Thai Cancer Agency issues travel advisory. DEVASTATED JAPAN.

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Thai Cancer Agency issues travel advisory
By THE NATION
2011-03-16

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) yesterday warned people against travelling to Japan in the wake of nuclear-plant explosions.

"Exposure to radiation over a long time or in large amounts can cause cancer," NCI director Dr Thiravud Khuhaprema said.

Meanwhile Dr Piboon Issaraphan, a senior official at the Public Health Ministry's Bureau of Occupational and Environmental Diseases, said Thais living near the nuclear plants would be given medication to help protect them from thyroid cancer.

Two doctors and a nurse from Thailand who are helping with the relief operations are also armed with equipment to check for radiation exposure.

The Thai Embassy in Japan has advised Thais living in risky zones to stay indoors and keep all their windows closed to reduce risks.

Though the nuclear-plant |explosions have caused alarm across the world, the Public Health Ministry's permanent secretary |Dr Paijit Warachit said that so far there were no reports about the leak affecting Thailand's air quality.

"But we are taking necessary measures to ensure that all Thais are safe," he said.

The Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) is constantly monitoring the level of radiation in Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Songkhla.

"We have monitoring devices there. If there's any risk, we will alert the public," OAP secretary-general Dr Chaivat Toskulkao said.

He added that a nuclear-emergency response plan would be implemented should radiation levels rise to a dangerous point. He explained that people would be asked to stay indoors and keep all doors and windows closed if the air were found to be carrying more than 1 microsievert per hour of radioactive material.

Chaivat also promised that his agency would alert the public in time if the situation looked worrying.

Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, said he would take a team of officials to Japan to assist Thais stranded there.

"We will focus on risky areas such as Miyagi prefecture," he said, adding that food and warm clothes were badly needed.

Meanwhile, Kasit said a C-130 plane would tomorrow transport relief items from the Friends in Need Volunteers' Foundation to Japan.

"The items will be distributed to Thais and Japanese alike," he said.

The Royal Thai Air Force, whic h has provided the C-130, said those who wished to return to Thailand could board the aircraft on its way back.

Kasit said the embassy was in the process of checking which Thais wanted to return home.

The Navy's HTMS Similan is now ready to deliver up to 15,000 tonnes of rice and other items worth Bt200 million to the disaster victims in Japan. The Cabinet approved the project on Monday. The Public Health Ministry has also put 21 medical teams on standby should Japan need more medical assistance. Of the teams, three are psychiatric units.