Barkar Nash (Page 1,061)

The number of people infected with seasonal influenza has surpassed 970,000 so far this year, three times more than for the same period last year, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) says.

Among those infected, one has died — a 39-year-old man with a history of alcoholism and liver disease, said Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the DDC.

While people in the at-risk group, including those over 65 years old and anyone living with chronic disease, are advised to get the influenza vaccine as soon as possible, everyone else is encouraged to isolate and wear a face mask if infected, he said.

People in an at-risk group can seek a flu shot at the closest state-run healthcare facility, he said.

Frequent hand washing is also recommended as an infection prevention measure, he said.

Despite the triple rise in new influenza cases, the H1N1 strain, which has infected people in Thailand for about 14 years, is still dominant, he said, adding the virus isn’t normally virulent.

While more people are contracting influenza, rumours are going around that people who have recovered from Covid-19 or have been vaccinated may develop severe influenza symptoms upon infection, he said.

This is unlikely to be true because there have been no credible reports on the matter, he said.

Seasonal influenza symptoms include fever, coughing, headaches, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise, sore throat and runny nose, according to the World Health Organization.

The cough can be severe and last two or more weeks, Dr Sopon said. Most people recover in a week without requiring medical attention, he said.

However, influenza can cause severe illness or death, especially among people in at-risk groups, he said.

NARATHIWAT: Some Muno villagers whose houses were destroyed by a fireworks warehouse explosion in Sungai Kolok district’s tambon Muno on July 29 will file a civil lawsuit against the building’s owners.

The blast killed 12 people and injured 389, destroying three schools and damaging 682 homes.

Soldiers, local volunteers, administrative officials and authorities from various related agencies were sent to provide help to the victims and repair houses that were at least 50% damaged.

So far, about 302 houses have been repaired, said the Narathiwat Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office. About 95 houses are yet to be rebuilt after they were destroyed by the explosion, it said.

However, a group of 25 people whose houses were destroyed is planning to file a civil lawsuit against warehouse owners Sompong Nakul, 42, and his wife Piyanuch Puengwirawat, 42.

They were arrested on Aug 6 and charged with negligence causing deaths, importing and/or selling fireworks without a permit and violating the Emergency Decree for the Southern region.

Nifairus Samankunwong, one of the house owners, yesterday told reporters that he never thought such an incident would happen.

He said he insured the house after the area was flooded three years ago, but when the explosion happened, his insurance company refused to cover the damages in full.

“My house is worth 4.5 million baht but the maximum I will receive from the insurance company is 2.9 million baht, while the government offers maximum compensation at 230,000 baht per house,” he said.

“But I may get less compensation from the government because they want to allocate some money to those who do not have house insurance,” he added. “I did not cause the damage and what happened to me is not fair.”

According to a source, the overall compensation being provided to Muno villagers affected by the incident is less than 30% of their property values.

Villagers whose houses have not yet been repaired must rent temporary rooms for shelter.

The provincial Social Development Department provides 3,000 baht per month to 85 families to help them pay for rent. It estimates that it will take about a year to rebuild the houses in the area.

Foreign investment in the first seven months of this year jumped by 17% to 58.9 billion baht, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said yesterday.

The five countries with the most investors were Japan, with 94 investors who put in 19.89 billion baht, the US (67) with investments of 3 billion baht, Singapore (61) worth 12.92 billion baht, China (28) worth 11.55 billion baht and Germany (16) with investment totalling 1.29 billion baht.

Foreign investment created employment for 3,594 Thai nationals, an increase of 9% for the period, according to Ms Rachada.

In July alone, applications were approved for 51 foreign investors to bring in 10 billion baht to various industries, she said, adding this led to employment of 372 Thais.

A total of 73 foreign investors expressed an interest in investing in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) during January-July, about 19% of the total number of foreign investors, she said.

The investment value in the EEC was 12.34 billion baht, about 21% of total investment value, according to Ms Rachada.

Japan topped the list with value of 5.37 billion baht, followed by China with investment value of 893 million baht, South Korea with investment worth 287 million baht.

The 25 others from various countries had combined investment value of 5.78 billion baht.

She said the businesses they invested in included consulting in management and manufacturing, engineering and technical services, subcontracting services for manufacturing machines, machine parts and vehicle parts.

Ms Rachada said the government’s policy to ease foreign investment was a key factor in attracting more investors to the country.

In addition to generating revenue and creating jobs, foreign investment also led to transfer of knowledge and technology including data analysis for web development and marketing and testing of automobiles and auto parts for research and development, she said.

The government forecast a minimum of 100 billion baht in foreign investment this year.

Last year, investments by foreign investors soared by 56% to 129 billion baht in value, with Japan topping the list in terms of budget to develop businesses in Thailand.

Three parties will field candidates in the Sept 10 by-election in Constituency 3 of Rayong province, the Election Commission (EC) said yesterday, having given candidates from last Tuesday until Saturday to register.

The candidates are Pongsathorn Sornphetnarin of the Move Forward Party; Democrat Banyat Jettanachan; and Pol Sub-Lt Ruangchai Sombatphuthon of the Nation Building Labour Party.

The Constituency 3 election committee will take seven days to check whether any are prohibited by law from running in the election before providing the final list to polling stations. Disqualified candidates can petition the EC within seven days.

The by-election follows the resignation of Move Forward MP Nakornchai Khunnarong on Aug 3, after it was discovered he had served 18 months in prison for theft 24 years ago.

Tens of thousands of people joined an annual alms-offering ceremony in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district, which resumed yesterday after a three-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The activity began at 6am with 10,000 monks from 14 southern provinces, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia walking along the 500-metre Niphat-uthit road in downtown Hat Yai to collect offerings of dried food.

