A match made in dating app

A man and a woman pose for a photo at a "Pray and swipe right" event organized by online dating app Tinder, with a photo booth where people can take profile pictures for their new accounts and free offering sets at the Trimurti shrine on Valentine's Day in Bangkok, Thailand on Monday. The Trimurti Shrine is believed to bring love to those who worship before it. 

-reuters

Thai monks don protective gear as COVID cases surge

BANGKOK - As COVID cases surge in Thailand, some Buddhist monks are donning PPE over their distinctive robes, delivering oxygen cylinders, taking nasal samples to help with testing, and even helping carry the dead to the crematoriums.

Thailand is struggling to contain its latest outbreak fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant, leaving healthcare services stretched and further damaging a battered economy.

"There are a lot of Thais who are still ignored by the public health system," Mahapromphong, 33, the deputy abbot of Suthi Wararam Temple in the Thai capital, told AFP. 

"We take care of everyone we come across."

Since July 21 he has been working in Bangkok's poorer neighborhoods, distributing oxygen tanks, food and medical supplies to the needy as well as taking samples for testing.

Monks are highly respected in the Buddhist kingdom, and they were inundated with donations once word got out, he adds.

He learned how to do nasal swabs from the doctors and nurses working in his temple, which doubles as an isolation center for those infected with the virus. 

One man winced as Mahapromphong removed the swab and deposited the sample in a plastic pot.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," the man said, his eyes watering. 

"Monks are able to live because we rely on people's donation," Mahapromphong told AFP.

"So it's time for us to give back to the people. At the very least, we could encourage them to keep fighting."

Supornchaithammo, a monk at Chin Wararam Worawiharn Temple, helps with the grimmer task of taking the bodies to the crematorium.

"I'm willing to take the risk here," he said. "If I contract the virus then I'm ready to accept it without any regret."

'EVERYBODY NEEDS A HELPING HAND'

Thailand has reported over 597,000 coronavirus cases and more than 4,800 deaths.

The bulk of the new infections were detected since April, when the latest wave was sparked by a cluster at an upscale Bangkok nightlife district frequented by the politically connected.

Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha's administration has been roundly criticized for its handling of the pandemic, from accusations of vaccine mismanagement to the lack of government compensation for affected sectors.

Monk Supornchaithammo says he never expected this to be his routine, but is happy to help.

"I didn't have it in my head that I would be doing something like this when I was ordained," he told AFP.

"But with a situation like this, everybody needs a helping hand and I'm proud to be here."

Agence France-Presse

Thailand warns COVID-19 surge pushing hospitals to the brink

Hospitals in Thailand's capital Bangkok and surrounding province are running out of beds due to a jump in COVID-19 patients, a health official said on Thursday, as the country reported a record number of infections for the fourth time this week.

Thailand has in the last few months been struggling with its worst outbreak since the start of the pandemic, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, first detected in India.

The country's COVID-19 task force reported on Thursday 17,669 coronavirus cases and 165 deaths, both record highs, while it said 21 of the fatalities died at home.

"We don't know where to put the sick people anymore, the ER (emergency room) units in many hospitals have to be temporarily closed because they no longer have bed spaces," Somsak Akksilp, head of the Department of Medical Services, told a news conference.

In Bangkok and nearby provinces, more than 1,200 people were waiting for hospital beds and over 6,000 called a hotline over the past week requesting treatment, health authorities said.

There are more than 37,000 hospital beds in Bangkok, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Earlier in the pandemic, all COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals, but Somsak said authorities last month brought in home isolation for more than 30,000 people in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The government has also been converting public places in Bangkok into temporary field hospitals for COVID-19 patients as the spike in cases strains the city's health system.

The jump in infections has increased pressure on the government to boost the sluggish pace of vaccinations, with only 5.6% of Thailand's more than 66 million people fully vaccinated.

Thailand won plaudits for containing the coronavirus for most of last year, but authorities have struggled to halt the wave of cases starting in April that has taken total infections to 561,030, with 4,562 fatalities.

-reuters

Thailand to mix Sinovac, AstraZeneca vaccines to increase protection

BANGKOK - Thailand's immunization strategy against the coronavirus will see a shot of AstraZeneca's viral vector vaccine administered after one dose of Sinovac's vaccine, its health minister said on Monday.

The plan, if implemented, would be the first publicly announced mix and match of a Chinese vaccine and a Western-developed shot.

The move aims to increase protection against highly transmissible variants, Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters.

"This is to improve protection against the Delta variant and build high level of immunity against the disease," Health Minister Anutin said, referring to the variant first detected in Indonesia.

Thailand and neighbors like Indonesia have reported breakthrough infections among medical and frontline workers inoculated with Sinovac's inactivated virus vaccine.

The majority of Thailand's medical and frontline workers were given Sinovac's shots after February with the viral vector vaccine from AstraZeneca AZN.L arriving in June.

-reuters

Asia's rising coronavirus cases a worry as vaccine doubts cloud campaigns

SINGAPORE - India, South Korea and Thailand faced mounting coronavirus infections on Thursday, undermining cautious hopes that Asia might be emerging from the worst of the pandemic as worries about safety threatened to delay vaccination drives.

India reported a record 126,789 new cases, the third day this week tallies have surged to more than 100,000, catching by surprise authorities who have blamed crowding and a reluctance to wear masks as shops and offices reopen.

More infectious variants of the virus may have played a role in India's surge, some epidemiologists say, with hundreds of cases found of variants first detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil.

The alarming numbers have led to New Zealand putting a temporary ban on anyone arriving from India, even for the first time blocking New Zealand citizens from coming home, for about two weeks.

"We are temporarily suspending entry into New Zealand for travellers from India," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference in Auckland.

New Zealand, which has virtually eliminated the virus within its borders, recorded 23 new cases at its border on Thursday, 17 from India.

Two other countries that managed to largely keep the coronavirus under control during the first year of the pandemic were also grappling with new waves, though smaller than India's.

