ABSTRACT
PM2.5 pollution has significant impacts on human health and has been a persistent problem in Bangkok and its metropolitan area for many decades. To effectively address the issue, source identification is crucial. This study was aimed at determining the sources of PM2.5 in three regions;Pathumwan district in Bangkok, Mueang district in Samut Sakhon province, and Mueang district in Samut Prakan province. PM2.5 sampling was performed according to the Federal Reference Method (FRM). A combined total of 135 samples were collected across all three locations, over a 24-h period from December 2021 to February 2022 with 46.2 mm polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes. The filters were analyzed using particle accelerator-based ion beam analysis techniques;Proton-induced X-ray emission, proton-induced gamma-ray emission, and proton elastic scattering analysis. Positive matrix factorization was used for source apportionment for the three locations. The results indicated that the main contributors to PM2.5 in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Samut Sakhon were biomass/solid waste burning (45.6%), traffic (43.7%), and construction (36.0%), respectively. These preliminary findings further supported the need for expanding these types of studies to implement specific strategies for a reduction of PM2.5 level in high activity cities and which could then be applied to other urban areas around the world.
ABSTRACT
This study's objective was to investigate how desire to travel, and perceived behavioral control, affected domestic travel intentions for travel to Bangkok at the time of the COVID-19 epidemic. The study suggests that attitudes and preferences can be considered as moderators for both the association between perceived behavioral control and intentions to travel domestically, as well as the association between perceived behavioral control and desire to travel. It also suggests that attitudes and preferences can moderate the strength of the mediated relationship. The sample used in this study was collected from June 2022, after Thailand began to relax the most recent COVID-19 health regulations. A total of 400 responses were collected and utilized in the study. For testing H1 on the effects of mediation, the data were analyzed using moderated multiple regression via Hayes' Process Macro v4.2 with SPSS, while H2 and H3 were examined using moderated hierarchical regression analysis. H4 was then examined using the moderated mediation model. The results suggest that the magnitude of the mediated association between perceived behavioral control and domestic travel intentions for Thai domestic tourism was moderated by tourists' attitudes and preferences. The conditional indirect effect of perceived behavioral control and the desire to travel on the intention to travel domestically was strong when attitudes and preferences were valued highly.
ABSTRACT
2022 was a year marked with significant anniversaries of hate against the AAPI community both historic and recent, from the 40th anniversary of the hate-driven murder of Chinese American immigrant Vincent Chin to the one-year anniversary of recent mass shootings in Atlanta and Indianapolis. These commemorations, moreover, came amidst a series of hate crimes targeting Sikh men in Richmond Hill, Queens, and a years-long spike in violence against Asian Americans - particularly Asian American women - ignited by the COVID-19 pandemic. One anniversary in 2022, however, is both important on its own right as a marker in the history of targeted violence and useful for contextualizing recent trends of hate in the US: the 10-year remembrance of the shooting at a gurdwara, a Sikh house of worship, in Oak Creek WI.
ABSTRACT
Biodrying is an essential part of the mechanical–biological treatment process that minimizes moisture content and simultaneously maximizes heating value for refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production. Although the mechanical separation process operates effectively in Thailand's RDF production, high organic content levels and their degradation cause moisture contamination in RDF, producing wet RDF. Aeration is essential for an effective biodrying process, and can reduce RDF's moisture content as well as increase its heating value. To maximize the biodrying effect, aeration should be optimized based on the waste conditions. This study proposes a modified aeration-supplied configuration for wet RDF biodrying. The aeration rate was modified based on the period within the biodrying operation;the first period is from the beginning until day 2.5, and the second period is from day 2.5 to day 5. The optimal aeration supply configuration was 0.5 m3/kg/day in the first period and then 0.3 m3/kg/day until the end of the process;this configuration yielded the greatest moisture content decrease of 35% and increased the low heating value of the biodried product by 11%. The final moisture content and low heating value were 24.07% and 4787 kcal/kg, respectively. Therefore, this optimal aeration-supplied configuration could be applied to meet the moisture content and low heating value requirements of the RDF production standard for Thailand's local cement industry.
