3 Covid-19 vaccines have been approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration while 3 more pharmaceutical and biotech companies are in the process of registering Covid-19 vaccines for use in Thailand, according to FDA secretary general Phaisan Dankhum.
So far, the FDA has approved the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, which was made in partnership with Oxford University in the UK and now being produced locally by Siam Bioscience. The FDA also approved the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine and China's CoronaVac vaccine, which was produced by Sinovac.
Moderna has submitted all of the required documents to the Thai FDA and Phaisan says it should be registered for use in Thailand this month. He says the administration is currently receiving registration documents from Biogenetech for its Covaxin vaccine and KinGen Bioteach for its Sputnik V vaccine.
The Thai government has also shown interest in the Pfizer vaccine, which studies show is safe for children 12 and up. However, no steps have been made in the registration process.
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha set a goal to vaccinate more than half the population by the end of the year. It's a little unclear if expats are included in that goal.
In a press briefing last week, a spokesperson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said expats in Thailand will be included in the national rollout of Covid-19 vaccinations and an immunisation plan for foreigners would be released at a later date. On the other hand, a spokesperson from the Public Health Ministry recently said that Thais will have priority in the next stage of vaccinations due to the limited number of doses, adding that expats will need to wait until Thailand has a surplus of vaccines.
"The vaccines right now are only reserved for Thai people who are now at a high-risk level or living in the severe outbreak areas."
Three embassies have joined the new social-media trend started by the "Yai Pratet Kan Ter" (Let's move out of this country) group by providing advice on their Facebook pages.
The "Yai Pratet Kan Ter" Facebook page was launched on Friday and quickly became popular, gathering as many as 650,000 followers as of Tuesday morning.
Most posts on this page are from people sharing their experiences overseas as well as advice on moving from Thailand to other countries.
This group is also one of the top trending hashtags on Twitter.
Meanwhile, the Australian, Swedish and British embassies have jumped on the "moving out of Thailand" trend by posting advice for those interested in their countries.
The Swedish Embassy, for instance, points out that Sweden is known for equality, a strong welfare system that covers everybody living there and innovation.
The Australian mission posted a list of Aussie slang, their meanings and the link to a quiz to see if readers understand the words.
The UK Embassy, meanwhile, presented the "graduate route visa" for those receiving degrees in the UK. Under this programme, those who graduate from a British university can apply to work in the country. – The Nation
Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn
The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry is closely monitoring a new Facebook group "Let's Move Abroad" which sprang up out of frustration over the government's handling of the Covid-9 pandemic.
In just four days, the group, which was formed on May 1, has logged more than 650,000 members who share tips on studying and working abroad. However, political content and posts about highly sensitive issues which are alleged to be in violation of the lese majeste law have also been spotted.
DES Minister Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn said the ministry's working panel is keeping an eye on the new group and has been instructed to take legal action against any illegal content when necessary.
He said most of the content generally provides useful information about studying and living abroad, which is a good thing and should be encouraged.
Several state agencies, including the Education Ministry and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI) are ready to support any Thais seeking to pursue study or a career overseas.
However, he admitted that several posts, while offering tips, were deemed to have a political agenda, with a perceived intent to cause divisions and offend the royal institution.
"I've ordered the working panel to regularly review the content and take legal action if need be," he said.
Mr Chaiwut urged group members not to share information or advice that could affect ties between Thailand and other countries, such as how to evade immigration checks.
He also warned forum users to be wary of scammers preying on people seeking jobs overseas, saying the Labour Ministry received more than 1,500 complaints during 2018-2020.
The "Let's Move Abroad" page has caught the attention of some countries in which members have shown an interest.
The Swedish embassy in Thailand posted a message saying why Sweden is a potential destination.
"Are you dreaming about moving abroad? Here are a few reasons why Sweden should be considered -- strong labour rights and protection, gender equality, innovations appreciation and social welfare for all."
The Australian embassy in Thailand also jumped on the bandwagon.
"Before joining #TeamAustralia, let's get to know some slang the Aussies use. Our page will on Wednesday present five words about food that only Aussies understand."
