Thailand reported 374 new coronavirus cases on Sunday.
Of the new cases, 364 were local transmissions, 10 were imported from people entering quarantine.
Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin also said 109 people had been discharged from hospital having made a full recovery.
2,969 people remain in hospital or held in a migrant worker quarantine centre.
Sunday's cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand to 12,045, with 70 deaths.
The number of new infections and total cases in Thailand since 14 Dec is as follows:
How long can Thailand survive without foreign tourism?
In Phuket, Thailand's largest island and a key tourist destination, many tour operators are struggling to stay in business without foreign travelers.
"COVID-19 has affected us. We haven't had any customers since the end of March," the caretaker of Phuketastic Travel told DW on condition of anonymity.
Most of Phuketastic Travel's customers are Germans, who made the fourth-largest group of foreign travelers to visit Phuket in 2016, after the Chinese, the Russians and the Australians, according to the National Statistical Office of Thailand.
With the tour company's office temporarily closed during the pandemic, Phuketastic Travel's 40-year-old caretaker is facing financial hardship.
There is little she can do apart from monitoring the ever-changing pandemic situation.
Thomas Moog, who runs a German restaurant and offers tour services in Phuket, is also uncertain about the future.
"The current crisis is worse than the tsunami [in 2004]. Back then, we cleaned up and reopened our business. Now we have no idea when things will go back to normal," Moog, who has been living in Thailand for nearly 20 years, told DW.
In 2019, over 14 million travelers, including 10 million foreign tourists, visited Phuket. The Thai government plans to lift the ban on international travel soon, and Moog hopes business in Phuket will eventually pick up.
Although domestic tourists have somewhat kept the industry alive, local spending hasn't compensated for the slump in foreign tourism revenue.
"In spite of domestic demand, the situation of tourism-related businesses in Phuket is still worrisome," Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, the president of the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA), told DW.
According to PTA, tourism businesses in Phuket suffered a loss of 180 billion baht (€4.84 billion/$5.72 billion) in the first half of 2020.
Massive damage
The pandemic has exposed the dependence of Thailand's tourism industry on foreign tourists.
PTA's Ruktaengam says the immediate challenge is to ensure that tourism-related entrepreneurs survive the crisis.
With just around 3,500 infections and 58 related deaths, Thailand has largely managed to control the COVID-19 spread.
While the shutdown has protected the country from a massive viral outbreak, it has devastated the tourism-dependent economy, which last year welcomed a record 39.8 million foreign tourists, generating 1.9 trillion baht, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
But this year, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) expects only 8 million foreign visitors to enter the country. On Monday, Don Nakornthab, a senior official at BOT, said the projection might be downgraded further.
"The government must prepare a plan to attract foreign tourists, at least to some destinations that can effectively contain the pandemic.
Without foreign visitors, tourism in many areas would not survive by the end of the year," Juthathip Jongwanich, an associate professor at Thammasat University's Faculty of Economics in Bangkok, told DW.
Can tourism be revived?
Many people doubt that the reopening plan will pan out, given the compulsory 14-day quarantine period in the hotel and other safety procedures.
According to Moog, the "Phuket Model" could attract some retired people from Scandinavia and Germany who want to escape the winter months in Europe.
But he doubts that they will bother to stay two weeks in quarantine.
Ruktaengam, however, is optimistic about the success of this pilot project. "Many tourists will be interested to visit despite conditions. They won't mind spending a month in Phuket, including two weeks in quarantine."
The Phuket Provincial Government has issued a clarification on the conditions of wearing a face mask while eating or exercising in public areas.
The explanations of what is permissible and what is required follows a provincial order issued that requires people to wear a face mask at all times while in public areas.
Failure to wear a face mask in public in some parts of Thailand may result in a fine of up to B20,000, or even a jail term, the order yesterday warned.
The clarification came as an "annex" to the order issued yesterday.