ABSTRACT
Michael's Hospital, Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, Toronto, Canada Critical Care 2023, 27(S1): P001 Introduction: In the context of a pandemic with a massive influx of hypoxemic patients, the high oxygen consumption usually required to achieve optimal inspired fraction of oxygen (FiO2) with non-invasive respiratory supports may jeopardize healthcare organization and oxygen delivery capabilities in hospitals. P003 Effect of non-invasive respiratory support on interstitial lung disease with acute respiratory failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis N Sanguanwong1, N Jantarangsi2, J Ngeyvijit3, N Owattanapanich4, V Phoophiboon5 1Chulalongkorn University, Department of Physiology, Bangkok, Thailand, 2Buddhachinaraj hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Phitsanulok, Thailand, 3Chulalongkorn University, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand, 4Mahidol University, Division of Trauma Surgery, Bangkok, Thailand, 5Chulalongkorn University, Critical Care Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand Critical Care 2023, 27(S1): P003 Introduction: The data of non-invasive respiratory support (non-invasive positive pressure ventilation;NIPPV and high flow nasal cannula;HFNC) in interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) with acute respiratory failure (ARF) are scarce [1, 2]. A random effects model was used to estimate the PF ratio, PaCO2, mortality, intubation rate and hospital length of stay. Methods: The data of 215 adult patients, who were admitted to ICU of a university hospital between April 2020 and October 2021, with severe COVID pneumonia and received HFOT were enrolled retrospectively in our study.
ABSTRACT
The service industry is hard to measure due to its characteristics which are perishability, intangibility, inseparability and variability so the service industry like the tourism industry highly relies on the guests' WOM. This research is aiming to help hotel managers in Bangkok investigate what makes a good response. Since the research is limited to the hotel industry in Bangkok. It is a remarkable way to conduct interviews with managers and tourists to gather data with a qualitative approach. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with three managers and three tourists to collect data. Due to Covid-19 pandemic regulation, numbers of interviewees are limited;also, some interviews were conducted online by Zoom and Microsoft team. The researcher analyzed data by the classic content analysis technique. The key findings of the research are: first, the speedy managerial response has a positive impact on guests' opinion;next, response numbers have a positive effect on guests' WOM;then the manager should concentrate on both positive and negative responses;finally, relevant managerial response affects guest' points of view. Based on researcher's findings, managers should be empathy when response to guests' reviews. Putting them in the guests' shoes will make it easier to understand what problem guests have faced.
ABSTRACT
The study aims to investigate the effects of COVID-19 and highlight characteristics of the urban poor during the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangkok. The study utilizes data from community surveys with multi- stage sampling to obtain a total of 500 samples in the slums during the first lockdown in Bangkok and displays results in descriptive statistics and empirical tests using binary and order logit models. Results show that the poor have faced the most adverse socioeconomic impacts during the COVID- 19 outbreak with restrictive controls, such as experiencing the largest income reduction and deficit as well as an increasing debt ratio. Binary logit estimations indicate that the poor are likely to be those with low education and be unemployed both during and after the lockdown periods. Unemployment during the lockdown had the largest significant effect on poverty and an even greater effect in the post-lockdown. In addition, age is another significant factor for the poor after the lockdown, indicating the possibility for older- aged workers and the elderly to become poor in the post-COVID period. Ordered logit estimations also reveal that aging has a negatively significant relationship to income level after the lockdown, while women tend to drop their income levels significantly during the lockdown when there was high unemployment. Therefore, policies should be prepared to mitigate adverse effects of the vulnerable groups. Not only should short- term policies and welfare schemes be provided during the lockdown, but policies must also be considered with a long- term human development approach in the post- COVID world. This study suggests social protection policies with comprehensive and potential concerns. © 2023 Thailand and The World Economy. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants influencing the willingness of office workers to use coffee houses services in Silom and Sathorn areas in Bangkok during the COVID-19 outbreak. The conceptual framework presented comprises variety seeking, desire for unique products, cosmopolitanism, personal innovativeness, product evaluation, behavioral intention impact willingness to use coffee house services. The sample (n = 490) was gathered from online questionnaires using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. The study employed the Structural Equation Model (SEM) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) for the data analysis to confirm reliability, validity, goodness-of-fit of the model, and hypotheses. The findings revealed that variety seeking and personal innovativeness significantly impacted product evaluation and behavioral intention. In contrast, the desire for unique products and cosmopolitanism had no impact on product evaluation and behavioral intention. In addition, both product evaluation and behavioral intention also had a significant impact on the willingness to use coffee house services. Therefore, for practical implications, business owners and entrepreneurs could enhance product varieties to attract more customers for better sales revenue generation.