Airports to avoid losses: AoT chief
Airports to avoid losses: AoT chiefSuvarnabhumi is one of the airports operated by Airports of Thailand Plc. (Bangkok Post photo)The Airports of Thailand (AoT) is unlikely to post losses in the current fiscal year, despite the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, says its president, Nitinai Sirismatthakarn. Mr Nitinai said that during those first four months of the fiscal year, AoT reported profits of 10.9 billion baht, adding: "I don't think AoT will see losses this year or the losses will be small. AoT is currently handling 500-600 passengers returning from overseas each day, compared with a daily average of 400,000 passengers at its six airports before the Covid-18 pandemic. He added that AoT would on July 29 consider a Thai AirAsia proposal to move its hub back to Suvarnabhumi and if that went ahead, it would affect the second airport's earnings.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 13, 2020 22:41 UTC
CP's Tesco deal yet to be approved
CP's Tesco deal yet to be approvedThe Office of Trade Competition Commission (OTCC) has asked Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) to submit more documents concerning the group's mega-deal to acquire 86.9% of the Thai business of Tesco and 100% of the UK retailer's Malaysian business. Sakon Varunyuwatana, chairman of the OTCC, told media yesterday that CP filed documents last week but the OTCC has yet to approve the deal which is valued at US$10.6 billion (332 billion baht). The OTCC has asked the group to submit further documents with information about the group's combined market share. The 90-day time frame starts when the OTCC receives complete documents, he said, adding that CP is the party which must set the consideration process in motion. He said the OTCC has set up a special committee to study the acquisition and its impact on the market, and the panel's findings will be taken into account when the OTCC considers the deal.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 13, 2020 22:41 UTC
Firm 'used Prawit's name' to secure CCTV contracts
Firm 'used Prawit's name' to secure CCTV contractsA group of people has fraudulently used the name of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon to lobby local agencies to secure contracts to install closed-circuit television systems nationwide, according to an anti-corruption network. Mr Wiwat alleged that a group of businessmen running a CCTV installation company had cited Gen Prawit to secure contracts from government and local agencies under the government's Smart City programme. It has also been found the CCTV systems installed by the group are substandard, Mr Wiwat claimed. Gen Prawit is the chairman of a committee assigned to manage the integration of CCTV systems nationwide. Commenting on the issue, Gen Prawit said yesterday that he has instructed officials to look into the matter, insisting that those who want to secure contracts to install CCTV under the project must follow the proper bidding procedures.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 13, 2020 22:30 UTC
World hunger worsening as coronavirus weighs and obesity rises: UN
World hunger worsening as coronavirus weighs and obesity rises: UNWorld hunger was on the rise even before COVID-19 made it worseROME - Nearly one in nine people in the world are going hungry, with the coronavirus pandemic exacerbating already worsening trends this year, according to a United Nations report published Monday. Not only did people need enough food, but nutritious food, the study said, citing costly "health and environmental consequences" of sub-par diets. By 2030, over 890 million people could be affected by hunger, or 9.8 percent of the world's population, it estimated. About a quarter of Africa's population could go hungry by 2030 from 19.1 percent today, already twice the world average. Trends in Latin America and the Caribbean are worsening, with 9 million more hungry people last year than in 2015.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 13, 2020 14:37 UTC
Hotel floors shut after Egyptian tests positive for virus | Bangkok Post: learning
(Bangkok Post file photo)Two floors of a hotel in Rayong where an Egyptian delegation stayed have been ordered closed for sanitising after one of them was found to have been infected with the coronavirus. Some went outside to a shopping centre during their stay. Holiday Inn and Suites City Centre Hotel in Rayong posted a Facebook message saying they group had not stayed there. The group were allowed to go outside the hotel where they were staying during their visit. It remained unclear why they were allowed to go outside the hotel during their stay in Rayong.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 13, 2020 14:03 UTC
Suppression in Myanmar drives 'ice' into Thailand
Suppression in Myanmar drives 'ice' into ThailandMountains of crystal methamphetamine or "ice" have been seized this year as a result of heavy suppression in Myanmar, causing an influx of the drug into Thailand, Office of Narcotic Control Board (ONCB) secretary-general Niyom Termsrisuk said on Monday. Forty sacks containing about 1,200 kilogrammes of crystal meth were found under sacks of cow dung in the truck. Crystal meth is being trafficked through Thailand more frequently and in larger quantities because drug stocks have piled up at the production bases, the ONCB secretary-general said. Intelligence operations revealed that since the beginning of fiscal 2020 there have been 17 deliveries of more than 11 tonnes of crystal meth through Thailand. "Moreover, more than four tonnes of ice have been seized by the Myanmar authorities.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 13, 2020 12:45 UTC
3 new imported Covid cases Monday | Bangkok Post: learning
A devotee prays before a Buddha statue inside Wat Mangkorn Kammalawas, where visitors are required to wear masks, in Bangkok on Sunday. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)Thailand on Monday recorded three new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, including one foreigner, and no new fatalities, authorities said. One of the Thais arrived from Kuwait on June 29 and tested positive on Saturday while in quarantine in Bangkok. The Egyptian, a soldier, arrived in Thailand on Wednesday and tested positive on Friday while in state quarantine in Rayong. The new findings raised total confirmed cases to 3,220, with the death toll remaining at 58.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 13, 2020 05:26 UTC
Vaccine ready 'next year' | Bangkok Post: learning
(Reuters photo)A novel coronavirus vaccine being developed by a Thai research team in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania is expected to enter mass production by the end of next year, the research team said on Sunday. Non-human primates which received a second dose of the vaccine displayed high levels of Covid-19 antibodies, which the research team called an encouraging sign. The research team -- led by Kiat Ruxrungtham of the Chula Vaccine Research Centre -- has been testing the Cu-Cov19 vaccine on 13 macaques at Chulalongkorn University's National Primate Research Centre in Saraburi. The first phase of human trials is going to begin in October, followed by the second phase from December to March 2021. It is estimated that around two billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine will be produced by the end of next year -- which is unlikely to be enough to meet the global demand.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 13, 2020 02:02 UTC
Honouring the pandemic heroes
Health officials were criticised for inadequate measures against the pandemic while doctors and nurses faced a shortage of medical supplies. "Back in March, Thailand had 200-300 infections and I wanted to use my skills to do something to support the frontline medical personnel. Meanwhile, Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute (BIDI) helped several hospitals across the country set up healthcare systems during the Covid-19 pandemic. "Despite strict restrictions, I had a chance to witness how a doctor conducted a nasal swab test on Covid-19 patients prior to sending them home. It shows one of the many difficulties frontline medical professionals have experienced."
