The CESA said it would evaluate the situation after the pilot plan in Phuket for 1-2 months before consider running the scheme in other provinces. The Nation

CESA greenlights Phuket tourism sandbox from July 1

The Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) on Friday approved the launch of the tourism sandbox programme in Phuket starting July 1, Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn said.

Under the sandbox scheme, foreign tourists who can verify they have been inoculated against Covid-19 and test negative can fly into Phuket and move around freely without having to quarantine.

After staying in Phuket for 14 days, the tourists can then proceed to travel to other provinces in Thailand.

"The original proposal required the tourists to stay in Phuket for seven days, but the CESA has increased the requirement to 14 days to ensure that they are free of the virus," said Pipat.

Other requirements under the tourism sandbox scheme are:

▪︎ Eligible candidates must have been vaccinated with the required doses of each vaccine type for more than 14 days but not exceeding a year. 

▪︎ They must also be travelling from a country with low to mid-level risk of infection according to Ministry of Public Health's announcement.

▪︎ Children aged under six years can enter Phuket along with their vaccinated parents, while those in the group 6-18 years will have to undergo testing upon arrival at Phuket International Airport.

▪︎ Visitors must present a vaccination certificate issued by their government and the vaccine must be one those approved in Thailand or by the World Health Organization.

▪︎ Visitors must download and install the tracing application on their mobile phones.

▪︎ Visitors must stay at hotels or accommodations that are certified under SHA+ standard for 14 nights before they can travel to other areas.

▪︎ Visitors must agree to check in and undergo testing as required by Ministry of Public Health as well as strictly follow disease control measures, such as wearing face masks, washing their hands regularly and maintaining social distance.

Pipat added that other tourist provinces, such as Surat Thani, Krabi and Phang Nga, have also proposed to participate in the sandbox programme. The CESA said it would evaluate the situation after the pilot plan in Phuket for 1-2 months before consider running the scheme in other provinces.

For the third successive day total deaths in Asean countries exceeded 500 on Friday, and new Covid-19 cases were more than 25,000. The Nation

Asean reports over 25,000 new Covid-19 cases, over 500 deaths

For the third successive day total deaths in Asean countries exceeded 500 on Friday, and new Covid-19 cases were more than 25,000.

Southeast Asia reported 25,659 new cases on Friday, slightly lower than Thursday's 25,820, while 506 people died, an improvement over the previous day's 537.

Total Covid-19 cases since the outbreak crossed 4.12 million, while the death toll rose to 80,744.

Malaysia's Ministry of Public Health urged people to follow strict disease control measures during the two-week countrywide lockdown from June 1-14. The death of three patients aged under 5 years on one day has raised concerns, as in 2020 the number was reported for the entire year. In 2021, 27 children have died so far due to Covid-19, 19 of them under 5 years old.

Laos reported nine new cases on Thursday, bringing cumulative cases in the country to 1,952. The government has extended lockdown measures in the country until June 19 but has allowed people to travel between areas that have no or low infection rate. People who have taken two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine for at least a month will be able to travel by land and air between Vientiane and other provinces without having to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

🔴 BREAKING: 36 deaths and 2,817 cases (* 315 from prisons) on Saturday. Full update at 12:30pm. Richard Barrow



MER FRÅN GÅRDAGENS MÖTE: ”Phuket set for July reopening”. Bangkok Post



Phuket set for July reopening

The government gave the green light to the plan to reopen Phuket to vaccinated foreign tourists starting on July 1, although visitors are required to remain on the resort island for 14 days before leaving the province.

The plan was approved yesterday during a meeting of the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (Cesa) chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. It was proposed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Sport and Tourism Ministry.

From July 1, Phuket will be the first province to welcome back foreign tourists and waive the quarantine requirement for those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 under the so-called "Phuket Tourism Sandbox" programme, which is touted as a model for the reopening of the kingdom's tourism industry as a whole, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.

However, the tourists must remain on the island for 14 days -- an increase from the previously planned seven days -- before being allowed to continue on to other destinations in the country, Mr Phiphat said.

