Thailand develops robotic system to squeeze out more vaccine doses

BANGKOK— As Thailand struggles with its worst coronavirus outbreak yet, researchers in the country have developed a machine to draw out COVID-19 vaccine doses more efficiently and optimize lower-than-expected supplies.

Using a robotic arm, the "AutoVacc" system can draw 12 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in 4 minutes from a vial, according to researchers at Chulalongkorn University, who made the machine that has been used at the university's vaccination center since Monday.

That is up 20 percent from the standard 10 doses drawn manually, they said. The machine only works on AstraZeneca multi-dose vials currently and labels show each vial can provide 10 to 11 doses.

"The machine guarantees with accuracy that we can gain an extra 20 percent from each vaccine vial- from 10 to 12 doses," said Juthamas Ratanavaraporn, the lead researcher of the team at the university's Biomedical Engineering Research Center.

"The extra 20 percent that we get means that if we have AstraZeneca for 1 million people, this machine can increase the number of doses to 1.2 million people," said Juthamas.

While some health workers using low dead space syringes (LDSS) that aim to reduce wastage can draw up to 12 doses per vial, it requires manpower and a high level of skill, she said.

"This could drain a lot of the health workers' energy. They would have to do this every day for many months," Juthamas said.

Thailand had kept COVID-19 largely under control for much of the pandemic, but more virulent variants like Delta have sent cases and deaths soaring since April, ramping up pressure on authorities to increase the pace of vaccinations.

So far, around 9 percent of Thailand's population of more than 66 million have been fully vaccinated, with the rollout hindered by lower-than-anticipated vaccine supplies.

The research team say they should be able to produce 20 more AutoVacc units within 3 or 4 months, but that government funds and support would be needed to expand across the country.

The prototype machine costs 2.5 million baht ($76,243), including other materials like syringes, said Juthamas, adding that while they were open to export opportunities, that was something for the future.

They also plan to make similar machines to use with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, she added.

Juthamas said the machine was aimed at removing burdens on health workers. Thailand has reported around 1.1 million COVID-19 infections and 10,085 deaths in total, pushing parts of the health system to the brink.

"When the health workers are too tired, there are also chances of human error, so we should let the machines work on this," she said.

-reuters-

Thailand expands lockdown areas as COVID-19 cases surge

BANGKOK - The Thai government on Sunday announced plans for a tighter lockdown in Bangkok and high-risk provinces next week, suspending most domestic flights and expanding curfew areas after the country reported a third straight day of record COVID-19 case numbers.

Thailand reported 11,397 infections and 101 deaths on Sunday, bringing the cumulative total to 403,386 cases and 3,341 fatalities, the vast majority from an outbreak since early April that is being fuelled by the highly transmissible Alpha and Delta COVID-19 variants.

Domestic flights to and from Bangkok and other provinces classified by the Thai government as at high risk from COVID-19 will be suspended from Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) said in an announcement.

Exceptions are being made for medical flights, emergency landing aircraft and flights in connection with the government's tourism reopening programs, while other local flights can only fly at 50% capacity, the announcement said.

Tougher measures designed to keep people in high risk areas mostly at home will be introduced from Tuesday, said General Nattapon Nakpanich, the chief of National Security Council, but supermarkets, banks, hospitals and medical clinics will still be allowed to open.

Shopping malls will be closed and a 9 p.m.-4 a.m. curfew will be imposed from Tuesday onwards in Chonburi, Ayutthaya and Chachoengsao provinces, an announcement on the official Royal Gazette on Sunday showed.

Bangkok and nine other provinces have already been under these restrictions, the toughest in more than a year, since last Monday, as the country battles its longest-running and most severe outbreak so far.

Thai health authorities said they were stepping up efforts to secure more vaccines to fight the latest outbreak, with a deal for 20 million doses of Pfizer vaccines to be concluded on Monday and an order for 50 million more doses under consideration, said the director-general of the Department of Disease Control Opas Karnkawinpong.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also plans to seek approval from the country's COVID-19 task force to temporarily regulate the export amount of locally manufactured AstraZeneca vaccines as a way to shore up COVID-19 vaccine supplies, but he gave no details about quotas, several local media reported.

Thailand has been producing the AstraZeneca vaccine since June and is slated to export it to several other countries in Southeast Asia as well as Taiwan.

When the idea was earlier raised by the government, AstraZeneca said the Thai production facility "is of critical importance" to the region and the company is working with the Thai and other governments to "continue to deliver equitable vaccine access to the region."

Thailand's vaccine rollout, which has depended on the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines, began in June. So far about 5% of the 66 million population have been doubly vaccinated. 

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Kim Coghill, Edmund Klamann and Hugh Lawson)

-reuters-

Thailand approves self-tests, self-isolation as COVID-19 cases climb

BANGKOK - Thailand has given the go-ahead for home isolation of coronavirus patients with mild symptoms and use of home self-test kits, as a stubborn coronavirus outbreak puts pressure on its capital's health-care and testing capacity.

