Barkar Nash (Page 925)

Twenty-four more cases of monkeypox were found in Thailand last week, and one patient infected with the virus died, the acting director-general of the Disease Control Department said on Monday.

Dr Thongchai Kiratihatayakorn said nine of the 24 cases were found in Bangkok, three each in Chiang Mai and Nonthaburi, two in Phuket and one each in Nakhon Pathom, Chon Buri, Pathum Thani, Prachin Buri, Saraburi, Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchathani.

One monkeypox patient, who was also HIV-infected, died last week. He was a 24-year-old Thai who had been infected with HIV for three years. He caught monkeypox and was admitted to hospital on Aug 25. The man was frail, with a high fever and a rash on his face, hands and genitals.

He was transferred to Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute on Sept 12 for further treatment, and died there last week.

The first case of monkeypox in Thailand was diagnosed in July last year. As of Oct 28, there were 559 diagnosed cases with the one death  – 503 were Thai nationals, 52 foreigners of known nationality and four whose nationality was not known.

Of the total, 474 were of the diverse sexuality group – 474 (44%)  were also HIV positive, 241 were in the 30-39 year age group and 172 aged 20-29 years.

Dr Thongchai advised risk groups to avoid having sex with strangers and refrain from close contact with people with skin rashes and blisters.

Cites study which puts growth rate at up to 4.73%

The government on Sunday shrugged off calls for it to rethink its intention to push ahead with the 10,000-baht digital money handout scheme, saying details of the project could be adjusted and fine-tuned but not its core principle of being intended as a tool to kick-start the economy.

The economy has been sluggish for nine to 10 years and Thailand is critically in need of a powerful mechanism to stimulate it, or the country will end up facing a dim economic outlook in the years to come, said Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.

Before the 2014 military coup, which ousted the Yingluck Shinawatra administration, the economy of the northeastern province of Udon Thani, for instance, was booming, with a huge number of people crossing the border from neighbouring Laos, he said.

The economy has stagnated ever since the coup, while many small- and medium-entrepreneurs have gone out of business, he said. The government has referred to the nine years of stagnation which followed as Thailand’s “lost decade”.

As for the estimated 560 billion baht fund required for sponsoring the digital wallet scheme, if it really needs to be obtained by means of borrowing, he said, that shouldn’t be a problem.

The previous government borrowed a trillion baht and that caused no issues.

Nor would this loan, if it was needed, as long as the money was strictly spent on stimulating the economy as it was intended, he said.

He also welcomed the move by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to set up a panel to study the government’s handout scheme and gather opinions from experts and the public.

Critics of the scheme say the economy is no need of an injection of cash in such a fashion and say the money could be better spent elsewhere. Some has also bought means-testing of the giveaway, to ensure the money goes only to those who need it.

Mr Phumtham said the NACC’s role will actually help ensure the project’s implementation is in line with the law, which would be good for the government.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Sunday promised supporters who greeted him in Udon Thani during a visit on Sunday that the digital money handout would come in February as planned.

Government spokesman Chai Wacharonke, meanwhile, cited findings from a study conducted by an economic team led by economist Suwit Sapwitthayasiri, to support the policy. The study said it “has a good potential to spur economic growth at most from 4.73% next year to 5.54% in 2027.”

MAE HONG SON: A camera trap caught a gaur in the Salawin Wildlife Sanctuary in this province bordering Myanmar on Oct 8. It is the first gaur seen there in 37 years, according to the chief of the sanctuary.

Arkhom Boonnontae said the footage showed the bull turning up at 3.01am. It was the first gaur seen in the sanctuary since 1986, he said.

The gaur is a wild animal that is very rarely seen in the north, he said.

The IUCN lists the gaur as an endangered species. It is also a pro- tected animal under the Wild Animal Conservation and Protection Act, Mr Arkhom said.

Salawin Wildlife Sanctuary is the only reserve forest in the north where a gaur has been spotted, he said.

This year’s cool season is expected to arrive later this week, about two weeks later than usual, and it is forecast to be warmer than usual due to volatile weather conditions coupled with the impact of El Niño, according to the Meteorological Department.

Normally, Thailand enters its colder season by the middle of October, said the Meteorological Department.

As for this year, a “moderate” cool spell is forecast to arrive in upper Thailand tomorrow, lasting until next Monday, and is considered a sign of the beginning of the change in climate, said the department.

The Northeast region, for instance, will experience a temperature drop and although it cannot yet say goodbye to rain and sporadic thunderstorms, precipitation is expected to decrease significantly.

The coldest period in the kingdom is expected to begin early next month and last until late January, with the average temperature in the upper part of the country being predicted to be between 21 and 22 degrees Celsius, or approximately 1.5C higher than the average temperature recorded in last year’s cold season.

The lowest temperatures in the North and the Northeast will be between 9 and 1C, while the lowest in Bangkok are expected to be 17 to 18C and between 15 and 16C in the surrounding provinces this year.

Some frost on the ground may appear at certain points throughout the cold season on the mountaintops in the upper areas of the country.

The majority of Thais are satisfied with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s performance, despite his frequent trips abroad in his first two months in office, a survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) found.

The survey, also known as the Nida Poll, was carried out over the telephone between Oct 24-25 among 1,310 people aged 18 and over from various socioeconomic backgrounds. It shows that lengthy absences overseas have done nothing to dent his popularity.

When asked if the respondents have been following news of Mr Srettha’s trips abroad, 39% said they have not, while 24.4% said only trips in which he met important international figures.

While the PM was on an overseas trip, about 22% of respondents surveyed said they were interested by the PM’s dress sense (he has attracted attention for his choice of colourful socks in particular), followed by his media remarks (20%), posture and/or body language (19%), reception by host country (10%), while about 2% said they weren’t interested.

Asked whether they were satisfied with Mr Srettha’s overall performance as prime minister during the past two months, 55.2% of respondents said “yes”, while about 36.8% said they were moderately satisfied, while 18.4% said they were highly satisfied.

By contrast, 26.9% said they were not satisfied and 13.74% said they were extremely not satisfied. The rest, 4.12%, had no answer or were not interested.

Mr Srettha acknowledged the results of the poll and thanked the public for their appraisal of his performance over the past two months. He said he is always ready to receive feedback and suggestions from people. He said the government will continue to work for the benefit of the people. The PM said he is ready to work hard, adding he and his ministers do not stop working on weekends.

City Hall is planning to build a hospital in Sai Mai district, after Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt found the capital’s second-most populous district is not served by any hospitals affiliated with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Mr Chadchart visited the area yesterday with Rattikan Kaewkerdmee, a councillor representing Sai Mai district, district chief Sombat Kanokthipwan and other officials.

The district has 209,556 residents, second only to Klong Sam Wa district. However, since there are no BMA-affiliated hospitals in the district, most residents in the area are referred to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, which is overseen by the Directorate of Medical Services under the Royal Thai Air Force.

In addition to a hospital, which will be built on a 20-rai plot of land donated by a resident, City Hall will also develop two public health centres to serve the area.

“The development won’t only benefit the district’s residents, but also those living in neighbouring Klong Sam Wa district. The districts have a combined population of about 400,000, similar to a province,” he said.

Mr Chadchart also said BMA will consider a number of new measures to deal with the area’s traffic congestion, including more park-and-ride facilities to promote the use of public transport and expanding the area’s bicycle lanes.

BMA is also working to tackle flooding at 14 areas in Sai Mai district, said the governor, adding Vacharapol and Sai Mai roads will be further upgraded to prevent floods after heavy rain.