Mr Phiphat said the meeting had not yet approved plans to reopen Krabi and Koh Samui off Surat Thani to foreign tourists next month because Cesa wanted to first assess the outcome of Phuket's reopening over the next two months.

Officials at the meeting also approved the tourism reopening of Bangkok, Phetchaburi (Cha-am district), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin district), Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Buri Ram from Oct 1, he said.

Mr Phiphat previously said the combined tourism income of these 10 provinces in 2019 stood at 1.5 trillion baht, and that was the reason why they were selected to join the reopening pilot programme, which is scheduled to run from Oct 1 until Dec 31.

"Under the sandbox programme, Phuket will also reopen to Thais who have already received two doses of vaccines," he said. "The TAT will sign an agreement with the Board of Trade of Thailand to fly vaccinated members of the board to Phuket to promote the reopening on July 1."

Foreign tourists who plan to visit Phuket on July 7 are from Israel, while visitors from the United States will fly to the resort island on July 9, Mr Phiphat said.

He said he was confident at least 70% of Phuket residents, and 100% of local tourism operators will be fully vaccinated in time for the reopening on July 1.

As of Wednesday, about 60% of Phuket's target population of 466,587 had been injected with a first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 98,795 had received their second shot, according to TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

A total of 376,427 people have registered for the vaccination drive, he said.

Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Council, gave additional details of the Phuket reopening plan.

Phuket will reopen to tourists who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for more than 14 days but no more than one year prior to their visit, and they must come from low-to-moderate risk countries as announced by the Public Health Ministry, Mr Danucha said.

Children aged under six who come with their fully vaccinated parents will be allowed into Phuket while children between six and 18 years old will have to undergo Covid-19 testing upon arrival at Phuket airport, he said.

Foreign tourists must have vaccination certificates from their countries and the vaccines they have received must be registered under Thai law or approved by the World Health Organization, he said.

Tourists must stay at hotels that have Safety & Health Administration Plus hygiene standards certification, he said, adding they will still be required to use contact tracing apps during their stay in the kingdom.

They must also report regularly to health authorities and strictly abide by the Covid-19 DMHTTA rules (distancing, mask-wearing, hand-washing, temperature testing, Covid testing and mobile app use), Mr Danucha said.

Plans are also in place to improve Phuket's landscape to make it more attractive to welcome back foreign tourists, he said. 

Bangkok Post highlights 5/6



Dagens möte ang öppning av Phuket 1/7 . Richard Barrow

This afternoon I was invited to a private meeting with the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand including senior executives to hear about the latest news about the #PhuketReopening on 1st July. 

The good news is that it is almost certainly going ahead after the Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) meeting today which approved the #PhuketSandbox in principle. The CCSA is then expected to give its full approval on Monday and the Cabinet on Tuesday. Followed by publication in the Royal Gazette a few days later. The Governor told me that he was confident that there will be no holdups.

But, the biggest difference is that vaccinated tourists will now have to stay 14 days instead of 7 days IF they want to travel elsewhere in the country. This is because of national policy and the 14 day quarantine elsewhere. If quarantine is later reduced to 7 days again, then vaccinated tourists arriving in Phuket will only have to stay on the island for 7 days before going elsewhere.

To be very clear, no-one is saying you must spend 14 days on Phuket. It is not a prison sentence. The average holiday length before was 5 nights on Phuket. You are more than welcome to do that again. But you then must fly home from Phuket. You cannot go elsewhere in Thailand, including Phi Phi island in Krabi or James Bond Island in Phang Nga until you have been on the island 14 days AND your tests were negative.

Another piece of good news just released is that you CAN transit in Suvarnabumi airport before flying to Phuket as part of the Sandbox scheme. There will be a dedicated terminal and a dedicated flight for these people. So, if two or three flights arrive in the morning, everyone will be able to board the same flight to Phuket a bit later in the day. Your ticket will say, for example, London to Phuket. 

This Phuket Sandbox is open to anyone. Not just foreign tourists. It includes expats and even Thais. But everyone has to be fully vaccinated by a vaccine that is recognised by the Thai government, WHO or your own country. You must also have the full set of jabs. So if the manufacture said TWO, then you must have two. For the time being, you cannot mix and match vaccines and you cannot just have one just because you have covid and you have an immunity. 

