The trend of young female Chinese tourists wearing Thai schoolgirl uniforms for photo ops has become a hot issue again after lawyer Rachapon Sirisakorn warned on Wednesday that female Chinese tourists wearing Thai school uniforms could be breaking Thai law and being fined 1,000 baht.
The lawyer Rachapon pointed out that the embroidered school initials are the most important thing. If a person wears a school uniform with the same embroidered initials as a school, it could be an illegal act. However, if they only embroider their name, it could be OK.
His comments got high attention.
Thai actor Mario Maurer who himself has been featured in a popular film, Crazy Little Thing Called Love or First Love (2010), that made Thai female uniforms famous among young Chinese audiences defended Chinese tourists.
“it’s alright as long as they keep the shirts generic with no specific reference to a particular school. There’s nothing wrong with that,” said Mario.
Mario Maurer stars in “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
Education Minister Trinuch Theinthong said she wanted the public to consider the tourists’ intentions. She added that if it is part of tourism, it is a good trend that does no harm. Moreover, it also improves the country’s image and the Thai school uniform could be a soft power.
“Will this lead to misunderstandings? So far we have not received any report of tourists wearing school uniforms going to nightlife or inappropriate places. I think it is similar to when we want to board and wear trendy outfits, like in Japan where there is also a trend to wear uniforms. So wearing a school uniform is allowed and does no harm,” said Trinuch.
Education Minister Trinuch Theinthong
Permanent secretary of the Education Ministry, Attapol Sungkhwasri, said he had seen pictures of tourists wearing school uniforms and found it cute and not harmful. He also said it promotes tourism as tourists like the Thai uniform so much that they want to wear it themselves.
He added that people used to like the Japanese school uniform, but now it is the Thai uniform. He urged people not to take it so seriously and consider the intentions of the travelers.
However, he stressed that the wearing of school uniforms should be done at an appropriate place and time. The ministry added that it may not be appropriate to wear the uniform in the evening as it may pose a danger to tourists and misunderstand the society.
Newly elected Premier Li Qiang, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
BEIJING (AP) — China on Saturday named Li Qiang, a close confidant of top leader Xi Jinping, as the country’s next premier nominally in charge of the world’s second-largest economy now facing some of its worst prospects in years.
Li was nominated by Xi and appointed to the position at Saturday morning’s session of the National People’s Congress, China’s ceremonial parliament. That came a day after Xi, 69, secured a norms-breaking third five-year term as state leader, setting him up to possibly rule for life.
A tally announcing Li Qiang as the new premier is shown during a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Li is best known for having enforced a brutal “zero-COVID” lockdown on Shanghai last spring as party boss of the Chinese financial hub, proving his loyalty to Xi in the face of complaints from residents over their lack of access to food, medical care and basic services.
Li, 63, came to know Xi during the future president’s term as head of Li’s native Zhejiang, a relatively wealthy southeastern province now known as a technology and manufacturing powerhouse.
Prior to the pandemic, Li built up a reputation in Shanghai and Zhejiang before that as friendly to private industry, even as Xi enforced tighter political controls and anti-COVID curbs, as well as more control over e-commerce and other tech companies.
Li Qiang looks on during a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) to elect the Premier at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
As premier, Li will be charged with reviving a sluggish economy still emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and confronted with weak global demand for exports, lingering U.S. tariff hikes, a shrinking workforce and an aging population.
He takes on the job as authority of the premier and the State Council, China’s Cabinet, has been steadily eroding as Xi shifts more powers to bodies directly under the ruling Communist Party.
At the opening of the annual congress session on Sunday, outgoing Premier Li Keqiang announced plans for a consumer-led revival of the struggling economy, setting this year’s growth target at “around 5%.” Last year’s growth fell to 3%, the second-weakest level since at least the 1970s.
