Jonathan Fairfield

Daily COVID-19 cases in Prachuap Khiri Khan continue to surge

The number of daily new COVID-19 cases in Prachuap Khiri Khan continued to surge on Saturday (Oct 23).

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1236583-daily-covid-19-cases-in-prachuap-khiri-khan-continue-to-surge/

The number of daily new COVID-19 cases in Prachuap Khiri Khan continued to surge on Saturday (Oct 23).

Since October 13, health officials in the province have reported daily triple digit COVID-19 infections.

However, towards the end of the past week the number of new cases has increased significantly with the province reporting 182 new cases on Thursday, with a sudden rise of 341 cases on Friday (Oct 22).

Full story: https://www.huahintoday.com/hua-hin-news/daily-covid-19-cases-in-prachuap-khiri-khan-continue-to-surge/

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

Month-old baby in Chiang Rai among 74 fatalities from COVID-19 on Saturday

A one month-old baby is among 74 COVID-19 patients in Thailand who died today (Saturday), as the country recorded 9,742 new infections and 10,182 new recoveries, according to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1236581-month-old-baby-in-chiang-rai-among-74-fatalities-from-covid-19-on-saturday/

A one month-old baby is among 74 COVID-19 patients in Thailand who died today (Saturday), as the country recorded 9,742 new infections and 10,182 new recoveries, according to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

The baby, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, is believed to have contracted the virus from family members.

Bangkok still remains top of the list of provinces with the highest new infection rates, with 935. The other nine are Songkhla (695), Nakhon Si Thammarat (660), Pattani (512), Prachuap Khiri Khan (445), Yala (434), Chon Buri (373), Chiang Mai (356), Samut Prakan (312) and Surat Thani (253).

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/month-old-baby-in-chiang-rai-among-74-fatalities-from-covid-19-today/

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

First batch of 560,000 Moderna vaccine doses to arrive in Thailand by Nov 5th

The first 560,000 doses of Moderna vaccine are expected in Thailand by November 5th, according to Zuellig Pharma (ZP) Therapeutics Company, the supplier and distributer of Moderna vaccine in Thailand.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1236580-first-batch-of-560000-moderna-vaccine-doses-to-arrive-in-thailand-by-nov-5th/

The first 560,000 doses of Moderna vaccine are expected in Thailand by November 5th, according to Zuellig Pharma (ZP) Therapeutics Company, the supplier and distributer of Moderna vaccine in Thailand.

In a statement issued today (Saturday), the company said it is ready to take delivery of the first batch of the mRNA vaccine, adding that it will have them distributed immediately.

The company also reconfirmed that at total of 1.9 million doses of the Moderna vaccine will be arriving in Thailand in the fourth quarter of this year, while the remaining 6.8 million doses, ordered by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, will be delivered before the end of March next year.

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/first-batch-of-560000-moderna-vaccine-doses-to-arrive-in-thailand-by-nov-5th/

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

Three teachers suffer only minor injuries after their car plummets off the side of Si Racha hill, driver blames brake failure

Three teachers from Samut Prakan have sustained only minor injuries after their sedan fell from a hill while they were heading to a temple in the Si Racha district Thursday afternoon (October 21st).

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1236579-three-teachers-suffer-only-minor-injuries-after-their-car-plummets-off-the-side-of-si-racha-hill-driver-blames-brake-failure/

Three teachers from Samut Prakan have sustained only minor injuries after their sedan fell from a hill while they were heading to a temple in the Si Racha district Thursday afternoon (October 21st).

Emergency responders were notified of the accident at 1:00 P.M. on Phra Kru Hill in the Surasak sub-district.

First response teams arrived at the scene to find the overturned sedan seven meters down from the hill off the road. Three people inside the sedan had luckily sustained only minor injuries. All three were taken to a local hospital for a check-up.

