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From The Thaiger / BP All in close contact with Omicron case have tested negative Thai health officials now say all of the 17 people who came in close contact with the Omicron-infected traveller during his a hotel have tested negative for Covid-19, although one person is in quarantine after inconclusive test results. The American, who travelled from Spain and entered Thailand under the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme is the first in Thailand to test positive for the Omicron variant. The last to be tested was a 44-year-old hotel waiter who served food to the American on Dec 1, Dr Chakkarat Pitayawonganon, director of epidemiology, said. The American remained asymptomatic on Tuesday and would be required to complete 14-day quarantine, Dr Chakkarat said. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/17-people-in-close-contact-with-omicron-infected-traveller-test-negative

From Bangkok Post The operator of the electric boat service on the Chao Phraya River will add two new routes to and from Sathon pier on Dec 20, and charge a flat 20 baht rate until the end of this month. Deputy Transport Minister Atirat Ratanasate on Tuesday said the service, MINE Smart Ferry operated by E Smart Transport Co, will feature a “Metro line” between Sathon pier and Rama VII pier and a “City line” running from Sathon pier to Pinklao pier. The Metro Line will have 12 trips on weekdays from 6.05am-5.45pm and 18 on weekends from 7.30am-6.45pm. The City Line will have 36 trips per day, from 7am-6.05pm. Mr Atirat said three electric boats will serve each route. Next month, the fare on the Metro line will be increased from 20 baht to 25 baht; the City line will remain at 20 baht. Currently, the EV service is available from Sathon pier in Bangkok to Phra Nangklao Bridge pier in Nonthaburi. The route is the “Urban line”. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2228091/sathon-pier-gets-extra-electric-boat-routes

I'm sucker for animal stories. From Pattaya Mail Kampol Tansacha (right) and Dr. Padej Siridamrong received baby ‘Khwak Rak’ at Nong Nooch and immediately began nursing the injured pachyderm back to health. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden assisted the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to rescue a baby elephant snared in a hunter’s trap in Chanthaburi. The calf, only a few months old, nearly lost its leg in the trap laid in the Kang Hang Maew forest. Its lower leg was torn apart and the calf had 10 shotgun-pellet wounds. Veterinarians at the National Park Protection Unit at Khao Hin Khwak in Khao Sip Ha Chan National Park in Chanthaburi worked frantically to save the elephant’s limb. Once stable, the elephant was brought to Nong Nooch Dec. 1 where Director Kampol Tansacha and Dr. Padej Siridamrong began nursing the pachyderm back to health. In addition to food, rest and hydration, the animal is being given constant medical care. Padej said the elephant’s condition was severe, but it is very young and the wounds were not life-threatening. Surgery was planned to remove the buckshot from the leg, some of which had damaged the bone. Kampol named the baby calf ‘Khwak Rak’ after the place where it was found. He said Nong Nooch has arranged an experienced mahout to care for the animal around the clock, the same one who nursed ‘Fa Jaem’ a previous calf that had suffered even more serious injuries. https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattaya-vets-save-baby-elephant-snared-and-shot-in-jungle-381640

From The Star PHNOM PENH, Dec 6 (Xinhua): Cambodia has nowremoved its ban on travellers from 10 African countries after a nearly one-week suspension due to the Omicron variant of Covid-19, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said. With the approval from Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Ministry of Health (MoH) decided to lift the ban on travelers from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola and Zambia, he said, adding that the ban removal took effect immediately. But the travelers from the 10 countries and those who have a history of traveling to the 10 countries in the last two weeks must undergo a rapid test for Covid-19 upon their arrival in Cambodia, he said. "If the result is negative, they must go into a seven-day quarantine and then take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the sixth day of the quarantine," the minister said. https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2021/12/06/cambodia-reverses-ban-on-travelers-from-omicron-variant-hit-african-countries

