THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Friday 7 Feb 2020

[webfact]

Bangkok court halts river promenade project that would worsen flooding

By Rina Chandran

 

A view of Chao Phraya river in Bangkok, Thailand August 30, 2016. Picture taken August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom - S1BEUKHOUIAA

 

BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A court in Bangkok has asked the city's authorities to stop work on a riverside promenade that urban planners and environmentalists said would worsen flooding and uproot hundreds of families dependent on the river to make a living.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147096-bangkok court-halts-river-promenade-project-that-would-worsen-flooding/

 

[webfact]

Thailand encourages homemade sanitizers, masks amid scarce supplies

By Panarat Thepgumpanat, Patpicha Tanakasempipat

 

 

BANGKOK, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Thailand’s health authorities on Thursday encouraged people to make hand sanitizers and masks at home to guard against the spread of the new coronavirus.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147070-thailand-encourages-homemade-sanitizers-masks-amid-scarce-supplies/

[webfact]

Austrian man, 68, dies after 12-story fall in Patong

 

Police inspect the balcony of the man’s 12th-floor condo in Patong. Photo: Phuket Tourist Police

 

PHUKET:-- Police are investigating the death of a 68-year-old Austrian man who died after falling from the 12th floor of a condominium building in Patong last night (Feb 5).

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147066-austrian-man-68-dies-after-12-story-fall-in-patong/

[webfact]

Piyabutr’s anti-coup motion comes to Parliament

By The Nation

 

 

Parliament has been presented with a proposal to establish a committee charged with preventing any further coups d’etat.

 

Full Story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147067-piyabutr’s-anti-coup-motion-comes-to-parliament/

[webfact]

FFW opposes court's decision on requested hearing 

By The Nation

 

Piyabutr Saengkanokkul in the middle.

 

Future Forward Party (FFW) secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul disagreed with the Constitutional Court's decision not to allow a hearing in which it planned to present to the court the Election Commission's documents and only request written testimony from 17 EC officials who deemed the party not guilty of the accusation.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147100-ffw-opposes-courts-decision-on-requested-hearing/

 

[webfact]

Britain says citizen infected with coronavirus outside China

By Elizabeth Howcroft

 

People wearing face masks are pictured on Parliament Square, on Brexit day, in London, Britain January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Thursday a British national was confirmed to have contracted coronavirus after travelling to an Asian country other than China and told doctors to be vigilant to those showing symptoms from a wider range of countries.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147101-britain says-citizen-infected-with-coronavirus-outside-china/

 

[webfact]

Trump celebrates acquittal with White House pomp, condemns political foes

By Jeff Mason and Richard Cowan

 

U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a copy of USA Today's front page showing news of his acquitttal in his Senate impeachment trial, as he arrives to address the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated his acquittal on impeachment charges in a caustic, free-wheeling speech on Thursday that drew on White House pomp to underscore the fact that he remained in office.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147103-trump celebrates-acquittal-with-white-house-pomp-condemns-political-foes/

 

[webfact]

China wages 'people's war' on coronavirus as cruises, companies hit

By David Stanway and Roxanne Liu

 

A medical worker holds a thermometer to check a passenger's temperature at a checkpoint as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Susong County, Anhui province, China, February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

 

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a "people's war" on Thursday against the fast-spreading coronavirus whose impact has been felt around the world from slowing factory floors to quarantined cruise liners.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147104-china-wages-peoples-war-on-coronavirus-as-cruises-companies-hit/

 

[webfact]

Female genital mutilation will take centuries to eradicate, U.N. says

By Emma Batha

 

A badge reads "The power of labor aginst FGM" is seen on a volunteer during a conference on International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Cairo, Egypt February 6, 2018. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

 

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Female genital mutilation (FGM) will take centuries to eradicate despite world leaders promising to end the practice by 2030, according to United Nations data released on Thursday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147105-female-genital-mutilation-will-take-centuries-to-eradicate-un-says/

 

[webfact]

Christmas tops holiday spending among Thais in 2019

By The Nation

 

 

A study by Visa, the leader in digital payments, revealed that Thai consumers spent the most during the Christmas holiday period last year, accounting for 30 per cent of total holiday spending in 2019, ahead of King Bhumibol’s Birthday Anniversary, New Year’s Eve, Chulalongkorn Day, Chinese New Year and Songkran.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147106-christmas-tops-holiday-spending-among-thais-in-2019/