Other countries of interest include Japan and Norway.
The Chonburi Public Health Office last night (May 3rd) has released another timeline to inform people who went to specific places last month and this month to notify health authorities and monitor their health in regards to Covid-19. The following is an English translation of the release.
Shabu Pungkang Bang Saen restaurant, Sane Suk, Mueang district on April 19thfrom 6:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M..
7-Eleven Nong Klong Sao Branch in Ban Bueng district from April 19th to April 24th and from April 26th to April 30th from 11:30 A.M. to 9:30 P.M..
Fishing area at Bang Phra Reservoir in Si Racha from April 20th to May 1st from 7:00 AM to 5:00 P.M.
ASUS shop at Tuk Com shopping Plaza Si Racha on Sukhumvit Road in Si Racha on April 24th from 3:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M..
Bake n' Brew Soi Chalerm Phrakiet 23, Nongprue from April 24th to April 29thfrom 7:30 A.M. to 7:00 P.M..
Chonburi Subaru Bypass in Mueang Chonburi district on April 26th from 8:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M..
Public van 48 Bangkok – Pattaya from Homepro Bang Phli in Samut Prakan destination Plus Mall Amata Nakhon in Klong Tamru, Mueang Chonburi on April 26th from 3:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M..
Curry and rice restaurant in front of Chef Moo Kata buffet in Soi Nern Plubwan from April 26th to April 27th from 5:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M..
Nasal Clinic Doctor Banjerd on Surasak 1 Road in Si Racha on April 27th from 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M..
MK restaurant Plus Mall Amata Nakhon in Klong Tamru, Mueang Chonburi from April 27th to April 28th from midday to 1:00 P.M.
Boat noodle restaurant in front of Banglamung Hospital on April 28th from midday to 1:00 P.M..
Tesco Lotus Borwin Branch on from April 28th to April 30th from 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M..
Esso gas station (Banchadit) in Borwin, Si Racha on April 30th from 1:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M..
HOT POT Plus Mall Amata Nakhon in Klong Tamru, Mueang Chonburi on April 30th from 1:30 P.M. to 9:00 P.M..
7- Eleven near Kasikorn Bank in Bor Thong on May 1st from 11:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M..
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.
The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 91 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 this morning (May 4th), a decline from yesterday that saw 153 cases.
Traditional Thai dancers wearing protective face shields perform at the Erawan Shrine, which was reopened after the Thai government relaxed measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Bangkok, May 4, 2020. Photo: AFP/Mladen Antonov
BANGKOK – With a third wave of Covid-19 undermining the likelihood of hordes of foreign tourists and investors returning to Thailand any time soon, there are government moves afoot to make the kingdom more appealing for long-term, high-net-worth visitors in the near future.
Tourism accounted for 18-20% of Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019, when nearly 40 million foreign tourists visited the kingdom and generated around 2 trillion baht ($64.1 billion) in local revenues. But the foreign tourist money tree has stopped giving in the time of Covid.
Last year, Thailand's GDP shrank 6.1%, with only 6.7 million tourist arrivals and 330 billion baht in revenues before a Covid lockdown and travel banned kicked off in late March 2020.
This year will be worse for the tourism industry, as the Thai government stumbles to roll out vaccines and contain a worst yet wave of Covid-19 that has resulted in record daily new infections and fast-rising fatalities.
Although exports have shown signs of recovery, the Finance Ministry now predicts the economy will grow just 2.3% in 2021, with tourism revenue expected to reach a mere 170 billion baht.
"You are not going to see 40 million tourists back any time soon, so we need to make some changes there," said Chayotid Kridakon, 54, former head of JP Morgan Securities (Thailand) and current advisor to Thai Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow, the government's chief economic policy director.
In January, Chayotid quit the private sector to head a government task force set up by Supattanapong to facilitate foreign direct investment and promote foreign exchange earning sectors in Thailand's post-Covid economy.
The team has since identified four sectors as key to Thailand's future growth, namely automobiles including electric vehicles (EVs), smart electronics again with an emphasis on EVs, medical services and products, and tourism.