The "annex" explained as follows:
Eating in public areas
– Must wear a face mask before and after eating. The only time a mask can be removed is while eating.
– Must clean hands with sanitiser before and after eating.
– Must always use own utensils.
– Avoid talking while eating.
– Do not share utensils with others.
– Must maintain a social distance of at least one metre while eating.
Exercising in public areas
– Avoid exercising in crowded areas.
– Must wear a face mask before and after exercising. Only time mask can be removed is while exercising.
– Must clean hands with sanitiser before and after exercising.
– Must maintain a social distance of at least two metres while exercising.
The annex to the order also noted, "Wearing a mask while exercising is not good for people's health, so walking is preferred."
The provincial order for all people in Phuket to wear face masks at all times while in public follows Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha earlier this week extending the Emergency Decree from Jan 16 to Feb 28.
It also follows Phuket provincial authorities issuing a stern warning that any businesses and other service providers found to be operating while not enforcing the COVID-19 protection measures will be prosecuted. – Phuket News
Aetna International has released a report saying Expats in Thailand are leading healthier lives and actively taking control of their physical health.
However many say they struggle with their mental health due to the coronavirus.
The data has been revealed in the Expat Experiences Survey 2020, published by international health benefits provider, Aetna International.
The report, which surveyed 1,000 expats in the UK, the U.S., China, Thailand, Singapore and the UAE, explores the what impact the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown has had on expat health and wellbeing. Also addressing both mental and physical health.
This latest report delves into the true challenges of living abroad, from how expats feel about their new home to how they think they are viewed by locals.
It also touches on expat opinions of locals as well as the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of expats.
It was interesting to read that even though social distancing measures should be adhered to which would prevent them from meeting friends and families, 56.3% of the respondents agreed that, if they had the option, they would prefer to be in their own country during the pandemic.
Interestingly, Thailand had the highest number of expats who would wish to be home at this time, at 71%.
Thailand is the most affected nation on mental health
The survey's published key findings referenced Worldbackpackers.com, which named Chiang Mai as a top three city for digital nomads, as a possible reason, stating;
"It may be the case that younger entrepreneurs do not set down roots — start or take families — and therefore have less in-country support network. These individuals may be more inclined to head home in times of crises."
Interestingly too that Thailand is the most affected nation on mental health with 50% of expats reporting an impact.
Considering we have low COVID-19 death rates, this may be related to the fact that the country's economy is heavily reliant on tourism causing economic stress.
The good news is that nearly 60% of participants admitted to eating more healthily since the pandemic, with only 21% eating less healthy.
Thailand takes the crown here with 80% of expats claiming to be eating more healthily. A whopping 43% of participants are exercising more with 27% of people drinking less alcohol and only 18% drinking more.
Another badge of honour for Thailand's expats is the fact that you are all exercising more than anyone with 57% (versus the average of 30% in other regions) saying they are. – Aetna International
Colder and windy conditions forecast for upper Thailand
By The Nation
Another rather strong high-pressure system from China covers upper Vietnam and will extend to upper Thailand by Sunday, bringing colder conditions and strong winds.
Temperatures are likely to fall by 4-6 degrees Celsius, the Thailand Meteorological Department said.
Meanwhile, a strong northeast monsoon prevails over the Gulf and the South. Strong winds and waves are likely in the Gulf of Thailand, rising 2-3 metres in the lower Gulf. All ships in the Gulf of Thailand should proceed with caution and small boats in the lower Gulf should keep ashore from January 17-20, the department said.
The weather forecast for different regions of the country:
North: Cool to cold with strong winds, and 2-3°C drop in temperature; minimum temperature 12-17°C, maximum 28-33°C; cold to very cold on mountaintops with minimum temperature 5-12°C; northeasterly winds 10-30kph.
Northeast: Cool to cold with strong winds, 4-6°C drop in temperature; minimum temperature 15-18°C, maximum 28-31°C; cold to very cold on mountaintops with minimum temperature 6-13°C; northeasterly winds 15-30kph.