South Korea reported 700 new cases on Thursday, its highest daily figure since early January, and the prime minister warned that new social distancing rules would likely be needed.

Thailand, which has been planning a cautious re-opening of its tourist industry, reported a rise in new daily infections to 405 on Thursday, taking its total number of infections to 30,310, with 95 deaths.

Adding to Thai worries, it has detected 24 cases of a highly contagious virus variant first detected in Britain, its first reported domestic transmission of the variant.

Cases are also rising in parts of Europe but South America is the most worrying region of the world for infections, with cases mounting in nearly every country, the director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday.

SUSPENDING SHOTS

Asia's increasing cases comes as worries are growing over the safety of one of the most prominent vaccines against the virus.

The European Medicines Agency on Wednesday said it found rare cases of blood clots among some adult recipients of AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine, although it said the vaccine's advantages still outweighed the risks.

Both South Korea and the Philippines have suspended use of the vaccine for people under 60 because of possible links to blood clots, while Australia and Taiwan said they would continue to use it.

Worry about the vaccine could delay immunisation drives in Asia, some of which are already dogged by supply problems. Campaigns in most parts of Asia lag those in places like Britain and the United States.

Australia's program to vaccinate its near 26 million people is more than 80 percent behind its original schedule.

Authorities there had pledged to administer at least 4 million first doses by the end of March but could only deliver 670,000. The government blamed supply issues from Europe.

While India's cases mount, vaccine centres in several parts of the country, including hardest-hit Maharashtra state, have been running out of supplies.

China, where the novel coronavirus emerged in late 2019, is driving ahead with its vaccination campaign, administering about 3.68 million doses on Wednesday, taking its total number of doses given to 149.07 million, authorities said.

Japan's vaccinations are far behind those in most major economies, with only one vaccine approved and about 1 million people having received a first dose since February, even as it struggles with new cases.

Infections in Tokyo spiked by 545 cases on Thursday, adding to worries about the Olympics and Paralympics, delayed from last year and now due to start at the end of July.

The government scrambled to calm a social media furore saying it was not looking to prioritise vaccines for its Olympic athletes, dismissing a media report that it was considering doing so.

Japan is not insisting that arriving athletes be vaccinated but there will be frequent tests while they are in Japan. There will be no foreign spectators and a decision on domestic ones has yet to be made.

-reuters

Families claim their dead as Thais mourn 29 killed in mass shooting

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand — Grieving relatives of 29 people murdered by a rogue soldier in Thailand held Buddhist prayer ceremonies Monday (Feb 10), as questions multiply over how and why the unprecedented shooting spree happened.

Holding portraits of their relatives and dabbing away tears, families of the victims arrived at a city morgue in Nakhon Ratchasima, better known as Korat, to carry home coffins bearing their dead.



The killer started his rampage on Saturday afternoon with weapons stolen from a barracks' arsenal, where he gunned down Mehta Lertsiri, 22, who was guarding the depot.

"I don't know what to do next," Mehta's grief-stricken grandfather, Udom Prapotsang, said outside of the morgue waiting to claim his body.

"His four-year-old son keeps asking why he can't call his dad. I will remember to tell him fond stories about his dad."

Flowers and messages of condolences mounted outside the bullet-riddled mall where a terrifying siege unfolded Saturday night.

The killer, armed with automatic weapons, held out for 17 hours as hundreds of shoppers cowered in toilets, storerooms and under tables.

"RIP Korat, we will not forget," said one of the condolence messages left in a growing tribute outside the Terminal 21 mall in the northeastern city.

The gunman - Sergeant-Major Jakrapanth Thomma - was shot dead by a commando unit Sunday morning, ending a rampage that left 29 dead and scores more wounded.

A Buddhist monk in orange robes led a prayer ceremony on a grass verge outside the mall for Peeraphat Palasan, who was shot dead as the gunman sprayed bullets into traffic, killing the 25-year-old engineer and causing his car to crash.

His father, Witoon, was among a dozen mourners crying, kneeling, hands clasped - some holding incense sticks - in prayer.

"My son had just finished work and came here to go shopping," Witoon said. "I never thought I would lose him so soon."

Lucky survivors have recounted hiding across the mall, keeping up to speed with the gunman's movements through friends on the outside and snippets of CCTV footage shared over messaging groups.

As Korat - and the country - mourned, there were growing questions about why the gunman went on a killing spree over an apparent private debt to a senior officer and how he was able to steal weapons, including an M60 machine gun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Divisive Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha was hammered on social media for a tone-deaf response to the crisis during a visit to the city on Sunday where he posed for selfies, high-fived a crowd and smiled before shutting down questions from the media at a press conference.

"There should be no smiles, joking around and touching hands like people are your fan club," popular blogger Sorakon Adulyanon, aka Noom Muang Chan, said on Facebook.

Others drew unfavourable comparisons with the dignified response of New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to the Christchurch mass shooting last year.

As criticism snowballed, the gruff former army chief Prayut was prodded into a rare act of contrition late Sunday.

"We are all saddened by what happened," he said on his official Facebook page.

"I intended to offer my moral support ... my expression may have been misunderstood or made many people uncomfortable."

Agence France-Presse

Thai princess disqualified from list of candidates for PM

BANGKOK, Thailand — Thai Princess Ubolratana was on Monday formally disqualified for running for prime minister, ending her brief and ill-fated political union with a party allied to the powerful Shinawatra clan, just days after a stern royal command rebuking her candidacy was issued by her brother, the king.

Uncertainty and conjecture have coursed through Thailand since Friday when the Thai Raksa Chart party made the explosive announcement of Princess Ubolratana, King Maha Vajiralongkorn's elder sister, as their candidate for premier after the March 24 election.

Her tilt appeared to some to be a masterstroke of back-room dealings by Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire self-exiled ex-premier, just weeks before the poll.


But just hours later it fell apart.

A royal command from the king put a pin in her unprecedented political aspirations, insisting the monarchy was above politics and describing his sister's candidacy as "highly inappropriate."