The donated items would be distributed to the monastic community, teachers and soldiers and those in need in the three southernmost provinces and four districts of Songkhla.

Witthaya sae Lim, one of the event’s coordinators, said the alms-giving ceremony has attracted attention from tourists from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan.

He said the annual merit-making event is a must-see event for visitors to Hat Yai and more than 20,000 visitors are thought to have taken part.

He said the alms-giving ceremony also stimulated the local economy with at least 180 million baht changing hands in tourism-related businesses yesterday.

Mr Witthaya said the participants also joined a charity project to set free 64 cattle targeted for slaughter, adding the animals would be given to farmers.

Cash donations would be also handed over to support activities of monks, teachers, troops and people with disabilities in the restive region, he added.

The alms-giving ceremony, the 20th of its kind, was jointly held by the Fourth Army, Nakhon Hat Yai municipality, the monastic community and the private sector in Hat Yai.

The Thai embassy in Berlin is closely following German police’s investigation into the suspected murder of a Thai woman whose body was found in Schöneberg in Berlin last week, said the Foreign Ministry.

In its statement, the ministry said that based on information from the Thai embassy in Berlin, German police are treating the death of Siriya Saiwongpanya as a homicide. It is unclear if any suspects have been identified.

Siriya was identified as the owner of the “Thai-Art” restaurant in Charlottenburg in Berlin. She was found dead on the night of Aug 18 in Schöneberg in Berlin.

According to the ministry, her belongings were found at the scene, so local police believe she was unlikely to have been killed for valuables.

While the embassy waits for the autopsy, Thai officials in Berlin have provided assistance to the victim’s family and will coordinate with German authorities in renewing her daughter’s visa.

The ministry yesterday also extended condolences to the family of the victim.

According to some reports in German media outlets, the victim was found dead with her throat slit and broken bottle shards beside the corpse.

Citing a police spokeswoman, German media reports said the wounds indicated homicide and the victim’s personal belongings, including a blood-smeared purse, were secured at the scene.

The victim is said to have ran a successful noodle business.

Most people disagree with Pheu Thai’s decision to form a government with its rivals regardless of the political circumstances, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration.

Also known as the Nida poll, the survey was conducted over the telephone between Aug 15-17. In total, 1,310 people aged 18 and over, from various backgrounds, were asked about Pheu Thai’s effort to form a “special government” with the Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation (UTN) parties.

Out of the 1,310 people surveyed, almost 48% said they disagreed with the party’s push, while only 19.5% said they strongly agree with the move. About 17% said they moderately disagree, while about 15% said they moderately agree. About 1% chose not to answer.

When asked which Pheu Thai candidate is most suited to be the next prime minister, 38.6% favoured Paetongtarn “Ung-ing” Shinawatra; 36.5% picked Srettha Thavisin; 8.4% chose Chaikasem Nitisiri; while 16.3% did not answer.

Asked to comment on relations between the Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties now, 49.8% said they are now rivals; 27.3% said they are just acquaintances; 20.9% said they are still allies; and 1.83% did not answer.

Arrest warrants will be shown to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra once he arrives in Thailand, before he is taken to serve jail time.

Thaksin’s return from self-imposed exile is scheduled for tomorrow, the same day parliament will meet to select the country’s 30th prime minister.

Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra, his daughter and also a Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate, posted on social media that her father was scheduled to land at Don Mueang airport aboard his private jet on Aug 22 at 9am.

Thaksin and his sister, Yingluck, reportedly left Dubai for Singapore and he was to depart for Don Mueang airport on Tuesday.

According to a source, officials will wait for Thaksin’s arrival at the VIP landing zone.

Upon his arrival, Thaksin will be shown all arrest warrants and other related documents by senior police before being escorted through immigration and then on to the Police Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road before he reports to the Supreme Court.

Thaksin fled Thailand in 2008, shortly before the Supreme Court convicted him for helping his then-wife, Khunying Potjaman Na Pombejra, buy prime land in the Ratchadaphisek area at a discount.

Thaksin posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had originally planned to return to Thailand by Aug 10, but that plans for a medical checkup meant a delay of two weeks.

Thaksin faces jail sentences of 10 years in three cases in which he was convicted in absentia by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

Supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) from several provinces will also travel to Don Mueang airport to greet Thaksin, their leaders said yesterday.

Mayuree Sawetasai, a red-shirt leader in Ayutthaya province, said about 500-800 local supporters would leave on Monday night along with between 200-300 more red-shirts from Nakhon Phanom province.

More groups will arrive on Tuesday, she added.

Thaksin’s party Thai Rak Thai and its successors have won every election since it came power to 2001 — except for this year’s poll, when Pheu Thai narrowly lost to the Move Forward Party.

The Thai embassy in Berlin is closely following German police’s investigation into the suspected murder of a Thai woman whose body was found in Schöneberg in Berlin last week, said the Foreign Ministry.

In its statement, the ministry said that based on information from the Thai embassy in Berlin, German police are treating the death of Siriya Saiwongpanya as a homicide. It is unclear if any suspects have been identified.

Siriya was identified as the owner of the “Thai-Art” restaurant in Charlottenburg in Berlin. She was found dead on the night of Aug 18 in Schöneberg in Berlin.

According to the ministry, her belongings were found at the scene, so local police believe she was unlikely to have been killed for valuables.

While the embassy waits for the autopsy, Thai officials in Berlin have provided assistance to the victim’s family and will coordinate with German authorities in renewing her daughter’s visa.

The ministry on Sunday also extended condolences to the family of the victim.

According to some reports in German media outlets, the victim may have been stabbed with a bottle, broken shards from which found at the scene.

Citing a police spokeswoman, German media reports said the wounds indicated homicide and the victim’s personal belongings, including a blood-smeared purse, were secured at the scene.

The victim is said to have run a successful noodle business.