The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) which organizes and runs the Kingdom's overall Covid-19 response measures has stated through a spokesperson this morning that they are planning to discuss further restrictions and measures later this week in regards to Covid-19.
The measures had been proposed at an emergency meeting on Sunday, April 25th, by the Public Health Ministry led by Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrajit. These measures will go through several levels of approval before being discussed and potentially implemented by the overall CCSA on Thursday or Friday of this week.
It is important to note these are currently proposals and are "set in stone" to happen. However, some of them, according to Dr. Kiattiphum, are very likely to move forward.
The proposals include:
-Scrapping the current color-coding system by zone and implementing a stronger system with essentially three colors-Dark Red with "special restrictions", Red in terms of the current highly controlled measures seen in provinces like Chonburi and places like Bangkok, and orange. There would not be "lesser zones" or measures at this time as the government wants to discourage travel to zones that may have "more relaxed" rules.
-The "Dark Red" maximum control zone will have "special measures and restrictions meant to reduce points of contact" of people in those zones. Specific details on what provinces this would be or what these measures would be were not stated. The government does not want to use the word "lockdown."
-Measures to free up more hospital beds, including partnerships with hotels, sports stadiums, and other areas. Thailand has stated their policy of requiring all Covid-19 positive patients, even those who are asymptomatic, to require medical supervision and not self-isolate at home is not going to change for the time being.
These decisions should become more clear by the end of the week, as well as zones that could become "Dark Red" maximum control zones and what that would mean. Chonburi, being one of the provinces with the highest number of cases still, would likely be considered for a Dark Red zone, The Pattaya News notes.
Tyvärr tvingas vi konstatera att smittspridningen av Covid-19 ökar i Thailand. Infektionen är nu spridd till alla 77 provinser. Smittotalen är ännu så länge låga jämfört med omvärlden, men ökningstakten är markant högre än tidigare. Myndigheterna har infört nya restriktioner, inte minst har provinserna getts långtgående mandat att inför egna restriktioner, inklusive resandet. Här i Bangkok stängs flera ställen och aktiviteter helt eller delvis. Vi får anpassa oss och livet blir mer kringskuret. Jag tror inte jag är ensam om att vara rätt trött på alla digitala möten, men man får bita ihop ett tag till.
För att minska risken för smittspridning har ambassaden återinfört arbete i två olika skift och många jobbar också hemifrån. Vi vill också passa på att informera om möjligheten att få hjälp på distans med flera av våra konsulära tjänster. Längre ned återfinns en lista över vilka intyg och annat som man med fördel kan ansöka om elektroniskt utan att behöva besöka ambassaden. Nytt pass eller ID-kort kräver dock fortsatt personlig inställelse.
Jag är glad att jag trots allt hann genomföra ett par resor före de nya restriktionerna slog till. Bland annat besökte jag Chiang Mai i mitten av mars tillsammans med mina nordiska kollegor. Ett värdefullt besök med många intressanta möten, inklusive med guvernören. Uppskattade också möjligheten att få träffa (och fika med!) flera svenskar som bor i området. Har också besökt Ubon Ratchathani för att delta i invigningen av ett nytt institut för mänskliga rättigheter som är knutet till universitetet där. Provinserna Chonburi och Rayong, med besök i Pattaya, har också hunnits med. Spännande att få besöka bland annat Electrolux fabrik och Svenska Rymdbolagets verksamhet i området. Vill också lyfta fram våra honorärkonsulats fina och värdefulla verksamhet i både Chiang Mai och Pattaya.
Ambassaden fortsätter att följa den politiska utvecklingen i Thailand. Det finns alltjämt ett behov av dialog och försoning mellan olika grupper. Pågående rättsprocesser mot ledande studentrepresentanter väcker frågor. Jag deltog nyligen i Amnestys lansering av organisationens årsrapport och det finns en berättigad ökande oro över tillämpningen av landets unikt hårda majestätsbrottslagar. Vi har också behövt komplettera och skärpa till vår reseinformation med anledning av den nya utvecklingen.
