Thailand News Today | Prime minister’s achievements since coming back to the office
Prime minister’s achievements since coming back to the office Thailand Prime minister’s
The government has pledged to make human trafficking its top priority— as Thailand renewed stronger trade ties with Australia yesterday.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha met Australia’s new ambassador,
Angela Jane Macdonald, at Government House yesterday discussed several options including trade opportunities
between the two nations as they celebrated 70 years of diplomatic relations.
Government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri made it known that tackling human trafficking is one of Thailand’s top priorities.
The Australian diplomat welcomed Thailand’s commitment to stamping out the trafficking of persons and said Canberra is fully behind the kingdom’s crusade.
Macdonald added that Australia’s Counter Trafficking in Persons Centre of Excellence would play a key role in driving closer cooperation with their Thai counterparts.
Thailand was promoted from the Tier 2 Watch List up to Tier 2 in its annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report in July.
The kingdom believes it is making good progress and is confident of moving up to Tier 1 in next year’s TIP.
PM Prayut underlined Thailand’s commitment to forge closer links with Australia and build strong bilateral cooperation in trade,
investment, security and education among other things.
The Australian ambassador welcomed Thailand’s commitment and offered to support the kingdom at the 2022 Apec summit this November.
Prayut plans to contact citizens hit by power cuts via radio Thailand Prime minister’s
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha suggests officials warn locals about flash floods via radio as Thailand did 11 years ago in flooding in 2011.
The 68-year-old wants to use the radio to update citizens on the news should they lose their electricity.
The prime minister joined a meeting via zoom yesterday to discuss how to manage the flooding situation and assist its victims.
PM Prayut asked every department to focus on how to manage the water situation in every area of Thailand. He urged each association, foundation, and non-profit organisation to coordinate and support each other, as Thailand did in 2011 when the country was hit by huge flooding.
He said the healthcare centres had to remain accessible and power, tap water, and phone signals needed to be available as much as possible. If all the systems failed, it would be hard to communicate and provide information.
Gen Prayut added that officials need to have an action plan if parts of the nation’s electricity are disabled. He suggested officials broadcast news via the radio as Thailand did in 2011 when the nation suffered from power cuts.
Prayut made known compensation would be available for damages caused by flooding.
Prayut said …
“I will visit each area affected by flooding and support locals as much as the government can. The local officials, like sub-district and provincial administrative organisations, together with village leaders and community leaders, are Thai people. We need to help take care of each other.
“As the PM, I am here to do my duties and government duties as a good government official.
“I hope everyone is safe. I will try to visit every area and will not leave anyone behind. We are all Thai people.”
Prayut plans to visit residents in the northeastern provinces of Khon Kaen, and Ubon Ratchathani today. He also told locals and officials to avoid putting up any banners or rolling out any welcome parties to greet him.
PM Prayut added…
“No welcoming banners or people, understand? I will go to work and don’t want to be a burden to anyone. I am healthy and can take care of myself. Let’s focus on the victims of the floods. I am not a burden to anyone.”
Schools no longer need to close for Covid outbreaks Thailand Prime minister’s
With Covid-19 being downgraded to a communicable disease of concern, schools and universities will no longer require closures for outbreaks. Minister of Education Trinuch Thienthong spoke at a press conference yesterday and said that new control measures won’t include definite closures, should an outbreak of the coronavirus afflict a school.
With many students often packed into a tight area, schools are still at higher risk than most locations. But the ministry has ended three pandemic notifications as of August 1. They still advised some safety precautions as students interacting as part of a group is unavoidable.
Organizing classes to be conscientious of Covid safety has been recommended along with the use of face masks in enclosed areas. The Education Minister reiterated a commitment to the safety and good health of all teachers and school faculty. They said more projects were in the works to address any concerns in schools.
As of now though, it is no longer necessary to close a school should a Covid outbreak occur. The minister said that accommodations can be made for a cluster, but don’t need to be as extreme as before.
“Since the pandemic situation in Thailand is now considered manageable, school closures are not necessary, and classroom activities are going to be situationally adjusted instead of closed if Covid-infected students or teachers are identified.”
Preventive measures and actions seem to be the preferred course in addressing Covid at school now. A deputy director of the Department of Health agreed that keeping schools open was fine. But he suggested that group vaccinations and regular use of home antigen test kits become standard. The acting permanent secretary also suggested implementing a Covid tracking system for schools.
Full vaccinations are still low in a lot of young students. Out of five million students aged five to 11, only 1.1% have had two doses and a booster shot. But the last few months have seen a sizable decrease in death and severe Covid infections in young people with fewer requiring a hospital stay.
Thai industries want to produce energy to combat rising costs
A survey by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) revealed that
Thailand’s industrial sector wants to produce its own electricity to combat the rising cost of energy but they need government support to make it work.
The Office of the Energy Regulatory Commission announced in August this year
that the fuel adjustment rate for electricity would be raised to about 0.93 baht per unit from September to December.
The increasing fuel adjustment rate put the electricity price at 4.72 baht per unit, up from the former price of four baht per unit.
For example, a householder that uses about 72 units of electricity per month used to pay 264 baht but now has to pay 313 baht while someone who uses about 332 units per month now has to pay 1,645, while before it was about 1,418 baht.
The Vice President of the FTI, Montri Mahaphrukpong, revealed last Friday, September 30, that the 21st CEO survey of the federation was out. The main topic discussed was “The Industrial Perspectives on the Liberalisation of Alternative Energy.”
The survey was distributed among the FTI’s 220 members,
made up of executives from 45 different industries and 76 provincial industrial councils across the country.
The poll revealed that most industry executives wanted to generate electricity for their own use and that solar energy would be a perfect choice for the industrial sector.
Most executives also agreed that the government should improve energy liberalisation measures to make it more convenient for the private sector to generate its own energy.
They suggested the government allow each industry to sell its excess power to the government. The industry believes that this measure would encourage them to generate electricity and help reduce greenhouse gases.
The executives also urged the government to immediately set up a one-stop service department
to take care of the registration and permission for electricity generation.
The members of FTI predict that the energy demand for 2023 will increase by 10% because of the post-pandemic economy, increasing foreign tourists, and expanding exports.
Mountain B nightclub fire claims 24th life
The death toll from the fire at Mountain B nightclub in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, on August 5 has risen to 24.
The 24th victim, a navy officer,
died from his injuries in hospital last night after fighting for his life for two months in the ICU.
Lawyer Ronnarong Kaewpetch said on Facebook yesterday…
“#RIP the 24th victim of the Mountain B tragedy.
The 24th victim was navy officer Pattarakit Suwanchim who died this evening at Somdech Phra Pinklao Hospital.”
The news comes one month after the 23rd victim of the fire, a 27-year-old army officer, died at Rayong hospital.
He suffered burns on 60% of his body and spent one month in the ICU before succumbing to his injuries.
Initially, 13 people died inside the nightclub
in the Sattahip district on the night of the fire and 41 were injured,
many were put on ventilators to breathe. In the two months to follow, 14 more people died in hospital.
It’s unclear exactly how many people injured in the fire are still in the hospital.
The 27-year-old nightclub owner, Sia B, was released on bail for 300,000 baht shortly after the fire.
Police later found evidence that the real owner of the nightclub was Sia B’s father, Sia Yot, who was also released on bail.
The nightclub was running without a license, had only one little exit that was closed, and was lined with cheap,
flammable soundproofing panels which fell onto people as they tried to escape out of the cramped door.
Among the dead and injured include several minors,
who should not have been let inside the nightclub in the first place since they were underage.
Lawyers have assisted victims and their families to file negligence cases against Sia Yot
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