Thailand has so far been predominantly using RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) tests but long queues at testing facilities in Bangkok, the epicenter, have caused a rethink of measures to track infections.

The rapid antigen test kits, the approval of which was announced in the official Royal Gazette on Tuesday, should be available in stores next week.

A Food and Drug Administration official said efforts were being made to keep the price of the kits, which are less accurate than RT-PCR tests, at around 100 baht ($3.06).

Authorities also approved home and community isolation for asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic coronavirus cases, as daily infections of more than 9,000 stretch resources.

Thailand recorded 8,685 infections and 56 deaths on Tuesday, among the 353,712 cases and 2,847 fatalities overall, most of which have been since early April.

The outbreak was initially fueled by the Alpha variant but 57 percent of recent cases in Bangkok have been the highly contagious Delta variant, officials say.

Thailand has also reported 7 cases of suspected mixed infection with the 2 variants at a Bangkok construction site. 

-reuters-

Thai police fire water cannon, tear gas at latest democracy rally

BANGKOK - Thai police on Tuesday fired water cannon and tear gas on pro-democracy protesters attempting to get close to parliament, where lawmakers were debating possible changes to the military-scripted constitution.

Thailand has seen months of student-led demonstrations demanding reform to the constitution and monarchy, and for the current prime minister to quit.

Several thousand took to the streets around the parliament building Tuesday, where riot police had blocked off roads with concrete and barbed wire.

Police fired water cannon at protesters trying to dismantle a barricade, and later used water laced with irritant, sending demonstrators scrambling to wash their eyes.

Some sheltered behind giant inflatable rubber ducks which protesters had planned to float along the river behind parliament as lawmakers debated inside.

"What are police thinking by firing water cannon at people? The police are serving a dictator," one protest leader said over a loudspeaker. 

At one point police were forced to retreat when protesters threw tear gas canisters back into their lines. Five people were taken to hospital for treatment, medical officials said.

Student-led rallies have rocked Thailand since July, demanding the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha -- who took power in a 2014 coup -- and reform of the military-scripted constitution.

Some in the movement have also called for reforms to the monarchy -- a once-taboo subject -- sending shockwaves through the Thai establishment.

As police and protesters clashed, lawmakers were considering whether to debate seven possible constitutional amendments.

They include a proposal to replace the present military appointments in the Senate with directly elected representatives.

But any constitutional change in Thailand is expected to take a long time and the junta-appointed Senate is unlikely to vote itself out of power.

Protesters insisted they just wanted to listen to the parliamentary debate.

Several opposition lawmakers came out of parliament to observe the protest and try to urge the police not to crack down hard on demonstrators.

Taopipop Limjittrakorn, an MP from the pro-reform Move Forward Party said police were ignoring pleas to de-escalate the situation.

"Police should not be overly violent and threaten them," he told reporters.

One group of protesters confronted several hundred ultra-royalist supporters who were staging their own rally, with the two sides throwing bottles and other objects at each other.

The royalists are against all proposals to change Thailand's 2017 constitution, saying they would undermine the monarchy.

Parliament is expected to vote on Wednesday on which constitutional amendments bills will be debated.

Agence France-Presse

Louis Vuitton, Volvo tapping Thai social commerce via Line chat app

BANGKOK - Luxury fashion and auto brands in Thailand have turned to selling their products on Japanese chat app Line during the coronavirus pandemic, tapping the country's growing appetite for social commerce, a top executive said on Thursday.

Brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Volvo were among those that opened official accounts on the messaging app, which outranks Facebook's WhatsApp and Rakuten's Viber in Thailand, aiming to connect with users during a coronavirus lockdown.

"The luxury category was forced to adapt because their stores were closed," Line Thailand chief commercial officer, Norasit Sitivechvichit, told Reuters.

Thailand earlier this year imposed a nationwide curfew and closed malls for nearly two months to contain infections.

"During the pandemic, sellers became very active," Norasit said, adding that others sold cosmetics and fast-moving consumer goods.

Line, which charges sellers for sending messages and live streaming, said its monthly active users in Thailand grew from 44 million to 47 million this year, its second largest market after Japan.

Volvo successfully sold cars on the platform after launching in May and studying customer data, its Thailand head of marketing and digitalization, Jean-David Harel, said.

"We have an understanding of which models they own today, which interest they have and when they plan to change their existing car," he said.

Social commerce is widely popular in Thailand, where merchants sell directly to customers through social media like Line and Facebook's Instagram.

Line last year introduced a feature for merchants to organize inventory and online store fronts, which now has over 50,000 users.

Another tool to support sellers with customer relationship and data management is slated to launch next year.

E-commerce platform, JD Central would also launch services for sellers.