You must also be flying to Thailand from a country that is regarded low to medium risk. The full list of those countries will be released soon and will be updated every few weeks.

Expats have asked me why they cannot stay in their own home if they fly to Phuket after 1st July. There is a very good reason. The point of this is to help boost tourism. That doesn't happen if you are staying in your own home. You must pre book a SHA+ hotel or even hotels before you fly to Thailand. If you are staying 7 nights then you must book and pay for seven nights. But no-one is saying that you must sleep in the hotel. You can still go home. Up to you.

Registration for SHA+ hotels just opened this week and they already have over 400 hotels listed. These are not just expensive hotels. They are a range of hotels. More are being added all of the time. If you see a hotel listed as SHA (it is basically clean and obeys all the rules for the new normal) then you can presume at some point they will apply to be a SHA+ hotel. The plus just means that at least 70% of the workforce are vaccinated. 

No-one is saying you need to book tour packages. You can just book hotels and then spend all of your time by the pool or on the beach. You can also wander freely around the island. You just cannot go on a boat trip to another island that is outside of Phuket province. Not during the first two weeks anyway. Also, if you are booking any tours, you need to make sure they are SHA+ as they offer the best protection. Believe me, all tour operators will be applying for this sticker. 

About the covid free tests. The details are not known yet. You might be told to do the same three tests that quarantine tourists have to do. But that might be reduced to only two. Full details on this will be released next week. But to be clear, if you test positive you WILL be sent to hospital and that will be the end of your holiday.

So, this Phuket Sandbox is only for vaccinated people. However, if you are not vaccinated, then you can still do ASQ quarantine on the island for 14 days before then being free to go anywhere in Thailand. Like I said before, if the situation improves, this may be reduced to ten and even 7 days in the future for certain groups of people. but no guarantee on the timeline.  

What about domestic tourists like myself? Well, the rules are expected to be much the same. If I fly to Phuket from Bangkok I will have to be vaccinated or do a covid-free test. But what I was told is that starting on 1st July, there will be a rapid test available on arrival in Phuket. That is not available now. Once I am there I can freely travel around the island. But, and this is a big but, I cannot do a day trip to say Phi Phi until I have been on the island for 14 days. There is no difference between internationals tourists and myself. However, if you can prove that you are an expat living on the island for more than 14 days then you can do so.

About bars and beer. There is a national rule to close all pubs and bars. Phuket won't be allowed to be an exception to this rule. But it is hoped that rules will be relaxed by July for drinking alcohol in restaurants and hotels. Maybe others things will be relaxed by then. Of course, no guarantees about the future. After all, we are still in the middle of a pandemic. 

I know a lot of you may know about the local taxi mafia and even the two tier pricing that spoils some holidays. I specifically asked the Governor of TAT about this. He said they will be taking this opportunity to clean up the situation to make sure that tourists are safe and that their holiday isn't spoiled by scammers. He is also very much in agreement with me that the two price policy is bad for tourism. We have talked before on this. He said that when he saw the mayor this week and he was telling him they were building a toilet block on the beach, the governor told him he mustn't charge the tourists more. It must be the same price for everyone. 

I think I have covered most things. Feel free to ask questions in the comments and I will answer them. I will also update this text too. 

Chonburi orders temporary closure of ice factory in Si Racha Friday, 4 June 2021, 16:27. The order takes effect from today (June 4th) to June 18th. Pattaya News

Chonburi orders temporary closure of ice factory in Si Racha

Friday, 4 June 2021, 16:27

Si Racha –

The Chonburi Governor today (June 4^th) has ordered a temporary closure of an ice factory in Si Racha due to many confirmed cases of Covid -19.

The order from the Chonburi Governor Phakarathorn Teanchai has been released today (June 4^th) by the Chonburi Public Relations Office.

The order concludes that more confirmed cases and close contacts of Covid -19 were found at the Suksawat Pansadet ice factory in the Khao Kansong sub-district in Si Racha.