Chinese President Xi Jinping looks on as newly elected Chinese Premier Li Qiang at right shakes hands with former Premier Li Keqiang during a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
As with Xi’s appointment on Friday, there was no indication that members of the NPC had any option other than to endorse Li and other officials picked by the Communist Party to fill other posts.
Unlike Xi, who received the body’s full endorsement, Li’s tally included three opposed and eight abstentions.
The nearly 3,000 delegates deposited ballots into boxes placed around the vast auditorium in the Great Hall of the People, in a process that also produced new heads of the Supreme People’s Court and the state prosecutor’s office, and two vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission that commands the party’s military wing, the 2 million-member People’s Liberation Army.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, applauds near the newly elected Premier Li Qiang at left and the former Premier Li Keqiang at right during a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Xi was renamed head of the commission on Friday, an appointment that has been automatic for the party leader for three decades. The premier has no direct authority over the armed forces, who take their orders explicitly from the party, and plays only a marginal role in foreign relations and domestic security.
Xi’s new term and the appointment of loyalists to top posts underscore his near-total monopoly on Chinese political power, eliminating any potential opposition to his hyper-nationalistic agenda of building China into the top political, military and economic rival to the U.S. and the chief authoritarian challenge to the Washington-led democratic world order.
The Center for Air Pollution Mitigation (CAPM), Pollution Control Department, reports exceeding the PM2.5 [dust with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less] standard on March 10 in Bangkok and two surrounding provinces in 46 areas.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said PM2.5 pollution requires a long-term solution with all stakeholders working together, including the Land Transport Department and the Transport Ministry. He added that everyone needs to work together and have considered the problem as a national agenda.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt
For Bangkok, Chadchart said they would mainly deal with vehicles, air and direct combustion as planned.
The Governor’s office is asking the public to work from home if the area is classified as an ‘orange zone’ for more than 3 days so that the public can help reduce the origin of the haze. A total of 720 patients seek medical advice on respiratory diseases at 6 Bangkok clinics between 1 December 2022 and 8 March 2023.
Chadchart said that in his estimation the haze will improve from tomorrow as the wind from the south will displace the wind from the east and improve ventilation.
In Bangkok, there are 3 main sources of dust: 30 percent from vehicles, 30 per cent from air quality and another 30 per cent from direct combustion. If the public wants to reduce the haze caused by vehicles, they could use public transport as an option. It is important to upgrade vehicles to better quality and impose more taxes on old cars.
Chadchart concluded that the question of the connection between the rising temperature in the city and dust needs further investigation.
According to the Department of Disease Control and the Department of Health, from the surveillance of diseases related to air pollution in the Bangkok area between January 1 and March 10, 2023, only government hospitals under the Office of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Bangkok Medical Office found 31,695 patients from all over the country, or 1,449,716 people.
There are many cases related to inflammatory eye disease, inflammatory skin disease, and long-term diseases such as lung cancer. It is also found in asthma, pneumonia, influenza, strep throat, chronic rhinitis, bronchitis, and other diseases.
CJIB Cobra Gold 2023 Command – On March 10, 2023 at 10 a.m., General Chalermphon Srisawasdi, the Chief of Defense Forces of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, and MG Stephen G. Smith, the Commander for the 7th Infantry Division, presided over the Cobra Gold 2023 closing ceremony at the Artillery Center, Phatthana Nikhom district, Lopburi province and observed the Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX). Chiefs of Defense Forces and commanders-in-chief of allied nations were also in attendance.
The CALFEX featured weaponry and 609 participants from the Thai, American, Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian armed forces.
Activities included high-altitude, high-opening (HAHO) operations, air interdiction, artillery preparation and supporting fire, engineer corps’ breaching operations, shooting on the move, air assaults, close air support, air assault operations, medical evacuation, and efforts to secure a target area. Key hardware included Thailand’s BTR wheeled armored vehicles and F-16 fighters, as well as American F-16 fighters and HIMARS multiple rocket launchers.