An empty pool at the luxury Vijitt Resort on the Thai resourt island of Phuket, September 30, 2020. Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP
The first three sectors are already heavily promoted by other agencies such as the Board of Investment (BOI), but Chayotid sees room for fast-track improvement in promoting higher-end tourism, with a new package of incentives scheduled to be rolled out in June with roadshows thereafter.
"We need to be proactive here on how we are going to be promoting Thailand after Covid, rather than just a beautiful place for you to come and visit, offering good value for your money," said Chayotid, in an exclusive interview with Asia Times.
His task force is aiming to attract high-net-worth individuals – the same kind that wealth managers and investment bankers target – including an estimated 200 million retirees worldwide living off their pensions or savings.
"We are trying to see if we can become more customer-centric, looking at each pool of customers for long-term tourists," Chayotid said. Thailand already offers year-long visas to retirees with various financial and other requirements, but the new scheme promises to be more enticing and focused, he said.
"I would group them into two groups – basically mainly retirees, pensioners getting their pensions from the government or a private company, who don't want to do anything, just find a nice place to stay in Thailand which offers good health care, nice weather, nice food.
"Another type is a retiree who may be 45-50 years old who still wants to work. These people can be a plus for the Thai economy because of their knowledge which they can transfer, or start their own business here," he said.
New categories of visas will be offered in the proposed package, with the possibility of new incentives such as relaxing the rules on foreign ownership of property.
Such pro-foreigner deregulations usually draw opposition from the Thai bureaucracy or ultra-nationalists. But Chayotid argues that he has the Covid crisis on his side, which has sparked a "global reset" in other countries' pro-FDI policies, including in Southeast Asia.
Chinese tourists wearing face masks while visiting the Grand Palace in Bangkok, January 29, 2020. Photo: AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha
"The crisis helps us in the sense that our neighbors are all doing it (deregulating)," Chayotid said. "I think this crisis has brought about the right situation in terms of timing. Vietnam is knocking on the door, Indonesia has woken up and the Philippines is waking up. Now they have all gone beyond Thailand so what will be our response?"
In fact, according to the World Bank's latest Ease of Doing Business 2020 index, Thailand was ranked 21 worldwide, with Vietnam 70, Indonesia 73 and the Philippines 95, but those countries are rising fast in the ranking. Singapore ranked 4th and Malaysia 12th.
The main opposition to a relaxation of foreign visa regulations is likely to come from the Immigration Department, under the politically powerful Interior Ministry.
A survey conducted by Chayotid's team of businesspeople and other long-term foreign residents in Thailand revealed that the main "frustration point" was the immigration process.
Among other annoying requirements, Thailand's Immigration Department demands all foreigners on retirement visas or work visas to report to authorities every 90 days. Chayotid hopes to do away with such "incumbrances," he said.
Past governments have tried and failed to tackle such Immigration hassles, but Chayotid opines that the time may be ripe for changes. "The people in high places see the necessity for this," he noted.
The new visa package, which if all goes to plan will be announced in June, is part of the so-called "Regulatory Guillotine" program initiated by former deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripak, who resigned in July last year. The guillotine has been picked up again by his replacement Supattanapong.
Thailand's high-end tourism infrastructure could be repurposed for long-stay visitors. Image: Facebook
The success or failure of the new tourism visa package could be a bellwether for other guillotine deregulations in the works.
"The government has requested the guillotine but we know that it is not easy," said Tiensawang Thamwanich, a researcher at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), a private think tank that has advised the government on the guillotine program.
"Even the projects that the government would like to do, the Cabinet would like to do, everyone agrees with, the problem is the agencies themselves because this (the regulations) is where their power comes from," she said.
Government's handling of the vaccination campaign is being openly criticised for being too short-sighted and lacking ambition. One analyst has said the government can have 'no excuses' for failing to deliver the required vaccine doses to reopen on time as other countries in Southeast Asia have managed to do.