Thailand's incredibly wealthy and powerful monarchy is revered by Thais and protected by a draconian lese majeste law. The king's word is seen as final.

On Monday the Election Commission formally scratched her candidacy.

"The EC today has announced the name of candidates excluding Princess Ubolratana proposed by the Thai Raksa Chart party," it said in a statement, explaining "all royal family members are above politics." 

Despite its brevity, the princess's foray into politics has electrified the political landscape of the country, as speculation over who wins and loses from her tilt ricochets across the kingdom.

Coups and plots 

Chatter of an impending coup against the ruling junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha and a major change in army top brass has billowed out, with the hashtag #coup trending in the top 10 on Thai Twitter.

On Monday junta chief Prayut on Monday was forced to dismiss rumours of an impending coup as "fake news."

"Rumors...? We're investigating. Fake news," he told reporters at Government House.

The gruff former general, masterminded a putsch against the government of Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's sister, in 2014.

Meanwhile, a chastened Thai Raksa Chart, a key pillar in Thaksin's election strategy, agreed to comply with the royal command.

It may face censure by election authorities that could ultimately see it dissolved, although it was not clear if any ban could be in place before the election takes place.

Thailand's generals have a penchant for coups, backroom plotting and factional struggles.

They have grabbed power 12 times since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, including against existing juntas seen to have over-stepped their mark.

Prayut has agreed to stand for premier after the election and is aided by an army-scripted constitution.

But critics say he has personalised power and outstayed his welcome with a public wearied by his finger-jabbing style.

The king appointed a new army chief, Apirat Kongsompong, last year from a rival faction of the army to Prayut and his junta allies.

Recent days have seeded unease, with the first election in eight years now seemingly dependent on behind-the-scenes power plays by the elite.

Meanwhile, the fate of Thai Raksa Chart hangs in the balance.

The party, a second to the Thaksin political powerhouse Pheu Thai, was expected to help the Shinawatra machine secure a majority in the 350-seat lower house.

But it is under intense pressure following its bid to bring in the princess.

"I think the party leader and board should take a responsibility by resigning," said Srisuwan Janya of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, a royalist activist group, who submitted a petition to election authorities Monday calling for the party's censure.

source: philstar.com

#TeamCatrionaGray: Filipino supporters arrive in Thailand ahead of Miss Universe 2018

BANGKOK, Thailand — Two days before the final competition of Miss Universe 2018, some Filipinos flew from Philippines to Thailand just to support Filipina bet Catriona Gray.

On Saturday afternoon, a number of Filipino supporters turned heads at the Suvarnabhumi airport as they donned the replica crowns of Miss Universe and sash to proudly show support for Catriona.

These Filipinos who flew from Manila found they shared love for Miss Universe pageant when they arrived at the airport. They are set to watch the live coronation event of the pageant slated Monday morning (Philippine time.)


Pageant enthusiast Albert Paran, who came all the way from Cebu, said he is very excited to watch the pageant live. He is a fan of Catriona.

“Parang dream come true,” he said, adding that Catriona's victory is his Christmas wish.

Also present in Bangkok is former Miss Universe 2011 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup-Lee. She also wore the replica Mikimoto and diamond blue sapphire crowns brought by doctor Loyd Brendan Norella.

Loyd is one of the volunteers of LoveYourself Inc., an HIV advocacy group that Catriona supports.

He said he also traveled to Bangkok to support his friend Catriona

Win or lose, Loyd said he is proud that the Philippines was beautifully represented by Catriona.

On Wednesday, Filipino-American and YouTube vlogger Jerome Bediones also arrived in Bangkok to watch the Miss Universe pageant and back Catriona. He flew from Washington State.

Jerome watched the preliminary pageant which he said was nailed by the 24-year-old Filipina bet.

“Philippines, Catriona Gray, stole the show. So much confidence with her walk, and it may sound biased (I really don't think so) but she has the whole package when it comes to being a Miss Universe. Just looking at her, you can tell she leads with empathy and compassion, but also is stunning,” Jerome said.

Meanwhile, Albert Paran and retired flight attendant and registered nurse Mickey Rodriguez said they will both wear national costumes on Monday.

Albert said he had Philippine traditional clothing kimona designed for the pageant while Mickey said he will wear barong Tagalog.

“Gusto kasi niya (Catriona) nationalistic,” Mickey said.

Other supporters said they will wear tuxedo that bears Philippine flag.

Catriona, a former candidate for Miss World, is set to compete against 93 other representatives from across the globe at the Impact Arena in Bangkok on Monday. She is vying to bring back the crown to the Philippines three years after Pia Wurtzbach won the pageant in 2015.

source: philstar.com

Thai bay made famous in 'The Beach' shut indefinitely

BANGKOK, Thailand — The glittering Thai bay immortalized in the movie "The Beach" will be closed indefinitely to allow it to recover from the impact of hordes of tourists, an official said Wednesday, as a temporary ban on visitors expired.

Maya Bay, ringed by cliffs on Ko Phi Phi Ley island, was made famous when it featured in the 2000 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

It was initially shut for four months in June due to beach erosion and pollution as the white-sand paradise sagged under pressure from thousands of day-trippers arriving by boat.

But a survey of the problem during the temporary ban made clear that the short-term fix was not going to work and that the damage was worse than originally thought.

"We have evaluated each month and found out that the ecological system was seriously destroyed from tourism of up to 5,000 people daily," Songtam Suksawang, director of the National Parks office, told AFP.

"It's very difficult to remedy and rehabilitate because its beach was completely destroyed as well the plants which cover it," he said, adding it was "impossible" for recovery to occur in the allotted time.

Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation announced the indefinite closure in a royal gazette published on October 1.

It said that the restrictions on tourism would not be lifted until the ecosystem "fully recovers to a normal situation".

Besides beach erosion, heavy traffic around the azure waters can also damage sensitive coral reefs, already vulnerable to rising sea temperatures and climate change.

Countries across the region from the Philippines to Indonesia are waking up to the problem of beach tourism overload and the plastic waste and degradation that can come with it.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announced in April a six-month closure of the popular Boracay beach resort, calling the destination a "cesspool".