Line will soon introduce "MyRestaurant" with its food delivery app, Line Man Wongai, to support restaurants, Norasit said. The company also has video-on-demand products.

-reuters-

Supercars and champagne: Bangkok's rich purr through pandemic

BANGKOK - As the coronavirus brought the global economy to its knees, Thai businessman Yod decided to buy himself an $872,000 treat -- a lime-green Lamborghini.

Yod picked up the customised Huracan EVO supercar in Bangkok, a city of billionaires with a luxury economy unbroken by the crisis ripping through Thailand's wider economy.

With tourism and exports in freefall, Thailand's growth could shrivel by as much as 10 percent this year, dumping millions into unemployment.

But in a split-screen economy, there are plenty with immunity to the economic scourge caused by COVID-19.

Thailand is home to the ninth most billionaires anywhere, according to the China-based Hurun Report's Global Rich List 2020.

Among those with deep pockets is Yod -- full name Thanakorn Mahanontharit -- who was undeterred by Thailand's "crazy" supercar import taxes of up to 80 percent when he made his March purchase.

"This car makes me feel like David Beckham," the genial Bangkok-based petro-chemicals businessman told AFP.

"When you open your door everyone looks at you like you're a superstar."

Ferrari, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini have all launched top-end models in Bangkok over the pandemic period, cars with price tags of between $750,000 and $1.2 million.

It is a bet on the wealth sloshing around Bangkok.

Millions of dollars of that cash were on proud display in the capital last week as an eye-catching 40-car convoy from the Thailand Lamborghini Club cut through the city's knotted traffic for a day trip to a nearby resort.

Lamborghinis "appeal to a very niche audience of high net-worth individuals", said Matteo Ortenzi, chief executive for Automobili Lamborghini in the Asia-Pacific region.

There has been "continued interest and demand (from Thailand), one of our most important markets in Southeast Asia," he added.

Yod said his supercar purchase was the completion of a lifelong dream.

"It is a reflection of your success, it doesn't mean I am better than you," he told AFP.

"It's just that I work hard and play harder."

ECONOMY IN REVERSE GEAR

But most Thais are in a different game.

The kingdom is one of Asia's least equal countries.

Thailand is headed by a super-rich monarchy and buttressed by a handful of family dynasties with monopolies covering everything from beer and duty-free to convenience stores.

Their fortunes have surged under six years of military-aligned government which has parcelled out major contracts to them, while the wider economy has backslid.

"One percent of the population owns pretty much two-thirds of the country," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political analyst from Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, warning that inequality is kindling a political crisis.

Meanwhile many more are sinking.

Farmers are reeling as demand struggles to return to pre-virus levels and remittances from migrants to the cities are drying up, while the urban middle class are facing a cash crunch playing out in unpaid loans and school fees.

As a result, household debt is forecast to surge to 88-90 percent of GDP by the end of this year, according to a Kasikornbank research note.

Government figures predict the pandemic could leave 8.4 million jobless, over a quarter of them employed in the cash-cow tourism sector.

That would eviscerate the gains of the last two decades, which saw millions lifted from poverty by Thailand's export, manufacturing and tourism boom.

Even before the pandemic hit, the number of people living in poverty had risen by nearly two million to 6.7 million, according to a March report by the World Bank.

Now, as the pandemic strips back the economy, the middle and working classes "are not well-cushioned," said Pavida Pananond, an academic at the Thammasat Business School.

Yet the rich enjoy a level of "financial immunity" from the crisis.

YACHTS AND CHAMPAGNE

Signs of the resilience of wealth are dotted across Bangkok.

Houses worth between $1-5 million are selling well, according to real estate agency CBRE Thailand, while condos at the super-plush Mandarin Oriental are being snapped up despite the $14,200-a-square-metre price tag -- pricier than the swankiest west London postcodes.

A trawl through the Instagram accounts of Thailand's 'Hi-So' (High Society) set also reveals a glamour scene unruffled by the new normal -- yoga sessions on pristine beaches, yacht parties and champagne receptions.

"They've got the money and they can spend it any time," says Naphalai Areesorn, editor-in-chief of fashion and society magazine Tatler Thailand.

The allure of being "Hi-So" runs through Thai society, she said, explaining that money -- especially the show of having it -- is a shortcut into Thailand's elite, which was once defined by having the right "breeding" and education. 

"There's still very much a class system here... maybe it comes from a feudalistic history," she said.

Entering High Society -- and staying there --- is very much "an aspiration" for many in Bangkok "whether you can afford it or not".

Agence France-Presse

Thailand slips into recession after worst quarter in 8 years

BANGKOK - Thailand's economy contracted at its sharpest pace in 8 years in the first quarter, pushing Southeast Asia's second largest economy into recession sooner than expected, as the coronavirius pandemic hit tourism and domestic activity.