In order to control the spread of the virus, the Chonburi Disease Control Committee has ordered to temporarily close the factory.

The business and staffers must strictly follow the order and relevant officers orders. Staff is quarantined and unable to mix with the general public, regardless of test status, while officials bring the cluster under control.

The order takes effect from today (June 4^th) to June 18^th.

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 101 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 with one new death today, June 4th, mostly driven by two new clusters which were a Chinese party and ice factory. 



Topplistan idag . PRD



According to the Ministry of Tourism, vaccinated tourists will be able to visit Phuket from 1st July. However, they MUST buy tour packages in advance from tour companies abroad “in order to be able to monitor and control” them. Tourist must also specify where they will go next. Richard Barrow


The Department of Tourism, under the Ministry of Tourism & Sports, posted this Infographic on their Facebook yesterday about their plans for the Phuket Sandbox & the so-called Sealed Routes. Unfortunately it contradicts what the TAT are saying about the #PhuketReopening.

👉 Source: https://www.facebook.com/115794925171979/posts/4088387661245999

According to the Ministry of Tourism, vaccinated tourists will be able to visit Phuket from 1st July. However, they MUST buy tour packages in advance from tour companies abroad "in order to be able to monitor and control" them. Tourist must also specify where they will go next.

The Ministry of Tourism also says, after Phuket, tourists can only visit:
1. Krabi - places like Railay Beach & islands like Koh Phi Phi
2. Phang Nga - only Khao Lak
3. Surat Thani - only Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan
4. Chonburi - only Pattaya
5. Chiang Mai - no details yet

I haven't heard yet from the Ministry of Public Health. You may remember the reduction to 7-day quarantine rule for vaccinated tourists was quickly reversed after the 3rd wave hit us in April. What's stopping them saying tourists must stay 14 days in Phuket & only in certain areas?

As I have said before, my best advice is not to rush to book flights or hotel tickets to Phuket until the CCSA has passed the plan & it is published in the Royal Gazette. Then, make sure you can get a full refund in case the plan is changed again. Or, just wait and #StayHome a bit longer! What's the rush?

👉👉 I will ask the TAT for their comment on this when I meet them this afternoon. Like I said, it contradicts what the TAT are saying.

😥😥😥😥 Chonburi Covid – 19 cases rise to 101 as two new clusters found, one death Friday, 4 June 2021. Pattaya News

Chonburi Covid – 19 cases rise to 101 as two new clusters found, one death

Friday, 4 June 2021, 8:54

Chonburi –

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 101 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 with one new death today, June 4th , mostly driven by two new clusters which were a Chinese party and ice factory.

This makes a total of 4,892 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 974 still in medical care, and with a total of 29 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April. One additional death was announced this morning although details were not released.

Additionally, 3,889 people in total have now been released from medical care and fully recovered since this current wave began. 110 people were released yesterday.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi with 12, Si Racha 60, Banglamung (including Pattaya) 11, Panat Nikhom, 2, Ban Bueng 10, Pan Thong 2, Nong Yai 1, and three patients were transferred from another province to Chonburi for medical care.

The details on today's cases given were:

1. Cluster at Suksawat Pansadet ice factory in Si Racha, 49 cases. The factory will be ordered for a temporary closure from today.
2. Cluster Chinese party, 10 cases (district was not given)
3. Close contact from previous confirmed case from Rayong, 1 case
4. Close contact from previous confirmed case from Chachoengsao, 1 case
5. Contact from previous confirmed cases
   • In families, 8 cases
   • In work places, 12 cases
6. Being investigated, 20 cases

In the last day, a total 186 close contacts were tested from contact tracing, and 840 people were tested in proactive testing when medical staff goes out into the community. All are pending results.

Public health officials continue to urge people to not socialize outside of their direct household until the situation improves. Most cases have come from small social gatherings according to authorities.



Thailand's vaccination program is about to run into another roadblock. “We don’t have the personnel to inoculate millions in a quick amount of time, it will become a logistical issue next,” the source told Thai Enquirer on condition of anonymity. Thai Enquirer



Thailand's vaccination program is about to run into another roadblock

June 4, 2021

Thailand's vaccination program is set to hit another roadblock in the coming months as vaccines, both local and imported, start to become more available, a source inside the Ministry of Public Health told Thai Enquirer on Friday.

