Thailand News Today | BKK nurses infected, Burmese Covid strain, Boss case drama | December 10

Welcome to Jett Gunther hosting Thailand News Today. It’s a public holiday in Thailand.

Covid-19 infected nurses are staff at Bangkok’s BNH Hospital

Although reports are fairly vague about the recent Covid-19 cases involving Bangkok medical workers, the BNH Hospital in Silom, Bangkok confirms that 6 of its staff members tested positive for the coronavirus.

The hospital says preventative measures are now strictly in place to make sure the hospital is “infection free,” but adds that those concerned with visiting the hospital can do a consultation online.

The hospital says the staff members worked at an alternative state quarantine facility. Health officials suspect a nurse contracted the virus while taking temperatures of a family in the ASQ facility, who were infected with the virus, and then passed the virus to her colleagues. 6 Bangkok-based nurses have now tested positive for Covid-19.

The Public Health Ministry says they’re tracking down people who were in close contact with the workers and could be at risk of infection.

Today is Constitution Day in Thailand. What does the day commemorate?

Today is Constitution Day in Thailand. This year the annual public holiday happens amid anti-government protests that are calling for a re-write of the document including new controls on the role of the Thai monarchy.

There has been 20 different Thai Charters written since the Siamese Revolution in 1932. 

A brass plaque, commemorating the Siamese Revolution of 1932 in Sanam Luang, the public space and parade grounds for the Grand Palace next door, was mysteriously removed in 2017 and replaced with one bearing “royalist” inscriptions.

An attempt to re-install a copy of the original plaque in September 2020 by members of the Free Youth movement – the student-led anti-government protest movement – was also removed in the evening after it was installed.

Today is an official public holiday and all Thai public offices are closed. This year it has formed the start of a 4 day long weekend.

Video of foreigner’s road rage in Pathum Thani gets mixed reaction from Thais

A video of a foreigner lashing out after a motorbike accident just north of Bangkok has gotten a mixed reaction from online comments, both for and against the American rider.

He was filming a video on his helmet camera when another motorbike driver suddenly pulled out from an intersection into his lane, causing him to crash.

The foreigner fell off his motorbike and confronted the driver, yelling “Hey, what the f**k is wrong with you?!” He slapped the man’s helmet.

Some people say the Thai motorbike rider was in the wrong and the incident could have been much worse. Some say the foreigner should’ve controlled his anger and kept his mouth shut. Others say that’s just how traffic is in Thailand…so get used to it.

Prosecutors say they can’t indict Red Bull heir until police arrest him

Prosecutors in the never-ending Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya saga are now shifting the blame for a lack of prosecution and pointing the finger at the police.

The Office of the Attorney-General says prosecutors’ hands are tied until Boss is arrested by police and charged. Boss’s exact whereabouts are unknown, officially. The last reported sighting of the fugitive was in Dubai.

He is wanted on charges of cocaine use and reckless driving causing a  death in 2012 after a hit-and-run incident in which a 47 year old Bangkok police officer was killed.

The charges were reinstated in September when the OAG said it had new evidence and new witnesses.

The National Anti Crime Commision is also working with the Anti-Money Laundering Office to look into the possibility that illegal payments were made to people involved in the original investigations of the incident.

Thai medic claims Burmese coronavirus a different strain, spreads 20% faster

Dr Prasit Watanapa from the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital says the coronavirus currently circulating in Myanmar is a different strain and is being transmitted 20% faster. 

The Wuhan strain is known as D614, whereas this more virulent strain currently found in Western countries and Myanmar is G614. Prasit says around 60% of the cases in Myanmar are the G614 strain.

He says… “Only one slip can cause great damage to the country.”

He went on to say… “Don’t pin your hopes on it, as it could take at least half a year for Thailand to gain access to Covid-19 vaccines.”

Thailand now has 46 cases of Covid-19 linked to infected Thais who returned from Myanmar without going through quarantine. All patients are being treated in hospitals or state quarantine. Health officials say they will continue to track and trace anyone deemed to be “at risk”.

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