The state planning agency, reporting January-March data on Monday, slashed its forecast for 2020 gross domestic product (GDP) to a contraction of 5 to 6 percent from growth of 1.5 to 2.5 percent projected in February.

That would be the worst decline since 1998 when the Asian financial crisis damaged the economy.

The economy shrank 1.8 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, the deepest contraction since the fourth quarter of 2011, when there was bad flooding.

That was better than a 4-percent contraction seen in a Reuters poll, and compared with downwardly revised 1.5 percent growth in the final quarter of 2019.

"The outbreak impact in Q2 will be much bigger than in Q1," said Phacharaphot Nugtramas, economist at Krung Thai Bank, who predicts the economy will shrink 8.8 percent this year.

The impact of lockdowns, while having eased somewhat, will continue to affect household spending and private investment for the rest of the year, he added.

On a quarterly basis, the economy shrank a seasonally adjusted 2.2 percent , also the worst decline since 2011, but less than the poll's 4.5 percent decline.

The agency revised October-December's quarterly GDP to a 0.2 contraction from 0.2 percent growth, meaning the economy slipped into a technical recession.

WORSE YET TO COME

The economy will be hit the hardest in the second quarter by lockdowns, Thosaporn Sirisumphand, head of National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), told a news briefing.

"There should be a U-shaped recovery," he said, adding foreign tourists may be allowed to return in the third or fourth quarter.

Thailand on Sunday opened malls and department stores for the first time since March in its second phase of relaxing measures as the number of new coronavirus cases slowed. 

The government has extended a ban on passenger flights until end-June to try to curb the spread, which has infected more than 4 million globally and 3,031 people in the country.

The agency cut its projection for this year's exports and foreign tourist numbers, the main drivers of Thai growth.

It now expects exports to fall 8 percent this year, rather than rise 1.4 percent, and slashed its forecast for foreign tourist numbers this year to 12.7 million, down from 37 million seen earlier, and last year's record 39.8 million.

However, the government's 1 trillion baht ($31.22 billion) borrowing will help, Thosaporn said, referring to the latest step to mitigate the outbreak impact.

Most economists expect the central bank to cut its key interest rate further from a record low of 0.75 percent this week.

"With the outlook for near term growth and the recovery very poor, the Bank of Thailand is set to ease policy further on Wednesday. We have penciled in a 25 bps cut, to a record low 0.5 percent," Capital Economics said in a note.

"Overall, we think the economy will shrink by 9 percent this year, which would be worse than even during the Asian financial crisis."

In the first quarter, foreign tourist numbers tumbled 38 percent from a year earlier, while private investment fell 5.5 percent and public investment dropped 9.3 percent. Private consumption rose at a slower pace of 3 percent. 

-reuters-

Thailand reports biggest daily jump in new coronavirus cases

BANGKOK - Thai officials played down the possibility of "super spreading" of the coronavirus on Thursday as they reported a group of friends were responsible for the biggest daily rise in the country's cases since the outbreak began.

Officials reported 11 new cases, taking the national tally to 70. One person has died.

The new patients are a group of friends who appeared to pass the virus to each other after one of their number was first infected by a tourist who has since returned to Hong Kong, officials said.

The male and female friends, all Thai nationals aged in their 20s and 30s, socialized and shared drinks and cigarettes on 2 occasions in late February.

"The first patient was infected from a tourist from a dangerous communicable disease area," Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Disease Control Department, told reporters. "After that, the person had 2 social activities with close friends."

Officials stressed the foreign source of the group infection and announced they were stepping up travel restrictions for visitors from a list of "designated dangerous communicable disease areas" announced last week. Those include South Korea, China, Macau, Hong Kong, Italy and Iran.

"Visitors from the 6 places will need to present medical certificates before they can obtain boarding passes. They must be prepared for a full state quarantine when they arrive," said Sukhum Kanchanapimai, the health ministry's permanent secretary.

It was not immediately clear where the state quarantine will take place or when it will begin.

Tourism-reliant Thailand had previously said Wednesday that it was temporarily suspending the issuance of visas on arrival and visa waivers to visitors from 22 countries and territories, including China.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Thailand records first coronavirus death - health official

BANGKOK, March 1 (Reuters) - Thailand has recorded its first coronavirus death as a 35-year-old man, who also had dengue fever, dies from the virus, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoen, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said in the news conference on Sunday.

Thailand has recorded 42 coronavirus cases since January, 30 of those have recovered and gone home and 11 are still being treated in hospitals, according to the department. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Tom Houe)

Thailand bars cruise ship amid coronavirus fears

BANGKOK - Thailand has barred passengers from Holland America's cruise ship MS Westerdam from disembarking, its health minister said Tuesday, the latest country to turn it away amid fears of the coronavirus despite no confirmed infections aboard.