 

[webfact]

Drought disasters in 20 provinces, 116 districts

By THE NATION

 

 

Drought disasters were declared in 116 districts across the country between October 17 and February 6, legally obliging the government’s assistance, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported on Thursday (February 6).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147108-drought-disasters-in-20-provinces-116-districts/

 

[webfact]

JAL expands role in local activities for rise in Thai passengers 

By Sirivish Toomgum
THE NATION

 

 

Japan Airlines Co Ltd (JAL) has deepened its involvement in local activities in Thailand as a means to reach out to potential Thai customers, said Sze Hunn Yap, JAL's regional marketing manager, Asia Pacific.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147110-jal-expands-role-in-local-activities-for-rise-in-thai-passengers/

 

[webfact]

Ministry issues new measure on strong baht

By The Nation

 

File Photo: Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana

 

Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana said on Thursday (February 6) that exporters could park more of their money abroad as the latest measure to curb appreciation of the Thai currency.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147111-ministry-issues-new-measure-on-strong-baht/

 

[webfact]

PM urges public to use water sparingly during current drought

 

(Photo) Government’s House

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has beseeched the Thai people not to waste water, saying that the volume of water in the country’s 15 major sources is at a critically low level and no significant rainfall is forecast until May.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147112-pm-prayut-urges-public-to-use-water-sparingly-during-current-drought/

 

[webfact]

Chinese embassy heaps praise on Thailand for support during virus outbreak

 

 

The Chinese people have been very impressed with the moral and material support offered to them by Thailand and its people, including from Their Majesties the King and Queen and all sectors of Thai society.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147113-chinese-embassy-heaps-praise-on-thailand-for-support-during-virus-outbreak/

 

[webfact]

Supreme Court verdict related to siege of General Prem’s residence moved to April 30th

 

 

The Criminal Court has postponed the reading of the verdict of the Supreme Court against five core members of the red-shirt movement, also known as the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), until April 30th. The cases relate their roles in the siege of the official residence General Prem Tinsulanonda, the late president of the Privy Council, about 13 years ago.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147115-supreme-court-verdict-related-to-siege-of-general-prem’s-residence-moved-to-april-30th/

 

[webfact]

Vachira Hospital centre for virus checks aims to stifle Phuket panic

By Khunanya Wanchanwet

 

The centre is open 8:30am to 10pm daily. Photo: PR Dept

 

PHUKET: Vachira Phuket Hospital has set up a “Respiratory disease screening point” where people can be checked to see if they have contracted the Wuhan coronavirus after the hospital was inundated with more than 100 people presenting themselves each day to see if they had been infected.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147116-vachira-hospital-centre-for-virus-checks-aims-to-stifle-phuket-panic/

 

[webfact]

PM offers moral support to Thais now back from Wuhan

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Prime Minister has offered moral support to the 138 Thais, who recently returned from Wuhan, the ground zero of the new coronavirus outbreak. They are currently being quarantined, and vowed to provide assistance to the medical sector in preventing the spread of the disease.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147118-pm-prayut-offers-moral-support-to-thais-now-back-from-wuhan/

 

[webfact]

Deputy PM Prawit, NBTC discuss adoption of 5G technology

 

   

The Deputy Prime Minister, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) have had a meeting to advance the adoption of the fifth generation (5G) of mobile technology in Thailand, in the hope of reducing social disparity and upgrading the country’s infrastructure.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147119-deputy-pm-prawit-nbtc-discuss-adoption-of-5g-technology/

 

[webfact]

25 confirmed coronavirus cases in Thailand

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health reported that Thailand has 25 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. One of the patients, a taxi driver who was the first person in Thailand to be infected with the virus, has since recovered and has been discharged from hospital. So far, nine patients have recovered, while 16 others are recovering well.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147120-25-confirmed-coronavirus-cases-in-thailand/

 

[webfact]

Chinese doctor who raised early alarm over coronavirus dies; Beijing declares 'people's war'

By David Stanway and Roxanne Liu

 

