Covid's ocean wake-up call
Covid's ocean wake-up callToday is World Oceans Day, although judging from the state our marine environment finds itself in, it is more of a nod to its state of perdition than a celebration of mankind's enduring relationship with the Seven Seas. According to City Hall, during the first two weeks of April, face masks alone accounted for almost 13 tonnes of rubbish each day. It remains unknown what steps authorities are taking to deal with this problem. Used face masks are not the usual bounty of interest to rubbish scavengers and recycling companies. Classified as "hazardous waste", they require specific and costly disposal technology.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 07, 2021 23:26 UTC
Big rollout fosters hope of light at the end of the tunnel
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha watches as a jab is administered at Bang Sue Grand Station. Ms U-ree told the Bangkok Post that she had registered via the Mor Prom app a long time ago and been assigned to the vaccination point at Bang Sue Grand Station. On arrival at 12.30pm, she was greeted and then taken care of by a volunteer staff member throughout the whole process. Ms U-ree was among thousands of people who on Monday flocked to Bang Sue Grand Station which is among the venues being used as temporary vaccination centres in the capital. According to an official at the temporary hub, the Bang Sue centre alone expected to have administered 10,000 jabs by the end of the first day.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 07, 2021 23:15 UTC
Works site on Rama IX added to list of clusters
Works site on Rama IX added to list of clustersThe Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has identified a fresh cluster off infections at another construction site, this time on Rama IX Road in Bangkok, after 347 tests there came back positive over the past fortnight. CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said on Monday the One 9 Five condominium construction site on Soi 5 had been classified as a medium-sized cluster after health officials spent the last two weeks conducting tests on the 528 workers living on the site. "It is a new cluster which the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration [BMA] is investigating," he said. Meanwhile, the head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, Dr Yong Poovorawan posted on his Facebook account that Covid-19 patients can contract the coronavirus again after three to six months. According to a study in Italy, he said vaccinations are necessary to confer protection even after someone has had the virus.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 07, 2021 23:03 UTC
33 Covid deaths, 2,419 cases logged Monday
33 Covid deaths, 2,419 cases logged MondayHealth workers take blood samples for testing for Covid-19 at Klong Toey market in Bangkok on Thursday. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)Health authorities reported another 33 Covid-19 fatalities on Monday and 2,419 new cases, bringing the accumulated toll to 1,269 deaths and the number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 179,886. Chachoengsao, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, Songkhla, Saraburi, Nonthaburi, Sing Buri and Samut Sakhon logged one death each. Along with the deaths, the bulk of the new cases recorded Sunday were in the capital region. Bangkok logged 943 new infections, while the five neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Prathum Thani, Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom together recorded 597.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 07, 2021 07:41 UTC
Thaicom eyes spin-off for satellite bid
Thaicom eyes spin-off for satellite bidSatellite dishes at Thaicom headquarters in Nonthaburi. AM Thanapant said he is aware Thaicom is preparing to set up a subsidiary to join the bid. Thaicom still has time to buy a bid envelope, with the board making the final decision, said Mr Anant. Thaicom now operates Thaicom 4, a broadband satellite, and Thaicom 6, a broadcasting satellite, through concessions. The bid winner for the 119.5°E slot can make use of it only after Thaicom 4's engineering lifespan ends in 2023, said AM Thanapant.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 06, 2021 23:37 UTC
Grand reopening hopes fade
Beach chairs are placed on an empty beach in Phuket as the island province gears up for its July 1 reopening to tourists. However, he wanted the 14-day stay requirement taken back to seven, as hotels and ferry operators who take tourists on day trips have pinned their hopes on the reopening. For example, we have to consider which countries the foreign tourists are from. "Though incoming foreign tourists will be required to show proof of vaccination, this does not mean they are totally free of the virus," he said. "Foreign tourists may not want to wear their masks in public.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 06, 2021 23:15 UTC
Pulling together to survive and thrive
With newer and stronger variants of Covid-19 popping up, we often wonder how our businesses will be able to survive, let alone thrive. We can do so if we apply the concept of the outward mindset. The outward mindset is a concept developed by Dr C Terry Warner, the founder of the Arbinger Institute. Second, the outward mindset builds our self-awareness and our awareness of our environment and other people. It is not always easy, but it is possible if we think about applying the outward mindset in our daily lives.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 06, 2021 23:13 UTC
Give the homeless fair treatment
Give the homeless fair treatmentTomorrow is D-Day for the much awaited state mass Covid vaccination programme. Last week, Anuk Pitukthanin, manager of the homeless people's well-being development programme under the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), called for the vaccine rollout to serve homeless people. These people should have been registered for the state Covid vaccination programme. The treatment of homeless people has been less than ideal, and this has become more apparent amid the pandemic. This is the reality for thousands of homeless people living in the streets of Bangkok.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 05, 2021 20:03 UTC
