The Thai Meteorological Department said Super Typhoon Noru had moved to the South China sea at 4 a.m. this morning with maximum sustained winds near the centre of about 140 kilometres an hour. This storm is moving westwards at a speed of about 25 kilometres an hour. It will make landfall in Vietnam on Sept. 28 and together with the southwesterly monsoon prevailing over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand will intensify.
This will lead to many areas of the country including Bangkok and its vicinity getting torrential rain accompanied by strong winds during Sept, 28 – Oct, 1, 2022.
"It can go in two directions, if it moves down Bangkok will get torrential rain, but if you look at the pattern of rain, it's probably going to fall in the Northeastern and Central regions – this morning I looked at the scenario planning," he said.
However his key concern is the water flowing down Pa Sak Jolasid Dam, which is on the eastern side, and more water flowing down the Chao Phraya river. This will pressure the eastern side of the capital and the river banks.
Three flood control measures are being implemented with one being to accelerate drainage as quickly as possible with all canals now being below the control level.
The second step is to strengthen embankments along the Chao Phraya river and various canals with an additional 2.5 million sandbags coming in on Wednesday and Friday for this purpose.
Finally communities at risk are being urged to take care of themselves.
"Over the past month we found out the flood-prone areas and now stress that communities should help prevent flooding on their own up to a point. For example adding sandbags
"We recommend preventive methods by communities forming a united front against flooding instead of letting the floods occur then taking action," he mentioned.
Tropical storm Noru to hit Thailand's north-east this Thursday
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Tropical storm Noru is expected to hit Thailand's north-eastern provinces of Mukdahan and Amnat Charoen this Thursday, after it swept through Vietnam and Laos. The storm is forecast to bring heavy rain to Thailand, similar to the Dianmu storm in September last year.
Noru, the first tropical storm to hit Thailand this year, packing winds speed of up to 140kph at its centre, is moving westward at a speed of 25kph and is anticipated to make landfall in central Vietnam this Wednesday, according to the Thai Meteorological Department.
The approaching storm will strengthen the south-westerly monsoon, which is looming over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, and this will bring widespread heavy rain and isolated very heavy rain to most parts of Thailand, including Bangkok and surrounding provinces, from Wednesday through Sunday.
People living at the bases of mountains are warned of flash floods, while those living near natural waterways are advisedto brace for possible waterway overflows.
Small vessels are advised to remain ashore during the period,due to stormy seas and high waves, in both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf.
Overflows from the Lam Takhong River inundated several low-lying areas in the municipality of Nakhon Ratchasima this morning (Monday), following continuous rain throughout the night.
Meanwhile, the provincial administration has issued advice to people living in 18 out the province's 32 districts, among them Muang, Soeng Sang, Choke Chai, Pak Chong, Phimai, Pak Thong Chai, Si Khieu and Khon Buri, to brace for the impact of tropical storm Noru, which is expected to bring heavy rain to north-eastern provinces.
New Covid-19 wave predicted as fresh, more resistant Omicron subvariants rear up
People are being urged to keep an eye out for new Omicron subvariants BA.2.75.2 and BQ.1 because they are more resistant to immunity built from previous infections or vaccines.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine lecturer Thira Woratanarat said several US medical experts have warned about a new Covid-19 wave from late October.
US experts have been campaigning for people to strictly adhere to Covid-19 prevention measures, especially getting booster jabs and wearing face masks in crowded places, he added.
"The outbreak is expected to peak in December," he said, adding that people in Thailand should take care because a new Covid-19 wave emerges here six to 10 weeks after it hits other countries.
He expects a new Covid-19 wave to hit Thailand in the middle of December, adding that people's immunity against Covid-19 will drop sharply at that time.
"Observing the handwashing, facemask wearing principles can reduce the risk of infection," he said.
Over the past 24 hours, 319 Covid-19 patients have been admitted to hospital, the death toll has risen by eight and 1,145 patients have fully recovered, the Public Health Ministry reported on Monday.
Since January 1, the number of cumulative infections and deaths in the country stands at 2,455,236 and 11,028, respectively.
Passengers almost fainted from a lack of air after they were stranded when the Airport Rail Link train travelling to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday suffered from power failure.
Customers were trapped inside for almost four hours, leaving most of the travellers gasping for air, and most reportedly missed their flights.
