Field hospitals in Samut Sakhon standing by to admit 800 new COVID-19
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Field hospitals in Thailand's coastal province of Samut Sakhon were placed on standby on Monday to receive the around 800 new COVID-19 cases, expected after health officials began screening as many as 10,000 people a day for five consecutive days in a mass pro-active screening exercise.
CCSA deputy spokesperson Dr. Apisamai Srirangsan told a news conference this morning that there are now 1,091 beds in field hospitals, with 1,400 more beds to be available by Friday.
She also appealed for private hospitals to help in the mass screening process, without which the 10,000 per day target may not be achieved.
The mass screening will focus on migrant workers in factories, communities and dormitories in the province. Infections in the province have reached 5,480 since December 17th, most of whom are migrant workers. The infection rate among them is about 7%.
Samut Sakhon is Thailand's current hot spot for COVID-19 infections, due to the poor living conditions in the cramped dormitories of the migrant workers from Myanmar, creating an ideal environment for the spread of the virus.
Dr. Apisamai said that severe cases will be sent to normal hospitals for treatment, while those with mild symptoms or asymptomatic cases will be housed in the field hospitals.
Looking at the big picture, she said that the rate of new infections fell yesterday and today, with new cases being reported in just seven provinces, compared to more than 30 during the initial stage of the second outbreak.
In Bangkok, 700 cases have been recorded since December 15th, she said, adding that a closer look at the movements of some of the infected shows that one infected person can become a super spreader, citing the DJ Matoom cluster of infections, which originated with an individual who is believed to have been infected in Chiang Mai before attending the DJ's party.
Being able to spend time with family and having plenty of free time were among the reasons that made people happy during the Covid-19 crisis, a poll revealed on Sunday.
Suan Dusit Poll surveyed people on 10 things that gave them happiness.
The poll was conducted between January 15 and 22 and involved 1,136 respondents nationwide.
When asked about what makes them happy amid the Covid-19 crisis (multiple choice):
- 86.92 per cent said they have plenty of time to do as they like.
- 75.22 per cent said they can live with their family.
- 56.10 per cent said they don't have to get up early.
- 29.81 per cent said they could take care of their health.
- 13.46 per cent said they could adjust themselves to be in line with the online world.
- 13.08 per cent said they still have an occupation.
- 10.44 per cent said they could travel without worries of traffic jams.
- 8.18 per cent said Thai medical personnel are performing their duty well.
- 5.03 per cent said they could see Thai people's cooperation and kindness.
- 1.89 per cent said natural resources would have a chance to recover.
Paisan Kongsatitsathaporn, acting director of Suan Dusit University Public Relations Division, said changing one's attitude was important because there was always happiness in every crisis.
"If we can overcome the sorrow, we will find happiness at last," he said.
Thailand set to start Covid-19 vaccinations Feb 14
A healthcare worker holds a vial of the AstraZeneca/Oxford coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine at FioCruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday. (Reuters photo)
The government plans to begin Thailand's national vaccine rollout from Feb 14, starting with healthcare and front-line workers, according to the Health Ministry.
As vaccine availability remains limited, target groups with higher infection risks will be administered the shots during the first of a three-phased rollout plan, Permanent Secretary of Public Health Kiattiphum Wongrajit said on Monday.
The government last week approved AstraZeneca Plc vaccines for emergency use, and is expected to receive 50,000 doses next month from the British-Swedish firm. Thailand is also in line to receive 200,000 doses from Sinovac Biotech Ltd, whose vaccine is expected to get the local drug regulator's nod in about three weeks.
The government aims to inoculate at least 50% of the population before the end of 2021. Other details of the inoculation programme are:
In the second phase, from May to December, the vaccination programme will be expanded to all regions
In the final phase, from January 2022 onward, there will be enough vaccines to distribute to the entire population to create herd immunity
Vaccines will be provided free of charge and will not be compulsory, said Deputy Premier and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul
The government will launch a platform called 'Mor Prom' or 'Doctor's Ready' to facilitate its vaccination programme; users can make appointments for the shots and health authorities can monitor any adverse effects
Thailand logs 2 deaths, 187 new Covid cases Monday
FILE PHOTO: Medical officials collect a nose swab sample to test for the Covid-19 coronavirus at a seafood market in Samut Sakhon, after some cases of local infections were detected and linked to a vendor at the market, Dec 19, 2020. (AFP)
The government recorded 187 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic a year ago to 13,687. Two additional deaths were reported, raising the accumulated toll to 75.
