Thailand's prime minister asked to reconsider another national lockdown
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A group of Thai medical professionals has issued a statement, asking the country's prime minster to reconsider locking down the country again as a matter of urgency, citing the rapid spread of the latest wave of COVID-19 infections and fears that the medical system will collapse.
The statement also criticizes the government's management ability, saying the 1668 hotline, which is supposed to help find beds for COVID-19 patients, is an indicator that management is failing. It also said that people do not have equal access to treatment, and some are paying for that with their lives.
The group also recommends that the government lift the mandate requiring any hospital detecting a new case to admit the patient. It said the order is impractical, resulting in too many people waiting for beds.
The statement also recommends that the government let asymptomatic patients self-isolate at home, with organized follow-up and preparedness to transfer them to hospital if needed. They claimed the field hospitals, seen in news coverage, are "for public relations purposes," and do not reflect an understanding of the impending problems and exceed the available, but limited number of medical professionals in the country.
The group said they have been doing their best, and will continue to do so, but they also need dependable management.
People wait their turn to be tested for Covid-19 behind a mobile medical unit stationed at Khao San Road. (Photo by Pornprom Satrabhaya)
The third wave of the pandemic is the biggest in Thailand and threatens to reduce GDP growth in the country by 1.2 percentage points this year, forcing the state and private sectors to cooperate to survive the crisis.
More powerful measures to stop the spread of the virus and improve the tepid economy are needed and must be administered quickly.
Armed with a shield
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and the Thai Chamber of Commerce are insistent on building herd immunity in the country this year because it is the best way to escape the cyclical outbreaks that have battered the economy for over a year.
Their umbrella group, the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB), hopes to activate plans to speed up the national vaccination campaign after talks with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha scheduled for April 28.
JSCCIB wants the government to allow the private sector to import vaccines and inoculate employees affiliated with FTI, the chamber and the Thai Bankers' Association, another committee member.
"These employees play an important role in driving the economy," said JSCCIB and FTI chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree.
"They should receive vaccines without waiting for the state inoculation programme."
Thailand has been very slow in distributing vaccines, with only 0.4% of 69 million people receiving jabs since late February, said Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, after a meeting on April 19 with 40 chief executives on the joint effort to increase vaccine distribution.
Among participating companies are Google, Line and Facebook, which are expected to keep the public informed about vaccines in order to encourage them to receive jabs, said the chamber.
Facebook is awaiting clear guidelines from the government about its vaccine rollout.
"At Facebook, our focus remains on connecting people to authoritative Covid-19 information," Facebook said in a statement to the Bangkok Post.
"In Thailand, we are focusing on collaborating with authoritative partners like the Department of Disease Control and Thai Health Promotion Foundation to educate and keep our community informed with credible health information."
Phichet Rerkpreecha, chief executive of Line Thailand, said its platform can serve as a source for information about the pandemic, with Covid-19 updates including vaccine information.
The Public Health Ministry is introducing the "Mo Phrom" (Doctors are ready) Line official account (OA) to enable people to register for vaccination and reserve a queue for inoculation. The system is scheduled to open for booking from May 1, the ministry said.
State agencies need to have a team to customise the features on Line OA to cater to the public's needs in terms to vaccination.
Keep stimulating
The government must continue its economic stimulus packages, renewing existing measures and launching new ones, as soon as mid-May to entice consumer spending, said Thanavath Phonvichai, president of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
One effective scheme is co-payment subsidies, in which the government pays for 50% of food, drink and general goods purchases of up to 150 baht per person per day, capped at 3,500 baht per person, he said.
If the government spends 50-100 billion baht on the scheme, it can bolster economic activities by 100-200 billion, said Mr Thanavath.
Traffic at Yaowarat Road and Sampeng Market is sparse during the third wave of Covid-19 in Bangkok. Wichan Charoenkiatpakul
"The scheme should last four months so people do not feel the need to spend money in a rush," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said economic ministers agreed to continue domestic stimulus measures such as the co-payment and We Travel Together tourism scheme.
Mr Supattanapong said the third phase of the co-payment subsidy scheme is likely to go before the cabinet for approval next month, allowing registrants to participate in the scheme by June.
The second phase of the co-payment scheme ended in March.
The Shop Dee Mee Khuen tax rebate scheme, which was implemented late last year, should also be revived, said Mr Thanavath.
The scheme, which targeted high-income earners, allowed them to deduct up to 30,000 baht spent on certain goods and services.
The deduction should increase to 50,000 baht to urge people to spend more, he said.