There's no excuse to be lost for words
There's no excuse to be lost for wordsIt is always nice to come across new words and last week I discovered a tiny treasure trove of fancy locution thanks to the Grandiloquent website which specialises in flowery, but genuine language. One grandiloquent word that immediately caught my eye was the splendid "quockerwodger" which sounds like a weird creature you might come across in Alice in Wonderland. Another grandiloquent word with potential is "sardoodledom", a reference to a drama with an overwritten and melodramatic plot. Fudgel factsOne grandiloquent word that particularly caught my eye was "scurryfunge", the act of hastily tidying up the house when you have visitors coming. Diddy languageFor people still not satisfied with the huge choice of words the English language has to offer, do not fret, you can always make up your own words.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 05, 2021 20:03 UTC
500,000 more Sinovac shots arrive ahead of D-day
“From mid-December last year to the end of May, China administered 639 million doses and 316 million were Sinovac,” it read. From Feb 28 to Friday, 4.1 million doses, accounting for 6.3% of the population, had been administered. Of the 100 million doses Thailand plan to buy, 61 million are contracted to be delivered by AstraZeneca. For Sinovac, 6.5 million doses have been delivered and around 2-3 million doses will be shipped each month until the end of this year. Besides, he said, more Sinovac shots will also be distributed nationwide to supplement the mass vaccination drive beginning Monday.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 05, 2021 12:47 UTC
Myanmar self-defence groups rely on homemade rifles
Myanmar self-defence groups rely on homemade riflesMembers of a self-defence group make guns to be used against security forces in Kayah state. (AFP Photo)YANGON: At makeshift factories hidden in Myanmar's jungle, locals who have formed self-defence groups make rifles to take the fight to the military junta, but their homemade weapons don't always hit the mark. The performance of the homemade weapons is not always up to the exacting standards required in combat. "One night, the military... shot at us with heavy artillery," Ko John, a self-defence force member, told AFP. But part-time fighters know the odds are stacked against them in any confrontation with Myanmar's military — one of Southeast Asia's most battle-hardened and brutal.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 05, 2021 06:56 UTC
Fine Arts must up its game
On June 1, Fine Arts Department chief Prateep Pengtako said his agency had nothing to do with the EIA reports. The Fine Arts Department is expected to be more proactive in matters relating to conservation. As the campaign went on, the Fine Arts Department was timid and shied away from any effort, saying it was none of its business. This mission went on without support from the Fine Arts Department. Some local groups are wealthy enough to take care of heritage but support or cooperation from the Fine Arts Department would be helpful.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 04, 2021 23:26 UTC
Jab rollout must be fair and transparent
Jab rollout must be fair and transparentDeputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul presides over a ceremony to hand over 1.8 million AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses to be used starting on Monday. The Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) has also landed a deal with Sinopharm for one million doses. The club suggested that the government send the vaccine doses to dark-red zones first instead of "first come, first served". The Public Health Ministry has assured that vaccine distribution will be inclusive and fair, with all provinces getting their share. The government has to learn from its past mistakes and ensure that vaccine distribution is fair and transparent.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 04, 2021 23:26 UTC
Line Man drivers slam base payment cut
Line Man drivers slam base payment cutFood delivery riders organises a protest outside the T-One Building in Klong Toey district where Line Man Wongnai is located on Friday, demanding a 40-baht delivery flat payment rate. The reduction of the delivery base payment varies according to the province. Upcountry, riders are now earning 16-25 baht per trip after these deductions and the base payment reduction. In Bangkok and surrounding provinces, Line Man Wongnai, the operator of Line Man, cut the delivery service payment for drivers from a base payment of 62 baht to 50 baht since March. On June 2, more than 200 Line Man riders staged a protest in Chiang Mai after their delivery base payment rate was reduced from 38 baht to 30 baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 04, 2021 11:03 UTC
Huawei rolls out own mobile OS
Huawei rolls out own mobile OSPeople try Huawei products with the Harmony operating system at a Huawei store in Shanghai on Thursday. (STR/AFP photo)SHENZHEN, China: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd launched its Harmony operating system for smartphones on Wednesday, looking to recover from US sanctions that have hobbled its handset business. Huawei will start rolling out HarmonyOS on selected smartphone models, offering users the chance to switch from the current operating system based on Google's Android platform. Once the world's biggest smartphone maker, Huawei is now ranked sixth, with a 4% market share in the first quarter. Will Wong, an analyst at IDC, said it was not essential for Huawei that other smartphone makers adopt HarmonyOS.
Source:Bangkok Post
June 04, 2021 05:37 UTC