Top Thai business leaders are urging the government's economic team to prioritise the procurement of vaccines no matter how high the cost may be to deal with the current escalating Covid-19 virus wave in the kingdom even where this means putting that goal ahead of priming the economy. It comes as a senior researcher with a leading think tank is warning that it could be 4 to 6 months before this current virus wave is brought under control while a top security analyst says the government's plan to vaccinate the main segment of the adult population from August is simply too slow.
Amid both stinging criticism and defence of the government from a range of top officials and business leaders over the current crisis facing the kingdom with record levels of infection, hospitalisations and deaths, some top business people and economic analysts are urging the government to focus on the vaccination drive even ahead of supporting the economy, at this point, as the most cost-effective solution to bringing the country out of the morass it now finds itself in. These include the Vice Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, Kriengkrai Thiennukul (centre right) and Thai Air Asia boss Tassapon Bijleveld (centre left).
Leading Thai business figures are urging the government to adopt a decisive approach to the third and most dangerous wave of the Covid-19 virus which threatens Thailand with a potentially deeper economic crisis than it faced last year.
Most agree that the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha must loosen the purse strings and breach the legal 60% of GDP limit set by law for public debt while all agree that the priority must be in speeding up the procurement of vaccines at any cost.
Senior analyst at Bangkok based research institute says it may take 4 to 6 months to control according to testimony from epidemiology experts
It comes as Nonarit Bisonyabut a senior researcher at the Bangkok based Thai Think Tank, the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), has predicted that this virus wave could take four to six months, based on the evidence of expert epidemiologists, to bring under control.
'The third wave is serious, setting highs for new infections and deaths. We are still unsure whether or when the government will be able to contain the outbreak,' he said this week.
Financial supports for vulnerable businesses and those impacted by another domestic downturn
Like other economic experts, he is suggesting the government immediately introduce financial support for small and medium-sized firms, those involved in the informal sector and individuals who are most vulnerable.
The problem for the Thai government is the period may be longer than the previous two waves even without broad lockdowns of the economy as the public itself imposes its own self lockdown as the threat of the virus rises with record levels of infections and deaths.
The chief of the Thai Hoteliers' Association painted a grim picture of the current situation in Thailand in an interview with Channel 3.
Only one in 20 rooms in Thai hotels was occupied.
Marisa Sukosolnunphakdee said that information from her members suggested that business in April was 30% down on March.
Total occupancy in the organisation's hotels was at 5%.
80% of their hotels would be shut until October when it is hoped that the pandemic will show signs of abating and the vaccine rollout will be in full swing.
She indicated that only larger hotels were open and that hotels that catered to foreign tourists were all shut down for now.
Her assessment was that things would only return to normal in 2023.
She called on the government for help with paying staff wages, help with loans and interest payments and continued tourism stimulus measures.
Push to vaccinate 16 million vulnerable Thais suffers early setbacks
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Only about 5 percent of Thailand's vulnerable population have so far booked a free COVID-19 vaccination jab since the government's appointment process was launched on Saturday.
The slow uptake is being blamed on two major factors: hiccups on the booking platform and reluctance to receive the jabs amid reports of undesirable side effects.
At noon on Monday, the Public Health Ministry confirmed 611,277 people had made vaccination appointments on the Mor Prom platform, which operates via an official LINE account and also a mobile app. The government wants to vaccinate 16 million vulnerable Thais – those aged over 60 and people with chronic conditions including diabetes and cancer – by July 31.
The Public Health Ministry is also accepting vaccination appointments via village health volunteers and hospitals, but the online platform is the key channel for bookings.
Doctors (Un) Ready?
The Mor Prom (Doctors Ready) platform has been criticized as "unready" by many users, after their repeated attempts to book a jab proved unsuccessful. Many said they had problems from the very start after they were unable to access the busy platform. Others have found their names missing from the government's list of registered vulnerable people. Some have been unable to choose a hospital from the list displayed.
Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha explained that some of the vulnerable might not find their name on the platform because they had no hospital health records.
"In such cases, you will have to contact a hospital to put your name on our whitelist first," he said.
The reason people are unable to choose a hospital for vaccination is because they live in a different area from the hospital that holds their health records, he added.
"We have already fixed this problem. You should be able to book now," he said.