Though the government would lose around 10 billion baht in tax revenue, it could stimulate spending worth up to 50 billion baht, said Mr Thanavath.
According to Mr Supattanapong, the government also plans to roll out tax incentives to encourage cash-rich depositors to spend more.
The Finance Ministry and the National Economic and Social Development Council have been tasked with designing the tax measures, he said, adding the government remains adamant about its plan to reopen Phuket to vaccinated foreign tourists on July 1.
On the other hand, Pipat Luengnaruemitchai, chief economist and deputy head of research at Kiatnakin Phatra Financial Group (KKP), said he does not expect aggressive policy stimulus, given the conservative stance of policymakers.
On the fiscal side, the government still has about 250 billion baht of the 1-trillion-baht fiscal stimulus available.
KKP research predicts the government to launch additional consumption subsidy programmes and possibly additional transfers within this fiscal year.
The Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee is also reluctant to lower the policy rate beyond what seems to be an effective lower bound at 0.5%.
Tourism sentiment
Apart from procuring more vaccines to create herd immunity, which is the main method to convince foreign visitors to return, tourism operators are preparing to rebuild domestic travel sentiment as soon as the third wave is controlled, said Chamnan Srisawat, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand.
Tourism operators such as hotels, restaurants and transport firms have received tourism safety standards from the Safety and Health Administration, and must work to maintain a high level of safety and hygiene, he said.
Following these guidelines means tourists used to living with the pandemic can feel confident about travelling safely, without risking infection, said Mr Chamnan.
He acknowledged the third wave affected domestic travellers' confidence, but said many of them still crave to make trips.
The government's tourism subsidy schemes also support domestic travel, such as the extension of the We Travel Together programme and the novel Tour Teaw Thai, which has yet to be unveiled.
Pravit Sribanditmongkol, president of Thai Exhibition Association, said exhibitions play a vital role in the country's economic growth, stimulating consumer spending from the events, while business-to-business trade shows attract investment, especially in the industrial segment.
It is essential for exhibitors to strictly follow health and safety guidelines to prevent virus transmission, he said.
Mr Pravit said organisers have to build confidence that exhibitions can proceed as scheduled to boost the overall economy and allow the country to recover from outbreaks faster.
Stay cool-headed
Mr Supattanapong remains optimistic the rate of infections will improve over a couple of weeks, saying government agencies and the private sector are experienced in handling infections.
"Many forecasting agencies downgraded their economic growth projections, but the government remains upbeat about the country's overall economic prospects," he said.
"If the infections can be kept under control within a month, the impact on the economy is likely to be insignificant. The government is rolling out additional aid measures to mitigate the impact and rehabilitate the economy."
Mr Supattanapong insisted the government has no need for additional borrowing to cope with the latest infections or to stimulate the economy. The country still has about 380 billion baht available in funds to implement additional economic stimulus measures, he said.
Such funds stem from an estimated 250 billion baht left over from the 1-trillion-baht loan decree, 98 billion from the central budget reserved for emergency purposes, and 36.8 billion allocated to fight Covid-19 outbreaks in fiscal 2021.
"Nonetheless, if new infections break out in the future, additional borrowing and more funds will inevitably be needed to shore up the economy and ensure people's health," said Mr Supattanapong.
He reported to Gen Prayut foreign investors remain confident in Thailand's overall investment climate, and new investment measures are set to be announced soon after the fresh wave of infections ease.
Thailand had an excellent record in controlling the first two waves of Covid-19 compared with other countries, said Mr Pipat of KKP.
Thailand has only had three outbreaks in the past 16 months.
"In retrospect, the first two outbreaks were relatively mild and the situations were brought under control relatively quickly. However, the economic impact was severe, given the loss of foreign tourism revenues," he said.
During the third wave, the number of daily new cases and active cases have exceeded the previous peaks, and the virus has spread quickly throughout the country in less than two weeks, said Mr Pipat.
"The economic impact will be more severe and last longer than the second wave in January," he said.
Yet the government has refrained from announcing strict lockdown measures across the country and focused on risk-based and area-based measures, which are likely to be less disruptive, said Mr Pipat.
However, KKP expects the current outbreak will lead to restriction measures in place for as long as two months, longer than the previous outbreak.
Of the 19 sources of infections, visitors to entertainment venues totalled 2,227, followed by family or home (278), workplace or company (203), cluster links from other provinces (199), SQ/ASQ/AHQ (89), banquet seminar/ordination ceremony (78), hospitals (77), markets (74), restaurants (74), stores/convenience stores (55), sports venues/gyms (32), police station (22 police), educational institutions (17), prisons (11), religious place (10), condos (9), beauty salon/massage/spa (9), public transport (6), and others (8).
Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin told a press conference that each province would have different strict measures to contain Covid-19 depending on the local situation, which had been approved by the CCSA sub-committee. He said the most common measure was people needed to wear a mask in public or face a fine of up to Bt20,000.
Proposals currently before the Thai Cabinet will dramatically expand the opportunities for some foreigners to work in Thailand without a traditional permit. According to the Tourist Authority of Thailand, the detail has already been agreed by the regulatory Board of Investment and the top-health committee, The Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration.
The new rules would dramatically expand the opportunities for digital nomads to stay for up to four years without a work permit by obtaining the reformed, multiple-entry Smart visa. This visa dates back to 2018, but requires a large cash investment or a high salary and is complicated to obtain. In fact, only several hundred have been issued, mainly to high-salaried workers in hi-tech industries. Smart is not suitable for the typical nomad.
Under the latest guidelines, foreigners on tourist visas would be able to transfer to the four-year Smart visa provided they have an employment contract for at least six months, as well as proof of qualifications and experience. These revisions could suit many digital nomads, working on their on-line shop in a co-working space anywhere in the world. Such practices are already recognised with special visas in parts of Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico.
Nomad-specific visas are already common outside of Asia.
The global virus pandemic has accelerated the communities of digital nomads who are location-independent and use technology to perform their job. Meanwhile, the Thai government is encouraging working from home across all sectors, whilst on-line assisted learning for students is essential whilst schools and colleges remain closed. It is well known that many Thai children are being taught on-line, but illegally, by foreign nomads without contracts.
The current legal status of digital nomads in Thailand is indeed confusing. A website designer, for instance, might be ignored if his or her customers are foreign. But if they are mainly Thai, then he is competing with a Thai worker which creates a problem. A foreigner sitting in an apartment and teaching Chinese students online via Skype is technically in breach of the alien labour legislation, but such cases are not currently seen as a law-enforcement priority.
In separately-agreed moves to reduce the intransigence of Thai work permit law, businessmen can now visit the country for short spells on non-business visas. Foreign property owners can conduct their professional affairs without the threat of being reported to immigration authorities. The newly-empowered Elite visa carries the right to conduct limited work responsibilities. For foreigners with existing work permits, it is now easier to change jobs or to take a second one.
The Smart visa, if broadened sufficiently, could prove attractive to nomads since holders are excused 90 day reporting and the need for re-entry permits. They can bring to Thailand their family members who can also enjoy work or study privileges without traditional visa restrictions.
A spokesman for the pressure group International Flexitravel said, "The legalization of digital nomads has hardly begun in Asia. The current situation whereby nomads keep quiet and police hopefully ignore them is unsatisfactory. Thailand now has the opportunity to be a market leader because the latest technologies make the wholesale resumption of traditional office-based working less and less likely."
Of the total, 2,151 people were exposed to the disease while visiting high-risk areas. Proactive testing led to the discovery of 282 cases. Five cases were overseas arrivals in quarantine facilities.
The 11 deaths reported on Sunday comprised eight men and three women. Most of them were overweight, had diabetes, high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia, authorities said.
One of them was a 25-week pregnant woman, 32, a resident of Bangkok. She reportedly contracted Covid-19 from visiting a crowded area and started to have fever and cough on April 8. The virus was confirmed on April 15. The patient passed away on April 23 at 10.50pm. The cause of death is under investigation.
Meanwhile, 547 patients have recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.
As of Sunday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 55,460. Of these, 52,460 had been contracted locally, including 21,660 who were found via proactive testing, while 3,271 were returnees. So far, 31,113 have recovered and been discharged, 24,207 patients are still in hospitals, and 140 have died.
According to Worldometer, as of 11am on Sunday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 147.06 million (up by 821,674), 124 million have recovered, 19.24 million are active cases (110,159 in severe condition) and 3.11 million have died (up by 13,390).
Thailand ranks 105th on the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 32.79 million, followed by India 16.95 million, Brazil 14.3 million, France 5.47 million, and Russia 4.75 million.
Meanwhile, another 14,675 people got the first shot of their vaccine in the last 24 hours, and 14,033 people got their second, bringing the total vaccine doses given to 949,124.
A year ago in this very column Rooster spoke about the "Phony War" in relation to the pandemic. Twelve months later it feels like hostilities have well and truly begun.
The Phony War for people like me who were not around when WWII began in September 1939 was the following eight month period when it really was all quiet on the Western Front. People like my mother in the east end of London wondered when or even if it would kick off. They were soon cowering in the Underground tunnels before returning to what was left of their houses.