The 187 new cases comprised 116 found through active searching, 61 local transmissions and 10 people who recently entered the country from abroad.
Tyvärr blockerad artikel men det som går att läsa är intressant om än osäkert !!
Tre gange om ugen fra København til Bangkok
Thai Airways flyver i øjeblikket én gang om ugen mellem København og Bangkok, hvor det primært er repatrieringer og fragt. Fra den 1. julitilbydes tre ugentlige afgange i åbent salg.
Thai Airways er et af de flyselskaber, der har de største udfordringer i øjeblikket. Udover coronapandemien kæmper selskabet med en rekonstruktionsproces, og først den 2. februar vil en domstol i Bangkok tage stilling til, om den fremlagte...
That sinking feeling: Bangkok's fight to stay above water
A Thai woman talks on her cell phone while wading through the flood waters in Bangkok
A FEW cities in the world are sinking ten times faster than sea levels are rising: #Venice, #NewOrleans, and #Bangkok.
This is largely due to a combination of subsiding land due to human activity and rising sea levels caused by global warming.
"Land subsidence and sea level rise are both happening, and they are both contributing to the same problem – larger and longer floods, and bigger inundation depth of floods," the Netherlands' Deltares Research Institute's Dr. Gilles Erkens told the BBC.
Erkens pointed out that parts of Indonesia's Jakarta, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, Thailand's Bangkok and numerous other coastal urban settlements will sink below sea level in a matter of years unless action is taken.
"The most rigorous solution and the best one is to stop pumping groundwater for drinking water, but then, of course, you need a new source of drinking water for these cities.
"But Tokyo did that and subsidence more or less stopped, and in Venice, too, they have done that," Erkens revealed.
Home to some 20 million people, Bangkok made international headlines in 2011 when it suffered one of the worst floods in its history. About 815 people were killed, with three missing, and 13.6 million people affected overall.
The megacity remained underwater for months, and the Thai economy suffered a US$40.7 billion loss.
Bangkok is set to turn 250 years old in 2032, but if action isn't taken, the city could be under 5 ft of water by then. The latest estimates suggest that Bangkok is now sinking as fast as 2cm per year in parts of the city.
In fact, The Global Post reported that by 2100, Bangkok would be fully submerged and unliveable.
To prevent Bangkok from being swallowed up a little more each day, experts have offered a couple of solutions.
This includes mapping out an extensive water-management plan, erecting a massive seawall, or moving the capital to higher ground.
One of the more practical solutions is the construction of an 11-acre park that collects up to one million gallons of rainwater.
Built on property owned by local university Chulalongkorn University, which commissioned the project, the Chulalongkorn University Centennial Park (CU Centennial Park) is capable of collecting the equivalent of one-and-a-half Olympic-sized swimming pools' worth of water.
PHOTO: Floods in Bangkok
"Chulalongkorn Centennial Park is designed to face future uncertainties of climate change," landscape architectural firm Landprocess said.
The raised green roof at the park "directs runoff water through sloped rain gardens, filtered in the constructed wetland, and then to the retention pond."
The CU Centennial Park will also treat water from neighbouring areas by sending it through the wetland filtration system.
Other sections of the park include reading areas, walking and bike paths, herb gardens, and a recreation area. The public can easily access the CU Centennial Park on foot. – TravelNewsWire
Mass Covid-19 testing will be ramped up in Samut Sakhon this week, as the province prepares to ease disease control measures put in place after it became a hotspot of the latest coronavirus outbreak late last year.
Testing has been ongoing in the province since December, and authorities there are hoping they can finish testing at-risk individuals by the end of the week, so the province can begin easing coronavirus-related restrictions.
Apisamai Srirangsun, assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said proactive screening and mass testing are the only ways through which authorities can determine if Samut Sakhon can be reclassified as a low-risk zone.
Since the beginning of the latest outbreak, the province is classified as a maximum control zone, where the strictest disease control measures apply.
Throughout the week, public health authorities in Samut Sakhon will step up the screening of workers in factories, wet markets and dormitories, while in the first week of February, the focus will shift to high-risk communities, Dr Apisamai said.
"The plan is to turn Samut Sakhon from a 'red' to 'green' [zone] as quickly as possible, so we can start to consider and plan to relax the restrictions," she said, adding many people have asked if authorities have plans to loosen restrictions for schools, the Central Shrimp Market and restaurants in the area.