And Indonesia declared a "garbage emergency" last year along a stretch of the resort island of Bali, after coastal pollution was highlighted in a viral video that showed a diver swimming through waters full of trash.

source: philstar.com

'Everyone is safe' after daring rescue of 13 in Thai cave

MAE SAI, Thailand — "Everyone is safe." With those three words posted on Facebook the daring rescue mission to extricate 12 boys and their soccer coach from the treacherous confines of a flooded cave in Thailand was complete — a grueling 18-day ordeal that claimed the life of an experienced diver and riveted people worldwide.

Thailand's Navy SEALs, who were central to the rescue effort, celebrated the feat with a post Tuesday evening that read: "All the thirteen Wild Boars are now out of the cave," — a reference to the boys' soccer team. "We are not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what."

Eight of the boys were rescued by a team of Thai and international divers on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, the final four boys and their coach were guided out of the cave. Their rescue was followed a few hours later by the safe return of a medic and three SEAL divers who had stayed for days with the boys in their cramped, dry refuge.


Cheers erupted from the dozens of volunteers and journalists awaiting news of whether the intricate and high-risk rescue mission had succeeded. Helicopters transporting the boys roared overhead. People on the street cheered and clapped when ambulances ferrying them on the last leg of their journey from the cave arrived at a hospital in Chiang Rai city in far northern Thailand near the Myanmar border.

Their joy and relief was echoed around the globe by the multitude of people who had followed the long ordeal.

Payap Maiming, who helped provide food and necessities to rescue workers and journalists, noted that fact.

"I'm happy for Thais all over the country," he said. "And actually just everyone in the world because every news channel has presented this story and this is what we have been waiting for."

"It's really a miracle," Payap said. "It's hope and faith that has brought us this success."

Amporn Sriwichai, an aunt of rescued coach Ekkapol Chantawong, was ecstatic. "If I see him, I just want to hug him and tell him that I missed him very much," she said.

The plight of the boys and their coach captivated much of the world — from the heart-sinking news that they were missing, to the first flickering video of the huddle of anxious yet smiling boys when they were found by a pair of British divers 10 days later. The group had entered the sprawling Tham Luang cave to go exploring after soccer practice on June 23, but monsoon rains soon filled the tight passageways, blocking their escape.

Each of the boys, ages 11 to 16 and with no diving experience, was guided out by a pair of divers in the three-day high-stakes operation. The route, in some places just a crawl space, had oxygen canisters positioned at regular intervals to refresh each team's air supply.

Highlighting the dangers, a former Thai Navy SEAL died Friday while replenishing the canisters.

Cave-diving experts had warned diving the youngsters out was potentially too risky. But Thai officials, acutely aware the monsoon rains could trap the boys for months, seized a window of opportunity provided by relatively mild weather. A massive effort to pump out water made the winding passageways more navigable. And the confidence of the diving team, and expertise specific to the cave, grew after its first successful mission Sunday.

"We did something nobody thought possible," Chiang Rai province acting Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, leader of the rescue effort, said at a celebratory news conference.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, speaking Tuesday before the final rescue was completed, said the boys were given an anti-anxiety medication to help with their perilous removal from the cave.

Asked at a news conference in Bangkok if the boys had been sedated, Prayuth said: "Who would chloroform them? If they're chloroformed, how could they come out? It's called anxiolytic, something to make them not excited, not stressed."

Prayuth said the Tham Luang cave would be closed for some time to make it safe for visitors.

The first eight boys brought out were doing well and were in good spirits at the hospital. They received a treat on Tuesday: bread with chocolate spread that they had requested.

Jedsada Chokdumrongsuk, permanent secretary at the Public Health Ministry, said the boys rescued Sunday were able to eat normal food by Tuesday, though they couldn't yet take the spicy dishes favored by many Thais.

Two of the boys possibly have a lung infection but all eight are generally "healthy and smiling," he said.

"The kids are footballers, so they have high immune systems," Jedsada told a news conference. "Everyone is in high spirits and is happy to get out. But we will have a psychiatrist evaluate them."

It could be at least a week before they can be released from the hospital, he said.

For now the boys were in isolation to try to keep them safe from infections by outsiders. But family members have seen at least some of the boys from behind a glass barrier.

It was clear doctors were taking a cautious approach. Jedsada said they were uncertain what type of infections the boys could face "because we have never experienced this kind of issue from a deep cave."

If medical tests show no dangers after another two days, parents will be able to enter the isolation area dressed in sterilized clothing, staying 2 meters (yards) away from the boys, said another public health official, Tosthep Bunthong.

John Tangkitcharoenthawon, a local village chairman, was bursting with happiness over the successful rescue.

"If this place had a roof, the morale has gone straight through it," he said.

President Donald Trump joined those paying tribute to the rescuers.

"On behalf of the United States, congratulations to the Thai Navy SEALs and all on the successful rescue of the 12 boys and their coach from the treacherous cave in Thailand," he tweeted. "Such a beautiful moment — all freed, great job!"

One of soccer's most popular teams, Manchester United, expressed its relief over the rescue and invited the boys and their coach, as well as those who saved them, to come see the team play on their home ground this season.

A message posted on the English Premier League club's Twitter account said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected. We would love to welcome the team from Wild Boars Football Club and their rescuers to Old Trafford this coming season."

The international soccer federation, FIFA, had already invited the boys to attend the World Cup final in Russia this Sunday. However, doctors treating the boys said it was too soon for them to make the trip.

source: philstar.com

Rescuers race to drain water inside Thai cave before rains

MAE SAI, Thailand — With more rain coming, Thai rescuers are racing against time to pump out water from a flooded cave before they can extract 12 boys and their soccer coach with minimum risk, officials said Thursday.

A firefighter who has been working on draining the water said that levels in parts of a passage leading to a chamber where the boys and the coach were found on Monday after missing for 10 days was still flooded all the way to the ceiling, making diving the only way out.

