Thailand is expected to delay the launching of a 300-baht tourism tax once again. The launching has already been postponement from June to September last year. Still, new reports suggest that the launching might have to be paused till 2024.
Besides the 300-baht charge for visitors coming by air, the plan also include a charge of 150-baht for travelers coming by sea or land.
The pro-military alliance which anticipated the fees, seems to have lost the May 24 election. The new administration consisting of eight earlier opposition parties are not likely to take charge before August.
The new cabinet is likely to highlight concerns, with airlines discontent about being in command of the fee collection.
The airlines have said that inserting the charges in their fare is too complex. They would have to distinguish between overseas tourists and Thai residents and overseas people in Thailand.
Fee at automatic stalls at airports is another proposal. However, critics said that with the rebirth of tourism, airports in Thailand are already seeing long queues at immigration and baggage checks.
As part of the "White Accommodation for Foreigners" project, Phuket is launching a comprehensive clean-up operation to increase the scrutiny of foreigners who break the law.
This move aims to bolster confidence and increase the safety potential of Phuket as a tourist destination. This activity is part of the regular May 2023 programme.
On May 26th, at 15:00, the Phuket Province initiated the operation at the Provincial Hall. Over 65 officials were involved in the operation to enhance confidence and increase Phuket's potential as a safe tourist city, following the "White Accommodation (ที่พักสีขาว) for Foreigners" programme for May 2023. The event was presided over by the governor of Phuket, Mr. Narong Woonciew.
Picture: 77kaoded
Colonel Thanes Sukchay, the Phuket Provincial Police Commander, and the Secretary of the White Accommodation for Foreigners project in Phuket, reported that today's operation involved 65 personnel from various units, including the Phuket Provincial Police, Tourist Police Division 3, the Administration division, the Immigration Bureau, and the Phuket Provincial Employment Office.
The White Accommodation for Foreigners project is led by the governor of Phuket and collaborates with all sectors to search for cooperation from homeowners in Phuket to monitor foreigners and prevent lawbreakers from living in their properties, thus preventing foreigners from using the area for illegal activities. The operation is carried out monthly.
Picture: 77kaoded
General Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the National Police Chief, inspected safety measures for foreign tourists at the Phuket Immigration Office and gave directions to Phuket to serve as a model for the country in implementing the White Accommodation for Foreigners project.
The project is seen as a means of controlling and checking the safety of foreigners living in Phuket in terms of crime, drug abuse, and illegal activities, by seeking cooperation from accommodation providers in monitoring and checking the behaviour of foreigners who may be behaving inappropriately, breaking the law, causing danger, disturbing peace, and jeopardising the safety of life and property of citizens or tourists. They might even be international criminals using Thailand as a base for illegal activities.
Currently, over 800 accommodation providers have joined the project, with another 2,000 plus set to join, covering about 3,000 properties across the island. Previous operations have succeeded in apprehending foreigners who have broken the law, causing disturbance and unresolved cases, providing a clear benefit to the country.
Picture: 77kaoded
However, foreigners who have committed minor offenses and whose actions disrupt community peace will receive a yellow card (warning) for their first offense.
The accommodation provider will be invited to record a warning, and a letter will be sent to the consulate of each country, granting the right to stay in the kingdom as appropriate to the behaviour.
For repeated offenses or offenses that pose a clear danger to society, a red card will be issued (revoking the right to stay in the kingdom), and procedures to deport will be initiated.
This move is designed to boost confidence for citizens and tourists alike and to raise the profile of Phuket as a safe tourist city for people around the world.
People are vaccinated against Covid-19 at the parliament on May 11. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
Covid-19 infections are expected to peak between June and August and again next January and February, with those who have hitherto escaped the virus likely to contract it, according to a virologist at Chulalongkorn University.
Dr Yong Poovorawan, director of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, wrote on his Facebook page on Friday that a surge in Covid-19 cases is expected.
Thailand will see a spike in seasonal respiratory illnesses after the opening of schools and the arrival of the rainy season, and such cases will peak between June and August, he said.
