Thai private hospitals reserve COVID-19 vaccines ahead of approval - Reuters

Thai private hospitals reserve COVID-19 vaccines ahead of approval

By Chayut Setboonsarng

 

A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample from a migrant worker for a COVID-19 test at a market, amid fears of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Pathum Thani province, Thailand, January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Two private hospitals in Thailand have ordered millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines ahead of regulatory approval, adding to government orders of vaccines as the Southeast Asian country tackles a second wave of the virus.

 

"We ordered one million doses of the Sinovac vaccine with an option to buy nine million more," Boon Vanasin, the chairman of Thonburi Healthcare Group Pcl, told Reuters.

 

From the initial one million doses, he plans to use about half to inoculate staff in its network of 40 hospitals and workers in his other businesses, once receiving approval from Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

The Thai government has separately ordered two million doses from China's Sinovac Biotech and expects delivery of 200,000 doses with plans to inoculate frontline workers and medical professionals in high-risk areas next month.

 

The government has also ordered 61 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be produced by local firm Siam Bioscience for domestic use and export.

 

"We can't just wait for the government," Boon said, adding that it was not clear how many doses from the government's vaccine stockpile would reach private hospital workers.

 

For patients, Thonburi's medical centres plan to offer two vaccine injections for 3,200 baht ($106.28).

 

"We cannot take a profit here because it is a humanitarian issue for the country," he said.

 

For most of last year, Thailand kept the number of coronavirus cases low, but a second outbreak in December has brought confirmed infections to 12,423 with 70 deaths.

 

Another private hospital, Vibhavadi Medical Centre Pcl, has ordered 10,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, managing director Chaisit Kupwiwat, told Reuters.

 

So far, Thailand's FDA has received registration requests for the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.

 

Thailand is expected to approve one of the vaccines this week for emergency use, Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, told a briefing without elaborating.

 

Last week, the FDA said it was processing AstraZeneca's request, which it expected to approve soon.

 

 

PRD / Bank of Thailand



Australia åpner neppe grensene i år - E24

Australia åpner neppe grensene i år

Ønsker du å ta turen til Australia, må du fortsatt smøre deg med tålmodighet. Helsedirektør Brendan Murphy sier at vanlige reiser ikke kan forventes i 2021.

For mindre enn 1 time siden

Det er ikke bare bare å komme seg til Sydney for å oppleve blant annet byens kjente operahus under koronapandemien. 

Marianne Løvland / NTB

Australia har i all hovedsak vært stengt for utlendinger siden mars som følge av koronapandemien. Kun et begrenset antall australiere og deres familier, samt enkelte andre, får lov til å entre øystaten.

– Jeg tror at vi vil gå det meste av året med fortsatt strenge grensebegrensninger. Selv om mye av befolkningen blir vaksinert, vet vi ikke om det vil forhindre smitte, sier Murphy til ABC.

Folk som ankommer Australia, må betale over 21.000 kroner for å tilbringe to uker på karantenehotell. Landet er ventet å starte vaksineringen i slutten av februar.

Publisert: 18. januar 2021 09:07 

Thailand hasn't bought Pfizer or Moderna jabs, says doctor after deaths in Norway - Thai Visa

Thailand hasn't bought Pfizer or Moderna jabs, says doctor after deaths in Norway

 

Picture: Daily News

 

A leading doctor in the fight against Covid-19 has reassured the Thai public that the country is not buying the vaccine at the center of concerns after 23 frail and elderly people died in Norway. 

 

The old people died after being given shots of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. 

 

Dr Sophon Iamsirithavorn said that the Pfizer vaccination and Modrna were mRNA jabs.

 

Thailand has gone for AstraZeneca and Sinovac from China that uses a different technology. 

 

Thailand would continue to monitor the experiences abroad before vaccinations are carried out in the country, he said. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

Covid a chance to realign tourism industry - Bangkok Post

 Covid a chance to realign tourism industry

The closure of Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi helped restore flora and fauna threatened by hordes of visitors. Photo courtesy of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park

Tourism is probably the industry hit hardest by the pandemic, which is bad news for countries like Thailand. Prior to the outbreak, the tourism industry accounted for as much as one-fifth of the economy, but it has since dropped precipitously.