The company, owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp, had said on Monday that passengers would disembark in Bangkok on Feb. 13 and that there was no reason to believe anybody aboard had the virus.

"I have issued orders. Permission to dock refused," Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a Facebook post.

The Westerdam has already been turned away from several countries, including Japan, the Philippines and Thailand, amid fears of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 1,000 people and infected more than 40,000 since it was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan less than 2 months ago

Holland America says no one on board has the virus. Media reports say it carries 1,455 passengers and 802 crew; its original destination was Yokohama, Japan, which refused it permission to dock.

"The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports," the company said.

It had earlier said the Westerdam was sailing toward Bangkok, and it is not immediately clear whether the ship would change course.

Another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, with 3,700 passengers and crew on board, is quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama, with 135 cases of coronavirus detected on the Carnival Corp-owned vessel.

Most of the coronavirus cases have been inside China, but there have been 319 cases in 24 other countries, including 1 death, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Traditional markets blamed for virus outbreak are lifeline for Asia's poor

BANGKOK- Millions of poor farmers and workers will lose access to a cheap and easy way to buy and sell fresh food if Asian cities clamp down on traditional wet markets in the wake of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, analysts warned on Friday.

Wet markets, which are a series of stalls that sell fresh vegetables and fruits, live fish, chickens and other meats, are named after the melting of ice used to preserve goods and the washing of floors to clean blood and entrails.

They have come under closer scrutiny in recent weeks after the coronavirus outbreak was linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, China.

That market was shut down, and authorities said they would ban illegal wildlife trade and tighten supervision of wet markets, as a debate raged on social media on whether all wet markets should be closed.

"Wet markets are part of the local culture in Asia, as people believe that meat and produce sold there is fresher and cheaper than in modern retail outlets," said Pavida Pananond, an associate professor of international business at Thammasat University in Bangkok.

Across Asia, governments are keen to modernize their cities increasingly view street vendors and informal markets as a hindrance, and as usurpers of public spaces meant for formal businesses and wealthy residents.

From Bangkok to Manila, authorities are pushing vendors into designated zones and imposing restrictions on informal markets.

The 2002-03 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which started in China and killed about 800 people, was believed to have emerged from wet markets.

Now the coronavirus, which has led to more than 600 deaths and 30,000 cases, may be used as another reason to tighten controls, although no Southeast Asian nation has declared a shutdown of wet markets.

These traditional markets are a lifeline for millions of small farmers, vendors and small businesses said Pavida, adding that shuttering them would have a significant economic and cultural impact on poorer consumers.

"It will be difficult to completely replace them as they serve consumers at the lower end of purchasing power, not to mention their cultural preference," she said.

SOCIAL SPACES

Singapore has long banned the trade of wild animals and slaughter of poultry in markets, and has now issued advisories for "high standards of hygiene and cleanliness", said a spokesman for the National Environment Agency (NEA), which manages 83 markets across the city-state.

The NEA aims to improve markets "so that they remain social spaces where residents of diverse backgrounds can meet and interact while purchasing affordable household groceries and fresh produce in a clean and hygienic environment," he said.

Wet markets have survived because of culinary traditions that call for freshly slaughtered meat and fish as opposed to frozen meats, said Seshan Ramaswami, an associate professor of marketing education at Singapore Management University.

"I don't think the tradition will collapse because of this outbreak. At best, it might lead to more stringent inspection at the source, or much tighter controls when live animals are being traded," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Any shutdown of wet markets would have a big socio-economic impact and must be done gradually as it may lead to increased food insecurity, said Masami Takeuchi, a food safety officer at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.

"Wet markets have been a part of life for many, many centuries. In 2020, they are still an essential part of the culture," she said.

"Obviously there are many challenges in the area of food safety, but with good practices, effective regulation and good inspection schemes, modernization is possible," she said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Thailand finds fourth China coronavirus infection

BANGKOK - Thailand has quarantined a fourth patient with the new coronavirus including 1 Thai national, authorities said on Wednesday, days before the Lunar New Year holiday when thousands of Chinese tourists are expected to arrive.

Nine people have died from the flu-like coronavirus in China, with 440 confirmed cases, most in the central city of Wuhan where the virus first appeared late last year.

The Thai patient, a 73-year-old woman, had traveled to Wuhan during the New Year holidays and developed a fever after returning, the Public Health Ministry said.

She was being monitored in a separate ward in a hospital in Nakhon Pathom, 60 km west of Bangkok, where her condition was gradually improving, it added.

"We can control the situation. There have not been cases of human-to-human transmission in Thailand because we detected the patients as soon as they arrived," Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters.

Two other Chinese patients had recovered and been sent home while a third would return once tests showed he was clear of the virus, Anutin said.

Thai officials were stepping up screening at airports to look for passengers with high body temperatures, coughs, headaches and trouble breathing, police said.