From The Thaiger The Thai embassy in Berlin says Thailand has been removed from Germany’s list of Covid-19 high-risk countries, according to a Thai PBS World report. Provided they are fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine, travellers from Thailand can now enter Germany without having to quarantine. The accepted vaccines are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. In addition to being fully vaccinated, arrivals from Thailand must produce a negative PCR test result, taken within 72 hours of travel, or a negative antigen test taken within 48 hours. Travellers who have recovered from Covid-19 need to show proof of a positive PCR test result that is at least 28 days old, but no older than 6 months, or evidence of being fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine at least 14 days before their arrival. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/germany-removes-thailand-from-its-list-of-high-risk-countries

From Bangkok Post Thailand detects first Omicron Covid case hailand has detected its first case of Omicron. The coronavirus variant was found in an American businessman of Thai descent who arrived in the country from Spain, senior Public Health Ministry officials said on Monday. Department of Medical Sciences director-general Supakit Sirilak said the new variant was detected in an RT-PCR test conducted when the 35-year-old man arrived in Thailand. Department of Disease Control chief Opas Karnkawinpong added the businessman was a US citizen who had lived in Spain for one year before he arrived in Thailand. He was on Emirates Airline flight EK372 from Dubai to Suvarnabhumi Airport and showed no symptoms. It was unclear which day he entered Thailand as Dr Opas said he arrived on Nov 29 but a chart presented by the ministry during his press briefing showed Nov 30. The man underwent RT-PCR testing in Spain on Nov 28 before he left for Thailand via the United Arab Emirates, Dr Opas added. He had received one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which usually requires only a single shot. Following the man's positive RT-PCR test, a more detailed test was conducted at the Department of Medical Sciences on Friday. He was being treated at a hospital, Dr Opas said. Dr Supakit said "the chance that the infection is the Omicron variant is 99.92%". He urged the government not to replace RT-PCR testing with rapid antigen testing, and expected more cases would be detected. "If there is one case, we believe there will be the second and third cases," he said. The ministry said the patient had been in contact with two airport staff and 17 hotel staff members. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2227511/thailand-detects-first-omicron-covid-case

Thank you for your thoughtful response.

Appreciate your preference but I often find that they they can be equally attractive in street clothes...like the lad in your photo on Silom 🙂

Sorry, Peter, I still don't get it. You have, of course, the prerogative to present any viewpoint of a topic. If you choose to emphasize the trash and landmines and other lousy stuff, more power to you. But with so many attractive things about those countries to talk about, I find the negativity disheartening. Maybe my reaction is influenced by the fact I've been away from SE Asia--and the person I love-- for 20 months and it's grating on me. I've made arrangements for my return flight and now just hoping that it becomes a reality in a few moths. I can't afford to dwell on the downside at this moment in my life. I'm more inclined than ever to believe that..... You've got to accentuate the positive Eliminate the negative Latch on to the affirmative Don't mess with Mister In-Between You've got to spread joy up to the maximum Bring gloom down to the minimum Have faith or pandemonium Liable to walk upon the scene

Candy for railroad buffs

But you had to go back 21 years to find something disparaging to say about Cambodian families in an old guide book. Last month you were talking about Thais who toss trash into the Sathorn canal. You have the capacity to write eloquently about places you've visited. Can't figure out why you feel compelled to dwell on the behavior that doesn't live up to your western standards.

In normal circumstances, I'd agree. But considering the bar is struggling get back on its feet again, I might give it a bit or moral--and financial--support. And maybe I'd decide one of the trio is someone I'd might like to get to know better.

