Thailand

There are no known cases of monkeypox in Thailand, Dr Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, said yesterday. He made the assertion to allay fears over the possible spread of the rare disease in this country, following reports of confirmed and suspected cases in the UK, Canada, Spain and Portugal this week. Monkeypox is not a new disease and there is a vaccine for it, said Dr Yong. Unlike the transmission of smallpox, which is airborne through droplets, monkeypox is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the virus through contaminated body fluids or wounds, he said. However, since the monkeypox virus is carried by rodents, and infected patients in other countries usually had a history of having been in direct contact with strange animals, the doctor said he has advised against allowing exotic pets from overseas into the country. No monkeypox virus has been detected in local monkeys in Thailand before, he said. … [Read more...] about No cases of monkeypox in Thailand

City Hall kicks off a campaign on May 9 to encourage voters to turn out for the elections for Bangkok governor and city councillors this Sunday. The Bangkok electorate has not had a vote for the capital's governor in nearly a decade. Arnun Chonmahatrakool Never has Bangkok's gubernatorial contest been so much about Thailand. The poll this Sunday is not just about how Bangkok will be run but how Thailand will be ruled. Beyond the usual grievances and issues that traditionally hang over Bangkokians' lives and livelihoods are larger forces at work. Whoever comes out on top will have much to say about the bigger national election that has to be held by this time next year. As the Bangkok electorate has not had a vote for the capital's governor in nearly a decade, the poll this Sunday is highly anticipated. The air is full of excitement as contenders put up billboards and engage in televised debates, offering various programmes and policies. What is most notable, compared to the last … [Read more...] about Capital poll portends Thailand’s rule

Workers hold signs as they celebrate Labour Day on May 1 at Democracy Monument, Bangkok. (File photo: Apichit Jinakul) The Labour Ministry will open registration for illegal migrant workers in the country and those whose work permits are about to expire after the ministry's proposal has received cabinet approval. A meeting of the migrant workers' policy management committee and concerned agencies on Thursday agreed on four issues, Department of Employment director-general Pairoj Chotikasathien said. The meeting agreed that registration will be open for illegal migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. They include workers with expired work permits and those without a work permit. Employers are required to submit lists of their migrant workers to the department to apply for online registration. Their workers will then be allowed to work in the country until Feb 13 next year. Migrant workers who wish to apply for a permit extension can have their one-year … [Read more...] about Ministry plans to open registration for migrant workers

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha addresses the 'Better Thailand: Open Dialogue' forum at Siam Paragon on Thursday. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut) Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha defended his administration's performance over the past eight years, saying he has managed to lead the country through one crisis after another and that he is trying his best to move the nation forward. Gen Prayut was speaking at the "Better Thailand: Open Dialogue" seminar on Thursday, initiated by the government at Siam Paragon. He recounted the day when he decided to seize power almost eight years ago, saying the country was deeply divided, with society polarised over political lines for over a decade. He said the country was bogged down in conflict, leaving the people in distress while Thailand was becoming the "sick man of Asia". "Some people may have forgotten this. When the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) was formed, we were aware that [restoring order] would come at a price ... … [Read more...] about Prayut defends performance

Nepal has appointed local firm Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd to develop and install air navigation systems for Gautam Buddha Airport, the nation's second international airport. The company yesterday said it is expected to supply, deliver, install and commission the airport's communication, navigation and surveillance and air traffic management systems, meteorological equipment plus other related goods and services to meet international standards. It said its engineering team has been setting up various flight and navigation systems at the airport, located in Nepal's Lumbini province. The company's involvement is being supported by the Foreign Ministry, it said. … [Read more...] about Local firm to develop Nepal airport

The Labour Ministry is looking to legalise undocumented migrants working in the kingdom's service sector amid high demand for imported labour. If the plan is approved, some illegal workers from neighbouring Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam will be given an opportunity to register to work legally in Thailand. The special registration, believed to benefit about 50,000–60,000 already working in the country, will begin two weeks after the cabinet approves a resolution on the matter by the ministry's committee on migrant worker management, said Pairoj Chotikasathien, director-general of the Department of Employment, yesterday. Mr Pairoj was speaking after a committee meeting chaired by Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin. The panel is targeting illegal workers in the service industry, including those working in restaurants, Mr Pairoj said. It remains unclear as to when the proposal will be forwarded to the cabinet for endorsement. Poj Aramwattananont, vice chairman of the Thai … [Read more...] about Ministry aims to legalise some migrants

Thailand has given humanitarian assistance to Karen refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border in the wake of recent clashes between the junta and rebels in the neighbouring nation, says National Security Council secretary-general Supoj Malaniyom. Supoj: Pledgeshelp at border Thailand has a clear policy to support and promote peaceful dialogue, Gen Supoj added. When asked how many people were believed to have fled across the border after the recent fighting near Tak's Mae Sot district, he said it was in the hundreds and that provincial authorities would set up a shelter to care for them. He said non-government organisations have also joined state agencies in providing help to the refugees, who will be sent home if they wish when the situation improves. Gen Supoj, also chief of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration's (CCSA) operations centre, said the refugees are being screened for Covid-19 to prevent another outbreak. Myanmar Now , a news website, reported … [Read more...] about Fleeing Karen refugees to get humanitarian aid

A pedestrian looks at a water pump deployed near Wat Phra Sri Mahathat BTS station on Phahon Yothin Road in Bang Khen district, Bangkok, on Thursday to quickly drain floodwater from the area around Laksi monument. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb) A large water pump crippled by a stray monitor lizard that got stuck inside it has been blamed for widespread flooding in Bang Khen, one of the worst-hit districts following heavy downpours this week, says district director Pisamai Ruengsilp. Heavy floods occurred around the Bang Khen roundabout and adjacent areas from Tuesday morning until Wednesday. Traffic was at a standstill in many areas in northern Bangkok inundated by flooding during the morning rush hour on Tuesday when the new school term opened. Chaotic scenes were reported on flooded sections of Ratchadaphisek and Phahon Yothin roads as well as zones straddling Bang Sue and Chatuchak districts. Water levels also rose in parts of Ram Intra Road, particularly around Ram Intra … [Read more...] about Lizard blamed for city flood

"It is not about being on China's side or the US's side but it is about being on the side of peaceful development," Czech ambassador Libor Secka, also the special envoy of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Indo-Pacific. (Photo: Apichit Jinakul) When the Czech Republic takes the presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of this year, it plans to bind the Indo-Pacific region more closely with the EU. "The Czech Republic had decided to take Indo-Pacific as one of our priorities in foreign policy. This is our presidency priority," Ambassador Libor Secka, the Special Envoy of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Indo-Pacific, told the Bangkok Post during an interview in Bangkok. When asked whether the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy was about China containment, he said the main aim was to maintain peaceful development in international relations, leading to more cooperation between them. "Our society is confronted with conflicts and we … [Read more...] about Czech EU presidency ‘to forge closer ties’