Thais advised to stay home for Songkran to limit spread of COVID-19 UK strain

14 Sept 02:14 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's top virologist, Dr. Yong Poovorawan, urges Thais to stay home for Songkran to contain the rapidly spreading UK COVID-19 strain, linked to the Thonglor cluster.
He warns that extensive travel during the holiday will accelerate the virus's spread and could lead to a difficult-to-eliminate local mutation.
Dr. Yong highlights the unexpected spread despite strict quarantine for arrivals and stresses vigilance against new strains that may impact vaccine efficacy, advocating for proactive screening.

Flooding persists in Bangkok and 22 provinces

Today 16:00 Key points summarised by AI

Persistent flooding continues across Bangkok and 22 Thai provinces, though water levels are gradually receding in many affected areas.
Over 604,000 families, impacting approximately 1.83 million people, are still grappling with the widespread flood conditions.
The national flood death toll has reached 80 since mid-September, with fatalities reported across various provinces.
Major regions like Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, and Bangkok report significant numbers of affected households, with hundreds of thousands still in trouble.