The Cobra Gold exercise is the largest military exercise in Southeast Asia, co-hosted annually in Thailand by the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Past iterations have been highly successful in increasing capacity of participating troops.
The exercise allows for the exchange of military know-how, doctrine, and technology, and has broadened the experience of Thai and allied forces in joint and multilateral operations.
This reflects our commitment to elevating cooperation and our relationships with participating nations to safeguard the stability and mutual interests of the region. Additionally, the exercises also provide an economic benefit for local communities, while also building a good image of Thailand in the eyes of participating nations.
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Combined Joint Information Bureau (CJIB), Cobra Gold 2023 Command reported.
The Centre of Air Pollution Mitigation (CAPM), Pollution Control Department, reports exceeding the PM2.5 [dust with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less] standard in many provinces of Thailand, especially in the north of the country.
In northern Thailand, 72 – 145 micrograms per cubic metre of dust are reported to exceed the standard value in 32 areas in 17 provinces. In addition, a total of 20 areas are classified as the red zone, meaning that the air quality is “very unhealthy”.
Doi Moncham, Chiang Mai
The reporter reported that many provinces are now covered with heavy smoke and have persistent air pollution. The Chiang Mai Health Department said it had not received any report of patients whose health had been threatened by the air pollution. However, there have been several posts on social media from locals, including the story of a family whose 9-year-old daughter had a heavy nosebleed. Locals have tried to do their best by using air purifiers or avoiding being outdoors.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation recently ordered the closure of 89 national parks to curb forest fires. The department aims to regulate bushfires, which are usually located in northern Thailand such as Chaing Mai, Chain Rai, Lumpoon, Lumpang, Prae, Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan and Tak.
Mr.Athapol Charoenshunsa, Acting for Director General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, instructed officials to strictly prevent illegal entry into the protected forest area, especially among the group of cow herders in the forest. It is another important cause of forest fires in Srinakarin Dam National Park, Kanchanaburi Province.
He warned if an illegal wildfire occurs, the Department will make use of light penalties up to and including prosecution. Anyone who starts a bushfire illegally in national parks, arboretums or botanical gardens faces a prison sentence of 4 to 20 years or a fine of THB 400,000 to THB 2,000,000 or both.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is congratulated by Li Zhanshu after he is unanimously elected as President during a session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
AP — Chinese leader Xi Jinping, 69, was awarded a third five-year term as the nation’s president Friday, putting him on track to stay in power for life at a time of severe economic challenges and rising tensions with the U.S. and others.
The vote for Xi was 2,952 to 0 by the NPC, members of which are appointed by the ruling party.
With Chinese leader Xi receiving a norms-breaking third five-year term as president, the other six men who serve with him on the ruling Communist Party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee are beginning to take up their new portfolios.
Six men sit alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the ruling Communist Party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, handling major portfolios from propaganda to corruption fighting. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Chief among them, the party’s second-in-command Li Qiang is widely expected to take over as premier, nominally in charge of the Cabinet and caretaker of the economy.
Li is best known for ruthlessly enforcing a brutal “zero-COVID” lockdown on Shanghai last spring.
Shortly after Xi received unanimous approval from the National People’s Congress, the party’s third-ranking official Zhao Leji was put in charge of the nearly 3,000-member ceremonial legislature.
Staff members look out from behind curtains before a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A member of the Politburo Standing Committee until October, Han Zheng was made vice president.
Underscoring the overwhelmingly male makeup of the Chinese political elite, the Politburo Standing Committee has only men on it. The 24-member Politburo, which has had only four female members since the 1990s, also has no female officials after the departure of Vice Premier Sun Chunlan. The other key body, the 200-plus member Central Committee, remains 95% male.
