Ministry permanent secretary Dr Kiattaphum Wongrajit
By The Nation
The Public Health Ministry has stepped up negotiations with British vaccine company AstraZeneca to import the first lot of its anti-Covid-19 vaccines this month and is also asking the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider importing and registering China's Sinovac vaccine faster.
Ministry permanent secretary Dr Kiattaphum Wongrajit said on Wednesday that Thailand aimed to procure the first lot of 50,000 AstraZeneca vaccines by February 14 despite the European Union limiting exports amid delivery disputes and a shortage of doses.
He said there was an agreement before the problem arose but now the Thai government is providing information to the EU for the purchase of the vaccines.
The ministry expects the EU to consider Thailand's case and allow the first lot of vaccines to be exported upon agreement, before the kingdom goes in for bulk vaccine imports in June.
In addition, the FDA is now studying laws for the "emergency" import of Sinovac, manufactured by the Biotech company. Thailand expects to import this vaccine too this month.
Thai FDA said Johnson & Johnson has applied to register its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine.
BANGKOK – According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Johnson & Johnson is seeking to register its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in Thailand.
Dr Surachoke Tangwiwat, deputy secretary-general of the FDA said the company has applied to register their vaccine with the FDA but some documents were missing.
The company is required to have the relevant papers and file them within 30 days, he said.
In the meantime, the FDA is examining the filed papers that have been submitted, Dr Surachoke said, adding that no other company has recently applied to register their coronavirus vaccine.
The FDA last week revealed that it approved the registration of AstraZeneca Co's vaccine after the firm submitted nearly 10,000 pages of documents in December.
As for the registration of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, Dr Surachoke said although it has yet to be registered for use in China, the jab could be allowed to be used in Thailand if the FDA determines it is safe and effective. (NNT)
King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida at an event in November 2020. Instagram / thairoyalfamily
The absence of Thailand's Queen Suthida from public engagements has roused some anxiety within the country, where the 42-year-old has her own supporters among diehard royalists.
Information about the Thai monarchy is heavily sanitised by the country's lèse-majesté law, which punishes criticism of the royal family with up to 15 years in prison.
As a result, most Thais rely on the royal news broadcast, which runs on television every night, to keep up with the monarchy's activities – but Suthida has not been mentioned on it since late December.
Neither has the palace moved to discredit rumours swirling online that Suthida might suffer the same fate as King Maha Vajiralongkorn's three former wives, who were either forced into exile or publicly humiliated.
These developments come as Thailand's pro-democracy movement, emboldened by the popular support of internet-savvy millennials, has vowed to continue campaigning for reform of the monarchy and revocation of the royal defamation law, which they view as a political tool to silence dissent.
Since the protests took off last July, the Thai monarchy's place in the public consciousness has changed.
Many young Thais no longer address Vajiralongkorn, 68,with a special vocabulary or praise his development projects, as his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej was honoured during his 70-year reign until his death in 2016.
Critics of the monarchy, including Scottish journalist Andrew MacGregor Marshall and Kyoto University scholar and former Thai diplomat Pavin Chachavalpongpun, have noted Queen Suthida's absence and how its timing has coincided with the king's increasing public appearances with his consort Sineenat.
Unofficial YouTube channels focusing on news about the Thai royals have discussed Suthida's "disappearance", with their clips receiving more than 2 million views within days of being uploaded.
Secrets and suspicions
Suthida's last public appearance was on Dec 28, when she and the king presided over an event commemorating the 18th-century Thai King Taksin in Bangkok.
The event was held just days after Vajiralongkorn completed a weeklong tour of the provinces with Sineenat, his first official public appearance with the consort he had sacked in October 2019 before pardoning her in August last year .
Since the king's October return from Germany , where he has stayed for months at a time over the years, Suthida has been at his side at mostly official events in the Thai capital, as well as royal walkabouts the palace organised amid the pro-democracy protests demanding the curbing of his authority.
The trip with Sineenat took the public by surprise, as no Thai monarch has flaunted their consort so publicly.