From Pattaya Mail The Chonburi Communicable Disease Committee issued an order on Dec. 3 allowing the sale of alcohol in Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus certified restaurants effective immediately. The order specified that Banglamung District, Pattaya City, Sriracha District, Koh Sichang district and Sattahip District (only Na Jomtien Sub District and Bang Saray Sub District) are the pilot ‘Blue Zone’ tourism areas in Chonburi Province. Establishments that sell food or drinks including restaurants, food gardens, canteens, street food, hotel restaurants or accommodations including other establishments that sell food and drinks can operate normally. https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/pattaya-restaurants-allowed-to-sell-alcohol-effective-immediately-381568

From Channel News Asia Singapore tightens rules for VTL travellers SINGAPORE: All travellers entering Singapore on vaccinated travel lanes (VTL) will soon have to take COVID-19 tests daily for seven days on arrival as the country tightens measures against the Omicron variant. This means there will be additional swabs on top of the current requirement for a pre-departure test, an on-arrival polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, as well as supervised antigen rapid tests (ARTs) on day 3 and day 7 of their visit. The new testing requirement will take effect on Dec 6, 11.59pm, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Friday (Dec 3). It will remain in place for four weeks "in the first instance" until 11.59pm on Jan 2, 2022, the ministry added. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/vtl-travellers-covid-19-testing-daily-7-days-singapore-omicron-variant-2356791

It's reassuring that you're always prepared to call attention to the positive aspects of a poorer county's people.

From The Thaiger Immigration launches online 90 day report system A new online system for 90-day checks with immigration has been launched by Thailand’s Immigration Bureau. Online 90-day reporting has been glitchy in the past… So let us know how it worked for you. A confirmation could come through hours after applying. And be sure to check the spam folder. You can register at https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/register/add Foreigners who are permitted to stay in Thailand for longer than three months are required to notify their local immigration office of their place of residence every 90 days. ============================== Richard Barrow reports that he has successfully used the new system.

From Richard Barrow Twitter site The Governor of the State Railway of Thailand has confirmed that the buildings of Bangkok Railway Station will not be destroyed or dismantled for sure.

From the BBC The Angkor Empire spanned much of modern-day Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam (Credit: Richard Sharrocks/Getty Images) Angkor Wat attracts millions of visitors a year, but most know little of the intricate and vast water system that fed the empire's rise and demise. Every April during Khmer New Year celebrations, Sophy Peng, her four siblings and parents make the pilgrimage to Cambodia's most sacred mountain, Phnom Kulen. As the birthplace of the mighty Angkor Empire, fabled Kulen's gentle slopes hold a special place in the hearts of locals. During religious festivals, Cambodians flock to its peak to be blessed by the same waters used to coronate kings since 802 AD. This was when empire founder Jayavarman II was washed with sacred water and declared a devaraja or God King, marking the start of the Angkor Empire. The empire went on to span much of modern-day Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, and house the world's largest pre-industrial urban hub – the city of Angkor. To immortalise this sacred spot that sits about 50km north of Siem Reap city, 1,000 lingas – a phallic symbol incarnation of the Hindu god Shiva – were carved into the riverbed at Kbal Spean, where water flows to the Angkor plains and into the Tonle Sap Lake. Even today, this water is regarded as sacred, and its power is believed to cure illnesses and bring luck. "This is a very special place for Cambodians; it's an important part of our history," said Peng. "Every year, my family visit Mount Kulen as part of our Khmer New Year rituals. We bring food donations to leave at the temple and pour water from Kbal Spean on us to bring good luck." Jayavarman II's spiritual blessing marked the start of the Angkor Empire's close relationship with water. However, it wasn't until the capital shifted south to Rolous and then to its final resting place for more than five centuries – Angkor – that master engineers were able to use their skills to create the intricate water system that fed the empire's rise and demise. "The plains of Angkor are ideal for an empire to flourish," explained Dan Penny, a researcher in the geosciences department at the University of Sydney who has extensively studied Angkor. "There are ample resources, such as good rice soil close to the Tonle Sap Lake. The lake is one of the world's most productive inland fisheries and Angkor is sitting right on the north shore of this enormous food bowl. Angkor grew to become a success on the back of these resources." In the 1950s and '60s, French archaeologist Bernard Philippe Groslier used aerial archaeology to reconstruct the layout of Angkor's ancient cities. This revealed its vast reach and the complexity of its water management network and led Groslier to dub Angkor the "Hydraulic City". Continues with photos https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20211201-angkor-asias-ancient-hydraulic-city

