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EU faces fresh shortfall of AstraZeneca vaccine
EU faces fresh shortfall of AstraZeneca vaccine
WORLD: AstraZeneca yesterday (Mar 13) announced a fresh shortfall in planned vaccine shipments to the European Union, dealing another blow to the bloc’s efforts to step up vaccinations.
England’s victory over France makes World Cup statement, says Jones
England’s victory over France makes World Cup statement, says Jones
RUGBY: England coach Eddie Jones said his side had stolen a march on 2023 World Cup hosts France after Maro Itoje’s late try sealed a come-from-behind 23-20 win over Les Bleus in the Six Nations yesterday (Mar 13).
Phuket Opinion: Make it a date
Phuket Opinion: Make it a date
PHUKET: Phuket residents were finally on the receiving end of some good news this week with the announcements by key tourism officials of at least aiming to reopen some form of tourism to the island by Oct 1, in line with the #PhuketFirstOctober campaign.
Phuket registration to receive COVID vaccination opens
Phuket registration to receive COVID vaccination opens
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Government has launched an online form through which island residents, but at this stage only Thai citizens, can register to receive a COVID vaccination.
New island health chief reveals details of Phuket vaccination plan
New island health chief reveals details of Phuket vaccination plan
PHUKET: Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon, the new Chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), has revealed details of the plan to vaccinate 74.4% of the population in Phuket by Oct 1, including the vaccination of more than 94,000 people working in the tourism industry, to help reopen the island to tourism.
AirAsia set to reinstate all 40 domestic routes in Thailand from April
AirAsia set to reinstate all 40 domestic routes in Thailand from April
NATIONWIDE: AirAsia is set to resume operations on all 40 domestic routes in Thailand from April, signifying a solid return to pre-COVID-19 performance levels for the airline. These include 14 regional routes from its hubs across the nation.
Residents angered by police conduct, warning shot, amid neighbourhood drug arrest
Residents angered by police conduct, warning shot, amid neighbourhood drug arrest
PHUKET: Residents in the Saphan Hin community on the outskirts of Phuket Town have railed against police conduct in arresting a drug suspect, which included shoving a 64-year-old woman over after an argument over her taking photos of the arrest, and firing a warning shot into the air in the middle of a small residential street to prevent the suspect from fleeing.
Top-four, relegation battles take centre stage as Wilder leaves Blades
Top-four, relegation battles take centre stage as Wilder leaves Blades
FOOTBALL: Manchester City are closing in on a third Premier League title in four years, but behind the runaway leaders there are tense battles to qualify for next season’s Champions League and to avoid relegation.
It’s just the boxing ticket for foreigners
It’s just the boxing ticket for foreigners
MUAY THAI: The army has announced it will only sell tickets for bouts at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium to foreigners, saying the move will curb the activities of local gamblers.
WHO: No reason not to use AstraZeneca
WHO: No reason not to use AstraZeneca
GENEVA: The World Health Organization said on Friday there was no reason to stop using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after several countries including Thailand suspended the rollout over blood clot fears.
PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Let the people decide on the Thailand constitution, court rules || March 12
PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Let the people decide on the Thailand constitution, court rules || March 12
PHUKET XTRA - March 12 || Brought to you by PVCPhuket.com Phuket to pilot ’Sandbox model’ to receive foreign tourists |:| Court says Thai people should vote on Constitution |:| 4 metre Python removed! |:| Cage for dog that bit little girl |:| Thailand sees 81 new COVID cases Hosted by: JP Mestanza || #Phuket
Mai Khao considered as regional maritime hub
Mai Khao considered as regional maritime hub
PHUKET: Mai Khao has been ear-marked as a potentially ideal location to serve the maritime industry throughout the Andaman coastal provinces, a shipyard project leader expert stated yesterday (Mar 11).
American tourist COVID test deemed positive after Phuket visit, returns to US
American tourist COVID test deemed positive after Phuket visit, returns to US
PHUKET: The Department of Medical Sciences has revised the test results of an American man who visited Phuket before returning to Bangkok and flying home back to the US, and have now recorded his test results for COVID-19 as positive.
Four-metre python removed from Karon resort
Four-metre python removed from Karon resort
PHUKET: Rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation branch in Patong removed a reticulated python some four metres long and weighing an estimated 20kg from the grounds of a resort in Karon last night (Mar 11).
PM, ministers postpone COVID-19 inoculations
PM, ministers postpone COVID-19 inoculations
THAILAND: Cabinet ministers abruptly postponed their COVID-19 inoculations planned for today (Mar 12) after several European countries suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on reports of adverse reactions in some patients.
After student bitten, Bang Kaew dogs to be caged, muzzled
After student bitten, Bang Kaew dogs to be caged, muzzled
PHUKET: The dog that chased and bit a 15-year-old girl while she was walking to school on Tuesday must remain caged to prevent further attacks on people walking by, Phuket City Municipality Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Chalermporn Piyanarongroj has announced.
Electricity outage to affect north and south of Heroines Monument
Electricity outage to affect north and south of Heroines Monument
PHUKET: The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced that the electricity supply will be temporarily shut off along the east side of Thepkrasattri Rd both north and south of the Heroines Monument on Thursday (Mar 18) as work is carried out on installing new high-voltage cables.