It also invited criticism even from the royalists who have staunchly defended Vajiralongkorn against allegations he has abused his political and financial influence.
MacGregor Marshall said according to senior palace aides, there was "widespread despair in royal circles about the chaos caused by the king's personal life".
However, he said it was not unusual for Vajiralongkorn and Suthida to spend time apart, just as they had in recent years.
"For several years, Vajiralongkorn has lived at Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl in Bavaria, with Sineenat and the rest of his harem, while Suthida lived at Hotel Waldegg in the Swiss town of Engelberg," MacGregor Marshall said.
"The king and queen rarely saw each other except when they had to go to Thailand for royal duties, and these visits are kept very short, usually less than 24 hours."
Pavin, the former diplomat, pointed to another possible reason for Suthida's absence.
He and MacGregor Marshall had received more than 1,400 intimate photos of Sineenat last year, he said, and this was seen as a bid to sabotage her return as the royal consort.
According to Pavin, Suthida's loyalists might be connected to the leaked photos, and her current absence could be the consequence of that sabotage attempt.
"That is the most likely allegation against her and could be the reason for her disappearance," Pavin said.
"There is strong belief in the public that she was behind the leaking of Sineenat's private nude photos. Since Sineenat is now a favourite, she could have taken revenge against Suthida."
A handout photo. Official photographs issued this month of Sineenat taking part in a royal-sponsored prison project. – PHOTO: South China Morning Post
Thailand's second queen?
In Suthida's absence, Sineenat has taken up some public roles and assignments that would previously have been in the queen's wheelhouse.
The consort was this month appointed as deputy adviser to a royal-sponsored prison project, one that Suthida formerly co-advised with the king after Sineenat was stripped of her titles in late 2019.
This time, Suthida's name was taken off the project, going by an announcement in the royal gazette, which came soon after the palace released pictures of the king and Sineenat taking part in an agricultural project in the prison.
A New Year card featuring photos of her and the king was also issued, while their most recent public appearance was to celebrate Sineenat's 36th birthday on Jan 26.
"It is evident that she is his favourite consort," Pavin said. "Imprisoning her and then releasing her, it cannot be more evident that Sineenat has got a hold of his heart."
King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his consort Seineenat at a celebration of her birthday on January 26. PHOTO: Twitter/spadeup404
But the appointment of Sineenat as second queen, as is rumoured, would mean more civil war within the palace, adding to the fragility of the centuries-old institution that the pro-democracy movement has already revealed.
MacGregor Marshall, citing "several well-placed palace sources", said Vajiralongkorn had originally planned to make Sineenat his second queen last week during her birthday, becoming like the monarchs of the past who had several wives.
"But it has been delayed amid intense opposition from the king's sister [Princess Maha Chakri] Sirindhorn and his daughters, [Princesses] Bajrakitiyabha and Sirivannavari, all of whom will go down one place in the royal ranking if Thailand gets a second queen. The sources say it is still likely to happen later this year, as the king seems determined."
Pavin of Kyoto University said anything could happen under the current king's reign.
"Vajiralongkorn has proven that title and status, no matter how high and prestigious, can be taken away from any of [the women in the royal family]. In some ways, it is an erosion of positions of the monarchy as an institution, since the queen is a part of the institution."
It's now a CRIME for Thai students to wear short skirts
In the latest bid to save girls from sexual violence by blaming their attire, amendments to the Child Protection Act pushed by the Education Ministry have made it illegal for students to dress "inappropriately."
What had been left to school administrators to obsess over skirt lengths and blouse tightness has now been codified into law.
Though the specific legal language published Friday was vague, the amendment seems to only target female students, who are routinely admonished for pushing – or outright ignoring – dress-code boundaries.
It was the first amendment to the part of the act detailing "appropriate student behavior," introduced in 2005.
The revision, signed by newly appointed Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan, makes the culturally rooted argument that enforcement will improve the behavior and safety of students. No specific incidents were cited to justify the move.
And it was unclear if or how the new law would be enforced with male students. Several calls to the Education Ministry's public relations office for additional information went unanswered.