“What we worry most is the weather,” Chiang Rai provincial Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn told reporters. “We can’t risk having the flood back into the cave.”
He said he asked Thai navy SEALs in charge of extraction plans to estimate what sort of a risk would be involved to take them out and “what kind of readiness we can have today and decide if we can take that chance.” He said that not all 13 may be extracted at the same time depending on their condition. He said earlier that the boys have been practicing wearing diving masks and breathing, but he doesn’t believe they have attempted any practice dives.


“This morning, I have asked for 13 sets of (diving) equipment to be prepared and checked the equipment lists and place them inside (the cave) in case we have to bring them out in this condition with less than 100 percent readiness,” he said.

Officials have said they prefer to get the boys out as soon as possible because heavy rain is expected to start by Saturday, which almost surely will raise water levels again in the cave, making passage in some areas even more difficult if not impossible.

They are hoping that an upgraded draining effort can lower the water level in an area where it is still at the ceiling or just about. The idea is to get some headroom so the boys would not be reliant on scuba apparatus for a long stretch and could keep their heads above water.

The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach disappeared after they went exploring in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in the northern province after a soccer game June 23.
Authorities said the boys, who appeared skinny but in good health in several videos released by the Thai navy, were being looked after by seven members of the Thai SEALs, including medics, who were staying with them inside the cave. They were mostly in stable condition and have received high-protein drinks.

In all of the videos, the boys appeared in good spirits. In the most recent video, a navy SEAL is shown treating minor cuts on the feet and legs of the boys with antibiotic ointment. Several of the boys are seen smiling as they interact with the navy SEAL, who cracks jokes.

Seeing the boys has boosted the mood of their family members, and officials are working to install an internet cable to the cave so that parents can talk to their children.

Kian Kamluang, whose 16-year-old son, Pornchai, is in the cave, said she had thought there was a 50 percent chance that her son would be found.

“It’s like he has been given a new life,” she said, adding that she’ll never let her son go into a cave or near water again.

While efforts to pump out floodwaters are continuing, some Thai officials have indicated that heavy rains forecast for this weekend could force them to decide the boys should swim and dive out using the same complicated route of narrow passageways through which their rescuers entered.

Authorities said they were still exploring other options, such as scouring the mountainside for other ways into the cave and finding faster ways to pump water from the cave.

Cave rescue experts have said it could be safest to simply supply the boys where they are for now, and wait for the water to go down. That could take months, however, given that Thailand’s rainy season typically lasts through October.

Experienced divers are wary of taking out the boys through the dark and dangerous waters still in the cave, especially since they are untrained.

“We are talking kilometers of transport under the water with zero visibility,” said Claus Rasmusen, a certified cave diving instructor based in Thailand who has been helping Thai SEAL team with logistics. “It’s difficult.”

He said it was awkward, but possible, to teach them minimal skills.

“Nobody will teach anyone a full cave course, but trying to get them comfortable with masks, with the breathing, (is) completely different,” he said. “Creating an environment that can make them safely get away, that’s feasible.”

source: philstar.com

Facebook still accessible in Thailand as government deadline passes

The Facebook social media site was still available in Thailand on Tuesday after concerns arose that authorities would shut it down if Facebook did not take down content deemed threatening to national security.

Thailand’s telecoms regulator said last week it would give Facebook Thailand until Tuesday to take down 131 web addresses with content deemed threatening to security or which violated strict lese majeste laws.

The threat prompted a flurry of concern in the Southeast Asian country – one of the most Facebook-active countries in Asia – that Facebook would be blocked.

Morakot Kulthamyothin, president of the Thai Internet Service Provider Association (TISPA), which includes 19 landline and mobile ISPs, as well as major international internet gateway operators covering 90% of the country, said there was no plan to block access to Facebook in Thailand yet.

“We haven’t discussed that action to shutdown Facebook,” Morakot told reporters.

On Tuesday, Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the telecoms commission, went to the TISPA head office to inspect whether all 131 sites authorities had asked Facebook to remove had been taken down.

He is expected to speak to reporters later on Tuesday.

Days after a May 2014 coup by the military, Thailand’s Information Communications Technology Ministry temporarily blocked access to Facebook saying it had received orders to do so by the military in order to suspend content critical of the military.

The junta denied it had ordered the action.

Thailand’s military government has ramped up online censorship, particularly perceived insults to the monarchy, since seizing power in a 2014 coup.

Last month Thailand also banned its citizens from making any online contact with three vocal critics of the monarchy.

Last week the secretary-general of The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand said the Ministry of Digital Economy would file a complaint with police this week to press charges against Facebook Thailand under the Computer Crime Act and commerce ministry regulations.

source: beta.interaksyon.com

Wave of attacks hit southern Thailand after signing of new constitution

Thai police on Friday reported 22 attacks, including at least five small bomb blasts, in Muslim-majority southern Thailand only hours after King Maha Vajiralongkorn signed a new constitution on Thursday as a step towards ending military rule.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the attacks in the region where there has been a recent upsurge in a decades-old Muslim separatist insurgency. Parts of the region voted against the new constitution at a referendum last year.

"The incidents are to create disturbances. They want to destroy the government's credibility and create fear among people," said Pramote Prom-in, spokesman for local security forces.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility and security forces said they did not know who was to blame.

Thailand's king signed a military-backed constitution into law on Thursday, an essential step towards an election the junta has promised will restore democracy after the 12th successful coup in little over 80 years.

The new constitution is the Southeast Asian country's 20th since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 and critics say it will still give the generals a powerful say over Thai politics for years, if not decades.

Voters in the most heavily Muslim parts of Thailand were among the few to reject the draft constitution in last year's referendum.

Security forces said five bombs had exploded on electric poles, causing local power cuts, and there had been a number of tire-burning incidents.

Details were not immediately available of all the attacks. A large number of co-ordinated attacks in the region is unusual.

A Malay Muslim separatist insurgency in the provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat has claimed more than 6,500 lives since it escalated in 2004, according to independent monitoring group Deep South Watch.