Despite the gloom, this provides us with a rare opportunity to realign the sector to make it stronger, more sustainable and more resilient when things get back on track.

First, we must consider one of the biggest downsides to Thailand's normally-booming tourist crowds -- overtourism. The obvious candidates -- Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui, Phangnga, Pattaya -- usually boast big crowds and low hotel vacancies, but we cannot neglect the detrimental effects of this growth-at-all-costs mindset on the environment and quality of experience.

The closure of Maya Bay in Koh Phi Phi last year is an example of a successful strategy. Thousands of daily tourists had taken a toll on the beauty the island was famed for, so the Department of National Parks ordered a complete shutdown. The recovery of flora and fauna was surprisingly quick and a limited reopening is now on the cards.

Thailand should also define and pursue high-quality tourists, which the government had previously put a premium on. This means looking beyond wealthy tourists. Independent travellers are also high quality. Without big bank accounts, they often travel slower and for longer, taking time to learn the language and customs. They spend time and money in small communities that are often overlooked by large tour groups or more affluent tourists.

Yet, tour groups will continue to be important. However, we should look at setting reasonable limits on the size and number of tour groups.

The pandemic also presents an opportunity to improve the overall experience we give tourists as well. Training guides in Chinese, Korean and Russian would be a good investment, as there has been a well-documented shortage of those languages for years. It's also a good time to bolster the Tourism Authority of Thailand training course, which all guides must complete, to improve knowledge of culture and customs.

This would enable Thailand to better handle niche travel groups, a segment that has become extremely popular in recent years. Groups and individuals looking for deeper, more contextual experiences rely heavily on guides and look for greater immersion with local cultures. They are also generally willing to pay more for such experiences.

Finally, we should be getting ready to highlight the lesser-known destinations that Thailand has to offer. There are hundreds of towns, cities, monuments and natural resources that are often ignored for more famous locations, which can provide an incredibly rewarding experience for visitors. Investments need to be made to improve travel and accommodation infrastructure, but the long-term benefits would pay off exponentially.

The pandemic has given us a shake, but it's provided us with an opportunity to start laying the groundwork for a stronger and more resilient tourism industry that will pay dividends far into the future.

---

Suwatchai Songwanich is an executive vice-president with Bangkok Bank. For more columns in this series please visit www.bangkokbank.com

Wild Elephant Stomps Camper to Death in Khao Yai National Park - Bangkok Jack

Wild Elephant Stomps Camper to Death in Thailand

January 18, 2021

Image - CTN News

Wild Elephant Stomps Camper to Death in Khao Yai National Park

Campers in Khao Yai National Park were shocked out of their sleep on Friday morning when a wild elephant invaded their camping ground and killed an old man sleeping in his tent.

The elephant ran into the Pha Kluai Mai camping ground at around 2am and entered the tent of Prayod Chitboon, 80.

It then grabbed the man with its trunk and flung him against a tree, killing him immediately. The rest of the campers ran to safety.

Khao Yai officials said later that the dead man's car was filled with pomelos and the animal was possibly lured by the load.

Officials also found Bt103,108 (S$4,500) in cash among Prayod's belongings and have called his relatives to take the money.

Meanwhile, villagers in western Thailand's Kanchanaburi province  have called for help after their farms were pillaged by wild elephants, leaving considerable damage to their crops.

Somkhuan Thongpraneet, of Moo 3 village, said the raids had continued for several months.

Another 40 wild elephants showed up

The latest attack took place on Saturday night, Mr Somkhuan said, when about 60 wild elephants appeared out of the darkness and rampaged across his farmland in search of food, bringing down trees and trampling crops.

Another 40 elephants showed up on Sunday morning and caused more damage.

Mr Somkhuan called on the provincial governor and relevant government agencies to coordinate with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department on measures to help the villagers.

Last month patrol teams were set up to keep a close watch on the movement of a herd of wild elephants crossing the Kwai Noi River to forage for food on farms in Thong Pha Phum district in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

Furthermore motorists using Highway 323 were warned to watch out for the wild elephants on the road.