They will then drop and peak again between January and February, by which point most of the population will have had Covid-19, he said, adding the virus can re-infect a person but in most cases, symptoms will be less severe.
A jump in Covid-19 infections is expected because all of the curbs have now been dropped and full activities have resumed, according to Dr Yong.
"Those who are 'Novid', or have never been infected during the pandemic, have a high chance of contracting the disease. The number of people who have never had Covid-19 will be smaller," he wrote.
Dr Yong said the public should help prevent transmission otherwise the public health system could be overwhelmed. Vulnerable groups who are infected need anti-viral medicines, he added.
Dr Supakij Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said on Friday that getting a booster shot remains everyone's best defence despite the virus having mutated. He said unvaccinated people are at greater risk of developing severe symptoms and more than 40% of Covid-19 patients who died had not received any jabs.
Dr Thira Woratanarat, a public health expert and lecturer at the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, on Friday shared the findings from a study on long Covid symptoms on his Facebook page.
The findings of the study funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed that about 10% of Covid-19 patients suffer from long-term symptoms for more than six months, including fatigue, brain fog and dizziness.
Dr Thira said there are subtypes of post-infection and long Covid symptoms associated with Omicron.
On a Senate mission: Move Forward Party deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakun waves to supporters at a press briefing regarding efforts to gain Senate support for party leader Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister. (Photo: Varuth Hiranyatheb)
The Move Forward Party (MFP) on Thursday assured registered marijuana growers and cannabis business operators that they would be protected, even when the new government re-lists cannabis as a narcotic.
The main objective of the party's plan to put cannabis back on the narcotics list under a ministerial regulation of the Ministry of Public Health is to allow all state officials, including police and the Office of Narcotics Control Board, to work fully to control the abuse of cannabis, said deputy MFP leader Sirikanya Tansakun.
Some new laws will be passed to control the use, production, growing, and import and export of cannabis, which is work left undone by the caretaker government, she said.
"I insist cannabis business operators and marijuana growers will also be protected and allowed to go about their business as usual as long as they have registered and have permission to do so. A proper announcement will be issued to ensure this," she said.
She was responding to concerns raised by groups of cannabis-related business operators and growers following the vow to list cannabis as a narcotic again, which the MFP made in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) it signed with seven prospective coalition partners on Monday.
Further discussions on the matter will be conducted among coalition partners when the new coalition is formed before any changes to the current legal measures used to control cannabis are proposed and implemented, she said.
At this point, business operators and marijuana growers who have registered properly with the government shouldn't be worried, she said.
Prasitchai Nunual, secretary-general of a civic group calling itself the Network Writing Thailand's Cannabis Future, on the same posted on Facebook an open letter intended for MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat.
The group called on Mr Pita to handle the cannabis issue in a democratic way, saying leaping to the conclusion that cannabis must be listed as a narcotic again will adversely affect medical cannabis.
Instead of carrying on portraying cannabis as an evil product in order to justify the move to re-list it as a narcotic, the new government should discuss more seriously and openly the facts about cannabis, as the public perception of it has now been misguided by fierce anti-cannabis campaigns by two highly popular political parties, said Mr Prasitchai.
And in the next step, all parties concerned should then be allowed to take part in discussions over which forms of legal mechanisms are suitable for use to control cannabis better, he said.
Public advised to keep their guard up as COVID-19 resurges
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Members of the public are advised not to lower their guard against COVID-19, as the virus has been staging a comeback since April, infecting as many as 40,000 people a day now, about 20 times more than the rate at the start of April. The death toll has also risen by a factor of 20, to 66 per week, in the same period.
According to Dr. Nitiphat Jiarakul, chief of the Division of Respiratory Diseases and Tuberculosis at the Faculty of Medicine of Mahidol University, daily admissions to hospitals have increased to about 400 from about 20 in April and, of these, 5% are suffering with lung infections and half of thosepatients died.