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The healthcare services for non-communicable diseases (NCD) are commonly affected by public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, all healthcare facilities in Bangkok had been overwhelmed by the extreme caseload of COVID-19. Health service resiliency is crucial for the continued service of healthcare facilities post pandemic. This study aims to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on NCD service disruption and addressed the resilience of healthcare services at the operational level. METHODS: Healthcare facility-based surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted among representatives of the facilities in Bangkok from April 2021 to July 2021. The web-based, self-administered questionnaire, was sent to directors or authorities of all healthcare facilities in Bangkok Thailand (n = 169). Two healthcare facilities from three levels of health services were purposively selected. The directors or medical doctors and nurses who are in charge of the NCD service, and working at the six selected health facilities, were invited to participate in the in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data from the in-depth interviews. RESULTS: The impact of COVID-19 on NCD service disruption in the second wave (2021) was more severe than in the first wave (2020). The main reasons for NCD service disruptions are insufficient staff, and the closure of some services offered by the healthcare facilities. Surprisingly, both the budget and medical supply for healthcare facilities in Bangkok are less affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study revealed resilience capability i.e. absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capabilityamong the healthcare facilities that provide a continuum of care by increasing availability and accessibility to healthcare services for chronic illness as DM. The service disruption in Bangkok may alter from other provinces because of variations in COVID-19 incidence and health services contexts. CONCLUSION: During the public health crisis, using affordable and common digital technologies to ensure DM patients can access a continuum of care and providing alternative services such as mobile medical laboratories, medication delivery, and medical refill at drug stores can increase consistent monitoring of glycemic levels and use of prescribed medication.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Noncommunicable Diseases , Humans , Noncommunicable Diseases/epidemiology , Noncommunicable Diseases/therapy , Primary Health Care , Public Health , Pandemics , Thailand/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiologyABSTRACT
There are currently a plethora of customer reviews online through websites such as TripAdvisor that can be utilized to satisfy customer needs. This study examined TripAdvisor restaurant reviews in Bangkok during 2007-2021 using the VADER model. Customer reviews were classified into three categories: positive, neutral, and negative. A total of 5,728 restaurants and 105,205 reviews were found from TripAdvisor during the study period. In 2019, it obtained the most reviews with 17,969 while 2016 recorded the most negative reviews. Meanwhile, the COVID19 pandemic has caused a significant decline in the number of reviews. The findings showed that both quantitative and qualitative dimensions of consumer feedbacks on restaurants could be used to improve the restaurant business and adapt to changes in customer preferences. © 2023 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Since COVID-19 has been spread out in December 2019, it has impacted the world's economy significantly. As of other countries, there are several businesses in Thailand were directly affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 especially in tourism industry which is one of the major revenues in previous years. The new ways to live with COVID-19 such as social distancing, hand washing, or mask wearing have been promoted by the government ever since. Moreover, a few campaigns have been launched to support people in this difficult time including "We Travel Together " which is mainly focused on tourism. However, some questions also arise whether this campaign is sufficed for boosting the tourism industry, what are the tourist behavior, opinion, and motivation factors during this time because no one knows how long the situation will resume to normal and when COVID-19 will be last. The findings show that during COVID-19 situation, respondents mostly travelled to Central region of Thailand with rate of frequency of 1-4 times, the majority of respondents chose sightseeing (63.7%) over other types of tourism, and respondents mostly were motivated by Relax/Escape (Mean = 4.12) which is one of the 13 motivational factors from Travel Career Pattern model (Pearce & Lee, 2005). This refers to tourism during COVID-19 situation is still needed as long as tourism is available and the motivation can be met.