The amended section also prohibits students from joining groups or gangs that disturb the peace, and causing a "public commotion" outside school or dormitory grounds.
Though no specific penalties were laid out for slipping on short skirts, the Child Protect Act calls for parents or guardians "inducing, encouraging, assisting or supporting" a student who breaks regulations are liable to fines of up to THB30,000 (US$980) and/or three months jail time.
Reactions to the law appeared mixed online, largely between those who think "kids need more rules" and those interested in effective public policy, with the latter saying they will be ineffective and, worse, oppressive.
"I really like this amendment. I want everyone to abide by the regulations so these problems can decrease," Facebook user Calla N Lilly wrote Saturday of the law.
Pimnara P Major said it was the latest example of solving the wrong social problems.
"Instead of teaching students how to live by educating them about social sciences and the rights they have, why are you making a deal out of their school uniforms?" Pimnara wrote.
Universities tend to have strict dress codes that are flouted by a portion of the student body, despite frequent awareness campaigns and half-hearted enforcement efforts.
While first-year girls tend to wear the prescribed ankle-length skirts, many wear them increasingly shorter as they advance through their programs.
Thailand could also consider changing schoolgirl uniforms, which by entirely subjective measures, are considered the most fetish-tastic and sexually charged in the world. Even the reliably kinky Japanese think so – they voted them world's sexiest in 2011.
Still, socially conservative Thailand has a deep tradition of slut-shaming and victim-blaming when it comes to violence against women.
Soon after he seized power in 2014, Prayuth Chan-ocha, now prime minister, famously told people women in bikinis may not be safe – unless they're ugly, after two British holiday-makers were murdered on Koh Tao.
The very notion of consent is not ingrained in society, fueling attitudes that women are to blame for enticing attackers with their fashion choices.
Those attitudes haven't let up post-#MeToo, either.
In recent years, the authorities have taken it as license to aggressively warn women to cover upduring the annual Songkran festival, saying it is for their own good. – Coconuts
Air pollution hits 'unsafe levels' across Thailand
Air pollution hit "unsafe" levels in 19 provinces across Thailand this morning with levels of the ultra-fine dust PM 2.5 exceeding the official safety limit 50 micrograms per cubic metre, according to the Pollution Control Department.
The department also reported PM2.5 levels in different regions across the country…
North: 17 to 68 μg/m3
Northeast: 16 to 38 μg/m3.
Central region and West: 42 to 62 μg/m3
East: 47 to 65 μg/m3.
South: 11 to 29 μg/m3.
Bangkok and its vicinity: 39 to 80 μg/m3
Poor air quality can be harmful to the elders, children, and patients with respiratory diseases, so they are recommended to monitor their health conditions and avoid outdoor activities as much as possible. – The Nation
Thailand placed 4th in ASEAN on the Democracy Index 2020
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Thailand has been placed fourth in ASEAN, and 73rd in the world, while categorized as one of the world's "Flawed Democracies," on the Democracy Index 2020 by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
Malaysia ranks at the world's 39th position, placing it at the top of ASEAN index, followed by the Philippines at number 55, Indonesia at 64, Thailand 73 and Singapore at 74. While Cambodia, categorized as "Authoritarian," ranked number 130 in the world, followed by Myanmar at 135, Vietnam at 137, and Lao at 161. Brunei, however, was left uncategorized and unscored.
The index assigns scores for electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties. Of these 5 indices, Thailand's strongest point is its electoral process and pluralism, while the weakest is the functioning of government.
Thailand was upgraded from a hybrid regime to a flawed democracy in 2019, after the country finally held elections in March. Thailand's score fell, however, in the latest index. The report referred to the way the government treats its opponents, the dissolution of the Future Forward party, the arrests of anti-government protesters and curbs on foreign and domestic media.
The report stated that In 2020, 116 of a total of 167 (almost 70%), recorded a decline in their total score compared with 2019. Only 38 economies recorded an improvement and the other 13 stagnated, with their scores remaining unchanged compared with 2019.
The Democracy Index 2020 gave Norway top ranking and categorized as "Full Democracy," followed by Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Canada.