From Channel News Asia TOKYO: Japan on Thursday (Dec 2) reversed a ban on inbound flight reservations, revealing confusion between government agencies and the public over Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's strategy to keep out the Omicron coronavirus variant. On Monday, Japan's aviation bureau told airlines not to accept new reservations for December because of Omicron, two cases of which have been found in the country, but the abrupt announcement provoked worries among those aiming to return for year-end holidays. Kishida said the move caused confusion, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno added that the prime minister had asked the transport ministry, which oversees the airline industry, to keep in mind the needs of returning Japanese. "I understand the transport ministry has cancelled its instruction for the blanket suspension of new reservations and asked airlines anew to give sufficient consideration to the needs of returning Japanese nationals," Matsuno told a regular news conference. Airlines may take new reservations as long as the number of arrivals stays below a daily limit of 3,500, down from last month's figure of 5,000, a transport ministry official said. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/japan-ease-flight-ban-returning-citizens-omicron-covid19-2352841

From Bangkok Post About 94.6% of HIV-infected patients are receiving free anti-retroviral drugs under the universal healthcare coverage scheme, 77% of whom have no trace of the virus in their blood, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) said on Wednesday on World Aids Day. Of all the 305,493 people who are living with HIV/Aids and have registered under the healthcare scheme for treatment in the fiscal year ending Sept 30, 289,116 (94.6%) have been receiving anti-retroviral treatments, said Dr Jadej Thammathacharee, secretary-general of the NHSO. Of those HIV patients, 81% have cut their viral load by continuing their treatments and 77% now have no traces of HIV detected in their blood, he said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2225139/hiv-aids-policies-make-inroads

From Thai Enquirer Thai retail giants Central Group are set to buy the famous British luxury department store chain Selfridges, UK Media reported on Thursday. The deal, which is hoped by Selfridges ownership group to be completed before the end of the year, is believed to be worth some 4 billion pounds sterling (179.22 billion baht). The Times, which first reported the news, said that the terms of the acquisition by Central Group was agreed to in “the last few days.” Selfridges, which was founded in 1908 and an integral part of British popular culture, is owned by the Canada-based Weston family and runs 25 stores worldwide including its flagship store in London’s Oxford Street. https://www.thaienquirer.com/35471/central-group-to-buy-famous-department-store-chain-selfridges/

From Bangkok Post PM: No national lockdown, but bars probably won't reopen The government will not impose a national lockdown despite overseas concerns about the Omicron variant of Covid-19, but the closure of entertainment venues will likely be extended, the prime minister said on Thursday. Prayut Chan-o-cha said a nationwide closure was unnecessary. The government would cope by continuing to test arriving travellers for the new variant. "Harsh measures are not necessary. There are RT-PCR tests and quarantine is required pending test results," he said. The government needed to prioritise both public safety and the national economy. It was not easy to keep the balance. Under the circumstances, the government would delay its plan for antigen testing of arrivals instead of the RT-PCR tests, the prime minister said. In the interests of public health, the government might also have to further delay the reopening of pubs, bars and karaoke shops, he said. "We would like to wait and see for a month. In this matter, we must listen to doctors and health authorities," Gen Prayut said. "Enclosed venues where crowds gather and drink pose high risks. That will be put on hold. Assistance measures will be proposed to the cabinet soon," the prime minister said. When there is a new disease, there must be measures to cope with it, he added. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2225575/pm-no-national-lockdown-but-bars-probably-wont-reopen

There are numerous reasons why they can't be tracked. I recall reading at least a month ago that the tracking app did not work on some android phones, It's not a condition of arrival that you have a smart phone. That's why you're advised to have hard copies of all required documents. I'm not aware of any regulation that requires you to carry a phone although there may be some places where the app is required for entry. Maybe some turn their phone off or sim card expires. It's true, as pointed out above, that hotels are suppose to report arrivals of new guests but that system has never proven fool proof.