ABSTRACT
Din Daeng is a small and densely populated district of Bangkok, with two major expressways and three main roads in the area. PM2.5 concentration in Din Daeng district often exceeds both the daily and annual standards of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was applied to investigate the effects of the metropolitan characteristics and traffic volumes on the dispersion of PM2.5. The turbulent flow was analysed using the Standard k-ε model. There were two scenarios in this simulation study. One was to investigate the consequences of having the expressways. The other was to examine the influence of the city lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The presence of the expressways in Din Daeng district was demonstrated to increase PM2.5 concentrations by approximately 3.4 times compared to the case without the expressways. In addition, the city lockdown substantially reduced PM2.5 concentration by almost 49% compared to that during the normal period. © 2023, Chulalongkorn University, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the reasons for the shutdown of a mobile night market during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of tourists was obviously one of the causes but social reasons must also exist. The study investigates territoriality, collectivization and human relations in urban social spaces which are essential for the sustainability of a market than solely short-term profit and unconnected customers. Design/methodology/approach: In this study qualitative methods are used, including reviewing contents, semi-structured interviews with vendors and customers, and informant interviews. Findings: Drawing from urban space theories, this paper argues that trendy markets catering for diverse market segments sustain their business. Once the market has shifted away from local Thai customers to main tourists, it loses its base and becomes vulnerable in territoriality negotiation. Practical implications: The findings and model provide practice information for local authorities, town planners and night market operators in the design of open-air marketplaces. Such knowledge pinpoints the importance of connecting place and people in order to sustain a business. Originality/value: Studies on mobile marketplaces are rare. The findings address the "detaching” process and consequence from the perspective of place attachment. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-04-2021-0218. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
This study developed an online health education program by applying the Health Belief Model with social support to prevent tobacco use by student teachers and evaluated the effectiveness of the program during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. This involved mixed method research divided into 2 phases, with phase 1 combining an online focus group discussion (n=8) and a literature review to develop an online health education program to prevent tobacco use, while phase 2 involved evaluating the effectiveness of the program. Phase 2 used a randomized pretest-posttest control group design consisting of an intervention group (n=30) and a control group (n=30) selected by simple random sampling for both groups from student teachers in academic years 1-5 in the Faculty of Education, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand. The result from phase 1 for the proposed program for the intervention group involved 8 weeks of online activities, including exercise, meditation, music, games and lectures by experts in public health, health education, and experiences shared by ex-smokers. Leaflets were provided to all participants in both the intervention and control groups. The results from phase 2 showed significant differences in knowledge (p < 0.000, p < 0.007), attitude (p < 0.000, p < 0.034) and risk behavior to tobacco use (p < 0.004, p < 0.025) for both the intervention and control groups at 8 weeks post-intervention compared to pre-intervention, respectively. The program could support, guidance, and contributions of the many individuals and organizations that have been involved in the online process.
ABSTRACT
Rail transit systems around the world have been suffering from heavily reduced ridership due to reduced capacity for social distancing and passengers’ concern over the risk of COVID-19 infection. Various countermeasures were implemented to reduce the COVID-19 risk so that passengers felt safe to travel on rail. The objective of this study is to evaluate COVID-19 countermeasures of Bangkok’s urban rail from passengers’ viewpoints. The background of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand and the rail countermeasures implemented in Bangkok are summarized. The railway passengers interview survey was conducted at the stations during the second wave of the pandemic. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis on the regular commuting passengers revealed that the rail’s countermeasures are perceived as two types. Alternate seat blocking, 1-m distancing rule, limited station, and train capacity were regarded as distancing-related measures while temperature screening, face mask enforcement, and hand sanitization were regarded as public health measures. Although those measures might cause inconvenience, they were found to be perceived as nearly significant to each other. The findings recommend to maintain the passenger’s cooperative manners such as face mask wearing, hand sanitizing, as they will be efficient countermeasure in a situation when train is congested and social distancing is difficult. To reduce the congestion, that is, high-risk COVID-19, spreading of demand out of the peak hours by teleworking or flexible working hours will greatly help. Moreover, the COVID-19 safe access and egress modes, including walk and nonmotorized transport in TOD urban setting, must be secured to ensure the entire trip is safe.
ABSTRACT
First he examined the interactions between the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and current economic and social transformations. In light of the session in his honour, Dr George Harlow (American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA) chronicled the history of his career, in which he built collections, organised exhibitions and performed geological fieldwork around the world while researching jade, ruby, etc. Pamir rubies formed at unusually low pressures (minimum of 1–1.2 kbar) and a temperature of approximately 760°C. Wim Vertriest (Gemological Institute of America [GIA], Bangkok, Thailand) and co-authors reviewed the identification of low-temperature heat treatment of gem corundum (i.e. up to about 1200°C, which starts causing damage to rutile ‘silk’ inclusions). In another presentation, Dr Dutrow and co-authors investigated the origin determination of Cu-bearing tourmaline using statistical analyses of LIBS and electron microprobe data.