Provided Covid-19 guidelines are strictly followed and the number of new infections remains manageable, the situation in Samut Sakhon is expected to improve by the second week of February.
"If the numbers continue to look good, some schools may be allowed to reopen in early February. Maybe next week, we'll hear some good news and the loosening of restrictions for some establishments," she said.
Since the outbreak in Samut Sakhon was first reported, the province has reported 5,332 confirmed cases -- most of which were found among migrant workers.
Meanwhile, the public health chief of Samut Sakhon's Muang district office, Mana Paothui, said efforts are underway to reduce overcrowding at migrant workers' dormitories and promote high hygiene standards to safeguard public health.
Dr Mana said officers are surveying migrant workers' dormitories, and their recommendations will be used to reorganise the workers' accommodation before the province's Central Shrimp Market is considered.
There are four dormitories near the Central Shrimp Market, with 1,200-1,500 rooms shared by between 2,500-2,700 migrant workers.
Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said yesterday Covid-19 restrictions imposed on Samut Sakhon, Chanthaburi, Chon Buri, Trat and Rayong can be loosened next month if the number of infections drops.
Following a spike in cases in those provinces, authorities have tightened disease control measures, with an emphasis on screening people leaving and entering these provinces to help prevent any further spread.
Travel restrictions to/from these provinces are in place until Feb 1.
However, Dr Opas said, additional measures may be added if the situation does not improve.
Thailand yesterday recorded 198 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 13,500.
One new death was reported, raising the accumulated toll to 73.
The new fatality was a 73-year-old woman who had been in close contact with a family member diagnosed with Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon.
She showed symptoms on Jan 4 and tested positive on Jan 9.
A research director yesterday dismissed criticism over the costs and waiting time associated with the Covid-19 vaccine the government has ordered.
Somchai Jitsuchon, research director for inclusive development at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), who is involved in the procurement, wrote on his Facebook page that the process has been handled with utmost care
As to whether Thailand should produce a vaccine locally, Mr Somchai wrote that a full assessment of the country's production capability had informed the decision to initially buy it from foreign pharmaceutical companies.
Ultimately the government's strategic plan consists of both importing the vaccine and supporting local production, he said.
The government had been in contact with several developers of the vaccine in several countries during the experimental and trial stages, Mr Somchai said.
He said the vaccine could have been pre-ordered during this time but it would have risked losing its deposit if those efforts had come to nothing.
Also, infections in Thailand at the time were not as widespread as in many other countries and it was deemed sensible to wait for evidence of the safety and efficacy of the various candidates before making an order.
The downside of that decision is that the government has had to pay more now, after initial low quotes to secure funding skyrocketed once trial results looked promising.
Mr Somchai also said Thailand ended up paying more because the prices of raw materials for producing the vaccine had been driven up by big-lot buying by drug manufacturers.
The AstraZeneca vaccine which Thailand opted for was still far cheaper than that of other vaccines, although the price was still higher than what the company charged countries which pre-ordered its vaccine before Thailand did.
Nonetheless, that did not come as an enormous budgetary burden, especially when taking into consideration the risk of wasting state finances had domestic efforts to develop a vaccine proved fruitless.
"Those who argue that Thailand paid more than it should for the Covid-19 vaccine should also think about the risk of wasting the state budget in the case of a failed vaccine programme," he wrote.
Apparently referring to an accusation made by Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Mr Somchai said he had come came across no evidence of Thailand paying too much, although he admitted he was no expert in the subject.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul responded to Mr Thanathorn's call for the government to make public the contract signed between AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience, the local vaccine-making factory, saying that was impossible as both parties were private companies, not organisations under the government.
Mr Anutin also denied the government had effectively granted itself a monopoly on the importation of Covid-19 vaccines, saying no other foreign companies had sought to register their own vaccines with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He also argued the FDA was prepared, with a recently augmented team, to verify the suitability of any new vaccines submitted for approval with all due haste.
The Immigration Bureau has urged people to make an online queue for visa extension due to the virus and apply before January 29.
Applicants who require visa service, such as foreigners who have stayed in the Kingdom for over 90 days and tourists who needs short-term visa extension service for Tourist visa (TR 60) and Special Tourist Visa (STV) are urged to join the online queue before the service date. The move is aimed at conforming with the government's policy on precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, by reducing overcrowding, maintaining social distancing and facilitating customer service. An applicant can make an online queue reservation for a pre-service appointment at www.bangkokimmigration.com and follow these steps:
▪︎Fill in all required information.