From Richard Barrow Twitter site During the month of November, 337,988 people applied for the Thailand Pass. So far, 268,799 people had their application approved and 41,456 were rejected for various reasons. 138,375 people received automatic approval #Thailand Arrivals + (people testing positive) 1. US 14,730 (0.14%) 2. Germany 12,099 (0.11%) 3. Netherlands 8,478 (0.08%) 4. UK 6,701 (0.31%) 5. Russia 5,307 (0.38%) 6. Japan 5,146 (0.06%) 7. South Korea 5,003 (0.04%) 8. France 4,741 (0.15%) 9. UAE 4,338 (0.25%) 10. Israel 4,035 (0.05%) ============================== The Thailand Pass website has just been updated. People can now apply for arrival dates after 15th December. Please note, the RT-PCR test on arrival is still compulsory The Thailand Pass website has just been updated. People can now apply for arrival dates after 15th December. Please note, the RT-PCR test on arrival is still compulsory. Apply: https://tp.consular.go.th FAQ: https://consular.mfa.go.th/th/content/thailand-pass-faqs-2 #Thailand

From Bangkok Post Untracked visitors from southern Africa asked to report for Covid tests The government is trying to trace 307 people who arrived from eight southern African countries hit by the latest Covid-19 "variant of concern", Omicron, and are still in the country. Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said on Wednesday that between Nov 15 and 27, 333 people arrived from the eight high-risk African countries. Three had already left, so 330 remained in Thailand but only 23 of them had been traced, he said. They had arrived from either South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, Eswatini or Lesotho. Of the 330 still here, 252 entered Thailand through the Sandbox programme, and only 11 of them had been traced. the other 78 people had entered the normal quarantine process and only 12 of them were traced. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2224955/untracked-visitors-from-southern-africa-asked-to-report-for-covid-tests ========================================== Most face mask brands fail quality test standards Only a fifth of 60 face mask brands available on the market passed Thai Industrial Standard quality tests, according to the Thailand Consumer Council (TCC). The result prompted the TCC to demand the Thai Industrial Standards Institute require that disposable face masks follow safety standard regulations, instead of this being done on a voluntary basis. The TCC in July randomly selected for testing 60 face mask brands including 14 kinds of disposable face masks, 27 brands of surgical face masks and 19 different N95 face masks. Testing involved assessing their quality based on filter efficiency of 0.1 micron and 0.3 micron, air permeability and pressure difference to find whether each mask complied with the standard. Dr Paiboon Choungthong, a committee member on products and services for the TCC, said that only three of 14 brands of disposable face masks passed the standard. They are LOC, Medicare Plus and Iris Ohyama. But the Iris Ohyama brand over-claimed the filter quality for 0.1 micron as the result showed its filter was only 97.47% efficient, not 99% as claimed. The following 11 brands failed to pass: Zion, Lepono, Bestsafe, I-Tec, 3M, Asproni, Fidens, Life Mask, Microtex, Lanzhi and Yamada. Regarding medical and surgical masks, only three of 27 brands passed. They are Nam Ah, Double A Care and TCH. The others that failed are: Next Health, Union Beef, Fidens (dark pink box), Live SEF, Welcare, Nice Mask, Topvalue Bestprice, Medimask, Betex, Fresh Plus (blue box), Kenkou, G lucky, Hyguard, Hi-Care, Fresh Plus (green box), Fresh Plus (blue box), KSG (dark green sachet), KF (sachet), Miss Med, Exta, KF (box), Watsons, Nice Mask (light green box) and Betex. For N95 masks, seven brands passed the test: Minicare, Snake Brand, One Care, 3M, Welcare Black Edition, Ease Mask Zero, and Pharmatex. The following six brands were not in line with the standard: Cuwin Mask, Cuwin Mask (True Shopping), Mini Care, Pharmatex, Nobel Mask, and Kowa. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2224511/most-face-mask-brands-fail-quality-test-standards