ABSTRACT
The transition from ICE to BEV taxis is one of the most important methods for reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution in cities such as Bangkok. To support this transition, an adequate number of charging stations to cover each area of charging demand must be established. This paper presents a data-driven process for determining suitable charging locations for BEV taxis based on their characteristic driving patterns. The location selection process employs GPS trajectory data collected from taxis and the locations of candidate sites. Suitable locations are determined based on estimated travel times and charging demands. A queueing model is used to simulate charging activities and identify an appropriate number of chargers at each station. The location selection results are validated using data from existing charging services. The validation results show that the proposed process can recommend better locations for charging stations than current practices. By using the traveling time data that take the current traffic condition into account, e.g., via Google Maps API, we can minimize the overall travel time to charging stations of the taxi fleet better than using the distance data. This process can also be applied to other cities.
ABSTRACT
Bats are important reservoir hosts of emerging viruses. Recent viral outbreaks and pandemics have resulted in an increased research focus on the genetic diversity, population structure, and distribution of bat species. Lyle’s flying fox (Pteropus lylei) is widely distributed throughout central Thailand, with most colonies congregating in temples within proximity to humans. A lack of knowledge regarding the genetic connectivity among different colonies hinders the investigation of zoonotic disease epidemiology and wildlife management. In this study, we hypothesized that genetic material may be exchanged between Lyle’s flying fox colonies that live in proximity. We assessed the mitochondrial displacement loop and cytochrome b nucleotide sequences of samples collected from 94 individuals from ten colonies across different roosting sites and detected limited genetic differentiation but increased nucleotide divergence within colonies. This suggests that genetic connectivity among Lyle’s flying fox colonies has experienced frequent and recent gene flow. These findings indicate that this species has maintained demographic equilibrium in a stable population, with a slight expansion event in certain populations. These data provide insights into the dynamics of bat populations, and the genetic knowledge gained presents opportunities for the improved monitoring of bat population structure.
ABSTRACT
Urban slum dwellers lacked water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and health care assistance during the COVID-19 outbreak. This research aimed to investigate the lived experiences of slum dwellers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were obtained through 453 questionnaires and 29 semi-structured interviews with community people and organizations from two slum neighbourhoods in Bangkok, Thailand. The results showed that respondents who had no access to WASH perceived the pandemic as more severe (t = -3.807, p < 0.001;df = 451), whereas respondents who had access to WASH had a higher protective intention towards COVID-19 (t = -3.947, p < 0.001;df = 431). However, there are no differences between the two groups in terms of knowledge, practice, vulnerability, perceived self-efficacy, response efficacy, or response cost between accessibility and non-accessibility to WASH. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) results showed that the knowledge of slum dwellers drives their current practice (beta = 0.456, p < 0.001) and perceived vulnerability (beta = 0.180, p < 0.001), wherein the current practice is influenced by their perceived vulnerability (beta = 0.163, p = 0.002). Their current practice also influences their perceived self-efficacy (beta = 0.314, p < 0.001), response efficacy (beta = 0.557, p < 0.001), and severity (beta = 0.198, p = 0.003). Their perceived severity affects their protective intention (beta = 0.102, p = 0.043) and perceived self-efficacy promotes their protective behaviours (beta = 0.308, p < 0.001). Future pandemic prevention programmes should improve the awareness about COVID-19 protection, self-efficacy, and response efficacy through community sensitization.
ABSTRACT
Purpose - This study aims to investigate the reasons for the shutdown of a mobile night market during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of tourists was obviously one of the causes but social reasons must also exist. The study investigates territoriality, collectivization and human relations in urban social spaces which are essential for the sustainability of a market than solely short-term profit and unconnected customers. Design/methodology/approach - In this study qualitative methods are used, including reviewing contents, semi-structured interviews with vendors and customers, and informant interviews. Findings - Drawing from urban space theories, this paper argues that trendy markets catering for diverse market segments sustain their business. Once the market has shifted away from local Thai customers to main tourists, it loses its base and becomes vulnerable in territoriality negotiation. Practical implications - The findings and model provide practice information for local authorities, town planners and night market operators in the design of open-air marketplaces. Such knowledge pinpoints the importance of connecting place and people in order to sustain a business. Originality/value - Studies on mobile marketplaces are rare. The findings address the "detaching" process and consequence from the perspective of place attachment.