đčđ THAI NEWS SUMMARY: The morning headlines for Saturday.
♦️ Data indicates the Omicron variant is highly contagious but causes less severe disease than previous strains. The Public Health Ministry will propose to the CCSA to ease disease restrictions as soon as is safely possible.
♦️ Thailand plans to eventually proceed with making Covid-19 endemic despite World Health Organization cautioning against it.
♦️ Citigroup announced its agreement to sell its consumer banking operations in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam to United Overseas Bank (UOB) for approximately US$2.97 billion.
♦️ Following the increase in the volume of e-commerce, the Court of Justice is planning to set up a new department to handle disputes related to online shopping and to assist consumers cheated by traders.
♦️ Phuket is experiencing a surge in new Covid-19 infections, but the Deputy Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital says that about 95% of new cases are experiencing either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
♦️ The proposed 300-baht arrival tax will not affect Thai nationals returning from overseas, the Tourism and Sports Minister said. However, he confirmed that the tax would be collected from all foreign tourists at every port of entry.
♦️ After two days of talks between Thai officials and southern separatist BRN rebels, the Malaysian facilitator for the peace dialogue said it would take at least two years to find a solution to end the conflict in the Deep South.
♦️ The price of pork should fall back into the normal range in about eight months to a year. The government is also considering reducing the tax rate on animal feed to help rein in soaring prices.