Protests

Protests go west, up to 2,000 gather in Thonburi

Published

6 months ago

Monday, November 23, 2020

Thaiger

PHOTO: Thai PBS World

Fit for the end of a 4 day long weekend, the protest road show headed west yesterday, to a far western district of Bangkok in Tawichai Wattana, an hour’s drive from the city centre. It turned into more of a festival than a political rally where up to 2,000 people gathered. A similar rally was held at the same location by then pro-government, pro-Thaksin, red-shirts one month before the May 2014 Army coup.

The deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau says that the Salaya Student group had sought permission from Bang Plad police to hold the rally along the Aksa and Utthayarn Soi 13 roads.

Protesters on the main stage, led by the Ratsadon (People’s Movement) and Salaya Student groups, once repeated their demands for the resignation of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, changes to the 2017 constitutional and reforms to the role of the Monarchy.

Many of the demonstrators were former members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship displaying coffins to commemorate protesters killed in rallies of the past. But, boosting the atmosphere, were comedians and people in costumes providing hidden anti-establishment digs at the current government and monarchy to avoid ‘crossing the line’.

Police were on hand to guard the nearby Thawi Watthana Palace demanding protesters stay at least 150 metres away. A second protest was held back in the main city from midday until 7pm near the Democracy Monument, by a smaller pro-democracy group.

Pro-democracy protester organisers have already announced another rally this Wednesday in front of the Crown Property Bureau building, the quasi-government agency responsible for managing the property of the Thai Monarch.

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News Categories: Bangkok Protests

1 Comment

gosport

Monday, November 23, 2020 at 8:19 am

It is time to do trecking. That is good for health. I love trecking.

Reply

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Thailand

Inmates in Thai prisons to get vaccinated against Covid-19 next month

Published

9 hours ago

Friday, May 14, 2021

Tanutam Thawan

Bangkok Remand Prison / Google

All inmates in Thai prisons will be vaccinated against Covid-19 starting next month. The announcement of the nationwide prison vaccination campaign follows this week’s outbreaks infecting nearly 3,000 inmates at 2 Bangkok prisons. There have also been outbreaks at prisons in Chiang Mai and the southern province of Narathiwat.

At the Central Women’s Correctional Institution in Bangkok, more than 1,000 inmates are infected with Covid-19. The outbreak started from a new inmate who was infected with the virus, according to the Department of Corrections director-general. At the Bangkok Remand Prison, where more than half of the prison population has tested positive for Covid-19, the virus was brought into the prison by a department official who was infected.

With Covid-19 spreading and infecting inmates at Thai prisons, human rights activists have called on Thai authorities to tackle the longstanding problem of overcrowded prisons and release inmates that are in court detention for minor or nonviolent crimes.

To prevent the spread of Covid-19 at Thai prisons, the Department of Corrections also plans to conduct rapid Covid-19 tests on new inmates before they are placed in the general prison population. The tests results come back in 20 minutes and inmates will no longer need to quarantine for long periods waiting for a result.

Many officials who work for the Department of Corrections, like guards who are in close contact with inmates, have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The department will start vaccinating inmates once another order of Covid-19 vaccines arrives in June. Those who are at high risk of a severe infection will be vaccinated first.

SOURCE: Thai PBS

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Bangkok

Covid UPDATE: 2,256 new infections and 30 deaths, provincial totals

Published

13 hours ago

Friday, May 14, 2021

Tanutam Thawan

Photo by PR Phuket

2,256 new Covid-19 infections and 30 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 33,186 active Covid-19 cases with most patients are asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 96,050 Covid-19 infections and 548 coronavirus-related deaths.

Out of the new cases, 1,087 were reported in Bangkok. Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Natapanu Nopakun, who gives the CCSA report in English, says Bangkok continues to be the epicentre of infections with the most recent infections detected in crowded neighbourhoods, wet markets and construction sites where many migrants work.

“The provinces outside of Bangkok have seen a more stable situation. Bangkok remains the hotspot.”

Out of the new cases, 183 were detected at correctional facilities. A few days ago, the Department of Corrections reported that 2,835 inmates at the Bangkok Remand Prison and the Central Women’s Correctional Institute have tested positive for Covid-19. More than half of the prison population at the Bangkok Remand Prison are infected.

The vast majority of Covid-related deaths in Thailand have been reported in the recent wave of infections. The daily Covid death toll hit a record high on Wednesday with 34 deaths. 30 more deaths were reported today by the CCSA including a 15 year old patient who had a chronic brain disease.

Covid UPDATE: 2,256 new infections and 30 deaths, provincial totals | News by Thaiger

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Coronavirus (Covid-19)

196 Chaeng Wattana Road construction camp workers test positive for Covid-19

Published

1 day ago

Thursday, May 13, 2021

Ann Carter

Photo via Facebook/PhilstarWalterBollozos

A construction camp off Bangkok’s Chaeng Wattana Road, which also features the Immigration Office, is reporting that 196 out of 300 workers have tested positive for Covid-19. Palang Pracharat MP Sira Jenjaka made the announcement after an inspection of the camp ended in testing many for Covid. Tomorrow, another 500 workers at the camp are scheduled to take Covid tests. Then, on May 15, the Thai workers at the site will be tested. Siri says the construction camp is an at-risk area as the new infections need a more stringent approach, to keep the virus from spreading.

He says the camp, in Laksi district, was closed after the infections were found. The owner of the camp, Italian-Thai Development, says all the migrant workers at the camp are legally registered. He says the district office told him the area would be closed for 7 days, but did not say why the Thai workers were being tested last. Siri asked the Labour Minister to conduct virus testing at the Thai-Japan sports stadium in the Din Daeng area of Bangkok, saying residents who live around the stadium should be tested free of charge.

Meanwhile, a spike in daily new Covid-19 infections was reported in Thailand today with more than half of the 4,887 infections confirmed today linked to outbreaks at 2 Bangkok prisons. Thailand now has 32,661 active Covid-19 cases, a record high in Thailand since the start of the pandemic last year. There has been a total of 93,794 Covid-19 infections since last year, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

32 new Covid-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 518. A spokesperson for the CCSA says the patient fatalities continue to primarily be the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post