Last April many things didn't seem to add up. Why were places like Italy and Iran so desperate? Why had Thailand seemingly escaped the worst? Was tourism minister Pipat right that the wind would blow the virus away by Songkran…..
Even when sporadic outbreaks occurred later in the year, even when the market in Samut Sakhon threw up so many cases it seemed that Thailand had escaped the worst and the government might have actually done something good for a change.
We could all follow suit and be just a little bit smug. Not now.
Yesterday there were 2,839 cases and eight deaths. And they are only the ones we know about. The country is in lockdown and curfew in all but name.
I feel confident that the Thai public health service has - despite the irrelevance of head honcho Big Nut Anutin - made some good decisions and is coping well. But for how long?
The vaccine rollout is increasingly looking like the mother of Thai cock-ups. A rural medical chief slammed the government on Friday for mismanagement and poor decision making saying that Thailand was at the back of the vaccine queue worldwide.
Of particular concern to this columnist is the large number of people - particularly on Thaivisa's Facebook arm, far less so on the forum - who insist the pandemic is a hoax. I saw one who called Thaivisa scaremongers! Then there are those who spread malicious and idiotic nonsense about vaccines, people who believe they have a right to free speech.
It's time not just to rid social media of such people but for governments to look at making it a crime to say such things, a bit like some nations have laws to rein in Holocaust deniers.
Pandemic and vaccine deniers need at the very least to be called out at every opportunity and possibly banned and prosecuted.
For them the Phony War worldwide continues despite all the evidence to the contrary. Yet they are the phonies. As well as the people who click "like" on their drivel.
I remember well in the very first throes of the pandemic my own skepticism. It caused a torrent of abuse. But when it became obvious that I was wrong I was sensible enough to quickly change tack. Now I not only see the error of my ways, I have not only eaten humble pie but feel that serious action is needed against those who pooh-pooh the pandemic.
It was a hectic week on Thaivisa with many interesting stories filling our columns both pandemic and non-pandemic related.
Many expats in Thailand were up in arms about the decision to make tests for entering Phuket free for Thais but 500 baht for foreigners. Previously it was 300 baht for all so understandably the dual pricing argument reared its decidedly ugly head.
While it is reasonable that people who have not necessarily paid into the public health system should pay why should the price be bumped up to cover Thais? All in all it was yet another money grabbing embarrassment of a PR disaster.
Potential tourists would take one look at a debacle like that and think, I'll go somewhere else where I won't be ripped off. All for the sake of a few thousand baht. Pathetic.
Rooster would not go to Phuket under such circumstances. I've turned back from National Parks when the staff failed to comprehend that I was holding a residence certificate and work permit. I once suggested to Mrs R that I get in the boot and hide to get through the gate.
She agreed rather too readily for my liking filling me with fear that she might "forget" I was in the back!
The health ministry said that Sinovac was safe but its efficacy when compared to other vaccines needs to be transparently announced so that people can make clear choices.
Except of course that in Thailand there is very little choice. Wait or wait, to be precise. And that wait is June when locally made AstraZeneca may or may not be available and may or may not be fully effective against the variants that will surely emerge by then.
The PM, meanwhile, seemed delighted that such an upstanding member of the international community as V. Putin was going to help the Thais out with his Sputnik VAX. Maybe it's OK but I'd rather not have anything to do with that murdering tyrant (Putin, not Uncle Too, incidentally). And by all accounts it's not even cheap!
Earlier in the week political strategist Songkhram Kitlertphairot of the Puea Chat opposition party laid into the premier and his cronies blaming Prayut for the death of his compatriots.
Meanwhile the embattled leader - barking nonsense as is his forte - defended the vaccination plans, said it was not slow and was not favoring one vaccine over another.
As my eight year old said - the naughty misguided little girl - "Liar Liar Khaki Pants on Fire!"
Pictures in the Thai press showed a sad looking Pattaya. On what should have been the celebration of "Wan Lai" that always follows Songkran, the resort was deserted.
Up in Chaing Mai pictures of exhausted medical personnel at a field hospital brought home to netizens the reality of the pandemic for health workers.
Anutin went to Hua Hin where there were nearly 1000 virus cases, handed out supplies and claimed everything was under control, as many officials did this week.
Good news came for parents with word that the school term would not be delayed from May 17th. But there was a rather hefty caveat about having the pandemic under control. Expect a June 1st start at the earliest.
Pipat revised his foreign arrivals for 2021 figure by half. He's starting to get close to reality. Zero will be about the correct figure give or take a few thousand.
