policy of transiting to a post-pandemic period, to reopen the country and to drive the economy, in parallel with strict compliance with safety measures.

Besides public assemblies and gatherings, which present arisk of spreading the disease, other acts and activities, which are "deemed" to increase the hardships of the people or of contributing to the spread of the disease are also prohibited.

The announcement allows a window for public assemblies or gatherings to be organised under conditions stipulated in the Public Assembly Act. One of the conditions is that the organiser must notify the local police 24 hours in advance ofthe event.

On June 24th, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt designated seven locations in Bangkok in which public assemblies and gatherings can be held, on the condition that the organiser notifies the district office 24 hours in advance,so officials can make preparations, including the provision ofconveniences and security arrangements.

The seven locations are Lan Khon Mueang at City Hall, the Thai-Japanese Youth Centre in Din Daeng, a public space under the Ratchavibha Bridge, the car park in front of Phra Khanong District Office, the 72nd Anniversary Stadium in Min Buri, Chalerm Phrakiat Stadium in Thung Khru and Monthon Phirom Park in Taling Chan district.

Thailand's COVID-19 hospitalised rate is reported to be just below 2,000 a day, with the number of mild and asymptomatic cases self-isolating at home at least 10 times higher. About 53.5 million people have received at least two doses of vaccine, almost 31 million of whom already jabbed with booster shots.



Heavy rains have been battering various parts of Thailand and are expected to continue into August. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation announced today that 38 provinces in the Kingdom are under flash flood warnings all this week. The warning is in place until August 10. The Thaiger

Heavy rains have been battering various parts of Thailand and are expected to continue into August. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation announced today that 38 provinces in the Kingdom are under flash flood warnings all this week.

The flash flood warnings from heavy rains are in effect in the North, Northeast, Central, East and South regions of the country. A strong southwestern monsoon is sprawled across the area, stretching all the way from the Andaman Sea to the Gulf of Thailand, crossing the entirety of the country.

The Disaster Department is suggesting everyone keep a close eye on developing weather reports, and for those living near bodies of water such as rivers and reservoirs, the department urges them to watch the water levels closely to avoid being caught unprepared for a flash flood.

Should an emergency arise, 1784 is the 24-hour hotline for the DDPM, and they can also be reached by the LINE app on the account @1784DDPM.

Below is a list by region of the provinces under warning about the potential for a flash flood:

REGION	PROVINCES
NORTH	Tak Mae Hong Son Chiang Mai Chiang Rai Nan Uttaradit Phitsanulok Phetchabun
NORTHEAST	Loei Nong Khai Sakon Nakhon Bueng Kan Mukdahan Nakhon Phanom Chaiyaphum Khon Kaen Roi Et Yasothon Nakhon Ratchasima Ubon Ratchathani
CENTRAL	Kanchanaburi Lopburi Pathum Thani Nonthaburi Samut Prakan Nakhon Nayok
EAST	Prachinburi Rayong Chanthaburi Trat
SOUTH	Prachuap Khiri Khan Chumphon Surat Thani Nakhon Si Thammarat Phatthalung Ranong Phang Nga Trang

🔴 #COVID19 update on Tuesday ⬇️ 1,843 new cases in hospital ⬆️ 27 deaths ⬇️ 22,012 active cases ⬆️ 916 serious cases. Richard Barrow / TNR





Pilot must explain why passengers were kept aboard damaged plane. The captain of the Nok Air flight that slid off the runway at Chiang Rai airport will be summoned by regulators to explain why passengers were kept on board the aircraft for about an hour after the accident. Bangkok Post

Pilot must explain why passengers were kept aboard damaged plane

Rescuers and medics help passengers leave the crashed Nok Air plane after it slid off the runway at Mae Fah Luang international airport in Chiang Rai on Saturday. (Photo from Warangkhana Wongchai Facebook account)

The captain of the Nok Air flight that slid off the runway at Chiang Rai airport will be summoned by regulators to explain why passengers were kept on board the aircraft for about an hour after the accident.

Suttipong Kongpool, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), said on Monday that the chief pilot of flight DD108 will be ordered to defend the decision.

"The rationale behind the decision is what the CAAT needs to hear from the captain," Mr Suttipong told the "Inside Thailand" news programme.

The Don Mueang-Chiang Rai flight with 164 passengers and six crew slid off the runway and its undercarriage collapsed as it landed in heavy rain at Mae Fah Luang in the northern province on Saturday night. There were no injuries.

The captain turned off the engines of the 737-800 Boeing aircraft after the accident, leaving the passenger cabin in darkness and without air conditioning.

The passengers were then told to stay on board until buses arranged by the airline arrived to take them to the terminal.

After about an hour fewer than 20 passengers had left by vans. The remaining passengers started complaining about the stuffy conditions in the cabin, the lack of fresh air causing breathing problems and the possible dangers of staying in their seats in the dark.