Central: Cool with strong winds with 2-3°C drop in temperature; minimum temperature 17-20°C, maximum 32-34°C; northeasterly winds 10-30kph.
East: Cool with strong winds, 2-3°C drop in temperature; minimum temperature 18-22°C, maximum 32-33°C; northeasterly winds 15-35 kph; waves 1- 2 metres high and about two metres offshore.
South (east coast):
Surat Thani northwards: Cool morning with strong winds; northeasterly winds 20-35kph; waves about two metres high.
Nakhon Si Thammarat southwards: Isolated rain mostly in Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces; northeasterly winds 20-40kph; waves 2-3 metres high; minimum temperature 20-25°C, maximum 30-32°C.
South (west coast): Partly cloudy with isolated rain mostly in Trang and Satun provinces; minimum temperature 23-26°C, maximum 32-34°C; northeasterly winds 15-35kph; waves 1-2 metres high and about two metres offshore.
Bangkok: Cool with strong winds, 2-3°C drop in temperature, minimum temperature 21-22°C, maximum 32-34°C; northeasterly winds 10-30kph.
Chonburi announces only one new confirmed case of Covid-19 in Sattahip
Chonburi-
The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced only one new confirmed case of Covid-19 this morning in Sattahip.
This case is directly connected to a cluster of infections from Si Racha stemming from a series of infections at a brewery.
This is the lowest number of cases in weeks and according to officials shows that their efforts on track and trace and related measures and restrictions to control the virus are working.
Noppawichai Thanasopon the Deputy Director of Public Health for Chonburi cautioned residents however that it was too early to lower restrictions and allow closed business to reopen despite knowing how difficult things were for residents and owners.
Noppawichai stated through a statement on public health social media channels that health officials would be stepping up active case finding in the area and testing thousands of "high-risk' groups (primarily densely populated migrant camps) to ensure there were not hidden asymptomatic cases in the community.
The Department of Public Health plans to do this over the next few weeks and then evaluate the restrictions and measures near or at the end of the month. It is important to note this is only an evaluation and not a guarantee of any lifting of restrictions. It is, however, a major step in the right direction.
A healthcare worker treats a Covid-19 patient in the intensive care unit at Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet in the Norwegian capital on Nov 27. (Photo: NTB/Jil Yngland via Reuters)
Covid-19 vaccines may be too risky for the very old, frail and terminally ill, say health regulators in Norway, where 23 people have died shortly after receiving their first shot.
The statement released in Oslo is the most cautious yet from a European health authority as countries assess the real-world side effects of the first shots to gain approval.
Norwegian officials said autopsies have been conducted so far on 13 of 23 people who died a short time after receiving their first dose of the vaccine. The results suggested that common side effects may have contributed to severe reactions in frail, elderly people, according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
"For those with the most severe frailty, even relatively mild vaccine side effects can have serious consequences," the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said on Friday.
"For those who have a very short remaining life span anyway, the benefit of the vaccine may be marginal or irrelevant."
The recommendation does not mean that younger, healthier people should avoid being vaccinated. But it's an early indication of what to watch as countries begin to issue safety monitoring reports on the vaccines.
Emer Cooke, the new head of the European Medicines Agency, has said that tracking the safety of Covid vaccines, especially those relying on novel technologies such as messenger RNA, would be one of the biggest challenges once shots are rolled out widely.
Pfizer and BioNTech are working with the Norwegian regulator to investigate the deaths in Norway, Pfizer said in an e-mailed statement. The agency found that "the number of incidents so far is not alarming, and in line with expectations", Pfizer said.
Allergic reactions have been uncommon so far. In the United States, authorities reported 21 cases of severe allergic reactions from Dec 14-23 after administration of about 1.9 million initial doses of the vaccine developed by US-based Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. That's an incidence of 11.1 cases per million doses, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Though both Covid-19 vaccines approved so far in Europe were tested in tens of thousands of people — including volunteers in their late 80s and 90s — the average trial participant was in his or her early 50s. The first people to be immunised in many places have been older than that as countries rush to inoculate nursing-home residents at high risk from the virus.