He also said that half of those deaths were directly linked to their COVID-19 infection and the other half to a resurgence of a comorbidity, such as kidney, emphysema and heart diseases.
He attributed the sharp rise in COVID-19 infections to increased outdoor activities, such as political campaign rallies and other crowded events and the fact that many people have become complacent and are no longer wearing face masks in public.
Another factor which may be contributing to the resurgence of the virus is the steady decline in vaccine-induced immunity inmany people, said Dr. Nitiphat.
He said that his advice is offered because he does not want to see a repeat of the chaotic situation during the height of the pandemic over a year ago, when hospitals ran out of beds and some patients were left to die at home or on the streets.
Wearing face masks in places where there are a lot of people is still highly recommended, he said, adding that people should regularly sanitise their hands with alcohol based gels or liquids.
Collection issues still delay the imposition of the Thai tourist tax on most foreigners.
Thailand's much-anticipated 300 baht levy on tourist arrivals by air (150 baht by land or sea) won't be starting in September after all. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said the matter would need to be resolved by the incoming government which is unlikely to be in office before mid August.
The proposed tax revenue is bedeviled by collection issues since it does not apply to Thais or foreign permanent residents (identified as those who can stay in Thailand indefinitely without a due date in their passport) and holders of Thai work permits. Airlines had complained that it would be impossible for them to include the fee in international tickets unless the fee applied to all passengers. Suggestions that the exempt groups could reclaim the 300 baht at a later stage had been dismissed as tedious and elaborate.
Another idea has been that collection booths should be opened at both airports and border posts which risks huge queues forming as weary travellers try to use electronic methods or offer cash in several currencies requiring change. Land border entries pose further difficulties as Cambodian, Malaysian or Myanmar traders who cross daily into Thailand would be another exempt category along with tourists not staying longer than 24 hours.
Last month, it was suggested by government ministers that the whole strategy and cash collection be handed to a private organization. However, no new ideas have been forthcoming apart from the suggestion that affected arrivals should pay in advance of their journey to a specialist government website. Critics pointed out that such an unwieldy, extra bureaucracy was a bad marketing strategy for a tourist-dependent economy such as Thailand.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said it would be best to defer the scheme until Thailand is back-to-normal next year. A spokesman for Your Asian Dreams said it was still unclear how the income would be spent. "But it appears to be a government slush fund to enhance tourist attractions such as temples and to provide compensation for major incidents such as minibus crashes or boats sinking." It is significant that the scheme has not been published in the Royal Gazette which means that no start date has been approved.
Suvarnabhumi airport is packed with travellers. The new government is expected to decide the fate of the 300-baht tourism fee, which remains uncertain because of roadblocks from unclear implementation. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
The new government is expected to decide the fate of the 300-baht tourism fee, which remains uncertain because of roadblocks from unclear implementation.
Since the cabinet approved in February the collection of a 300-baht tourism fee from foreigners visiting Thailand by air and a 150-baht fee for visitors by land or sea, the scheme has not been published in the Royal Gazette, which means there is no impetus to start the project within a specific time frame.
Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the project depends upon the decision of the new government as the fee collection methods have not been sorted out.
He said there were objections from the private sector, which asked for a more flexible time frame after the Tourism and Sports Ministry earlier this year proposed starting collection in June.
The new government is expected to revise the scheme and decide whether to continue, postpone or adjust the collection methods.
Mr Yuthasak said tourism fee collection should be postponed until the industry has fully recovered. He said the most appropriate period is to start from 2024.
A government source who requested anonymity said civil servants do not have the authority to initiate fee collection procedures alone during a government power vacuum.
There are a number of roadblocks where the new government needs to have a say, especially regarding collection methods.
The proposed measure called for embedding the fee in airfares, but airlines said this is an impractical option and the ministry has been hamstrung in trying to find feasible solutions.
Setting up automatic kiosks at airports was also discussed, but with the surge of daily arrivals, this process might cause inconvenience and provoke discontent among tourists if they face congestion at airports.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said hoteliers mostly support postponing the project to next year when the industry is in better shape.