The asian economy that ranked the highest is Taiwan, 11th in the world. The report described Taiwan as the 2020's biggest winner. Taiwan was upgraded from a "flawed democracy" to a "full democracy," and the country's score rose by more than any other country in the index. The election in January 2020 saw a strong voter turnout. The analysts say it demonstrated "the resilience of its democracy at a time when electoral processes, parliamentary oversight and civil liberties have been backsliding globally."
"In 2020, for the first time since 2010, the average regional scores in The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index worsened in every single region of the world. A decade ago the cause of a similar democratic recession was disaffection with governments and a collapse of trust in institutions following the global economic and financial crisis. By contrast, the 2020 worldwide democratic regression was largely the result of the measures taken by governments to address the public health emergency caused by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, which has entailed the suspension of the civil liberties of entire populations for prolonged periods. Across the world in 2020, citizens experienced the biggest rollback of individual freedoms ever undertaken by governments during peacetime (and perhaps even in wartime). The willing surrender of fundamental freedoms by millions of people was perhaps one of the most remarkable occurrences in an extraordinary year."
The biggest downgrades of the index this time are the civil liberties and functioning of government. It explained that, regardless of whether there was public support for the government COVID-19 measures, countries that withdrew civil liberties, or failed to allow proper scrutiny of new emergency powers were penalised.
Because of COVID-19 disease control measures, launched across the world, almost all the world's democracies were penalised for curbing their citizens' freedoms. The report said that, even in the developed democracies, there was a tendency to stifle dissenting voices, especially those who challenged or raised concerns about lockdowns and their negative impact on society. While in more authoritarian countries, rulers took advantage of the pandemic emergency to crack down even harder on their critics and opponents.
There was a question over whether the media in these economies were robust, and whether there was free and open discussion of public issues, with a reasonable diversity of opinions. These set of questions were the reason many countries were downgraded, especially the authoritarian countries.
The index shows many issues are not unique to any particular country, whether it is trust in the government, their civil liberties, effective systems of checks and balances, or the functioning of government categories were also downgraded as a result of governments' handling of the pandemic.
Thai road carnage: A motorcyclist is killed every 30 minutes in Thailand
Picture: Voice TV
Thailand media Voice TV made comparisons with the driving of motorcycles, their specifications, and road rules in the kingdom with what happens abroad.
And it made dire reading.
The experts were in agreement:
Thailand needs to buck up its ideas or tens of thousands of needless deaths are going to continue to occur each and every year.
Voice TV started by asking a salient question:Did you know that a person dies on a motorcycle in Thailand every half an hour?
And that in 2019 there were 17,000 deaths on two wheels making up 80% of all road death.
Several experts from road safety organisations were quoted for where they see the main problems.
Dr Chamaiphan Santikan said if the government were serious about doing something about death on the roads they had to focus on motorcycles.
Road surfaces, skills, vehicle specs and laws were key.
She pointed to the fact that a large proportion of 15-20 year olds were driving high powered machines. She called for bans on licences for Big Bikes for anyone not over 21.
Bringing in a system where younger riders were limited in the power of their machines - Graduated Driver Licensing - until they proved in tests that they could handle bigger machines could lower accidents by 25%. Such systems were used abroad.
Comparing death per 100,000 motorcycles on the road was also a damning stat for Thailand.
In the kingdom it was 81 deaths per 100,000.
In Europe it is just ELEVEN.
Also the specs on Thai motorcycles are terrible for promoting safety on the roads, say the experts.
Spped and fuel economy is promoted ahead of safety features.
They pointed to poor lights on 110cc models.
Speed warning lights come on on 110 and 125cc bikes in the UK at 90 kmph, the top speed allowed.
In places like Mexico, Malaysia and Japan the speed limit is higher but red warnings come on at just 80 kmph.
In Thailand 100cc's belt along at 140-160 kmph with no warning at all.
Baskets on the front of Thai bikes often obscure headlights when loaded. This causes a staggering 1000 deaths a year, the experts claimed.
In Japan the problem is solved by fitting lights on the baskets themselves.
Thai bikes have thinner tires that reduce stability but make them go faster - another detrimental factor.