Norway has given at least one dose to about 33,000 people, focusing on those considered to be most at risk if they contract the virus, including the elderly. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine approved late last year has been used most broadly, with a similar shot from Moderna approved earlier this month also now being administered.
Of 29 cases of potential side effects investigated by Norwegian authorities, almost three-quarters were in people aged 80 or older, the regulator said in a Jan 14 report.
In France, one frail patient died in a care home two hours after being vaccinated, but authorities said given the patient's previous medical history there is no indication the death was linked to the vaccine. The French pharmaceutical safety agency on Thursday reported four cases of severe allergic reactions and two incidents of irregular heartbeat after vaccination.
The first Europe-wide safety report on the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will probably be published at the end of January, the regulator's key medicines committee said on Friday. Vaccine makers are required to submit data monthly.
In the United Kingdom, which has carried out more immunisations per capita than anywhere else in Europe, authorities will assess safety data and plan to publish details of suspected reactions "on a regular basis", the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said, without giving a date.
Expats may need to take COVID-19 test in order to renew extensions of stay: Richard Barrow
Image: Reuters file photo
Expats in Thailand may soon be required to take a COVID-19 test in order to extend their extensions of stay or so called retirement or marriage visas, according to Richard Barrow.
Posting on Twitter on Saturday evening, popular travel blogger Richard shared a document published in the Royal Gazette that said foreigners are required to take a COVID-19 not only to visit Thailand but also extend their stay.
You can read Richard's Twitter thread below:
"This document was published in the Royal Gazette on 25th December. The part that is underlined says it will become law 30 days later. So on 25th January. As usual, not everything is clear and to be transparent here, there has been no announcement by Immigration yet", read the Tweet by Richard.
"From what I understand, this is for everyone who is entering Thailand and for everyone already here and need to extend their stay. It is also needed for those people who are applying for residency. The document doesn't say how far in advance you need to get the COVID test done.
"I will of course post more information here once Immigration make an official announcement with the details. But as we all know, that will probably come the day before. I'm sure you have many questions. So do immigration officials I spoke to. We all have to wait for head office", Richard added.
Richard's Twitter thread comes as Thai news site Thansettakij on Thursday reported that "Coronavirus 2019 or COVID-19" had been added to the list of "prohibited diseases" for foreigners entering Thailand or those who apply for residency. It does not explicitly say those applying for an extension of stay.
At this stage, it is worth noting the other "prohibited diseases" listed:
1. Leprosy
2. Tuberculosis
3. Lymphatic filariasis
4. Disease, drug abuse
5. Syphilis of the third stage
Expats who have previously submitted an application for an extension of stay for either retirement, marriage or being a parent to a Thai child will note that there has never been a requirement to complete a test for any of the "prohibited diseases".
A syphilis test may be required when a foreigner applies for a work permit for the first time.
However, there has never been the same requirement for anyone applying for an extension of stay based on retirement or marriage.
Nor has there ever been a requirement for anyone entering Thailand to complete a test for any of the above diseases. (Can you imagine the repercussions if Thailand required the 40 million tourists it received pre-COVID to complete a Syphilis test before entering the country!)
Thaivisa's advice - wait for further information on this one. Despite being published in Royal Gazette, this may not apply for the vast majority of people reading this post. Don't panic!
Clean and stretch: A novice jumps to clean door panels at Wat Mangkon Kamalawat in Bangkok's Yaowarat area. The Chinese temple is closed every Friday for a deep cleaning and disinfection of the premises to help curb the spread of Covid-19. (Photo by Somchai Poomlard)
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has given assurances that the government will provide the safest Covid-19 vaccines for as many people as possible.