A woman wears a mask at Yuyuan Garden, during the extended Chinese Lunar New Year holiday as the country is hit by an outbreak of the coronavirus, in Shanghai, China February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song

 

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - One of the first Chinese doctors who tried to warn the world about a new coronavirus died on Friday from the illness, prompting an outpouring of sorrow on Chinese social media, as Beijing declared a "people's war" on the fast-spreading outbreak.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147124-chinese-doctor-who-raised-early-alarm-over-coronavirus-dies/

 

[webfact]

Regeneron likely to make coronavirus treatments available in few months

 

The ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China, is seen in an illustration released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. January 29, 2020. Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM/CDC/Handout via REUTERS/Files

 

(Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc is ramping up efforts to develop a set of coronavirus treatments, which could be available for testing or use in some patients within a few months, the drugmaker said on Thursday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147125-regeneron-likely-to-make-coronavirus-treatments-available-in-few-months/

 

[webfact]

NASA astronaut Christina Koch returns to Earth after record mission

By Joey Roulette

 

NASA astronaut Christina Koch reacts shortly after landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-13 space capsule in a remote area southeast of Zhezkazgan in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan, February 6, 2020. Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - American astronaut Christina Koch, who led the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, landed in Kazakhstan on Thursday after a record stay on the International Space Station, ending a 328-day mission expected to yield new insights into deep-space travel.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147128-nasa-astronaut-christina-koch-returns-to-earth-after-record-mission/

 

[webfact]

Top Democrat calls for audit of Iowa caucuses as problems delay final tally

By Amanda Becker and Michael Martina

 

Pete Buttigieg, Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend, Indiana mayor attends a campaign event in Merrimack, New Hampshire, U.S., February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Thayer

 

WASHINGTON/MANCHESTER, N.H. (Reuters) - Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez on Thursday called for an audit of the Iowa caucuses after an array of problems delayed results from the party's first 2020 presidential nominating contest and created uncertainty about their accuracy.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147130-top-democrat-calls-for-audit-of-iowa-caucuses-as-problems-delay-final-tally/

 

[webfact]

Pattaya: Mayor and glitterati out in Walking Street to encourage China to fight the virus!

 

Thai caption: China - Fight on!

Picture: 77kaoded

 

Pattaya's well known mayor Sontaya " Big Peh" Khunpluem led City Hall staff and a host of local "celebrities" to Walking Street last night. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147131-pattaya-mayor-and-glitterati-out-in-walking-street-to encourage-china-to-fight-the-virus/

 

[webfact]

Chinese tourism obliterated, but not to worry they'll be back at the double later, says minister

 

Picture: Spring News

 

Thailand's embattled minister for tourism and sports has told the Thai media that tourists from China have all but stopped coming to Thailand. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147132-chinese-tourism-obliterated-but-not-to-worry-theyll-be-back-at-the-double-later-says-minister/

 

[webfact]

Support for teacher - condemnation for mother - after child assault claims

 

Thai caption: #Save "Khru Khaek" - She didn't hurt a child

Picture: Sanook

 

A mother who claimed that a respected kindergarten teacher assaulted her child has now been attacked verbally herself and her family have been slammed as troublemakers.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147134-support-for-teacher-condemnation-for-mother-after-child-assault-claims/

 

[webfact]

Six banks to use facial recognition tech for savings accounts in pilot project

By THE NATION

 

Siritida

 

Six commercial banks will pilot the use of biometric technology via the National Digital Identification (NDID) platform to electronically verify the identity of customers who open saving accounts, Siritida Panomwan, Bank of Thailand’s assistant governor for payment systems policy and financial technology group, said on Thursday (February 6).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147136-six-banks-to-use-facial-recognition-tech-for-savings-accounts-in-pilot-project/

 

[webfact]

Coronavirus: UK Government issues travel advice to Brits returning from Thailand

 

FILE PHOTO: Tourists queue to check in at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Reuters
 

The UK Government has issued new travel advice to British nationals flying to the UK from Thailand. 

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147140-coronavirus-uk-government-issues-travel-advice-to-brits-returning-from-thailand/

 

[webfact]

Meet the Thai 'virus hunters' working 24/7 to fight coronavirus

 

VIDEO: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1147141-video-meet-the-thai-virus-hunters-working-247-to-fight-coronavirus/