They also have less weight than foreign bikes of a similar capacity that reduces fuel consumption but, again, raises speeds.
Heavier vehicles have more stability but are not favored by Thais who want to zig-zag everywhere.
Thaivisa notes that the article contained some interesting points but was almost entirely lacking in one area often cited by foreign riders as a major reason why the death toll is so high in Thailand.
Poor or non-existent law enforcement by an indifferent and lazy police force.
Many feel that if the police enforced helmet laws, cracked down on poor driving continually and concentrated their efforts on young people going to and from schools often with several people on one motorcycle, the death toll could be cut dramatically and quickly.
As with all analysis of this issue the question is of political will too.
And that seems to be sorely lacking as thousands continue to die on the roads.
If nothing is done a MILLION Thais will die on the roads over the next 40 years and tens of millions will be injured.
Despite acceptance by politicians that the death toll has a devastating impact not just on personal lives but GDP, the politicians in Thailand still offer only lip service to the issue.
While the people themselves continue to die and break the law with impunity hiding behind a "face of freedom".
People who have fully recovered from Covid-19 are being urged to donate their plasma which can save the lives of those suffering from the virus.
The National Blood Centre (NBC) at the Thai Red Cross Society is calling for plasma from healthy individuals with a history of having contracted the virus and making a full recovery.
Plasma from former patients has been shown to effectively prevent acute lung infections in many Covid-19 sufferers, according to the centre.
Dootchai Chaiwanichsiri, director of the NBC, said the centre appealed for the blood donations from people infected with the virus during the first outbreak which began last year.
"We ask them to be our heroes," the director said, explaining the plasma helps provide immunity against the virus, which can supplement treatment for other people who are sick from the disease.
The plasma reduces the severity of the Covid-19 condition as it inhibits the virus before it attacks the lungs and causes acute infection.
About 400 people have volunteered to donate plasma although only 152 are fit enough to make a donation. A total of 383 bags of Covid-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) were obtained. Of them, 160 bags have been used to produce 700 bottles of Covid-19 intramuscular immunoglobulin (CIMIG).
Yong Poovorawan, chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University and an adviser to the NBC, said the plasma presented an option for treating Covid-19 patients.
He said five hospitals have chosen the plasma to supplement the treatment of nine Covid-19 patients. Of them, six were cured of the virus and discharged, two were still being treated and one died. Registration for plasma donations can be made via the NBC Facebook page.
Thai internet users keep up top banking app usage streak
Thailand retains the pole position in the world for internet users engaging in mobile banking and financial services apps.
Thailand retains the pole position in the world for internet users engaging in mobile banking and financial services apps while becoming one of the top five for e-commerce adoption, mobile payment, mobile commerce and QR code usage, according to the Digital 2021 report.
The annual report was published by We Are Social, a global digital agency, in partnership with social media solutions provider Hootsuite, focusing on digital, mobile and social media trends around the world.
The report said Thailand tops the ranking for banking and financial service app use -- the third year in a row -- with 68.1% of internet users aged 16-64 saying they engage with these apps every month.
Thailand was trailed by South Africa with 64% and Poland with 57.7% while the worldwide average stands at 38.7%.
Thailand ranks second for mobile payments with 45.3% of internet users saying they used a mobile payment service in the past month, well above the worldwide average of 30.9%.
Hong Kong leads the way with 46.7% of internet users and third is Taiwan with 42.6%.
Thailand also ranks second for mobile commerce adoption with 74.2% of internet users saying they bought something online via a mobile device in the past month. Indonesia tops the chart with 79.1% of users while the global average is at 55.4%.
Thailand ranks third in e-commerce adoption as 83.6% of internet users said they bought something online via any device in the past month, trailing Indonesia and the UK with 87.1% and 85.5%, respectively.
Thailand ranks fifth in the use of QR codes with 60.4% of the internet users surveyed indicating they used QR codes on a mobile device in the past month. Singapore tops the rank in this category.
In terms of online food deliveries, Thailand ranks tenth with 61% of internet users surveyed saying they used the service in the past month, versus the global average of 55.5%.