Four stations, including Hua Mark, Baan Thap Chang, Lat Krabang, and Suvarnbhumi Airport, were closed. Thai media reported that trains No. 1031 to 1034 were stuck on the tracks between Hua Mark and Baan Thap Chang Station for about four hours.
Passengers going to Suvarnabhumi Airport had to find other ways to get to the capital's main airport such as vans, buses, and taxis, which brought in a new line of complaints, such as long taxi queues.
An Airport Rail Link security guard made known that the train system broke down at about 2pm. Most of the train's passengers were gasping for air because the air-conditioning stopped working.
The guard added rail staff managed to open the stranded train doors and evacuated customers at about 5.40pm.
The Airport Rail Link Facebook page stated there was no fainting or injuries and apologised for the inconvenience. The page failed to state whether the company will pay compensation to passengers affected or to those who missed their flights.
Many Thai netizens complained saying this isn't the first time the Airport Rail Link caused problems for commuters. Many said the company should learn from its mistakes and improve its service.
The system failure was still affecting passengers this morning.
Airport Rail Link informed commuters that eight trains were available but the service wouldn't be fully operational at two stations, Lat Krabang, and Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The Airport Rail Link is a train that is owned by the State Railway of Thailand and operated by Asia Era One Company. The service started in 2021 to connect Suvarnabhumi Airport in the eastern suburbs area to the centre of Bangkok.
There are eight stations, including Suvarnabhumi Airport, Lat Krabang, Baan Thap Chang, Hua Mark, Ramkamhaeeng, Makkasan (connected with Phetchaburi MRT station), Ratcchaprarop, and Phaya Thai (connected with Phaya Thai BTS station).
Travelers visit Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan province on Sept 1. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)
The expansion of facilities to handle an increasing number of air passengers at international and domestic airports nationwide is being sped up, says the government, as part of its plan to promote Thailand as a transport hub in Asean.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri on Sunday said the government is speeding up its airport expansion plan to handle an expected increase of passengers during the upcoming high season in the fourth quarter of this year and beyond.
The expansion projects of three international airports -- Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan and U-tapao airport in Rayong -- and a number of regional airports will be carried out by the Airports of Thailand (AoT) and the Department of Airports.
The international airports operated by AoT are part of a key infrastructure project to be linked with a high-speed railway project to attract more investors under the Eastern Economic Corridor scheme, Mr Anucha said.
Suvarnabhumi airport in particular will be developed for the Asean aviation hub goal, with the aim of handling up to 120 million passengers per year in the next few years.
To achieve the goal, the airport is undergoing several facility expansions, including the construction of the Satellite Terminal 1 extension to provide 28 additional aircraft parking bays from the existing 51, which is expected to be completed this year.
The construction of a third runway is expected to be completed this year, Mr Anucha said.
The airport will also expand its passenger terminal east to provide an additional 66,000m² area. The two-year construction plan is expected to start in April. It will also expand its passenger terminal north to provide 348,000m² of additional space. The northern expansion project is expected to start in January, with a June 2025 completion goal.
A western expansion plan to provide 66,000m² of additional space is also currently being studied.
With all three passenger terminal expansion projects complete, the airport is expected to accommodate up to 120 million arrivals per year, almost three times the current capacity of 45 million per year.
As for Don Mueang airport, a third terminal is to be constructed, with 155,000m² of additional space to accommodate 18 million more passengers a year. Currently, the airport can handle 30 million passengers per year. The new facility is expected to have 12 parking bays for aeroplanes.
Mr Anucha said the design of the third terminal is already completed, and interested parties will soon be able to start bidding for the construction.
U-tapao airport in Rayong will open its second passenger terminal in 2027. It is expected to accommodate up to 5 million passengers a year from the current capacity of about 1.5 million.
Regional airports in the development plan include Betong Airport in Yala, Krabi Airport, Mae Sot Airport in Tak and Khon Kaen Airport.
Tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport. Mrs Marisa says currency depreciation makes the Thai tourism industry more attractive in the post-pandemic period. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
The weak baht could benefit the tourism industry as foreign purchasing power gains value, though it might not be enough to offset high airfares, according to the Thai Hotels Association (THA).
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of THA, said currency depreciation is just one of many factors helping to make the Thai tourism industry more attractive in the post-pandemic period.