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/10/23/three-teachers-suffer-only-minor-injuries-after-their-car-plummets-off-the-side-of-si-racha-hill-driver-blames-brake-failure/

Robbers attempt to steal temple donation boxes in Pattaya area after being caught on CCTV giving respect to religious statues beforehand

Two young male suspects were caught on CCTV at a Banglamung temple earlier this week appearing to show respect to religious statues by performing wais before trying to steal money inside a donation box at the temple overnight.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1236577-robbers-attempt-to-steal-temple-donation-boxes-in-pattaya-area-after-being-caught-on-cctv-giving-respect-to-religious-statues-beforehand/

Two young male suspects were caught on CCTV at a Banglamung temple earlier this week appearing to show respect to religious statues by performing wais before trying to steal money inside a donation box at the temple overnight.

Phra Kru Samu Yongyut Kemtaroe, 84, the abbot of the Nong Yai Temple, told The Pattaya News, “Early Wednesday morning, October 20th, we heard one of our temple dogs furiously barking which awakened me and some other monks. However, we could not immediately figure out what had disturbed the dogs after walking around the temple.

We reviewed our CCTV footage and found it appeared to show two thieves paying religious respect to a sacred statue and then, ironically, trying to steal money inside donation boxes nearby.”

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/10/23/two-young-male-suspects-attempt-to-steal-temple-donation-boxes-in-pattaya-area-after-being-caught-on-cctv-giving-respect-to-religious-statues-beforehand/

One person injured after two trailer trucks collide in front of highway police checkpoint in Chonburi

A 60-year-old driver became stuck inside his cab after two trailer trucks collided at a highway police checkpoint in Mueang Chonburi district.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1236576-one-person-injured-after-two-trailer-trucks-collide-in-front-of-highway-police-checkpoint-in-chonburi/

A 60-year-old driver became stuck inside his cab after two trailer trucks collided at a highway police checkpoint in Mueang Chonburi district.

Emergency responders were notified of the accident earlier this week on the Bypass Road in the Baan Suan sub-district.

The first response teams arrived at the scene to find two damaged trailer trucks on the road before a highway police checkpoint.

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/10/23/one-person-injured-after-two-trailer-trucks-collide-in-front-of-highway-police-checkpoint-in-chonburi/

Thailand Live 24 Oct - https://aseannow.com/topic/1236575-thailand-live-sunday-24-oct-2021/

Health Ministry to roll out booster jabs for Sinopharm recipients next month

By Tanakorn Sangiam

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health is considering the rollout of booster jabs for people vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine, while the vaccination panel has approved the second Pfizer jabs for teenage boys as heart inflammation risk remains low.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1236541-health-ministry-to-roll-out-booster-jabs-for-sinopharm-recipients-next-month/

Ministries say some schools to reopen November 1st 

The education and health ministries said they are ready to open schools for onsite learning.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1236272-ministries-say-some-schools-to-reopen-november-1st /

The education and health ministries said they are ready to open schools for onsite learning.

But it still won't be universal from November 1st. It will depend on the area and the number of vaccinations that have been carried out.

Further details will have to wait until the CCSA meet next week.

There are just ten days to go before the start of the second semester with 50% of secondary pupils now vaccinated, reported PPTV36.

Amporn Phinasa said more than 30,000 schools were ready but it would not be all schools in all areas.

The reopening of schools would be gradual depending on their area and the number of vaccinations that had been carried out.

The CCSA would have the final say next week on who is allowed to open and under what conditions. 

Unvaccinated children would still be able to attend school, education minister Trinuch Thienthong confirmed. 

Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul said 1.3 million doses of vaccine had been given to children. Four million were eligible in the 12-17 age range.

Woman arrested in Minburi over alleged 5 million baht Facebook/Line hack

Naew Na reported that police from the Economic Crime Division armed with a warrant arrested a 21 year old Thai woman for fraud after she hacked Facebook and Line accounts.

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1236262-woman-arrested-in-minburi-over-alleged-5-million-baht-facebookline-hack/

Naew Na reported that police from the Economic Crime Division armed with a warrant arrested a 21 year old Thai woman for fraud after she hacked Facebook and Line accounts.