According to the source, even if millions of vaccines were suddenly available the country does not have the capacity to inoculate more than a set number per day creating a vaccination bottleneck.

"We don't have the personnel to inoculate millions in a quick amount of time, it will become a logistical issue next," the source told Thai Enquirer on condition of anonymity.

The government is now trying to increase capacity by carrying out training and opening new centers for inoculation, the source said.

"Right now there is a vaccine shortage but by the start of July we will have vaccines made in Thailand and imported from abroad," the source said. "Between now and then we have to increase our capacity to administer these vaccines per day and around the country."

One of the major hurdles in the way of the government's plans to increase its inoculation capacity has been the lack of coordination between various government ministries and organs.

For example, in Bangkok, the governor's office has pushed ahead with its own mandates at times contradicting or against ministry advice.

"The prime minister has assumed supreme command but he must make sure that those under him stop their fighting because it is getting in the way of steps which could save lives," the source told Thai Enquirer.

🔴 BREAKING: 31 deaths and 2,631 cases (* 189 from prisons) on Friday. Full update at 12:30pm. 29 May: 4,803 - 34 dead 30 May: 4,528 - 24 dead 31 May: 5,485 - 19 dead 1 June: 2,230 - 38 dead 2 June: 3,440 - 38 dead 3 June: 3,886 - 39 dead 4 June: 2,631 - 31 dead <— TODAY. Richard Barrow

 



Several provinces with substantially lower rates of Covid-19 infection will have to postpone vaccination appointments after they received lower-than-expected jab supplies from the Public Health Ministry. Bangkok Post

Provinces with low Covid rates forced to delay jabs

Medical workers raise signs calling forward the next people in line for Covid-19 vaccination, at Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok on Tuesday. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

Several provinces with substantially lower rates of Covid-19 infection will have to postpone vaccination appointments after they received lower-than-expected jab supplies from the Public Health Ministry.

Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary for public health, however, insisted all provinces will by next Monday receive some Covid-19 vaccines as about 2 million doses of both the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines are being distributed to the provinces.

Priority will, however, be given to those provinces with more serious Covid-19 situations and provinces included in the government's special policies such as tourism promotion, he said.

In Udon Thani, for instance, Udon Thani Hospital on Thursday announced the postponement of vaccination appointments already booked for 246,000 elderly people and people with underlying medical conditions until further notice, said Dr Phatcharin Klinphayom, a medicine specialist at the hospital.

These appointments were previously scheduled to take place from next Monday until Wednesday, she said.

The province has received only 3,600 doses of AstraZeneca, while well over 1.1 million people have registered for inoculation with their appointments already confirmed, she said.

Appointment for the second vaccine shot for people who have previously been given the first one of the Sinovac vaccine in Udon Thani are still on, though, she said.

The vaccination postponement also affected about 300 health volunteers who were due to get their first shots of the Covid-19 vaccine today, said Dr Methipot Chatamethikun, director of the medical division of Udon Thani's municipality.

Lampang, which has the second largest number of people registered for vaccination in the country, on Thursday called off its inoculation plan, citing low supplies of vaccines received. 

Bangkok Post highlights 4/6



Popular shopping malls, Central Plaza Lat Phrao, Imperial World and Union Mall, which are all located at or near Bangkok’s Lat Phrao intersection, have declared that they are not the unnamed malls, mentioned by the CCSA on Wednesday as the location of a new cluster of 23 COVID-19 infections. PBS World

Large Lat Phrao malls deny they have new clusters of COVID-19 infections

views  534

Popular shopping malls, Central Plaza Lat Phrao, Imperial World and Union Mall, which are all located at or near Bangkok's Lat Phrao intersection, have declared that they are not the unnamed malls, mentioned by the CCSA on Wednesday as the location of a new cluster of 23 COVID-19 infections.

In her daily press briefing, CCSA Assistant Spokesperson Dr. Apisamai Srirangsan said that 48 infection clusters in Bangkok have now been placed under close watch, including a new cluster at a Lat Phrao shopping mall, which she did not name.

