Asia (Page 1,317)

CHIANG MAI: Two monkeypox (mpox) cases have been found in the city while the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office has warned that over 5,000 people in the provincial capital currently have dengue fever.

Songyot Khamchai, head of the communicable disease control unit at the Chiang Mai public health office, said yesterday the two confirmed mpox cases are reported to be homosexual patients.

The first case, a 31-year-old man whose name was withheld, said he recently had a one-night stand in Taiwan and became infected with mpox while abroad.

Mr Songyot said the case was past the incubation period so the man can no longer transmit the virus to others.

The second case, a 40-year-old man whose name was not given, was infected in another province, but his symptoms started to show while he was travelling in Chiang Mai.

Mr Songyot said the man had been sent to his hometown for quarantine.

Some 217 mpox cases have been recorded in Thailand to date, almost all males. As of Aug 15, 187 were Thai nationals.

According to the Department of Disease Control, there has only been one mpox death recorded in the country.

The dead man had been HIV-positive and had syphilis but never received treatment. He developed mpox symptoms on July 3 and died on Aug 11.

Mr Songyot said people with a recent history of close contact with high-risk groups or who have developed rashes or swollen lymph nodes can be treated at any hospital in Chiang Mai.

Meanwhile, the number of dengue cases is increasing.

Mr Songyot said Chiang Mai has seen almost 5,000 cases this year, compared to just 1,000 for the whole of 2022.

He said if the dengue cases in the city’s Muang district do not drop by the end of this month, the Chiang Mai Provincial Administration Organisation will label it a dengue outbreak area, which requires enforcement of the Communicable Diseases Act.

The five districts in the city with the most cases are Muang, Mae Ai, Fang, Chai Prakan and Mae Rim districts, Mr Songot added.

Police will summon 31 people, including actress Preechaya “Ice” Phongthananikorn, next week to acknowledge charges that they allegedly purchased cyanide for wrongfully intended purposes, according to deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.

The Department of Industrial Works (DIW) has filed reports with the Crime Suppression Division against 31 people who are believed to have traded and purchased cyanide illegally, in contravention of the Hazardous Substances Act, he said.

They include Ms Preechaya and the alleged serial killer Sararat “Aem Cyanide” Rangsiwuthaporn, who is accused of murdering 14 people as well as one attempted murder.

Ms Preechaya was said to have bought cyanide from the same source as Ms Sararat to use as a pesticide.

Charges related to the purchase of a chemical compound (cyanide) for wrongful use carry a maximum sentence of three years and a fine of up to 300,000 baht, or both, Pol Gen Surachate said.

“Officers at the Crime Suppression Division will summon all 31 people to acknowledge their charges, and they will conduct a probe to determine whether officials from the DIW were involved in any misconduct,” he said.

This follows the arrest of Ms Sararat, who is suspected of poisoning her victims with cyanide.

Officers have expanded their probe into the case and found that cyanide was imported, traded and purchased for wrongful purposes, leading to the DIW’s lawsuit.

In June, Pol Gen Surachate said Ms Sararat faces more than 75 charges — including premeditated murder, attempted murder, and theft causing death and forgery in 15 cases dating from 2015 to this year.

The 15 cases were spread over seven provinces — Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Ratchaburi, Udon Thani and Mukdahan.

Police wrapped up the investigation into Ms Sararat after questioning more than 900 witnesses over three months, he added.

Jullapong Thaveesri, the DIW’s director, said in May that 14 firms can legally import up to 80 tonnes of cyanide per year and individuals who used more than 100 kilogrammes over the past six months must report it to the DIW.

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is not being given preferential treatment in a VIP hospital room as has been reported by the media, says Pol Lt Gen Dr Sophonrat Singhajaru, the chief physician of the Police General Hospital, which is treating him.

“It isn’t a VIP room and people in that room cannot even see the outside. Furthermore, the air in this room is hot as the air-conditioning doesn’t work well,” he added.

Pol Lt Gen Dr Sophonrat was responding to media reports that Thaksin had been given a private room, Royal Suite 1401, on the 14th floor of the Maha Bhumibol Rachanusorn 88 Phansa Building.

Thaksin returned to Thailand on Tuesday after 17 years in exile to serve a total of eight years in prison.

He was transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison to the Police General Hospital at 12.20am yesterday.

Deputy director-general of the Department of Corrections (DoC) Sitthi Sutivong said a warder at the prison had reported that Thaksin could not sleep, had chest pains, hypertension and low blood oxygen while he was in quarantine in zone 7 of the prison.

A doctor at the Corrections Hospital reviewed Thaksin’s symptoms and considered his medical treatment records from overseas hospitals, which said he had underlying illnesses including ischemic cardiomyopathy, hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis and spondylosis. Ischemic cardiomyopathy requires special observation.

