Barkar Nash (Page 1,100)

A new proposal from the caretaker cabinet will be submitted to the Election Commission( EC ) for approval of a reduced 10.464 billion baht subsidy for household power bills, or 648 million less than the previous request that the regulator rejected.

The initial plan called for a subsidy of 11.112 billion baht taken from the government’s western fund.

The EC clarified that the supporting document’s failure to explain that concept stemmed from a government quality when it rejected it last week.

The caretaker government yesterday approved a latest proposal for the use of the reduced amount from the central account to subsidise home power bills, according to Anucha Burapachaisri, the government’s acting spokesman.

Prior to the establishment of a new government following the May 14 general election, the custodian cabinet has limited fiscal authority.

The plan includes two steps, according to Mr. Anucha.

For 18.32 million families that use fewer than 300 units per quarter, the active energy payment may be extended for an additional four months until August.

After the Energy Regulatory Commission reduced cost by 7 satang per division for four months, the central bank would be used to draw in 6, 954 million baht, down from the initial proposed 7.602 billion.

The Ft request may be reduced by 1.39 satang per unit for families that use 1 to 150 units per month, resulting in a reduction of 92.04.

The Ft cost may be reduced by 26.39 satang per item for those using 151 to 300 units per month, resulting in a decrease of 67.04 Satang for each item.

For the sole month of May, households with fewer than 500 models may receive a 150 baht reducing under the initial measure.

According to Mr. Anucha, this would require a payment of 3.510 billion ringgit and benefit about 23.4 million residents.

Nevertheless, Prayut Chan-o-cha, the prime minister, stated that the government’s plans to subsidise electricity bills will only be effective as of May.

He stated that the caretake government hoped the EC did approve the revised payment measures by the end of this season’s bill.

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According to the Bureau of the Royal Household, Their Majesties the King and Queen did visit the United Kingdom from May 4 to May 7 at Hismajesty King Charles III’s offer to take part in the crown of their monarchs at Westminster Abbey in London.

Their Majesties will attend the crowning service at Westminster Abbey on Saturday after attending a reception hosted by King Charles for the invited heads of state and foreign associates at Buckingham Palace on Friday.

Their Majesties’ trip to London coincides with Thailand’s yearly Coronation Day celebration. The Samosorn Sannibat Ceremony, or great say welcome, to commemorate Coronation Day will take place on Thursday, May 4, according to an earlier announcement from the Cabinet Secretariat.

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A campaign is under way to promote use of herbal plants in modern medicine to boost their value by at least 90 to 100 billion baht by 2027.

The plan was hatched following the release of the “Herbal Champions” announcement by the Ministry of Public Health, which included a list of 15 Thai herbs to be pushed into the global market, said Dr Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong, director-general of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTTAM).

Domestic sales of herbal medicinal products were worth an estimated 43 billion baht in 2018, according to an academic study.

The plants on the Herbal Champions list were divided into two groups: those that are ready for further development, including turmeric, green chiretta and black galingale; and those that have development potential, including kodavan, emblic, plai, ginger, galingale, aloe vera, kwao krua kao, bitter gourd, veldt grape, kratom, hemp and cannabis.

These plants are included on the National List of Essential Medicines and have the potential to do well in the global market.

However, Dr Thongchai said the plants are rarely used at hospitals that conduct modern medical treatments, prompting the DTTAM to come up with a plan to promote the herbs.

With the available information, the department is planning to get involved in the application and production processes to pave the way for the development of herbal drugs and treatments.

In the application process, the department will focus on building patient trust in traditional medicine by encouraging research and promoting its use in treatments, Dr Thongchai said.

“The herbs will be used to substitute for treatments for some diseases that modern medicine cannot fully treat, namely office syndrome, paralysis, drug addiction and some skin diseases,” he said.

Herbal substitutions for modern medicines, with reliable research, will be highlighted during the application process, he said.

