Phuket
Phuket lashed by storm, flash floods

PHUKET: Driving rain and strong winds continue to lash Phuket today as small flash floods blocked roads this morning, causing long traffic tailbacks across the island.
In the 24 hours preceding 7am, the weather monitoring station in Phuket Town recorded 58.8mm of rainfall, while the monitoring station at Phuket International Airport recorded 56.0mm.
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a flash flood and landslide warning for Phuket, Krabi and Ranong provinces.
Yesterday, thousands of people were evacuated from flood-struck areas in Ranong, while Krabi last night recorded a monster rainfall of 98.0mm.
Traffic in Chalong this morning was diverted as water blocked the road in front of the HomePro Shopping Village. Water across the road in front of the TOT office further north caused more tailbacks.
Chalong Mayor Samran Jindapol told the Phuket Gazette today that his team were focusing on draining water from the road in front of the electricity substation on Chao Fa East Road.
“The water across the road was about 20 centimeters deep. Cars can pass, but we have to be careful. Also, a big tree fell at Chalong Temple. I assigned our team to take care of that as well,” he said.
Power fluctuations continue across the island as emergency crews work to remove fallen trees and branches from overhead power cables.
All small boats are urged to stay ashore as winds whip up waves to three meters in height.
Winds wreaked havoc across Phuket yesterday, blowing down billboards, some of them onto houses.
Emergency workers were called to the Nok Yoong Karaoke (“Flame tree” karaoke) after a large flame tree fell onto power cables and then onto the shop. Power supply to the area was shut down so workers could safely cut away the tree and repair the cables.
About 500 meters away from the Nok Yoong Karaoke on Phra Barami Road, leading up to Patong Hill, a billboard fell onto the house of Ms Sudarat Thongtem, 30.
Ms Sudarat’s mother, Sukon Keeratitaranurak, told the Gazette, “The house was damaged, but luckily nobody was hurt.”
“The company who owns the billboard has contacted their insurance to take care of the damage,” she added.
A further 200 meters away, Wichai Na Nakorn watched as a marquee used to cover his Wichai Used Cars collection blew down, trapping three men underneath.
“The tent was two months old. I was afraid the roof would fall onto the cars, so I asked my men to move the cars out from under it.
“As soon as the cars were moved, the tent collapsed. Three men were stuck inside, but nobody was hurt,” he said.
In Patong, a concerned Patong Hospital Director Dr Phumin Silaphan this morning told the Gazette that his staff were carefully monitoring the rising waters in front of the hospital.
Last year, the hospital generator room flooded, prompting the evacuation of 40 inpatients from the building as a precaution.
This morning, Dr Phumin reported that the road in front of the hospital was covered with water ranging from 20cm to 50cm deep, for about 500 meters along the road.
“We are now monitoring the flood situation. Generally, we are okay. The only problem is that it is not very easy to access the hospital,” Dr Phumin said.
“It looks like the water level is receding. However, we will keep our eyes on it,” he added.
— Kritsada Mueanhawong
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Phuket holds vaccine administration rehearsal as it waits for green light

Phuket is rehearsing procedures to ready themselves for the Covid‐19 vaccine administration green light. A rehearsal at Vachira Hospital’s Lan Muang Khao open area was held late yesterday to iron out any kinks in the administration process. Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong watched over the procedures along with other health officials.
Pichet says the first vaccine round of 4,000 doses should arrive early in March, with the 2nd and 3rd set of doses, 16,000 and 48,000 respectively, to arrive in April and May.
“The government recognises the importance of the affected areas of the economy where the epidemic situation of COVID-19 must be stopped and has allocated the COVID-19 vaccine to Phuket Province to build herd immunity, restore the economy, return a smile to Thailand.”
“We are preparing to COVID-19 mass vaccination to build confidence among the people that they will receive a quality, safe vaccine and to receive follow-up care after it has been administered.”
Pichet says Phuket’s first target groups to receive the vaccine include medical and public health personnel, with others on the frontlines to come next.
Then, workers aged 18-59 years old, people with underlying diseases including chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, cerebrovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity will follow.
“People with severe neurological conditions and pregnant women should be wary of taking the vaccine, as well as women who are breastfeeding and people with immunodeficiency.”
The procedure to get vaccinated starts by recipients undergoing screening by having their temperatures taken, and then sanitising their hands before entering the administration area. Then, they will move their way through a series of steps, detailed below:
Step 1: Register
Step 2: Record weight and blood pressure
Step 3: Pass the screening process by have their medical history and risk assessment recorded and then signing a consent to receive the vaccine
Step 4: Wait for vaccination
Step 5: Vaccination
Step 6: Rest for 30 minutes, while being observed for symptoms. Then scan the official Line account “หมอพร้อม” (“Doctor Ready”)
Step 7: Pass a final check before receiving a document confirming vaccination
Pichet says health workers will follow up with vaccine recipients after 1,7, and 30 days from being vaccinated to monitor any adverse reactions.
Those who are set to receive their second jab will have appointments made for them. Those who receive the Sinovac vaccine will be scheduled to have their second doses 2 to 4 weeks after the first. AstraZeneca vaccine receivers will be scheduled for their second doses 10 to 12 weeks after the first.
SOURCE: The Phuket News
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Phuket
Phuket police officer charged with attempted murder for shooting and critically injuring a noodle vendor

