South-East Asia (Page 374)

Mild JN.1 strain could gain more ability to evade people’s immune systems

Health authorities are closely monitoring reports of new mutations that could significantly increase the ability of the JN.1 variant of Covid-19, now becoming dominant in Thailand, to evade people’s immune systems.

About 40 cases of JN.1 have been detected, but none with the so-called slip mutations first reported in France recently, according to the Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) at the Ministry of Public Health.

JN.1 is a variant of the Omicron strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Since the beginning of 2022, the DMS and a network of laboratories have been monitoring a number of Omicron variants and sub-variants, said Dr Yongyot Thamwut, the department’s director-general.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 10 Omicron strains based on data showing increased prevalence or faster rates of spread. Five including JN.1 are so-called Variants of Interest and five are Variants under Monitoring.

The first “slip mutations”, or mutations at two positions, were reported recently in France, with 41 confirmed cases identified worldwide as of Jan 15.

Dr Yongyot said that among the VOI group overall, global data as of Dec 3 showed the EG.5 variant the most prevalent with 36.3% of reported cases, followed by JN.1 with 27.1%. The detection rate for EG.5 was shown to be falling while that of JN.1 was rising over the last 28 days of the survey period.

The hybrid strain XBB.1.16 was the main strain spreading in Thailand early in 2023, overtaken by XBB.1.9.2 in September. Results of laboratory tests conducted from November to Jan 15 showed XBB.1.9.2 decreasing while JN.1 was increasing.

The JN.1 strain was first detected in Thailand on October and was seen to be increasing in prevalence in December, overtaking XBB.1.9.2. People infected with JN.1 have been found in many areas of the country, with generally mild symptoms such as fever, cough and phlegm, but no deaths have been reported, Dr Yongyot said.

Parties considering a general debate or no-confidence motion for March or April

The opposition is considering whether to launch its first no-confidence or general debate against the government at the end of March or early April, according to the Move Forward Party (MFP).

An opposition whips’ meeting on Tuesday discussed the issue, said Parit Wacharasindhu, a Move Forward spokesman.

While a general debate does not affect the government’s survival, enough no-confidence votes would sink it.

Some unelected senators are also attempting to mount a general debate against the government, alleging shoddy state policies, before their term expires in May.

Mr Parit said the opposition, led by Move Forward, intends to use parliamentary means to keep the administration in check by pressing for an explanation of the cost-effectiveness and transparency of key government projects.

The opposition is particularly critical of the flagship digital wallet scheme and the 1-trillion-baht Land Bridge megaproject.

In addition to scrutinising government policies, the opposition plans to use the debate to highlight the value of the its agenda in pursuing important legislation.

Mr Parit also denied his party was skirting the controversy surrounding jailed former premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s hospital stay.

Thaksin was admitted to Police General Hospital on his return to Thailand on Aug 22 and has been allowed by the Department of Corrections to stay on despite reaching the maximum allowed 120 days of inpatient care on Dec 22.

Some have criticised Move Forward for going “soft” when it comes to taking Pheu Thai to task when it comes to Thaksin, who is still considered the party patriarch and a key strategist.

Mr Parit said the MFP pays equal attention to all government policies. However, the digital wallet programme entails a significant economic impact since it involves borrowing half a trillion baht to finance.

Senator Seree Suwanpanont, the chairman of the House committee on political development and public participation, said 91 senators have so far signed up in support of mounting a general debate against the government. More senators are expected to join, although some who signed up could also pull out.

The number of signatures has surpassed the minimum one-third of all senators, or 84, to back the push.

Mr Seree is among the senators who initiated the debate bid. He said the pro-debate senators expect to present their signatures to Senate Speaker Pornpetch Wichitcholchai on Friday or next Monday.

If the debate goes ahead, the senators should be given at least two days to conduct the session, he said.

Senator Direkrit Jenklongtham, deputy chairman of the Seree panel, said the government has the duty to explain its policies without delay. The Senate fears some policies, among them the digital wallet scheme, would subject the country to long-term, detrimental financial obligations.

“The debate should happen in a timely fashion to pre-empt damage or a misstep. It’s for the sake of being cautious,” he said.

Black-coloured stream was drawn down from nearby pond at high tide, says Karon mayor

PHUKET: The mayor of the Karon municipality has denied that a black stream running from Karon beach into the sea is polluted water, saying it is the colour of sediment while the water is actually crystal clear.