"The weak baht definitely affected the industrial sector as it imports raw materials for production, but it could support the tourism industry as foreign tourists can spend more in the country," she said.
The baht has continued to plunge as the US Federal Reserve hiked interest rates by 0.75 percentage points this week to battle inflation.
"But whether a weak baht can help offset high transport costs, such as airfares, I'm not quite sure," said Mrs Marisa.
She said the soaring price of air transport has affected the number of international tourists travelling by plane, as this market remains lower than expected the past few months.
Mrs Marisa said positive momentum has built up from borders reopening without the requirement of Thailand Pass registration and the removal of RT-PCR testing.
The latest announcement from the Public Health Ministry, which downgraded Covid-19 to an endemic disease starting from October, should mark a milestone for the country's tourism, she said.
Compared with other countries in Asia, Thailand's relatively fast removal of Covid protocols should accelerate the recovery pace for tourism, said Mrs Marisa.
Unlike the Tom Yum Kung crisis in 1997, when the baht tumbled to more than 50 baht to the dollar, the scenario this year is different in terms of the stakeholders who have been impacted, she said.
"Covid-19 has affected all stakeholders in the tourism sector, from hotel employees to those in the supply chains," said Mrs Marisa.
She said tourism demand during the 1997 crisis remained strong until the supply of rooms was insufficient to cater to all guests, whereas during Covid-19 tourists vanished.
Acting Prime Minister Prawit Wong- suwon insisted the government will not intervene in the Bank of Thailand's monetary policy.
In the last week, there have been several disturbing references by senior political figures on the government side to the possibility of further extra-constitutional outcomes or a coup d'état in the country particularly linked to the return of the Thaksin family to power in Thailand or the use of street protests by members of the public in response to Constitutional Court decisions with a verdict due on the fate of suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha on September 30thand also a decision on the legal basis for conducting the country's next General Election as the court, last week, unanimously took up a case challenging the electoral laws controversially passed by parliament in August.
The latest National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll shows the opposition parties still on target to win the next General Election although, in the last three months, the combined vote of the leading parties has dropped substantially while support for the governing coalition parties has not improved with the Bhumjaithai Party of Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul significantly down to only 2.3% or less than a quarter of what the party polled in 2019. The polls still show the daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the public's favourite choice for prime minister after the election which is due to be held between January 2023 and May 7th 2023 at the latest.
A National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) opinion poll published on Sunday, September 25th still shows the daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra as the most popular choice for prime minister after the next General Election. Paetongtarn Shinawatra (centre) maintained the support of 21.6% of respondents down from 25.28% in June with opposition parties off by over 12% since then also. However, the key coalition parties including the Bhumjaithai Party did not seem to have gained from this shift with the party of Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul (inset left) commanding only 2.3% support.
The daughter of former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra remains the country's first choice for prime minister after the next election which will take place on May 7th next or possibly up to four months earlier in January 2023 if the House of Representatives is dissolved later this year after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok.
Earlier, in the summer, the acting Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and other insiders strongly suggested this as a possibility.
Big winner in his poll is Thai Sang Thai Party leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan who is back in play
The latest news from an authoritative National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll conducted by telephone with a representative sample of 2,500 interviewees from September 17th last to Wednesday the 21st.
It shows Paetongtarn Shinawatra with the support of 21.6% of those polled, down significantly from 25.28% at the end of June with Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the progressive Move Forward Party on 10.56% also down from June's figure of 13.24% while again in third, the currently suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha who polled 10.12% compared to 11.68% three months ago.
A big winner in the new poll is the former Pheu Thai Party strategist and cabinet minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan who came in fourth with 9.12% while her Thai Sang Thai Party also moved up slightly with a vote of 3.04%.
Khunying Sudarat has always either led or been second place in this poll over the past four years up to this year when Paetongtarn Shinawatra emerged as a possible candidate for the Pheu Thai Party.
Loss of nearly 12% for top opposition parties but no gain for leading coalition parties in government
The poll showed the Pheu Thai Party commanding 34.44% of the vote together with 7.56% for the Move Forward Party bringing the two main opposition parties plus Khunying Sudarat's Thai Sang Thai Party to 45.04% which represents a significant drop from June's poll which showed a combined poll tally of 57.2%.
At the same time, it does not appear the main coalition parties in government have gained considerably with the Palang Pracharat Party only polling 5.56%, the Bhumjaithai Party a very disappointing 2.3% and the Democrat Party holding its own at 7.56%.