In the production process, the department will seek to cut imports of some herbal extracts and encourage growers to produce goods that meet Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) quality standards by ensuring they are free of pesticides and toxins.

The department will also focus on the role of the Economic Herbal Plants Trust as a moderator between growers and business owners, he said.

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A centre for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) has been established through an alliance of seven medical institutes, to make the treatment more efficient and lower the mortality rate among children with congenital heart disease, the Public Health Ministry said.

The institutes recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at a ceremony chaired by public health permanent secretary by Opas Karnkawinpong.

The signees included the Centre of Excellence in Paediatric Cardiology at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health; the Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Heart Centre at Songklanagarind Hospital; the Cardiovascular Excellence Centre at Rajavithi Hospital; Central Chest Institute; Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital; Surat Thani Hospital; and Hat Yai Hospital.

Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health has been working with the Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Heart Centre and Rajavithi Hospital to upskill medical personnel to treat heart disease since 2011, with the support of experts from Evelina London Children’s Hospital in the UK, he announcement said.

The MoU expands on their earlier cooperation to establish an international training hub for PPVI to boost surgeons’ skills and lower the mortality rate of children and teenagers with heart disease, as well as ramp up research and personnel training.

Dr Opas said half of all children with congenital heart disease undergo surgery, while 10% require repeat surgery due to the complexity of the disease. Each year, more than 4,000 people with congenital heart disease  undergo surgery. Of those, 400 need repeat surgery, mostly related to a pulmonary valve replacement.

PPVI can shorten the time patients wait to get their surgery and lower the chance they must go through the ordeal again, Dr Opas said. The cost is 600,000 to 1 million baht per treatment. Since 2013, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health has treated around 50 patients with PPVI, allowing them to resume their normal lives, Dr Opas said.

According to medical websites, PPVI is also known as transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement and involves minimally invasive surgery to replace a failing pulmonary valve in the heart.

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The Interior Ministry aims to reduce the rate of premature births by 50% and also cut down teenage pregnancies through promotion of preventive measures from the grassroots level.

The current rate of preterm births in the country is about 12% of all births, slightly more than the global average of 11%, and compared with about 7% in China, according to World Health Organization estimates.

Citing the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, Interior Minister Suttipong Juljarern told a recent meeting that the ministry aims to achieve good health and well-being, quality education and reduced inequality.

Healthcare access and prenatal care are essential for pregnant women and a key to prevent premature birth. “The ministry expects to reduce premature births by 50% during the 2023-24 fiscal year,” he said.

Prenatal care should be promoted among pregnant women, especially those who are teenage mothers, to provide proper pregnancy care and reduce risks of developing pregnancy-related complications, he said.

“Youths, university students and the general public should be aware of the importance of early prenatal care,” he said. “Even in the postnatal period, mothers and newborns still require specific care. Comprehensive pregnancy care is crucial to a child’s development.”

He made the comments at a meeting also attended by Dr Tharathip Kolatat, manager of the Thai Maternal and Child Health Network, Ansit Samphantharat, director-general of the Community Development Department and officials from the Public Health and Education ministries.

Provincial administrations led by provincial governors, district and village chiefs and village health volunteers will play key roles in approaching people and informing them about prenatal care, he said.

Dr Tharathip said five factors that cause premature births are a lack of prenatal care by professionals; inconsistent prenatal tests; unawareness of premature birth signs; inaccessibility to healthcare and underlying health conditions.

He said many factors are affected by financial limitations such as inability to travel to see professionals or pay for prenatal tests.

“The most important solution is to receive prenatal care. Prenatal tests are crucial as they can detect unusual signs during pregnancy,” he added.

Teenage pregnancy has fallen in Thailand but remains a concern. The rate of births to young women aged 15-19 was 23 per 1,000 live births in 2019, according to a Unicef survey. This compares with 53 per 1,000 reported in 2015. The global average is around 43 per 1,000 births, according to the WHO.

Mr Suttipong said that while teenage pregnancy might be frowned upon, the government ensures that pregnant students should be allowed to finish a basic education up to grade 12 if they wish.