Nareumol Lamperngmee was arrested at the Nornee Apartment building in Suwintawong Road, Minburi in northern Bangkok.

She had gained details of users Facebook and Line accounts and pretended to be friends borrowing 20,000 baht a time but not repaying the money.

She had done this 150 times with the money being transferred to an  online savings account.

The warrant was issued after a complaint to Yannawa police back in July of this year. 

Nareumol said she used the money for her daily expenses as she had no regular job. 

Naew Na called her a hacker. 

FILE PHOTO: Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends a meeting with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at the Government office in Hanoi, Vietnam, August 25, 2021. Manan Vatsyayana/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's exports are likely to rise 10.7% in 2021, with annual inflation expected below 4%, the prime minister said on Wednesday, promising lawmakers that economic revival lay ahead.

Pham Minh Chinh told the national assembly that Vietnam, consistently one of Asia's fastest-growing economies, had been badly hit by the coronavirus, which disrupted its supply chains and hit workers in key industries.

Vietnam's gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 6.17% in the third quarter of 2021 from a year earlier as the containment measures hit, the sharpest quarterly decline on record.

Chinh said he expected GDP to expand 6.0% to 6.5% next year, with the government aiming to cap inflation at 4%.

"Realising 2022 targets is a heavy task, but we definitely will revive our economy," he said, despite the pandemic having put macroeconomic stability at risk.

"Inflation is facing upward risks and there have been disruptions in the supply chains ... workers' lives have been badly hit."

Although Vietnam had largely reined in COVID-19 until May, a fast-spreading outbreak of the Delta variant in its economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City led to wide curbs on movement and commerce, hitting key manufacturing provinces nearby.

This month, the government said Vietnam would miss its garment exports target this year, by $5 billion in the worst case, hit by curbs and a shortage of workers.

It expected $34 billion of textile exports, shy of the targeted $39 billion, and a shortage of 35% to 37% of factory workers by year-end, it said.

Ho Chi Minh City has suffered a mass exodus of workers since lockdowns eased last month, on worries they would get stuck again if there was another wave of infections.

(Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kim Coghill)

FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks at Villamor Air Base in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, February 28, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' energy ministry on Tuesday defended the sale of an oil and gas concession to a firm controlled by an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, dismissing a graft complaint that alleged preferential treatment as "malicious".

Udenna Corp, a conglomerate controlled by tycoon Dennis Uy, a close associate of Duterte, made a sale and purchase agreement with Chevron in late 2019 for a 45% stake in the country's Malampaya gas-to-power project, valued at $565 million.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said the graft complaint, which was filed by a group of "concerned citizens" on Monday, was groundless.

"The case is speculative, without basis and malicious. The questioned transaction is above-board," it said in a statement.

The deal was subject to a Senate inquiry into questions over Udenna's technical and financial ability to operate the project, with some senators expressing doubts about the soundness of the DOE's financial evaluation of the buyer.

The inquiry though has yet to be concluded.

The DOE cleared the Udenna-Chevron transaction in April.

Uy, the biggest contributor to Duterte's presidential campaign in 2016, has rapidly expanded his business interests since then, taking over shipping lines, resorts, casinos and investing in a telecommunications venture with state-owned China Telecom, among other projects.

Udenna has previously insisted Uy's association with Duterte has not given his businesses an unfair advantage.

Udenna is set to control 90% of Malampaya, having purchased the other 45% stake from Shell Philippines Exploration BV, a transaction that is awaiting regulatory approval. The project provides fuel for power plants with a combined capacity of more than 3,000 megawatts.

Udenna in a statement said it had not seen the complaint and only learned through media reports.

"At the proper time and venue, we will address all allegations raised against the company to prove that everything is done above-board," Udenna said.

Chevron did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz, Neil Jerome Morales and Karen Lema; Editing by Nick Macfie)