On Monday, police reported what they described as the biggest attack by insurgents in the south in years. They said about 30 insurgents had fired more than 500 shots into a police booth.

In February, the government of the Buddhist-majority country struck a deal with MARA Patani, a long-standing umbrella group that claims to speak for the insurgents, but other separatists rejected it.

source: interaksyon.com

Thai PM defends cyber controls as censorship concerns rise

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday defended a decision to amend a cyber-crime law to increase the military government’s ability to remove online content as authorities seeks to tighten control on dissent.

A royal transition this month saw new King Maha Vajiralongkorn ascend the throne following the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, on Oct. 13.

Thailand has some of the world’s toughest laws against royal insult, which has curtailed public discussion about the monarchy’s role following the death of King Bhumibol, who was seen as a unifying figure.

Since King Bhumibol’s death, authorities have cracked down on what they consider to be insults to the royal family and have shut down hundreds of websites.

The government is also sensitive about what it sees as criticism of the military’s role in politics, and opposition to its seizure of power in a 2014 coup.

Prayuth’s comments came a day before parliament will decide whether to pass amendments to a 2007 Computer Crime Act which critics say could result in more extensive online monitoring.

Amendments to the law, seen by Reuters on Friday, would allow state officials to obtain user and traffic data from service providers without court approval.

Any website that is seen as a threat to national security or “offends people’s good morals” can also be removed or suspended.

The current law says officials need court approval to remove content.

“This law is for when anyone posts something that is poisonous to society so that we know where it comes from,” Prayuth told reporters.

“Don’t think this is a rights violation. This isn’t what we call a rights violation … this is what we call a law to be used against those who violate the law,” he said.

Critics say parliament is likely to approve the amendments.

Since taking power, Prayuth’s military government has made increasing state control over cyberspace a priority.

In September, it launched a Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. One of its tasks is to block and delete what it considers to be inappropriate online.

Some 342,000 people have signed a petition calling for a reconsideration of the amendments, highlighting opposition to what critics, including civil society groups, say is a threat to internet freedom.

Arthit Suriyawongkul of the Thai Netizen Network said the amendments were problematic.

“It’s not the law itself that is a rights violation, but the authorities’ extensive power when monitoring and censoring online content, which could raise privacy concerns,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Thai protesters occupy finance ministry

Hundreds of Thai opposition protesters on Monday forced their way into the foreign ministry compound in Bangkok, occupying a second major government building, a ministry spokesman said.

The move came hours after demonstrators stormed the finance ministry in a dramatic escalation of their efforts to topple embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

"Several hundred protesters broke down the gate and entered the compound of the foreign ministry," said the spokesman, Sek Wannamethee.

"There were many civil servants working there at the time and they (the protesters) asked them to leave and not to return to work tomorrow."

The demonstrators were occupying the foreign ministry compound but did not enter the buildings, he said.

The mass protests against Yingluck and her brother, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, are the biggest since 2010 when the kingdom was rocked by its worst political bloodshed in decades with more than 90 civilians killed.

The turmoil has raised fears of a fresh bout of street violence in a country that has been convulsed by several episodes of political unrest since royalist generals overthrew Thaksin in a coup in 2006.

Police said around 30,000 protesters opposed to Yingluck's elected government marched on more than a dozen state agencies across the capital on Monday including military and police bases, as well as several television stations.

Hundreds of demonstrators, spurred on by protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, occupied buildings in the compound of the finance ministry, waving flags and dancing, according to AFP correspondents at the scene.

"Tomorrow we will seize all ministries to show to the Thaksin system that they have no legitimacy to run the country," Suthep said, addressing the crowd through a loud speaker.

Chanting "Thaksin get out, army come in," some of the demonstrators had earlier called for the intervention of the military in a country that has seen 18 actual or attempted coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.

The move comes after a boisterous rally on Sunday brought up to 180,000 anti-government demonstrators on to the streets of Bangkok, according to a revised estimate Monday from National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabut.

Around 50,000 pro-government "Red Shirts" met overnight in a suburban football stadium in Bangkok in support of Yingluck and Thaksin, who remains a hugely divisive figure in Thailand.

The rallies are the biggest challenge yet for Yingluck, who swept to power in elections in 2011 on a wave of support from the "Red Shirts," whose protests in 2010 were crushed by the previous government.

Yingluck on Monday told reporters she would neither resign nor dissolve parliament despite the mounting pressure.

But experts said she is running out of room to maneuver.

"Yingluck's options are very limited. Something has to give this week. It will be very difficult for Yingluck to stay in office, let alone get anything done," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.

The Thai capital has faced weeks of opposition-backed rallies sparked by an amnesty bill that could have allowed the return of Thaksin from self-imposed exile.

The amnesty bill -- which was rejected by the upper house of parliament -- also angered Thaksin's supporters because it would have pardoned those responsible for the 2010 military crackdown on their rallies.

Former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva -- now the opposition leader -- and his deputy Suthep face murder charges for overseeing the military operation, which involved soldiers firing live rounds and backed by armored vehicles.

In another blow to the government, the Constitutional Court last week blocked the ruling party's plans for a fully elected Senate.

The opposition Democrat Party is seeking to raise the pressure on Yingluck with a no-confidence debate on Tuesday -- although her party dominates the lower house and should comfortably defeat a move against her.

Thaksin, a billionaire telecoms tycoon-turned-politician, draws strong support from many of the country's rural and urban working class, but is loathed by the elite and the middle classes, who accuse him of being corrupt and a threat to the monarchy.

"Yingluck, Thaksin, their party and their corrupt system must go this week," demonstrator Thanabhum Prompraphan, 50, told AFP.

"This is real people power. We will stay peaceful ... whistles are our weapons," he said.