She said the THA supports the scheme, but believe it should not start within this year.
"We want to reiterate our message to the new government that the timeline of this project should be revised," said Mrs Marisa.
"The structure of the fund's management must also be clear so we can explain to tourists how their money will be spent."
Regarding a memorandum of understanding signed by eight coalition parties on Monday agreeing on relisting cannabis as a narcotic, she said hotel operators are unlikely to face any impact as most of them did not invest in cannabis businesses.
A throng of travellers pass through Suvarnabhumi airport. Mr Putera says the new government should work to develop new tourism destinations other than Phuket and Chiang Mai. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
International flight sales to Thailand in the first quarter surpassed the tally in 2019, while the number of searches for Thai outbound flights and foreign accommodation increased 200%, according to online travel agent Traveloka.
Iko Putera, chief executive of transport at Traveloka, expects a positive travel trend this year in Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia, driven by pent-up demand from those who have purchasing power and people who saved money for post-pandemic travel.
Mr Putera said the growth of social media usage also helped boost marketing and sales, prompting more people to travel.
Meanwhile, limited flight capacity is the key challenge as airlines are slowly increasing capacity to pre-pandemic levels.
Despite the risk of a global economic recession, he said tourism spending remained stable, along with strong tourism demand.
Major destinations in Thailand for international visitors include Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai. Among the most popular packages are the Chao Phraya River dinner cruise.
In terms of the outbound market, the number of searches for international flights and accommodation in the first quarter increased by 200% year-on-year. Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan are among the major destinations.
An emerging destination for Thai travellers is Georgia, attributed to its scenic nature, affordable prices and free visa policies. Mr Putera said the company observed a significant surge in sales on the platform.
Meanwhile, the most popular package for domestic travel was for aquariums, mostly purchased by family groups, he said.
Mr Putera said Traveloka hopes to expand business in Southeast Asia over the next 3-5 years, with more packages to lure Southeast Asian travellers to other regions.
He said tourist behaviour has changed recently, as people now tend to plan their trips ahead of time.
Traveloka continues to focus on offering flexible packages, such as refunding and rescheduling, as well as offering tailor-made packages for specific segments.
With a new government set to take office, Mr Putera said Thailand should focus on developing new destinations and infrastructure other than Phuket and Chiang Mai.
The administration should also invest in human resources in the tech industry to support innovative tourism, he said.
Traveloka's top three markets comprise Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Traveloka International Travel Fair 2023 is set to run between May 29 and June 2 on the platform, offering discounts on flights, hotels and attractions.
More Thais open to buying battery-powered vehicles
An electric vehicle on display at last year's Thailand International Motor Expo in Bangkok. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Some 31% of Thais are projected to choose a battery electric vehicle (BEV) as their next vehicle, the highest proportion within Southeast Asia, although internal combustion engine-powered cars remain the leading vehicle of choice among consumers in the region, according to a survey by business advisory Deloitte Thailand.
Both Thai and regional consumers indicated a preference for new cars for their next vehicle.
Thais are expected to buy their next vehicle based on product quality, the vehicle's features and the brand's image, said Chodok Panyavaranant, Deloitte Thailand's clients and market manager.
The findings were based on Deloitte's latest survey on consumer behaviour in the industry, especially regarding the EV trend. It was conducted between September and October last year.
The interviews covered more than 6,000 consumers in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore, with a sample of around 1,000 Thai consumers.
"Demand for EVs is growing across the region as consumers want to reduce their fuel expense," said Mr Chodok.
Lower fuel costs are still the leading reason among consumers to switch to an EV.
Among the reasons for choosing a BEV among Thai consumers were a better driving experience and a car that can also be used as a backup battery.
The survey results came as EVs are being promoted by the Thai government. The cabinet approved a package of incentives last year including tax cuts and subsidies to promote EV consumption and production during the period 2022-2023.