Mycket av ambassadens tid ägnas åt den tragiska utvecklingen i Myanmar. Efter militärkuppen i februari har våldet och dödandet fortsatt. Hundratals människor har fått sätta livet till. Det är en förfärande utveckling som militären bär ansvaret för. Omvärldens ansträngningar fortsätter och bland andra EU har i omgångar infört sanktioner mot ledande militära företrädare. Jag hoppas att Myanmars grannar, inte minst ASEAN-länderna och Kina, nu förmås göra sitt yttersta för att våldet och lidandet upphör och det tidigare demokrati- och reformarbetet ska kunna återupptas.
Inom utvecklingssektionen arbetar vi för fullt med att ta fram den nya strategin för det regionala utvecklingssamarbetet. Ett spännande arbete som kommit långt redan och där den nya strategin kommer att gälla från årsskiftet 2021/22.
Med handelskammaren och Business Sweden jobbar vi också vidare inom Team Sweden, även om nuvarande restriktioner gör det mer svårjobbat då fysiska möten tyvärr ställs in eller skjuts upp. Men tillsammans med thailändska ambassaden i Stockholm planeras nu för en serie digitala aktiviteter med start andra hälften av maj med svenska företag där fokus ligger på samarbeten inom hållbarhetsområdet.
Jag hoppas avslutningsvis att Thailands vaccinationsprogram kan komma igång och att vi därmed sakta men säkert kan återgå till en mer normal tillvaro.
Önskar alla en fortsatt fin vår!
/Jon
Ambassaden har samlat reseinformation om covid-19 på en särskild sida som uppdateras löpande. På Covid-19: Lägesbild och reseinformation återfinns information och länkar till ansvariga myndigheter kring smittspridning i Thailand. Här finns även rekommendationer till dig som ska resa till Sverige.
One of the major reasons that road safety campaigns have failed in Thailand is their broad scope, and a failure to address the problem at its core.
Road safety campaigns, including anti-drunk driving measures for festivals like Songkran and New Year, have primarily focused on large vehicles — public buses and private vehicles.
But in reality, most of the road accidents in Thailand involve motorcycles. Motorcycles accounted for 79.25% of the total accidents during the Songkran festival in 2019.
Data released by the Interior Ministry showed that 74.4% of all road accidents involved motorcycles.
Looking closer, recklessness was a major factor. Only about 53% of motorcyclists and 19% of pillion riders wore helmets.
According to the latest information from the ThaiHealth Foundation's Social Mobilisation for Motorcycle Safety Project, an average of two motorcyclists die every hour.
Furthermore, about 10 million motorcyclists in Thailand do not have driver's licences. Given that there are 21.1 million motorcycles registered with the Land Transport Department, this means almost half of the population routinely breaks the law.
Terrible example to set. Road safety campaigners were quick to point out the dangers of riding a motorbike without a helmet.
The biggest and most pertinent question is: How can the government let this happen? With such a large number of motorcyclists roaming the roads without driving licences and some without helmets, there must be something wrong with law enforcement.
There are also many motorcyclists still riding against traffic or on pavements, posing a risk not to themselves but also to the public at large.
So, the government needs to rethink its road safety campaign by targeting motorcycles.
There is no better time to start than this Songkran holiday. The government should launch a campaign about the importance of wearing a helmet — or even offer free helmets if need be.
Motorcyclists who get injured — or disabled — in a crash are a burden to the state budget one way or the other.
It will require stringent efforts on the part of the police and transport officials to discourage those who violate the law.
Without reducing the road accident rate among motorcyclists, every day including the upcoming Songkran period will be dangerous. – Bangkok Post
Phuket International Airport, April 12, 2021. Phuket, one of Thailand's top tourist havens, had an ambitious plan to reopen to the world this summer. But with a spike in cases, the island's desperate situation is unlikely to end anytime soon. (Adam Dean/The New York Times)
PHUKET: Around the corner from the teeth-whitening clinic and the tattoo parlour with offerings in Russian, Hebrew and Chinese, near the outdoor eatery with fried rice meant to fuel sunburned tourists or tired go-go dancers, the Hooters sign has lost its H.