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 23:37 UTC
Thaworn, 53, proves age is just a number
Thaworn, 53, proves age is just a numberThaworn Wiratchant holds the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation 2020 trophy. It is his eighth title on the All Thailand Golf Tour and first since 2015. Making his professional debut, Tanapat Pichaikool, who is 32 years younger than Thaworn, was second on seven-under 203. The event, the third leg of All Thailand Golf Tour 2020 and the first one in almost five months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was played over 54 holes without spectators. The next leg of the All Thailand Golf Tour 2020 will be the Singha Pattaya Open from Aug 13-16, with the fan-less, 72-hole stroke play tournament offering three million baht in total purse.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 23:26 UTC
Ten million kids 'may never return to school' after virus
Ten million kids 'may never return to school' after virusSave the Children said that for the first time ever, "an entire generation of children globally have had their education disrupted". It said the economic fall-out of the crisis could force an extra 90 to 117 million children into poverty, with a knock-on effect on school admissions. "Around 10 million children may never return to school -- this is an unprecedented education emergency and governments must urgently invest in learning," Save the Children chief executive Inger Ashing said. "If we allow this education crisis to unfold, the impact on children's futures will be long lasting," Ashing said. Before the crisis, an estimated 258 million children and adolescents were already missing out on school, the charity said.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 23:26 UTC
Serving up to the saffron robes
New scheme aims to improve monks' health as poor diets take their tollMonks and laypeople attend a forum where nutritionists told them how healthy diets had helped monks at a temple in Nong Bua Lamphu. (Photo by King-oua Laohong)Monks and laypeople are part and parcel of any Thai community and the preachers in saffron robes often come to local people for their meals. As monks cannot reject alms, they have to consume what is presented to them, which is not always particularly nutritional. The poor health of many monks has spurred residents of a small, rural tambon in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphu into action. Educated on dietThe Thanon Sai Boon campaign also passes on a message about healthy diets and lifestyles to monks as well.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 23:26 UTC
Dashing the gamer dream
A steering committee, chaired by Ms Teerarat, was then set up to move the resolution forward, including drafting the law. In practical terms, limiting game streaming time is a difficult task because game operators are not based in Thailand. There are a slew of game streaming platforms, include Facebook, YouTube and Twitch, as well as other specific apps. A popular game caster, Naiyarat "Pang" Thanawaigoses, with her own YouTube game casting channel, Zbing Z, said that because game streaming is regarded as a new career, limiting game streaming time would not be right. He said it's impractical if game streaming is limited to just two hours, as reported by the media.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 23:26 UTC
Vaccine ready 'next year'
(Reuters photo)CU-Cov19 -- a novel coronavirus vaccine being developed by a Thai research team in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania -- is expected to enter mass production by the end of the third quarter next year, the research team said on Sunday. The research team -- led by Kiat Ruxrungtham of the Chula Vaccine Research Centre -- made the remark at a press conference charting progress in their work. The team has been testing Cu-Cov19, an mRNA vaccine, on 13 macaques at Chulalongkorn University's National Primate Research Centre in Saraburi. The result has led to high hopes that the country can successfully produce its own vaccine against Covid-19 by the third quarter of next year. It is estimated that around two billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine will be produced by the end of next year -- which is unlikely to be enough to meet the global demand.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 23:15 UTC
E-government rank takes big jump forward
E-government rank takes big jump forwardPrime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is delighted with the improvement in Thailand's rankings on the United Nations' E-Government Development Index (EGDI), which went up to 57th this year from 73rd in 2018, government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat said on Sunday. The index ranks countries based on their governments' deployment of technology to provide services for its citizens. Ms Narumon said Gen Prayut thanked all agencies responsible for Thailand's jump in the rankings, before adding the improvements were also due to reforms carried out under the national development strategy. Denmark tops the index with a score of 0.975, while South Korea scored 0.956 this year. In Southeast Asia, Singapore came out on top with a score of 0.915, ranking 11th in the world.
Source:Bangkok Post
July 12, 2020 22:30 UTC