The virus has spread to other cities including Beijing and Shanghai, as well as the United States, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Greeting the Pope

Catholic faithful greet Pope Francis as he visits St. Peter's Parish in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday. Pope Francis met with priests, seminarians and catechists before attending the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) at the Blessed Nicholas Boonkerd Kitbamrung Shrine.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pope Francis meets Thailand’s Buddhist supreme patriarch

Pope Francis meets with Buddhist supreme patriarch Somdet Phra Maha Muniwong, at the Wat Ratchabophit Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday. Pope Francis is currently in Thailand as part of his 32nd Apostolic Journey in Asia to promote interreligious dialogue in the region.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Thai model death 'scandal' casts spotlight on murky industry

BANGKOK -- Thai police investigating a model's unexplained death were hunting for more suspects in a case that has captivated the country and sparked rare outrage over the treatment of women in a poorly understood sector of the entertainment industry.

The body of model-for-hire Thitima Noraphanpiphat was found in the lobby of a Bangkok apartment block on September 17, hours after she attended a party where she was paid to serve drinks.

Police are working to press charges against anyone tied to the "scandal" that led to the 25-year-old's death, spokesman Krissana Pattanacharoen told AFP late Saturday.

The case has made front page news in Thailand and fuelled speculation on social media over what happened to Thitima, who has nearly 85,000 followers on Instagram where many have posted "RIP" on her photos.

The so-called "pretty" industry in Thailand hires promotional models to attend clubs, product launches and car shows.

But critics say it exists in a legal grey area where women at VIP parties can be coerced into drugs, alcohol and sex.

The models can earn around $100 and up for an evening's work -- a significant amount for college students.

Police have already charged seven people connected to the party after CCTV footage went viral showing the main suspect dragging Thitima's lifeless body into an elevator before dumping it on a couch in the lobby.

The inquiry is widening as authorities hope the case will serve as a warning.

"We have opened the investigation into all these people who got involved in this scandal as well, including the agency, the manager... and the customers who enjoyed the party," Krissana said.

"It just goes to show that if you cross the line this is what you will receive."

He said police had not released an official cause of death but that a "very high consumption rate of alcohol" was found in her body.

The man believed to be in the CCTV footage also works in the entertainment industry and has been identified as model Rachadej Wongtabutr.

He was charged this week with illegal detention leading to death after he allegedly took Thitima from the party to his condo and left her on the lobby couch.

Authorities say he has denied wrongdoing.

The six others were released on bail after a separate complaint from another woman hired for the party who said she blacked out and woke up with her clothes removed.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Meth 'disaster' for region as seizures surge in Thailand

BANGKOK - Seizures of high-purity crystal methamphetamine have surged more than tenfold in Thailand over the past 2 years, statistics show, a stark indicator of the growth in industrial-scale production of the stimulant in neighboring Myanmar.

Thailand is a major trafficking route for crystal meth manufactured in Myanmar's Shan and Kachin states, where police say Asian organised crime groups have allied with local pro-government militias and armed rebels to set-up "super labs".

The drug syndicates have distributed the meth across the Asia-Pacific region, from South Korea to New Zealand and most countries in between, authorities say.

Some 18.4 tonnes of crystal meth, also known as ice, was seized in Thailand in 2018, according to preliminary statistics from the country's Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) reviewed by Reuters. The final data is expected to be released publicly next month.

That is up from 5.2 tonnes in 2017 and 1.6 tonnes in 2016. It's more than treble the amount captured across all of Southeast Asia five years ago.

Myanmar's illicit labs also pump out tablets of meth mixed with caffeine, commonly know as "yaba", or crazy pill, in the Thai language. The tablets are popular with low-paid workers in grueling jobs and poor recreational drug users across Southeast Asia.

Thai authorities seized 516 million meth tablets in 2018, more than double the previous year and 4-and-a-half times the 114 million pills captured in 2016.

Niyom Termsrisuk, secretary general of the ONCB, told Reuters that, despite the rising seizures, prices for meth are falling, suggesting far more is eluding authorities than being stopped.

The average price of a meth tablet was 200 baht ($6.33) in 2013. The latest data, for 2017, showed a yaba pill can be bought for as little as 80 baht ($2.50), he said.

By flooding Thailand and other countries with meth, organised crime groups have "generated new users" by enticing them with lower prices, Niyom said. The users then become dependent on the highly addictive drug, creating a bigger market for the product.

"2018 A DISASTER"

Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle - which encompasses northern Myanmar and parts of Laos and Thailand - has long been a hub of illicit drug trafficking.

While opium cultivation and heroin refining has fallen in the past decade, methamphetamine production has more than filled the breach.

"It's hard to say anything other than 2018 was a disaster for the meth supply coming out of Myanmar," said Jeremy Douglas, the Asia representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Law enforcement agencies were overwhelmed while "health authorities are seriously under-resourced and have limited capacity to offer treatment", he added.