For those choosing a BEV as their next vehicle, the biggest concern among Thai consumers (at 48%) and regional consumers (at 54%) was a lack of availability of public charging infrastructure, followed by the time required to charge a BEV, and the price of BEVs.
According to Deloitte, 64% of Thai consumers would be willing to wait between 10-60 minutes for the car's battery to charge, while 41% expect a driving range of 300-500 kilometres per charge.
Plugging in BEVs at home was the most popular choice. In public locations, 51% of consumers in the region would prefer to charge their EV at a dedicated EV service station, while 26% would go to a traditional gas station that has EV chargers.
A smartphone app was the most popular choice when paying for public EV charging among both Thai respondents (67%) and Southeast Asian respondents (51%).
Public advised to protect themselves as COVID-19 cases surge
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Thai doctors are sounding the alarm over the steady rise in COVID-19 infections, as they advise the public to protect themselves from the disease as recommended by the Ministry of Public Health.
According to Dr. Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the Disease Control Department, 2,632 COVID patients were admitted to hospitals between May 14th and 20th, an average of 376 cases a day and, of these, 64 have died, averaging seven deaths a day. Lung infections were recorded at 401 cases and, of these, 226 of them needed ventilators.
He said that 50% of the 64 deaths were people who were not vaccinated at all and 30% had received only two vaccine doses without a booster shot for a long time.
He attributed the steady increase in COVID infections to the arrival of the rainy season and the resumption of classes for the new semester.
Meanwhile, Associate Professor Dr. Nitipat Jiarakul, of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, advised members of the public not to be too obsessed with the formation of the new government, but to focus on protecting themselves from the resurging virus.
He claimed that the number of patients waiting to be admitted for treatment has increased substantially and the death toll has jumped sharply to an average of ten a day.
Dr. Thira Woratanarat, of the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, said in his Facebook post today (Tuesday), that the number of patients admitted to hospitals during the week of May 14th -20th increased by 11.7%, compared to the previous 7 days, and 141.9% from four weeks ago.
The number of patients who need ventilators increased to 226 last week, or 38.6% more than the previous 7 days, whereas lung infections increased by 24.5%.
He estimated that actual daily infections could be between 18,800 and 26,112, which is the highest since the end of last year.
He suggested that members of the public not lower their guard and protect themselves by following the recommendations of the Public Health Ministry, which include wearing face masks in public places, avoiding crowds, not sharing plates and spoons, isolating if they develop flu-like symptoms and taking rapid antigen tests.
Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat officially announced the formation of his coalition government with seven others parties on Monday, about a week after the general election.
He said at a press conference today that it is a historic day because it is the ninth anniversary of the last coup in Thailand. The formation of the government marks a peaceful transition in Thai politics, he said.
All the signatory parties have agreed to govern the country jointly under the following guidelines:
All parties must protect the citizens' rights and their political rights for everyone.
All the parties will work with honesty and if an individual is found to be involved in corruption or malfeasance, they would terminated immediately.
All the parties will work in honour of one another and with sincerity by holding onto the people's interest, not the individual party's.
All the parties have the right to push for additional policies, but they must not contradict the policies defined in this agreement. They can do so through their ministers or the legislative power of their MPs.
Details of the MoU signed by the coalition parties are as follows:
Restoration of democracy, including drafting of a new Constitution by a Constitution Drafting Assembly elected by people as soon as possible.
Reconciliation in society. All coalition parties will jointly push for justice in cases involving politically-related expression through parliamentary mechanisms.
Passing a same-sex marriage bill to guarantee marriage rights for couples of all sexes, while not forcing those who consider same-sex marriage to be against their religion.
Pushing for reform of the bureaucracy, the police, the military and the justice system to be in accordance with democratic principles, by upholding transparent, modern and efficient principles for the utmost benefit of people.
Changing mandatory conscription to voluntary recruitment.
Pushing for decentralisation in terms of mission and budget, so that local authorities can properly and effectively respond to the needs of local people, without corruption.