Indonesia ranks first in this category, followed by Brazil and Malaysia.
Thailand ranks 12th in the use of ride-hailing apps with 31.9% saying they used the service in the past month. Indonesia tops this segment, followed by Brazil and Singapore.
In September last year, Kasikorn Research Center (K-Research) said in September last year Thai people are pivoting towards mobile banking and e-wallet platform following the pandemic. The trend will continue in the post-pandemic period, K-Research said.
The research says consumers aged 35-44 are a group that has contributed to the increased use of mobile banking and e-wallet services. In 2020, the volume of money transfers and purchases via mobile banking services is projected to be in the range of 7.7-7.9 billion transactions, at a growth rate of 57.5-61% year-on-year, while the value is projected at 28.9-29.7 trillion baht, with growth of 18.4-21.7% year-on-year.
Thailand's delayed points-deduction system for driving licences should finally be launched in April, said the Department of Land Transport (DLT) on Tuesday.
Drivers will start with 100 points on their licence, with deductions varying from 5 points to 35 points according to the seriousness of the traffic offence.
The licence will be suspended when points fall to 50 or below. Drivers must then undergo 2-5 hours of training per offence to restore their points and revalidate their licences.
However, the new system has sparked concern that driver-training facilities will be overwhelmed by demand from drivers who have had their licence suspended.
A 12-point demerit system was hailed as a potential cure for Thailand's road carnage ahead of its original launch date in December 2019, but has been shelved for more than a year.
The new 100-point system is scheduled for launch on April 1.
However, transport operators have asked the DLT to postpone the measure for another year, so they can prepare and also recover from the impact of Covid-19 on goods traffic and passenger numbers.
DLT director-general Chirute Visalachitra said a meeting had been held to clarify the new driving points system for bus and truck operators.
After gathering public opinion, DLT expects to run driver-training courses from April 1 onward.
Two districts in Maha Sarakham declared highest and strictest control zones after new cluster of 21 Covid-19 domestic infections is reported
PHOTO: Prachachat
Maha Sarakham –
The Mueang and Kantharavichai districts of Maha Sarakham province have been declared Red Zones after a cluster of 21 domestic infections, including a doctor, were recorded in the past 24 hours, CCSA spokesman Taweesin Visanuyothin announced today, February 3rd.
The cluster was reported as coming from a large party involving sharing of food at a restaurant in the province. The infections are from Maha Sarakham with 17, Ratchaburi 3, and Khon Kaen 1. About 17 high-risk venues have been ordered closed in both districts so far.
About 4,149 people who have been reportedly in contact with infected patients in the province have been screened during initial proactive case finding. As of today, 2,477 of them are reportedly not infected with the virus and the results for the remaining 1,672 are still pending.
Dr. Taweesin stated that the situation is still under the control of provincial health authorities. He also asked the public to remain calm and continue to follow the strict health restrictions of the public health ministry.
Beach chairs lie empty on the resort island of Phuket as even local tourists have disappeared in the wake of the recent outbreak of Covid-19, on Jan 25, 2021. (Bangkok Post file photo)
The southern resort island of Phuket is drawing up plans to fully reopen to vaccinated visitors by October to revive its wrecked tourism industry.
More than a dozen business groups including the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and the Phuket Tourist Association are planning to pool funds to vaccinate 70% of the island's population above 18 without waiting for a government rollout. They are betting that it'll be safe to open the region to foreign tourists once the local population achieves herd immunity.
The plan, which will need government approval, also seeks to waive a mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement, a major hurdle for many potential travellers. This will allow thousands of vaccinated Europeans who usually spend their winter months in Phuket to visit, according to Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, president of the tourist association.
The plan is the latest attempt to revive Thailand's tourism-reliant economy. An earlier initiative to re-open Phuket to international visitors faced several delays before being realised in October, but response has been lukewarm as few travellers wanted to submit to quarantine. A second wave of Covid-19 infections has also come as a further setback, prompting a fresh round of economic stimulus to support businesses and individuals.
