Backsliding by Myanmar
Backsliding by MyanmarJust weeks after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) revealed to the world its "breakthrough" on the Myanmar crisis at a special summit in Jakarta on April 24, the grouping is more or less back to square one. This week the Myanmar junta stunned its Asean friends when it made a U-turn on an agreement reached during the April 24 summit. It said a visit by a special envoy to Myanmar which it earlier backed would now have to be put off "until stability is established". For a start, the group must press harder for a more acceptable gesture from the Myanmar junta; backsliding is a no-no. The bloc needs to remind its wayward Asean friend that times have changed.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 13, 2021 23:26 UTC
Move into nature and be soothed and healed
As urban centres spread their borders, chewing up green and undeveloped land, one company has realised something. Despite all the conveniences and advantages of living in a thriving metropolis like Bangkok, there is more than a little value in a return to living amid nature — in fact, there is magic! Combining the best of modern, sophisticated urban living and a rural setting is The Forestias, a 398-rai (64-hectare) development located on Bang Na-Trat Road in Bangkok. Also crucial is the importance of family, which is not to be treated as some fad or trend. For sales and more information, please call The Forestias Official Call Centre 1265 or visit www.MQDC.com
Source:Bangkok Post
May 13, 2021 09:11 UTC
TEST YOURSELF: Escaping danger
TEST YOURSELF: Escaping dangerPhoto by Apichart JinakulLearn about sexual harassment with a fun board gameTest Yourself is where you can improve your reading skills. They teamed up with classmates Tippawadee Inthanon, 17, and Suvaree Ngampunja, 18, at Satri Wat Absornsawan School to create the board game Escape From Danger, to tackle sexual harassment. Tippawadee said they learned that sexual harassment means any unwelcome verbal, non-verbal or physical sexual action. According to a 2017 survey one in three people said they experience sexual harassment. ignore, escape, shout, report, trick, warn9. to make someone aware of a possible danger or problem …………….
Source:Bangkok Post
May 13, 2021 06:22 UTC
Go butterfly watching at Kaeng Krachan Park
Pang Sida National Park is located in Sa Kaeo province about 220km east of Bangkok. However, due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions, the national park has been closed since May 1. This leaves you with the other option of Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi, about 190km southwest of Bangkok. The national park covers 2,915km² near the border with Myanmar. Kaeng Krachan National Park is also open for overnight stays.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 13, 2021 06:08 UTC
Govt needs to get its vaccine priorities right
Govt needs to get its vaccine priorities rightThe government's recent change in its vaccination rollout plan to re-prioritise a risk group, the majority of them low-paid workers in the capital, may sound like a perfect preventive plan. Perhaps the BMA can learn more from Buri Ram province. From May 10-12, Buri Ram Hospital rolled out its Covid vaccination programme at Chang International Circuit. Buri Ram, a small town-turned-sport tourism destination has come up with a thoughtful vaccination programme. Others could simply show up with any documents, proving that they work in Muang Buri Ram district.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 12, 2021 23:37 UTC
Klong Toey in big trouble
Klong Toey in big troubleAs the health authorities race against time to tackle the Klong Toey cluster, another crisis is looming in the country's biggest slum. Moreover, a number of businesses are facing crunch time as a result of state restrictions, including a ban on dine-ins at restaurants and constant closures of markets, which are a major source of employment for the Klong Toey community. One problem that cannot be ignored is the social stigma. It must be admitted that Klong Toey is a residential area for low-paid workers. Prateep Ungsongtham, a prominent slum leader, said the Klong Toey community now depends entirely on donations, such as food and necessities.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 12, 2021 23:37 UTC
Your horoscope for 14-20 May
Your spot-on horoscope for work, money, couples & singles from the Bangkok Post's famously accurate fortune teller. (♥) Don't make a promise to your partner unless you're sure you can commit to it, no matter how small you think it is. (♥) Work keeps couples very busy but they manage to find time to relax and meaningfully connect with each other. (฿) An older friend may help you get a side hustle or a temp job while you're waiting for a better option. Your partner won't make a big drama out of it but demand that you choose one and let the other go asap.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 12, 2021 05:03 UTC
Ariya, Rory return to winner's circle
LOS ANGELES: Former world No.1 Ariya Jutanagarn shot an incredible closing 63 to win the Honda LPGA Thailand beating her Thai compatriot Atthaya Thitikul by one stroke on Sunday. Ariya Jutanugarn lifts the Honda LPGA Thailand trophy at Siam Country Club in Chon Buri on Sunday. Her world ranking dropped to No.33 before the LPGA Thailand but moved up 12 places to No.21 after Sunday's win. Half a world away another former world No.1, Rory McIlroy, celebrated his first win in 553 days and a return to the top 10 on Sunday at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jordan Spieth hadn't won since the 2017 Open Championship at Birkdale when he won the Texas Open last month.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 12, 2021 00:22 UTC
Bumrungrad vaccinates doctors, staff