▪︎Wait for an email reply.
▪︎Print out a confirmation document from email.
▪︎Submit the documents for visa extension on the appointment date and time.
However, services for a walk-in queue are still available at Muang Thong Thani Temporary Service Centre on the official working date and time.
Short-term visa extension service at counter K will provide service only to online queue applicants.
In order to reduce overcrowding amid the pandemic, an applicant can make an online queue reservation for pre-service appointment and follow the steps below:
▪︎Fill in all required information
▪︎Wait for an email reply
▪︎Print out a confirmation document from email and ▪︎Prepare all required documents
▪︎Submit an application for visa extension 1-2 weeks before the visa expiry date.
In the case of visa extension due to Covid-19, the application must be submitted before January 29.
Thai researcher describes process and after effects of her COVID-19 vaccination
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A person who is inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine can still become infected, so there is still a need to observe strict social distancing and wear face masks until the development of herd immunity, according to a Thai post-doctorate researcher at the University of Chicago.
The researcher, Dr. Siriruk Changrob, has received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. She talked to Thai PBS, in an online interview, about her condition following vaccination and offered some advice.
She received the first injection about 20 days ago. She then showed up for the second injection, as appointed, and was asked by the nurse about any side effects from the first jab and whether she had tested positive for the virus in the preceding 90 days.
After the second injection, the nurse congratulated her for having received her two doses of the vaccine, as required, and attached an "I got my COVID-19 vaccine" sticker to her employment ID card, which might be necessary when travelling, said Dr. Siriruk.
She said she didn't feel anything until about eight hours after the second injection, when she started to feel feverish and some pain at the injection site, adding that all her colleagues warned her that the post second injection symptoms would be more painful.
Photo from Facebook Siriruk Ch
She explained that the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, to achieve the desired efficacy, and the first and second injections must be at least 21 days apart.
She also recommended that anyone who is not sure that they can get the second injection, within the set timeframe, not get the first one.
She also said that anyone who requires daily medication to treat other ailments should consult their doctor before being vaccinated, to ensure that the efficacy of the vaccine will not be affected by that medication.
The general post-vaccination symptoms include a fever, headache, muscle pain and shivering, she said, adding that these are positive signs that the body is developing an immunity
Taking medication to prevent the onset of a fever after vaccination is not recommended, Dr. Siriruk said, adding that the vaccine only protects a person from developing symptoms and does not protect a person from becoming infected by the virus. As such, there remains a need to maintain social distancing, to wear face masks and to regularly wash hands, until 60% of the population have developed herd immunity.
Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit, disclosed that the value of Thailand's exports was 20.08 million USD, in December 2020, which is a 4.71% increase.
The Minister of Commerce said he is satisfied with the export growth figure for December 2020, given the implications of the COVID-19 resurgence and receding border trade.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit, disclosed that the value of Thailand's exports was 20.08 million USD, in December 2020, which is a 4.71% increase.
He said this growth signals Thailand's export sector passed through the worst period in the second half of 2020, improving from minus 23% in June, to minus 11% in July, and minus 7% in August.
The export figure for December 2020 was impacted by the worsening border trade situation due to the new wave of COVID-19, however the overall performance for 2020 was minus 6%, which is better than the expected figure between minus 7% and minus 10%.
The Minister of Commerce announced several campaigns to help the private sector and the general public this year, from an income guarantee campaign for farmers, discount product sales events, and a proactive goods export promotion.(NNT)
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha posted to his personal Facebook page, saying he has discussed tax measures and cuts to daily living costs for different groups and businesses.
The Prime Minister has asked his economic team to instigate tax measures and cut daily living costs for most groups. The Minister of Finance has declined to speculate on whether or not parameters for Rao Chana will be changed.
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha posted to his personal Facebook page, saying he has discussed tax measures and cuts to daily living costs for different groups and businesses. Approaches considered include changes to taxation of property and buildings, and residential structure registration, as well as an extension to income tax filing. Suggested courses of action are to be proposed to Cabinet next week.
The PM asked for confidence among the public that the government is looking into all possible ways to provide aid, elaborating that there are plans to both reduce costs and increase income. He pointed out that the Rao Chana and co-pay schemes have been achieving positive results, before wishing good health to the people and the nation.