An online survey conducted on Chinese people suggested that 93% would look to the Thai vaccine rollout before making a holiday decision to come to Thailand. More than half those polled listed Thailand as their #1 destination though a third said they'd wait six months after the end of quarantine before holidaying in the Land of Smiles.
Foreigners living in Thailand came in for a bit of standard blame. Two teachers at what appeared to be a bilingual school in Samut Prakan caused an outbreak after they brought the virus back from a bar in Phuket. They had attended a "goodbye teachers" event at which there was a lot of hugging. Sounded rather American!
Twenty thousand baht fines were in place though the court only ordered the first person prosecuted to pay 4,000 baht (reduced to 2K on admission). The governor of Udon Thani then followed suit with a 20K order of his own.
Scandals this week were rather tame with a Facebook page claiming that first a policeman then secondly a forestry official had taken their wives on joyrides in state owned helicopters.
The second did not look like a wife and her claim that all the pictures were taken on the ground looked dubious when a mountain with clouds appeared outside the helicopter window.
Somchai arrived in suit and tie on day one and was told he was a tad overdressed by a buddy teacher in shorts and open neck shirt. Further "revelation" followed when there was no one to respect at the flagpole at 8am and the kids enjoyed sport rather than endless lessons, as they would in Thai school.
Rooster faithfully translated the spirit of the Aussie words with a little journalistic licence added.
In my youth I spent a year and more in Oz and learned to speak Ocker at Tubemakers of Western Australia in Perth. There everyone complained about the management with one shop floor co-worker telling me they were so bad that they started with the letter A.
Abysmal? Nah, mate. Awful, no way blue. Okay, I give up, I said.
Abnoxious, that's what they are mate. Bladdy abnoxious.
Perhaps surprisingly, given all that is going on in the world, the big story of the week was about Giant the Ban Dog, a kind of pit bull, that was taken to Wat Bang Lamung by his new owner to apologize to the corpse of his previous master who he had savaged to death.
The wife of the deceased inquired as to his well-being before Giant made his excuses and left the "khor khama" ceremony muzzled and tail wagging.
Whoever said it's a dog's life in Thailand was not far wrong.
There was also great interest in CNN Travel's updated list of the 50 top "foods" in the world.
How durian was not on the list I shall never know!
Finally, the Pak Kret police were obliged to take action after a YouTuber dressed as a Spartan armed with a spear spooked the locals while on a motorcycle at a red light in their jurisdiction.
His elaborate head armour invoked one of three fines though it seemed a little unfair.
The Chonburi Public Health Office last night, April 24th, has released a short timeline to inform people who went to specific places this month to notify health authorities and monitor their health. The following is an English translation of the release.
Krung Thai Bank, Plu Ta Luang branch in Sattahip district on 7-9, 12, 16, and 19-23 April from 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 PM.
Wannasin Market in Banglamung district between April 7th to the 15th from 2:00 PM. to 8:00 PM.
Chak Nguea Chinese Market in the Banglamung district on April 10th, the 17th, and the 20th from 7:00 PM. to 11:00 PM.
Charm Clinic Pattaya in Banglamung district on April 10th to 17th from 10:00 AM. to 9:00 PM.
Monsters Aquarium Pattaya in Banglamung district on April 13th from 1:00 PM. to 4:00 PM.
Yang Noey restaurant in Banglamung district on April 13th from 4:30 PM. to 6:00 PM.
Vorakit Plaza Market in Si Racha district on April 15th from 4:00 PM. to 5:00 PM.
Bus terminal (Ekkamai – Ao Udom) from Ekkamai, Bangkok to Ao Udom, Chonburi on April 16th from 4:00 PM. to 6:00 PM.
Kerry Express, Don Hua Lor branch in Mueang Chonburi district between April 19th to 20th from 9:00 AM. to 8:00 PM.
AIS Shop Telewiz, The Jas Village, in Mueang Chonburi district between April 20th to the 23rd from 10:00 AM. to 9:00 PM.
Grab car, Toyota Fortuner (Bronze), destined from Bang Sao Thong district to Burapha University Hospital in Mueang Chonburi district on April 21st from 12:40 PM. to 1:43 PM.
If anyone has problems with respiratory symptoms and/or fever within 14 days from when they had visited those places, they must go to a hospital, according to the Chonburi Public Health Office.
Please inform the hospital that you visited the same place as a Covid-19 confirmed case, they continued.
Meanwhile, the province of Chonburi announced this morning on their social media channels a total of 75 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19, marking the lowest number in over two weeks following the major cluster at entertainment venues in Bangkok.