The sign, in that unmistakable orange cartoon font, now simply reads, "ooters".
Like so much at Patong Beach, the sleazy epicentre of sybaritic Thailand, Hooters is "temporarily closed". Other establishments around the beach, on Phuket Island, are more firmly shuttered, their metal grills and padlocks rusted or their contents ripped out, down to the fixtures, leaving only the carcasses of a tourism industry ravaged by the coronavirus epidemic.
The sun, which usually draws 15 million people to Phuket each year, stays unforgiving in a downturn. The rays bleach "For Rent" signs on secluded villas and scorch greens on untended golf courses. They lay bare the emptiness of Patong streets where tuk-tuk drivers once prowled, doubling as touts for snorkelling trips or peep shows or Thai massages.
Only a few weeks ago, Phuket seemed poised for a comeback. After a year of practically no foreign tourists arriving in Thailand, the national government decided that Phuket would start welcoming vaccinated visitors in July, without requiring them to go through quarantine. The project was called Phuket Sandbox.
But the country is now gripped by its worst Covid-19 outbreak since the pandemic began, spread in part by well-heeled Thais who partied in Phuket and Bangkok with no social distancing. The confirmed daily caseload — albeit low by global standards — has increased from 26 on April 1 to more than 2,000 three weeks later in a country that had about 4,000 total cases in early December.
For months, Thailand's strict quarantines, lockdowns, border vigilance and rigorous use of masks kept the virus at bay, although the economy suffered. But even as the past couple of weeks have brought repeated daily caseload highs, the government is reacting slowly.
In early April, as cases began to mount, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha reacted with a verbal shrug.
"Whatever happens, happens," he said.
Desperate to resuscitate its tourism sector, Phuket, which had shut its airport during a Covid spike last year, continued to allow people in this spring on domestic flights, even as cases reached record highs. Only Thursday did authorities start requiring Covid-19 screening for those arriving on the island.
"If you ask me how optimistic I am, I cannot say," said Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, director of the tourism authority's Phuket office. "The situation changes all the time."
Karoh Beach in Phuket, April 11, 2021
On April 18, the tourism minister acknowledged that a July 1 opening for Phuket looked unlikely given that the plan depended on Covid being squelched in Thailand.
To prepare for Phuket Sandbox, the government funnelled many of its limited number of vaccines to the island, in hopes of achieving herd immunity by the summer. As of mid-April, more than 20% of Phuket's residents had been vaccinated. Nationwide, only about 1% of the population has received the needed doses.
"I am very relieved," said Suttirak Chaisawat, a grocery store worker who received his Sinovac vaccine this month at a resort repurposed for mass inoculations. "We all need some hope for Phuket."
While the vaccinations may have given Mr Suttirak some optimism, the present picture remains grim.
Normally at this time of year, Patong Beach's golden sands would be heaving with foreign holidaymakers.
But the beach is now almost deserted, save for a clutch of residents lining up for Covid tests at a mobile medical unit. Up the road, a monitor lizard, a creature more crocodile than newt, lumbered across the tarmac, with little traffic to impede its crossing.
Phuket's half-built condominium complexes are being reclaimed by nature — always a battle in the tropics but a lost cause when developer money dries up. Billboards for "Exclusive Dream Holiday Home" are stained by mildew and monsoon mud.
The Songkran period this month was supposed to be a dress rehearsal for Phuket's revival. Rather than foreign backpackers or business conference attendees, hotels tried to lure high-end Thai tourists who, were it not for the pandemic, might have decamped overseas for skiing in Hokkaido, Japan, or shopping in Paris.
But instead of prepping the island for its return as a global tourist haven, the Thai New Year may have wrecked the island's chances for a July reopening.
At festivals in Patong and at other beaches this month, thousands of affluent Thais partied, fewer masks in evidence than bikini tops. For some in Thailand's high society, Covid was seen as something that might infect vegetable sellers or shrimp peelers, not the jet set.