Following the premier's discussion with the economic team, Minister of Finance Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, met with the media but declined to discuss whether or not parameters for the Rao Chana program, which provides 3,500 baht in aid over the course of two months to citizens, will be changed, in particular if distribution will be changed to cash payments from electronic transfers. He remarked only that Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow had already made a statement on the matter.(NNT)
Restrictions imposed in the eight eastern provinces of Thailand since mid-December, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, are expected to be eased as the situation there gradually improves.
Deputy Public Health Minister, Satit Pitutacha, held a meeting on Saturday with governors, and the provincial health chiefs of Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Sa Kaeo, Prachin Buri, Nakhon Nayok and Chachoengsao, to assess the pandemic situation in preparation for the easing of some of the restrictions and allow some businesses to reopen so people can resume earning incomes.
Satit noted that some of the provinces, such as Trat and Sa Kaeo, have not reported a new infection for the past 13 days, after 1,967 cases were reported since December 19th.
Of the 1,967 cases recorded, 1,830 were locally-acquired and the rest were arrivals from abroad in state quarantine. Most are asymptomatic and 332 are still being treated in hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explained that registration of COVID-19 vaccines has not been delayed and that the administration has given top priority to their efficacy and safety.
FDA Deputy Secretary-General Surachoke Tangvivat said Saturday that the organization has sped up the registration process, by mobilizing internal and external experts to assess all the data supplied by the manufacturers and to conduct tests, to make sure that the vaccines to be used on Thai people are safe and effective.
Immigration Backtracks on Plan to Require COVID-19 Test for Visa Extensions
A file photo of a man taking a swab test for the coronavirus.
BANGKOK — A spokesman for the immigration police on Tuesday walked back on his announcement that a negative COVID-19 test result will be mandatory for every foreigner who wishes to extend their stay in the kingdom.
Immigration bureau spokesman Archayon Kraithong previously said on Monday the new measure will be applied to "every type of visa," regardless of how long the foreigner has stayed in the country.
But less than an hour after his remark was reported on Khaosod English – sparking an uproar among expats on social media – the spokesman reached back to say he was misinformed about the new policy, and offered an apology.
"I apologize for the misunderstanding," Maj. Gen. Archayon said. "It will only apply to certain types of visa, most likely the permanent resident visa."
He went on to say that the Immigration Bureau will have to wait for the Council of State – an agency tasked with settling legislative disputes – to interpret the latest regulation concerning coronavirus and arrivals from overseas published on Dec. 25.
"We're waiting for the Council of State to interpret the new regulation," Maj. Gen. Archayon said.
The order added COVID-19 to the list of prohibited diseases for foreigners who wish to enter or take residency in Thailand. Other diseases include leprosy, "dangerous stage" of tuberculosis, elephantiasis, drug addiction, and tertiary stage of syphilis.
The announcement did not mention any restriction that must be taken on foreigners already residing in Thailand.
"This is such a pointless exercise," Twitter user Siobhán Robbinswrote. "If long-term expats have COVID-19 when the borders are basically closed and a 14-day mandatory quarantine imposed, they certainly got it via local transmission in Thailand. COVID-19 doesn't pick people by race, yet foreigners are once again singled out."
Local immigration offices appeared to be unaware of any new measure that would require foreign residents to present a negative coronavirus test upon renewing their visas.
"I haven't heard about it," Chonburi immigration chief Narain Kheungsanook said by phone.
Phuket Immigration Deputy Chief Col. Nareuwat Putthawiro also told The Phuket News that his office has not received any such order.
"We do not require any medical documents for an application to renew a visa, because there are few foreigners' movements outside Phuket. Most of them live and work in Phuket, and have done so before the new wave of COVID-19," Col. Nareuwat was quoted as saying.
It was far from the first time that the immigration contradicted itself on its own enforcement of visa policy.
A spokesman said in July that an amnesty would not be granted to foreigners stranded in Thailand due to the pandemic, though they later did. In 2018, Chinese nationals flying from Hong Kong were also barred from using a premium lane reserved for Chinese nationals at an airport in Bangkok.
Frustration grows as Eastern provinces remain under tough Covid-19 restrictions and closures despite lack of cases, Thai government says no decision until the very end of the month
Thailand-
Local business owners, as well as employees and residents, have been showing rising frustration with Thai government decisions around control measures and regulations meant to control the Covid-19 coronavirus in the Eastern provinces of Thailand.