Reluctance to get a shot
A 67-year-old resident of Samut Prakan, one of six provinces under maximum COVID-control measures, said she decided not to rush for a jab because of concern over possible side effects.
"I am still healthy. What if the shot ruins my health? Worried about that kind of thing, I prefer to wait. In the meantime, I am taking all precautions to keep COVID-19 away," she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Her fears are shared by many. A recent survey showed about 27.1 percent of Thais were unsure whether they should get the vaccine and 9.9 percent were determined to avoid the jab altogether.
However, 62.9 percent of the 1,017 respondents surveyed were keen to get vaccinated.
Vaccine chosen for vulnerable groups
The Public Health Ministry has chosen the AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be locally produced by Siam Bioscience, for the elderly and people with chronic respiratory diseases, heart/blood vessel conditions, chronic kidney failure, stroke, obesity, cancer, and diabetes.
According to the official schedule, they must register themselves for the vaccination programme, which will be completed by the end of July.
Unwanted side effects
The World Health Organisation has passed AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as safe and effective at protecting people from serious risks of the disease, including death, hospitalisation and severe symptoms. Common side effects of the AstraZeneca jab are bruising and tenderness at the injection site, headache, tiredness, muscle or joint aches, fever, chills, and nausea.
However, unusual blood clots have also been listed as an extremely rare side effect. The United Kingdom reported 209 cases of major blood clots in AstraZeneca vaccine recipients as of April 21. These cases resulted in 41 deaths – or about one death per one million people vaccinated. The risk of dying from COVID-19 is estimated to be many times higher.
Because data suggests the risk of blood clots is higher in younger adults, Thailand has decided to use AstraZeneca vaccine for the elderly.
Seems Thailand doesn't want tourists back this year
Come to Thailand for a nice, relaxing holiday
After a year of blundering it seems that Thailand still cannot get its virus response right.
The Thai authorities recently announced reduced quarantine for visitors and shorter quarantine for vaccinated visitors and after luring in bookings and future trips, in preparation for quarantine free travel to Phuket, the country seems to have changed its mind, again.
Thailand had been preparing to welcome vaccinated visitors to Phuket by July, without any quarantine requirements. There is still some last-minute chance that could come true, but in the interim, the country is leaving travellers livid.
Now, Thailand has made overnight changes without any advanced warning, to end shortened quarantine, vaccinated or not, and is returning to a full 14-day quarantine.
This means arrivals from the 6th of May, will land to a bill for a longer stay, and up to another week before they can get out and enjoy the country. All visitors are required to enter a supervised hotel quarantine.
The country is dealing with increasing covid-19 cases, particularly in hotspots including Bangkok, as a slow rollout of the vaccine continues.
For the past six weeks, Thailand allowed a 7-day quarantine for vaccinated travellers and 10 for all non-vaccinated visitors.
Considering the jet lag, 7 days was reasonable to get adjusted with the local time before starting the holidays, therefore many travellers that are eager to return to the country booked their trips on that basis.
The news has left travellers who were willing to endure the 7-to-10-day quarantine, but not 14 days, scrambling to cancel non-refundable trips. It's hard to see how quarantine free travel to Phuket would begin in just two months' time, given this change.
Other tourism-dependent nations are rapidly opening, with either zero, or reduced quarantine for all vaccinated visitors, and exceptions for travellers who test negative.
They have done so by pushing advanced technology to validate travel documents and by diligently working to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.
The Maldives has remained open since July, with a negative PCR test required before travel and has now fully vaccinated nearly most of its population. It is done so well, vaccine on arrival will be offered to tourists as an enticement.
Hong Kong and Singapore will open their travel bubble in the weeks to come, while Australia and New Zealand have so far done a great job in launching and managing our own.
Taiwan will welcome vaccinated travellers with a reduced quarantine from mid-May as well. Europe is full steam ahead with quarantine free travel for vaccinated travellers or those with a PCR test proving to be virus free.
Yet in Thailand, plans keep changing to the detriment of travellers. Newly announced local lockdowns mean any visitors would have little to do anyway. Eventually, it could crush future interest in visiting. – TravelDailyMedia