Chinese President Xi Jinping takes his oath after he is unanimously elected as President. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Some details about the current standing committee members in order of their party rank:
LI QIANG
Perhaps the official closest to Xi, Li Qiang is widely expected to take over as premier, nominally in charge of the Cabinet and caretaker of the economy. Li is best known for ruthlessly enforcing a brutal “zero-COVID” lockdown on Shanghai last spring as party boss of the Chinese financial hub, proving his loyalty to Xi in the face of complaints from residents over their lack of access to food, medical care and basic services.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Li Qiang, right, attend a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023.(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Li, 63, came to know Xi during the future president’s term as head of Li’s native Zhejiang, a relatively wealthy southeastern province now known as a technology and manufacturing powerhouse.
ZHAO LEJI
A holdover from the previous Politburo Standing Committee, Zhao Leji won Xi’s trust as head of the party’s anti-corruption watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, pursuing an anti-graft campaign that has frozen all potential opposition to the leader.
Zhao Leji attends a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Zhao, 66, was made head of the National People’s Congress and its standing committee, which handles most actual legislative work. As in the case of Xi, who was also made head of the government commission overseeing the military, there were no other candidates or dissenting votes.
WANG HUNING
Another returnee from the previous standing committee, Wang Huning is from an academic background, having been a professor of international politics at Shanghai’s Fudan University and a senior adviser to two of Xi’s predecessors. Unusual for a top official, Wang, 67, has never held office at either the local or central government level.
Wang Huning attends a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Wang is known for authoring books critiquing Western politics and society, and is expected to be named head of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the NPC’s advisory body that, in coordination with the party’s United Front Department, works to build the Xi’s influence and image abroad.
CAI QI
As leader of the capital since 2017, Cai Qi oversaw the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been celebrated by the party as a victory. Cai, 67, also oversaw the forcible eviction of thousands of migrant workers from rundown urban neighborhoods and kept COVID cases relatively low in Beijing without enacting the harsh measures seen in Shanghai and elsewhere.
Cai Qi attends a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Cai, who holds a doctorate in economics, also entered into Xi’s political orbit in the Zhejiang political scene. An early adopter of Chinese social media, Cai is also among the very few top officials to have visited Taiwan, praising the island’s ubiquitous convenience stores in a 2012 posting for Caixin magazine’s website. He’s expected to be put in charge of propaganda and messaging.
DING XUEXIANG
As director of the party’s General Office since 2017, Ding Xuexiang has effectively served as Xi’s chief of staff, notably present on state visits and meetings with foreign leaders. Like Wang, Ding has never held government office but sits at the center of party affairs just below the Politburo.
Ding Xuexiang attends a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Still just 60, Ding’s career took off after he was appointed secretary to Xi during his brief term as Shanghai party head. He is expected to be appointed first vice premier overseeing administrative matters.
LI XI
Prior to his appointment to the standing committee, Li Xi, 66, headed Guangdong province, one of China’s wealthiest regions and the base of its vast manufacturing sector.
Li Xi attends a session of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, March 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
He earlier served as party secretary of Mao Zedong’ s famed revolutionary base of Yan’an and had became an early pioneer in what is known as “red tourism,” promoting sites hallowed to the party’s history prior to its seizure of power in 1949.
A close Xi confidante, Li has already been appointed to replace Zhao as head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.
Every minute has been the wait as Blue Tree Phuket has now launched the full-option Padel tennis courts – both indoor and outdoor – with all facilities that sports fans could ever want. The courts are set amidst beautiful scenery, offering an added bonus for all players. After working up a sweat in the game, players can wind down in a relaxing atmosphere with a view of the lagoon at the Sunset View Tapas Bar. Special for March only, buy one hour of Padel tennis and get an extra hour free for just 800 baht. Padel Tennis is a racket sport – a mix between tennis, squash and badminton. The sport is growing rapidly in popularity right now. Good for games both indoors and outdoors, Padel Tennis is played in doubles only.