The Eastern provinces of Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi, and Trat are currently in a special "highly controlled" and "high-risk" status set by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration which, along with Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon, put them under the toughest rules in the country around Covid-19. The provinces have been under this status for weeks when an explosion of cases, mostly from illegal gambling operations in Rayong and Chonburi, took place.
However, weeks later, the situation appears to have greatly diminished in the Eastern provinces. Despite daily targeted mass testing across the area, especially Rayong and Chonburi, and consistent contact tracing and active test finding, the past two days have found a grand total of one case in all four Eastern provinces-in Rayong. The past week has been in low single digits of cases and all have been quarantined, tracked, and contact traced. Most had little to no exposure to the general public due to already being in quarantine.
Despite this significant improvement, the provinces remain under a strict status. Travel to and from requires written permission from a district office which has essentially cut domestic tourism to zero. Pattaya and Ko Chang in particular have depended on domestic tourism for their livelihood during the current period in which borders are shut to regular foreign tourism. The CCSA orders also bring other regulations such as the closure of Pattaya's popular entertainment industry which has already been struggling with the lack of foreign tourists for close to a year and was just starting to get a lift on weekends with domestic traffic.
Even venues not closed by order, like hotels and restaurants, have either limitations like a strict 9:00 PM closure for restaurants and no alcohol sales or lack of tourists in the case of hotels, causing nearly all to shut and an estimated 30,000 workers unemployed.
Meanwhile, Bangkok, which has had many more daily cases than ALL FOUR EASTERN PROVINCES COMBINED, has relaxed rules and restrictions, allowing massage shops, gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, and some other activities to resume. These all remain closed in the Eastern provinces despite continued calls by massage shop workers to allow them to collect at least some sort of income. Massage workers have also been hit badly by the pandemic, and related restrictions as the majority of their business previously relied on foreign tourism.
Other sectors, like Jomtien Beach vendors which remain open, say traffic is down about 80% to 90% and their income has dried up due to lack of weekend domestic tourists. After 10:00 PM the town is a ghost town. There is no curfew, however, stores like 7-11 and Family Mart are ordered closed at 10:00 PM until 5:00 AM, and all restaurants can only do takeout. Only soi dogs and the occasional car can be seen on the streets after 9:00 PM most nights.
Food lines have returned with some of them stretching to close to a thousand people as with a recent event yesterday sponsored by Pattaya City. Many of these people work in the hotel and entertainment industry and are currently out of work. Despite the government's promise to support those at risk with 3,500 baht a month for two months the registration for this program does not start until the end of this month and it will be more weeks before any income is likely seen. Hotel staff was hoping for the forced closure of hotels so they could collect social security but that looks unlikely and many have been seen in food lines recently.
Despite the bleak situation and continued calls from business owners, workers, and even local residents who would like to see their swimming pools re-opened in condos to loosen or ease restrictions the calls appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Our social media and e-mail boxes at The Pattaya News have been full daily from local readers wanting to understand why some other provinces have lifted or eased rules but Chonburi has not. (Due to the highly controlled status, Bangkok, believe it or not, was not under this status, only six provinces in total are.)
All eyes now turn to the review (which isn't a guarantee) of measures set for January 31st as stated by the CCSA. There is a chance the Chonburi Governor could loosen some measures that he has leeway over not explicitly listed in the CCSA control measures but so far that appears to have not happened. On the bright side, Koh Larn did recently reopen the past week which is a sign of hopeful improvement for the future.
The head of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) has clarified that there were no political motives in his meeting with the PM's secretary-general.
NVI director Dr Nakorn Premsri called a press conference on Friday evening after his meeting with PM's secretary-general Disthat Hotrakit at Government House earlier that day was interpreted by some media channels as involving political issues, especially regarding questions raised by a prominent politician on vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca.
On Thursday, leader of the Progressive Movement, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, had questioned the government over its purchase of 26 million doses from UK's AstraZeneca plus 2 million doses from China's Sinovac, saying it might not be enough to inoculate the entire population. He also questioned why the government-funded Siam Bioscience was the only corporation given the right to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine in Thailand.
"The meeting with the PM's secretary-general along with Food and Drug Administration secretary-general [Dr Paisan Dankhum] was about the registration of Covid-19 vaccine in Thailand," he said.
"We discussed related laws, regulations, and quality control of the vaccines. There were no discussions about political issues or about AstraZeneca as speculated by some media channels.
"We urge the media to maintain their journalistic professionalism by refraining from publishing news without confirming the source, as well as remove fake news from all their communication channels," he added.