In the Central Plaza Lat Phrao Facebook post, the mall said that it is not the one mentioned by the CCSA assistant spokesperson, insisting that the mall has adopted stringent preventive measures, by conducting a "big clean" every day, after the closing time, to ensure utmost confidence among its clients.

Meanwhile, the Union Mall, which is opposite Central Plaza, also issued a denial in its Facebook post, saying that the mall resumed operations on May 28th after a 15-day closure for disinfection and cleanup. It said it has checked with the Chatuchak district office and was told that there is no new cluster in the district.

Imperial World Lat Phrao, which is located on the Lat Phrao Road, also issued a denial, saying that it is located in Wang Thong Lang district, not Lat Phrao district, as widely misunderstood.

Lat Phrao Road does not cut through the Lat Phrao district, but through Chatuchak, Wang Thong Lan and Bang Kapi districts.

The Lat Phrao district covers an area of 21.36 square kilometres.  It is divided into two sub-districts, namely Lat Phrao and Jarakae Buats main roads are Chokechai 4 from Sangkhom Songkroh Road to Lat Phrao-Wang Hin Road; Lat Phrao-Wang Hin Road to Wang Hin intersection; Sena Nikhom 1 Road Khlong Lat Phrao Bridge to Wang Hin intersection; Lat Plakhao Road from Wang Hin intersection to Khlong Loom Fai Bridge, Prasert Manookit and Pradit Manootham roads. 

After three days of debate, the House of Representatives passed the 3.1 trillion baht spending budget bill for 2022 fiscal year in its first reading, with 269 votes in favour, 201 against and two abstentions late Wednesday night. PBS World

Thailand's House of Representatives passes 2022 budget bill

views  415

After three days of debate, the House of Representatives passed the 3.1 trillion baht spending budget bill for 2022 fiscal year in its first reading, with 269 votes in favour, 201 against and two abstentions late Wednesday night.

The House then set up a 72-member budget scrutiny committee,to scrutinize the bill for 105 days. The committee is made up of 18 representatives of the cabinet, 30 from government parties and 24 from opposition parties. The first meeting is scheduled for Friday.

In his closing speech, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha thanked all MPs for the recommendations and observations made during the debate and gave an assurance that his administration will make use of the budget efficiently and transparently, in the national interest, and to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crises.

He insisted that he is not a dictator, as claimed by his detractors,as he has to work with all politicians, adding that he has changed in some ways, but still raises his voice occasionally, because he gets frustrated and would like to apologise.

The prime minister admitted that, these days, he is not happy at all and will not be if the Thai people are not, as he promised to do his best for the betterment of the people and the country.

Vaccin på gång....... NBT

 

Is the Thai society starting to die out? By Albert Jack - June 3, 2021. Bangkok Jack / The Nation

The number of people aged 60 and over in Thailand now stands at about eight million

THE NUMBER of childless couples in #Thailand has risen three-fold between 1987 and 2019.

Nattaya Boonpakdee, an official at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has attributed the increase in the number of childless couples to the cost of raising children, a perception that children are a burden, and the fact that many Thais are getting married at a later age and hence encountering infertility problems.

"Back in 1987, childless couples accounted for just 6 per cent of total Thai families," Nattaya said earlier this week.

The percentage of childless-couple families soared to 16 per cent in 2015, she said.

In addition Thailand is currently ranked the third most rapidly ageing population in the world.  The number of people aged 60 and over in Thailand now stands at about eight million, accounting for 13 percent of the population.

Nattaya said the increase in childless-couple families was higher in urban zones than in rural zones, according to population reports.

According to a 2015 report, the percentage of childless-couple families stood at 16 per cent while that of parents living in families with children totalled 27 per cent.

"The number of three-generation families in which children, parents and grandparents live under the same roof was at 37 per cent," Nattaya said.

"Two years ago, the percentage was at 33.6 per cent.

This means extended families are the biggest group in the country – not nuclear families.

The percentage of people living alone was at 14 per cent. About 2 per cent of Thai families are children living with their grandparents.