Jointly pushing for restoration of a sustainability peace in the southern border provinces of Thailand by ensuring the principles of basic human rights, coexistence in a multicultural society, participation of all parties as well as a review of security-related agencies and law enforcement.
Solving corruption by creating a transparent governmental system and culture and enabling public access to the information of every government agency.
Jointly rehabilitating the economy by increasing people's income, reducing inequality and creating a fair economic system.
Overhauling laws that relate to people's livelihoods, removing handicaps for SMEs, increasing GDP growth as well as supporting Thai products to compete in the international market.
Ending monopolies and promoting fair competition in every industry, such as beverages and alcoholic drinks.
Reforming the land ownership and use system by pushing land reform laws, supporting fair land ownership, solving the problem of overlapping forestry and private land.
Reviewing trials that have resulted from policies that took from the people.
Improving the electricity generation structure and price calculation method to decrease people's living costs and create energy stability.
Implementing a new style of budgeting by emphasising the use of Zero-based budgeting
Creating public welfare that takes care of people from birth to old age, by considering suitability and long-term financing burdens.
Solving drug problems urgently, re-criminalising cannabis and having related laws to control and support its uses.
Supporting safe agricultures and livestock, protecting agriculturists' benefits, reducing production capital, supporting marketing and supporting technology access.
Supporting the grouping of the agriculturists for production planning and benefit protection.
Upgrading labour rights to ensure fair employment and wages that are in accordance with the cost of living and economic growth.
Reforming the educational system to upgrade quality and reduce inequality, as well as supporting lifetime learning.
Promoting cooperation using domestic and international mechanisms to solve toxic dust problems, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve Net Zero as soon as possible.
Restoring Thailand's leadership role in ASEAN and maintaining a political balance between Thailand and powerful countries.
Progressive Movement upset that lèse majesté is not included in MoU
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Progressive Movement secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul has voiced his disagreement with the exclusion of two key issues, one relating to the monarchy and the other concerning amnesty for political offenders, from the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed yesterday by eight parties agreeing to join a coalition government led by the Move Forward party.
He warned that the inclusion of the wording "the inviolable status of the monarch" in the MoU indicates "a person with a guilty conscience" and it may turn into "a noose around the neck" of the Move Forward party when it proposes a bill to amend the lèse majesté law to the House in the future.
Piyabutr, former secretary-general of the now defunct Future Forward party, predecessor of Move Forward, said in his Facebook post on Monday that, in the past ten years, he has penned several academic articles about the status of the monarch, as stipulated in Section 6 of the Constitution, in comparison with the constitutions of other countries.
He said that the Thai Constitutional Court has interpreted the provision so broadly and beyond the intent of the provision and, hence, it needs to be reviewed to correspond with the principle that "the monarch shall not commit an offence because he does not wield political or administrative powers, but the ministers concerned have the power and shall be held accountable,"
"That is my personal opinion," said Piyabutr adding, however, that he does not think the Move Forward party will touch this provision.
On the amnesty issue, the scholar, who is well known for his anti-monarchy stance, said that the Move Forward party has an obligation to several political prisoners, detainees and suspects, adding that these people are not criminals but are people who share different political opinions from those of state officials.
The amnesty law is the only tool to solve this problem and help these people, said Piyabutr, adding that it is a pity that it was not included in the MoU.
CHONBURI'S Public Health Office said today (May 22) that there were 10,648 new Covid cases and 12 deaths last week (May 14-20) with the majority being the elderly, Sanook.com said.
Of this total 13 were being treated for pneumonia while 19 require oxygen.
People in this province adjacent to Bangkok were urged to strictly follow Covid prevention measures as follows:
– Those who are infected but are either asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms should be treated on an outpatient basis but some may require hospitalisation at doctor's discretion. They are urged to wear a face mask, wash hands frequently and keep appropriate distance from others;
– These preventive measures also apply to the general public who are urged to get their annual vaccination, particularly the elderly and those with underlying diseases who have high risk of death or getting severe symptoms should they get infected. Long Acting Antibody (LAAB) vaccine is available for those suffering from immunodeficiency disorders.
