Aid for drivers aged 65 and over
WELFARE: Taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi riders aged over 65 without social security membership have until Nov 5 to apply in person to receive 10,000 baht in Covid-19 relief aid.
Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the relief is offered to taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi riders in 29 provinces that were categorised as "dark red zone" areas, most heavily-affected by the pandemic.
Meanwhile, drivers working in 16 provinces that were labelled "red zone" who aren't covered by the Social Security Fund will be eligible to receive a 5,000-baht handout, he said. The government spokesman said about 7,000 drivers have registered online so far. The payments will be made between Nov 8-26.
New curbs for fine dust emitters
ENVIRONMENT: City Hall has issued a guideline for crematoriums, shrines and barbecue eateries to help reduce fine dust pollution in Bangkok, which tends to worsen during the coolers months.
All 308 crematoriums in Bangkok have been advised to keep their incinerators in good working order. No ceremonial papers coated with chemicals should be placed inside the coffins along with the cremated.
Also, no ceremonial papers should be burned at shrines during New Year or Chinese New Year events. The governor added that barbecue restaurants, eateries and roadside stalls will be asked to use a smokeless grill, where possible.
Two arrested over party hostess rape
Chon Buri: Police have arrested two of three men accused of raping a woman they hired to entertain them at a house in Sattahip district last week.
Two men, identified by police only as Channarong and Krissada, were apprehended in the district, according to Pol Col Panya Damlek, chief of Sattahip police. A third man remains at large.
Mr Channarong allegedly admitted he and his friends had hired a 27-year-old woman for 400 baht to entertain them at a house in tambon Bang Sarey.
The woman said she was paid 150 baht an hour for the service. The men were drinking and taking illicit drugs when she arrived, police said.
Teen gangsters face theft charges
Chiang Mai: Seven young men, believed to belong to a gang of petty thieves, have been charged with assaulting a group of teenagers and stealing their mobile phones in San Pa Tong district this month.
Details of the seven robbers, including Patipan Sinthiam, leader of the "Hurricane" gang, were given by Provincial Police Region 5 commissioner Piya Tavichai yesterday.
He said the gang, whose members are aged between 13-16, had operated along the roads linking Lamphun and Chiang Mai. A complaint from a teenage victim led to their arrest, he said.
Pheu Thai support wavers in Isan
politics: The opposition Pheu Thai Party is still popular in the Northeast although many voters are undecided whether to vote for the party in the next general election, a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration found.
The poll was conducted between Oct 18-20 among 1,320 voters aged 18 and over in the Northeast to gauge Pheu Thai's popularity in the region.
The Northeast is a strong political base for the party, successor to the dissolved Thai Rak Thai and Palang Prachachon parties supported by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Asked whether they had ever voted for Thai Rak Thai, Palang Prachachon or Pheu Thai in past elections, most -- 81.1% -- said "yes"; 12.65% said "no". About 70% of those who said "yes", voted Pheu Thai in the last election.