As the Corrections Hospital lacked some medical equipment, the doctor decided to transfer Thaksin to the Police General Hospital, which was better equipped, for his safety.

Transferals of prisoners to the Police General Hospital are lawful and in accordance with a memorandum of understanding the Department of Corrections signed with the police on May 1, 2020.

In a Facebook post, political activist Srisuwan Janya said he will petition the National-Anti Corruption Commission to inspect whether the DoC is giving Thaksin better treatment than other inmates.

Mr Srisuwan asked why he had seemed healthy in Dubai, as portrayed by his daughter Paetongtarn on social media, but immediately fell ill upon his return.

Rogue MPs to answer why they broke ranks

The 16 Democrat MPs who voted to support Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai Party as prime minister on Tuesday defied the party’s resolution to abstain, caretaker Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanawisit said yesterday.

They have been asked to explain their actions at the next party meeting and could face an internal investigation if members call for it, he added.

Sources say the 16 renegades had been hoping for an invitation to join the new government coalition and belong to a faction led by Chalermchai Sri-on, the caretaker party secretary-general.

Before the vote on Tuesday, their leaders — Det-it Khaothong, a Songkhla MP, and Chaichana Detdecho, a Nakhon Si Thammarat MP — talked to Phumtham Wechayachai, a Pheu Thai deputy leader.

They told Mr Phumtham they were ready to vote for Mr Srettha if it looked like he’d fall short of the needed 375 votes in return for being included in the coalition.

While the vote was happening in the chamber of parliament, the 16 sat outside, waiting.

When support for Mr Srettha exceeded 375, they told Mr Phumtham they would vote for Mr Srettha anyway.

They allegedly offered to fill in, in the event the Bhumjaithai Party, with 71 MPs, withdrew after failing to get a premium-grade ministry.

The 16 Democrats then entered the parliament chamber and voted for Mr Srettha, the sources said.

Mr Jurin said a Democrat Party meeting on Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s parliamentary vote, had passed a resolution that its MPs should abstain from voting for Mr Srettha, except former party leaders Chuan Leekpai and Banyat Bantadtan, who asked for permission to vote against Mr Srettha’s nomination.

Sathit Pitutecha, a caretaker deputy party leader, said the 16 MPs had committed serious misconduct, but whether they would be expelled rested with an investigation panel.

Mr Chuan, a party list MP and former party leader, said it was “unbelievable” the 16 MPs had voted in defiance of the party resolution.

He had received party permission to vote against Mr Srettha’s nomination because the Democrat Party had been at odds with the Pheu Thai Party over the distribution of development budget funds to the South, the Democrat Party’s traditional support base.

Mr Chuan accused Pheu Thai of curtailing funding to the South, saying it was an act of persecution.

After Tuesday’s vote for prime minister, 15 of the 16 renegade Democrat MPs made themselves unavailable for comment.

The exception was Pol Maj Gen Surin Palare, a Songkhla MP.

Pol Maj Gen Surin said only that he voted for Mr Srettha because he wanted the country to move forward.

Police have accused four officials from Narathiwat’s Muno Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO), including its chairman, of malfeasance in connection with the deadly fireworks warehouse explosion on July 29.

The blast in Sungai Kolok district’s tambon Muno killed 12 people and injured 389. It also destroyed three schools and damaged 682 homes.

During a press briefing at the Royal Thai Police Sports Club yesterday, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said progress has been made in the investigation.

The case was brought up for discussion among senior officers on Monday.

The Muno TAO chairman and three other officials have come under suspicion in relation to the blast. They have been accused of malfeasance under Section 157 of the Criminal Code, said Pol Gen Surachate.

He said the TAO failed to notify state agencies about the fireworks warehouse being located in the middle of a populated area. It failed to inform local interior, public health, industry and labour offices, as well as the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc).

The chairman and the three officials were authorised to issue the permit for building the warehouse.

However, they failed to notify state agencies about its construction.

Police will check for any financial transactions involving the TAO officials and the warehouse owner to find out if a bribe passed hands.

The investigation will also expand to 11 factories which supplied materials to the fireworks warehouse, said Pol Gen Surachate.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday presented 107 million baht worth in aid and relief for blast victims through the Narathiwat governor, Sanan Pongaksorn, at Government House.

The money is split into two portions — 100 million baht for repairing or rebuilding houses damaged or destroyed in the blast and the rest compensation for the families of the dead and injured.

Rachada Dhnadirek, a deputy government spokeswoman, said the aid money was drawn from the government’s Disaster Victim Compensation Fund and public donations.

Gen Prayut promised to help ease victims’ suffering while adding that the government was doing all it could to help residents.