Armed police officers and emergency services near the scene of a shooting in Hamburg, Germany on Thursday March 9, 2023 after one or more people opened fire in a church. The Hamburg city government says the shooting took place in the Gross Borstel district on Thursday evening. (Jonas Walzberg/dpa via AP)
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — A shooting at a Jehovah’s Witnesses hall in the German city of Hamburg killed eight people, apparently including the perpetrator, police said Friday. An unspecified number of other people were wounded, some of them seriously.
Police gave the figure on their website. There was still no word on a possible motive for the shooting on Thursday evening that stunned Germany’s second-biggest city. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a former Hamburg mayor, described the shooting as “a brutal act of violence.”
Police said during the night that they believe that there was only one shooter, and that that this could be a person who was found dead in the building.
Investigators worked through the night to secure evidence. On Friday morning, forensic investigators in protective white suits could still be seen outside the building as a light snow fell. Officers placed yellow cones on the ground and windowsills to mark evidence.
Armed police officers near the scene of a shooting in Hamburg, Germany on Thursday March 9, 2023 after one or more people opened fire in a church. (Jonas Walzberg/dpa via AP)
Hamburg officials said there would be a news conference Friday afternoon to discuss details.
David Semonian, a U.S.-based spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, said in an emailed statement early Friday that members “worldwide grieve for the victims of this traumatic event.”
“The congregation elders in the local area are providing pastoral care for those affected by the event,” he wrote. “We understand that the authorities are still investigating the details of this crime. We appreciate the courageous help provided by the police and emergency services.”
The scene of the shooting was the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Kingdom Hall, a boxy three-story building next to an auto repair shop in the Gross Borstel district, a few kilometers (miles) from downtown Hamburg.
Police spokesman Holger Vehren said police were alerted to the shooting about 9:15 p.m. and were on the scene quickly.
He said that after officers arrived and found people with apparent gunshot wounds on the ground floor, they heard a shot from an upper floor and found a fatally wounded person upstairs who may have been a shooter. He said police did not have to use their firearms.
The Hamburg city government says the shooting took place in the Gross Borstel district on Thursday evening. (Jonas Walzberg/dpa via AP)
Student Laura Bauch, who lives nearby, said there were around four periods of shooting, German news agency dpa reported. “There were always several shots in these periods, roughly at intervals of 20 seconds to a minute,” she said.
She said she looked out her window and saw a person running from the ground floor to the second floor of the Jehovah’s Witnesses hall.
Gregor Miesbach, who lives within sight of the building, was alerted by the sound of shots and filmed a figure entering the building through a window. Shots can then be heard from inside. The figure later apparently emerges from the hall, is seen in the courtyard and then fires more shots inside.
Miesbach told German television news agency NonstopNews that he heard at least 25 shots. After police arrived, one last shot followed about five minutes later, he said.
His video showed a person firing multiple shots into the building through a first floor window before the lights inside the room went out.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are part of an international church, founded in the United States in the 19th century and headquartered in Warwick, New York. It claims a worldwide membership of about 8.7 million, with about 170,000 in Germany.
Members are known for their evangelistic efforts that include knocking on doors and distributing literature in public squares. The denomination’s distinctive practices include a refusal to bear arms, receive blood transfusions, salute a national flag or participate in secular government.
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Moulson reported from Berlin. Associated Press journalist David Rising contributed to this story from Bangkok.
As people around the world live longer, the need for comprehensive and innovative cardiac care is ever increasing. According to Mrs. Artirat Charukitpipat, CEO of Bumrungrad International Hospital, “the World Health Organization estimates heart conditions take about 18 million lives each year. The data reveals this trend is likely to continue and become more complex in the near future due to the elderly’s risk of facing heart health conditions.”
“Bumrungrad International Hospital recognizes the importance of improving the level of care and prevention which includes promoting healthy lifestyles, as well as screening and early detection programs for risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol in response to the increasing number of heart disease cases and their associated complications”, as Mrs. Artirat Charukitpipat further revealed.