Jadet Wicharasorn was responding on Tuesday to bird’s-eye view pictures of Karon beach that have gone viral on social media. They showed a black stream flowing through the beach into the sea, which was partly darkened.

Mr Jadet said the water came from Nong Han pond near the beach. It was black because a high tide had reached the pond and when it retreated, it drew black sediment from the pond through the sand and into the sea.

“I insist that the water is not polluted. Polluted water would have blackened all the seawater along the beach,” he said.

Mr Jadet said he ordered a water quality contractor to check the seawater in the area and “collected samples are crystal clear and odourless”.

To solve the problem, he said, the municipality would dig holes to trap sediment upstream, he said.

The Nong Han pond is part of a public park that covers an area of seven rai, Mr Jadet said.

Costly cleanup was ineffective, contamination remains high, villagers say

KANCHANABURI: Long-suffering residents of Klity Creek affected by lead pollution in Thong Pha Phum district are stepping up pressure on the Pollution Control Department (PCD) to get rid of the remaining toxic sediment.

The villagers have petitioned provincial authorities, demanding a more effective solution. They said more than 800,000 tonnes of toxic sediment remain in their community despite the PCD’s much-touted rehabilitation programme.

If this polluted sediment was not removed for proper disposal it would continue contaminating the creek and remain a health and environmental hazard for the community, they said.

According to the villagers, the concentration of lead had fallen to 4,000-5,000 milligrammes per kilogramme (mg/kg) by the end of the PCD’s cleanup. But a year later it had risen to 10,000-20,000 mg/kg, according to a survey that to assessed the effectiveness of the decontamination programme.

“This means that toxic sediment upstream is being washed downstream, so we want the PCD to get rid of this sediment and rehabilitate the environment as quickly as possible,” local resident Sathaporn Thongphaphumpattawee said.

The PCD was ordered by the Supreme Administrative Court in January 2013 to clean up a 12-kilometre stretch of the creek that was polluted by hundreds of tonnes of lead discharged from a plant owned by Lead Concentrates (Thailand), which was closed down in 1998. 

The case was first filed in 2004 by 22 residents of Klity village affected by lead contamination caused by mining operations upstream. The department was said to have spent at least 700 million baht on its rehabilitation programme from 2017 to 2022, but its cleanup efforts have been criticised as inadequate. 

Surapong Kongchantuk, a human rights lawyer following the case, said the PCD did not get rid of the toxic sediment, which required its removal to a special facility to be disposed of. 

He said the department went only so far as to have the lead-contaminated sediment “relocated and buried” in forests upstream, and the amount of buried sediment was less than 1% of the total.

He expressed concern that unless the sediment is properly disposed of, lead-contaminated water will cause more damage to people’s health and the environment as the water from the creek runs downstream into the Mae Klong river, a major water source for Kanchanaburi and Bangkok, and eventually into the Gulf of Thailand.

Siwakorn Wichianpreuat, director of Kanchanaburi’s environment office, said the PCD will be asked to clarify its rehabilitation programme and the department’s response is expected in two weeks.

“Based on the petition, the toxic sediment remains despite the court-ordered cleanup and rehabilitation. The PCD will be asked to explain what it has done so far,” he said.

PHUKET: A small tour bus overturned on a curve in Thalang district, injuring 17 Chinese tourists, two them seriously, and two of the Thai crew on Tuesday morning.

The accident happened at Bang Duk curve on Thep Krasattri Road and was called in to police about 7.50am, according to Pol Maj Akkaraphon Sriwilai, deputy chief investigator at Tha Chatchai. 

Emergency responders found a white bus with Buri Ram licence plates overturned on the road near the centre divider, its windscreen shattered.

Seventeen tourists, one of them a child, were hurt. Two had serious injuries. The Thai driver and a crewman suffered minor injuries. Medics treated the injured before sending them to Thalang Hospital.

Police invstigators reported the bus was carrying 17 Chinese nationals and three Thais – a  guide, the driver and his assistant. They were travelling from a hotel in downtown Muang district to Thap Lamu pier, where the ourists were to board a boat to the Similan islands in Phangnga. 

The driver lost control of the bus at Bang Duk curve and it overturned.

The police investigation was coninuing.

Rescuers at the scene of he bus crash in Thalang district, Phuket, on Tuesday morning. (Photo: Achadthaya Chuenniran)