Combined teams of Thong Pha Phum National Park officials, police and local residents, numbering more than 40, conducted patrols on Highway 323 along Kanchanaburi-Thong Pha Phum route to alert motorists using the road to watch out for wild elephants crossing the road. – CTN News

369 new Covid-19 cases, most of them foreigners in Samut Sakhon - The Nation

369 new Covid-19 cases, most of them foreigners in Samut Sakhon

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reported 369 new cases on Monday, including 12 people who arrived from overseas.

Of the returnees, eight are Thai nationals -- one from the United Kingdom, one from Germany, five from Malaysia, and one from Bahrain.

Also testing positive were two American men, a French man and an Omani woman, who flew in from their respective nations.

Of the new cases, 82 were exposed to the virus while visiting high-risk areas. Provinces with the highest number of infections were Bangkok with 12 and Samut Sakhon with 51.

Proactive testing led to 275 cases, mostly in Samut Sakhon where 269 foreigners tested positive.

Meanwhile, 191 patients have recovered and been discharged.

The total number of confirmed cases in Thailand has risen to 12,423 – 10,134 of which were contracted domestically, including 3,982 found via proactive testing and 2,289 returnees. So far, 9,206 have recovered and been discharged, 3,147 patients are still in hospital and the death toll remains at 70.

According to Worldometer, as of midnight on Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 95.48 million (up by 532,235), 68.17 million have recovered, 25.27 million are active cases (113,185 in severe condition) and 2.04 million have died (up by 9,151).

Thailand ranks 128th on the global list of most cases, while the US tops the list with 24.48 million, followed by India 10.57 million, Brazil 8.49 million, Russia 3.57 million and the United Kingdom 3.4 million.

18/1



Coffee a big business in Thailand - The Nation

Coffee a big business in Thailand

The coffee market in Thailand has been expanding significantly, with new cafes popping up in every city.

A report from Nestle (Thai) shows that the coffee market in the Kingdom has risen by 10.7 per cent or by Bt60 billion in 2020 alone, despite the Covid-19 outbreak. 

Coffee is grown in several parts of the country, with Chumphon province being the largest producer. According to Spring News, Chumphon has devoted 104,326 rai to the bean and produces as much as 11,537 tonnes of Robusta per year. 

After Chumphon, the other biggest producer of coffee is Ranong, where 44,080 rai has been devoted to the crop and 4,667 tonnes is produced on a yearly basis. 

Other provinces where coffee is grown are Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Nan in the North, where 42,215 rai, 23,125 rai and 22,500 rai has been devoted to the crop, producing 3,402, 2,283 and 3,825 tonnes per year, respectively.

Coffee plantations in the North grow the Arabica variety of coffee. 

Thailand's Covid-19 situation 'not a cause for concern yet' - The Nation

Thailand's Covid-19 situation 'not a cause for concern yet'

National

Jan 18. 2021

By The Nation

Thailand's Covid-19 situation is not severe, an infectious disease expert at MedPark Hospital, said on Sunday.

Asst Prof Mondej Sookpranee said the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Johns Hopkins (JHU) evaluate the situation in each country once they receive information.

According to WHO, Thailand's number of Covid-19 cases from December 14 to January 14 and 24-hour average were 7,025 and 271 respectively, accounting for an infection rate of 10.2 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively per 100,000 population.

Meanwhile, JHU said the country's number of Covid-19 cases in the past 30 days and 24-hour average were 7,189 and 459 respectively, accounting for an infection rate per 100,000 population of 10.4 per cent and 0.7 per cent respectively.

"Both organisations have evaluated Thailand in "not high burden and not growing" countries, thanks to people's cooperation to contain the spread of the virus", Mondej said.

He urged Thais to continue following the government's Covid-19 prevention measures. 

Rayong announces two cases of Covid-19, plans to test thousands before considering easing restrictions - Pattaya News

Rayong announces two cases of Covid-19, plans to test thousands before considering easing restrictions

Sunday, 17 January 2021, 16:55

Rayong, Thailand-

The Rayong Governor, along with the Rayong Department of Public Health, announced two cases of Covid-19 today, continuing an overall major downward trend. However, officials cautioned it was too early to lift restrictions that have closed many businesses and stopped domestic tourism.

Dr. Sunthorn Phumikarnkit of the Rayong Public Health Office spoke at a press conference today giving details around the two confirmed cases and the current plan for the province as business owners and local residents began to put pressure on the government to ease restrictions that have been in place for close to a month now shutting many local businesses. Although the Thai government says they are "working on" financial aid related measures, so far none have officially been given to affected residents, primarily who are informal workers.