Regional police and analysts told Reuters that organised crime groups exploit the semi-lawless northern Myanmar borderlands, doing deals with the multitude of ethnic armed gangs and state-sponsored militias who control territory there.

The ONCB's Niyom said 8 tonnes of crystal meth had been captured en route to southern Thailand and the border with Malaysia in 2018. From there, "it was on its way to other markets", he said.

In the past year, police have intercepted boats laden with meth that left the Malaysian city of Penang. Syndicates also use "motherships" that pick up the drugs in the Andaman Sea and distribute them as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.

Meth from Myanmar has also been found smuggled in shipping containers in the Philippines and Malaysia.

According to regional anti-drugs police, who spoke on condition of anonymity, chemists are brought in from Taiwan and China to run the meth labs in Myanmar, while the precursors and lab equipment mostly come from China.

Last month, Myanmar's military intercepted state-of-the-art laboratory equipment near Muse, a city in Shan state on the Chinese border.

Regional police say the crystal meth produced in Myanmar is the purest they have seen.

According to an ONCB briefing document reviewed by Reuters, 99.92 percent of the crystal meth seized in Thailand in the first 6 months of 2018 was 90 percent pure or higher.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Venerating the past, traditional costume fever grips Thailand

BANGKOK - Business is booming for Siri Seatea's traditional dress shop in Bangkok.

"Out of the 30 years I've been running this shop, this is the peak for us," 53-year-old Siri told Reuters as she stitched a Thai sarong for a client.

History fever is gripping Thailand and a growing number of Thais are wearing traditional dress, a phenomenon encouraged by the junta and the palace, and fuelled by a popular television soap opera.

But the trend, which began with a 'winter fair' initiated by King Maha Vajiralongkorn in February, has also been criticized by some as an attempt to glorify an era of absolute monarchy and gloss over the junta's shortcomings nearly 4 years after it took power.

"History has long been used by the elite to maintain their status in politics," said Anusorn Unno, Dean of the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology at Thammasat University.

"Right now the junta is facing new challenges from a new generation of people so they have retreated to history to say that the past is better and more suitable for Thailand."

Among the popular costumes are those worn during the reign of former King Chulalongkorn, known as Rama V, who ruled from 1868 to 1910 and is credited with saving Thailand from Western colonialism.

Television has also played a part.

"Love Destiny", a soap opera set during the 1656 to 1688 reign of King Narai the Great, has taken Thailand by storm.

Many Thais are visiting the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, where scenes from "Love Destiny" take place. They pose for "selfies" dressed in traditional garb against the backdrop of the ruins.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha met with cast members this week at Government House and hailed the series as an example of the government's longstanding policy of promoting 'Thai-ness'.

Prayuth's own cabinet has held some recent meetings in the traditional dress of a 19th century elite. He dressed in a buttoned up silk jacket, breeches and a wide sash.

A coup led by Prayuth in 2014 followed months of unrest as demonstrators supporting the urban middle class and military-backed elite demanded the resignation of then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose biggest following was among the rural poor.

That long-standing division shows little sign of having disappeared despite four years of military rule.

Although the junta has now promised elections for February 2019, signs of frustration over repeated delays to the ballot have prompted protests in recent weeks.

'COSTUME FEVER'

In Ayutthaya, 80 km (50 miles) north of Bangkok, visitor numbers have nearly tripled since "Love Destiny" began, according to officials quoted by local media.

"It was booming since the winter fair held by our king and then this soap opera fueled the Thai costume fever," said Chutima Wongchiangkwang, 55, a costume vendor.

Wearing traditional clothes can get you a discount at the cinema. The country's Major Cineplex Group announced this week a buy 1, get 1 free promotion.

Flight attendants for national carrier Thai Airways International are also dressing up in national costumes from the reign of King Rama V this month to mark the Thai New Year festival known as Songkran.

This weekend, Thais flocked to an event initiated by the king ahead of the Thai new year festival of Songkran - which for many has become a rowdy water-soaked affair.

The palace event, over 3 days, aims to revive a more sedate vision of Thailand's culture with tribute being paid to past kings, Buddhist rites and displays of folklore.

"The public is encouraged to dress in traditional Thai period costume, wear Thai clothing or polite smart casual attire," the Thai tourist authority's news website said. "Water guns and baby powder pasting are discouraged."

Back at the Siriroong Ruang shop, Maneejan Srilert, 23, an employee at the Stock Exchange of Thailand, eyed a gold and red traditional skirt to wear to an office party.

"I don't think of it as a political thing," she told Reuters. "For me it's just fashion." 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Dining goes digital for Thailand's street food vendors

BANGKOK - Bangkok's famous street-food vendors have joined the digital revolution, embracing payment via Quick Response (QR) barcodes that can be read using smartphones.