But then these beach revellers started testing positive, the virus spreading from luxe Bangkok nightclubs to Phuket.
The virus's resurgence after so many months of economic hardship is shattering for the majority of Phuket's residents, who depend on foreign tourists for their livelihoods.
As a 3-year-old elephant munched on sugar cane nearby, Jaturaphit Jandarot swung slowly in his hammock. There was little else to do.
Before the pandemic, he and the other elephant handlers on the outskirts of Patong used to lead more than 100 tourists a day, mostly from China, on 30-minute rides. Now there are no visitors.
"I was superexcited to hear they are going to open Phuket for foreign tourists," Mr Jaturaphit said. "Thai people don't ride elephants."
Whatever the state of international travel, the elephants still need to be fed. Each month, a dozen beasts consume at least 60,000 baht worth of sugar cane, pineapples and bananas. The 3-year-old, little more than a toddler in elephant years, eats as much as the adults.
Bars and nightclubs at Patong Beach that have been ordered closed because of a recent Covid-19 outbreak, April 11, 2021.
After Phuket's tin and rubber industries declined, tourism grew from a few bungalows on Patong Beach in the 1970s to a global phenomenon, attracting golfers, clubbers, yachters, sex tourists and Scandinavian snow birds.
Much of Phuket's high-end accommodation is clustered near the beach town of Bang Tao, a placid Muslim-majority community where placards for upscale wine bars mix with Arabic signs for Islamic schools.
Phuket's largest mosque is in Bang Tao, and this year the first day of Ramadan coincided with the beginning of the Songkran festivities, an auspicious augur after a year of economic hardship. The night before fasting was to begin, worshippers streamed to the mosque. Women chopped shrimp, banana flowers and armfuls of herbs for the feasting to come.
But at the last minute, Phuket authorities called off mass prayers for fear of the virus's spread. Iftar, the breaking of the fast, is taking place in homes, not at the mosque.
As authorities traced Covid-19 cases on the island to the upscale beach parties, residents of Bang Tao grew frustrated.
"We want to welcome people to Phuket, of course, but when they don't protect themselves and they bring Covid here, I'm a little bit angry," said Huda Panan, a primary schoolteacher who lives behind the mosque.
Ms Huda's husband is a taxi driver, but he has not worked for more than a year. Most of the mosque's community depended on tourism, working as concierges, cleaners, landscapers and water-sports guides. Now some locals sell dried fish and scavenge the hills for a fruit used to add pucker to a local curry — whatever they can do to survive.
On occasion, Buddhist temples, churches and mosques in Phuket distribute meals to the hungry. Lines are long. The food runs out.
"We can wait a little longer for Phuket to get better," Ms Huda said in the heat of the day as the daily fast grew long. "But not much more."
The Chonburi Public Health Office last night (April 25th) has released another short timeline to inform people who went to specific places this month to notify health authorities and monitor their health in regards to Covid-19. The following is an English translation of the release.
Woman's clothing shop (no name given) on the 2nd floor at Central Festival Pattaya Beach on April 10th to April 24th from 11:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M..
Family Mart in Soi Na Jomtien 15, Nongprue on April 10th to April 18th and April 23rd from 2:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M..
AKA at Central Festival Pattaya Beach on April 11th from 1:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M..
Public transportation Nakhon Chai Air company depart from Central Pattaya on Sukhumvit Road – destination Buriram on April 13th at 8:15 P.M..
Shabushi at Central Festival Pattaya Beach on April 14thfrom 4:50 P.M. to 5:50 P.M..
Restaurant in Intercontinental Pattaya Resort on April 16thfrom 4:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M..
KBBQ in Bang Saen on April 19th from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M..
Som Tam Larp Pupan Pawan in the Bueng sub-district, Si Racha on April 20th from 12:30 P.M. to 1:30 P.M..
Shabushi at Big C, Sattahip on April 20th from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M..
If anyone has problems with respiratory symptoms and/or a 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.
The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 104 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 this morning. In great news, 404 people in total have now been released from medical care and fully recovered since this current wave began.
Read more about our previous story in the link below.
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.