Dr. Sunthorn said the two new cases were food delivery drivers who visited local migrant worker communities that were a key component of recent clusters in the province that involved both migrant workers and people involved in illegal gambling. Although the patients are asymptomatic both men were described as "social" and there are potential concerns they could have spread the virus to others as they deliver food to migrant communities in the area who are largely under restrictions and cannot leave their camps and dormitories.

Dr. Sunthorn said the province plans to test roughly 8,000 people in total in "high-risk" communities, primarily densely populated migrant camps, factories, and dormitories in the province to determine if there is any widespread infection still "hiding" in asymptomatic carriers in Rayong. If these tests prove to show there are no major issues Rayong will "consider" easing some restrictions and measures. It is important to note there was no timetable or guarantee for when or if these measures will be eased.

His Royal Majesty the King has donated a remote Covid-19 testing vehicle which is being used in a primary area of concern, the Map Cha Lao On Village in the Chak Phong Subdistrict of Klaeng District. The area is under very strict travel restrictions and measures.

The Pattaya News knows we have many readers in the Rayong area and will continue to provide updates on a daily basis.



Chonburi announces two new confirmed cases of Covid-19 this morning - Pattaya News

Chonburi announces two new confirmed cases of Covid-19 this morning

Monday, 18 January 2021, 7:57

Chonburi, Thailand-

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced two new cases of Covid-19 this morning, January 18th, 2021.

The new cases were located in Si Racha and Sattahip, according to an online statement from Dr. Wichai Thanasopon, the deputy doctor of public health for Chonburi province.

Both cases were connected to previous clusters originating from breweries in the Si Racha area and were directly contact traced by health workers.

Chonburi Health Department workers plan on having targeted mass testing of high-risk groups this week such as migrant worker communities that live in tightly populated accommodations and those who had visited bars and breweries in the Si Racha area over Christmas and New Year. 

Dr. Wichai cautioned that although numbers appear to have dropped significantly he wanted local residents to continue to wear masks, wash their hands, and socially distance. The Chonburi Department of Public Health also has stated that it is "too soon" to lift or ease measures that have closed many businesses, attractions, and restricted travel. 

The Chonburi Government plans to examine these restrictive measures after further targeted testing throughout Chonburi and after health officials feel the situation is fully under control. This is likely to be at the end of this month. It is important to note that there is no promised date or guarantee on when measures and restrictions will be lifted.

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Thai Prime Minister says he will ensure the safety of all Covid-19 vaccines before being distributed to Thai citizens - Pattaya News. The Thai Prime Minister has stated this afternoon that Thailand will take their time to ensure vaccines are safe before rolling out to Thai citizens. He did not, however, clarify if this meant current rollout plans would be delayed or postponed which would potentially further set back return of tourism and other factors.



Thai Prime Minister says he will ensure the safety of all Covid-19 vaccines before being distributed to Thai citizens

Sunday, 17 January 2021, 20:06

PHOTO: Thairath

National –

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan O'Cha published an online statement this afternoon, January 17th, regarding the public reaction of Thai nationals to the news of possibly fatal side effects of Covid-19 vaccination injections in several people across the world, especially in Norway. The Pattaya News notes these reports have not gone through a peer review process and are not independently verified.

According to his statements, the fatal side effects will have to be thoroughly examined and have to be officially confirmed by medical experts in regards to whether it was due to the vaccine itself or due to other factors of the individuals involved, such as a certain health condition, physical condition, or age.

The Prime Minister said that the government decided not to rush any vaccines that have not been fully developed and tested, knowing that there could potentially be some risks for Thai citizens.

PHOTO: AstraZeneca

His social media status posted this afternoon read: "We refuse to be an experimental country. Thai people should not be 'guinea pigs' for any type of vaccination that is not safe. The Thai Government takes a stand for a policy that a Covid-19 vaccine must be confirmed safe before being injected into Thai people."

The safety of vaccines being distributed in Thailand must be examined and supervised by the National Vaccine Committee, the Prime Minister added.