On his official Facebook Page, the prime minister yesterday posted that the best way to deal with the pandemic is to ensure that the maximum number of people possible receive vaccines. This will be a cheaper disease control method than mass testing and will benefit public health as well as the economy, he wrote.
Trending on Bangkok Post
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NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: A 38-year-old man has been arrested in Tha Sala district in this southern province for allegedly using drugs and raping his 13-year-old daughter for more than two months.
He said more than 32 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been given to people around the world since late last year -- 10.7 million in the US, nine million in China, 3.7 million in Europe and 3.1 million n the UK.
He said that Thailand has managed to control Covid-19 fairly well and the country has not been designated as having a severe outbreak. Therefore, it has not been chosen for vaccine efficacy trials because there are not enough sample groups like there are in many other countries.
However, relevant agencies have stayed informed about latest researches and developments on the vaccines and already planned the purchase of vaccines, the prime minister wrote.
He said that local pharmaceutical manufacturer, Siam Bioscience, which received a concession from Oxford University/AstraZeneca to produce its vaccine, started making them in December.
The production and efficacy testing by the Food and Drug Administration will take about four months, the prime minister said.
The company plans to produce 200 million doses annually.
The government's agreement with Sinovac Biotech is for the company to ship the first 200,000 shots of Covid-19 vaccine by the end of next month, another 800,000 shots in March and one million shots in April.
The two million shots will be enough for one million prioritised people, including frontline officials, those living in highest at-risk areas and elderly people.
The prime minister noted that trials of Sinovac vaccines in Turkey and Indonesia suggested efficacy of up to 90% because it was trialled on various groups of people of different ages. But trials of the vaccines in Brazil had a low efficacy rate because they were conducted on medical personnel which is an at-risk group.
However, the Public Health Ministry has asked the company to provide more clarification on the efficacy, he said.
Previously, the government pre-ordered 26 million doses from AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish company, and recently sought another 35 million doses.
If things go according to plan, the first batch of vaccines from AstraZeneca will be ready to be given to the public in June, the prime minister said.
He said that the goal is to give a Covid-19 vaccine to 70% of the population to curb the outbreak and create herd immunity.
"Therefore, giving vaccines to as many people as possible by the end of this year will be a challenge for it all public health systems around the world. Israel comes top in this regard with 2 million doses within three weeks while the US provided 10 million doses in the first month," Gen Prayut said.
He said that he has instructed the Public Health Ministry to come up with a urgent vaccination plan involving distribution, logistics, security as well as the construction of vaccination centres, and arrangement of medical personnel, registration and assessment.
The Public Health Ministry's subcommittee on Covid-19 vaccine management yesterday agreed to set up six working panels to prepare for the first public inoculation in February.
Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said vaccines will be provided on a voluntary basis, Dr Opas, adding that groups for vaccination will be prioritised, though children aged below eight and pregnant women will not be given vaccines because trials have not been conducted on these groups.
He also said that health officials will follow up on the conditions of the vaccinated groups for four weeks.
Thailand has become the world's Number One with the highest rate of road accidents with ten million drivers out of a total of 31 million without are driving licenses, said Pol Maj-Gen Ekkarak Limsangkart, commander of Special Branch Police's 3rd division and a member of the committee to resolve traffic problem.
Of the 10 million drivers who do not have driving licenses, eight million of them are motorcyclists, he said as he maintained that 30 percent of the road accidents were committed by drivers who do not have driving licenses.
The Royal Thai Police has recently proposed amendments to traffic regulations to the National Legislative Assembly seeking higher penalties against drivers without driving licenses, including a maximum fine of up to 50,000 baht.
The proposal has been opposed by critics who viewed it as a means to allow police to squeeze more money from traffic violators.
Pol Maj-Gen Ekkarak admitted there are many people opposing the proposal, but he said he wanted them to understand why the police came up with the proposal in order to make roads safer for travelling.