"About 1 per cent of Thai families are people living together without blood or marital ties," said Nattaya. "They are friends. They are like family members who are supporting one another."

The Health Department's director-general, Wachira Pengjuntr, said Thailand's birth rate was now only 1.6, while the country needed a birth rate of 2.1 to replenish itself.

"As it is very difficult to encourage people to have more children, we have now focused on ensuring children have a quality upbringing," he said.

According to Wachira, his department has drawn up a plan for the wonderful 1,000 first days of life.

"We count the stage of lives from the time human foetuses are developed during pregnancy. This stage takes 270 days," he said.

He said during this stage, pregnant women should seek pre-natal care and meet a doctor before the 12th week of pregnancy.

Nurturing communities

"They should also meet doctors at least five times while pregnant," he said, to ensure they get proper advice on nutrition, physical activities and sleep.

"Pregnant women should also be prescribed iodine and iron," he said.

He added that the second stage would cover 180 days – babies aged up to six months old.

"Our clinics will promote breastfeeding and inoculation," he said.

He added that parents or baby carers would also be trained to ensure proper upbringing.

"We will assign teams to visit young babies at home to follow up on their development and check on their health," he said.

Wachira said the third stage covered children aged between six months and two years. "We will monitor children's development and give parenting advice," he said.

According to him, communities will be nudged to provide free milk and eggs to children during the third stage. Communities should also have playgrounds and reading corners for them. – The Nation 

Regeringen publicerar en påminnelse om bötesbeloppen för trafiköverträdelser … Den thailändska regeringen har utfärdat en påminnelse om några av de böter som åläggs fordonsförare för trafikbrott. Den fullständiga listan över 155 trafikböter sträcker sig från 200 till 1000 baht i enlighet med Thailands Road Traffic Act B.E. 2522. Läs mer om detta och annat som finns "Bara i Thailand" på: https://www.thailand-idag.asia/bara-i-thailand/



😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥😥 INTE THAILAND MEN NOG SÅ ALLVARLIGT: Grekiska semesteröar varnas – coronasmittan ökar igen. Grekland har tagit emot turister i drygt två veckor – men nu ökar coronasmittan igen och nu varnas semesteröar för att restriktioner återigen kan skärpas, rapporterar SvD och hänvisar till lokala medier. Travel News



2021-06-03 07:34

Bland annat varnas invånarna på Rhodos, Syros och boende i Chania på Kreta. Argiris Grigorakis som driver ett kafé på Kreta säger till SvD att de hoppas att det inte blir några nya restriktioner.

– Det vore förödande. Folk har inte kunnat arbeta på länge och måste överleva på något sätt, säger han.

Tourism minister confirms: NO QUARANTINE in TEN provinces come October 1st. Thai Visa



Picture: Daily News

 

Thailand's tourism and sports minister has stood up in parliament to pledge that foreign tourists will not need to quarantine when visiting Thailand from October 1st.

 

It applies to ten tourism provinces that in the past provided the bulk of revenue from tourists. 

 

Pipat Ratchakitprakan was addressing lawmakers as part of the budget debate, reported Daily News.

 

He began with some rhetoric about following Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha's "20 year battle plan" by developing tourism places with such things as "home lodge" and "home stay".

 

Then he outlined the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic had presented but stressed that his ministry and his colleagues at the Tourism Authority of Thailand had not let the grass grow under their feet. 

 

Then came the nitty gritty. Unfortunately there was absolutely nothing new in what he had to say, notes Thaivisa. 

 

He talked about the "Phuket Sandbox" a trial non-quarantine project for foreign visitors to the southern Thai island. 

 

This will start on July 1st and come after 70% of people on the island are vaccinated by the end of this month, said the minister.

 

In October comes the opening of the country under similar arrangements in a total of ten provinces. 

 

He mentioned Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phangnga, and of course Phuket. 

 

Daily News gave no explanation for leaving out Pattaya (or Chonburi province) though this has always been part of the plan along with Surat Thani's islands of Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. 

 

Pipat rounded off his address by referring to the securing of various loans by his ministry.