– People suffering from seven chronic diseases, pregnant women, children from six months to four years of age, the elderly over 65 years of age, those suffering from thalassemia or have impaired immunity, those who are overweight either weighing over 100 kilogrammes or have body mass index (BMI) of more than 35 and those who are mentally retarded or cannot help themselves should get both Covid and flu jabs before the rainy season sets in.
People are vaccinated against Covid-19 at the parliament on May 11. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
The number of Covid-19 inpatients continued to increase and fatalities also rose over the past week, when schools reopened, the Department of Disease Control reported on Monday.
The department recorded 2,632 Covid-19 inpatients from May 14 to May 20, up about 12% from 2,356 cases between May 7 and May 13.
The number of inpatients with lung inflammation was at 401 at the end of last week, 24% up from 322 at the end of the previous week.
The number of patients dependent on ventilators rose to 226 last week, 39% up from 163 at the end of the previous week.
Last week there were 64 new fatalities related to the diseases (seven per day on average), 191% up from 22 in the previous week (two per day).
Health authorities earlier predicted cases would rise when the new school term began. The latest figures do not mention schools or students.
Pattaya's most famous thoroughfare isn't as busy as in 2019, but still personifies the resort's fun image cultivated over many years.
Nine and a half million foreign visitors have arrived in Thailand so far this year, according to Thai government spokesman Traisuree Taisaranakul, with three million heading direct to Pattaya. The national economy has benefitted to the tune of US$11 billion with Pattaya contributing around one third of that. The Bank of Thailand says it is confident that there will be 28 million arrivals in the entire calendar year, which compares with 40 million in pre-pandemic 2019.
Thai authorities have developed a number of strategies to maximize the influx. Chinese arrivals nationally have been sluggish, because of a shortage of aircraft and delays in issuing new passports by Beijing authorities, but are expected to increase to multiple flights hourly by the end of the summer. Thai immigration is also simplifying the 15-days visa on arrival for Chinese citizens by permitting paperwork to be completed pre-flight. Meanwhile, the nationals of 60 countries, including the UK, the US, most of mainland Europe and Australia, can extend their 30 days visa exempt permission for a further month without having to leave the country
A spokesperson for the Pattaya Entertainment Collective said night life was more or less back to normal after the pandemic and added there was the additional bonus of cannabis with an obviously blurred distinction between medical and leisure use. The weekends in particular reveal a packed resort with lengthy traffic queues in and around the city center. The main problem for Pattaya employers in the hospitality industry has been finding enough staff, especially in hotels according to the eastern Thailand hoteliers association. Attempts are being made to fill the gap by recruiting more workers from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos with whom the Thai government has Memoranda of Understanding.
"Tourism will be the key pillar supporting our growth this year," said Thitima Chucherd, an economist at the Siam Commercial Bank. But the threat comes from the May 14 Thai general election. Pro-democracy parties secured the most number of seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, but the votes of the 250 unelected Senators, appointed by the military, will also play a pivotal role on who becomes prime minister.
Although most commentators downplay the prospect of yet another military intervention – it would need to be a strange self-coup as army leaders currently run the country as caretakers – the prospect of a prolonged and bitter parliamentary conflict or an unstable minority government is already worrying investors. "If political tensions spill over into the streets, arrivals growth will slump as in the past two decades," said Krystal Tan from the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group. Still, if all goes well, a new government will be in office by August.
Most Thai voters happy with election results, poll shows
The majority of voters are happy with the results of the May 14 general election and will make the same choices if given a second chance, a recent survey shows.
The National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) poll covered 1,310 people aged 18 and above across the country on May 16-18. The respondents were chosen using a simple random sampling method with 97% accuracy, the pollster added.