How to Avoid #DengueFever in #Asia. South East Asia has been declared the region with the greatest risk of contracting dengue by the World Health Organisation
Zika warning
Instances of Dengue are on the rise but you are well able to control most of the risk factors.
The Aedes Aegypti is also known as the tiger mosquito with the distinctive black and white stripes. They most frequently bite at sunrise and sunset but this species also bites during the day. But you're only at risk if the actual mosquito is carrying the Dengue virus.
Deadly
Conservatively, at least 50 million people contract Dengue each year. Dengue is thought to cause around 20,000 deaths per year.
The fever can take around a week to incubate after you've been bitten. You might start with a measle-like rash followed by a fever and lack of energy.
Victims describe it as flu-like symptoms but many react quite differently depending on the strain of the virus.
How to avoid it
1. Most mosquitoes 'hang around' close to the ground (a Bangkok Jack Report) so your feet and legs dangling under the table are an easy target and out of sight.
You won't hear them buzzing under there over the clinking of glasses and the tuk tuks whizzing by.
If you're heading out to dinner take some repellent for your legs, the lower on the legs, the more likely you are to be bitten there.
Most restaurants and bars will have some spray – just ask them.
2. We love the sunsets. And for the morning people, sunrises. So do Aedes aegypti, the type of mosquitoes that carry Dengue.
So these times of the day you need extra precautions against mosquitoes. They will be around.
What attracts them?
3. If you smell nice – a hint of perfume or after-shave here or there – the mosquitoes will be attracted too.
That scented soap the hotel provided (in the impossible-to-open plastic wrap) is likely a sweet smell for the relentless mosquito's tracking system. When they're not biting you they're usually attracted to flowers.
Bland is better if you want to avoid mosquitoes. Buy unscented deodorant too.
4. Beige is back. Mosquitoes are fashion victims and seem attracted to bright colored clothing. Bland coloured clothes are less attractive to mosquitoes.
There may be a reason the tropical safari suits being beige.
5. Whatever you apply on your skin to deter mosquitoes, you'll need to re-apply every few hours. Just a quick squirt isn't going to work all night.
If you're outside you WILL be perspiring and this both washes away the repellent and provides a new attractive scent for the mosquitoes.
Stay clean
6. If you've been out all day, trekking the hills around Phuket, swimming in the sea, lounging on the beach you'll be sweaty, salty and ripe for the mosquitoes.
Have a shower, without using scented soap or lotions, before you head out for your sunset drinks at your favourite rooftop bar.
7. Mosquito coils work very well as a general deterrent but you'll need to be vigilant about having the coil's fumes blowing in your direction.
Set them on the ground, where most of the mosquitoes tend to gather, around your legs and feet.
8. Mosquitoes are attracted to light so if the lights are off outside and on inside, the mosquitoes will be headed towards the light.
Not only mosquitoes, just about any bug is going to be attracted to light. If you want to get the bugs outside again, turn on a light outside and the lights off inside and open the doors.
They'll head out towards the light.
Defend yourself
9. Mosquitoes will track you down, wherever you are. No matter if you're in a five-star hotel over-looking the Andaman Sea or a back-packers in the heart of Phuket Town, they don't discriminate.
If there's a hole in your room's defenses, mosquitoes will find a way in. Windows and doors, obviously, but also vents – anywhere there's access to the outside.
Best to spray your room before you sleep and keep the doors and windows closed, unless you've got fly-screens without any rips or tears.
Many of us don't like sleeping with the air-conditioning but better a dry throat in the morning rather than a case of dengue.
10. A mosquito net above your bed is a cage that keeps you in and the mosquitoes out. Make sure there's no way in for them – they'll find a way if there is.
A good fan will also work very well but it's got to be blowing hard enough so the mosquitoes can't make a three-point landing on your body.
A gentle zephyr on #1 setting won't do. If you get the position of the fan right and have the setting high enough you'll stay cool and the mosquitoes will not be able to land on you and bite. – TheThaiger