The Quarantine Runner
The Quarantine Runner
MARATHON: Should you be faced with the scenario, how would you likely spend your time during COVID-19 quarantine? Relax and do very little? Watch an endless amount of TV? Catch-up on current affairs, box-sets and movies? Learn a new language? Read a series of books? Write a book even? For Phuket resident Naruttama “Nick” Jarat the answer was none of the above. Instead he decided to take a leaf out of Forrest Gump’s book and run. And run. Then run some more. Nick, 37, recently spent two weeks in quarantine at a hotel in Bangkok after he and fellow crew members had delivered a yacht to a customer based in the Philippines. Faced with the daily restriction of his hotel room’s four walls and the ensuing boredom this would bestow on such an active character, Nick decided to use his time as productively as possible by conitnuing his hobby of running. In total he had amassed more than 140km by the time his quarantine ended. Nick and the crew left Phuket on Dec 4 and sailed their client’s 115-foot boat to Manila, arriving on Dec 17. The client had invited friends for a nine day cruise which took in island hopping, snorkelling and New Year’s Eve celebrations at sea. Nick worked onboard as the head chef. They flew back to Bangkok on Jan 19 after a mix-up with the initial immigration stamps in Manila meant they had to stay aboard the boat until the situation was resolved and they could leave the country. On returning to Thailand, Nick and three of his colleagues stayed at the Radisson hotel in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit 13 where they served their mandatory quarantine, paying B43,000 for the two-week stay. Managing to see out the first day ok, Nick knew he would very soon get restless. However, that same day a friend who had recently undertaken quarantine in New Zealand messaged him to say she had run 10km one day in her hotel room in a bid to pass the time. A keen runner since a youngster, this was a light-bulb moment for Nick who decided to not just emulate his friend’s feat but to take a it a step or two further. “On my second day of quarantine I ran 15km, non-stop,” Nick told The Phuket News. “The room was relatively small but I was able to run back-and-forth in the corridor from the front door to the window, using my watch and running app on my phone to track the distance and time. “I made sure I had water and fruit to hand so I could grab it when needed and not interupt my running, which I did barefooted. I completed that first run in one hour and thirty minutes.” Nick then staggered a further nine runs across his remaining 12 days of quarantine, running an impressive 144km in total. “I managed 20km on day 8 in 1 hour 49 minutes,” he beamed. “Although day 10 was my highlight – I managed 42km that day in 3 hours and 55 minutes!” Focused Nick said the manner in which the quaratine was handled by hotel staff was very professional. “We had to remain in our room without exception for the first five days,” Nick said. “We had temperature checks twice a day during that time, once in the morning, once in the evening. “After five days we took the mandatory COVID swab test and were then allowed to go onto the roof of the hotel for fresh air but were not permitted to use any of the facilities such as the gym or pool. That’s why I took to running in my room,” he added. “I’ve always been an active person,” Nick said. “When I was a child I walked 3km to school every day for years. I took up running seriously when I was 31.” He also inspired one of his fellow quarantine mates to take up the activity, although he did not achieve anywhere near the kind of distance that Nick accomplished. “Even a small amount of exercise is better than nothing during quarantine,” he said. “I would find it very challenging to be so inactive for that length of time.” On arriving back in Phuket post-quarantine, Nick immediately took to the streets of his Pa Klok neighbourhood for a 14km run. Did he find it strange running once again in a more familiar or natural environment? “Actually I did, yes,” he replied. “The one thing I did notice when running in the room is how much more focused you become – there are no distractions or potential dangers that are presented when on the streets such as traffic, other people, etc.” It was that laser focus generated in his hotel room in Bangkok that allowed Nick to breeze through his quarantine and not be at all desuaded if he had to do it again. “We are waiting on the finalisation of a contract with a client which would mean delivering another boat to the Philippines,” Nick said. “I would be more than happy to take on quarantine again if necessary. “It would be a great opportunity for me to beat my personal best,” he concluded with a smile. Nick is part of a 25-strong running group that regularly meet and take on routes in the Pa Klok area. Anyone interested in joining in the fun can contact him on 091-154-4569 or Naruttama4569@gmail.com Nick’s quarantine-run breakdown was as follows: Day 2: 15km, 1hr 30mins Day 4: 21km, 2hr 5mins Day 6: 7km, 40 mins Day 7: 11km, 1hr 2mins Day 8: 20km, 1hr 49mins Day 10: 42km, 3hr 55mins Day 11: 11km, 1hr Day 12: 15km, 1hr 30mins Day 13: 11km, 1 hr Day 14: 1hr, 2mins
IOC to buy vaccines from China for Tokyo, Beijing Olympic competitors
IOC to buy vaccines from China for Tokyo, Beijing Olympic competitors
WORLD: Competitors at this year’s Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games will be offered coronavirus vaccines bought from China, Olympic chief Thomas Bach announced yesterday (Mar 11).
Moderna seeks to enter Thai vaccine market
Moderna seeks to enter Thai vaccine market
THAILAND: US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna has confirmed it will be submitting an application to Thai health authorities this month to approve its COVID-19 vaccine, a health official said yesterday (Mar 11).