He said schools and families should promote safe sex to students and children to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

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The caretaker cabinet will submit a new proposal for a reduced, unbudgeted 10.464 billion baht subsidy on household power bills to the Election Commission for approval, 648 million baht less than the one rejected by the regulator.

The first proposal was for a 11.112 billion baht subsidy, drawn from the government’s central fund.

In rejecting the proposed subsidy last week, the EC said the supporting document had failed to include mention it stemmed from a cabinet resolution.

Anucha Burapachaisri, acting government spokesman, said the caretaker cabinet on Tuesday approved a new proposal, for the use of 10.464 billion baht from the central fund to subsidise hoiusehold power bills. The cabinet secretariat would forward the new proposal to the EC for consideration, as required by law, he said.

The caretaker cabinet has only limited financial authority pending the formation of the new government after the May 14 general election.

There are two measures in the proposal, Mr Anucha said.

The current power subsidy would be extended for another four months from May until August for 18.32 million households that use less than 300 units per month. About 6,954 million baht would be drawn from the central fund, down from the first proposal of 7.602 billion baht after the Energy Regulatory Commission reduced charges by 7 satang per unit for the four months.

Households that use 1-150 units a month would get a reduction of 92.04 satang per unit – with the Ft charge being reduced by 1.39 satang per unit.

Those using 151-300 units per month would be given a reduction of 67.04 satang per unit – with the Ft charge being reduced by 26.39 satang per unit.

Under the second measure, households that use no more than 500 units would get a reduction of 150 baht each for the month of May only. This would need a subsidy of 3.510 billion baht  and benefit about 23.4 million households, he said.

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Bangkok candidates of the Pheu Thai Party are being urged to campaign at major intersections to get the attention of commuters travelling to and from work.

Puangphet Chunla-iad, chairwoman of the party’s committee coordinating the election campaign in the capital, said she had proposed the idea to Pheu Thai candidates including Wan Yubamrung, who is running in the Nong Khaem-Bang Bon-Chom Thong area, Suthonpot Kitthanapitak (Don Muang), Kawiwong Yuwichit (Phra Khanong-Bang Na), and Penpisuth Jintasopon (Bang Kho Laem-Yannawa).

Ms Puangphet said many people living in gated communities and in condominiums left home early most workdays and returned in the everning, and stayed home on weekends and holidays. This group may be the least informed about the party’s candidates of its policies.

Polls also pointed to these people being among those voters still undecided about who to vote for at the May 14 general election, she said.

She believed campaigning at major intersections would be an effective way of conveying the party’s message to voters.

“Intersections are where people walking on the streets and travelling in cars can see and hear clearly what the party’s candidates have to say, especially when they stop at a red light.

“When people see this style of canvassing, they are likely to take pictures and share them with friends and on social media,” Ms Puangphet said.

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The number of Covid-19 inpatients rose to 1,811 last week (from April 23 to 29), up from 1,088 in the previous week, and related deaths doubled from five to 10 over the same period, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC).

These figures increased two weeks after the Songkran festival in mid-April and are expected to go up further when the new school term and the rainy season start this month.

On April 29, 157 Covid-19 patients suffered from lung inflammation, up from 73 on April 22. Of the new patients, 79 of them were dependent on ventilators, up from 35.

From Jan 1 to April 29, Thailand registered 8,383 Covid-19 inpatients and 288 related fatalities.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Tuesday that the DDC expected the number of Covid-19 inpatients to soar during the upcoming rainy season, along with influenza outbreaks.

Prof Dr Yong Poovorawan, chief of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, wrote on Facebook that the coronavirus has become a seasonal disease and will start to spread at the beginning of the rainy season when school resumes.

According to the Meteorological Department’s forecast, the country will fully enter the rainy season from the middle of this month.

Election campaigns, which may draw large crowds, would be another factor in the spread of the disease, Prof Dr Yong wrote.