In a video taken by a passenger in the cabin, a woman crew member was heard trying to calm down the angry passengers and telling them to remain seated. She said, "Passengers are not allowed on runways."

The passengers insisted on leaving the plane and the captain eventually permitted one of the eight emergency exit doors to be opened so they could disembark on a slide.

Under international aviation protocols, all passengers must be evacuated from the aircraft within 90 seconds of a serious incident, according to the CAAT chief. But the evacuation rules were also flexible,  depending on the circumstances and safety of the passengers and aircraft, he said.

"The captain is the one who makes the decision on evacuation after assessing the situation, including external factors,"  Mr Suttipong said.

The CAAT chief also said passengers were allowed to stand on runways in case of emergency, although they were off limits in normal circumstances.

It was not known whether the captain was a man or a woman.

Mr Suttipong said the aviation regulator would not be quick to blame the chief pilot for the slow evacuation  that kept most passengers inside the aircraft without sufficient air to breathe. Heavy rain and the need to wait for the buses could be among the reasons for the decision, he said.

Nok Air has also not explained the decision. 

Nok Air chief executive Wutthiphum Jurangkool told the Stock Exchange of Thailand in a filing on Monday that the airline was in compliance with all aviation safety guidelines to ensure the safety of all passengers. The airline would investigate the accident, he said.

Mae Fah Luang airport management said on Monday the airport strictly followed emergency procedures after the accident on Saturday night. This included the quick dispatch of fire engines to the aircraft and the closure of the runway for the safety of other airplanes.

The airport remains closed until Wednesday, while the Boeing jet is removed and the runway examined for damage.



WEEKLY UPDATE: Tested positive using ATK outside of hospital: 😷 24-30 July: 201,554 people - average of 28,793/day 😷 17-23 July: 204,615 people - average of 29,230/day 😷 10-16 July: 143,827 people - average of 20,546/day. TNR





🔴 #COVID19 update on Monday ⬆️ 2,108 new cases in hospital ⬇️ 19 deaths ⬇️ 22,710 active cases ⬇️ 879 serious cases. Richard Barrow / TNR





Officials step up monkeypox screening. The Public Health Ministry is ramping up the screening of air travellers from countries reporting a spread of monkeypox to step up precautions against the disease. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the screening is being conducted at airports and targets travellers from outbreak countries. Bangkok Post

Officials step up monkeypox screening

Anutin: Curb risky sexual behaviour

The Public Health Ministry is ramping up the screening of air travellers from countries reporting a spread of monkeypox to step up precautions against the disease.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the screening is being conducted at airports and targets travellers from outbreak countries.

He said monkeypox is not a serious disease and it is not highly transmissible without direct contact with bodily fluids or lesions or prolonged contact with an infected person.

Generally, most patients are able to recover at home, he said.

Health authorities are doubling efforts to educate the public about the disease and enhance vigilance and investigative measures, he said.

Since the disease is transmitted via close physical contact, having multiple sex partners can increase the infection risk, he said.

According to the World Health Organization, monkeypox cases are increasing among men who have sex with other men.

Homosexual and bisexual men are advised to limit the number of sexual partners to protect themselves and help slow the virus' transmission, it said.

"Monkeypox can be avoided if we take precautions and abstain from risky sexual behaviour," Mr Anutin said.

The minister added that monkeypox vaccines will initially be kept for immunisation of frontline healthcare workers first.

Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said the department has told quarantine offices at international airports across the country to step up the screening of arrivals from countries where monkeypox outbreaks are taking place.

As of Friday, a total of 2,389 arrivals from Europe and 138 from Africa were screened and no suspected cases of infection were detected, Dr Sopon said.

He also provided an update on the two monkeypox cases detected in Thailand so far.

The first is a 27-year-old Nigerian national confirmed to have the disease on July 18 in Phuket. He later fled the kingdom to Cambodia on July 21 before being arrested in Phnom Penh.

More than 50 people who came into contact with the man while he was in Phuket have been tracked and no new infections have been detected, Dr Sopon said.

The second confirmed case, which has nothing to with the Nigerian man, involves a 47-year-old Thai who is being treated at Vajira Hospital, Dr Sopon said.

The man told health authorities he had sex with a foreign man and began developing symptoms on July 15, Dr Sopon said.

Authorities are looking for the foreign man, he said.

Health authorities also collected samples from 17 people who came in contact with the patient for lab tests on Friday, he said.

Results of 16 of them came back negative yesterday while the result of the other was pending, he said.

All are subjected to 21 days of quarantine, Dr Sopon said.

                                



🔴 #COVID19 update on Sunday ⬇️ 1,664 new cases in hospital ⬇️ 26 deaths ⬇️ 23,161 active cases ⬆️ 925 serious cases. Richard Barrow / TNR