The poor showing of the Bhumjaithai Party was bettered marginally by its leader Anutin Charnvirakul who polled 2.4% making him the 6th most popular preference for prime minister with only 2.4% of those polled, in a group of 6 potential leaders, all polling in a range between 1.9% and 2.4%.
The result is possibly based on his high profile in the media.
In recent weeks, many analysts have been suggesting an improvement in the fortunes of the Democrat Party, the oldest political party in the kingdom.
The poll will be very disappointing news for acting Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan whose governing party polled poorly with General Prawit failing to make any impact at all.
The government leader failed to make it into the top 13 being counted as an also-ran among a dozen or so other leaders who polled a combined 3.12%.
Latest date for General Election is May 7th 2023
The polls will be seen as encouraging for former Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak who came in 12th with 1.92% although his newly established Future Thai Party (FTI) did not make a substantial showing in the polls
With Thailand entering into a 180-day period of campaigning with strict restrictions imposed by the Election Commission and a provisional date of May 7th set for a General Election providing the House of Representatives is not dissolved by the prime minister before March 23rd next which represents a full term, political parties have moved into overdrive and semi campaigning mode throughout the kingdom.
Minister Anutin's Bhumjaithai Party is gung ho and reported to be targeting 100 seats but may be lucky to obtain over a dozen based on this poll result
On Friday, September 23rd, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told a gathering of his Bhumjaithai Party for a dinner in Khon Kaen it was going into fighting mode and that it would not relax until after the next General Election after which it hoped to return victorious to the House of Representatives.
'The Bhumjaithai Party is a down-to-earth party. No matter how much it rains, the party leader will stand by the side of the party. We can all be exposed to the sun, the wind and the rain. The only thing we can do is walk into the council six months from now. We will be in battle mode until we win. We will only be bringing live members of the House of Representatives and we will definitely win,' he assured the party faithful.
The Bhumjaithai Party has played an outsized role in the government since the last election in 2019 when it polled 10.33% of the poll and was returned with 51 seats taking several senior cabinet seats and playing a key role in the now-ended pandemic emergency as well its quest to legalise cannabis or marijuana something it has achieved albeit under still controversial circumstances.
The party is facing headwinds in southern Thailand for its stance on cannabis while the latest polls appear to show that talk of 100 seats in the next House of Representatives may be well off the mark with the party being lucky to possibly obtain a dozen seats based on its current poll support.
Fate of voting laws passed controversially by parliament likely to be a decisive factor in who wins the next General Election as top court takes up case
The key thing to watch now is the fate of the new voting laws controversially passed by the House of Representatives based on the draft bill in August due to a lack of quorum on a key issue.
The law passed by a parliamentary procedure is based on a two-ballot General Election poll, one for 400 constituency seats and one for 100 party list seats based on a quota system created by a divisor of 100 on the national vote.
An alternative to this using a divisor of 500 which would have had the same effects as the one-ballot poll method used in the last election was defeated by the move in August although such a provision had been voted through the month before.
Basis for next election may be governed by decree leaving the General Election result also open to Constitutional Court review if law is not confirmed
Last week, on Wednesday, September 21st the Constitutional Court voted unanimously to take up a case opposing the organic voting laws passed.
This objection was submitted by 105 MPs of smaller parties in parliament with the judges giving 15 days for interested parties to supply information for consideration by the court on the matter.
If the bill passed by parliament is found to be unconstitutional it can be sent back to the Electoral Commission and ultimately parliament for redrafting.
However, political observers are sceptical about whether a new bill can be agreed upon in time leaving the practical basis for the next General Election unclear.
One option being suggested is that a decision by the cabinet or executive degree would be promulgated. This is, of course, something which could later be questioned in another court challenge.
Disturbing references being made to the possibility of further political instability and a new coup d'état in Thailand by senior political figures in recent days
At the same time, the decision by the Constitutional Court expected on September 30th on the future of General Prayut Chan ocha as prime minister, based on the 8-year term limit provision in the 2017 Constitution, may prove to be a spark for street protests.
Minister of Digital Economy and Society Ministry Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn warned, on Sunday, that protest activity could endanger the prospects of any future elections in Thailand as he urged would-be protesters to remain calm.