As Bumrungrad CEO explains, “Bumrungrad Heart Institute is one of our Centers of Excellence. Our professional team provides care for even the most complex heart conditions. Achieving success in such cases requires a good cooperation with the full support of a multidisciplinary team. They work with the same goal in mind. That goal is to keep patient safe and enhance patient quality of life.”
The Bumrungrad Heart Institute is the result of the ambitious vision of the executive board of the hospital and Professor Dr. Koonlawee Nademanee, Cardiologist and Director of the Bumrungrad Heart Institute. As Prof. Dr. Koonlawee Nademanee explains, “Bumrungrad Heart Institute aims for the most comprehensive treatment and best outcomes for patients with all kinds of heart diseases.”
“We aim to be a state-of-the-art medical facility in all areas of cardiology, including coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, advanced heart failure and heart transplantation, structural heart disease, cardiogenetics, congenital heart disease, cardiac screening, and preventive care. We are also equipped with a cardiac care unit, which provides 24-hour care for cardiac patients requiring acute care or post operative recovery to enable them to return to the best of their ability as soon as possible.”, Prof. Dr. Koonlawee Nademanee elaborated.
As a Center of Excellence, the Bumrungrad Heart Institute already leverages the world-class knowledge and technological resources of the hospital, providing an excellent foundation for providing high-quality patient outcomes immediately. Prof. Dr. Koonlawee Nademanee confirmed this by commenting that, “Bumrungrad actually had everything to take the best care of the patients. The executive board is very visionary and wanted to do research. It is the only way to keep getting better because by doing research, we keep learning, improving and finding a better way to treat our patients, and we are never complacent on our past success.”
Given such a successful foundation, both the Bumrungrad board and Prof. Dr. Koonlawee Nademanee clearly identify research, technology, and innovation as the key drivers to the Bumrungrad Heart Institute’s future growth and development. As Prof. Dr. Koonlawee Nademanee illustrates, “Moreover, Bumrungrad constantly invests extensively in technology and equipment, including some that don’t necessarily yield a return. So, with the team of experts we have, the Bumrungrad Heart Institute can be a truly world-class center of excellence. Some examples of previous research include Brugada syndrome in Thailand: Three decades of progress, Epicardial substrate ablation for Brugada syndrome, and Benefits and risks of catheter ablation in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation.”
It is also important to note that Prof. Dr. Koonlawee Nademanee brings with him a wealth of research and experience, as he is one of the world’s first investigators to uncover the true cause of sudden unexplained death or dying in your sleep. Moreover, Bumrungrad Heart Institute has one of the best arrhythmia centers in the world that not only carries out cutting edge research but also performs complex catheter ablation for difficult arrhythmia cases.
Moreover, the Institute has become a tertiary referral center for the Asia pacific region and keeps expanding to the rest of the world. Patients come to get their arrhythmia care from all over the world, including the US and Europe. The center is also known for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation treatment since it is one of the few places in the world that routinely and sophisticatedly maps and ablates AF substrates with its CFAE ablation in conjunction with CardioInsight non-invasive mapping, a technology that the center adopted early on, back in 2016.
On the topic of the Heart Institute’s research efforts, Prof. Dr. Koonlawee Nademanee is proud to note that, “We publish around ten papers a year in major medical journals and we’re proud of that record. We’re also working on an AI project with Chulalongkorn University and King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang to monitor sudden cardiac arrest. Most importantly, we’ve become an international consultant, receiving cross-reviews by international institutions from the USA, Europe, and Japan. Many want to come to see our work and collaborate.”
Dr. Achirawin Jirakamolchaisiri, Cardiologist and Director of Heart Institute Operations and Service Line at Bumrungrad International Hospital, reminds us that, “cardiology is a complex field that encompasses many different sub-specialties. Each subspecialty focuses on a specific area of heart health, and understanding these different areas is crucial for providing optimal patient care, while striving to deliver the best positive patient outcomes in every case.”