"We can't wait any longer. If we have to wait, we won't survive," said Mr Bhummikitti, whose association represents about 300 members including luxury resort and five-star hotel operators. "If we miss this winter peak season, we'd have to wait another year."
Under the plan, called "Phuket First October", the tourism industry will import vaccines through private firms and may acquire shots from Sinovac Biotech Ltd, the Chinese maker whose vaccine is expected to be approved by the Thai regulator this month. The government vaccine rollout is expected to achieve herd immunity only by 2022, according to health ministry officials.
With the Thai tourism industry racking up losses and hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk, William Heinecke, chairman of Minor International Plc, which runs more than 500 hotels across 55 countries, last week urged Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to prioritise tourism workers along with frontline and healthcare employees for inoculation. The move could facilitate quarantine-free travel for people with 'vaccination passports,' Mr Heinecke said in a letter to the prime minister.
Phuket could be a pilot site for Thailand and once it's successful, the model can be rolled out to other destinations, Mr Heinecke said, citing the example of Seychelles which last month announced quarantine waivers for vaccinated visitors.
"Phuket has always been a huge contributor to the Thai economy," Mr Bhummikitti said. "Today, we're standing up to take control of the situation. We don't have a lot of money now but we're giving one last push, hoping that this will save us."
Health officials in the central province of Samut Sakhon have taken the unprecedented step of sealing off 7 factories, where 40,000 migrant labourers live and work, until the end of February. The action is aimed at halting the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Public Health Permanent Secretary, Kiatipoom Wongrajit, says over 9,000 infections have been found in the 7 factories, which have already been restricted for some time.
Nearly all of the fish markets and factories in Samut Sakhon, which has recorded around 12,000 cases of the virus, have been sealed off. Kiatipoom says most cases of the virus have been asymptomatic and most factory employees are migrant workers who also live at their place of work. He says there is little indication that transmission has spread to the wider community.
However, the Pattaya News reports that human rights groups have voiced concern over the decision to seal off the workers for an entire month. They say while they understand the need for containment and quarantine, this must be done humanely. Kiatipoom insists it is, pointing out that the workers live at the factories and rarely leave.
Officials say factory employees can continue working as normal during the period they are sealed off, but have not confirmed if non-infected workers can mix with those who have tested positive.
Usual ambiguity from various government departments about Thai expats and the upcoming vaccination programs. Certainly long stay foreigners won't be in any priority group. Best to assume you'll have to pay at a designated hospital to receive your shot or shots. If you haven't done anything by next year, you may well run into travel and/or immigration problems.
Travel insurance for all
Once there's a 300 baht "insurance" levy on all foreign tourists coming into the country, how will it be collected? Can't be via your airline ticket as that would punish all Thais as well as foreigners. And what if you already have health insurance? But as only 34 baht of the 300 baht will be put aside for notional insurance, the whole idea isn't primarily about insurance anyway.
Pattaya launches ANOTHER campaign to bring back tourists
Pattaya City has launched the "Welcome Back Pattaya" campaign to lure tourists back to the city as Covid-19 situation continually improves.
Pattaya launches "Welcome Back to Pattaya" campaign to bring back tourists
The campaign aims to attract domestic tourists and is expected to boost the local economy after many businesses in the province were ordered to close last month.
Pattaya has officially opened up to domestic tourism, Mayor Sonthaya Khunplume told the Pattaya News, adding that the city will abide by disease control precautions and measures.
"We welcome everyone to the new NEO Pattaya. We are ready to welcome domestic tourists. Many domestic tourists have already returned and visited Koh Larn."
With Thailand's vaccination plan expected to roll out this month, Deputy Minister of Public Health Sathit Pitutecha says officials should look into bringing foreign tourists back to Pattaya.
He adds that strong health measures and precautions have been implemented in Chon Buri, Rayong and Chanthaburi, provinces that were previously classified as high risk areas under maximum control during the height of the recent wave of coronavirus infections.
Schools, entertainment venues, gyms, pools among others were allowed to reopen yesterday. Travel restrictions for people entering the province were also lifted. – Pattaya News
Vaccines for farang?
