The following is our weekly feature in which we take a look at the top developing stories and things to follow over the next week. We are focusing on what is happening for the second week of July, ending July 10th, 2021.
Thailand-
As we publish dozens of stories a week, this allows our readers to get a quick glimpse of the most important stories taking place in Thailand and Pattaya and to monitor and follow for the week ahead, as chosen by our editorial team.
Let's get started:
1. Pattaya moves forward with Sinopharm vaccinations
Pattaya is set to move forward with their own privately purchased Sinopharm vaccines this week in the area, stating over 40,000 Thai residents had recently registered over the past week. The city ordered privately 100,000 doses from their own pockets, hoping to accelerate local vaccination efforts and restore the broken local economy while opening up to foreign tourists without quarantine who are vaccinated later this year.
Unfortunately, foreigners, in general, cannot get vaccinated in Chonburi yet as general foreigner enrollment has yet to take place, but is expected in the future according to the Pattaya Mayor. This differs from province to province, as foreigners in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Surat Thani have had better results and local vaccination campaigns. Chonburi, however, has not had the supply of vaccines they initially expected, thus a slower rollout of enrollment programs.
2. Harder restrictions hit Pattaya, some fear Chonburi province could become dark red/highest controls again
As hundreds of cases a day of Covid-19 are still being recorded in Chonburi, including in Banglamung where Pattaya is based, there has been a growing fear among many local residents that this could mean the province being changed to a "dark red" province by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration or CCSA.
The Governor already put in some tougher measures over the weekend, banning the sale of alcohol entirely from 8:00 P.M. to 4:00 A.M., including at 7-11 and supermarkets, and banning any group gatherings based around drinking, even in the privacy of one's own home, with more than one person. This rule was also in place in Surat Thani recently and was enormously unpopular, although it remains to be seen what level of enforcement will be in place and the spirit of the rule is obviously to stop ANY parties vs. two members of the same household having a drink while watching television.
If Chonburi became dark red again, like Bangkok and surrounding provinces, it could mean in-person dining would have to close once again, along with other closures of "high-risk" places like gyms. This would of course be very unpopular and further decimate the local economy. For the time being, the province is not dark red and remains under lighter restrictions than Bangkok, with the governor focused on a regular strategy of closing and quarantining off problem locations, mostly markets and factories.
Chonburi governor orders the temporary closure of another market in Mueang Chonburi due to Covid-19
3. Protests heat up in Bangkok, driven by anger around Covid-19 related measures, vaccination programs, and more
Protests regularly took place over the weekend in Bangkok, despite record-high case numbers of Covid-19, from a mix of pro-democracy protesters and people upset about Covid-19 related restrictions, measures, or the speed of the vaccination rollout program.
There have been calls for more protests and more pressure with many protesters calling for the Prime Minister to resign. That is, however, extremely unlikely according to many analysts watching the situation.
This will be something to watch as there have even been calls for civil disobedience from closed business owners in the hospitality and entertainment sectors due to what they say is a near-total lack of financial support for the three-month closure of their venues. Many restaurant owners who had dine-in canceled in Bangkok have also been venting their anger and frustration over the measures and aid programs.
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