Regarding the success in controlling the spread of Covid-19 in the past year, the Prime Minister stated that he attributed most of the success due to the implementation of various health measures and widespread cooperation among Thai people.

People are being reminded to wash their hands, perform social distancing, check-in via the "Thai Chana" application, and download the "Mor Chana" application for their own safety, the Prime Minister concluded.

It is unknown if the recent statements of the Prime Minister will cause any delays to current plans for vaccines in Thailand which are due to arrive next month in limited numbers.



More than 80 Thai and foreigners in Bangkok sentenced to jail and hefty fines for violating Emergency Decree during domestic spread of Covid-19 Coronavirus - Bangkok Post

HÄRLIGT 👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏 SÅ SKA EN SLIPSTEN DRAS !!! 



More than 80 Thai and foreigners in Bangkok sentenced to jail and hefty fines for violating Emergency Decree during domestic spread of Covid-19 Coronavirus

Sunday, 17 January 2021, 17:41

PHOTO: Thairath

Bangkok –

Thailand's Criminal Court has sentenced to jail terms more than 80 Thai and foreign customers who were found to have violated the Emergency Decree and the Immigration Act at TAJ CAFE in Bangkok from January 15th to the 16th.

The first group of 42 Thai nationals was charged for committing offenses under the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations, B.E. 2548, as they were not following regulations while dining at TAJ CAFE, located at Soi Sukhumvit 3, Wattana District in the capital.

According to the reports, all dining tables at the restaurant were set up with no social distancing space to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus as required in the Emergency Decree. Customers, both Thai and foreigners, were also seen crowded inside the area, smoking hookahs without wearing face masks or other health protection in accordance with the coronavirus prevention measures.

PHOTO: Thairath

All 42 defendants were found guilty and initially sentenced to two-months imprisonment and a 10,000-baht fine. However, due to their confessions, the punishment was reduced to one-month imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 baht per person.

The second group of defendants was 40 foreigners from Nigeria, India, Somalia, and Myanmar, who were found violating the Emergency Decree as well as the Immigration Act.

All of them were individually sentenced to a prison sentence of between four months to one year and a fine from between 5,000 to 16,000 baht, depending on how many sections of certain acts they were found guilty of.

Thai Law Enforcement has warned both foreigners and Thai nationals that if they are caught breaking the law, even at a venue, they will be fully charged under the law and emergency decree. Before Covid-19 officials would primarily fine only the venue and let patrons go without fines unless drugs were involved which no longer seems to be the case.

Thailand aims to control new COVID-19 wave in 2 months, promotes more tourism campaigns - Pattaya Mail

Thailand aims to control new COVID-19 wave in 2 months, promotes more tourism campaigns

Pattaya MailJanuary 17, 2021

'We Travel Together' campaign launched last year to promote domestic tourism, offering registered persons 40% or up to 3,000 baht subsidy for their hotel stay per night along with other benefits, has been extended with extra quotas until 30th April this year.

Thai government will be rolling out more relief measures for people affected by the new wave of COVID-19, while being optimistic that the government will be able to contain the new spread in two months, said, Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow.



The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, addressed criticisms concerning the government's new relief payout campaign saying that the government did not anticipate the current surge of cases lasting longer than two months, thus does not require this campaign to cover a longer duration.

The government's latest payout campaign will offer eligible persons, mostly independent and informal workers, 3,500 baht per person per month relief money, which will be provided for two months.

Minister Supattanapong said more measures will be introduced once the situation de-escalates, mainly economic stimuli, while the government will continue to promote foreign investment in Thailand to resume once the crisis has passed.




He said the government will need to make more evaluations of proposals to extend the domestic consumption 50:50 subsidy campaign due to the increasing uncertainties, while hinting that new measures would likely be short-term ones to address the present situation.

On assistance to the tourism sector, the DPM said the extended We Travel Together tourism subsidy campaign is now going ahead, along with special financial offers to help tourism businesses maintain their fluidity.



We Travel Together is a campaign launched last year to promote domestic tourism, offering registered persons 40% or up to 3,000 baht subsidy for their hotel stay per night along with other benefits. The campaign has been extended with extra quotas until 30th April this year.

The DPM and Energy Minister said the government will be taking care of all public persons who report illegal activities via the government's 1111 complaints hotline. (NNT)