When asked what they would do if they had to go to the polling stations again, the respondents said:
• 86.49%: Will vote for the same constituency and party-list MPs
• 6.03%: Will make different choices for both constituency and party-list MPs
• 3.13%: Will choose the same constituency MP
• 2.37%: Will not exercise their right to vote
• 1.98%: Will choose the same party-list MP
Asked if they were happy with the election results in their own constituencies, the respondents said:
• 59.08%: Very happy
• 26.87%: Rather happy
• 8.86%: Rather unhappy
• 5.19%: Not happy at all
Asked if they were happy with the overall results of the election, the respondents said:
Drier-than-average rainy season tipped for this year
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) workers build a structure to fix a damaged stretch along the bank of Prem Prachakorn canal next to Rama V Road in Dusit district on Friday. The BMA also dredged the canal to prepare for the rainy season. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
The rainy season will officially start on Monday with less rain forecast this year due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, the Meteorological Department announced on Friday.
TMD director-general Chomparee Chompurat said the seasonal climatic change would also see a shift in general wind direction.
According to Ms Chomparee, the El Nino weather phenomenon could mean a dry spell from mid-June to mid-July, leading to water shortages in several agricultural areas.
Rainfall is expected to peak in August and September with one or two tropical storms moving across the North and the Northeast, bringing heavy rain and triggering flash floods, she said.
According to the TMD chief, the rainy season is due to end in the middle of October but rainfall is expected to continue in the southern region, especially on the eastern side, until January next year.
Meanwhile, the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation said it is preparing for droughts. Department chief Supit Pitaktham said the country has experienced little rain since January, and about 116 million rai of farmland outside the irrigation system faces water shortages.
From May 1-14, there were 1,387 requests for rain-making operations from 459 districts in 64 provinces, including those from the Royal Irrigation Department, to increase water reserves in 70 reservoirs.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said City Hall had drawn a map of flood-prone areas and is well-equipped to handle any flooding.
He expressed concern about possible drought affecting several large public parks under its care, including Benjakitti Park, which requires a particularly large amount of water to maintain.
Mr Chadchart said waste management also needs to be addressed, especially in the outer districts of Sai Mai, Min Buri and Nong Chok, where populations have increased.
Bhumjaithai rejects candidates supporting changes to lese majeste law
Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul thanks a supporter during its party's vote campaign in Bangkok on May 6, 2023. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
The Bhumjaithai Party, which unofficially secured the third-most House seats, made an announcement stating their refusal to support any prime ministerial candidate or political party seeking to revoke or amend the lese majeste law.
This statement was shared on Bhumjaithai's Facebook page on Wednesday night in response to the Move Forward Party, which nominated its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, as the new prime minister after winning the most House seats in Sunday's general election.
Bhumjaithai based its stance on Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law.
The party wrote that the stance remained unchanged from what its leader Anutin Charnvirakul had announced earlier.
"The stance is an important principle of the Bhumjaithai Party, which is unchangeable and unnegotiable. The Bhumjaithai Party cannot vote for a prime ministerial candidate from a political party that plans to amend or abolish Section 112 of the Criminal Code," Bhumjaithai wrote.
According to the announcement, the Bhumjaithai Party and its members will not be swayed by demands, threats or pressure to alter their ideals and standpoint. If a government seeking to amend or abolish Section 112 is successfully formed, the party will be prepared to serve as the opposition to monitor the government's performance in the interest of the public and the protection of the important institution.
"Bhumjaithai urges the majority side to uphold the principles of democracy by respecting and listening to the voice of the minority, rather than resorting to threats and pressure to fulfill it's desires."
According to Bhumjaithai's management, more than 5 million people who voted for its candidates believed that Bhumjaithai would be the main political party that adhered to the protection of the nation's important institution.
Meanwhile, Move Forward leader Pita said on Thursday that he was confident of being able to form a government that would be stable and balanced.
Mr Pita added that he was not concerned about any pending cases seeking to disqualify him.
He was speaking at a press conference as part of an alliance of eight political parties worth about 313 lower house seats, short of the 375 votes needed from the 750-member bicameral legislature to vote in a prime minister to form a government after the May 14 general election.