Dr. Achirawin Jirakamolchaisiri shared patient outcome data which clearly demonstrate that the Heart Institute’s success in delivering on its goal of providing truly world-class care:
Coronary Heart Disease: This sub-specialty focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of blockages in the coronary arteries, which can lead to heart attacks and other serious cardiac events. In 2022, we delivered Coronary angiogram & Percutaneous coronary intervention in a total of 812 cases with a success rate of 99.2% while the U.S. benchmark was at 95%. The composite complication rate is at 0.39% while the U.S. benchmark was at 2.65%. Average length of stay is only 1 day after procedure.
Cardiac Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology: This sub-specialty deals with the diagnosis and management of abnormal heart rhythms, including atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and other arrhythmias. Last year, we treated 183 cases of Electrophysiology with 100% success rate using Atrial fibrillation ablation with only 4.35% complication rate, whereas the U.S. benchmark was at 6.5%. While Ventricular tachycardia ablation had a 100% success rate with no complications.
TAVR/TAVI: This sub-specialty involves minimally invasive procedures to replace the aortic valve in patients with aortic stenosis, a condition in which the valve becomes narrowed and obstructs blood flow. Bumrungrad Heart Institute had 26 cases of Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR/TAVI) which is the greatest case volume in Thai private hospitals with a 100% success rate and no complications.
Advanced Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation: This sub-specialty focuses on the care of patients with severe heart failure, including those who may require advanced treatments from multidisciplinary team or heart transplantation. The Bumrungrad Heart Institute is the first and only private hospital in Thailand with heart transplant capability and which received clinical care program certification by JCI. We had a 100% 1 year survival rate after heart transplantation with no complications.
Coronary Bypass Surgery: This sub-specialty involves surgical procedures to bypass blocked or narrowed coronary arteries, restoring blood flow to the heart muscle. Last year, 430 cardiothoracic surgeries were performed with 71 cases being coronary artery bypass graft. There was 0% In-hospital mortality while the U.S. benchmark was at 2.1%. And there was no Post-op-stroke while the benchmark was at 3%.
Cardiac Rehabilitation: This sub-specialty provides supervised exercise and lifestyle modification programs to help patients recover from heart disease and prevent future cardiac events. With our Cardiac Rehabilitation, 100% (benchmark 90%) of our post op bypass surgery patients reached optimal functional status within 7 days, while 97% (benchmark 90%) of post PCI patients reached optimal function status within 4 days.
Cardiogenetics: This sub-specialty deals with the genetic basis of cardiovascular disease, including inherited conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and familial hypercholesterolemia. Fortunately, advances in technology and knowledge of genetics have made it possible to check for certain genes and see how vulnerable one is to heart diseases. Gene testing can save the lives of people who have not yet shown symptoms. It can also help those planning to have children. And we had 360 screenings last year.
As the data show, it is abundantly clear the Bumrungrad Heart Institute performs at the top of its class in delivering the most effective medical care to its patients.
Forensic police inspect the scene of a fatal stabbing in front of Platinum Fashion Mall in Bangkok on Mar. 9, 2023.
BANGKOK — A Myanmar national was arrested Thursday for the alleged murder of a compatriot outside a mall in downtown Bangkok.
The victim, Phyu Mar Aung, was stabbed at least five times with a folding knife in front of Platinum Fashion Mall in Ratchathewi district on Thursday afternoon and died at the scene. The attacker, Thet Lin Oo, was arrested shortly after and charged with murder, Phayathai police superintendent Krissadaporn Jong-aksorn said.
“We believe it was driven by personal issues at work,” Pol. Col. Krissadaporn said.
He said both Myanmar nationals were employed by the same local fruit vendor. The suspect told police he killed his coworker out of anger after she told their employer that he was incompetent at work.
The suspect was taken to Phayathai Police Station to hear his charges.
As the data show, it is abundantly clear the Bumrungrad Heart Institute performs at the top of its class in delivering the most effective medical care to its patients.