A series of protests by the royalist "Yellow Shirts" helped to trigger the coup that toppled Thaksin, who now lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai to avoid a prison term for corruption that he contends was politically motivated.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 85, is widely revered in Thailand but has been in ill health for several years and the palace has been silent over the organization of his eventual succession.

source: interaksyon.com

5 things to do in Phuket

MANILA, Philippines - Phuket has gained its popularity over the years as one of the most affordable and friendliest vacation spots in Southeast Asia. Located south of Thailand and with tourism as its main source of income, Phuket welcomes millions of tourists annually.

One never runs out of things to do in Phuket. Aside from its world-famous beaches in Phi Phi Islands and Phang Nga Bay, it is also considered a haven for culture and art-lovers, shoppers, and adventure-seekers.

Apart from beach bumming, here’s a quick rundown of the top five things to do in Phuket:

• Visit old Phuket town. Take a trip down memory lane and get a glimpse of Phuket’s rich Sino-Portuguese history. Join organized street tours for first-hand insights on Phuket’s glorious past, traditions and culture. Be sure to include in your itinerary a guided road trip of Phang Nga, Thalang, Soi Rommanee, Dibuk, Crabee and Ranong. Don’t forget to drop by the Amulet Market where charms are blessed by Buddhist monks that are said to bring good luck.

• Try scuba-diving. Some of the world’s best dive sites can be found in Phuket. The rich and diverse marine life is a diver’s dream come true. Plan day trips to local dive sites in various points in Phuket such as Racha Noi, Phi Phi Islands, Shark Point, Anemone Reef, and Similan Islands. Expert dive guides are well-versed in English and a number of other Asian and European languages.

• Experience world-class spa and massage. A trip to Phuket is never complete without a relaxing, signature Thai massage. With the island’s natural serene beauty as backdrop, enjoy a totally rejuvenating spa experience in award-winning therapeutic centers, resorts and hotels. Needless to say, Phuket is a spa connoisseur’s heaven on earth.

• Catch a Muay Thai fight. For adrenaline-pumping action, try watching a live fight of Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand. Stadiums are located across Phuket and demonstrations are held especially for tourists. Training camps accept beginners who want to experience actual kick-boxing in the ring.

• Enjoy Phuket’s pulsating nightlife. Phuket is also the place to be for night owls and party people. Festivities abound in Patong Beach, the most popular beach town in Phuket. Hundreds of restaurants, bars, discos and shops light up the town from sundown to sunset.

Tigerair Philippines now flies to Phuket twice a week, every Tuesday and Saturday, with return flights every Wednesday and Sunday. Base fare costs as low as P999 per way.

“Tigerair continues to push boundaries in low-cost travel with its high performance standards and innovative services that connect Filipinos to the rest of the world. Ultimately, we want our passengers to have that unforgettable, hassle-free travel experience with their families and friends,” says Olive Ramos, president and CEO of Tigerair Philippines.

Tigerair flies domestic via NAIA Terminal 4 with Manila-Cebu, Manila-Bacolod, Manila-Iloilo, Manila-Kalibo, Manila-Puerto Princesa, and Manila-Tacloban flights.

Aside from Manila-Phuket, its other international flights include Clark-Hong Kong, Clark-Bangkok, Clark-Singapore, Clark-Kalibo, and Kalibo-Singapore.

For more information on Tiger Airways Philippines, visit www.tigerair.com or call the hotline +632 798-4488.

source: philstar.com

Thailand could cash in if gay marriage is legalized

BANGKOK -- On a sweltering Saturday night in Bangkok's Patpong entertainment district, a group of men spill out of a neon-lit bar blasting dance music. Among them is Aashif Hassan and his long-term partner, both visitors from Malaysia.

"We're celebrating tonight. Where we're from, it's illegal to be gay. Here we feel liberated," said Hassan.

Known for its laissez-faire attitude, Thailand has positioned itself as a holiday destination for gay couples and could soon be cashing in on another niche market if a proposed law makes it the first Asian country to legalize gay marriage.

Other Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei ban sexual relationships between men, but Thailand has become a regional haven for same-sex couples.

A civil partnership law in the works aims to give lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples the same rights as heterosexuals. One lawmaker sees it passing by next year.

Same-sex unions are not currently recognized under Thai law, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. That stops gay couples applying for joint bank loans or medical insurance.

In 2012, a group of lawmakers and LGBT activists formed a committee to draft legislation recognizing same-sex couples.

But critics of the law say it will not give a level playing field because it raises the age of consent to 20 from 17 for homosexual couples. For heterosexuals it is 17.

Rights activists have another problem: the law would force transgenders to register their birth gender on their marriage certificate.

Thai law makes it impossible for people to change their gender on a national identification document.

Beyond legal aspects, some wonder whether Thailand, quite conservative in many ways, is really ready to blaze this trail.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1956 but considered a mental illness as recently as 2002. Many Thai Buddhists believe homosexuality is a punishment for sins committed in a past life.

Superficial acceptance

In one notorious case in 2011, Nurisan Chedurame, 24, was found dead on her village rubbish dump with her head smashed in.

Local media quoted police as saying her involvement with another woman was the reason she was murdered.

That same year, two women thought to have been in a sexual relationship were shot in a rice field outside Bangkok.

A worrying pattern of violent crimes prompted the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission to write to the Thai government in 2012 demanding that police stop dismissing gender-based violence as crimes of passion.

Anjana Suvarnanda, a co-founder of the Anjaree Group, an LGBT rights group, said violence towards lesbians was often blamed on the victims. Many turn to mainstream social networking sites like Facebook to air their grievances.

"Our inbox is overflowing with messages from women whose parents are pressuring them to marry men," said Anjana.

Thai film and television has no shortage of LGBT stars. But Prempreeda Pramoj Na Ayutthaya, a transgender rights activist and program officer at UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural agency, in Bangkok, said acceptance is often superficial.

"The entertainment industry accepts us with open arms because we poke fun at ourselves and make people laugh. But if we want to be taken seriously in a field like medicine we are not afforded the same courtesy," Prempreeda told Reuters.

Her friends will hesitate to back the draft bill, she said, because they do not want to be identified by their birth gender.

