Thai gov’t already warning of new Lockdowns to come

Thailand may be locked down again if people don’t observe Covid-19 preventive measures once the country reopens, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned on Tuesday.
It would seem that some government ministers are hell-bent on sabotaging any hope the Thai people have of returning to something resembling the prosperous country they had until only 18 months ago.

After all, how many tourists are going to risk Thailand as a holiday destination this season if the government is threatening to shut the entire country down again, at any moment,  on a whim.

To add to the mixed messaging the Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced in a televised address on Monday that he has instructed the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration and the Public Health Ministry to only ‘look into’ opening the country on November 1.

Initially, tourists from 10 low-risk countries will be allowed to travel to Thailand without having to quarantine provided they are fully jabbed and test negative.

The list will be expanded to cover more countries in the first week of December and then again in January 2022.

This morning, Anutin said that the detail of the 10 countries was under discussion and will be proposed to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on this Thursday.

Asked about a tendency to close the country again, the heath minister said it depends on Thai people. If they don’t follow the preventive measures strictly, Thailand tends to be shut again.

Meaning, if people don’t do exactly what we tell them too them we will lock them all up at home again.

In addition, Anutin added that risk places like entertainment venues will be monitored seriously, in a bid to prevent the new outbreaks of the sniffles.

Source - BangkokJack

Our VISA AGENT

#Thailand - Park’s special status ‘at risk’ over drilling hole

Thailand’s Sri Thep Historical Park in Phetchabun may lose the chance to become a World Heritage Site if the government allows an oil company to build a drilling hole nearby, according to Wison Kosotanon, president of the Phetchabun Culture Council. 

 His warning came after a company, ECO Orient Resources (Thailand), called earlier this week for a public hearing process in order to prepare an Environment Impact Assessment report. The company plans to build the drilling hole near the 1,300 year-old Khao Kwang Nok Stupa located inside the park. 

“The new drilling hole is too close – just over 100 metres to the historical stupa – it will be harmful to our heritage and will lose us the chance to get the recognition as a World Heritage Site by Unesco,” Wison explained.

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Opinion is divided over the company’s application – at the first public hearing, many culture experts and local officials  opposed its construction and claimed they had concerns about the cultural and environmental impacts it would have, but some villagers supported it in the hope it might provide them with employment. 

Anan Choochote, director of the Culture Ministry’s Fine Arts Department, has assigned his archaeological teams to study the merits of the company’s application.

“Our officers are studying its impact. If there is harm to our heritage, we will work with other governmental agencies to stop the project,” Anan said. “We are now gathering more information and we will submit it to Unesco later this year.”

The proposal for Sri Thep to be listed as a World Heritage Site is expected to be approved by the cabinet and the National Committee on the World Heritage Commission Convention on March 8.

Anan added that Sri Thep Historical Park had been listed as a national archaeological site since 1935 and also dates back some 2,500 years like prehistoric Ban Chiang. Therefore, he said, it also warranted being listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). 

Ban Chiang, an archeological site in Nong Han District, Udon Thani Province, has been on the Unesco World Heritage list since 1992.

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Following the Phetchabun Culture Council’s controversial opposition to the drilling project, ECO Orient Resources may postpone the second round of public hearings currently due to be held in April.

“As the result of the objection raised at the public hearing, senior officials at our head office will carefully study whether the firm should hold a second round of public hearings or drop it,” said company spokesman Navin Panphan.

The film has been drilling for oil in Sri Thep for more than a decade but the latest plan to build a new hole near the stupa has raised concerns on cultural, environmental and tourism grounds.

Source - TheNation

 

Airports most prone to viruses

In public places such as airports, viruses inevitably lurk in every corner. Countless people make contact in planes, waiting areas and bathrooms every day.

“Flying probably accelerated the spread of the H1N1 virus in 2009,” said Dr. Alison Galdy from the University of Minnesota Infection Prevention as quoted by Travel+Leisure.

Fox 9 reported several “virus hot zones” in airports that should be avoided, such as toilet handles, armrests on chairs, kiosk screens and handrails. However, the riskiest item is the plastic bins used during security screenings. 

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It is said that travelers dump everything from toothbrushes to children’s diaper bags into them on a regular basis. The trays are also rarely cleaned.

According to healthcare company the Mayo Clinic, the flu virus can survive on stainless steel, plastic and similar hard surfaces for more than 48 hours. This increases the chances of viral transmissions to humans through contact.

Travelers should also avoid touching their faces too often because it spreads germs quickly. Fox 9 reported that people touch their faces subconsciously as often as three to five times an hour.

 

Source - TheJakartaPost