The drunk, off-duty police officer in Phuket who has caught on camera shooting and beating a noodle vendor on Bangla Road is now facing attempted murder charges as well as charges of carrying a firearm in public without a necessary reason and firing a weapon in a public area. The commander of the Phuket police station said he ordered investigators to prosecute the officer Pornthep Channarong with every criminal charge that can be applied.
The officer had gotten into an altercation just before dawn yesterday and shot a young vendor who was walking by. Surveillance camera footage show the 25 year old suddenly falling to the ground after being shot. The officer walks up and shoots the vendor at a close range, but it appears the second shot did not hit the vendor. The officer also slapped the vendor in the face, picked him up and shoved him over, and then kicked him as he lay on the ground.
The vendor has a 4 year old daughter and 3 month old son. His wife says normally he works as a motorbike driver, but he was helping his mother selling noodles. He was shot while he was walking back from collecting a noodle bowl, she says. The vendor is in critical condition and being cared for at Vachira Phuket Hospital’s intensive care unit. He’s in need of Type B blood.
“For his condition, the doctor told me that the bullet went through his lung. He lost a lot of blood. We need a lot of Type B blood for him.”
A disciplinary investigation into the incident was launched by police and Pornthep was officially dismissed from the Royal Thai Police force. Region 8 Police Commander Kitrat Panpetch says the incident does not reflect the police force in Phuket.
“The incident was caused by an officer who did something wrong that our organisation does not want. We are a big organisation with more than 200,000 officers under our control. Our officers are not all bad like this.”
Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pornsak Nuannu says he has reminded the police chiefs across the island to discuss reasons for carrying firearms in public.
“Carrying firearms is to prevent any type of crime that may happen, not to commit a crime by themselves like this incident. If I see any police doing such a thing, I will decisively proceed in terms of both officer discipline and criminal charges.”
SOURCE: Phuket News
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Phuket
Thai Vietjet resumes Phuket-Chiang Rai flights, launches promotion on air fare

The following is a press release from Thai Vietjet on its new promotion “Welcome Back to the Sky” and the resumption of Phuket-Chiang Rai flights.
Thai Vietjet today announced the flight resumption of its domestic cross-regional service between Phuket – Chiang Rai, in response to the increasing travel demand after the government began relaxing travel measures in each province. The airline will resume the service for four (04) round-trip flights a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, with the flight duration around 2 hours and 5 minutes, starting from 26 February 2021 onwards. The flight details are as follows:
Flight No. | Departure from Phuket | Arrival at Chiang Rai | Flight No. | Departure from Chiang Rai | Arrival in Phuket |
VZ400 | 8:15am | 10:20am | VZ401 | 10:50am | 12:55pm |
In addition, the airline also announced the resumption of other domestic cross-regional services including the flight between Hat Yai – Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai – Nakhon Si Thammarat from 19 March 2021 onwards.
Following the service resumption announcement, the airline launched special promotion “Welcome Back to the Sky”, offering special fares from just THB 99 (not inclusive of taxes, fees, surcharges, and add-ons) for Thai Vietjet’s flights between Phuket – Chiang Rai and the flights to/from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi). The special fares are available for booking from 24 – 28 February 2021, with travel period between 8 March – 30 June 2021 on SkyFUN.vietjetair.com
As the COVID-19 situation is under control, Thai Vietjet has been adding flight frequency in line with the increasing demand for travel. The airline has also recently introduced its new product on SkyFUN, the ‘TRIP EASY PLUS’ – travel insurance with coverage of COVID-19 starting from THB 180, which provides further convenience and travel confidence to passengers to travel with the highest level of safety during the pandemic. For more information, please visit https://skyfun.vietjetair.com/insurance.
The promotional fares are available on SkyFUN.vietjetair.com, applied to Thai Vietjet’s domestic flights in Thailand from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Udon Thani, Hat Yai , Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ubon Ratchathani and the domestic cross-regional flight Phuket – Chiang Rai. The tickets are also available on all other distribution channels including www.vietjetair.com, mobile app “Vietjet Air”, via Facebook at facebook.com/VietJetThailand by clicking “Booking” tab, as well as travel agencies and booking offices. Payment can be easily made with ‘True Money Wallet’ and international debit/credit cards.
Thai Vietjet is committed to providing on time scheduled flights with the highest safety complied with the standards and regulations of the relevant authorities. Thai Vietjet was named the fastest growing low-cost airline in Thailand 2020 by The Global Business Outlook Award. The airline also owns one of the world’s newest and most modern fleet with an average age of only 2.7 years and was awarded the highest ranking for safety with 7 stars by the world’s only safety and product rating website airlineratings.com. The carrier has been strictly performing aircraft disinfection dailythroughout its fleet in compliance with Thai Ministry of Public Health.
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