Dominant variants continue to be linked with Omicron, a variant with less severity, he wrote.

The elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying illnesses are more vulnerable to becoming seriously ill and/or dying from Covid, warned the virologist.

Prof Dr Yong advised those who are vulnerable to receive Covid-19 vaccination before the rainy season starts.

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Investigators have obtained evidence implicating a police officer in offences committed by alleged cyanide killer Sararat “Aem” Rangsiwuthaporn.

An application for a court arrest warrant for the unnamed officer would be made in the next few days, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said on Tuesday.

He said the investigation in the serial murders case had progressed well. There were now 14 dead alleged victims and one survivor in the case.

Investigators so far had arrest warrants for Ms Sararat in 10 cases, Pol Gen Surachate said.

He had called a meeting with investigating teams from Provincial Police Region 7, Provincial Police Region 4, the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), forensic officials and other egencies to compile all the evidence.

Ms Sararat, 36, dubbed “Aem Cyanide”, is the former wife of a senior police officer in Ratchaburi. She was arrested on April 25 at the government complex on Chaeng Watthana Road in Bangkok on a warrant issued by the Criminal Court. She is being held in custody.

The arrest followed a complaint filed by the mother and elder sister of the late Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong, 32, of Kanchanaburi. Siriporn collapsed and died on the bank of the Mae Klong river in Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi, where she had gone with Ms Sararat to release fish for merit-making on April 14. Cyanide was found in her body.

Investigators believe Ms Sararat mixed cyanide in Siriporn’s food, causing her death. She allegedly also stole from the victim.

Pol Gen Surachate said investigators were examining evidence involving a person close to the suspect and who appeared to have colluded in the alleged offences. That person was a “police officer” who was earlier summonsed to give a statement to police, Pol Gen Surachate said. He did not name the officer.

The deputy police chief also said the investigators had found the source of the cyanide allegedly purchased by the suspect. It was in Bangkok. (continues below)

Forensic officers examine a car belonging to Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, who is accused of killing a woman with cyanide in Ratchaburi, for possible evidence. (Photo supplied/ Wassayos Ngamkham)

Investigators would apply for a court search warrant and work with the Department of Industrial Works and the Food and Drug Administration in examining the importation of the deadly substance by the company, and its objectives in importing it, Pol Gen Surachate said.

“If found to be involved, legal action will be taken. Police will also compile evidence to support an application for a court arrest warrant in a day ro two. I assure you that police have the evidence to prosecute ‘Aem’ in all cases. There is both circumstantial evidence and autopsy results,” said Pol Gen Surachate.

Last Thursday, the suspect’s former police husband met with investigators to give a statement.

On that day, Pol Gen Surachate said the officer told investigators that he continued to live with Ms Sararat after they divorced. Ms Sararat had asked to return to live with him.

Ms Sararat is four months pregnant. She is being detained at the Central Women’s Correctional Institute.

Pol Gen Surachate. said authorities also have information about other people who came into contact with the suspect and had subsequently died. Police were investigating whether they were also victims, or not.

He asked relatives of people who had died after meeting and sharing meals with the suspect to contact him at the Royal Thai Police Sports Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.

The deputy police chief also asked police station chiefs in areas where the murders occurred to further investigate other cases of unnatural deaths, for example if the hands or fingernails had turned green. 

Autopsies must be performed on those bodies, Pol Gen Surachate said.

National police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas would meet with the investigation teams on Wednesday, he added.

On Monday, the mother of a woman who died in Bangkok seven years ago and is suspected to be Ms Sararat’s 15th cyanide-poisoning victim met with CSD police investigators.

Ms Ladda, 64, from Kamphaeng Phet province, reported to investigators under Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn at the Royal Police Sports Club.

Ms Ladda said her daugther Montathip, known as Sai, 37, died in Bangkok seven years ago. She reportedly told police she personally thought it was Ms Sararat who caused her death, although she had no evidence to substantiate the belief.

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