Wiratana Kalayasiri, an opposition lawmaker pushing the civil union bill, said getting it on the agenda was tough as most members of parliament have conservative views on the issue.

"At first they bad-mouthed me and wondered if I would be struck by lightning for backing this," he said.

But many now see the merits of appealing to LGBT voters, he said, predicting the bill would pass in "less than a year."

Rights activist Anjana believes there is no time to waste.

When her friend collapsed and fell into a coma, it took hours for staff at a Bangkok hospital to attend to her.

"They insisted her husband sign the medical release form. Her partner is a woman, but the nurses refused to acknowledge this," said Anjana. "We urgently need the law to protect us. The rest, including less societal pressure, will follow."

source: interaksyon.com

Tablets thrust Thai classrooms into digital era

MAE CHAN — In a rural classroom in the Thai highlands, hill tribe children energetically slide their fingertips over tablet computer screens practicing everything from English to mathematics and music.

The disadvantaged students are part of an ambitious scheme by the kingdom to distribute millions of the handheld devices in its schools in a move supporters hope will boost national education standards.

For opponents of the plan, however, it is an expensive gimmick designed to boost the popularity of the ruling party among parents — and the next generation of voters.

At Ban San Kong school in Mae Chan in the northern province of Chiang Rai, 90 children received a tablet computer last year as part of the “One Tablet Per Child” policy that was part of the government’s election campaign in 2011.

Previously the school had only a few desktop computers with limited Internet access.

Now, with headphones over their ears for one hour a day during class, the students use the devices for activities including singing English songs, watching cartoons about the life of Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol and playing math games.

With the school year just beginning, and the new tablet content yet to arrive, they are left to revise their lessons of the previous year as their teacher Siriporn Wichaipanid sits and watches.

She has received no specific training for using the tablets and seems at a bit of a loss.

“I have some knowledge. At home, I use an iPad,” she said. But “if I don’t understand, I don’t know how to teach the children”.

For the students — mostly from ethnic minority Akha hill tribe communities for whom Thai is not their mother tongue — using the tablets has been a positive experience, according to the school.

“The students cannot speak Thai very well but they can hear sounds more clearly from the tablets and repeat them,” said their teacher from the previous year, Wannawadee Somdang.

“Some of them dare not ask questions. It’s easier when they listen to the tablets.”

For now only two of the 90 students are allowed to take the computers with them after class to use in their homes, which often lack electricity.

“They don’t have Wi-Fi and it’s not convenient for them to charge the batteries. And most importantly their parents have no knowledge about the tablets,” said school principal Uthai Moonmueangkham.

But using devices that would normally be out of reach for the kingdom’s poorest children is progress, even if it is only just one hour a day, he said.

“They have the same opportunities as those in the city,” Uthai said.

Reducing the “education gap” between the urban rich and rural poor is one aim of the project, said Surapol Navamavadhand, an advisor to the minister of information and communication technology.

By the end of 2014, the government plans to distribute handheld computers to 13 million school children at a cost of about $100 each — a total of $1.3 billion — and then replace them every two years.

About 850,000 Chinese-made devices have already been given out, and the government says it will soon launch a tender offer for another batch of about 1.7 million tablets, in what it has described as the world’s largest handout of the devices for education.

Experts warn that the computers offer no guarantee of an increase in education standards.

The tablets are “just another tool” like a pencil, according to Jonghwi Park, an education technology specialist at UNESCO in Bangkok.

“It’s not about what to use, it’s about how to use it,” she said, urging governments considering introducing new technology for learning to think hard about whether it will really help them achieve their goals.

Critics of the Thai education system say much more radical changes are needed.

“If you want to deal with the education in Thailand, I can tell you that the whole system must be demolished,” said Somphong Chitradub, an associate professor specialised in child education at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.

“Our classrooms are passive, tiring and boring,” he said.

Most Thai children are encouraged to memorise information and “lack courage to express opinions”, he added.

As a result, while other Asian nations fared well in the most recent global education survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2009, Thailand came about 50th out of 65 countries in the rankings for reading, maths and science.

A mediocre performance compared with other nations that “focus a lot on process of thinking”, admitted Rangsan Maneelek, an advisor to the education ministry.

While the Thai education system places importance on whether the answer is right or wrong, other nations look at how students reached their conclusion, he said.

But he added that the tablets would help by enabling students to “surf the world for knowledge”.

And if some people worry about the possibility of children using the computers to look at pornography or play violent video games, others stress the need to prepare students for the digital era.

“For the kids these days, one of the most important capacities… for them to live in the 21st century is to know how to integrate those devices into their life,” UNESCO’s Park said.

“Without those skills, they cannot get a job.”

source: interaksyon.com

Thai king treated for minor brain bleeding

BANGKOK -- Thailand's deeply revered king, the world's longest reigning monarch, was treated for a minor brain bleed in the hospital where he has lived since 2009, the palace said Friday.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej's heartbeat and blood pressure had returned to normal following the incident, but doctors advised him to suspend public activities for the time being, the royal Household Bureau said in statement.

A team of royal physicians treated the 84-year-old on Thursday evening after he was observed with a "spasming of his right hand" and a "slightly faster heartbeatz

"Doctors used x-rays to examine his brain and found a small amount of blood had percolated through the left side of the meninges (the membrane around the brain)," the statement said. The king was treated with "medicine intravenously and after that the spasm stopped.”

The king's illness comes at a particularly sensitive time in politically turbulent Thailand, after a Constitutional Court ruling on Friday that threatened to reignite inflammatory divides in the nation.

The court, which had been surrounded by security forces ahead of the ruling, dismissed an opposition complaint against the governing party, which had faced a possible dissolution in the crunch verdict.

Any discussion of the royal family is extremely sensitive in Thailand, where the palace has been silent over the organization of the eventual succession.

The king was admitted to hospital in September 2009 for treatment of a respiratory condition.

His latest public appearance was Saturday July 7, when he toured the Chao Phraya river on a navy boat. His plans to travel to the central province of Ratchaburi on Sunday have been postponed.

source: interaksyon.com