Thailand is famous for its traditional street stalls that offer everything from stir-fried noodles to clothes and for many Thais eating out at a pavement stall is part of their daily routine.

Now, some vendors in the capital Bangkok are offering digital transactions after the Bank of Thailand (BOT) last week gave the green light for five banks including Bangkok Bank and Siam Commercial Bank to implement electronic payment systems using QR codes.

"The global trend is towards a 'cashless society' as it is more convenient and there is proof of transaction. The QR code system would be most practical in Thailand as less investment is needed on behalf of vendors," Somsak Khaosuwan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, told Reuters.

At Samyan Market, a market and shopping area in Bangkok that sells everything from vegetables to handbags, vendors said QR codes were taking off although some shoppers still prefer to use cash, particularly those who are less tech-savvy.

"I don't need to worry about finding change," said Kitti Khoonphisitwong, 40, a dried-fruit vendor.

"But most customers, especially older people, find the app a hassle," he said.

Shoppers in their 20s and 30s said they were more inclined to use the system.

"I often shop online so I have no issue with digital transactions," said Thanachanok Teesakul, 20, a student.

Scams using fraudulent QR codes are on the rise in China, where digital payments are booming. Somsak said Thailand needs to ensure QR payment systems are secure.

"We need to make people feel comfortable in using the system," he said.

(Reporting by Suphanida Thakral; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Eric Meijer)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Snap! Selfie-seeking tourist bitten by Thai croc

BANGKOK - A French tourist was bitten by a crocodile inside a Thai national park as she tried to get close to the fearsome animal to take a selfie, an official said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday afternoon in Khao Yai, a popular national park filled with dense jungle hiking trails and waterfalls three hours north of Bangkok.

"She wanted to take selfie with the crocodile who was lying down near a stream," a park official told AFP, asking not to be named because he did not have the authority to speak to the media.

"It was startled and bit her on the leg."

The official said two crocodiles had made their home on that particular section of the park for years with warning signs laid out.

"I guess that she wanted to see it for real," he added.

Local media posted pictures of park rangers dressed in camouflage carrying the 47-year-old victim strapped to a stretcher, a thick bandage wrapped around her knee.

Another shot showed a ranger pointing to a pool of blood close to a sign saying in Thai and English "Danger Crocodile No Swimming".

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment and is expected to recover.

Siamese crocodiles were once ubiquitous across South East Asia but their populations have been decimated in the last century by hunting and habitat loss.

They are currently listed as critically endangered on the IUCN's red list.

In Thailand there are just a handful of wild populations left in central and western national parks.

Most tourists will only see them in crocodile parks, many of which have been criticised by animal rights groups for controversial feeding practices.

ju-jta/tm

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Thailand bars entry to teenage HK activist whose supporters blame China

BANGKOK/HONG KONG - A Hong Kong student activist who helped organize pro-democracy protests in the Chinese-ruled city in 2014 was detained on arrival in Thailand on Wednesday, immigration officials said, with his supporters accusing China of being behind the move.

Bespectacled Joshua Wong, 19, was detained in Bangkok where he had been invited to speak at two universities about Hong Kong's "Umbrella Movement" street protests and on setting up his political party, Demosisto.

The protests in Hong Kong, the former British colony which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, presented Communist Party rulers in Beijing with one of their biggest political headaches in decades.

Wong was given 80 hours of community service by a Hong Kong court in August on a charge of unlawful assembly for taking part in a sit-in at the height of the protests in the Asian financial hub.

Thailand has been ruled by a military junta since a 2014 coup which was widely condemned by the West. Since then, the generals running Thailand have forged closer ties with Beijing.

Reuters was unable to reach the Thai government for comment on Wong's detention.

Wong said in a Facebook post on Tuesday night that he was concerned about his trip to Bangkok.

"We all know Thailand is not politically stable... It is also clear that it is close to the Chinese Communist Party," he said.

Wong was denied entry by Malaysia in May 2015 when he was due to give a series of talks on democracy in China.

Wong was invited by Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science to speak on the 40th anniversary of the bloody crackdown by the Thai army on student protesters. Organizers said he was detained at Bangkok's main airport on Wednesday morning.

Immigration officials confirmed to Reuters that Wong was prevented from entering Thailand and would be sent back to Hong Kong. Officials said they were under orders not to speak to the media about why Wong had been refused entry.

Human Rights Watch condemned Wong's detention.

"Thailand's arrest of Joshua Wong, a well-known pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, sadly suggests that Bangkok is willing to do Beijing's bidding," Sophie Richardson, China Director for Human Rights Watch, said in an email.

Demosisto, the political party that Wong heads in Hong Kong, also called for his release.

Thailand, Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy, is slowly recovering from the events of 2014, when months of street protests and the coup almost brought economic activity to a standstill.

Since then, the military has clamped down on dissent and banned political protests.

--- with additional reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com