The remarks are not the first reference to unconstitutional consequences in recent weeks.
On September 19th, Seksakol Atthawong, a former Pheu Thai Party member and recently Vice Minister at the Prime Minister's Office under General Prayut, defended the 2006 coup d'état saying it was the right thing for the military to do in September that year when it removed Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister.
The politician, known for his aggressive pronouncements as 'Rambo Isan', warned that similar moves may again be necessary if the Thaksin family again comes to power in Thailand.
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) reports possible heavy to very heavy rains in most parts of Thailand from September 24th to the 29th due to the severe tropical storm NORU.
According to the announcement, a strong monsoon trough lies across the lower North, the Central and the lower Northeast of Thailand during the 24th – the 26th, resulting in abundant rains in the country and isolated heavy to very heavy rains in the North, the Northeast, the Central including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East, and the South of Thailand.
Meanwhile, the NORU storm is moving west-southwest passing the Philippines into the middle South China Sea on September 25th – the 26th before making landfall over middle Vietnam on September 27th- the 28th.
This results in heavy to very heavy rains in some of the North, the Northeast, the Central and the East of Thailand from September 27th to the 29th.
During the period, the southwest monsoon across the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand will also become stronger. The strong winds forces the wave up to 2-3 meters high in the Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand and more than 3 meters high in thundershowers.
The Department warns the public to beware of the severe conditions that may cause flash floods and overflows, especially along the waterways near foothills and lowlands. All ships should proceed with caution and keep off thundershowers. Small boats in the Andaman Sea keep ashore throughout the period.
With continued heavy rainfall, part of the ancient city wall of Chiang Mai collapsed. A section of the wall near the Chang Phuak Gate partially crumbled in last night's storm. The ancient wall stood in Chiang Mai for about 750 years before collapsing in the rain.
The Chiang Mai municipality was joined by authorities from the Fine Arts Department who hurried to examine the damage to the wall. They will assess the repair work needed and make plans to renovate the ancient brickwork to repair the wall.
The ancient wall is believed to have been constructed during the Lanna kingdom, at some point during the reign of King Mengrai. He ruled over ancient Thailand between the years of AD 1261 and AD 1292. After standing as a border to Chiang Mai's old city for centuries, the torrential downpours of the recent storms proved to be too much for the weather tomorrow.
Massive amounts of water have been dumped from the skies in Chiang Mai in the surrounding region with low-lying areas flooding. The Water Resource Department's regional office announce substantial rainfall measurements in the past 24 hours.
Chiang Mai recorded 84 millimetres of fresh rainwater dumped down on the province over the last 24 hours. The Samoeng district was one of the hardest-hit areas in Chiang Mai province with 106.9 millimetres since yesterday. The Meteorological Department said that in nearby Tak province, some districts are nearly as much rain also. The Sam Ngao district there recorded 102.9 millimetres of water in the pounding storms.
No timeline has been announced for repairs yet, nor have estimates on the cost of the damage done to the ancient wall.
Thaksin's daughter most popular choice for next PM: survey
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is the most popular choice for Thailand's next prime minister, according to the latest National Institute of Development Administration (Nida Poll).
Her Pheu Thai Party also came top among voting options for the upcoming election.
Conducted from September 15 to 21, the poll surveyed 2,500 people aged 18 and above from various walks of life, education backgrounds and incomes throughout the country.
Asked to name their favourite candidate for prime minister:
- 24.16% said there was no suitable candidate yet
- 21.60% said Paetongtarn Shinawatra, head of the Pheu Thai Family
- 10.56% said Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat
- 10.12% said Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, suspended prime minister
- 9.12% said Thai Sang Thai Party leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan
- 6.28% said Thai Liberal Party leader Seripisut Temiyavet
- 2.56% were not interested
- 2.40% said Deputy PM and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai Party
- 2.20% said Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew
- 2.16% said Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt
- 2.12% said Chart Pattana Party's Korn Chatikavanij
- 1.92% said Somkid Jatusripitak of Sang Anakot Thai Party
The Thai Meteorological Department said Super Typhoon Noru had moved to the South China sea at 4 a.m. this morning with maximum sustained winds near the centre of about 140 kilometres an hour. This storm is moving westwards at a speed of about 25 kilometres an hour. It will make landfall in Vietnam on Sept. 28 and together with the southwesterly monsoon prevailing over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand will intensify.