Bumrungrad vaccinates doctors, staffFrontline staff at Bumrungrad International Hospital wait to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations at the hospital. Bumrungrad International Hospital announced it has vaccinated 100% of its doctors and 50% of its frontline staff, a total of 2,000 people, since receiving vaccinations from the Thai government. Frontline staff includes nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, medical technicians, radiologists, interpreters, orderlies, customer relations and financial officers, and maids. The hospital is also raising awareness about Covid-19 vaccines among staff and the general public via communications channels. It is also providing vitamins C plus, D, E and zinc to staff members to boost their immune systems.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 12, 2021 00:22 UTC
Event staff can claim SSF benefits
Event staff can claim SSF benefitsThe Labour Ministry says the law does allow employees of event-organising firms forced to suspend their operations because of the Covid-19 crisis to claim compensation from the Social Security Fund (SSF). Mr Suchart said the firms were desperate as they could no longer shoulder the expenses. Mr Suchart has now confirmed employees from event-organising firms are eligible to collect compensation from the fund. The association also insisted that for employers who have had to suspend their businesses, their employees should be entitled to unemployment benefits at a rate of 50-62% from the Social Security Fund. Moreover, the SSF's unemployment benefits do not cover the business losses of event organisers.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 12, 2021 00:22 UTC
Fight the PM2.5 war for clean air now
Fight the PM2.5 war for clean air nowAn official uses a hose to wash out dirt and pollutants from a vehicle's exhaust pipe. To reduce PM2.5 emissions, Thailand has adopted European emission standards. Set up by the European Union, these standards are divided into two categories: exhaust emission standards and fuel standards. However, without supplementary measures, raising the Euro emission standards alone won't significantly reduce PM2.5 emissions. Through concerted efforts to reduce the emission of highly hazardous PM2.5 from all major sources, it is possible to bring clean air back into our lives once again.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 11, 2021 22:41 UTC
TQM posts dip in Covid insurance
Covid insurance products from TQM have generated 700 million baht in sales during the first four months of 2021. In April TQM recorded 500 million baht in premiums received for Covid-19 micro-insurance, a type of protection covering claims related to the disease. In terms of insurance for vaccine allergies, TQM has not reported any claims for this ailment. According to data from the Office of the Insurance Commission, from February 2020 to April 22 of this year Covid insurance tallied 13.8 million policies. For example, around mid-April, Southeast Insurance priced its premium package for Covid insurance at 1,037 baht for a lump-sum protection of 200,000 baht in case of Covid diagnosis and accidental death.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 11, 2021 22:41 UTC
Boost jab confidence
Boost jab confidenceThe government needs to boost public confidence in its Covid-19 vaccination rollout plan immediately and ensure that more people take part in the campaign. The government's vaccination plan did not get off to a good start. The risk is that mass inoculation could falter unless the government makes every effort to give it a boost. The reality is that confidence both in the available vaccines and government's response in the event of side-effects is low. Only a full declaration about the vaccines' efficacy and possible side-effects will fix the vaccine hesitancy syndrome gripping the population.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 11, 2021 22:41 UTC
Startups join fight against coronavirus
Startups join fight against coronavirusLocal startups have joined hands to help in the fight against Covid-19 by using digital technology to help streamline work processes at field hospitals and support a queue management system for vaccinations. At least four startups have joined forces to support automated workflows at a field hospital managed by Chulalongkorn University. Meanwhile, apartment management system provider Horganice has arranged a bed booking system at the facility. "We have combined the strength of each startup and spent two weeks deploying technology at Chula Field Hospital," said Mr Rungsun. "We plan to roll it out at Banglamung Hospital and Thammasat Field Hospital."
Source:Bangkok Post
May 11, 2021 00:22 UTC
Border control is imperative
Border control is imperativeWhile the county battles its menacing third wave of Covid-19, experts have recently come out to warn that if there is a fourth, it is likely to be the result of illegal border crossings. From Jan 1-May 9, officials arrested 15,378 illegitimate border crossers -- the majority migrant labourers from Myanmar (6,072), Cambodia (5,114) and Laos (882). There is also the unthinkable possibility that if Covid is not brought under control, variants could emerge that render vaccines ineffective before they have even been widely administered. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, with his gamut of self-given legal powers, must make border control as much of a priority as stockpiling vaccines to achieve the fabled herd immunity that is beginning to seem more like a speck on the horizon than an achievable goal. It is imperative that the government pulls itself together to prevent this and subsequent waves of Covid-19 becoming deadly tsunamis of tragic proportions.
Source:Bangkok Post
May 10, 2021 23:26 UTC